Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

In an industry deeply focused on the “now”— scheduling down to the minute—and dedicated to safety above all else, how can innovation with an eye to the future and taking risks fit in? In aviation, United Airlines found a solution by tasking Jorie Sax with launching and leading its first innovation lab, Airshop. In this episode, Jorie shares how an innovation lab can foreground collaboration and inspire peers throughout the company while maintaining safety standards and continuing to produce value. Jorie dives into how leading with play and exploration can naturally guide collaborators back to constraints and tensions without having to lead with those limitations. She discusses guiding others to find their spirit of curiosity, how “inclusion propels innovation”, and embracing a startup mentality in order to lead innovation. (2:07) – Airshop at United Airlines(3:42) – Leading the industry through innovation(7:48) – “Inclusion propels innovation”(10:07) – Encouraging an open mind(15:40) – Accelerator and break(18:09) – Seeing value in potential(22:00) – Looking beyond the aviation industry(23:56) – Collaboration in innovation(27:35) – Producing and impact(29:40) – Creating an innovation structure(31:43) – Embracing a startup mentality and entrepreneurial spiritJorie Sax serves as the head of the first innovation lab, Airshop, at United Airlines. She has held positions in legal, marketing, corporate partnerships, innovation, and digital technology functions throughout her two-decade career at entertainment and lifestyle brands, such as MillerCoors and the Chicago White Sox.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.

Deploying the most critical systems to the cloud first was a bold strategy for Fitch Group. It’s an approach Derek Ferguson, Global Head of Enterprise Architecture, and Chris Lalor, Senior Director – Technology Enablement, believe was essential to the successful transformation to the cloud for the Group’s companies and is how they continue to manage complex, new technology to date.In this episode, Derek and Chris dive into avoiding friction in the development process, enabling developers to innovate, and embracing the possibility of failure while reducing potential failure points. They also share their perspectives on service mesh, creating functionality that scales, and the exciting innovations ahead in 2023.(01:23) – Fitch Group(07:58) – Journey to the cloud(11:31) – Reducing friction for developers(15:25) – Avoiding bottlenecks(20:19) – Reducing points of failure(23:33) – Key innovation of service mesh(28:14) – Expanding the tech team(30:36) – Looking ahead in 2023Derek Ferguson is the Global Head of Enterprise Architecture at Fitch Group, Inc. Derek is an experienced head of technology professional with previous roles at JPMorgan Chase and Bear Stearns. Chris Lalor is the Senior Director - Technology Enablement at Fitch Group, Inc. Previously, Chris led cloud and compute architecture at Viacom MTV Networks. 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 I use cloud services intentionally? What might I build out on-prem? What might my edge architecture look like? – These are just some of the questions Amanda Blevins is hearing from technology leaders these days. Finding solutions to those challenges is a big part of her current role as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Americas at VMware.In this episode, Amanda shares her thoughts on the future of cloud technology and how to tame the "cloud chaos" by creating an intentional multi-cloud strategy that makes sense for your business. She also discusses accounting for talent availability in your infrastructure planning, leveraging existing team skillsets, and hiring appropriately. Listen in to hear this and more including Amanda’s insightful perspective on aligning personal interests with the strategic goals of your company. (01:13) – VMware(05:36) – Starting a career in the dot-com bubble(09:20) – Lessons from a layoff(11:33) – Authenticity and leadership(13:18) – The move to Multi-Cloud(16:08) – Avoiding “cloud chaos”(17:57) – Setting an intentional cloud strategy(22:03) – Factoring in talent availabilityAmanda Blevins is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Americas of VMware. She joined VMware as a senior systems engineer in 2010, and a few years later, she became the company’s first female principle systems engineer. Amanda is VMware’s first and only female chief technologist. She leverages her twenty-five years of industry experience and network to drive awareness and equality for women and all underrepresented people in technology fields. Amanda earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from American Sentinel University and attended Vanderbilt 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.

