Which innovative company was born out of idyllic Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California? Credit: Terri Hodges / Flickr Creative Commons

Only by looking at the past can we see the true seeds of innovation. And it turns out that some of today's best-loved companies, products, and inventions came about in very unexpected ways.

So, let's take a trip back in time, to the green, rolling hills of Marin County, California. It's the mid 1980s, and filmmaker George Lucas had just released the last in his Star Wars trilogy: Return of the Jedi.

With the films completed, one of the special effects divisions he created suddenly seemed a lot less useful.

No one wanted the division, and it ended up floundering until a wealthy investor stepped in. Finally, under new direction, the company seemed poised to take off.

The investor and his company are now household names - curious to know who they are? Listen online and get the whole story.