About the Center
OUR MISSION
The Center for Innovation Strategies (CIS) inspires a growth mindset in organizations and students by:
Acting as a catalyst and facilitator within the innovation ecosystem;
Providing quality instruction and enabling the co-creation and sharing of innovation knowledge, frameworks and tools, and;
Advancing innovation research and applied practice.
DEFINING INNOVATION
Innovation spans multiple disciplines and departments within companies and industries.
It is the practice of top-line growth and value creation through the development of new products and services, including new branded concepts, patents, and intellectual property.
Begins with target consumer’s articulated and unarticulated wants and needs
Employs multi-disciplinary collaboration
Incorporates networked, “open innovation” based partnerships
Combines strategic rigor and creative intuition in decision making
The CIS Team
Paul Reeder
Executive Director
Jenny Heckscher
Senior Director
Jenny Luu
Undergraduate Program Manager
Brian Wulff
Program Director, Medical Innovation Development
Jasmine Fisher
Legacy Project Intern
Jasmine Fisher began her journey at Ohio State in the fall of 2023, majoring in strategic communication. Prior to attending Ohio State, she took part in the Legacy program all four years of high school. Being in the program has inspired her to help guide new high school students towards that path as well.
She is in the Law and Society Scholars program and is using this opportunity to help advocate for local and nationwide issues that are important to her, and she hopes that she can inspire others to do the same.
Kodjo Kouassi
Legacy Project Intern
Kodjo Kouassi entered The Ohio State University in the fall of 2025, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. Prior to attending college, he was part of the Legacy Project program throughout all four years of high school. Being in this program has been impactful in his career—from learning ways to save money and prepare for retirement to developing soft skills and character strengths that will help him achieve his future dreams and make a positive impact on his community.
Through his involvement in this program, he hopes to inspire and guide the younger generation in the Whitehall community to achieve their goals and dreams.
Osaheni Ohwonigho
MID-EP Graduate Assistant
Osaheni Ohwonigho is a first-year MBA student at The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business, with a concentration in Supply Chain Management and Operations. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from the University of Benin, Nigeria, in 2014.
Osaheni brings extensive experience as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative and Marketing Executive, having worked with both indigenous and multinational pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria.