Small Steps, Big Shifts: Caroline Chan on the Power of Incremental Innovation

In this episode of Innovators of Things, host Jillian Kaplan sits down with one of the most influential figures in wireless and edge innovation, Caroline Chan. A lifelong engineer and problem solver, Caroline shares how her passion for math, curiosity about the world, and relentless focus on progress helped her pioneer virtualization in wireless networks and lay the groundwork for today’s edge compute and AI revolution.From her roots in mainland China as the daughter of a trailblazing engineering professor, to her scrappy early days at Intel working with leftover budget, Caroline’s journey is a blueprint for innovation that doesn’t start with a moonshot—it starts with a question: What if we just tried this?💡 Key Takeaways:Innovation doesn’t have to be massive to matter—momentum often starts with a small experiment and grows over time.Caroline helped lead Intel’s early exploration into virtualized wireless networks (vRAN)—starting with no budget and a lot of curiosity.She played a key role in the creation of MEC (Multi-access Edge Compute), laying the foundation for edge AI and 6G.The best innovators are great listeners. Open dialogue, vulnerability, and collaboration are critical.Caroline emphasizes democratizing innovation, ensuring people of all backgrounds are part of the journey.