Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

In this episode Patrick and Shelli welcome Michael Pozzi, a tech leader with an expansive career across engineering, computer science, and finance. Currently, Michael is Senior Vice President of Technology Infrastructure at Ryan Specialty. We discuss Michael's leadership style, a philosophy characterized by humility and a team-centric approach. He shares his experiences of leading through uncertain times at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and highlights the ways he builds teams to foster empathy and collaboration. We chat about the evolving landscape of technology infrastructure, data volume, AI automation, and the dynamics of remote teams. Michael advocates for recognizing and nurturing talent within an organization, fostering an environment where employees can thrive and grow in alignment with their org's mission.(00:00) Welcome Michael Pozzi(00:25) Michael's Career Journey(02:26) Role at Ryan Specialty(03:07) Early Career and Pivot to Consulting(05:01) Joining the Chicago Mercantile Exchange(08:50) Transition to Infrastructure and Operations(12:51) Leadership and Team Dynamics(21:47) Recognizing the Need for Fresh Perspectives(24:05) The Importance of Empathy in Team Dynamics(29:06) Career Growth and Organizational Support(34:48) Encouraging Internal Mobility and Learning(40:10) Final ThoughtsMichael Pozzi is Senior Vice President of Technology Infrastructure at Ryan Specialty. Previously, over nearly 20 years, he held a series of director level positions at the CME Group, like Managing Director of Infrastructure & Operations, Executive Director of Systems Engineering, and Executive Director of Software Engineering. Before that he worked at Hewitt Associates and Accenture. He earned a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Duke and Masters in Computer Science from DePaul.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick and Shelli talk to Jeff Miller, Vice President of Engineering at LinenMaster. Jeff discusses his journey in the tech industry and his role at LinenMaster, a leading laundry management solutions provider. He delves into his previous roles at various prominent Chicago technology companies focusing on his work to modernize platforms and streamline operations. We talk about his earlier interest in tech; he built a computer when he was a kid. Then Jeff shares insights into this hands-on approach, the challenges of transforming legacy systems, and the importance of iterative development. He discusses his leadership philosophy of roadmapping transformation with the customer in mind, and building trust through execution.(00:00) Introducing Jeff Miller, VP of Engineering at LinenMaster(01:14) Jeff Miller's Career Journey(04:38) Roadmapping Strategy at LinenMaster(06:24) Technological Transitions and Innovations(09:36) Leadership and Decision-Making(09:37) Jeff's Early Interest in Technology(12:58) Rebuilding Trust and Modernizing Software(25:02) Advice for Tech Professionals and Founders(28:47) Conclusion and FarewellJeff Miller is Vice President of Engineering at LinenMaster. Previously he moved up through a variety of roles at Yello.co culminating in a position as Chief Technology Officer. Before that he was Vice President Of Engineering at Fooda and he launched his career at Enova International. He earned a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was also President of the Madcity Skydiving Club.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 this episode Patrick and Shelli talk with Firasat Hussain, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at SnapCare. Firasat shares his 25-year journey through various technology leadership roles at companies like Ticketmaster, Orbitz, and RR Donnelley, emphasizing the significance of thoughtful leadership and iterative innovation. He describes his transition to SnapCare, where he is leading the integration of new AI tools and modern tech stacks to transform healthcare staffing. The discussion delves into Firasat's leadership philosophies, the importance of trust and influence over demands, and his commitment to growth and learning, both personally and professionally.(00:00) Welcome to Firasat Hussain, CPTO at SnapCare(01:23) From Accounting to Technology: Firasat's Early Career(04:32) Transition to Healthcare Tech: Joining SnapCare(05:26) The Role of Technology in Healthcare Staffing(07:11) Personal Insights: Leadership and Growth(12:03) The Importance of Travel and Broader Perspectives(14:41) SnapCare's Mission and Operations(20:13) Balancing Leadership in Work and Family Life(24:18) The Power of Trust and Kindness Over Demands(27:07) Building Trust Through Honest Conversations(30:05) The Importance of Active Listening(32:23) Establishing Priorities and Reducing Cognitive Overload(37:59) Reflecting on Personal and Professional Growth(41:50) Final ThoughtsFirasat Hussain is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at SnapCare, a technology-driven healthcare staffing firm. His 25+ year career has spanned varied industries and organizations at a range of stages, from established global tech firms to promising startups. He was Chief Technology Officer at arrivia, VP of Software Engineering at Ticketmaster, and VP of Enterprise Architecture at RR Donnelley. He spent 10 years growing and leading at Orbitz Worldwide, with six years as Director of Hotel Product Development. He launched his early career at Cysive and Oracle.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 this compilation episode, we look back on wisdom from renowned tech executives about how to build and foster great teams. Featuring insights from Fred Lee, Dan Kirsche, Jorie Sax, Steve Caudill, Christina Garcia, and Dom Scandinaro, who share their perspectives on the importance of diverse and well-structured teams. Key topics include team composition, sharing knowledge, effective scaling, fostering interpersonal relationships, and creating rich organizational culture. These leaders emphasize the significance of nurturing talent and fostering diversity to build world-class teams capable of overcoming challenges and driving innovation.(00:00) Introduction to Building Teams(01:39) Fred Lee knows that great teams will naturally build great products(02:42) Dan Kirsche on building teams with complementary skills(03:07) Jorie Sax recommendations team-driven ideation(03:42) Steve Caudill champions diverse teams(04:17) Christina Garcia on owning and communicating mistakes(05:32) Jorie Sax discusses the balance of structure and freedom(06:57) Dom Scandinaro on scaling teams and workflows(07:59) Dan Kirsche on coaching to a teammate's skillset(08:42) Jorie Sax unpacks interdepartmental communication(10:34) Christina Garcia on having a great culture(12:39) Fred Lee on cross-department connections(14:04) Dan Kirsche explains how he both challenges and supports his team(16:03) Christina Garcia reminds us to be in service of your teamFred Lee is CTO at PartsSource. Dan Kirsche is the newly promoted CTO at Chamberlain. Jorie Sax is head of United Airlines Innovation Lab. Steve Caudill is former CTO at Rand McNally. Christina Garcia is SVP of Engineering at Echo Logistics. Dom Scandinaro is CTO at Cameo.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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.

At the start of last year, we had a really inspiring conversation with Chris Brown and are excited to reshare it this year, in our “Best Of” series. Originally published 01/25/24.An exceptional company culture builds when steadfast employee commitment meets deep trust by customers. Chris Brown encountered this when he joined Relativity as Chief Product Officer in 2018. Chris joined the team in the early stages of their transition to SaaS and embraced the moment of disruption and opportunity—a familiar territory in his career, which included ten years at Orbitz Worldwide. From the perspective of CPO, Chris offers unique insights into the transition period from on-prem to SaaS, addressing legacy technology, embracing the customer as a co-innovator by building plentiful touchpoints, and the intricate SaaS sales process. Speaking on what SaaS can inimitably provide, Chris muses on “a continuous stream of innovation at high availability” and customer success.In this episode, Chris looks ahead to the future to discuss how AI and LLMs will impact the law industry and finding effective uses for the technology. He shares how one of the oldest industries in the world can embrace the best of AI's capabilities while mitigating the risks by including the law's critical element: human decision-making and validation.With experience as a CEO and CPO, Chris shares the distinctions between the roles that stem from the needs of a particular company and offers how his arrival at Relativity reflected intentional scaling that led to further success. In discussing the Chicago startup environment and continued growth at Relativity, Chris talks about acquiring the contract review company Heretik and considering an acquisitive approach as one path of innovation and building a strong product portfolio. (02:24) – Introducing Chris Brown(04:56) – CPO vs. CEO(06:30) – Sales in the SaaS world(08:59) – Relativity(10:58) – Building an effective SaaS company(15:43) – Co-innovating with customers(17:59) – AI and the law industry(22:18) – Looking ahead(23:59) – An acquisitive approachChris Brown is the Chief Product Officer at Relativity, a cloud review software that helps users “organize data, discover truth, and act on it.” Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Orbitz Worldwide and CEO and Board Member of Kapow! Chris earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really

In this episode, we look back on invaluable leadership insights shared by renowned executives across the technology industry. Featuring wisdom from Christine Sandman Stone, Arne Saupe, Jorie Sax, Thulasi Kethini, and Tony Newcome, the discussion delves into the distinct skill sets required for leadership, the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, and the critical need for supportive and open communication within teams. These leaders unpack practical advice for setting meaningful goals, building complementary partnerships, and maintaining resilience. We learn about the ways leadership requires courage, decisiveness, and the ability to connect deeply with team members. Their words provide a rich tapestry of experiences and strategies to inspire aspiring and current leaders.(00:00) Introduction to Leadership Insights(02:10) Christine Sandman Stone on Leadership vs. Development(03:18) Arne Saupe on Leadership Culture and Talent(04:54) Jorie Sax on Empowering Creativity and Innovation(06:19) Thulasi Kethini on Fostering Curiosity(08:26) Tony Newcome on Connecting and Supporting Your Team(10:43) Christine Sandman Stone on Setting Meaningful Goals(11:16) Arne Saupe on Vision(11:55) Tony Newcome on Mentorship(14:03) Christine Sandman Stone on Being a First-Time Leader(14:45) Conclusion: Reflecting on Effective LeadershipChristine Sandman Stone is the former Global Head of Product & Engineering Operations & Strategy at Groupon. Arne Saupe is the former CTO at Farmer's Fridge and newly appointed CTO at Wellfound Foods. Jorie Sax heads United Airlines' Innovation Lab. Thulasi Kethini is the Executive Director and Head of Data Engineering at JPMorgan, Tony Newcome is CTO at ActiveCampaign.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today, Patrick and Shelli are joined by Toner Babovac, the Technology Managing Director and Senior Location Executive at IBM. In our chat, Toner delves into his long career at IBM and how building trust has allowed him to drive innovation while coordinating a large team. He highlights the role of effective communication, in particular the importance of video calls and in-person meetings for fostering a strong team culture, especially in a hybrid work environment.Toner also shares his approach to leadership and coaching, emphasizing the difference between mentoring and coaching, and the importance of asking thoughtful questions to help teammates arrive at their own answers. We talk about ways to simplify complex projects, and close with a discussion on the future of hybrid work.(00:24) Introducing Toner Babovac(03:23) Building Trust in Business Relationships(08:31) Importance of In-Person Collaboration(11:45) Mentoring vs. Coaching(18:33) Simplifying Complex Problems(23:17) The 80/20 Rule in Manufacturing(25:34) Encouraging Introverts to Share Insights(33:04) Navigating Hybrid Work Environments(39:01) Final ThoughtsToner Babovac is the Technology Managing Director and Senior Location Executive at IBM. He's had a long career at IBM, holding VP positions, and working in software leadership and sales. Previously he was Principal Account Manager at Amazon Web Services, and Vice President at PSC Group. He earned his Bachelor's degree at Bradley University then later did grad work at Harvard Business School and at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his responsibilities at IBM, he is a musician, an active speaker, presenting “Toner Talks”, and he teaches Personal Finance at Peoria Central High School.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 today's episode Patrick and Shelli welcome Jay Topper, Chief Customer Officer at Fabric, to discuss his extensive career, leadership practices, and retail trends in 2025. In our wide-ranging discussion, Jay emphasizes the importance of curiosity, self-awareness, and a 'hero culture' within organizations to foster quick and effective change. As an advocate for rapid execution and overcoming complacency, he offers practical advice for leaders to push their teams, but not push them away. Jay unpacks how to strike a balance between speed and thoughtful decision-making to achieve attainable and sustainable successes.(00:23) Welcome Jay Topper(02:15) Jay's Role at Fabric(03:47) Retail Industry Insights for 2025(09:00) Navigating Technology and AI in Retail Tech(14:30) Pushing for Speed in your Teams(23:56) Building a Hero Culture(26:36) Handling Crisis with Levity(29:11) Building Trust in a New Company(41:42) Embracing Impatience(44:31) The Value of Being Proven Wrong(49:02) Closing ThoughtsJay Topper, Chief Customer Officer at Fabric, is a US Army and Coast Guard veteran, who earned a Bachelors degree at the US Coast Guard Academy, and a Masters degree at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. After a decade serving our nation, he's had an exceptional 30 year civilian career, holding technology leadership roles like Chief Digital Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer at Chico's FAS, FTD, Vitacost, and Rosetta Stone. He hosts his own podcast for Fabric exploring leadership and retail tech, called “Chiefly Digital.”If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick Emmons and Shelli Nelson chat with Ben Rogers, the President of TydenBrooks, a global leader in the manufacture of tamper evident safety and security seals. Ben has had a notable career at Madison Industries, primarily focusing on growth and strategic acquisitions. Ben unpacks his roles, specifically discussing his customer focused approach to innovating tamper evident products. He explains the importance of providing tamper evidence in real-time through digital capabilities, addressing theft and contamination issues in the medical and transportation sectors, and leveraging customer feedback for product development.Ben shares anecdotes from his career, emphasizing the significance of speed and rapid iteration, resource allocation, the value of trust in customer communication, and the role the Covid pandemic played in encouraging leadership growth and transformation.(00:26) Welcome Ben Rogers(01:34) Ben's Role at TydenBrooks(02:43) Innovative Solutions in Tamper Evidence(05:33) Challenges in the Supply Chain(07:19) Career Path and Lessons Learned(11:11) Developing Digital Products(14:07) Customer Collaboration and Feedback(16:39 Reflections on Innovation and Speed(20:26) Final Thoughts Ben Rogers has spent his entire career at Madison Industries, recently taking on the role of president at TydenBrooks. Previously Ben served as general manager of direct to consumer at Conair Industries. Ben earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University graduating cum laude with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship. And he was also captain of the Cornell football team.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 this episode of Innovation and Digital Enterprise, we sit down with Michael Lambert, Chief Innovation Officer at Wintrust Financial. Michael discusses his role in driving innovation and technological advancements within Wintrust, focusing on the significant growth and transformation he has witnessed during his tenure. We chat about strategies for leveraging data to make informed decisions, and about the fundamental importance of building strong relationships to fostering a supportive workplace culture.Shelli, Patrick, and Michael discuss the role of AI and automation in the financial services sector and specifically the importance of AI oversight, governance, and human in the loop. Michael shares insights into the ways that Wintrust is able to maintain a community-focused approach while embracing forward-looking technological solutions, like AI.(00:24) Introducing Michael Lambert, Chief Innovation Officer(01:40) Michael's Role at Wintrust Financial(03:14) Technological Innovations at Wintrust(05:50) Maintaining Relationships Amidst Growth(08:46) Leadership and Change Management(13:46) The Role of AI and Automation(16:59) AI Dataset Analysis(20:25) Future of AI and Emerging Roles(26:35) Data Security and AI TrainingMichael Lambert is the Chief Innovation Officer at Wintrust Financial. Before stepping into his current role, Michael served as the Senior Vice President of IT Services and the Chief Technology Officer at Wintrust. In his early career, he served as Director of Operations at Open Solutions Group, and as Lead Data Proof Operator at Algonquin State Bank. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Penn Foster Group.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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 this episode of the Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Shelli and Patrick chat about industry advancements and leadership with Deepak Kaimal, Chief Technology Officer at COMPLY. He was previously CTO at Exostar, and held that role when this episode was recorded.Exostar, founded in 2000 by industry leaders like Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, provides secure collaboration and risk management solutions to the defense and life sciences sectors. Deepak shares his journey from an engineering student in Mumbai to becoming the CTO of this pivotal player in secure technology.We discuss Exostar's mission, the balance between secure collaboration and innovation, and trends in identity and access management. Deepak emphasizes the importance of curiosity, dealing with change, and leading teams in ways that foster a culture that balances trust, security, and innovation.(00:25) Meet Deepak Kaimal(02:49) Deepak's Early Education and Career Journey(07:05) The Founding and Mission of Exostar(10:40) Balancing Security and Innovation at Exostar(16:11) Trends in Identity and Access Management(18:17) Leadership and Technological (22:35) The Excitement of New Tech Advancements(29:13 Final Thoughts and Advice for LeadersDeepak Kaimal is currently the Chief Technology Officer at COMPLY, a compliance solution provider for global financial services firms. Previously, at Exostar, he oversaw the design, development, operations and evolution of The Exostar Platform. Prior to Exostar, Deepak served as CTO at ArrowStream and VP of Engineering at Flexera. Earlier in his career, Deepak held roles at Cars.com, JPMorgan Chase, Rolls-Royce, Capgemini, and Intiqua International. He earned a degree in Engineering from the University of Mumbai.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today we talk with Jeff Miller, Chief Product Officer at Coates Group, about his extensive experience in retail and restaurant technology, emphasizing the role of digital transformation in enhancing customer and employee experiences across Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs). We explore the integration of digital and in-store experiences, the significance of mobile ordering and loyalty programs, along with the challenges of managing a complex partner ecosystem.Looking forward, Patrick, Shelli, and Jeff discuss AI-driven innovations, the transition from static to dynamic digital environments, and the physical and technological trends that are reshaping the industry.Jeff highlights the importance of scalable innovation, and goes deep on his commitment to balancing technological advancements, while maintaining essential human connections.(00:27) Meet Jeff Miller(01:21) Jeff's Role at Coates Group(03:51) From Construction Engineering to Tech Consulting(11:28) Innovations in the QSR Space(15:28) Global Growth and Customer Connection(15:41) Evolution of Menu Boards(16:17) Optimizing Customer Experience(17:54) Challenges in Restaurant Technology(19:29) Traditional vs. New QSRs(25:42) Future of Customer InteractionsJeff Miller is the Chief Product Officer at Coates Group, and former Vice President of Retail Technology at Foxtrot. He has more than a decade of expertise in the retail and restaurant technology space, specializing in creating modern in-store experiences that seamlessly integrate with digital technology to enhance customer experiences. Prior to his leadership roles, Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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.

