Explore every episode of the podcast Beyond Innovation

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin, Founder & CEO of OCTO and Lynn Rakowsky, Director of Strategy, discuss the nuances of how to tell a compelling story for complex technologies. They discuss when and how to build and invest in the right team, why you should treat storytelling like a product, and why you should view storytelling as a long-term capability. You'll walk away with a clear vision of how to approach and think about your complex technology storytelling needs. 

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky continue the conversation on storytelling by digging into what storytelling actually is and why it matters in business. They explore how to shape your message to resonate with each of your company's key personas, and where to share your story so it reaches the right people, whether that's customers, partners, or your broader community. Storytelling becomes a powerful tool when it's intentional, focused, and delivered in the right place.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky dive into storytelling and how it plays a critical role in raising capital, pitching ideas, and attracting customers. They break down how to craft a compelling narrative around your idea, what investors are really looking for, and how to shape your pitch deck to match. They shift into discussing how storytelling can connect you with your audience and build rapport with customers. Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your message, this episode offers clear, actionable ways to use storytelling more effectively in your business.

In this, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky dive into the world of systems thinking. They talk through examples of both successful and broken systems, how systems thinking is used today at OCTO Product Development, and why it matters when building anything complex. They also break down practical ways to apply it in your own work or company, with tools and techniques that help you see the bigger picture and make smarter decisions.

We're back for Season 3! In this kickoff episode, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky discuss what innovation truly means, how it manifests in unexpected places, and the four key ingredients for building a culture of innovation.  Innovation is not just about big ideas, but also involves taking action, staying curious, and finding new ways to solve problems.

In this episode, we chat with Mike Zani, CEO of The Predictive Index about an often overlooked area of innovation, talent strategy. Given that talent is the foundation for any business, it makes sense to think about how to build teams, how to motivate teams and what are some strategies from other industries that we can learn from. Dig in with us to learn more.

Mike Zani is CEO of The Predictive Index, an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. Sixty years of proven science, software, and a robust curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. Prior to The Predictive Index, Mike was CEO of ShapeUp, a social SaaS wellness platform that was sold to Virgin Pulse in 2014. An avid sailor, Mike began his career in marketing and sales with Vanguard Sailboats and was a coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. He holds a B.S from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, I speak with Vic Nunes, Founder and CEO of QMed Innovations about how innovation can take unexpected forms, why deep experience in a category can unlock new ideas and how age can be an advantage when it comes to new ventures.

Vic has spent over 30 years in the orthopedic industry as an executive responsible for two global operations and supply chain organizations, among them Depuy Synthes, a Johnson and Johnson company.Vic heads the technical and marketing efforts at QMed as well as the launch of Quest. He also oversees investor relations and fundraising.

In this episode, we speak with Chris Varley, Principal, Goodyear Ventures about the value and role of Corporate Venture in the startup eco-system. We discuss the distinction between open innovation and corporate ventures, how startups can leverage corporate ventures to accelerate growth and why teams often matter more than technology.

A respected expert in technology commercialization and strategic business innovation, Chris has led new business and new product creation efforts for several major corporations including AT&T, CompuServe, Prentice-Hall, and The Walt Disney Company. In his current role as a Principal with Goodyear Ventures, Chris focuses on mobility and sustainability-related investments that enhance Goodyear’s products and mobility services.

Previously, as New Market Development Vice President for AT&T Labs, Chris led a venture development and investment group that commercialized emerging technologies outside of traditional AT&T markets. A two term Generation Foundation Fellow for Sustainable Development and former Vice President of NorTech, the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition, Chris played a critical role in the early development of the clean energy movement in Northeast Ohio.

In addition to his operational experience, Chris has written more than 50 film, television, and children’s book projects, and served as a key advisor on start up funding and strategic partnering for New Media Partners, a digital media and technology consultancy based in Glasgow, Scotland.

In this episode, we speak with Sachin Mathur, EMEA Region Director, Software & Control Business Segment of Rockwell Automation. We explore importance of translating technology and innovation into relevant story telling for local audiences, how cultural differences influence go-to-market strategies and why localization is impactful to growth and engagement.

