Navigating Forward

In this episode of Navigating Forward, Creighton Adams, Kurt Alaybeyoglu, and Liz Gerson from Launch Consulting get together to discuss bridging the gap between business stakeholders and engineers. As Director of Cybersecurity, Director of Compliance, and Account Executive, they each bring a unique perspective to the challenges of a cybersecurity project — and where they all agree is that desirable solutions can't be built without trust, feedback, and communications. 

With real-world examples from collaborations with energy utilities, they delve into the challenges that teams can face on cybersecurity projects. They cover the bases from digging in to understand the real problems to gap analysis and risk assessments amidst technological debt — and how building trust between participants is the key to both a strong partnership and a successful outcome.

To learn more about how to develop your organization's Future State of Cybersecurity, go to launchconsulting.com/cyber.

Follow Creighton at https://www.linkedin.com/in/creighton-adams/
Follow Kurt at https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-kurt-alaybeyoglu-b1a52395/
Follow Liz at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizgerson/

On this episode of Navigating Forward: the Cybersecurity series, Mike Halstead and Vidhya Sriram from Launch Consulting chat with Rami Zreikat, Chief Security Architect of xTerraLink, and Trinh Ngo, Director of IT Regulatory & Controls Assurance at an insurance company. They discuss best practices for measuring cyber risks and why it's important for organizations to understand their vulnerabilities and the potential impacts of a cyber attack.

They also touch on why people are both an org's best defense and its weakest link — highlighting that ongoing education and awareness programs are a key component of risk management. Recognizing that there will always be residual risk and that what's acceptable now may not be acceptable in the future, they also emphasize that risk assessment is a journey and not just something that's one and done. 

To learn more about how to develop your organization's Future State of Cybersecurity, go to launchconsulting.com/cyber.

Follow Rami at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rami-j-z-1338a84/
Follow Trinh at https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinh-ngo-mba/
Follow Mike at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-halstead-77bb6018/
Follow Vidhya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidhyasriram/

Matthew Rosenquist, CISO at Eclipz, joins Mike Halstead and Creighton Adams from Launch Consulting to talk about current trends in cybersecurity, plus predictions for the future — from AI to quantum computing to government-funded malware. 

Security teams are under increased pressure with budgets decreasing and risks increasing as new and powerful technologies are weaponized by bad actors who tend to adopt new technology sooner than the good guys. So, what can organizations do in the face of all of this? Check out the episode to find out what three big steps you can take to help mitigate risks (and how companies and bad actors are sort of like hikers and bears).   

To learn more about how to develop your organization's Future State of Cybersecurity, go to launchconsulting.com/cyber.

Follow Matthew at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrosenquist/
Follow Mike at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-halstead-77bb6018/
Follow Creighton at https://www.linkedin.com/in/creighton-adams/

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Mike Halstead and Creighton Adams from Launch Consulting kick off the Cybersecurity series with a sneak peek of what’s in store for the upcoming eight episodes — each focused on a different facet of today’s evolving cybersecurity environment. 

After introducing themselves, they’ll delve into why Navigating Forward is doing a deep dive into cybersecurity right now, and they’ll also share some info about the upcoming topics and what they hope listeners will take away from the series. To learn more about ways to improve your own cybersecurity posture, tune in each week for conversations with our special guests – and go to launchconsulting.com/cyber for even more information.  

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Mike Halstead and Creighton Adams from Launch Consulting kick off the Cybersecurity series with a sneak peek of what’s in store for the upcoming eight episodes — each focused on a different facet of today’s evolving cybersecurity environment. 

After introducing themselves, they’ll delve into why Navigating Forward is doing a deep dive into cybersecurity right now, and they’ll also share some info about the upcoming topics and what they hope listeners will take away from the series. To learn more about ways to improve your own cybersecurity posture, tune in each week for conversations with our special guests – and go to launchconsulting.com/cyber for even more information.  

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Lisa Thee chats with Bettina Lippisch, VP of Privacy & Data Governance at Omeda. With a background that includes stints on marketing and product teams in addition to operations, Bettina is passionate about connecting teams and helping them understand each other’s language. Also joining in the conversation is Doug Kachelmuss, Director of Data Architecture & Engineering at Launch Consulting. 

