Frontline Innovators: Transforming Defense Technology with AFWERX and Second Front Systems | The Pair Program Ep43

In this enlightening episode, we explore the groundbreaking work of Second Front Systems and AFWERX – both organizations that are driving technological advancements for our nation's warfighters. Join our guests, Donald 'Chee' Gansberg and Enrique Oti, as they share their remarkable journeys and insights at the intersection of software innovation and national security.

Chee, a former special operations forward air controller turned software evangelist at AFWERX, and Enrique, Chief Strategy Officer at Second Front Systems and retired Air Force Colonel, provide unparalleled perspectives on government tech modernization and the challenges of navigating the federal acquisition process. They delve into the mission of AFWERX to foster internal innovation within the Air Force and Second Front

Systems' quest to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and government utilization.

From overcoming bureaucratic barriers to building trust with the government, this episode offers invaluable insights for

anyone passionate about defense tech innovation and the transformative power of collaboration between startups and government agencies. Tune in to discover how these visionary leaders are reshaping the future of defense technology.

About Donald ‘Chee’ Gansberger:

Chee Gansberger was a computer programmer in the IndyCar series and the Silicon Valley who decided one day in September, 2001, that he'd rather jump out of airplanes and blow things up. After years as a special operations forward air controller including numerous deployments as a front-line operator, he ended up first in traditional acquisitions and then in the innovation scene. After helping usher in modern software reform while part of DIUx he then moved to AFWERX, as a software evangelist trying to bring innovative use of software to the warfighter.

About Enrique Oti:

Enrique Oti is the Chief Strategy Officer of Second Front Systems (2F), where he fast-tracks government access to disruptive, commercially-proven software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications for national security missions. Prior to joining 2F, Enrique had a 23-year career in the United States Air Force, during which he served in multiple assignments as a cyber warfare officer and China Foreign Area Officer. Enrique commanded an intelligence support squadron in Korea, and was a co-founder of the Defense Innovation Unit in Silicon Valley. He co-founded the Kessel Run software development program, and in his final assignment served as the Kessel Run commander, retiring as a Colonel. Enrique earned a BS in History from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an MS in Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College, and an MA in International Relations from Zhejiang University in China, where he studied as an Olmsted Scholar.

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CTO Wisdom with Sushma Nallapeta | 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 Sushma Nallapeta, CTO of Trusted Health.

About today’s guest: As CTO of Trusted Health, Sue Nallapeta leads an organization of over 100 technologists, reimagining healthcare staffing with a core mission of helping people find care. With a background in Computer Science, Sue has over a decade of experience across various consumer facing businesses, marketplaces and enterprise software. She has navigated the landscapes of both public companies and startups, weathering numerous acquisitions on both ends of the spectrum. She has built highly performant, vastly scalable engineering systems that have touched millions of customers and led product and technology innovations that have contributed to top line company growth.

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.

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Guardians of Innovation: Exploring the Intersection of Military Defense and Tech | The Pair Program Ep42

In this captivating episode, we delve into the dynamic world of military defense and its profound impact on technological innovation. Join our guests, Sean Leahy and Les Craig, as they share their firsthand experiences and insights gained from their distinguished careers in the defense tech space.

Les, a Partner at Next Frontier Capital and a former Infantry Officer and Platoon Leader, brings a unique perspective shaped by his military service and subsequent roles in intelligence and cybersecurity startups. Sean, a seasoned defense and intelligence technologist, offers invaluable expertise cultivated through his diverse roles supporting defense agencies and startups alike.

Together, they explore the evolving landscape of defense technology, discussing emerging trends, the surge in the defense tech industry, and the pivotal role of the military in driving innovation.

About Les Craig

Les has been a Partner at Next Frontier Capital since 2017, where he has led 12 direct investments and serves on the boards of 7 portfolio companies. He is a 2003 graduate of the United State Military Academy at West Point, and served as an Infantry Officer and Platoon Leader in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Ranger Battalion, as well as an Aide on General Stan McChrystal's staff at Joint Special Operations Command. Post military commitment, Les served as a Technical Operations Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. He co-founded two start-ups: The Twenty, a data science services company and RedOwl Analytics, a venture backed cyber security software company that was acquired by Forcepoint in August of 2017.

About Sean Leahy

Sean is a career defense and intelligence technologist, currently working as an independent advisor to defense technology startups and investors. He began his career supporting DARPA, JIEDDO, the U.S. Army, and multiple teams within the Intelligence Community. He was Director of Technical Services at Sayari Labs, a dual use technology company. In 2023, he served as a Defense and Technology Fellow in the Office of Senator Steve Daines of Montana. He is a graduate of Columbia University.

