Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

Is your AI strategy ready for scale or headed for failure?

In this episode of Technovation, leaders from Norfolk Southern, McCormick & Company, and Vulcan Materials joined us at our Metis Strategy Summit to discuss what it really takes to move from AI pilots to enterprise impact. From AI factories and predictive transportation platforms to hybrid operating models and reward system redesign, this conversation dives into the operational and cultural realities of scaling AI in complex organizations.

Key highlights:

Why 2026 is shaping up as the “scale or fail” year for AI

How to industrialize AI with data platforms and governance

Embedding technologists in business functions for contextual impact

The critical role of AI literacy and trust

Aligning incentives to drive behavioral change

Innovation isn’t slowing down, but in many enterprises it’s becoming invisible.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Sean Murphy, Founder and CEO of DemoHop, about why distributed work is trapping great ideas inside organizations and what CIOs can do to fix it. Sean explains how weak ties across enterprises have eroded, why peer-to-peer discovery beats status meetings, and how visibility is becoming the missing ingredient for scaling AI.

Key topics include:

Why innovation gets trapped in distributed organizations

How science fair–style demo days reduce duplication

The hidden role of weak ties in creativity and breakthrough

Making enterprise AI work visible and scalable

Building credibility for technology teams with business leaders

Innovation in healthcare doesn’t start with AI. It starts with operational stability.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Chad Wasserman, CIO of HCA Healthcare, about leading technology at massive scale while keeping patient care at the center. Wasserman explains why “operational quiet” is the foundation that makes AI, data, and digital transformation possible and how HCA balances innovation with reliability across thousands of sites of care.

Key topics include:

Why stability is a prerequisite for innovation

Treating IT as an extension of the care team

Scaling AI responsibly in clinical and engineering domains

Building data platforms to support generational change

Developing technologists through deep business immersion

What if the real driver of digital disruption isn’t technology, but unit economics?

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Dan Gill, Chief Product Officer of Carvana, about how disciplined unit economics power one of the most ambitious e-commerce models in retail. Rather than leading with engineering for its own sake, Carvana focuses relentlessly on eliminating friction, capturing profit pools, and reinvesting those economics back into customer value.

Key highlights from the episode:

Vertical integration and competitive advantage

Deterministic, self-service digital experiences

Proprietary platforms vs. off-the-shelf tools

AI-human collaboration at scale

How can early-stage investors deliver repeatable, outsized returns—without chasing hype?

In this episode of Techoventure, Mark Fernandes, Managing Director at Sierra Ventures, shares the disciplined model behind one of the industry’s most consistent early-stage venture firms. Sierra’s strategy is designed for repeatable 3–5x returns by focusing on founder-market fit, tight portfolio construction, and tech-savvy sectors like AI, cloud, and cybersecurity.

Key insights include:

The four-part rubric Sierra uses to vet early-stage founders

Why fund size discipline is critical to long-term VC performance

How Sierra balances seed and Series A checks with portfolio theory

The power of “AI enablers” in healthcare, legal, and vertical SaaS

The 20-year evolution of Sierra’s CXO Board and its enterprise value