Creative Distillation Research Podcast

cover art of the Creative Distillation podcast

Creative Distillation is co-hosted by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship's Research Director Jeff York and Faculty Director Brad Werner. Each episode distills entrepreneurship research into actionable insights.

What Is the Creative Distillation Podcast?

The nexus for this podcast came about through conversations between Jeff and Brad about the value of entrepreneurship research. Brad brings a strong business perspective to the Deming Center that compliments Jeff鈥檚 focus on academic research. In each episode the pair will focus on a recent study and highlight how this academic research is valuable to not only our students, but the broader startup community.

It just so happens Boulder has a booming industry for spirits and craft beer, so it鈥檚 only natural to visit a new location each episode and enjoy a tasty beverage while distilling the latest research.

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Credits

Creative Distillation is produced by at Analog/Digital Arts. Our theme music is "Whiskey Before Breakfast" performed by Jeff York on mandolin, Brad Werner on rhythm guitar, Philip Fernbach on lead guitar, Jayden Kazantsev on bass, and on banjo. The show receives production and marketing support from Erik Jeffries, Jesse Burns, Pilar Pheffer, Eloise Popiel, and Stefani Harrison.

Creative Distillation Team from right to left: Stefani Harrison, Joel Davis, Jeff York, Brad Werner, and Eloise Popiel

Creative Distillation Team from right to left: Stefani Harrison, Joel Davis, Jeff York, Brad Werner, and Eloise Popiel

Jeff explores tiki culture, entrepreneurship, and hospitality with Russell Thoede, founder of Houston鈥檚 iconic Lei Low.

A dual conversation on ethical decision鈥憁aking in organizations and the role of public鈥憄rivate collaboration in entrepreneurship.

Nan Jia discusses how artificial intelligence shapes creativity at work, recorded over cocktails at Nora鈥檚 Speakeasy.

Dry Land Distillers founder Nels Wroe reflects on entrepreneurship, craft spirits, and building an authentic brand.

A behind鈥憈he鈥慴ar conversation on experimentation, creativity, and cocktail innovation at Nora鈥檚 Speakeasy.

Brad and Jeff revisit their all鈥憈ime favorite episodes while reflecting on the evolution of the podcast.

Ted Waldron examines how power, capital, and control shape relationships between entrepreneurs and investors.

A special Tiki Time episode recorded at Lotus Lounge, blending tiki culture with entrepreneurship research.

Andrew Nelson discusses organizational identity and distinctiveness through the lens of entrepreneurship research.

Season 7 kicks off with Jeff introducing the themes, tone, and tiki鈥慽nspired direction of the new season.

Season 7 - (current)

A live Boulder Startup Week panel exploring the local startup ecosystem, community, and entrepreneurship over craft beer.

Mike Lenox discusses clean entrepreneurship, policy, and market forces through the lens of 鈥渆xtreme centrism.鈥

A conversation on how geography shapes venture capital access and entrepreneurial outcomes beyond major hubs.

A roundtable with GEIRC founders on interdisciplinary entrepreneurship research and real鈥憌orld impact.

Elvira Sojli examines corporate disclosure, hidden information, and the strategic implications for firms.

A rooftop discussion on entrepreneurship, hospitality, and the economic forces behind online misinformation.

A panel discussion on entrepreneurship鈥檚 societal impact recorded at the Reversing the Arrow conference.

Kathleen Eisenhardt reflects on entrepreneurship education, research methods, and business鈥慹ngineering collaboration.

A fast鈥憄aced lightning round highlighting recent entrepreneurship research from multiple scholars.

A multidisciplinary conversation connecting entrepreneurship, history, and the evolution of self鈥慹mployment.

A holiday鈥憈hemed episode exploring innovation, entrepreneurship, and research at the University of Colorado.

Ryan Coles discusses how local culture shapes entrepreneurial behavior and policy outcomes.

A continuation of the Jennings鈥 discussion on embedded research and science鈥慴ased entrepreneurship.

A Halloween episode focused on innovation, tech transfer, and venture creation at 91传媒.

An exploration of gender, confidence, and entrepreneurial outcomes based on recent research.

Matthew Grimes discusses hype, expectations, and venture narratives in entrepreneurship research.

Bob Eberhart opens Season 6 with insights on entrepreneurship鈥檚 social impact and the Reversing the Arrow movement.

Season 6 - complete season

For our final episode of Season 5, Brad and Jeff conduct field research at The Rayback Collective - affectionately known as 鈥淏oulder鈥檚 backyard.鈥

his time, we鈥檙e still at the Mountain Sun, for our semi-regular Very Special Ph.D episode, talking to two current CU Ph.D candidates about their current research.

They鈥檙e joined by CU Ph.D candidate Tiffany Yau, an avid Creative Distillation listener! She鈥檚 also a social entrepreneur, researcher, author, TEDx speaker, and community-builder who is passionate about empowering people to make a positive impact on the world around them.

They were joined by Larry Plummer, a PhD from CU who鈥檚 now the Director of the Ivey New Venture Project and an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ontario.

he owner and sole proprietor, Ethan Decker, walks our hosts through the brief and colorful history of his garage-based passion project, regaling them with fascinating tales and some of the finest cocktails ever sipped on Creative Distillation.

They were joined by Thomas J. Dean, Tinberg Business for a Better World University Professor at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, who鈥檚 a big fan and friend of New Belgium, as well as our guest for this episode.

They are joined by Thomas J. Dean, Tinberg Business for a Better World University Professor at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff take the show on the road to New Belgium Brewing in Ft. Collins. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff conduct field research at The Burns Pub in Broomfield, Colorado. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff are joined by BYU Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Trent Williams. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff take questions from undergraduate entrepreneurship students. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff speak with CU Assistant Professor Ethan Poskanzer. Read the episode transcript here.

Pumpkin beer tasting and discussion with Ethan Poskanzer. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff talk with Ted Waldron about entrepreneur鈥慽nvestor rivalry. Read the episode transcript here.

Season 5 kicks off at Dry Land Distillers in Longmont, Colorado. Read the episode transcript here.

Season 5 - complete season

This week on Creative Distillation, we鈥檙e still at Twisted Pine, with Brad and Jeff taking questions on a number of topics from our live audience of Leeds School of Business MBA students. Brynn Keenan, Founder and CEO of Grist Analytics, sticks around to lend her expertise to the proceedings. There鈥檚 a lot to learn in the season finale of Creative Distillation! Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, join us for the two part, season four finale. Brad and Jeff speak with Brynn Keenan, Founder and CEO of Grist Analytics, a firm helping breweries of any size with sustainable testing, data management and other aspects of quality control in brewing. Brynn talks about how she combined her love for beer and deep scientific background into a successful company serving a wide swath of the brewing industry. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, join us for our LA road trip finale as we learn about the challenges and pitfalls of social impact measurement and the importance of taking action on these opportunities with UVA Darden School of Business's Lauren Kaufmann and ESADE's Lisa Hehenberger on the last night of the 19th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference at USC Marshall School of Business. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, join us for the season 4 penultimate episode at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies as we discuss social entrepreneurship, changes in student learning styles, and the 19th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference at USC Marshall School of Business with Florida Gulf Coast University's Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Colleen Robb and U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship's President & CEO Julienne Shields. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, join us for another round of drinks during the 19th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference cocktail reception hosted by USC's Marshall School of Business. Hear from Andrea Prado, Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at INCAE Business School in San Jose, Costa Rica, as we discuss her latest paper 鈥淪erving rural low-income markets through a social entrepreneurship approach: Venture creation and growth". Discover what happens when products and services are brought to low income rural communities in developing countries. The results may surprise you. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, social enterprise ecosystems are the backbone that allows socially conscious businesses to flourish. Join us at the outdoor cocktail receptions at the 19th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference as Alberta School of Business graduate researcher and Ph.D. student Natalie Eng discusses her work on understanding how these ecosystems are produced and how their infrastructure predicts venture viability. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, we continue our LA Road Trip at the first of two outdoor cocktail receptions at the 19th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by USC's Marshall School of Business. Brad and Jeff are joined by Texas Tech University's Rawls College of Business Associate Professor of Management Diana Hechavarria as they discuss her latest paper "Cross-cultural implications of linguistic future time reference and institutional uncertainty on social entrepreneurship" and her work at the crossroads of female, minority, cross-cultural, social and strategic entrepreneurship. Also, our producer, Joel Davis, is attacked by rats! Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, we continue our LA Road Trip at the first of two outdoor cocktail receptions at the 19th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by USC's Marshall School of Business. Brad and Jeff are joined by Texas Tech University's Rawls College of Business Associate Professor of Management Diana Hechavarria as they discuss her latest paper "Cross-cultural implications of linguistic future time reference and institutional uncertainty on social entrepreneurship" and her work at the crossroads of female, minority, cross-cultural, social and strategic entrepreneurship. Also, our producer, Joel Davis, is attacked by rats! Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, as part of Beer Here!: Brewing In the New West, the Museum of Boulder invited Creative Distillation to record a panel discussion in front of a live audience at the museum "speakeasy." Jeff and Brad assembled a lineup of local brewers to discuss their inspirations, challenges and successes the state of Colorado microbrewing, and the incredible sense of camaraderie Colorado's brewers share. All of this while they walk Brad and Jeff through a 10-beer tasting. Join Casey LeFever, Front of House and HR Director at 4 Noses Brewing, Chris Coin, co-founder and Chief of Brewing Operations at Sanitas Brewing, and Rick Holt, Co-Founder and Head Brewer at Kokopelli Beer Company (Colorado鈥檚 first solely woman-owned and operated brewpub) for this special edition episode! Whether you're a hophead, an entrepreneur or both, this is your dream episode. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, explore one of the most hoppin' breweries in California: HopSaint Brewing. Thanks to the recommendation of Real Soda In Real Bottles' Danny Ginsberg, we had to check it out, and this place does not disappoint. Join us as we discuss HopSaint's success with co-owners Brian Brewer and Steven Roberts. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, hear from Indiana University Kelley School of Business's Sophie Bacq and University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurship Tom Lumpkin as we learn about civic wealth creation through an entrepreneurial lens while enjoying fine craft beverages at HiDef Brewing. You'll hear how the power of networking creates amazing work while enjoying the humor of our hosts. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, join Brad and Jeff as they discover the origins of the University of Southern California Social Entrepreneurship Conference and uncover how the inevitable (and fruitful) relationships lead to social innovation and impact measurement with conference co-presenters USC Marshall School of Business's Jill Kickul and Kelley School of Business's Sophie Bacq. Read the episode transcript here.

This week on Creative Distillation, Brad is back and joins Jeff at HiDef Brewing in Downtown Los Angeles, where they speak with co-founder Cristina Ward about the collective action aspect of the brewing community, how brewing evolved from her husband's midlife hobby to an actual brewing business, and the most important lessons gleaned from opening a brewery. In this episode, we are joined by special guests and USC Social Entrepreneurship Conference co-presenters Jill Kickul (USC) and Sophie Bacq (Indiana University). Read the episode transcript here.

Creative Distillation is still at Real Soda In Real Bottles with Jeff and special guest host, USC professor Shon Hiatt. This time we are discussing Shon's lifelong passion for soda and his paper, 鈥淔rom Pabst to Pepsi.鈥 Join us as we discover the fascinating history behind the soft drink industry! Read the episode transcript here.

This episode of Creative Distillation kicks off a series of episodes recorded during our first road trip to Los Angeles for the Social Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by USC. Brad couldn鈥檛 make it for this one, and Jeff is joined by a special guest host, USC professor Shon Hiatt, as they conduct field research at Real Soda In Real Bottles, a soda distributor based in the Los Angeles area. Founder Danny Ginsburg guides Jeff and Shon through a tasting of a few of his custom made flavors while explaining how a German language major with a lifelong passion for bottlecap collecting became the 鈥淪oda Sommelier鈥 of Southern California. Read the episode transcript and see pictures here.

Brad and Jeff are still at the Deming Center's conference room with IESE Business School 鈥 Barcelona Campus Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and co-author of a paper titled, 鈥淪ocial movements and entrepreneurial activity: A study of the US solar energy industry,鈥 Desiree Pacheco. Learn about Desiree's great work and the actionable insights you can use. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff conduct their field research closer to home in the Deming Center's conference room. It鈥檚 Halloween, Jeff鈥檚 favorite time of year! Join us as we taste an assortment of pumpkin beers with our guest Desiree Pacheco from IESE in Barcelona, who is gluten free and doesn鈥檛 drink beer. Mild chaos ensues. It鈥檚 another classic Creative Distillation episode! Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff are still at Wild Provisions Beer Project in Boulder, Colorado, where they introduce you to the team at the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. It's a small but hardworking and incredibly capable team dedicated to providing CU students with the education, training and resources to realize their startup dreams. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff are at Wild Provisions Beer Project in Boulder, Colorado, speaking with Weston Ring, the Cellarperson for Wild Provisions & their parent company, 4 Noses Brewing, about what, exactly, a cellarperson does, the experimental brewing approach at Wild Provisions, and why they focus on just two types of beer. Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff are still at Liquid Mechanics Brewing in Lafayette, Colorado, where they discuss academic research with CU's Leeds School of Business Associate Professor Tony Kong about his paper 鈥淲ill the startup succeed in your eyes? Venture evaluation of resource providers during entrepreneurs鈥 informational signaling,鈥 published in the Journal of Business Venturing. Read the episode transcript here.

At Liquid Mechanics Brewing in Lafayette, Colorado, Brad and Jeff speak with co鈥慺ounder and Leeds MBA alum Davin Helden about collaboration between local microbreweries, curating the ideal beer list, and why an IPA will always be on it. Read the episode transcript here.

At Beyond the Mountain Brewing in Gunbarrel, Colorado, Brad and Jeff discuss academic research with Assistant Professor at CU's Leeds School of Business Ethan Poskanzer about his paper, 鈥淭hrough the Front Door: Why Do Organizations (Still) Prefer Legacy Applicants?鈥 Read the episode transcript here.

Brad and Jeff conduct field research live in Gunbarrel, Colorado at Beyond the Mountain Brewing with Co鈥慒ounder Chuck Hixon. Listen to learn the story behind Beyond the Mountain 鈥 and Phish! You can also read the episode transcript here.

