The Innovators

Michael Brown, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, explains how DIU is bridging the gap between government and the private sector to help speed the development of innovative solutions to national security challenges.  

Matt Johnson, CEO of the quantum computing company QC Ware, on how to know if you're building something customers will buy or use, and why having the right team of superstars is critical to building a successful venture.

Dara Treseder, chief marketing officer at Carbon; and William Treseder, senior vice president of product at BMNT, discuss what it takes to be a successful mission-driven entrepreneur, and how they manage demanding careers and family life with two young children.

Teresa Smetzer, director of national security programs for Salesforce and a longtime business strategist and investor who has worked to modernize and transform innovation in the public and private sectors, discusses what it takes to be a successful change-maker inside an established organization. 

Jay Rogers, co-founder and CEO at LM Industries, has revolutionized how cars are made. Here he talks about what it takes to drive innovation. 

The biggest challenges Air Force veteran Melanie Stricklan faces as co-founder and CTO of Slingshot Aerospace aren't about to the technology her company uses to help make sense of immense amounts of data in real time. Instead they are related to building a culture that inspires her team of mission-driven entrepreneurs in their quest to make the world safer. In this episode, Melanie discusses why having a dynamic founding team and the help of mentors have been key in helping her navigate the transition from military service to startup founder.

Ian Cinnamon, president and co-founder of Synapse Technology, discusses how artificial intelligence is being used to make the world a safer place. 

Col. John Cogbill, chief of staff of the Joint Special Operations Command, discusses how to leverage Silicon Valley's "secret sauce" to encourage the MacGyvers in your ranks.

In this episode of The Innovators, Jake Bullock, founder and CEO of Ravn, talks about his journey from Navy SEAL to mission-driven entrepreneur; explains how he's trying to change the paradigm on the battlefield and why he had to learn to be a better storyteller to do it; shares how he built a world-class team and secured funding; and describes what it's like to transition from building a product to building a company. 

On this episode of The Innovators, Trae Stephens, partner at Founders Fund, shares what VCs are looking for when they invest and offers tips for what founders can do to stand out as they try to get funded. 

In this episode of The Innovators, Dr. Tom Byers, engineering professor at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, talks about how entrepreneurship education has changed in the past 30+ yeas, since business schools first recognized entrepreneurship could be taught; how the pace of technological change will affect the future of innovation; and why now -- more than ever -- universities must teach ethics in entrepreneurship. 

In this episode of The Innovators, JoJo Roy, innovation leader at Salesforce, shares his journey from government economist to startup CEO and driving innovation in established companies.  JoJo talks about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur; what it was like to make the transition from running a startup to working in a big company; and how data and technology will shape the future of innovation. 

Anne Meree Craig is CEO of the COMMIT Foundation, a transition program that helps veterans navigate the host of possibilities after life in uniform.  In this latest episode of The Innovators, Anne Meree talks about how the COMMIT Foundation came to be; what veterans can do to overcome common challenges that come with transitioning to civilian life; and how the nonprofit remains true to its mission of helping service members and veterans find purpose after military service.

Chris Moran, VP of Lockheed Martin Ventures, the investment arm of Lockheed Martin, explains why a good idea will always find a way to be successful; tells how he decides what to invest in; and shares the top three deal killers.

Chris Taylor, CEO of Govini, the commercial data and analytics firm, says he's wired to constantly evolve and adapt. In this episode of The Innovators Radio Show and Podcast, he shares highlights from his career reflecting that flexibility, including why being a Marine was the best problem-solving experience of his life; how he chooses new opportunities to pursue; how he moved forward after his first startup failed; how he melds startup, government and tech cultures at Govini; and why he is always focused on outcomes.

In this episode of The Innovators Radio Show and podcast, Command Master Sergeant Ian Eishen, Command Chief for the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California and the co-founder of the i. Lab, talks about how he's worked to integrate design thinking, emerging technologies and modern innovation processes and techniques to drive innovation across multiple units in the Air Force. 

Bonny Simi was an Olympic athlete, a TV journalist and an airline pilot before becoming President of JetBlue Technology Ventures, which incubates, invests in and partners with early-stage startups at the intersection of technology and travel. In this episode of The Innovators Radio Show and Podcast, Bonny talks about how she realized her goals a step at a time; shares what she's learned along the way about leadership and building a company culture to get things done; and reveals what drives her today.

Payam Banazadeh, CEO of Capella Space, builder of  the largest constellation of commercial SAR satellites offering a new perspective on observing the Earth, discusses where the idea for Capella Space came from, how the company found its footing in the Hacking for Defense class at Stanford, and what it's like to build a startup in a highly regulated industry.

Serial entrepreneur Eric Shapiro, founder and CEO of app developer ArcTouch chat with The Innovators co-hosts Tom Dioro and Pete Newell about why founders need great partners; how to maintain your company culture and manage the transition as your business grows; and why startups should be building "minimal lovable products."

Steve Blank, creator of the Lean Startup movement, talks with Innovators Radio Show co-hosts Pete Newell and Tom Dioro about why the future of entrepreneurship is mission-driven. 

Learn about the origins of Hacking for Defense, and how this class created a new platform for national service by giving students at universities across the country the tools they need to solve critical national security problems at startup speed. Hear, too, about how this Hacking for X methodology is being used by the best and brightest in the U.S. Defense Department and Intelligence Community to develop a common process for rapid innovation to make the world a safer place. 

The Innovators Radio Show is co-hosted by BMNT CEO Pete Newell and Bay Area radio personality Tom Dioro, and  airs on Stanford University's KZSU radio station, 90.1 FM or kzsu.org Mondays, 11 am PT/2 pm ET.