The BreakLine Arena

What does it mean to manage someone else's legacy, future, and trust all at once? Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Pete Koziol, co-founder of Dauntless Ventures, about building a venture firm with a national purpose.Pete shares his journey from the U.S. Naval Academy to Stanford Business School, his time at Goldman Sachs, and how he co-founded Dauntless Ventures—a firm backing early-stage companies in the defense, industrial, and nuclear sectors. We dive into the complexities of investing in national security tech, why the Department of Defense selected Dauntless for its new venture capital program, and the unique responsibility that comes with managing others' capital.Pete also reflects on balancing career and family, his take on building strong real-world relationships over social media, and what it truly means to be an investor, founder, veteran, and father —all at once.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for an insightful conversation with Raj Shah, Managing Partner at Shield Capital and co-founder of Resilience. As a former fighter pilot and the current Director of the Joint Reserve Detachment at DIU, Raj brings a unique perspective on the future of war, innovation in defense, and the intersection of government and technology.In this episode, Raj shares his expertise on:

What does it take to build and scale a thriving business? In this episode of The BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Stef Fisher-Sample, CEO & Co-Founder of HenHouse Holdings, to explore the realities of entrepreneurship and franchising.Stef shares her journey from taking over seven struggling Taco Bell locations to growing a successful business portfolio. She dives into her "pain cave" mindset, the value of hiring in middle America, and why she believes in acquiring businesses instead of starting from scratch.We also discuss her "lazy entrepreneur" approach—how to work smarter, not harder—and why authenticity is the ultimate leadership skill. If you're curious about scaling businesses, navigating franchising, or leading with impact, this episode is for you!Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

The world of security intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace. In this episode of the BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Eric Levesque, COO and Co-Founder of Strider Technologies, to explore how organizations can protect their technology, innovation, and competitive advantage in an era of global strategic competition.Eric shares his expertise on the high-stakes battleground of security intelligence, revealing how intellectual property threats, geopolitical conflicts, and emerging technologies are reshaping industries worldwide. We dive into Strider Technologies' all-of-society approach, the critical role of government-private sector collaboration, and how Strider's ability to process massive amounts of data faster than most gives organizations a decisive edge.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

How do you disrupt an entire industry and transform customer experience? Together with his team, TJ Parker, Co-Founder and former CEO of PillPack, did just that.During our conversation, TJ shares the journey of building PillPack, from their early vision and startup team, to navigating through extremely tense dynamics with very large incumbents, to ultimately selling PillPack to Amazon, and continuing to build for a much bigger market. He reflects on the biggest lessons learned, and also the most critical decisions that shaped the company's success.It was a treat to have TJ's big brother, Dan Parker, in the audience. When it came time for QA, Dan helpfully asked what percentage of college classes TJ actually attended.We also dive into the power of community, the importance of work ethic, and what's next for TJ in his new(er) role as an investor at Matrix Partners.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Todd Bennett, President and COO of Deer Valley Resort. Todd and his team are known for the “Deer Valley Difference.” They deliver extraordinary experiences unavailable anywhere else in the world.Todd shares insights on leadership, innovation, and guest experience, and covers topics from major resort expansions, hosting the Olympics and the World Cup, the future of privatized ski resorts and how cutting-edge tech is changing the game for top ski resorts. We also dive into his personal journey, including The Man Behind the Maps, the beloved book that he self-published, and how overcoming a life-changing heart condition made him an even better leader.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit http://www.breakline.org/. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please learn more at https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

In Episode 63 of the BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Lexi Reese, CEO and co-founder of Lanai Software.Lexi shares actionable insights and research-backed strategies to help individuals and companies achieve big goals together. From hiring practices to building high-functioning teams, she breaks down the five key components that drive success and shares her priorities at Lanai.We also explore Lexi's inspiring journey running for US Senate, her candid thoughts on AI—including where to start if you're feeling overwhelmed - and her hopes for its future.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

We're thrilled to feature Leslie Snavely, CEO & President of CHG Healthcare, the largest physician and recruiting staffing company in the US. Join us as she shares her inspiring career journey, the unique insights she's gained as a military spouse, and how she stays true to her values: “I want to be who I am, where I am.”  With BreakLine's new Utah initiative for military spouses and veterans underway, Leslie's story is especially timely.Tune in to hear about her early days at Procter & Gamble, how she navigated cross-country moves for her husband's military career, and her reflections on motherhood and moving back to Utah. Leslie speaks to the importance of mentorship, leading with values, and the unique insights that come from her dual role as a leader and military spouse.Don't miss this inspiring conversation!

