Nike is a design company.

This week my company Maharam hosted a national gathering for all the sales reps, operations management, and designers - here in Chicago. Invited to speak was John Hoke III, who is the creative director and VP of Design at Nike. His outlook on the future via innovation and competition was striking. And his confidence and air of superiority was clearly that of an athlete. Here's a page of my notes.  

A captivating public speaker, he certainly inspired many of us in the room. Almost enough to make you forget he was talking about the largest apparel and shoe company on the planet, almost.