Microsoft - You can’t go many places in Chicago without hearing Adam Hecktman’s name mentioned. As Director of Technology and Civic Innovation, Adam’s work with Microsoft drives cities and communities towards a more equitable future. An advocate for the power of public spaces, Adam constantly pushes himself to ensure that civic resources (whether driven by technology or policy) are available to everyone. On this week’s episode, we talk with him about how he’s working to bridge the digital divide, the “innovation engines” that are startups, growing up with Microsoft, and much more. It’s a fascinating look into the past, present, and future of technology and community in Chicago.
#UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago.
Be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes as they air.
[audio mp3="https://ex3labs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Driving_Social_Impact_Through_Civic_Innovation_Adam_Hecktman_of_Microsoft.mp3"][/audio]
As anyone in a corporate environment knows, making change in a large organization is often tedious. It doesn't have to be, with a shift in mindset. In order to address the challenges and opportunities corporations face in innovation today, BMO teamed up with EX3 Labs to spread awareness of the "startup mindset," warn about the dangers of complacency, and inspire corporate peers to think differently.
"When companies are making a lot of money it's very difficult to say, 'ok, let's do something different'," says Leslie Anderson, Senior Vice President at BMO. Bringing both the startup and corporate perspective to the challenge of innovation, Anderson and EX3 Labs CEO, Adam Wisniewski, teamed up to educate corporations on the meaning and value of adopting a startup mindset.
Why are established, industry-leading corporations turning to startups to fuel innovation? Anderson and Wisniewski both agree that agility is the key. "One of the greatest challenges in corporations is that there's a mindset that there have to be so many checks and balances that... there's a lot of friction associated with movement," says Wisniewski. "An important thing for corporations to embrace is that unless you're willing to change and adapt to the growing needs of consumers and the market, it's going to be a challenge to stay alive."
#UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago.
[audio mp3="https://ex3labs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Influencing_Your_Innovation_Agenda_Adam_Stanley_of_Cushman_Wakefield.mp3"][/audio]1871 Chicago - Kicking off #UnlockingInnovation we have 1871 CEO, Betsy Ziegler. We talked with her about the difference between sustaining and disruptive innovation (and why the latter is so critical to staying on top), what motivates her to take big leaps, the “exponential times” we’re living in and how that affects her business, the problem of “innovation theater,” and the advice she gave to Bette Midler! #UnlockingInnovation is a podcast by EX3 Labs, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago. Be sure to subscribe to keep up with new episodes as they air. [audio mp3="https://ex3labs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Cultivating_Disruptive_Innovation_BetsyZiegler.mp3"][/audio]