Podcast appearances and mentions of marco annunziata

How can we transform fragmented urban transportation networks into resilient, adaptive ecosystems that drive economic value while addressing complex societal challenges? In this episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata engages with Robin Hutcheson, whose multifaceted expertise spans the complex urban transportation ecosystem. The conversation explores how cities generate more than 80% of global GDP despite occupying limited physical space, and function as dynamic testbeds for next-generation mobility systems. Drawing from her leadership roles at USDOT, FMCSA, and city transportation departments, Robin shares data-driven insights about the 43,000 annual highway fatalities in America and the disproportionate impact on pedestrians. HighlightsMarket Transformation: Cities generate 80% of global GDP while housing 56% of the world's population, creating an unprecedented market opportunity for integrated mobility solutions as urbanization accelerates to 70% by 2050.System Failure Metrics: The 43,000 annual American highway fatalities represent a systemic market inefficiency with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, signaling urgent demand for transformative intervention and cross-sector collaboration.Funding Catalysts: The $5 billion Safe Streets for All program demonstrates how policy innovations can create new market structures connecting federal capital, local implementation, and private sector solutions—a replicable framework for other ecosystem transformations.Digital Twin Integration: Curb space digitization represents a breakthrough application of digital twin technology, creating a networked intelligence layer that optimizes multi-modal system performance across freight logistics, emissions reduction, and public space allocation.Strategic Intervention Points: Urban arterials function as critical nodes where targeted technological and infrastructure interventions can simultaneously cascade improvements across safety, climate, and equity metrics, offering maximum return on transformation investment. The discussion reveals how orchestrating urban mobility requires coordinated physical and digital interventions that break traditional sector boundaries. Robin demonstrates how systems-based orchestration can transform our fragmented approach to urban mobility into adaptive, resilient networks that simultaneously unlock economic value, reduce negative externalities, and create more equitable outcomes—a model applicable to multiple complex system transformations beyond transportation. #EcosystemOrchestration #DigitalTwinInfrastructure #SystemsTransformation #TransportationFinance #ComplexAdaptiveNetworks #UrbanMobilityValue #CrossSectorCollaboration #NextGenCityDesign #DataDrivenUrbanization #ConvexInnovationGuest: Robin Hutcheson, Hutcheson Advisory, LLCHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata Desai Partners Series Hosts:Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works Ecosystemic Futures is provided by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project in collaboration with Shoshin Works.

How do boundary zones fuel innovation breakthroughs in complex organizations?Join host Marco Annunziata as he welcomes Jaspar Roos, a member of the European Commission's OISP innovation group and founding partner of the Human and Tech Institute. With MIT credentials in AI Strategy and implementation experience with ISO56001 innovation frameworks, Jaspar examines how ecosystemic models are reshaping societal governance and network orchestration systems.This conversation explores how 80% of employees, typically outside headquarters, remain disconnected from innovation initiatives, despite organizations investing heavily in AI and digital transformation. Jaspar presents neuroscientific evidence on how the "water cooler effect" creates cognitive transformation: when employees step away from structured work environments, dopamine release facilitates relaxation, leading to the serendipitous interactions that drive breakthrough thinking.Innovation Paradox: 95% of non-tech companies investing in AI will generate no meaningful ROI despite significant expenditure Neuroscience Insight: Water cooler interactions trigger dopamine releases that neurologically prime employees for breakthrough thinking Organizational Blindspot: Top-down innovation efforts fail because 80% of frontline employees lack access to digital transformation tools Edge Systems Theory: Most disruptive innovations emerge at ecosystem boundaries where traditional operating norms converge Metrics Gap: Traditional innovation KPIs measure activity rather than impact, creating "innovation theater" without economic transformationAnalyzing case studies from his portfolio of digital innovation projects, Jaspar reveals the dialectical tension between conformity and transformation. He examines how successful organizations like Amazon implement synchronous communication protocols to overcome innovation paradoxes, while drawing parallels to the Swift financial network's transformation. This episode offers a systems-thinking approach to understanding how innovation emerges at ecosystem boundaries where traditional operating norms are being replaced with new economic engines for the digital era.Guest: Jaspar Roos, Founder and CEO of Limpid & CoHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin WorksEcosystemic Futures is provided by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project in collaboration with Shoshin Works.#EcosystemicFutures #SystemsThinking #InnovationScience #Futures #NeuroscienceOfCreativity

What can a 5,000-year-old textile teach us about cutting-edge technology?In this episode of Ecosystemic Futures, presented by NASA's Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project in collaboration with Shoshin Works, host Marco Annunziata explores the revolutionary potential of silk as a biomaterial platform with Dr. Fiorenzo Omenetto, the Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering at Tufts University. From a chance hallway conversation to pioneering a new field of material science, Fio shares how his Silk Lab transforms this ancient textile into a technological powerhouse with applications spanning medicine, environmental monitoring, and sustainable manufacturing.This conversation delves deep into the scientific principles behind silk's remarkable properties, the cross-disciplinary innovation process that drives discovery, and how an ecosystemic approach to innovation—bringing together academics, industry partners, and experts from seemingly unrelated fields—creates unprecedented opportunities for technological advancement. For researchers, innovators, futurists, and forward-thinking business leaders, this episode offers a compelling vision of how nature-inspired technologies might shape our collective futures.Highlights:Material Magic Through Functional Properties: Silk isn't just a replacement for plastics or other materials; its unique properties enable entirely new functions that conventional materials cannot achieve, creating novel market opportunities rather than competing with established solutions.The Biocompatible-Technical Interface: Silk is a crucial bridge between biological and technological worlds, allowing for innovations like biologically reactive inks that can be printed onto surfaces to create low-cost diagnostic tools.Scaling Breakthrough: After years of lab-scale production (50-100 liters annually), industrial partners have scaled silk solution production to approximately 100 million liters per year, enabling commercial applications.Nature's Engineering Excellence: Biomimicry principles reveal sophisticated properties like the optical networks in orchid leaves that efficiently capture and distribute light—lessons that can inform technological solutions.The Ecosystem of Innovation: The most groundbreaking discoveries happen at the intersection of disciplines in environments that foster serendipitous connections—from cafeteria conversations to diverse lab compositions that bring together engineers, designers, and musicians.Guest: Dr. Fiorenzo Omenetto, the Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering at Tufts UniversityHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

Is your organization built for a world where 90% of organizational value now comes from intangibles? Rita McGrath explores why traditional hierarchies are dissolving into ecosystem constellations.In this thought-provoking episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata welcomes Columbia Business School professor and strategy expert Rita McGrath to discuss how ecosystemic thinking can help organizations navigate major economic inflection points. Professor McGrath reveals how our economic ecosystem is undergoing a profound transformation. According to recent studies, intangible assets now account for 90% of S&P 500 market value, dramatically increasing from just 17% in 1975. This shift dissolves traditionalorganizational boundaries and creates new ecosystem models where "the unit of value creation is small teams or even individuals" connected in constellation-like networks rather than hierarchical structures.Highlights• Strategic inflection points represent moments when industry assumptions fundamentally shift, creating both opportunities and threats for organizations• Intangible assets now account for 90% of S&P 500 market value (up from 17% in 1975), transforming how value is created and captured• The "unit of value creation" is shifting from large corporations to ecosystem constellations of small teams and individuals• "Memories from the future" methodology helps leaders identify early warning signals of strategic inflection points before they fully materialize• AI-powered digital twins are revolutionizing supply chains, enabling organizations to model thousands of response scenarios to disruptions in minutesThe conversation examines how interconnected global systems are being reshaped by dematerialization, with examples ranging from vertical urban farming projected to reach $35.8 billion by 2032 to Hyundai's revolutionary vertical car manufacturing facility in Singapore. Rita and Marco explore how AI-powered digital twins transform supply chain ecosystems, allowing companies like Kraft Heinz to model thousands of response scenarios to disruptions in minutes—a task that is impossible for human analysts.As one of the world's top-10 ranked management thinkers, Rita McGrath offers scientists, technologists, and forward-thinking executives a framework for identifying early ecosystem signals through "memories from the future"—a robust methodology for navigating the transition from our petroleum-based past to our digital, ecosystemic future where intangible investment has consistently outpaced tangible investment since 2008 across major economies. Guest: Rita McGrath, Best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and longtime professor at Columbia Business SchoolHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

Could the next nanotechnology breakthrough come from a college student's laptop rather than a million-dollar lab?In this Ecosystemic Futures episode, Marco Annunziata speaks with Dr. Aaron Santos, physicist and president of DNP123 Company. Santos examines nanotechnology as complex molecular networks rather than isolated components.Santos explains why physics fundamentally changes at nanoscale, requiring new paradigms. Despite predictions in the 1990s of a trillion-dollar nanotechnology industry by 2015, the field evolved differently—with mRNA vaccines and semiconductor advances representing "hidden successes" that power other technologies without the nanotech label.The conversation details how cloud laboratories and AI tools are breaking the million-dollar equipment barrier, thereby creating a research ecosystem that was previously impossible. Santos argues that nanotechnology exemplifies emergent properties in complex systems, where the collective behavior of simple molecules creates sophisticated functions—a model future nanotechnology will follow rather than the "smart nanobots" of science fiction. This extends to broader implications for society, economics, and consciousness in a world where atomic-scale manipulation reshapes our understanding of scarcity. Highlights:Scale Physics: Surface area (L²) vs. volume (L³) scaling transforms force dominance at nanoscaleEmergent Properties: Complex protein networks outperform theoretical discrete nanobotsResearch Infrastructure: Cloud labs democratize physical experimentation Network Theory Applications: Mathematical frameworks apply across nanoscale and macroscale systems Research-to-Market Gap: Critical funding void between academic research and commercial products Santos demonstrates why network approaches now replace reductionist models across scientific domains.Guest: Dr. Aaron Santos, physicist and president of DNP123 CompanyHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

In this eye-opening episode of Ecosystemic Futures, hosts Marco Annunziata and Vikram Shyam welcome Dr. Giulia Ajmone Marsan, Head of Startups and Inclusion, at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. Dr. Marsan challenges conventional wisdom about innovation with complex data. In just 20 years, the global share of patenting activity from OECD countries has dropped dramatically by 20 percentage points, signaling a significant shift in the geography of innovation.The conversation highlights how emerging markets are becoming powerful engines of innovation. Dr. Marsan provides fascinating examples of innovation born from necessity, including Southeast Asian fintech "super apps" that have brought banking to millions of previously unbanked individuals, Estonia's digital government revolution built from scratch after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Brazil's central bank-led open banking policy that has sparked a fintech transformation.Dr. Marsan explains how the absence of legacy infrastructure often becomes an advantage, allowing emerging economies to leapfrog directly to cutting-edge solutions. She discusses the phenomenon of "Silicon Bali," where digital nomads are transforming tourism-dependent economies into knowledge hubs. She examines how talent mobility, diaspora connections, and targeted visa programs are reshaping global innovation ecosystems. The conversation also addresses the critical balance between opportunity and inequality, exploring how innovation can advance sustainable development goals while requiring thoughtful policy to ensure benefits are widely shared.Highlights• Shifting Innovation Geography: Patent activity from OECD countries dropped 20 percentage points in just two decades, with innovation hotspots emerging across Southeast Asia, India, Brazil, and Africa • Financial Inclusion Revolution: How Southeast Asian super apps evolved from retail platforms to provide e-wallets, microloans, and microinsurance to previously unbanked populations • The Leapfrog Advantage: Countries without legacy infrastructure (like Estonia after the Soviet collapse) can build more innovative systems from scratch • Talent Mobility as Catalyst: The rise of "Silicon Bali" and how entrepreneurship visas and digital nomad programs are reshaping local economies• Digital Public Infrastructure: India's and Brazil's government-led innovation initiatives that created open platforms for entrepreneurial growthGuest: Dr. Giulia Ajmone Marsan, Head of Startups and Inclusion of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East AsiaHosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterMarco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

In this data-driven episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata interviews Dr. Tiffany Vora, a molecular biologist, Singularity Fellow in Biotechnology, and Vice President for Innovation Partnerships at ExploreMars. Drawing from her background in pharmaceutical research, teaching at Stanford University, and extensive work in space innovation, Dr. Vora examines how synthetic biology advancesthe development of specialized biosystems for space exploration. The discussion explores her recent publication "Space Synthetic Biology: A Paradigm for Sustainability on Earth and Beyond," detailing how technological convergence enables us to read, write, and engineer the source code of life with unprecedented precision. Dr. Vora presents research on how advanced biosystems can solve critical space exploration challenges through on-demand manufacturing of medicines, materials, and food.The episode offers actionable insights for leveraging genetic chassis organisms, flight-tested hardware for biological manufacturing, and shelf-stable reagents that deliver value for space missions and remote Earth locations. Dr. Vora outlines how these advanced biosystems can form the foundation of circular economies in space habitats where waste becomes valuable feedstock for new biological production cycles.HighlightsDNA as Programming Language: Life on Earth stores information as A, C, T, and G—a biological code we can now read, write, and edit with precision for space applications.Advanced Genetic Chassis: Researchers are developing customizable biological platforms that can be optimized for Mars's unique conditions, including radiation, salinity, and reduced light.Space Bioeconomy: "Making it" versus "taking it"—creating on-demand medicines, materials, and food in space solves critical up-mass constraints for long-duration missions.Extremophile Inspiration: Organisms that thrive in nuclear waste, salt flats, and other extreme Earth environments provide genetic blueprints for space-hardy biological systems.Flight-Tested Biomanufacturing: Developing hardware that enables small-batch, reproducible biological manufacturing in space environments has applications for both Mars missions and remote Earth locations.Circular Biosystems: Engineering biological processes where waste becomes feedstock for new materials and creates sustainable closed-loop systems essential for long-duration space habitation.Join us for this exceptional discussion. Guest: Dr. Tiffany Vora, Singularity Fellow in Biotechnology, and Vice President for Innovation Partnerships at ExploreMarsHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

In this fascinating episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata interviews Himanshu Bharadwaj, a design strategist who applies cognitive science principles from Eastern traditions to modern digitalecosystems. Trained at the National Institute of Design and Syracuse University, Bharadwaj presents empirical observations on how his Joyful Design methodology measurably improves innovation outcomes and team performance. The discussion examines the quantifiable limitations of current AI systems in replicating human consciousness, contrasting computational pattern recognition with the neurological cross-connections that drive human creativity. Bharadwaj references research on widespread workplace burnout (25% of Americans now take antidepressants) and presents case studies of ancient mind-training techniques that have transformed organizational systems.The episode offers actionable frameworks for ecosystem architects to integrate these evidence-based approaches into their design processes. It specifically emphasizes how changing brain physiologythrough targeted interventions can enhance divergent thinking, problem-solving capacity, and ecosystem resilience.HighlightsInformation vs. Intelligence: Bharadwaj distinguishes between information (data collection), knowledge (processing), and intelligence (creative application with intuition).AI's Creative Gap: Current AI lacks neural cross-connections between disparate ideas and subjective awareness ("the AI in AI").The Incompleteness Principle: External systems remain perpetually incomplete, while inner development provides the completeness that enhances external effectiveness.Neurological Enhancement: Targeted meditation and reflection techniques demonstrably alter brain physiology to improve creativity and leadership.Evolutionary Limitations: Workplace innovation suffers from primitive threat-detection circuits; specific interventions help activate higher functions.Science-Philosophy Convergence: Quantum physics discoveries are bridging the historical gap between scientific and philosophical understanding of reality.Join us for this exceptional discussion. Guest: Himanshu Bharadwaj, experienced design and strategy leader with a unique blend of Design Thinking, business strategy, and cognitive science.Host: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

