In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs

Hosted by New York Institute of Technology’s School of Management

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Jun 2026

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New York Institute of Technology’s School of Management Presents: In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs

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June 15, 2026Episode 8837 min

The Long Game of Entrepreneurship

n this episode of In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs, host Nikithan Karnanndi sits down with Justin Chen, a Vancouver-based marketing and sales professional with over a decade of experience supporting small businesses, now working in partnership development at Merchant Growth. Justin shares his journey from direct sales to helping small businesses access financing, and offers practical wisdom on entrepreneurship: start in an industry you know, embrace the health and wellness sector's unlimited growth ceiling, use AI as a tool to compress timelines rather than chase it as a trend, and build trust through both competence and character. He emphasizes that success — whether in content creation, sales, or business — demands consistency over time, a willingness to "suck at the beginning," and the courage to take action rather than endlessly consume knowledge. The episode closes with a reminder that community, human connection, and showing up consistently are the real foundations of lasting business success.

June 1, 2026Episode 8729 min

Leading through Crisis Communication - Part Two

Nathan Miller has spent 25 years helping organizations survive their worst moments — and in this episode, he gets into exactly how. From a retailer being extorted by an influencer to executives freezing under pressure, he breaks down why transparency almost always wins, why the cover-up destroys you faster than the original mistake, and what most leaders get dangerously wrong about communication. If you're in business, manage people, or ever have to speak under pressure — which is everyone — this one's worth your time.

May 26, 2026Episode 116 min

Leading through Crisis Communication Part One

When a crisis hits, most leaders get it wrong. In this episode, Nathan Miller — crisis communications veteran and founder of Miller InK— breaks down exactly what to do instead. With real stories, hard-won lessons, and a no-nonsense framework for communicating under pressure, this conversation will change how you think about leadership, trust, and the power of your words. Don't miss it.

May 19, 2026Episode 892 min

Welcome to Season 12

Dr. Deborah Y. Cohn introduces season 12

November 17, 2025Episode 8523 min

Cybersecurity Strategy and the Human Element

This episode explores how effective cybersecurity is not just about technology but about cultivating a human-centered culture of security. Host John Rebecchi introduces insights from Douglas London (former CIA operations officer), Perry Carpenter (cybersecurity and human risk expert), and Linda Rust (founder of Secure Think), with the discussion framed as an AI-generated compendium of expert perspectives

November 10, 2025Episode 8420 min

The Entrepreneurial Spark: Culture, Creativity, and Passion

Host John Rebecchi explores how culture, creativity, and passion ignite the drive to start and sustain new ventures. Using Google’s Notebook LLM, this episode synthesizes interviews with three founders to illuminate diverse paths to entrepreneurial success. The featured entrepreneurs are: Snigdha Sur, founder of The Juggernaut Thulani Ngazimbi, creator of The Rad Black Kids Sue Wilkowski, founder of Casa de Spin and serial entrepreneur

October 27, 2025Episode 8321 min

What Drives Innovation?

In this episode, host John Rebecki explores how innovators identify opportunities, build strategies, and sustain passion through challenges. Drawing from expert insights by Craig Dubitsky (Hello Products, Colgate-Palmolive), Lorraine Marchand (The Innovation Mindset), Joe Batista (Dell, HP), and Golan Shaked (Kiwi.com, Deezer), the discussion highlights that successful innovation stems from empathy, curiosity, and disciplined execution.

October 13, 2025Episode 8223 min

Season 11.2: The Intersection of Data Analytics and AI

Hosted by John Rebecchi, this episode explores how AI and data analytics are transforming business, education, and society. The conversation blends insights from four experts — Josh Nafman, Dr. Amir Gefen, Jonah Lopin, and Sarah Nagy — into an AI-generated discussion on innovation, strategy, and human-AI collaboration. Across all perspectives, the episode stresses that the defining skills of the AI era are curiosity, adaptability, communication, and continuous learning. Leaders are urged to define problems clearly, avoid technological hype, and focus on building strong teams and customer trust. Ultimately, the future belongs to those who can ask smarter questions, interpret data creatively, and harness AI to augment human ingenuity—not replace it.

September 30, 2025Episode 8120 min

11.1 Leadership Lessons on Culture, Strategy, and People

This podcast episode is the Season 11 premiere of "In Reality," hosted by John Rebecchi. The episode represents a new format where AI technology is being used to repurpose and synthesize content from over 60 previous episodes spanning 10 seasons. Key Format Changes The show has adopted an innovative approach using Google's AI-powered Notebook LM to analyze past episodes, group them by shared themes, and create new 20-minute episodes. John Rebecki cloned his voice for the AI to use in producing these episodes. Episode Focus This particular episode concentrates on the interconnected topics of leadership, strategy, and culture. It features AI-generated discussions that synthesize insights from several previous guests: Jim Breslowski, President of Henry Schein Bob Chapman, Chairman and CEO of Barry Wehmiller Stuart Krohn, founder of the Inner City Education Foundation rugby program John and Anthony Magliocco, representing the third and fourth generations of Aero Linen Supply Company Production Team The episode is executive produced by John Rebecchi and New York Institute of Technology, with Dr. Deborah Y Cohn serving as co-executive producer and Professor of Marketing at the School of Management. Patthara Chandaragga handles production, marketing, and social media strategy. The show encourages listener feedback through reviews on various platforms or direct emails to inreality@nyit.edu, emphasizing the importance of audience input as they explore this new AI-driven content format.

September 19, 2025Episode 801 min

Season 11: Reimagined Insights — AI-Powered Lessons from 60+ Episodes

In this groundbreaking season of In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs, we’re using artificial intelligence to reimagine our most powerful conversations. By analyzing over 60 episodes and organizing them into key themes—like leadership, strategy, innovation, and data science—we’ve created fresh, 20-minute episodes that distill essential lessons from top industry voices. Tune in to hear how AI can transform storytelling and deepen understanding. Don’t forget to share your thoughts by leaving a review or emailing us at inreality@nyit.edu. Executive Producers: John Rebecchi, Ph.D. and Deborah Y. Cohn, Ph.D. Both alumni of New York Institute of Technology School of Management.