What is Innovation?

Daniel Trabucchi is a Senior Assistant Professor at the School of Management Politecnico di Milano. Daniel shares his definition of innovation, the role of regulatory bodies in innovation, the distinction between a new thing and a new purpose, and much more.

More about our guest:

Daniel has also co-authored “Platform Thinking. Read the past. Write the future.”. His research interests are focused on innovation management, especially digital two-sided platforms and digital services. He co-founded Symplatform in 2018, the international conference on digital platforms that aims to match scholars and practitioners in the field. He co-founded and is scientific director of Platform Thinking HUB, the community of innovation leaders that aims to foster innovation through platform thinking, which is part of the Digital Innovation Observatories of Politecnico di Milano. He is also scientific director of IDeaLs, the global research platform founded by Politecnico di Milano aiming to develop innovative ways to engage people in transformation processes. 

He is a member of the International Product Development Management Conference EIASM-IPDMC scientific committee. He has authored more than 70 scientific articles, including peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters. Apart from academic research, he teaches innovation and project management at various levels, from bachelor’s to master’s, MBAs, executive MBAs, and corporate classes, being also Director of the International Part Time MBA of the POLIMI Graduate School of Management. Moreover, he is often involved in advisory projects with small and multinational organizations in innovation and transformation management.

Know more about her and his affiliations here: 

• Daniel Trabucchi
• Politecnico di Milano
• Symplatform

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Episode Guide:

1:35 - What is Innovation? 

3:06 - book: Trap of thinking 

5:29 - Innovation advancement and regulation 

8:09 - Innovation as a new thing vs a new purpose 

10:07 - AI as a platform 

15:12 - Efficiency and the unintended consequences of such

19:46 - What isn't innovation: it's not innovation if it's not creating value 

23:38 - Agile project management 

25:03 - Business vs Technology platforms: technical and regulatory perspective 

29:49 - Advice to innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Robert Huber role as Twisthink’s first Chief Strategy Officer has been critical to the company's growth and success of their strategy offerings, joins us  we explore how innovation sparks creativity in business and the positive impact of a musical background.

More about our guest:

Robert leverages his extensive experience to establish key growth initiatives and partnerships through a global open innovation process, ensuring that Twisthink remains at the forefront of value creation for our clients. With an impressive background in innovation and design, Rob is an expert in generating exceptional long-term value and designing award-winning advanced concepts. Rob’s philosophy centers around building a culture of trust and accountability and fostering an environment where teams can thrive and generate meaningful results. His ability to inspire and motivate those around him has made him a respected and valued leader. Rob earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the University of Cincinnati.

Know more about her and his company here: 

• Robert Huber
• Twisthink

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Episode Guide:

1:23 - What is innovation? 

1:55 - Stakeholder purpose driven 

4:35 - Innovation and user experience 

8:08 - Career in innovation 

9:44 - Innovation process 

12:51 - IP application in the modern world 

14:13 - code development opportunity: corporations and start-ups 

17:21 - What isn't innovation?

21:56 - Refining the process 

26:49 - Hobbies beyond work

27:39 - Advice for innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Peter Schroeder, a multi-award-winning DJ, entrepreneur, and visionary founder of Telzio, joins us  we explore how innovation sparks creativity in business and the positive impact of a musical background.

More about our guest:

Peter Schroeder  has over two decades of experience, Peter has consistently proven himself to be a pioneer in both music and technology. Peter's unparalleled expertise in developing cutting-edge technology and innovative products has revolutionized the way people work and communicate, streamlining and simplifying even the most repetitive tasks. Peter has collaborated with companies like Facebook, Samsung, and Airbnb. His remarkable career also includes earning over 20 platinum records, 40 gold records, and a triple nomination for the Danish DJ awards. Despite facing challenges such as surviving a plane crash and becoming a father of twins, Peter continues to inspire others with his passion and unwavering drive towards innovation.

Know more about her and his company here: 

• Peter Schroeder
• Telzio

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Episode Guide:

1:32 - What is Innovation?

3:47 - Innovation vs Invention

5:04 - Translating music into business and innovation

7:17 - Leveraging technical and creative advantages from a music upbringing

9:55 - Creative mindsets of coders and developers

12:12 - Navigating an AI project under time constraints

13:05 - Reconciling demand and technology

14:30 - Significance of practicing humility and self-awareness

18:00 - What isn't Innovation?

19:27 - Advice for innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Ravi Kurani, Co-Founder of Sutro, discusses the distinction between problem-solving and solution-building, active listening and adapting, what does not constitute innovation, and how to manage energy and create a successful innovation strategy.

More about our guest:

Ravi Kurani is the founder of Sutro. He is based in San Francisco. Ravi was selected to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017 for the Energy category.Ravi attended the University of California, Riverside where he graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical engineering. He earned his MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a Certificate in Sustainable Energy Conversion and Storage from Stanford University.Early in his career, Ravi interned at Under The Mango Tree, was a Frontier Market Scout at Village Capital, an Analyst at Hub Ventures, and a Project Coordinator at Building Wise. He was a Social Entrepreneurship Advisor at CORO Northern California and an Advisor to SAHGHATA GLOBAL.In 2011, he founded ImpactSpace, an open impact data initiative, is the open and free global database of companies, entrepreneurs and investors delivering social and environmental impact along with financial returns. In 2013, Ravi founded the water testing and data analytics company, Sutro. The company's main product has built a sensor-connected app that monitors the health of your swimming pool, notifies you if maintenance is required and orders pool supplies.

Know more about her and his company here: 

• Ravi Kurani
• Sutro

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Episode Guide:

1:15 - What is Innovation?  

1:44 - Solving a problem vs building a solution

2:43 - Importance of distinction: solution  

5:33 - Company: Sutro

10:05 - "It's my baby" founder's mentality

12:24 - The value of 'listening" and 'pivot'

13:59 - What isn't innovation?

17:55 - Balancing and Managing one's energy

23:25 - Risk Predictability

26:24 - Risk acceptance and attachment philosophy

29:20 - Advice for innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Robyn Bolton, Founder & Chief Navigator of MileZero, discusses the importance of leadership in driving innovation and how implicit and explicit company cultures affect it. She also shares insights on how to combat cynicism about innovation. 

More about our guest:

Robyn M. Bolton is the Founder & Chief Navigator of MileZero, an innovation consultancy that works with leaders of medium and large businesses to navigate the uncertainty of innovation's "fuzzy front end" to confidently grow their businesses.  Prior to founding MileZero, Robyn was a Partner at Innosight, the innovation and strategy firm founded by Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen, a Manager at the Boston Consulting Group, and a Brand Manager at P&G where she was on the team that developed and launched Swiffer and Swiffer Wetjet.  She has a BS in Marketing cum laude with University Honors from Miami University (OH) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Know more about her and his company here: 

• Robyn Bolton
• MileZero

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Episode Guide:

1:24 - What is innovation?

5:29 - Implicit and explicit company cultures

9:50 - Difference from other consultants

11:50 - Cynicism in innovation

14:45 - Action speaks louder than words

17:13 - Leadership and Legacy

22:12 - Advice to innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Peter Mann, CEO & Founder of Oransi, a leading air purification company known for its efficient, intuitive and reliable products for consumers, schools, organizations and businesses, talks on  the power of innovation in democratizing the work environment through the internet and AI, along with the innovative developments in the air purifier space and how they reshored their business back to the United States. 

More about our guest:

Peter is  also is the Chair of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ Air Cleaner Council. In 2021, Oransi merged with Aviemore Technologies and is now a motor technology company with a clean energy mission. Oransi’s new manufacturing facility in Radford, Virginia is making products in the USA with advanced motor technologies and is actively hiring more than a 100+ local workers to reshore the company’s entire manufacturing. Previously, Peter was the Founder & CEO of the Austin, Texas-based Alen Corp., an air purification company he built, and after 7 years had a successful exit. He went to college on a Navy ROTC scholarship and then served 4 years, including a tour in the Red Sea during the First Gulf War. He was a communications officer and then gunnery officer on the USS McCandless. Peter is late diagnosed autistic and now advocates for autism awareness in the workplace

Know more about him and his company here: 

• Peter Mann
• Oransi 

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Episode Guide:

1:36 - What is Innovation? 

