Innovantage Podcast
### Apple Podcasts Summary Welcome to the Innovantage Podcast, where technology, business, and innovation meet. Join host Max Golikov as he dives into the transformative power of artificial intelligence and digital advancements across a variety of industries. Each episode features in-depth conversations with industry leaders and provides practical insights on integrating technology into your business. Subscribe to stay ahead in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape and discover how AI is driving change and inspiring new business strategies. Tune in to unlock your competitive edge in the world of technology!
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Nobody Climbs the Career Ladder Now | Innovantage Podcast #51 | Powered by BMI Executive Institute
<p>Can AI transformation actually make a company faster, or is it just hype? In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, we go inside Wix to find out what real AI transformation looks like when you're running engineering sites across Europe.</p> <p>This is the latest episode in our ongoing series with BMI Executive Institute, spotlighting leaders who put business theory into practice.</p> <p>Joining Max is Monika Laukaitė, a senior operations and site leadership executive at Wix and a current EMBA participant at BMI Executive Institute, who oversees R&D and engineering sites across Lithuania, Berlin, Amsterdam, L...
Can AI Replace CEOs? | Innovantage Podcast #50 | Powered by BMI Executive Institute
<p>What does real innovation look like in 2026 — inside a 160-year-old state railway and a modern AI-first startup? We continue our series with BMI Executive Institute, sitting down with two guests from two different worlds to explore how innovation, AI adoption, and the future of work actually play out on the ground.</p> <p>We cover the startup vs enterprise mindset, the project management triangle of speed, cost and quality, the EU AI Act, AI anxiety, and whether humans are still relevant when AI can do most of the work.</p> <p>Our guests are Jonas Valuta and Vidas Vasiliauskas. Jo...
AI vs Human Traders in 2026 | Innovantage Podcast #49 | Powered by BMI Executive Institute
<p>This episode marks the beginning of our special series in collaboration with BMI Executive Institute, where we explore the intersection of business, leadership, and technology with standout entrepreneurs connected to the BMI network.<br> We kick off the series with Bas Kooijman, tech-to-finance entrepreneur, CEO/co-founder of DHF Capital, and participant of the EMBA programme at BMI Executive Institute<br> AI is no longer a future concept in finance — it’s already trading real money.<br> Bas built and sold telecom businesses operating across 35 countries before transitioning into professional trading and asset management. Today, he leads DHF Capital, where AI-d...
The World’s First Industrial LEGO Sorting Machine Powered by AI | Innovantage Podcast #48
<p>What if mixed, unused LEGO bricks could become complete sets again — at industrial scale?<br> Ilya Malkin, founder of Sort A Brick, is building an AI-first automation company that does exactly that. Using computer vision, machine learning, and custom-built hardware, his team identifies, cleans, and sorts over 100,000 unique LEGO elements by shape, color, and print, turning chaotic brick bins into rebuildable sets.<br> After nearly 20 years in consulting, Ilya pivoted into hard-tech to solve a problem most people overlook: making large-scale LEGO refurbishment economically viable.<br> In this episode, we unpack the technology, the business model, and why AI-powered re...
Your Startup Isn’t Failing for the Reason You Think | Innovantage Podcast #47
<p>What does it really take to go from founder to venture capitalist, and why are most startup ideas actually “bad ideas” at first?<br> In this episode, Raimonds Kulbergs shares the real story behind BADideas Fund, what founders consistently get wrong about fundraising, why most VCs will struggle in the AI era, and what separates ambitious startups from small ideas that never scale.<br> If you’re building a startup, raising funding, thinking about Y Combinator, or wondering whether AI is now mandatory for investment, this episode will reset how you think about venture capital and early-stage growth.</p> <p>👇 us...
China Vs Silicon Valley: Who Leads Innovation? | Innovantage Podcast #46
<p>China tech and innovation | Chinese economy | Silicon valley vs China | AI strategy</p> <p>In our new episode, Pascal Coppens — sinologist, author, and tech entrepreneur with decades of experience working between China and Silicon Valley breaks down how the Chinese economy actually works and why Western perceptions of China are outdated.<br> We cover how Chinese innovation differs from Silicon Valley, the role of competition and survival in Chinese business, the truth about Chinese electric vehicles and monopolies, why Europe struggles with strategic decision-making, and what the so-called AI race really looks like. </p> <p>👇 Useful links<br> Subscribe to our...
Why AI Won't Replace Top Lawyers (But Will Destroy Mediocre Ones) | Innovantage Podcast #45
<p>Are law firms using AI all wrong? The answer might cost you millions.</p> <p>Aku Sorainen, Founder & Senior Partner at Sorainen and Chairman at Crespect, reveals why most legal tech investments fail and what actually works after 25 years of building his own systems. In this episode, we explore the dangerous gap between AI hype and real-world legal practice.</p> <p>• Why Sorainen spent €2M building software after discovering global solutions were "years behind"<br> • The "chaos in, chaos out" problem: Why 25M documents can be a liability<br> • Why lawyers are using AI less for drafting in 2025<br> • The truth...
Why Women Leave Tech And How Leadership Can Fix It | Innovantage Podcast #44
<p>What does it really take to succeed as a woman in tech leadership today?</p> <p>In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, we’re joined by Diana Gold — CTO | Head of Digitalization and Technology at Gijos, Partnership Associate Professor at Vilnius University, and PhD candidate at ISM University of Management and Economics.</p> <p>In this conversation, Diana shares:<br> ➡️Her journey from IT and consulting roles to becoming a CTO in the energy sector<br> ➡️What women in tech leadership still struggle with — and what actually helps<br> ➡️Why many digital transformations fail without cultural change<br> ➡️How AI can both reduce...
How to Win Startup Grants in Europe Without Wasting Time | Innovantage Podcast #43
<p>Most founders think grants are about paperwork. In reality, they are about positioning, clarity, and execution.<br> In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Spruytte, Grants & Incentives Senior Manager at KPMG Belgium, with prior EY Subsidia experience and a Ghent University research/PhD background, helping organizations secure Belgian and EU funding through structured grant strategy and writing.</p> <p>In this episode we talk about:<br> • How the grant process actually works<br> • What makes a company truly “grant ready”<br> • Why some proposals succeed and others fail<br> • How long it realistically takes to secure funding<br> • The human factor behind...
Why Hiring With AI Alone Is Failing and What Works Better | Innovantage Podcast #42
<p>Is AI fixing hiring or breaking human connection?<br> Why do the best candidates never apply to job ads?<br> And what really happens inside a startup during its first 9 months?</p> <p>Juris Zalāns — Co-founder at Talenme, HR Tech strategist, and digital transformation expert shares unfiltered insights from building a referral-driven hiring platform and navigating the fast-changing world of talent acquisition. From startup realities and fundraising to the future of HR tech, this episode explores how technology, trust, and human networks are reshaping recruitment.</p> <p>What you’ll learn from this episode:<br> ➡️Why passive candidates dominate...
