Innovation Heroes

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Mar 2026

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Innovation Heroes is a podcast exploring the people and businesses driving change in our drastically disrupted world. Host Ed McNamara explores some of the most inspiring stories of business innovation in the post-pandemic era.

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March 9, 2026Episode 1230 min

A Decade of Waste: Why ITAM Hasn’t Won (Yet)

A decade of better tools. Better services. Better data. And yet the same statistic keeps showing up: 25-30% of enterprise technology spend is wasted. Why can't anyone move the needle? Shane Cronin, Head of ITAM & FinOps Services at SHI International, breaks down why traditional approaches to IT asset management have stalled—and what it actually takes to turn savings reports into realized value. From the "Rubik's Cube effect" of enterprise dependencies to the cultural shift from cost-cutting to ROI storytelling, Shane offers a refreshingly blunt take on what's broken and how to fix it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the 25-30% waste figure has persisted for over a decade despite massive improvements in tooling How ITAM's perception as "the police" undermined its effectiveness—and what FinOps did differently Why proving ROI matters more than cutting costs (and how to make that argument stick) The real reason vendors keep changing licensing rules About the Guest: Shane Cronin leads ITAM and FinOps Services at SHI International, helping enterprises rethink technology governance in an AI-driven world. Shane has worked with hundreds of organizations to move beyond reactive audit defense toward proactive value realization. #ITAM #FinOps #ITLeadership #CIO #TechnologyGovernance #CostOptimization #EnterpriseIT #AISpending #Innovation

February 19, 2026Episode 1127 min

When AI Can’t Afford to Be Wrong: Inside Bot Auto’s Autonomous Trucking Mission

Everyone’s talking about AI that writes code and answers questions. But what happens when AI has to operate in the physical world, where mistakes don’t just generate weird sentences, they have real consequences? On this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara sits down with Tete Xiao, VP of Engineering and AI at Bot Auto, to explore what it actually takes to deploy AI that touches the real world. Tete helped create Meta’s Segment Anything model—a breakthrough that changed how machines understand images—and now he’s applying a decade of cutting-edge research to one of AI’s hardest challenges: making trucks drive themselves safely on U.S. highways. Key takeaways: Why physical AI is “broadly underhyped” despite billion-dollar robotics headlines How simulation lets autonomous systems explore scenarios too dangerous to test in real life What “truly driver-out” operations mean—and why it’s so much harder than having someone in the backseat Lessons IT leaders can apply when deploying any AI system with real-world consequences For anyone thinking about AI in manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, or security, this conversation is essential listening.

February 5, 2026Episode 1027 min

The Quantum Security Threat: Get Ready Today for Tomorrow's Tech

The encryption protecting your most sensitive data has as an expiration date. Nation-states are harvesting encrypted traffic right now, stockpiling it until quantum computers become powerful enough to crack it in seconds. In this episode, Ed McNamara sits down with Brad Bowers, SHI's Lead Field Chief Information Security Officer, who breaks down the quantum cryptography threat in terms IT leaders can actually act on. Brad brings over 20 years of security leadership experience from the Federal Reserve, FBI, AT&T, and Verizon to explain what's really happening—and what you need to do about it. Key takeaways: Why the "harvest now, decrypt later" threat is already happening at network choke points Federal mandates starting December 1, 2025 and the aggressive 2030 deadline for crypto agility Who needs to act now (critical infrastructure, defense contractors) vs. who has a 5-year runway What "post-quantum cryptography" and "crypto agility" actually mean in operational terms First steps for discovery and planning—minus the fear-mongering Whether you're defending critical infrastructure or planning ahead for retail operations, this is the quantum readiness roadmap you need. The threat isn't coming—it's already here. Listen now to understand why waiting until 2029 means you're already too late. #PostQuantumCryptography #Cybersecurity #QuantumComputing #CryptoAgility #InformationSecurity #ITLeadership #DigitalTransformation #SHI #InnovationHeroes About the Guest: Brad Bowers is Lead Field Chief Information Security Officer – Global at SHI International, with over 20 years of security leadership experience including work with the Federal Reserve, FBI, AT&T, and Verizon. Certifications: CISSP, GCIA, GCIH, GCFA, OSCP. Connect with SHI: Explore SHI's cybersecurity services: https://www.shi.com/solutions/cybersecurity Contact your SHI team for quantum readiness assessment

January 22, 2026Episode 930 min

AI's Infrastructure Emergency: Will Nuclear Power and Liquid Cooling be Enough?

