All Featured Article articles

Article How Autodesk Has Been Evolving Its Technology Centers in the US and Canada
September 26, 2022
Prior to COVID, Autodesk’s Technology Centers in Boston, San Francisco, and Toronto had been inviting in artists, entrepreneurs, and makers to work on projects or new ventures, in the hopes that they could help Autodesk better understand its future customers. “The mission was really about how will things be made...
Article Mapping Three Years of Innovation Activities at TIAA
June 15, 2022 | By Meghan Hall, Scott Kirsner
A single slide captures three years of innovation activity at TIAA, the $40 billion financial services firm. We asked creator Howard Manzon to explain what’s on the slide; what worked; and what he might do differently in the future.
Article DuPont’s Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer Talks Metrics
May 26, 2022
In an excerpt from the new book Innovation Accounting, authors Dan Toma and Esther Gons talk with DuPont’s Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer about the intricacies of measuring innovation progress.
Article A Simplified Guide to Web3 and the Metaverse
May 25, 2022
Web3 and the metaverse are two concepts that catapulted out of the world of startups, venture capital, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts in 2021. Now, many larger companies are exploring potential use cases and developing strategy for both Web3 and the metaverse. So we’ve created a jargon-free guide to these two concepts,...
Article How Carmaker BMW is Developing Strategy for Blockchain, AI, and the Metaverse
May 16, 2022
How do emerging technologies get evaluated, tested, and rolled out in Munich-based BMW Group? We talk to Andrew Luckow, Head of Innovation and Emerging Technologies to get the details.
On Demand Webcast Ideas Aren’t Enough. What’s Your Innovation ROI?
April 12, 2022
In this Master Class replay, Suzan Briganti and Mary Ann Bianco of Swarm Vision discuss the importance of delivering measurable results through innovation and examine the mindsets of consistently successful innovators around the world.
Article Mobile Apps, NFTs, and the Metaverse: How FIFA is Innovating its Way to the 2022 World Cup
March 25, 2022 | By Collin Robisheaux
“Innovation is a word that can mean everything – and nothing,” says Benjamin Stoll, Director of Strategic Alliances & Innovation at FIFA, football’s governing body. Unless, he adds, innovation activity can be tied to tangible value creation for FIFA and its constituents. We talked to Stoll in advance of this...
On Demand Webcast Centers of Excellence: How Companies Like LEGO, GlaxoSmithKline, and Bang & Olufsen Innovate
March 24, 2022
In this Master Class replay, Jay Peters discusses the success factors that drive innovation; examined the keys to creating a “center of excellence”; and highlighted lessons from companies such as Lego, GlaxoSmithKline, and more.
Article Should You Close Your Physical Innovation Lab and Open One in the Metaverse?
March 11, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
A recent conversation among InnoLead members spent less time on brick-and-mortar innovation labs — and more time discussing the possibilities of bringing people together for meetings and collaboration in virtual reality, and some of the training and support hassles that produces.
Article Kellogg’s R&D Chief on Plant-Based Proteins and New Ways of Testing Products
February 22, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
The company’s SVP of Global R&D talks about getting plant-based protein to an affordable price point; how the company is moving from focus groups to in-market testing; and why the $13 billion company hires “food designers” rather than food scientists.
Article Exclusive Interview with NASCAR’s Chief Innovation Officer
February 17, 2022 | By Collin Robisheaux
To shed light on how NASCAR stays connected with fans — and how it explores the potential of new technologies — we spoke with Craig Neeb, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer. He says that delivering concrete results requires strong relationships with leadership, openness to the startup world, and an acute...
Article How to Use Myth Busting to Unlock Innovation and Growth
February 7, 2022
Most companies hold on to longstanding myths about their business and customers that constrain new ideas and experimentation — but just aren’t true anymore. Johnsonville LLC Director of Innovation Erik Falck shares four steps to get your colleagues questioning these myths and moving past them.
Article The Demise of an Innovation Team: 5 Warning Signs
February 4, 2022
The warning signs “did not appear all at once,” writes a former innovation team member in the US. Rather, “it was a slow and a gradual shift in priorities and resources over time.” Here are her recommendations for avoiding that same fate.
Article Inside Inspire Brands’ Ghost Kitchen and Innovation Center
February 3, 2022 | By Kate Katz
Just a year after opening its innovation center, Inspire Brands — owner of Arby’s, Sonic, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings — launched the first multibrand “ghost kitchen” in Atlanta. InnoLead spoke with Vans Nelson, VP of Restaurant Operations, Innovation, and Profitability, about staying ahead of tech trends in...
Article An Idea Canvas to Help Manage Your Innovation Funnel
January 25, 2022 | By Eric Braun, Contributing Columnist and Managing Director and Mentor, South Shore Innovation
The fuel of an innovation pipeline is ideas. But without a good prioritization process, it’s very hard for an innovation effort to achieve any kind of successful outcomes. That’s why Eric Braun, entrepreneur and former corporate innovation exec, created this Idea Canvas. Includes download.
Article How Dell’s CTO Assesses New Technologies to Drive Future Growth
January 12, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
Once a company is approaching $100 billion in revenue, creating substantial growth gets a lot harder. “You need to find some new areas to play in,” says Global CTO John Roese. Here’s how he does that…W
Article 20 Essential Tools for Collaboration, Productivity, and Remote Work in 2022
December 9, 2021 | By Alexander MacDougall
At a recent members-only online meeting hosted by InnoLead, members from around the world shared some of the tools they consider essential — from noise-canceling software to AI transcription services to project management platforms.
Video Moisés’ 10 Commandments for Innovation and Growth
November 1, 2021
In this series, Moisés Noreña shares his “10 Commandments for Innovation and Growth” at established companies.
Article The Top 25 Most Influential Innovators
April 6, 2021 | By Lilly Milman
2020 was a brutal year that separated a few forward-looking companies that continued to invest in innovation from the rest of the pack. From mRNA vaccines to streaming services to commercial spaceflight, here’s our list of the Top 25 Most Influential Innovators working inside big organizations.
Video iRobot CEO on Managing & Supporting Innovation
March 25, 2021 | By Lilly Milman
As part of our recent Success Stories conference, co-founder and CEO of iRobot Colin Angle discussed the growth of his company and how he approaches innovation.