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Samuel West is the founder and curator of The Museum of Failure. The museum is a collection of failed products and services from around the world. Every item provides unique insight into the risky business of innovation. It is in the failures we find the interesting stories that we can learn from. Innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate discussion about failure and inspire us to have the courage to take meaningful risks. The museum is currently located in Toronto and in Helsingborg Sweden and will soon open in Santa Barbara, Shanghai, Munich, and London. 

Besides his research at Lund University he has, over the last ten years, worked as a consultant helping organisations improve their climate for innovation. He places much importance on the concept of Psychological Safety. Samuel´s thesis was entitled Playing at Work: Organizational Play as a Facilitator of Creativity. The elements of playfulness, such as experimentation and exploration, are key factors for innovation.

In his work with the museum, he runs workshops and gives talks about issues related to the mission of the museum. Before his involvement with innovation, he worked as a clinical psychologist (cognitive behavioural therapy) in his own practice.