Intrapreneurs bring new ideas and innovations into their companies, providing essential energy to sustain a business. As Richard Branson says, “While it's true that every company needs an entrepreneur to get it underway, healthy growth requires a smattering of intrapreneurs who drive new projects and explore new and unexpected directions for business development.”

Intrapreneurs are everywhere. Post-It Notes were the creation of Spencer Silver and Art Fry, two scientists working at 3M.

Ken Kutaragi, an employee at Sony, created the Playstation at a time when the company did not place much importance on video games. The Playstation went on to make Sony a leader in the industry.

We can see examples of intrapreneurship in Enterprising Families, too. When a team of W.L Gore employees were using guitar strings to test coating for a new push-pull cable, they ended up with a whole new company – Elixir strings.

Not to mention Mathilde Thomas, who turned the unused grapes from the family winery into a line of skin care products that became a successful, independent business called Caudalie.