Ask Michelle Greenwald what innovation means and she won’t just talk about shiny new products—she’ll give you 63 ways to think differently.
In this episode of Business Schooled, Greenwald offers a refreshing look at how innovation happens inside companies—from C-suites to supply chains. Drawing on a career that includes roles at Disney, Pepsi, and Mattel, she shows how the best organizations think systematically about creativity. That means hiring for diverse perspectives, rewarding smart risk-taking, and pushing teams outside their comfort zones—both literally and figuratively.
One of her most actionable insights? The power of cross-pollination. Whether it’s a chef borrowing from quantum computing or a sneaker designer inspired by a waffle iron, breakthrough ideas often come from outside your industry. Greenwald’s approach to innovation is less about lightning strikes and more about cultivating the conditions that make creativity inevitable.
And yes, she’s bullish on AI. Not as a replacement for human ingenuity, but as a tool for sparking it—helping people ask better questions, generate unexpected ideas, and move faster from insight to impact.
Her bottom line: innovation is everyone’s job. But to get there, you need a culture where curiosity is rewarded and creativity has room to breathe.