4:19 - Communicating with ChatGPT

6:45 - Internet: democratizing work environment

9:19 - Innovation in Reshoring

11:55 - Innovation in the air purifier space

15:23 - What isn't Innovation?

17:42 - Innovating a copy

19:14 - Leveraging brand name

20:15 - Mindset, Drive, and Ideas
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Ion Valaskakis,  President at President, Portfolio IV Media and Consulting talks on importance of these factors and their impact on our ability to innovate, including how circumstantial inspiration and the default mode network can affect our creative process.

More about our guest:

Ion Valis is a strategic advisor to entrepreneurs and executives by helping them anticipate the future, accelerate their performance, and reinvent themselves when necessary. He enables organizations to "see around the corner" through two proprietary frameworks that he has developed - the FuturePROOF Scorecard and Playbook. His book 'The Magnificent Mistake' talks on how to learn from your mistakes, he has also given a TEDx Talk on the changing nature of leadership in the 21st century, and hosted a bi-weekly podcast on how to apply the management consultant’s toolkit to everyday problems. Ion plans to launch an online course called "Reinvention Boot Camp" that will empower thousands of people with the tools, skillset, and mindset to reinvent themselves regularly.

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Episode Guide:

2:32 - What is Innovation?  

4:35 - Breaking down Inspiration and Intention

6:48 - Circumstantial inspiration: humanistic  

9:40 - Lag-time of elements

10:33 - Default mode network  

14:52 - Revenge Procrastination

17:06 - Gradual erosion vs falling off a cliff analogy

17:46 - Moore's law

21:50 - Stagnating human innovation  

24:02 - Surveillance capitalism

28:03 - Dopamine Capitalism

33:04 - Mind and body connection

35:37 - Best way to be creative

42:27 - Advice for the public

52:30 - The next revolution

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Amanda Utz is a Partner at Avant Strategy. She has twenty years of experience driving change for senior executives at start-ups, private equity-owned businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. In this episode, we explore the significance of innovation to idea-oriented creative folks, and the importance of an innovative approach to thinking beyond product or service innovation.

More about our guest:

Amanda Utz has successfully managed transformational projects across strategy, marketing, sales, and operations for leaders across multiple organizations including The Home Depot, Mannington Mills, and Veritiv. 

She has held multiple interim Head of Marketing roles for PE backed businesses (brought in by the PE firms) to hep the businesses quickly set up foundational marketing elements, strategic company and product positioning messaging, lead generation strategies, etc., while also helping with the execution of these tactics. Amanda enjoys partnering with executives to deliver solutions that meet their needs across various functional areas and industries.

You can learn more about her on her LinkedIn.

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Episode Guide:

1:25 - What is Innovation?

4:06 - Creative Marketer vs Process-driven Marketer

6:10 - Innovation to idea-oriented creative folks

7:30 - innovative approach to thinking

9:55 - Changes in the corporate marketing world

10:45 - What isn't innovation? A baker-cake analogy

12:52 - Hobbies beyond baking

14:10 - Innovation, travel, and Airbnb

17:04 - Innovating, launching, and promoting

17:44 - The B2B work

22:00 - Innovation in processes

23:32 - Advice to innovators 

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Ted Ladd, Dean and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Hult International Business School, and a recognised top learning and HR influencer for leadership development. In this episode, we explore how innovation creates value for anybody, including how we can innovate with respect, affirmation, and confidence, tapping into the minds of platform natives and drawing inspirations from past innovations.

