Picture of Solomon Darwin

Solomon Darwin

Executive Director
Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation
https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/darwin-solomon/

Professor Solomon Darwin comes with broad Leadership Experience in Corporate Management & Academia. He inspires students from both business and engineering disciplines teaching courses in Open Innovation, Business Models, Building Smart Cities, Scalable Smart Villages, IBM Watson and Business Models for Emerging Economies. He is the architect of smart village frame works in India and is known as the father of smart villages.

Education 

BA, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California.
MBA, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California
MCCP, Harvard University, Graduate School of Business, Boston, MA. (Management Program)
Doctoral Studies (Finance), Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California
 
Positions Held

At Haas since 2005
Executive Director, Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation, 2013-present
Associate Director, Center for Business Innovation, Haas School of Business, 2009 - 2013
Executive Director, Center for Financial Reporting & Management, Haas School of Business, 2005 - 2009
Executive Director, Center for Innovative Financial Technology, Haas School of Business, 2009
Associate Director, Center for International Business Development, Haas School of Business, 2009
Associate Professor of Clinical Accounting, University of Southern California, 1996-2005
Senior Manager of Finance/Vice-President, Bank of America, San Francisco, CA. 1995
Vice President of Finance/Planning & Analysis, First Interstate Bank, Los Angeles, 1993-95
Corporate Controller/Vice President, Glenfed Inc., Glendale, CA, 1984-92
Senior Financial Analyst, Bank of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK, 1983-84
Senior Financial Analyst, Motorola Inc, Chicago, IL, 1980 -83
 
Visiting Positions
 
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India 2014
University of Science & Technology, Hefei, China 2014
BI Norwegian Business School, Norway -2013
University of Turku, Finland -2013
Jiao Tong University, China, Summer breaks 2010 -2013
Lancaster University, School of Management, United Kingdom, Spring Break 2011-2013
Korean University, South Korea 2012
Qingdao University, China 2012
International University of Business & Economics, Beijing, China , Summer Breaks 2011-2013
University of Zurich, Switzerland, Spring Breaks 2010, 2011
East China Normal University, China – Summer Program 2010
Wuhan University, China, Executive MBA Program , Summer 2005
Euro-med School of Management, France, Summer 2004
EM Lyon School of Management, France, Summers: 1999, 2000,2001,2003, 2004)
Stanford University, Graduate School of Management (guest lectured at various times)
Peter Drucker School of Management, Claremont, Ca (guest lectured at various times)
 
External Service and Assignments
 
Executive Education – Taught courses for: Google, HP, Genentech, Health Net, Conceptus, UCSF Medical Center, CIO Institute, American Association of Corporate Counsel.
Keynote Speaker: International Triple Helix Conference, London – 2013; International Open Innovations Conference, Moscow, Russia -2012 ; Big Innovation Center, London -2013/2012. Fraunhofer Institute’s Innovation Conference, Germany - 2011; World Trade Center, Mexico City - 2011; The Atlantic’s “American Competitiveness ”- 2006.
Organized The World Open Innovation Forum (annual) 2014 - present
Directs and Organizes Berkeley Innovation Semiannual Forums – since 2009 – present
Chair, Chief Innovation Officer Round tables (quarterly meetings) 2009 - present
Conduct Leadership Seminars for Indian & Chinese C-suite Executives 2012 - present
Chair, Chief Financial Officer Round tables (quarterly meetings) – 2006 – present
Chief Content Officer and Moderator: CFO Summit for Global 1000 companies -2010
Developed a new Masters Degree at UC from inception to approval. 2007-2010.
Directed and moderated annual Financial Reporting Conferences 2005 - 2009
Chair, CFRM Executive Board and Advisory Boards for Financial Reporting Conferences.
Developed new courses: Business Models & Open Innovation, Innovation in Emerging Economies (travel study course); Forensic Accounting and International Accounting and Custom Executive Accounting Programs.
Faculty Advisor to several student organizations student case competitions
Founded and Spearheaded an International School and Charity Hospital in India (1999 / 2003)
President - Hope For People International, Los Angeles, Ca. 2005 – Present
Chairman - Project India, 1986 – Present
Board of Directors: Genius Labs, Pasadena, CA. (1998-2000)
Board of Directors: Mustard Seed International, Pasadena, CA. 1998 – 2004
Board of Directors: Mission Compassion Inc., (Relief Organization), SF, CA. 1980 – 1990
Chairman of the board - Project India (a humanitarian organization), India. 1986 -Present
Consulting Experience – 1998-2000 to several startup companies of former students.
Chief Financial Officer - Mustard Seed Inc, USA, Pasadena. 1992 –1993
 
Current Research and Interests
 
Smart City Innovations and Business Models
Cognitive Computing Business Models
Open Innovation and Business Models
Sustainability
Strategic Planning & Cost Reduction Strategies
Forensic Accounting
Profit Center Accounting
International Accounting & Multinational Corporations
 
Teaching
 
EWMBA 290T, Open Innovation & Business Models
UGBA 198, IBM Watson Leveraging Open Innovation
UGBA 193i Building Smart Cities Leveraging Open Innovation (Travel Study)
UGBA 190T, Open Innovation and Business Models
UGBA 190I, Business Innovation in Emerging Economies (Travel Study)
MBA 290T.2/ENG 298A.2, Topics in Open Innovation:
EMBA 202, Financial Reporting
MBA 224, Managerial Accounting
UGBA 127, International Accounting / Forensic Accounting
 
Honors and Awards
 

Honorary Professor on Faculty, Lancaster University, UK - since 2015
Honorary Professor on Faculty, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University - since 2011
Leadership Award for Exemplary Service – Haas School of Business 2009
Honorary Doctorates: Shanghai Jiao-Tong University, Overseas College - 2011
Honorary Doctorate: CapStone University, Pasadena, CA 2008
Golden Apple Teaching Awards –Marshall Business School, USC - three time winner
Most Innovative Teacher Award – 2005 Marshall Faculty Award, USC
Several National Teaching Awards (2002, 2004, 2005)
Motor Board Outstanding Professor Award -2005
Professor of the Year Award 2003 (National Greek Society – Gamma Sigma Alpha)
"Who's Who Among America's Teachers"