Visionary of the Year — Charlotte Newman

What kind of mindset does one have to shape the future of innovation?

This week’s VentureFuel Visionary is Charlotte Newman, this year’s winner of Visionary of the Year. It is an honor voted on by peers in corporate innovation for the change agent who seizes new opportunities that drive outsized results.

Charlotte is the former Global Head of Underrepresented Founder and Investor Startup Business Development at AWS, former founder, and a passionate advocate in the Senate and US House of Representatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion — driving initiatives that empower marginalized entrepreneurs worldwide.

Episode Highlights

• Career Rooted in Access and Opportunity – Charlotte reflects on how her diverse career has been guided by one purpose: expanding access and economic opportunity for underrepresented groups.
• Long Arc of Innovation in Women’s Sports – She draws parallels between the slow but steady growth of women’s sports visibility and the journey of innovation, noting how early efforts contributed to a broader cultural tipping point.
• Founders and the Power of Lived Experience – Charlotte and Fred discuss how the most successful startup founders often solve problems they’ve lived through, emphasizing the importance of proximity to the challenge when building scalable solutions.
• Leading with Humility and Trust – They unpack how effective leadership means knowing when not to step in even if you have the answer. Allowing team members to work through challenges independently builds trust and strengthens culture.
• Innovation at the Crossroads of Art and Emerging Markets – Charlotte shares her excitement for two fast-evolving spaces: the untapped potential of innovation in the fine art world, and the resilience-driven tech ecosystem in emerging markets where startups are solving global problems under local constraints.