Innovation Storytellers

How do you bring innovation to life inside an organization whose job is to help other people see risk before it shows up on a balance sheet? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Jason Lee, Chief Intelligence Officer at Moody's Analytics, for a conversation that lives at the crossroads of national security tradecraft, financial crime investigation, and modern data-driven decision making. Jason has spent decades inside large, complex systems, from federal intelligence work to investment banking to building a security consulting firm, and he shares what he has learned about creating new programs inside environments where bureaucracy, budgets, and skepticism can slow even the best ideas down. We start with Jason's origin story because he makes a compelling point: innovation rarely comes from a formal job description. In his career, it often showed up as a "collateral duty," a leader asking him to solve a pain point, build a new unit, or design a process when the rules had not yet been written. From creating early fraud detection frameworks in banking to uncovering unconventional data sources in government work, Jason frames innovation as a mix of creativity, relationship-building, and a willingness to learn from other industries without copying them. From there, we get into how Moody's is thinking about AI right now, especially the shift from large language models toward large reasoning models. Jason explains why reasoning matters more than hype when the stakes include fraud, terrorism financing, and organized crime. He walks through what it means to use models for scenario analysis, how "tipping and cueing" can help analysts focus on what matters, and why he believes humans have to stay in the loop, especially when errors can have real-world consequences. One of my favorite parts of the conversation is when Jason brings storytelling back into the center of analytics. He explains how workshops with prospects help uncover what clients actually need, even when they cannot fully articulate it yet, and why "data experience" matters when the information is complex and intangible. We also talk candidly about where innovation programs can stall, whether it is budget politics, unrealistic KPIs, mismatched expectations across business verticals, or leaders who want short-term wins when the real value takes years to compound. If you are building inside a big organization, selling complex ideas to busy decision-makers, or trying to make AI useful without losing trust, this episode will give you a lot to think about, so what part of Jason's approach resonates most with how you see innovation playing out right now, and where do you think teams are still getting stuck?  

If every headline feels like it is rewriting the rules of business, leadership, and even identity, where does that leave the people tasked with driving innovation? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Tommy Knoll, Co-Founder of the Human Innovation Institute, to make sense of a moment that feels both historic and deeply personal.  Tommy and I have worked together in the innovation community for years, and what I value most about his perspective is that he refuses to treat change as a buzzword. He sees this era as a true turning point, one where corporate strategy, geopolitics, technology, and human psychology are all shifting at once. We talk openly about the disorientation many leaders are feeling right now. Titles are changing. Chief Innovation Officers are becoming Chief AI Officers. Five-year plans feel outdated before they are printed. Entry-level jobs are being reshaped by automation. And yet, beneath all of this turbulence, there is also an extraordinary opportunity. Tommy shares how the Human Innovation Institute is mapping what he calls "pressure zones" of this great transition. From the human technology interface to evolving capabilities, to leadership in uncertain times, he argues that innovation today demands something deeper than tools and frameworks. It requires a new level of awareness, adaptability, and courage. We explore what it really means to humanize AI, not as a marketing slogan, but as a discipline. How do organizations honor the stability that keeps the lights on while cultivating the experimentation that keeps them relevant? How do we lead teams who feel unmoored? And how do we design the future when we are building it in real time? Tommy's answer may surprise you. He believes the innovation the world needs most right now is a spiritual awakening, one that allows leaders to metabolize uncertainty without panic and to create from clarity rather than fear. If you are a corporate innovator, a transformation leader, or simply someone trying to stay grounded in a rapidly shifting landscape, this conversation will challenge you to rethink where you stand and what you are here to build. As always, I would love to hear your perspective. In a world defined by accelerating change, how are you humanizing AI and innovation inside your own organization?  

What does it really take to move innovation from idea to impact inside a 95,000-person organization? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sat down with Vlora Muslimi, Senior Manager at TD Bank, whose path into innovation did not begin in a lab or a product team. It began in contact centers, in the daily friction of legacy tools, imperfect processes, and frontline employees trying to do their best work under pressure. With more than 15 years of experience across digital, omni-channel, and contact center operations, Vlora now leads a centralized innovation team responsible for harnessing grassroots ideas from across the enterprise. We are not talking about a handful of suggestions. Her team reviews between 16,000 and 18,000 ideas annually, and TD recently celebrated surpassing 100,000 employee-submitted ideas. Behind those numbers lies a disciplined approach to listening, triaging, matchmaking across business lines, and, most importantly, storytelling. Vlora shares how her early operational experience shaped her belief that innovation fails when it creates friction for either employees or customers. Solve only for one side, and the solution will not stick. That philosophy now guides how her team evaluates ideas, connects contact centers with technology teams, and prioritizes initiatives that balance business value with human impact. We spend time unpacking the emotional side of innovation, especially the heartbreak of ideas that do not move forward. What surprised her most was that employees were not asking for every idea to be implemented. They were asking for transparency. Who got selected? Why? What can we learn? That insight sparked a stronger internal storytelling engine, one that highlights winning ideas, shares lessons from the journey, and builds belief that anyone can bring an idea across the finish line. Our conversation also dives into empathy as a leadership muscle. Innovation leaders often rush toward outcomes, yet resistance frequently signals fear, confusion, or misalignment. Vlora explains why naming the discomfort in change, rather than sugarcoating it, builds trust and accelerates adoption. She reinforces that storytelling is not optional. It is the bridge between data and belief, between alignment and action. We explore real examples, from redesigning onboarding to improve connection and retention, to evolving adjudication processes for new-to-Canada customers. These are not flashy, headline-grabbing technologies. They are human-centered transformations that create measurable impact across millions of customers and thousands of colleagues. Looking ahead, Vlora sees growing sophistication in ideas leveraging generative AI, alongside a personal mission to increase the organization's implementation rate beyond its current 10 to 13 percent. For her, the path forward is clear. Engage more people. Strengthen the narrative. Connect impact to purpose. And when I ask her the big questions, she names the iPhone as the greatest innovation she has lived through, imagines joining Ford's original automobile team, and closes with a powerful reminder that the story the world needs now is one rooted in understanding and empathy. If you are leading change inside a complex organization, this episode is a masterclass in balancing listening with execution, process with people, and strategy with story. What might happen inside your organization if every employee believed their idea could matter?  

What does it really take to close a digital divide in a city as complex, diverse, and dynamic as Long Beach, California? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Lea Eriksen, Director of Technology and Innovation and CIO for the City of Long Beach, to unpack the human stories behind civic innovation. We met in an unexpected setting, a steakhouse in Los Angeles during a CXO Rise gathering, where conversations about AI flowed alongside cream spinach and big ideas. That evening sparked a deeper discussion about how technology, when grounded in people and purpose, can reshape communities in meaningful ways. Lea brings more than 25 years of experience in local government, with a career that spans budget, finance, economic development, and ultimately technology leadership. What makes her perspective stand out is that she did not arrive at innovation through a traditional tech pathway. Instead, she came through public service, relationships, and a deep belief that government can work when it listens first. In our conversation, she shares how Long Beach transformed its technology function from an internal service provider into a catalyst for digital equity, smart city experimentation, and community co-creation, earning national recognition along the way. We explore how innovation in government differs from innovation in the private sector, why people and process often matter more than tools, and how programs like Smart City Challenge, Pitch Long Beach, and LB CoLab invited city staff, residents, and vendors into the same room to solve shared problems. Lea is refreshingly honest about what worked, what failed, and what cities can learn from pilots that did not survive. She also explains how Long Beach approached the digital divide as more than access to devices, focusing equally on connectivity, skills, language access, and trust. At the heart of this episode is storytelling. Lea explains why data alone is never enough, and how real resident stories helped secure long-term support for digital inclusion efforts, even as federal funding declined. From building fiber infrastructure to empowering residents to participate directly in procurement decisions, this conversation shows what becomes possible when innovation is designed with communities rather than for them. So as cities everywhere wrestle with AI hype, budget constraints, and growing inequality, what would change if more leaders started by asking whose voices are missing from the room, and whose stories still need to be told?  

In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with John Elbing, Business Storytelling Strategist and founder of Standpoint, for a thoughtful conversation on how organizations can tell stronger innovation stories by shifting perspective outward. This interview is the second in The Storytellers Series, where I invite other storytellers I deeply admire, people who bring their own lenses, frameworks, and lived experience to the craft of story. John introduces his Story Building Method, a three-stage framework built around recognition, perception, and projection. He explains why compelling stories help customers recognize themselves first, understand where a brand fits second, and finally imagine what life looks like after engaging with a product or service. Throughout the discussion, John emphasizes that storytelling works best when it allows customers to see themselves as the hero of the narrative rather than being positioned as an audience to a company's internal achievements. The conversation also explores why narrowing focus can actually expand impact. John challenges the overuse of demographic personas and argues for building stories around aspirations and challenges instead. By targeting what people are trying to achieve or overcome, organizations can connect with audiences that may look very different on the surface but share the same underlying motivations. Susan and John unpack real-world examples from consumer brands, B2B software, and even nonprofit work to show how this approach changes clarity, positioning, and engagement.   They also address common storytelling mistakes, from overreliance on clever language to feature-heavy messaging that misses emotional relevance. John makes a strong case for clarity over cleverness and explains why the most effective brand stories are the ones that make customers feel seen, understood, and supported. The episode closes with John sharing how listeners can continue the conversation through his book, Story Building, and offering a complimentary 45-minute pre-call consultation for those looking to sharpen their own innovation story.  

What if the stories you tell about innovation are actually working against you? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I do something a little different. I open a new series by inviting other storytellers I deeply admire, people who bring their own lenses, frameworks, and lived experience to the craft of story. I want you to think about storytelling as an expansive, evolving practice, not a single narrative you perfect once and reuse forever, but a skill you keep refining as your audiences, challenges, and ambitions change. To begin that journey, I sat down with Park Howell, a 40-year veteran of brand storytelling and host of the Business of Story. Park shares how he found storytelling through advertising, why stories have a repeatable structure rooted in human biology, and what he calls the science and bewitchery behind stories that truly move people.  We unpack his deceptively simple "and, but, therefore" framework, why leaders lose rooms with bullet points, and how story becomes the bridge that helps people move from status quo thinking to real behavior change. We also explore why storytelling so often fails in organizations, especially when leaders make the story about themselves rather than their audience.  Park explains how innovation stories should focus on outcomes, not offerings, and why emotional connection must come before logic if you want ideas to stick. From the hero's journey and Joseph Campbell's influence to the reality of selling ideas in five-minute executive meetings, this conversation is packed with practical insights for anyone trying to communicate change under pressure. We close by looking at how AI fits into modern storytelling, including Park's work on the Story Cycle Genie, and why emotional intelligence combined with artificial intelligence may shape the next era of leadership communication. If innovation is ultimately about getting people to move, decide, and act, how might your stories need to change to meet them where they are, and what could happen if you finally told the story they were waiting to hear?  

