The VentureFuel Visionaries

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Visionaries are defined as having extraordinary foresight and imagination. Those who can see what isn't there. They can imagine the unimaginable and they have the grit to make it happen. Business Visionaries are the change-agents embracing new opportuni

VentureFuel


    • May 28, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 27m AVG DURATION
    • 253 EPISODES

    Ivy Insights

    The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast is an incredible show that brings together guests from unique backgrounds and industries, making it a must-listen for marketers. Hosted by the amazing and curious Fred, this podcast takes you on a journey into great places with fascinating guests. The roster of companies represented is impressive, and the conversations are down-to-earth and easy to follow. Each episode leaves you eagerly anticipating the next one.

    One of the best aspects of The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast is the level of insight it provides. Fred asks powerful questions that dig deep into the mindset of innovators who have achieved remarkable things. The interviews uncover valuable insights and provide a wealth of knowledge for entrepreneurs and executives alike. It's inspiring to hear from game-changers in business and life, and these interviews offer both information and inspiration to listeners.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is the host, Fred. He facilitates insightful and thought-provoking conversations that leave you with valuable takeaways every time. His knowledge and connections in the industry make for engaging discussions with entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 executives from innovative companies. It's clear that he puts in effort to bring the most interesting startups and executives onto the show, ensuring that listeners always learn something they can use.

    In terms of drawbacks, there are very few if any negatives about The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast. Perhaps one potential downside could be that some episodes may not resonate as strongly with certain listeners depending on their interests or background. However, given the diverse range of guests on this podcast, there is always something for everyone.

    In conclusion, I highly recommend The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast to anyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, and learning from successful individuals across various industries. Fred's dedication to uncovering insights from his guests makes each episode informative and inspirational. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or simply curious about how game-changers think, this podcast is definitely worth subscribing to.



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    Latest episodes from The VentureFuel Visionaries

    Blueberry Boost Accelerator – President of US Highbush Blueberry Council and Borth American Blueberry Council Kasey Cronquist

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 21:53


    Since 2019, Kasey has been the President of both the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council where he is dedicated to making blueberries the world's favorite fruit through strategic marketing, industry collaboration, and innovation. He has led initiatives like the "Grab a Boost of Blue" campaign and launched "The Business of Blueberries" podcast to connect and educate the industry. We discuss the new Blueberry Boost Accelerator and how innovation is a growth lever to move the industry “beyond the morning” by promoting the great taste, energy, fun and health halo to help find a “home for every berry” and grab their deserved “share of stomach.”

    Outside The Norm – Founding Partner of Outside VC Ethan Austin

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 27:57


    Ethan Austin is the Founding Partner of Outside VC, a pre-seed venture fund dedicated to backing “outsider” founders. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and advocate for financial inclusion. Before Outside VC, Ethan co-founded GiveForward, the world's first medical crowdfunding platform, which raised over $200 million to help families cover medical expenses and was later acquired by GoFundMe. Today, Ethan shares insights on spotting Founders who think differently, that have asymmetric insights and the grit to deliver scaled solutions. Learn how he is moving outside founders to the inside track.

    Outside The Norm – Editor-In-Chief of Global Corporate Venturing Maija Palmer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 28:00


    Maija Palmer is the Editor-in-Chief of Global Corporate Venturing (GCV), a community and media platform that helps corporations drive innovation through strategic investments and partnerships with startups., Maija is one of the top leading voices in corporate venturing and we talk about the evolution of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), how corporations best utilize Venture Clienting and the relationship between strategic and financial KPIs.

    Transforming Healthcare – Former Chief Strategy Officer John Muir Health Authors George Sauter

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 25:24


    George Sauter is an accomplished healthcare executive with decades of experience driving innovation to transform legacy systems with meaningful results. As the former Chief Strategy Officer at John Muir Health, George has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies through impactful partnerships to improve patient care and operational efficiency. His expertise spans clinical transformation, strategic planning, and leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance healthcare delivery. Today, we talk about everything from finding champions internally, to navigating highly regulated industries, to driving innovation in low-margin environments as well as new technologies like AI Scribes and MuscleMatrix (a hydrogel that regenerates muscle tissue).