The trio discuss data privacy and governance, how it’s constantly changing, and how there’s a misconception that proper governance stifles innovation. They delve into preparation for when data breaches happen and how developing muscle memory can help with mitigation when the inevitable happens. And, last but not least, they explain why privacy doesn’t have to be a four-letter word for product and development teams. 

Find Lisa at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee
Find Bettina at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettinalindner
Find Doug at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougkachelmuss

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Lisa Thee chats with Blake Kuhre, Co-Founder and CEO of SWIM. With a background that includes stints at Disney, Meet Group, and ByteDance, Blake has a passion for pursuing the next frontier in tech and entertainment. SWIM is a Web3 company with a new product currently in stealth mode, but Blake gives some hints about their direction in his wide-ranging discussion with Lisa. 

Their talk ranges from WeChat to Twitter to AI  to synthetic influencers and covers the transition from Web2 to Web3 — including the in-between state we’re in now that’s basically Web2.5. With an international perspective based on time they’ve both spent overseas, Lisa and Blake dig into super apps, decentralization and transparency of transactions, and the current AI race (and how maybe we need a kill switch). 

Find Lisa at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/

Find Blake at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkuhre/ and https://swim.eco/

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Lisa Thee is joined by best-selling author and former Silicon Valley CEO, Hilary DeCesare. Now, as the founder and CEO of The ReLaunch Co., Hilary helps women and businesses transform with her 3HQ framework. Featured in her book RELAUNCH! Spark Your Heart to Ignite Your Life, the framework focuses on the heart, the head, and the higher self. 

Hilary and Lisa delve into some of the challenges facing entrepreneurs, employees, leaders, and businesses as they navigate a post-pandemic landscape that has been impacted by quiet quitting, ongoing layoffs, and other stress-inducers. Key to thriving in this new world is reigniting the passion and energy of leaders who can then do the same with their teams. Hilary leads Lisa through a re-energizing exercise that starts with Lisa having to choose a song – and you’ll never guess which one she chooses. Listen in for a lively conversation that just might have you thinking differently about how you approach the new normal – which isn’t very normal at all. 

Find Lisa at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/

Find Hilary at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarydecesare/, https://therelaunchco.com/ 

Launch Consulting 
Navigators in the Age of Transformation

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Lisa Thee chats with David Smith and Brad Johnson, co-authors of Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace and Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women. These former naval officers are dedicated to helping men become better allies, colleagues, and mentors for women — which in turn helps men become better and more inclusive leaders within their organizations. 

Lisa, Brad, and Dave discuss some common misconceptions and fears that men might have on their journey to becoming better allies, along with some ways to conquer their fears of disrupting the behaviors of other men. Along with effective strategies for allyship, they also talk about the different ways in which younger workers may approach the workplace and the different questions and concerns that they might have. They also touch on how gender equity starts at home, noting the importance of role modeling allyship at home. 

Find Brad at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbradjohnson/

Find David at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgsmithphd/

Find Lisa at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/ 

Website: https://www.workplaceallies.com/

Launch Consulting 
Navigators in the Age of Transformation

On this episode of Navigating Forward, Lisa Thee speaks with Wendy Turner-Willams, former Chief Data Officer at Tableau. With over 20 years of experience in data, Wendy is an Advisory Board Member for several organizations, including the University of Washington Information School. She also recently joined Carnegie Mellon University as an Adjunct Professor in their Tepper School of Business Chief Data Officer program. 

Lisa and Wendy discuss the role of a Chief Data Officer and how the CDO focuses on not just data, but how it interacts with the unique people, processes, and technologies within a company. The conversation also touches on security, risk, and trust – and even the politics of data. In addition, they talk about data literacy and what it means and how its pursuit is perceived by both employees and executives, along with some advice for those looking to increase their own literacy. Finally, Wendy and Lisa chat about healthcare, invisible illness, and the ways in which data and automation intersect with medicine.

Find Wendy at https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-turner-williams-8b66039/
Find Lisa at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/
Resources mentioned:
https://www.womenindata.org/
https://www.donatingplasma.org/donation/find-a-donor-center 

Launch Consulting 
Navigators in the Age of Transformation