As a professor of architecture striving to help his students understand 3D geometry, Rubik created a puzzle that would, upon its global manufacture and distribution in 1980, capture the imagination of generations to come. The Rubik’s Cube became one of the most popular toys in history, with more than 350 million sold to date. Today, Rubik is a staunch advocate for STEM and arts education and encourages his own company and others to lead the charge. His first book, Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All, is out now.
A version of this article appeared in the November–December 2020 issue of Harvard Business Review.