Innovation Storytellers

What does it take to turn an entire city into a thriving innovation hub? In this episode of The Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Callie Taylor, Vice President of Economic Development at Opportunity Austin, to explore how Austin, Texas, evolved from a creative, music-fueled city into one of the world's fastest-growing innovation ecosystems. This is not just a profile of a single company or tech success story. It offers a wide-angle view of how a region mobilized its talent, institutions, and identity to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Callie shares the remarkable story behind Austin's intentional growth, from its early days as a haven for misfits and musicians to its emergence as a global player in tech, life sciences, space innovation, and advanced manufacturing. She explains how South by Southwest helped shift global attention toward the city, but how the real power came from coordinated action across universities, accelerators, local government, and industry.  From Samsung's multibillion-dollar investment to Tesla's 20,000-employee expansion, the Austin region is now attracting international startups and legacy companies alike. Together, we explore the infrastructure that makes this possible, including the role of Austin Community College in customizing workforce pipelines and the city's openness to both international founders and homegrown startups.  We also discuss why venture capital is steadily flowing into the region, how the community supports life sciences growth, and what it means for innovation when public school districts, higher education institutions, and private employers all work toward a common goal.  Austin's ability to stay weird while scaling fast is not just branding. It is a key ingredient in maintaining its creative and inclusive spirit. Throughout the conversation, Callie offers practical insight into what makes a city attractive to innovators. She also addresses the challenges of rapid growth, including infrastructure strain and the need for improved collaboration between neighbors working on similar ideas.  What emerges is a clear picture of how innovation ecosystems are not born but built, and how culture, policy, and human connection all have to align for that to happen. Whether you're a startup founder, a city planner, or just someone curious about the future of innovation, this episode is packed with ideas that extend far beyond Austin's city limits.  

What if getting your big idea across the finish line wasn't about pitching harder, but about thinking like a storyteller… or a mastermind? In this episode of The Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Ed Essey, Director of Business Value at The Microsoft Garage, to uncover the surprising mechanics behind one of the most successful innovation engines in tech. Ed isn't just helping Microsoft employees come up with bold ideas. He's teaching them how to bring those ideas to life, secure executive sponsorship, and scale them globally. With more than 20,000 projects emerging from Microsoft's annual hackathon, his work is reshaping what innovation looks like inside a giant. We discuss the Garage Growth Framework, the storytelling techniques that help innovators get to 'yes,' and why corporate innovation often needs to feel more like a heist than a business plan. Along the way, Ed shares the powerful backstories of projects like Repowering Coal, which sparked the revitalization of Three Mile Island with clean nuclear energy, and MirrorHR, a deeply personal project that's helping families reduce epileptic seizures using AI and wearables. Ed also gives us a preview of his upcoming book, The Inside Job, a heist-themed guide to innovation for intrapreneurs looking to create meaningful change in complex organizations.

Do corporate innovators truly innovate, or are they trapped inside systems that make real transformation impossible? On this episode of The Innovation Storytellers Show, I speak with Elliott Parker, CEO of Alloy Partners and author of The Illusion of Innovation. 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 does it really take to fix a billion-dollar bottleneck inside a company famous for saying no to new spending? And how do you translate that same problem-solving into one of the world’s largest bureaucracies? This week, I sat down with Danielle McCormick, Founder of Immersive Insights, whose talent for turning messy systems into high-performance engines has saved companies like Southwest Airlines and defense contractors billions of dollars. At Southwest, Danielle faced a straightforward request: get a single aircraft hangar approved. What she uncovered instead was a tangled web of disconnected teams, undersized infrastructure, and a fleet plan with no roadmap for growth. Her answer was radical in its simplicity: build a twenty-year plan that no one could refute, backed by math and front-line buy-in. From aligning network planning, airport affairs, ground operations, and maintenance to fighting for trust on the hangar floor, Danielle reveals how real innovation is often about listening better and connecting the dots others overlook. She then shares how she applied this same mindset to the Department of Defense, navigating the notorious “Valley of Death” to bring cutting-edge counter-drone technology into the hands of young warfighters, proving that even the most rigid organizations can adapt when they care about the people at the end of the process. Stick around to hear Danielle’s answers to my three hot seat questions: the greatest innovation of all time, the historic team she would join in a heartbeat, and her wish for how to fix the workplace once and for all. If you want to understand how process innovation works in the real world and why it is more human than technical, this is an episode you cannot miss.  

