In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Bryan Forrester, CEO and Co-founder of Boost Lingo, a language technology company that's transforming how the world accesses interpreters. Bryan shares how Boost Lingo was born from a mission to make requesting an interpreter as easy as ordering a ride—streamlining outdated systems with cloud-native, user-friendly solutions. He unpacks the startup's path to 50% year-over-year growth, the cultural values that drive innovation, and why focus and discipline were critical to staying on course. Bryan also dives deep into AI’s evolving role in the language services space, emphasizing that AI is not here to replace human interpreters, but to expand access and fill critical language gaps—especially in healthcare and enterprise settings. With insightful takes on intelligent routing, real-time captioning, and the future of accessibility tech, this episode is a must-listen for founders, technologists, and anyone interested in how AI can elevate—not eliminate—human expertise. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this groundbreaking episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Gokul NA, co-founder of CynLr, to explore how rethinking machine vision and robotics from a neuroscience-inspired lens can radically transform industrial automation and manufacturing. Gokul shares the journey from solving 30+ previously unsolvable vision problems—spanning everything from grain sorting at microsecond speeds to intricate medical device assembly—to the founding of SEINER in 2019. By treating motion as a core sensory input and mirroring the human brain’s ability to intuitively understand and manipulate unknown objects, Gokul and his team developed Cyro, an intelligent robotic system that adapts in real time—much like a human infant. The conversation also dives deep into Gokul’s recent presentation at the AI for Good Summit 2025, where he outlines a bold vision for decentralized, sustainable micro-factories. These “universal factories” challenge traditional, rigid manufacturing lines by offering agile, modular systems capable of adapting to dynamic customer needs while dramatically reducing material waste and production costs. If you’re curious about the future of robotics, manufacturing, or how AI can more closely emulate human intelligence, this episode is a must-listen. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this thought-provoking episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with Evyatar Ben Artzi, co-founder of Darrow, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal landscape. Evyatar shares the story behind Darrow’s founding—sparked by a gap he noticed while clerking at the Israeli Supreme Court—and how the platform now acts as a legal "radar system," scanning billions of data points to uncover hidden legal violations in areas like finance, privacy, and consumer protection. Together, they delve into Darrow’s mission of making justice proactive, not reactive, and how legal intelligence could become a standard layer of accountability for both corporations and public institutions. If you've ever wondered how AI can empower attorneys, protect individuals, and create a more just society, this episode is a must-listen. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Ritu Mehrotra—tech leader, cancer survivor, and founder of United We Care—to explore how AI can transform mental health support worldwide. With two decades of leadership at Booking.com, Zomato, Mahindra, and more, Ritu brings a rare blend of global business strategy, empathy, and deep tech vision. Ritu shares how her personal journey through cancer recovery and mental health challenges inspired her to launch United We Care and later spin out Sun Labs, a deep tech venture pioneering world-class AI voice and reasoning infrastructure. She details how her team built breakthrough technologies—like multilingual automated speech recognition and a clinical knowledge graph—designed for accessibility, accuracy, and affordability. Listeners will also meet Stella, United We Care’s AI-powered mental health coach, which has facilitated over 10 million conversations worldwide. Ritu explains how Stella measures effectiveness through intent detection, emotional resonance, and clinical outcomes—while continuously evolving to understand not just what people say, but how they say it across cultures and languages. This episode highlights how innovation, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership can create emotionally intelligent AI that makes mental health care more accessible and effective for millions. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Tracy Wood, CEO of The DNA Company, to explore how functional genomics is reshaping personalized healthcare.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas welcomes Vidya Ramanathan, high-performance mentor, multimillion-dollar tech founder, and creator of the True Resonance Method.