Innovation Storytellers

Park Howell, a 40-year brand storytelling veteran and creator of the 'and, but, therefore' framework, explains why story structure maps to human biology. He explores the ABT three-word tool, using short narratives to win five-minute meetings, why emotion must lead logic, common storytelling mistakes in organizations, and how AI like the Story Cycle Genie can speed brand narrative work.

Are you an innovator who feels caught between disruption and defensibility, wondering whether corporate innovation has lost its way? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I welcome back Greg Larkin, founder of Punks & Pinstripes, for a candid, often uncomfortable conversation about the current state of innovation within large organizations. Greg does not sugarcoat it. He argues that much of corporate innovation today earns a C-minus at best, largely because it fails the ultimate test that matters when markets tighten, and investors lose patience. If an innovation team cannot clearly justify why it deserves funding when earnings miss or a disruption hits, it is already on borrowed time. Drawing on his experience as a former Director of Innovation at Bloomberg and as an entrepreneur with multiple exits, Greg explains why innovation leadership has often been shaped by observers rather than survivors. He challenges familiar frameworks taught in boardrooms and business schools, questioning whether they prepare leaders for activist investors, AI-driven disruption, M&A fallout, or the quiet but relentless brain drain caused by the ongoing Great Resignation. The conversation explores why pitching ideas is rarely enough anymore, why outcomes matter more than vision decks, and why many innovation teams are discovering too late that credibility is earned long before the next technological wave arrives. The episode also moves beyond corporate structures into something more personal. Greg shares why he built Punks & Pinstripes as a community for executives climbing what he calls their second mountain. For many seasoned innovators, success on paper no longer matches purpose in practice. Together, we unpack what happens when wartime innovators are asked to settle into peacetime routines, why that mismatch can be soul-crushing, and how authenticity, service, and reinvention are becoming essential currencies for leaders navigating the next chapter of their careers. If innovation is facing its most precarious moment in decades, and many leaders are quietly questioning whether they still belong in the systems they helped build, what does it really take to stay relevant, investor-defensible, and human at the same time, and which mountain are you climbing right now?

How do you bring discipline to innovation without stripping away the creativity that makes it powerful in the first place? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Stephen Parkins, Innovation Strategist and Founder of Culturedge, to unpack what it really takes to turn innovation into a strategic asset rather than a side project fueled by hope and enthusiasm. Stephen brings an outside-in perspective shaped by an unconventional career spanning financial markets, startup entrepreneurship, and senior innovation roles within complex global organizations. That distance from the usual corporate playbook allows him to challenge some deeply held assumptions about how innovation should work and why so many well-intentioned efforts struggle to deliver measurable returns. We talk openly about the tension between creativity and structure, and why innovation does not fail because teams lack ideas, but because organizations lack clarity, consistent decision-making, and shared language. Stephen offers a thoughtful perspective on innovation management systems, including the much-debated ISO standards, and explains why guardrails are often misunderstood as constraints. Drawing on real-world experience from large enterprises, he argues that structure, when well designed, creates the conditions for better experimentation, smarter risk-taking, and stronger alignment between innovators and the core business. The conversation also dives into strategy, funding, and culture, particularly the invisible friction between those running today's business and those inventing tomorrow's. Stephen shares how portfolio thinking, exposure to risk, and optionality can shift innovation from theater to real value creation. We also explore his work as co-founder of Strategy Quest, a simulation-based approach that helps leaders practice decision-making under uncertainty, surface blind spots, and learn through consequence rather than theory. It is a compelling look at how scenario thinking and simulated environments can prepare the next generation of innovation leaders to see around corners. If innovation is meant to help organizations grow stronger in uncertain times, what needs to change in how leaders think about risk, culture, and decision-making, and are we brave enough to build systems that actually support that ambition?

