Clayton M. Christensen is the architect of and the world's foremost authority on disruptive innovation, a framework which describes the process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves "up market," eventually displacing established competitors. Consistently acknowledged in rankings and surveys as one of the world's leading thinkers on innovation, Christensen is widely sought after as a speaker, adviser and board member. His research has been applied to national economies, start-up and Fortune 50 companies, as well as to early and late stage investing.