The Digital Executive

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Joe Ochal, founder and CEO of The Chimney Scientist, to explore how a microbiology graduate turned a part-time chimney cleaning gig into one of the fastest-growing home services companies in the United States. Joe shares the moment the math clicked — staring down $250,000 in medical school debt versus a blue-collar business he actually loved — and choosing the path that made more sense on paper and in practice. He breaks down what separates The Chimney Scientist from the rest of the industry: not just better too

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Dr. Ashwin Rao, Executive Vice President of Next Gen AI at o9 Solutions, to explore why large language models alone are not enough to power the autonomous enterprise — and what it will actually take to get there. Ashwin opens by tracing the common thread across his career on Wall Street, at Stanford, and in retail supply chains: every domain ultimately comes down to translating messy business problems into clean mathematical models, then building software to solve them. He then makes a compelling case for neuros

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Mitchell Amador, founder and CEO of Immunefi, to pull back the curtain on the escalating cybersecurity battle playing out across the blockchain ecosystem. Mitchell explains how founding Immunefi in 2020 was less about certainty and more about conviction — recognizing that DeFi's explosive growth was creating security gaps that criminal networks would exploit at the same viral speed that made crypto successful in the first place. His answer was to corral the global white hat security community into a crowdsourced

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Mahesh Thakur, executive coach and former product leader at Microsoft, Amazon, Intuit, and GoDaddy, to explore what it truly takes to lead in a world where AI is rewriting the rules faster than most organizations can keep up. Mahesh opens with the turning point that shifted his career from building products to developing leaders — a high-performing Fortune 100 team with every advantage imaginable that kept stalling, not because of strategy or resources, but because trust between leaders had broken down. That exp

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Joel Perez, CTO and co-founder of Mindful Software, to explore how a deeply personal experience with dream interpretation sparked the creation of My Dream — an AI-powered app designed to help people decode what their subconscious is trying to tell them. Joel shares how a year off traveling with his wife Amy, followed by a career pivot from IT infrastructure to software engineering, shaped the resourcefulness and curiosity that now drives his work. He explains how Amy's own life-changing dream — one that finally

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with John Sampogna, CEO of Wondersauce, to explore what it really takes to build a brand that outlasts any ad budget. John reflects on scaling Wondersauce from a two-person shop to a hundred-person agency, crediting much of that early success to the "optimistic naivety" of not knowing enough to be afraid — a mindset he says is surprisingly hard to recapture once experience loads you down with risk filters. He breaks down what makes Wondersauce different from a traditional agency: a relentless focus on business outcom

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Neil Marley, CEO of Neologik, to unpack why so many mid-market companies are stuck in AI pilot purgatory — and what it actually takes to break through to real transformation. Neil shares how an early encounter with ChatGPT convinced him that AI would reshape information worker roles and that mid-market companies, more agile than large enterprises but more resource-constrained, stood to gain the most from moving fast. He explains why governance and scaffolding matter as much as automation — because businesses nee

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Geoffrey Mattson, CEO of SecureAuth, to discuss why the way we think about identity and security is being completely rewritten. Geoffrey traces his career from network engineering to identity security, explaining how the core question has always been the same: who are you, and what are you allowed to do right now? He breaks down why the traditional perimeter firewall and static login model are no longer enough — credential theft, SIM swapping, and session hijacking have made one-time authentication dangerously o

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Ryan Horst, CEO of Altcoin Pro, to explore how his background in sales, psychology, and business coaching shaped a unique approach to crypto education. Ryan shares his firsthand experience surviving the 2017 altcoin bull run and the humbling losses that followed, and how those lessons drove him to build a system for repeatable investing results. He breaks down the most common psychological traps crypto investors fall into — from emotional attachment to single coins to the illusion of diversification — and explai

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Warren Myers, Co-Founder and CEO of AURA, to discuss how technology is transforming emergency response around the world. Warren shares how AURA was born from a critical challenge in South Africa—where millions lacked access to reliable emergency services despite an abundance of underutilized private security and medical resources. By creating an intelligent dispatch platform that connects people to the nearest vetted responders, AURA has built South Africa's largest private emergency response network and is now expand

