Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

Today we’re sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Michelangelo D’Agostino, VP of Machine Learning at Tegus, delivered a foundational lesson about large language models. Imagine you are Rip Van Winkle, as Michelangelo puts it, and you have woken up after a long sleep and encountered the current AI landscape. What have you missed? What do you need to know to move forward? Calling upon his data analysis and machine learning expertise, Michelangelo offers clear, concise insights to introduce audiences to the capabilities and shortcomings of large language models today.  In this presentation, Michelangelo integrates large language models to demonstrate their abilities. Defining the term and other critical ones (What does GPT mean?), he dives into the factors that have led to the exponential growth in these models since 2020 and details the training methodologies that led to major advances. Michelangelo covers how instruction tuning brought an exercise in probability to usefulness that will change industries.Offering insight into the challenges large language models are encountering, Michelangelo walks audiences through a “hallucination,” where the LLM offers a confident answer that is incorrect—a concerning flaw--and displays how prompt engineering generates the correct result with a minor tweak. With the input and output being natural language, Michelangelo encourages people to embrace the low barrier of entry to try out the models directly (OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Bard) by writing prompts and learning its capabilities firsthand. Michelangelo shares the areas where he’s excited about the potential of large language models and their transformative power for text-heavy industries. (00:58) – Demystifying AI(03:37) – Large language models(05:13) – Unpacking training(08:43) – Why now?(12:05) – Increased potential(14:50) – Hallucinations(16:26) – Prompt engineering(18:25) – Applications of language models(22:48) – Play around with it!Michelangelo D’Agostino is the Vice President of Machine Learning at Tegus. Previously, he held leadership roles in data and machine learning at Cameo and ShopRunner. Michelangelo’s career as a technologist career is marked by his exploration of large language models and their applications in financial text data. He studied physics, earning a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

An exceptional company culture builds when steadfast employee commitment meets deep trust by customers. Chris Brown encountered this when he joined Relativity as Chief Product Officer in 2018. Chris joined the team in the early stages of their transition to SaaS and embraced the moment of disruption and opportunity—a familiar territory in his career, which included ten years at Orbitz Worldwide. From the perspective of CPO, Chris offers unique insights into the transition period from on-prem to SaaS, addressing legacy technology, embracing the customer as a co-innovator by building plentiful touchpoints, and the intricate SaaS sales process. Speaking on what SaaS can inimitably provide, Chris muses on “a continuous stream of innovation at high availability” and customer success.In this episode, Chris looks ahead to the future to discuss how AI and LLMs will impact the law industry and finding effective uses for the technology. He shares how one of the oldest industries in the world can embrace the best of AI’s capabilities while mitigating the risks by including the law's critical element: human decision-making and validation.With experience as a CEO and CPO, Chris shares the distinctions between the roles that stem from the needs of a particular company and offers how his arrival at Relativity reflected intentional scaling that led to further success. In discussing the Chicago startup environment and continued growth at Relativity, Chris talks about acquiring the contract review company Heretik and considering an acquisitive approach as one path of innovation and building a strong product portfolio. (02:12) – Introducing Chris Brown(04:44) – CPO vs. CEO(06:18) – Sales in the SaaS world(08:51) – Relativity(10:46) – Building an effective SaaS company(15:29) – Co-innovating with customers(17:51) – AI and the law industry(22:09) – Looking ahead(23:48) – An acquisitive approachChris Brown is the Chief Product Officer at Relativity, a cloud review software that helps users “organize data, discover truth, and act on it.” Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Orbitz Worldwide and CEO and Board Member of Kapow! Chris earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today we’re sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Mark Achler, Managing Director of MATH Venture Partners, spoke about the central role of trust in a successful company—with customers, employees, and partners. In this presentation, Mark details three experiences involving broken trust. He shares his journey remaining optimistic in the face of negativity and an array of reasons to embrace cynicism. Mark touches on several occurrences in which trust, ethics, and standards have been at the center of faltering companies and outlines why trusted companies perform better. (01:11) – Three stories and a question(20:34) – Optimism and cynicism(25:22) – Economics of trust(30:50) – Loss of trust and manipulation(37:37) – Trust as offense and defense(39:25) – Breaking promisesMark Achler is the Managing Director at MATH Venture Partners, a VC fund focused on technical and digital companies. Mark is a faculty member at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in entrepreneurship and innovation and co-authored Exit Right with Mert Iseri. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Purdue University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

