Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

Founders looking to secure funding face a long, arduous process. Founders of color can find it almost impossible and often receive significantly less money than their white counterparts. Desiree Vargas Wrigley believes that the tech ecosystem in Chicago needs to do more to support and nurture the untapped potential of Black and Latinx founders.Desiree is our guest this week on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise. She shares her experience as one of the two Latinx women in the last decade to have raised over a million dollars and her vision for an inclusive Chicago tech community. Listen to the episode for more from Desiree and her company, P33.(01:05) - Making Chicago an innovation hub(03:07) - Finding founders(04:51) - New areas of focus(07:57) - Network access(09:49) - Need for speed(14:59) - First levels of support(17:18) - Founding Give Forward(19:23) - Developing Chicago(26:20) - Tech is changing(28:34) - Inspiration and mentorship(30:34) - Blame & creditDesiree Vargas Wrigley is a Latina serial entrepreneur and Executive Director of TechRise by P33. Her companies include Pearachute, a company that helps parents and children drop into the best family activities in town. Prior to launching Pearachute, Desiree co-founded GiveForward, the world’s leading crowd giving platform for people facing a major life event. Under her leadership, the company helped friends and family contribute nearly $160M to loved ones in need. After graduating from Yale, Desiree worked at the Kauffman Foundation as a specialist in entrepreneurship and at Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors. She taught New Venture Discovery at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Desiree has been named Inc's 30 Under 30, Crain's 40 Under 40, one of Parents Magazine's Most Inspiring Moms, one of Forbes' Women to Watch, and has appeared on Shark Tank, closing one of the largest deals on the show to date. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her 2 young sons, stepdaughter, and crime-fighting husband.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.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are powerful tools that companies can leverage to create better customer experiences. However, they traditionally require millions of dollars' worth of investment. Alex Muller believes that every product team, regardless of size, should benefit from the same machine learning capabilities used at the most successful companies in the world.Alex, the founder of SAVVI AI, is our guest this week on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise. Listen to the episode to learn more about democratizing machine learning.(01:47) - SAVVI AI(03:41) - Machine learning barriers(09:02) - AI and ML for everyone(11:04) - Target clients(14:02) - Little AI decision maker(17:40) - Who knows the customer best?(19:21) - Family of entrepreneurs(22:49) - Fintech impact(26:44) - Military mentors(31:29) - Chicago talentAlex Muller is a founder of SAVVI AI, an AI company focused on helping every product team leverage AI/ML to meet their software goals without the need of data scientists, pre-existing data or expensive tools and consultants. Prior to founding SAVVI AI, Muller served as Senior Vice President, AI Enabled Products & EIR Synchrony Ventures at Synchrony Financial. In this role, he led innovation and product development in several domains, including mobile and artificial intelligence. Previously he was the CEO and co-founder of GPShopper, which had been acquired by Synchrony Financial in 2017. Forbes named Muller one of ten CEOs whose companies are disrupting the retail industry through technology. He is revered as an industry expert on the topics of mobile payments and security. Inc. named Alex a person “at the top of his game” and a leader in his industry, and CIO Magazine cited him as a go-to expert in the retail and ecommerce space. Alex has served as an Adjunct Professor at NYU, lecturing on mobile application strategy and execution. Alex graduated from Tufts University with a BS in Engineering before earning his MS Engineering and his MBA (Tepper School), from Carnegie Mellon 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.

Banking has been around for hundreds of years. How do you teach an old dog new tricks? Chintan Mehta, CIO and Head of Digital Technology and Innovation at Wells Fargo, joined Patrick and Shelli to discuss the technological revolution happening right now in banking. He talks about what the next five years look like for innovations such as quantum computing and cultural shifts such as the gig worker economy. Listen in and get inspired.(02:23) - Deep tech work in banking(03:59) - Risks & challenges(08:50) - Five years out(11:02) - Quantum computing(12:34) - Fundamental shifts in powering our lives(15:51) - Gig worker expectations(20:53) - Investing in culture and vision(25:46) - Remote on-boarding(28:06) - Mentorship(30:06) - Commitment to improvement(34:07) - Impostor syndromeChintan Mehta is the Chief Information Officer and head of Digital Technology and Innovation for Wells Fargo. He is also a member of the Wells Fargo Technology executive leadership team. Chintan has joint reporting relationships to the Head of Wells Fargo Technology as well as the CEO for Corporate Strategy, Digital Platform & Innovation business.Chintan has a master’s degree in computer science from University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. He is based in San Francisco, California with his wife and two children.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 Chicago Innovation Roundtable, a group that connects visionary Chicago leaders and the brainchild of IDE host Patrick Emmons, recently wrapped up their yearly Summit. For part 2 of the IDE season finale, Patrick shares some of the thought leadership from the Summit’s brightest stars.Take a listen to the episode to hear from Dick Burke, Adam Kanouse, Thru Shivakumar, Greg Svitak, and Ari Kaplan. IDE will be back with all new episodes soon.(00:44) - Dick Burke(03:18) - Adam Kanouse(12:08) - Thru Shivakumar(16:14) - Greg Svitak(21:09) - Ari KaplanIf 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.

