Bringing practical innovation tools to UPS teams around the world
INNOVATE LIKE UPS
How UPS used Innovate Like an Entrepreneur™ to help global marketing teams tackle real‑time challenges—and build a shared, repeatable innovation process.
CLIENT
UPS, Global Marketing Capabilities and Enablement.
FOCUS
Innovate Like an Entrepreneur™ creative problem‑solving workshops.
REGION
US, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
FORMAT
Three‑day experiential workshops plus shorter spin‑offs.
UPS wanted to bring its “Innovation Driven” corporate strategy to life across the marketing organization. Leaders were asking teams to step up with bolder ideas, but most people had grown up in a culture of incremental improvement. Teams outside of R&D were expected to innovate without a shared process, common language, or dedicated time to practice new ways of thinking.
From incremental improvements to bold, “innovation‑driven” thinking
THE CHALLENGE
THE APPROACH: INNOVATE LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR™
A hands‑on innovation lab for real business challenges
UPS partnered with In Focus to roll out Innovate Like an Entrepreneur™ workshops across the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Each session focused on two goals: working on pressing, real‑time UPS challenges, and equipping participants with a practical creative problem‑solving process they could keep using.
At its most robust, Innovate Like an Entrepreneur™ is a three‑day, in‑person or virtual experiential workshop. Part skill‑building and part Shark Tank, it blends instruction with live application so people learn by doing.
DAY 1
Foundational concepts, processes, and tools for creative problem solving and innovation.
DAY 2
Applying those tools first to external practice challenges, then to real UPS business challenges.
DAY 3
Refining and pitching solutions back to internal leaders and challenge owners.
To reach more people, In Focus also created shorter Innovate Like an Entrepreneur™ formats and offshoots, bringing core content to larger groups and teams with limited time.
Real stakes, shared language, and practice time
WHAT MADE THIS WORK
Real challenges, not hypotheticals.
Teams worked on issues that already kept leaders up at night, so ideas felt immediately relevant.
Shared process and language.
Participants left with a common way to frame challenges, generate options, and move from idea to action.
Structured “Shark Tank” pitches.
Presenting to internal leaders raised the stakes and helped teams refine ideas into implementable solutions.
A top‑rated program that changed how teams solve problems
RESULT
35+ workshops, reaching 1,000+ participants across the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
100% of participants said the information, techniques, and skills were applicable to driving business results.
95% said they felt more confident solving high‑stakes problems and offering bolder solutions.
Highest‑rated marketing course at UPS, ever—4.9 out of 5 for effectiveness, relevance, and ability to drive business results.
100% net promoter score: every participant said they would recommend the workshop to peers and direct reports.
From our participants:
“Using the tools and framework, our team got more ideas in six hours than we did in the past six months.”
“It is so empowering to realize that innovation can come from anywhere within an organization—and then get the tools to be able to drive that innovation.”
“I offered up a challenge that keeps me up at night to be used for the program. I needed some fresh, bold thinking but didn’t know what to expect. Then I was a judge on the Shark Tank—I heard the ideas and was blown away by the unique perspectives and innovative approaches. My team will definitely be further refining and using some of these solutions.”
“I can’t wait to bring this to our peers in the sales organization so that we can learn the same process, speak the same language, and creatively solve challenges together.”
From our challenge owners:
“I was really proud of all of the teams. They stepped up to the challenges and offered up solutions that can really be implemented.”
Talk about an innovation workshop
at your company.
If you’re asking teams beyond R&D to innovate—and want them to have a clear process, shared language, and real practice time—an Innovate Like an Entrepreneur™ workshop could help. In Focus will listen to the challenges on your plate and help you decide whether this kind of experience is a fit.