Innovantage Podcast

Can AI actually fix your skin or just feed your insecurities? On this episode, the founder of System Akvile breaks down how a skincare app reached 900K+ users by letting data, not assumptions, drive the product. Akvile Ignotaite is a PhD data scientist who moved from corporate finance and M&A into founding System Akvile, an AI-powered skin-health platform now used by more than 900,000 people a...

Can AI transformation actually make a company faster, or is it just hype? In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, we go inside Wix to find out what real AI transformation looks like when you're running engineering sites across Europe. This is the latest episode in our ongoing series with BMI Executive Institute, spotlighting leaders who put business theory into practice. Joining Max is Monika...

What does real innovation look like in 2026 — inside a 160-year-old state railway and a modern AI-first startup? We continue our series with BMI Executive Institute, sitting down with two guests from two different worlds to explore how innovation, AI adoption, and the future of work actually play out on the ground. We cover the startup vs enterprise mindset, the project management triangle of spee...

This episode marks the beginning of our special series in collaboration with BMI Executive Institute, where we explore the intersection of business, leadership, and technology with standout entrepreneurs connected to the BMI network. We kick off the series with Bas Kooijman, tech-to-finance entrepreneur, CEO/co-founder of DHF Capital, and participant of the EMBA programme at BMI Executive Institut...

What if mixed, unused LEGO bricks could become complete sets again — at industrial scale? Ilya Malkin, founder of Sort A Brick, is building an AI-first automation company that does exactly that. Using computer vision, machine learning, and custom-built hardware, his team identifies, cleans, and sorts over 100,000 unique LEGO elements by shape, color, and print, turning chaotic brick bins into rebu...

What does it really take to go from founder to venture capitalist, and why are most startup ideas actually “bad ideas” at first? In this episode, Raimonds Kulbergs shares the real story behind BADideas Fund, what founders consistently get wrong about fundraising, why most VCs will struggle in the AI era, and what separates ambitious startups from small ideas that never scale. If you’re building a...

China tech and innovation | Chinese economy | Silicon valley vs China | AI strategy In our new episode, Pascal Coppens — sinologist, author, and tech entrepreneur with decades of experience working between China and Silicon Valley  breaks down how the Chinese economy actually works and why Western perceptions of China are outdated. We cover how Chinese innovation differs from Silicon Valley, the r...

Are law firms using AI all wrong? The answer might cost you millions. Aku Sorainen, Founder & Senior Partner at Sorainen and Chairman at Crespect, reveals why most legal tech investments fail and what actually works after 25 years of building his own systems. In this episode, we explore the dangerous gap between AI hype and real-world legal practice. • Why Sorainen spent €2M building software...

What does it really take to succeed as a woman in tech leadership today? In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, we’re joined by Diana Gold — CTO | Head of Digitalization and Technology at Gijos, Partnership Associate Professor at Vilnius University, and PhD candidate at ISM University of Management and Economics. In this conversation, Diana shares: ➡️Her journey from IT and consulting roles t...

Most founders think grants are about paperwork. In reality, they are about positioning, clarity, and execution. In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Spruytte, Grants & Incentives Senior Manager at KPMG Belgium, with prior EY Subsidia experience and a Ghent University research/PhD background, helping organizations secure Belgian and EU funding through structured grant strategy and writing. I...

Is AI fixing hiring or breaking human connection? Why do the best candidates never apply to job ads? And what really happens inside a startup during its first 9 months? Juris Zalāns — Co-founder at Talenme, HR Tech strategist, and digital transformation expert shares unfiltered insights from building a referral-driven hiring platform and navigating the fast-changing world of talent acquisition. Fr...

If you are building a startup, this episode might save you from expensive mistakes. In this new Innovantage Podcast episode, we talk with Thijs Verheul, Co-founder of United Wardrobe, acquired by Vinted. Thijs is now an Angel Investor and author of Thrift to Triumph. We focus on execution: how to build the right team, launch fast, find distribution, manage burn, and make decisions when the runway...

Building a startup is a series of tests you don’t see coming until you fail one. In this episode, Max sits down with Povilas Žinys , Director of Plug and Play tech center in the Baltics, working with startups from Pre-Seed to Series B and helping founders prepare for the realities of venture-scale growth. They unpack what separates scalable companies from “busy” startups that never break through —...

What if creativity isn’t about “expressing yourself”, but about understanding yourself? In this episode, Max sits down with Fredrik Härén , the Creativity Explorer who has spent decades traveling the world to understand how humans create — and the truth he’s uncovered will challenge everything you assume about creativity. This episode goes straight into the uncomfortable, the surprising, and the t...

In this episode of The Innovantage Podcast , Max sits down with Jerome Cloetens , Co-founder & CEO at Palau , Sustainability Tech Entrepreneur, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a startup in today’s AI-driven world. From bootstrapping with almost no runway to signing major enterprise clients, Jerome shares the hard realities, clever strategies, and mindset shifts that kept his...

What happens when technology outpaces democracy? In this episode, Max sits down with Mathieu Michel — Belgian politician, State Secretary for Digitalization, and advocate for digital identity, trust, and responsibility in the online world. He has played a leading role in shaping Europe’s digital identity standards and initiatives such as eIDAS 2.0 and the Declaration of Leuven, with a strong focus...

In this episode of The Innovantage Podcast, host Max sits down with Gytenis Galkis, Partner at Superhero Capital and venture capitalist with over a decade of experience investing across the Baltic and Nordic startup scenes. From evaluating 600 startups a year to spotting the elusive “founder–market fit,” Gytenis shares what really separates great founders from good ones — and why luck, timing, and...

In this episode of The Innovantage Podcast, host Max sits down with Dennis van Bregt , Head of Data Analytics & AI at allnex, a global leader in materials science. With over 30 years of experience in data, analytics, and AI, Dennis has witnessed the evolution of data from dusty spreadsheets to intelligent, self-learning systems, and shares how mastering “data literacy” is the key to thriving i...

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, Max dives into the intersection of defense, security, and innovation with Edvinas Kerza – Managing Partner at Scalewolf and former Vice Minister of Defense of Lithuania. Edvinas brings decades of experience in cybersecurity, defense planning, and strategic innovation to the conversation, offering a rare insider perspective on how military needs drive tec...

In the new episode of the Innovantage Podcast, host Max had a pleasure to speak with Professor Rudy Aernoudt , a venerated author, speaker, founder of EBAN , and political activist with a vast range of expertise. From economics and politics to education and technology, they explore how business meets tech to give you a competitive edge.   Professor Aernoudt shares his unique perspective on what tr...

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, Martynas Kairys — General Manager at ZEDGE (formerly Director of AI Strategy & Development at Shift4 ), AI-driven growth leader, and international keynote speaker — shares how to turn AI from scattered experiments into an operational advantage across a complex, regulated business. With 20+ years across military, logistics, real estate, investment ban...

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, Thibaud De Keyzer — CEO of Mobilexpense, Board Advisor at TechWolf, and Strategic Advisor at Fortino Capital — joins us to share a CEO’s playbook for leading AI transformation. From boardrooms to AI task forces, Thibaud is at the center of how leaders can move beyond buzzwords and turn artificial intelligence into a competitive edge. Under his leadership...

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, Max Golikov sits down with Aušrinė Armonaitė — former Lithuanian Minister of Economy & Innovation and now Head of Investor Relations at prop-tech crowdfunding leader InRento. Disclaimer: Investing involves the risk of losing some or all of the amount invested, so it is recommended to diversify your investments and evaluate them responsibly. From parl...

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, Max Golikov sits down with Denis Leysen — Co-Founder at noah., AI adoption strategist, and former enterprise consultant with deep roots in family entrepreneurship. Together, they dive into what it really takes to implement AI in real-world organizations — especially when you're bootstrapping, not burning VC cash.   Discover how to: ➡️ Build AI solutions...

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, host Max Golikov sits down with Adriana Grüschow — Industry Lead Business Development Manager at Zühlke Group and a seasoned expert in smart connected solutions, complex innovation, and sustainability in the industrial sector. Together, they explore what it really takes to bridge hardware with AI — and how IoT is reshaping not just products, but entire b...