Insights
InnoLead case studies, interviews, book excerpts, and contributed columns.
Deploying AI at $28B Sun Life Financial: Learnings So Far
InnoLead interviews Sun Life exec Laura Money about how she prioritizes AI projects; some of the concrete outcomes they’re seeing so far; and why Sun Life has joined other Canadian companies to form the AI Consortium.
Fidelity, GM, and Best Buy Heath: Stories from the Front Line of Deploying New Technology
Speakers at our recent Impact conference share advice on getting new tech across the gap from demo to deployment.
A Practical Guide to Using AI to Identify Problems Worth Solving
How can AI be useful in business-to-business innovation? By identifying the right problems to solve, write Ranjan Dash and Suresh Chandran.
How Synchrony is Preparing for the Arrival of Agentic Commerce
Remember the emergence of e-commerce in the 1990s? Keep an eye on the horizon for agentic commerce, says Carol Juel, executive vice president and CEO of Synchrony Financial’s Digital Platform.
How to Think About Startup Engagement in 2026
In a session at the most recent Impact conference last month, we looked at some of the reasons why it might make sense to partner with a startup rather doing everything in-house — and a few metrics and indicators that can let you know whether or not your approach is working.
What Should Companies Do with All the Free Time that AI Creates?
If AI software is going to take over a bevy of repetitive tasks and processes, then what should organizations be doing with the time that frees up? We talk with business school prof David Schonthal.
How Perdue Farms is Pursuing Differentiation with AI
We talk with Perdue Farms CIO Mark Booth about the company’s AI journey, including what future concerns are keeping him up at night.
Rewiring the Way R&D Organizations Think
R&D teams tend to understand their products with precision — but not always the people those products are designed for. Deirdre Walters explains how to address that…
Why Digital Transformation Still Gets Stuck Inside Large Organizations
When digital transformation gets stuck, the reason is rarely a lack of technology, writes Marcus East. More often, new technology is being added to organizations that still operate through outdated systems, rigid structures, and old assumptions about how work should get done.
How Sweetwater Stays Connected to Customers — While Also Leveraging AI
We talk to the music retailer’s CEO and CIO about innovation and AI — and maintaining a strong connection to customers.
Five Steps That Make Change Easier
In this excerpt from the new book How Change Really Work, the authors caution that “take up” of change and new ideas among your colleagues is never automatic, but must be earned. Then they present five steps for earning it.
Why Mitsubishi Electric is Setting Up a New Innovation Hub
This month, Mitsubishi Electric U.S. is opening a new innovation hub in Boston. What’s the goal? We talk to two leaders…
Strategic Innovation Demands an Investment Thesis
To survive in an environment where average business model lifespans have collapsed, corporate innovators must move from unstructured ideation to the rigorous discipline of successful venture capitalists, write Ranjan Dash and Suresh Chandran
Here are the Winners (and Finalists) of InnoLead’s 2026 Impact Awards
From supersonic aircraft to heavy trucks to robotic surgical assistants, this year’s Impact Awards focus on companies that are moving their industries forward. Here are the 15 finalists…
Why Innovation Can’t Happen Without Playfulness
Innovation can’t exist in a culture that doesn’t allow for playfulness, says Piera Gelardi, author of the new book The Playful Way. Yet the environment in many workplaces today is shaped by plenty of non-playful dynamics. So what do you do?
Innovating With Agents: Two Months (and Counting) with OpenClaw on Our Team
Corporations are diverting resources from innovation to fund AI initiatives. What does this mean for innovation managers? The co-authors of a new book explain.
Is the Latest Wave of AI Leading to an ‘Innovation Winter’?
Corporations are diverting resources from innovation to fund AI initiatives. What does this mean for innovation managers? The co-authors of a new book explain.
What GenAI Changes for Leaders in Large Organizations
GenAI isn’t just about creating new efficiencies, writes Itai Green in this excerpt from his new book. It’s about shifting the company’s DNA toward an innovation mindset.
How to Survive the ‘Stakeholder Spiral’
Every project in a big organization projects attract layers of stakeholders, each with their own interests, fears, and mental models. In this excerpt from his new book, Misha de Sterk offers advice on managing that dynamic.
The Death of the Design Process (and the Rise of the Infinity Loop)
The design process as we knew it is most certainly dead, writes Todd Reily in his latest piece for InnoLead. What’s replacing it?
Stop Explaining — and Start Building More Prototypes
Because the cost of “making it real” has dropped to near zero, you can stop prototyping just the “best” idea, writes Todd Reily. Instead, you can prototype a whole portfolio of potential solutions.
Bridgers Wanted: A Skillset Companies ‘are Desperate For’
Innovation at scale requires three different leadership roles, says author Linda Hill: architect, bridger, and catalyst. One is in especially high demand…
Addressing the Corporate Antibodies That Attack Open Innovation
In this excerpt from their new book, Diana Joseph, Dan Toma, and Esther Gons discuss two kinds of antibodies that often emerge to attack open innovation initiatives.
How Levi’s is Finding High-Impact Applications for AI
We talk with Jason Gowans, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, about digital strategy and AI case studies at $6 billion Levi Strauss & Co.
Why Your Team Picks ‘Compromise’ Ideas (and How to Fix It)
Todd Reily explains why awarding badges to ideas can work better than dot voting.
How We’re Building New AI-First Businesses and Ecosystems for the Future at LG Nova
“We need a new paradigm for corporate innovation,” writes Sokwoo Rhee of LG Nova. “One that actively builds and scales new businesses and ecosystems, creating self-sustaining cycles of innovation.” More inside…
Why OpenClaw Signals a New Organizational Design Challenge
OpenClaw, and its creator Peter Steinberger, have been the stars of the latest AI news cycle. Here’s the significance of Steinberger’s recent move to OpenAI.
