Innovation Heroes SHI

In 2019, the City of New Orleans was hit by a cyberattack and came to a halt. Within hours, thousands of servers, virtual machines, and computers were shut down. They were told by the National Guard that they needed to build a completely new infrastructure. 
 
This week, we discuss the unsung heroes in data storage, those defending against cybersecurity attacks, building new infrastructure, and supporting AI innovation. Andrew Miller, Lead Principal Technologist of the Americas, Pure Storage, outlines how they were able to replace the entire storage footprint in New Orleans. He outlines the conversations he has with customers about resiliency, what he calls the intersection of disaster recovery and security. 
 
We also explore the changing landscape of storage and cloud in 2024, and the current trends in threats like ransomware. Miller provides tips for data protection, developing security frameworks, and getting buy-in for security spend. 
 
Featured Guest:
Andrew Miller, Lead Principal Technologist of the Americas, Pure Storage
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This episode is brought to you by Pure Storage. Turn bottlenecks into breakthroughs with Pure’s modern data experience. Talk to an expert today and learn more at shi.com/brands/pure-storage.
Innovation Heroes is an SHI podcast. New episodes are now available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Visit https://blog.shi.com/podcasts/. 
 

Design-led companies such as Apple, Starbucks, and Airbnb outperform the S&P 500 index by 219%. The question is why?
Today’s guest Paul Stonick -- VP of SCADpro, the Savannah College of Art and Design’s in-house design studio -- says he has the answer.
Paul says this human-centered approach to problem solving unleashes creativity in any organization. Design can solve everything, says Stonick. On the episode, he dives into how to create real change within an organization by developing a culture of test and learn. He outlines the five steps of design thinking and stresses the importance of mapping design back to investment strategies, this being the best way to break through corporate obstructionism.
 
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This episode is brought to you by We Got Your Mac, a new podcast from SHI, exploring the benefits and challenges of large-scale Mac adoption across the enterprise. Check out We Got Your Mac wherever you get podcasts or go to wegotyourmac.com for all the episodes, plus free bonus resources and content.
Innovation Heroes is an SHI podcast. New episodes are now available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Visit https://blog.shi.com/podcasts/.

We’re taking December off – but don't worry, we’ll be back in January with all new episodes of Innovation Heroes. Happy holidays!
On today’s bonus episode: Ed chats with Victoria Barber, Senior Director of Strategic Insights at SHI, about her new podcast We Got Your Mac – and why it’s time business leaders take a closer look at Mac.
To put it simply: If you want to innovate, you need to give your people choice. It doesn't hurt that Mac comes with tons of business benefits, including boosting efficiency and your employer value proposition.
For business leaders facing “the Mac question,” this podcast is for you. Discover new episodes every two weeks, now streaming at WeGotYourMac.com – or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
We Got Your Mac:
Listen now to full episodes: https://link.chtbl.com/WGYM_IHbonusep
Get bonus resources and more information: wegotyourmac.com https://experience.shi.com/wegotyourmac

Charles “Chuck” Rinker wants people to be as addicted to their own health as some are to video games. He should know – he was the director behind EA Sports’ NCAA/Madden series. Now, as CEO and Founder of PRSONAS by nuMedia Innovations Inc, he’s bringing digital personalities to industries, such as the healthcare sector.  
Rinker discusses his career trajectory, starting out in cattle farming and then going on to Black Ops military simulation work. But his career pivoted after he and his wife battled three bouts of cancer between them. 
PRSONAS’s digital assistants can do tasks such as wayfinding, answering questions, and taking surveys, freeing up the time of healthcare workers and aiding in clinical trial recruitment. Rinker discusses how the technology was developed, with early advice from a Disney Imagineering SVP on avoiding the uncanny valley effect. Rinker outlines how they use GenAI, as well as the roles of UX and CX, and how the technology is being used now in an array of sectors, including airports, banks, and commercial markets.  
This episode is brought to you by We Got Your Mac, a new podcast from SHI, exploring the benefits and challenges of large-scale Mac adoption across the enterprise. Find We Got Your Mac wherever you get podcasts or go to wegotyourmac.com for all the episodes, plus free bonus resources and content.  
Innovation Heroes is an SHI podcast. New episodes are now available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Visit https://blog.shi.com/podcasts/.  
 
 

It was fairly recent history when supermarket food items had to be manually restamped each time the price increased, with clerks running up and down the aisles to do inventory. Paul McEnroe, creator of the barcode, remembers searching for cans with lower price tags from the back of the shelf when shopping for his mother.  
Now, barcodes are all around us, scanned ten billion times a day. On today’s episode, we dive into the fascinating story of its creation and the decades of innovation that changed retail and manufacturing around the world.  
In the 1960s, McEnroe hired seven engineers considered “harder to manage" for a start-up-like project at IBM to tackle applications at the periphery of computers. The team created the first commercial application of laser technology, the barcode scanner, and the magnetic code for Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) marking. McEnroe outlines how this technology vastly increased supermarket efficiency, despite initial pushback including picket lines at stores and new state laws. He also discusses the QR code, which he sees as an extension of the barcode.  
This episode is brought to you by SHI’s new generative AI briefings. 
Uncover your road map to innovation with a series of briefings and workshops designed by our technology experts. Contact your Account Executive or visit shi.com to learn more.  
Innovation Heroes is an SHI podcast. New episodes are now available on Youtube and all major podcast platforms. Visit https://blog.shi.com/podcasts/

You may think of Kenmore as your grandmother's brand. It’s true – the name first appeared on sewing machines in 1913. But the brand has been revitalized by their current CEO Sri Solur. In just 18 months, he’s doubled licensing revenue and scaled to thousands of new locations and online. This week, he talks about how he's brought innovation to this 100-year old company by using software development principles and agile business methods, from his background in wearable technology and robotics.
Kenmore previously sold everyday appliances, such as fridges, washing machines, and vacuums, exclusively at Sears department stores, but went through a tipping point when Sears declared bankruptcy. Just 18 months ago, it was nearly impossible to find Kenmore products on shelves. Now they’re in more than 5200 locations, including Target.
Solur shares the techniques he brought from the technical world to Kenmore, including leaning in on quality and speed of operations. He also talks about his advice to other legacy companies for appealing to younger generations, including through energy security and decarbonization initiatives.
Innovation Heroes is an SHI podcast. New episodes are now available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Visit https://blog.shi.com/podcasts/.