The Innovators of Things

In this episode, we sit down with Gal Malach, co-founder and CTO of Xsight Labs, to explore how his team is redefining chip architecture and cloud infrastructure for the AI era. From his early career at Motorola to leading one of Israel’s most innovative semiconductor startups, Gal shares lessons on persistence, adaptability, and building technology that keeps pace with a rapidly evolving market.

He discusses what it takes to move from software to hardware innovation, how to build a resilient “A-team” culture, and why openness and programmability are key to long-term success in the world of networking silicon.

Topics Covered:

• The journey from large-scale corporations to founding Xsight Labs
• Lessons learned from an eight-year startup marathon
• How software-defined silicon enables faster innovation cycles
• Balancing innovation with real-world execution
• Building a culture of collaboration and adaptability
• How customers are pushing Xsight Labs technology into new frontiers

Key Quote:

Resources & Links:

• 🌐 Learn more about Xsight Labs: xsightlabs.com
• 💡 Follow Innovators of Things for more conversations with IoT and technology leaders.

In this episode, we sit down with Gal Malach, co-founder and CTO of Xsight Labs, to explore how his team is redefining chip architecture and cloud infrastructure for the AI era. From his early career at Motorola to leading one of Israel’s most innovative semiconductor startups, Gal shares lessons on persistence, adaptability, and building technology that keeps pace with a rapidly evolving market.

He discusses what it takes to move from software to hardware innovation, how to build a resilient “A-team” culture, and why openness and programmability are key to long-term success in the world of networking silicon.

Topics Covered:

• The journey from large-scale corporations to founding Xsight Labs
• Lessons learned from an eight-year startup marathon
• How software-defined silicon enables faster innovation cycles
• Balancing innovation with real-world execution
• Building a culture of collaboration and adaptability
• How customers are pushing Xsight Labs technology into new frontiers

Key Quote:

Resources & Links:

• 🌐 Learn more about Xsight Labs: xsightlabs.com
• 💡 Follow Innovators of Things for more conversations with IoT and technology leaders.

In this episode of Innovators of Things, host Jillian Kaplan interviews Joel Sotomayor, CTO and Founder of agDirigo with over 20 years of experience in software development. Joel recounts his journey from a part-time job at St. Joe's Hospital, where he automated an operating room scheduling system, to his current work in IoT with AgDirigo. He shares his passion for relational databases, data security, and building ruggedized hardware for tracking animal transportation. Key topics include the importance of resource constraints in driving innovation, the role of data provenance in AI, and his ongoing projects aimed at enhancing efficiency and safety in agricultural and medical fields.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:12 Joel's Early Career in Software Development
01:27 Innovations in Hospital Scheduling
04:31 Importance of Data in Policy Making
06:24 Joel's Passion for Technology and Mentorship
09:44 Challenges and Innovations in Hardware Development
16:18 Current Projects and Future Goals
23:03 Acknowledgements and Conclusion

Learn more about the innovative work that Joel is doing with the team at http://www.agdirigo.com

Innovating Across Borders: Lawrence Etta's Global Technology Leadership Journey

In this episode of Innovators of Things, host Jillian Kaplan sits down with Lawrence Eta, an experienced technology leader with an extensive background in driving innovation across multiple countries. Lawrence shares his journey from Nigeria to the UK, Canada, the US, and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the importance of data-driven policies and effective governance in fostering technological advancements. He discusses his significant projects, including transitioning Toronto's workforce to remote operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, developing solutions for homelessness using AI, and advising on Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative. Lawrence also offers insights into his methodologies for mobilizing large teams and ensuring successful project implementations. Finally, he highlights his book 'Bridging Worlds: Technology Leadership in the Public Sector,' designed to guide future technology leaders.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:16 Lawrence Eta's Early Life and Education
00:43 Career Beginnings in Technology
01:21 Dotcom Era and Network Engineering
02:07 Telecommunications and Television Innovations
02:52 Industrial IoT and Deputy CIO Role
03:45 Chief Technology Officer During COVID-19
04:40 Move to the Middle East and Vision 2030
06:21 Global Perspective on Innovation
07:26 Data Sharing and Government Policies
10:01 AI and Homelessness Project
16:30 Frameworks for Innovation and Leadership
22:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Learn more about Lawrence and his book at https://lawrenceeta.com/

In this inspiring episode, Jillian Kaplan speaks with Michel Langlois, a trailblazer whose journey began on a chicken farm in rural Quebec and led to shaping some of the world’s most influential telecom companies. Michel shares his insights from building and scaling Cisco during its explosive growth, transforming Juniper from the inside out, and rethinking innovation not as invention, but integration.

We discuss:

• Why innovation isn’t just invention—and how “Lego-thinking” builds breakthroughs
• Surviving Cisco’s hypergrowth and dot-com crash
• Building trust-driven teams and infrastructure without slowing business
• The power of mentorship (formal and informal) in leadership development
• Lessons from the farm that shaped a Fortune 500 career

Plus, Michel shares how chickens, fiber broadband, and kitchen management all tie into successful innovation at scale.

Visit https://michellanglois.us/ to get his book, Beyond The Code.

In this episode of Innovators of Things, host Jillian Kaplan sits down with one of the most influential figures in wireless and edge innovation, Caroline Chan. A lifelong engineer and problem solver, Caroline shares how her passion for math, curiosity about the world, and relentless focus on progress helped her pioneer virtualization in wireless networks and lay the groundwork for today’s edge compute and AI revolution.

From her roots in mainland China as the daughter of a trailblazing engineering professor, to her scrappy early days at Intel working with leftover budget, Caroline’s journey is a blueprint for innovation that doesn’t start with a moonshot—it starts with a question: What if we just tried this?

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Innovation doesn’t have to be massive to matter—momentum often starts with a small experiment and grows over time.
• Caroline helped lead Intel’s early exploration into virtualized wireless networks (vRAN)—starting with no budget and a lot of curiosity.
• She played a key role in the creation of MEC (Multi-access Edge Compute), laying the foundation for edge AI and 6G.
• The best innovators are great listeners. Open dialogue, vulnerability, and collaboration are critical.
• Caroline emphasizes democratizing innovation, ensuring people of all backgrounds are part of the journey.

In this highly engaging episode, Jillian Kaplan talks with Justin Schneck, co-founder of Peridio, whose path to embedded systems engineering started not in a lab—but behind a drum kit in Hollywood. Justin shares his journey from musician and recording engineer to embedded Linux expert and open-source innovator.

The episode dives deep into Justin’s early work building a remote-start motorcycle (complete with a blinky light jacket), his passion for building developer-friendly tools, and how he’s helping modernize embedded Linux with Avocado OS—a new platform designed to simplify and secure the next generation of edge and AI-powered devices.

Key Takeaways:

• True innovation is often born from curiosity and obsession, not a roadmap.
• The best tools are ones that make complexity beautiful and approachable.
• Embedded Linux needs a new paradigm—one that supports composability, security, and AI workloads.
• Creative backgrounds (like music) can fuel visionary thinking in engineering and product design.
• Building embedded devices in 2025 means managing multiple software domains—not just one firmware image.Episode Highlights:

• The origin story of Peridio and Avocado OS
• Why Justin walked away from the music industry and into tech
• The motorcycle that started it all (with custom LEDs, of course)
• Lessons from building and scaling the open-source Nerves project
• Why traditional firmware delivery no longer scales for modern hardware
• Making secure boot, encryption, and OTA updates developer-friendly

Quotable Moment:

“Security shouldn’t be an afterthought—it just needs someone to make it beautiful.” – Justin Schneck

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Peridio
• Explore Avocado OS

In this episode, Jillian Kaplan speaks with long-time tech leader and marketer Sandro Tavares about his journey from disassembling toys to leading teams that drive telecom innovation. Sandro shares how his engineering roots, passion for learning, and love for storytelling shaped a career that blends technology and creativity—and how he helps others unlock their own innovative thinking.

