The BIG Strategy Podcast – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

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E072: GTM Strategy & Storytelling – Why Stories Matter

Season 6 · Episode 5

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 • Duration 30:25

Jennifer Caleshu is a leadership communications expert, executive coach, and faculty director at the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, with deep ties to the Haas School of Business. In this episode, Jennifer joins Jeff Eyet to dive into the power of storytelling in business, how leaders build trust, and practical strategies for authentic, memorable communication – whether pitching, presenting, or leading teams.

In this episode, we explore:

(05:55) Leading authentically through story

(09:34) Tuning your message to the audience

(12:10) Knowing and inspiring your audience

(16:26) The hidden power of nonverbal cues

(18:57) Simple strategies for better communication

(23:08) Owning your expertise with confidence

(24:03) How to know your audience and share with ease

(28:21) Final insights on storytelling and connection

Connect with Jennifer Caleshu on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Berkeley Innovation Group Youtube Channel

Find out more about The Berkeley Innovation Group: www.biginnovates.com

E71: Problem Framing & Opportunity Sizing – Unlocking Big Growth with Design Principles

Season 6 · Episode 4

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 • Duration 41:44

Dave Rochlin is a leading expert in design thinking, corporate innovation and entrepreneurship, blending practical experience with academic insight from teaching at HAAS. In this episode, Dave joins host Jeff Eyet to break down how to determine if an idea is worth pursuing, validate its potential, navigate pivots and avoid common innovation pitfalls – sharing hard-won strategies for real-world business growth.

In this episode, we explore:

(05:43) Customer-centric value creation

(07:01) Navigating pivoting and sunk costs

(10:07) Innovation strategy funnel

(13:49) Beyond data, observing real behaviors

(18:50) Focused discovery and validation process

(20:16) Market sizing and validation steps

(25:14) Creating effective problem-solving hypotheses

(27:43) Embracing trial and error

(29:16) Creative data-driven decision making

(37:41) Startup pivot dynamics

(39:08) Strategic pivoting explained

Connect with Dave Rochlin on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Berkeley Innovation Group Youtube Channel

E070: DT Mindset & Process – Unlocking Big Growth with Design Principles

Season 6 · Episode 3

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 • Duration 01:10:22

Clark Kellogg is a renowned design thinker, architect, and co-founder of Berkeley Innovation Group. With decades of experience in architecture, teaching and business strategy, Clark has pioneered bringing design thinking mindsets and processes to organizations and business schools. In this conversation, Clark unpacks the evolution of design thinking, what makes it so powerful and how leaders can apply it to drive meaningful innovation.

In this episode, we explore:

(00:00) Design thinking over technical skills

(05:23) Beyond buildings: the birth of design thinking

(11:41) Embracing vulnerability and empathy

(18:03) Human ingenuity vs AI creativity

(22:50) Are we asking the right question

(27:23) Importance of user feedback

(33:43) Research beyond people to materials

(43:07) Reframing questions for better solutions

(46:25) Ideation without self-censorship

(52:17) Iterative prototyping for market readiness

(54:59) Prototyping fuels design and feedback

(01:01:54) Uncovering bias in storytelling

(01:08:58) Enduring importance of design thinking

Connect with Clark Kellogg on LinkedIn

Connect with Mike Sode on LinkedIn

E069: Systems Thinking – What Space Research Teaches Us About Innovation

Season 6 · Episode 2

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 • Duration 42:52

Miki Sode is a scientist and educator at Stanford’s d.school. She brings a unique mix of physics, aerospace and bioengineering expertise, including groundbreaking research on bone loss aboard the International Space Station. In this episode, Miki explores how systems thinking, innovation, and human-centred design intersect to tackle complex challenges, both in space and here on Earth.

We explore:

(05:36) Space research for drug discovery

(08:04) Integrative thinking in design

(11:30) Bone health, vitamins and athlete impact

(13:50) Space-based research opportunities

(18:19) Unexpected research on the ISS

(21:54) Innovative strategies for growth

(26:13) Space station plant research

(27:27) Risks of returning space capsules

(31:32) Shooting for the moon workshop

(35:54) Plant changes in microgravity

(37:42) System adaptation in space

(41:19) Human-centered design education

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E068: Wicked Problems – Design Thinking, Expertise and the Human Element in Modern Strategy

Season 6 · Episode 1

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 • Duration 47:26

Jess Roberts, affiliate faculty at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the Minnesota Design Center, is a master at navigating complexity. With a background spanning design thinking, public health and systems change, Jess dives into the world of “wicked problems” – the messy, stubborn challenges that resist quick fixes. In this episode, he explores why traditional approaches fall short, and reveals how design-based thinking can unlock fresh solutions in business, health and even AI.

In this episode, we explore:

(00:58) Differences between wicked and traditional problems

(04:47) Unlocking creativity through childlike curiosity

(08:20) Framing problem-solving approaches

(14:33) Navigating expertise and experience

(16:41) Targeting Gen Z with agile strategies

(20:49) How AI disrupts career progression

(23:04) Reframing AI for better outcomes

(27:45) Human-centered design in systems

(30:12) Balancing professional and personal health

(34:19) Design thinking: desirability vs viability

(36:29) Map vs territory in design

(40:40) Designing communication for togetherness

(45:09) Rethinking problem-solving strategies

Connect with Jess Roberts on LinkedIn

By Design Website

Doug Dietz Ted Talk

E067: AI Strategy That Actually Delivers with Chinar Movsisyan

Season 5 · Episode 14

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 • Duration 35:46

Chinar Movsisyan, founder of Feedback Intelligence, joins host Jeff Eyet to unpack the real-world impact of AI for business. Based in San Francisco, Chinar specializes in large language models and conversational AI, helping companies turn AI insights into solutions that truly meet user needs. She shows how AI isn't a threat – the real impact comes when we focus on solving real human problems, not just adding AI for the sake of it.

In this episode, we explore:

Why AI’s strategic value matters for business success
How to define and measure efficiency when implementing AI
The risks of overfitting models to benchmarks instead of real-world needs
Domain-specific AI: building smaller, focused and accessible models
Moving from point-and-click to natural language interactions
How to measure and improve AI-powered user experiences
The future of AI-human collaboration and designing for adoption

Connect with Chinar Movsisyan on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Berkeley Innovation Group Youtube Channel

Find out more about The Berkeley Innovation Group: www.biginnovates.com

E066: The AI Healthcare Transformation with Artem Trotsyuk, Mike Snyder, and Ankur Samanta

Season 5 · Episode 13

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 • Duration 50:24

Today we’re joined by three leading researchers in AI and digital health—Michael Snyder and Artem Trotsyuk from Stanford University, and Ankur Samanta from Columbia University to tackle one of the biggest questions of our time: How will AI change the way we live, age, and heal? From Stanford to Columbia, they’re already running the experiments. You’ll hear how wearable devices are uncovering hidden signals in our bodies, why AI could become your most trusted health coach, and the surprising role psychology plays in whether these breakthroughs actually change lives.

In this episode, we explore:

Personalizing health insights with genomic and wearable data
The rise of AI-powered health assistants
Trust, privacy, and AI-driven diagnostics
AI’s promise and pitfalls in medical decisions
Psychology and behavior: the toughest barriers

Connect with Michael Snyder on LinkedIn

Connect with Artem Trotsyuk on LinkedIn

Connect with Ankur Samanta on LinkedIn

Deep Medicine – Book

The Advanced Drug Delivery and Regenerative Biomaterials (ADDReB) Laboratory

Laboratory for Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing

Connect with Megan Gorman on LinkedIn

E065: What US Presidents Teach Us About Wealth, Risk, and the American Dream with Megan Gorman

Season 5 · Episode 12

Tuesday, September 2, 2025 • Duration 47:02

Author of All the Presidents’ Money, Megan Gorman is a wealth manager, tax expert, and author with a passion for U.S. presidential history, especially how presidents earned, managed, lost and grew their fortunes. In this interview, Megan joins host Jeff Eyet to discuss her book exploring the financial journeys, failures, and legacies of America’s leaders, distilling their personal money lessons for today’s listeners.

In this episode, we explore:

Money wins (and flops) of US presidents
George Washington’s budgeting playbook for power and legacy
How short-term vs. long-term thinking built legacies
Modern money lessons in luck, risk and generational wealth
Smart takeaways from presidents’ second acts and estate plans

All the Presidents' Money – Book

All the Presidents’ Money – Website

Chequers Financial Management