Recorded live at VETS 26 in New Orleans, this episode features Cordell Rolle, founder of Rolle IT, a cybersecurity firm about seven years in that works primarily with the federal government and VA, plus B2B clients navigating the new CMMC regulations. Cordell's origin story is the heart of the conversation: a Navy firefighter (damage controlman) who taught himself to install a shipboard software system, got hired by the vendor two weeks before separating, and spent five years traveling ship to ship across Korea, Japan, and the Middle East doing installs. Later, stuck without a promotion at an insurance job, a friend's nudge pushed him to launch his own company — and he built early trust by doing free IT work for nonprofits, which quietly connected him to boards full of community executives who became his first paying customers.

The back half digs into the business itself: Rolle IT grew to 35 people before DOGE-related federal cuts forced a hard lesson in resilience, and Cordell has since shifted his thinking from headcount to output-per-person, with AI integrated in-house rather than sold as a buzzword. He's carved out a niche most firms overlook — airport cybersecurity and IT operations, where the compliance web (TSA, border patrol, airlines, ground crews, dozens of vendors on-site daily) is relentless. It's an energetic, candid conversation about entrepreneurship, veteran grit, and finding underserved markets, capped by a natural fit with Aqua's own airport work and the Xeniq platform.

In This Episode

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 02:50 - Transitioning Careers: From Insurance to Startups
• 06:09 - Entering the World of Airport Marketing
• 08:24 - Transitioning from Military to Tech: A Personal Journey
• 11:00 - The Evolution of Company Growth
• 12:40 - Introduction of Zinique: A New Solution in Cyber Security

Key Takeaways

• From Navy firefighter to tech founder. Cordell was a damage controlman (E5, DC2) who taught himself to install a shipboard equipment-tracking system; the vendor hired him on the spot and he spent five years doing installs on ships worldwide.
• "Promote yourself." After being told by a boss that his future wasn't her concern, a friend's nudge pushed him to start Rolle IT — a resilience-over-money mindset that runs through the whole story.
• Free work for nonprofits was the growth engine. Doing pro-bono IT for women's and children's shelters built trust and put him in front of nonprofit boards stacked with community executives — who became his first paying clients.
• CMMC is a growth driver. Helping defense-industrial-base companies meet the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements has been a major part of the business.
• DOGE was a gut check. The company hit 35 people before federal cuts forced layoffs — reinforcing his belief that resilience and doing good work matter more than headcount.
• Airport cybersecurity is an underserved niche. Rolle IT handles IT operations, access control, badging, training systems, and vendor management for airports — a world of relentless compliance (TSA, border patrol, airlines, 50–60 vendors on-site daily) that most firms overlook.
• Output over FTEs. Cordell's vision has shifted from measuring success by staff count to maximizing output with better people and in-house AI — "not bolted on, integrated from the jump."
• They're really a tech company. Despite the "cybersecurity" label, Rolle IT writes its own software — a parallel Cordell draws to Aqua and Brennsys being "really tech companies" behind the marketing.

About Our Guest:

About the guest:Cordell Rolle is the CEO of Rolle IT, a Space Coast cybersecurity and technology firm he co-founded in 2019. A 4 Under 40 winner, U.S. Navy veteran, and UCF graduate, he leads a team serving the VA, federal agencies, and defense contractors — with a niche in airport cybersecurity. A Certified Scrum Master and experienced configuration manager, his expertise spans government contracting, team building, and community advocacy through CareerSource and Junior Achievement.

"If your actions inspire people to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." — John Quincy Adams