The Tech Trek

Host Amir Bormand interviews Dr. Lauran Star on this episode of The Tech Trek. Dr. Star is a Workplace Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Psychologist. She and Amir explore virtual diversity and inclusion.

Highlights:

03:08 - Dr. Star explains why your organization needs both diversity and inclusion.

08:50 - Here’s how D&I can improve your workspace both culturally and productively.

17:59 -  What are some of the limits of inclusion in the workplace?

24:09 - How can you practice D&I at every level of your organization?

28:09 - Is it possible to stay connected with your employees as your company grows?

Guest:

Dr. Lauran Star’s known for transforming leadership and organizational culture, by pushing the edge of the status quo to achieve greater employee engagement, culture, inclusion, and diversity. Being the first Inclusion & Diversity Psychologist in the United States, Dr. Star’s focus is Evidence-Based Inclusion, Diversity & Equality (ID&E).

As a Senior HR leader with 20+ years of success driving high-performing organizational cultures and employees, Dr. Star is raising the ID&E bar while driving measurable change within organizations through data-driven strategies. Known for uncovering blind spots to achieve optimal performance and enhanced retention, she dives in where others tread lightly yet is insightful, warm, and approachable.

Her own affinities go beyond being a woman, as she is a veteran of the United States Armed

Forces, serving in Desert Storm, has a learning disability and was raised in a multicultural family. Prior to her corporate life, she performed on and off Broadway.

Dr. Star holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology specializing in Inclusion, Diversity & Equity. A bestselling author and well-known media expert, her thought leadership touches many.  She is an extinguished researcher and practitioner in the field of inclusion, diversity & equality. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauranstar/

Website: https://www.drlauranstar.com/

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Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Ben Rothke, Senior Information Security Manager at Tapad, is the featured guest on this episode of The Tech Trek. Host Amir Bormand asks Ben to share his insights about Cyber Security and employee burnout.

Highlights:

2:09 - Ben gives us an overview of burnout in the Cyber Security industry.

6:43 - Which signs should managers look for that indicate burnout?

10:32 - How can people get into the Cyber Security industry?

16:55 - The relationship between security and information technology.

19:18 -  Ben offers his perspective on the near future of Cyber Security.

About:

Ben Rothke, CISSP, CISA is a Senior Information Security Specialist at Tapad and has over 20 years of industry experience in information systems security and privacy.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrothke/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir Bormand speaks with Asish Soudhamma. Asish is the Vice President of Platform Engineering at PIMCO. He and Amir delve into the topics of Cloud Security and Developer Experience.

Show Notes

05:08 - Asish shares his outlook on developer experience.

07:53 - Here’s how leaders can effectively improve the developer experience.

10:50 - Can products clash with customer experience?

15:00 - Asish discusses how he effectively gathers customer feedback.

18:53 - How can you serve every developer in your team equally?

Guest:

Asish Soudhamma is an engineering leader passionate about building teams that develop secure cloud infrastructure and applications while optimizing the developer experience. He has a minimalist mindset. As Vice President of PIMCO's Platform Engineering group, Asish oversees Cloud Platform and Developer Experience and simplifies application security. Before this, he held engineering roles at several Fortune 100 financial companies.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asishrs/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Host Amir Bormand speaks with Jack Kora in this episode of The Tech Trek. Jack is the Vice President of Engineering at dscout. He and Amir talk about the various ways organizations can drastically improve their software development process.

Highlights

3:00 - Jack recounts his early experience with dscout.

6:41 - How do you decide on a process when two or more different teams are working together?

9:14 - Look out for factors when deciding when it’s time to change a process.

13:45 - Best practices for implementing process changes.

16:50 - Do process changes always come with velocity hits? And are they worth it?

22:30 - Jack shares some of the big lessons he’s learned throughout his career.

Guest:

Jack Kora is currently the VP of Engineering at dscout. He is a business-focused technology executive with a focus on building high-performance teams and delivering customer-focused products and experiences. Jack is also an engineer with a passion for learning organizations, lean/agile/DevOps, and scalable distributed systems.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackkora/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

This episode of The Tech Trek explores the field of Information Security. Host Amir Bormand sits down with Rohit Parchuri, the Chief Information Security Officer of Yext, to discuss Rohit’s background, experiences, and insights concerning the world of Cyber Security.

Highlights

02:09 - Amir and Rohit briefly discuss the history of the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) role.

06:23 - Rohit explains his strategies for building out Security Information teams.

10:14 - How do Security Architects fit into the Cloud Security pipeline?

14:12 - Rohit shares his insights on dealing with human issues versus technical issues.

21:52 - How to meet the needs of your team by anticipating potential challenges that may arise later.

Guest: 

Rohit Parchuri is an accomplished Information Security executive with an established record building, structuring, and institutionalizing Cyber Security principles and disciplines in a variety of organizational domains. He is currently leading the Cybersecurity program at Yext, a bleeding-edge AI Search platform. In this role, Rohit is responsible for building and executing Cyber Security and Compliance program.

In addition to his day job at Yext, Rohit serves as a Board Advisor for a multitude of technology companies and educational institutions. As a part of these roles, he assumes the responsibility of advising on Cybersecurity matters, market penetration, and product strategy while educating and assisting in curriculum building for the Cybersecurity executive degree program/s at CSU, California.

Rohit graduated from Depaul University at Chicago with a Master's degree in Computer and Network Security Assurance, specializing in Application Security. He has also achieved a Master in Business Administration degree. Originally from India, Rohit is an avid hiker and tries his hand at tennis every chance he gets.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-parchuri/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitparchuri

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Host Amir Bormand meets with Sunil Mallya in this episode of The Tech Trek. Sunil is the Vice President of Engineering at OncoHealth and he has many years of experience in the digital healthcare space. He and Amir discuss the unique challenges that engineering teams often face in digital healthcare.