AI Gives You B- Ideas. Here’s the Way to Earn an A.
“Good enough” ideas are a death sentence, writes Todd Reily. So how do you get truly great ideas? Not by brainstorming…
How to Know if You’re AI Obsessed… or AI Enabled
“People react in two ways to Gen AI,” writes Mohan Nair in his latest book. “One is what I call AI-afraid, and the second is AI-obsessed.” The third way is learning how to be AI-enabled.
How Coursera is Adapting to AI-Driven Change
We talk with the Chief Product Officer at Coursera about recently-launched products — and how AI is impacting the business.
The Bobblehead Effect: How the Illusion of Agreement Can Kill Innovation
We’ve all been in that meeting: The strategy is presented. The team leader looks around the room and asks if everyone is on board. And then it happens… The Bobblehead Effect. Todd Reily explains how to avoid it.
If You Want to Build the Future, Stop Solving Today’s Problems
The first part of a six-part series on how the innovation process is evolving in the age of AI, by former Bose director of visioneering Todd Reilly.
Inside Look: How MetLife Built an AI Platform to be a ‘Force Multiplier’
The new AI platform, MetIQ, allows the insurance giant to plug in emerging technologies such as generative AI and agentic AI, to help the company scale its capabilities and serve as a force multiplier in advancing its strategies. We talk to EVP Bill Pappas.
Software Provider Profile: Qmarkets
Qmarkets helps large organizations move beyond fragmented innovation initiatives and deliver measurable business impact at scale. Built for the realities of enterprise innovation, the platform enables organizations to manage innovation end to end, from early exploration to execution and impact tracking.
Your Growth, Innovation, and AI Agenda for 2026: 10 Things to Consider
From bespoke software development to decentralized innovation, experts lay out 10 things that should be on the agenda of big organizations in 2026.
Pursuing Returns on AI Investment at T. Rowe Price
We talk with the CTO of the global asset management firm about AI training, use cases, measuring return-on-investment, and more.
Inside the Innovation Process at LEGO’s Creative Play Lab
Tom Donaldson, Head of the Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, discusses the company’s culture; his belief in the importance of prototyping and “silent demos”; and how the company measures innovation.
The Most Useful Custom GPTs for Market Research, Patent Analysis, Corporate Innovation, and More
Here’s our collection of the 12 best Custom GPTs that allow you to use specific innovation-related datasets or methodologies on top of OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform.
Is AI a Bubble… or a Massive Opportunity?
Rana el Kaliouby talks about how she defines human-centric AI; how vibe coding is being used in large organizations; the sci-fi movie “Her”; and her biggest concerns about the AI age.
The 10 Best Anti-Innovation Quotes: Hollywood Edition
With the holiday movie-going season upon us, we assembled a list of anti-innovation quotes from notable Hollywood executives, inventors, and directors — just to show that no industry is without its nay-sayers who can rationally explain why change will never come.
How Google X Works to Systematize Innovation
Helen Riley of Google X talks about the organization’s mission; several current projects; how they deal with failure; and their efforts to systematize innovation.
How Suffolk Construction and Takeda Pharmaceutical Drive Innovation with Data and Startup Investments
One of the mainstage sessions at our recent Impact conference in Boston featured Jit Kee Chin, Chief Technology Officer at Suffolk Construction, and Gabriele Ricci, Chief Data and Technology Officer at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Here are seven key themes they discussed…
Success Factors: Insights from the 2025 Impact Award Winners
During a session at the 2025 Impact conference in Boston last month, five leaders from organizations that won Impact Awards shared how they are using artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to produce measurable business impact.
Advancing AI, Digital Twins, and Predictive Maintenance at $23B Johnson Controls
We talk with VP Tyler Smith to get his advice on driving innovation in the built environment.
SharkNinja CEO on Launching 25 Products a Year, and Avoiding ‘Innovation Mediocrity’
SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas explains how he fosters innovation at the company — and how they leverage social media as part of their marketing.
How Adecco Aims to ‘Disrupt the Staffing Industry’ with AI
Daniela Petronic, the head of AI Transformation for Adecco, discusses the company’s early AI deployments; employee training initiatives; and the five principles that guide the use of AI at Adecco.
Using AI to Support Innovation (and Iteration) at ServiceNow
Since its founding in 2004, Silicon Valley-based ServiceNow has been all about automating business workflows. So in the current AI era, the $11 billion company is focused on how various types of AI will support that automation. And often, ServiceNow’s own employees are “customer zero” for new offerings — early adopters for the products and services it builds.
11 AI Trends for Healthcare Heading into 2026
Healthcare AI trends according to the Mayo Clinic, Oracle, UCLA Health, and a former partner at Mass General Brigham’s AI and Digital Innovation Fund.
How ADP is Prioritizing AI Initiatives
With annual revenues of nearly $21 billion, the human resources software and services is looking to artificial intelligence to help it maintain — and build on — an already strong position in the market. We talk to the company’s Chief Product and AI Officer.
Moving Industries Forward: The Winners and Finalists for InnoLead’s 2025 Impact Awards
From supersonic aircraft to heavy trucks to robotic surgical assistants, this year’s Impact Awards focus on companies that are moving their industries forward. Here are the 15 finalists…
What the CEOs of Disney, Walmart, Amazon, and Other Companies are Saying About AI
“AI may be the most powerful technology that our company has ever seen,” and other quotes from CEOs about the impact of AI.
Ai4 Conference Recap: From Popsicle Fails to Superintelligence
The Ai4 2025 conference in Las Vegas was a good opportunity to take the temperature of the AI sector, including agentic AI, spatial intelligence, and AI-powered genetic engineering.
Is Your Company an ‘AI Scaler’?
According to Anna James, Research & Operations Lead at Asana’s Work Innovation Lab, companies that qualify as “AI scalers” are approaching AI as a new kind of infrastructure that is not optional to build. Here’s our interview…
Coding with GenAI: The Current Landscape
From Claude to Lovable to Windsurf, we take a look at the current market for “codegen” tools that can create software from scratch. What’s the ROI and what are the risks of using them?
How Berlin’s Airport Got an AI Customer Service Agent Off the Ground
The AI-based customer service agent Melli has reduced waiting time from several minutes to zero, increased the number of languages offered, and has an 85 percent approval rating from customers. Here’s what the Berlin Airport has in store for the second phase of the project.
With Bee Acquisition, Amazon Makes a Big Play in AI Wearables
This week, news broke that Amazon had acquired Bee, an AI wearables startup best known for a $50 wristband and companion app that records and transcribes nearly everything a user (and anyone within earshot) says. Here’s our take on what it means…
How Norfolk Southern is Using AI to Help ‘Move the US Economy’
Norfolk Southern is investing in artificial intelligence to reshape how it moves freight across its 28,000-mile rail network. And one of the people driving that train is Mabby Amouie, Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Data and Analytics, who oversees the company’s AI strategy — from making use of sensor data to deploying machine learning models that optimize safety and efficiency. Here’s our in-depth interview…
Top AI Conferences and Trade Shows for Enterprise Executives: 2026
We’ve been talking to the InnoLead community and scouring the web to assemble a list of the best AI events in 2025 and 2026 around the world. Here’s our list…
How Atlassian is Deploying AI Agents and Measuring Their Impact
The world of AI agents is still evolving, but Atlassian, a collaboration software company headquartered in Sydney, Australia, has been putting agents to work for more than a year, and offering agentic AI technology to customers since April. We talk to Shihab Hamid, Head of Product for Rovo Agents at Atlassian, about what they can do.
June 2025: The Top 25 Unicorn AI Startups, and Their Enterprise Customers
Which corporate customers are using which AI platforms in 2025? We take a deep dive — with an assist from AI, of course.
The Pursuit of AI ROI at Dayforce, an HR Software Provider
David Lloyd, Chief AI Officer at the software company Dayforce, talks about the company’s AI Innovation Lab — and how he thinks about measuring ROI.
New Fidelity Labs Chief on Developing Products More Efficiently with AI
“Because we can move faster with AI tools, we can actually test ideas in market quite quickly,” says Evan Schnidman. “That allows for that user feedback loop to accelerate.” More from our interview inside…
Inside Look: Chobani Relaunches a Protein-Packed Yogurt Drink
Over the past year, Thierry Saint Denis, Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Chobani, led a yogurt relaunch proving less is more in innovation. Saint Denis recently spoke to InnoLead about the product relaunch and its impact on the company.
Hollywood Veteran Katzenberg on AI: ‘If Change is Uncomfortable, Irrelevance is Going to be Harder’
Former DreamWorks and Disney exec Jeffrey Katzenberg discussed the similarities between the arrival of AI technologies in the business world today and the arrival of computer-generated animation technologies in Hollywood in the 1990s.
GE Vernova Exec on the Nuts and Bolts of Building Strategic Alliances
We talk to GE Vernova’s Chief Corporate Officer Roger Martella about how the company is forging strategic alliances — from a $50 million partnership with MIT that fuels research and talent development to global collaborations aimed at expanding energy access and advancing decarbonization.
From Storm Response to Predictive Maintenance: How AI is Powering Entergy’s Future
We talk to Entergy’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Andy Quick about how the company is applying AI — from predictive models that prevent power outages to generative tools that support customer service.
Case Study: How We Launched a GenAI Training Program for 2,500 Employees (So Far)
The co-authors of this case study realized that many of their colleagues weren’t yet comfortable implementing GenAI into their daily work. Here’s how they designed a training program to get them up to speed — quickly.
From ROI to Readiness: What Enterprise AI Leaders Keep Getting Wrong
At the KPMG 2025 Boston AI Executive Accelerator, one thing became clear. Most enterprise AI programs are being evaluated with the wrong lens. Executives are chasing short-term validation when they should be designing for long-term advantage.
SAP’s Global Head of AI on Prompt Optimization, Hackathons, and More
Dr. Walter Sun talks about bottom-up innovation, SAP’s internal GenAI hub, hackathons, and more, in our exclusive interview at SAP’s Sapphire conference in Orlando.
Throw Out the Innovation Funnel, and Replace It With a Calendar
In this excerpt, marketing and innovation executive Tina Lambert calls the idea of an innovation funnel “very unrealistic,” and proposes an alternative — the three-year calendar.
How the US Dept. of Defense is Making Open Innovation Work
The OnRamp program at the US Military’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) got started in 2023 as an effort to lower the barriers for non-traditional technology companies that wanted to work with the Department of Defense (DoD) — but weren’t already suppliers. We talk with Cassie Muffley, Acting Director of the OnRamp Hub Program.
Book Excerpt: Secrets of Stakeholder Whispering
“Stakeholder Whispering requires identifying your stakeholders,” writes Bill Shander. “But it is also about making sure your stakeholders identify and recognize (and prioritize) their stakeholders.” Read our exclusive excerpt…
AllianceBernstein’s CAIO is Shaping the Future of Investment Management with AI
We talked to AllianceBernstein’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Andrew Chin about how the firm is applying AI — from traditional machine learning to generative tools — to improve investment decisions and employee efficiency.
