Innovation-led Growth
BUILT TO WIN:
DESIRABLE. FEASIBLE. VIABLE.
Studio Innovation was founded to help move from insight to impact—deliberately, rigorously, and end to end.
Too often, Innovation breaks down at the handoffs: ideas that never scale, strategies that stall in execution, or launches that fail to deliver against their promise and timelines.
Studio Innovation exists to close those gaps.
Early in my career, I saw a version of this Tree Swing cartoon, and it has stayed with me since…
The lesson is clear! Partnership is key across the full innovation lifecycle—from ideation treks and early insights, to strategic opportunity identification, through development, commercialization and launch execution. Each stage has its challenges and what is needed is collaboration, attention to detail, creative problem solving and discipline.
My name is Doreen Cagnolati
I have over two decades of innovation and brand management experience —from early insight, equity and brand stretch / white-space identification, to closer-in renovations and innovation, through to launch and launch optimization
Today, through Studio Innovation, I bring this experience to organizations seeking innovation leadership without the rigidity of traditional consulting models—helping teams move from insight to impact, end to end.
I am available on both a contract and project basis.
Let’s talk about what you need!
Brands I have worked on:
My Philosophy
Great innovation takes an idea that resonates and grows it through learning and iteration. My approach brings all the voices into the room, early and often, and ensures we remain grounded in the consumer insight so we don’t lose the magic…. or the plot.
Curiosity, creativity, and data-based decision making is the secret sauce. The result is innovation that is not only relevant, but commercially viable, operationally grounded, and built to scale.
How I Work with Teams
I work as a strategic partner to leadership teams, embedding where needed bring structure, build momentum and gain alignment across functions. My style is a highly collaborative, “roll-up the sleeves” approach. Guided by insight and data, I combine analytical rigor with a bias to action, leading and inspiring teams around a shared vision.
In practice, this means:
Translating complex, sometimes contradicting consumer, market, and data signals into clear strategic direction
Bringing cross-functional teams together around common frameworks, priorities, and decision criteria
Embedding Agile methodologies and implementing test-and-learn frameworks enabled by technology and AI
Raising the bar on innovation governance, stage-gate rigor, and portfolio discipline without slowing teams down
Coaching teams to strengthen strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and confidence in decision-making
I am known for balancing high expectations with high EQ—creating environments where teams feel heard, challenged, supported, and have ownership for outcomes.
What people say….
I have worked with so many amazing people, and I am proud to share some of their comments here:
“Throughout her work with Flora, Doreen consistently stepped up to whatever the business required. She brings structure, momentum, and sound judgement. And her depth of experience elevates the teams around her - bringing clarity, focus, and confidence that helps teams move faster and make better decisions. She easily embraces ambiguous work, delivering immediate impact.”
“Doreen has always brought a rare mix of strategic rigour, business smarts and creative intuition, with the ability to translate core consumer truths into scalable ideas. She’s a wonderful collaborator, generous with her thinking, fosters productive discussion, and focused on building the best possible outcome as a team.”
“Doreen brings great initiative and incredible experience. She moves seamlessly between strategy and execution, operates with speed and agility, and consistently drives impact.”