Kyle Nel, Executive Director of Lowe's Innovation Labs




Metis Strategy show

Summary: Among other topics, Kyle discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy:<br> <br> * Lowe’s Innovation Labs<br> * Lowe’s uncommon partnerships<br> * Maximizing efficiency and success by integrating internal and external talent<br> * Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ Collider<br> * The value of external partnerships<br> * Incremental verses meaningful innovation<br> * Lowe’s Narrative-driven innovation model<br> * Using behavioral science to drive transformation<br> * Metrics for measuring the success of innovation labs<br> * Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ projects: Lowe’s Holoroom, self-roaming robots, additive manufacturing<br> <br> Kyle Nel’s Biography<br> Kyle Nel is the Executive Director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, part of Lowe’s Companies, Inc., a $60 billion home improvement company. Kyle leads a team that is responsible for driving the company’s innovation vision, strategy, and growth.<br> Prior to founding the Innovation Labs, Kyle held positions in market research with Lowe’s and the Walmart Global Insights Group.<br> Kyle is a member of the XPRIZE Foundation Innovation Board and was recognized on the 2015 Advertising Age “40 under 40” list.<br> Kyle earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University-Idaho and an MBA from the AC Nielsen Center for Marketing Research at the University of Wisconsin.<br> I recently caught up with Kyle in his office in Seattle, WA. Our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as Kyle discussed how he recruits for innovation; and Principle Five, External Partnerships, as Kyle described the importance of Lowe’s uncommon partnerships with organizations like Google and Made In Space. We also discussed Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ narrative-driven innovation model, transformative products that are used in Lowe’s stores that began in the Innovation Labs, and a variety of other topics.<br>