Principal, Nottingham Spirk
Return guest Bill Nottingham talks open innovation.
Bill Nottingham is a principal of Nottingham Spirk, a leading business innovation firm, founded in 1972. NS has generated nearly 1,000 global commercialized patents. The Nottingham Spirk “Vertical InnovationTM” process has helped their client / partner companies earn over $50 billion in combined sales.
The NS innovation team excels in enabling companies to build businesses in adjacent categories and to disrupt markets. They have also co-founded new venture companies, many of which have been acquired. One venture-capital backed company, co-founded by NS was the Dr. Johns SpinBrush Company, later acquired by Procter & Gamble for $475 million. It resulted in the Crest Spinbrush, the largest selling powered toothbrush line. NS also co-created the P&G’s Swiffer SweeperVac; Scott’s Snap Spreader System; helped to build the Dirt Devil product line from the beginning; and developed the Sherwin-Williams Twist & Pour paint container platform, named one of the Top 10 Package Innovations of the Decade.
NS recently collaborated with MTD Products to develop Troy-Bilt FLEX, the first modular out-door power equipment system, resulting in MTD winning Lowes 2015 Innovator of the Year Award.
Nottingham Spirk has developed an effective methodology for tech transfer and commercialization, collaborating with Cleveland Clinic, NASA and others. For example, starting with a Case Western Reserve University technology, NS co-created CardioInsight ECVue, the first non-invasive electrocardiographic mapping system. Medtronic recently acquired this technology for $93 million plus an earn-out.
Bill Nottingham serves on the Board of Trustees for the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Advisory Committee for CWRU think[box] maker space, the Technology Advisory Board for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and boards of several private equity companies.
Bill has been featured on Bloomberg Radio, Sirius XM and NPR. He was a keynote speaker for the Consumer Electronics Association, Forbes Reinventing America Summit, The City Club of Cleveland, the RPM Global Leadership Summit and National Association of Medical Illustration Conference.
Nottingham Spirk has been featured on the Today Show, CNN, NBC Nightly News, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, Japan Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, New York Times, Wired and Fast Company.