In this episode of the Innovation Storyteller Show, I sit down with Amy Freeze, a meteorologist, innovator, and public safety advocate who has spent decades helping people understand risk when it truly matters. Everywhere I go lately, conversations circle back to AI, but this one brings it out of the abstract and straight into our homes, our screens, and moments where trust can make all the difference. Amy shares her remarkable journey from broadcast journalism to becoming one of the most recognized voices in weather. We talk about her work forecasting major events like Superstorm Sandy and the Joplin tornado, and how those experiences shaped her sense of responsibility to the public. As the first female chief meteorologist in Chicago and a six time Emmy Award winner, her career has been built on credibility and calm communication. What fascinated me most was why she chose to create a digital avatar, and how she sees AI as a way to deliver urgent, accurate information at scale without losing the human connection people rely on in moments of uncertainty. We also dig into the fears and ethical questions surrounding digital twins, AI driven storytelling, and protecting name, image, and likeness. Amy offers a grounded perspective on why avoiding new technology can sometimes create more risk than adopting it thoughtfully. Together, we explore how empathy, trust, and clear storytelling help audiences move past fear toward understanding, especially when the stakes involve safety, language barriers, and real time decision making. This conversation reminded me that innovation does not have to feel cold or distant. It can be practical, human, and deeply rooted in care. We talk about how trusted voices evolve with technology, how stories help people accept change, and why the future of AI may depend far less on hype and far more on responsibility, context, and trust.

My conversation with Elliott Parker, CEO of Alloy Partners and author of The Illusion of Innovation, was one of the most downloaded of 2025. Drawing on decades of experience launching startups with High Alpha and advising Fortune 100 companies at Innosight, Elliott explains why most corporate innovation efforts fall short. He outlines how organizational structures, incentives, and short-term metrics often prevent innovation teams from achieving the transformation they are tasked with delivering. Elliott also breaks down the critical difference between execution problems and learning problems, and why most corporations confuse the two. Elliot shares how Alloy builds startups outside the core business, giving them the freedom to take risks, run fast experiments, and uncover opportunities that internal teams cannot reach. These external ventures enable corporations to explore innovative ideas, validate assumptions, and acquire the type of knowledge that drives long-term strategic advantage. Whether you are running an innovation team, funding one, or simply wondering why they rarely deliver game-changing results, this episode offers sharp insights, real examples, and a practical framework for thinking differently about how innovation works.

What if risk management were not about playing defense, but about giving innovation the confidence to move forward? This is a replay of one of the most-listened-to Innovation Storytellers episodes of 2025. I am revisiting my conversation with Rose Hall, a former senior innovation leader at AXA XL, professional engineer, and long-time advocate for rethinking how organizations approach risk, because the ideas shared here feel even more relevant today. Drawing on her experience building digital platforms, business ecosystems, and client-driven innovation programs, Rose explains why risk and innovation are far more connected than most leaders realize. We talk about the often invisible role insurance plays beneath some of the world's most ambitious innovations, from advanced infrastructure projects to space exploration. Rose shares how companies like SpaceX approach complex, layered risk and why traditional insurance models are struggling to keep pace with realities such as cyber exposure, climate volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty. The conversation also turns to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. There is no single insurance product designed to cover AI, but Rose unpacks how existing policies may respond when things go wrong, and why that gray area demands a more adaptive and informed approach to risk management. It is a reminder that innovation rarely fits neatly into legacy frameworks. Partnerships emerge as a central theme. Rose argues that no organization can solve these challenges alone. Progress depends on collaboration between insurers, startups, and large enterprises who are willing to share insight, experiment responsibly, and rethink old assumptions together. This episode replay challenges the idea that risk management slows progress. Instead, Rose reframes it as a foundational enabler of growth, resilience, and long-term value. When risk is understood and managed well, innovation does not shrink; it accelerates. Has risk management been holding your organization back, or could it be the very thing that helps you move faster and smarter?

What does it really take to innovate at a global scale when speed, precision, and trust all have to coexist? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Dr. Paul Schlinkert, Senior Global Innovation Lead at DHL Supply Chain, to unpack how one of the world's most complex logistics organizations turns bold ideas into operational reality. From robotics and AI to transparency and culture, this conversation goes beyond technology to reveal the human systems that enable large-scale innovation. Paul shares his unconventional journey from biochemistry and nanotechnology to global supply chain leadership, and how a scientific mindset shapes his approach to logistics, problem-solving, and continuous improvement. The discussion explores how DHL has quietly transformed warehouse operations through robotics, automation, and digital tools, while keeping people firmly at the center of the equation. The conversation also dives into the often overlooked side of innovation. Change management, storytelling, and trust. Paul explains why transparency matters, how naming robots can increase adoption, and why open conversations about failure are just as meaningful as celebrating success. Together, Paul and I explore how innovation leaders can cut through hype, build credibility, and create environments where new ideas actually stick. Looking ahead, Paul offers a grounded perspective on what comes next for AI, robotics, sustainability, and supply chains, including where expectations may need to be reset and where long-term value will emerge. The episode closes with a thoughtful reflection on the innovations that shaped humanity, the teams that inspire enduring creativity, and what the world may need next to move forward responsibly. So if innovation really is a team sport, how transparent, human, and honest are we willing to be to bring others along for the journey, and what kind of future are we inviting people to believe in?

Have you ever wondered whether your biggest roadblock is not the idea itself, but the way people see you before you ever open your mouth? This week, we take a very human turn on the Innovation Storytellers Show as I sit down with Lirone Glikman, CEO, global business development leader, and the author behind The Super Connectors Playbook. Lirone has spent two decades helping people understand something many of us overlook. Your brand is already setting the tone for every meeting, every pitch, and every moment when you try to move an innovation forward. Our conversation moves from the deeply personal to the highly practical. Lirone shares how she teaches leaders to understand the strengths and values that truly define them, how to find the gap between who you believe you are and how others read you, and why authenticity paired with strategy is the foundation for any successful relationship at work. My guest explains her six-pillar approach to becoming a super connector, and shows how innovators can use these principles to navigate corporate silos, involve the right allies early, and communicate with greater clarity and presence. Her stories bring workplace dynamics to life, from collaborating with overloaded teams to protecting your ideas in rooms where voices can be overshadowed. We also talk about the future. Lirone offers a candid view on how AI is reshaping personal branding, how to use these tools without losing your human signature, and why relationships remain the real currency inside complex organisations. For listeners working in innovation, product, or transformation roles, this conversation provides the language to understand your place in the system and the practical steps to raise your visibility intentionally. So the question becomes, what story is your brand telling before you even enter the room, and how ready are you to shape it with purpose?

Why do so many people still picture utilities as dusty infrastructure, monthly bills, and storm alerts, when in reality they sit at the centre of some of the most inventive work happening in our communities today? This question sets the stage for a conversation that opens the door to a world most listeners rarely see. In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I speak with Robb Dussault, Manager of Grid Edge Innovation at Duke Energy, who brings decades of experience in engineering, product development, customer programs, and safety innovation. Robb helps listeners understand how a modern utility actually works and why the future of energy depends on the ideas emerging from teams like his. From early work on hazardous switchgear to the rise of remote sensors, robots, drones, and even autonomous flaggers on road crews, Robb explains how practical questions about safety and reliability often drive innovation. He shares stories about customer research that shifted major programs, the growing influence of agile methods in a traditionally conservative field, and the value of checking every shiny idea against real human behaviour. Listeners also hear how batteries, home energy storage, electric vehicles, and residential demand response are quietly reshaping the grid and changing the relationship between customers and utilities. Robb offers clear insight into how this shift toward interactive energy is accelerating far faster than most people realise. The conversation moves from early memories of intimidating power labs to a thoughtful look at what comes next for communities facing rising demand, new electrification trends, and pressure to deliver cleaner, more affordable energy. Robb shares his hopes for the next wave of innovation, the role of AI in sectors like healthcare, and why innovators in any industry should pay closer attention to customer needs before building ambitious pilots. It is a grounded, eye-opening dialogue that reveals the creativity and responsibility within the utility sector.

What happens when innovation is shaping your life in ways you never see? That is the question at the heart of this conversation with Portia Lane Child, Director of Innovation and Strategy Services at BAE Systems. While most of us recognise the consumer brands that dominate our daily world, far fewer realise how deeply companies like BAE Systems influence the systems that keep us connected, protected, and moving. Portia's work lives in that fascinating space, where advanced engineering meets national mission, and where the innovations you never hear about are often the ones shaping your future. During our discussion, Portia shares how she helps steer innovation inside one of the world's most complex aerospace and defence organisations. She talks about the human side of innovating within a massive enterprise, the challenge of moving ideas across technical and organisational silos, and the lessons she learned growing up as a lobster fisherman's daughter that still guide how she builds teams and champions new ideas. Her story about creating an internal accelerator that changed how the business nurtures ideas is a powerful reminder that innovation only takes root when people feel supported to experiment, communicate, and stretch beyond familiar boundaries. We also explore the shifting incentives shaping today's innovators, from the pressure of short-term financial cycles to the growing importance of longer horizons in the age of AI. Portia opens up about what it really takes to move from idea to impact inside a mission-driven organisation, why customer conversations matter more than ever, and how modern innovators can develop the resilience and curiosity needed to operate in fast-moving technical environments. My guest also shares inspiring reflections on the inventions that shaped her, the role models who sparked her imagination, and the breakthroughs she believes the world needs most.