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Culture of Innovation

Culture of Innovation

By: Leaders who innovate with a purpose
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 Unconventional ideas are the seedbed of innovation and progress. In a Culture of Innovation we express our imagination and explore turning ideas into tangible ways to create value for our ecosystems and ourselves!All rights reserved
Episodes
  • Max Ferguson: Workflow Reimagined: Trust, Tech, and Transformation | Ep. 32

    Max Ferguson: Workflow Reimagined: Trust, Tech, and Transformation | Ep. 32
    Aug 6 2025
    Join Nancy Ridge, Founder of Ridge Innovative, and Max Ferguson for an insightful conversation on reimagining workflows - exploring the intersection of trust, technology, and transformation. Max Ferguson is the Founder and CEO of Lumin, a global SaaS platform serving over 120 million users worldwide. Lumin delivers comprehensive document management solutions through a unified platform, including PDF editing, eSignature workflows, collaboration tools, and AI-powered features. The company serves high-growth startups and SMBs through to Fortune 500 enterprises, providing enterprise-grade security and functionality at every stage. Max’s leadership philosophy centers on building a culture of innovation that challenges industry standards and solves complex business problems at scale. Under his direction, Lumin has demonstrated that world-class technology companies can compete globally while maintaining operational excellence and customer-centric innovation. His experience scaling a SaaS platform to serve millions of users across diverse markets provides unique insights into building sustainable competitive advantages within the software landscape. Index • 01:26 – Max Ferguson’s Background • 03:35 – The Spark Behind Lumin: Tracing the Inflection Point of Innovation • 08:37 – Uncovering Deeper Value in the Unexpected Impact of Lumin • 14:10 – AI’s Deeper Disruption Rethinking Workflows and Systems • 20:38 – Tech for All: How Lumin Is Driving Digital Inclusion • 30:41 – Understanding Digital Trust in a Rapidly Changing Ecosystem • 36:03 – The New Gatekeepers of Digital Trust • 40:01 – The Innovation Max would most like to see gain adoption Links – • Lumin - https://www.luminpdf.com/ • Max Ferguson LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxkferg/ If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to us on Soundcloud for more episodes and write us a review! Share this episode with anyone interested in unconventional ideas. Do you have questions, comments, insight on the topics discussed today? Send an email to support@ridgeinnovative.com with Subject: “Culture of Innovation E32”! Follow Us On: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-of-innovation/id1537650821 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ce61f5ea-6e14-4056-bcf4-bdb2717eb9ca/culture-of-innovation Website: https://ridgeinnovative.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancy_ridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-ridge-085988a YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEMawW6iUoDcQDjvtKTBzA Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/culture-of-innovation
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    44 mins
  • Greg Sarafin: Rethinking GTM: From Product Push to Platform Power | Ep. 31

    Greg Sarafin: Rethinking GTM: From Product Push to Platform Power | Ep. 31
    Jul 15 2025
    Join Nancy Ridge Founder of Ridge Innovative and Greg Sarafin for a great conversation rethinking GTM, from product push to platform power! Greg is the CEO of Sarafin Advisory, a firm that helps C-Suites and Boards navigate the opportunities and threats presented by the exponential growth of technology and AI. Greg is four decades into a career that has included senior leadership roles at Razorfish, BearingPoint, IBM, and EY. Index • 00:53 – Greg Sarafin’s Background • 01:42 – Unpacking the GTM Fallacy: It's Not Just Marketing or Sales • 04:21 – Selling vs. Enabling: Rethinking the Role of Sales • 17:47 – Moats Are Shifting—Is GTM Your New Defensible Edge? • 23:41 – When You're Not the Platform: Evolving Beyond Traditional Channels • 30:23 – From Founder to Flounder: The GTM Missteps to Skip • 35:14 – The innovation Greg would most like to see gain adoption Links – • Greg Sarafin LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsarafin/ If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to us on Soundcloud for more episodes and write us a review! Share this episode with anyone interested in unconventional ideas. Do you have questions, comments, insight on the topics discussed today? Send an email to support@ridgeinnovative.com with Subject: “Culture of Innovation E31”! Follow Us On: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-of-innovation/id1537650821 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ce61f5ea-6e14-4056-bcf4-bdb2717eb9ca/culture-of-innovation Website: https://ridgeinnovative.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancy_ridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-ridge-085988a YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEMawW6iUoDcQDjvtKTBzA Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/culture-of-innovation
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    39 mins
  • Jessica McDowell: The Evolving Culture of Distributor Platforms | Ep. 30

    Jessica McDowell: The Evolving Culture of Distributor Platforms | Ep. 30
    Jun 23 2025
    Join Nancy Ridge Founder of Ridge Innovative and Jessica McDowell for a great conversation on the evolving culture of distributor platforms. Jessica is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the high growth technology market segments within TD SYNNEX’s North American Advanced Solutions business unit, managing relationships and key deliverables for more than 120 vendor partners. McDowell and her team work to deliver innovative routes to market that address industry trends, enabling partners to leverage TD SYNNEX' exclusive tools and services, and execute a best-in-class level of customer service that has earned numerous awards and accolades. Her team is also responsible for streamlining operational efficiencies and delivering the highest level of customer care from pre-sales to post-sales delivery. Prior to her current role, McDowell served as Vice President, Business Development within the Advanced Solutions practice from 2019 to 2022. She also held multiple leadership positions within the SYNNEX Corporation prior to its merger with Tech Data in September 2021, including as a Director, Business Development, from 2016-2019. McDowell has over 15 years of channel experience and has been named a CRN Channel Chief 2023-2025, along with earning a place on CRN’s Women of the Channel list in 2022-25. She graduated from the University of Tennessee and is a Greenville, South Carolina, native. Index • 01:33 – Jessica McDowell’s Background • 04:12 – Advancing from Field Rep to SVP: The Career Advantages Gained • 06:11 – Culture, Innovation, and AI: Evolving How Customers Buy and Partners Sell • 12:02 – Simplifying Complexity for a Better Customer Experience • 14:21 – Leading with Purpose: Embracing Servant Leadership in a Bold Era • 17:18 – Women in Tech: Advancing Leadership in a Challenging Landscape • 27:41 – The innovation Jessica would most like to see gain adoption Links – • TD SYNNEX - https://www.tdsynnex.com/ • Jessica McDowell LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mcdowell/ • TD SYNNEX's annual Direction of Technology report - https://content.tdsynnex.com/dot/ If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to us on Soundcloud for more episodes and write us a review! Share this episode with anyone interested in unconventional ideas. Do you have questions, comments, insight on the topics discussed today? Send an email to support@ridgeinnovative.com with Subject: “Culture of Innovation E30”! Follow Us On: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-of-innovation/id1537650821 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ce61f5ea-6e14-4056-bcf4-bdb2717eb9ca/culture-of-innovation Website: https://ridgeinnovative.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancy_ridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-ridge-085988a YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEMawW6iUoDcQDjvtKTBzA Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/culture-of-innovation
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    32 mins
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