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Valentina Flores, CEO and co-founder of Red Sentry, a proactive cybersecurity firm that “breaks into your network so hackers never get the chance.” With a career that spans from federal task force detective tracking cybercriminals to award-winning cybersecurity leader and advocate for women in tech, Valentina shares how her unique background shapes her approach to protecting organizations. She explains how Red Sentry’s real-world attack simulations go beyond compliance checkboxes, combining hacker psychology, dark web intelligence, and hands-on penetration testing to uncover vulnerabilities that automated scans often miss. Valentina also sheds light on the enterprise-like sophistication of hacker groups, why SMBs are frequent targets, and how businesses can disrupt attackers by removing easy wins. Looking ahead, she highlights AI as both the biggest opportunity and threat in cybersecurity—powering more convincing social engineering attacks while also giving defenders stronger detection and automation tools. Her perspective underscores the importance of blending AI precision with human creativity, while building a security-first culture that spans every level of an organization. Tags: #Cybersecurity #HackerPsychology #WomenInTech #AIandSecurity #ProactiveDefense If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas welcomes Chris Daigle, Founder and CEO of ChiefAIOfficer.com, to discuss how companies can move beyond AI hype and implement strategies that deliver measurable results. Chris shares insights from his Executive AI Immersion program, a two-day experience designed to help mid-market executives become expert-level users of AI tools without requiring years of technical training. Chris also introduces his Ignition Process, a framework that helps companies move from scattered AI pilot projects and shadow usage to enterprise-wide adoption with governance, training, and risk management in place. He explains how this approach not only mitigates risks like data leaks but also builds a culture of "thinking in AI" across departments. The conversation highlights practical AI use cases with the highest ROI today, including marketing, finance, sales, operations, and HR. Chris emphasizes his 10-80-10 framework—where humans set the direction, AI does the bulk of the work, and humans apply the final layer of oversight—underscoring the importance of keeping people in the loop. From cutting through misconceptions to scaling real-world applications, Chris offers executives a roadmap to transform their organizations and thrive in the AI economy. Tags: #AIAdoption #ChiefAIOfficer #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy #HumanInTheLoop Like to be a future guest on the show? Apply Here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with Drew Messer, CEO and co-founder of Urban SDK, to explore how geospatial AI and real-time data are transforming how local governments operate. From Drew’s early experiences in politics to launching Urban SDK after the U.S. DOT’s Smart Cities Challenge, listeners will hear how Drew’s vision led to the creation of a platform now used by over 250 municipalities across 34 states. Drew shares the challenges that cities face with outdated infrastructure assessment methods and how Urban SDK’s data management platform replaces traditional tools like traffic counters with cost-effective, always-on data analytics. The conversation dives deep into use cases involving traffic safety, public works, and policing, highlighting how cities are making faster, evidence-based decisions that improve safety, efficiency, and budgeting. Drew also discusses broader trends in smart city development—including Infrastructure 2.0—and how removing personal bias through data is reshaping policy-making across the public sector. The episode ends on a personal note, with Drew acknowledging the role of faith and resilience in building a fast-growing, VC-backed tech company committed to civic innovation. #SmartCities #UrbanSDK #GeospatialAI #InfrastructureInnovation #CivicTech Like to be a future guest on the show? Apply Here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas chats with Pejman Roshan, CMO of Menlo Security, about how the rise of hybrid work and SaaS adoption is transforming the cybersecurity landscape. Pej shares how Menlo’s isolation-based browser security shifts the model from reactive defense to proactive protection—keeping malicious content out by never letting it reach the endpoint. With a career spanning Cisco, Aruba, and VMware, Pej reflects on how marketing in cybersecurity now demands both creativity and deep technical understanding. He explains why the browser is becoming the new endpoint and how Menlo is leading the way in securing users wherever they work. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas welcomes Fahd Rafi, founder of Noodle Seed, an AI startup transforming how modern organizations operate through intelligent automation. Drawing from a background leading AI and data strategy at Google Cloud and Microsoft, Fahd shares how his mission is to “automate the ordinary and enable the extraordinary” through a new paradigm: Agents-as-a-Service. Fahd explains how Noodle Seed builds agentic systems that go far beyond simple chatbots—by identifying business processes that should be automated, eliminated, or augmented with AI. He breaks down misconceptions around AI implementation, emphasizing the need for outcome-driven design over hype-driven deployment. Instead of charging by user seats or token usage, Fahd advocates for shared-value models where pricing aligns with business results. From eliminating repetitive tasks to empowering enterprise teams with intelligent agents, Fahd offers a compelling vision of the AI-powered future—where human creativity is prioritized, and machines take care of the rest. Like to be a future guest on the show? Apply Here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Hunter Dickinson, Head of Partnerships at Whop, about his entrepreneurial rise from founding Zen Task to leading Whop’s sales and partnership strategy. Hunter shares how his early venture—born