Explore every episode of the podcast Corporate Venturing Insider
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Biases of the CVC World: Facing the Investor's Dilemma | 10 May 2024 | 00:20:17 | |
Tune into our conversation with Jason Miles Managing Director at VSF Innovation Interviewed on July 15, 2020 | |||
| Using your Mothership as a Secret Weapon | 10 May 2024 | 00:20:16 | |
Tune into our conversation with Jenn Gustetic, Director of Early Stage Partnerships at NASA Interviewed on July 27, 2020 | |||
| Intel Capital Formula: Navigating Corporate Venturing through Flexibility and Startup Spirit | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:01 | |
Tune into our conversation with Jennifer Ard, Managing Director at Intel Capital Interviewed on December 11, 2020 | |||
| Jeff Bussgang Talks AI-Forward Strategies, CVC Best Practices, and Flybridge’s Road to Success | 12 Mar 2025 | 00:26:47 | |
Tune into our conversation with Jeffrey Bussgang, General Partner and Co-Founder, Flybridge Capital Partners; Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School, Author of the new book The Experimentation Machine. Interviewed on February 6th, 2025 | |||
| From Private Equity to CVC: Steven N. Kaplan, One of the Galaxy’s Top Experts, Shares His Research | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:27:18 | |
Tune into our conversation with Steven Kaplan, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Interviewed on March 3rd, 2025 | |||
| The Global Edge: Joe LiPuma on CVC’s Strategic Role in International Expansion | 10 Apr 2025 | 00:23:25 | |
Tune into our conversation with Joseph LiPuma, Associate Professor In Global Business, Strategy And Innovation at the Boston Questrom School of Business. Interviewed on March 6th, 2025 | |||
| How Megann Watters Turned Science-First Investing into Strategic Wins at LabCorp | 29 Apr 2025 | 00:25:43 | |
Interviewed on March 19th, 2025 Megann Vaughn Watters shares her journey from biomedical engineering to one of healthcare's most strategic corporate venture funds at LabCorp. She and Nicolas Sauvage discuss lessons in sourcing innovation, managing a fund of funds, partnering with startups, managing a growing portfolio, and scaling strategic value across the enterprise. | |||
| Chasing the Future with Steve Westly, founder of The Westly Group | 15 May 2025 | 00:27:14 | |
In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider, Steve Westly—Founder and Managing Partner of The Westly Group, and former Controller and Chief Fiscal Officer of the State of California—joins Nicolas Sauvage for a wide-ranging conversation on investing, innovation, and leadership. Recorded live at GCV Monterey on March 20, 2025, Steve shares hard-earned lessons from his journey through public service, IPOs, and nearly two decades of venture investing. From early bets on Tesla and Luminar to his views on AI, cost curves, and the role of corporate LPs, Steve offers actionable advice for fund managers, founders, and corporate leaders alike. Listen here! Interviewed March 20, 2025 | |||
| Flying Solo: How Bonny Simi Launched JetBlue’s Venture Arm—and Landed Joby | 29 May 2025 | 00:26:28 | |
Join Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby Aviation and former founder of JetBlue Ventures to discuss her corporate venturing career. Interviewed March 19th, 2025 at GCVI 2025 Summit in Monterey, CA. Hosted by Nicolas Sauvage | |||
| A Liberal Arts Approach to Private Equity and Venture Investing with Gustavo Schwed of NYU Stern and Princeton | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:27:10 | |
Tune into our conversation with Gustavo Schwed, Professor of Finance and Professor of Management Practice at NYU Stern School of Business. Interviewed on March 4th, 2025 | |||
| Bridging Founders and Funders: Lessons from Angela Lee of Columbia Business School and 37 Angels | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:24:20 | |
Tune into our conversation with Angela Lee, Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Business School. Interviewed on April 15th, 2025 In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage sits down with Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels and professor at Columbia Business School, to unpack her unconventional path from founder to investor and educator. Angela shares how she built 37 Angels to close both the knowledge and diversity gaps in angel investing, while offering frameworks for diligence, decision-making, and founder evaluation. The conversation also explores the evolving role of corporate venture capital, including its strategic potential, pitfalls like rights of first refusal, and practical advice on how CVCs can truly support startups. | |||