On today's show, we chat with Kal Walkden, the Vice President of Product Engineering at Double Good. Double Good's virtual fundraising app connects teams with their supporters to help athletes, coaches, and students raise funds through popcorn sales. Focusing on seamless ease-of-use for both the fundraisers and their supporters, Double Good turns online snack sales into “uniforms, safety pads, cleats, calculators, test tubes, travel opportunities, and brand new experiences.”Kal's extensive expertise in product and technology leadership has been vital in advancing Double Good's mission. He talks to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise about how Double Good's virtual platform flourished during the pandemic, a key pivot during a moment that challenged traditional in person fundraising. Kal explains the significance of user-centered design, and the adoption of the Spotify engineering model to enhance his team's efficiency. We talk hiring practices, core values, future growth strategies, and how Kal's 25+ years of hands-on leadership has successfully shaped tech-driven organizations.(00:25) Meet Kal Walkden: VP of Product Engineering at Double Good(01:13) Double Good's Journey and Success(06:09) The Spotify Engineering Model(13:51) Implementing the Spotify Model at Double Good(19:38) Challenges and Future GoalsKal Walkden is the Vice President of Product Engineering at Double Good. His past roles include Chief Technology Officer at Paladin; Head of Engineering at HelloFresh; CTO at Lextegrity; CTO at ForeverCar. He currently serves as a mentor at Code Platoon. He holds a Bachelors in Computer Engineering and a Masters in Parallel and Distributed Computing both from Northwestern University. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

“It's marketing through people instead of at them,” says Emily Steele, CEO and Co-founder of Hummingbirds. In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise we talk with Emily about how Hummingbirds is leveraging hyperlocal content creators to drive brand awareness and sales.Emily shares her journey from running a local marketing agency to founding Hummingbirds, emphasizing the power of word-of-mouth marketing and community-driven content. She explains Hummingbirds' unique approach of fostering relationships between local businesses and hyperlocal content creators, who serve as community-scale advocates for the brand.We discuss how in our oversaturated digital marketing landscape, Hummingbirds delivers meaningful, authentic, relationship-driven results. We close our conversation chatting about Emily's future goals and plans for growth, and the challenge of scaling while maintaining that authenticity.(01:28) Emily Steele on the beginnings of Hummingbirds(02:36) The power of local influence(08:12) Scaling, Community Building and Exploring new verticals(11:51) The Hummingbirds community(16:52) Emily's journey to entrepreneurship(18:13) Building a successful brand and Achieving rapid growth(20:36) Strategies for success(24:38) Measuring impact and ROI(27:44) Exciting opportunities ahead(30:29) Fun facts about HummingbirdsEmily Steele is the CEO and Co-founder of Hummingbirds, a SaaS company helping brands connect to local customers through digital word-of-mouth marketing. Before launching Hummingbirds, Emily proved a passionate advocate for local Des Moines businesses as the owner of Love Local. She has a Bachelor's in business administration, from Drake University, and studied at Richmond, the American International University in London. When she's not championing local business, she helps organize The Water Ride, an annual bike ride that raises funds for clean water efforts in Ghana.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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.

Wouldn't it be great if your boss had a user guide for achieving success under their leadership? Ann Yeung's team at GEICO, where she serves as the Vice President of Engineering, Head of Enterprise Engineering, received one. In her “user guide,” Ann shares her expectations, values, and tools for successful collaboration that go well beyond pet peeves to establish communicative, empowered teams. In this episode, Ann discusses her transition to GEICO and the critical role of managing corporate functions during transformation. She shares her journey from individual contributor to leader and how she applies the lessons she's learned along the way. Ann offers how her perspective has changed over time, (ex. how experience is important but unique application to any particular scenario is key) and outlines how her leadership values match her personal values: integrity, transparency, and direct communication. As a leader, Ann ensures that her approach includes two critical elements: understanding the problem from the lens of the business stakeholders and carving out time for reflection. Ann discusses welcoming feedback and challenging her teams with growth opportunities with intentional mentorship. She discusses how, as an engineer at heart, her love of data couples with empirical evidence to guide her decision making and the importance of responsible leadership. (2:10) – Enterprise engineering at GEICO(4:22) – Playbook for success(8:46) – Transition to leadership(13:46) – “Ann Yeung User Guide”(20:47) – Building relationships and trust(23:34) – Opening the door to feedback(27:52) – Recovery (30:09) – Decision-making(32:06) – Empowering your teamAnn Yeung is the Vice President of Engineering, Head of Enterprise Engineering at GEICO. Ann is a senior technology executive and business strategist with over twenty years of experience in various industries, including roles at Northwestern Mutual, Capital One, and US Foods. She is the Director of Women Who Code Chicago Network and serves on the Board of Directors for Chinese American Service League and STEM Forward. Ann earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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.

