Inside CVC by u-path

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC, Steve and Philipp sit down with Jen Randle , co-founder of SGNL , a strategic advisory and content firm known for helping leaders communicate with clarity, coherence, and purpose. Jen has spent her career advising executives, founders, and institutions on how to build trust by aligning what they say with what they do. Her work at SGNL focuses on narr...

Send us Fan Mail Engineer, board director, and Shifting Gears author Kristin Slanina joins Inside CVC for a candid conversation on what it really takes to lead transformation in an industry that’s been “five years away” from disruption for more than a decade. Kristin shares how discomfort became one of her greatest teachers, what she learned building Ford’s original Blueprint for Mobility, and why...

Send us Fan Mail Innovation inside large companies often runs on instinct, scattered pilots, and wishful thinking. Yaron Flint joins us to explain why so many corporates still lack a true playbook — and how a more structured approach can turn chaos into clarity. Listeners will hear Yaron discuss: Why he wrote Innovative Business Development and the gap he saw across global organizations. The four...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Philipp Mueller , Vice President, Public Sector at DriveLock and Co-Founder of the European Resilience Summit Series , joins Inside CVC to explore why resilience — not sovereignty — is becoming Europe’s defining strategy in an age of constant disruption. He shares how leaders can rethink governance, investment, and collaboration around adaptation and trust rather...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann speak with Andy Binns , co-founder and Managing Director of Change Logic , and co-author of Corporate Explorer and the forthcoming Corporate Explorer Fieldbook . Andy has spent his career helping CEOs, boards, and innovation leaders at companies like Analog Devices, RELX, and UNIQA Insurance build new growt...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Inside CVC , Steve and Philipp are joined by Gerald Knaus , founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative and author of The European Miracle and Its Enemies . Knaus reflects on how post-war Europe built an unprecedented framework of peace, democracy, and economic cooperation—and why that “European miracle” is now under its greatest threat since...

Send us Fan Mail Disability is often seen through the lens of charity — but what if it’s actually one of the greatest drivers of innovation? In this episode of Inside CVC , hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann speak with Pete Horsley , founder of Remarkable , a global accelerator for disability technology startups. From Sydney, Pete shares why inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’...

Send us Fan Mail What if the greatest untapped driver of innovation isn’t found in Silicon Valley, but in the lived experience of people with disabilities? In this episode of Inside CVC , Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann sit down with Regina “Gina” Kline , founder of Enable Ventures and a pioneer at the intersection of civil rights and impact investing. From her years litigating landmark ADA c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , we sit down with Howard Ross —author, consultant, and one of the nation’s preeminent thought leaders on unconscious bias and organizational change. Howard brings a candid, historical, and forward-looking perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at a time when the topic is both urgent and contested. Listeners will hear: Why DEI has alway...

Send us Fan Mail Europe is at a crossroads in shaping its technological future. In this episode of Inside CVC , Martin Hullin , Managing Director of the Network for Technological Resilience & Sovereignty Europe’s Future Program Bertelsmann Stiftung introduces Eurostack —a visionary framework designed to strengthen Europe’s sovereignty, resilience, and competitiveness in the digital age. Listen...

Send us Fan Mail As experts gather in Berlin and Brussels to debate climate policy, MIT Sloan’s Jason Jay joins Inside CVC to cut through the ESG noise. He introduces the Four Lenses Framework , showing how boards can focus on what matters, align purpose with business value, and invest for long-term impact. You’ll hear: How to separate signal from noise in ESG Why short-termism blocks real progres...

Send us Fan Mail Robotics is moving from the lab to the loading dock, farm, and job site—and the playbook is changing. In this episode, Sam Abidi —robotics expert and member of the U-Path Advisory team—explains how to pick the right first use cases, redesign operations around machines, and structure partnerships that actually scale. We cover ROI beyond simple labor displacement, how CVCs de-risk t...

