Innovation inside large companies often runs on instinct, scattered pilots, and wishful thinking. Yaron Flint joins us to explain why so many corporates still lack a true playbook — and how a more structured approach can turn chaos into clarity.

Listeners will hear Yaron discuss:

• Why he wrote Innovative Business Development and the gap he saw across global organizations.
• The four pathways for bringing innovation into a company — and why partnership remains the most underused.
• How competitor-to-competitor collaboration can actually accelerate maturity.
• The fragmentation of CVC in Europe and what it takes to build strategy-driven venture programs.

We also explore leadership blind spots, the tension between long-term innovation and short-term markets, the slowdown and reset of the “future of mobility,” and what executives should prioritize as they build the next decade of innovation inside their companies.

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

In this episode, Philipp Mueller, Vice President, Public Sector at DriveLock and Co-Founder of the European Resilience Summit Series, joins Inside CVC to explore why resilience — not sovereignty — is becoming Europe’s defining strategy in an age of constant disruption.

He shares how leaders can rethink governance, investment, and collaboration around adaptation and trust rather than borders and control. Philipp, Steve, and Philipp Willigmann discuss:

• How resilience shifts from a defensive posture to an enabling mindset
• Why “flows, not borders” defines the new logic of global management
• The four pillars of European resilience and what they mean for business
• The role of corporate leaders as ethical guardrails amid rising division

In a world defined by disruption, what if resilience — not sovereignty — were the true measure of strength?

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

In this episode of Inside CVC, hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann speak with Andy Binns, co-founder and Managing Director of Change Logic, and co-author of Corporate Explorer and the forthcoming Corporate Explorer Fieldbook. Andy has spent his career helping CEOs, boards, and innovation leaders at companies like Analog Devices, RELX, and UNIQA Insurance build new growth businesses while sustaining the core.

Listeners will hear:

• Why most corporations fail to scale innovation—the “sixteen-percent problem”
• How boards and CEOs can rethink governance and incentives to unlock real growth
• What it takes to build an ambidextrous organization capable of exploring and executing at once
• Lessons from Europe’s Mittelstand and what large enterprises can learn from them
• Why embracing uncertainty and saying “I don’t know” may be the smartest move a leader can make

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

In this powerful episode of Inside CVC, Steve and Philipp are joined by Gerald Knaus, founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative and author of The European Miracle and Its Enemies.

Knaus reflects on how post-war Europe built an unprecedented framework of peace, democracy, and economic cooperation—and why that “European miracle” is now under its greatest threat since 1949. From the war in Ukraine to the rise of populist movements and waning transatlantic trust, he explores what’s at stake and what leaders—corporate, civic, and political—must do to defend Europe’s most vital competitive advantage: the rule of law.

Listeners will hear:

• Why complacency and forgotten history threaten Europe’s foundation of peace
• How corporate leaders can strengthen Europe’s unity and innovation through the rule of law
• What a truly independent, secure, and globally competitive Europe could look like by 2050

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

Disability is often seen through the lens of charity — but what if it’s actually one of the greatest drivers of innovation?

In this episode of Inside CVC, hosts Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann speak with Pete Horsley, founder of Remarkable, a global accelerator for disability technology startups. From Sydney, Pete shares why inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do for corporations, investors, and innovators.

Listeners will hear:

• Why disability tech represents a $70B+ market opportunity by 2030
• How corporations like Apple are proving inclusion is both profitable and transformative
• The promise (and risk) of AI and robotics in shaping accessible futures
• Why every boardroom should see disability as an innovation advantage, not a side project

Whether you’re an investor, corporate leader, or innovator, this conversation will shift how you think about talent, technology, and the future of inclusive business.

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

What if the greatest untapped driver of innovation isn’t found in Silicon Valley, but in the lived experience of people with disabilities?