Does the “I don't know how we're gonna do this?” feeling ever fade? In large-scale transformation, Megan Williams, VP of Global Technology Strategy and Transformation at TransUnion, doesn't think so. Leading global, multi-year transformation programs continues to prompt the major questions: What is our vision? What is the approach? With over 20 years of experience, the initial intimidation remains, but Megan and her teams persist. In this episode, Megan shares how guiding TransUnion's transformation from on-premise data centers to the cloud has evolved over her four years from a “lift and shift” to a modernization transformation. Growing up in South Africa, Megan's career has spanned three continents giving her an exceptional glimpse into the work cultures of different countries. Megan highlights the similarities (think: personalities) and differences (think: daily schedule) that she's experienced and the importance of relating to teams across the globe. Diving deeper into leadership, Megan discusses how her approach can be summed up as vulnerability and transparency. How can she make thousands feel like six people in a garage? She embraces public conversations and welcomes a challenging question. Megan offers a glimpse into her leadership style with a story of how her continued presence at a daily call had a surprising result and how adjustment is necessary when your intentions fall out of alignment with your impact. Megan shares how effective communication can lean on conversation and support from different ways of connecting.(01:40) – Joining TransUnion(05:05) – Journey to technology(10:52) – A career across three continents(15:00) – Large transformation programs(18:57) – Vulnerability and transparency(24:51) – “Overcommunication”Megan Williams is the VP of Global Technology Strategy and Transformation at TransUnion. She has over 20 years of experience spanning software development to leading global, multi-year transformations and implementing large, complex program delivery in fast-paced technical industries. Megan earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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.

Out of approximately 5,000 lending institutions nationwide, Srikanth Geedipalli and the team at Experian have developed relationships with 3,000 of them, and the list continues to grow. As Senior Vice President of AI Product Management and Commercialization, Srikanth is spearheading the productization and democratization of data. In this episode, Srikanth explains how he promotes innovation at Experian, accounting for its size, role as a trusted brand, and regulated and compliance-oriented processes. He shares his career journey in three parts—banker, strategy executor, and AI and analytics executive—and how the positionalities create a full picture of the issues he's trying to solve. Srikanth shares how Experian has embraced its rich data history in building analytic and AI ecosystems that have made these resources more affordable to clients beyond the big banks.As a leader, Srikanth endorses the “crawl, walk, run” method on the boldest visions. He shares how to balance focusing on niche solutions and a wider vision. Srikanth discusses how he encourages his team to move as quickly as possible and how rapid innovation can continue to push boundaries and work symbiotically with approval chains and compliance.In discussing artificial intelligence, Srikanth shares how he sees the future of AI, specifically gen AI, its rapidly approaching role in all products, an anticipated boom of gen AI agents, and how to embrace the transformative technology in your life and for the next generation.(03:30) – Journey to Experian(05:45) – Productizing and democratizing data(09:26) – Innovation in a large organization(12:58) – Engendering trust and confidence(15:57) – Having a big vision(17:13) – Client profile(19:44) – Inspiration (21:19) – Acting like a small business(24:33) – Team incentives(28:28) – Where is gen AI heading? (31:30) – Gen AI agents(33:32) – What should you do?Srikanth Geedipalli is the Senior Vice President of AI Product Management and Commercialization at Experian. Previously, he served as Head of US Strategy at BMO Financial Group, a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company, and an analytics leader at Capital One. Srikanth earned an MS in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, 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.

Sticky notes might be the key to successful leadership. Christina Garcia, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Echo Global Logistics, keeps a few posted nearby with essential reminders to guide her in difficult moments. When leading teams of engineers attempting to disrupt the logistics space grows challenging, having a reminder of foundational leadership tools can be the key to accurately identifying an issue and swift resolution. In this episode, Christina discusses determining what to build and creating team-wide investment in its success. She considers the role of research and development from pie-in-the-sky projects to simpler, value-adding solutions. Christina offers her perspective on building narrative and encouraging engineers and developers to witness the value firsthand. (For example, “If your grandmother was in the store shopping, what is the experience you'd like her to have with the software?”) Considering culture, Christina dives into a culture of accountability and being a champion of quality. She shares her thoughts on shifting left, the results she's seen in earlier testing processes, and searching for the root cause of an issue. Alongside accountability, Christina identifies key areas of success like avoiding silos of communication and leaning on creativity in strategic planning. She offers her perspective on leading a team of passionate engineers and her approach to leading the group through transition (ex. one-on-one time with everyone). One key to her team's success at Echo: carrying the load together. Speaking on leadership, Christina shares how to work across different strengths and mindsets, build trust, set clear expectations, embrace vulnerability, and ask for help. (01:30) – Echo(02:52) – Finding software(05:15) – Building the right things(08:52) – Narrative(10:36) – Witnessing the value(13:00) – Shifting left(15:13) – Recognizing the hurdles(16:15) – Little leadership reminders(17:38) – Leading engineers(19:57) – Building passionate teams(22:57) – Setting clear expectations(27:17) – Creative solutions and planning(32:30) – Asking for helpChristina Garcia is a Senior Vice President of Engineering at Echo Global Logistics. Her technology and business expertise have led to career achievements in engineering, strategic technology implementation, and leadership, including positions at Capital One, SEQR, Sears Holdings Corporation, and OfficeMax. Christina earned a bachelor's degree in computer software engineering and a master's degree in e-commerce at DePaul University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple 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.

Joining a new company and being tasked with adding value and building high-performing teams starts with one key question: what is the organizational structure? Experienced technology leader Dan Kirsche has recently joined Chamberlain Group as the Senior Vice President of Software Engineering after a robust career of leading software engineers. With innovation and team building on his mind, Dan shares key lessons in culture-creating behaviors, embracing disagreement, and successful leadership. In this episode, Dan discusses the importance of properly structured autonomous teams. He reflects on how leadership on these small teams can smoothly operate and their recommended size. Dan shares how these teams are the fundamental building blocks and that creating the right culture at the team level is essential. As a leader, Dan reveals that a continued focus on quality means that he is looped in when production issues are being discussed (Leaders, join the Slack channel!) and how strong leaders must be familiar with the severity and frequency of these issues. Beyond focusing on quality, Dan dives into additional values he seeks to find in team members growing into leadership positions. He shares how pushing into an area of discomfort is key while sharing actionable mentorship strategies for providing those challenging and meaningful growth opportunities. Acknowledging how difficult tech leadership can be, Dan discusses the role of accountability and ownership, including how leaders must demonstrate the ability to receive feedback. Dan shares how opinionated, strategically disagreeable team members add value and, alongside other qualities that make them enjoyable to work with, are key members of teams that quickly find the right answers.(01:40) – Leading software engineering at Chamberlain Group(04:20) – Driving better practices(06:57) – Culture-creating behaviors(09:52) – A focus on quality(13:28) – Organization culture vs. team culture(16:05) – Accountability and ownership(19:47) – Embracing discomfort(23:42) – Building opinionated and innovative teams(29:14) – A willingness to disagree(30:57) – On leadershipDan Kirsche is an experienced technology executive and Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Chamberlain Group. Previously, he was the Chief Technology Officer at CURO Financial Technologies Corp and lead software engineering at Enova International, project44, and Groupon. Dan earned his MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.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.

At the start of summer last year, we had a really inspiring conversation with Christopher Paquette and are excited to reshare it this year, in our “Best Of” series. Originally published 06/29/23.Tasked with accelerating digital transformation at Allstate, Christopher Paquette recognizes the digital potential embedded everywhere. Reflecting on his first year as Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Allstate, Christopher shares essential lessons in collaboration, creating value for the customer, and transformation strategy. In this episode, Christopher discusses focus areas of connectivity, automation, decisioning, and pattern recognition. He gives examples of analysis indicators and the various speeds of digital transformation. Christopher dives into the idea of influence when your discipline is not siloed and discusses his passion for community building through music and music education.(01:42) – Introducing Christopher Paquette(03:21) – Digital transformation(07:04) – Decisioning(09:11) – Relationship building and collaboration(13:34) – Influence (18:10) – Outcomes and determining the “why”(21:51) – Indicators: starts, containment, and satisfaction(24:40) – Beginning a role in Q2(26:01) – Dedication to music and The People's Music SchoolChristopher Paquette is the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Allstate. Previously, Christopher served as a Partner at McKinsey & Company for twelve years. His over two-decade career has orbited strategy, digital, and analytics. Christopher earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern 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.

We had a fascinating conversation with Deborah Spence-Cummings in late 2022 and are excited to reshare it in our “Best Of” series. Originally published 12/01/22.Only an exceptional innovator would look at a burgeoning career in operations and pause to examine their reputation and evaluate their goals. With the help of an executive coach, Deborah Spence-Cummings did just that and now serves as the Director of AI/ML Operations at Apple. Deborah shares how she used an engineering mindset developed at MIT and Northwestern to drive her career progression through positions in operations, planning, project management, sales, and now, artificial intelligence and machine learning. In this conversation with Pat and Shelli, Deborah also discusses her contributions to the innovative processes at Apple and NAVTEQ and how she navigated her career when obvious opportunities did not appear.(01:27) – Machine learning and AI(08:09) – Studying material science(11:38) – Journey to NAVTEQ(18:14) – Taking on different roles(21:45) – Working with an executive coach(26:51) – The engineering of sales(28:33) – Approach to leadership(30:27) – Advocates in your networkDeborah Spence-Cummings is the Director of AI/ML Operations at Apple. She has previously held executive and senior roles at HERE Technologies and NAVTEQ across operations, planning, program management, and sales. Deborah earned a bachelor's and master's degree in materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern 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.

OKRs are easy to set up badly. Christine Sandman Stone, CEO and founder of Deliver at Scale, focuses on this key element for success based on her years leading agile transformations. Beginning with her journey, Christine shares her path to leadership and the critical lessons she's learned—and shared—along the way.In this episode, Christine provides a glimpse into her world guiding teams to hone in on their goals. First, she offers her perspective on setting the objective and determining the quantitative measurement of that goal. Then, Christine shares the critical element of measurement periods (90 days!) and how to maintain the right outlook on pursuing these goals. Christine offers key lessons from her book The Parent Track: Work-Life Balance Hacks to Elevate Your Career and Raise Good Humans on how to continue advancing your career during parenthood. She offers tips (ex. the word “conflict” is your friend) and her experiences that led her to share those lessons. Christine dives into her most recent book that set out to provide tangible resources for new managers: The Modern Management Mentor: Next-Level Tools for New Managers, inspired by the questions she fielded during her own daughter's promotion. Later in the conversation, Christine discusses the state of leadership and management training. She endorses the advancement of individual contributors that does not necessarily require managing people and discusses a multi-track approach. (01:38) – Introducing Christine Sandman Stone(06:18) – OKRs(09:35) – Narrowing in on the objective(13:14) – 90-day measurements(17:45) – The Parent Track(23:20) – The Modern Management Mentor(27:04) – Leadership development(33:31) – Individual contributor growth opportunitiesChristine Sandman Stone is the CEO and founder of Deliver at Scale and former Global Head of Product & Engineering, Operations & Strategy at Groupon. She has previously worked with Dell, McDonald's, and Volkswagen. Christine is the author of The Parent Track and The Modern Management Mentor. She earned her bachelor's degree in philosophy from Miami University and a master's in management and organizational behavior from Benedictine 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.

Should we look beyond technology organizations to learn essential lessons on how to innovate and run successful, complex technology organizations? Gene Kim believes so and contains unbridled curiosity for transformation across industries, as seen in his most recent book Wiring the Winning Organization. Gene Kim returns to share new lessons in change-making for leaders and companies tackling an array of challenges. Gene Kim is a bestselling author of several books on technology innovation, DevOps, and organizational strategy. He founded and served as CTO of Tripwire for thirteen years, an enterprise security software company, and is the founder of IT Revolution. Gene offers an engineering perspective with an executive-eye view. In this episode, Gene discusses being inspired by Toyota and his goal to lead great organizations toward the most effective, liberated problem-solving capabilities. He shares how coordination is the layer that is the difference-maker in a successful company and offers several case studies across industries. Gene highlights three key factors in a cohesive organization: 1) independence of action, 2) time (for practice and planning, and experimentation and implementation), and 3) actionable feedback that reaches the right people at the right time. Gene offers a metaphor from his book—moving a couch—that exemplifies his experience in communication and coordination. With this simple metaphor, Gene shares how small, cross-functional teams with the right number of collaborators are a great tool for success. Join Gene in Las Vegas from August 20 to 22, 2024, at the Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit (formerly DevOps Enterprise Summit). (01:40) – Gene Kim returns(04:22) – Layer three as difference-maker(09:22) – Healthcare case studies(11:55) – Three mechanisms for a cohesion(15:04) – The CheckBox Project(20:29) – “Slowification”(26:55) – “Great in the large, great in the small”(29:03) – Specialization of roles and coordination(34:34) – The technology leader's bossGene Kim is an author, researcher, and technology leader studying high-performing technology organizations since 1999. Gene founded and served as Chief Technology Officer of Tripwire, Inc. for thirteen years, an enterprise security software company. He is the WSJ bestselling author of Wiring the Winning Organization, The Unicorn Project, and co-author of The Phoenix Project, The DevOps Handbook, and the Shingo Publication Award-winning Accelerate. Since 2014, he has organized the Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit (formerly DevOps Enterprise Summit), studying the technology transformations of large, complex organizations.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

We had a great conversation with David Heinemeier Hansson in 2023 and are excited to reshare it in our “Best Of” series.Originally published 11/2/23.Profound innovation has occurred across web-based communication technologies in the last decade, and truly accelerated in the years since the start of the pandemic. But David Heinemeier Hansson recognized a massively neglected arena, one we all use, every day: email. Bringing his experience as co-owner and Chief Technology Officer at 37signals (Basecamp, Ruby on Rails, and more), David launched HEY, an innovative approach to email that provides a modernized, user-first service. In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, David articulates a dedication to forging new paths in software and entrepreneurship.He shares important lessons in approaching remote work, including the essential pillar of embracing asynchronicity. He dives into how he structures his day for success and offers a counterpoint to the American workplace culture of bragging about busyness and 80+ hour weeks. Finally, David provides insight into the current state of cloud technology and his company's recent—successful and swift—migration off the cloud. (01:48) – 37signals(03:27) – HEY(09:54) – Advantages(17:32) – Detecting spy pixels(19:45) – The pandemic's impact(23:42) – Embracing asynchronicity for success(29:07) – An American culture of busyness(34:31) – Importance of sleep(38:52) – Cloud technology(46:55) – Bringing applications homeDavid Heinemeier Hansson is co-owner and Chief Technology Officer of 37signals (Basecamp & HEY), creator of Ruby on Rails, and best-selling author, including REWORK, It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work, and Remote: Office Not Required. David is a Le Mans class-winning racing driver, photographer, antitrust advocate, and investor.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today we're sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Leon Chism, the Vice President of Engineering at Evolve, delivered a powerful lesson on collecting critical metrics for organization-wide success. As an experienced technologist and executive, Leon leads teams in unparalleled growth and innovation. In this presentation, Leon dives into how the collection of metrics examining speed and quality paired with human-driven evaluation and consistent reporting are the keys to success. In this episode, Leon first dives into DORA metrics and the significance of collecting and reporting those figures of speed and quality. He overviews the additional customization of the data he collects; in one example, he looks closely at aging reports to determine where processes are sticking and gains a live perspective on getting those tasks unstuck by allocating more resources. As the last place to observe metrics, Leon offers a compelling outlook on examining team balance and individual metrics. ("You want to measure the process and not the people.") In further support of optimizing processes and not people, Leon shares his perspective on leaderboards, comparison, and other human-oriented metric frameworks of note. In the final segment, Leon answers audience questions ranging from setting WIP limits (never too low), developer satisfaction, and key aspects of the communication around metrics to create a shared understanding and identify the value beyond the data. (02:16) – DORA metrics(07:39) – Aging Report(10:15) – Balance and individual metrics(12:22) – Metrics in the boardroom(13:35) – SPACE Framework(15:45) – Manual metric collection(17:19) – Developer satisfaction(18:48) – Gaming the metrics(20:26) – WIP limits(21:45) – Shared metrics and collaboration(26:00) – Hardware, software, firmware(27:05) – Communicating the metrics(28:26) – Value beyond the dataLeon Chism is the Vice President of Engineering at Evolve. As an experienced technologist and executive, he has led innovation and technology at Jellyvision, DialogTech, Rewards Network, Analyte Health, PowerReviews, and ORBITZ. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign.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