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Bradley Taylor, CEO and Co-Founder of ClareCast, to discuss how predictive workforce intelligence is reshaping business strategy. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in employee benefits, insurance technology, and private equity-backed organizations, Bradley explains how the frustration of making high-stakes decisions with incomplete data inspired him to build ClareCast. He shares how AI-powered forecasting helps companies predict workforce trends, improve revenue planning, and replace guesswork with con

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Jana Radojcic, Director of Organic Growth at Alpha Market Flow and Co-Founder of GetStuffDigital, to explore how SEO is evolving in the age of AI search. Jana shares her journey from academic research writing to becoming a leader in authority building for fintech and SaaS brands, explaining why trust, reputation, and strategic digital PR have become the foundation of sustainable organic growth. Jana dives into her PR Intelligence framework, which helps companies proactively measure and strengthen brand trust be

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Matt Serna, Head of Go-To-Market at Lightfield, to discuss how AI-native CRMs are transforming the future of sales and customer engagement. Drawing on his experience at leading AI companies including Replicant and Notable, Matt explains why traditional CRMs have long struggled with incomplete and outdated data, limiting their ability to deliver real value to sales teams. Matt shares how Lightfield’s agentic CRM automatically captures and structures customer interactions across calls, emails, meetings, and messa

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Amy Farner, Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Product at the Josh Bersin Company. Amy shares her 25-year journey helping HR organizations leverage emerging technologies—from early employee engagement platforms and workforce analytics to today’s AI-powered transformation. She discusses how the company’s Galileo platform evolved from a research assistant into an intelligent workflow engine that helps organizations operationalize insights, personalize decision-making, and scale HR expertise across the ent

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Jason Wood, Founder and CEO of Specificity, about the growing challenges facing digital advertising and how AI is reshaping the future of customer acquisition. Drawing from his entrepreneurial journey in sales, marketing, and technology, Jason explains why he launched Specificity to combat bot traffic, fake leads, and the declining transparency created by major advertising platforms. Jason discusses how the rise of agentic AI is fundamentally changing how consumers discover brands, shifting attention away from tra

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Nir Weingarten, Co-Founder and CEO of Eikona, to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming one of marketing's most overlooked areas: lifecycle marketing. Drawing on his background as an AI researcher and machine learning expert, Nir explains why email, SMS, and push notifications represent one of the biggest untapped opportunities for AI-driven automation and personalization. Nir shares how Eikona uses reinforcement learning—the same foundational concept behind modern AI systems—to continuously optimi

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Mark Stouse, Chairman and CEO of Proof Causal AI, to explore why traditional marketing and go-to-market analytics are failing in today’s volatile business environment. Drawing on more than 25 years of leadership experience at companies like HP, BMC Software, and Honeywell Aerospace, Stouse explains how reliance on correlation-based analytics has left organizations unable to accurately measure performance, optimize investments, or prove business value. Mark breaks down the difference between correlation and caus

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Dr. Ali Ashraf, Dean of the Hassan School of Business at Colorado State University Pueblo, to discuss his inspiring journey from Bangladesh to academic leadership in the United States. Dr. Ashraf shares how a deep appreciation for education, combined with a passion for finance, research, and student success, guided his path from central banking and doctoral studies to becoming a dean dedicated to expanding opportunities for diverse and first-generation students. Dr. Ashraf highlights the Hassan School of Business’s c

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Alexander Farr, co-founder and COO of Clera, to discuss how AI is transforming the way companies discover and engage talent. Inspired by Berlin’s vibrant startup ecosystem and shaped by experiences in venture capital, startup leadership, and recruiting, Farr shares the journey that led him to build a platform designed to connect top candidates with the right opportunities at scale. Alexander explains why traditional recruiting platforms often fail both candidates and employers, and how Clera takes a different a

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Dr. Kurt Love, founder of AINA Consulting and Educational Services, educator, and creator of the Human-Centric Leadership Model. Drawing from his unique background in education and organizational leadership, Dr. Love explains how principles used to help students succeed can transform workplace culture and employee performance. Dr. Love introduces the concept of “quiet cracking”—the invisible and involuntary breakdown that often affects high-performing employees long before burnout, disengagement, or turnover occur. H

