Innovation is value creation toward a goal :: Tatsuya Nakagawa

What is Innovation?

Host Jared Simmons talks with Tatsuya Nakagawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products. Tatsuya offers a unique take: "For me, innovation is value creation towards some sort of goal or aim." This reflection springs from the story of his junior high school decision about whether to alter his name to overcome social barriers, highlighting how innovation is woven into the human experience.

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Tatsuya Nakagawa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products, a sustainable roof coating manufacturing company. Castagra's Ecodur Roof Coating was voted top "Greenvention" by the reality show Dragons’ Den. Over the past 20 years, Tats has launched hundreds of products and services, co-authored the book Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation (forward by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple), and spoken to a variety of industry groups including: Chartered Accounts of Canada, Canadian Bar Association, The American Chamber of Commerce, and The International Internet Marketing Association. He’s also written articles for Fast Company, Construction Today, and Industry Week, and has been quoted on CBS News, Global TV, CBC, The Globe and Mail, and BC Business. Tats is the host of the popular C-Suite Network podcast, Specified Growth Podcast. The podcast features interviews with leaders who have overcome adversity, built massive organizations, and made a positive change in the building materials and coatings industry. He also hosts a LinkedIn Live series, Roofer Reflections, where he interviews roofing professionals about their experiences in the industry.

More about our guest:

• Tatsuya Nakagawa
• Company: Castagra Products
• Book Co-authored: Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation
• Tat's Podcast: Specified Growth Podcast

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:42 - What is Innovation?

3:14 - Role of Identity in Innovation

6:28 - Reducing Friction on Identity

11:39 - Importance of Curiosity and Experimentation

13:04 - Finding Mentors

15:47 - Sports Analogies and Innovation

21:37 - Music, Sports, Business, and Performance

28:20 - Overcoming Challenges and Learning from Failures

33:42 - Reflections on Career and Adaptation
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management