Driving Innovation: Skills for ROI in STEM

Implement with agility and purpose

Innovation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity in fields where disruption, competition, and rapid change are the norm. According to KPMG’s 2025 Futures Report: “the next five years will see more change than the last 30, fueled by the convergence of influences redefining every sector of this competitive landscape.”

With this ever-changing dynamic environment, organizations increasingly expect innovation investments to demonstrate measurable value, withstand financial scrutiny, and align with strategic priorities. At the same time, technology and market conditions are shifting rapidly, forcing teams to make higher-stakes decisions under uncertainty.  This 10-15 hour asynchronous microcredential addresses that gap by empowering STEM professionals to think creatively, experiment responsibly, and lead innovation initiatives that drive measurable impact.

Across all modules, learners practice disciplined assumption-setting and learn practical techniques for expectation management, timeline management, and project management so that innovation proposals can be scoped, approved, executed, and evaluated in real organizational settings. Designed for engineers, analysts, researchers, and product developers, this course helps professionals move from problem identification to solution implementation with agility and purpose.

Learners will be able to:

  • Define and scope a STEM innovation opportunity by identifying the problem, stakeholders, baseline measures, constraints, and success metrics, and by distinguishing measurable innovation from novelty.
  • Evaluate innovation initiatives using Return on Investment models, discounted cash flow (DCF), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), payback period, discounted payback period. Introduction to decision tree and scenario analysis methods to compare investment cases and communicate uncertainty with discipline.
  • Develop a stakeholder-ready innovation proposal package that includes a concise slide deck, clear implementation and evaluation plans, measurable decision conditions, and either a narrated presentation or a short written reflection that explains the proposal logic, limitations, and communication choices.

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Certified skills

Derrick Mo, MBA, MS

Content Designer

Derrick Mo began his career in finance, where he built a strong foundation in business analysis, company evaluation, valuation, and decision-making. Over more than a decade, he worked across investment and strategy-focused roles, developing a practical understanding of how organizations grow, manage risk, and create value. As artificial intelligence began reshaping industries, Derrick moved into tech to be part of that transformation. Today, he brings a mix of financial discipline, business judgment, and real-world AI experience. Derrick is excited to share what he has learned across finance, technology, and the rapid rise of AI with students and professionals alike.