Are you an innovator who feels caught between disruption and defensibility, wondering whether corporate innovation has lost its way? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I welcome back Greg Larkin, founder of Punks & Pinstripes, for a candid, often uncomfortable conversation about the current state of innovation within large organizations.  Greg does not sugarcoat it. He argues that much of corporate innovation today earns a C-minus at best, largely because it fails the ultimate test that matters when markets tighten, and investors lose patience. If an innovation team cannot clearly justify why it deserves funding when earnings miss or a disruption hits, it is already on borrowed time. Drawing on his experience as a former Director of Innovation at Bloomberg and as an entrepreneur with multiple exits, Greg explains why innovation leadership has often been shaped by observers rather than survivors. He challenges familiar frameworks taught in boardrooms and business schools, questioning whether they prepare leaders for activist investors, AI-driven disruption, M&A fallout, or the quiet but relentless brain drain caused by the ongoing Great Resignation.  The conversation explores why pitching ideas is rarely enough anymore, why outcomes matter more than vision decks, and why many innovation teams are discovering too late that credibility is earned long before the next technological wave arrives. The episode also moves beyond corporate structures into something more personal. Greg shares why he built Punks & Pinstripes as a community for executives climbing what he calls their second mountain. For many seasoned innovators, success on paper no longer matches purpose in practice.  Together, we unpack what happens when wartime innovators are asked to settle into peacetime routines, why that mismatch can be soul-crushing, and how authenticity, service, and reinvention are becoming essential currencies for leaders navigating the next chapter of their careers. If innovation is facing its most precarious moment in decades, and many leaders are quietly questioning whether they still belong in the systems they helped build, what does it really take to stay relevant, investor-defensible, and human at the same time, and which mountain are you climbing right now?

How do you bring discipline to innovation without stripping away the creativity that makes it powerful in the first place? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Stephen Parkins, Innovation Strategist and Founder of Culturedge, to unpack what it really takes to turn innovation into a strategic asset rather than a side project fueled by hope and enthusiasm.  Stephen brings an outside-in perspective shaped by an unconventional career spanning financial markets, startup entrepreneurship, and senior innovation roles within complex global organizations. That distance from the usual corporate playbook allows him to challenge some deeply held assumptions about how innovation should work and why so many well-intentioned efforts struggle to deliver measurable returns. We talk openly about the tension between creativity and structure, and why innovation does not fail because teams lack ideas, but because organizations lack clarity, consistent decision-making, and shared language. Stephen offers a thoughtful perspective on innovation management systems, including the much-debated ISO standards, and explains why guardrails are often misunderstood as constraints.  Drawing on real-world experience from large enterprises, he argues that structure, when well designed, creates the conditions for better experimentation, smarter risk-taking, and stronger alignment between innovators and the core business. The conversation also dives into strategy, funding, and culture, particularly the invisible friction between those running today's business and those inventing tomorrow's. Stephen shares how portfolio thinking, exposure to risk, and optionality can shift innovation from theater to real value creation.  We also explore his work as co-founder of Strategy Quest, a simulation-based approach that helps leaders practice decision-making under uncertainty, surface blind spots, and learn through consequence rather than theory. It is a compelling look at how scenario thinking and simulated environments can prepare the next generation of innovation leaders to see around corners. If innovation is meant to help organizations grow stronger in uncertain times, what needs to change in how leaders think about risk, culture, and decision-making, and are we brave enough to build systems that actually support that ambition?  

In this episode of the Innovation Storyteller Show, I sit down with Amy Freeze, a meteorologist, innovator, and public safety advocate who has spent decades helping people understand risk when it truly matters. Everywhere I go lately, conversations circle back to AI, but this one brings it out of the abstract and straight into our homes, our screens, and moments where trust can make all the difference. Amy shares her remarkable journey from broadcast journalism to becoming one of the most recognized voices in weather. We talk about her work forecasting major events like Superstorm Sandy and the Joplin tornado, and how those experiences shaped her sense of responsibility to the public. As the first female chief meteorologist in Chicago and a six time Emmy Award winner, her career has been built on credibility and calm communication. What fascinated me most was why she chose to create a digital avatar, and how she sees AI as a way to deliver urgent, accurate information at scale without losing the human connection people rely on in moments of uncertainty. We also dig into the fears and ethical questions surrounding digital twins, AI driven storytelling, and protecting name, image, and likeness. Amy offers a grounded perspective on why avoiding new technology can sometimes create more risk than adopting it thoughtfully. Together, we explore how empathy, trust, and clear storytelling help audiences move past fear toward understanding, especially when the stakes involve safety, language barriers, and real time decision making. This conversation reminded me that innovation does not have to feel cold or distant. It can be practical, human, and deeply rooted in care. We talk about how trusted voices evolve with technology, how stories help people accept change, and why the future of AI may depend far less on hype and far more on responsibility, context, and trust.  

