VP, Organizational Learning & Innovation
KnowledgeWorks
Dr. Jillian Darwish combines her background in the fields of design and education to develop innovative approaches to collaboration, organizational learning and systems change. As Vice President, Organizational Learning and Innovation for KnowledgeWorks (knowledgeworks.org), her role has both an internal and external focus. She leads the continuous development of KnowledgeWorks as a learning organization with a culture of innovation and she also heads a team of experts who develop engaging keynotes, strategy sessions, long-term engagements and partnerships designed to help organizations across the education sector apply knowledge of future trends with organizational learning and systems change practices to create systemic innovation. She oversees the ongoing development of the foundation’s future trend publications, of which there have been more than 160,000 copies distributed across the United States and internationally. Formerly at KnowledgeWorks, she served as the founding Executive Director for the Institute for Creative Collaboration, building a strategic consulting practice and directing Transformational Dialogue for Public Education, a long term initiative designed to help state leaders re-conceive the system of public education and which has led to significant state-based education policy reform. Jillian began her work at KnowledgeWorks as Director, Collaborative Knowledge Management leading the development of a thriving peer-to-peer learning network for teachers in 52 schools across Ohio. An award-winning educator and leader, Jillian has taught a wide range of students from primary through graduate school, has led regional teams to create widely distributed multimedia educational products and services, and has received national recognition for the design and implementation of an organizational learning system serving a 500-member organization and twenty-two public school districts. Jillian earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning; a master's in elementary education from Xavier University; and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Cincinnati.