Edge of Excellence: Empowering People to Shape the Future

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Bryon Beilman and Jessica DeForge sit down with iuvo CIO Jesse McCain to explore a leadership idea that does not get enough attention: creativity without a deliverable.

In a work culture often driven by constant output, metrics, and availability, Jesse offers a more human-centered perspective on what helps teams think, create, and perform sustainably. The conversation explores why play matters at work, how unstructured time supports innovation, and why trust and flexibility are not the opposite of accountability.

Jesse shares thoughtful examples from his own leadership experience, including how exploration, psychological safety, work-life integration, and “loosening the reins” can help people do their best work without burning out.

This episode is for leaders, managers, and professionals who want to build healthier, more creative, and higher-performing teams without measuring every moment by a deliverable.

What does world-class support really feel like to the people receiving it?

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Bryon Beilman and Jessica DeForge sit down with Bethany Haley to talk about the human side of exceptional service. The conversation explores how trust, empathy, communication, preparation, and team culture shape the client experience long before and long after a problem is solved.

Bethany shares her perspective on what it means to make clients feel heard, supported, and confident, especially during stressful situations. The episode also looks at the invisible work behind great service, from documentation and follow-through to team collaboration and emotional intelligence.

Whether you lead a team, work in a client-facing role, or want to create stronger customer relationships, this conversation offers practical takeaways for building a culture clients remember.

Learn more about iuvo at iuvotech.com.

Behind every successful AI initiative is something far less glamorous: strong data fundamentals.

In this episode, we talk with Jacob Hesterman, Ph.D., Chief Data Officer at Ratio Therapeutics, about how his team built a structured, governed data ecosystem from the ground up and why that foundation is now accelerating scientific discovery, efficiency, and collaboration across the organization.

Jacob shares what it took to bring scientists from different disciplines around a shared data model, why full buy-in took two and a half years, and how that effort created a feedback loop that changed how the entire company operates. We also explore real examples of lab data flowing into analysis systems, how Ratio is positioned for AI because they invested in fundamentals first, and why IT and data teams need to work hand in hand.

Whether you're a data leader, a CIO supporting research teams, or just trying to figure out where AI fits into your organization, this conversation is a great place to start.

Learn more at iuvotech.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Ratio Therapeutics
• Merlin bird ID app
• Mass Audubon

We all live inside stories, about who we are, what we're capable of, and what's "realistic." But what if those stories aren't fixed?

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with Dora Farkas, Ph.D., Director of Business Development at Connex Ecommerce, author, storyteller, and leadership advisor, to explore how intuition and narrative drive meaningful change in careers, leadership, and life.

Dora shares how she built a six-figure consulting business as a stay-at-home mom, what her experience with mental health during her Ph.D. taught her about trusting herself, and how she helped a B2B company shift from a product-focused pitch to a compelling human story. She also opens up about her fiction trilogy — Choice and Lost Illusion — and what she's discovering as she writes the third book.

This conversation covers the neuroscience behind intuition, the strategic power of storytelling, and practical ways to access both, whether you're leading a team, navigating a pivot, or just ready to rewrite your own narrative.

Dora's Links

• DoraFarkas.com 

Dora's Books

• "The Smart Way" to Your PhD 
• Choice 
• Lost Illusion 
• The $20 SaaS Company 

DevOps is often framed as a modern software movement, but its roots go much deeper.

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, we’re joined by Kevin Eberman, a leader in information security, cloud operations, and compliance, to explore how DevOps has evolved into DevSecOps, and why governance (GovOps) is emerging as the next critical phase.

Drawing on lessons from manufacturing systems like Toyota’s production model, Kevin explains how DevOps is fundamentally about optimizing how work gets done. As organizations scaled, security became inseparable from operations, giving rise to DevSecOps. Now, with the rise of automation and AI, governance must be embedded directly into operational design. 

We also explore how AI is reshaping workflows in cloud environments, why risk-based thinking matters more than chasing vulnerability scores, and how leaders can navigate rapid change without losing control or visibility.

This episode is for CIOs, CISOs, IT leaders, and anyone responsible for scaling technology in a secure, compliant, and sustainable way.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why DevOps is more about systems thinking than tools
• How DevSecOps changed the relationship between development, security, and operations
• What GovOps means, and why it’s the next evolution
• How AI is shifting (not eliminating) risk
• Why critical thinking is becoming the most valuable skill in tech

Resources & Links:

• Kevin Eberman on LinkedIn
• Kevin’s blog:
  From DevOps to DevSecOps to GovOps: How We Keep Getting Better at Work Without Calling It That
• Learn more about iuvo

If you’re navigating DevOps maturity, cloud transformation, or AI adoption, this conversation offers both strategic insight and a practical perspective on what comes next.

AI tools are everywhere, but not everyone takes the time to understand how they actually behave.

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Bryon Beilman and Jess DeForge sit down with Justin Mantell, Business Operations Analyst at iuvo, to talk about what happened when he spent 90 days building structured workflows with AI.

Instead of simply using AI for quick prompts, Justin pushed multiple models into deeper reasoning, verification processes, and real workflows. Along the way, he discovered surprising insights about how AI behaves and how much the quality of its outputs depends on the human prompting it.

This conversation explores the human side of working with AI: curiosity, discipline, guardrails, and the leadership culture required to experiment responsibly.

Listeners will learn:

• Why AI often reflects the thinking of the person prompting it
• The importance of verification and guardrails in AI workflows
• What responsible AI adoption looks like inside organizations
• How curiosity and experimentation drive meaningful innovation
• Why leadership and culture play a critical role in successful AI adoption

Whether you're a leader navigating AI strategy, a professional experimenting with new tools, or simply curious about how AI works beyond the surface, this episode offers a grounded and practical perspective on working with emerging technology.

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Jess DeForge and Bryon sit down with Urvashi Batra, Co-Founder & CEO of PrioriWise, to explore why AI initiatives stall, and how leaders can refocus on outcomes that actually move the business forward.

Together, they discuss:

• Why activity doesn’t equal impact in AI initiatives
• The importance of aligning AI with real business KPIs
• How hidden growth opportunities exist within existing accounts
• The role of data hygiene, governance, and leadership engagement
• Why human-centered AI drives stronger adoption and trust
• How community involvement and ethical AI shape the future of innovation

Urvashi also shares her perspective on mentorship, democratizing opportunity through AI, and the mindset shift leaders must make to treat AI as a human advantage.

If you're leading AI strategy, managing customer growth, or navigating digital transformation, this episode offers practical insights and powerful takeaways.

Resources

• Rootless Social (community for founders/creators)
• AI-Powered Women: CEO Felicia Newhouse

Massachusetts “Fair Investment” bill referenced

• MA Legislature bill page (H.1922 – “An Act relative to fair investment”): Led by Gita Swamy)

Prioriwise:

• Urvashi's LinkedIn
• Urvashi's email: [email protected]
• Book a meeting 

Microsoft 365 powers modern work. But behind the scenes, most environments are constantly changing, often without anyone realizing it.

Permissions shift. Settings drift. Updates roll out. Compliance gaps quietly accumulate.

The real risk is not knowing what changed, when it changed, or why it matters.

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Jess DeForge and Bryon sit down with Adam Jones, Principal Consultant at iuvo and creator of iuvo Guardian, to explore why Microsoft 365 risk is so often invisible, and what IT leaders can do about it.

With over 20 years of experience inside Microsoft environments, Adam has seen the same patterns repeat across organizations of every size:

• Assumptions that defaults are secure
• One-time audits that don’t solve long-term drift
• Overextended IT teams reacting instead of preventing

Instead of accepting that chaos as inevitable, Adam helped build a solution designed to bring clarity, structure, and confidence back to Microsoft 365 governance.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why organizations believe their Microsoft 365 environment is “fine”
• The hidden dangers of configuration drift
• How constant Microsoft updates quietly introduce risk
• Why automation should empower IT teams
• How visibility reduces stress around audits, cyber insurance, and compliance
• The leadership culture that made innovation possible

This conversation is about empowering teams to solve systemic problems instead of living in constant reaction mode.

If you’re a CIO, CISO, IT manager, compliance leader, or simply someone responsible for Microsoft 365, you won’t want to miss this one.

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with Brian St. Marie, Principal Consultant and vCIO at iuvo, to unpack how organizations can start using AI in a way that’s practical, secure, and actually valuable.

They discuss:

• Why “just waiting” on AI is a risk
• How to start small with AI pilots instead of massive investments
• The importance of data hygiene and AI use policies
• How shadow AI creates security and compliance risks
• Why the best AI ROI often comes from back-office workflows
• How internal champions and company culture impact AI success

This episode is for leaders and teams who want clarity on how to approach AI.

Key Takeaways

• Your employees are likely already using AI
• Start with everyday use cases to build comfort and momentum
• Poor data hygiene can derail AI efforts
• AI governance and policies protect your business
• Iterative pilots outperform large-scale AI projects
• Culture and internal champions are critical
• AI can dramatically accelerate productivity and employee satisfaction

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, co-hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman are joined by Jeff Ouellette, Co-Founder and COO of iuvo, to share the story behind the company and the values that shaped it.

Jeff reflects on the early challenges of the IT industry, where technical expertise often lacked business understanding and customer empathy. Together, they discuss how iuvo was intentionally built to bridge that gap through a people-first culture rooted in trust, accountability, and growth.

This conversation dives into leadership lessons learned over nearly two decades, including:

• Why cultural alignment outweighs technical skill
• How core values must be lived—not just written down
• The role of psychological safety in innovation and performance
• Empowering leadership at every level
• Navigating failure, growth, and change with purpose

Whether you’re leading a company, managing a team, or growing in your own career, this episode offers practical insight into building organizations where people and businesses thrive.

Key Takeaways

• The IT industry has long struggled to connect technical expertise with business outcomes
• A people-first culture drives stronger teams and better customer experiences
• Hiring for cultural fit creates long-term success
• Core values should reflect reality, not aspiration
• Empowered employees deliver better results
• Leadership is about support, trust, and growth
• Psychological safety encourages innovation
• Growth is a continuous journey built on learning and adaptation

 🌐 Learn more about iuvo: https://www.iuvotech.com