Debra M. Amidon, a recognized pioneer, visionary and architect of the Knowledge Economy with her seminal conference in 1987, is the founder of ENTOVATION International Ltd. With several years in higher education administration, a government post as Assistant Secretary of Education, and 12 years of executive industrial management in a Fortune 50 company, she has advised organizations such as the National Research Council, the Industrial Research Institute, NASA, NSF, OECD, the European Union, the UN and the World Bank. She is a globally recognized expert in knowledge strategy, intellectual capital, global networks, stakeholder innovation, and new business models based upon knowledge innovation.
ENTOVATION International Ltd. is the original research and strategy consulting network in the knowledge innovation field - linking over 9,000 people in 90 countries. Its timetable charts the evolution of the movement, and its Global Knowledge Leadership Map features 140 affiliate theorists and practitioners from over 40 countries. With seminal Roundtables in the US, Finland, Mexico, and Barcelona, these knowledge professionals set the standard for Knowledge Innovation Zones (KIZs) for cities, regions nations, enterprises and virtual communities. The ENTOVATION Gyroscope of keynotes, certification programs, books and methodologies represent the finest in the world.
Selected stakeholders
Clients and customers include over 100 global corporations, government agencies, civil society organizations and entrepreneurial start ups: e.g., Novo Nordisk, Siemens, American Express, Skandia AF/S, Clarica, BP, Mobil, Exxon, PDVSA, King Faisal Hospital and Research Center, DuPont, Swedish Railroad, RITSEC (Egypt), Barcelona Activa, MIT, Columbia University, UNDP, The World Bank, Cluster Conocimiento, Integrated Visions Group (Saudi Arabia), US State Department, Desert Knowledge Australia, most of the consulting and technology firms specializing in knowledge or innovation services.
Selected projects and honors
Recently she was featured as one of leading 25 global experts, including Nobel Laureates, in the Festival of Thinkers.
Featured in the Star Series of the Association of Knowledge Work (AOK)
Selected as a Leading Light in Knowledge Inc. – the original KM newsletter
The Colby Award, Highest Honor of the National Sigma Kappa Sorority
Presidents’ Award – Technology Transfer Society
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, class of ‘89
Convened the 1st national conference (1987) in the world on Managing Knowledge Assets, where the term - intellectual capital - was introduced as the critical variable for economic development.
Selected books and articles
- Knowledge Economics: Principles, Practices and Policies (co-edited with Dr. Piero Formica and Dr. Eunika Mercier-Laurent), Tartu University Press, 2005. [Tri-volume set featuring 27 authors from 17 countries.]
- In Search of Innovation: A Children’s Book for Leadership Executives, EffeElle Editori s.r.l., 2005.
- “In the Knowledge Zone” (co-authored with Bryan Davis), Knowledge Management magazine, The Ark Group, October, 2004.
- The Innovation SuperHighway: Harnessing Intellectual Capital for Sustainable Collaborative Advantage, Reid Elsevier, 2003. [Translations: Danish and Chinese]
- Creating the Knowledge Based Business (co-authored with Dr. David J. Skyrme), Business Intelligence, 1997.
- Innovation Strategy for the Knowledge Economy: The Ken Awakening, Reid Elsevier, 1997. [Translations: Spanish, German, French, and 2 dialects of Chinese]
Selected leadership positions and affiliations
Keynote presentations have been heard in 35 countries throughout the United States, Eastern and Western Europe including the Baltics, Latin America, Africa, Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
Visiting faculty for Tilburg University (NL); The Banff Center for Management (Canada); IPADE (Mexico); and Tartu University (Estonia)
Various Industry Advisory Board positions with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Industrial Research Institute (IRI), National Conference for the Advancement of Research (NCAR), ASEE College-Industry Education Conference, World Development Report (1999) for The World Bank
President of several organizations, including Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Boston University Alumni, and BAC
Founding member of the Arab Knowledge Economy Association (AKEA)
Additional information
- M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989, Alfred P. Sloan Fellow [Published thesis: Global Innovation Strategy: Creating Value-Added Alliances]
- M.A., Columbia University, Teacher’s College, 1972 [Specialty: Higher Education Administration]
- B.S., Boston University, School of Education, 1968
www.entovation.com; www.inthekzone.com