It is essential for companies to approach transformation from many directions, and leadership that embraces that multiplicity will innovate through process. Experienced technology executive Angel Mendez knows these methods intimately from years of working alongside visionary founders and forward-thinking teams. His business and technology journey includes a decade at Cisco Systems steering the acquisition of nearly 50 companies.In this episode, Angel, who is now Executive Chairman of the Board at LevaData, shares critical lessons from his impressive career in developing a multiprong approach to transformation. He discusses collaboration and partnerships across companies, leveraging ecosystems, and empowering all employees to be innovators. Angel dives into his experience learning the world of startups, the hard lesson of learning to move on from an idea, and witnessing the iPhone’s launch from his role at Palm.(02:34) – Introducing Angel Mendez(05:12) – Arriving in Silicon Valley(08:10) – The acquisition process(20:54) – Problems and Solutions(29:30) – Leveraging ecosystems and partnerships(35:07) – Characteristics of founders(40:30) – AIAngel Mendez has held executive leadership positions at some of the world’s most notable technology companies, including HERE Technologies, Cisco Systems, AlliedSignal, Citigroup, Gateway, Palm, and GE. Currently, he serves as the Executive Chairman of the Board at LevaData and independent director of Peloton Interactive, SleepNumber, and Kinaxis, in addition to being a committed civic and higher education leader. Angel earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Lafayette College and an MBA from the Crummer School at Rollins College.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

How do you create a frictionless experience for shoppers while keeping shrink under control? CTO of Sensormatic Solutions Subramanian Kunchithapatham (KS) spearheads innovative technologies to solve major retail questions and utilizes over two decades of experience to meet these challenges at the speed of retail evolution and digitization. His work explores shopper experience, inventory intelligence, loss prevention, and operational efficiency, all of which are underpinned by AI, machine learning, and video analytics technologies.In this episode, KS shares insight into a detailed pain-point innovation methodology, including honing in on areas ripe for disruption and the consideration of cost. He discusses how shoppers are making purchase decisions (everywhere and anywhere) and how Sensormatic Solutions is providing innovative technologies for its industry customers to meet that demand.Patrick, Shelli, and KS discuss how the pandemic reshaped retail and how those lessons have helped make for an improved customer experience now. KS also provides details on how Sensormatic Solutions is attracting and retaining talent in a highly competitive tech landscape.(02:55) – Sensormatic Solutions(06:37) – Accelerated digitization of retail(13:30) – In-store experience(18:15) – Frictionless shopping (20:20) – Pain point innovation(29:33) – Attracting and retaining talentSubramanian Kunchithapatham (KS) is the Chief Technology Officer of Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls. He previously held roles at Zebra Technologies and Motorola. Before his decades-long career in transformational leadership, he earned an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management and a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Profound innovation has occurred across web-based communication technologies in the last decade, and truly accelerated in the years since the start of the pandemic. But David Heinemeier Hansson recognized a massively neglected arena, one we all use, every day: email. Bringing his experience as co-owner and Chief Technology Officer at 37signals (Basecamp, Ruby on Rails, and more), David launched HEY, an innovative approach to email that provides a modernized, user-first service. In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, David articulates a dedication to forging new paths in software and entrepreneurship.He shares important lessons in approaching remote work, including the essential pillar of embracing asynchronicity. He dives into how he structures his day for success and offers a counterpoint to the American workplace culture of bragging about busyness and 80+ hour weeks. Finally, David provides insight into the current state of cloud technology and his company’s recent—successful and swift—migration off the cloud. (1:48) – 37signals(3:27) – HEY(9:54) – Advantages(17:32) – Detecting spy pixels(19:45) – The pandemic’s impact(23:42) – Embracing asynchronicity for success(29:07) – An American culture of busyness(34:31) – Importance of sleep(38:52) – Cloud technology(46:55) – Bringing applications homeDavid Heinemeier Hansson is co-owner and Chief Technology Officer of 37signals (Basecamp & HEY), creator of Ruby on Rails, and best-selling author, including REWORK, It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work, and Remote: Office Not Required. David is a Le Mans class-winning racing driver, photographer, antitrust advocate, and investor.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