My conversation with Elliott Parker, CEO of Alloy Partners and author of The Illusion of Innovation, was one of the most downloaded of 2025. Drawing on decades of experience launching startups with High Alpha and advising Fortune 100 companies at Innosight, Elliott explains why most corporate innovation efforts fall short. He outlines how organizational structures, incentives, and short-term metrics often prevent innovation teams from achieving the transformation they are tasked with delivering. Elliott also breaks down the critical difference between execution problems and learning problems, and why most corporations confuse the two.  Elliot shares how Alloy builds startups outside the core business, giving them the freedom to take risks, run fast experiments, and uncover opportunities that internal teams cannot reach. These external ventures enable corporations to explore innovative ideas, validate assumptions, and acquire the type of knowledge that drives long-term strategic advantage. Whether you are running an innovation team, funding one, or simply wondering why they rarely deliver game-changing results, this episode offers sharp insights, real examples, and a practical framework for thinking differently about how innovation works.  

What if risk management were not about playing defense, but about giving innovation the confidence to move forward? This is a replay of one of the most-listened-to Innovation Storytellers episodes of 2025. I am revisiting my conversation with Rose Hall, a former senior innovation leader at AXA XL, professional engineer, and long-time advocate for rethinking how organizations approach risk, because the ideas shared here feel even more relevant today. Drawing on her experience building digital platforms, business ecosystems, and client-driven innovation programs, Rose explains why risk and innovation are far more connected than most leaders realize. We talk about the often invisible role insurance plays beneath some of the world's most ambitious innovations, from advanced infrastructure projects to space exploration.  Rose shares how companies like SpaceX approach complex, layered risk and why traditional insurance models are struggling to keep pace with realities such as cyber exposure, climate volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty. The conversation also turns to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. There is no single insurance product designed to cover AI, but Rose unpacks how existing policies may respond when things go wrong, and why that gray area demands a more adaptive and informed approach to risk management. It is a reminder that innovation rarely fits neatly into legacy frameworks. Partnerships emerge as a central theme. Rose argues that no organization can solve these challenges alone. Progress depends on collaboration between insurers, startups, and large enterprises who are willing to share insight, experiment responsibly, and rethink old assumptions together. This episode replay challenges the idea that risk management slows progress. Instead, Rose reframes it as a foundational enabler of growth, resilience, and long-term value. When risk is understood and managed well, innovation does not shrink; it accelerates. Has risk management been holding your organization back, or could it be the very thing that helps you move faster and smarter?  

What does it really take to innovate at a global scale when speed, precision, and trust all have to coexist? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Dr. Paul Schlinkert, Senior Global Innovation Lead at DHL Supply Chain, to unpack how one of the world's most complex logistics organizations turns bold ideas into operational reality. From robotics and AI to transparency and culture, this conversation goes beyond technology to reveal the human systems that enable large-scale innovation. Paul shares his unconventional journey from biochemistry and nanotechnology to global supply chain leadership, and how a scientific mindset shapes his approach to logistics, problem-solving, and continuous improvement. The discussion explores how DHL has quietly transformed warehouse operations through robotics, automation, and digital tools, while keeping people firmly at the center of the equation. The conversation also dives into the often overlooked side of innovation. Change management, storytelling, and trust. Paul explains why transparency matters, how naming robots can increase adoption, and why open conversations about failure are just as meaningful as celebrating success. Together, Paul and I explore how innovation leaders can cut through hype, build credibility, and create environments where new ideas actually stick. Looking ahead, Paul offers a grounded perspective on what comes next for AI, robotics, sustainability, and supply chains, including where expectations may need to be reset and where long-term value will emerge. The episode closes with a thoughtful reflection on the innovations that shaped humanity, the teams that inspire enduring creativity, and what the world may need next to move forward responsibly. So if innovation really is a team sport, how transparent, human, and honest are we willing to be to bring others along for the journey, and what kind of future are we inviting people to believe in?  

Have you ever wondered whether your biggest roadblock is not the idea itself, but the way people see you before you ever open your mouth? This week, we take a very human turn on the Innovation Storytellers Show as I sit down with Lirone Glikman, CEO, global business development leader, and the author behind The Super Connectors Playbook.  Lirone has spent two decades helping people understand something many of us overlook. Your brand is already setting the tone for every meeting, every pitch, and every moment when you try to move an innovation forward. Our conversation moves from the deeply personal to the highly practical. Lirone shares how she teaches leaders to understand the strengths and values that truly define them, how to find the gap between who you believe you are and how others read you, and why authenticity paired with strategy is the foundation for any successful relationship at work.  My guest explains her six-pillar approach to becoming a super connector, and shows how innovators can use these principles to navigate corporate silos, involve the right allies early, and communicate with greater clarity and presence. Her stories bring workplace dynamics to life, from collaborating with overloaded teams to protecting your ideas in rooms where voices can be overshadowed. We also talk about the future. Lirone offers a candid view on how AI is reshaping personal branding, how to use these tools without losing your human signature, and why relationships remain the real currency inside complex organisations. For listeners working in innovation, product, or transformation roles, this conversation provides the language to understand your place in the system and the practical steps to raise your visibility intentionally. So the question becomes, what story is your brand telling before you even enter the room, and how ready are you to shape it with purpose?  

Why do so many people still picture utilities as dusty infrastructure, monthly bills, and storm alerts, when in reality they sit at the centre of some of the most inventive work happening in our communities today? This question sets the stage for a conversation that opens the door to a world most listeners rarely see. In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I speak with Robb Dussault, Manager of Grid Edge Innovation at Duke Energy, who brings decades of experience in engineering, product development, customer programs, and safety innovation. Robb helps listeners understand how a modern utility actually works and why the future of energy depends on the ideas emerging from teams like his. From early work on hazardous switchgear to the rise of remote sensors, robots, drones, and even autonomous flaggers on road crews, Robb explains how practical questions about safety and reliability often drive innovation. He shares stories about customer research that shifted major programs, the growing influence of agile methods in a traditionally conservative field, and the value of checking every shiny idea against real human behaviour.  Listeners also hear how batteries, home energy storage, electric vehicles, and residential demand response are quietly reshaping the grid and changing the relationship between customers and utilities. Robb offers clear insight into how this shift toward interactive energy is accelerating far faster than most people realise. The conversation moves from early memories of intimidating power labs to a thoughtful look at what comes next for communities facing rising demand, new electrification trends, and pressure to deliver cleaner, more affordable energy. Robb shares his hopes for the next wave of innovation, the role of AI in sectors like healthcare, and why innovators in any industry should pay closer attention to customer needs before building ambitious pilots. It is a grounded, eye-opening dialogue that reveals the creativity and responsibility within the utility sector.  

What happens when innovation is shaping your life in ways you never see? That is the question at the heart of this conversation with Portia Lane Child, Director of Innovation and Strategy Services at BAE Systems.  While most of us recognise the consumer brands that dominate our daily world, far fewer realise how deeply companies like BAE Systems influence the systems that keep us connected, protected, and moving. Portia's work lives in that fascinating space, where advanced engineering meets national mission, and where the innovations you never hear about are often the ones shaping your future. During our discussion, Portia shares how she helps steer innovation inside one of the world's most complex aerospace and defence organisations. She talks about the human side of innovating within a massive enterprise, the challenge of moving ideas across technical and organisational silos, and the lessons she learned growing up as a lobster fisherman's daughter that still guide how she builds teams and champions new ideas.  Her story about creating an internal accelerator that changed how the business nurtures ideas is a powerful reminder that innovation only takes root when people feel supported to experiment, communicate, and stretch beyond familiar boundaries. We also explore the shifting incentives shaping today's innovators, from the pressure of short-term financial cycles to the growing importance of longer horizons in the age of AI. Portia opens up about what it really takes to move from idea to impact inside a mission-driven organisation, why customer conversations matter more than ever, and how modern innovators can develop the resilience and curiosity needed to operate in fast-moving technical environments. My guest also shares inspiring reflections on the inventions that shaped her, the role models who sparked her imagination, and the breakthroughs she believes the world needs most.  

