Ep. 1.5: How Amtrak's Hackathons Drive Timely and Transformative Ideas with Giovanna Martosella

The Synthesize Pod

"Innovation is not just about technology; it can involve changes in services, design, and foresight." - Giovanna Martosella

Giovanna Martosella is a Senior Program Manager on the innovation team at Amtrak. She sits down with hosts Matt Greeley and Margaret Kelsey to share her experiences with technology and innovation across different countries and organizations.

Giovanna shares Amtrak's future plans for creating a culture of innovation, including a formalized process for idea submission and review. She discusses the challenges of organizing hackathons in a large corporation and the strategies employed to overcome them. Giovanna also outlines the structure of Amtrak’s digital technology group and its collaboration with the innovation team, highlighting the diverse skill sets that contribute to the company's innovation initiatives.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Building an Innovation Culture in Large Organizations: Giovanna emphasizes the importance of cultural change within large organizations like Amtrak. By hosting quarterly hackathons and pitch events that encourage creativity and cross-functional collaboration, Amtrak is creating a culture of innovation. This approach not only democratizes innovation but also ensures that the generated ideas are grounded in real-world operational challenges.
• Challenges and Strategies in Organizing Hackathons: Giovanna explains the necessity of understanding the organization's culture and being patient with the time it takes to see cultural change. This structured yet inclusive approach ensures that hackathons are not just about coding but are broad focus events aimed at finding creative solutions to business problems.
• The Role and Impact of Digital Technology and Sustainability Efforts: Amtrak’s digital technology group plays a critical role in enhancing both employee and customer experiences through various projects related to the app, website, and operational systems. These initiatives prove how innovation at Amtrak goes beyond mere technology to include service design and foresight, aiming for a holistic improvement in operations and customer satisfaction.

Jump into the conversation:

00:00:00 Introduction to The Synthesize Pod with hosts Matt and Margaret, and special guest Giovanna Martosella

00:07:08 Amtrak's Innovation Team and Role
00:12:27 Innovation Programs at Amtrak.

00:14:49 Hackathons at Amtrak
00:17:26 Challenges and Evolution of Hackathons
00:17:36 Role of Digital Technology Team in Hackathons

00:18:34 Operational Challenges and PI Planning
00:21:22 Involving Frontline Employees
00:26:49 Importance of Diversity of Thought in Innovation
00:32:02 Future Goals for Amtrak's Innovation Program

00:47:14 Advice for New Innovation Teams for their first hackathons

00:51:24 Cultural Change and Persistence in Innovation

00:59:24 Rail Trips and Recommendations

01:03:23 Closing

Connect with us:

Giovanna Martosella on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmartosella/

Brightidea - www.brightidea.com
More on Hackathons - http://www.brightidea.com/hackathon

Matt Greeley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgreeley/

Margaret Kelsey on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey

Brightidea on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightidea/