Creative Distillation

Creative Distillation

University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights.

  1. 96: Tiki Time with Jeff with Claudia Doblinger (TUM): Trader Vic’s Rum Punch and the Public/Private Role in Clean Tech Startups

    26 MRT

    96: Tiki Time with Jeff with Claudia Doblinger (TUM): Trader Vic’s Rum Punch and the Public/Private Role in Clean Tech Startups

    This “hybrid” episode of Tiki Time with Jeff and Creative Distillation was recorded in April 2025, during the early days of Jeff’s tiki odyssey. Trader Vic’s in Munich — the oldest remaining Trader Vic’s location — is the setting for Jeff’s interview with Prof. Dr. Claudia Doblinger, Professor of Innovation and Technology Management at Technical University of Munich. Over a shared Rum Cup served in a tiki-style ceremonial bowl, Jeff regales Claudia, a tiki neophyte, with tales of tiki’s origins. We get her impressions of her first visit to a tiki bar, and the advice she would give a student considering opening one. Claudia talks about her academic journey, which includes strong ties to CU and, with Jeff, co-authoring a widely-respected and well-read paper on environmental and social entrepreneurship. The heart of the discussion though, involves three papers Claudia’s co-authored, each looking at different aspects of clean tech startups and the role of public collaboration in their innovation and survival. Taken together, she paints a clear picture of the importance of these public/private partnerships. Enjoy and cheers! — You’ve been listening to Tiki Time with Jeff, a special, semi-occurring production of Creative Distillation. This episode was recorded on location at Trader Vic’s in Munich, Germany - the oldest existing Trader Vic’s. Learn more at tradervics.com Learn more about Claudia Doblinger on her faculty page at Technical University of Munich. Check the show notes for a link to that as well as her papers discussed today. Claudia Doblinger's faculty page: https://www.professoren.tum.de/en/doblinger-claudia "The effects of corporate investment and public grants on climate and energy startup outcomes": https://portal.fis.tum.de/en/publications/the-effects-of-corporate-investment-and-public-grants-on-climate-/ "Governments as partners: The role of alliances in U.S. cleantech startup innovation": https://portal.fis.tum.de/en/publications/governments-as-partners-the-role-of-alliances-in-us-cleantech-sta/ "Author Correction: Federal energy R&D: Startups supported by ARPA-E were more innovative than others but an investment gap may remain (Nature Energy, (2020), 5, 10, (741-742), 10.1038/s41560-020-00691-8)": https://portal.fis.tum.de/en/publications/author-correction-federal-energy-rampd-startups-supported-by-arpa/ Thanks for listening to Creative Distillation and Tiki Time with Jeff! Much aloha to all! -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    34 min.
  2. 95: The Pits and Stems Sal Banan and MJ Yang (CU) on AI Growing Pains

    12 MRT

    95: The Pits and Stems Sal Banan and MJ Yang (CU) on AI Growing Pains

    On this episode, Brad and Jeff continue their field research at Pits & Stems, a real live speakeasy located somewhere in Boulder. They’re still joined by host and proprietor Ethan Decker, who contribrutes his wry insights as he keeps the libations flowing, and MJ Yang, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. The conversation shifts to MJ’s work, which focuses on scientific approaches to entrepreneurship, and is centered on AI and data-driven decision making. He asserts that AI (particularly LLM’s) should be treated as a “brain-damaged peer.” It’s not the most reliable data analyst; just the fastest, and MJ emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and problem framing. Brad points out that we’re experiencing the growing pains of a fledgling technology, but that no matter how important AI becomes, there will always be a job for creative problem solvers with grit. Jeff likens AI to the dotcom boom, in that the true believers (as he was back then), think only about how much the tech is going to improve our lives, without considering the negative externalities. Ethan calls that being “nerd-sighted.” Jeff goes on to say that, because AI has been on our minds for decades, it’s not the already-predicted worst-case scenarios that worry him. He’s more concerned about the dangers we haven’t thought of. You know: those unknown unknowns. He also puts in important (seriously) plugs for Coruba and Clareen rums, from Jamaica and Haiti, respectively. They’re key ingredients in one of Ethan’s creations featured herein: the Sal Banan, an original and fully AI-proof cocktail. Enjoy and cheers! — This episode of Creative Distillation was recorded at Pits and Stems in Boulder, Colorado. Unfortunately, that’s about all we can say about it. Learn more about MJ Yang on his faculty page at the Leeds School of Business website. https://www.colorado.edu/business/leeds-directory/faculty/mj-yang -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    44 min.
  3. 94: MJ Yang (CU) and Ethan Decker, Founder, Applied Brand Science and Proprietor/Mixologist, Pits & Stems (Boulder)

