From AI Pilot to Production: PepsiCo Lab’s Innovation Playbook

Episode Description

AI experimentation is no longer enough. Enterprise operators must move from sandbox pilots to scalable production systems. In this episode, Anna Farberov, GM of PepsiCo Labs, breaks down how digital twins delivered measurable throughput and CapEx impact, how to eliminate corporate bottlenecks, and why pilot purgatory destroys credibility. The core thesis: Innovation must be measurable, scalable, and operationally integrated — or it doesn’t count.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How digital twins reduce CapEx before construction begins
• How to move AI from pilot to enterprise-wide deployment
• How to cut corporate red tape for rapid pilot execution
• How to design KPIs for objective pilot success measurement
• Why 50% pilot failure is a healthy innovation benchmark
• How to productize AI use cases for warehouse scale
• How to avoid “pilot purgatory” in logistics transformation

HIGHLIGHTS

• 00:00–02:00 | AI Fatigue & The Shift to Production
• 02:00–05:00 | Scaling Digital Twin Across 100+ Buildings
• 05:00–07:30 | CapEx Reduction & Engineering Simulation ROI
• 07:30–10:00 | Run-State Optimization & 20% Throughput Gains
• 10:00–14:00 | The PepsiCo Labs Pilot Framework
• 14:00–18:00 | Designing a Culture That Celebrates Failure
• 18:00–23:00 | Quantifying Innovation & Moving to Production

TOP QUOTES

• [00:06:00] “Here you can simulate and debug everything before you’ve invested your first CapEx dollar.” – Anna Farberov
• [00:08:00] “So I think we were able to demonstrate 20% throughput increase in a pick rate.” – Anna Farberov
• [00:12:00] “By design, we want 50% of our pilots to fail.” – Anna Farberov
• [00:18:00] “Move to production. Don’t just test.” – Anna Farberov

ABOUT THE GUEST

Anna Farberov is GM of PepsiCo Labs, where she leads PepsiCo’s global engagement with technology companies—from breakthrough startups to the world’s largest enterprises. In this role, she partners with senior executives and innovators to identify, test, and scale technologies that are transforming how PepsiCo operates across data, AI, manufacturing, supply chain, agriculture, and commercial functions. Her work powers growth, efficiency, and resilience across one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies.

Beyond PepsiCo, Anna is recognized for building innovation models that bridge corporations, technology providers, and investors—accelerating adoption of cutting-edge solutions at scale. She has worked across industries to help leaders translate complexity into clarity, align technology with strategy, and move with speed and impact in times of disruption.

A frequent speaker at global conferences, Anna shares insights on how leaders can harness innovation ecosystems, build future-ready organizations, and lead with clarity and purpose in an era of rapid technological change.

LINKS MENTIONED

Pepsico Labs: https://www.labs.pepsico.com/

Anna Farberov on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-farberov/