Innovantage Podcast

What does real innovation look like in 2026 — inside a 160-year-old state railway and a modern AI-first startup? We continue our series with BMI Executive Institute, sitting down with two guests from two different worlds to explore how innovation, AI adoption, and the future of work actually play out on the ground.

We cover the startup vs enterprise mindset, the project management triangle of speed, cost and quality, the EU AI Act, AI anxiety, and whether humans are still relevant when AI can do most of the work.

Our guests are Jonas Valuta and Vidas Vasiliauskas. Jonas, participant of the EMBA programme at BMI Executive Institute and the head of Asset management and Sales from Lithuanian Railways, one of the country's largest state-owned organisations, where modernising systems that have been running for over a century means navigating security, compliance, and change management at scale. Vidas is the CEO of Teamhood, a project management tool for teams that have outgrown simple software but don't need the full weight of enterprise platforms — and he is currently rebuilding it from the ground up with AI as the foundation, not a feature. 

Introduction 0:00 
Why Vidas calls himself a product creator 1:07 
Running asset management at Lithuania's national railway 2:43
How big corporations actually approach innovation 4:22
How startups innovate when competition is global 8:30
Fewer stakeholders means your team moves faster 10:24
Balancing speed, cost and quality when building products 14:30
Is AI overhyped? 21:37
What the EU AI act means for businesses 32:23
Are humans still necessary when AI does the work 43:00
Why AI is giving everyone anxiety and FOMO 53:02
Where startups and big companies are headed with AI 56:36
Where to find Jonas and Vidas 1:03:20   

More about the episode partners: www.bmiinstitute.com  

Connect with Our Guests
Jonad Valuta – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonasvaluta/ 
Vidas Vasiliauskas – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidasvasiliauskas/ 
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 

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

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This episode marks the beginning of our special series in collaboration with BMI Executive Institute, where we explore the intersection of business, leadership, and technology with standout entrepreneurs connected to the BMI network.
We kick off the series with Bas Kooijman, tech-to-finance entrepreneur, CEO/co-founder of DHF Capital, and participant of the EMBA programme at BMI Executive Institute
AI is no longer a future concept in finance — it’s already trading real money.
Bas built and sold telecom businesses operating across 35 countries before transitioning into professional trading and asset management. Today, he leads DHF Capital, where AI-driven systems and automated strategies actively manage capital across global markets.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why AI trading is already outperforming humans in efficiency
 • How 187 AI agents operate inside a single hedge fund
 • The negotiation tactics used against him during acquisition
 • How currency automation boosted margins beyond industry averages
 • Why younger investors increasingly trust AI with their money
 • Whether jobs are disappearing — or simply evolving
 • The real risks of AI in finance and how to secure data properly
If you want to understand where trading, entrepreneurship, and AI are heading — this conversation sets the stage.
Is AI the ultimate competitive edge or the beginning of full automation in finance?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

#AI #Trading #Finance #Entrepreneurship #BMI #Automation #Investing #techinnovation 

Introduction 0:00 
From Telecom founder to AI Hedge Fund CEO 0:28
Why tech now controls modern finance 2:11
Professional traders tech stack 2:49
From algorithms to self improving AI trading 4:01 
How to spot a trend? 6:10
The telecom business journey 9:51
How to identify the best offer 17:20  
How currency automation unlocked massive profit 20:19 
AI is not a trend anymore 28:57
How AI agents can run teams 38:14
Why younger investors already trust AI with all money 47:44 
How to secure data while still using AI 55:04 
Skills you need now to stay relevant in AI age 59:06
Where to find Bas 2:02:02  

More about the episode partners: www.bmiinstitute.com  

Connect with Our Guest
Bas Koojiman – https://www.linkedin.com/in/baskooijman/ 
DHF Capital – https://dhf-capital.com/ 
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 

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

What if mixed, unused LEGO bricks could become complete sets again — at industrial scale?
Ilya Malkin, founder of Sort A Brick, is building an AI-first automation company that does exactly that. Using computer vision, machine learning, and custom-built hardware, his team identifies, cleans, and sorts over 100,000 unique LEGO elements by shape, color, and print, turning chaotic brick bins into rebuildable sets.
After nearly 20 years in consulting, Ilya pivoted into hard-tech to solve a problem most people overlook: making large-scale LEGO refurbishment economically viable.
In this episode, we unpack the technology, the business model, and why AI-powered reuse could unlock a massive secondary market in construction toys.

Introduction 0:00
Meet founder and CEO of Sort A Brick Ilya Malkin 0:52
“We иuilt the world’s first industrial LEGO sorting machine” 8:08
From consulting to hardware tech business 15:43
How to find the right tech people for your startup? 19:11
Raising €2M for AI LEGO sorting 28:54 
How kidults are changing the toy business 37:31 
How does the technology work behind Sort A Brick? 45:25
Competing with LEGO or helping them? 55:07 
Brutal lessons from building a hardware startup 1:02:15 
Where to find Ilya 1:05:39

Connect with Our Guest
Ilya Malkin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilyamalkin/ 
Sort A Brick – https://www.sortabrick.com/en-de 
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 

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

What does it really take to go from founder to venture capitalist, and why are most startup ideas actually “bad ideas” at first?
In this episode, Raimonds Kulbergs shares the real story behind BADideas Fund, what founders consistently get wrong about fundraising, why most VCs will struggle in the AI era, and what separates ambitious startups from small ideas that never scale.
If you’re building a startup, raising funding, thinking about Y Combinator, or wondering whether AI is now mandatory for investment, this episode will reset how you think about venture capital and early-stage growth.

👇 useful links
Subscribe to our channel for more tech and business insights
Watch next: https://youtu.be/VkwqUmyoABY?si=hCM2dw282zPlRZfZ 

Connect with Our Guest
Raimonds Kulbergs – https://www.linkedin.com/in/raimondskulbergs/ 
BADideas.fund – https://www.linkedin.com/company/badideasfund/  
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 

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

China tech and innovation | Chinese economy | Silicon valley vs China | AI strategy

In our new episode, Pascal Coppens — sinologist, author, and tech entrepreneur with decades of experience working between China and Silicon Valley  breaks down how the Chinese economy actually works and why Western perceptions of China are outdated.
We cover how Chinese innovation differs from Silicon Valley, the role of competition and survival in Chinese business, the truth about Chinese electric vehicles and monopolies, why Europe struggles with strategic decision-making, and what the so-called AI race really looks like. 

👇 Useful links
Subscribe to our channel for more tech and business insights
Watch next: https://youtu.be/VkwqUmyoABY?si=hCM2dw282zPlRZfZ
 
Connect with Our Guest
Pascal Coppens – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacovision/ 
Pascal’s website – https://www.pascalcoppens.com/ 
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 

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
#china #chinaeconomy #siliconvalley #innovation #ai #techstrategy

Are law firms using AI all wrong? The answer might cost you millions.

Aku Sorainen, Founder & Senior Partner at Sorainen and Chairman at Crespect, reveals why most legal tech investments fail and what actually works after 25 years of building his own systems. In this episode, we explore the dangerous gap between AI hype and real-world legal practice.

• Why Sorainen spent €2M building software after discovering global solutions were "years behind"
• The "chaos in, chaos out" problem: Why 25M documents can be a liability
• Why lawyers are using AI less for drafting in 2025
• The truth about junior lawyers and who survives the AI revolution
• How clients now use AI against their own lawyers

Connect with Our Guest
Aku Sorainen – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aku-sorainen/ 
Sorainen website – https://www.sorainen.com/  
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 

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