Live from Camp Christmas in Lakewood, Colorado, your hosts Jeff and Brad conduct some field research speaking with Creator & Producer Lonnie Hanzon about the spirit of Camp Christmas 鈥 while enjoying some of the spirits on offer there. After that, Brad and Jeff preview what's upcoming in Season 4, including visits to several Front Range breweries, a Halloween pumpkin beerfest, and a road trip to the Social Entrepreneurship Conference in Los Angeles.

Brad and Jeff share their excitement for Season 4 of Creative Distillation, in which we visit several fine establishments and enjoy many craft beverages with leading entrepreneurial researchers.

Season 4 - complete season

Hosts Brad Werner and Jeff York are joined by Dr. Chuck Easley from Stanford University.

Hosts Brad Werner and Jeff York join Alastair Brogan, owner of Boulder Spirits, at his distillery in Boulder, Colorado.

Season 3 - complete season

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner discuss the future impacts of contingent employment with Dr. Robert Eberhart, co-author of the study titled "Freedom is Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose: Entrepreneurialism and the Changing Nature of Employment Relations" and Associate Director of Research on Entrepreneurship and Society from Stanford University鈥檚 Graduate School of Business.

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner discuss Yoga's growth and the paper "From Patanjali to the "gospel of sweat": yoga's remarkable transformation from a sacred movement into a thriving global market" with Dr. Deborah Brown from the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge and Dr. Shahzad (Shaz) Ansari from the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner discuss the intricacies of authenticity and growth presented in the paper 鈥淭he New Food Truck in Town: Geographic Communities and Authenticity-based Entrepreneurship鈥 and are joined by co-founder of Longmont-based Dry Land Distillers, Nels Wroe, to learn more about his own entrepreneurial road. He created a thoroughly Colorado experience with his distilled spirts.

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by Ben Warnick and Alex Kier from the Carson College of Business at Washington State University to discuss their paper from the Journal of Business Venturing 鈥淗ead in the clouds? Cannabis users' creativity in new venture ideation depends on their entrepreneurial passion and experience"

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by Greg Fisher, Larry and Barbara Sharpf Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University to discuss his research titled "Entrepreneurial hustle: Navigating uncertainty and enrolling venture stakeholders through urgent and unorthodox action"

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by Professor Isobel O'Neil to discuss research co-authored with York titled 鈥淭he evolution of founder identity as an authenticity work process.鈥

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by PhD students from the Leeds School of Business.

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by: Tyler Wry, Associate Professor at The Wharton School, about Avery beer, and his paper: "Taking Trade-offs Seriously: Examining the Contextually Contingent Relationship Between Social Outreach Intensity and Financial Sustainability in Global Microfinance"

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by: Matthew Grimes, Reader (Associate Professor) at the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School, about British beer, and his paper: "The Pivot: How Founders Respond to Feedback through Idea and Identity Work"

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by: Amanda Engelhorn, Tasting Room Manager, Spirit Hound Distilling; Desiree Pacheco, Associate Professor at IESE Business School in Barcelona; and Geoff Kistruck, RBC Professor in Social Innovation & Impact at Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, about their paper: How Formal and Informal Hierarchies Shape Conflict Within Cooperatives: A Field Experiment in Ghana: journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2018.0335

Season 2 - complete season

University of Colorado Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by Upslope Brewing founder Matt Cutter and Sina Khoshsokhan, Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship.

From the Leeds' Alumni Career Webinar series delivered to the 91传媒 and local business communities.

University of Colorado鈥態oulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by Joel Davis, Producer of the Boulder Tech Podcast.

University of Colorado鈥態oulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner are joined by Associate Professor Trent Williams from the Kelley School of Business to distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights. Check out the book discussed in this episode: Spontaneous Venturing: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Alleviating Suffering in the Aftermath of a Disaster.

University of Colorado鈥態oulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights.

This episode was recorded at Boxcar Coffee Roasters. Click here to see the paper discussed in this episode, A fresh look at patterns and assumptions in the field of entrepreneurship: What can we learn?

This episode was recorded at J&L Distilling. Click here to see the paper discussed in this episode, The Genesis and Metamorphosis of Novelty Imprints: How Business Model Innovation Emerges in Young Ventures.

This episode was recorded at Asher Brewing Co. Click here to see the paper discussed in this episode, Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development: A Review and Multilevel Causal Mechanism Framework.

This episode was recorded at Deviant Spirits. Click here to see the paper discussed in this episode, Urban Farmers and Cowboy Coders: Re鈥慖magining Rural Venturing in the 21st Century. For the full transcript of Episode 1, click here.

Season 1 - complete season

听Contact Us

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Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
Leeds School of Business
995 Regent Drive
419 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309

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