Tom Heffner-

Tom Heffner is podcaster, entrepreneur and design strategist.  He hosts The Next Year Now Podcast, which is based on the belief that everyday, purposeful habits and practices are vital for us to thrive at work and in life.  Each week he interviews some of the most successful people around the world to uncover key insights and the habits that have fueled their success.  The show explores areas like Personal Development,  Health & Well-being, Business, Productivity, Creativity and Entrepreneurship.

As a leader in Design Thinking, Tom utillizes human centered design methods to tackle some of the most difficult challenges facing the military and the DoD.  Part of this effort includes teaching human centered design methods to government and military organizations (US Navy, Howard County Public Schools), in academia (University of Maryland Academy of Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Johns Hopkins University), and non-profit settings (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory).

His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and the UK’s New Scientist. He is a contributing author to several books, including “Infusing Innovation into Organizations: A Systems Engineering Approach” and “Character Strengths Matter: How to Live a Full Life.” He also writes online articles for Positive Psychology News Daily, helping people use the principles of design to live a better life.

He often takes up the role of public speaker, giving presentations on Design and Well-Being at conferences around the world. He organizes workshops for engineers, HR professionals, military servicemen, and US government civilian employees.