Beyond The Core How a $4B corporation Structures and Scales innovation, with Peter Roeber (Global Strategic Growth & Innovation Leader at W. L. Gore & Associates)
How do you build new ventures inside a 60-year-old materials science company without breaking the core business?
In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben Yoskovitz and Marcus Daniels sit down with Peter Roeber, a 28-year Gore veteran and one of the leaders behind its most ambitious new ventures in circularity and sustainability.
Peter explains how WL Gore structures innovation across its operating companies, how venture ideas are sourced and funded, and how his team is launching new service-based business models in an organization built on premium materials and product R&D.
From developing a glaucoma device business outside of Gore’s traditional medical focus, to launching a digital venture that’s changing how outdoor apparel is used, not owned, Peter shares real-world lessons on working with ecosystems, managing cannibalization risk, and when to spin out vs spin in.
We cover:
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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: 28 years inside Gore
01:00 – How innovation is structured at Gore
02:45 – What the Futures team does in Fabrics
04:30 – How Gore prioritizes new venture ideas
06:00 – Strategic alignment vs moonshot bets
07:00 – Adjacency vs core vs explore
08:45 – The stage-gate process for new ventures
10:00 – Why Gore separates R&D from venture building
11:30 – Building circular service models inside a product company
13:00 – Smoke testing in a legacy org
15:00 – The power of Gore’s “lattice” culture
16:30 – How venture builders earn trust internally
18:00 – The importance of relationships, not politics
20:00 – Incentives and contribution-based compensation
21:30 – Can big companies spin out startups?
24:00 – Spin-in vs spin-out: key decision points
26:00 – What to do when internal systems work against you
28:00 – The case for shared risk and external venture studios
30:00 – Why speed and separation often win
32:00 – From zero to revenue in 14 months
34:00 – The biggest unknowns in circularity
35:30 – Managing the risk of cannibalization
37:00 – Circular economy ventures need ecosystems
39:00 – Building for a regenerative, collaborative future
42:00 – How Gore’s scale can drive industry change
46:00 – Unlocking value inside legacy orgs: 3 keys
50:00 – Why $1B ideas are worth the fight
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