AI ambition is colliding with physical reality. As data centers push from 20-kilowatt racks to 120-kilowatt systems—with megawatt-per-rack infrastructure on the horizon—the limits of power and cooling have become impossible to ignore. In this episode of Innovation Heroes, Ed McNamara explores the collision between AI ambition and energy reality with two guides who see the problem from opposite ends of the timeline. Brian Smith of Idaho National Laboratory takes us inside the nuclear renaissance, where small modular reactors are being designed to deliver massive, carbon-free power on dramatically shorter timelines—"like building airplanes, not airports." Meanwhile, Ryan Hotchkin of SHI International brings the conversation back to today's constraints: liquid cooling becoming mandatory, power capacity maxed out, and cloud costs rising for everyone. Together, they map what IT leaders need to understand now—and what's coming next—if AI initiatives are going to scale instead of stall. Key Takeaways: Why AI workloads are overwhelming traditional data center power and cooling How small modular reactors could reshape long-term energy infrastructure The math problem: power density doubling every generation of GPUs What IT leaders must do now—even if deployment is three years away Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube shi.com/heroes #AI #DataCenter #NuclearEnergy #ITInfrastructure #Innovation Guests: Brian Smith — Nuclear Reactor Development Director, Idaho National Laboratory Ryan Hotchkin —Sr. Director, Advanced Solutions Group, SHI International Related Resources: SHI’s Next Gen Infrastructure Solutions: https://www.shi.com/solutions/next-generation-infrastructure SHI GenAI Solutions: https://www.shi.com/solutions/generative-ai

January 12, 2026Episode 837 min

How to Build a Smart City (In Just 4 Months)

State and local governments are under pressure to deliver modern services, but budgets, staffing shortages, and long procurement cycles make innovation feel impossible. In this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara talks with three leaders proving that AI-powered Smart Cities aren’t a futuristic concept. They’re happening now. SHI’s Jack Hogan and Denise Collison join NVIDIA’s Michael Sherwood to unpack how a 2,500-person mountain town deployed wildfire detection, accessibility compliance automation, traffic intelligence, and a digital AI ambassador in just four months. They reveal how SHI’s “Imagine, Experiment, Adopt” methodology helps governments move from reactive to proactive decision-making, and why interoperability, ecosystem partnerships, and accelerated AI infrastructure are reshaping what’s possible. Key Takeaways How SHI helped Vail, Colorado, deploy four AI solutions in record time Why “start small” is the secret to unlocking Smart City momentum The role of NVIDIA’s full-stack AI platform in rapid prototyping How governments can overcome talent gaps, funding barriers, and resistance to change Guests: Jack Hogan, VP of Advanced Growth Technologies, SHI Denise Collison, SVP of Public Sector Sales, SHI Michael Sherwood, Sr. Business Manager for State & Local Government, NVIDIA This episode is sponsored by NVIDIA. If you're facing the complexities of enterprise AI deployment and generative AI implementation, you're not alone. As AI initiatives move from experimentation to production, CIOs and technical leaders struggle with AI infrastructure scalability, LLM model governance, and ROI validation. Discover how SHI and NVIDIA's integrated solutions address these challenges head-on: www.shi.com/partners/nvidia

December 18, 2025Episode 732 min

Unlocking Millions in ROI with Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Chat

