World Creativity and Innovation Day (#WCID) is the United Nation’s globally celebrated day that highlights the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving to advance the UN sustainable development goals, also known as the “global goals.”
The first World Creativity and Innovation Day was celebrated on April 21, 2018, and has since become an annual event celebrated by individuals, organizations, and communities around the world. Its purpose is to raise awareness and encourage creative multidisciplinary thinking at both the individual and group levels.
According to a special report on the creative economy by UNESCO, UNDP, and UNOSSC, creative thinking has “Become the true wealth of nations in the 21st century.” Thus, the day aims to inspire people to use their creativity and innovative abilities to tackle challenges and create a better future for all.
Many events and activities are held on World Creativity and Innovation Day, including conferences, workshops, and hackathons. These events bring together individuals and organizations from various backgrounds to share their knowledge and collaborate on innovative solutions to global problems.
This year’s celebration of World Creativity and Innovation Day is expected to be even more impactful as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. With the theme “Creativity for a Resilient Future”, the day emphasizes the need for creative and innovative thinking to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and build a better future.
Ultimately, it serves as a reminder of the power of creativity and innovation to drive positive change and contribute to sustainable development. It encourages individuals and communities to unleash their creative potential and work together towards a better future for all.
This article will be update as new reactions come in. Newer responses will be placed at the top.
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World Creativity and Innovation Day responses
Vinay Samuel – founder and CEO of Zetaris
Vinay highlights that he spent 20 years working in the data analytics industry who kept doing the same thing but never fully solving the problem.
“Frustrated at the lack of innovation in the industry, I turned down a million dollar contract and headed into my garage to build a totally new, revolutionary approach.
“I created the world’s first analytical data fabric for enterprise reporting and analytics. This enables data from disparate locations to be analysed in real time from any source without the complexity of building data lakes. This has fundamentally disrupted how the rest of the industry is trying to do analytics, BI, reporting and AI,” he explains.
The father with four young children discovered a new way to dramatically speed up the time it takes to analyse and extract data insights. His wife recognised the huge potential and supported Vinay’s courage to take a risk and agreed he should turn down the million dollar salary he had on offer and leap into the unknown and launch his first startup.
Zetaris recently raised USD$32 million, securing backing from In-Q-Tel (CIA backed), Exto Partners, Vulpes Ventures Singapore, 72 Capital and others. Zetaris is now valued in excess of $150 million. Zetaris was the winner of Australian Computer Society’s CXO Disruptor of the Year 2019.
“Innovation Day needs to celebrate people championing new solutions to old problems, challenge the status quo and inspire the next generation of innovators to have the courage and perseverance to do what it takes to shatter the mould and forge a new path,” he says.
