
The Playbook for Scaling Startup Innovation with Anna Farberov
From The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers by Ricardo Belmar | Top Retail Expert
November 20, 2025 · 46 min · Season 1 · Episode 4
About this episode
Anna Farberov discusses how PepsiCo Labs scales startup innovation from pilot to enterprise-wide transformation.
S1E4 - From Pilot to Scale: How Anna Farberov Drives Innovation at PepsiCo Labs In this episode of the Retail Transformers Podcast , hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden talk with Anna Farberov , GM of PepsiCo Labs , about how one of the world’s largest CPG companies scales startup innovation from pilot to enterprise-wide transformation. Anna shares her journey from finance and strategy into corporate innovation leadership , revealing how PepsiCo Labs built a structured playbook for startup partnerships that achieves a remarkable 50% success rate . She explains how to avoid innovation theater , define clear KPIs for pilots , and separate AI hype from real agentic AI solutions that deliver measurable ROI. You’ll learn: How PepsiCo Labs partners with startups to solve real-world challenges Why KPIs and clear business cases are critical for scaling innovation Navigating the dynamics of corporate vs. startup innovation cultures How to identify AI hype vs. real solutions in startup pitches Why integrating multiple startups is often key to solving complex problems like digital twins What makes a startup pitch stand out —and what founders should avoid Whether…
People in this episode
Hosts: Ricardo Belmar, Casey Golden
Guest: Anna Farberov
Topics covered
- startup innovation
- corporate innovation
- KPIs
- AI solutions
- partnerships
- retail
- CPG
Keywords
- innovation
- PepsiCo Labs
- startup partnerships
- AI hype
- success rate
- corporate culture
- digital twins
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: PepsiCo Labs, PepsiCo
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