Instructor

Stacy Maplesden

Meet Stacy Maplesden, instructor for the Certificate in Design Thinking for Innovation. As a Design Thinking enthusiast and creative problem-solver, Stacy is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and empathy by infusing Design Thinking principles into every aspect of her work.

As the leader of the Design Thinking community at Delta Dental of Washington (DDWA), Stacy has led and co-facilitated 20+Design Thinking sessions that have resulted in innovation in big and small ways. In her position as the Manager of Business Process Optimization & Automation, she promotes the value of Design Thinking methodologies infused into the organization’s day-to-day activities and projects, inspiring others to embrace a human-centric approach to problem solving as a first response. Throughout her career, Stacy has consistently challenged the status quo by encouraging cross-functional collaboration, brainstorming sessions, and iterative feedback loops to drive innovation and efficiency.

“Design Thinking is a mindset, not a checklist of tasks,” says Stacy. “Once we make that shift, the way we approach problems becomes a fun challenge, rather than a roadblock, to improve someone’s life.”