A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world

About Kevin

Kevin Dean has over two decades of experience in business process automation, CRM, and intelligent automation, driving substantial growth for enterprises. He holds a degree in Data Science and Analytics, and his data-driven approach has optimized sales, marketing, and customer service processes, making ManoByte a trusted partner for enhancing customer experiences. Kevin is a renowned keynote speaker on automation and digital transformation.

Today We Talk About

Automation

AI

Spreadsheets and Dos... oh my

AI for Automation

Success Stories

AI at the Doctor's office

Privacy

Assume you're being recorded

AI for Software Engineers

Data Security

Connect with Kevin

LinkedIn

Website

 

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#1 in Technical Leadership

About Shashank

Shashank Kapadia is a forward-thinking AI leader who goes beyond the “what” of AI to delve into the “why” and “how.” Over the past decade, he has delivered large-scale, high-impact ML solutions across Fortune 1 and Fortune 500 organizations—optimizing revenue, elevating userengagement, and redefining personalization for millions of global users.

Drawing on his valedictorian background in Operations Research from Northeastern University, Shashank has a proven track record bridging research and practice to deploy next-generation NLP, Deep Learning, and Reinforcement Learning systems. Yet Shashank’s impact goes far beyond algorithmic breakthroughs. As a champion for ethical AI, he infuses fairness, transparency, and responsible innovation into every project, balancing business growth with social accountability. A published researcher and council memberat leading AI institutes, he regularly speaks at global conferences, demystifying advanced AI techniques and guiding teams towardsustainable solutions. Through his articles on Substack, Medium, and LinkedIn, Shashank actively debunks AI hype, illuminates true innovation, and charts the future of responsible AI adoption—empowering businesses and communities to harness AI’s transformative power without compromising on ethics.

Shashank Kapadia's comments and opinions are provided in their personal capacity and not as a representative of his present or past employers.  They do not reflect the views of these companies, including Walmart, Randstad and Monster) and are not endorsed by them.

Today We Talk About

Shashank's background

ML vs. AI

What is the problem we're trying to solve... tools and techniques

Regulations

Ethics

Data growth

Using LLMs internally

Learning. 

Connect with Shashank

LinkedIn

Medium

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#1 in Technical Leadership

About Lucy

Lucy Adams is a trailblazing visionary in people management and leadership, with over 15 years of experience revolutionizing how organizations empower and inspire their teams. As the former HR Director at the BBC, Lucy led with exceptional strategic insight during a transformative era, steering the organization through a high-stakes site relocation, complex executive transitions, and ambitious cost-saving initiatives—all while fostering resilient, high-performing teams that thrived under pressure.

Renowned for her innovative approach, Lucy has driven groundbreaking change by simplifying management processes, cultivating dynamic, performance-driven cultures, and delivering substantial organizational efficiencies. Her leadership extends across diverse sectors, where she has expertly guided teams through disruption, equipping them with tools to excel in fast-paced, evolving environments.

As the bestselling author of *HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different*, Lucy challenges conventional HR practices, advocating for bold, adaptive strategies that align with modern workforce dynamics, technological advancements, and organizational demands. Her insights have reshaped the global conversation around people management.

Now, as the CEO of Disruptive HR, Lucy is redefining the art and science of leadership. With her unrivaled expertise and passion, she inspires leaders worldwide to embrace change, unlock potential, and build thriving workplaces in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Today We Talked About

Lucy's background

Distruptive HR

Performance Reviews

What are you working on?

How can I help?

How are you feeling?

Leaders

Policies

Leadership Develoment Programs vs. Mentorships

Scenario based Leadership Development

Speakup Session

Leadership Practices

Coach your team

Show Appreciation

Lead with Trust

Connect with Lucy

LinkedIn

Podcast

Website

Book

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#1 in Technical Leadership

About Radhika

Radhika Paliwal, a Real Estate Investor, Computer Engineer, Speaker, and Personal Finance Enthusiast, shares her journey from financial confusion to financial success. After realizing the limitations of a "good" degree and job, she took control, eliminating debt, crafting a lifestyle budget, investing in stocks, and acquiring real estate. Radhika's guide is a comprehensive resource born out of the belief that anyone can build wealth with the right tools, offering a time-saving roadmap for independent financial success.

