May 2025 – Present · 11 mos

• America ByDesign is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and the endless possibilities of human ingenuity. Join us as we explore the architectural marvels that define who we are and inspire the future—one design at a time. Whether you’re a design enthusiast or simply curious about the spaces that shape our lives, this series will entertain and inspire.
• America ByDesign will broadcast 9pm every Saturday night on CBS 24/7 News (New York) - available to stream from anywhere in the US or across the world.

Apr 2022 – Present · 4 yrs

• Book summary:
• From the acclaimed designer and bestselling author of Reimagining Design, a nonlinear approach to navigating design's nuances in pursuit of meaningful innovation.
• In Nonlinear, Kevin Bethune shows us that we can reject trodden paths of digital or physical product creation by taking advantage of a nonlinear approach. To unlock meaningful innovation that breeds new and novel outcomes, he writes, teams need to embark on a journey into the proverbial forest of ambiguity, the result of a rapidly converging, dynamic, and exponentially changing landscape. The journey is less about getting it right or wrong, and more about using the information we have at our disposal to understand our choices and take steps to unlock new learning.
• Nonlinear begins by taking the reader through Bethune's professional “zigs and zags.” The author explains that while his interdisciplinary leaps were rare at the time he took them, these varied experiences unlocked perspectives about design and innovation that uniquely prepared him for our present moment and for the future. He then showcases the role of quantitative information to strategically frame and set boundary conditions for our creative exploration, and the role of qualitative insights to provide the substance necessary to begin crafting solutions that address unmet needs. The book also identifies accelerants (or flywheels) that will help readers as they reflect on their journey navigating the forest of ambiguity, with a specific emphasis on diversity, a key theme for Bethune, a Black man who has navigated new horizons. Readers will enjoy having the chance to customize the author's perspectives and make them their own at both an individual and team level.
• Recently named #1 New Release (for preorders) on Amazon for these book categories: Industrial Design, Business Diversity & Inclusion, and Design History & Criticism. Recently named #3 Best Seller on Amazon for Design History & Criticism.

Mar 2020 – Present · 6 yrs 1 mo

• Book summary:
• The power of transformative design, multidisciplinary leaps, and diversity: lessons from a Black professional's journey through corporate America.
• Design offers so much more than an aesthetically pleasing logo or banner, a beautification add-on after the heavy lifting. In Reimagining Design, Kevin Bethune shows how design provides a unique angle on problem-solving—how it can be leveraged strategically to cultivate innovation and anchor multidisciplinary teamwork. As he does so, he describes his journey as a Black professional through corporate America, revealing the power of transformative design, multidisciplinary leaps, and diversity. Bethune, who began as an engineer at Westinghouse, moved on to Nike (where he designed Air Jordans), and now works as a sought-after consultant on design and innovation, shows how design can transform both individual lives and organizations.
• In Bethune's account, diversity, equity, and inclusion emerge as a recurring theme. He shows how, as we leverage design for innovation, we also need to consider the broader ecological implications of our decisions and acknowledge the threads of systemic injustice in order to realize positive change. His book is for anyone who has felt like the “other”—and also for allies who want to encourage anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-ageist behaviors in the workplace. Design transformation takes leadership—leaders who do not act as gatekeepers but, with agility and nimbleness, build teams that mirror the marketplace.
• Design in harmony with other disciplines can be incredibly powerful; multidisciplinary team collaboration is the foundation of future innovation. With insight and compassion, Bethune provides a framework for bringing this about.

Jul 2021 – Present · 4 yrs 9 mos · Pasadena, California, United States

• The ArtCenter Board of Trustees works to help ArtCenter meet its educational, technical and financial objectives. Board members have a fiduciary responsibility for governing the College and ensuring that it fulfills its mission: Learn to create. Influence change.
• Serving as Chair of the Development, Marketing & Communications Committee. Nominated three diverse executives who have recently become new ArtCenter Trustees.

