Topic: Operationalizing Innovation: Strategic Problem-Solving at the Enterprise Level
Associated AMA theme: Scaling Your Career in STEM
Presenter: Jennifer K. Light-Holets, Intellectual Property Manager, Cummins Inc.
Abstract: Innovation is often portrayed as a flash of inspiration. In reality, innovation can be a repeatable business process—one that systematically converts curiosity, technical expertise, and cross-functional collaboration into measurable outcomes.
In this session, Jennifer Light-Holets shares how enterprises can operationalize innovation by embedding strategic problem-solving into everyday work. Drawing from her experience as an inventor, intellectual property leader, and engineering professional with an extensive patent portfolio, Jennifer explores how organizations can move beyond brainstorming sessions to create sustainable systems that identify opportunities, capture ideas, accelerate learning, and deliver business value.
Attendees will learn practical approaches to recognizing high-impact problems, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, navigating uncertainty, and building pathways that transform observations into inventions and inventions into competitive advantage. Through real-world examples, the session will demonstrate how innovation becomes scalable when supported by the right culture, processes, and leadership behaviors.
Whether leading technical teams, managing product portfolios, or driving enterprise transformation, participants will leave with actionable insights for creating an environment where innovation is not an occasional event, but an operational capability that fuels long-term growth.
Bio: In her current role at Cummins Inc., a $33.7 billion, 100+ year old global company, Jennifer is the decision maker for 45% of the company’s global patent filings through chairing multiple invention review committees overseeing the invention life cycle from disclosure through patenting and maintenance of assets.
She is the inventor of 68 granted patents and 33 pending applications. Her invention portfolio has been cited by others over 450 times. Jennifer’s patents demonstrate her versatility as an engineer, covering topics such as internal combustion engine emission control, electrified vehicles, connected vehicle controls (V2X) and yet unpublished work on future decarbonization technologies.
In her tenure at Cummins Inc., Jennifer has performed in a wide variety of roles, starting with three summer internships. She spent her first eight years focusing on embedded diesel engine controls with increasing levels of technical scope and leadership and through multiple iterations of increasingly stringent emissions regulation in the United States and Europe. Jennifer’s scope then expanded to lead a technical team meeting unprecedented challenges of emission regulations for nonroad products to bring clean power to communities and industries worldwide.
Prior to her current role, she spent eight years leading the intellectual property function for over ten research & technology project teams
Jennifer received the Patent Recognition Award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) five times, including two years with the highest individual total of granted patents. She was elevated to Senior Member of IEEE. Additionally, Jennifer won the Cummins Chairman’s Quality Award for six sigma three times progressing from a team member to project leader to project sponsor.
Jennifer holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and has completed the Smith College Executive Education, From Specialist to Strategist program.
