Garrett Westlake is the Vice Provost for Innovation and Strategic Design at VCU and Executive Director of the VCU Da Vinci Center, where he works at the intersection of entrepreneurship, education, technology, and institutional transformation.

Known for his ability to bridge disciplines that traditionally operate in isolation, Garrett has spent his career helping organizations, universities, founders, and students navigate the complexities of innovation in an increasingly interconnected world. His work focuses on creating environments where creativity, business, engineering, and design converge to generate new possibilities for learning, venture creation, and societal impact.

As a researcher, educator, author, and innovation strategist, Garrett has explored how emerging technologies, entrepreneurial thinking, and collaborative design can reshape institutions and unlock new pathways for growth. Through his leadership at the Da Vinci Center, he has helped pioneer interdisciplinary approaches that prepare the next generation of leaders to solve challenges that do not fit neatly within traditional boundaries.

What distinguishes Garrett's perspective is his belief that innovation is ultimately a human endeavor. Beyond technology and strategy, his work examines how organizations cultivate curiosity, navigate uncertainty, and build the conditions necessary for meaningful change to emerge.

On this episode of Creating Evolving Organizations, Garrett joins us for a conversation about innovation, entrepreneurship, higher education, systems design, and the evolving relationship between technology and human potential. Together, we explore how organizations adapt, how ideas become ventures, and why the future belongs to those capable of connecting disciplines, perspectives, and possibilities that others overlook.