What’s Changing About the Chief Transformation Officer Role in 2025
We examine the new report from Monitor Deloitte, which surveyed 200 transformation executives from a range of industries. Budgets are growing, but execution focus remains a challenge.
Key Takeaways from the Momentum AI Conference in New York
If there was a universal takeaway from this week’s Momentum AI conference in New York, it was this: AI literacy is now the new baseline for competitive advantage. Here’s our dispatch from the event…
From Seed to Scale: Advice on Building Successful Startup Partnerships
The former Head of Business Technology at ServiceTitan, Pranav Shahi, shares his framework for evaluating new technologies, structuring startup pilots, and scaling innovation with measurable business impact. He also explores how enterprises can engage with emerging tech while maintaining commercial discipline.
Workiva CIO: GenAI Creates a ‘New Kind of Change Management Challenge’
As CIO of Workiva, Kim Huffman leads enterprise technology strategy with a focus on innovation, scalability, and responsible AI. In this conversation, Huffman outlines her three-pillar framework for evaluating startup partnerships, her four-part approach to AI governance, and the evolving role of the CIO as a business strategist.
Innovation in the Services Industry: Inside $3B White & Case
Isabel Parker joined White & Case as Chief Innovation Officer in 2024. She now leads global innovation efforts at the $3.2 billion firm. We spoke with her about building a culture of innovation, integrating GenAI into legal services, and how the firm balances bold experimentation with responsible AI use.
AI’s ‘Printing Press’ Moment — and Why Fortune 1000s Are Lagging
At the Imagination in Action AI Summit held at MIT this week, there was no mistaking the mood: we’re no longer on the verge of a major transformation, we’re in the middle of it. Contributing writer Sue Liang reports…
Amazon Web Services Exec: GenAI isn’t a ‘Magic Elixir,’ Needs to Target Business Outcomes
Since launching for call center customers in 2017, cloud-based contact center optimization service Amazon Connect has been on an upward trajectory, becoming one of the fastest-growing AWS services by revenue. We talk with Pasquale DeMaio, Vice President of Amazon Connect at Amazon Web Services about integrating AI.
Inside the New General Motors-NVIDIA Partnership
“We’re integrating AI into vehicles thoughtfully, prioritizing safety and customer value over technological novelty,” says GM SVP Dave Richardson. Here’s our exclusive interview…
Why Hewlett Packard Enterprise Shifted to Skills-Based Hiring and Training
We talk with HPE VP Sadie Bell about shifting to skills-based recruiting and training.
How GenAI is Being Used Inside Big Organizations: March 2025 Data
With 109 qualified responses, here’s survey data on how innovation and R&D professionals say about how the use of GenAI tools is impacting their work.
Inside Look: How Experian Built a GenAI Tool in Nine Months
Experian Assistant is a GenAI-enabled tool that helps financial services companies explore Experian’s treasure trove of data, build and deploy analytical models, monitor their performance, and accelerate new product and service offerings to the market. Here’s how it came to life…
How $8B Ally Financial is Advancing AI, Mobile, and Personalization
Consumers want you “to solve a problem for them, and money is the most personal thing they have,” says Satish Muthukrishnan, Chief Information, Digital and Data Officer at Ally Financial. We talk with him about the company’s mobile experience, AI, and hyper-personalization.
How Covetrus is Applying AI to Help Veterinary Practices Be More Productive
Just as AI is transforming human healthcare, veterinary medicine is undergoing a similar shift. Animal health company Covetrus is integrating AI into its platform to streamline workflows, enhance clinical decision-making, and improve patient care. Chief Product and Technology Officer Scot Gillespie explains…
Book Excerpt: How to Predict What Your Competitors Will Do
Understanding your competition means predicting how they will react, write Stuart E. Jackson and Ilya Trakhtenberg in Predictable Winners: A Handbook for Developing, Forecasting, and Launching New Products and Services. Success requires defining your competitive set, recognizing direct and indirect competitors, and anticipating market shifts. By using competitive intelligence and wargaming, leaders can avoid underestimating rivals and overestimating their own advantages. Read our exclusive excerpt.
A Dispatch from the HumanX AI Conference: What Will Drive the Next Phase of AI Progress?
Defining what AI progress looks like is still a challenge, writes Sue Liang, who attended this week’s HumanX conference in Las Vegas. She discusses the vendor landscape, AI adoption, and the path forward.
What’s ‘Adaptive Retail’? Walmart Tech Exec Explains
You may have heard of omnichannel retail, or experiential retail. But one of the world’s biggest retailers, Arkansas-based Walmart, is now working to popularize the concept of “adaptive retail.” Tech Strategy VP Anupriya Sharma explains….
BMO Financial Group Chief AI Officer on Where AI is Being Deployed, and Quantum Opportunities
Kristen Milchanowski joined BMO Financial Group as Chief Artificial Intelligence and Data Officer at the BMO Financial Group in October 2024. We spoke with Milchanowski recently about how the firm has been leveraging AI internally, as well as its recent decision to join IBM’s Quantum Network to access quantum computing infrastructure.
Top 10 AI Tools Being Used by Innovation and R&D Professionals: March 2025 Data
With 105 qualified responses, here’s what we’re seeing from innovation and R&D professionals in March 2025. The question we asked: “Which AI tools are you consistently using as part of innovation-related activities (partnerships, scouting, product development, prototypes, experiments)?”