In this episode of Inside CVC, Steve Schmith and Philipp Willigmann sit down with Regina “Gina” Kline, founder of Enable Ventures and a pioneer at the intersection of civil rights and impact investing. From her years litigating landmark ADA cases at the U.S. Department of Justice to her current role backing DisabilityTech startups, Gina has seen firsthand how inclusion fuels market transformation.

Listeners will hear:

• How lessons from landmark ADA litigation shaped her approach to investing and innovation
• Why the disability economy—worth trillions globally—remains overlooked, and why that’s about to change
• Real-world examples of startups building breakthrough solutions with disability-led design
• How inclusive innovation drives top-line growth, talent retention, and competitive advantage
• What the corporations of 2035 will look like if inclusion, aging, mental health, and AI displacement are addressed head-on

This conversation is both practical and inspiring—a call to action for corporate venture leaders, boards, and strategy executives to see disability not as “edge case,” but as the future of innovation.

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

In this episode of Inside CVC, we sit down with Howard Ross—author, consultant, and one of the nation’s preeminent thought leaders on unconscious bias and organizational change. Howard brings a candid, historical, and forward-looking perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at a time when the topic is both urgent and contested.

Listeners will hear:

• Why DEI has always followed a “three steps forward, two steps back” cycle—and what makes this moment unique.
• How unconscious bias quietly shapes hiring, investing, and innovation decisions—and ways leaders can address it without fueling backlash.
• The intersection of DEI with AI, future of work, and disability inclusion—and how corporate leaders can build equity into both culture and shareholder value.

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

Europe is at a crossroads in shaping its technological future. In this episode of Inside CVC, Martin Hullin, Managing Director of the Network for Technological Resilience & Sovereignty Europe’s Future Program Bertelsmann Stiftung introduces Eurostack—a visionary framework designed to strengthen Europe’s sovereignty, resilience, and competitiveness in the digital age.

Listeners will hear:

• Why Eurostack is sparking both excitement and controversy in Europe—and what it means for global corporations.
• How corporate venture capital can accelerate value-driven innovation and help shape future markets.
• The risks of global fragmentation around technology standards, and the opportunities for cross-border collaboration.

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

As experts gather in Berlin and Brussels to debate climate policy, MIT Sloan’s Jason Jay joins Inside CVC to cut through the ESG noise. He introduces the Four Lenses Framework, showing how boards can focus on what matters, align purpose with business value, and invest for long-term impact.

You’ll hear:

• How to separate signal from noise in ESG
• Why short-termism blocks real progress
• How cross-industry coalitions can drive systems change
• Practical ways leaders can turn sustainability into strategy

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.

Robotics is moving from the lab to the loading dock, farm, and job site—and the playbook is changing. In this episode, Sam Abidi—robotics expert and member of the U-Path Advisory team—explains how to pick the right first use cases, redesign operations around machines, and structure partnerships that actually scale. We cover ROI beyond simple labor displacement, how CVCs de-risk technical bets, and why the integration playbook for AI agents mirrors what’s worked in robotics.

What we cover

• Real deployments gaining traction: sidewalk delivery robots, trailer unloaders, and autonomous construction equipment
• The integration playbook: select use cases, re-engineer operations, define KPIs, and stage-gate rollouts
• ROI that compounds: productivity and quality gains vs. pure labor savings
• Partnering to scale: robotics company ↔ industrial customer, plus OEM/JV dynamics
• Build, buy, or partner? When M&A “programs-in-a-box” make sense
• Workforce strategy: reskilling to remote ops and advanced maintenance
• CVC’s edge: technical diligence, creative structures, and internal championing
• Why AI agent adoption will follow the robotics integration model

Guest: Sam Abidi, Robotics & Autonomy Advisor, U-Path Advisory; former CCO at Embark Trucks; founder, Apex Advisors.

Subscribe to Inside CVC and explore more episodes at u-path.com/podcast.

Support the show

Catch up on all episodes of Inside CVC at www.u-path.com/podcast.