More about our guest:

Ted Ladd teaches innovation at Harvard Universit and has participated in six different start-ups in Silicon Valley, the most recent acquired by Google,. You can learn more about him on his LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedladd/

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Episode Guide:

0:56 - What is Innovation?

2:43 - Personal and professional background

3:43 - Book: innovating with impact  

6:33 - Respect, Affirmation, and Confidence

8:11 - Affirmation in Innovation

10:48 - 2-step formula  

12:35 - Platform natives

13:38 - Palm Pilot, Google, and IPO

15:47 - The mobile internet

17:52 - Innovation impact on an internal basis

20:12 - Innovative ideas from university studies

21:24 - Process-driven innovation

23:52 - Empowering and the effectivity of idea-generation

26:43 - What isn't innovation?

28:16 - Radical innovations

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Ahmad Thomas, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the region’s most dynamic business association.  In this episode, he shares his view of innovation as paradigm-breaking ideas, and he discusses the impact of innovation on personal career growth.

More about our guest:
Ahmad Thomas,  partners with the organization’s member companies to promote entrepreneurial solutions to strengthen Silicon Valley business competitiveness, bolster its innovation ecosystem, and create shared economic value throughout the greater Bay Area. A hallmark of his leadership is in catalyzing industry-leading initiatives to operationalize change around diversity, equity, and inclusion from the Boardroom to the C-suites and beyond. A former investment banker and senior Congressional aide, he brings nearly 20 years of experience working both in and on behalf of non-profit social enterprises, governments, and businesses, where he has honed a deep understanding of the essentiality of public-private partnerships and the intersection of equity, policy, and technology that drives Silicon Valley’s innovation infrastructure. Thomas holds a B.S. from Cornell University, Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Episode Guide:

1:50 - What is innovation?  

3:13 - Professional background

4:34 - What isn't innovation?

5:38 - Paradigm breaking

8:41 - 2023, the year of grace

12:44 - High burnout work

16:37 - Innovation impact to personal career

18:41 - Progress in lived experience

23:43 - Advice to innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Dr. Britt Andreatta  CEO, Brain Aware Training, former CLO of Lynda.com (LinkedIn Learning) , and a recognised top learning and HR influencer for leadership development. In this episode Dr. Britt delves into the different aspects that make up innovation, including the importance of psychological safety. 

More about our guest:

Dr. Britt Andreatta is an internationally recognized thought leader who uses her background in leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and education to create brain-science based solutions for today’s workplace challenges. Britt is the former CLO for Lynda.com (LinkedIn Learning) and has over 10 million views worldwide of her online courses. She regularly consults with organizations on leadership development and learning strategy. Britt is the author of several books on the brain science of success including Wired to Grow, Wired to Resist, and Wired to Connect. In 2021, she was named a Top 20 Learning Influencer and a Top 20 HR Influencer for Leadership Development and in 2022, a Top 10 Learning Influencer. You can learn more about her on her website, https://www.brittandreatta.com/

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Episode Guide:

1:29 - What is Innovation?
3:29 - Expounding 'work'
5:08 - Walking the talk: A sense of purpose
7:03 - Breaking down Incremental Innovation
9:20 - Insight driven innovation
10:49 - Technology-driven innovation
14:22 - Defining "viable"
16:08 - What isn't innovation?
17:30 - Flashes of insight
21:13 - Psychological safety in innovation
23:09 - Investing in innovation
25:48 - Viability: Innovation process and execution
28:43 - Life outside work
31:50 - Advice to innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Raji Rajagopalan, Author of "Daring to Be Different" and a Partner Director of Software Engineering at Microsoft. In this episode, Raji shares her unique perspective on successful innovation, emphasizing the importance of creating value for humanity.

More about our guest:

Raji Rajagopalan believes that your 'differentness' is your differentiator. She is author of the book "Daring to be Different: Stories and Tips from a Woman Leader in Tech", a collection of stories to help you build the most important skills to have a meaningful career. In the last 20 years in the tech industry, her work has spanned building startup teams, turning around unsuccessful projects, driving engineering rigor, scaling online services, growing global teams, and innovating on products used by a billion+ customers. She currently runs an organization across five countries and four continents. You can learn more about her on her website, https://www.rajiraj.com

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Episode Guide:

1:32 - What is innovation?  

3:56 - Micrsoft's leadership principles

4:36 - Career skills  

7:13 - Innovation: Software engineer perspective  

10:50 - 2nd principle of leadership  

14:29 - What isn't innovation?  

17:23 - Career advice from mentors

23:55 - Measuring life success

27:44 - Advice to innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Ethan Karp, President and CEO of MAGNET sheds light on the different pillars of innovation and emphasizes the critical importance of people and talent in driving successful innovation. As a millennial CEO, Ethan also shares his insights on navigating the current work culture and leveraging the strengths of a diverse and dynamic team.  

More about our guest:

Dr. Ethan Karp is an expert in transforming companies and communities. He’s a committed change-maker and community builder: Board Chair of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Development, and serves as a Director on the boards of; the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, the Cleveland Leadership Center, MidTown Cleveland, Inc., Cleveland Jewish Publication Company and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland. Dr. Karp is a recognized thought leader on manufacturing issues and a frequent media commentator on the future of manufacturing in America. Prior to joining MAGNET in 2013, Dr. Karp worked with Fortune 500 companies at McKinsey & Co. He received undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and physics from Miami University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from Harvard University. Dr. Karp lives in Cleveland with his wife and three young girls.

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Episode Guide:

1:46 - What is innovation?

5:07 - Four buckets of technology

6:53 - Technology and Innovation: The people (talent) side

8:52 - Technology and Innovation: The company side

9:57 - Technology and Innovation: Culture

11:50 - Assessing Risk Profiles

16:49 - Case Study: Giant Red Barn of Cleveland

20:35 - What isn't innovation?  

25:26 - Continuum in innovation

28:40 - Philosophy of leadership  

31:14 - Advice for innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Derek Lawson, the Founder - Owner of Navigate Financial in Suwanee, GA. Since becoming a Financial Advisor in 2007, Derek has helped his clients, their families, and friends achieve financial confidence by developing strategies focused on their specific financial goals and needs. In this episode, Derek shares his three-part definition of innovation. This episode also dives into the innovation in the world of financial advisory services. 

More about our guest:

Derek and his team seek to always maintain a high level of confidence with their clients as a basis of building trust and reinforcing value. Derek believes that planning is much more than the accumulation of assets for a particular goal but more so a process of helping his clients avoid avenues of failure on the road to goal achievement. Derek is passionate about continuous learning to further advance his planning and investment. Derek earned his MBA from Georgia State in 2012. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ holding the CFP® designation and also a Retirement Income Certified Professional holding the RICP® designation. Derek is the proud father of two sons, Lamarrius and Derek II, and two granddaughters, London and Ryleigh.

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Episode Guide:

1:44 - What is innovation?

2:19 - Defining: Unconstrained

3:18 - Defining: Risk

4:50 - Defining: Timing

7:55 - risk in everything

8:43 - Innovation as a Financial Adviser

13:08 - What isn't innovation?  

14:52 - Microsoft and Apple: Combination and it's importance

20:47 - Metrics, companies, C-level, and innovation

21:20 - Understanding business models

23:43 - Consumers and Branding

24:57 - The big players: Walmart, Amazon, UPS

29:56 - Advice for innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Jeff Goins is a writer, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur with a reputation for challenging the status quo. He is the best-selling author of five books including The Art of Work  and Real Artists Don’t Starve. In this episode, Jared and Jeff Goins shares on how places and locations bring out innovation. They also dive into the value of humility and importance of attention. 

More about our guest:

His award-winning blog, Goinswriter.com, is visited by millions of people every year, and his work has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Psychology Today, Business Insider, Time , and many others. He is the creative force behind the ghostwriting agency, Fresh Complaint.  

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Episode Guide:

1:12 - What is innovation?

