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SOTU 2011

Congressional "Dating" and the Power of Symbolism

BY Ruth Sherman | 01-26-2011 | 4:36 PM | LEADERSHIP

Congress decided to "mix it up" for the State of the Union address, to sit together instead of opposite sides of the aisle. It was even referred to as "dating," and fraught with the same social complexity and awkwardness teenagers encounter. This seemed like an empty gesture, but I was quite surprised by the outcome.READ MORE›

The Green Guide to Obama's State of the Union Address

BY Ariel Schwartz | 01-26-2011 | 1:52 PM | ETHONOMICS

President Obama tackled a lot of ground in a short amount of time during last night's State of the Union address. The whole thing was so fast, in fact, that it was easy to miss the many promises Obama made about clean energy and the environment. Here's what he said--and what he left out.READ MORE›

President Obama and Steve Jobs Talk Like Innovators

BY Kaihan Krippendorff | 01-26-2011 | 12:31 PM | WORK/LIFE

To focus on the President's agenda of clean energy and education is to miss a subtle insight into Obama's skill as an innovator. You see, Obama knows a secret. Steve Jobs knows it too, and so do Mohammad Yunus, Elon Musk, and anyone proven capable of driving significant innovations into the world. The secret is that people don't think; they react.READ MORE›

State of the Union: Out-Innovating?

BY David Brier | 01-26-2011 | 12:02 PM | WORK/LIFE

Brand identity expert David Brier comments on President Obama's push toward "winning the future through Innovation" and asks the question, "Will we be our own giants and heroes?"READ MORE›

Post-SOTU Challenge: Convincing a Nation of Scared People to Innovate

BY Cali Williams Yost | 01-26-2011 | 11:09 AM | LEADERSHIP

Last night's State of the Union address laid out our country's vexing conundrum: how does a nation of scared people innovate its way back to prosperity? READ MORE›

Innovation: Not as Simple as Obama Made It Sound

BY Adam Hanft | 01-26-2011 | 10:21 AM | INNOVATION

Listening to President Obama last night, I wondered if his speechwriters had been reading Stephen Johnson's new book "Where Good Ideas Come From." When the president talked about the unexpected nature of innovation, he was channeling Johnson.READ MORE›

Where Do We Need Innovation?

BY Francine Hardaway | 01-26-2011 | 9:33 AM | ETHONOMICS

The State of the Union flipped quickly from the heartwarming Sputnik moment of our generation to the budget-cutting demanded by our economy. The President said all the right things about innovation, but he was limited in his view of where our lives most need it.READ MORE›

State of the Union Address Word Cloud Shows Obama Thinking About "People"

BY Kit Eaton | 01-26-2011 | 7:37 AM | INNOVATION

The President is also keen on all things "new." Last night's SOTU speech prompted us to run his words through our text analysis process and dig into the text. What do his words reveal about our "future"? READ MORE›

Innovation Nation: Obama's State of the Union Speech and Dambisa Moyo's New Book Call for American Enterprise

BY Jenara Nerenberg | 01-26-2011 | 6:27 AM | ETHONOMICS

"Americans in particular are renowned for bouncing back," says the bestselling author and economist. "... Things are going to get much better."READ MORE›

Reinventing America for a Bright Green Future

BY Glenn Croston | 01-26-2011 | 3:27 AM | ETHONOMICS

As the Great Recession slowly recedes, it's clear that we're not going back to the world of 2006. But where exactly are we going? In his State of the Union Address, President Obama spoke about investing in innovation to move our country and our economy forward.READ MORE›

State of the Union, the Digital Party

BY E.B. Boyd | 01-26-2011 | 2:48 AM | INNOVATION

Did you watch the State of the Union on television, old-school style? The real party was online. Photos! Infographics! Salmon! Here’s a deeper look.READ MORE›

We Do Big Things. Really?

BY Marc Stoiber | 01-26-2011 | 2:31 AM | ETHONOMICS

President Obama's State Of the Union speech gave some important cues to green innovators. So is it a message of hope, or a signal to pack your bags and head to China?READ MORE›

Can America Compete Against a Rising Young World?

BY Rob Salkowitz | 01-26-2011 | 1:07 AM | ETHONOMICS

In a speech pitched in the language of business rather than politics, President Obama challenged the U.S. to "win the future" against a rising tide of new competitors.READ MORE›

Innovation That We Can Believe In

BY Dr. Alex Pattakos | 01-25-2011 | 11:20 PM | MAGAZINE

Let's make 2011 the year we actually make innovation happen--innovation that we can believe in!READ MORE›

A Guide to Tonight's Interactive State of the Union, "The Most Wired Ever"

BY E.B. Boyd | 01-25-2011 | 2:42 AM | INNOVATION

The White House will post PowerPoint bonus material to accompany the address, John Boehner's staff will live blog the speech, and both parties speak directly with Americans via social media. Here's how to follow all the interactivity. READ MORE›