Pratt DM Alumni, Educator and Business Leader, Uses Design to Create Strategic Advantage in Chile
By Laura Caballero
Issue 10 Winter 2012
Denise Montt Blanchard is director of the Design and Engineering Research center in Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile CIDI UC, an organization that is constituted as a multidisciplinary platform that promotes innovation in product development, services and academic research. Is also partner of MH Design Networking, company dedicated to the management and development of projects that embrace design value as a tool to articulate collaboration networks in areas like education and culture. In addition, she is director and founder of Remade in Chile an initiative born in Italy that promotes recycling through design. This is obtained through workshops, exhibitions, lectures, alliances with companies, and social entrepreneurships, among other activities. Denise is part of the design curatorial committee of the Cultural Center Palacio La Moneda (a government museum) in Santiago, Chile and participates in the committee of experts of Chile Verde, an initiave which yearly selects the best cases on sustainability in Chile. Aligned to this, Denise has also developed projects of cultural impact such as the book “Chile: Social Map”, which presents social and economic data with infographic pieces created by renowned graphic designers.
Denise has been adjunct professor in Design at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Universidad Andrés Bello, and DuocUC. Currently Denise dictates the Innovation and Design Management class at the Design School of Pontificia Universidad Católica and the Design School of Universidad Diego Portales. Denise has a bachelor degree in Sciences, from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a bachelor degree in Design, from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and a Master Degree in Professional Studies in Design Management, from Pratt Institute (New York).
Remade Chile
Denise has been recently selected as one of “100 Young Chilean Leaders” award given by El Mercurio Newspaper. On 2012 she has also received a grant form the Chilean government to pursue an innovation program called “Design for small businesses growth”, which will allow 26 small businesses to learn and implement sustainable designs and help them access bigger and better distribution channels.
The Design Management program at Pratt Institute has definitely shaped Denise´s projects and has given her the necessary tools to expand her design perspective, to explore new ventures where design can become a sustainable, strategic advantage.