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Send us a textIn this special episode, we speak with Daphne Li, CEO of Common Sense Privacy, alongside leaders from Prodigy Education, AI for Equity, MagicSchool AI, and ClassDojo—recipients of the Privacy Seal. Together, we explore how the edtech sector is tackling one of its biggest challenges: earning trust through responsible AI and data privacy practices.
Dnešní epizoda míří do světa inovací, ale ne těch, které zůstanou v prezentaci nebo prototypu. Budeme mluvit o tom, jak ve velkém průmyslovém holdingu vznikají nové technologie, jak se rozhoduje, co má smysl podpořit, a co nakonec skutečně funguje v praxi. A ukážeme si to nejen z nadhledu, ale i zevnitř konkrétního produktu, který mění přístup k údržbě a servisu pomocí rozšířené reality. Naším prvním hostem je Bohuslav Přikryl (dále v textu BP), viceprezident pro strategický výzkum a vývoj Czechoslovak Group. Bývalý rektor Univerzity obrany dnes pomáhá určovat technologický směr celého průmyslového impéria. Druhým hostem je Tomáš Novák (dále TN), CTO ve společnostech Lumnio a Pocket Virtuality, které vyvíjejí technologická řešení pro servis a výrobu postavená na rozšířené realitě a umělé inteligenci.
Up first, the ASW news of the week. At Black Hat 2025, Doug White interviews Ted Shorter, CTO of Keyfactor, about the quantum revolution already knocking on cybersecurity's door. They discuss the terrifying reality of quantum computing's power to break RSA and ECC encryption—the very foundations of modern digital life. With 2030 set as the deadline for transitioning away from legacy crypto, organizations face a race against time. Ted breaks down what "full crypto visibility" really means, why it's crucial to map your cryptographic assets now, and how legacy tech—from robotic sawmills to outdated hospital gear—poses serious risks. The interview explores NIST's new post-quantum algorithms, global readiness efforts, and how Keyfactor's acquisitions of InfoSec Global and Cipher Insights help companies start the quantum transition today—not tomorrow. Don't wait for the breach. Watch this and start your quantum strategy now. If digital trust is the goal, cryptography is the foundation. Segment Resources: http://www.keyfactor.com/digital-trust-digest-quantum-readiness https://www.keyfactor.com/press-releases/keyfactor-acquires-infosec-global-and-cipherinsights/ For more information about Keyfactor's latest Digital Trust Digest, please visit: https://securityweekly.com/keyfactorbh Live from BlackHat 2025 in Las Vegas, cybersecurity host Jackie McGuire sits down with Seemant Sehgal, founder of BreachLock, to unpack one of the most pressing challenges facing SOC teams today: alert fatigue—and its even more dangerous cousin, vulnerability fatigue. In this must-watch conversation, Seemant reveals how his groundbreaking approach, Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV), flips the script on traditional defense-heavy security strategies. Instead of drowning in 10,000+ “critical” alerts, AEV pinpoints what actually matters—using Generative AI to map realistic attack paths, visualize kill chains, and identify the exact vulnerabilities that put an organization's crown jewels at risk. From his days leading cybersecurity at a major global bank to pioneering near real-time CVE validation, Seemant shares insights on scaling offensive security, improving executive buy-in, and balancing automation with human expertise. Whether you're a CISO, SOC analyst, red teamer, or security enthusiast, this interview delivers actionable strategies to fight fatigue, prioritize risks, and protect high-value assets. Key topics covered: - The truth about alert fatigue & why it's crippling SOC efficiency - How AI-driven offensive security changes the game - Visualizing kill chains to drive faster remediation - Why fixing “what matters” beats fixing “everything” - The future of AI trust, transparency, and control in cybersecurity Watch now to discover how BreachLock is redefining offensive security for the AI era. Segment Resources: https://www.breachlock.com/products/adversarial-exposure-validation/ This segment is sponsored by Breachlock. Visit https://securityweekly.com/breachlockbh to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/asw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/asw-347
Send us a textScaling past seven figures brings incredible opportunities — but it also exposes new bottlenecks. If you've ever felt like your in-house team can't keep up, or you've struggled with communication gaps and rising costs, this episode will give you a proven alternative.I'm joined by Chris Brown, Partner and CTO at Wow Remote Teams, a staffing and recruiting firm that sources top-tier talent from Latin America for U.S. companies. With nearly two decades of technology and entrepreneurial experience, Chris has built and scaled businesses using agency remote teams that drive efficiency, cut costs, and eliminate the handoff headaches that slow growth.We explore how to build agency remote teams that align on culture, time zones, and performance expectations, while avoiding the burnout and bottlenecks that come from traditional hiring. You'll walk away with practical strategies to structure your talent pipeline, level up your leadership, and scale your agency with confidence.Books MentionedPoor Charlie's Almanac by Charles T. MungerAtomic Habits by James ClearYou can learn more about Chris Brown and his work at wowremoteteams.com. You'll also find him on LinkedIn.Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence. Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success. Special Offer:Get your FREE copy of Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference. Connect with Dr. William Attaway: Website LinkedIn Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube
The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
Shoot us a Text.Episode #1141: Tesla drops a philosophy-heavy master plan that barely mentions EVs. Palmer Luckey becomes the first to fly the Jetson One eVTOL. And McKinsey pushes back on AI job fears with a boost in entry-level hiring.Tesla's “Master Plan Part IV” is here, and it might just be the most philosophical of the bunch. With barely a mention of actual cars, the company appears to be pivoting hard toward artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and an ambitious goal they call “sustainable abundance.”The document positions Tesla as a leader in building tools that "bring AI into the physical world."The original "Master Plans" outlined clear goals: launch EVs, scale production, and push solar. Fewer than 200 words of Part IV reference Tesla's current or future products, with humanoid robot Optimus taking center stage.The plan leans heavily into themes like "Growth is infinite" and "Innovation removes constraints" instead of product roadmaps.Electric vehicles are only mentioned in the context of the past; the future is autonomy, labor automation, and AI computing.Musk has said Tesla's humanoid robots will account for “~80% of Tesla's long-term value.”Tech founder Palmer Luckey just became the first customer to take delivery of the Jetson One — a personal electric aircraft that doesn't even require a pilot's license. And yes, he took it for a spin.The Oculus and Anduril founder lifted off in Carlsbad, CA after just 50 minutes of training.Jetson One is a $128,000 single-seat eVTOL with 20-minute flight time and 63 mph top speed.Luckey's flight kicks off Jetson's official global rollout; 2025 and 2026 models are already sold out.Jetson's CTO says their goal is to “move ground-based transportation up to the air.”At a time when many fear AI will make junior roles obsolete, McKinsey is leaning in the opposite direction. The firm announced it plans to grow North American hiring by 12% in 2026, with a focus on entry-level talent — especially those fluent in emerging tech.McKinsey currently employs 5,000–7,000 non-partners in North America and could grow that number by up to 20% in five years.North America chair Eric Kutcher values younger workers' fluency in tech: “The 20-year-old econ major… is way more in tune.”Kutcher emphasized that while AI may improve efficiency, it frees up teams to pursue growth initiatives — not layoffs.Many CEOs aren't excited by cost-cutting; they're eager to redirect resources toward new opportunities, he noted.“What we will work on will still require the same level of intellect… doing the things that you can't do with machines,” said Kutcher.Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/
In “AI Literacy in Logistics with Gather AI's Andrew Hoffman”, Joe Lynch and Andrew Hoffman, CTO at Gather AI, discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming warehouse operations by using visual data from drones and other machines to identify issues, suggest next steps, and ultimately improve efficiency and accuracy. About Andrew Hoffman Andrew Hoffman is the Chief Technical Officer at Gather.ai, an AI-powered intralogistics optimization firm that empowers 3PLs, manufacturers, and retailers to improve margins and on-time order fulfillment in the widest range of logistics environments - from ambient to cold chain storage. Andrew has technical and leadership experience scaling supply chain-focused robotics companies from founding to exit, with over 20 patents in logistics, robotics, and robot coordination. He was a founding engineer at two supply chain robotics companies which were later acquired by Amazon – Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics) and CANVAS Technology. Most recently, he served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at tech-focused venture capital firm, Xplorer Capital, a Gather AI investor. About Gather AI Gather AI is an intralogistics AI company which collects visual data from drones, forklifts, and connected machines, integrates it with warehouse management systems (WMS) and cloud platforms, and uses AI to identify issues and suggest next steps. Key Takeaways: AI Literacy in Logistics In “AI Literacy in Logistics with Gather AI's Andrew Hoffman”, Joe Lynch and Andrew Hoffman, CTO at Gather AI, discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming warehouse operations by using visual data from drones and other machines to identify issues, suggest next steps, and ultimately improve efficiency and accuracy. AI as a Co-Pilot, Not a Replacement: The podcast reframes artificial intelligence as a collaborative tool that amplifies human capability. Much like a calculator assists a mathematician, AI acts as a "co-pilot" in the warehouse, providing real-time data and insights that enable staff to work more efficiently and accurately. Demystifying Core Concepts: The discussion breaks down key industry terms, clarifying the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) (the broad field of intelligent machines) and machine learning (ML) (the specific technique of systems learning from data). It also defines computer vision as the ability of a machine to "see" and interpret a warehouse environment. Proven ROI and Real-World Results: The episode highlights a concrete case study with Stadium Goods, a customer of Gather AI. By using the company's solution, they increased inventory accuracy to over 99%, reduced "inventory shrink" from 2% to a fraction of a percent, and saved over $200,000 by eliminating manual counting. Actionable Insights from Data: The conversation explains that AI systems learn from data over time, allowing them to transform complex data queries into natural language questions. This helps warehouse staff make better decisions on the fly, such as locating a specific pallet or finding an empty space in an aisle. The Collaborative "Agent": The concept of an "agent" in AI is reframed from a technical term to a collaborative entity. Gather AI's system—the drone, software, and computer vision—works as a partner to the warehouse staff, providing the data needed for faster, more accurate decisions and freeing up employees for more valuable tasks. A Leader with a Track Record of Innovation: Andrew Hoffman's background as a founding engineer at two logistics robotics companies, both later acquired by Amazon, establishes his deep expertise. His journey offers valuable insight into the past and future of scaling technology in the supply chain industry. A Clear Path to Getting Started with AI: For listeners looking to begin their AI journey, the podcast recommends starting with a pilot project to solve one specific problem, such as cycle counting. It also advises seeking partners who offer a comprehensive solution and a clear path to return on investment, rather than just a technology. Learn More About AI Literacy in Logistics Andrew Hoffman Gather AI Gather AI | Linkedin Gather AI | YouTube Gather AI Capabilities 2025 The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube
Up first, the ASW news of the week. At Black Hat 2025, Doug White interviews Ted Shorter, CTO of Keyfactor, about the quantum revolution already knocking on cybersecurity's door. They discuss the terrifying reality of quantum computing's power to break RSA and ECC encryption—the very foundations of modern digital life. With 2030 set as the deadline for transitioning away from legacy crypto, organizations face a race against time. Ted breaks down what "full crypto visibility" really means, why it's crucial to map your cryptographic assets now, and how legacy tech—from robotic sawmills to outdated hospital gear—poses serious risks. The interview explores NIST's new post-quantum algorithms, global readiness efforts, and how Keyfactor's acquisitions of InfoSec Global and Cipher Insights help companies start the quantum transition today—not tomorrow. Don't wait for the breach. Watch this and start your quantum strategy now. If digital trust is the goal, cryptography is the foundation. Segment Resources: http://www.keyfactor.com/digital-trust-digest-quantum-readiness https://www.keyfactor.com/press-releases/keyfactor-acquires-infosec-global-and-cipherinsights/ For more information about Keyfactor's latest Digital Trust Digest, please visit: https://securityweekly.com/keyfactorbh Live from BlackHat 2025 in Las Vegas, cybersecurity host Jackie McGuire sits down with Seemant Sehgal, founder of BreachLock, to unpack one of the most pressing challenges facing SOC teams today: alert fatigue—and its even more dangerous cousin, vulnerability fatigue. In this must-watch conversation, Seemant reveals how his groundbreaking approach, Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV), flips the script on traditional defense-heavy security strategies. Instead of drowning in 10,000+ “critical” alerts, AEV pinpoints what actually matters—using Generative AI to map realistic attack paths, visualize kill chains, and identify the exact vulnerabilities that put an organization's crown jewels at risk. From his days leading cybersecurity at a major global bank to pioneering near real-time CVE validation, Seemant shares insights on scaling offensive security, improving executive buy-in, and balancing automation with human expertise. Whether you're a CISO, SOC analyst, red teamer, or security enthusiast, this interview delivers actionable strategies to fight fatigue, prioritize risks, and protect high-value assets. Key topics covered: - The truth about alert fatigue & why it's crippling SOC efficiency - How AI-driven offensive security changes the game - Visualizing kill chains to drive faster remediation - Why fixing “what matters” beats fixing “everything” - The future of AI trust, transparency, and control in cybersecurity Watch now to discover how BreachLock is redefining offensive security for the AI era. Segment Resources: https://www.breachlock.com/products/adversarial-exposure-validation/ This segment is sponsored by Breachlock. Visit https://securityweekly.com/breachlockbh to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/asw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/asw-347
Mardi 9 septembre, François Sorel a reçu Lucas Perraudin, fondateur de AI Partners et ancien directeur de Meta Reality Labs, Jean-Baptiste Kempf, co-créateur du logiciel VLC et CTO de Scaleway, Cédric Ingrand, directeur général de Heavyweight Studio, Frédéric Simottel, journaliste BFM Business, et Melinda Davan-Soulas, envoyée spéciale à l'Apple Park (Cupertino, Californie), dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne spéciale débrief en direct de la keynote Apple sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.
The mirrors in our apartment got me thinking about affordances and deliberate organizational experience design. Are you making the right things accessible?Join my free livestream: The New Non-Negotiables of Tech Leadership in 2026Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com
Up first, the ASW news of the week. At Black Hat 2025, Doug White interviews Ted Shorter, CTO of Keyfactor, about the quantum revolution already knocking on cybersecurity's door. They discuss the terrifying reality of quantum computing's power to break RSA and ECC encryption—the very foundations of modern digital life. With 2030 set as the deadline for transitioning away from legacy crypto, organizations face a race against time. Ted breaks down what "full crypto visibility" really means, why it's crucial to map your cryptographic assets now, and how legacy tech—from robotic sawmills to outdated hospital gear—poses serious risks. The interview explores NIST's new post-quantum algorithms, global readiness efforts, and how Keyfactor's acquisitions of InfoSec Global and Cipher Insights help companies start the quantum transition today—not tomorrow. Don't wait for the breach. Watch this and start your quantum strategy now. If digital trust is the goal, cryptography is the foundation. Segment Resources: http://www.keyfactor.com/digital-trust-digest-quantum-readiness https://www.keyfactor.com/press-releases/keyfactor-acquires-infosec-global-and-cipherinsights/ For more information about Keyfactor's latest Digital Trust Digest, please visit: https://securityweekly.com/keyfactorbh Live from BlackHat 2025 in Las Vegas, cybersecurity host Jackie McGuire sits down with Seemant Sehgal, founder of BreachLock, to unpack one of the most pressing challenges facing SOC teams today: alert fatigue—and its even more dangerous cousin, vulnerability fatigue. In this must-watch conversation, Seemant reveals how his groundbreaking approach, Adversarial Exposure Validation (AEV), flips the script on traditional defense-heavy security strategies. Instead of drowning in 10,000+ “critical” alerts, AEV pinpoints what actually matters—using Generative AI to map realistic attack paths, visualize kill chains, and identify the exact vulnerabilities that put an organization's crown jewels at risk. From his days leading cybersecurity at a major global bank to pioneering near real-time CVE validation, Seemant shares insights on scaling offensive security, improving executive buy-in, and balancing automation with human expertise. Whether you're a CISO, SOC analyst, red teamer, or security enthusiast, this interview delivers actionable strategies to fight fatigue, prioritize risks, and protect high-value assets. Key topics covered: - The truth about alert fatigue & why it's crippling SOC efficiency - How AI-driven offensive security changes the game - Visualizing kill chains to drive faster remediation - Why fixing “what matters” beats fixing “everything” - The future of AI trust, transparency, and control in cybersecurity Watch now to discover how BreachLock is redefining offensive security for the AI era. Segment Resources: https://www.breachlock.com/products/adversarial-exposure-validation/ This segment is sponsored by Breachlock. Visit https://securityweekly.com/breachlockbh to learn more about them! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/asw-347
In this episode, Sam chats with Loxo's CTO, Ilia Cheishvili, about something hyper-relevant: Natural Language Search. In case you missed it, Loxo just launched NLS — and it's already saving recruiters so much time and mental energy. Throughout the conversation, they explore how NLS allows recruiters to source candidates more intuitively, moving away from traditional Boolean searches that can exclude potential talent. The real kicker? It's becoming increasingly important for recruiters to acknowledge the importance of flexibility in candidate requirements — which leads to the need to cast a wider net in their initial sourcing efforts. As someone who has built the product from the ground up, Ilia shares insights on how NLS can surface the most relevant candidates and improve hiring outcomes — while also addressing common misconceptions about candidate filtering.Long story short: If you've been curious about all the buzz around NLS but need a bit of convincing before giving it a try yourself, you've come to the right place! Explore all our episodes and catch the full video experience at loxo.co/podcastBecoming a Hiring Machine is brought to you by Loxo. To discover more about us, just visit loxo.co
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with three young agri-preneurs who are enacting real change in Africa on World Youth Day during the 2025 CGIAR Science Week. Priscilla Wakarera is the CEO of Rhea. Rhea is a soil health management company that provides farmers with precise nutritional data and tailored recommendations. Allan C’oredo is the Founder and CEO of FarmIT. FarmIT offers precision farm advisory services and market linkages to smallholder vegetable farmers in Kenya. Josephine Adeti is the Co-founder and CTO of Radava Mercantile. Radava Mercantile provides smallholder farmers with market linkages, warehouses, and farmer-tailored credit facilities to help prevent post-harvest losses. In this episode, Josephine, Allan, and Priscilla share their passion for supporting smallholder farmers through enhanced tech integration and insights and how their unique projects contribute to reductions in post-harvest loss, increased soil health, and greater connection between smallholder farmers across the continent. Resources and links: Rhea website Priscilla Wakarera on LinkedIn FarmIT website Allan C’oredo on LinkedIn Radava Mercantile on Facebook Josphine Adeti on LinkedIn Connect: Future Fork podcast website Paul Newnham on Instagram Paul Newnham on X Paul Newnham on LinkedIn Disruptive Consulting Solutions website SDG2 Advocacy Hub website SDG2 Advocacy Hub on X SDG2 Advocacy Hub on Facebook SDG2 Advocacy Hub on LinkedIn This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.
En Empresas con Identidad hablamos con Fran Villalba, CEO y fundador de Internxt, la tecnológica valenciana de privacidad digital que ha cerrado una ronda de financiación de 3,3 millones de euros con la entrada de Prosegur Tech Ventures y Andorra Telecom como nuevos socios estratégicos, y el refuerzo de Angels Capital. La compañía, asesorada por CaixaBank CIB, destinará los fondos a acelerar su expansión internacional y seguir desarrollando su suite de servicios privados y europeos, ya utilizada por más de 950.000 usuarios en 100 países. En Digital Business, Paco González (Core Capital) y Álvaro Palomino analizan la llegada de EasyBitcoin, el nuevo proyecto cripto del fundador de EasyJet, que lleva su filosofía low cost al comercio de criptomonedas. Además, con Gonzalo Ruiz de Villa, CTO global de GFT, conocemos las claves, plazos, ventajas y riesgos del Euro Digital.
Send us a textSpecial Guest: Kristen Costagliola, CTO, SyncroKristen talked about the company's initiatives to support managed service providers (MSPs), while emphasizing the importance of effective patch management for SOC 2 compliance. She highlighted the challenges posed by the increasing complexity of SaaS solutions and the necessity for MSPs to maintain visibility into endpoint compliance. She also addressed the issue of tool sprawl, as the proliferation of specialized tools complicates workflows and can lead to inefficiencies and mental stress for technicians.Kristen provided insights into how Syncro's solutions have improved operational efficiency, citing a nearly 40% reduction in ticket response times, which allows technicians to focus on critical tasks and enhance customer engagement. She also touched on the need for MSPs to automate processes to alleviate pressure on technicians and improve service quality. Kristen encouraged MSPs to evaluate their current processes and tool stacks, particularly in light of the rapid advancements in AI technology, which can enhance security and operational efficiency.Click here for previous interviews with Syncro.
In this episode of One Vision, we welcome Martyna Lewinska, a seasoned technologist, startup advisor, and mentor. Martyna shares her extensive experience in building tech organizations, supporting founders as a fractional CTO, and launching successful products. We discuss the responsibilities and challenges of being a founder, the importance of execution, and the current landscape of implementing emerging technologies like AI. Martyna shares her insights into how companies can effectively adopt new technologies and the transformative opportunities that exist in financial institutions' use of AI. Tune in for a deep dive into the multifaceted world of technology and entrepreneurship.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:46 Martyna's Background and Journey01:42 Building and Launching Products05:02 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs06:01 Challenges and Misconceptions of Founders10:41 Implementing Emerging Technologies15:01 Fraud Detection and Financial Crime17:58 Cultural Differences in Tech Adoption22:27 Looking Back and Looking Forward
דיין נכט הוא ה-CTO של קלאודפלייר, מחברות התשתית החשובות באינטרנט המודרני ובעלת שווי שוק של כ-75 מיליארד דולר. דיין הצטרף לחברה ב-2012 וקיבל את המינוי היוקרתי הנוכחי בשנה שעברה. נותני החסות: הפרק בחסות חברת Cato Networks הפרק עם ישי יובל מקייטו האימייל של ראם
CTO Series: Toni Sallanmaa on Scaling Engineering Teams and Aligning Tech with Business Goals In this BONUS episode, we explore the journey of scaling technology teams and maintaining alignment between engineering and business objectives with Toni Sallanmaa, CTO at Funidata. Toni shares invaluable insights from leading the development of Sisu, a cutting-edge student information system serving over 100,000 Finnish university users, and discusses practical strategies for growing engineering organizations while preserving company culture. The Genesis of Leadership in Technology "I understood what I was really responsible for. I'm interested in the business we are running—the business adds meaning to the work." Toni's approach to technology leadership was fundamentally shaped by a pivotal moment early in his career when he first gained influence over system development and technology choices. After working with large-scale systems for 20 years, this moment of responsibility revelation transformed his perspective from purely technical to business-focused. He emphasizes that infinite curiosity drives success in tech businesses, and understanding the business context gives meaningful purpose to technical work. Bridging the Gap Between Tech and Product "Don't separate Tech from Product. We established a common language between product and technology people." One of Toni's most significant insights centers on eliminating the traditional divide between technology and product teams. As Funidata grew from a small startup to a 70-person organization, the challenges of maintaining alignment became apparent. Their solution involved several key practices: Teaching developers the language of the product domain Banning confusing technical terms that create communication barriers Workshopping product language to ensure clarity Keeping entity names deliberately vague until true understanding emerges This approach draws heavily from Domain Driven Design principles, creating a unified vocabulary that enables seamless collaboration. Collaborative Planning and Transparency "We use transparency as a collaboration technique. Every team sees what's being proposed as a goal for the next quarter." Funidata implements a unique "marketplace of goals" approach during their quarterly big room planning sessions. Rather than using scaled agile frameworks, they focus on transparency and collaborative goal-setting. Teams present their high-level quarterly plans to each other, creating visibility across the organization. Product owners are embedded within teams, keeping communication distances short and ensuring alignment between technical execution and business objectives. Future-Forward Roadmapping "We talk about the higher level ideas regularly, but let them bubble up from the community. We hold internal hackathons." Toni's approach to roadmapping balances strategic vision with grassroots innovation. They maintain an internal technology roadmap that addresses emerging trends like AI, while allowing ideas to organically emerge from the engineering community. Internal hackathons serve as catalysts for innovation, providing structured opportunities for teams to explore new technologies and approaches that might inform future roadmap decisions. Scaling Challenges and Cultural Preservation "The biggest challenge is not technology, it was the rapid scaling of technology teams. When you scale up, keep the culture in mind." The most significant challenge Toni faced wasn't technical but organizational—rapidly scaling teams while preserving company culture. Growing from 10 to 50 people required evolving processes, from establishing internal forums for architectural discussions to implementing continuous integration flows. The key was identifying pain points proactively and maintaining open discussions with team members throughout the scaling process. Strengthening company culture became essential to successful growth. AI's Impact on Software Development "Productivity is on the rise. We see opportunities like generating test data, but we have strict requirements for cybersecurity, which puts pressure on code quality." Toni views AI's impact on software development with cautious optimism. While productivity gains are evident, particularly in areas like test data generation, the stringent cybersecurity requirements in their domain mean that AI hasn't yet significantly improved code quality where it matters most. The technology shows promise, but implementation must be carefully considered within the context of security and quality requirements. Measuring Engineering Success "We use DORA and SPACE framework. We measure how much of our work is KTLO (Keep The Lights On) and how much is elective development." Funidata employs both DORA and SPACE frameworks to measure engineering organization success. From SPACE, they particularly focus on measuring software team wellbeing, while also tracking the balance between "Keep The Lights On" (KTLO) work and elective development. Using JIRA connected to a data warehouse, they mine extensive data that serves both leadership decision-making and team improvement efforts, ensuring metrics benefit everyone in the organization. Influential Leadership Resources "The organizational books have been more influential to me than purely technical ones." Toni emphasizes that organizational leadership books have shaped his CTO approach more than technical resources. Two key influences stand out: "Team Topologies" for understanding how to structure and scale engineering teams effectively, and "Radical Candor" for building authentic, productive relationships within the organization. You can find a BONUS episode on Team Topologies with the authors Matthew Skeltton and Manuel Pais. About Toni Sallanmaa Toni leads technology and engineering at Funidata, developing Sisu—a cutting-edge student information system serving over 100,000 Finnish university users. Passionate about agile methodologies, system architecture, and software engineering, Toni specializes in technology management, software lifecycle, OOP, and relational databases to deliver innovative, scalable solutions in higher education tech. You can connect with Toni Sallanmaa on LinkedIn.
Matt Lynch, CTO and co-founder of Sage, joins the show to share how his team is using modern technology to transform elderly care. From rethinking outdated nurse call systems to capturing real-time data that improves both patient safety and caregiver retention, Matt breaks down the technical and human challenges of modernizing this critical industry. This is a story of mission-driven innovation, scale, and the surprising role data plays in quality of life.Key Takeaways• The aging population is outpacing caregiver availability, creating an urgent need for tech-driven solutions.• Most facilities still rely on fragmented or low-quality data, making it difficult to improve care.• Real-time documentation and streamlined workflows give caregivers credit for their work and reduce burnout.• New technology can deliver results at a fraction of the cost of outdated systems.• Adoption succeeds when tech is simple, resident-driven, and seamlessly fits into caregiver routines.Timestamped Highlights00:34 — Why Sage was founded: the gaps in elderly care tech that inspired three co-founders04:36 — The looming scale problem: a 40% surge in the aging population with flat caregiver growth06:56 — How poor data practices erode care quality—and what synchronous documentation changes12:05 — Why old systems cost 10x more and how modern tools flip the economics18:06 — Giving caregivers proof of their work and reducing turnover with better data21:54 — Lessons in building: why focusing on workflow software beat hardware reinventionA line worth remembering“Caregivers finally get credit for the work they're doing—and that completely changes how families and facilities work together.”Pro TipStart simple. In elderly care tech, the real breakthrough wasn't reinventing hardware but streamlining the caregiver workflow to make adoption natural.Stay ConnectedIf this episode resonated, share it with a friend in tech or healthcare. Don't forget to follow the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss new conversations with the builders shaping our future.
