Who doesn’t know the partners at High Alpha – Scott Dorsey, Kristian Anderson, Mike Fitzgerald and Eric Tobias – who have made such a dramatic impact on the Indiana technology scene? Part of their success is not only do they align with each other (and their broader team), but they bring the best external players into the mix.

Elliott Parker fits both the external and internal modes. He first came to Indiana from southern California 20-plus years ago for an internship opportunity. You’ll have to listen to learn which High Alpha partner convinced him to make that move – and what he and his wife were saying at that time as they were driving across the country to begin a new life.

He stayed in Indiana until 2012, but then spent six years in Boston at a consulting firm founded by professor and author Clayton Christiansen. Parker returned in 2018 to serve as managing director of business design for High Alpha. Earlier this year, he became CEO of High Alpha Innovation, charged with working alongside big companies to create and grow start-up firms.

In our current IN Chamber Podcast conversation, Parker shares:

  • His straightforward definition of innovation: “Something new that creates impact.” He adds that it can be difficult to do
  • The strengths of corporations (built to execute at scale) and start-ups (learn, pivot quickly and move fast) and how a combination of the two is necessary
  • How the venture studio playbook works and will allow companies to “make as many mistakes as you can at the cheapest possible cost per mistake”

The goal for High Alpha Innovation: 100 start-ups in five years. With Parker at the helm, a small but mighty team at his side and the High Alpha track record, be prepared for the successes to come.

You can listen to all prior conversations at www.indianachamber.com/podcast. The best way to be informed of future episodes is to subscribe at iTunesGooglePlay or wherever you get your podcasts.

Adam H. Berry is vice president of economic development and technology at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He joined the organization in 2019.