Good Disruption

University of Virginia Darden School of Business
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship

”Good Disruption” is a lively discussion between UVA Darden School of Business Professors Mike Lenox and Yael Grushka-Cockayne on cutting edge technologies and practices that are challenging the status quo, and making their personal call on whether this is a good disruption, bad disruption... or even no disruption. This podcast is produced by Darden Video Production in partnership with the The Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology.

  1. Jul 6

    Good Disruption: Episode 36 - Disruptor: The Savannah Bananas

    What's more American than watching a baseball game in the stands on a hot summer day? Well, one disruptor has put a new spin on the ball, creating their own mix of competitive baseball with carnival style entertainment that makes the fans part of the game instead of just spectators. It's called Banana Ball and the team that started it all is the Savannah Bananas. Jared Orton is the President of Banana Ball, and he joins Yael and Mike for a truly engaging conversation on the "Greatest Show in Sports".

  2. Jun 1

    Good Disruption: Episode 35 - Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES)

    When you think of energy storage what comes to mind – batteries.  But what if you need to store 1 GW of power (roughly 700,000 homes) over days, weeks, or a whole season? This is increasingly becoming a reality with an electric grid stretched by data center demand. Your traditional Li-Ion battery won’t cut it. It will require large-scale systems built to store and discharge massive amounts of energy on demand.   Anna Siefken, Director for Policy & Markets, North America for the Long Duration Energy Storage Council joins Mike and Yael for a conversation on Long Duration Energy Storage, or LDES, and why these technologies are the best chance we have to maintain grid stability in this time of growth. Thumbnail image created using Google Gemini AI.

  3. May 4

    Good Disruption: Episode 34 - Disruptor: Faraj Aalaei, Cognichip

    Yael and Mike talk with Faraj Aalaei, Founder and CEO of Cognichip about his 40-year journey from product engineer to successful entrepreneur. Just starting on your entrepreneurship journey – Faraj offers some great advice! Cognichip is revolutionizing semiconductor design through its innovative Artificial Chip Intelligence (ACI®) technology, aiming to make chip development faster, cheaper, and more accessible.

  4. Apr 6

    Good Disruption: Episode 33 - Disruptor: Ralph Sampson, NBA Legend

    Mike and Yael kick off a new disruptor series with NBA legend Ralph Sampson (UVA '83).  Hard working and humble, Ralph shares his lessons for succeeding on and off the court.   Make sure to visit Ralph’s latest venture Milk and Honey for some Southern cuisine when you visit Charlottesville.

    Good Disruption: Episode 33 - Disruptor: Ralph Sampson, NBA Legend

  5. Mar 2

    Good Disruption: Episode 32 - Fintech

    Chime, Venmo, Robinhood, Stripe – odds are you are using at least one of these Fintech apps. The reality is these companies won’t put companies like JP Morgan Chase out of business but in some pockets of the world, and with some customer segments, they are chipping away at market share. Some say traditional banking is ripe for disruption especially in the age if AI.  What might that look like and is your money safe?  Mike and Yael talk with Ian Appel, UVA Darden Associate Professor and Academic Director of Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management, about Fintech and the future of banking. Ian earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his recent work studies different types of institutional investors, corporate environmental behaviors, and governance in decentralized finance. Look for new episodes of Good Disruption on the first Monday of each month!

  6. Feb 2

    Good Disruption: Episode 31 - Technology Highlights from CES 2026

    Mike and Yael catch up with Darden Professor Tim Laseter following his trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  From robots to beauty tech to smart glasses, the show features the latest in cutting edge new tech. What’s new, scalable, or hype?

  7. Jan 5

    Good Disruption: Episode 30 - Disruption 101

    Our fourth season kicks off with a mini course on disruptive innovation. What is it and what are the markers of a major technological shift? Mike and Yael give a brief Disruption 101 and explore whether disruptions are inherently good or bad, considering both the immediate negative effects and the long-term positive outcomes. They also discuss the role of government, venture capital, and other stakeholders in fostering innovation.

  8. 12/01/2025

    Good Disruption: Episode 29 - Season 3 Recap

    As we end our third season, Yael and Mike reflect on the disruptive technologies explored over the last year. It was an interesting mix of good, bad, and no disruption calls. Do they feel the same now about disruptive potential that they did when each episode first aired?  What’s coming in 2026?  Don’t miss this recap and send the Good Disruption team your ideas at duffr@darden.virginia.edu.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

”Good Disruption” is a lively discussion between UVA Darden School of Business Professors Mike Lenox and Yael Grushka-Cockayne on cutting edge technologies and practices that are challenging the status quo, and making their personal call on whether this is a good disruption, bad disruption... or even no disruption. This podcast is produced by Darden Video Production in partnership with the The Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology.

Information

  • Creator
    University of Virginia Darden School of Business
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Good Disruption

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