In addition to hosting Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Pat is also the founder of the Chicago Innovation Roundtable, a group that connects visionary Chicago leaders. Recently, the group hosted a summit where leaders could share their insights on what has helped them innovate in their respective fields.For the IDE season finale, Pat shares some of the highlights from the Innovation Summit. In part 1, you will hear from Betsy Ziegler, Scott Prugh, Dustin Kirkland, and Catherine Clay. Tune in for the latest innovation thought leadership.(00:43) - Betsy Ziegler(05:07) - Scott Prugh(11:11) - Dustin Kirkland(17:41) - Catherine ClayIf 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.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.

Brian Case is the Chief Digital Officer at GE Renewable Energy. In his field, the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of switching over to digitization. He is our guest this week on the podcast and chatted with Patrick and Shelli about his approach to leadership.Tune in to the episode to learn more about the importance of a company’s motivation to adopt digital, how repeatability of a problem leads to product advancement, and how to train the ideal team player.(01:04) - Driving the energy transition(02:50) - Building escape velocity(04:55) - Navigating customer needs(06:43) - Accelerated digital transformation(07:46) - Repeatability of the problem(09:42) - Culture of customer obsession(13:06) - The customer of my customer is my customer(14:12) - Internal vs. external metrics(16:06) - Lessons from West Point(19:32) - Veteran talent(22:31) - The Ideal Team Player(23:05) - Team of Teams(23:24) - The DevOps Handbook(23:29) - Accelerate(24:01) - Talent development(26:27) - Professional supportAs CDO, Digital Services, Brian leads product strategy, development, and delivery of the digital product portfolio for GE Renewable Energy Digital Services. Brian’s team is focused on transforming the renewable energy industry by delivering innovative digital solutions that help GE’s customer’s increase revenue, reduce cost, and reduce financial risk across their wind, solar, and hydro assets. Over the last 13 years, Brian has held multiple roles across GE Renewable Energy, Current powered by GE, GE Ventures, and GE Power. Prior to joining GE Renewable Energy, Brian led the incubation of a distributed energy resource platform as Executive Director, New Energy Platform in GE Ventures. His efforts resulted in the launch of Current, powered by GE, a newly created business focused on leading in the distributed energy transition by deploying and integrating commercial and industrial energy resources with the grid. Brian also led the America’s Project Development team within the GE Power business responsible for customer partnering and energy project development & investment initiatives with a specific focus on combined cycle, wind, and utilityscale solar development assets. Brian joined GE in 2006 through the Junior Officer Leadership Program, a two-year, cross functional, business rotational program designed for transitioning military officers. Prior to joining GE, Brian served six years as an armor officer in the United States Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the United States Military Academy and was awarded a Bronze Star with Valor device for service in Iraq. He continues to invest in the development and support of military veterans by leading the GE Renewable Energy Veterans Network.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.

With complicated technological tools and processes, companies sometimes fill too many roles with specialists. Generalists are also needed for a fresh set of eyes and to approach problems with outside the box solutions. Dean Haacker prides himself on being a generalist and this skill has served him well as he’s helped reimagine banking while working with CIBC.Dean joined Patrick and Shelli for a wide-ranging conversation about the importance of living at the corner of strategy and innovation. Check out the episode for insights from a multiple award-winning CTO/CIO.(02:56) - The future of banking(06:48) - Protecting our money and information(09:34) - Brute force code breaking(11:36) - Success as a generalist(15:01) - Orbie Awards(21:32) - Highland Grove Partners(23:23) - Innovation is hardDean Haacker is a global technology executive and visionary leader that delivered more than $3 billion in business value for top companies in the high tech, consumer goods, and financial services sectors. An expert strategist, catalyst, and team builder who successfully executed large-scale programs, transformations, turnarounds, mergers, and operations excellence using Agile, ITIL and Lean Six Sigma. He managed $300 million budgets, led global teams of 500 people, and negotiated strategic deals with global technology partners. Dean serves on the board of SIM Chicago, is a founding member of the ChicagoCIO Leadership Association and a member of AITP Chicago. He won an ORBIE award in 2017 as CTO of The PrivateBank and was a finalist for the Chicago CIO of the Year Award in both 2018 and 2019.  Dean is an advisor to emerging technology companies and previously served in global technology leadership roles at CIBC Bank, Nielsen, Motorola, and the Hewlett-Packard Company.  Dean is a distinguished graduate of Arizona 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.

