This post marks the first in a new insights series exploring the full suite of offerings at Silicon Foundry and the thinking behind them. We’re kicking things off with a deep dive into our core membership, the foundational service that launched it all. In this Q&A, CEO Neal Hansch shares the inspiration behind the offering, why it’s more relevant than ever, how it’s evolved over the last decade, and what’s ahead as corporate innovation continues to accelerate.
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What market need or challenge inspired Silicon Foundry to create the core membership?
A decade ago, we saw Fortune 1000 companies across every industry globally increasing their focus on external innovation. Senior management teams consistently struggled to separate valuable insights from market noise. This clear and persistent challenge underscored the need for our core membership offering. Although the broader landscape has evolved significantly over the years, this fundamental pain point has remained constant, and in some ways, intensified as innovation has become more fragmented and globally distributed. For example, many companies that didn’t have corporate venture capital (CVC) funds a decade ago now do, and this expanded group is one we actively support.
Why do you believe the core membership is particularly relevant right now?
Our core membership is just as relevant today as it was a decade ago, maybe even more so. Consider the rapid rise of AI over the past couple of years. ChatGPT alone reached 100 million users within three months of launching, illustrating just how swiftly innovation and disruption are accelerating. Today, every corporation is urgently exploring what AI means for their organization and their business. This underscores that our core membership remains not only relevant, but increasingly essential.
How has the core membership evolved over the years?
Our core membership has evolved significantly, both in who we serve and how we serve them. Over time, the seniority and diversity of our stakeholders have expanded. We now partner not only with heads of innovation and corporate development, but also with strategy leaders, transformation executives, and even functional operators across industries we hadn’t initially envisioned. This broadening of our member base has pushed us to refine and scale our approach, from how we structure engagements to how we harness tools, data, and technology to deliver value more efficiently and with greater impact.
Our global network has grown exponentially, and so has the caliber and range of talent on our team. We now bring even more diverse backgrounds and geographic representation to the table, enabling us to surface insights and connections that reflect a wider lens.
Our acquisition by Kearney has added another layer of depth. While we remain nimble and venture-driven at our core, we now have access to a world-class consulting platform that expands our ability to support execution and implementation.
Our firm’s evolution has influenced how our offerings have evolved, but we’ve primarily evolved our model in direct response to what our Members need most. Our core membership is still the right offering for many corporates, but we have also introduced new offerings that cater to the specific needs of others.
If a corporate leader approached you thinking they needed something like a pilot studio, but also wanted to better understand the core membership, how would you guide them through evaluating the right fit?
When we first meet with a corporate, we sit down and really talk through what they’re trying to accomplish: what are their goals, priorities, current activities, and where are they running into challenges. That discovery process helps us understand where we can be most helpful and which of our capabilities best match their needs.
Sometimes a company might come in thinking they need something specific—say, a pilot studio—but through those conversations, we realize the real challenge is actually upstream. Maybe they’re struggling to navigate the ecosystem or identify the right partners in the first place. And if that’s the case, a pilot studio isn’t the right starting point, because you can’t run an effective pilot if you’re not working with the right partners to begin with.
That’s a big part of what we do. As an advisory business, we take the time to understand where the corporate is today, then map their needs to the offering, or combination of offerings, that will actually move the needle.
What’s a misconception people often have about the core membership?
There are a lot of players out there helping corporates work with emerging companies in one way or another. One of the first things we try to do is clearly explain where we fit in that ecosystem: what we do, why we do it, and just as importantly, what we don’t do.
A common misconception is that we’re similar to other services that take more of a collective or generic approach. In reality, our model is highly customized and hands-on. We act as an extension of the corporate teams we support, not just a platform or a vendor.
Another big misconception is when people compare us to databases like PitchBook, CB Insights, or Crunchbase. Those are useful tools, but ultimately, they’re just tools. The most valuable data points in this space don’t live in a database or a Google search. What sets us apart is the experience, access, and network of our team. That’s the core of what we offer, and it’s what drives real results for the companies we work with.
What’s something you personally learned or found surprising while building out the core membership?
One of the things we’ve learned over the years is just how much the idea of a “SWAT team,” a focused, specialized group with unique access, resonates with the corporates we serve. That positioning really clicked. It’s clear that our approach stands out, and there’s an opportunity in that. Most of the companies we work with already have a full suite of innovation tools in play, whether it’s internal scouting, venture clienting, a CVC arm, corporate development, or business development. What we’ve found is that our role complements all of that. We’re not replacing those efforts. We’re accelerating them. We amplify what’s already in motion and help those teams move faster, with more precision and impact.
How do you see the core membership evolving in the next 12-18 months?
We’ll continue to listen closely to our Members, both in terms of what they need to support their innovation agendas and where we believe they should be going next, based on what we’re seeing from other industry leaders. That ongoing dialogue will shape how the core membership offering evolves in 2026 and beyond.
Of course, it’s no surprise that we’re thinking every day about how AI will impact our business and how we serve our Members. The evolution of our core offering over the next 12 to 18 months will absolutely be influenced by advancements in AI, including how we operate internally and how we deliver value.
If you could give one piece of advice to a corporate leader considering a core membership, what would it be?
When you’re thinking about your corporate innovation agenda, such as your goals, priorities, and how to map those to the right external partner, it’s important to look beyond the surface. Focus on track record, experience, and outcomes. Look at who’s on the team, the caliber of professionals you’ll be working with, and the impact they’ve delivered for other Fortune 1000 leaders.
Too often, companies invest heavily in flashy programs without a centralized decision-making process and implementation plan, only to look back and realize they spent millions for a couple of early-stage pilots that didn’t move the needle. The difference with a partner like Silicon Foundry is in the depth of experience, the quality of the relationships, and the proven ability to drive meaningful results.
What excites you most about working in this space?
I’d say what makes this work so exciting is just how stimulating our day-to-day really is. Because of where we sit in the ecosystem and the relationships we’ve built, our team engages with top founders, CEOs, corporate leaders, and VCs every day from around the world, across every industry. Whether it’s Asia, the Middle East, South Africa, Latin America, Europe, or the U.S., we’re operating as global citizens.
What’s most rewarding, though, is seeing the tangible, win-win outcomes that come from the work we do. These outcomes benefit not only the large corporations and their stakeholders, but also the emerging companies they partner with. That impact is what drives us. We bring the right groups together, and then we get to watch them make real magic happen.