The conversation dives into how to build high-performing teams that challenge the status quo, the need for situational leadership, and the growing impact of Agentic AI—a new class of intelligent systems that act autonomously. Sandro also raises critical points about the future of AI literacy in education and what it means for the next generation of workers.

Key Takeaways:

• True innovation requires curiosity, communication, and a willingness to question the status quo
• Great leaders don’t just innovate—they create environments that unlock innovation in others
• Agentic AI represents the next leap beyond GenAI—where smart agents act without human prompts
• The rise of autonomous systems will reshape how we work, lead, and learn
• We must rethink education now to prepare students for AI-native careers

Quotable Moment:

“If you’re not curious anymore, you’re basically getting to the end of your life.” – Sandro Tavares

In this energetic and insightful episode of Innovators of Things, Jillian Kaplan welcomes Kevin Shatzkamer, a leader with one of the most dynamic careers in telecom, cloud, and AI. From early days at Cisco to innovation leadership roles at Dell, Google, and now Microsoft, Kevin has been at the forefront of digital transformation—and has the patents and playbooks to prove it.

He shares what it really takes to lead with innovation, how to create teams that thrive on curiosity, and why AI is accelerating faster than any technology telecom has ever seen. Kevin also drops a fan-favorite story about one of his most personal patents: the “Internet of Flags,” a concept born from a surprisingly relatable insecurity (and yes, it involves rabbits and Christmas cards too).

Key Takeaways:

• AI is now the fastest-adopted technology in telecom—and companies need to keep pace or risk falling behind.

• True innovators aren’t afraid to fail fast, learn faster, and let curiosity lead the way.

• You don’t need to be an AI researcher to innovate—you need to be a thought partner and practitioner.

• Great leaders foster innovation by creating psychological safety and space for experimentation.

• Some of the best ideas don’t start at work—they start with a real human problem and a drive to solve it.

Episode Highlights:

• Kevin’s path from telecom engineer to AI leader

• The evolution of innovation—from hardware to experience design

• Why job titles like “innovator” miss the point—and what to look for instead

• What makes someone truly coachable, collaborative, and idea-driven

• Why vulnerability and humility are underrated leadership superpowers

• The story of the “Internet of Flags” and Kevin’s vision for ambient innovation

Quotable Moment:

“It’s not about what I’ve done. It’s about what I haven’t done yet—and who I can learn from next.” – Kevin Shatzkamer

🌐 Resources & Links:

• Follow Kevin Shatzkamer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kshatzka/

• Learn more about Microsoft AI: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai

• Catch more Innovators of Things episodes: innovatorsofthings.com

What happens when a kid who fixes broken toys and VCRs grows up to build AI-powered safety systems in factories? You get Matthew Keever, an IoT engineer whose innovation journey started young—and hasn’t slowed down since.

In this episode of Innovators of Things, Jillian Kaplan talks with Matthew about his path into the world of IoT, the role of curiosity, failure, and resilience in engineering, and how AI is reshaping industrial operations in real time. From predictive maintenance to camera-based human safety detection, Matthew gives us a look at how technology is not only solving real-world problems but also saving lives.

Key Takeaways:

• Early exposure to experimentation—and failure—can be the foundation for lifelong innovation.

• AI is no longer just a backend system—it’s embedded at the edge, making real-time decisions in factories and critical environments.

• Machine learning and AI aren’t just buzzwords—they’re evolving tools that drive safety, efficiency, and predictive capabilities.

• The convergence of AI and IoT is helping prevent workplace accidents, predict equipment failures, and reduce waste.

• Even toothbrushes are getting “smart”—but industrial AI innovation is what’s quietly transforming the world.

Episode Highlights:

• How homeschooling taught him to focus on outcomes, not just process

• Using AI-powered vision systems for workplace safety and predictive maintenance

• How AI is becoming a vital part of industrial IoT, not just a trend

• The difference between traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI

• The power and risk of a future filled with AI—from smart factories to smart cities

💬 Quotable Moment:

“You can fail once, fail twice, fail three times—you just have to succeed in the end.” – Matthew Keever