3:38 - Humility and Audacity in Innovation and Innovators

5:57 - Innovation, humility, and breakthroughs

11:15 - The necessity of 'place'  

13:24 - Real artists don't starve; Place in creative work

17:00 - Creating scenes and life-connections

20:15 - Serendipity and Attention: Innovation views

23:04 - Innovation: a root system

24:28 - Role of Music

29:52 - Art imitates life - Life imitates art: Lessons in Attention

32:45 - Music is not a metaphor for innovation

36:12 - Boredom and Attention: reading the signs

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Steven Blue is President & CEO of Miller Ingenuity, an international manufacturer of high technology products that save lives and preserves the environment. In this clip, Steven offers his advice on how senior leaders can destroy their own echo chambers and create an environment where people are comfortable sharing "the whole story," a critical element of a culture of innovation. 

More about our guest:

Steven Blue has also has published five books that teach senior leaders and CEOs how to increase profit, take market share, and destroy competition. He created and authored the League of Extraordinary CEO series, a monthly CEO advice column in the American City Business Journals. Steven is a highly-acclaimed keynote speaker and has addressed audiences at Harvard Business School, The United Nations, Carnegie Hall, The Safe America Foundation, Industry Week, The World Safe Summit, CEO Clubs International and Medtronic Corporation. His leadership insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Fox Business Channel, CNN, CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, CEO World, Business Week and Success Magazines. 

Steven serves as CEO-in-Residence at Winona State University. He holds a B.S. Degree from the State University of New York and an MBA from Regis University.

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Episode Guide:

1:15 - What is Innovation?  

3:17 - Innovation as a best-selling author

5:10 - Structure and Discipline in Innovation

9:37 - 'Permission' to Innovate  

11:54 - Making processes succeed

13:00 - Creating a self-sustaining culture of innovation

14:36 - Culture in 'most' airlines

15:10 - Culture in the heart of innovation

17:20 - What isn't innovation?

18:32 - Having 'multi-dimensional balance'

23:13 - Echo Chambers in companies

24:48 - Destroying personal echo chambers

27:35 - Building foundations

28:35 - Advice for innovators

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Resources Mentioned: 

• Book: 
  • Metamorphosis: From Rust-Belt to High-Technology in a 21st Century World

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Riggs Eckelberry is the CEO & Founder of OriginClear Inc, a public company that aims to rescue business owners faced with fast-rising water bills and build a new investment market in the process.  In this episode, we dive into the ways that experience teaches us lessons and how podcasts impact innovation. 

More about our guest:

Riggs Eckelberry has spent decades refining a very fast process of doing and learning, that he calls Mistake Based Marketing™.  And he used it to achieve multiple software exits during the dot-com boom.  Now he’s achieving badly needed change in the massive water industry, to help the most vital – but threatened – resource on the planet: water. As founding CEO of a OriginClear Inc, Riggs has found a completely novel way to rescue business owners faced with fast-rising water bills and build a new investment market in the process. He’s even begun to build “water stablecoins”. Riggs is uniquely qualified to disrupt this industry, having learned management in the nonprofit space, captained oceangoing ships, and a personal passion for rowing crew.

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Episode Guide:

1:30 - What is Innovation?  

2:20 - What is the 'Future'?

3:43 - The Sirius Report and the West's unipolar world

5:50 - Lessons and Advantages of the Past

6:27 - Pentagon's Lessons Learned Department

10:14 - Value of Podcasts

11:13 - What isn't Innovation?

16:30 - Personal Career Impact: 2 Categories of Innovative People

18:30 - Keeping fresh thoughts in innovation  

22:38 - Innovation: shaping careers

27:02 - Transformative technology: dot-com era  

33:18 - Advice to Innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Abi Okeowo is an experienced Strategic Adviser and currently, a  General Manager at Capital One. In this episode, they discuss innovation through the lens of internal and external facing aspects of Fintech. 