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Josh Araujo, CEO of Forterra. His team, among the earliest innovators in the field, is revolutionizing the defense sector with its autonomous vehicle systems, while supporting and protecting soldiers and civilians on the front line.  Josh delves into a series of compelling topics, including his unique journey from the Marines to Wall Street and to leading Forterra. He highlights his core leadership principles and the significance of staying close to the operational level to genuinely empower teams. Josh ends by sharing his goals and plans to scale Forterra while maintaining a strong culture of innovation.“A leader should enable their team. Take the blame when things go wrong, and give credit to others when things go right.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Chris Mahl, President and COO of Pryon. Pryon is developing a best-in-class knowledge management platform, transforming complex, unstructured data from multiple sources into solutions for leading enterprises and government agencies.Chris dives into a range of interesting topics, from professional experiences and lessons learned in his earlier career to the transformation and impact we're currently experiencing with AI. He emphasizes how essential passion is to the success of businesses and their workforce, details Pryon's distinctive strategies for tackling AI issues, and so much more!“A startup is a ridiculously, wonderfully complicated, exciting experience.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with John Donahoe, President & CEO of NIKE, Inc., world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. John dove into his own career transitions and the deeper sense of purpose that guides him. He shared some of the inner challenges he has navigated throughout his career, insights from “wisdom conversations” he had with peers and mentors during a sabbatical, how he and his wife, Eileen, built a dual-career family, and so much more.This podcast was recorded on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. References to events or facts are true up to that point but might have changed between the recording and release of this episode.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Lenore Karafa, Partner at First In – an early-stage investment firm focused on empowering entrepreneurs on a mission. First In invests in companies at the forefront of modern security for enterprises and for society, including cybersecurity software and defense technology companies.Lenore brings us along on her journey, from the Naval Academy to a prestigious career on Wall Street to surrounding herself with teams that exemplify her values. She details the growth mindset that helps her reframe challenging situations into opportunities, her experience being the only woman in the room, and the importance of building a supportive and strong professional network.“My failures prepared me for the challenges that were to come. I went from being brittle to being resilient, setting me up well for the rest of my career.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jessica Nordell, journalist, and author of  The End of Bias: A Beginning.In our conversation, she shares practical and research-backed approaches for addressing the habits of mind and action that prevent leaders from building and retaining outstanding teams. Among other topics, she describes the power of having an “existence proof,” the stabilizing and uplifting role that mentors play for up-and-coming professionals, and how to prevent “shadow requirements” from blocking one's path to success. Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jen Sovada, President of Public Sector at SandboxAQ. SandboxAQ is harnessing the power of AI + Quantum technology to develop products for computationally-intensive industries including the public sector, healthcare, and telecommunications.Jen dives into her experience working on emerging technology while bridging the public-private sector gap, as well as her mentality around being a lifelong learner. She also shares some tips for building effective teams, managing imposter syndrome, and building a career in national security.“When building a team, don't look just at the qualities and skillsets that they bring. Look at how interested they are in learning, how inquisitive they are, and whether or not they want to grow and build.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Dan Streetman, CEO of Tanium, a company developing innovative technology to manage complex security and IT environments.Dan shares his professional journey, what he looks for in prospective talent, and how to both be and cultivate a successful leader. He also describes challenges he's faced as a CEO and his framework for making tough decisions.“[The] trick is not just to be a good leader, but a leader of leaders.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with William Treseder, Senior Vice President at BMNT, a company transforming how governments deliver new capabilities at speed and at scale.William dives into all things defense tech, including the evolutions he has seen over the past decade and the current state of the market. He also shared the story of his non-linear career path and the essential insights he gained along the way. “There's more defense startup-related activity now on any given day than there was in an entire year, ten years ago.