Morgan Evans is a biomechanical engineer, serial medtech entrepreneur, and angel investor. She shares her journey from aspirations of becoming a doctor, to working in mergers and acquisitions at Medtronic, to co-founding/founding six companies, including Agitated Solutions and Avio Medtech Consulting. Morgan discusses the importance of supporting startups in accelerating market entry, the challenges and opportunities with innovative medtech development, and the value of servant leadership. Guest links: www.aviomedtech.com Charity supported: Polaris Project Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com. PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 063 - Morgan Evans [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and today I'm excited to introduce you to my guest, Morgan Evans. Morgan is a serial medtech entrepreneur and investor, which means her passion is launching new businesses. She's a biomechanical engineer by training, went to business school and worked for Medtronic in corporate development before jumping fully into the world of startups. Over the past 10 years, she has founded or co-founded six companies: two medical device companies, two medtech accelerators, and two venture investing vehicles. She spends most of her time with Agitated Solutions, which is developing several innovations related to contrast and ultrasound, and Avio Medtech Consulting, which helps lower the barriers to entry for new ideas and new medtech companies. All right. Well thank you so much for joining us today, Morgan. I'm so excited to speak with you. [00:01:42] Morgan Evans: Thank you again for having me. Pleasure to be here. [00:01:45] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course. Well, I'd love if you wouldn't mind starting off by sharing just a little bit about yourself, your background, and maybe what led you to medtech. [00:01:53] Morgan Evans: Sure, of course. Originally from Houston, I went to school in the Bay Area and studied to be a biomechanical engineer. I originally thought that I was gonna be a doctor, and wanted to start in heart lung transplant of all things. Did an internship between my freshman and sophomore year and quickly learned two things. One is that I love people a bit too much to distance myself emotionally, so it would've really been a hard career for me, I think being on the front lines with that. But the second important thing I learned as well was there was a lot of technologies that existed in the medtech side of the world, just trying to buy people time and give options. And so I fell in love with medtech as a career relatively early. Started working for my first startup in the neuromodulation space before I even graduated undergrad, and loved that. Wore a ton of hats ranging from engineering, clinical commercial. I did some vertical line integrations in there and I started before we were even at 10 employees, left at 55. Thought it was massive 'cause we had middle management. Then toward the tail end of that, started studying to go to business school 'cause I realized I was getting further and further away from my engineering degree. And then I went to Kellogg at Northwestern and when I was there, co-founded my first startup with a clinician that had a great idea, didn't really know how to navigate the regulatory side of the world, and we co-founded that company together. And toward the tail end of that, was recruiting for formal kind of post-business school. Where am I gonna land? What am I gonna do? And decided to go to Medtronic and do mergers and acquisitions within the corporate development team. Did that for about two years. Loved it, learned a lot. The team was great. But big company was a huge change, especially as I just mentioned, you know, I thought 55 was large with middle management. And then you go to 90,000 at the time and deal teams of that. And kind of felt like my calling was going back to startups, so left in 2016 and have been innovating and building companies ever since. [00:03:53] Lindsey Dinneen: Wow. Okay. Well, thank you for sharing a little bit about your background and everything that's led you to where you are today. I really appreciate it, and so I am so intrigued. Okay, so you were on track in, in theory, initially to be a doctor and to go that route and then decided, "Okay, well, maybe this isn't for me," which is so great that you learned earlier rather than later, of course. But so as you were processing through making this transition into medtech and going, "Oh my goodness, there's actually a whole lot here." Were there any particular things that really stood out as being the most intriguing? Were you just kind of interested in the industry as a whole, or were there specific things where you thought, "Oh gosh, I really wanna learn about X, Y, and Z." [00:04:37] Morgan Evans: Yeah. Two things happened in relatively short order that I think landed me in my love, right? The first is, when I was doing this internship, they actually had some preclinical research going on in the basement of the hospital. And I, it's a long story, but I randomly ended up wandering into this place and figuring out it existed, and saw some of the early preclinical research happening live where they actually had a pig that they were trying to induce a heart attack in to then do a treatment for. And this pig actually coded in the middle of the procedure and they literally come out with paddles. And I'm just like, "This is the coolest thing in the world, this is actually how innovation is done and people learn." So that kind of, "Oh, cardiovascular sounds really interesting," was where I originally started. And then, at the time when I was at Stanford, I was playing on the basketball team as well, and I went to a event with some supporters of the program. And the person at my table was Chairman of the Board of a neuromodulation startup, autonomic technologies. And the one thing I at least love that I'm not afraid to ask questions. And so I just was like peppering him with like, "What is this? How does that work?" And that actually led to my first job. And it's kind of fortuitous that you're in the right place at the right time, but then just get exposure, and that was in pain and pain's a hard space. The type of treatment we were doing was treating condition that was known as a suicide headache. And so I think that was helpful to see the impact of the work we can do so early on. And then I, like I said, I've been hooked ever since. [00:06:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, that's great. And those are great stories. I love the synchronicity and how those moments sometimes just play out perfectly and lead you to your next right step. So now you are in a position where you are advising startups, but you have lots of things going on. I feel like when I was looking at your LinkedIn, there were multiple different organizations you're a part of and participating in. So could you share just a little bit about all the wonderful things you're up to these days? [00:06:31] Morgan Evans: Yeah, for sure. So my day job, as I call it, but where I spend by far majority of my time is I am co-founder and CEO of a company called Agitated Solutions. And we say that we're unlocking the potential of diagnostic ultrasound. So we have multiple products that include a contrast agent that's revolutionary and that it has a temporary micro bubble, looking for holes or flaps known as a patent foramen ovale in the heart that's highly associated with cryptogenic stroke. So we have contrast side, and then we also have some software as a way to have better prediction of what our high risk shunts and what could cause stroke. That had a company spin out of it called Moonshot Medical that is more of a traditional incubator where we put all of the IP and ideas that weren't quite ready to be full-blown companies, but we knew there were some things there that I also technically lead. So those are the two that I'm CEO of. I founded a company called Avio, that I'm very passionate about, that is really focused on trying to help get these medical technologies to market faster. The work we do is on the backend of medtech, so quality systems, regulatory, R&D project management. But just in the theory that there's so much paperwork that is behind any innovation, like how do we get better at that paperwork so that we can keep innovators doing what they do best. And then we're just really that helping hand alongside. I joke, all of the things I'm involved in, this was my happy accident. I felt like I was building what I needed for my own startups. Literally no intent of anyone else ever seeing this or offering that as a service. And I just remember distinctly, I woke up one day shortly before my son was born and I was like, "Oh, I think there's actually a business here. Maybe I should run it like one." So that's another one. And then passionate about angel investing in early stage as well. When I fundraised for the first time, I was 29. I'm now 37. I get asked that a lot, although you're not supposed to ask a woman her age. When I fundraised for the first time, especially in these early stage rounds, no one looked like me, both in gender or age. And so I'm one of those believers, "Put your own money where your mouth is," even if they were baby checks to start, they were something. And that's been another area that I also spend some time. [00:08:48] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Wow. Okay. So you've got a lot going on to, put it mildly, which is fantastic. You mentioned something that really stood out to me. You're trying to help these startups bring their medical technology to market faster. And I'm curious, are there maybe one or two things that you see a lot of startup companies perhaps either accidentally overlook, or delay too long, or something like that, where, at the beginning, if they had done X, Y, and Z, they could have gotten their technology to market faster. [00:09:21] Morgan Evans: Yeah, a couple thoughts. One is I think people underestimate the amount of time that it takes to formally document all of the things that go into getting your device compliant and on the market. For example, I've had a client before that came to us that had a product that was working. He had tested it, he'd done all these things and it was a software, and ready to go, and submit to the FDA. And then you're like, "Well, we need user needs and product requirements, and your design schema," which, you know, there is a reason that these processes exist and I think they can make you have a better product at the end of it. But I think, you know, people assume, "Let's build the right product first and then worry how to document it." And then you forget sometimes why certain decisions were made or you know, is this actual requirement or was that done because it was an off the shelf thing? And so there is a lot of learning that I think can be lost by waiting. Now all that said, the other part of it would be that if people kind of shore up too fast, so you overbuild the team, you have a quality person, a regulatory person day one that feel like they need to be doing all of the things and justify their full-time job, then you end up documenting and revising. So there is some healthy balance and tension between the two. So it's not easy to get it perfect. But I would say those are the two areas that come to mind. [00:10:37] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I can see where the polar opposites could be challenging. So staying happily in the middle, working with an expert such as yourself, is a really wonderful way to go about that. You mentioned angel investing and being passionate about helping. It sounded like based on your own experience, you're very passionate about helping the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs in this space create the products and bring what they envision to market. As you've gone about this, and even as you learned for yourself how to fundraise, maybe feeling like, "Hey, nobody else looks like me, is my age," or whatever, what are some learning lessons that you've experienced that you would suggest for somebody who's maybe in a similar situation that you were in? [00:11:28] Morgan Evans: Yeah. Some of it is just to be a little bit fearless, I would say. There's a lot of people that have told me over the years, "Pick one. I don't understand how you do all these things." My least favorite question I've ever gotten is, "Do you ever see your kids?" Yeah. But people ask you that, you know? And I think it's easy to let other people tell you what you should be or what your product should look like or your path should be. And I think I have been fortunate to find some wonderful mentors that empowered me to be my own version. I didn't have an example of someone that had built the things in the way that I had built them or that had a couple of them at one time. But I also knew very confidently that I wasn't dropping a ball and I was doing the right thing by the companies I was building and supporting. And it was helpful to have the army behind me that just loved me for me and supported me in that, in developing it. And I think that next generation of entrepreneur, if you can find the same, that's willing to lean in just for you and there's no ulterior motive other than just to see you be successful, hold on with both hands and then pay it forward to the next one. [00:12:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yes. That's great advice and insight. So when you're thinking about your own career and the companies you're leading, what are some things that you're looking forward to in the future as you yourself continue to evolve and develop your own skill sets and whatnot, and also for your companies that you're leading? What are you excited about? [00:12:59] Morgan Evans: Yeah, I think for me, I'm excited about building that next generation of entrepreneur, which we've talked about a little bit. And how do I influence and build and develop those things without me being the one actively leading them? That's been a new learning that I'm continuing to kind of dabble in and grow personally, which is leading through the art of board work or questions or advising, which is different than leading a company by physically being the head of that company. And thinking about how to train and develop and give people enough of a leash to go and run and be them, but yet have that support system that you're still within their appropriate guardrails that-- I'm kind of mixing metaphors, but I think you get it. You know, it's an art, not a science, and one that I'm enjoying learning and growing and developing in this next phase too. [00:13:53] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, and speaking to that in general, so I'm sure you've had a mixture as most of us have had, of good experiences with leadership and poor experiences with leadership, and I'm curious how that has shaped your own leadership style now, especially as you're in this new phase of further developing your leadership skills to look a little different than perhaps they have in the past. But what do you draw from and what's your inspiration when you've developed your own leadership style? [00:14:23] Morgan Evans: Yeah. As I mentioned earlier, I've had a wonderful network of mentors that I think have really leaned in and and done it in the right way for the right reason. And I hope to emulate that myself, of being there to grow people and the technologies and the businesses that you're doing and giving them those chances to shine. As a leader, I believe very much in servant leadership. I never want someone to work a weekend that I'm not working as well. But then you kind of realize that isn't always feasible and can feel uncomfortable sometimes. And how I've evolved to give other people those opportunities, but recognize I'm not gonna be in the weeds enough to help them in the same way, it's a journey. I'd love to say I'm at the destination. I'm one of those, I love iterative improvement. I don't think I'm ever at a destination. But just really trying to lead through the art of question, for example, as opposed to coming with thoughts and opinions, has been a big one for me in the last couple months in