from the Web3 space and acquired by Whop—helped lay the foundation for a digital marketplace now generating over $1.3 billion in gross merchandise volume. His journey reveals the mindset shift from solo founder to team-driven operator and how shedding ego became a catalyst for scale. Hunter dives into how Whop is reshaping digital commerce by empowering creators to monetize their passions. He details how the platform is evolving—from building global payment systems to launching vertical SaaS tools—making it easier than ever for individuals to earn income doing what they love. With a vision centered on aligning skills, passion, and access, Hunter explains how Whop aims to unlock a sustainable future for creators around the world. Join thousands of curious minds and never miss a beat – Subscribe to our Newsletter for exclusive insights, episode highlights, and expert takeaways delivered straight to your inbox.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Rohan Nayak, CEO and co-founder of Pocket FM, to explore how he made the bold transition from investment banking to building one of the most disruptive platforms in the entertainment industry. Rohan shares how his passion for storytelling and content innovation led to the birth of Pocket FM, an audio OTT platform designed to empower writers and give voice to untold stories. Rohan explains how Pocket FM is redefining the entertainment landscape by building a new category of audio storytelling powered by AI. From streamlining content production to identifying blockbusters and scaling marketing with machine learning, he offers insight into how data and technology are democratizing creative expression. With over 50,000 shows already produced, Pocket FM is not only transforming how we consume content—but also who gets to create it. Subscribe to the Digital Executive Newsletter for curated strategies, expert perspectives, and industry trends.  Sign up now here.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Brian Thomas welcomes Ed Watal, founder and principal of Intellibus, a top-ranked Inc. 5000 software firm. Ed shares his insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping the financial sector, particularly around the challenges of fraud and deepfakes. He explains how his ethical AI platform, Big Parser, was born from a long-standing vision to build transparent, responsible AI systems using community-sourced, human-curated data. The conversation also explores how data sourcing, model usage, and AI’s impact on jobs must be ethically grounded to ensure AI contributes positively to society. Ed emphasizes the importance of guardrails in digital governance, describing his work with initiatives like the World Digital Governance (WDG) project. His vision of accelerating innovation while maintaining accountability offers a thoughtful blueprint for navigating AI’s rapid evolution. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review. Apple or Spotify See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Tom LeNoble—international speaker, resilience coach, and former executive at Facebook, Walmart, Palm, and Verizon—joins host Brian Thomas for a thoughtful conversation on what it truly takes to lead in high-pressure environments. Now a sought-after coach and advisor, Tom shares how his journey through startups, Fortune 500s, and personal challenges shaped the trademarked Risk Ability Factor and his people-first leadership philosophy. Listeners will hear how Tom’s work at companies like Facebook and Mitiga underscores the importance of listening, presence, and adapting with humility. From creating psychologically safe cultures to stepping outside the C-suite to truly connect, Tom offers candid insights and actionable wisdom for leaders seeking purpose and impact in the face of constant change. Empower your decisions with elite insights – Subscribe to the Digital Executive newsletter today for handpicked strategies, leadership perspectives, and market trends sent directly to you. Sign up today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Geoff Haydon, CEO of Ontinue, shares how his leadership journey—from SecureWorks and VMware to heading Ontinue—has helped shape a new era of cybersecurity services. Geoff dives into how Ontinue's MXDR platform, Ontinue ION, is transforming legacy MDR practices by combining automation, AI, and a holistic approach to threat management. He explains how today’s cybersecurity demands go beyond just alerting and into proactive risk reduction across cloud, network, and identity. Geoff also unpacks how Ontinue’s partnership with Microsoft and its integration with the Microsoft security platform is enabling enterprises to reduce tool sprawl, cut costs, and deliver measurable outcomes. With over a third of security incidents resolved autonomously and 99.5% handled without customer intervention, Ontinue is helping CISOs do more with less—replacing outdated "defense in depth" models with scalable, intelligent operations powered by agentic AI. Subscribe to the Digital Executive Newsletter for curated strategies, expert perspectives, and industry trends. Sign up now here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Elliot Johnson, CEO of Bitcoin Treasury Corporation and CIO of Evolve ETFs, shares his journey pioneering Canada's first spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the regulatory and operational challenges of launching these crypto investment products, highlighting how Evolve ETFs now manages nearly $300 million across multiple digital asset funds with institutional-grade infrastructure and custody. Elliot also unpacks the mission of Bitcoin Treasury Corporation, a publicly traded company focused on Bitcoin as a reserve asset and lending vehicle. He explains how institutions are gradually warming up to Bitcoin, why large players will likely be the last to adopt, and how layer two networks like the Lightning Network may become a surprising catalyst for global mainstream Bitcoin adoption. Like to be a future guest on the show? Apply Here   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On The Digital Executive podcast, Pratik Balar, co-founder and tech lead at NodeOps, shares his vision for how decentralized compute systems are reshaping the future of AI and cloud services. He explains how DPN 2.0—short for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks—offers scalable, cost-effective, and privacy-focused alternatives to traditional cloud computing by leveraging blockchain and global participation. Balar emphasizes that enabling anyone to contribute compute power—such as GPUs or storage—through token incentives can dramatically reduce costs while enhancing performance and resilience. His mission centers on building open, trustless infrastructure that empowers developers without sacrificing reliability, even during challenges like DDoS attacks or cloud outages. Balar also unpacks the technical and philosophical hurdles of building at scale, from maintaining node-to-node connectivity to ensuring data integrity in decentralized environments. He outlines NodeOps' developer-first features, including YAML-based template deployments, an in-browser AI sandbox, and dynamic geographic resource replication—tools that lower the barrier to entry for those new to Web3. With advanced capabilities like port tunneling, RPC APIs, and integrated package managers, NodeOps is focused on simplifying deployment while maintaining high security and performance. Balar believes that decentralization isn't just a technical choice, but a movement toward greater openness, privacy, and global accessibility in cloud infrastructure. Subscribe to the Digital Executive Newsletter for curated strategies, expert perspectives, and industry trends.  Sign up now here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On The Digital Executive podcast, Ani Mishra shares his insights as a seasoned software engineering leader at DoorDash, where he oversees the logistics systems powering grocery, retail, convenience, and alcohol delivery. Mishra emphasizes the importance of solving a single customer problem deeply and effectively before generalizing the solution for other verticals, ensuring both speed and scalability. He explains that high-performing teams thrive when they are built with top talent, are given autonomy, and have clear focus areas—along with a shared sense of ownership for the reliability of their systems. His leadership approach is grounded in understanding each team member's motivation, fostering inclusive culture, and always planning ahead to align talent with future problems. Drawing on his early startup experience at Phoenix and Mobify, Mishra reflects on the hands-on, all-hats nature of startup life, which taught him to build products from the ground up, scale them, and lead with empathy. Looking forward, he is most excited about how large language models (LLMs) are transforming logistics. From improving item discovery and route optimization in stores to enhancing customer experience and delivery safety, LLMs are enabling more intelligent and responsive systems. While AI has long played a role in logistics, Ani believes LLMs will accelerate innovation—from real-time decision-making to autonomous vehicles—making deliveries faster, safer, and more precise in the years ahead. Join thousands of curious minds and never miss a beat – Subscribe to our Newsletter for exclusive insights, episode highlights, and expert takeaways delivered straight to your inbox. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Mukarram Mawjood shares how his diverse upbringing across Asia, the Middle East, and the United States shaped his global investment philosophy. With over 15 years of experience trading in equities, commodities, and crypto, he emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity and international awareness in navigating global markets. Mawjood discusses how true risk is often misunderstood—not as a guaranteed loss, but as a probability that can be managed with discipline and emotional intelligence. He also breaks down the importance of distinguishing between earning and creating money, a concept that guides both his investing approach and his work educating young people. Mukarram passionately describes his “Young Trader of the Year” initiative, which aims to equip youth with real financial literacy—not just saving or budgeting, but learning to generate wealth and make informed decisions. He stresses that time, not money, is the real currency, and that teaching self-reliance is critical for future success. When asked about AI’s role in trading, Mawjood asserts that while technology increases access, it doesn’t level the playing field—education, effort, and resourcefulness do. He concludes with the insight that 75% of trading success is mental, not technical, and encourages aspiring investors to develop emotional discipline and follow price action like a skilled surfer catching a wave. Subscribe to the Digital Executive Newsletter for curated strategies, expert perspectives, and industry trends.  Sign up now here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.