Takeaways from First Innovator Summit

By Louis Gump Andersen Alumnus, President Cambian Solutions and Author of The Inside Innovator: A Practical Guide to Intrapreneurship

On June 17^th, we held our first Inside Innovator Summit in Janesville, WI.

Based on my book The Inside Innovator (2024, Fast Company Press), the event was designed to provide a deeper dive into concepts and practices for world-class innovation within larger organizations.

While flying from Atlanta to O’Hare before the drive to Janesville, I was thinking of earlier experiences taking the same flight on the way to St. Charles!

We had a great showing with people from the Janesville area, Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, among other places. The feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive and truly inspiring!

We've been reflecting on the conversations and written comments received since then, and it's clear that the event made a real impact. Here are 10 key takeaways that resonated with our attendees:

• “If you can’t find the keys, look in your pockets.” Many of us who are looking for ways to grow revenue and innovate have the answers right in front of us. We just need to look in the right places and pay attention.
• While elevating excellence in intrapreneurship, also invest in building a great culture.
• Entrepreneurs magnify success when they welcome and support intrapreneurs in their organizations.
• Participants from various industries and perspectives (including healthcare, IT, retail, consumer goods, consulting and non-profits) found this topic broadly relevant and helpful for their own situations.
• While AI is an area that many are focusing on, there are still lots of other options for growth and innovation. These include new product offerings, expanded services, geographical expansion, line extensions, IoT, and more.
• Having a good idea isn't enough. You need to know your audience when communicating this idea and speak with their vocabulary and interests in mind.
• High trust is important in many ways, including team cohesion, reception of new ideas and support for initiatives over time.
• The top characteristics of an inside innovator are helpful in screening new applicants.
• Be open to listening to ideas and allow your team to help you build.
• “This event left me inspired both on a professional level, a personal level and a level where I had a list of people, I wanted to discuss the concepts with afterwards.” - Event participant

This summer, you have the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge that will benefit you for the rest of your career- both as insights on their own and also building blocks for future career opportunities. That is in some ways an extension of what we learned along with way as Andersen alumni. Here’s to lots of learning and inside innovation going forward!

If you'd like to increase your team's capabilities to grow in a sustainable and people-friendly way that aligns with the above takeaways, please reach out any time.

The Inside Innovator is designed to help people achieve more, build stronger relationships and increase personal fulfillment through intrapreneurship. For more about the book, please see https://louisgump.com/ .