More about our guest:

Abi is an experienced Strategic Adviser that leverages over 15 years of experience from McKinsey and bulge bracket Investment banks (Goldman Sachs, Citi & Morgan Stanley). 
Through her company Okeowo & Company, she acts as a strategic & financial partner in quantitative, strategic, and execution oriented roles with Senior Executives and start-up CEOs. Her clients have ranged from large Fortune 100 organizations to small socially focused start - up enterprises that differ in size, maturity, geography and industry.

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Episode Guide:

2:25 - Difference between Digital and Technical Fintech

5:01 - External Innovation in Fintech

6:50 - What is Innovation?

8:10 - Improvement or Innovation: A consumer standpoint

10:39 - Internal Innovation

14:23 - Facial Recognition: A value-add?  

16:13 - Shampoo lather: external vs internal innovation

17:04 - Technology: Driving external innovation

23:15 - Innovation vs Invention

24:28 - Advice to Innovators

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Alex Goryachev is the former managing director of Cisco’s global Co-Innovation Center, where he spearheaded programs and initiatives to accelerate innovation. He is a Silicon Valley veteran who is a sought-after speaker on innovation and is often referred to as the ‘innovation therapist’. This episode dives into innovation's role as the natural enemy of bureaucracy and how constrained environments stifle innovation. 

More about our guest:

Over the past 20 years, Alex made it his business to turn disruptive concepts into successful ecosystem-centric business models. He has an extensive track record of building and leading global cross-industry business & technology teams focused on revenue and market share growth, increasing customer acquisition and profitability through new digital products and offerings.
Alex is passionate about leveraging innovation purposefully and pragmatically to create opportunities for all. Today, he is serving as Innovator-in-Residence at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Tulane University. He is an active venture partner with Interlock Capital, a community-driven venture fund primarily investing in underrepresented founders and geographies. Alex is also a US delegate and Technical Advisory Group member in the International Standards Association (ISO), defining global common standards for Innovation Management.

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Episode Guide:

1:01 - What is Innovation?

2:21 - Innovation: playful pragmatism

4:50 - Bureaucracy vs Innovation

7:06 - Ability in adapting to change

8:50 - What isn't innovation?

10:25 - Conflations and implications: Idea and Innovation ; Invention and Innovation

12:20 - Quantifying Innovation and Metrics

16:10 - Innovation Indicator: 'Spent'

17:29 - Employee Sentiment Metrics

19:43 - Innovation: Shaping Careers

21:24 - Life outside Work

22:38 - Advice to Innovators

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Resources Mentioned: 

• Company: Best Places to Work Rankings: 'World’s Best Workplaces™ 2022'
• Company: Napster

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

Dr. Charles C. Davis, Jr. is the Chief Comprehensive Services and Data Officer for Evolve502. In this episode, they discuss how non-profit organizations can use innovation principles to collaborate effectively with other sectors. This episode also dives into how personal motivation and availability of resources are essential to innovation and implementation

More about our guest:

In this role, Dr. Davis is responsible for developing community-wide supports to impact students and families along the cradle-to-career pipeline. This work is accomplished by regularly convening partners from the public, private and philanthropic sectors. A Dayton, Ohio native, Dr. Davis earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Eastern Michigan University, his Master of Education degree from Antioch University McGregor and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development from the University of Louisville. Charles also holds graduate certificates from the University of Pennsylvania, the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy the Northwestern University Kellogg Center of Executive Education, and is a nationally certified Diversity Professional. Dr. Davis is married to Dr. Latrica Best and is the father of Charles III and Cullen.

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Episode Guide:

1:37 - What is innovation?

2:25 - Innovation and Implementation: a convergence?

4:02 - Innovation perspective: personal

7:27 - Working with non-profits

9:28 - Innovation and Support for the education system

11:21 - COVID Pandemic Response: Food nutrition services

12:35 - Scaling COVID response  

16:22 - Non profit organizations resource loop

19:51 - Personal motivation for communities

23:04 - Working post-pandemic

27:29 - Advice for Innovators

31:01 - 3 Levels of Problem

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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.