Leaders In Tech

Hosted by David Mansilla

Technology News EducationInterviews guests

Website RSS feed Facebook YouTube

Episodes

128

Latest episode

Sep 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the leaders in tech podcast. This show focuses on talking with top CIO / CTOs and industry leaders and learning how they are leveraging human and technology resources on growing their business exponentially.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 27, 2026Episode 3236 min

What 40 Years in Tech Taught Abhay Salpekar About Staying Unstoppable

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, host David Mansilla welcomes Abhay Salpekar , Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Deep Neural. Abhay is a seasoned strategic technology and AI executive with a proven track record of aligning technology strategy with business objectives across startups and multibillion-dollar enterprises. Join us as Abhay walks through his journey from electrical engineering and mainframes to leading today's most advanced AI cybersecurity and quantum-readiness initiatives. He breaks down how technology is evolving exponentially and what professionals must do to stay adaptable and resilient in a fast-changing world. Key Takeaways & What You’ll Learn: AI-Driven Cybersecurity: How traditional security models are transforming into autonomous, context-aware adaptive security meshes. Securing AI Agents: The emergence of agent identities, Model Context Protocols (MCP), and cryptographic "agent passports" to authenticate and control autonomous AI agents. Preparing for Quantum Computing: Why organizations must begin building quantum-proof products to withstand the leap beyond binary computing. The Skills Life Cycle (SLC): How tech professionals can spot S-curve patterns in their careers and pivot before their current skills become commoditized. Foundations Over Trends: Why mastering core logic and architectural principles is the key to surviving every technological hype cycle. Drop a comment below: What skill are you focusing on to future-proof your tech career? Don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and hit the Notification Bell for more interviews with leading voices in technology! #AISecurity #QuantumProof #TechLeadership #LeadersInTech #Cybersecurity #DigitalTransformation

September 20, 2026Episode 1437 min

Leading with Purpose: How Visionary Tech Leaders Are Shaping a Better Future

Technology is transforming how we live, work, and connect—but true innovation doesn't come from code alone. It takes visionary leaders who can blend technical genius with deep empathy, human connection, and real-world purpose. In this video, we explore how modern tech leaders—like J.T. Kennedy, VP of Product Development at ION—are bridging the gap between business growth and meaningful societal impact. Learn how leveraging data, building people-first teams, and shifting from simple task management to inspirational leadership can drive long-term success and shape a better world. 💡 Key Takeaways for Tech Executives & Business Leaders: • How to balance task completion with a culture of innovation and creative risk-taking. • Using data analytics to solve customer pain points and optimize operations. • Why empathy, communication, and adaptability are critical during rapid change. 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on modern tech leadership, innovation strategies, and business growth! 👍 If you found this video valuable, don't forget to Like, Comment your biggest takeaways below, and Share it with fellow leaders in your network! #TechLeadership #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #TechForGood

September 11, 2026Episode 3137 min

How Giving Away Software for Free Built a Massive Tech Revenue Engine

Welcome back to another inspiring episode of the Leaders in Tech Podcast, hosted by David Mansilla! In this episode, we sit down with Aviram Hassan, CEO and Co-Founder of Mentar, a cutting-edge developer infrastructure platform based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Aviram shares his unique journey from high school acting and philosophy to military intelligence, technical sales, and eventually launching his own software startup. Learn how his diverse background equipped him to lead through uncertainty, build open-source software, and transform how modern software engineering teams test and deploy code. 📌 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: • Unconventional Pathways into Tech: How early passions for video gaming and creative arts can foster deep problem-solving and coding skills. • The Value of Creative Skills in Leadership: Why acting and philosophy build high-performing communication, empathy, and emotional resilience under pressure. • The Best Role Before Founding a Company: How working in Solutions Engineering bridges the gap between high-level tech and enterprise sales. • Building Developer Infrastructure: How Mentar enables developers and AI agents to test components against real environments locally without breaking system workflows. • Open-Source Strategy for Growth: Launching open-source software first, gathering authentic user feedback, and scaling into commercial success. • Resilient Founder Mindset: Navigating global crises, economic shifts, and startup pressures while keeping family and core values first. 🔔 Don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode with top industry leaders! #LeadersInTechPodcast #AviramHassan #DavidMansilla #Mentar #DeveloperInfrastructure #OpenSourceSoftware #SolutionsEngineering #SoftwareDevelopment #TechStartups #DigitalTransformation

