Blake Giles

Blake Giles has extensive experience in innovation, project management, and mobile strategy, currently serving as the Head of the Innovation Center for Bayer Crop Science since August 2018, where the center hosts over 20 graduate-level cohorts annually. Prior to this role, Blake was the University Innovation Center Lead at Monsanto Company and has held key positions at Intelligent Medical Objects, where responsibilities included managing research operations and overseeing a substantial annual budget. While at State Farm Insurance, Blake contributed significantly to the company's mobile business strategy as a Co-Lead and worked on various mobile applications, emphasizing customer experience and Agile practices. Blake's career also includes consulting for Illinois Business Consulting, assisting companies with market expansion, and engaging in project management roles early in their career. Blake holds a degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has also completed studies at the Institut catholique de Paris.