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a Conversation with General H.R. McMaster, Former US National Security Advisor, seasoned military strategist, and author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World.In this episode, General McMaster analyzes the shifting tides of global threats since his tenure at the White House. He dives deeper into strategies aimed at reclaiming America's shared sense of identity, shares insights into what the U.S. public should keep in mind as we navigate current conflicts, and explores the collaboration between government and tech for enhanced national security. It's a thoughtful reflection on the collective consciousness of a nation amid strategic geopolitical challenges and the broader global impact.“A lot of [US defense policies] are underpinned by implicit flawed assumptions and because they're implicit, they never get challenged.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Richard Coleman, President of Axon Federal, a technology company delivering critical public safety solutions to the nation's top security, law enforcement agencies, and military departments.Richard shares what attracted him to the public sector and national security as a young engineer, the importance of “breakthrough moments” in your career,  Axon's work protecting lives and building trust between law enforcement and the community, and the importance of building a diverse team.“Mission-driven people are typically the most passionate people, and oftentimes I find that they're the most productive. It's critical to make sure that you find something that you're passionate about. Find something where every single day you wake up and go to sleep thinking about it. It becomes less like work and more like your why – why you exist, why you do what you do.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems | Defense Tech: Transforming Government Software Delivery Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems, a software startup building the first of its kind DevSecOps platform that accelerates delivery of commercial technology to U.S. warfighters and national security professionals.Tyler shares what drew him to the defense tech space, ositions in the tech industry that are well aligned to veteran skill sets, and how Second Front is “the lattice that stitches the defense tech revolution together.” He talks about the importance of mission when it comes to attracting talent into the space, the value of building a team that is both intellectually and experientially diverse, and his advice for tech companies looking to create what he calls a “human capital flywheel.”“If you're creating space as a leader to enable good ideas, new expectations, and new ways of doing [things] to come up and ultimately get operationalized or institutionalized, that's a human capital flywheel that's pretty magical.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Brett Granberg, Co-founder and CEO of Vannevar Labs, a defense tech startup delivering state-of-the-art technology to people on the front lines of national security.Brett shares his perspectives on the opportunities for how to fundraise for and build a defense technology company, how their team ensures excellent product-market fit, why a mission-driven organization is magnetic for prospective employees, and some essentials of world-class leadership. “Our team is so outstanding - we are up-leveling all the time. I'm pushing hard every day to be worthy of working alongside them.” — Brett GranbergPlease like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you're interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Ethan Schmertzler, Co-founder and CEO of Dispel, a computer and network security company revolutionizing the Zero Trust and network security space.Dispel started in Ethan Schmertzler's New York City apartment nine years ago and today the company is well on its way to becoming the gold standard in industrial scale moving target defense technology. In this episode of the BreakLine Arena, Ethan shares the factors that are foundational to Dispel's culture; including the flat hierarchy, the emphasis on “good expedition behavior,” and the prioritization of life outside of work. He digs deeper with the core mission of Dispel, their approach to hiring talent, and some fun stories from their early days in business!“What Dispel focuses on is really enabling secure access to industrial control systems and all the components around that. We succeed as a company because we get really in the technical weeds on the market that we serve.“Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for another conversation within our “How do I tell you…” series. These discussions aim to foster healthy work relationships and collaborative professional environments by leveraging data-driven insights from our community, best practices that we role model here at BreakLine, and a few personal experiences and stories as well. In this episode of the BreakLine Arena, Mack and Bethany unpack the topic of microaggressions in the workplace and how to address them. They share personal examples of these experiences as well as reactions they've witnessed when others have been targeted. They offer a framework on how being specific, outcomes-oriented, and gracious can drive toward productive conflict resolution. To learn more about how to handle difficult situations in both high-trust and low-trust environments, what you can do when you are on the receiving end of clumsy, hurtful, or unkind language, and why having a low ego and high tolerance are vital in receiving and giving