In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner shares the surprisingly complex history of beer can innovation, starting with the first canned beer going on sale in Richmond, Virginia on January 24th, 1935. The development of this every day item survived a crash course with two major events: Prohibition and World War II. Today, aluminum cans are the most recycled container in the world and are the container of choice for about half of the $20 Billion U.S. beer market.
More Podcast Episodes
government contracts
Podcast
March 12, 2024
National DigiFoundry Speaker Series: Constellation Network
In this new episode of Digital Transformers, host Kevin L. Jackson returns to lead a discussion with Art Seabolt and Altif Brown from Constellation Network, a Web3 infrastructure that allows users to launch their own tokens and retrofit existing Web3 principles into Web2 legacy systems. Listen in as the panel discusses the platform itself- how it scales with other blockchains- and details the company’s work with government agencies, particularly in secure data protocols and secure content transfer. Also, learn more about Constellation’s collaboration with the National DigiFoundry and its cross-chain capabilities.
inclusion
Podcast
September 22, 2025
Equity in Action: How Inclusion Leads to Supply Chain Innovation
In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton welcomes Lushentha Naidoo, Managing Director of the European Supplier Diversity Program (ESDP), for a candid conversation on purpose-driven leadership and the business value of inclusive procurement. Drawing on a 14-year transformation career at Unilever and a personal journey from apartheid-era South Africa to global operations leadership, Lushentha shares how caring as a leadership “superpower” can fuel innovation, save jobs, and build psychologically safe teams. She explains how supplier diversity isn’t charity. It’s a competitive advantage that increases agility, strengthens resilience, and unlocks fresh thinking when disruption hits. She also breaks down how ESDP bridges corporates and diverse suppliers through a fast-growing database, networking events, and the Inclusive Procurement Academy, teaching pitching, storytelling, and “corporate readiness.” From real success stories (mentorship that kept a founder in the fight) to pragmatic guidance for senior leaders doubling down on DEI, this conversation offers actionable takeaways: define the why, build inclusive cultures, and widen the supplier funnel so the best partner wins. This episode is hosted by Scott Luton, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. Additional Links & Resources Check out all the great resources and information mentioned during…