Beyond Burnout: Rehumanizing Cybersecurity with AI | The Pair Program Ep66

In this episode of The Pair Program, we dive deep into the real challenges facing cybersecurity teams today. Our guests: William Macmillan, Chief Product Officer at Andesite, and Lucas Moody, SVP & CISO at Alteryx, bring sharp insight and a human-first perspective to one of tech’s most pressing issues: burnout. They explore the urgent need to protect not just systems, but the people protecting them.

Topics we cover:

• Why burnout is skyrocketing in SOC teams, and how to reverse it
• How AI can support analysts instead of replacing them
• The role of curiosity and creativity in modern cybersecurity
• Why junior analyst roles are more essential than ever
• The shift toward decision-layer tech built around the human
• What’s next for cybersecurity talent and team building

Whether you’re a cybersecurity pro, tech leader, or just curious about how AI is reshaping critical infrastructure, this one’s worth a listen.

About William Macmillan: William is the Chief Product Officer at Andesite, where he sets the vision for building human-centric security tools. Previously, he served as SVP of Information Security at Salesforce and as CISO at the CIA, where he led a major transformation of the agency’s cybersecurity operations. A U.S. Air Force veteran, William brings experience across intelligence, counterintelligence, and supply chain risk.

About Lucas Moody: Lucas is SVP & CISO at Alteryx, where he leads global information security strategy and operations. With a track record of building and scaling cybersecurity programs, he has held senior security leadership roles at Twitter, Rubrik, and Palo Alto Networks. Lucas brings deep expertise in security engineering, threat intelligence, and incident response, and has led global security teams across North America, Europe, and Asia.

How We Hatched: Trong Bui, Founder & CEO of Vidoori

In this How We Hatched segment, we sit down with Trong Bui, Founder & CEO of Vidoori, to unpack his journey from immigrant engineer to tech leader. He shares insights on building a mission-driven company that prioritizes delivery, ethics, and long-term impact.

Key takeaways from our one-on-one:

• The unexpected path from Lockheed Martin to entrepreneurship
• Building a consulting firm focused on delivery over scale
• Ethical R&D and investing in internal product development
• Creating culture through in-person connection
• His outlook on AI and tech in government contracting

About Trong Khuong Bui: Trong is a pioneering Asian American entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Vidoori, Inc., a company delivering cutting-edge tech solutions to government and commercial clients. With a background in engineering, he’s known for his excellence in strategic planning and risk management, and for championing people-first leadership.

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The Next Frontier: Collaborative Autonomy in Defense Tech | The Pair Program Ep65

Autonomous systems are no longer science fiction, they’re reshaping national security. But while technology moves fast, policy, infrastructure, and trust lag behind. In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to build resilient, distributed autonomy for contested environments. Joining us are Emma Bates, Founder & CEO of Cachai, and Dr. Kimberly Sablon, CTO at Riverside Research, who bring experience from startups and government.

Here’s what we cover:

• The myth of the “common operating picture”
• Why centralized autonomy breaks in contested environments
• Building resilient, distributed systems at the edge
• What startups need to succeed in defense
• Rethinking collaboration between humans and machines

About Emma Bates: Emma is the Founder & CEO of Cachai, a software company enabling collaborative autonomy for edge systems. She’s a former defense strategist with experience at the Department of Defense, Army Futures Command, CSIS, and a Texas-based supercomputing startup.

About Dr. Kimberly Sablon: Dr. Kimberly is Chief Technology Officer at Riverside Research. She previously served as Principal Director for Trusted AI & Autonomy at the DoD and has led Army-wide science and technology initiatives. She holds a PhD in Applied Physics and has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications.

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How We Hatched: Dr. Jay Rozzi, Vice President, Principal Engineer, and Partner at Creare

In this bonus How We Hatched episode, we sit down with Dr. Jay Rozzi, Vice President, Principal Engineer, and Partner at Creare. With deep expertise in advanced manufacturing, cryogenics, and tech commercialization, Jay shares how his team develops breakthrough technologies that move from R&D to real-world deployment across defense, aerospace, and biomedical sectors.