    Expo West 2025 - Key Insights and Emerging Trends

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2025 17:02


    In this episode, we dive into the breakthrough trends and innovations unveiled at Expo West 2025. Our very own Innovation team members, Katrina Zheleznyak and Beau Bergman break down the highlights from this massive event, which brought together over 65,000 industry professionals and more than 3,000 exhibitors. From game-changing products to sustainable solutions and cutting-edge technologies, they share key takeaways that showcase what's shaping the future of food. Tune in now to discover what's next in food innovation! Note: parts of this episode were produced using the Audio Overview feature from NotebookLM, a personalized AI research assistant.

    Harvesting Innovation – FEI's Seth Adler

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 23:43


    From Clayton Christensen to Steve Wozniak to Mookie Wilson, we cover a lot of ground with Seth Adler who is the head of IMI Media at Informa and a driving force behind All Things Insights and All Things Innovation. Seth has spent his career bringing people together through dynamic content, including events, podcasts, and written works. He's also played a pivotal role in shaping conversations at industry-leading events like FEI: Front End of Innovation, where he facilitates impactful discussions on topics such as AI trends, business transformation, and consumer insights. Today we talk about FEI 2025 which focused on the intersection of business strategy and innovation with its theme of “Harvesting Innovation: Sowing the Seeds of Future Growth."

    The AI Marketing Canvas – Kellogg School of Management Professor Jim Lecinski

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 32:46


    Jim Lecinski, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, has over 30 years of marketing experience, including a distinguished 12-year tenure as Vice President of Customer Solutions for the Americas at Google. He is a leading expert in marketing strategy and digital transformation, best known for pioneering the concept of the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT), which revolutionized how consumers research products online before buying, as detailed in his influential book Winning the Zero Moment of Truth. Jim's latest work, The AI Marketing Canvas, offers a practical five-stage roadmap for integrating artificial intelligence into marketing strategies and is widely recognized as a top AI and business book. In this conversation, Jim shares insights from his career, discusses the evolving role of AI in marketing, and introduces a powerful 2x2 framework for corporate leaders to begin thinking strategically about AI adoption in their organizations. Tune in for expert guidance on winning in today's digital and AI-driven marketing landscape.

    Midwest Dairy Accelerator - Research and Innovation Manager Sidney Herr

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 18:58


    Midwest Dairy represents over 4,000 dairy farms across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma. Their mission is to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in dairy products and production practices. Sidney Herr, the Research & Innovation Manager at Midwest Dairy, plays a pivotal role in advancing dairy innovation, particularly with the upcoming Midwest Dairy Accelerator (midwestdairyaccelerator.com) which supports and accelerates entrepreneurs with new dairy-based products. Applications open through May 11, 2025.

    Unlocking Microsoft's Innovation Secrets – Authors JoAnn Garbin and Dean Carignan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 29:14


    Dean Carignan and JoAnn Garbin, authors of The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, delve into the strategies and practices that have driven Microsoft's most groundbreaking innovations over the past 50 years. From the Xbox revolution to the rise of Bing in AI, Dean and JoAnn share behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the company's approach to innovation. We discuss the risks of fast-following, how not to “get Googled,” the value of biomimicry and infinite innovation loops, the evolution from know-it-alls to learn-it-alls, how to transform a weaponized org chart to open-sourced, extreme collaborator. We talk about how entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs must be storytellers, boundary crossers (“habitual line-steppers”) and salespeople that always build coalitions. We also talk about creating a culture of trust where you can and must “Say It Ugly” to pretty it up later, together.

    The 3 Jobs of Corporate Innovators – Innov8rs Chief Hans Balmaekers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 21:59


    Hans Balmaekers is the Chief of Innov8rs, a global community dedicated to empowering corporate innovators. Hans has spent over a decade collaborating and learning about how to innovate within the world's top organizations and shares some of his top tips with us, such as how the best corporate innovators have a day job (innovation, the work), a night job (gathering support and buy-in) and a weekend job (transforming ways of working). VentureFuel is a proud sponsor of Innov8rs and their upcoming conference, that isn't really a conference in Phoenix this April where we will be hosting a workshop on how to tune your corporate innovation practice to deliver results today, while preparing your business for tomorrow.