Join host Marco Annunziata in conversation with Gloria Bouillon, distinguished aviation strategist and founder of Aviatrice Advisors, for a critical discussion on one of the nation's most strategic infrastructureopportunities. As global competition in advanced air mobility intensifies, the U.S. faces a pivotal moment in transforming its aviation infrastructure and urban transportation systems.From electric vertical takeoff vehicles to autonomous systems, we discover how emerging technologies can reshape our national airspace while creating new economic opportunities across regions.Learn how airports are evolving beyond traditional transportation hubs to become strategic assets driving regional development and competitiveness. This timely discussion explores the intricate balance between rapid technological innovation, infrastructure development, and community engagement - offering crucial insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders shaping America's aviation future. HighlightsThe urgent need for transformation in our advanced air mobility technologies and infrastructureMulti-stakeholder collaboration in aviation developmentBalancing innovation speed with regulatory requirementsAirport management and economic developmentInfrastructure funding and revenue generationEnergy challenges and sustainability considerationsPublic-private partnerships in aviationFuture trends in urban air mobility Guest: Gloria Bouillon - Aviation strategist, airport development expert, and founder of Aviatrice Advisors, with extensive experience in both public and private sectorsHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai PartnersSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

Join host Marco Annunziata and guest Dr. Sophia Ononye, Founder and CEO of The Sophia Consulting Firm, as they explore how scientificstorytelling reshapes healthcare ecosystems and drives systemic transformation.In this illuminating discussion, discover how emerging communication models are breaking down traditional boundaries betweenscientists, healthcare providers, and patients - creating new patterns of interaction and value creation. Learn how ecosystemic thinking revolutionizes everything from clinical trials to drug development while building more resilient healthcare systems.Highlights- How ecosystem models are reshaping healthcare communication- Building trust networks across healthcare stakeholders- New patterns of collaboration between industry, academia, and patients- Breaking down silos through scientific storytelling- Creating more resilient healthcare systems through trust and education- Cross-border healthcare innovation and knowledge sharingGuestDr. Sophia Ononye - Founder & CEO of The Sophia Consulting Firm, creator of the Amplifying Scientific Innovation video podcast,and a pioneering voice in scientific communication and healthcare equityHost Marco Annunziata - Co-founder of Annunziata + Desai Advisors and former Chief Economist and Head of Business Innovation Strategy at GE, bringing deep expertise in economic trends, technology, and innovationSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

In this episode, we dive into the cutting-edge world of AI simulations and their transformative impact on societal governance. Rob Auten, CEO and co-founder of Hexgram, shares insights from his experience developing AI-powered worlds for gaming and beyond. Joined by Marco Annunziata, the discussion explores how AI-driven simulations reshape how we understand complex systems, predict outcomes, and craft more dynamic interactions. From creating immersive, emotionally engaging gaming environments to exploring AI's role in industrial settings and policy-making, this conversation reveals the power and potential of simulation technology across industries.  Guest: Rob Auten, Chief Executive Officer at Hexagram Co-Host: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners Series Hosts:  Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research Center Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

Join us for an inspiring glimpse into the making of NEOM - arguably the world's leading sustainable, cognitive city and a living lab platform to evaluate the application of advanced technologies to elevate the human experience. In this episode, co-hosts Vikram Shyam and Marco Annunziata connect with our guest, Mansoor Hanif to explore the intersection of technology innovation, and economics - and unpack the myth of smart city design. Three factors are contributing to this next generation of truly smart cities: cohesive connectivity; ecosystemic data architecture; and universal standards for interoperability. A strong command of the regulatory landscape supports the development of an AI orchestration layer and a framework of transparency, trust, and the high-fidelity 'data halo'. Mansoor shares his perpsective regarding the key considerations and risks related to ecosystemic design, societal development and the need for future technologies to prioritize sustainability and ethical considerations. Tune in for a brilliant discussion of the future of economic development around the world. Guest: Mansoor Hanif Co-Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research Center Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners Series Hosts:  Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research Center Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

In today's episode, we explore the ecosystemic patterns across industry, society, and policy as Dyan Finkhousen and Marco Annunziata reflect on the intersection of diverse perspectives that have emerged from Seasons 1-4 of the Ecosystemic Futures Podcast.  Dyan and Marco delve into an insightful discussion about the interplay between advanced and general purpose technologies, trust, and governance - unpacking the opportunities and obstacles posed by technological advancements. They chase this back to the evolving work and organizational adaptation landscape, with implications for innovation, resilience, and lifelong learning. Tune in for an enlightening exploration of the dynamic forces shaping our world today and setting the stage for our future. Co-Hosts: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners 

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In today's episode of the Ecosystemic Futures podcast, our hosts sit down with Anne Connelly, a leader in international development, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, to discuss the key problems and opportunities that are instigating the exploration of blockchain-based capabilities, and how could blockchain enable a better path forward for humanity.     Guest: Anne Connelly, Instructor, University of Oxford Impact Finance Innovations Programme at Saïd Business School, Faculty, Boston University Blockchain-based Business Models for Social Impact   Co-hosts:  Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners on Twitter at @marcoannunziata James Villarubia, White House Presidential Innovation Fellow & Digital Strategist for CAS, NASA Series Host: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works and Ecosystemic Futures      Shoshin Works | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration | White House Presidential Innovation Fellows

Our first episode in this series on Blockchain & The Next Generation of Ecosystem Design - we discussed what blockchain is, how it works, and the landscape of problems and opportunities that can be addressed with this new capability. In today's episode of The Ecosystemic Futures Podcast, our hosts sit down with Anne Connelly, a leader in the blockchain space - to explore the vast array of potential future scenarios for society, industry and policy that could be enabled with blockchain technology. Blockchain gets a lot of attention these days, with financial technology and banking utilizing it as more data is shared worldwide and security is paramount. But what is blockchain and its popular network bitcoin? How does it work?  In today's episode of the Ecosystemic Futures podcast, our hosts sit down with Anne Connelly, a leader in international development, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, to discuss the key problems and opportunities that are instigating the exploration of blockchain-based capabilities, and how could blockchain enable a better path forward for humanity.      Guest: Anne Connelly, Instructor, University of Oxford Impact Finance Innovations Programme at Saïd Business School, Faculty, Boston University Blockchain-based Business Models for Social Impact   Co-hosts:  Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners on Twitter at @marcoannunziata James Villarubia, White House Presidential Innovation Fellow & Digital Strategist for CAS, NASA Series Host: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works and Ecosystemic Futures      Shoshin Works | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration | White House Presidential Innovation Fellows

To conclude this series on Blockchain & The Next Generation of Ecosystem Design - today's episode of The Ecosystemic Futures Podcast focuses on the future. Joining us for this discussion is Anne Connelly, a leader in the blockchain arena, who walks us through private and public sector roles, and the importance of ecosystemic orchestration in the digital era. In today's episode of the Ecosystemic Futures podcast, our hosts sit down with Anne Connelly, a leader in international development, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, to discuss the key problems and opportunities that are instigating the exploration of blockchain-based capabilities, and how could blockchain enable a better path forward for humanity. Guest: Anne Connelly, Instructor, University of Oxford Impact Finance Innovations Programme at Saïd Business School, Faculty, Boston University Blockchain-based Business Models for Social Impact Co-hosts:  Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners on Twitter at @marcoannunziata James Villarubia, White House Presidential Innovation Fellow & Digital Strategist for CAS, NASA Series Host: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works and Ecosystemic Futures  Shoshin Works | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration | White House Presidential Innovation Fellows

In this monthly series, Philip Stoten is joined by economists, Shawn Dubravac and Marco Annunziata to explore the latest economic trends and their impact on the EMS Industry.Shawn helps Philip understand the regular game of chicken that is the debt ceiling issue as well as filling him in on current economic headwinds and trends.They also explore the intersection of economics and government incentive with geopolitics as they impact the supply chain and the growth of the EMS industry.Like every episode of EMS@C-Level, this one was sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Adaptable Automation Specialist Launchpad.build (https://launchpad.build).You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

