Conversational Storytelling: Classroom Teaching through Story Parallels En- trepreneurial Need for Engagement

Barbara A. Karanian, Ph.D. , Lecturer, previously visiting Professor, in the School of Engineering, in the Mechanical Engineering Design Group, makes it possible for teams to find unmet user needs using her proven methodsfrom a socio-cognitive psychology, art and applied design thinking perspectivethat she has developed and refined over the past few decades. In addition, she teaches some of these methods to engineering, design, business, and law students. Barbara uses applied psychology and art in her storytelling methods, to help students and leaders traverse across the iterative stages of a projects from the early, inspirational stages to reality. Founder of the Design Entrepreneuring Studio, she is the author of,”Working Connection: The Relational Art of Leadership;” ”Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Balancing Act in Engineering and Science;” and ”Designing for Social Participation in the Virtual Universe.” With her students in ME 378, she co-authored, ”The Power of First Moments in Entrepreneurial Storytelling.” Barbara makes productive partnerships with industry and creates collaborative teams with members from the areas of engineering, design, psychology and communication. Her recent work examines perceived differences in on-line and off-line lives; and ways to generate creative work environments. She also bridges the intersection of Silicon Valley and Hollywood in a leadership initiative.