feedback, be sure to tune in! “BreakLine's perspective is that the level of responsibility for addressing an insult or an offensive remark rises along with your positional authority, your safety, and your stature within the organization.” — Mack GladneyPlease like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for the first conversation within our “How do I tell you…” series. These discussions aim to foster healthy work relationships and collaborative professional environments by leveraging data-driven insights from our community, best practices that we role model here at BreakLine, and a few personal experiences and stories as well. BreakLine Senior Customer Success Manager, Mack Gladney, joins Bethany to unpack the topic of conditional support in the workplace and how to address it. Conditional support refers to the common experience of perceiving psychological safety and belonging as long as you continue to show up in a particular way, often a way that is prescribed by your coworkers or the company at large.They discuss their own experiences of conditional and unconditional support, leading with love instead of fear, building trust, and remaining outcomes-oriented. They also provide some real-world examples of how to successfully implement BreakLine's problem-solving framework before Mack offers some inspirational parting words of wisdom. “Doing hard things with your teammates is how you build trust, and part of the hard thing is being vulnerable together.” — Mack Gladney“Unconditional support is not about solving someone else's problem; it's about standing alongside another human being who is feeling something deeply.” — Bethany Coates Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Aishatu Fatima Dozie, Founder and CEO of Bossy Cosmetics, a mission-driven women's empowerment company operating through the beauty industry. In this episode, Aisha explains what it means for women to have economic power and her approach to changing the power structure through cosmetics. She shares insights from her interdisciplinary and multicultural experiences, the importance of feedback, how she builds resiliency, and how to grow and maintain a great support network. “Go out and give something a try. If it works, great. If it doesn't work, learn. There is no failure. Failure is not doing it at all.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Andy Rachleff, Executive Chairman of Wealthfront, Co-Founder of Benchmark Capital, and faculty member at Stanford Graduate School of Business.Andy shares his perspective on why Silicon Valley Bank collapsed (including the 'monstrous mistake' that led to a bank run), the actions that regulators took, and how these circumstances might affect the employment landscape and the broader economic environment. “Cash is oxygen and oxygen is life. This became a crisis for startups and young companies.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri, Partner and CHRO at TPG, a leading global alternative asset management firm investing across five multi-product platforms: Capital, Growth, Impact, Real Estate, and Market Solutions.Diversity is synonymous with performance, especially when aligned with business outcomes. Anilu joins the BreakLine Arena to talk about her leadership experiences overseeing all-things people related, including diversity. She shares insights related to the importance of diverse boards of governance, why language surrounding diversity matters, why mentorship is vital, and how we can handle feedback with grace. “Being different is an asset… but make sure you're not the only one who looks like you forever. Diversify the rooms you enter and then pay it backward for those who follow.” — Anilu Vazquez-UbarriPlease like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Wyc Grousbeck, Lead Owner of the Boston Celtics!Wyc Grousbeck shares stories of determination, humility, kindness, insight, and respect. He recounts finding purpose through rowing - a lifelong pursuit that became a key driver of his success with the Boston Celtics. He also dives into the long-term plan he implemented together with Team Celtics to win the national championship in 2008.Beyond his interests and talents at the Celtics, Wyc explains why service, and in particular, Massachusetts Eye and Ear is dear to his heart. He further illustrates how he views young leaders in high-visibility roles, and why he will always cherish lasting relationships.“We know what the right thing to do is, all of us, and the more we can do it, the better.” — Wyc GrousbeckPlease like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with John Taylor, the Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of Economics at Stanford University, and the George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Professor Taylor, developed the Taylor Rule, and is widely known for his expertise in fiscal and monetary policy, and international economics.According to Professor Taylor, monetary policy is the primary muscle behind inflation rates. In order to understand why simplicity in policy has never been more necessary, Professor Taylor discusses the Federal Reserve System (the Fed), their decision-making methods, inflation rate formulas, the macroeconomic environment in the US, and his predictions for the near future.Professor Taylor dissects the current inflation rate in the United States, where it is heading, the roadmap of a healthy economy, and why "2%" is the number to watch.“Simplification is becoming more and more attractive. The more that the monetary policy can focus on something simple the better.