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Doron Kempel, Chairman and CEO of Bond, to explore how technology, human expertise, and operational innovation are transforming personal security. Drawing from his experience in Israel’s elite special operations forces and his success building technology companies acquired by IBM and HPE, Kempel shares the common thread that has guided his career: solving worthy, complex problems through initiative, innovation, and leadership. Doron discusses Bond’s unique approach to personal safety, combining AI-powered intel

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Mohammad Noshad, CEO and co-founder of Shield AI, to discuss the next evolution of healthcare technology: active AI. Drawing on his background in AI research, entrepreneurship, and work at Harvard University, Noshad shares how a personal tragedy inspired him and his brother to build technology aimed at reducing preventable hospital complications and improving patient outcomes. Noshad explains the difference between passive AI systems that provide information and active AI agents that take action. He details how Shiel

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Akhil Verghese, founder of Krazimo, to explore what it takes to build reliable, enterprise-grade AI systems. Drawing on his experience at IBM and Google, Akhil shares his unconventional journey into AI and explains how real-world enterprise challenges revealed a critical gap between impressive AI demos and deployable business solutions. Akhil discusses why AI models themselves are becoming commodities and why the true competitive advantage lies in the architecture, workflows, and safeguards built around them. H

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas welcomes Houman Akhavan, founder and CEO of GCheck, to discuss how trust, compliance, and AI are reshaping the future of hiring. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience leading technology companies and digital transformation initiatives, Houman shares his journey from helping scale CarParts.com to modernizing the background screening industry with a mission-driven approach he calls “compliance for good.” Houman explains why trust has become the most valuable currency in hiring and how organizations can move beyond treatin

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Galen Hair, Managing Partner at Insurance Claim Headquarters and one of the nation's leading property insurance attorneys. Galen shares how a relentless work ethic, continuous learning, and deep personal investment in his clients helped shape his reputation as a fierce advocate and successful entrepreneur. Galen discusses why discipline—not emotion—wins cases, how staying ahead through ongoing education gives him a competitive edge, and why he views clients as more than just case files. He also offers a candid per

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Doug Sullinger, Founder and CEO of Baizel AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping commercial real estate investment and site selection. Drawing from a career that spans Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Oracle, and General Motors, Doug shares his journey from enterprise technology and automotive innovation to building AI solutions for one of real estate’s most data-intensive challenges. Doug explains how Baizel AI helps investors, developers, and brokers analyze hundreds of data points across

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Berk Yilmaz, Co-Founder and CTO of Noah Labs, to discuss how AI is transforming software development in some of the world’s most regulated and security-sensitive environments. Drawing from his background in electrical engineering, computer science, Columbia University research, and NASA-supported projects, Berk shares how his experiences shaped the vision behind Sentinel—an AI-native IDE built for defense, aerospace, critical infrastructure, and other mission-critical industries. Berk explains the challenges of

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Damon Gatison to discuss how AI is transforming financial services from the inside out. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience across investment management, banking, consulting, and enterprise transformation, Damon shares the key moments that shaped his career and explains why sustainable AI adoption requires far more than flashy pilot programs. Damon dives into the realities firms face when implementing AI in highly regulated environments, emphasizing the importance of governance, clean data foundations,

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Ronald Tato, Head of Partnerships at Tria, about the evolution of digital assets from speculative investments into real-world financial infrastructure. Drawing from his upbringing in Argentina amid banking instability and capital controls, Ronald shares how firsthand exposure to broken financial systems led him into Web3, blockchain intelligence, and decentralized finance. Ronald explains how Tria is redefining modern banking through a self-custodial neo-finance platform that empowers users to fully own and contro

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Brian Peret, Director of CodeBoxx Academy, about his extraordinary journey from engineering graduate to prison inmate to tech education leader. Brian shares how a second chance, a laptop, and an internship helped him rebuild his life and inspired his mission to help others unlock careers in technology through human-centered, outcome-driven education. Brian explains how CodeBoxx is redefining tech training by focusing on real-world business simulations, collaboration, accountability, and job readiness instead of tr

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Alexander Fredericks, Founder and CEO of Tonewell, an AI-powered wellness intelligence platform transforming voice into actionable health insights. Drawing from his background in music, entertainment, and consumer products, Alexander shares how his experience with sound, storytelling, and human connection inspired the creation of Tonewell’s innovative voice-based wellness technology. Alexander explains how a simple 30-second voice note can generate personalized performance readiness insights in minutes, helping us