Platform-enabled Ecosystems to Power A Circular Economy As we look to the horizon of a sustainable future, a circular economy and its impact on our environment becomes ever more important. With the growth and reach of platforms throughout our economy and society, to what degree can circular systems be enabled by our platform economy?  This fascinating opportunity is the topic of today's Ecosystemic Futures podcast, as our co-hosts Marco Annunziata and Christopher Potter sit down with Dr. Peter Evans, the Chief Strategy Officer at MacFadyen Digital, to discuss the ways that platforms and ecosystems can power a circular economy, inform supply chain and sustainability, and unlock greater ecosystemic wellness within society. The Ecosystemic Futures Podcast is provided by Shoshin Works in collaboration with NASA Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project to help explore and share broadly technological advances and structural patterns that will help us better innovate, operate, and navigate in our increasingly connected world. Guest:  Dr. Peter Evans, the Chief Strategy Officer at MacFadyen Digital and Faculty Fast Future Fundamentals Co-hosts:  Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners Christopher Potter, Senior Research Scientist, Ecosystem Science & Technology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center Series Host: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works

In this new monthly series, Philip Stoten is joined alternately by economists, Shawn Dubravac and Marco Annunziata to explore the latest economic trends and their impact on the EMS Industry.In this episode Philip and Marco explore the fall out of banking issues like Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse as well as ongoing concerns around inflation and a potential recession. They explore what is really happening and what is likely to happen with interest rates as well as the impact of layoffs in the tech sector which seem to conflict with talent shortages in manufacturing.Philip asks Marco about his newest podcast 'Ecosystemic Futures' and if an ecosystem like the electronics manufacturing supply chain can quickly adapt to disruption and political pressure. The two wrap up exploring the short term future of globalization as it impact the EMS industry.the aforementioned podcast is well worth a listen and is available wherever you get your podcast including https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecosystemic-futures/id1675146725Like every episode of EMS@C-Level, this one was sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Adaptable Automation Specialist Launchpad.build (https://launchpad.build).You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

The topic of climate change ignites impassioned debate worldwide - a topic that has made its way into mainstream dialogue, from wall street to mainstreet, and achieved an extraordinary amount of global investment. The ecosystemic implications of this are fascinating. A global issue - with implications for society, industry, economy and policy. A long-standing debate. Yet clear consensus and paths forward remain elusive, suggesting potential misalignment in systems of information, and incentive. A leading concern is the belief that even the most aggressive reductions of greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to prevent their harmful impacts - especially to those people, organisms and ecosystems that are already vulnerable. While many believe solar geoengineering shows great potential to manage some components of climate change - it also poses environmental risks and governance challenges of its own. As we consider the global level of discourse, investment in research and development, and regulatory activity - it's imperative we In this episode, our hosts Chris Potter and Marco Annunziata sit down with International Environmental Policy expert Jesse Reynolds to discuss the capabilities and limitations of solar geoengineering, and where we go from here. Show Highlights: “Cutting emissions is a collective action problem where everybody kind of wants to drag their feet and hope that the rest of the world does a good job. And then the benefits of costly emissions cuts go to the future, whereas the costs are born by the present.” –Jesse Reynolds “Climate change economics often quickly gets into the trillions of dollars when you're talking about impacts or very aggressive emissions cuts. In fact, if anything, solar geoengineering looks too cheap, right? We don't need to reduce the cost. That's not a barrier here. So the question in terms of is it effective?It's yes … but. It can be thought of best as a palliative or an analgesic, a type of a medicine that temporary suppresses some of the worst symptoms while a cure is being researched and implemented.” –Jesse Reynolds “It turns out that the opponents of solar geoengineering have managed to stop these field experiments saying it crosses a rubicon, that this will legitimize something that we first need a global dialogue about. And you can see how it's the extremes feeding off of each other with the loser in this process being the generation of knowledge and trust that will be essential if solar geoengineering might be able to reduce climate change risks in the future, especially to the most vulnerable populations in the world.” –Jesse Reynolds Guest: Jesse Reynolds, Environmental Policy Expert Co-hosts: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners Christopher Potter, Senior Research Scientist, Ecosystem Science & Technology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center

In this new monthly series, Philip Stoten is joined by economists, Shawn Dubravac and Marco Annunziata to explore the latest economic trends and their impact on the EMS Industry.In this episode Philip and Shawn discuss the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and any potential contagion. They also explore the latest economic indicators, including interest rates, inflation, recession, jobs and much more to try and make some sense of the sometimes conflicting data.Shawn and Philip wrap up this thoughtful conversation with some sage advice for EMS leaders around the internal and external indicators they should be watching closely in the coming months.Like every episode of EMS@C-Level, this one was sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Adaptable Automation Specialist Launchpad.build (https://launchpad.build).You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

In a world where policy makers and business leaders focus on achieving single objectives - for some, that means saving lives; for others, achieving carbon neutrality; for others, creating a more equitable society.  The reality is, the narrative that focuses on the single noble outcome obscures the more important and nuanced reality - that there are no single-variable solutions, only trade-offs.  Every decision requires evaluating many contingencies - and  having a robust, rigorous, and Ecosystemic approach to optimizing complex systems is becoming increasingly important. Considering the components in decision-making models, and valuing the trade-offs between various cost and performance metrics is critical to optimizing complex systems. And openly communicating the trade-off decisions and rationale is essential to establish trust and transparency in the ecosystem impacted by those decisions. In this podcast episode, our hosts Marco Annunziata and James Villarubia sit down with Dr. Ed Powell to discuss the role and opportunity of value-driven model-based optimization, understanding the trade off between price and performance, looking at key performance indicators through a more systemic lens and how this approach can contribute to designing better Ecosystemic Futures.   Show Highlights:  “It's all economics… it's a question of the currency.” -G. Edward Powell “Seeing that everything is a tradeoff and what are the compromises…”  -G. Edward Powell   Guest: G. Edward Powell, PhD, CEO, TensorX, Inc on Twitter at @edpowell63   Co-hosts:  Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners on Twitter at @marcoannunziata James Villarubia, White House Presidential Innovation Fellow & Digital Strategist for CAS, NASA on Twitter at @james_mtc   #ecosystemicfutures

As we exit a period of high inflation, what does the economic framework look like moving forward?   On today's episode of the Ecosystemic Futures podcast, our hosts sit down with world-renowned economist Marco Annunziata, to discuss the financial impact of inflation, the factors influencing which direction it will take and the broader role that innovation plays in ecosystemic growth and health.   The stage is set for discussions on supply chain, sustainability and global warming, while considering the impact of governance and public policy, along with the role and risks associated with each.   Guest:  Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata + Desai Partners   Co-hosts: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works Vikram Shyam, Futurist, NASA Glenn Research Center Tom Cooke, Founder & CEO, Spacely G. Edward Powell, PhD, CEO, TensorX, Inc   #ecosystemicfutures

There are great economists and there are manufacturing and technology experts, someone who is both is indeed a rare thing. That why I invited former GE Chief Economist, TED speaker, Forbes Senior Contributor and long term friend and advisor to SCOOP to explore the current economic uncertainty and its impact on electronic manufacturing with me.In just twenty minutes we unpack supply side economic trends, demand signals, talent shortages, then need for speed (or agility) and prediction on the economy in 2023.Like every episode of EMS@C-Level, this one was sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Manufacturing Autonomy Specialist CloudNC (https://www.cloudnc.com).Like every episode of EMS@C-Level, this one was sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Adaptable Automation Specialist Launchpad.build (https://launchpad.build).You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

