Episodes

Oct. 1, 2026

Building A Tech Ecosystem – Paul Zelizer and Vicki Apodaca

Have you ever thought about how to build a tech ecosystem for your community? Today I’m talking with two people who are doing that right now. My guests today are Paul Zelizer and Vicki Apodaca. They are the organizers of the first Tech Week in New Mexico. Paul is a business coach for social entrepreneurs and has helped over 30,000 leaders grow their impact-driven companies and organizations. Vicki has been a founding member of several tech startups and is currently building a document intelligen...
Sept. 24, 2026

Technical Presentations with Clown Presence – Don Colliver

Do you need help delivering compelling technical presentations? Today I’m talking with Don Colliver, who is a facilitator and communication consultant with over 20 years of experience. He has worked as a consultant for tech companies like Google, Cisco, Adobe, and IBM. Don is also a former theatrical clown for a circus and has performed with the Blue Man Group. He is the author of the book Wink: Transforming Public Speaking with Clown Presence. Don talks about how his experience as a clown helps...
Sept. 17, 2026

Supporting Space Tech Startups – Casey DeRaad and Arial DeHerrera

Do you want to learn about a Space Tech Ignitor program that helps space tech startups get tailored guidance, expert connections, and access to investors and customers? That’s what I’m discussing today with my guests, Casey DeRaad and Arial DeHerrera. As they discuss during this episode, Casey brings the vision, industry experience, and funding knowledge to NewSpace Nexus. Arial turns that vision into action by managing the details and helping companies tell their stories. Casey and Arial talk a...
Sept. 10, 2026

Building the Right Team for Your Tech Company – Mike Krupit

Would you like to learn how to build the right team for your technology company? That’s what I’m discussing on this episode with my guest, Mike Krupit. Mike is the founder and CEO of Trajectify, which provides leadership and business growth support. Prior to founding Trajectify, Mike worked with eight Silicon Valley Startups where he learned valuable business leadership lessons. On this episode, Mike talks about building a “not-to-do list” and outsourcing or automating tasks you don’t enjoy or c...
Aug. 27, 2026

A Good UX Design Improves Your Business – Matt Genovese

Would you like to learn how to create a User Experience (UX) that accelerates time-to-market and reduces cost? That’s exactly what I’m discussing today with Matt Genovese. Matt is the founder and CEO of Planorama, which is a User Experience design firm that focuses on making complex and technical software – simple and intuitive to use. Matt and the team at Planorama follow the mantra, “Time to market, accelerated by design.” During our discussion, Matt shares information about how he and his tea...
Aug. 20, 2026

Protecting Space Tech Inventions – Steve Sponseller

Episode 200! I’m excited to publish the 200th episode of the Tech Leader Talk podcast. I’ve talked with some amazing people and learned something from every guest. I hope you enjoy this episode and learn from the information I share. Are you protecting your company’s critical inventions that create a competitive advantage, attract investors, and increase valuation? This interview is part of the Space Tech Innovation event where Space Tech Leaders share the latest trends and key insights to grow ...
Aug. 13, 2026

Space Engineering: Power Systems and Orbital Data Centers – Al Tadros

Do you want to know how an experienced space tech CTO solves space’s toughest problems? Keep listening because that’s what I’m discussing with today’s guest, Al Tadros. Al is a Space Technology Innovator and the CTO of Redwire Space. In this role, he is focused on making strategic investments that support Redwire’s customers, advance technology development, and maintain a collaborative technical culture. Al has three decades of experience in space systems engineering, including satellite and spa...
Aug. 6, 2026

Innovation and Risk in Today’s Space Industry – Hadi Alhassani

Do you want to learn about innovation and risk from a veteran of the space industry? Today’s guest, Hadi Alhassani, has more than 25 years of experience with satellite operations, technical leadership, launching satellites, and space sustainability. Early in his career, Hadi worked as a Satellite Engineer then moved to an Engineering Director and a Chief Strategist. During his career he has managed complex projects and worked with other space professionals across many countries. During our discu...
July 30, 2026

Using AI for Business, Innovation and Brainstorming – Mike Todasco

Innovation is critical for tech companies to maintain their competitive edge. My guest today is Mike Todasco. He’s sharing his expertise with innovation and artificial intelligence (AI). Mike is highly qualified to talk about these topics individually and he will discuss how AI can help with innovation and creativity. He was formerly the Head of Innovation at PayPal and he’s listed as an inventor on over 100 patents. He left his work at PayPal to focus on Generative Artificial Intelligence. Duri...
July 23, 2026

Take Control of Your Data to Grow Your Business – Jon Thompson

Are you effectively leveraging your company’s data? On this episode, I have an interesting conversation with Jon Thompson. Jon is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Margin, which is a data analytics company that organizes data into dashboards. Jon discusses how these dashboards can help companies quickly and easily understand complex data. Jon and his team have helped over 200 companies improve their business outcomes through the use of performance dashboards that drive focus and ...
July 16, 2026

Protecting Your Highest Priority Inventions – Steve Sponseller

This is another solo episode of the Tech Leader Talk podcast. Today’s episode continues the discussion of the 7-Step system I created that’s helped many tech companies build robust patent strategies. I will be discussing the fifth step in that system, which helps you protect your highest priority inventions to build a valuable patent portfolio. In previous episodes of the podcast, I’ve discussed the first four steps. Today, I’m discussing step 5 which is: Protecting your highest priority inventi...
July 9, 2026

Growing your Business with the SBIR program – Tracy Gregorio

Did you know that the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program can help your small business grow by solving particular problems defined by public sector organizations? On this episode, I am talking with Tracy Gregorio. Tracy is the CEO of G2 Ops, which is an IT engineering and cybersecurity company serving the US Navy, the government, and commercial enterprises. She has a wide range of experience with both the military and the private sector. Tracy shares how her variety of experience h...
June 25, 2026

Raising Funds for Your Tech Startup – Mark Sherman

How can your tech startup attract investors? On this episode of the podcast, I am talking with Mark Sherman. Mark is a Managing Partner of Titanium Ventures, which is a venture capital firm in San Francisco, CA with a strong track record. As we talk about on this episode, Titanium Ventures uses data science and quantitative analysis when analyzing investment opportunities. Mark talks about what he and his partners look for in a technology startup. One thing they like to see is a passion for the ...
June 18, 2026

Leveraging Your Innovation and Automation – Andrew Cohen

Are you effectively leveraging your innovation and automation to improve efficiency? On this episode of the podcast, I am talking with Andrew Cohen. Andrew is the Managing Director of Netsurit and the Managing Partner of EVOKE. These companies partner with clients to build modern workplace solutions that address organizational and technological challenges. During our discussion, Andrew explains how he and his team help companies stay competitive through innovation and automation. He talks about ...
June 11, 2026

Space Tech Innovation for X-Ray Satellite Inspection – Lee Rosen

Do you want to hear the story behind a space technology innovation that performs x-ray satellite inspection in space? Keep listening because that’s what I’ll be discussing today with my guest, Lee Rosen. Lee is a co-founder of Think Orbital with an interesting background spanning military service in the Air Force and working at SpaceX. His fascination with aviation began in his high school rocketry club and has continued through his work at Think Orbital. Lee discusses how the team at Think Orbi...
June 4, 2026

Creating Valuable Innovations In Space Technology – Ryan Sullivan

Can a “non-traditional background” produce valuable innovations in space technology? On this episode of Tech Leader Talk, I’m talk with Ryan Sullivan who is a co-founder of Space Kinetic. He talks about how his work with the Peace Corps and other non-technical organizations taught him problem-solving techniques that enable him to be a strong tech leader today. Ryan shares insights on building breakthrough hardware, tackling national security challenges, and why asking “naive” questions leads to ...
May 28, 2026

Creating Invention Evaluation Criteria for a Robust Patent Strategy – Steve Sponseller

On this episode, I’m continuing my discussion of the 7-Step system I created that’s helped many tech companies build robust patent strategies. I will be discussing the fourth step in that system, which is important to ensure that you create the best invention evaluation criteria for your business. Two important things your Patent Strategy must do: 1. Protect your company’s critical inventions 2. Support your business goals By creating Invention Evaluation Criteria that’s unique to your particula...
May 14, 2026

Get Funding Without Giving Up Control of Your Tech Company – Ron Bauer

Would you like a roadmap that helps your tech startup grow while you maintain control of the company? On this episode, I have a great discussion with Ron Bauer who helps companies launch and raise funds without giving up control of the company. Ron is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in technology, life sciences, education technology, and natural resources. He has created a number of ventures with leading entrepreneurs and scientists. He is the founder ...
May 7, 2026

Innovation Leadership at IBM – Nick Donofrio

Are you moving fast enough? On today’s episode, I have a wonderful discussion with Nick Donofrio, who has spent most of his life as a technology leader. Although Nick had countless accomplishments, he wonders if he was moving fast enough. Nick worked in various roles at IBM for 44 years. During that time, he redefined innovation at IBM and initiated worldwide collaboration for the company. Nick was the first Executive Vice President of Innovation and Technology at IBM. And he was named one of Bu...
April 30, 2026

Combining Blockchain with Serverless Infrastructures – Tim Wagner

Is your company leveraging the latest data sharing and data storage technologies? On today’s episode, I am talking with Tim Wagner. Tim is the CEO of Vendia, which provides a platform that combines next generation blockchain with a serverless infrastructure. Tim is passionate about growing teams within organizations and innovating problems related to data sharing. He also has technical knowledge in programming languages, modern databases, and algorithm design. On today’s episode, Tim and I discu...
April 23, 2026

B2B Marketing - The War Between Art & Science – Camela Thompson

On this episode, I talk with Camela Thompson, who is a B2B thought leader, an entrepreneur, a podcaster, and an author. Camela and I discuss B2B marketing. In particular, Camela explains “The War Between Art & Science” – which includes issues related to digital marketing in today’s world. We also talk about the ability to track and analyze results in different types of marketing. “We now have the ability to measure the impact of the creative item we’re testing.” – Camela Thompson Today on the Te...
April 16, 2026

Creating an Authentic Brand that Attracts Customers – Kate DiLeo

On this episode, I have a valuable conversation with Kate DiLeo about her Brand Strategy Process for technology companies. Kate believes that a brand is the path of least resistance to revenue and she’s passionate about helping organizations create common ground with their customers. She has worked with over 200 companies across 20 sectors, helping them create authentic brands that attract more customers. “Your brand is the path of least resistance to revenue.” – Kate DiLeo Today on the Tech Lea...
April 9, 2026

Solving Real Problems and Niching Down – Dan Fuller

If you are enjoying the Tech Leader Talk podcast, can you do me a favor and share it with one or two friends who might enjoy the content? This will increase the number of podcast listeners, which helps make a bigger impact in the tech industry. Thanks for your help. When growing a tech business, you must focus on solving real problems, niching down, and building your network. Today, I’m discussing those issues with Dan Fuller, who has 15 years of experience in the unmanned systems industry (such...
April 2, 2026

The Power of the Space Mindset – Shelli Brunswick

Space is not just rockets – it’s a mindset for leadership, strategy, and collaboration across borders and industries. On today’s episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Shelli Brunswick, who will be discussing the power of the space mindset. Shelli is an experienced leader in the space industry with previous roles in the military and with the Space Foundation. Today she is the CEO and founder of SB Global, LLC. During our conversation, Shelli discusses the rapidly evolving landscape of tech...