All Working With Startups - Page 2

Video Video: How Big Companies Plug in to the Startup Ecosystem
January 6, 2023 | By Scott Kirsner
Learn about seven ways large companies and organizations can participate in the startup ecosystem — with data to support what percentage of companies use each strategy.
Article Learnings from a New REI Program that Invests in Diverse Entrepreneurs
December 29, 2022 | By Meghan Hall
REI Co-Op ran its first two cohorts in its new Path Ahead Ventures program in 2022. The cohorts, which include early-stage and late-stage startups, focus on helping founders of color advance in the outdoor industry. Kihanya shares the structure of the program, lessons learned, and what's next in 2023.
Article Open Innovation Veteran on Working with Startups and Using Exploration Teams
December 21, 2022 | By Tyler Smith
Navigating the startup ecosystem can be difficult. Open innovation veteran Maureen Rinkunas discussed accelerator programs, what she calls "exploration teams," and best practices for working with startups.
Article Collected Advice: How Can Corporations Become a Magnet for High-Quality Startups?
November 16, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
What are the tactics that can help corporates attract the very best startups to a hackathon, accelerator, pitch competition, or open innovation challenge? We asked a group of corporate leaders who have run these kinds of programs. Here’s what they said.
Article Plugging in to the Startup Ecosystem: An Illustrated Guide
November 14, 2022
No one would deny there’s a lot happening in the world of startups. But how can large companies tap into it, in a way that aligns with their objectives and creates real value? In this large-format illustration, we've laid out seven of the most common approaches to plugging in to...
Article Assessment: How Sophisticated is Your Startup Engagement Strategy?
July 9, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
Are you ready to engage with the startup ecosystem? How comprehensive is your startup strategy? Answer these 15 questions to find out.
Article Beneath the Buzz: What are Venture Studios and Builders, and How Do They Work with Corporates?
May 4, 2022
A growing number of big company leaders like the idea of hiring a firm like this to help them develop that elusive “next big thing.” But it’s a confusing landscape. There are hundreds of organizations of different shapes, sizes, and capabilities that call themselves venture studios, or say that they...
Article Why ‘AgeTech’ is a $9 Trillion Sector You Shouldn’t Ignore
January 26, 2022 | By Rick Robinson, Contributing Columnist and VP of AARP Innovation Labs/AgeTech Collaborative
Rick Robinson, VP of Product and Startup Engagement at AARP, makes a case for opportunities in the growing AgeTech sector.
Article Inside MetLife’s Relationships with VCs and the Startup Ecosystem
January 18, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
Since 2014, the $68 billion insurer MetLife has run more 160 experiments with startups — 70 of which later developed into contractual relationships. Vice President of Innovation Terrence Luciani has created a structured process for collecting requirements from around the company, and then working with venture capital firms, accelerators, and other parties to...
Article Fidelity Labs SVP: ‘The Only Success Metrics That Really Matter are Financial Metrics’
January 4, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
How do you avoid winding up in the “danger zone” as an innovator inside a big company? Mona Vernon, the head of Fidelity Labs at Boston-based Fidelity Investments, says it’s all about making sure your metrics are aligned with your CEO and CFO.
Article How Best Buy’s CTO Assesses New Technologies for Strategic Business Value
December 13, 2021 | By Scott Kirsner
We spoke to Brian Tilzer, Best Buy’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, a few weeks ahead of Black Friday 2021. The starting point for our discussion was how Tilzer and his team evaluate emerging technologies that could impact Best Buy’s business. “Ninety percent of what we do is about what’s...
Article How Suffolk Construction is Boosting ‘Built Environment’ Startups
December 6, 2021 | By Alexander MacDougall
We talk to Suffolk’s Chief Data and Innovation Officer about how the Boston construction is investing in startups focused on AI, robotics, and green building technologies.
Article Three Ingredients for Building a High-Functioning Corporate-Startup Partnership Engine
December 1, 2021
Amanda Cashin of Illumina and Diana Joseph of the Corporate Accelerator Forum provide three key pieces of advice about how large corporations can better interact with startups.
Video Data Insights: Top 5 Challenges Startups Face When Working with Corporates
November 23, 2021 | By Collin Robisheaux
In this short video, Scott Kirsner and Alex Slawsby of InnoLead share the top five challenges for startups initating a formal engagement with a large company. Numero uno is all about speed.
Article Venture Capitalist Jasmine Robinson on Sports Trends — at Home and at the Stadium
October 29, 2021 | By Collin Robisheaux
Jasmine Robinson, a Partner at Causeway Media Partners, talks about some of the recent investments her sports-focused venture capital firm has made, and what she sees coming next…
Article Tracking Disruption in Sports at an Indianapolis-Based Techstars Accelerator
October 25, 2021 | By Collin Robisheaux
The world of sports is experiencing a highlight reel of disruption — from streaming content to legalized betting to digital collectibles like the NBA’s Top Shot series. We talk with Jordan Fliegel, Managing Director of the Techstars Sports Accelerator, to understand what matters most.
Article Book Excerpt: 3 Types of People You Need to Win Over
October 22, 2021
The new book from Shameem Prashantham, Gorillas Can Dance, presents examples of effective startup engagement strategies from companies like Microsoft, Unilever, BMW, and Cisco. This excerpt discusses the three types of internal corporate players who need to be on board in order to make startup collaborations successful.
Article How a $19 Billion Truck Maker Scouts Relevant Startups in Silicon Valley
October 21, 2021 | By Scott Kirsner
Paul Konasewich is a key player at the PACCAR Silicon Valley Innovation Center, which helps the $19 billion truck maker connect to relevant startups. ”You need to get honest about whether [your startup scouting activity is about] cultural enrichment,” he says, “or actually creating new products.” More of Konasewich’s advice...
Article 4 Pieces of Advice for Corporates and Startups on ‘Baking the Cake’ Together
October 6, 2021 | By Scott Kirsner
”From the corporate side, a lot of times, a [startup engagement] program gets started, but the people who have to do the physical work of integrating the startup’s technology view the startup as just any other vendor, and they don’t understand that it’s a three-person company,” says Ken Durand, a...
Article Dole’s Sustainability Promises Depend on Fresh Innovation
September 30, 2021
Dole, one of world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable producers, is taking action to combat food inequality, climate change, and human rights issues. Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Innovation Officer, and Barbara Guerpillon, Global Head of Ventures, share how they are driving the company’s sustainability initiatives through open innovation.