Mike Sands, CEO and president of Signal, discusses the growth of his company, the power of search in digital marketing and what you'd find if you drew a circle with about a one-mile radius around his company's North Canal Street headquarters.

Shelley Stern Grach, Microsoft's Chicago-based director for civic engagement, discusses the Microsoft Technology Center, the hurdles of scale and speed, and efforts to expose women and minorities to careers in technology.

Anna Stork, co-founder of LuminAid, a 2014 Chicago Innovation Awards up-and-comer winner that makes inflatable solar-powered lighting products, discusses the 2010 Haiti earthquake that inspired the company and a successful 2011 crowdfunding campaign.

Lisa Donohue discusses the "digital-first world," the importance of video content and a key component to "being a human-experience company."

Brenda Wolf, president and CEO of La Rabida Children's Hospital, explains how a rotating device has added a human touch to doctor-patient interactions and how technology can be used in ways that resonate with young patients.

Marc Landsberg, CEO and founder of social media agency Social Deviant, discusses what "all good marketers do"; the problem of "adult supervision"; "what really makes somebody happy at work"; and kindness as an operating model.

Our Jenniffer Weigel shares highlights of last week's Chicago Innovation Awards, plus Dough's Kristi Ross on the importance of collaboration, Horizon Pharma's Tim Walbert on the growth of the event and Molex's Brian Krause on an event offshoot.

Mihir Patel, product manager at SpendOut, an expense-tracking tool for users of Uber, Airbnb and similar platforms, discusses the company's name change from Texthog. He also discusses rebranding and customer support.

Rik Chomko, COO and co-founder of InRule Technology, which enables users to change rules and calculations in applications without programming, discusses his company, his customers and his philosophy on innovation and management.

Chicago chef Rick Bayless tells the Chicago Tribune's Colin McMahon that, having never been involved in sports, "it took me probably 15 years into business to acknowledge to myself that I'm super-competitive." He shares what he does to avoid failure.

Chef Rick Bayless discusses with the Chicago Tribune's Colin McMahon the challenges of running a business with a spouse. "Some couples can't stand it, and it doesn't work out," Bayless says. He shares how he and his wife, Deann, make it work.

Chicago chef Rick Bayless shares with the Chicago Tribune's Colin McMahon: "Once the vision is there, I can taste it. I mean that in all the ways of that word." Look for "Lunch break with Rick Bayless" all week.

Jason Wadler, executive VP of digital marketing company Leapfrog Online, discusses the company's growth, the growth of mobile communication, the challenge for marketers and his recommendations for any new entrepreneur.

Chef Rick Bayless discusses with the Chicago Tribune's Colin McMahon what he looks for when he's hiring and why most chefs are better off working in groups rather than trying to create by themselves. Look for "Lunch break with Rick Bayless" all week.

Chicago chef Rick Bayless shares with the Chicago Tribune's Colin McMahon the importance of good local farms and farmers markets to a city's cuisine. Every day this week, we'll share a clip from a recent Blue Sky live event featuring Bayless.

Bobby Bloom, senior VP for the Bosch Automotive aftermarket group in the U.S., discusses the company's North American headquarters in Chicago, research and development as part of everybody's job and its use of new Oculus Rift technology.

Jayna Cooke, CEO of EventUp, a platform that connects consumers with venue owners, discusses event venues, company growth and the difference between hiring for innovation and execution.

Emile Cambry Jr., co-founder at the Blue1647 technology innovation center, discusses the 21st Century Youth Project, the best piece of advice he ever received and a technological future that includes more girls, women and underserved populations.

Sarah Isaacs, COO and co-founder of Conventus, an information-security provider, discusses the Internet of Things, the people who are stealing data, the best practices for data security and "the surprises of life."

Chris Hull, a seventh-grade social studies teacher and co-founder of Otus Mobile Learning Environment, discusses the use of iPads in the classroom, the importance of sharing your idea and "one of the largest challenges we face."

Kristin Conley, a vice president at Health Care Service Corporation, discusses the company's new Centered app, its "test and learn" approach to innovation, the benefits of meditation and the importance of authenticity.

Dhruv Saxena, co-founder at ShipBob, which provides on-demand shipping for small businesses, discusses the company's experience at California-based Y Combinator. He also discusses the company's first 100 customers and turning "ShipBob" into a verb.

Adam Tilton, president and CEO of Rithmio, a gesture-recognition software platform for motion-sensing devices, discusses "the wearable technology boom," the questions he asks of advisers and the most exciting part about being an entrepreneur.

President and CEO of the Women's Business Development Center, Emilia DiMenco, explains why it's important to have diversity in business.

Jason Heltzer, a partner at Chicago-based venture capital firm Origin Ventures, discusses "a powerful catalyst for innovation around the world," learning from experiences and people-based businesses.

Kathleen Wright, founder and CEO of Piece & Co., which provides employment opportunities to women artisans in the developing world, discusses her company's goals and, with an assist from a book, the two emotions that you experience in a startup.

Chris Clawson, president of Life Fitness, discusses the company's first computerized exercise bike, three new product launches, the definition of wellness, 'standing offices' and 'the Mark Twain thing.'

The City of Chicago's chief information officer discusses ways in which the city uses data; a project that "goes after rats before we ever get a complaint"; homeless prevention; the City of Big Data exhibit; and the biggest threat to innovation.