particular. [00:15:20] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So approaching with curiosity, it sounds like in an effort to understand and or provoke even perhaps that person taking additional ownership or responsibility in their own creative solutions to perhaps what they're coming up with. Are there particular questions you've found that are really helpful as you're shaping these conversations, helping people understand their next right step? [00:15:46] Morgan Evans: Yeah, I, it's funny because one of my mentors that's been coaching me on this is, she's kind of had that progression of learning to shift from, in the absence of leadership, lead, to leading someone else through that. I actually text her periodically and ask her for guidance of, "Hey, they came to me with... This is what I would normally say. How do I frame this in a question such that I'm giving them enough direction, but not leading the horse to water." So it the art of the question is in, in fact, itself an art. In general, I would think about asking something in the framework of, "Have you thought about the ramifications of?" or, " What is the key thing that we should focus on this week?" It's almost trying to pick out what I would focus as being the main thematic issue or next step, and giving them enough of a carrot that they can get there, but not quite telling them exactly how it should be done. [00:16:44] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Yeah. So in general those sort of probing questions that might suggest, "Hey, have you thought about X, Y, and Z? Or, what are your thoughts about X, Y, and Z related to this?" And letting them continue to take ownership and responsibility for that. That's really great. One thing I noticed, and I don't know if this is something you currently still do or not, but I was noticing on your LinkedIn that at least at one point you had a Medtech Startup CEO Bootcamp, which just sounds awesome and I would love, if you don't mind, sharing a little bit more about that and what that looks like. [00:17:17] Morgan Evans: Well, the good news is we are doing it, we're doing another one, I think in June. I'm happy to say I don't know the exact date 'cause that means I'm not in it enough to know exactly the dates. So in the spirit of me trying to take myself up a level -- success. But no, it's interesting because I had worked in medtech for five years before business school, went and got a traditional, you know, learning in all things business, right? Graduated, went to Medtronic, did M&A, and then came and did my first startup. And I remember day one it was like, "Do I form an LLC or C corp?" No one had taught me that. And it's funny because, now you can understand the nuance of the question, but I can't imagine how much money I spent on the first attorney. And yes, there's pass through income, but you know, is that appropriate for investors for me to take a disproportionate loss or there's 1202 tax code and all these other nuance. So I started realizing that a lot of just taking the first step where things that you have to learn on your own or find a really awesome board member, advisor, et cetera, to lean in and help you too. Other examples would be, you know, "How much stock options do you normally give your board?" Or, " Should I do a convertible note or a safe? What is a quality system," right? I knew entrepreneurs that had no idea what those things were. So the thought was, "How do I give enough detail to these other entrepreneurs, so where they at least feel that they can ask the right question?" Because to think that I can teach someone the nuance of verification, of validation strategy in an hour or four, versus someone that has done nothing but R&D for 15 years, right? That's not gonna happen. But if you could teach them enough to then say, "Hey, my CTO or contract design partner, should we dry run this test first? Or what test should we dry run?" Right? If we can give those people just enough there to phone a friend, that was the goal of the program. So just giving people that lay of the land and enough of a roadmap. And a lot of this too, like we literally have an acronym sheet because medtech is full of acronyms, and it's funny that like our acronyms can mean something completely different in other people's spaces. And so just even learning the lingo day one, like what's an SOP or CMO or CDO? [00:19:40] Lindsey Dinneen: That's incredible. I love that. That's so great that you have a cheat sheet because I remember that being such a learning curve when I first got into the industry of, " You just said an entire paragraph worth of acronyms and I would love to understand what you're talking about, but I don't yet." so learning how to decipher all of that was great. I'm thankful for it, but yeah, that's wonderful. A cheat sheet sounds fantastic. You know, it's interesting 'cause you mentioned, with this bootcamp, first of all, I'd love that you offer that. What a fantastic offering for anyone in that position who's just needing that support and that extra guidance, and having something that's so specific to the industry is great. Do we just go to your website for details if anyone's interested in that? [00:20:24] Morgan Evans: Yeah, it would be on the aviomedtech.com website. And then I believe there's a tab that is regard to the bootcamp. And yeah, like I said, it's all the stuff that I wish I would have learned or I learned. It took me way too much time and money, that I just want people to know where the landmines are that I had to step on. And if we can just accelerate that learning and that s-curve for the next entrepreneur, we can get these products to market a lot faster. [00:20:50] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. I love that you offer that. You've gotten to have an amazing career where you've been diving into the industry itself and working for other people, and then of course being a leader in your own companies now as well. I'm wondering if there are any stories that stand out to you as really just affirming, "You know, I really am in the right place at the right time in the right industry"? [00:21:12] Morgan Evans: Yeah, it's funny. I don't get to reflect on this very often, but I co-founded Agitated Solutions and I founded Avio within one week of each other. I didn't know, again, that I was building what I was building on Avio's side. But what's been so much fun is that as I build and grow this awesome company, that's being an entrepreneur myself, being able to take learnings where I see them and try to pull them thematically into Avio so that you kind of have that flywheel effect. So I'm learning that I enjoy both operating within these technology companies, but also trying to figure out what of the system, or the process, doesn't make sense. Like I know other people might do it this way, but why? And, being able to innovate on the system and the output at the same time has been super fulfilling for me. And like I said, it's kind of a little bit of coincidence that it was within one week of each other, but that's part of where I've learned for myself that I don't think I'm fulfilled by just being in one company or one thing fully, and in fact, me being in something else is part of what makes me better at the other thing. So I feel really fortunate to have found that and to know where my passion lies. [00:22:41] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. That's very cool. And definitely a gift. And you know how things sort of translate into each other-- I was thinking about this earlier because-- I noticed, and you also mentioned that basketball was, and is as my understanding, a core part of your life. And so you've been both a player, you've been a coach. How has basketball played a role in either life lessons, life skills that you've drawn from it, and or how does it just incorporate into your life? [00:23:11] Morgan Evans: You know, it's actually a really fitting question. So first of all, as an athlete, it taught me I cannot stand to be the weakest link on a team. And when you think about that servant leadership, or that hustle or that grit, I was tall, but I was not the most naturally gifted athlete. And so a lot of where I excelled in basketball was on fundamentals, just solid, putting in the time and doing it. And then I got to the point in my career where I could not outwork other people. I could put all the time in the world in there and I was not going-- like I played behind All American Centers when I was at Stanford, and everybody was an All American coming in to play basketball. And it was a good evolution for me to learn a little bit of "How else can I then play a role if I'm not the most gifted athlete?" and to recognize that a team can function well with all those pieces regardless, right? So I don't need to be the leading score to still have an impact on the team was kind of a good mental awareness of how talent gets pulled together to make effective teams. The other thing on the coaching side, so I actually had career ending surgeries between my junior and senior year. And basketball was, and still is, a big love of my life. And to then have my playing days over unexpectedly was a big transition, and I got to see basketball from the sidelines my senior year. And my job then was to make the other players more effective, to study scouting report, to teach, to try to do what I could to get the team ready, knowing I would never step foot on the court. And if you think about some of the parallels we've already just talked about, which is leading through the art of question or being able to lead and guide, but not being able to be out there, running around with everybody else in and of, in itself is a very similar transition to what I'm going through and continue to go through. I coach young women. I did except for this last year. It's been hard with two kiddos, in particular on my husband, especially, you know, we would do travel tournaments and things like that. But coaching young women too, and realizing it's the end result, but it's also wanting them to be good people and life lessons and skills through it. And how do you have them help respond in adversity? All of that, I think, makes me a better leader, and there's a lot of parallels to the working place, for sure. [00:25:35] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, that's wonderful. And having a gift like that, even when it looks different and morphs over time, I love that you've been able to draw from it such inspiration and application to other areas of life. I think that's really special. Such a cool aspect of being an athlete. So yeah, thank you for sharing about that. [00:25:51] Morgan Evans: Of course. [00:25:53] Lindsey Dinneen: So, pivoting the conversation a little bit just for fun. Imagine that you are to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want-- could be within your industry, doesn't have to be-- what would you choose to teach? [00:26:07] Morgan Evans: I would teach something on scrappiness. From my experience, I think there's a lot of people that would know the industry really well, but the how to get things done atypically for less money faster. And that's some of the thematic elements that I hope I'm-- not for a million dollars-- but, you know, starting to teach in our bootcamp. Some of the belief that I think sometimes you get these companies in medtech in particular that are kind of overbuilt, too much too soon. And now they have a really high burn rate and everybody has to leave, essentially a unicorn exit or bust. And how can you burn down and mitigate risk with little dollars and making sure you're spending your dollars in the right places early on? I continue to learn from others in that too, I should mention, but I think it's an area with a lot of impact. [00:26:59] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And so relevant and helpful for startups that have no choice but to be scrappy and learn how to be creative on a dime. I think that's fantastic. Great. And then how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:27:16] Morgan Evans: Yeah. I hope it's something to do with innovating on technologies that improve and help patients, but also innovating with people and process, that hopefully on all of this, that we're leaving the world a little better than we found it. [00:27:33] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And then final question, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:27:42] Morgan Evans: Definitely my family. I have two kiddos, Marley and Mason. So my daughter's three months, my son is three. And then my husband Matt. It's hard to do all the things that I do without having an amazing support system. And, you know, you can have the hardest, most stressful day and you come home and my son's like, "Do you wanna play with me?" Or, "Let's play hide and seek" or something. And it's just funny how instantly all that stress kind of melts away. Very grateful for my family. [00:28:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, family is such a gift. Wonderful. Well, this has been such a great conversation, Morgan. I really appreciate you spending some time with us today, and thank you for sharing about your life and your story and your advice. I am excited to see how you could just continue to grow and thrive. I love the fact that you are just a total boss with all the things that you're doing. So thank you for contributing your gifts to the world, and gosh, I just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. [00:28:42] Morgan Evans: Thank you again for having me. I appreciate you. [00:28:45] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course, and we are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to the Polaris Project, which is a non governmental organization that works to combat and prevent sex and labor trafficking in North America. So thank you for choosing that organization to support. Thank you also to our listeners for tuning in, and if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I'd love it if you'd share this with a colleague or two, and we'll catch you next time. [00:29:16] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.
Integrity360, one of Europe and EMEA's leading cyber security specialists, has been named as a Representative Vendor in the 2025 Gartner Market Guide for Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR). The Gartner Market Guide provides security and risk management leaders with insights to understand the DFIR market, evaluate trends, refine requirements and identify market players. Integrity360 is listed among 40 vendors globally which, according to Gartner, best represent the DFIR market and attract the most client interest through Gartner.com searches and inquiries. DFIR retainers are increasingly viewed as a cornerstone of cyber resilience, providing organisations with rapid access to expert teams who can investigate malicious activity, conduct forensic analysis, support recovery and perform post-incident reviews. According to Gartner, these retainers are now often required by cyber insurance policies and certain regulations, such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The guide also highlights that the DFIR market continues to grow in response to rising security incidents, with AI integration significantly reducing investigation times and improving incident context. It emphasises the value of providers offering both reactive services - such as breach investigation and ransomware negotiation - and proactive measures including tabletop exercises, penetration testing and readiness assessments. "We are pleased to be recognised by Gartner as a Representative Vendor in the DFIR market," said Richard Ford, CTO at Integrity360. "As organisations face tighter regulatory mandates and increasingly sophisticated threats, we're proud to offer DFIR services which are designed to minimise impact, support recovery and strengthen defences against future threats." Integrity360's DFIR services give clients 24/7 access to incident response specialists across multiple regions, enabling rapid deployment when needed. These services include forensic investigation, malware analysis and breach containment to help strengthen long-term resilience. See more stories here.