Steve Rader returns to share how open innovation has transformed from an experiment to a mission-critical tool inside NASA and beyond. As a newly minted retiree from NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, Steve unpacks how crowdsourcing and challenge-based problem-solving went from fringe ideas to proven ways of tackling complex technical barriers. He explains what NASA looked like before open innovation took hold, the cultural resistance it faced, and how a small group of believers turned crowdsourced expertise into life-saving solutions, including doubling the warning time for dangerous solar flares and improving landing systems for Mars missions. Real-world stories bring this conversation to life. A retired cell phone engineer offered an algorithm that outperformed NASA’s best predictions. A marine biologist from a tiny Texas town found a more innovative way to study Mars’ atmosphere. A violinist’s hobby cracked a stubborn food industry problem. These examples show that sometimes, the answers come from the least expected places. Steve also tackles what this means for the future of work. As gig platforms, remote teams, and flexible careers reshape how experts contribute, companies that ignore open talent risk falling behind. He makes the case that innovation is no longer limited to those on your payroll. In a world of constant technological change, staying connected to the right expertise has become a vital survival skill. This episode is a clear reminder that better ideas are out there waiting. All it takes is the courage to open the door and invite them in.  

What does it take to shake up one of the largest and most complex organizations in the world from the inside out? On this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I invite you to buckle up for a conversation that dives straight into the heart of how the US Air Force is building a homegrown culture of audacious innovation through its Blue Horizons Fellowship. I’m joined by Colonel Daniel Ruttenber and Dr. Eric Keels, two brilliant minds guiding this unique think-and-do tank based at the Air War College. Blue Horizons is where selected majors and lieutenant colonels step out of their daily missions and into a ten-month sprint to tackle strategic challenges that could redefine the future of national security.  What makes it so remarkable is that these officers aren’t handed polished blueprints to test. Instead, they begin by hunting down the most significant, thorniest problems no one else has solved yet, then race to turn raw ideas into tangible prototypes that push the boundaries of what’s possible in modern warfare and defense technology. Colonel Ruttenber lifts the curtain on how this fellowship for battle-hardened innovators has evolved from an academic elective into a crucible for rapid prototyping and strategy shaping that senior leaders now rely on for bold insights.  Eric shares how diverse perspectives, strategic forecasting, and a healthy risk appetite come together to give fellows the courage to imagine everything from bacteria-built runways to Google Maps-style decision support for mission commanders. Together, they unpack why breaking through bureaucratic roadblocks and perfecting the art of storytelling is just as vital as building breakthrough tech when you’re challenging an institution designed to prioritize certainty over the experiment. Suppose you’ve ever wondered what real innovation under pressure looks like and how a tight-knit cohort can turn constraints into rocket fuel. In that case, this episode delivers an inside look at a program rewriting the playbook on defense innovation.  We also explore how private companies, startups, and universities can collaborate with Blue Horizons, bringing fresh thinking to the Air Force’s most challenging missions while learning what it truly means to build resilience, speed, and adaptability. After listening, I’d love to hear your thoughts. How can leaders inside large organizations borrow lessons from Blue Horizons to encourage more risk-taking, faster learning, and better storytelling to turn big ideas into real-world impact? Join the conversation and share what you think.  

In this episode, I sit down with Shegun Otulana, founder and former CEO of Therapy Brands. His journey from arriving in Birmingham, Alabama at 18 to leading one of the largest software exits in the state's history is nothing short of remarkable. Shegun opens up about his early days, the lessons learned from failure, and the moment his wife encouraged him to finally go all in. He explains how he used consulting work to attract real-world problems and applied a personal framework to choose which one was worth building into a business. We talk about why pricing can be a powerful form of innovation, how Therapy Brands stood out by aligning with what customers actually valued, and why differentiation often beats being the best. Shegun reflects on communication as the greatest innovation of all time and shares his passion for helping build Alabama's innovation ecosystem through his work with Innovate Alabama. This is a conversation about self-awareness, long-term thinking, and what it really takes to build something meaningful.  