ADP Ventures Chief on Successful Corporate-Startup Partnerships
As the leader of ADP Ventures, Usman “Oz” Khan oversees strategic investment and innovation initiatives at one of the largest HR technology companies. Khan discusses the importance of startup partnerships, the role of AI in HR tech, and how ADP Ventures supports innovation across a large and complex enterprise. This conversation is part of our ‘Early Adopters’ series.
Why is There So Much Hype Around AI Agents in 2025?
Curtis Michelson serves up a glossary of terms related to agentic AI, as well as a look at how the AI agent space is developing in 2025.
Analyzing the Three-Year Rise and Fall of Corporate Innovation Efforts
The ABCs of Innovation gives you a map to make innovation last beyond the three-year mark, writes Robyn Bolton in her new book, Unlocking Innovation: A Leader’s Guide for Turning Bold Ideas into Tangible Results. The three elements, Behavior, Architecture, and Culture, must be built and nurtured in tandem to avoid the all-too-familiar cycle of budget cuts and stalled progress. Read our exclusive excerpt.
Nvidia Exec on What’s Next for AI Adoption in Financial Services
We spoke with Nvidia’s Kevin Levitt in February, just after the release of the company’s latest “State of AI in Financial Services” report to learn more about where AI is headed in this key sector.
Albertsons Exec on Startup Partnerships and Where GenAI is Having an Impact
As Albertsons’ GVP of Technology and Engineering, Maria Latushkin is reshaping how one of America’s largest retailers merges in-store and online shopping. We talk with Latushkin about cultivating startup partnerships that thrive at enterprise scale, the pragmatic realities of deploying GenAI across vast workforces, and her vision for smarter, frictionless retail experiences powered by IoT and computer vision.
Book Excerpt: An Example of an Amazon-Style PRFAQ Doc
Used often inside Amazon, “a PRFAQ (Press Release + Frequently Asked Question) is a framework for articulating in writing an innovation, capturing the key facts, assumptions, and hypotheses for strategic decision making,” writes Marcelo Calbucci. Here’s an example…
Start with the ABCs to Get Better Performance From Your Team
There are three essential nutrients at the heart of thriving, intrinsic motivation, engagement, and high performance at work, writes Paula Davis in her new book. They are autonomy, belonging, and challenge. Read our exclusive excerpt.
McKinsey Report Finds Employees Moving Faster with AI Than Leaders
Among those who said their organizations are moving too slow, the biggest reason for moving was “talent skill gaps,” which 46 percent cited. An overview of the January 2025 report is inside…
How to Use a Reverse Income Statement to Assess Experiments
How to use a simplified version of a Reverse Income Statement to define and value the experiment’s key assumption(s). Includes a downloadable spreadsheet example.
Inside Look: Milwaukee Tool’s IoT Strategy
Milwaukee Tool, a trusted name in construction for over a century, entered the digital space in 2015 with its One-Key line of connected tools and apps for managing, monitoring, and securing equipment. Andy Lambert, VP of Digital Product, discusses the challenges of integrating software into a hardware company, how technology is reshaping construction, and the focus on metrics that prioritize customer efficiency and safety.
Deloitte Report: Mistakes and Phantom Value are the Biggest Impediments to AI Adoption
“While the C-suite has been slower to engage in AI implementation,” a new report from Deloitte finds, “teams across the company are developing proofs-of-concept and driving AI adoption.” More inside…
Aligning Innovation to Top Priorities at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
“I find that the best way to get strong leadership support is to be the first person to welcome people to the organization, to be the first person to educate them on what innovation is, to be the first person that sees eye to eye with them on how innovation might work for them,” says David Creane. Read more from our interview…
The Top 10 Biggest US Companies: What They’re Doing with AI and GenAI
We’ve assembled this list of the top 10 US-based companies by revenue, focusing on how they’re seeking to leverage AI and generative AI in their businesses. These use cases span both internal operational and external customer-facing initiatives. AI “agents” are emerging as a theme — but they aren’t as dominant as you might expect given the […]
Driving Patient Care Innovation at UC San Diego Health
“To embed daily innovation as part of our culture,” says Ashley Gambhir, “we created a mission statement: We want to have 14,000 problem solvers that relentlessly improve care while loving their jobs. We started a management system to encourage daily input by asking, ‘What ideas do you have?'” Read more from our interview…
Making the Business Case for Compostable Bioplastics
Tthe shift toward compostable and bio-based solutions is already underway, writes Bob Meers, CEO of Better for All. Those who fail to adapt risk losing relevance and market share in an increasingly eco-conscious world. Read more…
Linking Innovation, Corporate VC, and M&A at Allegion
Allegion reshaped its innovation ecosystem by emphasizing deep internal engagement—from rapid prototyping in its Pin & Tumbler studio to a part-time corporate venture structure. We speak with Robert Martens, Allegion’s chief innovation and design officer and president of Allegion Ventures, about how this approach fuels successful ventures, keeps employees invested, and aligns innovation with executive priorities.
Use InnoLeadGPT to Get Answers to Your Questions
We’ve created a chatbot interface to a portion of InnoLead’s content. You can ask it anything related to corporate innovation — and like ChatGPT, you can follow up with instructions on how you’d like it to expand upon or refine its answers.
The End of Consulting as We Know it: Client Power and the AI Revolution
Client needs are outpacing traditional consulting models. And the rise of AI is not just changing the tools consutants use — it’s redefining the power dynamics between consultants and their clients. Humberto Salicetti explains…
Quiz: Generative AI Terms and Concepts
This quiz on GenAI will help you quickly self-assess your ability to be conversant with both the technical and business teams in your organization.