    Driving Innovation Through Collaboration: Insights from VentureFuel Visionary of the Year Finalists

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 7:12


    In this episode of VentureFuel Visionaries, we explore how collaboration drives innovation with five visionary leaders. From AWS's Charlotte Newman on global founder support to LG's Marita McGinn on equity-free startup models, we dive into the power of partnerships. MassRobotics' Sokwoo Rhee shares insights on public-private alliances, REI's Dan Kihanya highlights community-driven growth, and ExxonMobil's Kyle J. Basler-Reeder explains venture clienting. Tune in to discover how these leaders are reshaping innovation through strategic collaboration.

    Al-Ran to Interconnected Realities - Nokia Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting Leslie Shannon

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 23:14


    On today's show, we have Leslie Shannon, the Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting at Nokia, where she specializes in identifying disruptive technologies that are shaping the future of connectivity. She is an accomplished author of two influential books: "Interconnected Realities," which explores the Metaverse, and "Virtual Natives." We discuss everything from the timeline for GenAl adoption in Hollywood to Al Cat Doors and Autonomous Dishwashers at CES to Al-RAN tech that would place Nvidia GPUs in the radio access network. This would enable next-level edge computing that would have massive implications for telcos, their suppliers, consumers, and the enablement of future technologies like AR, VR, and the like.

    Health Trends and Consumer Preferences in Dairy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 37:27


    Dive into the latest health trends and shifting consumer preferences in the dairy industry with a dynamic panel featuring John Crawford, SVP of Client Insights for the Dairy Category at Circana; Donna Berry, Editor & Consultant at Dairy & Food Communications Inc.; Patrycja Kotowska, Category Strategy Manager at Sprouts Farmers Market; and Fred Schonenberg, Founder & CEO of VentureFuel. Recorded live at the Real California Milk Excelerator's Future of Dairy Expo in November 2024, this discussion covers everything from lactose-free products to sourcing transparency and the growing demand for products that align with consumer values.

    Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Dairy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 33:45


    In this thought-provoking episode, John Talbot, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board and Fred Schonenberg, Founder & CEO of VentureFuel; sit down with Elizabeth Crawford, Senior Editor at FoodNavigator-USA, to discuss the balance between tradition and innovation in the dairy industry. Recorded at the Real California Milk Excelerator's Future of Dairy Expo in November 2024, the conversation highlights how the dairy industry has evolved, with modern innovations coexisting alongside traditional practices to meet the needs of today's consumers.

    ceo future innovation balancing tradition founder ceo dairy senior editor elizabeth crawford john talbot venturefuel foodnavigator usa
    The Opportunity for Lactose-Free Milk to Retake Share from Plant-Based

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 39:28


    Can lactose-free milk reclaim market share from plant-based beverages? This engaging panel discussion, captured live at the Real California Milk Excelerator's Future of Dairy Expo, explores how lactose-free milk can win back the coffee occasion with its functional benefits and versatility. Featuring Veronique Lagrange, Director of the California Dairy Innovation Center; Frank La, Founder of Be Bright Coffee; Meghan O'Leary, Vice President of Innovation & Partnerships at VentureFuel; and Bob Carroll, Vice President of Business Development at the California Milk Advisory Board, the panel dives deep into the potential of lactose-free milk in today's competitive market.

    The Future of Health and Wellness in Dairy with Lauren Twigge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 35:04


    In this insightful keynote, media nutritionist and founder of Nutrition at Its Roots Lauren Twigge explores dairy's natural functional benefits and exciting potential for innovation in health and wellness. Delivered live at the Real California Milk Excelerator's Future of Dairy Expo in November 2024, Lauren discusses why dairy is uniquely positioned to meet the growing consumer demand for health-focused products.

