John A. Edelmann,  Owner, PrincipalCloverleaf Innovation, LLC. John’s 25-year work experience is rooted deep in the marketing and communication world having started his career in the agency business on the west coast and then migrated back to his hometown of Chicago where he operated an 80-person strategic marketing agency for 14 years. John was then hired to run the consulting arm of the largest independent brand marketing and design consultancy in the country, where his experience included developing the firm’s consulting practice, creating several proprietary innovation processes and tools as well as helping the company’s clients develop and execute brand and business strategies including strategic brand research, customer segmentation and creating a branded customer experience. With his desire to find the perfect approach to innovation, John co-founded Cloverleaf Innovation, with the notion of creating a firm that focusesexclusively on innovating and renovating new brands, products andservices.  With a strong belief that through collaboration comes better innovation, he helped bring together a team of researchers, trend experts, strategists, industrial designers, graphic designers and marketers who partner to drive revolutionary new concepts for the retail, consumer, industrial and commercial sectors.  John and his wife, Julia, whom he has known since kindergarten, live in Wilmette, Illinois. They have three children: Caroline, Alexander and Madi.  When not working or spending time with his family, John is an enthusiastic triathlete, mountain biker, snowmobiler and offroader.  He is a member of the National Hummer Club, Inc. and the Chicago Land Rover Club. John is also a Red Cross volunteer and a member of the organization’s H.O.P.E. program, which taps Hummer owners for emergency rescue operations.John received a B.S. in advertising from the University of Arizona and has completed graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin. John is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization (www.ypo.org [1]), a global business organization which helps make better leaders through education and idea exchange, where he has been a member since 1997. He is currently serving as the Communications Chair for the YPO/Chicago Chapter.