The Restless Ones

With the end of another great season of The Restless Ones, Jonathan looks back on some of the guests and conversations we’ve heard from. With some truly inspiring leaders, driving change at the intersection of technology and business, he reflects on the common themes throughout these discussions and the consistent thread that connects them all -  connectivity.

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The local convenience store - the cornerstone of rural America, once a one-stop shop for everything from farming and pet supplies to household goods and homemade apple pies. Fast forward to today where those same stores are providing network connectivity, technology infrastructure, and operating efficiency to bustling farming communities. With integrated omnichannel and personalized shopping experiences, retail continues to be a vibrant hub of community connection

In the latest episode of "The Restless Ones,"  Jonathan sits with Rob Mills, EVP, Chief Technology, Digital Commerce, and Strategy Officer of Tractor Supply Company. Rob's approach to technology is a practical one, as is his approach to leadership. How can technology enable Tractor Supply to meet customer needs and expectations? How can Tractor Supply create a smooth experience both in stores and behind the scenes? And how can the company contribute to those rural communities that it serves? 

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Many people visit resorts to relax and take a break from their daily routines. However, for resort managers, disconnecting from technology is not an option if they want to provide a great guest experience. To ensure guest satisfaction, including catering to their preferences, reducing wait times, and improving services, resorts need to have a constant flow of data and reliable connectivity. Leading companies like Vail Resorts have adopted 5G technology to enhance both their customer-facing and internal services across all their properties, improving the overall guest experience.

In the latest episode of "The Restless Ones,"  Jonathan had the privilege of sitting down with Tim April, EVP and CIO of Vail Resorts. Tim emphasizes that the key to their success lies in his team's unique approach, where they prioritize being business leaders first. Whether it involves monitoring snowfall and trail grooming or providing guests with access to reservations and payments while on the mountainside, Tim's team equips visitors with all the tools and information required for a flawless vacation.

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The word “innovation” usually evokes new ways of thinking, acting, and accelerating what’s possible, but none of that means much if it doesn’t deliver meaningful results. So, when it comes to gauging innovation’s impact, Phillipa Leighton Jones and Matt Griffin are particularly well attuned. In this special episode recorded live from Mobile World Congress 2023, Phillipa and Matt share their perspectives on how connectivity has become the underpinning of so many of the innovations we see today.  From AI and sustainability to the nearly unlimited access to knowledge connectivity offers, we’ll hear their views on the latest breakthroughs the technology world is embracing.

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A world where customers can buy everything they want, whenever and wherever they want isn’t 100% there—but it’s pretty close. And perhaps no company has been up for that challenge as much as Lowe’s.

In this episode of The Restless Ones, I had the chance to sit down with Seemantini Godbole, EVP and CIO of Lowe’s Companies, Inc., whose early start as an engineer has fueled problem-solving throughout her career. From helping customers prepare for projects via virtual appointments and designs, to making sure their local stores have the physical products needed to complete them, Seemantini is arming Lowe’s teams with the technology solutions to infuse more joy into home improvement without the usual friction.

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Building blocks are a critical part of almost any private or corporate mission to reach success and scale.  They let executives quickly assemble a foundation for the rest of their plans to be built on – but how are the actual building blocks getting built? Enter Avantor, who is using advancements in connectivity, data, and computing power to “set science in motion to create a better world”. Avantor’s tools enable more efficient, more collaborative, and in general more innovative ways for engineers to bring these critical life science and applied materials we so rely on to life.

In this episode of The Restless Ones, I had the chance to sit down with Mike Wondrasch, Executive Vice President and CIO at Avantor, which is tasked with providing the foundational technologies behind the discovery, optimization, and manufacturing of the applied materials powering the world.  Whether it’s an internal stakeholder or an end customer, Mike sees his role, alongside his CIO peers across various industries as the same – “Get roadblocks out of the way for the really smart people.”  With a clear and connected path, The Restless Ones can build.

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As the impacts of climate change continue to escalate, public and private sector organizations find themselves in urgent need of innovation. Emergency management has been grappling with outdated tools and insufficient tech investment for decades.  Companies such as Pano AI are stepping up to mitigate and better prepare for further crises with a new generation of monitoring, alert, and data analysis tools to help battle fires and other emergencies. 

In this episode of The Restless Ones, I had the chance to speak with Sonia Kastner, founder, and CEO of Pano AI, who is bringing the field of disaster management into the connected age. Pano’s focus is on hardware that utilizes available technologies such as AI, Computer Vision, and 5G connectivity to create an end-to-end real-time solution for both private and public entities fighting fires in their domain.

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Autonomous vehicles open up a world of possibilities. From supporting more efficient roadways and improving delivery reach to mitigate labor shortages and fostering a cleaner environment, there are many use cases. So where do companies focus their efforts to make an impact? For one company, they decided to tackle one of the most challenging use cases, developing their own hardware and software services to address a global challenge. 

In this episode of the Restless Ones, I had the opportunity to sit with Sander Sebastian Agur, CEO of Clevon. Sander’s drill-down approach has his company focused on developing autonomous and teleoperated delivery vehicles for last-mile delivery. And with 5G connectivity as a foundation for innovation, Clevon is able to test, refine, and grow not only their fleet but where they want to operate next.

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For decades securing a corporate network was as simple as securing your home office. Global workforces, outside partners, and widespread mobile access have changed that challenge into a seemingly endless set of attack surfaces for CIOs to battle.  Whether it’s a website, SAAS app, or a program running in a corporate data center, 5G is moving that tech and the networks they run on closer to the end user.  Companies like Netskope are securing that path. 

In this episode of The Restless Ones, I had the chance to speak with Mike Anderson, CIO of Netskope, who is balancing the need for always-connected access with a zero-trust approach. Netskope customers depend on the company to be the gatekeeper to their networks, and the value that lies within.  Mike’s approach to using an agile mindset when applying security is critical in an ever-changing environment where users are looking to access applications anytime from anywhere.

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Education has a dual challenge of not only keeping up with the scores of information and knowledge developed every day, it must also keep up with the changing ways we learn and consume content. Education is also too valuable of a tool to be isolated to the financially or geographically fortunate.  Connected technologies, paired with 5G, are helping educators meet these challenges and offer students an opportunity for economic and social mobility.

In this episode of The Restless Ones I had the pleasure to sit with two women helping advance education in the connected age:  Dr. Amy Novak, President of St. Ambrose University, and Dr. Kiesha King, Senior National Education Administrator at T-Mobile for Education.  They represent a growing trend of private-public partnerships that are necessary to push society to the next level.  Dr. Novak has utilized a set of her restless peers, to create “a pilot of the willing” to develop the latest tools, lessons, and communities for higher learning.  Partnering with Dr. King, and other education-focused leaders from the tech world brings access to the latest technologies, which in turn brings the power of knowledge to everyone, from the most flourishing of cities to the most remote broadband deserts.

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