2X New York Times best-selling Author; Innovation Keynote Speaker; Co-founder & Chairman, Platypus Labs; Founding Partner, ImpactEleven; Managing Partner, Muditā Venture Partners; 4X Dad; Professional Jazz Guitarist
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁? You innovate. When the pandemic emptied office buildings around the globe, most saw a crisis. Gensler saw an opportunity. Architect Steven Paynter and his team realized that many of these vacant office spaces could find a second life as residential buildings. However, evaluating the conversion potential of each property was a slow, costly process. Instead of throwing his hands up in defeat, his team got to work on developing an algorithm that could determine conversion feasibility in hours instead of weeks. By analyzing 150 key factors—like window depth, elevator count, and parking space availability—Gensler created a tool that turned complexity into simplicity. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵, 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿, 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀: • 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝟭,𝟮𝟬𝟬+ 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 • 𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟱𝟬 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 • 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟮𝟵 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 As you can imagine, adaptive reuse of buildings minimizes demolition debris, which constitutes approximately 90% of the half a billion tons of construction waste generated annually in the U.S. Building conversions also lead to construction cost reductions of 25% to 35% compared to new builds, making them a financially viable option for developers. Not to mention, transforming underutilized office spaces into residential units enhances property values and attracts investment, contributing to economic growth in urban centers. Take Baton Rouge, where a Brutalist office building from the 1960s became 144 modern residential units. Or the Pearl House in New York, now the city’s largest office-to-residential conversion project. But this isn’t just about real estate—it’s about solving difficult problems with an upgraded mindset. Paynter’s team didn’t just adapt; they innovated. They turned a challenge into a scalable solution that’s reshaping how cities work and live. How can you apply this thinking to your own organization? • 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: What problems could you solve by looking at them from a new angle? • 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Gensler’s algorithm worked because it was fast, simple, and actionable. Can you streamline a process to unlock potential? • 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀: It wasn’t just about offices—it was about revitalizing communities. What larger purpose can your innovation serve? Gensler’s story reminds us that innovation isn’t reserved for the tech giants—it’s for anyone willing to rethink the status quo and turn challenges into catalysts. What challenges could you reimagine in your organization today? Share your thoughts below, and let’s inspire some bold ideas together.