In this episode of Tech in the Hood, the host Flex interviews Joe Brocato, a multi-talented individual known for his book "HIT IT OFF: 21 Rules for Mastering the Art and Science of Relationships In Life and Business." Joe, an attorney, public speaker, and professional coach, reveals the secrets to achieving personal and professional success through meaningful relationships. The discussion also touches on AI's influence on the legal field and offers advice to startup founders regarding thorough due diligence.

In this episode of Tech in the Hood, Jenny Vyas, a self-taught Contemporary Fine Artist and Muralist from the Chicagoland area, shares her unique journey. After a career in E-commerce and graphic design, she delves into painting to explore vulnerability and human connection, developing a distinctive style. The conversation with Flex goes deeper into the human condition, touching on topics like connection, healing, and growth. Additionally, Jenny discusses her views on AI art, emphasizes the significance of human touch in the creative process, and recounts her experience working with Oprah Winfrey.

It’s a full house this week on the Tech in the Hood Podcast as we’re joined by regular guest Bashir Muhammad along with his co-founders and business partners at Net-Telligence (NTG), Tavarian Dinkins and Brian Franklin! We’ll hear the NTG founding story, the evolution from Web1 to Web3, and their team’s formula for success in the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity.

The episode also touches on the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, influenced by COVID-19, Linux-specific malware, and the importance of adapting and innovating. The NTG crew will also talk tips for young entrepreneurs, late-night gaming tournaments, and chop it up over who’s the greatest hip-hop artist of all time.

Our guest this week is Lauren Mogil, a Senior Bioinformatician at the University of Chicago, where she works at the cutting edge of human genomics and cancer research. We’ll get into the mechanics of gene sequencing and how scientists are using AI to assist in the process. Lauren also shares her thoughts on education in the sciences, from Higher Ed. all the way down to elementary school, and why it’s so important to keep young people excited about science.

It's all about recruitment this week on Tech in the Hood with our guest, Kevin Davenport, Author, Founder, and CEO of The Ideal Candidate. On the show, Kevin and Flex discuss trends in recruitment, and dig into some of the biggest challenges facing young people entering the workforce. It's an inspiring conversation that covers everything from Kevin’s upbringing on the Southside, to his founder journey, and the unique challenges he faced writing his book, The Ideal Candidate, while struggling with dyslexia and ADD.

In Season 2 of Tech in the Hood, Martina Matthews, Bashir Muhammad, and Flex recap Season 1, discuss their summer activities, and explore the theme of relationships in technological innovation, including maintaining long-term partnerships and the impact of technology on parent-child relationships, with a fun mention of AI-powered soccer-playing robots.

Tech in the Hood is back with a special Juneteenth Bonus Episode! Flex sits down with Temitayo "Tayo" Ade-Oshifogun, an MBA entrepreneur and founder of Real Ppl, for a real talk about putting in the work. Flex and Tayo talk about centering intentionality and service in their professional lives, and the discipline it takes to become indispensable in any role.

What does it take to launch a successful startup? A great idea? A great team? A whole lot of tenacity? You need all three, according to this week’s guest Martina Matthews. Martina has helped to launch and build some serious businesses in her career, including Chegg, GetNectar.com, SitterCity.com, HelloChime.com, and many others.

This week’s episode is good for your health! We’re talking to physician, author, and community leader, Dr. Dominic Gaziano about everything from Medtech to meditation. Flex and Dr. Dominic talk about the rapid acceleration of telehealth during the Covid-19 pandemic, and discuss the intersection of mental and physical health in the workplace and at home.

In addition to tech in healthcare, our conversation covers social media, healthy relationships, work-life balance, and combating what Dr. Dominic calls Global Loneliness.

In the start-up world, we hear about B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) business models all the time, but what about B2G? Business-to-government is the central topic of this week’s episode with this week’s guest, Sara Agate, founder and CEO of Munitask.

Sara and Flex talk about the barriers to access in government tech careers, and the challenges of engaging young people in this field. The conversation also covers Sara’s experience as a woman of color in the tech start-up environment; she shares her perspective on access and equity in the industry and shares wisdom for young women of color.

We’ll also hear about self-care strategies, some of Sara’s favorite podcasts, and why Chicago is such a perfect environment for young tech companies.