Fluid Systems, Firm Results: Architecting The First Mile of the Innovation Ecosystem
The complex challenges of our interconnected world demand new approaches to discovery and collaboration.
In this powerful episode, innovation expert Teri Schindler tackles how the traditionally chaotic "first mile of innovation" can be transformed from a bottleneck into an accelerator of breakthrough solutions.
With decades of cross-disciplinary expertise spanning DARPA research projects, Emmy-winning media production, and pioneering work in global sports distribution at the NBA/WNBA, Schindler brings a uniquely qualified perspective to innovation systems. She reveals how siloed expertise across disciplines is hampering our ability to solve critical societal problems at speed and scale. With knowledge publications doubling every 12 months and talent distributed unevenly across institutions, our old systems of connection are failing precisely when we need them most. Through evidence-based frameworks designed to create "structured serendipity," Schindler demonstrates how introducing the right connective tissue between disciplines creates the essential conditions for transformative discovery.
Orchestrating Ecosystems: Creating Harmonious Innovation
What can a 5,000-year-old textile teach us about cutting-edge technology?
In this episode of Ecosystemic Futures, presented by NASA's Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project in collaboration with Shoshin Works, host Marco Annunziata explores the revolutionary potential of silk as a biomaterial platform with Dr. Fiorenzo Omenetto, the Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering at Tufts University. From a chance hallway conversation to pioneering a new field of material science, Fio shares how his Silk Lab transforms this ancient textile into a technological powerhouse with applications spanning medicine, environmental monitoring, and sustainable manufacturing.
This conversation delves deep into the scientific principles behind silk's remarkable properties, the cross-disciplinary innovation process that drives discovery, and how an ecosystemic approach to innovation—bringing together academics, industry partners, and experts from seemingly unrelated fields—creates unprecedented opportunities for technological advancement. For researchers, innovators, futurists, and forward-thinking business leaders, this episode offers a compelling vision of how nature-inspired technologies might shape our collective futures.
Anticipating the Curve: Strategic Ecosystem Navigation in Transitional Economies
Is your organization built for a world where 90% of organizational value now comes from intangibles? Rita McGrath explores why traditional hierarchies are dissolving into ecosystem constellations.
In this thought-provoking episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata welcomes Columbia Business School professor and strategy expert Rita McGrath to discuss how ecosystemic thinking can help organizations navigate major economic inflection points. Professor McGrath reveals how our economic ecosystem is undergoing a profound transformation. According to recent studies, intangible assets now account for 90% of S&P 500 market value, dramatically increasing from just 17% in 1975. This shift dissolves traditional
organizational boundaries and creates new ecosystem models where "the unit of value creation is small teams or even individuals" connected in constellation-like networks rather than hierarchical structures.
Nanotech Networks: Systems Thinking at Molecular Scale
Could the next nanotechnology breakthrough come from a college student's laptop rather than a million-dollar lab?
In this Ecosystemic Futures episode, Marco Annunziata speaks with Dr. Aaron Santos, physicist and president of DNP123 Company. Santos examines nanotechnology as complex molecular networks rather than isolated components.
Santos explains why physics fundamentally changes at nanoscale, requiring new paradigms. Despite predictions in the 1990s of a trillion-dollar nanotechnology industry by 2015, the field evolved differently—with mRNA vaccines and semiconductor advances representing "hidden successes" that power other technologies without the nanotech label.
The conversation details how cloud laboratories and AI tools are breaking the million-dollar equipment barrier, thereby creating a research ecosystem that was previously impossible. Santos argues that nanotechnology exemplifies emergent properties in complex systems, where the collective behavior of simple molecules creates sophisticated functions—a model future nanotechnology will follow rather than the "smart nanobots" of science fiction. This extends to broader implications for society, economics, and consciousness in a world where atomic-scale manipulation reshapes our understanding of scarcity.
The Space-Earth Ecosystem: How Orbits Shape Our Future
How are microgravity experiments revolutionizing cancer research and vision treatment?
In this enlightening episode of Ecosystemic Futures, Shelli Brunswick, CEO & Founder of SB Global LLC and former Chief Operating Officer of Space Foundation, reveals the measurable impact of space innovation on Earth's most pressing challenges.
The numbers tell a compelling story: The global space economy, valued at $630 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, with NASA's investments yielding a remarkable 40:1 return through commercialized technologies. Brunswick shares research showing how orbital technologies drive innovation across sectors, with the average person connecting to satellites 45 times daily without realizing it.
Orchestrating Ecosystems: Creating Harmonious Innovation
In this eye-opening episode of Ecosystemic Futures, hosts Marco Annunziata and Vikram Shyam welcome Dr. Giulia Ajmone Marsan, Head of Startups and Inclusion, at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. Dr. Marsan challenges conventional wisdom about innovation with complex data. In just 20 years, the global share of patenting activity from OECD countries has dropped dramatically by 20 percentage points, signaling a significant shift in the geography of innovation.
