The Innovation Podcast

On the latest episode, Garnet and our guest host Lane Jost chat grit, behavior change and personal finance with Nav.it CMO and co-founder Maia Monell. The Nav.it app is an early stage product designed to coach users into financial wellness through an array of innovative tools designed to stimulate improved habits. We also hear about Maia's own founder story and how she connects sports to leadership and empathy. Key read: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

On the latest episode, Garnet and Mark talk with Oralia Alvarez, director of business development at Founders First Capital Partners. We find out about the unique approach Founders First Capital Partners takes in investing in post-revenue companies, learn about revenue-based funding (RBF)--a type of funding that used to only be available to companies that had already raised VC funding. We also cover the state of funding amid the pandemic, the importance of building relationships with...

On this episode, Garnet and Mark are joined by Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland, the Founder of The WISE Fund, an impact enterprise devoted to equitable funding for grassroots innovators using technology and other tools for economic and environmental justice, especially Black or Indigenous women-led or benefitting organizations in Africa, Australia, Brazil and the USA. The discussion focuses on a wide variety of subjects, including how anthropology is so applicable to today’s business world.

We’ve talked to a lot of people on this podcast. But we’ve never talked to a fellow podcaster. Today we’re changing that with Dan Kihanya, host of the Founders Unfound podcast, which explores exceptional founders of African descent. Dan’s specialties include early-stage start-up strategies, fundraising, lean startup process, product-market fit, and customer growth. Among a long list of accomplishments, he’s the co-founder and Managing Director of Impact Hub Bellevue, and is the co-founder of...

On the latest episode of #theipod, Garnet and Mark are joined by Keith Cartwright, who founded his agency Cartwright in February 2020. He’s also the co-founder of Saturday Morning, an organization that helps build awareness, promote change and shift the overall perception that black lives are in some way not as important as others. In our discussion, we talk about Keith’s background, how he came to co-found Saturday Morning, and the important work they’re doing. We also dig into the...

On the latest episode of #theipod, Garnet and Mark are joined by William Crowder, entrepreneur in residence at Morgan Stanley, for a discussion about investing in diverse founders. William has a background that includes originating Comcast Catalyst, that company’s diversity fund, which was the first of its kind. He also runs Aperture VC, which is building a corporate partner network that invests in diverse founders and companies that are defining the new multicultural mainstream. At Morgan...

On Episode 62, Garnet and Mark are back from hiatus with a very important episode. Frederik Groce, Principal at Storm Ventures and Co-Founder and Board Member at BLCK VC, joins us to discuss what led to the founding of BLCK VC, how Black Lives Matter started to impact conversations in tech and corporate America. And we dig deeper to see if that discussion will affect civil rights. Plus we talk about the state of investing in the pandemic, what his investment focus is and lots more.

Allies in Action™, a new web forum created from a strategic partnership between Aperture VC and Impact ROI LLC, held its inaugural event on July 8. The Zoom-based event featured a prestigious group of speakers from the venture capital, real estate, healthcare, management consulting and media/publishing industries. Read the full press release here. July 8 Forum In the wake of the death of George Floyd, advocates for racial and economic equity have called for companies to take leadership....

Lane Jost, Environment and Americas Leader for PwC and a well-known impact investing expert, continues his takeover of #theipod and he’s back with Rory Mitchell on the use cases for VR and how the technology can create immersive experiences for customers to better understand sustainability. Links of Interest LinkedInTwitter

On this episode, we hand things over to Lane Jost, Environment and America's Leader for PwC and a well-known impact investing expert. In the first of two parts, Lane talks to Rory Mitchell, a producer and documentary filmmaker, about the role VR can play in better communicating complex consumer sustainability stories from cereal to climate change. This time, Rory explains the various use cases for VR in brand marketing and how brands can better engage with their audience. Links of...

On Episode 59 of #theipod, we’ve got the final episode of our chat with Brad Barbera, founder and chief enabler of strategic innovation at Pi Innovation. Brad’s based in Boise Idaho and we get a glimpse into what Boise’s like and what it’s like to watch football on that famous blue field. Oh, and we dig into intrepreneurs vs. entrepreneurs, Mark brings up his favorite example of intrepreneurship, Garnet asks Brad about common startup CEO mistakes, and we take a look into the future. Links...

On Episode 58 of #theipod, we’re back with Brad Barbera, founder and chief enabler of strategic innovation at Pi Innovation. This time, we look at misconceptions around innovation—and lots of other stuff. Links of Interest LinkedInBrad’s websiteBrad’s book

On Episode 57 of #theipod, Brad Barbera, founder and chief enabler of strategic innovation at Pi Innovation, joins Garnet and Mark for the first of three parts on innovation. In the first installment, we get a glimpse of Brad’s background and chat about the legacy of the great Clay Christensen. Plus, we talk about the start of Brad’s career as a mayonnaise engineer. Links of Interest LinkedInBrad’s websiteBrad’s bookClay Christensen

On Episode 56 of #theipod, we’re back with Jaret C. Riddick, Director, Vehicle Technology Directorate at CCDC Army Research Laboratory. We have had a wide-ranging discussion to this point, and Garnet wanted to get geeky—so Jaret obliged.

On Episode 55 of #theipod, we’re joined by Jaret C. Riddick, Director, Vehicle Technology Directorate at CCDC Army Research Laboratory. In this first part of the discussion, Dr. Riddick shares the innovations he’s leading for the Army as well as his background, and ARL’s Open Campus and Extended Model.

On Episode 54, Garnet and Mark are back with Michael Hoffman, founder and CEO of Gather Voices, a technology start-up that is revolutionizing the collection, management and publishing of video. In the second part of our discussion, we we explore video a bit further and then delve into politics.

On Episode 53, Mark and Garnet talk with Michael Hoffman, founder CEO of Gather Voices and an expert in the use of video in marketing and digital engagement. Michael founded Gather Voices to revolutionize how organizations create and use video. In this first part of our discussion, we learn all about Gather Voices and why Michael thinks it’s especially needed now.

On Episode 52 of #theipod, we’re back with Moira Kelly, Innovation Fellow at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. This time, Mark and Garnet delve more into the changing nature of education, some innovative approaches to teaching, how some schools are doing things differently, and some projects Moira is working on.

On Episode 51 of #theipod, Mark and Garnet are joined by Moira Kelly, Innovation Fellow at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Moira has a long background working in the primary and secondary education industry. She’s also CEO at EXPLO, has a JD from BU, and has credential too long to list, including working on the Commission on Presidential Debates. We wanted to chat with her about EXPLO, and how she’s helping innovate education.

In part two of our discussion with the founder of EggFund, Carmela Rea, we explore more about how EggFund works, advice that Carmella would give to those considering procedures like IVF, and what success looks like for EggFund. Links of Interest: EggFundLinkedIn