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Roxanne Petraeus, CEO and Co-founder of Ethena, a compliance training platform with intuitive and powerful admin tools, built to make training easy, engaging, and effectiveIn today's episode, Roxanne shares how Ethena is providing a new and improved take on compliance training, emphasizing the importance of action-oriented goals across the company and the need for driving measurable outcomes. She shares experiences of overcoming perfectionism and how her Army service translated to success in entrepreneurship. “Leadership matters. I lead with humility. I ask questions, probe for first principles to better understand the situation. That's how I leverage and benefit from my teammates' incredible expertise.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Special Operations Veteran, musician, and BreakLine participant, Chris Bickel.Chris shares his life story, opening up about how the diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disease recalibrated and ultimately improved his life. He discusses the complexity of living with and healing from invisible disabilities and the reluctance some people have, especially some veterans, towards claiming disability support. He also shares inspiring insights on leadership and the value of supporting those around you. “Not identifying as an operator or as a soldier, but just as me was one of the most valuable experiences of my entire life...Transcending is overcoming the reality of a situation. It's enduring, preserving, and learning about yourself” Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Dan Berschinski, BreakLine Alum, founder of Two Six Industries, and senior consultant at IBM. Dan is an Army veteran. During a combat deployment to Afghanistan, he stepped on a hidden IED. He lost both of his legs. After an intensive recovery, Dan went on to graduate from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and pursue his career in the private sector. This conversation, in celebration of the launch of BreakLine Transcend, our programming designed for people with disabilities, Dan talks about the importance of confronting problems early and managing our expectations of others. He shares how to acknowledge sensitive topics, illuminates the strength in asking for help, and explains why accepting assistance from others is necessary for success. Dan's story is a particularly powerful one. He says, “The more we talk about our differences, the better our society becomes, and the more human beings benefit, and live better lives because of it.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jack Hidary, CEO of Sandbox AQ, an enterprise SaaS company combining AI + Quantum to solve the hardest problems facing society.Opportunities in quantum are vast, as are the revolutionary applications of quantum tech in solving the world's greatest challenges. In today's episode, Jack joins the BreakLine Arena to discuss the third quantum revolution and its real-world applications and implications. Jack breaks down the fundamentals of quantum, explaining its history and its role in our world today and in the future. He shares a myriad of quantum-related job opportunities (no, you don't have to have a PhD). Jack also explains the quantum divide and how SandboxAQ is actively working to bring a diversified talent base into the field. “The universe, at its fundamental level, does not work the way that we humans think it works. About 96% of our universe is unknown. Quantum technologies will be the make or break in drug discovery, clean energy, in cybersecurity, and in so many other key aspects of our society.” Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Chris McNamara, Chief Revenue Officer at Remote, a rapidly growing company on a mission to simplify how companies employ global talent.The world has changed significantly and remote work has become an increasingly familiar concept. Remote leans into this global shift and works to connect talent with opportunity, regardless of location. In this conversation, Chris shares the benefits of distributed work models in addition to his insights on cultivating a positive company culture remotely.“Five years ago, the world was a very different place. Now, the concept of living and working remotely is familiar to all of us and you no longer have to make a choice between your personal life and your professional aspirations. ” Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

 Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Carole Robin, Author of Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships, and Co-founder of Leaders in Tech.Carole Robin is the maven behind ‘Touchy Feely,' Stanford''s celebrated Interpersonal Dynamics course, designed to help students develop the ability to forge strong relationships. Carole distilled the course information into book form, alongside co-author David Bradford, in order to share these valuable skills with the world at large.In this episode, Carole shares the beauty and purpose of feedback and how it is just as much about the giver as it is about the receiver. She explains the importance of connecting across differences and breaks down the three steps towards doing so. Lastly, she talks about how to open the door for difficult conversations with team members and how to suspend judgment and stay curious!“Nothing will serve you more than creating a culture where people will tell each other the truth.” 

