Interviewed August 15th, 2025

In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider #112, Nicolas Sauvage speaks with Valery Yakubovich from Wharton’s Mack Institute about his latest report on corporate venturing. Valery explains how CVC has evolved from “David vs. Goliath” disruption toward symbiotic partnerships, where corporations and startups co-create value. The conversation unpacks six core corporate objectives—from risk management to ecosystem building—and explores emerging practices like venture clienting, venture building, and even AI-enabled startups.

Interviewed August 14, 2025

Nicolas Sauvage interviews Tammi Smorynski—24-year Intel Capital veteran and now GCV Institute instructor—on her winding path from J.P. Morgan to venture and why great CVCs must balance strategic impact with financial discipline. She shares boardroom best practices (say the hard thing first, observers can be powerful, use her eight-slide handover pack) and lessons from Intel Capital’s leaders summed up by Les Vadasz’s mantra: “steady as she goes.” Smorynski compares past downturns to today’s uncertainty, offers guarded optimism for deep-tech hardware, and urges aspiring CVCs to find mentors, treat failures as tuition, and prepare rigorously.

On July 21st, 2025, Corporate Venturing Insider welcomed Mike Smeed, Managing Director of InMotion Ventures, the CVC arm of Jaguar Land Rover.

In conversation with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, Mike shared how InMotion balances strategic alignment with entrepreneurial agility through its evergreen structure, fast decision-making, and clear corporate engagement. The episode explores the central question guiding his journey: what kind of investor do you want to be?

Tune into our conversation with Matt Rhodes-Kropf, Managing Partner at Tectonic Ventures and Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management.

Interviewed on March 28th, 2025

Interviewed May 5th, 2025

In Episode 108 of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage sits down with Temple Fennell, cofounder and managing partner at Clean Energy Ventures. Temple shares his journey from systems engineer to climate-focused investor, offering insights into launching the CREO Syndicate and building Clean Energy Ventures. He breaks down his investment framework—like boundary rules and watch mode—and reflects on the evolving role of CVCs in climate tech. This episode is packed with strategic lessons for investors, founders, and innovation leaders.

Tune into our conversation with Angela Lee, Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Business School.

Interviewed on April 15th, 2025

In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider, Nicolas Sauvage sits down with Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels and professor at Columbia Business School, to unpack her unconventional path from founder to investor and educator. Angela shares how she built 37 Angels to close both the knowledge and diversity gaps in angel investing, while offering frameworks for diligence, decision-making, and founder evaluation. The conversation also explores the evolving role of corporate venture capital, including its strategic potential, pitfalls like rights of first refusal, and practical advice on how CVCs can truly support startups.

Tune into our conversation with Gustavo Schwed, Professor of Finance and Professor of Management Practice at NYU Stern School of Business.

Interviewed on March 4th, 2025

https://cv-insider.com/

Join Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby Aviation and former founder of JetBlue Ventures to discuss her corporate venturing career.

Interviewed March 19th, 2025 at GCVI 2025 Summit in Monterey, CA.

Hosted by Nicolas Sauvage

Find the Full Episode here: https://cv-insider.com/

In this episode of Corporate Venturing Insider, Steve Westly—Founder and Managing Partner of The Westly Group, and former Controller and Chief Fiscal Officer of the State of California—joins Nicolas Sauvage for a wide-ranging conversation on investing, innovation, and leadership.

Recorded live at GCV Monterey on March 20, 2025, Steve shares hard-earned lessons from his journey through public service, IPOs, and nearly two decades of venture investing. From early bets on Tesla and Luminar to his views on AI, cost curves, and the role of corporate LPs, Steve offers actionable advice for fund managers, founders, and corporate leaders alike. Listen here!

Interviewed March 20, 2025

Interviewed on March 19th, 2025

Megann Vaughn Watters shares her journey from biomedical engineering to one of healthcare's most strategic corporate venture funds at LabCorp. She and Nicolas Sauvage discuss lessons in sourcing innovation, managing a fund of funds, partnering with startups, managing a growing portfolio, and scaling strategic value across the enterprise.