Beyond The Core

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben Yoskovitz sits down with Sierra Calhoun-Pollard, Ph.D., Director of Blackstone LaunchPad x UF | Professor of Innovation | CEO Winnovation Agency, to unpack how she designed a 5-Day Innovation Sprint that connects industry partners and cross-disciplinary teams to generate ideas, build prototypes, and test them with real users (all inside a single week).

What started as a university program has become a repeatable framework that companies can use to accelerate learning, build creative muscle, and make innovation actually move at market speed.

Together, Ben and Sierra co-build her full playbook live so you can adapt the same model inside your organization.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- How to design and run a 5-Day Innovation Sprint that produces tangible results

- Why the “How Might We” statement is the North Star of every sprint

- How cross-disciplinary teams outperform experts when solving tough problems

- The exact cadence Sierra uses (from problem framing → prototyping → pitching)

- What to do after the sprint to keep the momentum aliveIf you’re leading innovation, transformation, or venture-building inside a large organization, this episode is your blueprint for speed, structure, and creativity that scales.

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Timestamps

0:00 — Introduction: Why this episode is different

1:30 — The story behind Blackstone LaunchPad and Winnovation Agency

5:00 — How Sierra built a repeatable innovation system

10:00 — The anatomy of a 5-day sprint

20:00 — Real examples: QR cups, Adobe Express prototypes, and more

35:00 — How to craft a great “How Might We” statement

45:00 — What to do after Day 5: turning ideas into action

50:00 — Building culture through rapid experimentation

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📄Download the full 5-Day Innovation Sprint Playbook + Watch the full live video: highlinebeta.com/beyond-the-core

Most corporate innovation programs talk a big game (and then die in PowerPoint).

This episode is what it looks like when one actually works.

Allie Carey, Chief Strategy Officer at SEI Private Banking & Wealth Management, joined Beyond the Core to share how she built a repeatable system for corporate innovation inside one of the world’s most established financial technology companies.

In just three years, Allie helped SEI:

• Go from zero to three fundable experiments per year
• Build a company-wide culture of experimentation
• Launch a new, revenue-generating business in just 18 months
• Turn governance and compliance into enablers of speed
• Replace “fail fast” with evidence-based decision-making

This is execution in innovation at an enterprise scale.

We built Allie’s entire playbook live, step-by-step: from how SEI aligned leadership around growth goals, to how they structured an internal Shark Tank that produced real businesses.

If you lead innovation, venture building, or transformation inside a large organization, this conversation is a blueprint for how to actually move faster without breaking the system.

0:00 — Introduction: What SEI does and how it thinks about innovation

4:00 — The three horizons of growth and where SEI plays

8:00 — Building a culture of experimentation

12:00 — How SEI turned ideas into ventures

20:00 — The playbook for speeding up decision-making

30:00 — Governance that accelerates, not blocks

45:00 — Lessons for corporate innovators

What does it really take to lead innovation in highly regulated industries, push beyond the core, and make financial inclusion a reality?

In this episode, Marcus Daniels sits down with Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Money20/20, to unpack decades of experience at the intersection of FinTech, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships.

From BBVA to building the world’s leading FinTech stage, Scarlett shares the mindset, tactics, and global insights leaders need to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

We cover:

✅ How to inspire executives to explore ventures beyond the core

✅ Why “experiment cheaply” can win “fail fast”

✅ The balance between FinTech speed and institutional stability

✅ Embedded finance opportunities that delight customers & drive growth

✅ Practical steps to align risk, legal, and CFO stakeholders early

✅ Global perspectives on innovation from the US, Europe, Southeast Asia & MENA

✅ Why financial inclusion is both a moral imperative and growth driver

Scarlett also dives deep into the psychology of leadership, the art of words that resonate, and how to structure partnerships that keep momentum, even when timelines clash.

Whether you’re in a bank boardroom, a corporate venture studio, or a scaling FinTech, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways.

