Kevin Spain knows the enterprise business from the inside out. Previously, as the senior member of Microsoft's corporate development group, he was part of the Microsoft team that found, evaluated, and sometimes purchased companies integral to Microsoft's strategic plans. Now, as general partner at Emergence Capital Partners, Spain is still evaluating companies but this time it is the start-ups and emerging companies looking to make a mark on the technology landscape. He is actively involved in Acceleprise, an incubator for enterprise-centric startups.

As one of the keynote speakers at this year's E2 Innovate conference, Spain will be tackling the topic of innovation in the enterprise and providing some advice on how innovation can be accomplished in medium and large companies.

In this Skype interview, Spain provides a preview of his keynote speech, including guidance for CIOs looking to strike a balance between unchained innovation and corporate structures that still require privacy, security, and compliance on behalf of their employees and customers.

Examples of Spain's advice and concerns can be found on his blog. In one current entry, "Entropy and Entrepreneurship," Spain cautions that the scientific theory of entropy also can apply to organizations. "There is a tendency for businesses--big or small--to fall apart," he states. Changes in original strategy, team capabilities, and technology advances all can require a company to adapt to a new business reality.

E2 Innovate takes place Nov. 12-15 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif.