Innovantage Podcast

What does it really take to succeed as a woman in tech leadership today?

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, we’re joined by Diana Gold — CTO | Head of Digitalization and Technology at Gijos, Partnership Associate Professor at Vilnius University, and PhD candidate at ISM University of Management and Economics.

In this conversation, Diana shares:
➡️Her journey from IT and consulting roles to becoming a CTO in the energy sector
➡️What women in tech leadership still struggle with — and what actually helps
➡️Why many digital transformations fail without cultural change
➡️How AI can both reduce and reinforce bias in hiring and leadership
➡️What skills matter most for women entering or reskilling into tech
➡️How public sector, private sector, and academia approach innovation differently

Whether you’re a woman working in tech, considering a career in technology, or a leader building digital and inclusive teams, this episode offers practical insights, real‑world experience, and a thoughtful look at the future of tech leadership.

Connect with Our Guest
Diana Gold – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianagold1/ 
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/  

🎧 Listen Now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

Most founders think grants are about paperwork. In reality, they are about positioning, clarity, and execution.
In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Spruytte, Grants & Incentives Senior Manager at KPMG Belgium, with prior EY Subsidia experience and a Ghent University research/PhD background, helping organizations secure Belgian and EU funding through structured grant strategy and writing.

In this episode we talk about:
 • How the grant process actually works
 • What makes a company truly “grant ready”
 • Why some proposals succeed and others fail
 • How long it realistically takes to secure funding
 • The human factor behind successful applications

Connect with Our Guest
Jonathan Spruytte – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanspruytte/  
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/ 

 

🎧 Listen Now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437  

 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast 

 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/  

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/      

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang  

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

Is AI fixing hiring or breaking human connection?
Why do the best candidates never apply to job ads?
And what really happens inside a startup during its first 9 months?

Juris Zalāns — Co-founder at Talenme, HR Tech strategist, and digital transformation expert shares unfiltered insights from building a referral-driven hiring platform and navigating the fast-changing world of talent acquisition. From startup realities and fundraising to the future of HR tech, this episode explores how technology, trust, and human networks are reshaping recruitment.

What you’ll learn from this episode:
➡️Why passive candidates dominate today’s job market — and how companies actually reach them
➡️The real role of AI in recruitment
➡️How referrals, reputation, and human networks may outperform traditional hiring funnels
➡️The shift toward project work, gig models, and changing career expectations across generations
➡️Practical lessons from scaling an early-stage HR tech startup while balancing product, clients, and fundraising

🎧 Listen Now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast

 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

If you are building a startup, this episode might save you from expensive mistakes. In this new Innovantage Podcast episode, we talk with Thijs Verheul, Co-founder of United Wardrobe, acquired by Vinted. Thijs is now an Angel Investor and author of Thrift to Triumph. We focus on execution: how to build the right team, launch fast, find distribution, manage burn, and make decisions when the runway is shrinking.

What you will learn:

➡️How to structure a founding team with complementary strengths

➡️Why launching early beats waiting for “perfect”

➡️A community growth strategy that created liquidity fast

➡️What happens when you scale headcount before product-market fit

➡️How to cut costs without killing momentum

➡️How angel investors think about teams, traction, and risk

 

Connect with Our Guest
Thijs Verheul – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thijs-verheul-b777504b/  
Check out the book Thrift to Triumph: The story of United Wardrobe  
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/   

 

🎧 Listen Now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast

 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

Building a startup is a series of tests you don’t see coming until you fail one. In this episode, Max sits down with Povilas Žinys, Director of Plug and Play tech center in the Baltics, working with startups from Pre-Seed to Series B and helping founders prepare for the realities of venture-scale growth. They unpack what separates scalable companies from “busy” startups that never break through — the 2026 landscape founders are walking into, how investors filter opportunities, and what it really takes to go global from Lithuania and the Baltics.

What you’ll hear in this conversation:

➡️ What startup accelerators actually do for founders

➡️ The toughest startup challenges founders face in 2026

➡️ Why investors back teams before ideas

➡️ The thinking behind the “90% fail” reality

➡️ Older founders and the edge experience can create

➡️ Unfair advantage that’s real, not branding

➡️ What’s missing in Lithuania’s startup ecosystem

➡️ Going global faster and avoiding common traps

 

Connect with Our Guest

Povilas Žinys – https://www.linkedin.com/in/povilaszinys/

Connect with Max (Host)

Max Golikov – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/ 

 

🎧 Listen Now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast

 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial