My name is Matthew E. May. I’m an independent innovation strategist, which means I work closely (and often confidentially) with senior executives and their teams to help them not only define innovative new strategies, but also help them build the creative confidence and capability to deploy them.

I specialize in innovative program design, facilitation, and training. Industry-agnostic, I work with and speak to companies of all types and sizes, all over the world. When my schedule permits, I coach senior executives one-on-one.

I come from a strategy and design background, heavily influenced by the eight years I spent as a fully-retained advisor to Toyota. It was a life- and career-changing experience which enabled me to publish a 2006 bestselling book about their innovative methods (The Elegant Solution) and enter the global lecture circuit. I now speak regularly on innovation, strategy, and design.

I’ve now published five popular books, the latest being Winning the Brain Game: Fixing the 7 Fatal Flaws of Thinking, encapsulating a decade of fieldwork. I’ve written for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Strategy+Business, Rotman Magazine, Fast Company, 99U, and INC. Winning the New Yorker cartoon caption contest is my fondest creative achievement.