Trading exchanges are highly regulated. This makes the implementation of technological changes a tricky proposition. Catherine Clay, Executive Vice President of Cboe Global Markets, has had to pivot and adapt her thinking when it comes to affecting change in a large, regulated corporation.Catherine joined Patrick and Shelli for this week’s episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise. She stressed the importance of keeping a company’s end goals in mind instead of getting caught up in the immediacy of sprints. Catherine also shared how to keep up the stamina and perseverance when you are met with obstacles. Listen for an industry veteran’s tips on affecting change in your organization.(01:38) - Accelerating prosperity(02:53) - Catherine's path to Cboe(17:11) - Leadership retention(22:28) - Marathon vision(26:04) - Batteries included(32:28) - The secret sauce (35:19) - Mentorship(36:28) - Trading floor inclusivityCatherine Clay is the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Data & Access Solutions. Cathy leads Cboe Global Markets’ strategic initiatives for its analytics, index, data, access and execution services businesses. As the CEO of LiveVol and co-founder and CEO of Thales, Cathy pioneered software solutions for quoting, trade execution and risk management. Coupled with her previous experience trading equity and index options, Cathy continues to create high-value offerings for market participants while integrating Cboe’s client-facing solutions.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.

As the CEO of 1871, an entrepreneurial hub of innovation, Betsy Ziegler is an expert in early-stage growth and helps businesses grow from idea to the Fortune 500. For Betsy, one of the most important metrics for success is whether a business adheres to purpose-driven decision making.This week on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Betsy joins Patrick and Shelli to discuss how 1871 is supporting businesses throughout Chicago as well as what metrics she believes will help catapult businesses to higher levels of growth. Listen in for her insights.(01:10) - The home for start-ups(04:33) - Does it work?(06:46) - Launch outside of gravity(10:09) - Forty by forty(14:23) - Purpose, ideas, and the maturity curve(23:09) - Talking about change(27:15) - Onboarding and mentorship(38:48) - First dollarElizabeth “Betsy” Ziegler is the first female CEO of 1871, the number 1 private incubator in the world.Previous to 1871, Betsy was the Chief Innovation Officer at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, responsible for portfolio innovation as well as integrating technology into the Kellogg educational experience. From 2011 through September 2015, she served as associate dean of degree programs and dean of students.Prior to Kellogg, she served as a principal in McKinsey & Company’s Chicago office where she led the firm’s Life Insurance Operations and Technology practice and co-led its Financial Institutions Operations and Technology practice.Ziegler holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and received a B.A. in economics from The Ohio State University, where she graduated with distinction. She is a member of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and the Museum of Science and Industry Boards of Directors and an advisor and investor in many young technology companies.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.

Democratizing innovation means that experts create tools that allow new industries to utilize technology to make their businesses stronger and more efficient. This leads to happy customers. Happy customers lead to happy employees that feel a sense of purpose and belonging at work. Creating teams that balance accountability and purpose is Eric Rempel’s vision of success.Eric is the Chief Innovation Officer at Redwood Logistics. He joined Patrick and Shelli on this week’s episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise for a discussion on creating an organization that is mission-driven where employees can see the impact they are making. Tune in for his insights and to learn more about Redwood Logistics.(02:41) - Developing culture(04:29) - Drive(06:32) - Vetting candidates(09:08) - Giving it your all(10:38) - Timing(17:23) - The One Thing(18:24) - Setting a vision(26:00) - Engaging non-tech folks(30:48) - Failures and learned lessons(36:53) - Agile methodologyEric Rempel is Redwood Logistics’ Chief Innovation Officer. He joined Redwood in 2004 as its chief technology officer. As CTO, he played a vital role in the creation of what would become one of Redwood’s flagship products ­— its proprietary transportation management system (TMS) that combines historical analytics, market data and operational best practices. Eric led the design of Redwood’s TMS offering by integrating powerful transportation automation into customer supply chains, based on a web interface that can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. TMS remains an integral part of the way Redwood delivers value to the company’s brokerage clients.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.