Feb 2019 – Dec 2025 · 6 yrs 10 mos · Irvine, California, United States

• Invoy: a weight management program that measures your fat burn more accurately and much earlier than a bathroom scale. Invoy's advanced breath science provides a superior metric for effective weight management. Our programs adapt with the changes in your life and never criticize you over a setback. Our mission is to provide our clients the tools to understand their state of well being and achieve their goals through structured science and support.
• Led Invoy's design team in the delivery of human-centric discovery, ideation and craft-driven implementation of its brand strategy, digital user experience, industrial design, packaging and visual design capabilities across a number of different physical, digital and service-related affordances. Advised the cross-functional leadership team in creative problem-solving to inform business strategy, product roadmap, brand strategy evolution and future concepts.

Apr 2018 – Jan 2026 · 7 yrs 9 mos · Redondo Beach, CA

• dreams • design + life ran itself as a "think-tank" that delivered design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. We introduced 1. Strategic Design to accelerate client partners' growth ambitions by increasing the relevance of their businesses, and 2. Industrial Design to optimize the creation of relevant design outcomes within that context. We helped client partners cultivate new ecologies that bring together physical, digital and/or service-related affordances to create holistic, empathic experiences under a unified brand promise.
• Inspired by Kevin Bethune's multidisciplinary career, we operated at the intersection of design, business and technology. We brought new ecologies to life that weaved together physical, digital and service-related experiences.
• Our multidisciplinary expertise included trend curation, future visioning, brand strategy, human-centered design, ethnographic research, product design and product development.
• Client partners: ASM Global (now part of Legends), Nike, Inc. (Nike Explore Team), Magic Leap, Formé, BitKey Bank (Keevo Hardware Wallet), Boston Consulting Group (BCG), BCG.X, ArtCenter College of Design, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Z-Tech (of Anheuser-Busch), PepsiCo, Invoy, Office Untitled and VF Corporation. Contributions included deep design, innovation and brand strategy engagements, capability build, advisory consultation, keynote talks and/or partnerships through mutual investment in new platforms.

Dec 2017 – Dec 2025 · 8 yrs · Silicon Valley

• Introducing Keevo: a quantum leap in crypto security & convenience. Paperless recovery and native beneficiary functionality with multiple factors of authentication. Easy to setup and use. Finally, a premium solution that's worthy of your virtual assets and a breakthrough way to manage your digital identity.
• Led the industrial design work-stream to rationalize the physical devices, permanent case and packaging design as a co-founder, design contributor and investor. Contributed strategic insights and influence for the ongoing evolution of Keevo's brand strategy.

Jan 2017 – Dec 2024 · 7 yrs 11 mos · Greater Boston

• Served on the Design Management Institute's (DMI) Board of Directors from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2024. Served as Board Chair from December 2018 through December 2023.
• The Design Management Institute (DMI) is an international membership organization that connects design to business, to culture, to customers—and to the changing world. Founded in 1975, DMI brings together educators, researchers, designers, and leaders from every design discipline, every industry, and every corner of the planet to facilitate transformational organizational change and design driven innovation. DMI focuses its mission in three areas: design valuation, education, and connection. Find out more at https://dmi.org

Apr 2016 – Apr 2018 · 2 yrs · Manhattan Beach

• BCG Digital Ventures is a corporate investment and incubation firm. BCGDV invents, builds and invests in startups with the world’s most influential companies. This team shares risk and invests alongside corporate and startup partners via a range of collaborative options.
• Founded in 2014, BCGDV has major Innovation and Investment Centers in Manhattan Beach, Berlin, London, Sydney, San Francisco and New York, as well as DV Hatches in Silicon Valley, Seattle and Mexico City, with more locations opening in the coming quarters.
• BCGDV's Centers and Hatches are home to a diverse range of entrepreneurs, operators and investors who are building businesses, creating and expanding markets and developing new technologies that benefit millions of people across the globe. For further information, please visit www.bcgdv.com
• As Vice President of Strategic Design (a Partner-level functional leadership role), specifically led the Strategic Design team in North America (approx. 35+ designers + global influence for another 35+ designers overseas) in the delivery of future visioning, ethnographic design investigations, conceptual development of digital and physical product concepts, industrial design and human-centered creative direction. As a founding team member, provided deep thought leadership, functional oversight and human-centered design expertise in the launch, execution and scale up of BCG Digital Ventures over the past 4.5 years, and the team's previous incarnations at previous parent companies 2 years prior.
• Notable projects: Led design & brand strategy visioning work for the future evolution of IBM.com, design & brand strategy visioning work for the future of BCG.com, long-range future visioning for Merck, Petco, Lufthansa and ADNOC, and strategic innovation explorations for Lufthansa, Wells Fargo, Aflac, Allianz, IBM Energy and Microsoft.