| Boundary Rules & Breakthroughs from Temple Fennell from Clean Energy Ventures | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:26:12 | |
Interviewed May 5th, 2025 In Episode 108 of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage sits down with Temple Fennell, cofounder and managing partner at Clean Energy Ventures. Temple shares his journey from systems engineer to climate-focused investor, offering insights into launching the CREO Syndicate and building Clean Energy Ventures. He breaks down his investment framework—like boundary rules and watch mode—and reflects on the evolving role of CVCs in climate tech. This episode is packed with strategic lessons for investors, founders, and innovation leaders. | |||
| How Game Theory, Gut Instinct, and Long-Term Thinking Shape Great Venture Capitalists: A Conversation with Matt Rhodes-Kropf | 04 Aug 2025 | 00:26:54 | |
Tune into our conversation with Matt Rhodes-Kropf, Managing Partner at Tectonic Ventures and Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management. | |||
| Hypotherm Ventures: Measured Steps; Steady Guidance; Proven Processes | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:30 | |
Tune into our conversation with Aaron Brandt, Executive Vice President at Hypertherm Ventures Interviewed on January 04, 2021 | |||
| What Kind of Investor Do You Want to Be? A Conversation with Mike Smeed of InMotion Ventures | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:26:46 | |
On July 21st, 2025, Corporate Venturing Insider welcomed Mike Smeed, Managing Director of InMotion Ventures, the CVC arm of Jaguar Land Rover. In conversation with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, Mike shared how InMotion balances strategic alignment with entrepreneurial agility through its evergreen structure, fast decision-making, and clear corporate engagement. The episode explores the central question guiding his journey: what kind of investor do you want to be? | |||
| “Steady as She Goes”: Intel Capital Veteran Tammi Smorynski on Boards, Down-Cycles, and Why She’s Teaching the Next Generation | 04 Sep 2025 | 00:24:36 | |
Interviewed August 14, 2025 Nicolas Sauvage interviews Tammi Smorynski—24-year Intel Capital veteran and now GCV Institute instructor—on her winding path from J.P. Morgan to venture and why great CVCs must balance strategic impact with financial discipline. She shares boardroom best practices (say the hard thing first, observers can be powerful, use her eight-slide handover pack) and lessons from Intel Capital’s leaders summed up by Les Vadasz’s mantra: “steady as she goes.” Smorynski compares past downturns to today’s uncertainty, offers guarded optimism for deep-tech hardware, and urges aspiring CVCs to find mentors, treat failures as tuition, and prepare rigorously. | |||
| Talking Corporate Venturing and “When Goliath Needs David” with Valery Yakubovich from Wharton's Mack Institute | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:24:54 | |
In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider #112, Nicolas Sauvage speaks with Valery Yakubovich from Wharton’s Mack Institute about his latest report on corporate venturing. Valery explains how CVC has evolved from “David vs. Goliath” disruption toward symbiotic partnerships, where corporations and startups co-create value. The conversation unpacks six core corporate objectives—from risk management to ecosystem building—and explores emerging practices like venture clienting, venture building, and even AI-enabled startups. | |||
| Inside BMW’s Venture Client Model: Alexandra Renner on Building the World’s First Venture Client Unit | 02 Oct 2025 | 00:30:33 | |
Interviewed September 25, 2025 In Episode #113 of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage speaks with Alexandra Renner, Program Manager at BMW Startup Garage, the world’s first venture client unit. Alexandra shares her journey from co-founding an augmented reality startup to shaping how BMW collaborates with hundreds of business units and pilots startup technologies at scale. She discusses the evolution of venture clienting, from early challenges to today’s best practices in scouting, piloting, and building lasting partnerships. Alexandra also explains how BMW balances startup speed with corporate rigor, the importance of internal communications, and why starting “big enough” is essential for success. This episode offers practical lessons for corporates, entrepreneurs, and anyone curious about how startups and industry giants can innovate together. | |||
| The Scout Bees of Btomorrow Ventures: Guiding BAT Toward Its Next Hive | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:26:36 | |
Interviewed October 6, 2025 In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage sits down with Annie Goman, Managing Director of Btomorrow Ventures, to explore how BAT’s venture arm is redefining corporate innovation. Goman shares how she led a strategic reset of Fund II, emphasizing “high alignment and high autonomy” to guide BAT’s transformation beyond nicotine. She also shares her scout bee analogy—describing how Btomorrow Ventures is charting the path to the company’s next hive of growth. | |||
| The Compensation Architect: How Jody Thelander Thinks About Incentives, Autonomy, and the Next Decade of CVC | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:25:32 | |
Interviewed October 18, 2025 In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage sits down with Jody Thelander, founder and CEO of J. Thelander Consulting, to unpack how compensation shapes autonomy, retention, and performance in corporate venture capital. Together they explore the delicate balance between VC-style incentives and corporate governance. Listeners will learn how to design compensation models that align mission, motivate teams, and earn the mothership’s trust. | |||
| Global Corporate Venturing Editor on CVC’s Image Rehabilitation | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:08 | |
Tune into our conversation with James Mawson, Founder and CEO at GCV Institute Interviewed on January 16, 2021 | |||
| Samsung Catalyst Fund Leverages Mothership Resources to Deliver Value to Startups | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:50 | |
Tune into our conversation with Francis Ho, Senior Vice President at Samsung Catalyst Fund Interviewed on January 25, 2021 | |||
| Bosch Venture Capital Expands Parent Firm’s Strategic Horizons | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:16 | |
Tune into our conversation with Yvonne Lutsch, Investment Principal at Bosch Venture Capital Interviewed on February 09, 2021 | |||
| Empathy & Financial Foundations: Jacqueline LeSage’s Strategy at Munich Re Ventures | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:18 | |
Tune into our conversation with Jacqueline LeSage, Managing General Partner at Munich RE Ventures Interviewed on March 09, 2021 | |||
| BP Ventures’ Quantitative Measurement for Technology Investments | 10 May 2024 | 00:24:29 | |
Tune into our conversation with David Hayes, Managing Partner at bp Ventures Interviewed on March 25, 2021 | |||
| Aligning R&D with Corporate Venture Capital with ABB Technology Ventures’ Malin Carlström | 10 May 2024 | 00:23:29 | |
Tune into our conversation with Malin Carlström, Head of Ventures at ABB Technology Ventures Interviewed on April 06, 2021 | |||
| Stanley Ventures President Credits Success to Expertise to M&A Experience | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:27 | |
Tune into our conversation with Dina Routhier, President at Stanley Ventures Interviewed on April 16, 2021 | |||
| Recognizing the Patterns of Investment Success | 10 May 2024 | 00:24:40 | |
Tune into our conversation with Lisa Lambert, CTIO, President, & Founder at National Grid Partners Interviewed on May 03, 2021 | |||
| The Power of Partnerships: Universities and Venture Capital Firms | 10 May 2024 | 00:19:18 | |
Tune into our conversation with Victoria Slivkoff, Global Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University of California Interviewed on August 08, 2020 | |||
| How Xin Ma’s TCN Ventures Capitalizes on Asia’s Climate Tech Opportunities | 10 May 2024 | 00:26:13 | |
Tune into our conversation with Xin Ma, Managing Director at Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures Interviewed on May 14, 2021 | |||
