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Healthcare keeps calling for job-ready talent while classrooms graduate learners who still need months of ramp-up. In this episode, we sit down with Mona Morales, Founder & CEO of E2i Partners—a performance advisory and partnership brokerage helping education and industry co-create the future of work—to unpack what it really takes to close that gap. Drawing on 25 years across education and industry, including her time as Industry Executive Director for Education at Microsoft, Mona shares a practical blueprint for aligning learning outcomes with business outcomes. Across the conversation, we explore partnership models that actually move the needle: clinical
apprenticeships, work-based learning, and on-site BSN programs that help hospitals pursue magnet status without pulling nurses away from patients. Mona explains why early exposure through HOSA and pre-high-school pathways matters, how to design competency frameworks that hold up on the floor, and what sustainable governance looks like when academic calendars and hospital operations rarely sync. If you’re an educator, you’ll hear how to co-create learning that is grounded in research, built with business insight, and designed to perform—leveraging shared expertise with employer partners instead to align learning outcomes to business goals. This is transformative collaboration in action. Imagine a world where education and industry co-create the future of work. We do. If you’re a healthcare leader, you’ll learn how to use data to name critical skill gaps, contribute preceptors and mentors, and build advancement pathways for future-ready talent pipelines— treating academic partners as strategic extensions of your workforce strategy, not just clinical sites. And if you’re a student or early-career professional, you’ll find guidance to stay bold, stay curious, and build meaningful experience early so you can add value on day one. Come for the strategy, stay for the playbook: a shared language, clear metrics, and partnership models that are resilient, tech-aware, and centered on better outcomes for patients, learners, and communities.

Learn more about E2i Partners here: https://www.e2ipartners.com/

Mona's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monamorales/

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Curious how today’s students can jump the gap from classroom learning to real healthcare impact? We sit down with Emily Todd, Senior Manager for Career Partnerships at Pearson, to unpack a practical blueprint: engage employers earlier, leverage AI and simulations to widen access, and build the soft skills that carry across every care setting. Emily explains why middle school is not too soon to spark career intent, how virtual events and micro-internships open doors, and what makes a partnership more than a logo on a banner.

We dig into technology as an equalizer—VR for safe, repeatable practice, AI for personalized exploration, and digital networks that help students in any zip code find mentors and opportunities. Emily shares how Pearson’s data points to a shift: learners want clarity and relevance now. That means tighter collaboration between educators and employers, from co-designed projects to sponsored competitions that highlight real roles and expectations. Along the way, we surface tactics students can use today: job shadowing, simulations, team competitions, and a simple outreach plan for informational interviews that actually get replies.

The conversation also gets personal as Emily traces her path from high school science teacher to building national partnerships, showing how communication, adaptability, and initiative create leverage in a changing job market. Her optimism is contagious: the next generation is eager, tech-savvy, and purpose-driven, and healthcare needs exactly that mix. If you care about workforce readiness, health career pathways, or meaningful learning that leads to jobs, this one will give you clear steps and renewed energy.

Learn more here: 

@Connections Academy

@Pearson 

Connections Academy College and Career Readiness

Connections Academy HOSA page

Pearson.com

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The hardest part of a clinical trial often happens before it even begins: matching the right patient to the right protocol at the right time. This conversation unpacks why pre-screening has become the chief enrollment bottleneck—and how purpose-built AI, secure platforms, and real partnerships can turn that choke point into a fast lane for access to care.

Together with Hamza Hasan (CEO, Clinical AI; Co-Founder, VisionMed) and Brian Galicia (Global Partner Sales Leader, Microsoft), we map the end-to-end journey from problem to product to scale. Hamza shares how Clinical AI automates pre-screening, document generation, PHI redaction, and multilingual translation to reduce site burden and expand global reach. He also takes us inside VisionMed, a new platform that translates surgical video into structured notes and analytics—laying a practical path from assistive insights today to autonomy in the OR tomorrow.

Brian Galicia opens the hood on Microsoft’s Becoming Frontier framework—employee enablement, customer impact, process transformation, and continuous innovation—while demystifying partner types, co-sell strategy, and the power of unified marketplaces to accelerate discovery and trust.

Security threads through every decision. We talk candidly about why enterprise-grade identity, data protection, and auditability decide which AI survives contact with healthcare reality. We also track a major shift: adoption moving from elite research centers to everyday clinics, as tools integrate into EHRs, respect workflows, and deliver measurable wins like faster time-to-first-patient and fewer screen failures.

If you’re building or buying healthcare AI, you’ll leave with a clear playbook: define the why, prove product truth on real workloads, distribute through marketplaces, align incentives with co-sell, and use agents to automate the grind.

The views and discussions presented in this program may include forward-looking statements regarding the future development and potential applications of artificial intelligence, video analysis technologies, and autonomous surgical systems. These statements reflect current expectations and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. Any products, systems, or technologies referenced that involve medical or surgical applications are subject to regulatory review and clearance by the appropriate regulatory authorities before they may be marketed or used clinically.Regulatory requirements vary by jurisdiction, and compliance obligations may differ across regions. 

This content is provided for informational purposes and discussion purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, product claims, or guarantees of future performance.

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A single coach who guaranteed every kid real playing time changed Kevin Dunbar’s life—and now that ethos powers CFY’s county-wide movement to remove barriers for 15,000 young people. We dig into a simple promise with outsized results: if a child wants to play, learn water safety, or pursue college, money won’t stand in the way. With an endowment that covers operating costs, every donated dollar goes straight to a kid’s fees, gear, or scholarship—turning access today into leadership tomorrow.

We walk through the mechanics behind the mission: a pay-what-you-can model that preserves dignity, partnerships with schools and community policing that direct support where it’s needed most, and scholarships that send first-generation students to college with ongoing mentorship. Kevin shares how CFY scaled from three to fifteen football and cheer programs across Pinellas County by listening to local leaders, keeping metrics tight, and celebrating wins publicly so donors, families, and teams see the impact. The result is a flywheel of trust: fund, deliver, measure, and share.

Technology keeps the engine humming. A robust HubSpot-powered site lets programs request grants, students apply for scholarships, and supporters plug in instantly. Social media moments—like “big check” presentations alongside championship coaches—aren’t PR fluff; they’re signals that access is real and repeatable. We also unpack how other communities can adapt this model: define your promise, reduce friction at registration, align with credible partners, and track outcomes that actually change lives. Want to be part of an approach that turns a $250 gap into a lifetime of possibility? Visit cfypenellis.org and follow CFY Penellas on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more people discover the power of access.

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What if the difference between stalled change and a moonshot is your mindset? We sit down with Lenovo’s Ed Soo Hoo to unpack why the best leaders aren’t defined by titles or toolkits but by authenticity, service, and the courage to “blink first.” From four decades across startups and global enterprises, Ed maps a clear strategy for building momentum: protect the core, stretch into adjacencies, and seed the future—running all three in parallel like NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Along the way, he shows how cross-trained teams, shared deliverables, and the right “boosters” turn vision into velocity.

We dig into the Sears cautionary tale and the JFK playbook to illustrate how over-focusing on the present can cost you the future, while smart portfolio design can unlock outsized value. Then we zoom out to two audacious, practical ideas tailored for the AI era: Energy-as-a-Service to stabilize growth amid constrained grids, and a national mental fitness initiative to rebuild resilience, attention, and judgment at scale. Ed’s take is refreshingly human—technology should serve people, not the other way around—and he makes a compelling case for reviving face-to-face connection and embracing serendipity as a catalyst for innovation.

If you’re navigating rapid change, this conversation offers a blueprint you can use today: adopt a servant mindset, structure work across Now–New–Next, rotate talent to compound learning, and tell stories that move people from compliance to commitment. Ready to lead with courage and design for the long game? Follow, share with a colleague who needs this spark, and leave a review with the idea you’ll put into action this week.

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What if the real test of leadership is your willingness to be disliked for making necessary change? That’s the provocation at the center of our conversation with Peter Cuneo—Navy veteran, seven-time corporate turnaround leader, and creator of the 28 essentials of “superhero leadership.” From Marvel’s boardroom to the bridge of a destroyer, Peter breaks down why courage is the foundation of every other leadership virtue and how the hardest leap is emotional: accepting that progress upsets people, even when it’s good for them.

We trace the origin story of the 28 essentials on an 11-hour flight to China, then move through patterns shared by great leaders: running at problems, embracing alien environments, and drawing strength from childhood adversity rather than shrinking from it. Peter shares why overparenting sabotages resilience in the next generation and offers concrete ways to build leadership early—travel that stretches comfort zones, real responsibility, honest feedback, and diverse, face-to-face experiences that teach instincts no textbook can. He also points to history as a living classroom, showing how archives and biographies compress centuries of decision-making into practical lessons you can apply today.

The through line is communication as an art. Peter explains how body language, tone, and consistency matter as much as the message, and why people prefer hard truth over the fog of uncertainty. You’ll come away with a sharper lens for your own leadership: how to act before certainty, speak plainly without spin, and make choices that trade popularity for progress. If you’re ready to strengthen your courage, steady your voice, and run toward hard problems, this conversation is your field guide. Subscribe, share with a friend who leads, and leave a review with the one essential you’ll practice this week.

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A 15-seat burger joint in Soho wasn’t supposed to become a global brand—but it did, thanks to an irresistible product and a story that couldn’t be ignored. In this episode, Julie Mulligan, CEO & Co-Founder of Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, sits down with Robert Reiss, Founder & CEO of The CEO Forum, to unpack how an architect’s mindset built a hospitality engine: precise systems, guest-centric design, and a relentless focus on creating “wow” moments. From winning the New York Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash to engineering the now-iconic “Crazy Shakes,” Julie reveals how craft, visuals, and consistency turn a neighborhood idea into a worldwide staple.

We dive into the essentials of a great burger—fat content, searing heat, one flip, never press—and why these rules matter when training teams across time zones. Julie walks through the strategy behind iconic locations like The Venetian, Downtown Disney, and Marina Bay Sands, showing how global stages amplify word of mouth and social proof. She shares candid leadership lessons on scaling a family-sized crew into a dispersed organization, knowing when to zoom in on details and when to let trust compound.

Julie also introduces Black Tap Singles & Doubles, a fast-casual format built for speed and choice, and Tender Crush, a crispy chicken concept with New York attitude. With all three brands launching at JFK Airport, we explore why airports are the ultimate proving grounds for discovery, operations, and brand love.

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Bells don’t build markets—trust does. In this episode, David Wicks, Vice President at Nasdaq, and Elana Finn, Events Marketing Specialist at Nasdaq, unpack how the exchange powers over 130 markets worldwide, monitors trading with SMARTS, and extends integrity through tools like Verafin, Axiom, and Calypso to protect against fraud, strengthen risk management, and streamline regulatory reporting. The result is a living infrastructure that helps founders turn preparation into durable public performance.

From policy to practice, we trace the arc from Project Revitalize to Project Elevate, highlighting why modernization matters: reducing regulatory friction, lowering the cost of being public, and clarifying the path to IPO for high-potential companies. David shares a reality check on IPO momentum—220+ listings across technology, AI infrastructure, healthcare, and financials—and what disciplined teams are doing differently to earn investor confidence amid geopolitics and shifting policies.

Elena takes us behind the scenes of Nasdaq’s event strategy—intimate dinners, off-site experiences, and MarketSite moments in Times Square—that transform introductions into real partnerships. These gatherings are high-signal rooms where private companies pressure-test governance, refine narratives, and connect with the right stakeholders before Day One.

We close with a simple playbook: start early, build your board and processes, engage with Nasdaq’s teams, and use curated events to accelerate learning and trust so your bell-ringing marks momentum, not a gamble.

If you’re exploring the public path or planning a high-impact event, subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of leadership, capital formation, and market integrity—and share this episode with a founder preparing for their Day One.

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A wish on a tiny plush heart became the spark for one of retail’s most unexpected transformations. In this episode, Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, traces how a brand once seen as “mall-bound” reframed its identity around purpose, turned a tactile ritual into a global IP engine, and built the habits to weather everything from the retail apocalypse to a full pandemic shutdown. The throughline is simple: strategy only works when people believe in it, and belief is earned with clarity, courage, and a mission that travels.

Sharon shares the pivotal meeting where she laid out an honest trajectory—eight years of contraction and a road to bankruptcy—then invited the team to choose: get on the bus or step off, but no backseat driving. That moment unlocked a new model: Build-A-Bear as a brand-led, experience-rich company with vertical retail, e-commerce, entertainment, and licensing as coordinated streams. We unpack how the “heart ceremony” evolved into stories like Glisten and the Merry Mission, why fans return year after year, and how meaning—not margins alone—guided expansion without losing soul.

The conversation also goes inward. Drawing from her book Stories and Heart, Sharon makes a case for rewriting the narratives leaders tell themselves: dismantling perfectionism, flipping negative self-talk, and using setbacks as fuel. The lens widens to the toy industry at large—its role in learning, empathy, and early systems thinking—and the real-world headwinds of tariffs, tight margins, and global interdependence. From $1 a share during COVID to consecutive record years, this episode is a field guide to resilient, purpose-first leadership that audiences can feel.

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A lake that once hosted national games went dry for two decades—and then the skies opened. In this episode, Sanjay Kommera, CEO of Accel1, takes us inside Ramgad’s revival, where precision cloud seeding, advanced sensors, and purpose-built drones transformed a symbol of loss into a living system for water resilience. Alongside the technical journey, we explore how biochar, regenerative practices, and farmer-first marketplaces turn a single rainfall into sustained livelihood gains and healthier soils.

Our conversation dives into the “why”: building climate intelligence at the infrastructure layer so action follows insight. We cover the failed first flight, the RF chaos of a 50,000-person crowd, and the regulatory milestone that unlocked 10,000-foot operations. From cloud microphysics and real-time analytics to seeding strategy and verification, we map the chain from sensing to decision to measurable rain. On the ground, invasive biomass is converted into biochar to hold water, reduce inputs, and stabilize yields—because precipitation without retention is just runoff.

Zooming out, we explore how governments from the Middle East to Australia are leveraging granular data to guide policy and investment. Practical examples include smart street and traffic lights capturing local pollution, digital rails connecting Indian farmers to international markets, and AI that characterizes cloud fields before a drone ever launches. The goal isn’t magic—it’s probability, readiness, and systems that make better choices cheaper and faster. Ramgad becomes a blueprint for drought-prone regions from California to Africa: integrate atmospheric science, regenerative agriculture, and market access, then iterate with transparency and rigor.

If this blend of engineering and stewardship resonates, follow the show, share this story with a friend who cares about water and food security, and leave a review with the one question you want us to tackle next.