Jan 2014 – Mar 2016 · 2 yrs 2 mos · Manhattan Beach

• Led the Strategic Design team in the delivery of future visioning, ethnographic design investigations, conceptual development of digital and physical product concepts, industrial design and human-centered creative direction. As a founding team member, provided deep thought leadership, functional oversight and human-centered design expertise in the launch, execution and scale up of BCG Digital Ventures.

Dec 2012 – Dec 2013 · 1 yr · El Segundo, CA

• Led design team in the facilitation of ethnographic design investigations, conceptual development of digital and physical product concepts, and human-centered creative direction. As a founding team member, provided thought leadership, oversight and subject matter expertise to pioneer human-centered design's entry into the Tier 1 network of management consulting strategic partnerships among global CXOs.

May 2012 – Dec 2012 · 7 mos · Los Angeles

• Provided strategic innovation leadership and industrial design contributions to Wilshire Axon (a Digital B2B Agency, Incubator and Venture Fund). Efforts helped Wilshire Axon book new client work and accelerate the incubation of intellectual property in-house.
• Axon Advisory Partners served CXOs on their most important strategic digital issues, including: business growth strategy, capturing and profiting from emerging trends, turnarounds and international growth. The leadership team was comprised of consulting partners and operating executives with deep digital expertise.
• Axon was acquired by Booz & Company in December, 2012

Jan 2008 – Jul 2010 · 2 yrs 6 mos

• Facilitated product process improvements across a portfolio of functions (e.g. innovation, design, development and engineering) to help optimize upstream footwear product creation. Provided strategic and business planning support for a portfolio of process innovation work streams.

Jan 2008 – Jul 2010 · 2 yrs 6 mos

• Under the mentorship of the Jordan Brand product team, designed the Air Jordan Fusion 8 basketball lifestyle-performance shoe in two different hybrid iterations from ideation to confirmation of the final design. Under the mentorship of the Nike Innovation Kitchen, contributed design and engineering support to an interdisciplinary team advancing a key technology platform. Both campaigns were managed outside of the Product Process responsibilities as a way to begin the development of design-specific skills.

Jan 2007 – Jan 2008 · 1 yr

• Strategic/operations management position focused on the product lifecycle of Nike footwear, with the goal of optimizing relevance to the consumer across design, development and manufacturing.

Jul 2005 – Jan 2007 · 1 yr 6 mos

• Delivered objective financial analysis and insights to optimize the financial and operational performance of the company portfolio. Specifically provided Corporate primary interface responsibility for the Americas region and Nike Affiliates (e.g. at the time - Bauer, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley and Starter).

May 2004 – Jul 2004 · 2 mos

• Reported directly to CFO providing financial/strategic analysis assistance on a number of initiatives designed to outline Westinghouse's projected growth profile into future years.

Jun 1998 – Aug 2003 · 5 yrs 2 mos

• Fulfilled multiple mechanical engineering roles within the Nuclear Services business unit; ranging from structural analysis of steam generator components to design and analysis of reactor mechanical components and associated long handled tooling. Fulfilled the role of engineering lead and project manager on numerous first of a kind, emergent and routine Nuclear Services campaigns. Received the 2002 and 2003 Westinghouse Signature Awards for exceptional project performance. Awarded a Patent (No. 20060008045; Reactor Vessel Head modification) for championing a team of 5 through an innovation program aimed at launching a new product line.