    Exciting Re-Release: External Innovation For Internal Stakeholders — LG Electronics EVP Sokwoo Rhee

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2025 31:04


    In this special re-release timed for CES 2025, we revisit a powerful conversation with Sokwoo Rhee, EVP at LG Electronics, and the Head of LG's North America Innovation Center, LG NOVA. Sokwoo shares his expertise on how external innovation can drive significant internal value, offering a unique perspective on aligning cutting-edge technologies with the needs of internal stakeholders. Rediscover how LG is leveraging open innovation to create meaningful impact, the strategies for bridging the gap between external partnerships and internal goals, and what it takes to drive transformational change within a global organization. This episode is packed with actionable insights for innovators, corporate leaders, and anyone looking to make a lasting impact.

    2024 Unwrapped – VentureFuel CEO Fred Schonenberg

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024 28:45


    Reflections on the innovative transformations of 2024 and looking ahead to uncover What's Next for leaders, innovators, and changemakers. VentureFuel VP of Growth, Vanessa Rosado, dives in with CEO and Founder, Fred Schonenberg, on 2024's top technologies and startups (from Gen AI to Frozen Cottage Cheese), to 2025 predictions of industries to thrive and technologies to flourish. Learn how your organization can seize what's next, now.

    Space Strategy - Seraphim Space Enterprise Managing Director Alexander Holt

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 30:47


    What is your space strategy? Yes, space. As the cost to launch has plummeted and satellites have proliferated, we now interact with data from space every day, and as Alexander shared, “every company in the future will become a space company.” Alexander is the Managing Director of Seraphim Space Enterprise (SSE), the global insights and acceleration division of Seraphim Space, the world's leading specialist investor in SpaceTech with a portfolio of over 130 companies across 30 countries. They support businesses from inception to exit across their accelerator, venture fund, and listed growth fund. Their quarterly insights on SpaceTech innovation have become a must-read for corporations and governments to inform their space strategies. Today, we talk about magnetic levitation, how science fiction is now science fact, the similarities of gov tech to space tech, and what change agents in corporations can learn from these regulated industries.

    The Most Fundable Companies – Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Program Manager Amy Wood

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 29:30


    What are VCs looking for? Is your startup fundable? What do you need to improve to get financing? On today's show we have Amy Wood, the Program Manager for the "Most Fundable Companies" initiative at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, a groundbreaking program that empowers early-stage startups by providing critical insights into their readiness for private investment. Launched in 2018, the MFC program democratizes access to funding, helping promising companies refine their financial projections, market opportunities, and team strengths.

    Visual Data - Coactive AI Co-Founder Will Gaviria Rojas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 24:09


    On today's show, we have Will Gaviria Rojas, co-founder of Coactive AI, a groundbreaking startup transforming how organizations interact with unstructured visual data. With a robust background in electrical engineering from MIT and a PhD in materials science from Northwestern University, Will and the Coactive AI leverage advanced artificial intelligence to enable users to search, analyze, and gain insights from images and videos without the cumbersome need for extensive metadata tagging. Did you know more than 80% of our data is in images and videos? Is this the next Snowflake or Databricks?

    Farm2Food Accelerator – NASDA Foundation Senior Director Chris Jones

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 25:20


    On today's show, we have Chris Jones, who is the Senior Director at NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture), where he runs the Farm2Food Accelerator, a 15-week training program built to empower and educate small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs to become more resilient through food production. The program helps take current agricultural production or locally sourced production to develop a packaged, value-added food or beverage product. We talk about the value of innovation and entrepreneurship, the future of food and agriculture, and how the program will launch the next generation of businesses right from the farm.

    Raising the Bar - All Real Nutrition CEO Niall Harty

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 25:39


    Started in a small kitchen in Ireland, Niall Harty wanted to see if he could create nutritious protein bars made from real food ingredients. We explore how Niall and Co-Founder Ross McDowell have grown the company since we first met him as a participant in Bord Bia's innovation program with VentureFuel. Now in over 2,000 stores across Ireland and the US from Sprouts to Pressed Juices. Beyond their clean labels, nutritional content and fantastic taste they also have created unique compostable packaging as well as funded ocean cleanup initiatives that make a “Real Impact.” We talk about the evolution from Founder to CEO, scaling globally, the commitment to sustainability and the moment of your first sale to when you see your product on shelf across the pond.