Participating in school activities and community building has been challenging for remote and hybrid students, let alone the near impossibility of "running into a friend." Rich Alapack, founder of we all live here, witnessed this experience early in the pandemic and envisioned a program in which this was all possible: SchoolTopia.In this episode, Rich shares the mission of we all live here and their commitment to public art projects that promote inclusivity and empower students to challenge hatred in their communities. Rich discusses his experience developing an off-campus housing website in college and his current journey of bringing SchoolTopia to beta partners. He provides insight into virtual schooling and the customization available to provide an enriched experience with a focus on the social aspect of attendance, virtual safety, and integrating outside partners, like we all live here, into the software for a complete school experience. (1:18) – we all live here(3:05) – Simplicity vs. complexity(9:02) – Taking action(11:14) – SchoolTopia(19:14) – FindAPlaceToLive.com(23:30) – Product customization(26:24) – Safety in virtual spacesRich Alapack is the founder of we all live here, an organization that uses art, community, and technology to develop experiences, programs, and activities that remind us all to get along and help each other. He is a creative team builder, collaborative leader, consistent closer, frequent speaker (including TEDx), innovative thought leader, and public advocate of diversity and inclusion. His career has orbited sales and brand strategy, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Winona State 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.

When Tommy Richardson enlisted in the United States Army at 18, he narrowed his options to operating a tank or going into computer operations and programming. In selecting the latter, he launched a lasting career in the field, has led several major companies in C-suite positions, and recently arrived as Chief Product and Technology Officer for Litmos, leading product innovation. In this episode, Tommy discusses balancing technology evolution to remain competitive, feature development to meet customer demand, and product innovation to keep ahead of the curve. He shares insight into establishing the right resource allocation for the various product development workstreams, including security, tech debt, enhancements, defects, and support. Tommy also dives into lessons learned from his time at startups and in private equity, as well as what’s ahead for Litmos this year. (01:01) – Product at Litmos(04:21) – Training in a rapidly changing world(06:29) – Feature-richness as a differentiator(08:23) – Individualized content(10:10) – Technology innovation and prioritization(18:57) – The journey and the destination(21:13) – Learning from startups(23:35) – The world of private equity(24:57) – Major influencesTommy Richardson is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Litmos with over twenty-two years of experience across industries. He’s held executive leadership roles at FinThrive, BARBRI Global, Vector Solutions, Nextech Systems, Teradata, Siemens Healthineers, ADP, and more. Introduced to computer programming in the United States Army, Tommy studied at Auburn University in Montgomery and earned an MBA from The University of Georgia.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.

Between confidentiality agreements, polite manners, and ego, it can be difficult to get a real story of what selling a company is like. Breaking that taboo was the inspiration for Exit Right, a book co-authored by today’s guest Mark Achler, Managing Director at MATH Venture Partners.  In this episode, Mark shares the hard-earned lessons captured in Exit Right about key actions that lead to successful exits. He makes the case for viewing these transactions not as a moment in time but as an opportunity to build relationships and value over a long time horizon. Mark emphasizes the need to deeply understand the rationale for the transaction, the value of maintaining empathy for all stakeholders, and why trust is everything.(01:36) – MATH Venture Partners(04:23) – Exit Right: how to sell your startup(10:29) – FAIR framework for successful acquisitions(18:53) – Start early & build relationships(21:03) – Mark’s empathy rules(25:40) – Upcoming debt apocalypse(28:52) – Are economic interests aligned?(31:25) – The inevitable economics of trust(39:00) – Widening your lens beyond a single dealMark Achler is the Managing Director at MATH Venture Partners, an early to growth-stage venture capital fund focusing 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.