With interest rates rising and the economy slowing, the world of credit is getting a lot harder for both lenders and borrowers — and that's especially painful in the mortgage market, given how high house prices are. Matt Sanchez, Founder and CTO of CognitiveScale thinks that Artificial Intelligence can help: it can help loan officers identify potential borrowers ahead of time, and it can help borrowers get access to the right mortgage offers. Can it also help make the lending process more fair? Matt , an IBM veteran and a board member of the Responsible AI Institute, believes it can. In this talk with hosts Michael Leifman and Marco Annunziata, Matt explains the value that CognitiveScale's TrustStar solution brings to the table, and how. TrustStar is only one of the AI solutions developed by CognitiveScale, so you may hear more from Matt…

Developing Clean Energy Solutions With KraftBlock's Martin SchichtelAcross the world, a huge amount of energy is wasted in the form of heat. In industries like glass and steel, manufacturing processes require extremely high temperatures, and those processes generate a lot of wasted heat. That heat is usually blown directly into the atmosphere.But what if there was a way to capture, store, and reuse that heat, effectively transforming it into a climate-neutral energy source?That's exactly what Martin Schichtel set out to do. A chemist by training, Martin believes he has the answer in the form of a thermal energy storage system called “Kraftblock.”In this episode, Martin sat down with hosts Marco Annunziata and Michael Leifman to talk about Kraftblock and what it does, its many different applications, and how it may fundamentally change how we use energy.Show Highlights[00:49] Factoids about the energy sector[02:06] What is Kraftblock and what does it do?[02:40] How Kraftblock differs from other energy storage systems[04:10] The profile of an early adopter company that fits the mold for where Kraftblock currently is[04:56] Two applications for Kraftblock storage units[07:38] How Kraftblock differs from “green hydrogen” systems[09:21] What needs to happen for Kraftblock to scale up over the next 10 years[11:58] The state of the heat market[13:05] Closing statements

This is the final M4Edge episode of 2021 an we are finishing this year with a bang, Our guest is Alex Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Embark Trucks; he is a Forbes 30 under 30, and more importantly, at the tender age of 26 he has just brought Embark public through a SPAC deal valuing the company at over 5 billion dollars.Embark is right up the M4Edge alley, where we look at technologies that change the way the economy works: Embark develops software for self-driving trucks. Alex Rodrigues has a long-standing interest in automation: his passion for robots started when he was 11, so even though he's only 26, he is already kind of a veteran in robotics. In our interview he revealed a number of interesting insights on the present and the future of automation, and some of them are quite surprising. How is this for a nugget: here we have the founder of a self-driving trucks company predicting a bright future for truck drivers!We had a great conversation on where and why self-driving trucks could create – or at least preserve – jobs; but also on where they will be deployed first, and what they could imply for the future of logistics and distribution, quite an important topic given the recent dramatic supply chain disruptions.Alex also explained why the development of self-driving trucks might be very different from that of self-driving passenger cars; we talk about road safety and cyber-security, and about Embark's business model: they don't actually produce trucks, they are a SaaS company.And we close with Alex's reflections on the future of robotics and automation. This episode has everything we – and you – like best: an enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable guest, cutting edge technology, business model innovation and important implications for the way we live and work. Thanks for listening, Thanks for Being Curious, and as always, please share the episode and if you have a few minutes, leave us a review. We'll be back in 2022 with a brand new series we're planning, so…enjoy the holidays and STAY curious!

Our guest this week is Marco Annunziata. Marco has worked in policy, finance and industry, most recently as the chief economist and head of business innovation strategy at GE. He is a TED speaker and two-times winner of the Rybszynki prize for best paper in business economics for his book, “The Economics of the Financial Crisis”. He currently runs his own strategic advisory, Annunziata Desai Advisors.

After a long absence, we've returned with a very fun episode and right in line with the M4Edge theme. The startup we focus on today is really micro, in the weeds, you might say, with some very macro aims, and it's about as edgy as can be.You probably know that we've done several episodes on ESG or impact investing, and we've also done quite a few food-tech and ag-tech episodes. This episode is part of that series, but with some cool twists .We interview Dror Tamir, the CEO of Hargol Food Tech. Dror wants us all to be eating grasshoppers. Yes, I know, it sounds gross. Dror knows that too. But not everyone feels that way! It turns out that in many parts of the world, they are a delicacy. But Dror  doesn't expect those of us who grew up with Western diets to crunch on wings and legs, instead Hargol grinds up the grasshoppers into a powder, which you can blend with other foods, or even put in gummies. What's the big deal about grasshoppers? They are tiny little nutrition machines, so part of Dror's vision is protein for the world. There's a climate angle too, since reducing beef and poultry consumption will reduce emissions; there's a water angle, since growing this form of protein uses FAR less water than other animal production; there's an animal cruelty angle, since Hargol takes pains to kill the grasshoppers in a humane way. The stats on how healthy grasshoppers are for people and for the planet are frankly mindblowing. Beyond that, Hargol has internal ESG goals unrelated to their product, for example around hiring people with disabilities. Dror sees his mission as being an element of the Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam - repairing the world. Oh yeah, this is the Jewiest episode we've done, too. Marco compares Jewish grandmothers to Italian grandmothers, I talk about kosher laws, Dror explains a Hebrew pun and Marco even vocalizes an excellent chet. But all you goyim and our faithful M4Edge devotees shouldn't worry; it's an ecumenical episode - there's plenty in here about Hargol's approach to their market, their production process, their place within the booming food-tech scene and more. We know you'll enjoy the episode.And since you'll enjoy it, please share it with others, rate us on Apple Podcasts, post it on social media - you know what to do - spread the word.  And as always, thanks for being curious!

We seem drawn to Agtech and impact investing. And good-tasting fruit.We kicked off our 2021 season with a discussion on impact investing or socially responsible investing, including with a startup (EcoRobotix) that produces solar-power farming equipment for AI-based precision application of herbicide. We've done a few episodes in the Agtech space, including with a startup (Strella Biotech)  that uses sensors to determine optimal fruit ripening in storage, reduce food waste and make our avocados not crummy. In this episode we continue these trends, and learn from TrueAlgae CEO Nathaniel Jackson about how their product can improve crop yields while simultaneously improving the sweetness and nutrient density of fruit, all while saving farmers' money and helping reduce the GHG impact of agriculture. This company is a true "double bottom line" company, or more like triple bottom line. Nathaniel himself was an impact investor at the Inter-American Development Bank, and has strong personal stake in seeing the impact investment sector succeed.Please share the episode with your friends and ... thanks for being curious!

We are joined again by our friend and former colleague Ricky Buch. We’ve had Ricky on the show several times as small segments we called Ricky’s Reports from the Edge or sometimes full episodes we called Ricky’s Startup Reality. Ricky started a clean tech company - now the term of art is climate tech – called Loctricity. It was a great idea started by a smart guy with skills, knowledge, industry connections, in the right place and in the right time. But Loctricity is now on pause, and in this episode you’ll hear why, and how Ricky is still pursuing business opportunity in the distributed renewable energy space. The idea behind Ricky’s Reports and Ricky’s Startup Reality was to give listeners and inside view of what it’s like to start a company from scratch; in this episode, Ricky shares some thoughts about that process which I think are among the most insightful and sort of soul bearing that he’s shared so far.It’s been about a year since we last checked-in with Ricky, and what a year it’s been. We hope M4Edge listeners and your loved ones have stayed healthy, safe and sane, during 2020. Thanks for your loyalty, and we wish you – and everyone else – a MUCH better and happier 2021. Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the episode and, as always, thanks for being curious!Geoff Oxnam, American Microgrid SolutionsPositive Capital Partners

In this episode, the third in our series on startup strategy, Marco and I interview Guy Levy-Yurista , the chief strategy officer of Sisense. Sisense is an unusual business analytics or business intelligence (BI) startup, and Guy is an unusual, well, guy. Before becoming a CSO, Guy’s career included being a CTO, VP of Product, a PhD in physics, a sommelier, and more. So he brings a wealth of expertise and perspective to his job and to this conversation. We talk about what strategy means and what it means for a startup; we talk about how startups take risks; we talk about the methods for strategy; and how the job of a strategist gets done. But we also talk about AI and the singularity, what it means to think for a living , we of course talk about SciFi- but also the role SciFi plays in exercising our minds. Guy says that for him being a good strategist is all about curiosity. For M4Edge listeners, that should be a familiar refrain. Enjoy the episode and Thanks for Being Curious. Thank you to MyIpadRocks for their review on Apple Podcast. They wrote that M4Edge has an “exceptional list of guests and are on the cutting edge of thought leadership on how the use of data and manufacturing technology is evolving.” Thanks MyIPadRocks! Please write us a review, and we promise to read our favorite on the show and give you a quick shoutout for your troubles. These reviews do help, so please add yours.