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Rahul Roy-Chowdhury, Global Head of Product at Grammarly, an AI-powered writing assistance tool used by millions to help people communicate with confidence and precision.Rahul joined Grammarly with 15 years of product management experience at Google. He believes that now, more than ever, effective communication is vital. In this episode, Rahul dives in on how to apply a human-centered approach to product management and problem-solving, as well as the core strength of empathy in leadership and team-building. Rooted in a mission-driven mindset, he emphasizes the value of building a high-quality decision-making culture through an inclusive process. He shares the message to all colleagues: “you belong.” Rahul closes with the advice to stay focused on the most important things, stay balanced, and savor the journey. “I care about the mission, and I care about the possibility that what I am working on can impact the world. Trying to bring about the world we believe in keeps me going.” – Rahul Roy-Chowdhury

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Larry Liu, Founder and CEO of Weee!, the Largest Asian and Hispanic Grocery Store in North America. The goal of Weee! is to empower customers to share their culture by making finding traditional ingredients easy and affordable. Food is fundamental to cultures across the globe, and many of us formed our most precious memories with family and friends at mealtimes. For immigrants, it can be a challenge to find traditional ingredients that allow them to share their heritage. In today's episode, Larry discusses his experience as an immigrant, how he moved from a stable job in corporate finance to a full-time entrepreneur, and the challenges he faced along the way when building Weee! He describes the importance of the idea behind a company, and why even if he failed, he wouldn't have regretted it. He shares more about how Weee! is helping support immigrant communities during the cultural upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and why food is so key in forming intercultural bonds.“Food is a mirror and a window. A mirror to reflect yourself, who you are, your heritage, but also a window into another culture. The more we share about food, the more we love each other.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Damien Atkins, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Aura, a mission-driven technology company dedicated to creating a safer internet. Damien, an award-winning business and legal executive, joins the BreakLine Arena to share insightful perspectives on life and business. He discussed how to expand your ‘surface area of luck,' shared frameworks for dealing with failure, uncertainty, and risk, and closed with communication pillars that are essential to good leadership. “Too often, people are too passive about creating their own opportunities. Luck is far too important to be left to chance” Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Saydeah Howard, Chief Talent Officer at IVP, a premier venture capital and growth equity firm investing in rapidly-growing technology companies and partnering closely with exceptional management teams. In this episode, Saydeah discussed some of the common recruiting and leadership pitfalls for founding teams, how remote work has expanded access to talent, why people leaders need to prioritize the daily experience of their teams over social media posts, and how the power of practice will enhance your life. (She even wrote a book about it!)Saydeah also holds kindness and empathy as core tenets. You can sense it with her encouragement to stretch for what you really want. "Don't be scared of trying something new. You've done it before. You've had a first day at school or at work where you didn't know any of the acronyms or where the bathroom was. You learned it. You asked questions, you read, you studied, you did what it took to succeed."Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Tammy Nam, COO at Picsart, the world's largest creative platform of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and inspiration from other creators.Tammy believes that changing your perspective can change everything in your life. This outlook allowed her to pivot from journalism to tech early in her career. She also shared that if you have never grappled with imposter syndrome, you likely are not stretching yourself far enough. Tammy is an experienced mentor and reflected on the most common advice she gives, including navigating working relationships, and what happens in the absence of communication. “It only takes one person, one decision, or one move to set you on the right path."Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Dan Brillman, Founder and CEO of Unite Us, a tech company that builds coordinated care networks that connect health and social service providers in order to improve person-centered care.Dan Brillman, a military veteran and entrepreneur disrupting the status quo in the health services sector, joins the BreakLine Arena to share insights on why Unite Us's approach to healthcare has been so successful, the opportunities for modern healthcare, and the importance of long-term goals. Through his work, Dan aims to create once-in-a-generation change within the health sector that will lead to more inclusive and accessible services for all.