    26 FEB

    94: MJ Yang (CU) and Ethan Decker, Founder, Applied Brand Science and Proprietor/Mixologist, Pits & Stems (Boulder)

    This time, we return to perhaps our all-time favorite establishment, one that’s so special we can’t even tell you where it is because it's an actual, modern-day speakeasy located somewhere in the wilds of central Boulder. We first visited Ethan Decker and his wonderful establishment, Pits & Stems, on episode 63, way back in March 2024, and then again for episode 70. For our third time back, we’re joined by MJ Yang, CU Assistant Professor for Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations. The conversation starts with Ethan telling us about how he went from a Ph.D in Ecology to an expert in brand strategy, Brand Science Training, and the universal, immutable laws of branding. He offers several actionable insights applicable to businesses ranging from the smallest startups to the largest conglomerates. Ethan places a particular emphasis on “the myth of the passionate customer,” and reminds us that you don’t have to explain the brand proposition in your marketing; you just need to make it memorable, and noticeable - aka “sticky.” Brad talks about the importance of your first adopters being your biggest brand ambassadors. Our discussion also touches on the Olympics (how DOES one become a bobsledder, anyway?), and we get Ethan’s jaw-dropping tour of Pits & Stems. All that, plus some AI talk, and of course everyone's thoughts on Ethan’s divine concoctions. Enjoy and cheers! — This episode of Creative Distillation as recorded at Pits and Stems in Boulder, Colorado. Unfortunately, that’s about all we can say about it. We’ll be back at Pits and Stems next time for a deeper discussion into MJ Yang’s work. -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    46 min.
  4. 93: Tiki Time with Jeff w/guest Russell Thoede, Founder, Lei Low (Houston)

    12 FEB

    93: Tiki Time with Jeff w/guest Russell Thoede, Founder, Lei Low (Houston)

    This Tiki Time with Jeff episode was recorded in April 2025 -- months before our Tiki Time with Jeff Primer was recorded (see episode 84). — On this voyage, Jeff speaks with Russell Thoede. In 2014, he and his wife, Elizabeth, co-founded Lei Low in Houston. Russell is not just the owner of what is now one of Jeff’s favorite tiki bars; he’s the maker of Jeff’s new favorite tiki drink, The Pearl Diver, and a walking, talking, living, breathing tiki wiki - a fount of tiki history and lore. In this captivating conversation, Jeff and Russell cover: - the Lei Low origin story, - the pride and passion that underlie every “real” tiki bar - Russell’s fervent belief that the craft cocktail movement actually began with tiki - how tiki, for all its exoticism, is a truly American creation - how, in just under 100 years, Don the Beachcomber’s fully concocted fantasy has become something very real, with its own sense of authenticity All of that, plus Russell’s very good advice to all entrepreneurs. Enjoy and cheers! —— This episode of Tiki Time with Jeff was recorded on location at Lei Low in Houston, TX. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook @leilowhtx Thanks for listening to Tiki Time with Jeff! Much aloha to all! -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    1 u 2 m
  5. 92: Ethan Poskanzer (CU) on Moral Flexibility & Isabel Schoebert (TUM) on Public-Private Collabs

    29 JAN

    92: Ethan Poskanzer (CU) on Moral Flexibility & Isabel Schoebert (TUM) on Public-Private Collabs

    For this last, lingering, “holidayesque” episode of the season, we return to Dry Land Distillers in Longmont, Colorado, where Brad and Jeff continue their discussion with CU’s Ethan Poskanzer and Isabel Schoeberl, a visiting doctoral candidate from the Technical University of Munich. As if the handcrafted libations shaken and stirred by Dry Land aren’t enough, Jeff smuggles in a bottle of his homemade “tiki nog” to keep the party going. Between sips of this surprisingly delectable tropical yuletide concoction, Jeff and Brad give their guests the floor to talk about their recent and/or current research. One of Ethan’s recently-published papers explores partisan moral flexibility in American politics. Are voters willing to accept less-than-factual assertions from their respective political sides, as long as they align with a deeply-held political, quote-unquote, “truth?” Betcha can’t guess the answer to that one! And then Isabel talks about two papers she’s working on — one qualitative the other quantitative — which focus on the impact of public-private partnerships on climate tech startups. Preliminary results suggest these collaborations lead to greater emission reduction potential — you just need to find the right collaborators (that’s the tricky part). And with that, the holiday season at Creative Distillation comes to a merciful and well overdue conclusion. Enjoy and cheers! — This episode of Creative Distillation was recorded at Dry Land Distillers in Longmont, Colorado. Follow them on Instagram @drylanddistillers, and get more info at drylanddistillers.com Learn more about Ethan Poskanzer on his faculty page at CU’s Leeds School of Business website: https://www.colorado.edu/business/leeds-directory/faculty/ethan-poskanzer Read Ethan Poskanzer’s paper, “When truth trumps facts: Studies on partisan moral flexibility in American politics,” in the July 2024 edition of the American Journal of Sociology. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/730763 Learn more about Isabel Schoeberl on her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelschoeberl/ -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    41 min.
  6. 91: Nan Jia (USC): Nora's Craft Cocktails and AI's Effects on Employee Creativity