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Ata Ulaş Güler, co-founder and COO of, about building secure, air-gapped AI systems for highly regulated industries. Ata shares how his background in engineering, AI strategy, and consulting shaped the vision behind Sentinel, Noah Labs’ AI-powered IDE designed for government, defense, and financial environments operating under strict IL5 and NIST compliance requirements. The conversation explores the challenges of modernizing legacy codebases like COBOL, Ada, and Fortran using AI while maintaining complete security, tr

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Vladi Lepi, founder of, about the evolving intersection of AI, blockchain, mathematics, and digital art. Drawing from his background in ballet and visual arts, Vladi explains why he sees AI not as a creator, but as a high-performance tool guided by human intent and structured authorship. The conversation explores how blockchain-secured systems and NFT technology are reshaping provenance, intellectual property, and creative ownership in the AI era. Vladi also shares insights into his groundbreaking 62-second Ethereum-mi

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Zsolt Balogh, Vice President of Technology Operations and Support at Liferay, to explore how agentic AI is transforming enterprise support, security, and SaaS operations. Zsolt shares his remarkable journey from system administrator to technology executive, revealing how leadership principles and curiosity shaped his path to leading AI innovation on a global scale. Zsolt dives into real-world applications of agentic AI at Liferay, explaining how intelligent systems are autonomously triaging customer tickets, di

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Colin Coggins about why the future of sales is more human—not less—in the age of AI. Colin, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, adjunct professor at University of Southern California, and GM at Chegg Skills, shares how authenticity, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and communication are becoming the most valuable skills in modern business. Drawing from his experience leading high-growth technology companies and teaching “sales mindset” to entrepreneurs, Colin challenges the traditional view of sales as persuasi

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with John La Puma about the hidden health costs of modern indoor living and why nature may be one of the most overlooked performance tools in business today. A board-certified physician, trained chef, regenerative farmer, and bestselling author, Dr. La Puma shares how he pioneered culinary medicine and why food, light, air, and outdoor exposure are foundational to long-term health and cognitive performance. Drawing from his new book, Indoor Epidemic, Dr. La Puma explains how excessive indoor time disrupts circadian biology,

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Saurabh Chauhan, founder and CEO of Peakflo, about how AI agents are fundamentally reshaping enterprise operations. Drawing from his experience at McKinsey & Company and Rocket Internet, Saurabh explains why traditional SaaS models are being replaced by agent-driven systems where humans manage AI teammates instead of executing repetitive workflows themselves. Saurabh shares how Peakflo’s open-source 20X AI Agent Orchestrator enables businesses to automate finance, sales, marketing, and back-office operations with self-

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Daniel Chilcott, CEO and Co-Founder of Flowgear, about the evolution of integration platforms and the transformative role AI is playing in automation. Daniel shares the origin story behind Flowgear, explaining how early challenges in CRM customization and app connectivity inspired the creation of a reusable cloud-based integration platform long before iPaaS became mainstream. Daniel dives into how AI is revolutionizing integration by enabling businesses to build workflows, automate processes, and connect systems u

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with Dr. John Bates, CEO of Doxis, to discuss how AI is transforming enterprise software, document intelligence, and business automation. With a career spanning groundbreaking companies in streaming analytics, IoT, AI-powered test automation, and enterprise platforms, John shares how his background in computer science and product innovation shaped his approach to building disruptive technologies. John explains why documents remain the “lifeblood” of modern enterprises and how Doxis is reimagining document management with

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Jessi Szurek, Associate Partner at Synthesis, about the realities of AI transformation in financial services. With more than 17 years of experience leading enterprise transformation initiatives across 40+ countries, Jessi shares why successful AI adoption depends less on flashy technology and more on strong data foundations, governance, and human-centered design. Jessi explains how traditional consulting models often create long-term dependency, while Synthesis focuses on building client self-sufficiency through outcom

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Ashfaque Chowdhury, CEO of Exol and former executive at CEVA Logistics and XPO Logistics, about the future of AI-driven logistics and automation. With more than two decades of experience scaling global supply chain operations, Ashfaque shares how his passion for innovation, robotics, and operational efficiency led him to build a next-generation logistics platform designed for modern commerce. Ashfaque explains how Exol combines robotics, AI-native software, and transportation into a flexible, scalable fulfillment platf

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Tor Langøy, Norwegian entrepreneur and founder of Viking Digital, about the critical intersection of energy, finance, and AI infrastructure. Drawing from decades of global experience across companies like BP and Amoco, Tor explains how his deep understanding of the energy sector laid the foundation for building next-generation AI compute platforms. Tor highlights why Norway and Finland are emerging as prime hubs for hyperscale AI infrastructure, citing abundant hydropower, nuclear energy access, natural cooling, and ge

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with Mike Liberty, co-founder and Chief Risk Officer of Signifyd, to unpack the evolving battle between online merchants and fraudsters. Drawing on a career that spans JPMorgan Chase and PayPal, Mike shares how a surprising insight—that merchants unfairly shoulder fraud liability—sparked the creation of Signifyd. Mike explains how the company flips the traditional model by protecting merchants while still enabling seamless customer experiences. Rather than blocking transactions outright, Signifyd focuses on identifying l

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with Alexandre Mongeon, CEO and co-founder of Vision Marine Technologies, to explore how electrification is transforming the marine industry. With over 25 years of experience, Alexandre shares the pivotal moments—from early electric prototypes to record-breaking performance—that led him to pioneer high-performance electric boating. He dives into the development of Vision Marine’s eMotion technology, a powerful 700-volt system designed to bring scalable, high-speed electric propulsion to the water. Alexandre also unpacks

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Matthew Stewart, founder of TalentSprout, about how conversational voice AI is transforming the hiring process. Drawing from his experience as a software engineer and frequent recruiter, Matthew shares how overwhelming applicant volume and repetitive screening calls inspired him to build an AI-powered solution. TalentSprout automates first-round interviews by conducting natural, real-time conversations with candidates in over 50 languages—eliminating scheduling headaches, reducing no-shows, and delivering same-day rank

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with David Fattal, co-founder and CTO of Leia, Inc., to explore the future of immersive technology and spatial AI. With a background in quantum computing and nano-photonics, David shares how his early research led to the breakthrough invention of light field display technology—powering today’s glasses-free 3D experiences. David explains how Leia’s platform bridges the gap between 2D content and immersive 3D by using AI to reconstruct depth in real time, enabling everything from photos to videos to become interactive, lif

In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas sits down with Yehuda Niv, CEO and co-founder of Spines, to explore how AI is transforming the publishing industry. After struggling to publish his own book, Yehuda set out to fix a broken system—first by building Israel’s largest publishing house, and now by launching Spines, a fully tech-driven platform for authors. Yehuda explains how AI is radically reducing the time, cost, and complexity of publishing—turning processes that once took months into minutes. From automated editing and cover design to AI-generated audiobooks and global di

In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas speaks with Gini Graham Scott, a prolific author, game designer, and creative force behind more than 300 books and 150 games. Gini shares how a lifelong habit of turning experiences—both good and bad—into creative output fueled her extraordinary career. She explains her philosophy of “almost perfect is good enough,” emphasizing progress over perfection as the key to consistent productivity at scale. From writing children’s books at age six to uncovering scams that inspired bestselling titles and films, Gini reveals how curiosity and adapt

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas sits down with Matthew Kael Swanson, a longtime AI entrepreneur and founder of StaffAI, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping business models and the modern workforce. Matthew explains the shift from traditional subscription pricing to outcome-based models, where AI is paid based on results—like revenue generated—rather than usage. He shares real-world examples of AI employees taking over repetitive desktop tasks while enabling human workers to move into higher-value, more meaningful roles. The conversation also tackl

In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, Brian Thomas speaks with Nadav Cornberg, CEO and co-founder of Eve Security, about the rising need for governance in the age of autonomous AI agents. Nadav shares how his early work in mobile security shaped his perspective on managing “digital strangers” inside enterprise systems. He explains why traditional security models fall short as AI agents gain access to critical business platforms—and why real-time governance, not just detection, is essential to prevent costly failures. Nadav introduces the concept of “agent-in-the-loop” oversight, a