Send us Fan Mail In a moment when AI is rewarding efficiency and headlines spotlight shrinking management layers, strategist and author Kaihan Krippendorff argues the real advantage comes from optionality —and from empowering intrapreneurs across the enterprise. We dig into why the MVP-and-hyperscale era is giving way to longer feedback cycles and thesis-driven bets, what distinguishes innovation...

Send us Fan Mail Vietnam and Southeast Asia are fast becoming global hotspots for innovation and venture capital, but success in the region requires more than just money. In this episode of Inside CVC , Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and community builder Cuong Dang to explore the realities of scaling startups and corporate ventures in one of the world’s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , we sit down with Hee S. ("Hee") Jung, CEO of SK Chemicals America and head of SK Group’s corporate venture investment operations in North America. Just days after SK Group announced strong earnings in South Korea, Hee offers an inside look at how the conglomerate is navigating today’s global headwinds—from regulatory shifts and tariff chal...

Send us Fan Mail Futurist Peter Schwartz (Chief Future Officer, Salesforce) and AI pioneer Richard Socher (CEO, You.com) join Inside CVC to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping work, leadership, and society. They reflect on the evolution of AI at Salesforce, the shifting skills required of tomorrow’s leaders, and how regulation, culture, and global risk shape innovation. From scenario...

Send us Fan Mail Enterprise AI strategist Alec Coughlin joins Inside CVC to share hard-earned insights on scaling AI beyond the memo. Alec challenges common misconceptions about “AI-first” strategies and explains why so few companies are truly AI-mature. We explore how leading enterprises like McKinsey, Blue Yonder, and Union Square Ventures are operationalizing intelligent systems—and what corpor...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , futurist and innovation expert Jonathan Brill, author of Rogue Waves , joins Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann for a provocative conversation about navigating—and capitalizing on—radical change. From AI and demographic shifts to geopolitical volatility and supply chain resilience, Brill explains how corporate venture capital can create real value...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , we sit down with Michael Granoff, founder of Maniv Mobility, to explore the dynamic forces reshaping the movement of people and goods. From electric trucks in California to two-wheelers in India, Maniv’s portfolio reflects the global push toward decarbonization, automation, and digitization. Michael shares candid insights on the rise of Chinese EV d...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , we sit down with Shawn Hoyer, Head of Venture Capital Coverage at Bank of America, to explore how capital markets are evolving—and what it means for founders, investors, and corporate innovators. From the fluidity of global capital and the rise of sovereign wealth funds to the future of AI-driven startups and public market exits, Shawn unpacks the m...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 5 of Inside CVC , we continue our deep dive into the 2025 CVC Open Innovation Summit, this time focusing on highlights and takeaways from Day 2. Co-hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann explore how Miami took center stage as an emerging hub for globally connected innovation—spanning Latin America, Europe, and beyond. We spotlight the city’s growing influence in sec...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Inside CVC , hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann explore the origins, purpose, and outcomes of the CVC Open Innovation Summit in Miami. Philipp shares how a dinner conversation in 2023 sparked a movement to create a trusted, high-impact environment for CVC and innovation leaders—culminating in a summit designed by CVCs, for CVCs . Listeners will hear how...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 3 of Inside CVC ! In this special behind-the-scenes edition, co-hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann sit down—finally together on the mic—to talk about the "why" behind Inside CVC . If you’re just tuning in, this is your chance to meet the minds behind the podcast. Steve and Philipp share the story of how the show came to life, reflect on their s...

Send us Fan Mail In this timely and globally focused episode of Inside CVC , we sit down with Benjamin Qiu , an American lawyer and cross-border investment expert, to unpack the escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China—and what they mean for corporate venture capital, startups, and innovation worldwide. Benjamin brings a unique perspective shaped by decades of experience in Silicon Val...

Send us Fan Mail  J. Carl Ganter, founder of Circle of Blue, joins Inside CVC by u-path to explore water scarcity as a rising threat to corporate employees, supply chains, operations, and customers. With a journalist’s eye and an innovator’s urgency, the advisor to the World Economic Forum and global business leaders explains why this issue demands board-level attention — and the vital role CVCs c...