How Uber is Leveraging GenAI for ‘Zero Touch’ and ‘One Touch’ Customer Support
As Uber’s Director of Global Content for Community Operations, Hadley Ferguson has spent 12 years shaping the company’s support experience. We talk with Ferguson about leveraging GenAI to transform customer support, fostering team adoption of new technologies, and building successful partnerships with startups to meet the needs of a global enterprise.
Scaling Up Challenge-Based Ideation at TD Bank
In recent years, TD Bank has harnessed its iD8 internal innovation program to crowdsource tens of thousands of ideas—from simplifying customer transactions to improving back-end processes. We speak with Vlora Muslimi, Senior Manager and head of iD8, about how challenge-based ideation has become a game changer for the bank.
Survey: Legacy Infrastructure is Hindering GenAI, and ‘Pilot Fatigue’ is Real
A massive 114-page study of more than 2,000 GenAI decisionmakers noted that nearly 90 percent have experienced “pilot fatigue” around testing GenAI projects, and 90 percent say legacy infrastructure has hindered the effective use of GenAI. More details inside…
Okta’s Chief People & Places Officer on Better Startup Collaborations
As Chief People & Places Officer at Okta, Vijay Rao has guided the company through a period of explosive growth. We talk with Rao about evaluating emerging technologies, building productive relationships between startups and large organizations, and avoiding common pitfalls that can derail implementation.
Inside Look: The Hartford’s IoT Innovation Lab
The Hartford has been writing insurance policies for US businesses and consumers for more than 200 years. In 2018, the company launched an Internet of Things (IoT) Innovation Lab, focused on using technology like water and humidity sensors to collect data and detect and prevent costly losses from incidents like water leaks and pipe bursts. We talk to the two leaders…
The Top Trends for 2025: An AI Meta-Analysis of 75+ Reports and Articles
For this piece, we collected 78 articles or reports in total across 22 industries. These ranged from the Deloitte’s annual tech trends report to Pantone’s choice of the “color of the year” to a PhocusWire post on hospitality trends. With a little assistance from AI, we surfaced the top trends for 2025.
New Research Questions the Value of ‘Quick and Dirty’ Prototypes
A new research report has shown that in markets with complex ecosystems (think healthcare), the use of lean and agile methodologies may be less helpful than previously thought.
GenAI’s Trough of Disillusionment — and How to Avoid It
Generative AI is about to enter its Trough of Disillusionment. Lots of exciting words from tech luminaries have been published in the past couple years, but we’re all waiting for the proof. Hugh Park Jedwill explains how to get there.
The 20 Best GenAI Courses for Business Leaders in 2025
What are the best courses for someone looking to build their generative AI skills in 2025? We did the research for you, highlighting 20 courses that range from free to $25,000.
Perplexity Launches AI-Powered Shopping Tools
On November 18th, startup Perplexity released a shopping tool for its Pro-level subscribers called “Buy With Pro.” And a week later, they released their mobile app to make the shopping experience integrated with the camera, a feature they call “Snap to Shop.” Similar to Google’s Lens, you take a picture of a subject and then see a list of products. We try it out…
Finding New Efficiencies with GenAI at EMD Serono
We talk to the Head of Data-Driven Innovation and Analytics at the biopharma company about leveraging new technologies like generative AI, and how his team is working to create value.
How Ralph Lauren is ‘Democratizing the Use of AI’
Janet Sherlock recently wrapped up seven years as Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Ralph Lauren. We spoke with her as part of our research report, Creating New Value in Large Organizations, discussing her approach to digital transformation, the role of AI in retail, and strategies for strengthening customer experience in a competitive market.
LPL Financial Exec: New Tech Needs to be Grounded in Use Cases
For over 25 years, Uma Meyyappan has been a technology executive working in wealth management and financial services, and she is a pragmatist: Even in the era of generative AI, she says, “Do not speak too broadly about the impact of technology in generic terms…be really grounded in a use case or a case study.” Real more inside…
How SAP Created a ‘Safe Zone’ for Experiments
The software giant SAP employs more than 100,000 people globally, and employees are able to test-drive new product ideas with customers, almost like startup founders. Head of Strategy Claus von Riegen explains how it works.
Travelers Chief Innovation Officer: Our Four Dimensions of Value Creation
We talk with Bruno Sardinha of Travelers about leveraging new technologies, adapting to market dynamics, and building a diverse talent pool.
CarMax CTO: Advice on Setting Product Teams Up for Success
Shamim Mohammad is Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer at CarMax. We spoke with Mohammad about leveraging AI to deliver reliable results, successfully structuring technical teams for innovation, and more.
Slack Report: AI Investment Continues as Worker Enthusiasm Wanes
A new report from Slack finds that while AI investment and urgency continues, worker enthusiasm and adoption is slowing. Why?
Mastercard R&D Chief on AI, Spatial Computing, and Quantum
For our latest research report, we spoke with Mastercard’s EVP and Global Head of Research and Development, Rahul Deshpande. Deshpande discussed topics like addressing cybersecurity issues, leveraging AI for fraud prevention, and exploring trends shaping the future of commerce.
The White House Says All Agencies Should Have a Chief AI Officer. Should You?
Last week, the White House published a memorandum on advancing US leadership in artificial intelligence. We unpack what it means for the country — and for corporations.
McKinsey Report: 18 New Arenas for Competition, from Streaming to Space
Arenas, as opposed to industrial sectors, are where the biggest bets are being made in R&D and the locus of much new value creation. Here’s our summary of a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute.
Book Excerpt: 50 Proven Innovation Methodologies and Techniques
Using a proven methodology creates confidence and trust among those who work with it, while also lowering the barrier of risk aversion, Gijs van Wulfen writes in a new book.