It's YOUR time to #EdUpIn this episode, part of our Academic Integrity Series, sponsored by Pangram Labs,YOUR guest is Dr. Jonathan Zimmerman, Professor of History of Education, University of Pennsylvania YOUR cohost is Jason Nicholson, VP of K-12, Pangram LabsYOUR host is Bradley Emi, CTO, Pangram LabsHow does Dr. Zimmerman define academic integrity & why does he emphasize helping students come to their own honest conclusions?What role does faculty engagement play in preventing academic misconduct & fostering genuine learning?How should educators adapt to AI while maintaining the value of authentic intellectual struggle?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then subscribe today to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!
"A colaboração entre o dev e o modelo com a ferramenta adequada é o que traz o melhor resultado" - Sérgio Lopes No terceiro episódio do Hipsters.Talks, PAULO SILVEIRA, CVO do Grupo Alun, conversa com SÉRGIO LOPES, CTO da Alura, sobre como está sendo a real adoção de IA por times de desenvolvimento.
Banks face some of the highest stakes when it comes to IT reliability. Even small disruptions can ripple into regulatory exposure, reputational harm, and major financial losses. Yet many financial institutions still rely on reactive monitoring systems that chase alerts without addressing the root causes of outages. On today's episode of the ‘AI in Business' podcast, Dale Skeen, CTO and Co-founder of Vitria Technology, explains how AI and agentic systems are reshaping IT operations in financial services. Vitria Technology is a global leader in AI-driven operations platforms, helping enterprises move from data analysis to automated action with its flagship VIA AIOps solution. Built for scale, VIA AIOps delivers total ecosystem observability and intelligent automation, reducing downtime, improving customer experience, and accelerating ROI. Dale's appearance goes into great detail on how knowledge graphs improve explainability and trust, how automation is already reducing time to resolution for common failures, and how AI copilots are helping teams tackle the most complex system outages. Dale also shares a roadmap for financial leaders looking to reduce downtime, cut manual toil, and scale toward self-healing IT systems—one sprint at a time. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the ‘AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Vitria Technology. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.
In this episode of The Buzz podcast by ACT IAC, the focus is on our Voyagers program, a leadership development initiative aimed at emerging leaders across federal government and industry. We get to talk with Ankur Saini, CTO at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Robert Turman, Director of Consulting and Delivery at CGI Federal. They discuss their paths to leadership, the vital role of creativity and adaptability, and how participation in ACT-IAC's programs has shaped their careers. The episode also highlights the importance of professional development programs and concludes with the game 'Acronym Wars.' Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode! For more from ACT-IAC, follow us on LinkedIn or visit http://www.actiac.org.Learn more about membership at https://www.actiac.org/join.Donate to ACT-IAC at https://actiac.org/donate. Intro/Outro Music: See a Brighter Day/Gloria TellsCourtesy of Epidemic Sound(Episodes 1-159: Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young CommunityCourtesy of Epidemic Sound)
There are very few people like Stephen Brobst, a legendary tech CTO and "certified data geek," Stephen shares his incredible journey, from his early days in computational physics and building real-time trading systems on Wall Street to becoming the CTO for Teradata and now Ab Initio Software. Stephen provides a masterclass on the evolution of data architecture, tracing the macro trends from early decision support systems to "active data warehousing" and the rise of AI/ML (formerly known as data mining). He dives deep into why metadata-driven architecture is critical for the future and how AI, large language models, and real-time sensor technology will fundamentally reshape industries and eliminate the dashboard as we know it. We also chat about something way cooler, as Stephen discusses his three passions: travel, music, and teaching. He reveals his personal rule of never staying in the same city for more than five consecutive days since 1993 and how he manages a life of constant motion. From his early days DJing punk rock and seeing the Sex Pistols' last concert to his minimalist travel philosophy and ever-growing bucket list, Stephen offers a unique perspective on living a life rich with experience over material possessions. Finally, he offers invaluable advice for the next generation on navigating careers in an AI-driven world and living life to the fullest.
Nicholas Gaudern, CTO of Denmark-based Power Curve, discusses how advanced blade scanning, aerodynamic upgrades, and the AeroVista tool are transforming wind turbine performance analysis. PowerCurve helps operators use real data to maximize AEP and make smarter decisions about blade maintenance and upgrades. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Allen Hall: Nicholas, welcome back to the podcast. Hi. Thanks Allen. Good to see you again. There's a lot going on in wind right now. Obviously the elections that happy the United States are changing the way that a lot of US based operators are thinking about their turbines and, and particularly their blades. I've noticed over the last, even just couple of weeks that. Operators and the engineers are paying more attention to what they're actually getting on site. Nicholas Gaudern: Yes. Allen Hall: Instead of, uh, the sort of the full service agreement where, hey, they're under warranty for two years, I don't really need to do anything for a little while approach. That's changing into, I want to know what arrives on site, what am I getting and what problems are there with these particular blades that I may not know about because they're new to me. Even though these blades, there may be thousands of these blades out in service. Mm-hmm. Me, my company doesn't know. Yep. How they operate. How they perform, particularly at this, this new site, I'm Repowering or, [00:01:00] or building new. That is a complete shift. From where it was a year ago, two years ago, five years ago. Yeah. And I think the biggest performance piece that people are looking at is aerodynamics, and I'm trying to understand how these blades perform, how they move. Yes. What kind of loads there are, what kind I expect over the next year or two. And I think they're just becoming now aware of maybe I need to have a game plan. Nicholas Gaudern: Mm-hmm. Allen Hall: And I, and that's where power curve comes in, is like in the sense of have a king plan. Understand what these plates are all about. Yeah, yeah. And try to characterize 'em early rather than later. Nicholas Gaudern: Yeah, exactly. I think there's been an increased focus on, on data and for operators, as you say, to understand more what they're getting and not necessarily relying on just what they're told. So, uh, I think a nice case study of that is last year we were helping a customer to build a, a digital twin. Uh, of one of their turbine models that they, that they purchased. So what that involved [00:02:00] is, uh, going to site, doing a laser scan of a blade, understanding geometry, helping them to build up some aerodynamic and structural models of that blade. So then that customer was going to build an AEL model themselves of that turbine so that they could run load calculations. They could look at, uh, site specific, uh, changes that could be relevant to that turbine's configuration or how they operated it. And this isn't really something that you saw a lot of, uh, a few years ago, but I think it's great that operators, particularly when they have a larger engineering capacity, are starting to get into that game. Uh, and it's tough because it's a lot of what the OEMs do, it's their kind of specialist knowledge, but there's a lot of smart people out there. Uh, there's a lot of companies you can work with to help gather that data and build these products up. Allen Hall: The OEMs right now are. Lowering the number of engineers. Nicholas Gaudern: Mm-hmm. Allen Hall: Staff reductions. Yeah. Uh,
Faddom is re-envisioning what application dependency mapping and infrastructure inventory can be in the era of cloud and hybrid IT. Join us today on this sponsored episode as we speak with Faddom’s Itamar Rotem, CPO and Ofer Regev, CTO, about how Faddom’s discovery process can help to improve migrations for any size organization and help... Read more »
Faddom is re-envisioning what application dependency mapping and infrastructure inventory can be in the era of cloud and hybrid IT. Join us today on this sponsored episode as we speak with Faddom’s Itamar Rotem, CPO and Ofer Regev, CTO, about how Faddom’s discovery process can help to improve migrations for any size organization and help... Read more »
How are artificial intelligence and robotics transforming the future of surgery? In this episode, we explore why robots make the perfect hosts for AI and how these technologies are changing patient care across every phase of surgery. Watch the video version here. Featuring Dr. Roger Smith, PhD, Chief Strategist at Modelbenders. Dr. Roger Smith is a pioneering technology executive who has shaped innovation across healthcare, military simulation, and defense sectors. As Chief Technology Officer for AdventHealth's Nicholson Center, he led groundbreaking research in robotic surgery and medical simulation. Previously, as CTO for the U.S. Army's Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation Command, he directed the technological advancement of all Army training systems, earning the Commander's Medal for Civilian Service. Currently at Modelbenders, Dr. Smith consults on emerging simulation technologies and medical innovation. In this episode you'll discover: How AI supports pre-operative planning with predictions, preparation, and simulation The role of AI during intra-operative procedures through real-time recommendations, control, and alerts How AI enhances post-operative recovery with personalized insights and continuous learning Which robotic platforms are leading examples of innovation in the OR What the future of AI-guided surgery means for healthcare leaders and providers This episode is designed for healthcare executives, clinicians, and innovators who want to understand the real impact of AI in robotic surgery and prepare for what's next in surgical innovation. Connect with Dr. Smith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogersmithcto Subscribe and stay at the forefront of the digital healthcare revolution. Watch the full video on YouTube @TheDigitalHealthcareExperience The Digital Healthcare Experience is a hub to connect healthcare leaders and tech enthusiasts. Powered by Taylor Healthcare, this podcast is your gateway to the latest trends and breakthroughs in digital health. Learn more at taylor.com/digital-healthcare About Us: Taylor Healthcare empowers healthcare organizations to thrive in the digital world. Our technology streamlines critical workflows such as procedural & surgical informed consent with patented mobile signature capture, ransomware downtime mitigation, patient engagement and more. For more information, please visit imedhealth.com The Digital Healthcare Experience Podcast: Powered by Taylor Healthcare Produced by Naomi Schwimmer Hosted by Chris Civitarese Edited by Eli Banks Music by Nicholas Bach
This episode of the AI Edge Podcast for Enterprise Marketers explores the critical intersection of marketing strategy and technological advancement, specifically focusing on AI adoption through robust collaboration with the office of the CTO.Join hosts Yadin Porter de Leon and Jessica Hreha as they welcome Kit Colbert, CTO of Invisible Technologies, a distinguished leader with over two decades of experience in technology innovation, including a significant tenure at VMware. Kit provides invaluable insights into fostering effective partnerships between CTOs and marketing teams for successful AI integration.Key discussion points include:Topic Objectives: Defining the characteristics of successful collaboration between marketing and the CTO's office in the context of new AI technology adoption, drawing on illustrative examples from VMware's strategic journey.Strategies and Tactics: Methods for marketing teams to discern the strategic intent behind emerging AI technologies, and how to translate complex technical AI capabilities into compelling value propositions. The episode also examines the merits of a "hybrid" build/buy approach for enterprise AI solutions.Teams and Tools: An analysis of the similarities and distinctions between AI transformation and digital transformation, identifying essential new skills and training for marketing teams, and establishing a framework for evaluating AI tools within a collaborative marketing/CTO paradigm.Business Impact: Quantifying the significant business impact derived from an aligned marketing and CTO office on AI adoption, and its direct influence on enhancing customer engagement and driving sales performance.The episode concludes with a "lighting round," offering concise updates on recent developments, projects, or announcements in generative AI and their implications for enterprise marketers. Reach out to us on LinkedInYadin Porter de Leon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/porterdeleon/Suzanne Ambiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-ambiel-a77807/Jessica Hreha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicahreha/Michelle Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-moore-sfbay/Maila Ruggiero: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-ai-la-ruggiero-b5132817a/Contact the show yadin@techvillagemedia.comLearn more about the VMware Marketing AI Council and the global marketing generative AI success. https://enter.amcpros.com/marcom/entry/vmware-marketing-ai-council-innovates-and-empowers/
