Fireside Chat: Lessons from the Frontlines of Innovation
AIS opened the Spring 2026 semester with Dr. Jesse Thornburg, Assistant Teaching Professor at CMU-Africa, sharing candid lessons from the real-world frontlines of innovation in emerging markets.
What happened
On January 15, 2026, AIS opened the Spring 2026 semester with a fireside chat featuring Dr. Jesse Thornburg, Assistant Teaching Professor at CMU-Africa and AIS Faculty Advisor, under the theme "Lessons from the Frontlines of Innovation."
What was covered
Dr. Thornburg drew from his work at the intersection of technology, education, and entrepreneurship to discuss:
- How innovators navigate uncertainty in the early stages of a venture
- How to manage failure without letting it derail momentum
- The role of academic institutions in supporting research commercialization
- Why adaptability matters more than the original plan
Who it was for
The session was particularly valuable for first-year students just beginning to think about how their academic training connects to real-world impact, and what their next two years at CMU-Africa could look like.