What Electric Forklifts Can Teach Us About EV Adoption
In the last three decades, operations leaders and facility managers worldwide have made significant progress in making the switch from traditionally-powered forklifts to electric. This period of change has provided useful lessons we can apply to understanding the evolution of the electric vehicle space, writes Michael Gaylen of Concentric.
Accenture Report: 5 Key Trends for 2025 as People Seek a Healthier Relationship with Tech
A new Accenture Song report identifies five key trends for 2025 as people seek a healthier relationship with technology.
BCG Report: AI Leader Companies are Already Reaping Tangible Results
A new report from BCG finds that companies moving forward quickly with AI are seeing 50 percent greater revenue growth and 60 percent higher total shareholder returns.
Shaping Product Experience with AI at Extreme Networks
Carla Guzzetti, SVP of Product Experience and Innovation at Extreme Networks, discusses how AI-driven innovation and customer-centric design are shaping the future of networking. She describes AI as a key enable of product experience and explains how her team is leveraging AI for improving workflow efficiency, addressing IT staffing shortages, and creating new customer experiences.
Perplexity Gets Sued by NewsCorp
In the GenAI era, tech companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Runway are coming under fire for doing almost the exact same thing Google does when it “crawls” websites to allow users to find content on them.
My Advice: Connecting Innovation to Profitable Growth
To drive profitable growth, innovation must align with business outcomes, says Alexis Rolloff, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at GEHA. Many programs fall into “innovation theater,” but success lies in using the right KPIs, avoiding common pitfalls, and fostering a supportive ecosystem.
Book Excerpt: What Makes Change Agents and Leaders Successful
Driving true digital transformation requires empowering change agents —individuals within organizations who spot opportunities for disruption and take action, even without formal authority. Read more from author Brian Solis’ new book, “Mindshift.”
Inside Look: Consumer Reports’ AI-Powered Chatbot
Consumer Reports recently launched AskCR, an AI-powered chatbot that can answer subscribers’ questions based on the nonprofit organization’s research into a wide array of consumer products. Here’s how it was developed — and the challenges the team had to overcome.
Forcing a Return to Office Won’t Foster More Creativity
JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, recently threw another dagger at the work-from-home (WFH) movement, claiming that remote work stifles spontaneous idea generation and hinders innovation. But remote work doesn’t kill creativity, asserts columnist Daniel Seewald.
Shaking Things Up: The Winners of InnoLead’s 2024 Impact Awards
From drones delivering blood in Rwanda to employees driving sustainability in Brazil to doctors and nurses making healthcare more efficient in southern California, our 2024 Impact Awards focus on people and companies that are shaking things up in constructive ways.
Marketing Became Indispensable to Corporations. Can Innovation Follow Suit?
Marketing has matured into a vital, ubiquitous corporate function essential for both profit-driven and non-profit organizations. In contrast, innovation’s path has been more erratic and misunderstood, often regarded as a sporadic activity rather than a manageable capability that can be harnessed for organizational benefit. How might we change that?
Bain Tech Report: Where AI is Already Delivering Results
A new Technology Report from Bain says that the top AI use cases for productivity gains include software and product development, customer support, sales and marketing, and back office operations. More highlights inside…
Hollywood Studio Lionsgate Strikes Data Deal with GenAI Startup Runway
To live up to their lofty valuations, every generative AI startup needs big bucks enterprise deals — rather than just selling $12-a-month subscriptions to consumers. This deal is about Lionsgate using generative AI for its own internal purposes, rather than letting you generate your own sequel to the “Hunger Games” or “John Wick” franchises.
Leveraging Data and Democratizing AI at $8B Prologis
We sit down with Lisa Vincent, Chief Transformation Officer at Prologis, to discuss her role in driving digital transformation. Vincent highlights how her team uses data-driven insights and AI-powered tools to stay ahead in the real estate and supply chain logistics space.
Disney Exec: The Six Essential Principles of Great Experiences
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, which includes the company’s theme parks and cruise line, shares the principles that guide the company as it seeks to create unique in-person experiences and tell memorable stories.
BCG Data on Decarbonization and the Bottom Line
Most global companies are lagging in decarbonization, with only 9 percent comprehensively reporting on Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. And, only 11 percent have reduced their emissions in line with their goals. More data inside…
The New Innovation Management Standard: Three Steps to Take Now
The world’s first certifiable standard for innovation management systems, ISO 56001, was just published this week. Can it do the same for innovation as ISO 9001 did for quality? Early evidence shows that a shared framework and language can support building innovation capabilities, facilitate top management engagement, improve visibility and legitimacy for innovation activities, and […]
What’s a Clarity Review? (And How Can They Help Better Communicate Technical Ideas?)
When an organization’s leadership is considering many different ideas for funding, some proposals can get stuck in the technical weeds. The authors of this piece explain how their organization conducts “Clarity Reviews” alongside technical reviews.
Why ‘Unlearning’ Will Matter More in the Post-AI World
Unlearning could be the highest form of learning in a post-AI world, writes Terenci Mauri in his new book “The Upside of Disruption.” Read our exclusive excerpt.
How Mining and Metals Giant BHP is Learning to ‘Think & Act Differently’
We sit down with Paul Perry, VP of Innovation at BHP, as he discusses the “Think & Act Differently” (TAD) initiative. His team fosters innovation in the mining industry by partnering with external technology providers.
Inside Nissan’s Advanced Technology Center in Silicon Valley: Goals, Metrics, Challenges, AI, and More
Maarten Sierhuis, VP and Alliance Global Director of the Nissan Advanced Technology Center – Silicon Valley gives a comprehensive overview of the center, including its history, collaborations, dual focus on pioneering research and advanced technology, and role in AI-driven automotive innovations.
