AlchemistX: Innovators Inside

Hosted by AlchemistX: Innovators Inside, Hosted by Ian Bergman

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110

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Jun 2026

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About the show

What is new in Corporate Innovation, and why is it so hard? Join us for a series of interviews with thought leaders, founders, and high achievers inside the world of innovation. Through intimate conversations with Host and Head of AlchemistX, Ian Bergman, we explore what makes innovation so challenging. Guests range from established stars to the most exciting up-and-comers. Innovators Inside is a must-listen for anyone trying to instill a culture of curiosity into a large corporation or organization.

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60 recent

June 9, 2026Episode 1546 min

Burn the Boats: Matt Higgins on Bold Innovation, Founder Resilience, and Building What Comes Next

Matt Higgins, CEO and co-founder of RSE Ventures, joins Innovators Inside to unpack what it really takes to build boldly when there is no fallback plan. From Shark Tank and Harvard Business School to defense tech, indoor air sanitation, venture capital, and West Palm Beach’s rise as an innovation hub, Matt shares practical lessons for founders, operators, and leaders making high-stakes decisions.In this episode, Matt breaks down why “burning the boats” is not about reckless risk. It is about committing fully to the right goal, staying self-aware, and being willing to abandon the wrong tactics fast.This conversation is for founders, innovation leaders, and operators who are building through uncertainty, betting on emerging categories, or trying to understand when bold commitment becomes a real advantage.Key Topics:🔥 Burn the Boats and what bold commitment really means🧠 How to tell the difference between goals and tactics🚀 What Matt Higgins looks for in great founders📉 Why self-awareness matters when going all in🛩️ Building Performance Drone Works before drones became obvious🏙️ Why West Palm Beach could become a major innovation hub💡 How strong innovation ecosystems are built from scratch🦠 The future of indoor air sanitation with Izyum💰 Venture capital, category creation, and early market signals❤️ Turning survival, hardship, and purpose into impact📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

May 26, 2026Episode 141 hr 20 min

Designing an Incorruptible Company: Eric Ries on How Founders Resist Mission Drift

How do great companies lose their mission, and how can founders stop it before it starts?In this episode, Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup and Incorruptible, explains how mission drift, shareholder pressure, false metrics, and weak governance push organizations away from real value creation.Eric breaks down why so many companies optimize for financial proxies instead of human flourishing, why “best practices” often lead to mediocre outcomes, and what founders, executives, and operators can do to build organizations that stay principled as they scale. He also shares practical ideas on governance, board structure, public benefit corporations, culture, metrics, and how leaders can defend their values when pressure mounts.If you are building, leading, or reinventing a company, this conversation will challenge how you think about profit, trust, growth, and long-term performance.Key topics📘 Why Eric Ries wrote Incorruptible after The Lean Startup🧭 How mission drift turns great companies into hollow institutions💰 Why shareholder primacy became the default logic in modern business📊 How false proxies and financial metrics distort decision-making🏗️ What makes an organization truly incorruptible🛡️ Governance moves founders can make early to protect the mission🧪 How Lean Startup principles fit with values, truth, and long-term thinking🌱 What “human flourishing” means in practice for builders and leaders🧲 Why principled companies attract better talent, customers, and outcomes⚔️ How founders can respond when boards or investors pressure them to compromise🔁 Whether large incumbents can recover after corruption takes hold🚀 Why long-term company resilience requires more than founder-led intensity📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

May 12, 2026Episode 131 hr 2 min

Category Creation Formula: Kevin Maney on Building New Markets, Winning Dominant Design, and Leading Innovation

Category creation can help founders and innovation leaders stop competing in crowded markets and start defining new ones. In this episode of Inside Podcast, Ian Bergman and Layne Fawns talk with Kevin Maney, co-founder of Category Design Advisors, and author of The Category Creation Formula, about how companies create and lead new market categories.Kevin breaks down his framework: context + missing + innovation = new category. He explains why dominant design matters more than first-mover advantage, how Netflix and Tesla shaped customer behavior, and why category strategy can align product, marketing, and leadership around a bigger opportunity.Key Topics🚀 Category creation for founders and innovators📐 Context + missing + innovation🏆 Dominant design vs. first-mover advantage🎬 Lessons from Netflix, Tesla, Zamboni, and Chrysler🤖 AI, creativity, and authenticity🏢 Innovation inside large companiesChapters🎙️ Introduction to Kevin Maney and Category Creation 00:00🤖 AI, Creativity, and the Human-Machine Partnership 02:11🎨 Authenticity, AI, and the Future of Creative Work 08:24📘 Kevin’s Journey from Tech Journalism to Category Design 15:48🚀 What Category Design Means and Why It Matters 20:33📐 The Category Creation Formula 21:02🧠 What a New Category Really Is 23:15🏆 Why Competitors Can Validate a Category 26:01🥇 Dominant Design vs. First-Mover Advantage 28:03🚗 The Zamboni Story and Hidden Category Creation 31:31🔁 Market-Product Fit vs. Product-Market Fit 35:42🧭 How to Understand What Customers Really Need 38:41🏷️ Category vs. Brand 41:20📣 How to Know a Category Is Catching On 43:38🎬 Netflix, Timing, and the Adjacent Possible 46:11⏱️ How to Know When the Market Is Ready 54:31🏢 Category Creation Inside Large Companies 56:19💡 Final Takeaway for Founders and Innovation Leaders 01:00:38📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

April 28, 2026Episode 1255 min

Adaptive Leadership: How to Lead Through Change, Creativity, and Uncertainty with John Michael Schert

How do leaders create real change when the problem has no clear answer?In this episode, Ian Bergman and Layne Fawns sit down with John Michael Schert, founder of JMS & Company, to explore adaptive leadership, creativity, organizational change, and why the hardest part of innovation is often letting go of what used to work.John Michael brings a rare perspective shaped by professional ballet, nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, Harvard-trained adaptive leadership, and years advising teams through complex change.This conversation breaks down why creativity is not just a soft skill, but a practical tool for founders, operators, and innovation leaders facing uncertainty.Key topics🎯 Why people are not afraid of change, they are afraid of loss🏔️ How success can become a trap for founders and organizations🧩 The difference between technical problems and adaptive challenges💡 Why creative choices are fragile before they can be proven🛡️ How leaders can protect teams while they work through uncertainty👂 Why listening and diagnosis matter before jumping to solutions🤝 How to build coalitions instead of trying to drive change alone🎭 What organizations can learn from artists without romanticizing creativity🔄 Why innovation often starts by letting go of the 10% that no longer serves the system📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

April 14, 2026Episode 111 hr 13 min

How to Use AI to Build Better Thinkers, Teams, and Companies with Vivienne Ming

In this episode, neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and author Vivienne Ming explains why the biggest opportunity in AI is not automation, but helping people think better, ask better questions, and solve harder problems.Vivienne breaks down the difference between well-posed and ill-posed problems, why most companies are using AI the wrong way, and how leaders can build cultures that reward exploration instead of safe answers. She also shares practical ideas on human and AI collaboration, learning, innovation, and preparing people for a future where routine work matters less and judgment matters more.Key topics🤖 AI augmentation vs automation🧠 Well-posed vs ill-posed problems🚀 Why better questions drive innovation🏢 How leaders can reward productive failure👥 Human and AI collaboration in real work📚 How to build better thinkers, teams, and kids for the futureChapters00:00 🧠 Intro to Vivienne Ming01:55 ⚡ Rapid fire and the nature of real innovation05:37 🔍 Why facts are not enough anymore08:16 🤖 AI, well-posed problems, and ill-posed problems15:58 🚀 Why the future belongs to people who explore the unknown20:26 🏢 How leaders build cultures that reward productive failure21:51 🔥 The efficiency lie in AI27:00 👥 AI augmentation vs automation29:52 👶 How to prepare kids for an AI-shaped future33:27 🗺️ Designing tools that make people better35:56 📚 Why AI tutors should not give answers37:14 🛠️ What leaders should do differently right now43:36 🌍 Vivienne’s realistic view of the future of AI47:55 📊 Using AI to uncover human behavior and hidden patterns57:40 🧭 How people really make decisions01:01:28 🧪 Hybrid intelligence and human + AI teams01:07:10 💡 Why human + AI teams outperform01:10:20 ✅ The real choice: stay shallow or go deep📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

March 31, 2026Episode 101 hr 0 min

How to Get AI Into Production: Wendy Gonzalez on Data Quality, Human-in-the-Loop Systems, and Trustworthy AI

In this episode, Wendy Gonzalez, CEO of Sama, breaks down why high-quality data, human-in-the-loop systems, and clear evaluation standards are essential for building AI that actually works at scale.Wendy shares how enterprises train, validate, and improve AI models in the real world, from autonomous vehicles to e-commerce recommendations and generative AI. She also explains why dirty data, edge cases, and weak quality standards can quietly kill AI performance, trust, and adoption.You’ll also hear a sharp conversation on responsible AI, model bias, regulation, language inclusion, and why founders and innovation leaders need to define what “good” looks like before shipping AI products.If you are building, buying, or leading AI initiatives, this episode offers practical insight on AI deployment, trustworthy AI, training data, model accuracy, and the human systems behind production-grade machine learning.Key topics🤖 How to get AI into production and keep it there🧠 Why human-in-the-loop systems still matter in modern AI🧹 What dirty data is and how it hurts model performance🎯 Why edge cases define real-world AI success📊 How enterprises think about AI quality, validation, and ROI🚗 Lessons from autonomous vehicles, safety, and model training🛒 How recommendation engines and search relevance depend on better data🌍 Why language, culture, and context matter in AI models⚖️ Responsible AI, regulation, and the tension between policy and speed🔍 How users can think critically and decide when to trust AI outputs👥 How Sama connects AI training work with economic opportunity and impact💼 Leadership lessons on humility, growth, and “firing yourself” as a CEO📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

March 17, 2026Episode 955 min

How AI Is Helping Local Governments Unlock Billions in Funding with Dhruv C. Patel

In this episode, Ian Bergman sits down with Dhruv C. Patel, co-founder of Syncurrent, to explore how AI is helping local governments, Tribal Nations, and public agencies find and access funding faster, turning a process that once took months into something that can happen in minutes. Together, they unpack why so many communities are shut out of critical funding opportunities, how outdated systems create massive inefficiencies, and why GovTech may be one of the most meaningful frontiers in innovation today. Dhruv also breaks down the deeper questions shaping public sector technology, including trust, regulation, access, equity, and the responsibility that comes with building tools that influence how resources reach real people. It’s a sharp, optimistic conversation about AI, government innovation, underserved communities, and what it really looks like to build technology that helps society function better.Topics🤖 00:00:00 The next decade of innovation: human, chaotic, and uncomfortable🚀 00:06:05 How Dhruv built Syncurrent from a consulting business into an AI-first GovTech company💸 00:09:19 The hidden funding problem facing 90,000 local governments across the U.S.🏛️ 00:12:10 How Syncurrent helps cities, towns, and Tribal Nations find grants in minutes instead of months📈 00:14:05 Why product-led growth works in government and how Syncurrent made adoption easier🌾 00:16:42 Why underserved rural communities may be the most important market in tech📄 00:19:38 Why finding funding is only the beginning: applications, deadlines, and compliance🔥 00:22:20 Why GovTech is heating up and how AI can expand public sector capacity⚖️ 00:25:13 The debate around public funding: friction, trust, and accountability📊 00:29:30 How easier access to funding could influence policy and future resource allocation🧩 00:33:20 Resistance to GovTech, the status quo, and who gets left behind🤝 00:35:18 How Syncurrent is building trust with governments through partnerships and referrals🌍 00:39:27 The bigger vision for AI in government and why Dhruv sees technology as deeply human📱 00:49:45 The access challenge: internet, devices, and making innovation more inclusive❤️ 00:52:10 Why technology should help communities move forward, not leave them behind📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

March 3, 2026Episode 852 min

Responsible Innovation: Open Banking, AI, and Building Tech That Serves People First with Dr. Hisham Alasad

What if innovation is not about moving faster, but moving with purpose? In this episode of Innovators Inside, Ian Bergman sits down with Dr. Hisham Alasad, head of innovation enablement at Qatar Airways, to unpack a human-first view of innovation shaped by fintech, academia, and a bold move to Qatar. They break down what open banking really changes, why banks fight it, and how open finance could unlock better, cheaper products for consumers. Then they go deeper: why innovation requires overcoming fear, why closed systems stall progress, and what a “Responsible Innovation” framework could look like that is ethical, inclusive, scalable, and beneficial beyond the balance sheet. They close with a big vision: using AI to help create opportunity and peace in the Middle East.Topics & Timestamps🍫 00:00:00 Welcome Hisham Alasad🧠 00:04:32 The one skill future leaders cannot skip: emotional intelligence🤖 00:06:49 AI as a permanent teammate, plus the keyboard vs voice bet⚡ 00:13:16 Tech progress vs fragile infrastructure and reliability🌍 00:17:10 Why Hisham moved to Qatar and how he avoids “comfort zone stagnation”🏦 00:19:25 Open banking explained: data ownership, APIs, and breaking bank lock-in🧾 00:23:08 How banks react to open banking: wait and see, distributor, manufacturer, or platform🧍 00:31:08 Open finance and why digital identity is a key prerequisite🔮 00:34:34 The “Holy Trinity” prediction: open data + AI + quantum computing by ~2030😨 00:36:27 Why innovation is overcoming fear (and how fear hides behind “risk” and “regulation”)🧭 00:39:36 The Responsible Innovation framework: purpose alignment, open ecosystems, governance, ESG ROI, scalability✈️ 00:47:31 Banking vs aviation: the shared foundation is trust🕊️ 00:49:18 “AI for Peace”: a vision to build a Silicon Valley of the Middle East🧩 00:52:09 Closing lesson: innovation is not about speed, it’s about direction📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

February 17, 2026Episode 71 hr 2 min

Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Jim Stallings on Leading Through Change, AI Speed, and Venture-Backed Innovation

What does it really take to lead through constant disruption? Jim Stallings, Founder and CEO of PS27 Ventures, shares lessons from a career spanning the U.S. Marine Corps, senior leadership roles at IBM, and now early-stage investing. Jim breaks down how IBM turned Linux from free software into a multibillion-dollar business, why internal resistance is often the biggest blocker to innovation, and how leaders can use customers to force change. He also explains what he looks for in founders, why leadership matters more than a perfect plan, and how AI is collapsing product cycles from years to months.Topics & Timestamps📚 00:00 The Innovator’s Dilemma and why it still defines innovation today🗓️ 02:45 AI tools, gamification, and how platforms drive behavior🧠 13:08 The most critical skill for future leaders: iteration🪖 15:04 From the Naval Academy to IBM leadership💡 23:43 Turning Linux into a $7B business at IBM🛡️ 27:25 Using the voice of the customer to overcome internal resistance🏛️ 33:17 Why putting Linux on the mainframe changed everything🔬 37:15 Patents, invention timing, and winning before the sale🌍 41:06 Why emerging markets adopt innovation faster🧑‍💼 43:22 How PS27 Ventures evaluates founders and ideas⚡ 46:25 AI speed, Copilot, and shrinking innovation cycles🤖 50:49 What it really means to be AI-native🏆 56:06 Leadership vs planning and the investment that proved it📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.

February 3, 2026Episode 656 min

How to Build AI Apps People Actually Use (MVP Blueprint, Vibe Coding, Health Tech Predictions) | Ghazenfer Mansoor

Building an app is easy. Building an app people keep using is the hard part. In this episode, we sit down with Ghazenfer Mansoor, Founder and CEO of Technology Rivers and author of Beyond the Download. He breaks down why so many software and AI projects fail, how to design an MVP that is truly usable, and the “blueprint” process that helps teams plan the right foundation before writing code. We also talk about how AI is changing product development, why developers need to think like product engineers, and how teams can use AI tools to move faster without creating unscalable messes. Plus, Ghazenfer shares what he is seeing next in health tech, especially the rise of predictive, personalized care.Topics & Timestamps🚀 00:00 Intro to Ghazenfer, Technology Rivers, and building AI-driven products🍎 01:07 Rapid fire: disruption, food innovation, and longevity📚 05:24 Favorite book and the people skills founders still need💥 09:14 Failure as learning and why persistence wins🧠 11:12 From Pakistan to startups to building products that users want🧱 15:38 Why “build it and they will come” fails🏗️ 16:20 MVP that is usable, not a demo (the studio apartment metaphor)🧩 19:02 The Blueprint process: plan enough, then iterate fast📲 23:18 Beyond the Download: building mobile apps people remember❤️ 28:06 How to know if your app is remarkable (the dating profile test)🍏 30:13 Getting featured by Apple and what drives visibility🤖 34:12 How AI is changing software teams and product building⚡ 37:31 Using AI tools to create a POC in hours before a sales call🧑‍💻 39:43 Why developers must think like product engineers now🧭 43:14 Building an AI-forward culture, even with resistance🧪 47:32 Weekly AI learning rituals, goals, and tool budgets🏥 53:22 Health tech trends: prediction and personalized insights🔗 55:04 Where to find Ghazenfer and Technology Rivers📺🎧 Enjoying the conversation?Discover more stories of innovation and transformation at alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts — and explore how today’s leaders are shaping the future.