Stephen Chininis, IDSA, is a Professor of Practice in the School of Industrial Design at Georgia Tech and the principal of Chininis Product Development Group. He specializes in the integration of invention, innovation, and an entrepreneurial spirit in the work he does and the design studios he teaches.

His Make10 initiative at Georgia Tech, now in its 9th year, has grown into an exciting incubator environment for students to test new product ideas. He also is a coach and mentor for the CREATE-X program on campus. CREATE-X is a Georgia Tech initiative to instill entrepreneurial confidence in students and empower them to launch real startups. 

Chininis' ongoing professional work includes developing products for the toy and housewares industries. With more than 30 patents, he has licensed more than 100 products. His designs have won several awards, including “Parenting Magazine’s 10 Best Toys” and the “2001 Design Plus Award.”

Recently, using 3D printing, Chininis has been working to develop a mashup of design, craft, and technology to explore the micro factory environment through his Etsy Store, as a means to launch new products. In 2017, Chininis and a few friends formed a startup to explore new product ideas called Block Party Games.