Innovation Heroes

Design-led companies such as Apple, Starbucks, and Airbnb outperform the S&P 500 index by 219%. The question is why?

Today’s guest Paul Stonick -- VP of SCADpro, the Savannah College of Art and Design’s in-house design studio -- says he has the answer.

Paul says this human-centered approach to problem solving unleashes creativity in any organization. Design can solve everything, says Stonick. On the episode, he dives into how t...

We’re taking December off – but don't worry, we’ll be back in January with all new episodes of Innovation Heroes. Happy holidays!

On today’s bonus episode: Ed chats with Victoria Barber, Senior Director of Strategic Insights at SHI, about her new podcast We Got Your Mac – and why it’s time business leaders take a closer look at Mac.

To put it simply: If you want to innovate, you need to give your people choice. It doesn't hurt that...

Charles “Chuck” Rinker wants people to be as addicted to their own health as some are to video games. He should know – he was the director behind EA Sports’ NCAA/Madden series. Now, as CEO and Founder of PRSONAS by nuMedia Innovations Inc, he’s bringing digital personalities to industries, such as the healthcare sector.  

Rinker discusses his career trajectory, starting out in cattle farming and then going on to Black Ops military ...

It was fairly recent history when supermarket food items had to be manually restamped each time the price increased, with clerks running up and down the aisles to do inventory. Paul McEnroe, creator of the barcode, remembers searching for cans with lower price tags from the back of the shelf when shopping for his mother.  

Now, barcodes are all around us, scanned ten billion times a day. On today’s episode, we dive into the fascina...

You may think of Kenmore as your grandmother's brand. It’s true – the name first appeared on sewing machines in 1913. But the brand has been revitalized by their current CEO Sri Solur. In just 18 months, he’s doubled licensing revenue and scaled to thousands of new locations and online. This week, he talks about how he's brought innovation to this 100-year old company by using software development principles and agile business meth...

They’re protecting the US energy grid, monitoring the dark web, and even getting shot at in Ukraine. Threat intelligence agencies are taking down bad actors daily in the world of cybersecurity. This week, Ed talks to Joe Marshall, Senior Security Strategist at Cisco Talos Intelligence Group, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

History-making cybersecurity events are happening in Ukraine and Marshall has been on the ground ...

The buzz around Generative AI is growing louder. But what's the reality behind the hype?

It can be difficult to know when and how to start – and what the consequences might be. In this episode, we are bringing you real-world advice for AI implementation. Ed is joined by John Byron Hanby IV, Founder & CEO of Iternal Technologies, and Allen Clingerman, Chief Technology Strategist at Dell, to discuss practical methodologies for la...

Public sector IT heroes support more than 3000 county governments across the USA. Without them, we wouldn’t have daily necessities like public utilities, roadways, law enforcement, or secure elections. But these small and mighty teams are up against budget restrictions, unfunded government mandates, cyber-attacks, talent shortages... the list goes on.

On today’s episode, Ed talks with Micah Hassinger, Director of IT in Passaic Co...

With the proliferation of generative AI, new forms of threats have been unleashed, presenting novel challenges for cybersecurity experts. However, amidst this uncertainty, there is a glimmer of hope. Can AI itself be the key to fortifying our defences and shaping the future of cybersecurity strategies? 

On today's episode, host Ed McNamara meets with Michael Wilcox, Vice President of the Office of the CISO at Stratascale. Wilcox sh...

The thing humanity consumes the most is water. The second is data, and that’s growing at an alarming rate, says Tom Frazier, CEO of Redivider. On today’s episode, Ed talks with Frazier about how Redivider is shifting how data centers are built and operated as data needs continue to explode. 

Traditionally, it can take up to three years and a quarter of a billion dollars to build mega data centers. Redivider is creating data centers...

We delve into the world of General Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) with returning guest, Stacey Shulman, a tech industry veteran and vice president at Intel. We explore the powerful transformations GenAI is bringing to healthcare and retail sectors, highlighting some truly inspiring use cases that showcase the potential of this groundbreaking technology. But this episode isn't just about the "what" of GenAI, we also navigate the "...

What if instead of being disrupted, you became the disruptor?

In the first episode of Season 5, we hear from Greg Matusky, the President and Founder of GregoryFCA. Matusky discusses his journey of embracing Generative AI in his PR firm, transforming their operations and culture. He shares how the advent of ChatGPT has revolutionized his firm's processes, and his vision of progressing from an age of information to an age of wisdom a...

SHI's Innovation Heroes is back with our most ambitious season ever. We'll unravel 12 inspiring stories from the disruptive front lines, diving into topics such as the revolutionary potential (and risks) of Generative AI and groundbreaking advancements in sustainable IT, all while shining a light on the unsung technology heroes.

We're also delivering a whole new way to experience the conversation. For the first time, we're introduc...

When you work in the technology industry, the “next big thing” is always just around the corner. But how do we spot when something is truly transformational, or if it’s just an over-hyped gimmick? It's a question we often ponder on this show, where we meet individuals at the cutting edge of emerging technologies like blockchain, Web 3 and NFTs. On today’s bonus episode, we’re revisiting the best conversations we've had with start u...

With all the doom and gloom about AI, we ask: Are robots and AI the key to unlocking a brighter future for humanity? This new Best of compilation delves into the extraordinary ways these technologies are revolutionizing our world. Featuring discussions about crimefighting robots, social robotics and AI’s real-life applications in the creative industries, IT and our workplace. Prepare to be inspired as we explore the limitless possi...

From spending hours a day on video calls, to curbside shopping for just about anything, we've gone through a seismic shift in the way we work, communicate and connect with each other.

And while sometimes change is difficult, every one of these ground-breaking developments has a hero behind it. Which is exactly what we’re talking about on today’s bonus episode of Innovation Heroes. We’ve gone through the last four seasons, to coll...

On this show, we get to meet a lot of heroes – people and businesses who are making the world a safer, smarter and better place to live. And as we get ready for Season 5, we’ve put together highlights from a few of our favorite conversations with these un-caped crusaders. From fixing our broken healthcare systems with AI, to battling climate change from space, listen now to our most inspiring and heroic episode, ever.

This episod...

It’s hard enough to earn a living as a musician. Throw in a multi-year pandemic, and it became even harder. But what if you could earn your future revenue – today? In this episode, Ed sits down with the co-founder and CEO of Labelcoin, Mark Miller, to discuss how his startup has become the Robinhood for the music industry by stamping out artistic poverty through  blockchain technology.  

Featuring guest Mark Miller, co-founder and ...

If you think esports is only for leisure, think again. There is a revolution going on in the world of esports and educational technology, and it’s transforming how students learn. Ed sits down with SHI’s Senior Director of Education Solutions, Dr. Katrina Adkins to learn about how her team is strategizing, testing, and building the latest K-12 tech spaces for future innovators. They discuss the need for esports in education, and th...