Chris Deaton

Chris Deaton is a social sciences professor at Arizona State University with a multifaceted career in innovation, education, and storytelling. During his time innovating in University Technology Office and eventually Enterprise Technology offices; Chris collected degrees—including Master’s in Sociology, Interdisciplinary Studies, Liberal Studies, and in Information Systems Management from the W.P. Carey School of Business—Chris combines over 10 years of immersive academic research in community building and communication with practical innovation expertise. As founder of the Response Innovation Lab, Chris mentor's students through exponential projects with local and global impact, leveraging programs like the Future 17 SDG initiative out of the University of Exeter and QS to address Sustainable Development Goals through design thinking and project management. An award-winning advocate recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for LGBTQ Community Work he did with his partner, Elisha Thompson; Chris's dedication extends to principled and inclusive innovation. His Responsible Innovation Lab fosters a commitment to ethical solutions through his innovation framework, appropriately called INNOVATE, guiding students to develop projects that are sustainable and resilient to disruptions​ with their academic work, Chris is an author of middle-grade fantasy sci-fi novels, including the upcoming SolHaven series, where young readers explore ethics and sustainable innovation through captivating storytelling. Originally conceived nearly 30 years ago, SolHaven now serves as a modern platform for teaching values of responsibility, sustainability, and collaboration. Chris also brings seasonal thrills to readers with his horror anthologies for Thanksgiving and Christmas, further demonstrating his versatility across genres. With numerous series and educational initiatives in development, Chris’s work inspires ethical imagination, aiming to shape a principled, innovative future. He believes Responsible Innovation starts with everyone.