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#FinTechInnovation #EmbeddedFinance #StrategicPartnerships #FinancialInclusion #DigitalTransformation

What does it take to build a truly independent, high-growth startup inside a 150-year-old financial giant and then spin it out?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben and Marcus sit down with Sharon Rodriguez, CEO of HighPeak Al.

Sharon shares how she's building a nimble venture within the constraints of a legacy organization, and how she’s setting it up for long-term independence.

From day-one infrastructure decisions, to managing governance and incentives, to building a playbook that’s now influencing Prudential’s broader innovation efforts, Sharon offers a rare, transparent look into what it really takes to turn a corporate venture into a standalone success.We cover:

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Building ventures inside legacy orgs

01:00 – The origin of HighPeak: AI, data, and adjacent opportunity

03:30 – Why Sharon took the job: Backing, challenge, and belief

06:00 – The “tax” of corporate venture: Compliance, slowness, and trade-offs

08:30 – Building a 5-person elite team with startup DNA

10:00 – Fractional talent vs full-time hires in a regulated environment

12:00 – Incentives without equity and the plan to spin out

14:00 – Structuring for spin-out: LLC vs C-Corp, IP, and investor readiness

17:30 – Building independent infra to stay nimble and credible

19:00 – Governance, budget autonomy, and internal alignment

22:00 – From longevity to retirement insights: broadening the product vision

24:30 – Communicating enterprise value inside the mothership

26:00 – Applying Series A/B benchmarks to a corporate venture

28:00 – Playing the long game: Expanding the market vs just selling Prudential30:00 – Why this was always about adjacencies

32:00 – Innovation vs stagnation: Why corporates need to build ventures

34:30 – Challenging the status quo inside large orgs

36:00 – The origin (and evolution) of the HighPeak playbook

39:00 – Why static playbooks can’t keep up

40:30 – What’s next: potential for multiple products or spin-in ideas

42:00 – Sharon’s advice: Start with a blank sheet of paper

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#corporateinnovation #venturebuilding #startupstrategy #spinouts #prudential #highpeak #beyondthecore #venturestudios

Most companies are diving into AI without a map. So how do you turn hype into meaningful transformation?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben and Marcus talk with Sidney Madison Prescott, Founder & CEO of MIRROR | MIRROR & ADRIATIC HARVEST, about the real state of enterprise AI.

We explore how companies are navigating chaos, where AI pilots actually work, how to build digital-human hybrid teams, and why visionary leadership, not just technology, is the real unlock.

We cover:

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Turning AI hype into action

01:00 – Agentic AI = RPA 2.0?

04:00 – The truth about automation and “cool branding”

06:00 – Why AI isn't new and that’s okay

09:00 – “Just do AI” is not a strategy

12:00 – Start with business goals, not tools

15:00 – What AI outcomes are you really buying?

18:00 – Hybrid teams: scaling without more headcount

22:00 – The cost of hesitation and poor leadership

24:00 – How to frame AI as employee empowerment

27:00 – Could your next board member be an agent?

31:00 – The power of co-creation: inside and out

33:00 – Where to start: the unexpected case for finance

37:00 – Why AI wins in finance unlock everything else

39:00 – Final hot take: consolidation is coming

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#EnterpriseAI #AgenticAI #CorporateVenture #DigitalWorkforce #AutomationStrategy #BeyondTheCore

How do you spin out successful startups from inside a 160-year-old corporate giant?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben and Marcus sit down with Simon Ratcliffe, Venture Building Director of DNV, to unpack how he’s led two corporate spin-outs with a third on the way, inside one of Europe’s most respected engineering firms.

Simon reveals how DNV moved from internal incubation to true venture building, the strategic reasons behind spinning companies out, and the surprising dynamics of startup-style governance, cap tables, talent incentives, and CVC alignment.

Whether you're a corporate innovator, CVC operator, or venture builder, this is a rare inside look at what actually works and what doesn’t, when it comes to launching startups from legacy organizations.

