Thought Leaders

Amy Sallin pairs her experience in Silicon Valley’s 80s startup scene with 20+ years in academia. Amy joined the Buerk Center in 2012 and transformed the signature Dempsey Startup Competition and Jones + Foster Accelerator on her way to becoming director in 2018. It starts with a promise. For 30...

I’ve spent over 25 years evangelizing New Jersey as a truly remarkable (if occasionally under-appreciated) center of innovation. It’s been my responsibility and pleasure – to show leaders the powerful advantages of plugging into our regional innovation ecosystem, in markets ranging from internet to biotech. Today, I’m more excited about...

LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, MISSION, VISION, SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, COMPANY VALUES, ETHICAL PRACTICES. For me these words are more than a fancy poster on a wall, a page on the company website or a nicely-written corporate profile. For me, the importance of aligning concepts such as culture, values, ethics and leadership, defines the...

As a leader, I’ve always believed that success isn’t measured solely by the milestones we achieve but by the way we inspire others to grow and excel alongside us. When I joined the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District, my vision was clear: to create an organization that not only excels operationally but...

From South Carolina’s thriving aerospace and automotive hubs to its vibrant academic institutions, I see the ingredients of South Carolina’s transformative growth. We are establishing ourselves as leaders in composites,robotics, manufacturing, batteries, electric power, and autonomous systems. To realize this potential, we must prepare our workforce for a future as...

WORDS OF WISDOMI’m a dreamer. I dream big. The ability to imagine a better reality helped transform my own life and, later, an entire institution. Yet, it requires a willingness to do something different, perhaps even radical. From my own experience, I can say that everything starts with education, whether...

Living inside of the cryptocurrency sector for eight years gives one a unique perspective on innovation. Things move so quickly with blockchain technology that innovation tends to happen right in front of our very eyes. I grew up in the Caribbean when I was younger and there was virtually no...

The National Academy of Engineering considers electrification among the greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century, and I have to agree– thanks to our electric grid, we effortlessly flip a light switch, and power goes on in less than a second. This speed is faster than any delivery service could...

CHALLENGING THE “BUT” IN DIGITALIZATION Nortal’s story began at the same time the second government of prime minister Mart Laar decided to go all in on digital transformation in 1999, followed by the accession to the European Union in 2004. There was an unwritten societal and political understanding that a...

CONVERSATIONAL PERFORMANCEAre your people ready to do the job you’ve prepared them for? Do your managers know how to give feedback? Are your salespeople really listening to customers? Managing performance starts with measuring performance. But how do you measure workplace conversations? Language is complex. Conversations are rarely grammatical. Context matters....

WHY INNOVATORS NEED A NEW BREED OF LAW FIRM When I first started my legal career, founding my own law firm wasn’t even a consideration. I was content working at a top-tier firm, focusing on drafting contracts and managing legal transactions. But everything changed during a business trip to Silicon...

At Code and Trust, we partner with founders, corporations, and government teams to challenge assumptions, move fast, and build software that drives real impact. My career has centered around one core belief: great ideas don’t fail because they aren’t good, they fail because they aren’t executed well. To me, innovation...

What if the next big breakthrough didn’t come from a boardroom or a lab, but from a team of global citizens with bold ideas? This is the essence of citizen-driven innovation—the foundation of the Hack for Earth movement that taps into the collective creativity of people from all around the...

In my journey as a sustainability expert and innovation leader, I’ve come to see a powerful synergy between these two fields. Working across both sustainability and innovation allows us to turn today’s challenges into opportunities, creating solutions that benefit people, communities, and ecosystems alike. Above all, innovation and sustainability must...

It is the promise of innovation that brought me to Nashville and to Vanderbilt University. I was hired in August of 2021 to serve as Vanderbilt’s first Vice Provost for Career Advancement and Engagement. There were many elements of this opportunity which were attractive: joining a pre – eminent global...

Every brand has its genesis as a challenger. Forbes details how a business lifecycle evolves from startup, to growth; it then progresses to its maturity phase, and finally, is faced with the crossroads labeled ‘renewal’ or ‘decline’. B R A N D A L I S M is a phrase...

As we look to the skies, we’re witnessing a revolution in mobility that will transform our communities for the better. Drones are no longer just cool gadgets or military tools – they’re becoming powerful forces for good that can make our lives safer, easier, and more eco-friendly. At Airspace Link,...

Leadership matters. That’s an undeniable truth — the quality and type of leadership we cultivate and practice are paramount. From my journey in big consulting fi rms to my own innovation advisory practice, from startups to Global 500 companies, the critical success factor remains: leadership is the foundation of open...

As a top-ranked research institute, innovation is at the heart of what we do. Naturally, I think a lot about how to create an environment where ideas flow freely and scientists can do their best work. For most of us, novel and useful ideas don’t just spontaneously spring to life,...

Our City is the fourth largest economy in the State with a Gross Regional Product of 8.65 billion and more than 8,700 businesses calling Salisbury home, including a host of international firms and flourishing entrepreneurs. We are an important area for the State’s economic growth for population, small business, innovation...

There’s something profoundly beautiful about entrepreneurship. To throw yourself into the unknown. To build something from nothing. To see an idea, the one you’ve nurtured in your mind, become real in the world. But let me be honest: it’s not for the faint of heart. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster. One...

As more women reach out for leadership positions within the proliferating innovative companies, mentorship plays a crucial role in nurturing their talent. We spoke to Geetha Panda who contributes as a mentor in her dual roles as the Global Director, Service Desk & Large Platform Security Capability, DXC Technology and...

When I founded my first company, nearly twenty years ago, I had little knowledge of starting a business, but I knew that hard work was part of the equation. While I was studying at the Indian Institute of Technology, I sought entrepreneurial role models who I could emulate and who...

Francis J. Giantomasi (Frank), a member of the Executive Committee of CSG Law, plays a critical role in the firm’s Real Estate, Development & Land Use Group. Over the course of his career, Frank has guided clients through a wide variety of planning, zoning and development projects throughout the Garden...