As a former professional poker player, Nima Ghamsari learned that poker is a game of psychology and understanding how people make decisions. That you have to focus on outputs and make the right small bets over time. That there are times when you go all in, even if you’re unsure of the outcome. Today, as the Co-Founder and Head of Blend , Nima is applying the lessons he learned at the poker table (and studying computer science at Stanford) to transform the financial services industry and fundamen...
Jun 14, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 4
We all know what it’s like talking to a chatbot. Or, dealing with an automated customer service phone assistant (and ending up yelling, “Representative!” in frustration just to speak to a human being!). Either way, the robot on the other end doesn’t really understand and treat us like a human. But what if it did? What if it had human “soft skills,” like empathy and humor? What if it actively listened and could read between the lines of your semantic subtleties? And, what if, like humans, it lear...
May 31, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Millions of Americans struggle to afford and access health care. Some delay seeking care because they lack transportation or child care. Others are simply too nervous to visit a doctor’s office. All these issues hinder people’s ability or willingness to see a doctor, which, in turn, directly impacts their health. But the rise of telehealth is starting to change all that – especially since the start of the pandemic, when virtual everything became the norm. Donna Boyer has experienced this chang...
May 16, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Climate change, a growing global population, and land degradation are depleting the natural resources we rely on to grow our food -- causing massive volatility and instability in our food supply chain. But it’s not all agricultural doom and gloom. In the heart of Appalachia, in Kentucky, is an agtech company called AppHarvest that operates acres upon acres of glass-encased, high-tech greenhouses. Inside these controlled environments grow hundreds of thousands of tomato plants that soon will be f...
Apr 25, 2022•21 min•Season 2Ep. 1
How can we ensure a focus on the human element, well-being, and a better health state in a world of exponential technology? In this episode, Andrew Greenstein’s guest is Jeannette McClennan, president and co-founder of The McClennan Group, a digital product and marketing innovation agency. She talks about their work for AARP and Humana and the way they are navigating the challenges and opportunities—all while discovering the pain points and prototyping winning solutions. Join us on our explorati...
Dec 30, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Andrew Greenstein welcomes Chris McCarthy, VP of Strategy and Design at Hopelab, a social innovation lab focused on designing science-based technologies to improve the mental health and well being of teens and young adults. Chris pulls from his experience leading innovation at Kaiser Permanente to talk about the importance of getting frontline workers involved in innovation efforts, how a game helped save children’s lives, and why an innovation lab that works is flipping its model. Show notes, e...
Dec 14, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 16
We’re joined by Iain McIntyre, founder of humm, the biotech company that developed a wearable patch to accelerate learning and other cognitive functions by modulating the brain’s electrical currents. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein Questions? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us here ....
Oct 27, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Andrew Greenstein welcomes Andrew Smith , the Chief Operations and Innovation Officer at Vituity—a physician-owned-and-led partnership and leader in acute care innovation. Joining Vituity in 2012, Andrew is responsible for integrating cutting edge innovations into core operations to improve the lives of patients and providers. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstei...
Sep 24, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 14
A conversation with Eric Redmond, the best-selling author of Deep Tech . He’s a 20 year veteran technologist who always happens to show up wherever deep tech history is being made, from the first iPhone apps, to big data, to bitcoin. He has advised state and national governments, Fortune 100 companies, and groups as varied as the World Economic Forum, and MIT Media Lab. He’s also authored half a dozen technology books, including 2 tech books for babies, and spoken on every continent except Antar...
Sep 10, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Glenn Gonzales joins The Innovation Cookbook to speak with Andrew about innovation in the skies. Glenn is the Founder and CEO of private jet company, Jet It. He served in the United States Air Force as an F15 flight commander before working as a regional sales manager for the Honda Aircraft Company, where he loved the small but mighty Honda Jet so much that he started a company around it. He has an MBA, a Masters in aeronautical science, and a BS in Behavioral Science with a concentration in Hum...
Aug 25, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Andrew interviews Scott Kirsner, CEO and co-founder of Innovation Leader, an online resource helping change-makers at large organizations deliver real impact. Scott's organization has interviewed numerous executives, visited innovation labs of all kinds, and chronicled patterns and insights in publications including Wired Magazine, Variety, Fast Company, Variety, and The New York Times. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sf...
Aug 09, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today’s guest is Make Wehde, the Chair of the Mayo Clinic division of engineering. Mark is the executive leader of a team of engineers, software developers, and project managers working on product discovery and delivery of solutions to healthcare problems. Andrew speaks with Mark about Mayo’s unique approach to innovation, technology as the great enabler and shaper of better healthcare, and forecasting how the future of medicine might look. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodc...
Jul 16, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 10
When Patrick Baron learned about cryptocurrency from a colleague at a retail bank in 2013, his intrigue sparked a timely exploration of the technology and its potential applications. Several years, prototypes, and iterations later, Patrick is now leading his own three-fold charge in the rapid-emerging realm of crypto; as a steward of Celo Community Fund, GP at Vladiator Capital, and founder of blockchain non-custodial money market, Moola Market, Patrick is materializing his vision of building im...
Jun 02, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Andrew welcomes Kayte Compton and Kelley Naylor, creative strategy designers at Insidesource, a global furniture dealer and workplace innovator reimagining how companies work. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein Questions? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us here ....
May 12, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Andrew speaks with Alexis Wichowski, the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of Innovation for the City of New York, and author of The Information Trade: How Big Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges our Rights, and Transforms our World. She’s also an associate professor at Columbia University, where she teaches media, government, & technology. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @...
Apr 29, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Today's guest is Shashi Jain, an Innovation Manager at Intel who explores new applications for Internet of Things and Machine Learning. While Shashi draws on Lean Startup and design thinking to cook innovation, he's also developed his own methodology: The Startup Ladder. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein Questions? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us he...
Mar 19, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 6
We interview Benjamin Maxim, the Assistant Vice President of Digital Strategy and Innovation at MSU Federal Credit Union who started his career in innovation at the ground level - as a developer. Our conversation spans how experimentation works in a large organization, various approaches Ben’s enacted through his role, and what’s next in fintech. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn ...
Mar 03, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Nigel Simpson, former influential technologist at The Walt Disney Company, joins us for a conversation about how he used his ten-year role to make strategic shifts in company policy to empower collaboration and enable innovation. We discuss what did and didn't work at Disney, the power of open source, and what it means to be a technology rebel. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at...
Feb 17, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 4
A conversation with Luke Chatelain, former VP of Innovation and Digital Product at West Elm, about the agile approach and adaptive mindset he's used to 'work with ambiguity' and build some killer products for brands like West Elm, Nike, and more. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein Questions? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us here ....
Jan 29, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Erick Hachenburg is a serial entrepreneur who's been at the helm of several big acquisitions, most recently that of Tenor by Google. We sit down to talk about startup innovation, acquisitions, and his journey through Silicon Valley. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein Questions? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us here ....
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 2
We speak with Andrew Greenstein, CEO and Head of Production at SF AppWorks, about how he defines innovation, as well as his agency's experience in integrating with digital innovation teams for Fortune 500 companies. Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com . For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com . Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein Questions? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us here ....
Sep 21, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1
