Tim Clark

Tim Clark is a Lecturer at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) specializing in Product Design, Product Development, and Product Go-to-Market strategies. With over 30 years of industry experience, including 17 years leading product innovation at Nike and three startup ventures, he integrates real-world methodologies like Design Thinking, Agile Development, and Customer Development into his teaching. He holds five U.S. design and innovation patents from his work at Nike, where he developed iconic products such as NCAA/NFL football gloves, the Nike Basketball ELITE Sock, and the Nike Battlegrounds basketball collection.

Clark earned his B.S. in Applied Art & Design from Cal Poly and continues to mentor students through the Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) and the CIE SBDC, offering workshops and guidance to cohorts and clients. His teaching experience spans undergraduate and graduate courses at Cal Poly and the University of Oregon, including design capstone courses, graduate modules, and public-facing design thinking workshops. He also supervised student internships for academic credit.

While Clark’s current academic role focuses on pedagogy and mentorship, his professional background emphasizes practical product innovation and entrepreneurship. He remains deeply connected to Cal Poly’s educational mission, leveraging his industry expertise to bridge academic and corporate worlds. Outside academia, he enjoys mountain biking and surfing in San Luis Obispo County’s natural landscapes.