Shows
Innovation StorytellersHow to Live in the Innovation SimulationHow do you bring discipline to innovation without stripping away the creativity that makes it powerful in the first place? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Stephen Parkins, Innovation Strategist and Founder of Culturedge, to unpack what it really takes to turn innovation into a strategic asset rather than a side project fueled by hope and enthusiasm. Stephen brings an outside-in perspective shaped by an unconventional career spanning financial markets, startup entrepreneurship, and senior innovation roles within complex global organizations. That distance from the usual corporate playbook allows him t...
2026-01-1340 min
The Company Road PodcastE75 Culture isn’t yoga: What actually drives performanceSend us a text“I believe that everyone is a CEO of culture. Every interaction is either a deposit or withdrawal from culture. You can have the most amazing culture within the team, and you can put someone in there that doesn't do the right thing and doesn't treat people in the right way. And if they're in a leadership position, the shadow they leave is even bigger.” — Beth HallIn this episode, you’ll hear about:Why culture isn’t something you can “initiative” your way out ofThe impact of incivility...
2025-05-2754 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E10 [Dr Nils Jeners] Why Innovators Insist on Building More Features and How to Fix itFor our final episode of Season 1 we’re pleased to welcome Dr Nils Jeners, an innovation consultant from Germany who helps corporates across a range of innovation activities: from strategy, to ideation, from training, to creating an innovation ecosystem.
With over ten years of experience in the field of innovation, a PhD in computer science and a background as a startup entrepreneur, Nils also holds teaching positions at 3 universities (TU Munich, TH Cologne, and TU Dortmund).
Nils jumps straight in and describes his pet hate in innovation: what he calls ‘featuritis’, the tendency of corporate innova...
2024-03-1423 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E9 [Dr Aurelia Engelsberger] To Transform Your Company, Start with an Innovation Mindset and CultureIn this episode we are joined by Dr Aurelia Engelsberger, and we dive straight into the crucial matter of innovation culture and mindset.
We talk about her own willingness to pivot and how she advises clients on a range of challenging new attitudes and behaviours — like maintaining an open mindset, developing a tolerance for failure, and empowering their people to innovate.
Concretely, Aurelia also shares her experience with the effectiveness of incentives and nudges in driving transformative change inside large companies.
Aurelia is the CEO & Founder of OMIND Platform - a young company th...
2024-03-0726 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E8 [Adam Forbes] Is Now the Time to Leave Your Corporate Career and Launch a Startup?Adam Forbes joins us this week (from near London, UK).
Adam is a Program Director at Startupbootcamp, where he helps early-stage startups find product-market fit, secure funding, and launch successful go-to-market strategies.
Adam is also the author of the book Corporate Escapology (to be released later this year) and host of the podcast of the same name.
After 20 years in the corporate world, specifically in the energy industry, Adam has re-invented himself as a business founder and a coach, working at the intersection of startups and corporate innovation.
Join us as...
2024-02-2930 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E7 [Vrinda Kabra] Diversity is Key to a Healthy Culture of InnovationIn this episode we welcome Vrinda Kabra, a business designer and consultant with a fascinating entrepreneurial background, a well as an international and multicultural outlook on the world.
Originally from India, Vrinda is currently based in Munich, where she works for the UN’s World Food Programme as an Innovation Venture Consultant - advising global teams across a range of domains where “Business meets Design”.
Vrinda is also the co-founder of Precycle (www.precycle.today) an environmental startup focused on ethical plastics recycling.
Join our conversation, in which we discuss the benefits and nuance...
2024-02-1532 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E6 [Simon Nopp] Corporate Innovation is Too Slow, Unless You Focus on ExecutionWe’re joined this week by Simon Nopp, an entrepreneur and consultant who works with corporates and early-stage tech start-ups — helping them to build, launch, and grow their successful ventures.
Simon is based in Innsbruck (Austria) and has helped companies and start-ups all over the world, from Europe to Asia to the USA, to design and evolve breakthrough innovation initiatives.
In the last decade, he has supported 30+ businesses in the field of entrepreneurship, disruptive innovation, and growth.
Simon is a 2x founder, a contributor to the Purpose Launchpad Methodology, author of the Supercharging Entr...
2024-02-0824 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E5 [Jasper Brand] How to get Innovators More Emotionally InvestedJasper Brand joins us this week and straight away, we get stuck into a crucial topic: the emotional investment of innovators.
This is an ingredient Jasper believes is crucial for delivering tangible results in an innovation context.
Based on his experience of 10 years in banking, and in his current capacity as Partner at The Talent Institute in Amsterdam, Jasper describes the “night and day” contrasts he has witnessed between the corporate world and the startup world.
Join us for this episode as we discuss the impact of corporate structure, bureaucracy and incentives on inno...
2024-02-0122 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E4 [Becky Downing] Overcoming Corporate Fears & Creating a Culture of InnovationThis week we welcome Becky Downing as our expert guest, along with guest co-host David Semmens.
Based on her experience as an entrepreneur and Founder/CEO for several years, Becky is well placed to understand the fundamental differences in mindset between running (or investing in) a startup “in the wild”, versus trying to make innovation happen in a corporate context.
Located in the UK, Becky is an expert in corporate innovation and venture building, particularly in the insurance industry.
Join us as we explore some of the fears that hold large companies back and...
2024-01-2527 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E3 [Saby Sengupta] How to Get Teams "Unstuck" and Bring Method to the Madness of InnovationToday we’re joined by expert storyteller Sabyasachi (Saby) Sengupta, along with guest co-host David Semmens.
Saby is the author of the book What's Your Plan B, and creator of the venture Method in Madness through which he helps professionals & organisations manage the human side of change & transformation.
In this episode, he tells us all about the issue of “feeling stuck” in one’s work and career, his own experience in this, and how he helps teams and individuals resolve this pain.
In parallel, in his capacity as a corporate intrapreneur at ABN AMRO Ban...
2024-01-1925 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E2 [Nick Himowicz] Bullsh1t Jobs in the Corporate World vs the Commercial Challenges of a StartupNick Himowicz joins us for this second episode of the Culturedge Podcast, along with guest co-host David Semmens.
Nick jumps straight in at the deep end and holds no punches when describing the phenomenon of “bullsh1t jobs” in the corporate world.
Our conversation includes deep-rooted problems like cultural resistance inside corporates, in contrast to existential challenges for startups, including sales success and recruiting the right leadership team.
An innovation coach and a YouTube creator, Nick has an extensive background in content creation, training, sales, and events management across 3 continents.
Most rece...
2024-01-1929 min
The Culturedge PodcastS1 E1 [Katie Ireland] DE&I and mental health lessons for entrepreneurs in a new cultural environmentKatie Ireland shares with us her extensive experience in entrepreneurship, diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) and leadership - from both the corporate world and the startup world.
Katie Ireland is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Enliven, known for her empathic leadership and for challenging systemic bias for positive change.
With almost 20 years of experience in global marketing and STEM-based roles, she has held prominent positions such as Senior Director of Marketing Science at Nike, Director of CRM and Insights at House of Fraser, and Head of Customer Engagement at New Look.
A...
2024-01-0428 minThe Culturedge PodcastSeason 1 introIntroducing the Culturedge Podcast - a new show for entrepreneurial minds, change-makers and the leaders who manage them.
Join me, Stephen Parkins, along with my exceptional guests, in learning practical lessons on how to apply your unique skills in the corporate world and the startup world.
You can also connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenparkins
2024-01-0302 min