Today’s episode is the first of our mini-series on design thinking. Up to bat first is Greg Galle, co-found and CEO of Solve/Next, an innovative firm based out of San Francisco and the co-writer of Think Wrong: How to Conquer the Status Quo and Make Work that Matters. He brings his design thinking genius to the NavalX Connecx crew and sits down with hosts Rodney Flowers and Brad Goodrich. Rodney and Brad deep dive with Galle about how to go beyond the hot button word and become truly innovative. 

Galle shares a number of innovative tools and techniques that he uses with his clients and group demonstrations from thinking wrong to letting go of unconscious biases and even encouraging other to being a little (intentionally) stupid. His tips and tools are applicable for every size team from 20 coworkers to a 5,000 person conglomerate. Join us today on NavalX Connecx and walk away more innovative than before.

Today’s episode is in honor of Veterans Day, celebrated on November 11th, 2021. Co-host Julie Lemmon invites her husband RDML John Lemmon, USN Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Chief Engineer, Naval Air Systems Command to the show with co-host Brad Goodrich. John Lemmon shares stories about his time in service and how he transferred over into the acquisition aspect of the Navy. Together, they discuss different styles of military leadership, how the operational and acquisitions sides of the Navy can better communicate, and the toll service can take on families. We dedicate this episode to all of the men and women who have sacrificed their time, and sometimes, lives, for our country.

Captain Todd Hutchison’s experience while working in the Navy is as vast as the ocean itself. Today, he is head of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, which is one of NAVSEA System Command's eight Surface Warfare Centers. Captain Hutchison has been in leadership positions throughout his career in the Navy. He joins Brad Goodrich and Rodney Flowers on the show today to discuss some of the keys to becoming a leader and nurturing a team that trusts you. From one-on-one chats with every employee to a servant-leadership-style, Captain Hutchison offers a wide variety of leadership skills from his personal experience and how anyone can improve their leadership abilities within their current position.

Today on the show, Zac Staples and Nicole Mullins from Fathom5 are here to talk about their upcoming online challenge: Hack the Machine. Nicole and Zac inform hosts Brad Goodrich and Rodney Flowers what the event is about, the different types of tracks, how to participate, and ultimately help create new technologies to help support national security. From coding to hacking unmanned systems, the public is able to interact and accelerate the Navy’s capabilities. Join Nicole, Zac, Brad and Rodney to learn more about this invigorating event. 

The event is from November 16th-19th, and listeners can participate anywhere around the world. 

If you are interested in participating in Hack the Machine visit the website: https://www.hackthemachine.ai/

Today on the show, we are joined with best selling author, keynote speaker, and all around resilience expert, Adam Markel. Adam Markel is a recovering lawyer who shares his struggles with mental health and how he learned how to tame his mental monsters. In this episode, Adam focuses on how the Navy can foster a safe space to discuss the importance of mental health and leaves us with tools and techniques to implement change from an individual to an organizational level. Take a listen with Rodney Flowers, Brad Goodrich, and Julie Lemmon to learn how to become aware about mental health issues, how to live in gratitude, and how to say, "I love my life," in earnest.

Today on the NavalX ConnecX podcast, we are joined by Johannes Schonberg, the Northwest Tech Bridge director. Schonberg helps break down the ins and outs of the Tech Bridge world, how it relates to the Navy, and the interconnected system based on local and regional tech bridges. Schonberg answers all of your questions around how entrepreneurs can collaborate with the government and share new technologies in order to be one step ahead for the warfighter. Join us for another informative and sometimes playful episode, hosted by Brad Goodrich and Rodney Flowers.

In this week's episode of NavalX Connecx, we have the wonderful Brad Halsey and Cheyanne Dwyer from Building Momentum. Building Momentum partners with NavalX to help change the culture, strategy approaches, creativity, and innovation within the navy. Both Cheyanne and Brad highlight some of the tools and techniques they implement when facilitating a design thinking mindset, working through bad ideas, and finding the fastest way to your end goal. Optimal design thinking includes leading with empathy, democratizing ideas, and understanding who the real end user is. Join Rodney Flowers and Brad Goodrich for another enriching conversation.

This week’s episode offers a fascinating conversation on diversity and inclusion in the Navy. We invite Ashlee Floyd of Nondestructive Testing (NDT) engineer in the Welding, Processing and Nondestructive Evaluation Branch of the Materials and Manufacturing Technology Division at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) and Todd Gaston the deputy program manager for the Ordnance Information System (OIS), both of which are on rotation with NavalX. They join today’s host Rodney Flowers to unpack the multifaceted approach to diversity and inclusion. They each recall personal stories about inclusion, how to cultivate it, how to notice blindspots, and the importance of having diversity of thought. The conversation is an open and vulnerable one, which is necessary when inviting more people to take a seat at the table and dig in. 

This week on the episode, we have two guests: Michael Lavery the Centers for Adaptive Warfighting Director at NavalX, and our recurring guest Roy Nanku who is the Agile Transformation Consultant at Scrum Inc. Brad and Rodney talk to Mike and Roy about the Military Agility Forum happening this week at NavalX, what to expect from the forum, and what they are excited about. The four also discuss how impactful SCRUM productivity practice has been on their work life, how to feed creative sparks, and fostering a workplace world of psychological safety.

In this episode of NavalX, we get to know our new hosts a little better. Brad, Julie, and Rodney tell us how they got involved with NavalX, what they would like to see changed in the Navy while also highlighting what NavalX is excelling at currently. The hosts tell us what they are looking forward to discussing in this revamped season of NavalX Connex and where their happy place is.