In this special episode of Nordic Visionaries, I'm joined by Lincoln Bleveans, Senior Sustainability Executive at Stanford University. He is leading one of the most ambitious real-world experiments in climate innovation happening anywhere in the United States. If you've ever wondered what it would take to turn sustainability from a pledge into daily practice, Lincoln has answers grounded in both pragmatism and long-term thinking. From waste to water, buildings to buses, Lincoln and his team treat every aspect of Stanford's infrastructure as a living lab. This isn't a theory. It's applied innovation running at full scale every day. What makes Lincoln's perspective genuinely unique is the significant influence of Nordic inspiration on him. He discusses the concept of climate citizenship, a mindset he sees embedded in Nordic culture, and how it contrasts with the more transactional approach prevalent across much of the US.   We also hear about Stanford's shift away from fossil fuels, the development of a self-powered water treatment system, and what it means to run a university as if it were its municipality. Lincoln points out that being part of California helps, but this isn't about waiting for a top-down policy. It is about leading with bottom-up action.   Throughout our conversation, one idea kept coming back: visibility. When environmental systems are visible, people start to care. When waste isn't hidden, we deal with it differently. When energy sources are transparent, we think more critically about how we use them. For Lincoln, the next five years are not just about new technology but about shifting our mental habits and making the invisible visible.   So, how do we move from a linear mindset to a circular one? Can institutions model the kind of profound change our cities need? And if so, what can the rest of us learn from Stanford's bold approach?   Join us for a conversation that might change the way you see the systems around you and your role in shaping them. And if you're working on sustainability at a Nordic campus or institution, Lincoln would love to hear what you're building. Why not reach out and share your story?  

In this special Nordic Visionaries edition of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I am joined by one of the most influential architects of our time, Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group. From reimagining the clean port of Copenhagen to designing the first permanent human habitat on the Moon, Bjarke’s work challenges conventional thinking about architecture, sustainability, and innovation. In this expansive conversation, Bjarke reflects on his early passion for graphic novels and how that artistic instinct evolved into a career that shapes skylines and societies alike. He introduces listeners to the Danish concept of form giving, the idea of shaping not just objects but the frameworks of human life. From Bhutan’s Galefu mindfulness city to NASA’s lunar base, Bjarke reveals how his designs are rooted in ancient culture and future potential. Listeners will hear how nature, not as an ornament but as a collaborator, inspires Bjarke’s vision. Whether allowing vines to invade his home office or designing a ski slope atop a waste-to-energy plant, he demonstrates how sustainability and pleasure coexist. He shares his philosophy of “hedonistic sustainability” and makes a compelling case that what’s good for the planet can also improve our quality of life. Bjarke also discusses material innovation, from using bacteria to brew carbon-free concrete to printing structures with moon dust. He explains how earthly or extraterrestrial constraints can unlock some of the world’s most transformative ideas. This episode is more than a journey through architecture. It invites us to rethink how we design our lives, cities, and shared future.  

What does building a business with climate responsibility at its core look like, not as an add-on but as a starting point? In this episode of Innovation Storytellers Show, we're heading to the Nordics to meet two young leaders who are challenging the status quo around what it means to be a sustainable business. This is part of our special "Nordic Visionaries" series, where we hear directly from the next generation of change-makers reshaping how we think about innovation, impact, and industry. Synne Sauar, CEO and co-founder of Litech, and Anna Bjerre Johansen, climate activist for the Green Youth Movement in Denmark, are joining me in this discussion. Synne is building a cleantech company tackling one of the least glamorous but most critical environmental challenges: fires in waste facilities caused by improperly sorted batteries and hazardous metals. With AI-powered sensors and a fresh take on circularity, her startup finds opportunity in overlooked infrastructure. Anna brings a very different angle. She's part of a youth-led climate movement demanding more from the business world, starting with a clearer definition of what is truly sustainable. Drawing on her book For Future Businesses, she outlines why half-measures won't cut it and why profit must be the tool, not the goal. For Anna, real sustainability isn't about polishing the edges. It's about redesigning the system from the inside out. Together, we unpack what it means to grow like a tree—finding strength, expanding purpose, and building trust over time. We talk about donut economics, rethinking business models, and how transparency and trust are the backbone of Nordic innovation. Synne and Anna also share who inspires them, what they want American listeners to reflect on, and why the next five years are a tipping point for regenerative thinking. If you've ever wondered what it takes to move beyond marketing slogans and put climate into the DNA of your business, this conversation is for you.