JOIN US TO HEAR DR. DAVID CHARLES ON INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP AT KATY’S SPRING CREEK BBQ ON SATURDAY, JUNE 21!

What: The Houston Illini Club invites alumni and guests to a casual summer gathering at Spring Creek BBQ in Katy. After time to mingle and grab some delicious BBQ, we’ll hear an engaging talk from Dr. David Charles on the role of leadership in driving innovation.

Talk Title: “The Inner Game of Innovation: Why Leadership, Not Ideas, Moves Companies Forward”

Talk Overview: In today’s fast-paced, risk-averse corporate world, the challenge isn’t coming up with great ideas—it’s having the leadership to bring them to life. Drawing on his research into corporate innovation labs and experience leading digital transformation at Fortune 100 companies, Dr. Charles will explore why emotional intelligence, mindset, and self-awareness matter just as much as strategy and tech. This thought-provoking session will offer practical insights for anyone looking to lead change—regardless of title or industry.

Saturday, June 21 Timeline:

• 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Arrive, sign in, mingle, and enjoy lunch (order/pay individually at the counter)
• 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM | Featured talk by Dr. David Charles
• 1:15 PM – 1:30 PM | Q&A and wrap-up

Where: Spring Creek BBQ (group area), 21000 Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77449

Cost: Admission is free! Attendees pay for their own meal at the cashier (note that Spring Creek has excellent BBQ!)

RSVP: Kindly scroll down to RSVP for yourself and your guests via this webpage.

About the Speaker: Dr, David Charles is a seasoned business strategist, educator, and leadership coach. He has held leadership roles at CVS Health and John Deere, led major analytics and innovation projects, and developed training programs to build stronger leaders. He currently is a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign teaching at the Gies College of Business and the School of Information Sciences.

Questions: Contact Dr. David Charles (spotlight) or Danny McGovern.

Post-event links:

• Dr. David Charles' PowerPoint presentation.
• Photos of the event!