Topics: Finding Jobs | Building Businesses | Tech Startups | VCs | AI Shidduchim.Guest: Moshe Berish Teitelbaum • Co-Founder & CTO of CherryContact Guest: moshe@teitelbaum.meJoin vShul: https://VShul.org-------------This Episode Is Sponsored By:• Ovel Furniture | https://wa.me/message/RAQGTFSGWJDHB1• Hiring4Less | https://Hiring4Less.com | info@hiring4less.com | Call/Text/Whatsapp: +1845-682-0990• Luxury Kosher Villas | +1305-650-8830 https://LuxuryKosherVillas.com• Appliance Choice | +1845-402-1703• CardRight | Sign Up
Can artificial intelligence make federal decisions smarter? Artificial intelligence is transforming how government agencies train, manage infrastructure, and make critical choices, but with that power comes high-stakes challenges. This week on Feds At The Edge, experts cut through the hype to explore AI's real challenges and opportunities for federal leaders. Joe Cheng, CTO for Posit, highlights the core problem: while getting answers from AI is easy, verifying those answers is much harder. Jaime Fitzgibbon, AI/ML Portfolio at DIU, underscores that when it comes to combat decisions, human judgment must remain at the center. And Chris Ritter, Division Director of Scientific Computing & AI and Director of the Digital Innovation Center of Excellence, Idaho National Laboratory, likens searching for reliable federal data to finding a needle in a haystack, and shares how open-source verification can help. AI's potential is undeniable, but its success in government depends on trust, transparency, and human judgment. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform to learn how federal leaders can harness this powerful tool, without losing sight of its limits.
Faddom is re-envisioning what application dependency mapping and infrastructure inventory can be in the era of cloud and hybrid IT. Join us today on this sponsored episode as we speak with Faddom’s Itamar Rotem, CPO and Ofer Regev, CTO, about how Faddom’s discovery process can help to improve migrations for any size organization and help... Read more »
AI firm Anthropic has raised a $13 billion Series F round that brings its post-money valuation up to $183 billion — funds the company says will be used to grow its enterprise adoption, deepen safety research, and support international expansion. Also, OpenAI announced in a blog post on Tuesday that it agreed to acquire the product testing startup Statsig, and bring on its founder and CEO, Vijaye Raji, as the company's CTO of Applications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Most AI adoption in finance is just automation theater—real transformation requires rethinking entire workflows. George Lee, former CTO and M&A head at Goldman Sachs, explains why AI won't replace bankers but will compress deal cycle times from weeks to days. He breaks down how junior talent using AI companions can eliminate rote tasks while expanding analytical surface area, and why the "Boyle's law" principle means human capital will always find new problems to solve for clients.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The modern enterprise is built on cloud, with most organizations using SaaS for their “horizontal” work horse layers, such as communications, conferencing, HR, and payroll. That makes the enterprise entirely dependent on the good-faith execution and good-will delivery of the cloud providers. Those providers have a huge economic incentive to reliably deliver software – but... Read more »
Our airwaves are alive with radio frequencies (RF). Right now billions of devices around the world are chattering invisibly over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other protocols you might not have heard of. On today’s show we peer into the invisible world to better understand the RF threat environment. Our guest is Brett Walkenhorst, CTO of... Read more »
Bhaskar Ghosh, Partner at 8VC, reflects on his journey from Calcutta to Silicon Valley, spanning influential roles at Oracle, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and NerdWallet before moving into venture capital. Now a leader at 8VC, BG introduces his “geometry framework” (persona, product, budget) for enterprise startups, shares insights on the opportunities in generative AI and data infrastructure, and talks about why managing uncertainty is the core skill in zero-to-one journeys. He also emphasizes intentional networking, the long-term nature of venture relationships, and his deep passion for music through his support for Ragas Live.In this episode, you'll learn:[01:56] BG's early journey from Calcutta to Silicon Valley and his career in academia, Yahoo, Oracle, LinkedIn, and NerdWallet[06:10] Why he calls himself a “secondhand entrepreneur” and what excites him most about venture capital[11:22] 8VC's focus areas and why incubation is core to the firm's strategy[14:05] The “geometry framework” for evaluating enterprise startups: persona, product, budget[19:30] Where BG sees opportunity in generative AI: orchestration, knowledge graphs, semantic layers, observability[25:12] Why networking must be intentional and based on service, not transactions[28:34] BG's advice to founders on standing out and building authentic investor relationshipsThe non-profit Bhaskar is passionate about: SACSA (Society for Arts and Culture of South Asia)About Bhaskar GhoshBhaskar Ghosh (BG) is a Partner at 8VC, where he leads investments in enterprise software, AI, data infrastructure, fintech, and healthcare, while incubating multiple startups. Previously, he held senior roles at Oracle and Yahoo, was the founding head of data infrastructure at LinkedIn, and served as CTO at NerdWallet, helping scale it to IPO. BG holds a PhD in Computer Science from Yale and is passionate about helping founders navigate zero-to-one journeys. Outside venture, he is deeply engaged in Indian classical music and supports community initiatives like Ragas Live.About 8VC8VC is a venture capital firm with approximately $7B in assets under management, investing in transformative technologies across enterprise software, AI, healthcare, logistics, fintech, and defense. With offices in Austin and San Francisco, 8VC partners with early-stage founders and also dedicates significant capital to incubation—building new companies alongside entrepreneurs. Its mission is to back ambitious founders solving global problems with scalable, science-driven solutions. 8VC's portfolio includes category-defining startups that are shaping industries and tackling global challenges, including DataHub, Yugabyte, LightBeam, Tezi, OpenGov, Nile, AI21 Labs, AMP, Bedrock Robotics, 180° Insurance, Cambium, Candid Health among others.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.
Our airwaves are alive with radio frequencies (RF). Right now billions of devices around the world are chattering invisibly over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other protocols you might not have heard of. On today’s show we peer into the invisible world to better understand the RF threat environment. Our guest is Brett Walkenhorst, CTO of... Read more »
“HR Heretics†| How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies
Dear Heretics is back! Kelli and Nolan explore strategic board engagement for people leaders, covering presentation frameworks, relationship building, and navigating the delicate balance between board influence and CEO loyalty.For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, we talk to David Heinemeier Hansson (aka DHH), creator of Ruby on Rails and co-owner & CTO of 37signals. He critiques DEI implementation and workplace wokeness, advocates political neutrality at work, and outlines his organizational philosophy emphasizing minimal management, creative constraints, and HR as leadership firewall.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:48) Dear Heretics: The Board Question(01:15) There Is No Best Practice(02:38) Know Your Level (Don't Be 27 at DoorDash)(03:49) If You Don't Set Strategy, Someone Else Will(05:34) The Carta Framework: Show Value, Ask for Help(06:30) Earn the Right Through Your CEO(07:28) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(10:00) Board Presentation Framework(11:00) Run It Like a Business: The QBR Method(11:51) Building Board Relationships: Start Early(13:00) They're Just F*cking People(14:00) Board Members Are Your Career Funnel(15:50) Start With One: The Relationship Strategy(17:16) The Loyalty Warning: Team CEO, Period(19:32) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com
Episode SummaryMachine learning has been around for decades, but as it evolves rapidly, the need for robust security grows even more urgent. Today on the Secure Developer, co-founder and CEO of Mindgard, Dr. Peter Garraghan, joins us to discuss his take on the future of AI. Tuning in, you'll hear all about Peter's background and career, his thoughts on deep neural networks, where we stand in the evolution of machine learning, and so much more! We delve into why he chooses to focus on security in deep neural networks before he shares how he performs security testing. We even discuss large language model attacks and why security is the responsibility of all parties within an AI organisation. Finally, our guest shares what excites him and scares him about the future of AI.Show NotesIn this episode of The Secure Developer, host Danny Allan welcomes Dr. Peter Garraghan, CEO and CTO of Mindgard, a company specializing in AI red teaming. He is also a chair professor in computer science at Lancaster University, where he specializes in the security of AI systems.Dr. Garraghan discusses the unique challenges of securing AI systems, which he began researching over a decade ago, even before the popularization of the transformer architecture. He explains that traditional security tools often fail against deep neural networks because they are inherently random and opaque, with no code to unravel for semantic meaning. He notes that AI, like any other software, has risks—technical, economic, and societal.The conversation delves into the evolution of AI, from early concepts of artificial neural networks to the transformer architecture that underpins large language models (LLMs) today. Dr. Garraghan likens the current state of AI adoption to a "great sieve theory," where many use cases are explored, but only a few, highly valuable ones, will remain and become ubiquitous. He identifies useful applications like coding assistance, document summarization, and translation.The discussion also explores how attacks on AI are analogous to traditional cybersecurity attacks, with prompt injection being similar to SQL injection. He emphasizes that a key difference is that AI can be socially engineered to reveal information, which is a new vector of attack. The episode concludes with a look at the future of AI security, including the emergence of AI security engineers and the importance of everyone in an organization being responsible for security. Dr. Garraghan shares his biggest fear—the anthropomorphization of AI—and his greatest optimism—the emergence of exciting and useful new applications.LinksMindgard - Automated AI Red Teaming & Security TestingSnyk - The Developer Security Company Follow UsOur WebsiteOur LinkedIn
The modern enterprise is built on cloud, with most organizations using SaaS for their “horizontal” work horse layers, such as communications, conferencing, HR, and payroll. That makes the enterprise entirely dependent on the good-faith execution and good-will delivery of the cloud providers. Those providers have a huge economic incentive to reliably deliver software – but... Read more »
In this episode, Teresa Williams, COO of Dental Express, and Alan Rencher, CTO of Henry Schein One, discuss how DSOs are using data, cloud technology, and streamlined operations to stay nimble, improve patient access, and scale sustainably in a changing dental landscape.This episode is sponsored by Henry Schein One.
