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Distinguished Innovation Fellows

Build your next thing

A program for experienced leaders in transition, ready to launch their next big idea for community good.

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Distinguished Innovation Fellows

As the population ages, there is an expanding pool of successful executives and professionals in the second stage of their career who want to become social innovators in their next act as they live longer.

The Distinguished Innovation Fellows program provides these individuals, particularly those at, near, or past retirement, the opportunity to learn, develop, prototype and launch their ideas to improve the world in a supportive and innovative learning environment. Based in Phoenix and Southern California, with hybrid participation available.

Apply  

Sian Proctor Distinguished Innovation Fellow

 

DIF 2026 BUILD

Supportive infrastructure to incubate ideas

As ASU Affiliates, Fellows have the opportunity to audit Arizona State University courses that supplement their project development, from social impact and design thinking to entrepreneurship and leadership. These courses are developed and offered in collaboration across ASU units.

World-class guidance and support

As a Fellow, you're backed by a full network: staff who handle the practical details, award-winning faculty who guide your design-thinking process, ASU students who support research and prototyping, and a growing cohort of alumni who mentor along the way. You'll also tap into select ASU resources and join a broad, growing community of Difference Engineers building practical solutions for community good.

 

Hear about our work on PBS.

A group of people talking while at a table
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Design

Fellows join a weekly, live design-thinking colloquium led by ASU faculty in Arizona and Los Angeles, alongside guest speakers. This meeting functions as the intellectual and social core of the program. 

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Build

Fellows develop and prototype their projects through collaborative learning and coursework, auditing courses across ASU's in-person campuses and online catalog.
 

 

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Pitch & Feedback

Fellows showcase their work at BUILD, the program's culminating pitch event, where they present their ideas to the investors, non-profits, agencies, and others who can help build momentum.

About the Fellowship

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something that makes a difference. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story makes all the difference.

 

You get:

The program provides one academic year of focused project development with access to tailored ASU courses and weekly collaboration sessions among fellow innovators. You'll receive faculty mentorship from award-winning professors and support from dedicated student research assistants, plus access to ASU's libraries, labs, and fabrication facilities. The cohort is limited to just ten Fellows to ensure personalized attention, and includes cultural experiences with a trip to Los Angeles. Upon completion, you'll earn an ASU Certificate of Excellence.

 

But not ...

  • A degree program with busy work
  • Generic retirement activities
  • Hand-holding or micromanagement
  • Guaranteed funding for your project
  • A job placement service
Chris Howard The Difference Engine

FAQ

Most programs focus on learning or networking. We focus on building. You come with a project idea and spend the year making it real.

Also, we're not trying to place you in existing jobs or volunteer roles. This is about creating something new, whether that's a business, nonprofit, creative work, or solution to a problem you care about.

Our current fellows are building everything from AI solutions for business problems to immersive art experiences about space travel to new approaches for urban planning.

The common thread: DIF Fellows work on something they genuinely care about, have the skills to execute, and believe can do good in the world. We don't assign projects—you bring your own.

No. You need a compelling direction and the experience to make it happen, but we expect your project to evolve significantly during the year.

Most successful applicants have been thinking about their project for months or years. If you're starting from scratch, you're probably not ready yet.

No. The fee covers the program—your coaching, resources, facilities access, course auditing, etc. You're responsible for funding your own project development.

Some fellows' projects don't require significant funding. Others seek grants or investors independently. We'll connect you with relevant resources, but we're not a funding source.

That's valuable learning too. Better to discover a project isn't viable in a supportive environment than after investing more time and money on your own.

Many fellows pivot significantly during the year. Some discover their original idea needs major changes. Some find entirely different directions. That's all part of the process.

  1. Initial contact.

    1.  Fill out our short Contact Information Form, and a team member will reach out to schedule a conversation.

       

       

  2. Formal Application 
    1. Ready to move forward? Complete the full application, including your background, a short video, and a project description.
  3. Decision
    1. A selection committee reviews applications, with final decisions made by our founder and executive director. Decisions made annually in late July

We're looking for people who are serious about their projects and can commit the time and energy needed.

If you're on the fence, we'd rather have a real conversation than have you make a decision based on incomplete information. Email our team at [email protected].

Plan on 5-10 hours per week when you're engaged. This includes the weekly colloquium, selected course sessions, project work, and occasional special events.

Some weeks will be lighter, others much heavier depending on your project needs and course schedule. It's not a part-time job, but it's not typical retirement either.

That's fine. Many fellows split time between locations, and some focus primarily on one hub. You'll need to be present for key activities, but we're not expecting you to relocate.

The weekly colloquium runs hybrid, connecting Los Angeles and the Phoenix area at the same time, so you can take part remotely even if you are based outside of those hubs.

The three required in-person gatherings each year (orientation, a mid-year retreat, and the culminating pitch event) are where we ask everyone to be physically present.

 

 

 


 

Pretty much. You'll work with our team to select courses that support your project. We handle the registration hassles—you just show up and take what's useful.

You won't get grades or homework. You're there to learn what helps your project and engage meaningfully, not to complete assignments.

The Distinguished Innovation Fellows program costs $61,000 to run, with a generous donor covering more than half the program cost. Your out of pocket cost is $20,000. 

Compare it to similar programs: Stanford charges $70,000, Harvard $55,000, University of Chicago $77,500. We've built something valuable without the premium pricing.

But the real question is whether you'll use what we provide. If you want accountability, expert guidance, student research help, and a collaborative environment for a year of focused work, then yes. If you just want to audit some classes, probably not.

 

We limit each cohort to a small group of fellows. Recent cohorts have included former executives, military officers, professors, engineers, and other accomplished professionals working on diverse projects.

The common thread: everyone has significant professional experience and is serious about building something meaningful.

Neil Urban BUILD 2025
 

I thought things would go back to normal after we were done, but now I realize there is a whole new and exciting normal emerging. Things will never be the same again. The Distinguished Innovation Fellows program has truly made a difference in my life. Thank you all for the journey so far...

Neil UrbanInaugural DIF Fellow 2025

What our Fellows Achieve

Neil Urban

Inaugural Distinguished Innovation Fellow Neil Urban is an architect and planner who recently retired from a 25-year career with Maricopa County and the State of Arizona, where he managed comprehensive and strategic facilities plans and served as a capital planner. Through DIF, he pursued his long-standing interest in the future of urban design with Z-aXis City, a bold rethinking of how cities can grow. 

Since launching, the concept has drawn international attention: he registered Z-aXis City as an LLC, built out its digital presence, and took his pitch abroad, participating in the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong and traveling on to Singapore and Cambodia for global conversations on the future of construction, architecture, and finance. Those connections have continued to open doors, including funding conversations with international partners and invitations to speak and pitch at forums around the world.

 

 

Neil Urban at DIF Launch 2025

Dr. Sian Proctor 

Dr. Sian Proctor is a commercial astronaut, artist, and poet, and the first woman to pilot a commercial spacecraft. She experienced the "overview effect" firsthand and has devoted her work to translating that mind-bending perspective for the rest of us through art, poetry, and immersive experiences. 

As part of the inaugural DIF cohort, she developed EarthLight World, a planetarium show produced in partnership with the Museum of Science, Boston and Space2Inspire. Blending 360-degree visuals with her own voice, artistry, and storytelling, the show weaves together Afrofuturism, poetry, and personal reflection into a one-of-a-kind journey where art, science, and imagination meet. After two years in the making, EarthLight World premiered on June 13th, 2026 at the Museum of Science, Boston, bringing her fellowship project to life.

Sian Proctor
Gabriel Bey

Gabriel Bey

Musician

Distinguished Innovation Fellow Gabriel Bey is a working musician and creative entrepreneur building PHXMF, a festival that skips the Hollywood glamour to focus on the actual work: the tools, tech, and behind-the-scenes people who make movies, music, and games. Rather than red-carpet spectacle, it highlights the "lower credits" folks and builds Arizona's creative workforce through hands-on demos. For his DIF fellowship, Gabriel grew PHXMF from concept into a series of major events, and has since taken his pitch nationally, earning speaking engagements, advisory roles, and funding conversations.

 

 

Kaden Sheffield

Dr. Kaden Sheffield

Professor (Inaugural Cohort)

Distinguished Innovation Fellow Dr. Kaden Sheffield is a former college professor who left the lecture hall to build something better: a program that lets people chart their own course to mental wellness through creative expression. Instead of a therapist directing the process, their approach hands you the paintbrush or pen and trusts that people know their own minds best. For their DIF fellowship, Kaden developed the Wisdom Tree, a self-directed creative wellness kit that has since grown into a children's book deal, school consultancy opportunities, and strong demand for kits of their own.

 
Rene Diaz Lefebvre

Dr. René Díaz-Lefebvre

Professor (Inaugural Cohort & 2026)

Distinguished Innovation Fellow Dr. René Díaz-Lefebvre spent decades in higher education watching talented educators teach creativity like it's algebra. His work shows teachers how to actually nurture creativity instead of accidentally crushing it. A two-time fellow, René first joined DIF to develop his culturally responsive teaching approach and returned to create a documentary honoring his grandmother. Since launching, his approach has spread through school systems across Arizona and California, with districts booking faculty in-services, committing to his books in Spanish, and scheduling ongoing integration workshops. He also serves on the OLLI Leadership Advisory Board and stays active in the community through AARP's Latino Connection.

 
 
 
Jessica Hirshorn

Dr. Jessica Hirshorn

Professor (2026)

Dr. Jessica Hirshorn is a Teaching Professor of Organizational Leadership at ASU with 20 years of experience in intercultural education and curriculum design. For her DIF project, she developed a gamified assessment tool for course materials, giving students an interactive way to apply their learning and instructors an integrity-focused approach to evaluation. During the fellowship, she earned the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts Outstanding Service Award and the Career Track Association Community Service Award for her work with OLLI Corps.

Meet our team

Emma Houston

Emma Houston

Program Manager

 

Ehsan Zaffar

Ehsan Zaffar

Executive Director

 

Robert Pozen

Robert Pozen

Senior Advisor

 

Dr. Aaron Guest

Dr. Aaron Guest

DIF Faculty

 

Take your next step

Contact us

Contact the team with questions at [email protected]

 

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