(Photo, Brian McDonald)
Name: Tracey A. Dodenhoff
Age: 37
Position: Executive Director, Slater Center for Design Innovation
Background: Prior to joining the Slater Center, Dodenhoff served as product development director at Butler Home Products in Holliston, Mass. (1998-1999); she founded Lifedance, Inc. in March of 1995, which designed and manufactured non-drug products for pain management during childbirth; Dodenhoff was marketing program manager at The Foxboro Company (1993-1995); and consultant to DM Creative Group, North Attleboro, Mass. (1991-1994).
Education: Rhode Island College (1989); Master’s of Industrial Design,
Pratt Institute (1993); MBA, Babson College (1999)
Family: Married, two sons
Residence: North Attleboro, Massachusetts
PBN: Your mission statement describes your charge as striving “to nurture and support the continuous cycle of design innovation and enterprise.” What does that mean?
DODENHOFF: One of the things all the Slater Centers focus on is technology
transfer. In any technology transfer, design needs to be injected and the product
needs to get to its commercial venue. We see our role as injecting that design
into the mix to enable the technology to be transferred to market. And then, as
the product becomes successful in the marketplace and the company begins to grow,
we see our role as continuing to inject design innovation to help them to be competitive.
Design has become more prominent in terms of competitive strategies here in the
United States. But it is still growing. We have a big role to play in terms of
making companies aware of how design can help them compete.
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Does design sometimes get left out of the mix when an entrepreneur is developing a product?
Yes. One of the biggest challenges is educating people to the role of design.
There is a stereotype that design simply deals with aesthetics. In some industries
that may be the case. But the way we view designActually, we have a definition;
‘The resolution of functionality, efficiency and or interface in a unique, meaningful
and progressive manner.’ It’s a broad definition, but that’s because design has
broad implications. You can design something to be more profitable, in terms of
how it is put together. Design it to be recyclable. Design it to be safer. Design
it to be more effective in what it does. And it is not just about consumer products.
It can be industrial machinery. It can be the graphical-user interface that people
utilize on a piece of software.
Can design make or break a product?
Absolutely. And to be truly successful, the design needs to have its foundation
in a need or function. That is ultimately where the value lies.
What exactly does this Slater Center do and what kinds of companies — or individuals — are seeking assistance from the center?
We fund seed and start-up companies that have design innovation as part of
their competitive strategy. The companies we are funding are very broad. We have
one company that has licensed a technology from Boston University and is translating
this product to market, as we speak. We’re helping them to understand how design
can help them do that. We have another company that revolves around fashion design.
What we’re doing with this individual is to help her create an infrastructure
that should help her be more profitable as she grows rapidly — which she is doing.
Again, the definition of design is very broad. It crosses industry boundaries.
Consequently, the companies we are funding are very broad in their focus.
What are some of the common roadblocks or challenges an entrepreneur faces. For example, they may have a wonderful idea – but they get stuck. Where are they getting stuck?
I can tell you first-hand, because I have done it. There are classic mistakes,
one of them pertaining to design. That is, falling in love with the design at
the expense of everything else. You can have a clever design and some great solutions
to a problem, but if other areas are not adequately addressed, it doesn’t mean
it is necessarily going to be a home run. Another area particularly important
and one an entrepreneur needs to have a real handle on is operations. You need
to have the infrastructure, so that if you do have a product that is going to
be successful, it can support that. And, of course, there is capitalization. You
have to have a real accurate understanding of what funds you are going to need
to bring a product to market and then to support it in the marketplace.
Do banks and venture capitalists recognize design as an important piece in the development of a product?
Yes. I don’t think it is industry-wide, but I know for one of our awardees
the design that has been injected into his technology transfer project has helped
him to raise venture capital funds. It is also important to recognize that design
– getting back to classic entrepreneurial mistakes — by itself, is not a competitive
tool. Design, as part of the competitive mix, is the tool. You are not going to
win over a venture capitalist just coming in with a sexy design if all the other
pieces are not in place. But if you have a good story to tell, design can put
you over the edge.
There has been much discussion as to whether Rhode Island can establish itself as a high tech Mecca – whether it can thrive in the shadow of Boston’s 128. What should our reasonable expectations be in terms of developing a high tech community?
There is a lot of potential here in Rhode Island. I don’t think we’re ever
going to be a clone of 128, nor should we strive to be. It’s very much about taking
what is unique about Rhode Island and leveraging that. We do have tremendous technology
resources, including the amazing resources at Rhode Island School of Design. That
really adds to the diversity of our abilities. There is an author, Jerry Hirshberg,
and I’m reading his book called “The Creative Priority.” He talks about how the
strongest creative solutions come out of a diversely populated soil. That’s how
I see Rhode Island. We have technologists, we have artists and designersthat blend
is going to help us be more competitive in a unique way. I don’t think it is apples
to apples. I think we are going to be our own technology niche – known particularly
for innovation.
Samuel Slater, the progressive 18th century industrialist, brought
the Industrial Revolution to America – building his historic mill on the banks
of the Blackstone River in Pawtucket. What can today’s entrepreneur learn from
Slater’s experiences?
His story points out the importance of context. He was taking a technology
and basically transferring it from England. But he was leveraging the resources
that were here and injecting new knowledge. It goes back to your question about
developing Rhode Island as a high tech Mecca. We’re going to be doing it, but
in a unique way. It’s important for us to recognize our strengths — just as Samuel
Slater recognized the strengths and opportunities that were here — and leverage
the New Economy and the new technology that is being developed with the strengths
we have, rather than trying to develop something different.
The state is investing significant tax dollars into all of its Slater Centers. What kind of return on investment are we getting from the Slater Center for Design Innovation?
It’s early to talk about ROI, because we just did our funding in October.
But we have funded four companies and we are in the process of making a final
decision on our next round of funding, which is going to more than double that
amount. The things I am seeing that may indicate the kind of ROI we are going
to see, include the fact that one of our awardees has entered into an agreement
with a partner who brings significant funds to the table – we’re talking millions.
They also bring significant resources to the table in terms of experience. Another
company we have funded has gone from zero sales to over $100,000 in sales since
October. Those are the kinds of successes we are seeing and are going to see more
of in the not-so-distant future.
What drives you personally, to succeed?
The opportunity to effect change, for the good. This position at Slater embraces
my need to be a successful business leader, but also my desire to have some positive
social impact. By helping entrepreneurs start up companies and be successful at
those companies, you are helping them to have economic empowerment. Ultimately,
economic empowerment is all about choice. It may sound like a grand answer, but
that’s what I think about at the end of the day.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
We want people to know we are here in terms of educating them as to what design
can do for them – how to inject design into their whole start-up and growth.
At what stage should someone be at before they call you?
Any stage along the way. If I don’t have the information, I have resources
that do. One thing I do want to mention is our relationship with Rhode Island
School of Design. They are a phenomenal resource. They have the Center for Design
& Business — the joint partnership with Bryant and RISD. If I have someone
who isn’t appropriate for funding through the Slater Center, I’ll pass him or
her on to the resources at RISD.
