Former Corporate Innovators - Applying Innovator Mindset in New Roles

Your innovation title is gone. Your innovation skills aren't. In the last year or two, a lot of corporate innovators lost their jobs. Team disbanded. Program discontinued. Unit eliminated. It stings. It's hard. And it's disorienting — especially when the work ⌁⌁was⌁⌁ your identity. But here's what I keep seeing: the people who built real innovation muscle don't leave it behind when the title disappears. They carry it into whatever comes next. One of our Innov8rs.co Community members landed a "regular" role after her innovation unit was shut down. No innovation title. No dedicated mandate. And yet — the way she works, thinks, and challenges assumptions is not just making her effective in her job, she's visibly shifting the culture around her. She's not the only one. If this is your story, I want to hear from you. We're putting together a newsletter piece with 3–4 anonymized stories of corporate innovators who transitioned out of dedicated innovation roles — and are now applying the innovator's mindset somewhere unexpected. No names. No companies. Just the real experience: what it felt like, how you landed, and what you're doing differently now. Your story could be exactly what someone else needs to hear right now — someone still searching, still unsure where they'll land. DM or email me if you'd like to share.