August 28, 2026Episode 3041 min

How to Turn "Misfit" Departments Into High-Performing Teams

Welcome to another episode of Leaders in Tech ! In this episode, host David Mansilla sits down with Daniel B. Waltz, a recently retired Healthcare CIO with over three decades of experience driving technology and digital transformation across major health systems. Dan shares his inspiring journey from a computer programmer with a background in Organizational Development to leading major Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementations and scaling IT organizations from 50 to 250 personnel. Discover how Dan applied basketball strategy, emotional intelligence, and servant leadership to build resilient teams and improve patient care through technology. 📌 Key Takeaways from this Episode: EQ Over IQ: Why emotional intelligence and human relationships are mandatory skills for modern technology leaders. Servant Leadership in Action: How putting your team's needs first builds trust, drives performance, and creates lasting corporate culture. Strategic Playbooks for Tech: Applying sports coaching strategies to execute complex, multi-site Epic EHR deployments on tight timelines. Purpose-Driven IT: Understanding the human impact behind healthcare tech—why digital tools exist to serve patients and their families. Navigating Career Transitions: Knowing when it’s time to step up, when to move on, and mastering the art of letting go into retirement. Follow & Subscribe: Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more insights from top industry leaders! #Leadership #ServantLeadership #HealthcareIT #CIO #EmotionalIntelligence #TechLeadership #EpicSystems #TeamStrategy #RetirementTransition #Mentorship

August 21, 2026Episode 2926 min

Why Keeping a "Safe" Job Might Be Your Biggest Risk

Pursuing a stable job and embarking on a business venture are two distinct paths that necessitate distinct skill sets and attitudes. While a secure job provides certainty and stability, launching a business requires one to take risks and handle ambiguity. It takes a lot of courage, determination, and resilience to jump into a new venture, especially when it involves leaving the comfort of a stable job. One must be prepared to take calculated risks, be adaptable, and embrace the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. As a result, this course of action is not for the faint of heart, and those who choose to undertake it must be ready for the ups and downs that come with it. “ Wayne Lipkus formed his own computer consulting business, Lipkus & Associates Computer Consultants Inc. in 1988. He has designed and created numerous computer software programs for several different industries; such as, Field Service, Food Production, Engineering, Financial, R&D and Legal. He created the Network Anti-counterfeiting Tracking and Enforcement (N.A.T.E.) computer system to track information on thousands of suspected and confirmed infringers, the S.A.M.S (Structured Asset Management System) to help engineers out in the field and the GoTrade365 Field Service ERP Software solution. Wayne credits his success with the wonderful people he has been lucky to have worked with over the years. Individuals from all over globe and in countries like Canada, USA, South America, Latin America, India and Ukraine, have all contributed to his growth both professionally and personally. Wayne loves the excitement of new ventures and relishes in the creative process. When not working Wayne loves spending time with his family first and playing hockey and skiing to clear the mind. ” www.gotrade365.com

August 14, 2026Episode 2837 min

Mastering AI & Quantum Shifts: What Every Tech Leader Needs to Know Now

What does it take to lead at the absolute edge of technological innovation? 🚀 In this episode of the Leaders in Tech Podcast, host David Mansilla is joined by Chris Murphy, a technology leader representing the CTO Office (EMEA) at Viavi Solutions. Chris shares fascinating insights into the invisible infrastructure powering our connected world, the imminent rise of 6G and quantum networks, and what these shifts mean for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and remote teams. Whether you're curious about the mechanics of modern telecommunications or trying to navigate leadership in an AI-driven era, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and mind-bending discussions. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: Building Resilient Infrastructure: Why stress-testing your systems (and your business) in the lab prevents real-world disasters. The Evolution to 6G & Open RAN: How flexible, decoupled networks are changing global connectivity. Quantum Computing & Post-Quantum Security: The upcoming threats to encryption and how industries are preparing today. Leading in the Age of AI: Empowering software developers and teams to adapt as AI tools transform the workplace. The Human Side of Remote Work: Balancing the freedom of global, dispersed teams with the need for authentic human connection. Subscribe to the Leaders in Tech Podcast for more inspiring conversations with technology pioneers and business leaders shaping tomorrow! #TechLeadership #5G #6G #Telecommunications #OpenRAN #QuantumComputing #Cybersecurity #FutureOfTech #RemoteWork #Podcast #LeadersInTech

July 30, 2026Episode 2743 min

The Cybersecurity Mistake That Costs Companies Millions

Welcome to another episode of Leaders in Tech hosted by David Mansilla! In this episode, we welcome Thom Langford, air CTO at Rapid7 and former CISO at Publicis Groupe and Velonetic. Thom takes us through his fascinating career path—from early days setting up 640K memory PCs and Vax VMS systems to building enterprise cybersecurity programs from scratch. Beyond tech stacks and vulnerability management, Thom opens up about his personal battle with burnout and addiction, offering powerful lessons on mental health, leadership, and setting workplace boundaries. Key Takeaways & What You’ll Learn: The Security Paradox: Why absolute security stops business innovation, and how CISOs must manage compromise and complexity. Unconventional Career Paths: How a corporate identity theft crisis launched Thom’s CISO career. Mental Health in Cybersecurity: Overcoming burnout, dealing with "secrets and failure," and why normalizing mental health discourse saves careers. Empathetic Leadership: The rule of "Public Support, Private Correction," providing air cover for your team, and leading with trust. Work-Life Balance: Practical strategies for tech professionals, including learning to decline unnecessary meetings and setting hard boundaries. 🔔 Subscribe & Stay Connected: If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of Leaders in Tech ! #Cybersecurity #CISO #Rapid7 #LeadersInTech #ITLeadership #ThreatIntelligence #VulnerabilityManagement #MentalHealthInTech #ExecutiveLeadership #WorkLifeBalance #TechPodcast #IncidentResponse #BusinessContinuity #CareerJourney #EmpathyInLeadership

July 16, 2026Episode 2641 min

How to Leverage Machine Learning to Monetize Your Fractional Expertise

In this episode, host David Mansilla is joined by Azam Beyk, a former professional football player, telecom engineer, and the visionary founder of Neoma . From surviving the ruins of the Yugoslavian war in Croatia to facing career-ending sports injuries, Azam’s path to tech leadership was anything but traditional. He opens up about the painful two-year emotional transition of rebuilding his life, how he went from deep-tech engineering to corporate pre-sales, and why he ultimately stepped away from corporate life to build an AI platform that is modernizing how enterprises and high-tech vendors collaborate. If you want to build a deeply aligned, resilient, and human-centric organization, Azam’s unique leadership perspective will change how you view your business. Key Takeaways from This Episode: The "New Moon" Philosophy: The inspiration behind his startup, Neoma, representing the power of starting fresh and embracing personal/business reinvention in the era of AI. The Ultimate Business Skill—Resiliency: How surviving geopolitical displacement and physical setbacks created an unshakeable mindset capable of handling the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship. Translating Tech to Business Value: Learning the critical executive skill of bridging the gap between deep technical code and high-level business strategy. The Corporate Football Pitch: A genius team-building strategy where Product acts as Defense, Sales as the Offense, and Marketing as the Midfielders. Human-Centric Future of Work: How Neoma leverages AI to accelerate B2B digital transformation while opening decentralized, flexible financial opportunities for modern tech contributors. The Ultimate Golden Rule: Why leading with mutual value— "Loving for others what you love for yourself" —is the key to achieving global peace and successful collaboration. #LeadersInTech #TechPodcast #DigitalTransformation #AIStartup #BusinessLeadership #CareerPivot #MindsetShift #OvercomingAdversity #EntrepreneurMindset #Neoma