Today we're sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Tanya Hannah discusses the roadmap to navigate the ever-evolving tech landscape. As a seasoned transformational business executive, Tanya offers the pillars needed to survive major shifts and thrive in the opportunities presented by them. In this episode, Tanya shares how critical a shared vision and strategy is in preparation. Teams cannot operate only with yesterday's logic; they must look forward in anticipation of a pivot. Tanya offers how technologists can operate at the key intersection of short-term performance and long-term planning. She stresses the importance of a business perspective having a place in tech conversations and leaning into a skillset that embraces both.As an award-winning technology leader, Tanya sees a path forward that focuses on data, talent, and vision. Tanya describes how data provides the competitive advantage businesses are looking for and how the ability to manipulate and understand the data is essential for the entire team. In focusing on the team itself, Tanya addresses how people are the key factor in remaining nimble (embracing in-house talent) and how the current shift in the labor environment points to the direction companies must anticipate. As remote and hybrid work continue, Tanya dives further into how focusing on talent is not only essential but teams and individuals must have a common understanding of the shared vision and strategy for success. While acknowledging the evolving technology and the often disruptive forces that shape the world today, Tanya Hannah offers a foundation to prepare for the future with tech and talent. (01:17) – A room of disruptors(02:36) – Adaptation(04:33) – Acting with yesterday's logic(08:40) – Preparing to pivot(10:35) – Driving business with tech(13:02) – The win-win(14:26) – Understanding data is a must(16:10) – Focusing on people(21:55) – How are we planning?Tanya Hannah has held executive and senior roles at Aon, Amazon, CSC, and King County, Washington. Tanya is a three-time CIO 100 Award winner and a 2021 National CIO of the Year. She's a graduate of the University of Maryland.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today we're sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Desiree Vargas Wrigley, Chief Innovation Officer of P33 Chicago and Executive Director of TechRise by P33, delivered a lesson in stakeholder-centric design. Desiree overviews the challenges Chicago's underrepresented tech founders face and the process of developing TechRise's initiatives. Highlighting the impact of TechRise and P33, Desiree presents a galvanizing picture of Chicago-based innovation that utilizes local money to generate a cycle of loyalty, growth, and investment that leans into Chicago's advantages. In this episode, Desiree asks: “Who succeeds when you succeed?” As an enthusiastic believer in Chicago's potential as an innovation hub, Desiree is also unafraid to point out its shortcomings, such as the lack of popularity in social ventures and lack of recycled capital. Demonstrating a stakeholder-centric design process with the case study of TechRise, Desiree shows how focusing on the key question of identifying all the stakeholders and all the solutions that benefit them drives success. She discusses sifting through bias for actual data and the extensive discovery process that went into developing the initiatives of TechRise. Desiree articulates how re-imagining pitch competitions (frequency, environment, etc.) has opened doors for founders by acknowledging the obstacles that women founders and founders of color often face. Desiree shares her interest in conscious capitalism and asks, “What else is possible?”(1:15) – P33 Chicago(3:42) – Thinking about success(4:53) – A foundation for providing support and resources(6:57) – Stakeholder-centric design in four steps(9:36) – Funding women and founders of color(12:49) – TechRise(15:20) – Identifying solutions(16:35) – Weekly pitching(19:12) – Looking at impact(21:16) – What else is possible?Desiree Vargas Wrigley is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of empowering women and people of color in the world of investing. Desiree is the Chief Innovation Officer of P33 Chicago and Executive Director of TechRise. She is a founding partner of The Josephine Collective and previously co-founded GiveForward. Desiree earned a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies from Yale 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

Today we're sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Maya Mikhailov, Chief Executive Officer and founder of SAVVI AI, discusses machine learning as a powerful toolkit of solutions. Comparing efficiency with and without AI, she highlights how the proper tool makes the difference and cuts through assumptions. Is Chat GPT the AI tool that makes Amazon such a success? No. It is Amazon's recommendation engine built on billions of data points. Looking beyond the hype of select functionalities of machine learning, AI applications abound.In this episode, Maya introduces AI's key practical uses, as she currently views the technology: decision automation, classification and prediction, large language models, and writing documentation and code. She emphasizes how natural language makes a query more accessible than programmatic language and shares example after example of increasing efficiency. Maya's presentation sheds insight into where AI technologies are gaining traction (delinquencies) and continuing to grow in popularity (writing content). Maya dives into the importance of guardrails, building trust, and maintaining transparency when utilizing machine learning. She shares where AI is having massive success (summarizing data) and the problems that might emerge from AI reliance (“code bloat”). Maya discusses how when AI is wrong, it is still learning. Employing the right AI tool is essential for strategy and meeting goals.(1:40) – Machine learning(4:45) – Examining data without AI(5:41) – AI-executed tactics(7:16) – Generative AI(9:14) – Hallucinating (10:57) – The practical realities(12:41) – Decision automation(15:28) – Classifications(17:10) – Predictions(18:15) – Large language models(22:03) – Writing documentation and codeMaya Mikhailov is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of SAVVI AI. She co-founded GPShopper, which Synchrony acquired in 2017. At Synchrony, Maya served as SVP and General Manager of the Direct-to-Consumer group (FinTech AI). She has been a speaker at CES Money 2020 and CTIA and featured in Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes, Business Insider, and other outlets. Maya served as an adjunct professor at New York University, lecturing on digital and mobile technology. She earned a bachelor's degree in international management at American 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.

Coupling a charitable mindset and a drive to solve some of the toughest intellectual and scientific problems has led to success for P33 Chicago and founding Chief Executive Officer Brad Henderson. Serving Chicago and embracing the city's challenges and strengths, Brad envisions the city as a hub for new technologies built on collaborative and dynamic innovation, all while embracing inclusive growth.In this episode, Brad shares the successes of P33 Chicago and TechRise's efforts, including outlining how two million dollars invested into Black, Hispanic, and women founders led to ninety-three million in additional private financing. He discusses the lasting effects of starting a business under-capitalized and the realities of how most founders raise capital. Brad offers insight into connecting investors with opportunities where they might lack first-hand expertise or experience and the benefits of encountering and working with new people and ideas.Brad dives into ongoing success stories in Chicago (EventNoire and more), the ripe environment for a Chicago-based battery boom, the new CZ Biohub, and the aims and recent triumphs of Innovate Illinois. He shares a key component to the city's success: the collaborative spirit of the top-caliber universities. Brad paints a picture of an innovative Chicago that utilizes the abundance of college graduates and embraces scientists and thinkers across institutions working together to create new technologies funded by bold Chicago investors and building on the city's history of innovation.(04:26) – Introducing Brad Henderson and P33 Chicago(05:52) – TechRise(07:27) – The impact of an under-capitalized start(09:45) – Proof points and coaching founders(12:05) – Success story: EventNoire(14:21) – A battery boom(18:41) – Chicago-based investors(20:34) – The impact of exceptional, collaborative universities (25:25) – Where is Chicago headed?(26:17) – Leveraging a small staff(29:38) – Chicago-based innovation and collaborationBrad Henderson is the Founding Chief Executive Officer at P33 Chicago, the forward-thinking nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating Chicago's status as a world premier hub of technological discovery and development. Brad's leadership extends to various roles on boards and advisory committees of Interfaith Youth Core (Board Chair), the College Visiting Committee at the University of Chicago, the President's Advisory Council at the University of Illinois, the College of Computing Advisory Board at Illinois Tech, Rush University Medical Center, Rush University (Board of Governors), Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and the Chicago History Museum. Brad earned a bachelor's degree in economics with honors and a master's in social science from the University of Chicago. A Rhodes Scholar, Brad also earned a master's of science in economics and social history from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Saiid Business School at the University of Oxford.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in

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

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

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

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

Welcome to the Innovation and the Digital Enterprise podcast, hosted by Patrick Emmons and Shelli Nelson.Join us as we interview successful visionaries and leaders, giving you an insight into how they drive and support innovation within their organizations.Each episode we'll focus on a different aspect of leveraging the digital revolution like…building a culture of innovationovercoming a fear of failurefinding time to focus on innovative product ideasteaching and recruiting innovatorsSo join us as we learn the secrets that successful entrepreneurs and leaders use to spark innovation amongst their teams and organizations.Subscribe by visiting our website at dragonspears.com/podcast or find us at iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.This episode was produced by Dante32.

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

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

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

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

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

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

With a growing family, Tony Newcome took a major risk in returning to his software engineering roots after years in leadership—pay cut and all. Ultimately, the risk was rewarded. During his two decades of experience in the industry, Tony has held significant roles during critical growth moments at ExactTarget and Salesforce, and he currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at ActiveCampaign. In this episode, Tony reflects on his journey to earning his degree and the mentorship he received from his father. He shares his approach to “integrating” your life and his mindset when people leave an organization. In looking ahead, Tony offers his perspective on utilizing AI as a tool, the challenge of deep fakes, and the trend emerging in conflict resolution skills.(02:30) – ActiveCampaign(09:47) – Balance vs. integration(12:55) – Imposter syndrome(15:59) – Motivation (17:20) – Collaboration and building trust(21:30) – Knowing when a leadership role fits(28:40) – Deep fakes of the future(31:53) – Developing skills around conflictTony Newcome is a growth-oriented, product-focused technologist serving as Chief Technology Officer at ActiveCampaign. With a background in software engineering, he has served as Senior Vice President, Engineering at Salesforce and significantly scaled the global platforms of ExactTarget. Tony earned a bachelor's degree in computer technology from Purdue University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

A distaste for the repetitive is a powerful motivation. Something Kevin Pogany discovered as a teenager writing code for his father's pharmacy to automate their processes. An early experience that catalyzed a nearly thirty-year career across nine industries pushing for data-driven innovation. Most recently, he has found himself as a Chief Technology Officer within the aerial imagery industry encouraging transformation in this critical juncture of machine learning, robotics, and proprietary data assets. In this episode, Kevin provides insight into balancing innovative, aspirational thought with structured, realistic innovation. He shares how value is almost always situated with change and how to position an organization to provide value within and across industries with data. Kevin discusses his professional journey and how vision and experience create immeasurable potential. (01:31) – Introducing the aerial imagery industry(10:39) – Innovative thought and structured innovation(12:14) – Kevin's journey(16:23) – Examining motivation(22:42) – Discovering the worth of data(24:27) – Data flywheel effect(27:37) – Moving from assumptions to facts(30:51) – Crafting a data-driven approach(37:46) – Putting a moat around your content(43:30) – Recognizing patternsKevin Pogany is an experienced technology executive, currently serving in his ninth industry as the CTO of Commercial Group & Data Platform in a leading aerial imagery company. Kevin has emerged as a thought leader in the realm of technology and product development who specializes in leveraging unique or proprietary data assets. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at 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.

“You don't get a chance to be new twice.” Technology and business executive Andrei Girenkov embraces moments of great potential and offers essential advice for achieving success in 2023. Recent Senior Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer at Greystar, Andrei discusses speaking the CEO's language, enterprise change management, and his journey to law school and beyond.In this episode, Andrei encourages digital transformation with a business-before-technology mindset. He shares how a deep knowledge of the particular business and industry while staying on top of new technologies, can empower others to embrace growth when proposing transformation. Andrei discusses training AI and who currently operates with the advantage of a tailwind.(01:42) – Early career in software development(04:53) – Interest in law(09:47) – Effective transitions(12:56) – Training AI(17:03) – The impact on fully integrated platforms(20:45) – Advice for the remainder of 2023Andrei Girenkov is a technology and business executive who most recently served as Senior Managing Director, Chief Technology Officer at Greystar. An expert in digital transformation technology, Andrei earned a JD from Fordham University School of Law and a master's degree in software engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where he continues to lecture and mentor students.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today we're sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Deepika Duggirala, SVP of Global Technology Platforms at TransUnion, spoke about how focusing on your people and the developer experience leads to improved business performance.At TransUnion, Deepika leads the technology strategy and execution of cloud-based platform transformation. With over two decades of leadership experience, she has led teams that build high-performing software across a variety of companies, ranging from startups to large global enterprises. Prior to joining TransUnion, Deepika led product development as the CTO and VP of Engineering at Yello. She also served as SVP of Engineering at SPINS and held various technology leadership roles at SAP, Nielsen, and Motorola.Deepika holds a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rutgers University and a Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering from Nagpur University in India. She serves on the Regional Advisory Board of Comp-U-Dopt, an organization that designs programs to eliminate limited computer access, increase technical literacy, and support the future of youth in communities across Chicago and northern Illinois. She is also a passionate advocate for women in technology and the importance of balance in our work and personal lives.(02:34) - Recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing talent(03:29) - Background on TransUnion & Global Technology Platforms(06:45) - Engaging development talent in the current environment(09:06) - Software development is a creative process(10:36) - Increased retention and productivity(11:33) - Listening to the engineering community(13:06) - DevX: TransUnion's onboarding program(14:59) - How to continuously listen, engage & support(17:09) - Upskilling, investing in training, and future-proofing (18:26) - The results for TransUnionIf you're unfamiliar with the Innovative Executives Leagues, it's an invite-only community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with a growth mindset and a passion for innovation. It was founded to increase the network of innovation in the Chicagoland area and also on a national scale. If you're interested in becoming a member, send us a message at LinkedIn or visit our website at www.dragonspears.com/innovative-executives-league.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.

Tasked with accelerating digital transformation at Allstate, Christopher Paquette recognizes the digital potential embedded everywhere. Reflecting on his first year as Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Allstate, Christopher shares essential lessons in collaboration, creating value for the customer, and transformation strategy. In this episode, Christopher discusses focus areas of connectivity, automation, decisioning, and pattern recognition. He gives examples of analysis indicators and the various speeds of digital transformation. Christopher dives into the idea of influence when your discipline is not siloed and discusses his passion for community building through music and music education.(01:42) – Introducing Christopher Paquette(03:21) – Digital transformation(07:04) – Decisioning(09:11) – Relationship building and collaboration(13:34) – Influence (18:10) – Outcomes and determining the “why”(21:51) – Indicators: starts, containment, and satisfaction(24:40) – Beginning a role in Q2(26:01) – Dedication to music and The People's Music SchoolChristopher Paquette is the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Allstate. Previously, Christopher served as a Partner at McKinsey & Company for twelve years. His over two-decade career has orbited strategy, digital, and analytics. Christopher earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern 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.

