According to robert merton, an innovator is an individual who has

An individual who has " accepted the goals of society, but pursues them with means regarded as improper".

Robert King Merton was an American humanist, sociologist. He spent a large portion of his vocation educating at Columbia University, where he achieved the rank of a professor. In 1994 he was granted the National Award of Science for his commitments to the field and for having established the sociology of science.