From Jane Goodall to Your C-Suite: Why Institutional Memory Is Your Most Critical Asset

Right now, somewhere in your organization, someone is carrying context that only they possess. When they leave, so does everything they know. The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) has spent 65 years building one of the longest-running scientific studies in human history — handwritten field notes, soundscapes, film, and behavioral observations recorded in a regional Swahili dialect that only a handful of people can decipher. What they've done to protect that knowledge is something the largest enterprises in the world are only beginning to reckon with. In this episode, AWS's Randi Larson sits down with Anna Rathman, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute, and Taimur Rashid, Managing Director of the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, to explore what becomes possible when you stop treating institutional memory as something to document — and start treating it as something to protect. They explore: • How JGI unlocked 65 years of analog research to ask questions that were never before possible • What Jane Goodall's approach to tools and technology can teach today's C-suite about embracing innovation without losing what matters most • What chimpanzee behavioral data can teach executives about pattern recognition, relationship dynamics, and organizational culture • How leaders can activate decades of trapped knowledge before it walks out the door Whether you're a founder thinking about legacy, an executive navigating workforce transformation, or a leader sitting on decades of institutional knowledge — this conversation will change how you think about your most critical asset. "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." — Jane Goodall Subscribe to AWS: https://go.aws/subscribe Create a free AWS account: https://go.aws/signup Try AWS for free: https://go.aws/free Connect with an expert: https://go.aws/contact Explore more: https://go.aws/more Next steps: Explore on AWS in Analyst Research: https://go.aws/reports Discover, deploy, and manage software that runs on AWS: https://go.aws/marketplace Join the AWS Partner Network: https://go.aws/partners Learn more on how Amazon builds and operates software: https://go.aws/library Do you have technical AWS questions? Ask the community of experts on AWS re:Post: https://go.aws/3lPaoPb Why AWS? Amazon Web Services is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, enabling customers to build anything they can imagine. We offer the greatest choice of innovative cloud capabilities and expertise, on the most extensive global infrastructure with industry-leading security, reliability, and performance. #AWS #AmazonWebServices #CloudComputing #AgenticAI #GenerativeAI