Navin is joined by Dan O’Keefe, Connecticut’s Chief Innovation Officer and Commissioner of Economic Development. Drawing on 25 years of experience investing in technology companies, Dan explains how lessons from the private sector shape his approach to public service. He describes how Connecticut is using public-private partnerships to drive economic growth, strengthen its workforce, and position the state to lead in the next wave of technological innovation.

Navin is joined by Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz, co-founder and CEO of Chapter, the fastest-growing Medicare advisory in the United States. Cobi shares how Chapter helps millions of Americans navigate the complex world of Medicare, the innovative ways they use AI to simplify healthcare decisions, and his vision for rethinking retirement so people can live healthier, wealthier, and more purposeful lives.

Dr. Aron D’Souza joins the podcast to discuss his career across law, finance, and technology, as well as his role as the founder of the Enhanced Games. He shares the story behind the initiative and offers his perspective on innovation in sport, the future of human performance, and the broader implications for public policy and technology.

In this episode, Navin talks with Stuart Wall, CEO and Co-founder of Setpoint, a fintech company reshaping the asset-backed lending industry. Stu reflects on his entrepreneurial upbringing, competitive chess background, and the lessons learned from past failures. He also explains how Setpoint is using AI to automate complex loan agreements—making credit markets faster, more transparent, and more efficient.   Prior to founding Setpoint, Stuart founded Signpost.com, a purpose-built CRM for service businesses, which he scaled to over 300 employees before. He began his career in Bain & Company’s Private Equity Group, where he evaluated multi-billion-dollar buyouts and developed deep expertise in financial operations.   Stuart earned his MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School and holds a BS in Finance from Miami University. He was named one of Glassdoor’s Top 25 North American CEOs in 2016 and shares insights on fintech and digital infrastructure with outlets like TechCrunch and Forbes.

In this episode, Navin is joined by Balan Ayyar, retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General and the Founder and CEO of percipient.ai. They discuss Balan’s deep military experience, how the commercial sector ensures U.S. defense capabilities, and if A.I. can benefit society. Prior to leading percipient.ai, Balan served in the U.S. Air Force, including serving as Commanding General of the Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435, in Kabul, Afghanistan. After retiring, he served as CEO of a $100M+ government services IT firm before founding percipient.ai, an artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision firm dedicated to intelligence and national security efforts.

Navin is joined by Jordan Blashek, a U.S. Marine veteran, investor, and co-founder of America’s Frontier Fund. They discuss how the U.S. military uses AI on the battlefield, accelerating the R&D cycle to bring critical technologies to market, and the importance of public-private partnerships to bolster U.S. competitiveness. Blashek is the co-founder and managing partner of AFF, a mission-driven fund investing in frontier technologies that are vital to U.S. competitiveness on the global stage. His perspective on innovation and investing in America’s future evolved during his service with the U.S. Marine Corps, seeing first hand how critical technology like artificial intelligence can influence communications and intelligence operations across the board.

Introducing, Ripple E-ffects, the latest podcast from CSIS. Ripple E-ffects examines how technology redraws the contours of power, economics and national security. Host Navin Thukkaram engages technology pioneers, national security experts, and business leaders in precise conversations that seek to separate signal from noise. New episodes release monthly.

Navin is joined by Dr. Megan Reiss, former national security policy advisor at the office of Senator Mitt Romney, and currently the founder and CEO of SolidIntel Inc. They discuss China's growing power over U.S. technology, the RESTRICT Act, and how A.I. can assist in de-risking from China.

Navin is joined by Dr. Chris Howard, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Arizona State University Public Enterprise. They discuss what digital transformation means for access to education and the next generation of students.

In this episode, Navin is joined by Kevin Ryan, Founder and CEO at AlleyCorp, a VC fund responsible for founding some of the most revolutionary companies in New York. Before investing in and founding companies such as GILT, MongoDB, Transcend Therapeutics, and Business Insider; Ryan got his start by helping to grow DoubleClick, an internet advertisement company, as President and then CEO, until its acquisition by Google in March 2008. Now, AlleyCorp’s funds range from healthcare to robotics to social impact companies. In this episode, Ryan talks about the evolving media landscape, the future of investing, and an optimistic outlook for startups in the healthcare industry. 

In this episode, Andrew and Navin are joined by Marc Lasry, the chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Avenue Capital Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. They discussed the war in Ukraine and its impact on the U.S. and global economy, business, basketball, and American politics.  Before co-founding Avenue Capital, Marc managed capital for Amroc Investments, L.P. Marc also clerked for the Honorable Edward Ryan, former Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Southern District of New York. Lasry graduated with a B.A. in History from Clark University and a J.D. from New York Law School.

