Episode 11 - The Mechanics of Innovation with Rachel Burton

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EIR Live

Terrance Orr & Ilya Tabakh

14 episodes

3 weeks ago

EIR Live brings you invaluable lessons straight from Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) who have been in the trenches. Hosted by seasoned EIRs Terrance Orr and Ilya Tabakh, each episode offers actionable insights and real-world strategies as guests share their personal journeys, successes, and hard-earned lessons. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur in residence, venture builder, or innovation leader, you'll gain practical knowledge from those actively shaping industries. Tune in to learn directly from the experts and empower your own entrepreneurial journey.

All content for EIR Live is the property of Terrance Orr & Ilya Tabakh and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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Episode 11 - The Mechanics of Innovation with Rachel Burton

EIR Live

1 hour 6 minutes

4 months ago

Episode 11 - The Mechanics of Innovation with Rachel Burton

In this engaging episode of EIR Live, Rachel Burton, an accomplished entrepreneur, innovator, and biofuels expert, shares her remarkable journey from mechanic to leading authority in bioenergy and innovation. Rachel discusses how her unconventional path—starting with agriculture and mechanics—led to founding Piedmont Biofuels, pioneering sustainability initiatives, and later influencing global bioenergy commercialization strategies at Novozymes. With vivid anecdotes, Rachel emphasizes the importance of risk-taking, problem-solving through innovation, and the essential role of water infrastructure in industrial processes. Entrepreneurs, innovators, and educators will find her insights invaluable as she navigates from hands-on problem-solving to strategic innovation roles within large corporations and academia. This conversation underscores the power of charting one's own path and embracing the unexpected opportunities that arise along the entrepreneurial journey.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Introduction & Key Takeaways Preview
[00:07:29] Guest Introduction & Networking Connections
[00:08:45] Rachel's Accidental Entry into Entrepreneurship
[00:13:37] From Transmission Repair to Trade School
[00:17:11] The Early Biofuels Industry Landscape
[00:21:14] Scaling from Pilot to Commercial Production
[00:25:00] Innovation Born from Water Infrastructure Challenges
[00:29:08] Transition to Novozymes & Corporate Culture Shock
[00:32:47] Pace Differences: Startup vs. Corporate
[00:36:23] Becoming an EIR at UNC Chapel Hill
[00:39:24] The Role of Connective Tissue in Innovation
[00:43:50] Academic vs. Commercial Incentive Alignment
[00:46:47] North Carolina's Collaborative Ecosystem
[00:51:11] Evolution of the EIR Role & Venture Studios
[00:54:12] Teaching Entrepreneurship with AI Tools
[00:56:51] Dream EIR Opportunities in AgTech & Biotech
[00:58:32] Reshaping the PhD Experience for Innovation
[01:02:16] Building a Home Lab During COVID
[01:04:55] Connecting with Rachel & Closing Thoughts

Key Takeaways:

Innovation often arises from necessity—embrace problems as opportunities.
Taking unconventional paths can lead to pioneering opportunities in emerging sectors.
Collaboration between academia, industry, and entrepreneurship fosters robust innovation ecosystems.
Effective entrepreneurs navigate both startup and corporate cultures adeptly.
Venture studios provide critical support for deep-tech startups, significantly accelerating innovation and commercialization.

Notable Quotes:

"If you're a startup founder, you don't really know any other pace." [00:00:51] – Rachel Burton

"Necessity is my favorite driver for innovation." [00:28:40] – Ilya Tabakh

"There's something special about North Carolina as a state where they want to work with each other." [00:46:47] – Terrance Orr

"Farmers in many countries are natural innovators because necessity being the mother of invention." [01:04:03] – Rachel Burton

Organizations & Resources Mentioned:

Piedmont Biofuels - https://x.com/piedmontbiofuel
Novozymes (now Novonesis) - https://www.novozymes.com/en
Activate Fellows - https://www.activate.org/
Flagship Pioneering - https://www.flagshippioneering.com/
ProcessWerx - https://processwerx.com/

North Carolina Ecosystem Resources:

Research Triangle Park (RTP) - https://www.rtp.org/
UNC Kickstart Venture Services - https://innovate.unc.edu/startup-accelerators-and-venture-services/kickstart-venture-services/
NC IDEA - https://ncidea.org/
North Carolina Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) - https://cednc.org/
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - https://www.unc.edu/
Duke University - https://duke.edu/
NC State University - https://www.ncsu.edu/
Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) - https://www.ncsbc.net/

Connect with Rachel Burton:

Connect with EIR Live:

Terrance Orr on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/terranceorr
Ilya Tabakh on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ilyatabakh
Website: eir.live
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/eirlive
YouTube: youtube.com/@EIRLive
Twitter: twitter.com/EIRLive_show
Suggest Guest

(00:00) - Introduction & Key Takeaways Preview
(07:29) - Guest Introduction & Networking Connections
(08:45) - Rachel's Accidental Entry into Entrepreneurship
(13:37) - From Transmission Repair to Trade School
(17:11) - The Early Biofuels Industry Landscape
(21:14) - Scaling from Pilot to Commercial Production
(25:00) - Innovation Born from Water Infrastructure Challenges
(29:08) - Transition to Novozymes & Corporate Culture Shock
(32:47) - Pace Differences: Startup vs. Corporate
(36:23) - Becoming an EIR at UNC Chapel Hill
(39:24) - The Role of Connective Tissue in Innovation
(43:50) - Academic vs. Commercial Incentive Alignment
(46:47) - North Carolina's Collaborative Ecosystem
(51:11) - Evolution of the EIR Role & Venture Studios
(54:12) - Teaching Entrepreneurship with AI Tools
(56:51) - Dream EIR Opportunities in AgTech & Biotech
(58:32) - Reshaping the PhD Experience for Innovation
(02:16) - Building a Home Lab During COVID
(04:55) - Connecting with Rachel & Closing Thoughts