How do you innovate inside one of the world’s most regulated industries? In this episode, Seth Narayanan speaks with Gaurav Roy, CTO of Accelya, about transforming airline retail through open platforms, APIs, and AI-driven experiences.

Gaurav shares lessons from a career spanning mobile operating systems, cloud transformation, and global enterprise technology. Together, they explore why airlines must move beyond ticketing, how openness fuels ecosystem innovation, and where AI is already reshaping operations and customer experience. A must-listen for leaders building technology at scale.

Keith McFarlane, CTO of Globality, joins The Innovator’s Playbook to unpack how innovation actually happens inside large enterprises. Drawing from his career at Microsoft, Bell Labs, Oracle, and beyond, Keith explores why process can stifle creativity, how AI delivers value when paired with deep domain expertise, and what it takes to modernize legacy platforms at scale. This episode is essential listening for technology leaders navigating AI adoption, enterprise innovation, and intentional career growth in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Ryan Ridgway, Founder of Cirrus Capital Partners, joins The Innovator’s Playbook to discuss how capital fuels innovation and why not all growth should be venture-funded. Ryan shares his journey from entrepreneur to investor, how sales shaped his leadership mindset, and what today’s AI boom means for founders and operators. This episode explores capital efficiency, AI consolidation, and the leadership traits investors look for when backing companies built for long-term impact.

Dr. Brianna Rhue is a practicing optometrist, multi-practice owner, and the CEO of Dr. Contact Lens. In this episode, she shares her journey from the exam room to building a high-growth health-tech platform serving clinicians nationwide.

The conversation explores leadership without formal training, lessons learned as a non-technical founder, and why customer success and systems matter more than shiny technology. Brianna also offers a grounded perspective on AI, focus, and the mindset shift required to move from founder to CEO in today’s fast-changing landscape.

Steven Meyer, CIO at New York Ophthalmology, joins The Innovator’s Playbook to explore the real challenges holding healthcare technology back—and what it will take to move the industry forward. Steven shares his journey from hands-on technician to healthcare technology leader and offers clear insights into EHR fragmentation, AI’s untapped potential in medical practices, and the growing importance of practical cybersecurity.

Listeners will learn how AI can drive smarter decisions, why open data matters, and what strong leadership looks like in high-pressure healthcare environments.

Serial entrepreneur Todd Blankenbecler, CEO of Zeeno Robotics, joins Seth Narayanan on The Innovator’s Playbook to share what he’s learned from decades of building, scaling, and selling companies in the orthodontic tech industry.

He reveals lessons from startup grind to acquisition strategy and explains how robotics and AI are transforming everyday workflows in dental and medical practices.

This is a must-listen for founders, innovators, and technologists navigating growth, exits, and the next frontier of intelligent automation.

How do you lead innovation responsibly in an AI-powered world?

In this episode, Rodrigo Senra, VP of Engineering for Data & AI at Loadsmart, joins Seth Narayanan to share lessons from 30 years in tech — from building Brazil’s Python movement to pioneering AI in logistics.

They discuss how AI is transforming freight automation, the real risks behind the hype, and why ethics and curiosity may be the ultimate competitive edge.

🎧 Perfect for CTOs, data leaders, and innovators building AI-driven products that actually make a difference.

What happens when AI stops being a feature and becomes the foundation of commerce itself? In this episode of The Innovators Playbook Podcast, host Seth Narayanan speaks with Ankush Goyal, CPTO of Fabric. From scaling Orbitz to building an AI-native CRM at RelateIQ and Salesforce, and transforming post-purchase platforms at Narvar, Ankush reveals why legacy rule-based systems are no longer enough. He argues that bolt-on AI is a dead end, that product and technology leadership must converge, and that engineers who fail to evolve beyond coding will be left behind.