Coffee with Closers

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Tom Miller. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of ClearForce, a technology company that helps the commercial sector and government agencies address safety and security challenges in the workplace.  

As September marks National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Mr. Miller discusses a new tool ClearForce has developed that leverages AI and machine learning to help veteran organizations engage with at-risk veterans and service members who are struggling with mental health challenges.

He also shares his thoughts on some of the greatest workplace safety and security challenges facing businesses today and why routine employee background checks are no longer sufficient in guarding against reputational and other organizational threats.  

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor. He discusses his new thriller, “Dead Fall,” in which his protagonist, ex-Navy SEAL and America’s top spy, Scot Harvath is sent to Ukraine to try to find an American aid worker who has gone missing. Time is of the essence and Harvath has to carry out this dangerous mission in a war-torn country without the help of his teammates. Thor was a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Red Cell” Program. Created in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the program brought elite writers and artists together to brainstorm terrorist scenarios for the U.S. government.

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Kevin McAleenan, the former Acting Homeland Security Secretary and former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He is currently the CEO of Pangiam, a  technology company that leverages artificial intelligence to screen airline luggage and cargo as well as biometrics to verify a passenger’s identity. 

He discusses the state of aviation security today and the need to balance security with efficiency and convenience. He also shares his thoughts on emerging threats facing our nation’s critical infrastructure.     

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Vince Proffitt, the founder and president of Spartan Medical, a leading veteran-owned and operated medical solutions company.  

A former Air Force intelligence officer, Mr. Proffitt discusses a “military-like mission” he is on to combat our nation’s chronic disease epidemic, which afflicts 13 million U.S. veterans. Called the Veteran HealthPak, this comprehensive program provides veterans with remote medical monitoring, condition-specific nutritious meals, a one-click direct connection to the Veteran Crisis Line and more, to their doorsteps.  

He also discusses how Spartan Medical is working to address the mental health crisis on college and university campuses as well as helping provider organizations and clinicians improve health outcomes for more people through its surgical and clinical solutions. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Peter Kant, the CEO of the technology company Enabled Intelligence. More than 50% of its workforce is neurodiverse, and it’s by design. Mr. Kant explains how these professionals, many of whom have been underutilized in prior employment, are particularly adept at performing the highly-skilled and time intensive task of secure data labeling that enables AI technology in support of critical national security missions for the U.S. government. As Israel learned, neurodiverse individuals “almost had superpowers” when it comes to this kind of work, which requires technical savvy, attention to detail and focus, accuracy, pattern recognition proficiency and puzzle solving skills.

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Shirley Bloomfield, the CEO of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, which represents approximately 850 independent, community based telecommunications companies across the country through advocacy, education and training.

With $42 billion having been allocated to expand high-speed internet access across the U.S, she explains why this historic funding provides a unique opportunity to help connect more Americans, especially in rural parts of the country, but only if the job is done right.   

She also discusses some of the hurdles that still stand in the way of achieving “Internet for All” and what steps policymakers and industry stakeholders can take to help remove them. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Major General (Ret.) Dr. Richard A. Stone, a physician, former Acting Under Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and author of Save Every Life You Can.

Dr. Stone discusses some of the most difficult decisions he had to make while leading clinical teams in Afghanistan and at the Veterans Health Administration, our nation’s largest integrated health care system.  

He also shares leadership principles gleaned from navigating multiple crises throughout his career and how they can help transform U.S. healthcare. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Lynk Co-Founder and CEO Charles Miller.

He discusses how he and his team achieved what many in the telecommunications industry thought was not possible–turning satellites into cell towers in space–which, in the very near future, will enable mobile phone users to stay connected everywhere on the planet. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee With Closers is Mohammed Iqbal, the Founder & CEO of the fitness design and technology company SweatWorks. He discusses how AI and other technologies are changing the gym experience while improving the fitness journey. 

He also shares his thoughts on what consumers are demanding today when it comes to their workouts, how Covid changed America’s view and approach to fitness and why achieving wellness requires both patience and persistence. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Jack McKenna, the President & CEO of Prescient, a global risk management and intelligence services firm.  

He discusses some of the most serious organizational and reputational challenges facing companies today, including cyber and insider threats, which he calls a “tough nut to crack.” He also explains ways businesses can identify bad actors and mitigate against this and other risks.