Is AI truly delivering ROI, or are we just “burning tokens”? In this episode of The Effortless Podcast, Amit Prakash and Dheeraj Pandey unpack the MIT report that sparked debate on AI's real impact and revisit the timeless dilemma of whether to build or buy.They frame the conversation through a pyramid of adoption—from global enterprises with engineering armies, to mid-market firms that buy and configure, to SMBs seeking plug-and-play simplicity. Along the way, they explore the economics of “Supernovas” vs. “Shooting Stars” in AI startups, the integration struggles holding back the mid-market, and the consulting-heavy pitfalls of enterprise “project thinking.”This candid discussion reflects on lessons from the dot-com era, the stubbornness of leaders like Jeff Bezos and Reed Hastings, and why iteration—not initial insight—defines whether AI experiments evolve into durable products.Key Topics & Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: Framing “Agent Season” and the MIT report02:00 – The ROI Question: Burning tokens or building value?03:00 – Why Iteration Matters More in AI Than Traditional Software04:30 – The Pyramid of Adoption: Enterprises, Mid-Market, SMBs08:00 – SMBs, Plug-and-Play AI, and Startup Archetypes12:00 – Supernovas vs. Shooting Stars: Startup Economics15:00 – Dot-Com Parallels and the Role of Cheap Capital18:00 – Disillusionment and the Stubbornness of Leadership21:00 – Infrastructure and Iteration Speed: Microsoft vs. Google30:00 – Mid-Market Struggles: Integration and Context Problems36:00 – A Warehouse for Work: RAG, Indexing, and Workflows41:00 – The Consulting Trap in Enterprises46:00 – Projects vs. Products: The Cultural Divide51:00 – Internal Apps, Workflows, and the “Build” Mentality53:00 – Adoption, Habits, and the Design Challenge55:00 – Design Partnerships as Lifelines57:00 – Final Reflections on the MIT Report & AI's FutureHosts:Dheeraj Pandey – Co-founder and CEO at DevRev, former Co-founder & CEO of Nutanix. A tech visionary with deep interest in AI, systems, and the future of work.Amit Prakash – Co-founder and CTO at ThoughtSpot, former engineer at Google AdSense and Microsoft Bing, with extensive expertise in distributed systems and machine learning.Follow the Hosts:Dheeraj Pandey:LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpandey/Twitter/X – https://x.com/dheerajAmit Prakash:LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-prakash-50719a2/Twitter/X – https://x.com/amitp42Share Your Thoughts:Have questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at EffortlessPodcastHQ@gmail.comDon't forget to Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of AI, technology, and innovation.
En este episodio de Road to CTO conocemos la historia de Francesc Pla, actual CTO de SeQura, que pasó de vivir despidos surrealistas en sus primeros años de carrera a liderar un área de tecnología con más de 100 personas. Francesc comparte cómo afrontó momentos críticos, qué aprendió de aquellas experiencias y cómo esas lecciones marcaron su forma de construir equipos sólidos, felices y justos.Una charla de Àlex Rodríguez Bacardit con Francesc Pla sobre cultura, liderazgo y mentalidad: desde cómo escalar un equipo de 6 a más de 100 sin perder valores, hasta la importancia del high agency, la autonomía y la equidad salarial en el mundo tech. Una conversación imprescindible para cualquiera que aspire a ser CTO o quiera entender qué significa realmente liderar tecnología en una startup de alto crecimiento.Support the show
Risks are unavoidable in our day-to-day work. Yet many of us need some "calibration" of our treatment of risks. Many tech-oriented people have a risk appetite that differs from the company's, resulting in missed opportunities and a slower pace. Let's help you address that in this week's episode.Check out Unplugged with Aviv.Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com
Summary In this episode, Wayne Marcel speaks with Eugene and Alex from Palma about their innovative wallet solution tailored for the African market. They discuss their backgrounds in crypto, the unique challenges faced in Africa regarding financial access, and how Palma aims to bridge the gap with a hybrid wallet model. The conversation also touches on the role of AI in development, the importance of education in crypto adoption, and the future plans for Palma as they aim to reach a significant user base. Learn more about Palma and download the wallet: https://palmawallet.com/ Takeaways Eugene has been in crypto since 2017, founding EOS Stripe and building various wallets. Palma Wallet addresses unique challenges in Africa's payment systems. Alex transitioned from a developer to a CTO to focus on company growth. Financial access is a primary goal for Palma Wallet. Education and trust are crucial for crypto adoption in Africa. AI has significantly reduced development time for Palma Wallet. Palma Wallet supports offline payments similar to M-Pesa. The app is designed to be accessible even on basic phones. Palma aims to reach 50K users by the end of the year. The founders emphasize the importance of understanding local markets. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Palma and Its Founders 02:51 Eugene's Journey in Crypto and Wallet Development 05:44 Alex's Background and Vision for Palma 08:55 Unique Features of Palma Wallet 11:49 Challenges of Cryptocurrency in Africa 14:40 The Role of Education and Trust in Crypto Adoption 17:32 Building Trust and Peer-to-Peer Transactions 20:32 AI's Impact on Wallet Development 23:24 Future Plans for Palma Wallet 26:30 Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Yet another summer is wizzed by with a jet speed. With a few days left, we want to signify this moment by sharing with you yet another App Talk interview from App Promotion Summit London 2025, this time with Rui Mateus, CTO of Mobrand. At the interview, Rui brilliantly laid out the state of programmatic advertising for mobile apps. He touched on the need for control and transparency in programmatic, the performance-based model, scaling and rebranding, ad fraud challenges, the role of AI in programmatic, and more. Today's topics include: Control and transparency in programmatic: why marketers now demand visibility into KPIs, performance, and audience targeting rather than just raw results. Performance-based model: Mobrand's approach of charging advertisers only when quality users take meaningful in-app actions. Technology as core DNA: Mobrand building its own bidder, using open RTB, and positioning itself as a tech company in the ad tech ecosystem. Scaling and rebranding: maintaining momentum, keeping a lean but skilled team, and presenting Mobrand as a premium partner for app developers. Ad fraud challenges: the scale of invalid traffic, detecting fraud through behavioural analysis, and the constant “arms race” with fraudsters. Role of AI in programmatic: lowering entry barriers, enabling better audience modelling, and driving higher quality performance for advertisers. Expansion of programmatic channels: growth in connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home, and cross-channel strategies. Client focus: subscription apps, gambling, and finance apps with long conversion funnels where performance and quality users are critical. Future vision: becoming a one-stop shop for app developers, simplifying promotion, and delivering seamless growth without unnecessary complexity. Links and Resources: Rui Mateus on LinkedIn Mobrand website Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry Quotes from Rui Mateus “I consider that Mobrand is not necessarily a marketing company. It's a tech company. We have a very big technological background, and when you have the technology, you have the control — and then you can give that to the companies you're working with.” “Our biggest challenge with programmatic at the moment is the amount of invalid traffic that exists on the bidstream. You think you are bidding on real users and you are not. There is a lot of bots making the whole flow as if they were users” “Our objective is to be an alternative for app developers and to provide real value. We want to cut a little bit of the complexity of this market and build a platform where everything is as seamless as possible.” Host Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012
A whistle-blower claims DOGE uploaded a sensitive Social Security database to a vulnerable cloud server. Allies push back against North Korean IT scams. ZipLine is a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting U.S.-based manufacturing. Researchers uncover a residential proxy network operating across at least 20 U.S. states. Flock Safety license plate readers face increased scrutiny. A new report chronicles DDoS through the first half of the year. LLM guard rails fail to defend against run-on sentences. A South American APT targets the Colombian government. Our guest is Harry Thomas, Founder and CTO at Frenos, on the benefits of curated and vetted AI training data. One man's fight against phantom jobs posts. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Our guest today is Harry Thomas, Founder and CTO at Frenos, talking about the benefits of curated and vetted AI training data. Learn more about the Frenos and N2K Networks partnership to utilize industry validated intelligence to build the first AI native OT security posture management platform. Selected Reading DOGE Put Critical Social Security Data at Risk, Whistle-Blower Says (The New York Times) Governments, tech companies meet in Tokyo to share tips on fighting North Korea IT worker scheme (The Record) ZipLine Campaign: A Sophisticated Phishing Attack Targeting US Companies (Check Point Research) Phishing Campaign Targeting Companies via UpCrypter (FortiGuard Labs) Belarus-Linked DSLRoot Proxy Network Deploys Hardware in U.S. Residences, Including Military Homes (Infrawatch) CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide (404 Media) Evanston shuts down license plate cameras, terminates contract with Flock Safety (Evanston Round Table) Global DDoS attacks exceed 8M amid geopolitical tensions (Telecoms Tech News) One long sentence is all it takes to make LLMs misbehave (The Register) TAG-144's Persistent Grip on South American Organizations (Recorded Future) This tech worker was frustrated with ghost job ads. Now he's working to pass a national law banning them (CNBC) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices