In this episode of Chief Influencer, guest host Lesley Lopez sits down with Francesca Ioffreda, Maryland’s first-ever Chief Innovation Officer. With a career spanning roles at Harvard University, Brookings Institution, and the Greater Washington Partnership, Francesca shares how her mission to expand economic opportunity led her to this groundbreaking role. She discusses how Maryland is tackling complex challenges like childhood poverty and economic mobility through human-centered design, data, and cross-sector collaboration.

A key driver behind this work is the state’s partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, which helped stand up Maryland’s innovation team and enable a new model for how government can operate. This conversation highlights a broader lesson about influence: the most effective leaders don’t just introduce bold ideas—they build trust, convene stakeholders, and co-create solutions with the people they serve. From launching tools like the Maryland Community Business Compass to working across government and applying AI to help agencies improve public-facing resources and work more efficiently, this episode offers a blueprint for leaders looking to turn vision into practical, measurable impact.

Takeaways:

Innovation Is About Solving Problems, Not Just Building Technology: Technology matters, but it is only part of the answer. The strongest innovation begins with understanding people’s needs and building solutions that respond to real challenges.
Put People at the Center: Human-centered design and community engagement help leaders create solutions shaped by lived experience.
Data-Driven and Heart-Led Wins: Great leaders combine rigorous analysis with empathy and lived experience.
Influence Means Innovating With Community: The strongest leaders do not innovate in isolation. They build trust, stay close to communities, and shape solutions with the people they are meant to serve.
Trust Is Built Through Showing Up: Relationships are built in community meetings and gatherings, over coffee, and through consistent engagement—not just in launch announcements.
AI Should Free Humans to Be More Human: Used thoughtfully, AI can remove friction, save time, and allow public servants to focus on serving people.
Results Build Momentum: Early wins and visible progress help build trust, strengthen confidence, and bring more people along.

Quote of the Show:

“A core part of our theory of influencing is also allowing ourselves to be influenced by Marylanders. It's not just us innovating for others; it's that we are innovating together.”

Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/francescaioffreda
Maryland State Innovation Team Website: https://innovation.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Maryland Community Business Compass: https://compass.maryland.gov/