The first day on the job sets the tone, which is why Dom Scandinaro, SVP of Engineering & Data at fan connection app Cameo, encourages new hires to deploy code to production on their very first day. As an experienced software engineer and technology leader, Dom fosters day-one collaborations when bringing on a new team member. Even during growth periods with competing priorities.In this episode, Dom discusses his journey in software engineering and his own spirit of curiosity, which was inspired by his entrepreneurial father. He talks about his work with Black Girls Code, whose mission is “to provide Black girls access to engaging computer programming education that sparks their interest in technology, unlocks their potential and leads to more equitable communities.” He shares how Black Girls Code encourages curiosity in those new to coding and stresses the value of embracing unfamiliar challenges. Dom also provides insight into hiring talent, examining processes during growth periods, and how individual contributors can develop into managers.(02:27) – Finding software engineering(04:46) – Black Girls Code(08:47) – First day on the job(11:57) – Leading and decision-making in growth periods(17:44) – An entrepreneurial father(20:10) – Embracing new things(23:30) – Growing into leadershipDom Scandinaro is the Senior Vice President of Engineering & Data at Cameo. An experienced software engineer and technology leader, Dom has held roles at Mac & Mia, Luxury Garage Sale, DialogTech, and HelloWorld. Dom earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Wheeling University. He is a member of the core Chicago team for Black Girls Code.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

For retail businesses, being able to provide real-time, precise inventory is key to exceeding customer expectations. Ronald Blahnik, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategy, Innovation, Customer Experience, and Retail Analytics of Hibbett Sports, knows that providing customers with what they want, when they want it, has been essential to Hibbett’s growth over the last six years.In this episode, Ronald Blahnik provides insight into Hibbett’s expansive network of relationships with customers, associates, and vendors (who are also direct-to-consumer). He shares the strategies that led to expanding business during the COVID-19 pandemic, including avoiding major supply chain issues, managing team communication, and maintaining agility. Navigating transformation during a period that demanded change, Ronald Blahnik sheds light on his approach to problem-solving, operating within a larger ecosystem, and his expectations for AI-driven innovation.(03:06) – Hibbett Sports(06:00) – Delivering the last mile(09:43) – Getting on the same page daily(13:05) – Ten Keys of Customer Service(15:44) – Understanding your customer(18:58) – On the ground and in the store(23:48) – The value of AIRonald Blahnik is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategy, Innovation, Customer Experience, and Retail Analytics at Hibbett Sports. An experienced technology executive, he has held roles at The Home Depot, Hudson's Bay Company, and Lowe's Companies. Ron is a highly decorated Senior Warrant Officer, having served over twenty years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve before his retirement as Chief Warrant Officer in 2004.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Second City is an iconic Chicago institution training comedic geniuses across generations, but developing the talents of a VP of Technology is one of its more under-the-radar accomplishments. Arne Saupe, Vice President of Technology at Farmer’s Fridge, learned more than acting and improvisation when exploring this new arena. He discovered lessons in management, failure, team building, empathy, and communication that bolstered his years of experience as a technologist and growth-stage leader. In this episode, Arne dives into finding complementary team members, ensuring diversity in thought, and balancing the vision with guardrails. He provides clear advice for approaching feedback and determining growth opportunities, including quarterly check-ins to identify what you want to think about the least and recognizing those as areas you likely must improve. (02:11) – Farmer’s Fridge and Trunk Club(05:23) – CEO and CFO partnership(09:15) – Investing your time in what you’re good at(11:59) – Motivating the team(14:32) – Lessons from improv and acting at Second City(21:07) – Management training(25:01) – Failure and mistakesTechnology leader and team builder Arne Saupe is the Vice President of Technology at Farmer’s Fridge. Previously, he served as the Director of Engineering at Trunk Club and led teams at several innovative companies during significant periods of growth. Arne earned a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in computer science.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Imagine you are a founder developing a physical product with incredible potential, but the space and resources to advance your product are out of reach and cost-prohibitive. Haven Allen witnessed this hurdle to introducing life-changing HardTech into the world and co-founded a solution: mHUB, a hyper-resourced innovation center in Chicago.In this episode, learn from CEO Haven Allen the impact of mHUB on physical technology innovation and the current landscape for manufacturing in the US. Shining the spotlight on mHUB members and research and development culture in Chicago, Haven discusses balancing a focus on your business and customers with improving your product for ultimate success.(02:45) – mHUB(08:30) – Re-industrialization(10:34) – Relocating and opportunity zones(11:45) – CHIPS and Science Act(15:19) – Hyperlocal to global(19:33) – Renewed interest in hardware technology(23:08) – Contract manufacturers(26:10) – Spotlight on mHUB success storiesHaven Allen is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of mHUB, managing partner of Product Impact Fund, and an entrepreneur and technology strategist focused on creating economic opportunity through HardTech and manufacturing entrepreneurship. Haven earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Michigan. He is currently earning his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.