THE REEL BLACK LIST

RBL celebrates Tony Bynum, Professor of Practice

By Tony Bynum
March 6, 2025

Black excellence isn’t limited to February. It’s 365 days a year. Reel Chicago’s Reel Black List is a commitment to recognizing the impact of Black voices in advertising, film, TV, music, radio, and media every single day of the year. In a time when DEI initiatives are being challenged and progress is at risk, it’s more important than ever to amplify the voices and contributions of Black creatives, leaders, and innovators who shape our industry. Today, we feature The Institute of Design’s Professor Tony Bynum.

Tony Bynum is a Professor of Practice at the Institute of Design (ID) at Illinois Tech, and (newly) the director of the ID Executive Academy, which we just announced last month. He has partnered with clients and organizations on their adoption and application of the mindset, principles, and methods of Strategic Design Thinking since the 1990s.

Trained in business and design, Tony blends the strategic thinking of an MBA with the human-centered tools and mindset of experience design to help organizations frame and clarify opportunities for purposeful growth and meaningful connection with his client’s users, customers, and communities.

Tony has taught at Rutgers, CEDIM’s School of Design, and Lake Forest College. Tony has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin, an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, an MDM from the Institute of Design. He has also completed graduate studies in organizational psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Let’s meet Tony!

What’s your Origin Story?

I’ve always been an outsider looking in, observing, finding patterns, and making sense of the world’s complexity. Growing up as the only black person in my community, I developed a superpower: the ability to detach, adapt, and see what others miss.

This mindset guided my journey, combining business strategy with human-centered design. After earning an MBA, I realized something was missing and pursued a Master of Design Methods at the Institute of Design in Chicago. This shift changed everything, allowing me to bridge logic and creativity, helping organizations move beyond competition to market-defining innovation.

My career has been a continuous prototype, leading strategy and experience design, then finding a passion for executive education at Rutgers, Northwestern, and the Institute of Design. My work focuses on helping others explore new thinking and surfacing possibilities.

Now, as the Director of the Institute of Design’s Executive Academy, my backstory comes together in how I help leaders rethink how they lead, innovate, and create lasting impact. I wish I could say I planned it, but my background sits at the intersection of business strategy and design thinking—an MBA gave me the language of business, while a Master of Design Methods showed me how to rewire or rewrite it for creativity and innovation.

I built and led the Design Thinking Center of Excellence at Northwestern Mutual, taught at places like Kellogg and Rutgers, and coached leaders through the messy, exhilarating process of change. Here’s the deal: business isn’t just about competing—it’s about designing something better. And that’s what I do. I help executives move beyond outdated playbooks, think in new ways, and build organizations that don’t just keep up but define the future. Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s this—the best way to predict the future is to design it.

What did you want to be as a kid?

Actor/Musician/Engineer.

How did you choose your career path?

I didn’t so much choose my career path as I discovered it—through observation, adaptation, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking. My journey wasn’t linear; it was shaped by curiosity, intuition, and a deep desire to create bridges to the future, or strategy with creativity. I started in business, earning my MBA and working in corporate strategy, but I sensed that something was missing. That realization led me to the world of design, where I see opportunities to inspire, motivate, and create clarity about future possibilities.

Rather than following a traditional trajectory, I followed the patterns I saw—patterns that revealed the power of design in shaping experiences, strategy, and innovation. By integrating business acumen with design methodology, I found my niche: helping organizations move beyond competition to create truly differentiated, meaningful experiences.

Teaching became a natural extension, allowing me to share my insights and experience to shape the next generation of thinkers and innovators. Ultimately, my career path wasn’t chosen—it evolved, shaped by an ability to see what others didn’t and a commitment to designing a future rather than simply waiting for it to arrive.

Describe your creative process.

Quote, Hermione Granger: “Actually, I’m highly logical, which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook.”

Who inspires you?

Trevor Noah, Dan Pink, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Kamala Harris

The most unconventional risk you’ve taken in your career.

2005- Leaving my full-time job to return to school full-time for a master’s degree in design & innovation strategy.

2018- Leaving a perfectly good job as Director of Innovation to start my own consulting company.

When faced with setbacks, what keeps you going?

My outsider’s perspective—the ability to detach, reassess, and find new patterns others might miss. I don’t see obstacles as failures but as part of the challenge, much like prototyping. I see every challenge as an opportunity to refine your approach, uncover hidden insights, and test new possibilities.

Linus has his blanket for comfort, you have…

A strong Brandy Old Fashioned.

What’s on tap for 2025?

Expand Thought Leadership

Write and publish a series of articles or a book on bridging business strategy and design thinking—highlighting my unique perspective on innovation, leadership, and experience design
Speak at key industry conferences or podcasts to further establish myself as a leading voice in design-driven business strategy

Launch or Scale a Signature Program

Develop a flagship executive education program or workshop that blends design thinking, innovation strategy, and leadership development
Partner with organizations or universities to offer this as a structured learning experience

Deepen my Impact Through Teaching & Mentorship

Expand my role in mentoring emerging innovators, business leaders, and students by formalizing an advisory program
Create a cohort-based learning experience where professionals can work directly with me on applying design thinking to real-world business challenges

Innovate Within my Consulting Practice

Develop a new proprietary framework for guiding companies from competition-based strategies to market-defining innovations
Explore how AI and emerging technologies can enhance human-centered design and experience strategy to position myself at the forefront of the field

Strengthen My Personal Brand & Network

Build and refine my digital presence by optimizing my LinkedIn and personal website to include fresh content, insights, and case studies
Actively build strategic relationships with industry leaders, innovators, and institutions that align with my expertise and interests