Navigating Tech Innovations With Innovation Journeys
In our series of interviews with some of this year’s SERENDIPITY hosts, we met with Simone Lis, who talks about customizable field trips through FORE’s Innovation Journeys and the importance of cultivating groups of female leaders.
Simone infuses startup energy from Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach into corporate culture to help international executives navigate the major digital shift. With deep links into the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the world, her understanding of cultural values and differences combined with her business acumen has enabled her to help numerous businesses innovate.
She has developed corporate innovation concepts for clients like Google, 3M, Salesforce, Deutsche Post and supported Airbnb through its international growth.
In 2012 she moved from Germany to California where she first set up the West Coast office for Mandalah before she started her own innovation consultancy FORE — a boutique LA-based company that provides unparalleled insight into technology and audience shifts by connecting and collaborating with technology pioneers in California.
What inspired me to co-found the brand FORE?
As a business leader, you know that business processes are being digitized in new and exciting ways. And you know that entrepreneurial skills help: fail fast, test new ideas, be agile, and be collaborative.
At FORE, we call it a “Digital Mindset.” Everybody understands that message, but the biggest challenge I see is how to develop a Digital Mindset shift from “Why” to “How.” For this reason, my business partner, Jodie, and I founded the brand FORE. We develop bespoke Innovation Journeys, which help executives not only navigate the fast-moving world of technical innovation, but also help clients develop business ideas ready to prototype.
Innovation Journeys, in its simplest form, are customized field trips.
However, they are much more than that. They’re about finding the future in the present. They are usually 3-5 days long, where we meet with startups, investors, and thought leaders to learn more about the latest tech trends, such as AI, VR, Big Data, and robotics. We focus on Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, as we have built over years a huge network of experts across a number of fields.
Why did you decide to curate an Innovation Journey exclusively for female executives?
I have been inspired by Sheryl Sandberg’s phrase:
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
I also believe that the expected skill set of a digital leader is gender neutral. But as a female founder, I have experienced over the years that we are still not there. For this reason, I have developed a women’s only one-week Innovation Journey in LA and Silicon Valley October 22nd — 28th 2018, created by and for female leaders. On this trip, we will learn more about the latest tech trends by immersing in the startup ecosystems. After which the group will be taking part in The GUILD un-conference “SERENDIPITY” in San Francisco. I’m looking for a small group of female senior corporate leaders to join me on this journey, who are or aspire to be a role model within their respective companies, thus inspiring the next generation. They should also be open to meeting new people and are willing to share experiences.
My top three keys to success…
- Curiosity: My life is all about being curious and adventurous. I love to meet new people, listen to their stories, and try to do new things every day.
- Pay it forward: When I arrived in Silicon Valley, this is what I learned first. I just followed this amazing culture of “helping each other, networking and connecting,” and now after years of doing it, my network is not only getting bigger and bigger but also really valuable.
- Trust: I believe there are more good people around than bad. If I’m wrong, I deal with it, but don’t worry beforehand. This makes my (business) life much easier.
The women who have shaped my career…
At the start of my career, I had more men who helped me shape my career than women. Luckily I met a lot of really inspiring women later in life. Lisa Dubost, for example, is one of these amazing people. When I arrived in Silicon Valley in 2011 without any job and friends, she was the person who introduced me to the Airbnb family and to all her friends. She definitely helped me shape my career path.
SERENDIPITY is a unique experience to discover the innovation ecosystem. What do you think the attendees will take away?
Learn, connect and get inspired is the goal of SERENDIPITY and also the goal of our Innovation Journey. I hope the women in my group get plenty of opportunities for networking and for stimulating discussions.
*Wildcard: What do you do to relax?
I don’t meditate or do yoga. I wish I would because it sounds so suitable for a Venice Beach resident. Unfortunately, during the day, there is not much time left for relaxation because I run a business and at the same time a family with two little girls (9 months and 3 years old). Last week, a friend of mine took me to a Sound Bath, and to be honest, I quite enjoyed sleeping for an hour without feeling guilty. I felt quite relaxed afterward, so maybe that’s my “new thing” in the future.
SEPARATE Question:
What’s your favorite quote?
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
― Mae West
Join Simone and the GUILD for an one-week Innovation Journey in LA and Silicon Valley October 22nd — 28th 2018 and get new inspiration to take your business to the future!