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CTO Wisdom with Barnaby Dorfman | 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 Barnaby, Dorfman, a visionary technology executive with decades of leadership experience in the tech industry.

In today’s episode, they discuss:

• The importance of learning how to sell ideas in a way your audience understands
• How to lead through layers of abstraction
• The importance of considering the Product Lifecycle in the way you build the Team
• The toughest part of technical leadership
• And much more!

About today’s guest: Barnaby Dorfman is a visionary technology executive with decades of leadership experience in the tech industry. His career spans a broad spectrum of roles, including founding startups, leading innovative projects at Amazon.com, and driving growth as a CTO for several companies. He is currently supporting multiple CEOs with tech strategy and execution. His role at Go1 as CTO was marked by remarkable achievements in building a global team and securing investments from top-tier venture capital firms, contributing significantly to the eLearning platform's hyper-growth. Barnaby's tenure in technology leadership positions, such as his time at Payscale.com and his groundbreaking work at Amazon.com, reflects his passion for creating high-performance teams and innovative products. He is credited with launching the first version of Amazon Marketplace, developing IMDbPro.com, and inventing search technologies used globally. With a deep commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence, Barnaby continues to influence the tech industry through his advisory roles and speaking engagements, sharing insights drawn from a rich and diverse career. Barnaby graduated magna cum laude from San Francisco State University and has an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth.

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.

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Driving Government Modernization: Tales from GovTech Innovators | The Pair Program Ep. 41

In this episode, join our hosts as they engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Rob Murtha, the visionary CEO and Founder of Adjective, and Ken Kato, Vice President of DevSecOps & AI at Omni Federal.

Together, they explore the intricate landscape of tech innovation across diverse government domains, sharing insights on how engineering and product experts are crafting tailored solutions to address the unique needs of government agencies. From discussing the imperatives of GovTech modernization to revealing the transformative work they're currently undertaking, our guests offer invaluable perspectives on identifying governmental challenges and building effective solutions.Don't miss out on this enlightening discussion with two leading voices shaping the future of GovTech!

About Rob Murtha:

Rob's the CEO and Founder of Adjective, a Human Factors Design Company. Rob founded Adjective because he was passionate about building the bridge between deep automation, human productivity, and system instrumentation. Rob takes a systematic approach to learn about systems, craft processes that accommodate evolving industries, to move quickly and constantly create as much value for those systems as possible.

About Ken Kato:

Ken has led a journey that’s anything but typical. The start-up scene in Boston, then a bit of good weirdness at MIT Lincoln Labs and Mitre, found himself in meetings for ‘AOC Pathfinder’ that became what we know better today as Kessel Run, joined a White House Presidential Innovation Fellowship where he regularly tells people that friends don’t let friends accidentally start a new DevOps program in the government.

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CTO Wisdom with David Bachowski | 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 David Bachowski, CTO at Trusted Nurse Staffing where he is defining and executing the vision for all things digital.

About today’s guest: Dave Bachowski joined Trusted Nurse Staffing in 2022 to help define and execute the vision for all things digital. Prior to TNS, he built a 17 year technology career as CTO for a wide variety of startups and companies through sheer stubbornness, affinity for adventure, and a constant smile. When he’s not spending time with his family, you can find him night golfing, playing music, or geeking out on dungeons and dragons.

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 organizations. 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.

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Driving Change: Tackling Military Spouse Unemployment Through Innovation | The Pair Program Ep40

Join us in this illuminating episode as we explore the groundbreaking partnership between Instant Teams, a mission-driven startup, and Squadra Ventures, a venture capital fund. Liza Rodewald, CEO and Founder of Instant Teams, shares her journey and how her personal experience as a military spouse ignited her passion to tackle the alarming issue of military spouse unemployment. Margaret Falzon, COO at Squadra Ventures, delves into why their team chose to invest in Instant Teams and the transformative impact they foresee.

Discover the profound implications of military spouse unemployment on national security and how Instant Teams’ innovative customer experience marketplace is revolutionizing remote work opportunities for this remarkable and diverse workforce. Whether you're connected to the military or passionate about mission-driven startups, this episode offers invaluable insights into a pressing issue and the pioneering solutions driving change.Join us as we explore the intersection of purpose, innovation, and social impact.

