Curiosity Drives Innovation with Jeremy Gilbertson

May 18, 2021 | The Hatchery | Ben Garrett

Why is Atlanta the innovation capital of the Southeast? 

“Might Could: Stories of Innovation in the ATL,” is a new series from The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, that seeks to answer that question in conversation with innovation thought leaders and disruptors in non-profits, higher education, and industry who are making Atlanta a city of the future. On Friday, May 14, we had the pleasure of speaking with entrepreneur and Renaissance man Jeremy Gilbertson. 

Jeremy is Partner & Executive Producer at Tunewelders, a firm that crafts sonic environments and audio experiences to connect people through music and storytelling; Head of Music at Infinite By SUKU, a blockchain ecosystem, and marketplace; a freelance Fractional Music Officer who helps brands to orchestrate authentic music strategies and partnerships; the Founder of Write to Know You, a program focused on self-discovery through journaling and coaching; and Co-Founder of One Love, an organization that fosters civil discourse on systemic racism as a means to increase empathy and drive change.  He is also a technology consultant on Data Centers and IT Transformation,  and a freelance writer on interdisciplinary thinking, thematic interconnectedness, technology, health, and the creative process. Jeremy holds a BBA from the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University, and it was a pleasure to have him with us last week.

One of the themes of the conversation was the importance of curiosity. Curiosity is a driver of innovation because it leads to identifying challenges and developing new solutions to solve them. Jeremy further described how curiosity is vital for career success because it leads you to the acquisition of new skills, new knowledge, and new disciplines all of which are forms of career capital. 

Another theme tying together many of Jeremy's experiences is the importance of writing. While learning to write well is a crucial career skill because of the need to move others, Jeremy's focus on writing was on the way in which it helps us to know ourselves. Writing allows us to take ideas that are bouncing around in our heads and organize them and put them in a medium where we can process them, ultimately developing our own point of view on them. In a sense, Jeremy articulated that writing is less an outcome of thinking about an issue and more a way to think about an issue to help yourself gain clarity. 

Jeremy's interests and skills are incredibly diverse which led to a wide-ranging and dynamic conversation. To hear more from Jeremy check out the video or podcast versions of the conversation. To keep up with everything going on at The Hatchery sign up for their newsletter. 

To learn more about The Hatchery visit Hatchery.emory.edu or email The Hatchery staff at thehatchery@emory.edu. The Hatchery is a unit of Emory University Academic Innovation.