INVERSE OUTSIGHTS
Innovation Consulting: Tailored High-Impact Approaches
Gain expert insights on decision making that fosters agility and leads to sustainable growth and success.
unlocking your nascent strengths
Our Mission
We don’t do fluff.
Our philosophy is to balance efficiency with the ability to pivot when needed, promoting agility in decision making. Engineered for agility and built to outpace competitors.
We triage your pain points that stifle boldness, analyze your structures, culture, and silos, and deliver actionable, AI-optional tactics and strategies you can execute—with or without us—to ensure sustainable growth.
Our Objective
We empower leaders to make the courageous, clarifying decisions necessary for sustainable growth and agility, allowing them to create a future worth leading rather than merely managing the present. Simple enough? Let’s talk. Book a free introductory consultation and discover the value we can bring.
Unlock Your Company's Innovation Potential with Inverse Outs
What you don't need
Mid-cap companies aiming for sustainable growth and enhanced agility in decision making don’t need another generic industry conference or academic white paper. Inverse Outsights offers a tailored, high-impact approach to accelerate innovation within your organization.
Leverage your innate strengths
We help companies map their innovation landscape potential, enhance agility in their decision making, identify key internal and external resources, and cultivate an ecosystem of experts, mentors, and advisors—all tailored to your unique challenges and goals. Through curated workshops, strategic partnerships, and deep industry-academic connections, we empower your teams to take control of their innovation trajectory and drive sustainable growth.
About Inverse Outsights - Co-Founders
Felix Lu, Ph.D., President
Tim Johnson, MBA, EVP of Manufacturing Innovation
Carlos Romero, MBA, EVP of Innovation
Felix has worked in the industry-academic collaboration space since 2014 at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has partnered with numerous consortia and corporations, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to understand their interests, priorities, and aspirations. By fostering agility in their
Felix has worked in the industry-academic collaboration space since 2014 at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has partnered with numerous consortia and corporations, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to understand their interests, priorities, and aspirations. By fostering agility in their operations, he helps these organizations connect with talent, bandwidth, and subject matter experts, as well as analytical resources, all while promoting sustainable growth and enhancing their decision-making processes to build a robust innovation ecosystem. He spent 8 years as the co-founder of a high-technology federal contracting startup company in the RTP area of North Carolina. Prior to this, he worked at Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, California, focusing on technology qualification for next-generation satellite systems. Felix received his PhD in 2004 in Materials Science and Engineering. In his spare time, he enjoys playing ping pong, volleyball, and practicing martial arts.
Carlos Romero, MBA, EVP of Innovation
Tim Johnson, MBA, EVP of Manufacturing Innovation
Carlos Romero, MBA, EVP of Innovation
Carlos is a business mentor and advisor at MATTER-Chicago, and he also serves as an industry mentor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Most recently, Carlos was the Manager of Global Technology at Walgreens Boots Alliance, where he demonstrated agility in decision making by leading Consumer Healt
Carlos is a business mentor and advisor at MATTER-Chicago, and he also serves as an industry mentor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Most recently, Carlos was the Manager of Global Technology at Walgreens Boots Alliance, where he demonstrated agility in decision making by leading Consumer Healthcare Futures and co-developing new technologies with partners to enhance the healthcare innovation pipeline for sustainable growth. His extensive experience includes over 20 years in the global innovation and commercialization of consumer, food, and medical technologies at SC Johnson, Nestle, Kraft, and Johnson & Johnson. Carlos earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT, his MS in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology from the University of Virginia, and his MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Tim Johnson, MBA, EVP of Manufacturing Innovation
Tim Johnson, MBA, EVP of Manufacturing Innovation
Tim Johnson, MBA, EVP of Manufacturing Innovation
With over 15 years of experience driving successful product development, sourcing, and engineering initiatives, Tim Johnson thrives on improving innovation and operational excellence with agility. Tim is known for his expertise in new product development, supplier innovation, and change management, which enhances decision making and leads
With over 15 years of experience driving successful product development, sourcing, and engineering initiatives, Tim Johnson thrives on improving innovation and operational excellence with agility. Tim is known for his expertise in new product development, supplier innovation, and change management, which enhances decision making and leads to sustainable growth. At Illinois Tool Works, he created and led teams focused on accelerating product launches and improving supplier engagement, achieving significant time-to-market reductions and enhanced product quality. His other roles include energy engineer for McCain Foods and the U.S. DOE Industrial Assessment Center program, where he has driven multi-million dollar energy efficiency projects, and sourcing management for ITW and Regal Rexnord, optimizing supply chains for Fortune 400 and 500 companies. Holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Tim combines a deep technical foundation with strategic insight to solve complex business challenges. Outside of his professional endeavors, Tim enjoys working with students and has contributed to the academic community as a Teaching Assistant at Chicago Booth, helping aspiring entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of launching successful ventures, and as a Resident Head at The University of Chicago, managing Resident Assistants and mentoring students through both personal and academic difficulties.
Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
If you are near the Chicagoland area, this is easy and we'd love to learn more about your agility in decision making for sustainable growth in person. If you have more distance, we can start with a call to discuss your needs and decide on next steps.
Inverse Outsights
