Tech Transforms went live in front of an in-person audience (and simultaneously on the virtual platform and LinkedIn Live) for a special episode featuring Steve Stratton, retired Green Beret, former White House and Secret Service professional, and award-winning author of Skip Jack (included in attendees’ welcome package).

The conversation explored why storytelling beats “speeds and feeds” when it comes to helping leaders and teams understand technology, remember what matters under pressure, and create real decision advantage. Steve explains how story creates emotional connection, strengthens recall, and gives context that data sheets can’t. Together, the hosts dig into the OODA loop, using a visceral film clip from We Were Soldiers to illustrate what decision-making looks like in chaos—then fast-forward to the near-future battlefield described in Skip Jack, where leaders are overwhelmed by sensors, AI, intel feeds, and massive data volume.

A highlight is the reading from Chapter Five, where the commander describes mining high-threat networks and the dark web, relying on data diodes to stop malicious payloads hidden in media files, and pushing decisions to the point of information to speed response in a “nonkinetic war… at the speed of the internet.”

The episode closes with rapid-fire “Tech Talk” questions—night vision tech, dream casting for Nicky Fury, and fictional worlds worth visiting—before the live audience transitions into the event’s first mission brief.