Craig Gunckel, CEO of ODP, on Transforming Office Depot and OfficeMax

Craig Gunckel, CEO of ODP, on Transforming Office Depot and OfficeMax

Craig Gunckel took a receipt paper company no one believed in and delivered a 15X return for investors. Now he's doing it again as CEO of ODP, the parent company of Office Depot and OfficeMax, after Atlas Holdings completed its acquisition in December 2025. Gunckel, speaking with host Toph Day at the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis, explains how he thinks about innovation in traditional industries, why strategy matters more than culture, and what it means to lead 18,000 coworkers through a business turnaround. He also reflects on his eight years as CEO of Iconex, where he built the largest manufacturer of receipt paper and linerless labels in North America, including the label on your Starbucks cup, before selling the business in two separate strategic transactions. The conversation covers how Gunckel went from career corporate executive to Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, why he visited 36 Office Depot stores in his first four months on the job, and what he looks for when hiring: curiosity, authenticity, and strategic thinking as a process rather than a one-time exercise. He also discusses his work on the advisory board of the Daniels School of Business at Purdue University and his Silver Beaver Award from Scouting America. For leaders at any stage, his framework is direct: know where you will play, know how you will win, and revisit that strategy every month, not once a year. #InnovateOrEvaporate #ODP #OfficeDepot 0:00 Introduction and Craig Gunckel's Background 1:50 How Iconex Redefined Innovation in Paper 4:00 The Case for Paper Receipts in a Digital World 5:10 From Corporate Executive to Private Equity CEO 7:05 Selling Iconex: Two Deals, One 15X Return 9:10 Semi-Retirement, Atlas Holdings, and ODP 10:55 Taking Office Depot Private 12:00 Four Months In: 36 Stores and Counting 13:30 Strategy Over Culture: Leading a Turnaround 16:00 Earning the Red Shirt at Office Depot 18:30 Giving Back: Purdue, Scouting America 20:45 What Gunckel Looks for When Hiring Talent 22:30 Retail's Biggest Mistake and How to Avoid It 24:10 Strategy as a Monthly Process, Not a Plan 25:45 Rapid Fire: One Problem Worth Solving

How David Meltzer Lost Everything — and Found Purpose

David Meltzer lost over $100 million, his mother's home, and nearly his marriage before rebuilding his life around faith, gratitude, and intentional living. The chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and former CEO of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, the agency that inspired the film "Jerry Maguire," Meltzer joins host Toph Day at the Rally conference to discuss the turning points that reshaped his life and business philosophy. Meltzer traces his path from a working-class upbringing in Akron, Ohio, through early success selling legal research on the internet in 1992, to becoming CEO of Samsung's first data phone division. He speaks candidly about the moment his wife told him she was leaving, the day he had to tell his mother he had lost her home to foreclosure, and how both moments forced a reckoning with who he had become. The conversation covers the role faith plays in daily decision-making, the difference between seeking equality and appreciating difference, and the framework Meltzer uses to structure his time around non-negotiable behaviors: sleep, movement, nutrition, family, finance, and faith. He also shares the philosophy behind his mission to empower more than one billion people to be happy, a goal rooted in his belief that generosity and receiving are both acts of faith. Meltzer's book "Connected to Goodness" is available at no cost, including shipping, by emailing david@dmeltzer.com. #BusinessPodcast #DavidMeltzer #PersonalDevelopment

Dave Neff on Leading the 500 Festival and Building Trust

In this episode of Innovate or Evaporate, host Toph Day sits down with Dave Neff, CEO of the 500 Festival, to explore how relationships, trust, and innovation shape one of Indiana’s most iconic civic traditions. Dave shares his journey from the Indiana Pacers to EDGE Mentoring, the Boilermaker Alliance, and now the 500 Festival, revealing how leadership, mentorship, and community engagement create lasting impact. He also breaks down the full scope of what the 500 Festival actually produces: the Indianapolis Mini Marathon, which drew more than 33,000 participants this year including an 11-year-old who set a half marathon world record, the Indy 500 Parade presented by Lucas Oil, Kids Day on Monument Circle, a STEM-based education program reaching one-third of all Indiana fourth graders, and a 2,500-person volunteer corps with members who have served for decades. Neff also addresses what he calls the loneliness epidemic among men in their 30s and 40s, the case for Indianapolis embracing the "Speed City" identity, and why feedback is the most underrated tool for anyone trying to lead or innovate. Dave is also the host of Talent Scout, a podcast on the IBJ Media podcast network.

Ed Carpenter on Building ECR and Racing the Indy 500 at 45

Ed Carpenter has spent more than two decades competing in the Indianapolis 500 while simultaneously running the team that fields his car. The owner-driver of Ed Carpenter Racing discusses what it takes to survive and compete as an independent team in a sport increasingly dominated by manufacturer programs and private equity. Carpenter traces his path from quarter midgets at age 8 to three Indy 500 pole positions, reflecting on the pivotal moments that shaped his career, including his 2003 Freedom 100 victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the decision to co-found ECR in 2012. He breaks down how the team operates with roughly 60 people, six engineers per car, and more than 100 sensors generating real-time telemetry data during every race. The conversation also covers IndyCar's new charter system and what it means for team valuations and long-term stability, the evolution of driver safety technology from SAFER barrier walls to windscreens, the role Chevrolet plays as a technical partner, and why Carpenter believes pit stop athleticism is now as important as car setup. Carpenter also reflects on the sport's broader growth, including a 44 percent increase in television viewership since moving to Fox. Follow Ed Carpenter Racing at ecrind.com and on social media at ECRIndy. #IndyCar #Indy500 #IndyCarPodcast

Mark Miles on the Indy 500, Roger Penske, and Building Big

Mark Miles, President and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., built a career out of pulling off events that other cities couldn't. From negotiating with Fidel Castro to land Cuba's athletes at the 1987 Pan American Games to restructuring global television rights for the ATP Tour to chairing Indianapolis's 2012 Super Bowl bid, Miles has spent four decades turning civic ambition into international spectacle. Miles traces the through line of his career: a restless curiosity that led him from Senate campaigns alongside Mitch Daniels and Dick Lugar to the boardrooms of professional sports. He explains what made Indianapolis's volunteer-driven model for major events unlike anything else in the country, why fragmented television rights were strangling professional tennis, and how a billion-dollar rights deal with a sports marketing agency nearly collapsed into bankruptcy before a letter of credit saved the day. The conversation turns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, where Miles describes working alongside Roger Penske and the obsessive attention to detail that defines Penske's leadership style, from restroom paint schemes to full-scale styrofoam mockups of a yacht's interior. Miles also addresses how the sport is building community, both physically in the infield and digitally among fans who argue, connect, and pass traditions across generations. His advice for anyone preparing for a high-stakes negotiation: walk in more prepared than anyone else in the room, think as big as the idea can realistically go, and never accept the first framing of a problem. #IndyCar #Indy500 #InnovateOrEvaporate 0:00 Introduction and Guest Background 2:05 From College to Political Campaigns 6:45 Building Relationships Through Campaigns 8:10 Landing the Pan American Games 13:45 Negotiating with Fidel Castro 18:30 Lessons from the Castro Meetings 21:00 Running the Indianapolis Tennis Tournament 23:30 Restructuring the ATP Tour's TV Rights 27:00 Indianapolis and the Super Bowl Bid 30:45 The Indianapolis Volunteer Model 36:30 Joining Penske Entertainment and IndyCar 40:00 Fan Experience at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 44:30 Roger Penske's Attention to Detail 48:30 Rapid Fire Questions