Today we're sharing an insightful presentation from one of our Innovative Executives League Summit speakers, Jack King. At the November summit, Jack spoke to the audience about creating an effective innovation culture and leveraging disruptive technologies through VR and AR.Jack currently serves as the CIO for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, AAOS. He provides vision and leadership to help develop and manage both the application, data, and service portfolios to enable AAOS to be the trusted leader in advancing muscular skeletal health. Prior to AAOS, Jack served as the Chief Technology Officer of Broward Health and the Chief Technology Officer for the state of Illinois.(01:25) - Background of AAOS(02:54) - Supply and demand mismatch in innovative thought(04:09) - Innovation within an established industry(05:22) - Introverts vs extroverts(06:22) - Walks in the woods: earning trust(07:57) - Making it safe to ask questions(08:55) - Move from hierarchy to accountability(10:22) - Alignment & autonomy(11:49) - Flywheel of innovation(12:47) - AAOS Digital Front Door mobile appIf you're unfamiliar with the Innovative Executives Leagues, it's an invite-only community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with a growth mindset and a passion for innovation. It was founded to increase the network of innovation in the Chicagoland area and also on a national scale. If you're interested in becoming a member, send us a message at LinkedIn or visit our website at www.dragonspears.com/innovative-executives-league.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.

In an industry deeply focused on the “now”— scheduling down to the minute—and dedicated to safety above all else, how can innovation with an eye to the future and taking risks fit in? In aviation, United Airlines found a solution by tasking Jorie Sax with launching and leading its first innovation lab, Airshop. In this episode, Jorie shares how an innovation lab can foreground collaboration and inspire peers throughout the company while maintaining safety standards and continuing to produce value. Jorie dives into how leading with play and exploration can naturally guide collaborators back to constraints and tensions without having to lead with those limitations. She discusses guiding others to find their spirit of curiosity, how “inclusion propels innovation”, and embracing a startup mentality in order to lead innovation. (2:07) – Airshop at United Airlines(3:42) – Leading the industry through innovation(7:48) – “Inclusion propels innovation”(10:07) – Encouraging an open mind(15:40) – Accelerator and break(18:09) – Seeing value in potential(22:00) – Looking beyond the aviation industry(23:56) – Collaboration in innovation(27:35) – Producing and impact(29:40) – Creating an innovation structure(31:43) – Embracing a startup mentality and entrepreneurial spiritJorie Sax serves as the head of the first innovation lab, Airshop, at United Airlines. She has held positions in legal, marketing, corporate partnerships, innovation, and digital technology functions throughout her two-decade career at entertainment and lifestyle brands, such as MillerCoors and the Chicago White Sox.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Deploying the most critical systems to the cloud first was a bold strategy for Fitch Group. It's an approach Derek Ferguson, Global Head of Enterprise Architecture, and Chris Lalor, Senior Director – Technology Enablement, believe was essential to the successful transformation to the cloud for the Group's companies and is how they continue to manage complex, new technology to date.In this episode, Derek and Chris dive into avoiding friction in the development process, enabling developers to innovate, and embracing the possibility of failure while reducing potential failure points. They also share their perspectives on service mesh, creating functionality that scales, and the exciting innovations ahead in 2023.(01:23) – Fitch Group(07:58) – Journey to the cloud(11:31) – Reducing friction for developers(15:25) – Avoiding bottlenecks(20:19) – Reducing points of failure(23:33) – Key innovation of service mesh(28:14) – Expanding the tech team(30:36) – Looking ahead in 2023Derek Ferguson is the Global Head of Enterprise Architecture at Fitch Group, Inc. Derek is an experienced head of technology professional with previous roles at JPMorgan Chase and Bear Stearns. Chris Lalor is the Senior Director - Technology Enablement at Fitch Group, Inc. Previously, Chris led cloud and compute architecture at Viacom MTV Networks. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

How do I use cloud services intentionally? What might I build out on-prem? What might my edge architecture look like? – These are just some of the questions Amanda Blevins is hearing from technology leaders these days. Finding solutions to those challenges is a big part of her current role as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Americas at VMware.In this episode, Amanda shares her thoughts on the future of cloud technology and how to tame the "cloud chaos" by creating an intentional multi-cloud strategy that makes sense for your business. She also discusses accounting for talent availability in your infrastructure planning, leveraging existing team skillsets, and hiring appropriately. Listen in to hear this and more including Amanda's insightful perspective on aligning personal interests with the strategic goals of your company. (01:13) – VMware(05:36) – Starting a career in the dot-com bubble(09:20) – Lessons from a layoff(11:33) – Authenticity and leadership(13:18) – The move to Multi-Cloud(16:08) – Avoiding “cloud chaos”(17:57) – Setting an intentional cloud strategy(22:03) – Factoring in talent availabilityAmanda Blevins is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Americas of VMware. She joined VMware as a senior systems engineer in 2010, and a few years later, she became the company's first female principle systems engineer. Amanda is VMware's first and only female chief technologist. She leverages her twenty-five years of industry experience and network to drive awareness and equality for women and all underrepresented people in technology fields. Amanda earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from American Sentinel University and attended Vanderbilt University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Participating in school activities and community building has been challenging for remote and hybrid students, let alone the near impossibility of "running into a friend." Rich Alapack, founder of we all live here, witnessed this experience early in the pandemic and envisioned a program in which this was all possible: SchoolTopia.In this episode, Rich shares the mission of we all live here and their commitment to public art projects that promote inclusivity and empower students to challenge hatred in their communities. Rich discusses his experience developing an off-campus housing website in college and his current journey of bringing SchoolTopia to beta partners. He provides insight into virtual schooling and the customization available to provide an enriched experience with a focus on the social aspect of attendance, virtual safety, and integrating outside partners, like we all live here, into the software for a complete school experience. (1:18) – we all live here(3:05) – Simplicity vs. complexity(9:02) – Taking action(11:14) – SchoolTopia(19:14) – FindAPlaceToLive.com(23:30) – Product customization(26:24) – Safety in virtual spacesRich Alapack is the founder of we all live here, an organization that uses art, community, and technology to develop experiences, programs, and activities that remind us all to get along and help each other. He is a creative team builder, collaborative leader, consistent closer, frequent speaker (including TEDx), innovative thought leader, and public advocate of diversity and inclusion. His career has orbited sales and brand strategy, and he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from Winona State University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

When Tommy Richardson enlisted in the United States Army at 18, he narrowed his options to operating a tank or going into computer operations and programming. In selecting the latter, he launched a lasting career in the field, has led several major companies in C-suite positions, and recently arrived as Chief Product and Technology Officer for Litmos, leading product innovation. In this episode, Tommy discusses balancing technology evolution to remain competitive, feature development to meet customer demand, and product innovation to keep ahead of the curve. He shares insight into establishing the right resource allocation for the various product development workstreams, including security, tech debt, enhancements, defects, and support. Tommy also dives into lessons learned from his time at startups and in private equity, as well as what's ahead for Litmos this year. (01:01) – Product at Litmos(04:21) – Training in a rapidly changing world(06:29) – Feature-richness as a differentiator(08:23) – Individualized content(10:10) – Technology innovation and prioritization(18:57) – The journey and the destination(21:13) – Learning from startups(23:35) – The world of private equity(24:57) – Major influencesTommy Richardson is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Litmos with over twenty-two years of experience across industries. He's held executive leadership roles at FinThrive, BARBRI Global, Vector Solutions, Nextech Systems, Teradata, Siemens Healthineers, ADP, and more. Introduced to computer programming in the United States Army, Tommy studied at Auburn University in Montgomery and earned an MBA from The University of Georgia.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.