About Margaret Falzon: Margaret is the COO at Squadra Ventures, a national security-focused venture capital fund founded on the belief that exceptional teams are the key to outsized success. Prior to this, Margaret was a co-founder and product leader at a dual-use data analytics company that operated in the learning and training technology space, built grassroots community networks that supported the development of women leaders, and served as a board member and advisor for multiple entrepreneur support organizations. In her work, she finds joy when she is increasing the leadership capacity of teams and individuals, working in dynamic environments on projects that tell and sell the stories of innovative products in service to the needs of customers, and helping early-stage entrepreneurs design the culture of their companies with intention.

About Liza Rodewald: Liza is a 4x entrepreneur and software engineer. She is currently the CEO and Founder of Instant Teams and Twelve Million Plus. She has scaled the company to over 500 employees, raised more than $16M in venture capital and landed at #13 on the Inc. 5000 list for Human Resources across the nation.

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Frontiers: Exploring the World of Data | The Dunes of Design | Beyond the Program

In this episode our guest host, Jazmin Furtado, speaks with Ege Yurdagul, Director of Strategic Planning & Data Analysis at Revival Rugs, to explore how he leverages data to inform and make decisions in the artistic industry of Design.

They discuss:

• How Ege found himself in Design, coming from an M&A background.
• What he finds most exciting and unique working in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of Design.
• How he uses data while interacting with various teams to meet business needs without sacrificing creativity.
• And of course, some interesting facts to share!

Bio:

• Ege leads the data analytics and strategic planning team at Revival Rugs, a design-forward startup dedicated to connecting customers with authentic, well-made, and affordably-priced rugs sourced from artisans worldwide. With over 10 years of experience in M&A, due diligence, financial modeling, and valuation, Ege relies on his analytical prowess to drive informed decisions that propel Revival's success.
• As a director at Revival, Ege spearheads inventory management, demand planning, long-term forecasting, data visualization, and operational reporting. He not only utilizes the data he organizes but also works to democratize it, empowering every team to chart the optimal course of action in their daily operations.

Inside HEAVY.AI's Startup Journey with Dcode | The Pair Program Ep39

In this episode, we dive into the world of commercial innovation within regulated industries, particularly defense and national security. Our guests, Jon Kondo, CEO of HEAVY.AI, and Rebecca Gevalt, Managing Partner at Dcode Capital, unpack the challenges and opportunities of navigating the federal sector.HEAVY.AI specializes in data analysis, offering an intelligence platform that empowers organizations to extract insights from vast datasets, crucial for making time-sensitive decisions. Jon shares insights into how their technology addresses the government's struggle with data analysis on a massive scale.

Rebecca sheds light on Dcode's role in helping startups enter the government market, facilitating their entry into the federal arena.Together, they discuss Dcode's pivotal assistance in HEAVY.AI's journey towards federal adoption, highlighting the importance of collaboration between innovative startups and established players in the government space.Tune in to discover how these trailblazers are reshaping the landscape of govtech and driving impactful change within regulated sectors.

About Jon Kondo: Jon is CEO of HEAVY.AI. Jon has 30 years of general management, sales, and marketing experience building both global enterprise software companies and SaaS-based start-ups. Prior to HEAVY.AI, Jon was SVP of global sales and marketing for Appen, an ASX company, providing data services and technology for AI/ML. Before that he was co-founder and CEO of OpsPanda, a leading application for sales resource management acquired by Xactly. Jon’s additional leadership roles include Chief Revenue Officer at Replicon, CEO of Host Analytics, Group Vice President at Oracle, and SVP & GM, Americas at Hyperion. Jon received his BA from UC Santa Barbara and his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

About Rebecca Gevalt: Rebecca Gevalt is Managing Partner at Dcode Capital where they invest alongside leading venture firms in commercially-successful, high-growth technology companies that can dramatically improve the federal government. Prior to Dcode Capital, Rebecca worked at the CIA for more than a decade, including with In-Q-Tel to bring novel tech startups into the national security space.

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CTO Wisdom with Joel Schlundt | 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 Joel Schlundt, CTO at TextUs, a business texting software.

In today’s episode, they discuss some of the key learnings from Joel’s career journey to becoming a CTO:

• Giving your managers room and space to take risks and be there to support them as they need it
• Creating empathy between you and your other partners throughout the business, to create strong business value
• Being a force multiplier for all parts of the business not just Engineering and Product
• Balancing the needs of product delivery, platform, and people

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 organizations. 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.

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