    Re-Release: Excelerating Dairy – CMAB VP of Business Development Bob Carroll

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 24:06


    In this special re-release of VentureFuel Visionaries, we're excited to welcome Bob Carroll, Vice President of Business Development at the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). As we count down to the 6th year of the Real California Exceleator on November 14th, Bob shares insights on how CMAB—backed by California's pioneering dairy farm families—leads the way in sustainable dairy farming practices.

    Empowering Growth: Marlene Orozco on Latino Entrepreneurship and Access to Capital

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 30:13


    Marlene Orozco, lead research analyst at the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, joins us to discuss the unique challenges faced by Hispanic entrepreneurs, particularly in accessing capital. With her background in sociology, Marlene highlights the initiative's role in advancing Latino entrepreneurship, shares key insights from impactful research projects, and emphasizes the importance of networks and collaborations for scaling businesses. Tune in to learn how her work informs policy and empowers underrepresented entrepreneurs in today's landscape

    Re-Release: Philanthropic Venturing — Valiente Fund's Maria Rodriguez

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 20:12


    In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are re-releasing this episode featuring Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Valiente Fund, a collaborative focused on increasing philanthropic investment in Latine leaders, organizations, and communities. Maria shares insights on the importance of innovation in critical moments, scaling bold solutions, and the power of microecosystems. We also discuss the value of starting before you're ready and how collaboration can drive systemic change.

    NFL to Venture - Champion Venture Partners Founder Marques Colston

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 25:29


    Former NFL star (one of the top 50 wide receivers in NFL history and the New Orleans Saints' all-time leader in every major statistical category for his position) and entrepreneur Marques Colston joins us to discuss the future of sports and the new value chain in sports. As the Founder of Champion Venture Partners, Marques has created a new investment model which unites everyone from casual fans to accredited investors into a single fund, unlocking secure wealth-building opportunities in alternative investment markets. We talk about the emerging opportunities in sports beyond the Big 5 leagues, why media rights and appointment viewing will continue to expand and how technology is creating competitive advantage on a team and league level.

    Re-Release: Empowering Latino Entrepreneurs with Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt of Raza Development Fund

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 24:19


    In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we're re-releasing this insightful episode with Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt, Senior Director at Raza Development Fund (RDF). Natalia discusses how RDF unlocks the $2.1 trillion revenue potential of Latino-owned businesses through creative financing solutions, including equity-like revenue-based loans. She also highlights the crucial role of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and the importance of empowering under-resourced entrepreneurs to drive meaningful economic change.

    What Needs to Be Done - Stand Together Venture Lab Fellow Paolo Narciso

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 31:31


    What Needs to Be Done? Is Better Possible? Where do the seeds of change begin, and can entrepreneurs really solve society's biggest challenges? Paolo Narciso is a Build Fellow at Stand Together Ventures Lab. STVL invests and builds to change society with founders and teams who are obsessed with showing that better is possible. Today, we talk about how he is re-imagining healthcare as well as his book “From Founder to CEO,” a transformative guide for entrepreneurs navigating the crucial transition from founding to leading.

    Leap Venture Studio – Mars Petcare Director Ventures Rachel Sheppard

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 25:45


    “Further, Faster.” Rachel Shepphard, Director of Ventures for Mars Pet Care, shares how the Leap Venture Studio & Academy ignites impactful growth for pet care startups.7 out of 10 US households have a pet, with 97% considering the pet a part of the family - which explains the $320+ billion global pet care market (predicted to get to $500bn by 2030). In this episode, we discuss the future of pet care, exciting startups, and new technologies, as well as how to find adjacent and emerging opportunities and the value of holding frameworks lightly in the fast-moving world of innovation.

    Path Ahead Ventures – REI Dan Kihanya

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 24:23


    Dan Kihanya is the Director of REI's Path Ahead Ventures, a $30 million fund aimed at supporting founders of color in the outdoor industry. Launched in 2021, this program focuses on providing resources, mentorship, and funding to help diverse entrepreneurs start and scale their businesses. They have multiple programs like Embark (for early-stage founders), Navigate (for enterprise-ready founders that could sell into REI) as well as the more traditional fund – all built to meet Founders where they are in the journey. In this episode we discuss how diversity drives innovation and how Path Ahead is closing the gap between the 1% of founders who identify as a person of color vs. the 30%+ of outdoor participants identifying as such.

    Figure Eight – Author Marcelo DeSantis

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 26:13


    Marcelo De Santis is a seasoned C-suite leader (former executive at Thoughtworks, Pirelli, and Mondelēz International), and his new book, Figure Eight, unlocks the secrets of leadership in our rapidly evolving world where technology and humanity converge. We talk about leadership in fast times, accelerating time to market, executive mountaineering through humility and empathy, and having more questions than answers. How far from the core should you explore, and what mental barriers you must overcome in order to drive transformation?

    Re-Release: Where Ideas Take Flight: Glasswing Ventures' Rudina Seseri On AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 33:11


    In this special re-release, we dive into the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence with Rudina Seseri, Managing Partner at Glasswing Ventures, as she reflects on AI investment and innovation. Rudina provides an analysis of the AI industry, addressing pressing questions on the technology's evolution and her assessment of its long-term potential to impact the enterprise.

    Entrepreneur-Based Community Development - Raza Development Fund Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 24:25


    Natalia Rodriguez-Hilt is the Senior Director of UnidosUS Affiliate Development and Small Business Strategies at Raza Development Fund. Natalia is a seasoned expert in economic and community development, with a passion for driving economic opportunity for entrepreneurs in underrepresented communities. We discuss how RDF unleashes unleash the power, potential and promise of Latino and other under-resourced communities to accelerate the $2.1 Trillion Dollar incremental revenue potential of Latino-owned business. WE talk about the need for creative financing to enable that growth (such as Equity-Like revenue-based loans), the role of CDFIs and how to empower entrepreneurs to ignite change.

    25 Lessons to Unlock Corporate Innovation –Co-Founder Webex Hologram Elizabeth Bieneck

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2024 29:44


    Elizabeth Bieniek, author of Cake on Tuesdays: 25 Lessons To Unlock Corporate Innovation, shares her blueprint for executing change within complex organizations. She co-founded Webex Hologram, the industry's first holographic collaboration system, while at Cisco and here explores the intricacies of innovation and leadership, offering valuable insights for aspiring innovators inside and outside of large companies with gems like “find the angel in the marble,” “add oil and reduce friction,” “nobody cares until you make them” and the hilarious “don't be a flat squirrel.”

    Exciting Re-Release: Dive into Collaboration to Grow with PepsiCo & the California Milk Advisory Board

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 45:43


    We are thrilled to announce the re-release of one of our more popular podcast episodes, featuring a captivating conversation on collaboration and growth with industry leaders from PepsiCo and the California Milk Advisory Board. Hosted by Fred Schonenberg, founder and CEO of VentureFuel, this episode delves deep into innovative strategies and real-world examples of successful partnerships.

    Silicon Prairie and The Future of the Semiconductor Industry - GlobalWafers Co. EVP Brent Omdahl

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2024 28:12


    GlobalWafers is a global leader in semiconductor technology, providing innovative, advanced silicon wafer solutions to integrated chip manufacturers worldwide. Brent Omdahl, Executive Vice President for Government Affairs, has over 20 years of deep experience counseling U.S. firms on international market entry strategies and advising foreign firms on U.S. greenfield investment. We talk about Silicon Prairie, how to navigate international innovation (specifically Asian and African markets), the role of regulation, industrial policy, and the semiconductor industry's future. There will also be some fun innovation conversations around supply chain strategy, fixed-wing drones, microfinancing, nanometers, and advanced packaging.

    Interactive Characters & Immersive AI with Inworld AI CEO Kylan Gibbs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 22:28


    In this episode, Vanessa Rosato sits down with Kylan Gibbs, CEO and Co-founder of Inworld AI. They delve into the groundbreaking work of Inworld AI, a platform that's transforming gaming and media by making virtual characters more lifelike and interactive. Kylan shares insights on the unique value proposition of Inworld, their innovative approach to AI in gaming, and what the future holds for the company. From the impact of interactive characters on storytelling to the social benefits of immersive AI, this conversation explores the cutting edge of technology and its potential to reshape our digital experiences.

    Commercializing Emerging Tech - Yale Ventures Director of the Roberts Innovation Fund Claudia Reuter

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 26:47


    The Roberts Innovation Fund was launched in 2022 to provide funding, mentoring, and strategic support for Yale faculty-led projects to assist in the commercialization of breakthrough inventions that solve real-world problems. New methods to purify our water, advance quantum computing, democratize artificial intelligence, and deliver life-saving drugs are just some of the projects funded by the 2024 Roberts Innovation Fund Awards, providing $1 million in accelerator funding to support 10 new inventions led by faculty from Yale's School of Engineering & Applied Science. Director Claudia Reuter shares her insights on how to commercialize emerging technologies, how to innovation within a large organization.

    CVC to CVP – TDK, JP Morgan Chase, LG Electronics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 34:39


    Corporate Venture Capital to Corporate Venture Partnerships, we examine the evolving role of CVC, why it matters for startups and investors + trade secrets on sourcing and vetting the best startup investment opportunities. Featuring: Elias Chavarria of TDK Ventures, Min Park of J.P. Morgan Sustainable Growth Equity, and Joshua Di Frances of LG Electronics

    Navigating Clean Tech Investing – Earthshot Ventures Managing Partner Mike Jackson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2024 27:37


    Mike Jackson, Managing Partner of Earthshot Ventures. Earthshot Ventures invests in entrepreneurs making a dent in climate change. Collectively, their team has invested in 200+ startups over the last fourteen years and Mike's investments have collectively raised over $1.1 billion in follow-on funding from Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, BlackRock, Microsoft, Google, Patagonia, and the like. We talk about the business models and playbooks that work, “what can go right” thinking, specific areas of climate tech that are most interesting, the future of sustainable entrepreneurship and the role of large corporations in the clean tech.

    Defending Your Reality: Cybersecurity & Gen AI with Ben Colman of Reality Defender

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 26:15


    Ben Colman is the founder of Reality Defender, the leading deepfake detection platform helping enterprises flag fraudulent users and content. In this episode, join us as we dive deep into the world of AI, cybersecurity, and the innovative solutions being developed to protect our reality in an increasingly digital age.

    From Setback to Success - The Role of Resilience and Strategy in Gotham FC's Rise with Yael Averbuch and Nan Vogel

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 34:23


    Originally recorded at our 2024 Rogue Women event earlier this spring, Fred Schonenberg, VentureFuel's Founder and CEO dived into the heart of Gotham FC's remarkable comeback story with Yael Averbuch West, the General Manager and Head of Soccer Operations; and Nan Vogel, Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Game Day at Gotham FC. Hear how a mix of resilience, strategic foresight, and unwavering determination helped them pivot from enduring one of the league's toughest seasons to securing their inaugural NWSL championship.

    Resilient, Steady, And Disciplined with Caroline Lewis, Sydney Paige Thomas, McKeever “Mac” Conwell II, and Yao Huang

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 45:42


    At our 2024 Rogue Women event earlier this spring, Yao Huang, founder of The Hatchery, moderated a panel discussion with venture capitalists. The panel included Caroline Lewis, Managing Partner of Rogue Women's Fund; Sydney Paige Thomas, Founder and General Partner of Symphonic Capital; and McKeever "Mac" Conwell II, Managing Partner of RareBreed Ventures. Understand the strategies that enabled these venture capitalists to invest in the overlooked and the results they've realized: a thriving portfolio.