This week on Innovation Storytellers, I sit down with Robyn Bolton, Founder and Chief Navigator at MileZero, to uncover how one of the most successful household products almost never made it past the boardroom. Before launching her consultancy helping leaders of large companies use innovation to drive consistent growth, Robyn was part of the Procter and Gamble team that created and launched Swiffer, a product that changed how millions clean their homes and reshaped the way corporate innovation is judged. Robyn takes us inside the high-stakes moments at P&G when the data said Swiffer would fail while real-world tests told a completely different story. She describes how passionate storytelling, courage, and evidence from the field ultimately won the day. In that pivotal boardroom, one leader even put his career on the line to ensure the product's launch, proving that innovation is as much about conviction as it is about numbers. We also explore the cultural lessons from Swiffer's global rollout, including why the product thrived in the United States but struggled in Italy, where cleaning was seen as an act of devotion rather than efficiency. Robyn explains how understanding emotional and social context can make or break a global innovation. Her insights extend beyond consumer products to any leader trying to turn bold ideas into scalable reality. In the final part of our conversation, Robyn reflects on her years working with Clay Christensen and why she continues to champion the "Jobs to Be Done" framework. She shares how innovators can use storytelling to connect with hearts and minds, and how companies can equip internal champions to advocate for change. This episode is a masterclass in balancing data with belief, logic with emotion, and vision with timing to bring truly transformative ideas to life.  

In this episode of Innovation Storytellers, I sit down with Annalisa Gigante, Vice Chair and Governing Board Member of the Henry Royce Institute, to explore how innovation truly works inside organizations. Annalisa has spent her career turning complex ideas into commercial realities. From helping bring new materials to everyday products like toothbrushes and ski poles to shaping billion-dollar innovation strategies for companies in life sciences, chemicals, and digital technologies, her story is both convenient and inspiring. We begin by tracing her unexpected path into innovation, back when it was still referred to as "business development." She recalls being handed a new material and told to find a market for it. That challenge taught her one of the most powerful lessons in innovation: how to transition from a technology-driven approach to a market-driven one.  Annalisa explains how curiosity led her to discover possibilities that her company's engineers had overlooked, opening up new consumer markets and changing how her teams thought about value. It was the beginning of a career spent helping organizations connect invention to impact. Throughout our conversation, Annalisa shares what it takes to create a lasting, innovative culture. She discusses building bridges between R&D and finance, how to measure and manage risk, and why learning to speak the language of every department is crucial. She describes innovation as a living ecosystem that depends on balance. Too much money and comfort can stifle creativity, but too little structure leads to chaos. Finding the "Goldilocks zone" for innovation, she says, is the real work of leadership. We also discuss deep tech and advanced materials, where patient capital and long-term vision are crucial. Annalisa offers a clear-eyed look at how breakthroughs move from the lab to the market and why the same principles apply whether you are scaling a startup or steering a global enterprise. She believes that innovation is as much about mindset as it is about technology, and that the most resilient organizations learn to treat failure as data, not defeat. Before we ended, Annalisa shares her passion for supporting women founders in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. With only a small fraction of funding going to female-led startups, she argues that closing this gap is not only fair but vital to solving the world's most challenging problems. It is a conversation about vision, courage, and the systems that allow great ideas to take root and thrive.  