“From the outside-in, we were able to push the industry forward, and to create generational change.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with David Lu, Co-founder and President at Expo, a software integration platform that centralizes and optimizes data and resources as well as Founder and Managing Partner at Hyphen Capital, a venture capital firm investing in the next generation of Asian American Entrepreneurs.  Dave, a seasoned technology industry thought leader, shares his journey from marketing at big companies like Yahoo! and Apple to becoming a serial entrepreneur. He is also a leading voice in the Asian American community. In this episode, he discusses the biases, norms, and points of friction commonly experienced by Asian Americans in tech. He specifically points to the bamboo ceiling, the impact inclusivity can have on a person or community, and his decision to take a stand and use his influence to promote equality and social justice. “One of the biggest problems we have in this country, the reason we are so divided, is because we don't have enough empathy for other people.”

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Henry Schuck, CEO and Founder at ZoomInfo, a platform that empowers business-to-business sales, marketing, and recruiting professionals to hit their number by pairing best-in-class technology with unrivaled data coverage, accuracy, and depth of contacts. The company's large and diversified customer base consists of over 20,000 customers from global enterprises, mid-market companies, and small businesses. On June 4, 2020, ZoomInfo became a publicly traded company, listing on Nasdaq as one of the largest technology initial public offerings of the past decade.Henry shared the formative experiences his mother imparted to him that ignited his relentless work ethic and the intuition to pivot from an early career in law to co-founding ZoomInfo. Henry's advice spanned funding, storytelling, the importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, and the keys that allowed him to overcome imposter syndrome.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Steve Kalush and Javaria Braden, Solutions Engineers at Blend. Blend is a FinTech company that is re-architecting the banking sector by making essential banking services more secure and accessible.Steve and Javaria share insight about the impact of the customer-centric approach to the Blend business model, setting up a framework for diverse and holistic problem-solving solutions, and the benefits that a diverse team brings to a company. Additionally, hear about how the partnership between Blend and BreakLine helped to find and grow diverse talent and teams.“If you have everyone saying the same thing in the same way, you're not growing and you're not learning.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jennifer Tejada, CEO, and Joe Militello, CPO of PagerDuty, the Saas incident response platform.Both Jennifer and Joe walked unconventional paths toward Pagerduty. Jennifer, a woman of color and a member of a military family, grew up in CPG selling "peanut butter and diapers" before transitioning into the tech sector. Joe served in the Marine Corps infantry before jumping to a career in human resources. They drew from their personal and professional experiences to discuss the enormous advantage of a unique perspective and a beginner's mind. Jen said, “By definition, the tech industry is not particularly diverse, and I think we have been successful because of the fact that we are intentional about inclusive leadership, because we bring people from different, racial, ethnic, gender, age, and vocational backgrounds, and it helps us understand problems through a variety of lenses.” Jen and Joe also share with the BreakLine Arena PagerDuty's recent conversation about vision and mission, character, and the importance of committing to shared values.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Oleg Rogynskyy, Founder and CEO of People.ai.Oleg joins the Arena and shares about the personal impact that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had on him as a Ukrainian native and some of the incredible initiatives he is working on to keep Ukrainians connected. In this episode, Oleg shares his take on the world's first ‘Open Source War', what he did to position President Zelenskyy to communicate with the US government, and the power that corporations have to mobilize technology for good and ‘Walk the walk' by taking actions that align with their culture's values. “What I observed in our culture values — like ‘We take care of our people' — was not just a no-brainer for me. It was a no-brainer for everybody on the team. It made a huge difference.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Reena Ninan, an award-winning journalist, news anchor, podcast co-host, and founder of Good Trouble Productions. Reena joins with an incredible breadth of experience. She reported on the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and worked as a correspondent on the ground during the war in Iraq. Listen for a deeper dive into how she got to where she is now, and the challenges she faced as a South Asian woman. Reena describes the lessons that she learned from being in war zones and living alongside the military, and the advice her father gave her that inspired her to shape the professional space around her. She shares why being kind and listening to people from all walks of life are tenets that she lives by, and how humor is key in coping with traumatic situations. In wrapping up, Reena talks about the current distrust of news in the US, and her advice on finding the truth. Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Derek Lo, CEO of Medallion. Derek joins us on the podcast to talk about his inspiring journey, and the important steps on this path, from founding Py, and then subsequently Medallion, to the people and ideas that have influenced him most deeply. Derek is an anomaly in the startup world, having experienced success at such a young age, and shares what factors contributed to such successes, including all the hard work and sacrifices that he made to get ahead. Listeners can expect to gain some fresh insight into a less common path, with Derek underlining why his natural passion and determination for building businesses is the main driver of his work. As well as some insight to the inner workings at Medallion, covering company culture, hiring philosophy, and much more! Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us at the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Linda Shaffer, Chief People and Operations Officer at Checkr.Linda brings to light the unique combination of skills that have positioned her as a leader in her various roles. She shares her expertise on how fair chance hiring works, and how prioritizing inclusivity can help companies retain employees during the Great Resignation. Listen in to hear more about what people want out of their work environments and why Checkr is so well-positioned to fulfill the higher-level needs of all their employees. Linda reveals the details of Checkr's big future plans, which include international expansion, and more! “What people underestimate is, good communicators spend a lot of time preparing to be good communicators. Writing something that is short and clear usually takes three times as long as writing something long that has all the details in it.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us at the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Matt Abrahams, an educator and coach in the strategic communications field. He is currently a Lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.Matt brings extensive expertise in how we can all optimize our communication practices to better collaborate, influence, and connect with others. He covers best practices in framing your experiences in a way that is relevant to your audience, tactful techniques to reduce anxiety in interviews, and how to build trust and empathy to overcome resistance and breed trust with whomever you are interacting with.“Communication is essential to everything we do in life. It's the way in which we share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. It's the way we listen, appreciate, and empathize with other people. It's critical to invest in those skills.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us at the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Spencer Kimball, CEO at Cockroach Labs, Inc.Spencer shares his insights on some of the key pillars that helped him build a successful business. He discusses the importance of strong early investors, establishing credibility in yourself and in your company, building company culture to strengthen cooperative resilience, and how to effectively capitalize on product market fit.Spencer highlights how important it is to be flexible and keep an open mind to fully maximize growth potential. "My perspective on everything is that ideas are cheap. Execution is extremely hard and it's what's going to differentiate you."Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Payton Iheme, Head of Americas, Public Policy at Bumble.Payton shares her lessons learned from an impressive career spanning from the US Army, Capitol Hill, Facebook and now Bumble. She covers how her international service has lent her a keen perspective of the value of an engaged citizenry, how to exist as an ally that builds bridges to the marginalized, and her focus on building safe and equitable spaces for everyone.“Bet on yourself. Don't wait for an invitation because we are already waiting to welcome you.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you've liked what you've heard! We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.