    Disrupting the Food Business – The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 32:54


    Thoughts: 5 years from now, grocery stores will be half the size and entirely stocked with fresh products served by subject matter experts (the baker, the monger, the butcher). The back half of the store will be mini-fulfillment centers with autonomous robots packing personalized orders of your non-emotional staples and customizing your outputs based on Gen AI and personalized dietary preferences. In a way, future technology and innovations will allow you to return to the grocery store your grandparents enjoyed. How else will Silicon Valley Culture Disrupt the Food Business? Tune in to this special interview with the Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert in the latest installment of The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast. 

    Driving Resilient Growth through Corporate- Startup Partnerships with Limor Schafman, Lizzie Naylor, Shira Averbuch, and Danielle Cohn

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 39:07


    At our 2024 Rogue Women event earlier this spring, Danielle Cohn, Founding Partner and CEO of The Wave Ventures, hosted a panel discussion with executives from corporate companies. The panel included Limor Schafman, Director of Operations and Programs at LG NOVA, a division of LG Electronics that collaborates with startups to develop businesses; Lizzie Naylor, Global Platform Manager for Start Path, Mastercard's acclaimed startup engagement program; and our own Shira Averbuch, Vice President of Innovation and Partnerships at VentureFuel. Find out how these executives are partnering enterprise organizations with startups to drive growth and create new markets, together.

    What's Next Now: Building an Innovation Ecosystem

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2024 57:05


    Last week, we had an 'Ask Me Anything' session with Danielle Cohn, CEO and Founding Partner of Wave Ventures, on Building an Innovation Ecosystem for Enterprise Organizations. The discussion centers on Danielle's leadership in a top Fortune 30 innovation function. Danielle shared insights on founding an award-winning startup platform and emphasized creating innovation spaces in large organizations and nurturing startup engagement.

    Advocacy, Access & Acceleration with Charlotte Newman and Aina Fadina

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024 42:01


    A fireside chat originally recorded at our 2024 Rogue Women event earlier this spring, The theme Advocacy Access and Acceleration features a wonderful discussion with Charlotte Newman, Global Head of underrepresented founder and investor startup business development. Charlotte is a global business development leader for Amazon Web Services, and a former entrepreneur who leads the AWS startup strategy to engage and accelerate underrepresented founders and investors. During this conversation, moderated by rogue women fellow, Aina Fadina, they talk about how AWS is reshaping the innovation ecosystem by providing founders with the resources and networks needed to succeed.

    Scaling Climate Technologies - Elemental Excelerator COO Avra van der Zee

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024 24:24


    Avra van der Zee is the COO of Elemental Excelerator, a global climate technology accelerator started in Honolulu with over 150 portfolio companies that have received over $8B in follow-on funding. We talk about using entrepreneurship for social change, catalytic capital, how to scale new technologies and the role of corporates in solving the climate challenge and the economic benefit of societal impact – including great case studies of United Airlines and Amazon.

    Igniting Innovation In the Corporate World - Philipp Willigmann

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 26:41


    Philipp has over two decades of expertise catalyzing the evolution of Fortune 500s, like Deloitte and Vontier, to drive transformative impact. We discuss Corporate Venturing and its various iterations, from Accelerators to Venture Studios to Pilots to Partnerships to Hackathons, and why insights from this work not only inform strategic decisions but can make future growth like “selling ice cream on the beach.”

    From Underdog to Top Dog with Jamie Norwood & Cynthia Blotch, Isoken Igbinedion, Kathryn Harrison, and Kathleen Carbone

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2024 39:30


    Originally recorded at our 2024 Rogue Women event earlier this spring, Kathleen Carbone, Principal, Director of Advisory, and a Senior Family Advisor at Parcion Private Wealth, led a panel discussion featuring founders from three startup companies. On the panel were Jamie Norwood & Cynthia Plotch, the dynamic duo behind FemTech startup Stix, Isoken Igbinedion, Founder and CEO of Parfait, an AI-powered startup disrupting the $13 billion custom wig industry, and Kathryn Harrison, Founder and CEO of Magpie, the world's first AI powered inventory and sales management system for collectible sellers. Hear how these founders went from overlooked during the hype to steady and soaring during a downturn.

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