Our miniseries on startups strategy continues today with Ron Carucci. Ron is a renowned strategy consultant with three decades of experience in large and small companies, and currently he is the owner and managing partner of his own strategy consulting outfit, Navalent. Ron is also a Harvard Business Review contributor, and a TED speaker.Through the lens of his extensive experience, Ron shares his views on the different strategic challenges that companies face, starting from some very basic questions: When and how does a company realize that its strategy no longer works and needs to be revamped? What are the classic blind spots, the cognitive biases if you will that can prevent a company from realizing that the strategy is no longer on track? We discuss with Ron the best techniques to identify and tackle the key challenges, and the tricks needed to bring everyone on board. We discuss the most typical transformational challenges that companies face, and how they can different across industries and between start-ups and larger companies. We also discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic and the current focus on social issues can further complicate corporate strategy, and how companies can adapt and respond.Companies today face unprecedented uncertainty across multiple, inter-related dimensions: the pandemic, economic disruption, geopolitical turmoil, and accelerating innovation. Developing a well-designed and flexible strategy has never been more important, and it’s never been harder. Ron has seen it all; listen to his advice.Enjoy the episode and thanks for being curious!

Today we kick off a new, special miniseries on strategy. We’ll unpack the different aspects of business strategy that a startup needs to develop, discuss how strategy evolves through time as a start-up goes to market and starts to grow, and talk about how strategy for a startup differs from strategy for a large corporation.We wanted to go well beyond our own strategy experience and expertise, and bring you a wide range of different viewpoints and fields of expertise. So we have assembled an incredibly diverse set of guests for this series.They include Sue Siegel, former Chief Innovation Officer at GE as well as the CEO of GE Ventures; Ron Carucci, a top strategy consultant, Harvard Business Review contributor, and TED speaker; and Guy Levy-Yurista, Chief Strategy Officer for tech startup Sisense. And, today's guest, who is just waaay too cool for us, Elma Beganovich. A crucial aspect of a start-up strategy lies in identifying your target customer base, understanding it and knowing how to reach it. So we were delighted when Elma accepted our invitation. Elma is the Co-founder and COO of Amra & Elma, a digital marketing agency she co-founded with her sister. Elma and Amra are two influencers with an impressive stack of academic credentials (a JD and LLM, in Elma’s case), and have worked with several top large companies as well as start-ups. We discuss influencer marketing, how to successfully develop brand recognition and how to build an effective PR strategy. We also delve into the challenges and changes brought about by the pandemic, and how companies can best adapt.The broad range of perspectives we bring you in these four conversations will show you what YOU need to develop a successful strategy – and to identify the companies most likely to succeed in this new environment. We’ve learned a lot in these four episodes, and hope you’ll enjoy them too! Thanks for being curious!

Our guest today is Sandeep Ahuja, co-founder and CEO of Cove Tool. Sandeep has been named to the Forbes’ prestigious “Thirty Under Thirty” list; the recognition has given her a great boost in exposure and credibility, but it can prove to be a mixed blessing in the construction industry, as you will hear. Sandeep founded Cove Tool to help fight climate change, and here are the two numbers she wants you to focus on: worldwide, buildings account for about 40% of energy consumption and carbon emissions, and yet about 50% of buildings are designed without even thinking of energy efficiency. Why? Mainly because addressing energy efficiency in construction is devilishly difficult. So Sandeep developed a web-based platform that helps optimize energy efficiency in a holistic way, taking into account all the elements that contribute to a building’s energy consumption; and it helps identify the most cost-effective way to reach specific energy-efficiency targets. What’s more, Cove Tool is accessible to pretty much anybody, not just big firms but small contractors, individual homeowners. We also discuss the role of generative design, the impact of regulations, the dismal state of productivity growth in the construction industry, and whether the rapid global adoption of software tools like Cove will cause buildings to look increasingly alike around the world. Sandeep has an infectious enthusiasm for transforming one of the oldest industries in the world, making for a very high-energy podcast. Enjoy the episode, share it with your friends and colleagues, mention it in your countless Zoom meetings…and give us a review on iTunes! Thanks for being curious.

M4Edge is about startups with technologies that can change how the economy functions. There’s very little that is as central to a functioning economy as energy, and that’s one reason why climate change is such a deep societal problem. There are also very few industries that are as important to a growing economy as the construction industry. And so today’s episode is one of a two-part miniseries on technologies that are aimed at the greening of the construction industry. Interestingly, both of our guests were recently named to the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list, for energy. Today’s guest is Apoorv Sinha of Carbon Upcycling Technologies, or CUT. CUT takes captured CO2 and then basically stores it, but not underground, as is one popular solution, but in commercial products. In fact, the presence of the carbon in the products, like cement, for example, actually makes the products more cost effective to produce because you use less original material, and it gives the products some enhanced qualities. It’s the trifecta. Better cost efficiency, better product, better environment. This is the kind of solution where, if it manages to scale, could be deeply impactful.Please review our show on Apple Podcasts and please share with anyone you think might be interested!As always, enjoy the episode and thanks for being curious!

Our episode today is about the future of ____. We left that last part blank because you can decide for yourself. We interview Jay Rogers and Vikrant Aggarwal who are, respectively, the CEO co-founder and president of Local Motors. I could tell you that Local Motors is an automotive manufacturing company, but that would be criminally uninformative. Local Motors makes vehicles that are unusual, and makes them in an unusual way. Their marquis product, Olli, is a fully autonomous, electric vehicle shuttle bus. Their manufacturing process relies on Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing, and is designed around "microfactories" – hence the local in local motors. This conversation is about the future of mobility, manufacturing, work, supply chain, energy, you decide. And, on what other podcast can you get a CEO talking about Nobel winning Harry Markowitz, Michael Porter, Nassim Taleb, Oprah Winfrey and the Wolverine movies?If you haven’t yet rated and reviewed our show – Please do! It only takes a minute, and it really helps. Starting with the next episode, we'll read our favorite review left for us on Apple Podcasts, so make a it a good one.

Today's bonus episode is about the multiple layers of uncertainty we are all facing right now. More specifically, the episode is meant to give you some insight into how M4 Strategy Garage can help your business untangle those uncertainties as you try to navigate the murky waters ahead. We have categorized the covid recovery uncertainty into five elements, and within each element have identified several variables we believe are important to monitor, in order to understand how the economy will respond to the pandemic over time. We've come up with three scenarios, which each comprising a combination of those variables in differing degrees. Listen to the episode to get a taste of what we're thinking and how we can help you. Reach out to us for some deeper advice. Forward the episode to people at your company who you think can benefit from our framing of the uncertainty. Post the episode on social media to help us spread the word about M4Edge. Rate the episode and review the show on Apple Podcast and ... Stay Curious and Stay Safe!

On today's episode we speak with Paul Appleby, the CEO of Kinetica. Paul has held leadership roles in some very prominent tech companies, including SAP, SalesForce and C3, and he's now at the helm a big data startup, so he’s definitely been at the center of our changing economy, and has a lot to reflect upon. We recorded our interview with Paul in early March of 2020 and we’ve delayed the release a bit because we wanted to give room for some of our M4 Corona Combatants mini-episodes to get some airtime and some of your mindshare. If you’ve not checked those out, please do. Of course, as you heard in the teaser quote at the top of the episode and as you’ll hear in the interview, Kinetica’s power and its platform can certainly be applied to many of the problems at hand in battling the Coronavirus. Kinetica’s strength is its ability to take massive amounts of structured and unstructured data from diverse sources, and do the analytics in real time. Kinetica offers a glimpse into some of the imagined capabilities we’ve seen in movies for years, whether it’s analyzing banking transactions on the fly or the millions of pieces of real time data flow from a fully automated traffic system to tracking the unfolding of a pandemic. As Paul says, they’re at the crossroads of data, business and AI, and it’s an exciting place to be. You’ll see that this is a classic M4Edge conversation. We cover a lot of ground from pandemics to terror threats to banking to dynamic supply chains, but also to what this all means for the future of work. We know you’re a curious lot, but even for us conversation really traversed a lot of ground, so buckle up. PLEASE write us a review on Apple Podcasts, it really does make a difference. And PLEASE share an episode or the show links with a friend or on social media, and help us build or community of Curious Listeners.

This episode is number 3 in our Corona Combatants series. In this series we’re trying to amplify the efforts of our guests and their companies who are using the tools at their disposal to help fight the sprawling battle against Corona. If you’ve not heard the other episodes in this series, please check them out – they include distance learning resources from Legends of Learning, accelerated lending and distance lending from Boss insights, and a Maker based effort to produced PPE by CU Denver and Make4Covid. In this episode, we highlight the work of two companies - 3DHubs - we'll hear from Ben Redwood, and Sorcero -we'll hear from Nnaemeka Osakwe. 3DHubs bookended our 2019 miniseries on 3Dprinting, and Sorcero was one of the first companies we ever had on the show, and one of our first repeat guests, so it’s heartening that both of these companies – very much part of the M4Edge community - are helping fight this fight. More of these Corona Combatants mini episodes are on the way – please really do share these with others, especially if you know someone who can help. Stay curious and healthy!https://covid19.sorcero.com/https://www.gofundme.com/f/covid19-manufacturing-fundhttps://www.m4edge.com/strategy-garage/

Our guest today is Keren Moynihan, founder and CEO of Boss Insights.Our conversation with Keren is especially timely, as we recorded this podcast on Monday, March 16th, 2020. Just the day before, Sunday March 15th , the US Federal Reserve held an emergency meeting and announced a set of monetary policy measures to support the economy during the #coronavirus crisis. The measures are strongly focused on the need to keep lending flowing to both businesses and individuals, to help them through what we all hope will be a temporary period of serious economic difficulty.This is where Keren comes in: Boss Insights has developed a set of tech applications and solutions to make lending faster, cheaper and better. In a nutshell, Boss Insights helps lenders like banks and credit unions to get fast and easy access to relevant data from the businesses that are borrowing from them or would like to borrow from them. This is especially relevant for private companies, which don’t have the same reporting requirements as publicly listed companies on the stock market. With these data, BossInsights can help banks understand their clients better. This means they can have a better assessment of the risk of the loans they make, but also of their customers’ evolving needs. For example, lenders can better anticipate whether a business will need foreign exchange services, or other financial services to manage its employees or its supply chain. The current crisis highlights how important it is for lenders to have a better, real-time understanding of their customers. The extreme social distancing measures adopted in the US and in some European countries will have a very negative impact on some sectors of the economy, and small businesses will be hit especially hard.The Fed has emphasized that banks should keep lending, to help their customers through this difficult period. For banks then it becomes crucial to be able to understand which customers face only a temporary disruption because of the shock, and which ones instead might have a more structural problem in their business model – because they need to focus their help on those businesses that can stand on their own feet once the crisis is over.Keren also talks about how the #Fintech revolution is transforming the financial sector, the role of Ai and more. It’s a great conversation on the prospects of finance and lending not just through this crisis but beyond it and well into the future.Enjoy the episode, share it with friends and colleagues, and if you can spare a few minutes do write us a review on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for being curious, and stay safe during this difficult time!

Our guest today is Katherine Sizov, Founder of Strella Biotechnology. This is our third Ag-tech show in our young 2nd season. We opened with Allison Kopf of Artemis, and this episode follow Hunter McDaniel of UbiQD. There will be more; it's one of our themes this season, and is increasingly important in the age of Corona-driven changes and challenges to our economy and supply chains.The first thing you should know is that Katherine is fresh out of college, and she founded Strella Biotechnology while she was still a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied molecular biology and chemistry. And by the way, she was also on the fencing team. Now to us, that’s quite impressive. Katherine decided to tackle an issue that affects every single one of us: food waste. Did you know that over one third of produce never reaches the consumer? Add in the share that does reach, but that we find unsatisfactory, and we are wasting close to one half of the fruit and vegetables harvest. And that’s in a developed country like the US, with the best refrigeration technology and transport infrastructure. Imagine in the developing world. If we want to address environmental sustainability and world hunger, we must reduce this waste. To do this, Katherine tried to figure out—as she puts it—how to hack a fruit. In this podcast, Katherine explains how fruits and vegetables talk to each other, why the expression “one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel” is actually scientifically accurate, and how Strella developed specialized biosensors to reduce food waste across the supply chain. This is a fascinating and sparkling conversation, full of surprising facts and insights on the fruits and vegetables we eat every day (at least we should) and how they get to our table. Plus you will hear directly form Katherine what it’s like to become a startup entrepreneur in college – what lessons has she drawn?Strella Biotechnology is one to watch –and so is Katherine, who is just getting started.Enjoy the episode, share it with friends and colleagues, and if you can spare a few minutes do write us a review on iTunes. Thanks for being curious!Another link to follow on Food Waste: John Oliver's masterful take on the problem a few years ago, which opened many people's eyes to this travesty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8xwLWb0lLY

Our guest today is Sam Kimzey, co-founder of Chaac Technologies. That’s a pretty unusual name for a tech company – Sam will explain where the name comes from and why it is so relevant to Chaac’s mission.Chaac’s technologies has developed an innovative solution to address simultaneously two of the biggest sustainability challenges the world faces today: access to clean water and access to clean energy. In places like the US and Europe we tend to take access to water for granted, but it is a major challenge in many parts of the world, a challenge we need to solve to improve living standards and boost economic growth. The solution that Chaac technologies has come up with is the most imaginative we have come across so far; we’ll let Sam describe it to you. We’ll just say that it’s out of the box ideas like these that give us confidence that we’ll eventually be able to put global growth on a fully sustainable path.Chaac technologies is also a perfect example of an early tech startup: two cofounders, both with a background in the military, and one big idea to help millions of people. Chaac technologies has already struck several high-profile affiliations—this is a company to follow very closely.Enjoy the episode, share it with friends and colleagues, and if you can spare a few minutes do write us a review on iTunes. Thanks for being curious!

In this episode, Dan is joined by Michael Leifman and Marco Annunziata, cohosts of M4Edge, a podcast that analyzes how technology impacts global economies. Dan and his guests discuss the ways that new technologies are going to evolve in developing countries, and how governments can support these efforts. The speakers highlight which technologies they think offer the most potential for economic growth and lifting people out of poverty. They also observe how many countries are unable to introduce new technologies because they do not have the regulatory policies in place to support technologies such as driverless cars. Lastly, they analyze concerns over how new technologies could be used with the military and security sector. Please listen to the full podcast to hear more.