Sachin Mathur is a globally recognized leader transforming the smart manufacturing industry. With a drive for human centric Digital Transformation, Sachin currently leads the software and digital solutions portfolio for Rockwell’s Software and Control business unit.

As a technology evangelist, Sachin thrives on and specializes in navigating organizational transformational programs, identifying, and enabling end-customer business outcomes via new technologies and partner ecosystems.

Leveraging his business acumen and diverse industry background ranging from mining, transportation and manufacturing, Sachin brings over 15 years of experience leading global projects and programs across Australia, US, and Europe.

With a wide array of experience in leading cross functional business objectives and spearheading meaningful progress in complex and matrixed organizations, Sachin is considered a true digital transformation leader. He is a believer in pushing “out of the box” execution strategies and driving digital (and self) transformation by joining hands with domain experts in a partner ecosystem.

In this episode, Michael Pereira and I discuss the importance of integrating external partners into the innovation process, the role of trust within an organization and with external partners and working both sides of the innovation table.

Michael is a highly experienced MedTech Executive bringing over 25 years of Product Development and Operations Experience with some of the most successful Med Device companies. He has been involved in the development of hundreds of medical and consumer products in a wide variety of roles. His focus is on developing strategies to help drive innovation to meet a company’s mission.

Michael also serves as an advisor to MedTech companies and is considered a premiere speaker on how to successfully commercialize great medical products.

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Scappaticci, founder of Big Dreams Studio. Join us as we discuss experiential prototypes, necessary disruptors and how companies can eliminate doubt and inspire innovation with storytelling to test your assumptions about today.

As the founder of Big Dreams, Nick leads corporations, governments and brands through high-level operational and strategic change. He leads a staff of strategists, designers and technologists, that explore the complex challenges of our time by crafting imaginative narratives to accelerate a more equitable and sustainable future. Prior to Big Dreams, Nick was founder of Tellart, an award winning globally recognized experiential design firm. Nick serves as President of the Design xRI Board and as an adjunct professor at RISD.

In this episode, we speak with one of the leading experts on entrepreneurship and long time collaborator, Danny Warshay, author of “See, Solve, Scale – How Anyone Can Turn an Unsolved Problem into a Breakthrough Success”. We discuss the finer points of problem solving, why an entrepreneurial mindset is valuable beyond business and why we should all find our ikigai.

DANNY WARSHAY is the founding Executive Director of the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship and Professor of the Practice at Brown University. He began his entrepreneurial pursuits while an undergraduate at Brown as a member of the Clearview Software startup leadership team. Apple acquired Clearview, and since then, he has co-founded and sold companies in fields ranging from software and advanced materials to consumer products and media. Danny received an A.B. in History, magna cum laude, from Brown, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He lives in Providence.

In this episode, we speak with Richard Heggie, Investor and Founder CEO of H Catalyst. We discuss the evolution of the corporate view and engagement with startups through accelerators and open innovation platforms and why now might be a great time to partner with a large corporate.

Richard is an Investor and the Founder/CEO of H Catalyst based out of London. H Catalyst is a consultancy focusing on innovation, sustainability, and strategy. Richard is motivated by opportunity, growth, sustainability, innovation, and value creation. He describes himself as a visionary cat herder; building the team, the proposition, the momentum, focus and go to market strategy. He is currently involved in the development of an open innovation platform in smart manufacturing, Sixth Sense for Hexagon. He’s a passionate enthusiast for Life 2.0. Prior to this, Richard held several leadership roles within Barclays Business Banking, High Growth & Entrepreneurs, and Investment and Wealth Management.

Richard was recently appointed as an Associate in Entrepreneurship for the Cambridge Judge Business School.

In this episode we speak with Joe Gordon, VP of Innovation at Veranex. We discuss the dynamic landscape of MedTech, what makes a valuable external partner and my annoyance with the term human-centered design.

As Vice President of Innovation for Veranex, Joe drives innovation in Veranex’s core markets of healthcare delivery solutions, medical device development, and consumer healthcare. With a passion for applying a human-centered approach to system and device development, Joe has committed himself to advising and leading expert teams of researchers, engineers, and designers in collaboration with a global client base to co-create, implement, and measure solutions that form the leading edge of the industry. Joe has honed his expertise throughout his 20+ career in a wide range of specialized fields including robotics, arthroscopic, audiology, endoscopy, gynecology, orthopedic, urology, and ophthalmology.

Throughout his career, Joe has received several medical design honors and over 50 patents. During his tenure at Veranex/Ximedica, Joe previously held the position of Director of Technical Innovation.

In this episode we speak with Darren Abrams, Lead Director Corporate Strategy at Bose. Darren is one of the best strategists we've had the pleasure of working with. In this episode we explore the genesis of innovation, the value and dangers of corporate rabble rousers, and strategy as the ultimate bias buster. You'll walk away with a better understanding of how strategy and innovation inform each other and how you can apply it and engage with it in your own work life.

Join host, Justin Sirotin with special guests Josh Brumberger and Marissa Hummon, the CEO and CTO of Utilidata. Utilidata is on a mission to ensure that one of our most important infrastructures, the energy grid, can support our changing needs. We discuss the inherent challenges of change and innovation in a highly regulated legacy system, the importance of knowing your stakeholders and what it means to build an outstanding team.

Josh brings a breadth of innovation experience, impactful strategic vision and a deep knowledge of government that feeds Utilidata’s vision to drive real and meaningful change for one of the most critical infrastructure issues of today’s time. As CEO, Josh leads Utilidata’s strategy, growth, and advancement. He is an expert in the intersection of technology and public policy and strives to build partnerships that ensure innovative solutions can succeed at scale. Prior to Utilidata, Josh held senior roles at Fortress Investment Group, the Office of the Rhode Island General Treasurer and on national political campaigns.

Marissa’s deep understanding of the technical opportunities available in renewable energy as well as the existing complexity of today’s grid provides a unique and powerful perspective to drive change for the future of grid optimization. As CTO, Marissa is responsible for the company’s technology research, product development, deployment, and engineering teams. She is an expert at developing products that change the way consumers and utility executives think about procuring, dispatching, and pricing distributed energy resources. Marissa brings more than 15 years of expertise in energy systems and grid optimization, having previously overseen product development for Tendril and managed grid modernization research at the National Renewable energy Laboratory. Marissa is a graduate of Colorado College with a PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard University and serves on the board of Grid Forward.

Join host, Justin Sirotin and Aidan Petrie, Founding Partner of NEMIC (New England Medical Innovation Center) as they discuss navigating the Valley of Death in MedTech, the value of customer-led innovation and the changing landscape of software as a medical device.

Aidan is best described as a lifelong Innovation Advocate. Aidan’s passion for innovation and design has brought hundreds of products to market that range from drug compliance aids to wearable therapeutics, home monitoring products and complex surgical systems. His passion for innovation in healthcare led to the founding of Ximedica, one of the world’s leading medical device developers. Currently, he focuses on supporting early-stage medical technologies realize first funding and guidance through commercialization. He is a member of Cherrystone Angels and a mentor and advisor to multiple startups.

Join host, Justin Sirotin and Milan Kocic, Senior Director of Sixth Sense Open Innovation Platform as they discuss customer-led innovation and moving mature companies towards leading edge innovation.

Milan has over 20 years of experience delivering engaging experiences and creating transformational products and services with highly technical companies. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Milan on many projects and initiatives, delivering game changing technologies into a mature industry. Milan has a unique and valuable perspective to bring to the conversation. He has leveraged strategic vision, deep knowledge of design and systems process and informed intuition to drive innovation within the his organization. His career has provided him with first hand insights into client’s needs, building innovative products from ground up first hand to collaborating with outside entities all to drive innovation through the large and mucky waters of a massive company, Hexagon.