Innovation on Tap

Stories of Entrepreneurship from the Cotton Gin to Broadway's Hamilton

Eric B. Schultz

Innovation on Tap is the story of innovation in America told through the eyes of 25 entrepreneurs, from Eli Whitney and his cotton gin to Lin-Manuel Miranda and his Broadway smash, Hamilton.

The stories illustrate the sweep and impact of innovation. From razor blades, insurance, and baseball to smart cities, online running communities, and cybersecurity, innovators across three centuries gather in an imaginary barroom to discuss the essential themes of entrepreneurship--Mechanization, Mass Production, Consumerism, Digitization, and Sustainability--while emphasizing and reemphasizing the importance of community to their success.

Eric has spent his career in entrepreneurial and leadership roles, including as senior vice president of Midwest operations for American Cablesystems, co-founder and president of Atlantic Ventures, and chairman and CEO of Sensitech, a venture-backed business twice named to the Inc. 500 before being acquired by Carrier Corporation.

Eric served as a CEO-partner with Ascent Ventures, as executive chairman of HubCast, on the board of advisors of the Avedis Zildjian Company and Windover LLC, and as a mentor for student start-up teams in the Brown University B-Lab.

His nonprofit historical work includes chairing the Gettysburg Foundation and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

He is co-author of Food Foolish: The Hidden Connection Between Food Waste, Hunger, and Climate Change, and King Philip’s War: The History and Legacy of America’s Forgotten Conflict, and author of Weathermakers to the World. His most recent book is a history of entrepreneurship in America, "Innovation on Tap."

Eric has a bachelor’s degree in history from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Eric’s blog is “The Occasional CEO” at theoccasionalceo.blogspot.com where he posts updates to Innovation on Tap. He can also be found on Twitter at @ericebs and on LinkedIn.