    15 JAN

    91: Nan Jia (USC): Nora's Craft Cocktails and AI's Effects on Employee Creativity

    91: Nan Jia (USC): Nora's Craft Cocktails and AI's Effects on Employee Creativity by Creative Distillation

    47 min.
  7. 90: Nels Wroe, Founder, Dry Land Distillers

    18-12-2025

    90: Nels Wroe, Founder, Dry Land Distillers

    In what’s quickly becoming an annual holiday tradition at Creative Distillation, we return to one of our favorite research locations: Dry Land Distillers in Longmont, Colorado. It’s our third on-location recording (plus one on Zoom during Covid), making Dry Land our most-visited venue, and puts its founder, Nels Wroe, in contention for most frequent Creative Distillation guest. Further adding to the holiday vibes, we’re joined by another favorite fall guest, CU’s Ethan Poskanzer. As he guides us through three of Dry Land’s featured offerings, Nels catches us up on the state of the Front Range hospitality scene. The takeaway is that local businesses are what makes our community a community, times are tough for them, and it’s incumbent upon us to support them, especially during the holiday season. We get a chance to try a contender from Dry Land’s annual Nog Off, and then Jeff breaks out his own bottle of homemade eggnog with a tiki twist. One was distinctly better than the other, but Jeff’s was quite good too. All of that, plus some final thoughts for 2025 and holiday wishes, and Jeff reminds us of some of the ghosts of podcasts past. Enjoy and cheers! — This episode of Creative Distillation was recorded at Dry Land Distillers in Longmont, Colorado. Follow them on Instagram @drylanddistillers, and get more info at drylanddistillers.com After the holidays, we’ll return to Dry Land for a fuller conversation around Ethan’s latest research on truth and moral flexibility in American politics. Until then, Happy Holidays and New Year from all of us at Creative Distillation. We hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we enjoy making it. Thanks, as always, for tuning in. -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    41 min.
  8. 89: Jordan Leggett, Bar Lead and Mad Scientist at Nora’s Speakeasy

    04-12-2025

    89: Jordan Leggett, Bar Lead and Mad Scientist at Nora’s Speakeasy

    It seems like forever since we’ve had Jeff AND Brad on the same episode, hunkered down in a dimly lit bar, discussing entrepreneurship research over cocktails. As such, we’re delighted to have them reunited at long last at Nora’s, an honest-to-goodness speakeasy located a couple flights of stairs beneath downtown Louisville, CO. Joined by guest academic researcher Nan Jia, Brad and Jeff speak with Jordan Leggett, Bar Lead and Mad Scientist at Nora’s. Jordan walks us through a trio of her innovative concoctions as she explains her creative approach to bartending. These libations, including a scotch cocktail with pumpkin puree and a tequila-based old-fashioned, are some of the most inventive and delicious creations we’ve encountered on Creative Distillation — and that’s saying something. The conversation also features a Tiki Time check-in with Jeff, touches on testing new recipes, and asks whether ChatGPT is a good bartender (spoiler: it’s not). Thanks to Jordan at Nora’s for an illuminating — and perfectly dimly lit — discussion. Enjoy and cheers! *** This episode of Creative Distillation was recorded at Nora’s in Louisville, Colorado. Follow them on Instagram @norasplacelouisville, and learn more at noras.place. We’ll return from the holidays, still at Nora’s, for a deep dive with Nan Jia into her recent research on AI and productivity. Stay tuned for our next episode, the last of 2025, where we return to Dry Land Distillers to enjoy some holiday cheer with our favorite fall guest, CU’s Ethan Poskanzer. -- Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu. Thanks for listening. -
An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis "Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs ___ CREATIVE DISTILLATION University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director
jeffrey.york@colorado.edu Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director
walter.werner@colorado.edu Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business
303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

    28 min.
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University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights.

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    Creative Distillation
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    2020 - 2026
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    98
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