In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Jesper Kamp, Regional Director for Europe at Atom Computing, to explore how quantum computing is redefining what's possible in innovation. Jesper and I first met at TechBBQ in Copenhagen, surrounded by thousands of entrepreneurs, scientists, and visionaries. Our conversation picks up where that meeting left off, inside the historic Niels Bohr Institute, where we dive into how this extraordinary technology will change the way we analyze data, design products, and solve the world's biggest challenges. Jesper shares his remarkable journey from diplomacy to deep tech, describing how his twenty-five years at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs led him to roles in Silicon Valley, China, Turkey, and beyond. Now at Atom Computing, he's helping Europe harness the world's most powerful quantum systems to accelerate discovery and innovation across industries, from pharmaceuticals to materials science. This isn't a technical lecture. It's a conversation about what every innovator, product leader, and entrepreneur needs to know about the quantum era that's arriving faster than most people realize. Jesper explains how quantum and classical computing will soon work hand in hand, why companies must prepare their teams now, and how the next wave of breakthroughs will come from those ready to experiment early. If you've ever wondered how quantum computing will shape your world, this episode will leave you rethinking the future of innovation itself.  

What happens when music, art, and technology collide in the hands of a true innovator? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Damian Kulash Jr., frontman and co-founder of OK Go, the Grammy-winning band known for turning creativity into spectacle. From dancing on treadmills to performing in zero gravity, OK Go has redefined what a music video can be, transforming pop songs into visual experiments that blend engineering, art, and unfiltered joy. Damian opens up about the punk roots that shaped his DIY approach to innovation and the thrill of breaking rules in pursuit of authenticity. He reflects on how the band's viral experiments were never about chasing clicks but about creating something so unexpected and so human that it makes people stop and feel wonder again. From silk-screening posters in art school to building massive Rube Goldberg machines in warehouses, his creative journey reveals how experimentation and emotion power real innovation. Together, Damian and I explore how art and technology can amplify empathy, why authenticity resonates more than virality, and how collaboration remains humanity's best innovation. We discuss the parallels between creative risk-taking and corporate invention, the need for radical cooperation in an AI-driven world, and why OK Go's work continues to spark curiosity and connection around the globe. This conversation is full of laughter, honesty, and creative insight, reminding us that innovation does not always come from the lab or the boardroom. Sometimes, it comes from a garage, a camera, and a belief that wonder itself can change the world.  

In this week's special Nordic Visionaries episode on the Innovation Storytellers Show, I enjoyed a conversation that started at TechBBQ in Copenhagen and quickly stretched from refugee camps in Kenya to data centers in Norway and boardrooms in Silicon Valley. I sat down with Soulaima Gourani, a Moroccan-Danish entrepreneur now based in Palo Alto, for this special episode supported by the EU Nordic Council of Ministers and the governments of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.  Soulaima shares how she went from growing up in remote Danish towns and troubled neighborhoods to becoming a VC-backed founder, keynote speaker, and author. She describes a life built on agency and resilience, from leaving home young and navigating early setbacks to discovering flow in a full calendar. Her line that pressure is a privilege sets the tone for a candid look at ambition, stamina, and the choices that shape a founder's path. We unpack her two current ventures, Happioh and Ailo. At Happioh, she is building an AI agent gym and a meeting spam filter that lives in the pre-meeting space, where agendas get fixed, invites improve, and agents are monitored and taken off air the moment they drift. That same scaffolding is supporting a healthcare use case in low-resource settings, where AI can nudge junior clinicians to ask the right questions and auto-complete forms so scarce doctors can see more patients with greater focus.  Storytelling runs through the entire discussion. Soulaima breaks down how she learned the language of venture, sharpened her narrative, and raised capital from scores of investors over Zoom. She talks openly about the realities of governance, the discipline of staying forever in beta, and the difference between being busy and being productive.  We also explore what the Nordics contribute to global innovation culture, from emotional intelligence and community orientation to the need to think bigger from day one. In the hot seat, she picks the internet as the greatest innovation, dreams about joining a space program, and makes a heartfelt case for curing cancer, noting why AI gives her real confidence that progress will arrive faster than many expect.