Ryan Larcom joins Robin on this episode of the Innovation of Work podcast.
Ryan loves turning bold ideas into reality. As a Director at High Alpha Innovation, Ryan is focused on scaling operations at High Alpha Innovation and partnering with the world’s leading organizations to help them innovate through startup creation. Ryan’s superpower is complexity-busting – helping leaders make sense of business and industry complexities in order to confidently execute.
A designer by nature, Ryan is passionate about shaping the future of business through new startup creation. His portfolio of work has intertwined strategy, product design and innovation within Fortune 500 companies, venture capital and startups. The common thread of Ryan’s career has been a desire to make the world a better place through thoughtfully designed business models, products and experiences.
Originally from Connecticut, Ryan is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial design. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two children. Passionate about urban revitalization, Ryan volunteers with nonprofits and social enterprises that power the growth of Indianapolis.
Content Timeline
0:41 – Introduction and getting started in Innovation – focusing on people, not specifications
2:35 – Going from corporate to innovation and back
6:45 – High Alpha Innovation – 100 new companies in 5 years
9:30 – Considerations when corporate innovation looks at start up approach – “R&D and M&A are becoming less and less efficient over the last several decades. And there needs to be new levers of growth for corporations.”
12:26 – Red flags prior to innovation – There needs to be a clear tie to business strategy
14:56 – Guidance for corporate leadership in allowing a start up to do what it does best
17:05 – Start ups beyond a core strategy
19:44 – Support in leveraging the venture studio model
21:00 – Magnitude and direction of wins
22:38 – Empathy, human centered story telling, and team building
25:30 – Corporate innovation trends
28:35 – Digital transformation for frontline workers – The people at the frontline know the most.
33:17 – Vision of innovation in the future – “Poor UX… robs people of their most precious resource, which is time.”
35:07 – Closing comments