The conversation highlights how emerging markets are becoming powerful engines of innovation. Dr. Marsan provides fascinating examples of innovation born from necessity, including Southeast Asian fintech "super apps" that have brought banking to millions of previously unbanked individuals, Estonia's digital government revolution built from scratch after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Brazil's central bank-led open banking policy that has sparked a fintech transformation.
Dr. Marsan explains how the absence of legacy infrastructure often becomes an advantage, allowing emerging economies to leapfrog directly to cutting-edge solutions. She discusses the phenomenon of "Silicon Bali," where digital nomads are transforming tourism-dependent economies into knowledge hubs. She examines how talent mobility, diaspora connections, and targeted visa programs are reshaping global innovation ecosystems.
The conversation also addresses the critical balance between opportunity and inequality, exploring how innovation can advance sustainable development goals while requiring thoughtful policy to ensure benefits are widely shared.
Biology as Technology: Advanced Biosystems for Space Exploration
In this data-driven episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata interviews Dr. Tiffany Vora, a molecular biologist, Singularity Fellow in Biotechnology, and Vice President for Innovation Partnerships at ExploreMars. Drawing from her background in pharmaceutical research, teaching at Stanford University, and extensive work in space innovation, Dr. Vora examines how synthetic biology advances the development of specialized biosystems for space exploration.
The discussion explores her recent publication "Space Synthetic Biology: A Paradigm for Sustainability on Earth and Beyond," detailing how technological convergence enables us to read, write, and engineer the source code of life with unprecedented precision. Dr. Vora presents research on how advanced biosystems can solve critical space exploration challenges through on-demand manufacturing of medicines, materials, and food.
The episode offers actionable insights for leveraging genetic chassis organisms, flight-tested hardware for biological manufacturing, and shelf-stable reagents that deliver value for space missions and remote Earth locations. Dr. Vora outlines how these advanced biosystems can form the foundation of circular economies in space habitats where waste becomes valuable feedstock for new biological production cycles.
The Wisdom Bridge: Ancient Practices for Digital Ecosystems
In this fascinating episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata interviews Himanshu Bharadwaj, a design strategist who applies cognitive science principles from Eastern traditions to modern digital ecosystems. Trained at the National Institute of Design and Syracuse University, Bharadwaj presents empirical observations on how his Joyful Design methodology measurably improves innovation outcomes and team performance.
The discussion examines the quantifiable limitations of current AI systems in replicating human consciousness, contrasting computational pattern recognition with the neurological cross-connections that drive human creativity. Bharadwaj references research on widespread workplace burnout (25% of Americans now take antidepressants) and presents case studies of ancient mind-training techniques that have transformed organizational systems.
The episode offers actionable frameworks for ecosystem architects to integrate these evidence-based approaches into their design processes. It specifically emphasizes how changing brain physiology through targeted interventions can enhance divergent thinking, problem-solving capacity, and ecosystem resilience.
The Health Dividend: How Organization Wellness Pays 3X Returns
What's the measurable return on organizational health? Through rigorous assessment frameworks and 25 years of transformation data, former IBM Change Leader Dr. Donna-Marie Arias, Ph.D. quantifies the dividends of workplace wellness. She unpacks a landmark case study: a troubled global financial institution's 3.5-year journey to becoming an industry health leader, demonstrating how organizational wellness compounds into market performance.
Beyond McKinsey & Company's research showing 3x performance gains, Dr. Arias reveals the metrics that matter - from diagnostic frameworks to retention patterns tied to manager relationships. Discover the science behind Guatemala's world-leading collaborative culture, how AI adoption impacts organizational vitals, and what drives sustainable returns across finance, technology, and education sectors.
Advanced Air Mobility: Transforming Aviation Infrastructure & Urban Ecosystems
Join host Marco Annunziata in conversation with Gloria Bouillon, distinguished aviation strategist and founder of Aviatrice Advisors, for a critical discussion on one of the nation's most strategic infrastructure opportunities. As industry safety performance bears increasing scrutiny and global competition in advanced air mobility intensifies, the U.S. faces a pivotal moment in transforming its aviation infrastructure and urban transportation systems.
From electric vertical takeoff vehicles to autonomous systems, we explore how emerging technologies can reshape our national airspace while creating new economic opportunities across regions. Learn how airports are evolving beyond traditional transportation hubs to become strategic assets driving regional development and competitiveness. This timely discussion explores the intricate balance between rapid technological innovation, infrastructure development, and community engagement - offering crucial insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders shaping America's aviation future.
Future, TBD
The future isn't a forecast – it's a design challenge.
Lucy Ziegler, founder of TBD Futures and former McKinsey design strategist, reveals how leaders can transform business uncertainty into opportunity. Through scenario planning and design thinking, she demonstrates why the future isn't something to predict—it's something to design.