We decided to kick off the new year, the new decade and our new season with the basics: food. Our guest Allison Kopf, founder of Artemis, set out to tackle a fundamental challenge -how to make sure the world can feed its rapidly growing population in a sustainable way. But Artemis approaches this grand problem in a very nuts-and-bolts way, namely by digitizing the agriculture supply chain so as to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce costs.Moreover, Artemis’ software enables traceability across the supply chain, which means greater security. If something goes wrong, someone gets sick, Artemis’ software will enable you to trace every step where the contamination could have occurred – and without blockchain! We also talk about the specific challenges of traceability in a biological chain, the key role of labor in agriculture and the impact of policy and immigration changes, and the challenges and opportunities for urban farming. This is a great conversation packed with insights on a sector that touches our daily lives like no other. We hope you enjoy it, pass it along and write us a review.In this episode, we also include a brief plug for our new venture, the M4 Strategy Garage. We have created a series of strategic advisory offerings tailored to startups in their growth phase. To learn more, send us a note to StrategyGarage@M4Edge.comhttps://artemisag.com/

We're trying to make the "Ricky's Startup Reality" segments into micro-episodes. That was difficult for us - especially Michael, who had many questions he forced himself to not ask. This is a small episode with big news for Ricky!And, since this is so short, you have plenty of time to write us a review on Apple Podcasts...If you've not listened to previous episodes of Ricky's Startup Reality, or Ricky's Reports from the Edge, as it was called until recently, you may need to go back and listen to a few, just to get the context. That doesn't excuse you from writing a review, though!

Our guest on today’s show is Andy Maggio of D6VR. That’s VR as in virtual reality. The D6 stands for 6 dimensions, and Andy will explain what that means. We’ve all heard the term virtual reality for years, but usually in science fiction, or more recently for serious gamers who want immersive experiences. But VR is maturing and is now being used for serious commercial purposes too. D6VR’s product is actually intended for data analysis, a far cry from the world flying or dinosaur fighting or roller-coaster riding you may otherwise associate with VR. Andy explains why and how VR can be powerful for business applications and collaborations. Moreover, D6VR the company is also part of a novel startup venture called the Glimpse Group, and you’ll hear a little about that today – it’s a clever way to spread investment bets within one sector, but also kind of an incubator. As you can imagine, Andy’s pretty bullish on where VR is going and what it means for the future of work, he talks about how quickly the tech has advanced in recent years, and where he thinks it’s going, and he talks about the confluence of different technologies that are involved. And Marco does NOT talk about Star Trek’s holodeck.Here's a video that gives a small taste of the D6VR experience, and here's another. Andy also provided us a video of D6VR used to analyze the US inflation rate, which is of course right in the sweet spot for M4Edge.Some other links:https://futurism.com/vr-app-replace-officeshttps://www.barrons.com/articles/tradings-future-arrives-with-a-pair-of-goofy-virtual-reality-goggles-51544837643https://medium.com/@GlimpseGroup/the-workspace-of-the-future-1e8dbc29ffd6

Our guest today is Anson Kung, former CTO and co-founder of A&K Robotics. (See below for "late breaking news" on Anson's role at A&K.) Today’s episode has our most thoughtful discussion so far of the impact that the robot revolution is likely to have on our lives. Anson is a first class roboticist, and has a deep insight in how quickly robots are improving, and which tasks they will likely take over in the near future. Michael, as you know by now, has a very pessimistic perspective—he is a true “robo-phobe”. I (Marco) have a more optimistic view, but in this episode you will hear me express quite a few concerns of my own. Speaking about the fear of robots in the job market, would you expect trade unions to be in favor of robots, or against them? Listen to Anson, and you might be surprised. You also probably don’t expect goats to feature in a discussion on robotics…but then again, we are not your average tech podcast…The robots developed by A&K Robotics are of the helpful and non-threatening variety. They help clean hospitals and other buildings, and they shuffle people around crowded airports. They don’t look like us, but in some ways they are surprisingly human: Anson will tell us how they manage to orient themselves in messy and crowded environments by recognizing landmarks. Their “infrastructure-free” navigation abilities imply that there is no need to retrofit buildings with beacons and sensors. And they learn fast—I found this especially impressive because my poor sense of direction is the stuff of legend among friends and family. Our admiration for these robots’ abilities sets the stage for a rich discussion: are they already stealing jobs from humans, or just making human workers safer and more productive? Maybe both? What additional capabilities will robots evolve in the next few years? And as robots take over more tasks, will we graduate to more productive and rewarding activities, or will we be relegated to low-paying service jobs?Anson is a robo-optimist and Michael a robo-pessimist, but they are united by a shared enthusiasm for the RoboCup, a soccer competition for robots (that’s football for our non-US audience). Once again, sport brings us all together.Finally, Anson, tells us why he believes we are at an inflection point, where the convergence of AI and robotics will deliver exponentially accelerating progress, similar to the one that in 60 years brought us from the Wright Brothers’s first flight to the moon landing.[LATE BREAKING NEWS: When we interviewed Anson several weeks ago, he was still the CTO; we learned only by happenstance today, while putting the final touches on the episode, that Anson is no longer in that role. Startups change personnel quite frequently, even leadership personnel, so this isn't a total shock, but this was the first time that one of our interviewees left their role before we aired the episode. A&K issued the following statement: "In the time since the interview, Anson has stepped aside from his role, and A&K has an interim CTO in place, as they are looking to grow the company from 50 to 200 in the next year."]Enjoy the episode, please write us a review on iTunes, and share it with friends, colleagues and on social media. Thanks for being curious!

Ricky's Reports from the Edge has a new name: the running series featuring Ricky Buch and his nascent startup Loctricity is now Ricky's Startup Reality. This episode is a great one for a name change, because the news Ricky shares may also prove to be a watershed for his business. Some unusual macro conditions may provide just the right opportunity for Ricky to go from idea to launch customer.

Our guest is David Yang and he is the founder of a company called YVA, which is the subject of today’s show, but he’s no novice in startup world. David has founded TWELVE companies, starting in 4th grade, and including ABBYY which you may not have heard of but is actually pretty huge; it has offices in 11 countries and more than thousands of enterprise customers in 200 countries , so you can be sure that David thinks YVA has some serious potential. The World Economic Forum named him as one of the top 100 World Technology Pioneers. David’s resume and story are fascinating, but that’s not what makes this episode so good. It’s because YVA represents much of the great potential of AI but also embodies a lot of what makes people really uncomfortable about AI’s power. YVA is an AI offering in what’s called “People Analytics” which to me sounds vaguely Orwellian, but it’s a real domain and there are other companies in that space. David calls YVA an “MRI scanner for organizational health." It improves the quality of life at a company, improves efficiency, and generally makes the company a better place to work. But of course, in order to get that data, like an MRI, YVA peers deep inside, and analyzes many, many things you do at work, for example not just what words you use in your email or instant messaging app, but when and how often and to whom you write. M4Edge is about tech that can change how the economy functions, and YVA goes right to the heart of our workplaces. Is this big brother and too intrusive or is this simply a more efficient way to doing what HR does anyway, all while making employee’s performance and company performance better? As you’ll see at the end of the episode, David is very Gung-Ho about having AI in our lives. Do you think you’ll be as comfortable? Will you have a choice?

The World Bank was gracious enough to host us for our 2nd live audience show. Along with the World Bank Global lead for Energy Access, Dana Rysankova, and Jon Exel, the Global Lead for Mini-grids, we interviewed Bill Lenihan, the CEO of Zola Electric.We discuss the challenge of electrification: close to 900 million people still have no access to electricity at all, and over 2 billion don't have reliable power. Bill explains how Zola has brought power to 1 million people (and counting) in 5 countries. We discuss the trade-offs of extending the grid versus providing off-grid solutions, we discuss the difficulties of scaling business models in developing countries, and we discus the Bank's experience in multiple countries. Lots of really meaty discussion, both on building the business and on the policy and economic problems involved. Enjoy, share the episode!Additional links to follow:World Bank stats on Electricity AccessEnergy Data Info, including link to new tool mentioned by Dana during the showWorld Bank research papers

Today’s episode is a return to Ricky's Reports from the Edge, where we check back in with Ricky Buch and his startup Loctricity. Ricky shares some of the frustrations of just trying to get meetings when you’re pitching an idea, and also shares with us some of the latest evolution in his thinking for what Loctricity’s value proposition is.Please share the show with friends on social media, and please rate us on iTunes!

Ricky Buch is back from Ghana and Ricky's Report is back for another M4Edge episode. We discuss the viability of minigrids as a solution to energy poverty, Ricky introduces an idea to help minigrids scale, and Marco complains about ordering water with his cheeseburger.