The Journey to Innovators on Tap w/ Kate Trevey

How did Innovators on Tap come to be?

In 2001, I was named the CEO of Cree, a publicly traded semiconductor company.  I was 34 years old. What I lacked in experience I made up for in naive enthusiasm. The company had a little over $100 million in revenue and several hundred employees.  Over the next 16 years, we would grow into a global technology company with over $1.6 billion in revenue and more than 6,500 employees - and along the way we started an LED lighting revolution that obsoleted the Edison light bulb.

This journey taught me a lot about innovation and leadership.  Most of which I learned by getting it wrong the first time.

I sat down with Kate Trevey to help provide some insight and background on the thinking behind my podcast, Innovators on Tap.  A behind the scenes look as to what we’ve learned and what we hope to accomplish. Kate helped create and currently runs the Marquette E-Lead program and brings a unique perspective from developing young leaders as they learn to think differently and challenge the status quo.  And I even answer a few of her questions, like what’s my biggest failure. 

Please check out the episode in the above link. If you have an opinion on these topics, please feel free to email us through the contact page. The best ideas often stem from the intersection of different points of view. The episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Enjoy!