Today We Talked About

Radhika's background

Leadership

Financial Success

Advice for savings

Automate it

Keeping up with the Jones'

Self-reflection

"Some of the most successful people are slowing down, not speeding up..."

Burnout

Daily Checkin

401K vs Roth IRA

Match your Employer

Most Millionaires have 7 streams of income.

Real Estate

Investing in Real Estate with low or no money down.

Create a 5 year plan.

Life isn't something that happens to you... you can choose.

The "right time to start"

Connect with Radhika

Website

Twitter

Linkedin

Book

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I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

#1 in Technical Leadership

About Ben

Benjamin Johnson is a serial technical co-founder with a track record of success and hands-on open-source programming experience. He has a wide range of being both a board-level advisor and founder but also an in-depth understanding of how things work. Through his 20+ years as a software developer and leader, he has gained extensive experience with remotely distributed development teams and business hacks.

Benjamin is the CEO & Founder of Particle41, a dev firm founded by industry veterans that aims to help companies accelerate their initiatives through Software Development, DevOps, and Data Science.

With a constant focus on results and ways to improve, Benjamin is having fun building highly scalable and highly secure applications.

Today We Talked About

Background

The Name of Particle

3Vs - Visibility, Velocity, Vision

Special Operations Teams for Tech

OKRs and Smart Goals, KPIs, etc.

Velocity

Staff Augmentation vs. Solution Outcomes = Mission Aligned Teams

Questions Preceed Clarity

Dependability

Culture

Imposter Syndrom

Adaptability

Resourcefulness

Connect with Ben

LinkedIn

Website

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#1 in Technical Leadership

About Keith

Dr. Keith D. Dorsey is a board member, researcher, and speaker focused on executives’ pathways to corporate board service. Founder of the Boardroom Journey, he empowers professionals to navigate their path to the boardroom. Author of The Boardroom Journey (Wiley), published in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and Directors & Boards, he writes extensively on leadership, governance, and board effectiveness. His research explores the structural and strategic factors that shape board selection, diversity, and corporate leadership pipelines.

As the Senior Advisor and former Managing Partner and Practice Leader of CEO & Board Services at a global executive search firm, Keith has worked with corporate boards and leadership teams to identify and develop top-tier governance talent. Keith has spent over two decades as a growth strategist at Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies.

His expertise extends beyond research and consulting—he is an active board member and sought-after speaker on boardroom strategy and composition, leadership resilience, and the evolving role of corporate governance in today’s business landscape.

Keith holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California and is a recognized voice on the intersection of leadership, governance, and diversity. He currently serves as an advisor to executives and organizations seeking to strengthen board effectiveness and navigate the complexities of governance in an ever-changing corporate environment.

He splits his time between research, writing, board service, and advising senior leaders on securing board opportunities that align with their expertise and impact.

Today We Talked About

Keith's background

US Airforce

Corporate America

Boardroom Journey

What to do differently?

Diversity in Boards

Be intential about being on a board

Get Operational Experience

Reverse Engineer your goal

Have Courage

Connect with Keith

Book

LinkedIn

Website

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I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

#1 in Technical Leadership

About Katharine

With over three decades of entrepreneurial success and the remarkable ability to overcome life-threatening health challenge, Katharine Loucaidou is a powerhouse of resilience and innovation. From founding successful businesses to revolutionizing the coaching industry with her groundbreaking AI platform, Katharine AI, she empowers entrepreneurs and leaders to reach unprecedented heights.

Her book, AI Secrets for Unstoppable Business Success & Life Hacks, offers transformative strategies, blending her vast expertise with cutting-edge technology. She is also the host of the widely streamed Mindset Medicine Podcast, where her insights on mindset, performance, and business inspire a global audience. Katharine’s journey is a testament to the power of an unyielding spirit, making her sought-after speakers and coach who inspires relentless success.

