🧬 How We Scaled Nike Innovation from the Shoelace Room | Michael Newton (Part 3/4)
August 25, 2025
"Hard things are hard. But we gotta go do them, or we gotta go try."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Michael Newton shares his journey from private equity and finance to launching a pay-per-mile auto insurance startup, leading groundbreaking innovation at Nike, and taking on the CEO role at Qorium, a biotech venture in the Netherlands.
He reflects on building Nike Innovation, driving sustainable initiatives like Flyknit, and navigating the leap from corporate life to startup challenges—offering sharp insights into scaling big ideas, evolving as a leader, and staying true to mission-driven work across every stage of his career.
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"Hard things are hard. But we gotta go do them, or we gotta go try."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Michael Newton shares his journey from private equity and finance to launching a pay-per-mile auto insurance startup, leading groundbreaking innovation at Nike, and taking on the CEO role at Qorium, a biotech venture in the Netherlands.
He reflects on building Nike Innovation, driving sustainable initiatives like Flyknit, and navigating the leap from corporate life to startup challenges—offering sharp insights into scaling big ideas, evolving as a leader, and staying true to mission-driven work across every stage of his career.
Key topics covered:
- Taking Career Risks: From Wall Street to startup to biotech CEO.
- Launching Nike Innovation: Transforming a small team into a global innovation force.
- Scaling Major Initiatives: Turning breakthrough ideas into reality, like Flyknit.
- Leadership & Company Culture: Real lessons in leadership, values, and transitions.
- Biology as the Future of Manufacturing: Building the future in synthetic biology.
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Subscribe to the Podcast:
Find our guest, Michael Newton, at these links:
Website: http://www.qorium.com/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_Dog
The Acquired Podcast: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/hermes
HBS New Venture Competition: https://www.hbs.edu/newventurecompetition
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Nike: https://www.nike.com/
Cloudflare: https://www.cloudflare.com/
Qorium: https://qorium.com/
Starbucks: https://www.starbucks.com/
American Express: https://www.americanexpress.com/
Hermès: https://www.hermes.com/
Matt Prince: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mprince/
Michelle Zatlyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellezatlyn
Steve Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-p-wright/
Hannah Jones:https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joneshannah
Eric Sprunk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-sprunk-9519511a3
Tom Clarke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-clarke-b77b043
John Donahoe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-donahoe-8b591452
Howard Schultz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardschultz
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:27 From Finance to Entrepreneurship: Michael’s Journey Starts at Stanford
02:37 Early Startup Experience: Pay-Per-Mile Auto Insurance
05:20 The Oregon Gamble: Moving for the Insurance Venture
07:01 Unexpected Shift: Nike, Portland, and a New Career Path
08:53 Launching Nike Innovation: Building from the Shoelace Room
13:20 Inside Nike’s Innovation Culture: Global Scale and Flyknit
18:26 Leadership Lessons from Nike: Consumer Focus and Culture
20:51 Founder-Led to Professional Management: Nike’s Transition
23:51 Leadership Succession in Iconic Companies
28:16 When to Stay, When to Leave: Michael’s Exit from Nike
32:53 Biotech Leap: Becoming CEO of Qorium
36:19 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.