The Executive Room

In the latest episode of The Executive Room podcast, host Kimberly Afonso sits down with Jason Arceneaux, CEO of Arc Energy, to explore his entrepreneurial journey, his approach to servant leadership, and his perspective on the future of the global energy industry.

After spending 17 years with the same company, Jason experienced an unexpected career setback when he was fired. What could have derailed his career instead became a turning point, ultimately leading him to entrepreneurship and the opportunity to build Arc Energy into a global energy business.

The episode covers:

• Jason’s entrepreneurial journey

• The story of building and scaling Arc Energy

• Why focusing on what you can control has shaped his approach to business and life

• Jason’s philosophy on servant leadership and company culture

• The future of the global energy industry and sustainability

• Resilience, authenticity, and growth as a leader

• The importance of personal brands, visibility, and showing up authentically as a CEO

  
  

Jason shares invaluable insights on turning setbacks into opportunities. Regardless of your industry, if you’re an entrepreneur, CEO, or business leader interested in entrepreneurship, servant leadership, resilience, and the future of energy, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

In this episode of The Executive Room, host Kimberly Afonso sits down with Venture Capitalist and Author, Charlie O’Donnell, to discuss what founders aren’t told about raising capital and building a startup.

Drawing on his decades of experience in venture capital and his new book Founder Unfriendly, Charlie shares a candid perspective on how investors actually make decisions, why most startups don’t get funded, and the common misconceptions founders have about product-market fit.

The conversation dives into the reality of startup fundraising, the importance of self-awareness in entrepreneurship, and why persistence alone isn’t enough to succeed.

If you’re an entrepreneur, startup founder, or thinking about starting a business, this episode offers practical insights into venture capital.

Check out Charlie’s new book: Founder Unfriendly: What Investors Won't Tell You About Getting Funded

In the latest episode of the Executive Room podcast, host Kimberly Afonso sits down with Trevor Colhoun, the CEO and founder of TPN Health, to explore how technology, data, and a marketplace approach can transform one of the most complex and underserved sectors in healthcare, behavioral health.

Trevor shares how applying marketplace infrastructure and digital systems can bring clarity to behavioral health by improving access, reducing costs, and driving better outcomes for patients, providers, and payers.

The episode covers:

• Why behavioral health lacks a clear value proposition

• How TPN is building a digital hospital network for mental health

• The disconnect between providers, payers, and data in healthcare systems

• What it takes to build trust and scale a provider-first platform

• Trevor’s insights on leadership and company culture

• The role of LinkedIn, AI, and visibility in modern leadership

Trevor also shares his philosophy on building companies with intention, from hiring for character over skill to creating cultures rooted in honesty, accountability, and purpose.

If you’re a founder, executive, or operator in healthcare or any other complex industry, you definitely won’t want to miss this conversation.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch the full episode on YouTube.

In this episode of The Executive Room, Kimberly Afonso sits down with Jordan Levy, EdTech entrepreneur, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and Founder & CEO of CapSource, to explore how experiential learning is reshaping higher education and early career hiring.
Jordan shares how CapSource has connected more than 25,000 students with 3,000+ industry partners across 150 universities through project-based learning, case-based programs, and mentoring-driven experiences. His mission: close the skills gap and ensure students graduate workforce-ready.
The conversation dives into:
- What experiential learning really means and why it’s critical for career readiness
- How industry-integrated education improves hiring outcomes and employee retention
- Why AI is forcing a complete rethink of how we assess learning
- How universities must evolve to remain relevant in the age of personalized AI-driven learning
Jordan also shares his entrepreneurial journey, how he pivoted away from a traditional path, and why he believes industry partnerships are the future of scalable, high-impact education.
If you care about the future of higher education or the impact of AI on learning, this episode is a must-listen. 

In this episode of The Executive Room, our CEO and podcast host, Kimberly Afonso, sits down with Ed Macha, Founder & CEO of Reliable Controls, to explore one of the most important—and often overlooked—realities of the clean energy transition: without mining and metals, there is no future for technology, electrification, or sustainability.

Ed shares his 26-year journey building a global industrial automation company and explains why the world will need to more than double copper production in the coming decades to support innovation and growth. He discusses the regulatory, workforce, water, and geopolitical challenges—and the opportunities they present for smarter planning, stronger collaboration, and responsible expansion. He also addresses the disconnect between ambitious climate goals and material realities, and how leaders can thoughtfully balance innovation with accountability.

The conversation covers everything from the copper supply challenge to the future of mining, the role of AI as a force multiplier, and why leaders have both the platform and the responsibility to speak up.

This episode is for leaders in energy, mining, sustainability, infrastructure, and technology, as well as anyone interested in the real systems that power modern life.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

In this episode of The Executive Room, host Kimberly Afonso sits down with Adam McGraw, executive coach, keynote speaker, and Co-Founder & CEO of CREW, a private community for senior executives focused on purpose, connection, and fulfillment.

Adam shares why traditional definitions of success no longer hold up. Drawing on his experience coaching over 500 senior executives, his entrepreneurial journey, establishing CREW, and his work with Positive Intelligence, Adam explains how leaders can build resilience, regulate stress, and lead with authenticity in today’s world.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why high-performing executives often struggle with fulfillment, regardless of title or compensation

• How leaders can be intentional about the careers they’re building, and the legacy they will leave behind

• How community and peer support help leaders navigate the second half of their careers

• The difference between networking and a true leadership community

• How leaders can recover faster from stress and stay grounded amid constant change

• The demands of modern leadership in the age of AI and uncertainty
  

This episode is a must-listen for CEOs, founders, and senior executives who are rethinking success, reputation, identity, and what truly matters in the long term.

In this episode of The Executive Room, host Kimberly Afonso (CEO & Founder, KA Consulting Group) sits down with Ashish Saxena, Chief Growth Officer at CoreStack, to explore how leaders can drive sustainable growth amid constant disruption.

Ashish shares his highlights from 2025, including stepping outside his comfort zone, advising private equity firms on technology investments, publishing his new book The Growth Mandate: Leadership in an Exponential World, and stepping into his new role leading growth at CoreStack, an AI-powered cloud governance and security company.

We discuss:

• How to operationalize a growth mindset through vision, strategy, execution, and customer centricity
• The leadership shift required to restructure your business for AI
• How CoreStack applies AI for productivity, product innovation, FinOps, CloudOps, and SecOps
• Why visibility matters and practical advice for leaders to build thought leadership
• How The Growth Mandate offers a manual for leaders with exercises and seven leadership levers.
• The questions every leader should ask about growth, technology, community, and legacy

If you’re a CEO, founder, or growth leader navigating AI and transformation, this episode offers practical insights on how to align purpose with performance and build growth that lasts.

In this episode of The Executive Room, host Kimberly Afonso, CEO & Founder of The KA Consulting Group, sits down with Mark Walker, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Nue, to explore leadership, strategy, and building companies during AI-driven disruption.

With over 30 years of experience scaling SaaS, CRM, and ERP businesses, Mark shares how curiosity, not career planning, has shaped his journey from law to enterprise software. He explains why traditional three-year strategic plans no longer work, how AI is forcing leaders to rethink execution cycles, and what it truly means to lead high-performing teams through uncertainty.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why “it’s never about the money.”
• Why leaders must re-evaluate strategy every 3–6 months in today’s AI-driven landscape
• What CEOs still underestimate about AI’s impact
• Loving the work is non-negotiable as a leader.

This episode is a must-listen for CEOs and founders navigating growth, AI adoption, and organizational change.

Subscribe to The Executive Room Podcast for more conversations with visionary leaders.

In this episode of The Executive Room, host Kimberly Afonso, CEO & Founder of The KA Consulting Group, sits down with Charles “Chuck” Bender, CEO of Skynet Broadband and Attentus Technologies.

Chuck’s journey is anything but linear. From growing up in poverty to serving in the U.S. Navy to building two thriving companies by solving real problems in rural communities, his story is a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership.

We explore:

• How the idea of Skynet Broadband emerged from a real need
• The accidental birth of Attentus Technologies and learning to lead two companies at once
• His people-first philosophy
• The real role of AI in IT services, what will be replaced, and what can never be
• Lessons from 25 years in Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
• His views on entrepreneurship, authenticity, vulnerability, and transparency in leadership

Tune in for an episode packed with wisdom and real-world leadership lessons.

In this episode of The Executive Room, host Kimberly Afonso, CEO & Founder of The KA Consulting Group, sits down with Erik Braund, Founder & CEO of Katmai, the virtual office platform redefining remote and hybrid work.

Erik shares the untold story behind building Katmai, from discovering an early prototype on Twitter, to bootstrapping through the pandemic, to raising his first $15M round with only $2,000 left in his bank account.

We dive deep into:

• The inspiration behind Katmai and how Erik transformed a rough proof-of-concept into a patented, scalable platform

• Lessons from taking a company from bootstrapped to Series A

• How remote work is evolving beyond videoconferencing apps

• Why presence, spontaneity, and digital culture matter more than ever

Whether you’re a founder, a remote team leader, or just curious about the future of work, this conversation is packed with insights, honesty, and lessons from a CEO who rebuilt everything from the ground up.

Subscribe to The Executive Room Podcast for more conversations with visionary leaders.