The VentureFuel Visionaries

For this episode of the podcast, we feature a panel discussion with AB InBev's Global VP of Sustainability Andre Fourie & LanzaTech's Chief Sustainability Officer Freya Burton about how companies and industry leaders can collaborate to push climate-positive actions; and the role of innovation in solving recurring sustainability issues. AB InBev's portfolio comprises over 500 beer brands and includes global brands Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, and numerous multi-country brands. LanzaTech is a market-leading innovator in carbon capture & transformation. They have invented a technology that turns pollution into valuable raw material commodities, recycling a "liability" into practical and sustainable new products. This conversation took place at our most recent event, What's Next Now: Sustainability – An Innovator's Guide to Climate Action.

Hannah Jones the CEO of The Earthshot Prize, a prize and a platform founded by Prince William and the Royal Foundation in 2020 to search, spotlight and scale solutions that can help repair and regenerate the planet in this decade. Five, one million-pound prizes will be awarded each year for ten years, providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems by 2030. Previously Hannah was Nike’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, was founder of Nike Valiant Labs, on the founding team of Microsoft’s philanthropy program in EMEA and twice named to Fast Company’s top 100 Creative People list. We talk about “urgent optimism”, eco-innovators and storytelling what is possible to build scalable solutions.

Thursday April 28 we sat down for a Fireside Chat with Tom Mastrobuoni, Chief Investment Officer of Big Idea Ventures and former Founding Partner & Chief Financial Officer at Tyson Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Tyson Foods. At Tyson, Tom led investments in Beyond Meat, Clear Labs and Tavola, to name a few. Big Idea Ventures is solving the world’s biggest challenges by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs in the new food space. We speak with him about the opportunity for sustainability across the global food ecosystem; the challenges for industry leaders to innovate and the opportunity for collaboration to unlock new solutions to feed - and save - the planet. This Fireside Chat took place at our most recent event: What’s Next Now Sustainability – An Innovator’s Guide to Climate Action, where we brought together investors, entrepreneurs and executives to discuss the role of innovation in disrupting climate change.

On today’s show we have the exciting team driving retail innovation at Dick’s Sporting Goods. For anyone that doesn’t know, Dick’s is a fortune 500 company, America’s largest sports retailer and has over 50 thousand employees. Scott Casciato - VP Omni Channel Fulfillment & Athlete Service, Morris Liao – VP of eCommerce, Supply Chain & Marketing Finance, and Miche (pronounced Mike) Dwenger – VP of eCommerce Experience drive retail experience for customers or as DSG calls them, “athletes”. They have held a wide range of roles from omnichannel fulfillment, retail marketing, supply chain, eCommerce experience and merchandising. They’re here today to talk about a new Retail Innovation Program they just launched, that will give 6 startups and emerging technologies the opportunity to pitch pilot programs with DSG. They seek to find the best of what’s next to give these up-and-comers the opportunity to work with DSG and continue to deliver for the athletes that turn to DSG to up their game. We will cover what innovation means to DGS, learn more about the program and maybe even share a few tips for how you can take your game to the next level. Lace em up as its time to learn from one of the leading omni-channel retailers in the world…

A fireside chat moderated by Caroline Lewis, Managing Partner, Rogue Women's Fund and featuring: Sallie Krawcheck, CEO & Co-Founder, Ellevest

How do you bring the entrepreneurial mindset to a large organization to drive change and unlock growth from within? Meet Elizabeth Bienieki, who pioneers internal startups for Cisco's multibillion-dollar Collaboration & Security business. Her expertise lies in building empowered teams that effectively navigate internal corporate workings to operate like a startup and deliver bleeding edge products and solutions inside of the parent company. Her most recent venture is as Co-Founder of Webex Hologram, the industry’s first holographic collaboration system enabling a feeling of co-presence by delivering photorealistic holograms in real-time. Today we will talk about challenging conventional thinking, inspiring teams and driving unprecedented results from within.

Phil Graves expertise and entrepreneurial spirt have helped Patagonia and Bass Pro Shops drive positive environmental and social impact that’s inseparable from their profit. HE was the Founding & Managing Partner of Tin Shed Ventures which is the most respected Impact CVC in the world. We talk about Vulture Capital vs. Venture Capital, how good for the earth can propel profits and the opportunity for corporations to lead change while cementing their competitive advantage. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors – we borrow it from our children,” Chief Seattle.

An all-star panel comprised of corporate visionaries, startups and investors discuss going Rogue. Featuring Marie D. Quintero-Johnson, Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Development, The Coca-Cola Company; Jenny Barba, Founder of Features Capital; Sandhya Padmanabhan, Chief Marketing Officer, Little Otter; Bec Jones, CEO, Clutch Wallet

Recorded live at Rogue Women 5 this conversation on the future of work is led by Laura Plunkett, Executive Director of Startup Engagement at Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs and features Christina Choi, SVP of Gin, Rum & Tequila for Diageo NA; Gale Wilkinson, Founder & Managing Partner at Vitalize Venture Capital; Dara Meath, Divisional CIO, Conair LLC; and Shea Cole, VP Marketing Fullscript. A great discussion on the role and impact of innovation on creating a more inclusive Future of Work.

Diana Taylor, former First Lady of New York City and Chairperson of Hot Bread Kitchen’s Board, and Leslie Abbey, CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen discuss how female entrepreneurs can forge new paths and make the impossible, possible. HBK creates economic opportunity for immigrant women and women of color through food entrepreneurship programs, job skills training, and an ecosystem of support in New York City.They envision an equitable world where all people have the opportunity and support to pursue personal, professional, and economic growth. The organization's unique model helps break through barriers and moves the food industry toward greater equity and sustainability.