Startup Scouting Advice from BT Group
If your organization is engaged in startup scouting — or considering it — what constitutes an effective approach? We sought advice recently from Adam Schink, Head of Startup Scouting at Etc., the startup and incubation arm of BT Group.
GS1 US on the Future of AI in Supply Chain Management
We talk to Bob Czechowicz, Senior Director of Innovation at GS1 US, about the future of AI and how his team uses cutting-edge technologies to enhance global supply chain processes, all while maintaining the high standards and reliability that their stakeholders depend on.
Payment Innovation at Scale: Inside Visa’s Global Innovation Network
Valla Vakili, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Global Head of Insights and Innovation, shares how Visa’s Global Innovation Network pilots groundbreaking projects in digital payments, leveraging local insights to drive global solutions, all while aligning with Visa’s overarching mission to enhance and secure the payment ecosystem.
Corporate Innovation is Changing in Major Ways. Here’s How.
We wanted to share these nine observations about how the winds are shifting in the corporate innovation world. From the “death of the lab” to ISO standards, here’s what we’re seeing…
How Will AI Impact the Construction Industry? Insights from AXA XL Executive
Cheri Hanes is Vice President and Head of Construction Innovation and Sustainability at AXA XL, the US commercial subsidiary of French $89 billion insurance giant AXA. We conected with her recently on the three pillars her team focuses on; progress metrics; managing the risks of new technologies; and how AXA XL is embracing AI.
How Embraer-X is Shaping the Future of Urban Air Mobility
We talk to Daniel Moczydlower, Embraer-X’s President and CEO and Embraer’s Head of Global Innovation Ecosystems, about how his team explores and implements pioneering projects in urban air mobility while maintaining alignment with Embraer’s core business strategy.
AI Use Cases, Customer Insights, and Innovation Lessons from $2.8B AvalonBay Communities
We talk to David Madrid, Vice President of Innovation and Ventures at AvalonBay Communities, a $2.8 billion multifamily real estate investment trust that owns nearly 300 apartment buildings and more than 90,000 apartment homes across 12 states and the District of Columbia.
How Japan’s NEC Adjusted Its Silicon Valley Strategy
We talked with Naoto Mizuguchi, NEC X CFO about the evolution of its startup accelerator program, now called Elev X! Mizuguchi describes the updated venture studio model, success stories, focus areas, and long-term goals for the program.
Book Excerpt: How to Use the Innovation Targeting Matrix
To help you decide on the appropriate strategies for your activities, consider the Innovation Targeting Matrix (ITM). This framework categorizes business activities into three levels: support, core, and differentiating.
UPS Digital Innovation Leader on GenAI, Dynamic Pricing, and Experimentation
We talk to Sunzay Passari, UPS’s Senior Director for Digital Innovation, about how his team carefully studies, tests, and deploys innovative technologies without slowing down the deliveries its customers — and their customers — depend upon.
Setting a New Course at Airbus’ Silicon Valley Innovation Center
In the post-Covid years, Airbus’ Acubed lab has refined its mission to focus on artificial intelligence and autonomy — how those technologies will be applied in aviation, and how they can help the parent company build competitive advantage. We talk to COO Paige Stanton Wilson about their projects and how they connect to HQ.
How to Set Up Innovation for Success: Experts Weigh In
What should the best companies be doing in 2024 to make sure they have the right leaders in place, and the right resources and organizational structure, to make innovation a long-term priority that delivers real results? To explore these questions — and serve up some answers — we convened a group of experts.
Making Corporate Accelerators Work: Lessons for Sustained Innovation and Longevity
Corporate accelerators can effectively serve as a continuous mechanism for testing assumptions, writes Felipe Negritto, allowing firms to capitalize on new external opportunities. In this piece, Negritto shares the key findings from his recent research on accelerators.
My Advice: Overcoming the Challenges to Innovation in Regulated Industries
In any highly-regulated industry, well-intentioned rules can often hinder innovators from advancing great ideas. How do you overcome that? Here’s advice from an innovator at AstraZeneca.
Inside a $5B Health System’s ‘AlphaLab’: Structure, Priorities, Metrics and More
We talk with Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, Chief Physician Executive for Community Health and Innovation at Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network, a $5 billion medical system that operates 14 hospitals and more than 200 primary- and specialty-care practices.
Software Provider Profile: innosabi
innosabi is one of the world‘s leading providers of software solutions for collaborative innovation and idea management. Large international corporations rely on innosabi‘s software and methodological knowledge to transform their innovation processes by enabling open collaboration with customers, employees, suppliers, and other relevant stakeholders. innosabi empowers organizations to leverage their entire ecosystem for innovation. In addition to new forms of digital, large-scale collaboration, innosabi is continuously developing innovative analytics and evaluation mechanics to make more information and additional data sources usable in corporate innovation.
New Data on Generative AI Budgets, Challenges, Use Cases, and Impact on Innovation
Two sessions at a recent conference in Boston explored the ways that generative AI is changing — and may continue to change — innovation work inside large organizations. Here are seven key takeaways…

















































































































































