Today We Talked About

Katharine's background

Using Tech and Analyitcs

Video Marketing

Podcast

AI

Prompts that help

Katherine AI

ReadAI

Using AI for growth

Improve your prompts

Ask AI what it needs to know first

Give it context

Ask AI to "poke holes in my thinking"

Switching beteween different AI tools for different purposes and styles

Connect with Katharine

LinkedIn

Website

Book

Mindset Medicine Podcast

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I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

#1 in Technical Leadership

About Nate

Nate Dinet is the founder and CEO of The Step Manager. With over 15 years dedicated to advocating for employees, Nate developed The Step Manager to provide accessible and affordable promotion and management coaching. His goal is to empower professionals to advance their careers and achieve work-life balance. This initiative reflects his commitment to fostering professional growth and operational excellence across various industries, including technology, sports/entertainment, and financial services. While Nate’s primary focus these days is advocating for individual contributors and middle managers everywhere, he also brings significant experience in tech startups and organizational transformations. Nate has led teams and products to market, improved organizational efficiency, and driven growth. A classic jack-of-all-trades, his background in consulting and product management helps clients drive their initiatives forward and, in his words, ‘get shit done.'

Today We Talked About

Nate's background

Framework for managing teams

The Step Manager

Burnout

Building Confidence

Communication

Leadership

Agile/Scrum

Output vs. Outcomes

Reflection and Retrospectives

Managing your WIP limits

Building Great Teams

Defining Career Ladders

One-on-one agenda

Connect with Nate

Website

LinkedIn

Leave me a tip $

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I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

#1 in Technical Leadership

About Kathy

Kathy Oneto is an executive and life-work coach, speaker, and facilitator who helps ambitious individuals and organizations explore how to live and work differently for greater success, satisfaction, and sustainability. With a portfolio career, she is also a strategy executive who bridges her two worlds applying strategic approaches to life and work decisions and practices. Kathy is the founder of Sustainable Ambition® and host of the Sustainable Ambition podcast. As a strategist, Kathy has had a twenty-five-year career working across business, branding, innovation, and talent. In her work today, she partners with ambitious organizations and leaders to illuminate and make progress on what matters, helping them do better for their business, customers, and people. You can learn more here. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a B.S. in commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School. She is certified in the Co-Active Coaching Model and by the International Coaching Federation.

Her writing has appeared in Fast Company, Brandingmag, and MediaPost, and she’s been a guest lecturer at the business schools at Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, Duke University, and the University of Colorado. As a former triathlete and marathon runner, Kathy embodies the principles she teaches. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and the fog, where she builds her resilience outdoors. Her approach to life mirrors her work: finding joy in the journey while pursuing sustainable fulfillment across life and work.

Today We Talked About

Kathy's background

Work-life Balance Myth

Sustainability

Ambition

Life-Work Sustainability

When is the "Right" Time

Season of your life

Burnout

Breaks

Pomodora

Vacation and Downtime

Restoration

Soul Days

Setting Expectations and Norms for communication and availability

Defining Success on your terms

"You" Curve of Ambition

 

Connect With Kathy

LinkedIn

Website

Book

Podcast

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I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

#1 in Technical Leadership

About Melissa

Melissa Dinwiddie is on a mission to help leaders and teams turn the "impossible" into reality by uncovering their creative potential. A Juilliard-trained dancer, professional artist for 15 years, jazz singer-songwriter, and performing improviser, Melissa brings a wealth of creative experiences to her work with companies like Google, Meta, and Salesforce. As the author of The Creative Sandbox Way™, she's passionate about showing people how to embrace play, imperfection, and experimentation as tools for innovation. Known for her engaging, interactive keynotes and workshops, Melissa empowers individuals and teams to unlock creativity, strengthen collaboration, and thrive in the face of uncertainty. When not leading transformations, she's making art or attempting ukulele-and-bass duets with herself.

Today We Talked About

Her background

Creativity

Create the Impossible Framework

Play Hard - Turn every experience into a growth opportunity.

Make Crap - Welcome imperfection as the path to discovery.

Learn Fast - Embrace play as the fuel for creativity.

Visual Note taking

How can work bring in play?

IMPACT Innovation Checklist

Connection

Communication

Creativity

FUN -

Find the Flow

Unlock the Meaning

Name the Change (Now What?)

 

Connect with Melissa

LinkedIn

Website

Book

IMPACT Innovation Checklist

Leave me a tip $

Click here to Donate to the show

I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

#1 in Technical Leadership