Venture studios are evolving fast, but what separates those that scale from those that stall?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben Yoskovitz and Marcus Daniels sit down with Sarah Anderson, Founding Partner at Vault Fund, the first fund-of-funds dedicated exclusively to venture studios.

With over a decade of experience in early-stage investing and company building, Sarah breaks down what makes top-performing studios stand out and why liquidity, not just innovation, will define the future of this model.

They dive deep into fund structures, talent pipelines, follow-on capital strategies, and a major warning: studios that can’t return capital won’t survive.

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⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Why a fund-of-funds for venture studios

01:00 – How Vault Fund evolved from general venture to company builders

02:15 – Trends in 2025: Studios adapting faster than traditional VCs

03:52 – Defining the model: Why “company builders” > “venture studios”

05:32 – Category vs. asset class: Where studios fit in VC

06:55 – What makes a studio repeatable? Talent funnel + process

08:00 – Why 5+ builds matter to prove a studio’s efficiency

10:31 – Platform differentiation: Insights from industry-focused builders

12:48 – Generalist vs. specialist builders: What the data says

13:58 – Mud puddles vs unicorns: What most studios miss

14:23 – Sarah’s biggest concern: The liquidity crisis

16:52 – “We’re in the exiting business, not just building”

17:56 – Why secondary sales should be part of the studio playbook

19:03 – Many studios lack institutional investor DNA

21:07 – The learning curve for builders who ignore exits

22:24 – Studio survival: Darwinism and cash returns

23:30 – Real-world liquidity hacks: pre-set secondaries, pharma exits

26:03 – Biotech vs. tech: Why bio builders see faster liquidity

27:28 – Deep tech’s dilemma: Capital intensity without exit buyers

28:32 – Designing for liquidity from day one

29:52 – Vault’s strategy: Side letters requiring exit plans

31:24 – Should studios do follow-ons? Sarah’s honest answer

32:42 – The downside of too much capital early

33:38 – Why ball control matters for value creation

34:58 – The reserves debate: LP pressure vs. portfolio strategy

36:20 – Data maturity: What’s improving and what’s not

37:45 – Ownership banding: From 90% to a healthy 25%

39:10 – Why 2-and-20 models can misalign incentives

40:40 – Fund vs holdco: No one-size-fits-all structure

43:41 – Exit timing, durability, and private asset value erosion

46:46 – Final predictions: New trend, concept creation with existing businesses

48:53 – The PE + venture studio convergence

49:34 – Wrap-up & where the conversation is heading next

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#venturestudios #companybuilders #venturecapital #liquidity #startupstrategy #fundstructure #vaultfund #beyondthecore

How do you build new ventures inside a 60-year-old materials science company without breaking the core business?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben Yoskovitz and Marcus Daniels sit down with Peter Roeber, a 28-year Gore veteran and one of the leaders behind its most ambitious new ventures in circularity and sustainability.

Peter explains how WL Gore structures innovation across its operating companies, how venture ideas are sourced and funded, and how his team is launching new service-based business models in an organization built on premium materials and product R&D.

From developing a glaucoma device business outside of Gore’s traditional medical focus, to launching a digital venture that’s changing how outdoor apparel is used, not owned, Peter shares real-world lessons on working with ecosystems, managing cannibalization risk, and when to spin out vs spin in.

We cover:

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⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: 28 years inside Gore

01:00 – How innovation is structured at Gore

02:45 – What the Futures team does in Fabrics

04:30 – How Gore prioritizes new venture ideas

06:00 – Strategic alignment vs moonshot bets

07:00 – Adjacency vs core vs explore

08:45 – The stage-gate process for new ventures

10:00 – Why Gore separates R&D from venture building

11:30 – Building circular service models inside a product company

13:00 – Smoke testing in a legacy org

15:00 – The power of Gore’s “lattice” culture

16:30 – How venture builders earn trust internally

18:00 – The importance of relationships, not politics

20:00 – Incentives and contribution-based compensation

21:30 – Can big companies spin out startups?

24:00 – Spin-in vs spin-out: key decision points

26:00 – What to do when internal systems work against you

28:00 – The case for shared risk and external venture studios

30:00 – Why speed and separation often win

32:00 – From zero to revenue in 14 months

34:00 – The biggest unknowns in circularity

35:30 – Managing the risk of cannibalization

37:00 – Circular economy ventures need ecosystems

39:00 – Building for a regenerative, collaborative future

42:00 – How Gore’s scale can drive industry change

46:00 – Unlocking value inside legacy orgs: 3 keys

50:00 – Why $1B ideas are worth the fight

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What does it take to turn ideas into real business outcomes, at the scale of Microsoft?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Marcus Daniels sits down with Ed Essey, Director of Business Value at Microsoft Garage, to unpack how one of the most iconic internal innovation programs in tech got started and how it’s still evolving.

From building the Garage Growth Framework to running the world’s largest corporate hackathon, Ed shares how Microsoft empowers intrapreneurs, aligns ideas with executive sponsorship, and avoids innovation theater by focusing on business value above all else.

Plus, Ed gives us a sneak peek into his upcoming book, The Inside Job: The Intrapreneur’s Toolkit to Mastermind Meaningful Change and Innovation, and explains why corporate innovators need to act more like heist masterminds than rule followers.

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⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro: Blending intrapreneurship and innovation

1:45 – What is Microsoft Garage and its mission?

3:30 – How Satya Nadella helped launch the first hackathon

4:50 – From 12,000 to 80,000 participants: scaling Garage

5:50 – Where the Garage Growth Framework came from

7:30 – Beating innovation theater with real validation

9:00 – Moving from hackathons to full venture coaching

10:30 – Why Ed changed his title to “Director of Business Value”

12:00 – The triple bottom line of cultural, customer & business value

13:45 – The 4-tier coaching model that scales innovation

16:00 – Why 3 hours of coaching = 85% sponsorship success

17:00 – The “puppy pitch” metaphor & what most teams get wrong

20:30 – How to start a mini-Garage in a mid-size company

23:00 – The 5 types of innovation & why each needs its own path

25:00 – Why shutting down ideas is easier than you think

27:00 – The Venn diagram of great intrapreneurs

29:00 – The most underrated skill of successful innovators

30:50 – Getting sponsorship requires less validation than you think

32:00 – Sponsor development = the forgotten stakeholder

34:00 – Ed’s upcoming book: The Inside Job

36:00 – Why innovation is like a heist (yes, really)

40:00 – Organizational hacks to encourage calculated rule-breaking

42:00 – Recognition as a culture-building tool

44:00 – Why AI is speeding up innovation, faster than reorgs can keep up

45:30 – Hackathon muscle memory meets executive urgency

46:30 – Where to find Ed & follow his workSubscribe for more conversations like these.

#corporateinnovation #intrapreneurship #microsoftgarage #venturebuilding #growthframework #beyondthecore #innovationtheater #leanstartup

How do you build a high-speed, AI-driven data business inside a $140B grocery retailer without getting swallowed by legacy systems and org charts?

In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben and Marcus sit down with Todd James, former Chief Data & Technology Officer at 84.51° and Head of AI at Kroger, now Founder & CEO of Aurora Insights. Todd unpacks how Kroger built a wholly owned data science subsidiary to serve both internal and external customers, without killing innovation or losing touch with the core business.

Todd shares war stories, tactical lessons, and playbooks for:

- Building a shadow brand that serves the mothership

- Structuring orgs for fast decision-making at scale

- Embedding AI into business strategy (not just use cases)

- Knowing when to kill your own ideas (and how to do it right)

Whether you're building a Venture Studio, scaling AI across a large org, or launching a new business unit inside a legacy company, this conversation is packed with practical insights.

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#corporateinnovation #venturestudios #AIstrategy #databusiness #kroger #8451 #beyondthecore #aurorainsights #adjacentinnovation #shadowbrands #leadership