Here’s what we get into:

• The fastener tool used in modern fighter jet production
• Creare’s model: small teams solving complex engineering problems
• How SBIR-funded research becomes commercial-ready tech
• The role of soft skills in technical careers
• What’s next in cryogenics, space systems, and beyond

About Dr. Jay Rozzi: Jay is Vice President and Principal Engineer & Partner at Creare LLC, and Vice President of Edare LLC, Creare’s product-focused affiliate. He leads Creare’s Advanced Manufacturing group and works in machining, laser processing, cryogenics, and biomedical systems, focusing on turning government-funded innovations into practical solutions.

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Data Solutions in Regulated Environments: Scaling Innovation in Defense and Aerospace | The Pair Program Ep64

On this week’s episode of The Pair Program, we’re diving deep into defense innovation, mission-first data strategy, and the future of aerospace tech with Jake Dyal and Scott Dieckhaus, two leaders with decades of experience navigating high-stakes environments. Jake, a former military intelligence officer turned startup founder, and Scott, a longtime aerospace leader now at AWS, share hard-won lessons from both the front lines and the cloud.

We dive into:

• Building mission-ready AI for disconnected environments
• Why “data value is in the eye of the beholder”
• The challenge of connecting siloed defense and aerospace data
• The truth about compliance: when it helps and when it slows you down
• How early-stage defense startups can scale responsibly
• What the future of edge tech, drones, and predictive logistics might look like

About Jake Dyal: Jake is the CEO and Co-Founder of Certus Core, where he’s building AI and data tools tailored for the defense sector. He brings over 25 years of experience from special ops missions to Pentagon programs, now focused on enabling smarter, faster decisions in disconnected environments.

About Scott Dieckhaus: Scott leads Aerospace Solutions at AWS, helping defense and aerospace organizations modernize with cloud and edge technologies. He spent two decades at Boeing in program and analytics leadership and now applies that expertise to some of today’s most complex logistics and data challenges.

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Delivering Defense-Tech Ground Autonomy with DIU and Forterra | The Pair Program Ep63

What does the future of defense look like when the vehicles drive themselves? In this episode, we sit down with Paul Benfield (Head of Strategy at Forterra) and David Michelson (Director of Autonomy at DIU) to talk about the real-world deployment of autonomous ground systems and why it’s no longer science fiction.

Tune in for:

• How DIU and Forterra are building driverless combat vehicles (today, not someday)
• The inside story of the Ground Vehicle Autonomous Pathways (GVAP) program
• Why off-road autonomy might be harder than robo-taxis, and why it’s worth it
• What “dual-use” really means when your tech serves ports and platoons
• How trust, safety, and certification are being redefined in autonomous warfare

About David Michelson: David leads DIU’s autonomy portfolio, bringing over 15 years of experience in special operations, program management, and emerging tech. He’s behind key programs like Blue UAS and GVAP, and holds an MPP from Harvard and a B.S. from West Point.

About Paul Benfield: Paul is Head of Strategy at Forterra and a 20+ year Army veteran. He’s worked at the highest levels of the Pentagon and now helps bridge the gap between tech startups and national defense priorities.

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From Service to Startup: Empowering Veteran-Led Innovation in Defense Tech | The Pair Program Ep62

What happens when veterans take the lead in shaping the future of defense tech? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Casey Perley from the Army Applications Lab and Guy Filippelli of Squadra Ventures, two powerhouses driving change from within and beyond the DoD. They share stories from the frontlines of innovation, lessons learned in building startups, and advice for veterans stepping into tech.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How military leaders are building the next wave of defense startups
• Why dual-use tech isn’t one-size-fits-all
• The hidden challenges of navigating DoD procurement
• What makes a great founder (it’s not what you think)
• The impact of community and mission after active duty

About Dr. Casey Perley: Dr. Casey leads the Army Applications Lab, helping the Army tap into the best of commercial innovation. With a PhD in genetics, experience designing DNA vaccines, and a secret life as a Grammy-nominated harpist, Casey blends science, strategy, and creativity like few others.

About Guy Filippelli: Guy is a former Army intel officer turned startup founder turned venture capitalist. He’s now Managing Partner at Squadra Ventures, backing early-stage companies in cyber and national security. From Baghdad to boardrooms, Guy’s journey is all about mission, impact, and building the next generation of leaders.

Exploring your next tech role? Get insider job advice and the latest startup & govtech openings – delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe here: https://www.myhatchpad.com/newsletter/

CTO Wisdom with Freedom Dumlao | Beyond The Program

Welcome to CTO Wisdom. In this series, we interview technical leaders who have stepped into executive positions.Today’s guest host, Eric Brooke, speaks with Freedom Dumlao, CTO at Vestmark, in this episode of CTO Wisdom. We sit down with Freedom to explore his unconventional journey into tech and the leadership lessons he’s learned along the way. From programming on a black-and-white TV as a kid to leading engineering teams at Zipcar and Wayfair, Freedom shares valuable insights on building high-performing teams and navigating executive responsibilities.

Together, they dive into topics such as:

• How a passion for making sparked a tech career
• Lessons from managing managers and scaling teams
• Navigating the CTO role with empathy and accountability
• The future of AI in engineering organizations
• Why shipping culture beats everything

About today’s guest: Freedom Dumlao is the CTO at Vestmark, with a background in leading engineering teams at companies like Flexcar, Zipcar, Wayfair, Drift, and Amazon. He brings deep experience in scaling technology organizations and driving innovation across both startups and large enterprises.

About today’s host: Eric Brooke has a rich and varied leadership career – leading up to 21,000 people and Billions in revenue, throughout 14 countries. In their career, they have been an Executive six times (e.g. President, CEO, CMO, and CTO) and a Board member of multiple organisations. Eric has been a CTO of scaling startups from 0 to 120 engineers. As an adviser and mentor, they have helped multiple other startups scale both in Canada and the US. As well as supporting multiple startup incubators such as 1871 in Chicago and TechStars.Exploring your next tech role? Get insider job advice and the latest startup & govtech openings – delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe here: https://www.myhatchpad.com/newsletter/

Combating Deepfakes with AI Innovation: Reality Defender & BAH Ventures | The Pair Program Ep61

In this episode of The Pair Program, we’re joined by Ben Colman (CEO and Co-Founder of Reality Defender) and Wes Blackwell (Managing Director at Booz Allen Hamilton) for a fascinating discussion on AI and national security. They dive into the dangers of deepfakes, the role of AI detection tools, and how public and private sectors can stay ahead of this evolving threat. Whether you’re curious about how deepfakes are disrupting banks or the ethics behind AI moderation, this one’s for you.

Here’s what we get into:

• Why deepfakes are the new cybersecurity threat
• Real-world fraud examples using AI-generated media
• The technical challenges of detecting synthetic content
• The ethics of AI detection and censorship
• How startups and government can work together to combat AI misuse

About Ben Colman: Ben is the CEO and Co-Founder of Reality Defender, a deepfake detection platform helping enterprises and governments identify AI-generated threats. With a background in cybersecurity and data science, he’s led innovation at Goldman Sachs and Google, and holds an MBA from NYU Stern.

About Wes Blackwell: Wes is Managing Director at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he invests in cutting-edge technologies that advance national security. His focus spans AI, quantum, cyber, and robotics – backing founders building high-impact, over-the-horizon solutions.

 Exploring your next tech role? Get insider job advice and the latest startup & govtech openings – delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe here: https://www.myhatchpad.com/newsletter/

How We Hatched: Kevin Larrabee, Head of Product at DataShapesAI

In this episode of How We Hatched, we’re joined by Kevin Larrabee, the Head of Product at DataShapesAI. In our conversation, Kevin takes us through the transformative role AI plays in Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) applications. He also shares how DataShapesAI is using AI-driven solutions to enhance spectrum awareness and improve signal monitoring.

Here’s a glimpse of what we talked about:

• The fascinating intersection of military operations and AI-driven tech solutions
• How Kevin navigated the transition from Army officer to startup product lead
• Why DataShapesAI is focusing on EMS applications and what that means for the future
• The challenges and opportunities in developing dual-use technology for defense and commercial sectors

About Kevin Larrabee: Kevin Larrabee is the Head of Product at DataShapesAI, a leader in Artificial Intelligence for Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) applications. He leads the product strategy and execution, driving advancements in AI-driven spectrum awareness, signal monitoring, and automated frequency management. Kevin is a 21-year Army veteran who has led multiple analytical teams across USASOC, CENTCOM, and the Army Staff.

Exploring your next tech role? Get insider job advice and the latest startup & govtech openings – delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe here: https://www.myhatchpad.com/newsletter/