Sami El-Saden of Ignite USA, which owns the Contigo and Avex drinkware brands, discusses the company's history, including its start with Starbucks; "a collaborative, integrated culture"; "meaningful innovation"; and a new purchase agreement.

Aashish Dalal, co-founder and CEO of ParkWhiz, which helps consumers find and book a parking space in advance, discusses who inspired the idea for his company, funding, staffing, the growth of mobile use and the future of his company.

Martha Cotton, partner at innovation consultancy Gravity Tank, discusses health mindfulness, sustainability and the sharing economy; the importance of understanding people; and an office setting in which employees make each other better.

Ted Devine, CEO of Insureon, a platform that connects small businesses to insurance, discusses the growth of his company, personal service, the fan in the office, the "high-performing family" and helping clients understand insurance coverage.

Sandee Kastrul, president and co-founder of i.c.stars, a technology, leadership and business training program for low-income adults, discusses the nonprofit organization's iOpener innovation conference, diversity, leadership and more.

Charlie Tribbett, co-founder of Bolstr, which helps emerging small businesses raise investment capital, discusses the company's network of investors, the federal Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and the importance of learning from customers.

Matt Meltzer, founder and CEO of Sage Corps, which sends top college students abroad to work with tech startups, discusses his struggle to get a job after college and the difference between being good at something and caring about something.

Josh Katt, founder and chef of Kitchfix, a prepared-meal delivery service, discusses preparing healthy meals, cooking for professional athletes, building a company from one person to more than 25 people and doing "something I love."

Kapila Viges, director of EnterpriseWorks Chicago, describes how it's tackling its mission to support innovation and build community around it at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

John Flavin, executive director of the Chicago Innovation Exchange, a startup and commercialization hub at the University of Chicago, discusses the university's "rich history of innovation and commercialization" and Chicago's return to its roots.

Dave Kissel, president and CEO of InStadium, which provides a national video network at live sporting events, discusses his company's transformation, advertisers "on the big board," fan-based games, micromarketing and the mission of his company.

Eric Kaplan, CTO at Ahead LLC, discusses technology, automation, data-center strategy, company growth, ACIP curriculum and what it takes to put lesser-known Chicago companies on the map.

Andrea Marks, chief analytics officer at pharmacy-benefit-management company Catamaran, discusses data analytics, models that are "always learning and picking up new information," knowing the industry, and innovation six months and 10 years from now.

Irv Shapiro, CEO and founder of Ifbyphone, which manages, measures and automates clients' voice conversations with customers, discusses the future of phone calls; staffing, hiring and trust; and what will happen when he stops learning.

Sheila Talton, CEO of Gray Matter Analytics, discusses data assets, what it takes to work in data analytics and business intelligence, her company's "dual headquarters" in Chicago and Silicon Valley and a frequent source of unhappiness at work.

Alan Kirk, account manager at Elgin-based Rieke Office Interiors, discusses office-environment changes, "colorful spaces that kind of float," workplace wellness and a ping-pong table that also serves as a conference table and dry erase board.

Justyn Howard, CEO of Sprout Social, a social media management platform, discusses consumer engagement through social channels, the "bet" his company made, the continued growth of his staff and his collaborative management style.

Jon Morris, CEO of digital-marketing firm Rise Interactive, discusses data mining, delegation, digital marketing, a transformation from an educational company to a consulting company and his analytical employment exam's 22-percent pass rate.

Mike Kohnen, Chicago-based Midwest managing director for Silicon Valley Bank, discusses company assessments, honest conversations, company culture, words that stuck with him and Chicago's tech ecosystem.

Donna Rolf, president and general counsel at AmpCNG, discusses the cost advantage of compressed natural gas; the company's CNG fleet, stations and markets; its arrangement with a dairy farm; and its "fabulous" space in the West Loop.

Justin Bouchard, founder of trading platform AlgoFast, discusses what his product is and isn't, a new mobile app, the digital investor and the world of trading five years from now.

Jim Malackowski, CEO of Ocean Tomo, which provides financial products and services related to intellectual property, discusses innovation, "Tomo-Bots," a partnership with TechNexus and a $4.5 billion project with Nortel.

Darin LeGrange, president and CEO of Aldera Inc., a health-care software company based in Lisle, discusses his company's "restart mode" and growth, the Affordable Care Act, the "only real solution" to change and leadership.

Barbara Goodman of Propel at Chicago's iBio Institute, discusses the mission to help life sciences startups, the "momentum" in the life sciences and health care community, the keys to the pitch and the patience required of a life sciences startup.

Jon Schepke, CEO of SIM Partners, a digital marketing products and services company, discusses bootstrapping, growth, holistic Internet marketing, culture and the effects of fundraising.

Erek Benz, CEO of Position Tech, which makes customizable replacement football cleats, discusses his company's biggest hurdle, fundraising and, as a football player at Northern Illinois University, what didn't make sense to him about his cleats.

Shawn Riegsecker, CEO and founder of Centro, which builds media-management software for the advertising industry, discusses the future of the Internet, today's advertising concepts and the importance of a creative work environment.

Adam Sharp, head of government and nonprofits at Twitter, discusses data on Twitter users and the "self-correcting" of the Twitter community and more.

Julio Santos-Munne of HDT Robotics discusses the company's KineAssist technology, collaborative robots, or "cobots," the work of physical therapists and "the dance between the machine and the person."

David Vinca, founder and CEO of eSpark Learning, discusses technology in the classroom, the company's mission and ambition, and a group of company employees that spends its time evaluating educational software.