Enterprises are spending thousands — sometimes millions — on AI productivity tools. But for many, the big question remains: Are we getting what we paid for? In this episode of Innovation Heroes, SHI's Chief of Staff to the CIO, Brooke Pierantoni, shares how SHI turned Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Chat into a measurable win: $1.4M in monthly productivity savings and a fully secured enterprise rollout completed in just six months. Brooke breaks down the decisions that mattered most, from locking down data governance, to building a platform-first adoption model that tripled usage in 30 days. She also explains the real risks of shadow AI, why Copilot only works when your data house is in order, and how SHI is preparing to push adoption beyond 70% in the next 12–18 months. Key Takeaways: Why Microsoft Copilot Chat fails without strong data governance How SHI accelerated rollout from 12 months to just 6 How SHI calculates $1.4M in monthly productivity gains The real risks of skipping data governance prep Featuring: Brooke Pierantoni, Chief of Staff to the CIO, SHI International --- This episode of Innovation Heroes is brought to you by Microsoft and SHI. If you’re ready to take the next step toward smarter, AI-powered productivity with Microsoft Copilot — including Copilot Chat — visit www.shi.com/microsoft today.

December 4, 2025Episode 2138 min

From Bad Chatbots to Digital Ambassadors That Actually Work

Most chatbots fall short—slow responses, confusing menus, and frustrated users who abandon the experience. But what if you could replace that with a lifelike, multilingual Digital AI Ambassador — and prove it works in just six weeks? In this episode, host Ed McNamara sits down with SHI’s Jack Hogan and HPE’s Robin Braun to break down how SHI and HPE built Digital Humans that are fast, secure, and genuinely engaging. They discuss why chatbots fail, how guardrails and ultra-low latency reshape customer interactions, and how SHI’s Imagine–Experiment–Adopt framework accelerates AI adoption. Listeners will learn: Why human-like presence matters more than chatbot accuracy How “brain and body” architecture creates lifelike engagement Why HPE Private Cloud AI enables secure, scalable deployment How SHI delivers production-ready Digital AI Ambassadors in six weeks Real-world examples from civic services, retail, healthcare, and more Featuring: • Jack Hogan, VP of Advanced Growth Technologies, SHI • Robin Braun, VP of AI Business Development, Hybrid Cloud, HPE ---- ---- This episode of Innovation Heroes is brought to you by HPE. If you're in retail, healthcare, financial services, or public sector and you're under pressure to deploy AI that actually works, reach out. Our team can get you production-ready Digital Humans in six weeks, not eighteen months. >>> Book your executive review: shi.com/digitalhuman

November 13, 2025Episode 529 min

We'll Never Move This Slow Again: Why Intel's Stacey Shulman Says AI is Underhyped

While everyone debates whether AI is overhyped, Intel's Stacey Shulman argues we're dramatically underhyping it—and our linear thinking is making us dangerously unprepared. AI capabilities are doubling every six months, four times faster than Moore's Law, yet most organizations are still trying to build "AI infrastructure" instead of resilient infrastructure that can evolve with technology moving faster than human imagination. Shulman breaks down why the Intel-Nvidia partnership represents a seismic shift, why we need HR systems for AI agents, and why Star Trek optimism—not Black Mirror dystopia—should guide our path forward. --- Learn more about SHI's AI solutions and how our AI & Cyber Lab can help you prototype and test before you commit at SHI.com/AI Watch Innovation Heroes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SHICorporation --- Stacey Shulman is Vice President and General Manager of Health, Education, and Consumer Industries at Intel Corporation, where she leads the division responsible for transforming how AI impacts people-focused industries. With over three decades of technology and retail experience, Shulman has built a career on incubating emerging technologies and turning innovation into practical business value. Before joining Intel in 2017 as Chief Innovation Officer for retail solutions, Shulman held executive roles at Levi Strauss & Co. and American Apparel, where she was named Innovative Industry CIO of the Year for her groundbreaking work in store-focused technology. This is her sixth appearance on Innovation Heroes.

October 30, 2025Episode 439 min

How a Teacher Turned Gaming Into New Jersey's Newest Varsity Activity

What happens when IT leaders have to choose between safety and innovation? In New Jersey, one teacher proved that the biggest obstacles to transformation often come from inside our own departments. Chris Aviles started Garden State eSports during COVID with borrowed laptops and a spreadsheet. Today, it's the largest scholastic eSports league in the country, serving 12,000 students across 400+ schools—and it just became New Jersey's first new varsity activity in 20 years. In this episode, you'll discover: How eSports went from basement hobby to legitimate varsity activity with scholarships and college recruiting Why IT departments are now the biggest barrier to program launches (and how to overcome security concerns safely) The student success stories that prove inclusive competition changes lives How schools are turning gaming computers into dual-purpose STEM labs that drive attendance and grades Chris Aviles, Founder of Garden State eSports, joins host Ed McNamara along with SHI's Jeff Prudente to reveal how this movement is opening doors for students who never participated in school activities before—including 25% with IEPs or autism spectrum diagnoses. Guest: Chris Aviles, Founder & Executive Director, Garden State eSports Also Featuring: Jeff Prudente, Mobility Manager, SHI International Learn more: shi.com/esports #eSports #EdTech #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #STEMEducation #InclusiveEducation #SchoolTechnology #GamingForGood Show Notes & Resources Organizations & Programs: Garden State eSports - New Jersey's official scholastic eSports league SHI eSports Solutions - Equipment, infrastructure, and program support Interstate Scholastic eSports Alliance - National network spanning 20+ states Contact: esports@shi.com Resources for Schools: Garden State eSports Varsity Certification Program SHI eSports IT Infrastructure Guide Equipment recommendations and setup best practices Network security guidance for school IT departments Timeline: 00:01:00 - Introduction to eSports growth and impact 00:02:00 - Jeff Prudente on early days of NJ eSports partnership with SHI 00:08:00 - Chris Aviles' origin story and COVID catalyst 00:13:00 - How eSports became a varsity activity (not sport) 00:16:00 - Biggest misconceptions: IT departments as unexpected barriers 00:21:00 - What it's like to attend an eSports championship event 00:26:00 - The critical role of teacher-coaches 00:32:00 - Student success stories: Tyler Sims and Jack's journeys 00:40:00 - How to launch a program in your school Guest Bios: Chris Aviles is a 17-year teaching veteran and founder of Garden State eSports, which has grown from 100 schools during COVID to become the largest scholastic eSports league in the United States. Under his leadership, New Jersey became the first state to recognize eSports as an official varsity activity. Jeff Prudente is SHI International's Mobility Manager for Intel and Windows devices. A lifelong gamer and former competitive Halo player, Jeff helped pioneer SHI's eSports education initiative and has been instrumental in bringing programs to school districts nationwide—from 5-computer setups to hundred-workstation arenas.

October 16, 2025Episode 338 min

The $25M Zoom Call: How Deepfakes Are Rewriting the Rules of Trust, Featuring KnowBe4's Erich Kron

A Hong Kong employee sits through what seems like a routine video call with colleagues and the CFO. Everything looks normal. Then comes the urgent wire transfer request. $25 million later, the horrifying truth emerges: every face on that call was fake, generated by AI. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, host Ed McNamara sits down with Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, to unpack one of the most sophisticated cyber heists in history. We'll explore how cybercriminals have industrialized deception, the psychology behind why we fall for these scams, and what organizations can do to fight back against the rise of "Cybercrime Inc." Key Takeaways: How attackers used "scripted movie" techniques to pull off a $25M deepfake heist Why cybercrime now operates like big business—complete with HR departments and profit-sharing models The psychology of System 1 vs System 2 thinking and how emotions drive us into making mistakes AI-powered defense tools that are helping organizations stay ahead of deepfake threats Guest: Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4 --- This episode is brought to you by KnowBe4. Ready to move beyond cybersecurity awareness to actually reducing human risk? Visit shi.com/partners/knowbe4 to learn how AI is transforming human risk management. #Cybersecurity #Deepfakes #HumanRisk #AI #SocialEngineering #InnovationHeroes --- Show Notes & Resources Learn More About Erich Kron Erich Kron on LinkedIn KnowBe4 Blog - Author Page for Erich Kron The Jericho Show (co-hosted with Javvad Malik) (YouTube) $25 Million Deepfake Zoom Scam - News Coverage Ars Technica: $25 million stolen in deepfake Zoom scam World Economic Forum: What a $25M deepfake scam reveals about AI risks Additional Context KnowBe4's work on Human Risk Management: shi.com/partners/knowbe4