More Shots on Goal: Scaling Up Space Manufacturing for Earth's Future
NEW RELEASE EXPANDED WITH NEW CONTENT FROM AXIOM SPACE
Join this groundbreaking discussion with global leaders in aerospace, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing as they explore the "More Shots on Goal" initiative - a collaborative effort to dramatically scale up manufacturing capabilities in low Earth orbit. From revolutionary drug development to next-generation semiconductors, discover how increased space manufacturing throughput could transform industries on Earth and accelerate innovation across healthcare, technology, and energy sectors.
This special episode features insights from NASA, DoE, the International Space Station National Lab, and pioneering companies, including Axiom Space, Varda Space Industries, Stoke Space, and more. Learn how new platforms, high-throughput systems, and novel funding approaches are turning space into a trillion-dollar manufacturing hub that could reshape terrestrial industries and unlock new solutions to global challenges.
From Fringe to Frontier: Material Futures from UAP
Stanford professor Dr. Garry Nolan reveals how UAP observations can refactor our approach to materials science. In this compelling episode, Dr. Nolan demonstrates how studying anomalous phenomena provides unprecedented insights, reshaping materials research and development. Drawing from his pioneering work in biotechnology and advanced analysis, he illustrates why incorporating UAP insights could accelerate technological breakthroughs in many domains and transform our understanding of what's possible.
From Taboo to Testimony: Technology, Citizen Science, and the Evolution of UAP Research with Leslie Kean, Ryan Graves, and Christine Kim
The landscape of UAP research has transformed dramatically over the past two decades from a taboo topic to congressional testimony. In this pivotal episode, pioneering investigative journalist Leslie Kean bridges past discoveries with current developments, including the latest wave of mass sightings across multiple states. Featuring crucial insights from former Navy pilot Ryan Graves and Enigma Labs' Christine Kim, this conversation reveals how civilian science, military observation, and professional investigation converge to understand these mysterious phenomena.
Engineering the Impossible: UAP Insights Transforming Space, Medicine, and Global Innovation
In this groundbreaking discussion, intelligence veteran and former Pentagon UAP program director Lue Elizondo reveals how classified research drives innovation across multiple industries. This episode explores how UAP-related discoveries could revolutionize human longevity, space exploration, and global technological leadership, from quantum computing breakthroughs to biotechnology advances. Learn why major investors, government agencies, technology leaders, and brilliant entrepreneurs are positioning for what Elizondo describes as a transformative moment in human evolution and how emerging public-private partnerships could accelerate previously impossible technological achievements.
Scientific Storytelling: Transforming Healthcare Ecosystems Through Communication
Join host Marco Annunziata and guest Dr. Sophia Ononye, founder and CEO of The Sophia Consulting Firm, as they explore how scientific storytelling reshapes healthcare ecosystems and drives systemic transformation.
In this illuminating discussion, discover how emerging communication models are breaking down traditional boundaries between scientists, healthcare providers, and patients - creating new patterns of interaction and value creation. Learn how ecosystem thinking revolutionizes everything from clinical trials to drug development while building more equitable and resilient healthcare systems.
More Shots on Goal: Scaling Up Space Manufacturing for Earth's Future
Join a groundbreaking discussion with global leaders in aerospace, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing as they explore the "More Shots on Goal" initiative - a collaborative effort to scale up manufacturing capabilities in low Earth orbit dramatically. From revolutionary drug development to next-generation semiconductors, discover how increased space manufacturing throughput could transform industries on Earth and accelerate innovation across healthcare, technology, and energy sectors.
This special episode features insights from NASA, DoE, the International Space Station National Lab, and pioneering companies, including Varda Space Industries, Stoke Space, and more. Learn how new platforms, high-throughput systems, and novel funding approaches are turning space into a trillion-dollar manufacturing hub that could reshape terrestrial industries and unlock new solutions to global challenges.
Beyond Conventional Physics: Extended Electrodynamics, Lattice Confinement Fusion, Zero-Point Energy & Advanced Propulsion
Join an extraordinary panel of experts in aerospace, energy, and ultra-advanced technologies as they explore the absolute outer bounds of physics and engineering.
This groundbreaking discussion, co-hosted by Anna Brady-Estevez, Dr. Hal Puthoff, Larry Forsley, and Dyan Finkhousen, convenes the world’s leading researchers and innovators to examine extended electrodynamics, lattice confinement fusion, zero-point energy, and advanced propulsion and discusses the implications for the future of technology and space exploration.
The Architecture of Change: Building Sustainable Industry Ecosystems
In this inspiring episode, we explore how ecosystem approaches and collaborative leadership reshape global industries with Amina Razvi, former CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and current Chief Partnerships Officer at Travalyst. Drawing on her unique background spanning architecture, sustainability, and industry transformation, Razvi reveals how effective coalitions can drive systemic change.
Reinventing Education: Technology, Innovation, and the Future of Learning
In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the transformation of education in an era of rapid technological change and workplace evolution. Dr. Steven Johnson, founder and CEO of EDSENSE and former senior vice president of innovation at Harvard University, examines how emerging technologies, changing workforce demands, and new learning models are reshaping education's future.