June 29, 2026Episode 2247 min

The Crushing Weight of Bootstrapping a Tech Empire | Jerod Venema (LiveSwitch)

What does it really take to scale a global technology architecture completely on your own terms? In this deeply emotional and highly technical episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, host David Mansilla is joined by real-time communications pioneer Jerod Venema, Founder and President of LiveSwitch. 🔑 Key Takeaways From This Episode: (1) Seizing the WebRTC Revolution: How Jerod aligned his architecture with Google and Firefox’s browser updates to release the world's first native WebRTC SDK for iOS and Mac. (2) Redefining Failure: Why mistakes are simply transaction costs paid to experience. In Jerod's framework, failure isn't a bad quarter—it's the exact moment you choose to stop trying. (3) Cosmic Scale vs. Commonplace Value: Why providing real-time diagnostic video apps to working-class painters and plumbers to give them their family time back is more rewarding than powering stadium jumbotrons. (4) The Unilateral Hires Veto: Inside the hiring framework Jerod used with his co-founding brother, where either could veto an applicant based purely on an cultural red flag with zero explanations required. (5) Smashing the Founder’s Ceiling: The structural trap of the "hustle mentality" and how learning to step aside to form a grassroots partnership with Brian Hamilton saved the company from stagnation. 🚀 About Our Guest: Jerod Venema is the Founder and President of LiveSwitch, a premier provider powering high-quality, mass-scale interactive video for Fortune 500 giants and small businesses globally. Founded in 2008, LiveSwitch has evolved from a grassroots startup into a multi-million dollar tech leader featured across Inc. Magazine, VentureBeat, and the Financial Post. 🎯 CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: Are you empowering your team to operate with the same intensity as a founder, or are you absorbing all the organizational stress yourself? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you found value in this unfiltered masterclass on tech entrepreneurship, make sure to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE for more leadership breakdowns! #LeadersInTech #WebRTC #LiveSwitch #TechLeadership #Bootstrapping #FounderMindset #SoftwareArchitecture #NASA #SuperBowlTech

June 29, 2026Episode 2329 min

Moving from Technical Expert to Market Leader with Pete Steege

What happens when a brilliant engineer or software developer builds a successful business, but realizes they don't actually know how to be a CEO? In this episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, host David Mansilla interviews growth adviser Pete Steege to tackle the unique challenges faced by "Accidental CEOs." Pete spent decades in tech marketing before launching his own firm, B2B Clarity, right during the pandemic. Today, he shares his proprietary CMP (Clarity, Meaning, Purpose) Growth framework designed to help technical founders simplify their messaging, align their company culture, and scale intentionally. If you are tired of losing deals because your product feels "too complicated" to explain, this episode is your masterclass in marketing with meaning. 🚀 Watch the full episode to hear Pete’s inspiring story and actionable business advice! 📌 Key Takeaways: (1) The "Accidental CEO" Trap: Technical founders excel at building great products but often struggle to lead a company because their expertise is in code or engineering, not corporate strategy. (2) Uncover Your "True Story": Stop selling features and start selling outcomes. Pete shares how a $20M low-voltage company went from explaining complicated tech to pitching the ultimate result: "bringing the workplace to life." (3) The CMP Growth Framework: A deep dive into the four waves of business evolution: Uncover (finding clarity), Deploy (building an aligned culture), Scale (becoming a market leader), and Sustain (defining your legacy and finish line). (4) Marketing is Generosity: Why traditional "spammy" marketing fails, and how providing free, high-value content on platforms like LinkedIn naturally attracts your ideal clients. (5) The Value of a Crisis: How Pete used a sudden pandemic-era job loss as the ultimate stepping stone to build a thriving advisory practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the Notification Bell to stay updated with more insights for tech leaders! #AccidentalCEO #TechStartups #B2BClarity #LeadersInTech #BusinessFramework #FounderToCEO #CMPGrowth