While everyone debates whether AI is overhyped, Intel's Stacey Shulman argues we're dramatically underhyping it—and our linear thinking is making us dangerously unprepared. AI capabilities are doubling every six months, four times faster than Moore's Law, yet most organizations are still trying to build "AI infrastructure" instead of resilient infrastructure that can evolve with technology moving faster than human imagination. Shulman breaks down why the Intel-Nvidia partnership represents a seismic shift, why we need HR systems for AI agents, and why Star Trek optimism—not Black Mirror dystopia—should guide our path forward.

Learn more about SHI's AI solutions and how our AI & Cyber Lab can help you prototype and test before you commit at SHI.com/AI

Watch Innovation Heroes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SHICorporation

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Before joining Intel in 2017 as Chief Innovation Officer for retail solutions, Shulman held executive roles at Levi Strauss & Co. and American Apparel, where she was named Innovative Industry CIO of the Year for her groundbreaking work in store-focused technology. This is her sixth appearance on Innovation Heroes.

What happens when IT leaders have to choose between safety and innovation? In New Jersey, one teacher proved that the biggest obstacles to transformation often come from inside our own departments. 

Chris Aviles started Garden State eSports during COVID with borrowed laptops and a spreadsheet. Today, it's the largest scholastic eSports league in the country, serving 12,000 students across 400+ schools—and it just became New Jersey's first new varsity activity in 20 years. 

In this episode, you'll discover: 

Chris Aviles, Founder of Garden State eSports, joins host Ed McNamara along with SHI's Jeff Prudente to reveal how this movement is opening doors for students who never participated in school activities before—including 25% with IEPs or autism spectrum diagnoses. 

Guest: Chris Aviles, Founder & Executive Director, Garden State eSports 

Learn more: shi.com/esports

#eSports #EdTech #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #STEMEducation #InclusiveEducation #SchoolTechnology #GamingForGood 

Show Notes & Resources 

Organizations & Programs: 

Resources for Schools: 

Timeline: 

Guest Bios: Chris Aviles is a 17-year teaching veteran and founder of Garden State eSports, which has grown from 100 schools during COVID to become the largest scholastic eSports league in the United States. Under his leadership, New Jersey became the first state to recognize eSports as an official varsity activity. 

Jeff Prudente is SHI International's Mobility Manager for Intel and Windows devices. A lifelong gamer and former competitive Halo player, Jeff helped pioneer SHI's eSports education initiative and has been instrumental in bringing programs to school districts nationwide—from 5-computer setups to hundred-workstation arenas. 

A Hong Kong employee sits through what seems like a routine video call with colleagues and the CFO. Everything looks normal. Then comes the urgent wire transfer request. $25 million later, the horrifying truth emerges: every face on that call was fake, generated by AI.

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, host Ed McNamara sits down with Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, to unpack one of the most sophisticated cyber heists in history. We'll explore how cybercriminals have industrialized deception, the psychology behind why we fall for these scams, and what organizations can do to fight back against the rise of "Cybercrime Inc."

Key Takeaways:

Guest: Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4

This episode is brought to you by KnowBe4. Ready to move beyond cybersecurity awareness to actually reducing human risk? Visit shi.com/partners/knowbe4 to learn how AI is transforming human risk management.

#Cybersecurity #Deepfakes #HumanRisk #AI #SocialEngineering #InnovationHeroes

Show Notes & Resources

Learn More About Erich Kron

$25 Million Deepfake Zoom Scam - News Coverage

Additional Context

Twelve years. That's how long a vulnerability sat in sudo—the command powering every Linux system—waiting for the wrong hands. When Stratascale researchers Rich Mirch and Quentin Rhoads-Herrera discovered not one, but two zero-day vulnerabilities in sudo, millions of systems worldwide were at risk. 

Go behind the scenes of a discovery that could have changed everything—but didn't, thanks to ethical research and responsible disclosure. Learn how a 12-year-old vulnerability went undetected in one of the world's most scrutinized open-source projects, why human curiosity still outpaces automated security tools, and the methodology behind discovering critical flaws in mature, battle-tested software.

Guests: Rich Mirch, Principal Security Researcher, Stratascale; Quentin Rhoads-Herrera, VP of Security Services, Stratascale

Stratascale is a wholly owned subsidiary of SHI International, delivering cutting-edge cybersecurity research and managed security services.

Show Notes & Resources

Key Timestamps: • [02:07] - Rich's discovery approach: assuming vulnerabilities exist • [08:03] - Quinton's validation process and initial disbelief • [13:31] - The "double take" moment of confirming the discovery • [21:21] - Dynamic vs. static testing methodology • [29:03] - Why offensive security research matters • [34:44] - Career advice for aspiring cybersecurity professionals

Learn More: When you need expert guidance on cybersecurity solutions and frameworks, trust SHI's Field CISOs and security experts. We help identify critical gaps, consolidate security platforms, and integrate AI into your cybersecurity practices. Learn more at https://www.shi.com/solutions/cybersecurity

More than 80% of disabilities are invisible, yet too often technology and workplace systems overlook these needs. In this episode, Rutgers swimmer and Deaflympian Brooke Thompson shares her inspiring journey—from Michigan lakes to the global stage—powered by adaptive technology and relentless advocacy.

