What if we could permanently remove the toxic “forever chemicals” contaminating our water? That’s the driving force behind Michigan-based startup Enspired Solutions, founded by environmental toxicologist Denise Kay and chemical engineer Meng Wang. The duo left corporate consulting in the rearview mirror to take on one of the most pervasive environmental challenges: PFAS. 

When Darren Riley moved to Detroit seven years ago, he didn’t expect the city’s air to change his life—literally. Developing asthma as an adult opened his eyes to a much larger problem: the invisible but pervasive impact of air pollution on the health of marginalized communities.  “I was fascinated on why don't we have the data that we need,” Riley recalls, “or why don't we have the infrastructure to really solve these issues, to understand where pollution is coming from, how's it impacting our communities so that we can really solve those problems and make an equitable breathing environment for everybody.  That personal reckoning sparked the idea for JustAir, a Michigan-based clean-tech startup building neighborhood-level air quality monitoring tools. The goal is simple but urgent: provide communities with access to hyper-local data so they can better manage pollution and protect public health. As Riley puts it, “JustAir is solving that problem of how do we better manage local pollution so that we can make sure that our communities, our lifestyle, where we work, where we play, where we learn, are really protected.”

Michigan may be best known as the birthplace of the American auto industry, but its innovation legacy runs far deeper, and its future is poised to be even broader. From creating the world’s largest airport factory during World War II at Willow Run to establishing the first successful polio vaccine trials in Ann Arbor to the invention of the snowboard in Muskegon, Michigan has a long history of turning innovation into lasting impact. Now, with the creation of a new role, chief innovation ecosystem officer, at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the state is doubling down on its ambition to become a modern engine of innovation, one that is both rooted in its industrial past and designed for the evolving demands of the 21st century economy.  “How do you knit together risk capital founders, businesses, universities, and state government, all of the key stakeholders that need to be at the table together to build a more effective innovation ecosystem?” asks Ben Marchionna, the first to hold this groundbreaking new position. Leaning on his background in hard tech startups and national security, Marchionna aims to bring a “builder's thinking” to the state government. “I'm sort of wired for that—rapid prototyping, iterating, scaling, and driving that muscle into the state government ecosystem,” he explains. But these efforts aren’t about creating a copycat Silicon Valley. Michigan’s approach is uniquely its own. “We want to develop the thing that makes the most sense for the ingredients that Michigan can bring to bear to this challenge,” says Marchionna. This includes cultivating both mom-and-pop businesses and tech unicorns, while tapping into the state’s talent, research, and manufacturing DNA. In an era where economic development often feels siloed, partisan, and reactive, Michigan is experimenting with a model centered on long-term value and community-oriented innovation. “You can lead by example in a lot of these ways, and that flywheel really can get going in a beautiful way when you step out of the prescriptive innovation culture mindset,” says Marchionna.

In the U.S., two-thirds of the country’s 150,000 convenience stores are run by independent operators. Mom-and-pop shops, powered by personal relationships and local knowledge, are the backbone of the convenience sector. These neighborhood operators have long lacked the resources needed to compete with larger chains when it comes to technology, operations, and customer loyalty programs.  As consumer expectations evolve, many small business owners find themselves grappling with outdated systems, rising costs, and limited digital tools to keep up. “What would happen if these small operations could combine their knowledge of their market, of their neighborhood, with the state-of-the-art technology?” asks GM of digital products, mobility, and convenience for the Americas at bp, Tarang Sethia. That question is shaping a years-long, multi-pronged initiative to bring modern retail tools, like cloud-connected point-of-sale systems and personalized AI, into the hands of local convenience store operators, without stripping their independence.

Our topic today is digital transformation, from back office operations to infrastructure in the field like oil rigs, companies continue to look for ways to increase profit, meet sustainability goals, and invest in the latest and greatest technology.  Two words for you: enabling innovation.  My guest is Luis Niño, who is the digital manager of technology ventures, and innovation at Chevron. This podcast is produced in association with Infosys Cobalt.

Cloud is revolutionizing airline operations, enabling improved agility, time-to-market, and operational efficiency, according to general manager of IT infrastructure and security at Cathay Pacific, Rajeev Nair.

Our topic today is disruptive innovation in the energy industry and beyond. We use energy every day. It powers our homes, buildings, economies, and lifestyles, but where it came from or how our use affects the global energy ecosystem is changing, and our energy ecosystem needs to change with it. My guest is Nadège Petit, the chief innovation officer at Schneider Electric.

Successfully improving customer satisfaction through AI means becoming data-driven, prioritizing employee feedback and resources, and letting business goals guide technology deployment, says senior product marketing manager at NICE, Michele Carlson.

Integrating data and AI solutions throughout the customer experience journey can enable enterprises to become predictive and proactive, says vice president of product marketing at NICE, Andy Traba.

AI can create seamless customer and employee experiences but it’s important to balance automation and human touch, says head of marketing, digital & AI at NICE, Elizabeth Tobey.

Operationalizing data allows enterprises to optimize decision-making, deliver growth, and improve customer experiences, according to Mark Birkhead, firmwide chief data officer at JPMorgan Chase.

Amid shifting customer needs, CPG enterprises look to machine learning to bolster their data strategy, says global head of MLOps and platforms at Kraft Heinz Company, Jorge Balestra.

Deploying blockchain technology can bolster innovation and create a more secure way to bank, according to Suresh Shetty, the CTO at Onyx by JP Morgan at JPMorgan Chase.

Successful digital transformation starts with the right team, an agile mentality, and a strong data foundation, says global digital solutions manager of procurement and supply chain at bp, Raimundo Martinez.

Investments into downsized infrastructure can help enterprises reap the benefits of AI while mitigating energy consumption, says corporate VP and GM of data center platform engineering and architecture at Intel, Zane Ball.

Deploying sustainable software practices can reduce emissions and infuse greater efficiency, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness.

Immersive AR/VR technologies can add greater value across workplaces and customer interactions, according to global head of Immersive Technology Research at JPMorgan Chase, Blair MacIntyre.

Sustainable computing practices have the power to both infuse operational efficiencies and greatly reduce energy consumption, says Jen Huffstetler, chief product sustainability officer at Intel.

Data — how it’s stored and managed — has become a key competitive differentiator. As global data continues to grow exponentially, organizations face many hurdles between piling up historical data, real-time data streams from IoT sensors, and building data-driven supply chains. Senior vice president of product engineering at Hitachi Vantara, Bharti Patel sees these challenges as an opportunity to create a better data strategy.

The road to decarbonization is daunting, especially while trying to keep pace with innovation. According to the director of data platform product marketing at Hitachi Vantara, Ian Clatworthy, companies need to take their own initiative when it comes to sustainability measures and just start somewhere.