One consequence of success for a startup is outgrowing the very strategies that made you successful. As an experienced founder, it’s a challenge Justin McNally was prepared to tackle as Chowly grew from a seedling idea to a market leader in point-of-sale integration. At each stage of growth, Justin’s role, and sometimes title, evolved to meet the changing needs of the organization. Through the lens of his current role as Chief Innovation Officer, Justin discusses traversing the gap from startup to established company, shifting hiring emphasis from generalists to specialists, and adapting competitive strategies as a market matures. He also offers perspective on avoiding stagnation and continuing to innovate even as the risk calculations change with scale.  (01:07) - Starting Chowly (05:16) - Growing up with entrepreneurship(12:33) - Defining your moat(16:55) - How risk tolerance changes with growth (19:06) - Checking your ego at the door as a founder(21:52) - Role of the Chief Innovation Officer(24:35) - What’s ahead for Chowly and the industry Currently, Justin McNally is the Chief Innovation Officer at Chowly, a direct POS integration for third-party delivery platforms. Justin is an experienced founder with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. He graduated with a BLA focused on Interactive Arts & Media from Columbia College Chicago. Some of his skills include Digital Strategy, PHP, WordPress, Ruby on Rails, and Content Management Systems.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 Innovative Executives League recently held its second in-person summit with an amazing slate of thought leaders sharing their experiences and perspective on innovation and leadership. In this episode, Patrick and Shelli highlight a variety of insightful presentations from the event. If you're unfamiliar with the Innovative Executives Leagues, it's an invite-only community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with a growth mindset and a passion for innovation. It was founded to increase the network of innovation in the Chicagoland area and also on a national scale. If you're interested in becoming a member, send us a message at LinkedIn or visit our website at www.dragonspears.com/innovative-executives-league.(01:11) - Developer Experience: Improving Business Performance by Focusing on Your People with Deepika Duggirala, SVP, Global Technology Platforms at TransUnion(07:38) - Creating an Effective Innovation Culture with Jack T. King, CIO at AAOS(13:56) - Bridging the Employee Experience Gap in a Digital World with Kuldip Mohanty, CIO HUB International(19:45) -  Finding Value in Machine Learning, a 5-Step Framework with Maya Mikhailov, Founder of SAVVI AI(28:49) - Corporate Social Innovation with Adam J. Hecktman, Founder of For Good Advisory and Former Dir. of Global Workforce Ecosystems, Microsoft Philanthropy(34:12) - The Ambidextrous Organization with Mike Kennedy, VP Technology Enablement and Strategy at CDWIf 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.

A great teacher can be the key to welcoming challenges, self-confidence, and a curious spirit. In the case of Larry Berlin, Chief Financial Officer at Freedom Fries, great teachers also inspired a lifelong commitment to mentorship, including his critical mentor role for the New Venture Challenge, an accelerator program that has launched Grubhub, Braintree/Venmo, and many more successful companies.In this episode, Larry shares details of the development process and aims of his recent venture: search engine and news aggregator Freespoke.com. He outlines how to approach analyzing product-market fit and your company’s competitive grid. Bringing lessons from his experiences mentoring an array of startups, Larry discusses how to deal with surprises and highlights the “need-to-know” aspects of a pitch.   (01:13) – Freespoke.com(05:21) – The challenges of managing a startup(11:24) – Flexibility as an entrepreneur(14:21) – Product-market fit and building your competitive grid(21:31) – Encountering surprises(24:12) – Testing your assumptions(29:52) – New Venture Challenge(34:24) - MentorshipLarry Berlin is the CFO of Freedom Fries (Freespoke.com), a mentor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and leads Blue Point Advisory Services. Previously, he worked at First Analysis for nineteen years and earned an 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.

Specific, problem-solving artificial intelligence is here, but when will the general, exponentially learning AI arrive in full force? Technologist Michael Housman, CTO of a stealth project at Doma, shares the anticipated arrival of AGI and his career contributing to machine learning and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Michael debunks misconceptions about AI and illuminates how malicious actors have benefitted from developments in data science (and how we can use data to catch them). Beginning his impressive career with a Ph.D. in economics, Michael shares insight into matching your strengths to the right company culture and how to know when you've achieved product-market fit.(1:08) – Economist to engineering team lead(3:02) – Singularity University(4:29) – Misconceptions about artificial intelligence(12:19) – Technology to enable general AI(14:19) – Catching bad guys with data(21:31) – Innovation and globalization(25:46) – Big companies acting like a VC fund(29:34) – Product-market fit(34:40) – Company-employee matchMichael Housman is a technologist with over ten years of experience leading engineering and data science teams and architecting artificial intelligence platforms. Michael is the CTO of a stealth project at Doma, a faculty member at Singularity University, and has held several executive roles, including at Evolv and RapportBoost.AI. He earned a Ph.D. in Applied Economics & Managerial Science at The Wharton School and a bachelor’s degree in health care policy at Harvard 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.