Inside the Innovation Engine: How Michelin and BMW are Cultivating Intrapreneurs through Bold Partnerships
Sarah Waylett and Brooke Rennison | 2025 PDMA Ignite Innovation Summit • September 16, 2025
Download the Slides
"Behind every world-changing idea is a person empowered to think and act like an intrapreneur — and behind them, a culture that makes it possible. This session tells the inside story of how Michelin’s North America Innovation Lab joined forces with Furman University's Center for Innovative Leadership to design a learning experience that equips teams to push boundaries from within. Along the way, BMW Technology joined not just as a collaborator but as a catalyst, seeking to transform their own culture through open innovation while leveraging the program’s impact and reach. Together, we are proving that true innovation doesn’t happen in isolation — it thrives where business, partnerships and learning intersect.
We’ll explore how this endeavor made space for world-class collaboration, what it revealed about the critical role of learning in transforming innovation culture, and why investing in intrapreneurial skills is the engine that keeps industry leaders ahead of the curve. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to foster meaningful partnerships, empower intrapreneurs, and shape cultures where groundbreaking ideas flourish by design."