Navin is joined by Christopher Burns, Chief Digital Development Officer for USAID and the Director for the Technology Division within the Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub. They discuss USAID’s Digital Strategy and how digital technology can be harnessed for international development.  Prior to USAID, Christopher spent nearly ten years with the Peace Corps, as Program and Training Officer for Peace Corps/Niger, Country Desk Officer for Central Asia, and Agroforestry Advisor in Ghana.

In this episode, Navin is joined by Matt Pottinger, former deputy national security advisor. They discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, implications for China and Taiwan, and the West’s positioning in a new cold war. Prior to working at the White House, Pottinger was a journalist and wrote for both Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. He is fluent in Mandarin and reported in China for seven years covering a variety of topics, including the SARS epidemic and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Pottinger would eventually retire from journalism to join the Marine Corps and serve as a military intelligence officer, finally being named Deputy National Security Advisor in 2019. Since 2021, Pottinger has worked for the Hoover Institution on the “China's Global Sharp Power Project" research team.

In this episode, Navin is joined by Rye Barcott, a veteran, social entrepreneur, investor, and author. They discuss the importance of Veterans in politics, the value of public service, and Rye’s extensive track record within the non-profit space, including his foundation, With Honor.  During his 5-year tenure as a Marine, where he attained the rank of captain, Rye co-founded his first NGO, Carolina for Kibera. He would later go on to co-found two more non-profits, Double Time Capital and With Honor, the latter of which he leads full-time as CEO. With Honor aims to advance principled veteran leadership beyond the polarization of U.S. politics.

In today’s episode, Navin is joined by Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, our nation’s 10th homeland security advisor. A former U.S. Army combat veteran, she is an expert on the intersection of climate change and national security. She served as Florida’s first chief resilience officer, a commissioner on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, the U.S. presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and deputy assistant secretary of state for energy, among many senior government roles. They discuss the opportunities and challenges in energy, environment, and national security in the Arctic Circle as Russia, China, and the United States converge on the region, and much more.

In this episode, Navin is joined by Raj De Datta, founder, and CEO of Bloomreach, a leading software platform for digital commerce experience. They discuss the importance of meaningful e-commerce moments, how businesses can be “seeker-centric,” and the future of small businesses. Raj De Datta is a multiple-time entrepreneur and best-selling author of “The Digital Seeker.” Before launching Bloomreach, Raj was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Mohr-Davidow Ventures, served as Cisco’s director of product marketing, and was on the founding team of telecom company FirstMark Communications. Raj serves on the Council for Player Development for the US Tennis Association, as a Founder Partner at seed-stage venture capital firm Founder Collective, and an individual investor in over 20 start-ups.

In this episode, Andrew and Navin are joined by Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a business of Raytheon Technologies. They discuss the impact of digital transformation on the defense industry, COVID-19, and the importance of improved education for the future of STEM.  Wes Kremer is an electrical engineer and a US Air Force Veteran with extensive experience in defense and aerospace. He previously served as president of the Raytheon Missile Systems and the Integrated Defense Systems businesses.

In this episode, Andrew and Navin are joined by Dean Kamen, a technology luminary, legendary inventor (e.g., the Segway), and prolific entrepreneur. They discuss Dean's experience as an inventor, his friendship with Steve Jobs, and the importance of reforming early childhood education.  Dean holds more than 1,000 U.S. and foreign patents, for innumerable innovative technologies, to ground-breaking medical devices, such as the iBOT mobility device. He is the founder of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology. Dean was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2000 by President Clinton in recognition for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide and for his role in advancing the fields of science and technology in the U.S.

In this episode, Andrew and Navin speak with X Shore CEO Jenny Keisu. They discuss environmentalism and pollution in the boating industry, the intersection of capitalism and environmental sustainability, and the impact of Covid-19 on emissions and business trends. Jenny Keisu is the CEO of X Shore, a Swedish company that manufactures electric leisure boats. She previously founded Summa Equity, a private equity firm focusing on companies that pursue the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainable development. She also holds an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics and an LLM from Uppsala University, where she was previously a senior lecturer at the faculty of law.

In this episode, Andrew and Navin are joined by Chris Young, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President for Business Development. They discuss the SolarWinds attack, U.S. vulnerability to cyberattacks, the role of corporate leadership in cybersecurity, and more. Before his current role at Microsoft, where he is responsible for the company’s global business development strategy, Mr. Young was the CEO of McAfee, where he led their spin-off from Intel. A career cybersecurity expert, he serves on the board of directors of American Express, the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, and was formerly on the board of Snap Inc.