Inventing vs. Innovating: Reimagining "Waste" as Commercially Viable Products | Stuart Jenkins (MU Classic)

What if the key to breakthrough innovation isn’t inventing something new — but seeing value where everyone else sees waste? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel sits down with Stuart Jenkins, a lifelong athlete turned footwear innovator, to unpack an incredible entrepreneurial journey that blends grit, patience, and purpose. Stuart shares how his background as an Olympic Trials–qualifying marathon runner shaped his mindset for startups, why he believes preparation is everything, and how decades in the footwear industry led him to reimagine massive amounts of discarded foam as high-performance, commercially viable products. From licensing early innovations to Reebok, to helping bring HOKA to life, to building a sustainable footwear brand that transformed industry “waste” into products worn by elite athletes — and even featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things — this conversation is a masterclass in innovation, persistence, and seeing opportunity where others see trash!

(Original Air Date - 1/7/26)

What we discuss with Stuart:

+ Olympic Trials mindset

+ 1000:1 preparation principle

+ Athlete to entrepreneur journey

+ Footwear innovation origins

+ Commercializing ideas vs inventing

+ Turning waste into resources

+ Sustainability beyond marketing

+ Building factories from scratch

+ Rejection, luck, and persistence

+ Seeing truth before trends

Thank you, Stuart!

Check out Blumaka at Blumaka.com.

Check out Fleks Footwear at FleksFootwear.com.

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