Artificial intelligence is becoming part of nearly every business conversation. The problem is not the technology. The problem is how people choose to use it.
In this episode of Al Fresco, I explore why AI should strengthen your judgment instead of replacing it. Whether you're writing emails, creating policies, making strategic decisions, or solving customer problems, AI can accelerate your work—but it cannot replace experience, ethics, accountability, or business judgment.
The businesses that succeed with AI won't be the ones using it the most. They'll be the ones using it thoughtfully.
AI is a powerful tool.
It is not a substitute for thinking.
Topics Covered
• Why AI should amplify—not replace—your thinking
• The danger of outsourcing judgment
• Business ethics and responsible AI use
• Why experience still matters
• How leaders should approach AI adoption
• Practical ways to use AI without becoming dependent on it
If you enjoyed this discussion, consider subscribing for more conversations on technology, leadership, entrepreneurship, and practical business strategy.
New Al Fresco episodes release every Friday.
🌐 SD Tech
https://www.sdtechbaltimore.com


Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

Cancer research is one of the hardest entrepreneurial journeys imaginable. Long development cycles, scientific uncertainty, fundraising, regulatory hurdles, and the hope of improving lives all collide in one mission.
In this episode of Stack & Startup, Jason Sherwood sits down with Roman Owens, Co-Founder & CEO of OncoVanta Therapeutics, to discuss what it really takes to build a biotech startup pursuing new treatments for pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors.
Rather than focusing only on the science, this conversation explores leadership, entrepreneurship, learning outside your expertise, raising capital, building partnerships, and why some companies exist because the problem is simply too important to ignore.
Topics include:
• Starting a biotech company without coming from a medical research background
• Building partnerships with Howard University and the NIH
• Immuno-oncology explained for non-scientists
• Why fundraising is a full-time job for biotech founders
• The importance of mentorship and lifelong learning
• Balancing family, entrepreneurship, and long-term vision
• Leadership in highly technical industries
• Why great businesses are really systems
Whether you are a founder, entrepreneur, scientist, investor, or simply fascinated by how difficult companies are built, this episode offers valuable lessons that extend far beyond biotech.
Guest:
Roman Owens
Co-Founder & CEO
OncoVanta Therapeutics
🌐 Website:
https://oncovanta.com
💼 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-owens-447b762bb/
📧 Email:
[email protected]
Stack & Startup explores the real stories behind building companies—from first ideas to growing organizations. We talk with founders, operators, creators, and business leaders about what actually goes into building something meaningful.
🎙 Available wherever you get your podcasts.


Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

At some point, every growing business reaches a stage where things that once worked perfectly begin creating friction.
It takes longer to find information. Communication becomes more difficult. Processes require more work than they should. The business hasn't become worse—it has simply outgrown the systems that once supported it.
In this week's Al Fresco Friday, I discuss how operational friction quietly builds over time, why business growth exposes weaknesses in technology and processes, and how recognizing those warning signs early can save countless hours of frustration later.
Growth shouldn't make your business harder to run.
It should make it stronger.
What you'll learn:
• Why "it's working fine" can become an expensive mindset
• The difference between business growth and operational maturity
• Common signs your systems are creating unnecessary friction
• Why risk management starts long before something actually breaks
• How to recognize when your business has outgrown its current IT environment
If you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing for more conversations about business, technology, entrepreneurship, and practical lessons learned in the real world.
New Al Fresco Friday episodes every Friday.
🌐 SD Tech Maryland
https://sdtechbaltimore.com
🎙️ Stack & Startup
https://stackandstartup.com


Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

The future of healthcare may not be about making people travel further for care. It may be about bringing more healthcare to the people who need it.
In this episode of Stack & Startup, I sit down with Charlie Nahabedian, founder of VK Digital Health, to discuss the decades-long journey that led him to rethinking how healthcare is delivered.
We explore:
• Building businesses with long-term vision
• Why persistence matters more than quick wins
• Expanding healthcare access through technology
• Lessons learned from decades of entrepreneurship
• How innovation can improve patient outcomes without losing the human element
Whether you're a business owner, healthcare leader, entrepreneur, or simply interested in how technology is changing healthcare, this conversation offers valuable insights into building solutions that solve real problems.
Learn more about Charlie and VK Digital Health:
🌐 https://www.vkdigitalhealth.com/
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnahabedian/


Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

Every business owner has said it.
"It's working fine."
Sometimes that's true.
Sometimes it's the warning sign you only recognize after something breaks.

In this episode of Stack & Startup Al Fresco, I explore one of the most common mindsets that quietly creates operational risk inside businesses. Whether it's undocumented processes, aging technology, tribal knowledge, or a single employee who "just knows how everything works," these hidden dependencies can become expensive overnight.
This episode isn't really about IT.
It's about operations.
It's about leadership.
And it's about asking a simple question before your business is forced to answer it the hard way.
If you're building a business that you want to grow, sell, or simply sleep better running, this conversation is for you.
Connect with Jason Sherwood
🌐 https://stackandstartup.com
🌐 https://sdtechbaltimore.com
💼 LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsherwood/
If you enjoyed this episode:
👍 Like
💬 Leave a comment
🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders plus Al Fresco Fridays, where we explore business, technology, and leadership.

Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

For years we've heard that artificial intelligence would transform the way we work. But what does that actually look like in the real world?
In this episode of Stack & Startup, Jason Sherwood sits down with Dowdy Jackson, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Antigenix Therapeutics, to discuss entrepreneurship, innovation, biotechnology, and how AI is being used to accelerate meaningful research instead of simply automating routine work.
Rather than replacing people, AI has the potential to help researchers move faster, discover more, and focus on solving some of healthcare's biggest challenges.
In this conversation we discuss:
• Entrepreneurship and building innovative companies
• AI as a practical research tool
• Biotechnology and cancer research
• Leadership and innovation
• Bringing new therapies to market
• The future of AI in scientific discovery
• Why people remain at the center of innovation
Innovation has never been about technology alone. It's about giving talented people better tools to solve meaningful problems.
Guest: Dowdy Jackson, PhD
🌐 https://www.antigenixthera.com/
🌐 https://www.jackson-consulting-group.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dowdy-jackson-aa167a4/
Stack & Startup shares the hidden stories of Maryland business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

Growing a business is exciting—until the technology that helped you get started begins slowing you down.
In this episode of Stack & Startup – Al Fresco, Jason Sherwood discusses one of the biggest challenges facing growing businesses: knowing when it's time to move beyond "good enough" technology and begin building systems that support long-term success.
Whether it's networking, cybersecurity, cloud services, automation, or operational processes, growth shouldn't mean constant friction. Technology should remove obstacles—not create them.
In this episode:
• Why growing businesses eventually outgrow their original technology
• Common bottlenecks that hold companies back
• Planning infrastructure before problems appear
• Balancing cost with long-term value
• Building technology that scales alongside your business
• Why strategic IT decisions matter more than ever
Technology isn't just something you buy—it's an investment in how efficiently your business can grow.
If you're a Maryland business owner looking to build a stronger technology foundation, I'd love to connect.
🌐 https://sdtechbaltimore.com
Subscribe for more conversations about entrepreneurship, technology, cybersecurity, and the hidden stories of Maryland business.

Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

Healthcare is one of the most human industries in the world, but behind every patient visit is a system most people never see.
In this episode of Stack & Startup, Jason Sherwood sits down with Dr. Mikel Daniels of WeTreatFeet Podiatry and The Podiatry Voice to discuss how AI, documentation, cybersecurity, HIPAA, trust, and human care all collide inside a modern medical practice.
We discuss:
• How AI is changing medical documentation
• Why healthcare technology still needs human review
• The risks and limits of AI in patient communication
• Cybersecurity and HIPAA in real-world medical practices
• Why trust matters in healthcare and business
• How AI helps with marketing, operations, and accessibility
• Why the human element still matters as technology advances
This conversation is not just about healthcare. It is about what business leaders can learn from one of the most regulated, high-trust industries in the world.
Guest: Dr. Mikel Daniels
WeTreatFeet Podiatry: https://wetreatfeetpodiatry.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmikeldaniels/
Stack & Startup explores business, technology, leadership, and the people building across Maryland.

Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

If your business has more than a handful of employees, there is a good chance AI is already being used somewhere inside your organization.
Maybe it's helping write emails.
Maybe it's summarizing notes.
Maybe it's drafting proposals.
Maybe it's creating marketing content.
The question is no longer whether businesses should use AI.
The question is whether businesses are governing it intentionally.
In the first episode of a new monthly AI series, Jason Sherwood explores practical AI governance for small and midsize businesses, including acceptable use, data boundaries, verification, accountability, and why banning AI outright is rarely the answer.
Topics include:
• Why AI adoption usually starts with employees
• The hidden risks of unmanaged AI use
• AI governance for small businesses
• Acceptable use policies
• Human accountability
• Data protection
• Verification and review
• Practical leadership strategies
Whether you're a business owner, manager, IT professional, or entrepreneur, this episode provides a practical framework for using AI responsibly while protecting your business.
Stack & Startup explores business, technology, leadership, and the people building the future of Maryland business.
Patreon:
https://patreon.com/stackandstartup

Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting

Most people do not fail because they lack ideas.
They fail because execution is harder than inspiration.
In this episode of Stack & Startup, Jason Sherwood sits down with Phil Parsons of KP Homescapes to discuss the systems, discipline, and leadership required to consistently turn ideas into finished results.
From engineering and Department of Defense work to construction leadership and AI-driven workflows, Phil shares lessons learned from building projects, teams, and businesses through repeatable systems rather than relying on motivation alone.
Topics include:
• Why great ideas often fail
• Execution versus inspiration
• Project management and accountability
• AI and responsible technology adoption
• Leadership and delegation
• Building systems that scale
• Construction, operations, and precision
• Maintaining the human element in an AI world
Whether you run a business, manage projects, lead teams, or simply want to become more effective, this conversation offers practical lessons that apply far beyond construction.
Guest:
Phil Parsons
KP Homescapes
Website:
https://kphomescapes.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-parsons-17870850/
Stack & Startup explores entrepreneurship, technology, leadership, and the people building businesses across Maryland.

Stack & Startup is a Baltimore-based business podcast focused on real conversations about building, running, and growing companies in Maryland.

If you’re serious about improving how your business operates—from technology to decision-making—follow the show for practical, experience-driven insights.

Watch and connect:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StackStartupBaltimore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-sherwood/

Need help with your business technology?

👉 Book a free 15-minute assessment: https://calendly.com/jason-sherwood-sd-tech/15-minute-meeting