Through her story, we uncover the bigger message for IT and business leaders: accessibility is not a "nice to have" or a compliance checkbox. It's about proactively listening, asking, and equipping people with the tools they need to thrive.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Guest: Brooke Thompson is a Division I swimmer at Rutgers University, two-time Deaflympian, and SHI spokesperson. Born deaf, she competes at the highest level with the support of adaptive technologies and serves as an advocate for accessibility in sports, education, and the workplace.

Subscribe and Connect: Innovation Heroes is part of SHI Media. Find more episodes and IT leadership resources at blog.shi.com. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube @SHICorporation.

#Accessibility #InclusiveTechnology #WorkplaceInclusion #AdaptiveTech #ITLeadership #Deaflympics #SHI

SHI's Innovation Heroes is back. After hitting #1 on the Apple Technology charts, Season 7 brings twelve no-fluff episodes on the real risks and real answers facing IT leaders today—from cybercrime that runs like a Fortune 500 to the power of accessibility in tech.

It's a new season— with a clear mission: Bringing you conversations that cut through the noise and give IT leaders what they actually need: clarity, courage, and practical insight.

Season 7 dives into the stories behind today’s biggest technology challenges: cybercrime operating like Fortune 500 companies, AI vulnerabilities hiding in plain sight, and the transformative power of accessibility in IT. From deepfakes to Deaflympians, this season brings you voices from the frontlines—security experts, innovators, and unlikely pioneers—sharing what’s really at stake and how to navigate it.

Twelve episodes. Zero fluff. Just the kind of conversations that save you time, sharpen your thinking, and make you better at your job.

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Follow now, wherever you get your podcasts or at SHI.com/heroes

Watch full video episodes on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SHICorporation/podcasts

Brought to you by SHI: From seamless hardware and software procurement solutions to licensing advisory, data center configuration, ITAM, and AI services, SHI has all your IT needs covered.

What should you really do about your VMware environment?

Since Broadcom’s acquisition, virtualization strategy has become a hot topic on the minds of CIOs and infrastructure leaders. In this episode, we sit down with Cody Hosterman, Senior Director of Product Management – Cloud at Pure Storage, who speaks with hundreds of IT execs every year through high-level briefings and customer strategy sessions.

Cody shares the pulse of the market—what he’s hearing, what’s changed, and what successful organizations are doing differently. From pricing shocks and new bundling models to internal confusion around hybrid roadmaps, many IT leaders are feeling pressure to act.

But Cody’s advice is clear: take a breath, assess what you have, and optimize before you overhaul. You’ll walk away with a smarter lens on what really matters right now—how to stay strategic, avoid costly missteps, and prepare your org for whatever’s next.

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This episode is brought to you Pure Storage.

AI is here and IT leaders are under pressure to make it work—fast. But adoption doesn’t happen overnight, and organizations need a clear strategy to drive ROI from Microsoft Copilot.

In this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara sits down with three of SHI's Microsoft experts—Carrie Randolph (Public Sector Strategist), Michael Heath (Power Platform Solutions Engineer), and Dominick Raimato (Microsoft MVP & Sr. Solutions Architect).

They share practical, field-tested insights on how businesses, governments, and educators are integrating Copilot into their workflows.

They’ll also cover key challenges IT leaders face, from change management to governance, and break down proven strategies to accelerate adoption, improve security, and maximize impact.

Whether you’re in the early stages of deployment or looking to scale Copilot across your organization, this episode will help you move from exploration to execution.

This episode is sponsored by Microsoft Copilot.

Drawing on 35 years of experience supporting some of the most complex Microsoft environments in the industry, SHI can help you bring the full power of Microsoft Copilot to your organization.

Learn about our Microsoft Copilot Enablement Workshop: https://blog.shi.com/digital-workplace/take-full-advantage-of-microsoft-copilot-with-shis-m365-enablement-workshop/

What if the company you worked for went bankrupt overnight—only for a bold new leader to step in and turn it into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse?  

That’s exactly what happened to SHI’s first employee, Melissa Graham.  

In this special episode of Innovation Heroes, we’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of SHI. Melissa, the company's very first employee, shares stories about co-founder and CEO, Thai Lee and dives into SHI’s incredible journey from scrappy upstart to global IT giant. 

Tune in to hear stories of resilience, innovation, and the pivotal moments that shaped SHI’s success. 

Featuring: Melissa Graham, SHI’s Senior Vice President of the Global Organization and company’s very first employee. 

Last month, no one had heard of DeepSeek. But then it racked up a stunning 16 million downloads in just 18 days — nearly double ChatGPT’s initial adoption. 

The China-based AI model has certainly captured the attention of both investors and technologists. But while some see it as the future of AI, others are raising red flags over its origins and potential security risks. 

In this episode of Innovation Heroes, we explore what makes DeepSeek unique, how it compares to existing AI models, and the startling data privacy concerns for businesses and governments worldwide. 

Should you dive in? Or swim in shallower waters? 

Featuring: