From Fortune 500 to Humble Restart: My Entrepreneurial Journey
Before launching Ikeda Innovations (2i) in 2019, I was steadily climbing the corporate ladder at a Fortune 500 company. I led a national team of over 2,000 people, and my roots were in application development and in designing microprocessor-based systems.
By providing timely support, I helped customers successfully navigate and find solutions to resolve major and persistent system challenges that hindered their operations for years.
These hand-on experiences, together with the strong foundation in technical problem solving, had paved the way for me to progress into various leadership and executive roles throughout my corporate career.
Yet something was burning inside me. I decided to leave the corporate world and start Ikeda Innovations (2i) to help customers transform their technology hands-on.
I assumed my experience, network, and technical expertise would be enough. I believed that solving complex technology problems and having a strong reputation meant the transition would be smooth.
But I was wrong—at least about the ease of it.
Rediscovering Identity Beyond Corporate Success
Leaving behind the world I knew wasn’t just a career shift—it was an identity shift.
For years, the corporate mindset shaped how I saw myself. I led a several hundred million-dollar organization. I had influence, resources, and a seat at the executive table. Somehow I was longing for something different.
When I started 2i, I suddenly found myself doing almost everything—sales calls, building decks, chasing leads, managing books. Gone were the executive meetings. There was no title to lean on.
For the first time in my career, I felt… insignificant. Who am I when I’m not climbing the ladder? Who am I without the structure and identity I had built for decades?
Those questions grounded me, forcing me to realign with something deeper than ambition. Stripped of external markers, I had to confront a deeper truth: what was I really made of? It forced me to rediscover who I truly was beneath the roles and expectations.
Rebuilding from the Inside Out
In those early days, I expected to build a business. What I didn’t expect was that I was being rebuilt.
The first two years of 2i weren’t about profit, growth, or clients—they were about grounding my identity. I had to unlearn corporate patterns and resist building just another consultancy.
During that process, I came across a quote often attributed to Mark Twain:
“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.”
That quote stuck with me. I finally discovered my why—and it had little to do with quarterly earnings.
Leading with Identity: How Self-Awareness Fuels Business Transformation
I came to the realization that I was built to own, share, empower, and serve. I didn’t want to build a company just for revenue.
I wasn’t built to climb someone else’s ladder—I was meant to build a transformational company, one that would invest in people—our team and our customers.
One powerful revelation shaped my leadership philosophy:
Identity is the rudder of destiny.
When the winds of culture and distraction blow—and they always do—it’s knowing who you are that keeps you on course.
Transformation isn’t about top-down change. It’s about serving others with purpose.
What Sets 2i Apart: Leading Digital Transformation Through People
Transformation does not begin with technology – it begins with people.
That belief isn’t just philosophy—it’s reinforced by research from Peter Demarest and others, showing that organizational challenges like cash flow, profitability, or technology adoption are rooted in people issues.
- Sales slumps often reflect team misalignment.
- Tech bottlenecks usually point to disconnects between users and implementers.
- Operational inefficiencies stem from unclear roles or misused talent.
That’s why we focus not just on systems, but on people’s identity and core values—at both the individual and organizational levels.
When people know who they truly are – including their innate values and motivations – they collaborate more effectively and make better decisions. That clarity directly fuels our ability to solve complex problems for our customers.
Hiring for Impact: Aligning Talent with Mission
One of the tools we use to align talent is the Core Values Index (CVI) by Dr. Lynn Taylor of Taylor Protocols.
Unlike personality tests that measure traits or behaviors (which can change over time), CVI measures the unchanging core motivations that drive people.
It provides deep insight into what energizes people—not just what they’re good at.
When individuals are matched with roles that align with their innate wiring, work becomes fulfilling—not just functional.
Fulfilled people are the ones who drive innovation, build trust, and stick with transformation efforts until the job is done right.
Agile by Design: Fueling Innovation in IT Modernization
Solving complex problems requires more than technical expertise. It demands a culture where ideas flow freely.
Innovation isn’t top-down. It’s collaborative, iterative, and often messy.
As Jim Whitehurst, former CEO of Red Hat, once said:
“If you organize around the right culture, you can sustain innovation. But sustained innovation doesn’t fit neatly into long-term plans—because failure is a natural part of experimentation.”
That’s why agility matters.
At 2i, we build room for experimentation and feedback into everything we do. Transformation rarely happens in a straight line—and we’re built for that.
2i’s Core Values: The Foundation for Digital Transformation
Innovation thrives in the right environment – but it’s sustained by the right values.
Before we tackle complexity, we ground ourselves in what matters most.
Our four core values guide every decision:
- Trust: We keep our promises—delivering solutions on time and being upfront about challenges.
- Respect: Every voice counts. We listen, learn from diverse perspectives, and grow stronger together.
- Commitment: We don’t stop until the problem is solved right.
- Integrity: We do what’s right, even when no one’s watching.
At our core, we are problem solvers. We embrace complexity and ask better questions. That’s how we help our customers overcome their challenges — and when they succeed , we succeed as well.
2i Achievements: Empowering People to Lead Transformation
When I think about what I’m most proud of at 2i, it’s not in any quarterly report. It’s in the quiet wins. The personal growth. Watching our people lead with clarity, build trust, and drive real transformation.
Take Jacob Smith, our Director of Software Engineering. He is humble, brilliant, and highly trusted by his customers—not just for his technical skill, but for his creativity and leadership.
Or Ben Hine, our Director of Data Science, who delivered a solution the government had struggled with for about a decade. Two years of hard, unglamorous work—and now it’s being adopted across multiple departments.
And Andrew Bailey, our Software Engineer Manager approaches his work with a humble, servant-hearted commitment to listen and care for our customers every day. He earns their trust, offers innovative suggestions when appropriate, and leads our team in delivering consistent value with respect and integrity.
These are the type of wins that define success at 2i. Not just technical success—but personal, purpose-driven success.
Because at the end of the day, 2i isn’t just about solving problems.
It’s about empowering people to lead with purpose—and creating lasting transformation in every customer and organization we serve.
Discover How We Can Help
From modernizing legacy systems to building secure, scalable cloud solutions, we deliver customized strategies to enhance cost efficiency and ensure operational excellence for mission-critical federal applications. Contact us today!
Related Resources
To learn more about the ideas mentioned in this blog, check out:
Found this post interesting? Share it with your network on Linkedin!