> Karl Ulrich, ScD CIBC Endowed Professor; Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions; Professor of Management; Dean’s Office Advisor on Asia Strategy, The Wharton SchoolResearch Interests:Environmental issues, product design and development, innovation About Karl Karl T. Ulrich is CIBC Endowed Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he is also professor of mechanical engineering. His most recent project is the design and construction of Tangen Hall, the largest facility in the world for student entrepreneurship. He co-founded Venture Lab, the Weiss Tech House, and the Integrated Product Design Program, institutions fostering innovation in the University community. He is the co-author of Product Design and Development (7th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2020), a textbook used by a quarter of a million students worldwide; Innovation Tournaments (Harvard Business Press, 2009); and Winning in China (Wharton School Press, 2021). He is the winner of many teaching awards at the Wharton School including the Anvil Award, the Miller-Sherrerd Award, and the Excellence in Teaching Award. In addition to his scholarly work, Professor Ulrich is a prolific innovator and entrepreneur, holding 24 patents. He is a founder of Terrapass Inc., which the New York Times identified as one of the most noteworthy ideas of the year, and he is a designer of the Xootr scooter, which Businessweek recognized as one of the 50 coolest products of the 21st century. Professor Ulrich holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT. Read full faculty bio on Wharton websiteExecutive Education Programs TaughtChief Technology Officer ProgramThis immersive, nine-month experience teaches Chief Technology Officers and other senior-level IT leaders how to become more strategic partners with other operating units within their organization and determine efficient ways to scale their company’s technology infrastructure. The rigorous curriculum includes interactive online sessions and on-campus electives and offers a path to alumni status for qualified individuals. Design Thinking — Developing the Solution ConceptGreat ideas only matter if they become solutions that work. Design Thinking: Developing the Solution Concept teaches a structured, customer-centered process to turn insight into innovation. Guided by Wharton Professor Karl Ulrich, you’ll apply the triple-diamond model — a disciplined framework for defining customer needs, generating ideas, and testing viable solutions that deliver business impact. Innovation Strategy and Design Thinking CertificateInnovation isn’t guesswork — it’s a discipline that can be learned, practiced, and mastered. The Innovation Strategy and Design Thinking Certificate is Wharton Online’s end-to-end innovation credential, spanning three self-paced courses that take you from fundamentals to execution. You’ll gain research-based frameworks and hands-on tools to lead innovation with clarity and confidence across products, services, processes, and organizations. Innovation Tournaments and the Process ViewGreat ideas don’t just appear — they emerge through process. Innovation Tournaments and the Process View equips professionals with a proven, tournament-based framework to transform ad-hoc creativity into a scalable innovation engine. Guided by Wharton professors Christian Terwiesch and Karl Ulrich, you’ll learn to design, launch, and evaluate innovation tournaments that consistently surface high-potential ideas and convert them into measurable business results. Introduction to Innovation: Everyone Is an InnovatorInnovation is the engine of growth and survival in every organization, but many struggle to turn ideas into impact. Introduction to Innovation equips professionals with the clarity, confidence, and tools to approach innovation as a disciplined process. You’ll learn to spot opportunities, analyze challenges through multiple lenses, and use proven frameworks to guide smarter decisions and sustained results.