| From Gearheads to Game Changers: Unconventional Pathways in Corporate Venturing | 10 May 2024 | 00:22:09 | |
Tune into our conversation with Stefan Gabriel, Managing Director at Hitachi Ventures Interviewed on May 28, 2021 | |||
| BMW i Ventures’ Guzel Measures Success on Internal Return Rather than Fund Return | 10 May 2024 | 00:24:25 | |
Tune into our conversation with Baris Guzel, Partner at BMW i Ventures Interviewed on June 11, 2021 | |||
| Alexa Fund’s Kevin Crosby Seeks Diversity among Partners, Customers, and Teammates | 10 May 2024 | 00:24:07 | |
Tune into our conversation with Kevin Crosby, Principal at Amazon Alexa Startups Interviewed on June 25, 2021 | |||
| General Partner Gopinath’s Product Insights Drive B Capital’s Investment Returns | 10 May 2024 | 00:22:16 | |
Tune into our conversation with Rashmi Gopinath, General Partner at B Capital Group Interviewed on July 11, 2021 | |||
| Goodyear Ventures Leverages Its CVC & Incubator to Innovate Internally and Externally | 10 May 2024 | 00:22:30 | |
Tune into our conversation with Abhijit Gang, Managing Director at Goodyear Ventures Interviewed on July 25, 2021 | |||
| Partner Cyril Vančura brings Silicon Valley Mindset to Europe’s imec.xpand | 10 May 2024 | 00:21:01 | |
Tune into our conversation with Cyril Vancura, Partner at imec.xpand Interviewed on August 06, 2021 | |||
| Adding Value with Later-Stage Financial Insights | 10 May 2024 | 00:21:00 | |
Tune into our conversation with Kirsten Bartok Touw, Managing Partner at AirFinance Interviewed on August 23, 2021 | |||
| Geek, Suit, Wonk: Founding and Running Toyota Ventures with Jim Adler | 10 May 2024 | 00:22:38 | |
Tune into our conversation with Jim Adler, Founder & General Partner at Toyota Ventures Interviewed on September 03, 2021 | |||
| Convivialité Ventures’ Stéphane Longuet Toasts to the Intrapreneur Spirit and CVC Value-Add | 10 May 2024 | 00:24:14 | |
Tune into our conversation with Stephane Longuet, Managing Partner at Convivialité Ventures Interviewed on September 19, 2021 | |||
| RISE-ing Above: Scaling Southeast Asia's Startup Landscape | 10 May 2024 | 00:21:13 | |
Tune into our conversation with Supachai Kid, CEO and Co-founder at RISE Interviewed on August 25, 2020 | |||
| INSEAD’s Zeisberger Preaches Execution, Communication | 10 May 2024 | 00:23:39 | |
Tune into our conversation with Claudia Zeisberger, Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at INSEAD Interviewed on October 02, 2021 | |||
| Eileen Tanghal ‘s Less-traveled Path to In-Q-Tel Leadership | 10 May 2024 | 00:24:03 | |
Tune into our conversation with Eileen Tanghal, Senior Partner at In-Q-Tel Interviewed on October 17, 2021 | |||
| Qualcomm Ventures’ Quinn Li - Levering an “Unfair” Advantage | 10 May 2024 | 00:23:51 | |
Tune into our conversation with Quinn Li, Senior Vice President at Qualcomm Ventures Interviewed on October 27, 2021 | |||
| Legacy in Innovation: GCV Institute’s 15-Year Impact and Shaping the Next Wave of Corporate Leaders | 10 May 2024 | 00:23:40 | |
Tune into our conversation with Liz Arrington, Managing Director at GCV Institute Interviewed on November 15, 2021 | |||
| Building in Agility As a Hybrid CVC Fund | 10 May 2024 | 00:25:21 | |
Tune into our conversation with Brian Schettler, Partner at Boeing Horizon X Fund Interviewed on December 09, 2021 | |||
| Starting a CVC Team from Scratch | 10 May 2024 | 00:22:23 | |
Tune into our conversation with Dong-Su Kim, CEO at LG Technology Ventures Interviewed on January 21, 2022 | |||
| The Journey of a Chief Disruption Officer | 10 May 2024 | 00:23:41 | |
Tune into our conversation with Barbara Burger, President at Chevron Tech Ventures Interviewed on February 04, 2022 | |||
| CVC Is Not Rocket Science: A Discussion with Shell Ventures’ Andrea Course | 10 May 2024 | 00:23:14 | |
Tune into our conversation with Andrea Course, Venture Principal at Shell Ventures Interviewed on February 21, 2022 | |||
| Meeting Innovation and Opposition Head-On | 10 May 2024 | 00:19:58 | |
Tune into our conversation with Debra Brackeen, CSIO at CSAA Insurance Group Interviewed on March 03, 2022 | |||
| Traversing Rough Seas: How Faran Guided Lam Capital Through A CEO-Mandated Pivot | 10 May 2024 | 00:21:51 | |
Tune into our conversation with Faran Nouri, Vice President at Lam Research Interviewed on March 17, 2022 | |||