Highlights:

03:44 - Sunil discusses some of the common challenges in the healthcare industry.

07:12 - Strategies for properly staffing a team when off-shore assistance isn’t available.

10:38 - Distinguishing and connecting with HIPAA-compliant vendors.

13:10 - How does build vs. buy affect relationships with third parties?

15:48 - What to look for when hiring new team members in digital healthcare.

17:49 - Dealing with unanticipated challenges in the digital healthcare space.

Guest: Sunil Mallya

A digital healthcare engineering leader with a passion for building great teams and delivering technical solutions loved by consumers. Creative problem solver with an eye for design and customer experience. Passionate about gaining a deep understanding of complex business problems and delivering simple technical solutions that drive business value. Focused on consistently improving organizational processes and building high-performance teams.

Currently building Iris - a 24x7 mobile first telehealth service focused on high-quality cancer mental-health care and physical symptom management

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssmallya/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Host Amir Bormand meets with Eric Labourdette, a seasoned Cloud Services Consultant in this episode of The Tech Trek. Amir and Eric dissect the Cloud Services industry and leverage Eric’s experience to paint a fuller picture of cloud computing trends.

Highlights:

01:15 - Eric shares his philosophy for improving Cloud efficiency.

03:23 - Which metrics can companies use to gauge how well they’re adopting Cloud strategy?

07:50 - How can you effectively transition from old processes to Cloud efficiency?

12:13 - How can Cloud technology help build and maintain 24/7 organizations?

17:01 - What’s the best way to measure customer satisfaction with an early team?

18:52 - Eric sheds light on his process for interviewing candidates around the world.

About Eric:

Eric Labourdette is a Cloud Business Operation consultant and former VP of Global Cloud Operations at Axway, helping customers to drive successful cloud transformation through SaaS operational efficiency.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlabourdette/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

On this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir Bormand meets with Kelsey Steinbeck, the Director of Software Engineering DevOps at Indigo. Amir and Kelsey delve into the subject of DevOps best practices and break down various ways that teams can stay agile when working on large and small projects.

Key Takeaways

04:24 - Kelsey shares her strategies for determining when and how she makes adjustments to her team’s processes.

09:07 - What to do when a process doesn’t suit the capabilities of your team?

13:32 -  Kelsey breaks down the real impact velocity hits have on SDLC.

19:12 - How can companies account for changes to their processes as they shift through different phases of growth?

21:34 - How can people learn to set healthy boundaries as they move into management roles?

About Kelsey Steinbeck:

Kelsey started her career at Liberty Mutual doing DevOps tasks when DevOps wasn't really a thing. Kelsey drove DevOps processes and tooling while trying her hardest to help streamline and enhance legacy engineering practices including helping migrate from on-prem to the cloud. She really wanted to transition to a company with a mission and IndigoAg hit that mark. She’s from and currently lives in a farming community and working for a company that puts farmers front and center is really rewarding. Kelsey started with Indigo as the 3rd engineering hire, built out the DevOps organization, and has helped engineering scale to hundreds of engineers. She loves DevOps and the practices and culture it helps produce. Her Fiancee is a professional outdoorsman, which allows them to adventure doing a wide variety of outdoor activities.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-steinbeck-449a6817/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Host Amir Bormand meets with Vivek Menon in this episode of The Tech Trek. Vivek is the Head of Cybersecurity & Compliance at Digital Turbine who also boasts a strong background in Data. He and Amir explore Vivek’s unique experiences and discuss how more Data experts can impact Cybersecurity.

Highlights:

04:12 - Why aren’t there more Data experts in Cybersecurity?

11:12 - Will the CISO role drastically change in the foreseeable future?

17:02 - Vivek discusses this unique background, experiences, and goals in Data and Cybersecurity.

21:43 - What are some of the benefits of closely integrated Data teams and Security teams?

26:32 - Vivek sheds light on how his Data experience helps him with his current role.

About the guest:

Vivek Menon is currently with Digital Turbine where he is the Head of Cybersecurity & Compliance and has global responsibility for securing the firm's critical assets, ensuring regulatory compliance, and building a security-aware culture for the firm.

Vivek has 20+ years of corporate and consulting experience as a results-oriented technology leader in delivering cybersecurity and data solutions with a specialized focus on the financial services sector. Before Digital Turbine, he held leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Capital One and EY Consulting. He primarily focuses on ensuring that the company’s Information Security posture supports business growth objectives, protects public trust in the company’s brand, and meets regulatory requirements.

Vivek got his engineering degree from India and his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds CISSP and CISM certifications. He has been conducting guest lectures at UT and Emory university for the past 8 years and speaks regularly at conferences.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonv/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

On this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir Bormand speaks with Tony Dong, the Senior Director of Engineering at Rippling. Tony is a major advocate for maintaining a startup mindset regardless of your team’s size. He and Amir also discuss strategies for effectively scaling a team.

Notes

04:29 - Tony explains why he prefers to maintain a startup mindset even as his teams grow.

09:03 - How can engineering leaders stay connected with their teams as companies start to scale?

12:41 - Tony shares his experiences dealing with changing team structures.

16:34 - Best practices for engineering leaders who are scaling their teams for the first time.

18:21 - What are the best ways to preserve quality and culture as a company grows?

About the guest:

Tony Dong is a Senior Director of Engineering at Rippling, leading Platform and Core HR Products. Prior to Rippling was the co-founder and CTO of a YC-backed startup.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonydong3/

https://twitter.com/TonyDong3

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)