In this episode of “The Future of Work”, hosts Al Loveland and Kyle McIntosh introduce their guests, Scott Romeo and Ed Wold. Scott, a seasoned strategy expert, and Ed, a patent agent, discuss their backgrounds and emphasize the importance of a strategic approach in business, exploring the balance between immediate actions and long-term goals.
The conversation delves into practical aspects of strategy, intellectual property, and pricing, highlighting their dynamic work and tailored services like “Strategy in a Day” and “Going Global.” They also announce the “Strategy Fest” on August 22nd at Mac 6 and bi-weekly “strategy lunch and learns” starting after Labor Day, concluding with personal stories and a call to action for further engagement.
Business leaders who are begining to plan for 2025 and beyond. They will learn concepts that will help their oganization stratgically and operationally. The basic concepts will inspire thoughts that will lead to ideas and initiatives driving improved business results.
THE STRATEGY EXPERT® helps organizations grow from where they are today to where they want to be. They provide strategic guidance to organizations from startups, small business owners, midsized companies, multinational corporations, and nonprofits in over 80 industries across the globe.
Scott Romeo has been a strategic planning/strategy consultant working with clients all over the world in over 80 industries for the past 32 years. He has a unique ability to quickly assess an organization’s current state and help design strategies to help them get from where they are today to where they need to be.
He has worked with startups, Fortune 500 Companies, and multinational corporations in the US and throughout Asia. He has been teaching strategies at the university level for the past 25 years at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
Along the way, he has written three books on strategy, one of which is recommended reading at a business management school in Belgium. He is the strategist that executive teams want at the table when they are considering their future growth and next strategic moves.
Edwin Wold is a registered US Patent Agent, author, and business and management consultant with experience working at the strategic, operational, and functional levels of organizations.
With an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, a master’s degree in Project Engineering Management, and an Executive Juris Doctorate with a specialization in contracts and patent protection, Edwin has a history of helping clients grow from “concept to cash” with an emphasis on adding more profit to the bottom line.
Edwin interacts with management and leadership to analyze the constraints/needs/aspirations of the business and helps guide them to strategically apply business approaches to help take the company to the next level. This is often centered around helping to create and protect the IP of an innovative product or introducing a new or improved product or service to the global market.
Follow The Strategy Expert on LinkedIn and X.
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WORK
Welcome to Future of Work Radio Show and Podcast – where business leaders share how they integrate humanity and technology through innovative approaches, healthy culture, flexible workspaces and seamless virtual technology.
ABOUT YOUR CO-HOSTS
With a focus in marketing and a background in various for profit and not for profit companies, including much professional and volunteer work, Kyle McIntosh wondered, “How can I pair the passion and commitment to community progress of a non-profit with the sustainability and reach of a for profit company?”
From this question and perspective a mission evolved to tear down the false distinction between the two sectors and to promote companies with Conscious Capitalism® business models through MAC6.
Albert Loveland has joined the MAC⁶ Team full-time. Al will be helping us to takeMAC⁶ to the next level as Vice President of Operations(and, for all of you who are familiar with EOS, as the MAC⁶Integrator).
Al brings over 25 years of experience in leadership and operational efficiency, first working for JPMorgan Chase for fifteen years and then, for the past decade, with his own consulting business working with small businesses, non-profits, and entrepreneurs.
Al has been working from MAC⁶ as a community member for five years now, acting as the unofficial ‘Mayor of MAC⁶’and helping every day to make this community a great place to be. Please join us in congratulating him as the now Official Mayor of MAC⁶ and as an integral new part of our team!
To learn more about MAC6 Communities, call 480-293-4075 or find them on LinkedIn and Facebook.
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
MAC6 offers flexible spaces and programs to help your team grow, and a community of thriving businesses, just like yours. Advocating Capitalism as a Force for Good, MAC6 is Accelerating the shift to Conscious Capitalism (where Purpose and Profit Unite) through Creativity, Collaboration, Community and Change.
On this North Fulton Business Radio episode, host John Ray welcomed Joe Farach, a seasoned expert in business growth and exit planning. Joe’s remarks centered on preparing businesses for sale, process optimization, handling due diligence, and building a robust management team. He further highlighted the need to start considering exit planning as early in the business’s inception as possible to anticipate challenges and ensure a more seamless transition. Other key topics Joe addressed include business valuation, leadership development, overcoming challenges in the selling process, the role of strategic thinking in business growth, and success stories from his work.
North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Joe Farach brings over 35 years of experience in strategy formulation, business development, market expansion, operations improvement, leadership development, and M&A. He has diverse experience working for global Fortune 500 companies, private family-owned companies, ESOPs, and starting his own business.
His career highlights include starting a manufacturing and service company in Brazil, acquiring and integrating a $200 million multi-plant business in the U.S., turning around a Mexican subsidiary, developing international capital investment projects, and formulating and implementing a global M&A strategy. He also led and grew P&L in companies and divisions ranging from $1 million to $300 million. Joe started his career as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.
Joe is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and a Certified Mergers and Acquisition Advisor. He holds a B.S. Mechanical Engineering degree from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and an M.B.A. from Villanova University. In addition to English, he has native fluency in Spanish and Portuguese.
Joe’s LinkedIn Profile | Revenue Igniter Group LinkedIn | Neri Capital Partners website
North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Arizona State University’s AZNext Program is a public-private partnership, funded by grants from the U.S Department of Labor designed to create a bold, innovative, and sustaining workforce development ecosystem that addresses the need for more skilled workers in IT, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing roles.
A groundbreaking collaboration between the W. P. Carey School of Business, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, AZNext brings together employers, workforce development networks, economic development organizations, and industry partnerships to develop and execute work skills training programs.
Paloma Greenwald, RN BSN is a self-employed nurse consultant and alumna of the entry level Business Analyst course through AZ Next. Paloma brings over 2 decades of trusted public service as a registered nurse and military spouse.
As a native Spanish speaker from the desert southwest, first generation American, and ASU distinguished graduate, she delivers credibility as a subject matter expert in community health as well as military family issues. She is a candidate for a Masters in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco.
Paloma invests time in multiple volunteer efforts because this impacts communities while nurturing servant leadership. Her commitment to lifelong learning benefits organizations such as Az Nurses Association (public policy committee), Az Public Health Association, HIMSS, Luke AFB Foodbank, Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network, Military Spouse Advocacy Network, Secure Families Initiative and Your Sure Foundation.
Connect with Paloma on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Rob Buelow is the Program Director for the AZNext Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership Grant. Teaming ASU with Industry/Community Partners to develop the next generation workforce in Advance Manufacturing and Information Systems.
Two years as Program Director with AZNext. Over 20 years of aerospace manufacturing industry experience in project and program management, process design and improvement, program implementations, team leadership, and business and customer management.
Follow AZNext on LinkedIn.
Paradigm Solutions LLC is a consultancy leading knowledge driven success through Technology and Business Transformation.
Paradigm Solutions’ portfolio includes Fortune 10, Small Business, Public, Private, Public Sector, and Non-Profit industry wide initiatives ranging from Assessment to Optimization to
Transformation.
Paradigm Solutions LLC is a privately held consultancy based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Laura Hemenway is Founder and Principal of Paradigm Solutions, a consultancy leading knowledge driven success through technology and business transformation.
Her technology career spanning over 30 years in roles as Developer, Business Analyst, Solution Architect, Project Manager, PMO Director, Strategy Executive, and Fractional/Interim CIO afford her the in-depth technical expertise and business acumen to communicate, collaborate, and drive results.
In addition to her drive to support art and culture access to the underserved, Laura generously shares her professional experience as an Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business Guest Speaker, AZNext Contributor, Title I School STEAM Supporter, Mentor, and SIM Arizona Board Member.
Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.
From managing budgets to meeting deliverables in a timely manner, project managers play a critical role in helping organizations improve outcomes and maintain successful partnerships. So, how can tech companies leverage project management to reimagine how they produce deliverables for their clients?
The December 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Mary Kirk, principal consultant and lead DEI at Allata; J.T. Moomau, vice president, solutions delivery at Per Scholas; and Joe Pusz, president, The PMO Squad. These leaders joined Karen Nowicki, president and owner of Phoenix Business RadioX, and Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, in discussing how technology companies can utilize project management to better deliver strategic initiatives.
Throughout this hour-long episode, the panel of three experts discussed how they would define project management, how it works at their individual organizations, and the tips they have for technology companies that are hoping to revamp how they manage their projects. Time and time again, each speaker hit on the critical importance of great communication, clear goal setting, keeping the company’s “why” in mind and executing deliverables with excellence.
Per Scholas has been advancing economic mobility and increasing opportunity for more than 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, the national nonprofit prepares individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. Per Scholas partners with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting graduates to new career opportunities with more than 850 employer partners, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 17,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology.
Per Scholas Phoenix launched in 2021, with its first cohort of Java Developers graduating in August. In 2022, Per Scholas Phoenix is on track to train 180 diverse technologists in the skills they need to succeed in a variety of tech roles including IT Support, AWS re/Start, Full Stack Java Development, and End User Desktop Support. Per Scholas Phoenix learners have a 100 percent certification rate in industry recognized credentials, and to date, 95 percent of graduates have gone on to full-time employment.
To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
J.T. Moomau joined Per Scholas as Vice President of Solutions Delivery in August 2022. He is a highly Certified Project Management and Business Operations Leader, with more than a decade of experience in the technology industry.
J.T. is proactive, solutions-oriented, and skilled in leading complex initiatives in process improvement and change management to completion in a highly technical environment. He is diligent and data-driven with a demonstrated ability to optimize efficiency and improve service delivery through transformational operations leadership in alignment with organizational objectives. Collaborative and consultative with a growth mindset, J.T. is adept at inspiring confidence and building consensus among high-impact teams.
An active and engaged member of the community, J.T. is passionate about advancing the principles of effective project management and leadership as a University Professor, Project Management Trainer, and sought-after speaker. He is a professor at Fresno Pacific University, teaching courses in Business, Change Management, and Project Management.
J.T. holds his PMP certification and earned a Masters of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University.
Connect with J.T. on LinkedIn.
Allata (pronounced a-ley-ta) is a strategy, architecture and enterprise-level application development company focused on helping clients enhance or scale business opportunities, create efficiencies and automate processes through custom technologies.
We are building a different kind of firm – focused on doing exciting, transformational work for great clients and bringing caring and dedicated people to make our clients goals a reality. Our vision is to build an energized group of talented professionals that can stand strong on their own but work better as a networked team.
We enable business agility at the intersection of people, process, and technology. We provide solutions and expert services to assist businesses to become more nimble, transformative, and disruptive in their respective industries. We define vision, strategy, and value creation models for shaping strategic product designs, managing, and transforming enterprise delivery.
Just as strongly as we care about our clients, we feel that it is important to give back to the community and non-profits that we are passionate about. Every month, Allata donates 2% of our net income to a charitable cause our team believes in.
We live by our mantra:
Family comes first, clients are king, we take great care of our people.
Mary Kirk, a Principal based in Dallas/Fort Worth, contributes to Allata’s strategy practice and co-leads Diversity and Belonging.
As a resourceful and energetic Program Manager, she has a long track record of ensuring projects are delivered at the highest quality, within budget parameters, and effectively managing resources to quickly adapt to fluctuating environments. She is a strong communicator and influencer that strives to provide top-class services by focusing on business process efficiencies while leading projects, teams, and customers with the highest ethical standards.
Mary has expertly led medium to large-scale marketing, commercial, industrial, and technology projects across a wide array of industries including semiconductor, supply chain, automotive, banking, airlines, home warranty, non-profit, and waste management.
In her free time, Mary enjoys listening to music/podcasts, traveling, volunteering, Pickleball, and spending time with her family and friends. Mary has successfully raised two young men; who are now forging their own paths. Mary is a graduate of St. Edwards University with a degree in Business Administration.
Connect with Mary on LinkedIn and follow Allata on Facebook.
The PMO Squad is a full-service Project Management Consulting firm located in Phoenix, AZ. They have been serving clients for a decade deploying the best team in the industry to deliver Agile, Hybrid and Traditional Project Management solutions and resources to clients across the United States.
They serve multiple industries and support clients of all sizes from the local start-up to global Fortune 200 conglomerates. All companies have projects but few companies deliver projects successfully. Their Services include both PMO Consulting and Project Management Consulting, providing Direct Placement and Contract Project Management and Agile Resources, as well as Project Management, PMO and Agile training. Inherit within each of these services is our belief in People over Process and Outcomes over Audits. For us, everything starts with Purpose.
The PMO Squad believes in supporting our Project Management profession, Local Communities, Veterans and those in need. They were winners of the 2022 Small Business Awards, micro category, from the Phoenix Business Journal. They also earned the Platinum Medallion from the US Department of Labor HIRE Vets Program for their work hiring and retaining veterans. They are only 1 of 7 companies to earn this designation in the state of Arizona.
Joe Pusz, PMO Joe is an internationally recognized leader in the Project Management and PMO community. He is a frequent Keynote Speaker, Author, Project Management Innovator and was named the 2022 PMO Influencer of the Year, Americas by the PMO Global Alliance. Joe speaks on topics of Leadership, PMOs, Purpose Driven Mindset, the Project Management Journey, and a variety of other trending Project Management topics.
He is the Founder and President of THE PMO SQUAD, a Phoenix-based PMO and Project Management Consulting firm serving clients across the United States. The PMO Squad was named Winner 2022 Small Business Awards by the Phoenix Business Journal.
Joe is the host of the Project Management Office Hours Radio Show and Podcast providing Project Management Leaders a voice within our community. Now in the 5th season, the show has over 40 million plays and downloads featuring guests from around the world.
Joe is also Co-Founder of VPMMA, the Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance which is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization assisting Veterans seeking to transition into civilian Project Management careers. He is the Founder of The PMO Leader global community. The community is the only global e-commerce community for PMO Leaders and teams to share content, gain knowledge, and exchange experiences.
Joe supports our industry having served as a Judge for the Global PMO Awards, participates with the PMI Executive Roundtable on PMOs, and is a long-time member of the Project Management Institute. He has been a PMI Volunteer, Sponsor, and Mentor.
Follow The PMO Squad on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
AZ TechCast is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond.
Through the art of connected conversation, AZ TechCast’s guests will share their expertise, success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies, as well as the latest industry trends and critical issues propelling the state’s growing technology ecosystem.
Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.
Zylstra serves on numerous councils, committees and boards, was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz.
Zylstra earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University.
Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.
Karen has been an expert guest on regional TV and radio shows, including Fox Phoenix Morning Show, Sonoran Living, Good Morning Arizona, The Chat Room, and Mid-Day Arizona. She has been a regular contributor to many print and online magazines – publishing articles and blogs for business and education.
In addition to working with private coaching clients, Karen is also the Owner & President of Phoenix Business RadioX. The Business RadioX Network amplifies the voice of business – serving the Fortune 500,000, not just the Fortune 500. Phoenix Business RadioX helps local businesses and professional associations get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, profession, and community.
Of all the experiences Karen has had the privilege of participating in over her vast career, she shares that Phoenix Business RadioX is a pinnacle adventure!
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and follow Phoenix Business RadioX on Facebook and Instagram.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bianca Buliga is a trilingual first-generation American of Romanian ethnicity. A marketing professional with experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Bianca currently works as Director, Marketing & Communications for the Arizona Technology Council.
Previously, Bianca worked as Marketing Communications Lead at Proctorio, a learning integrity platform that offers remote proctoring software ensuring exam integrity for learners around the world.
Bianca also worked as Senior Marketing Manager at SEED SPOT, a social impact incubator that educates, accelerates, and invests in impact-driven entrepreneurs creating market-based solutions to social problems. In January of 2020, Bianca was selected as an awardee of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program and traveled to the African island of Mauritius to run entrepreneurship programming for 15 impact-driven ecopreneurs on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Bianca has also completed comprehensive consulting projects for IBM, ESAN Business School, and the Peruvian government, and interned at the Arizona House of Representatives and U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
Bianca earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Global Affairs and Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2017. She is an avid reader, yogi, and world traveler always planning her next trip.
Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn.
The Arizona Technology Council, Arizona’s only statewide organization serving the technology sector, fosters a climate of innovation to enhance technology in Arizona.
A trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry, the Council proactively eliminates impediments that companies face, accelerates the entrepreneurial mindset in the state’s expanding innovation ecosystem, and works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.
Follow Arizona Technology Council on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Tyler Nelson of 680 The Fan, Melanie Zeman of North Georgis CFO’s &
Jennifer Haezebrouck of Bank OZK
Jennifer Haezebrouck VP Commercial Banker at Bank OZK
Specializing Business development professional with a proven track record of successfully building customer relationships. Along with experience in client relations, marketing, customer service, and lending, Jennifer is a highly motivated self-starter. Passionate about her community & clients ensuring their growth and success.
Melanie Zeman Founder of North Georgis CFO’s
Melanie has over 25 years of successful leadership guidance and knowledge as a financial executive. Her experience as a high-level Controller and CFO has made her a strategic visionary with sound technical skills, analytical ability and strong operational focus. The North Georgia CFO’s team is well equipped and ready to assist.
Tyler Nelson Director of Corporate Partnerships at 680 The Fan
Broadcasted LIVE from the Forsyth Business RadioX Studio in Cumming, Georgia
Hosted & Produced by Amanda Pearch
Zahir Ladhani is the founder of Velocity Strategic Consulting and teaches strategy at Kennesaw State University. Zahir visited host John Ray in the North Fulton Business Radio studio to discuss how his firm coaches businesses on scaling up, what’s required of leadership to take that path, the vital role of cash, leading vs. lagging metrics, a company’s core values, their best fit clients, and much more.
North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Velocity Strategic Consulting works with leaders who have the willingness and desire to move their companies from where they are now to where they think they can be.
We help teams create and execute on a vision of what it looks like to win so they can:
+ Manage and accelerate their growth
+ Grow faster and more profitably
+ Generate more cash flow
+ Build high-performance teams and drive accountability
+ Spend less time in the business and more time on the business
Velocity Strategic Consulting’s proven formula of 4 Decisions, 3 Habits, and 1 Catalyst provides their clients with measurable results.
Four Decisions: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash.
Three Habits: Priorities, Metrics, and Meeting Rhythms.
One Catalyst: Coach.
Zahir Ladhani brings more than 30 years of ‘in the trenches’ experience with SaaS, Consumer, Human Capital, Pharmaceutical, and Management Consulting industries. A talented communicator and proven leader who has grown businesses and product lines and was a key member of the executive leadership team in the sale of a company to a Fortune 100 company. Zahir works with senior executives and leadership teams to scale up businesses by improving their discipline around people, strategy, execution, and accountability for sustainable growth. He has worked with numerous clients in easing the complexity that growth often brings, allowing leaders to focus more time on building their businesses, by leveraging transformative tools, processes and principles.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Accounting from the University of Waterloo in Canada and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston.
North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.
On this podcast, we do a deep dive into companies that are crushing it with a great company culture and this show was no different. We matched up two great companies that are doing amazing things in their companies to grow their company cultures. APS and Co: Collective were the star companies on the show.
Whether it’s a company that has been around for over 100 years like APS or over 11 years like Co: Collective, they understand that growing culture is vital and at the root of continuing to grow a successful company overall. We discuss the importance of growing this culture on the inside, with employees, and on the outside with customers and clients. The culture should be transparent and consistent from all angles. One of the ways Co: Collective does this is by bringing the clients “into the sandbox” to build with them and be part of the process.
The journey and the process is key in growing a good culture. The first step in the process is self transformation which can then drive into company growth and transformation. APS does this through growth mindset focus when growing and adapting in new areas.
This is a great episode to listen to if you are another “company culture” guru that is loving to learn new ways to grow company culture. You can hear the passion and experience in Kit and Leila’s voices, as well as the knowledge that Derek brings from his Cultural Anthropology background.
This show discusses the need for company’s to set bold goals that they will try and achieve. APS has set the goal to be 100% clean by 2050. This is a goal that they are in the process of aiming towards now. Similar to the goal that Black Rifle Coffee set to hire 10,000 veterans, these are large goals but important to help lead the companies in the direction that is supportive of their company culture.
It was great to hear the thoughts, suggestions, examples, and passion from Leila, Kit, and Derek, that it might just be easier to listen and hear for yourself. Enjoy!
co: is a creative and strategic transformation partner for purpose-led businesses. We blend strategic and creative thinking to solve problems, marrying robust, logical, fact-based insights with creative, disruptive, intuitive thinking.
We provide our clients with a set of insights, tools, and processes to spur action around their Quests. By defining and subsequently capitalizing on “right space” opportunities, we help expand footprints, open up new markets, and create businesses.
We believe building a successful brand doesn’t begin and end with the marketing department. It starts from the inside out with daily actions, small and large, across the entire business. That’s why we engage relevant stakeholders along the way and help mobilize and socialize teams around the Quest. We work with clients to develop milestone moments that not only inform but engage the entire business.
Derek Newberry is an organizational development consultant who specializes in helping leaders build great cultures and drive transformational change.
Prior to joining co:, Derek was an Expert Consultant at BCG, where he worked with Fortune 500 clients to design and implement culture and capability-building programs to support large scale operating model transformations. As a thought leader in BCG’s People Strategy team, he also drove the creation of new offerings and frameworks in the culture and change space, including supporting the development of BCG’s approach to defining the future of work.
Derek is also affiliated faculty in liberal and professional studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology. Derek delivers workshops on leadership influence, team-building and culture change at the Wharton School’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education. He was a faculty director for the organizational anthropology certificate in Penn’s online bachelor’s degree program, the first in the Ivy League. He also co-developed and launched a series of Coursera courses on team culture that have been taken by over 10,000 learners.
Derek is co-author of The Culture Puzzle: Harnessing the Forces that Drive Your Organization’s Success (Berrett-Koehler) and Committed Teams: Three Steps to Inspiring Passion and Performance (Wiley Press), a Soundview Best Business Book.
Derek hails from Oakland, CA and currently lives in Manhattan, NY with his wife and two daughters.
Connect with Derek on LinkedIn.
Kit Krugman is the Head of Organization & Culture Design at co:collective, a creative and strategic transformation consultancy.
Kit has 10 years of experience designing, managing, and growing teams at creative organizations. She has worked on Future of Talent/Future of Work projects for clients like IBM, LinkedIn, and Microsoft and designed organizational change initiatives for diverse communities including schools, design firms, and publishing companies.
In addition to her role at co:collective, Kit is the Global Executive Director of WIN: Women in Innovation – a global nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in innovation by providing concrete learning & resources to women innovators.
Kit is deeply committed to building more inclusive communities and organizations. She has been published in INC, Fast Company, and the Huffington Post and spoken at DisruptHR, Talent2030, and Adobe’s 99U on numerous topics including women in leadership, new organizational models and building a culture of inclusion and innovation.
In addition to her subject matter expertise in organizational psychology and change leadership via a M.A. from Columbia University, Kit brings a deep understanding of narrative and design theory from her B.A. in Literature and Studio Art from Yale. Kit began her career as a K-12 art teacher and is a certified yoga teacher.
Connect with Kit on LinkedIn.
Arizona Public Service (APS) is working to meet business needs with practices that balance a healthy environment, a vibrant economy and strong communities for current and future generations. They provide our nearly 1.3 million customers with clean, reliable and affordable energy today and are committed to power Arizona’s future with electricity that is 100% clean and carbon-free by 2050.
APS also is the operator and co-owner of the Palo Verde Generating Station – the largest nuclear plant and the single-largest generator of carbon-free electricity in the U.S.
Beyond electricity, Arizona is our home and giving back is an important part of our culture. Their employees volunteer hundreds of thousands of hours to support causes and non-profits important to them. And, this company contributes to teachers and charitable organizations, assists our communities with economic development, and provides millions of dollars in direct financial assistance to customers struggling to pay their bills.
Leila Zaghloul-Daly grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.
She is a second generation APS employee and has held various positions in HR at many Fortune 500 companies.
She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and her current role is as the manager of culture, learning, and inclusion at APS.
Culture is not just a tag word to be thrown around. It is not something you throw in job descriptions to draw people to applying for jobs within a company.
According to Marcus Buckingham and Ashely Goodall in their book Nine Lies About Work, “Culture is the tenants of how we behave. It’s like a family creed. This is how we operate and treat each other in the family.”
As a growing company- Culture Crush Business Podcast is THE culture improvement resource that supports companies and leaders. Our Mission is to improve company cultures so people WANT to go to work. Employees and leaders should like where they work and we think this is possible.
Within the company: Culture Crush has Vetted Resources and Partnerships with the right people and resources that can help improve your company culture.
On this podcast: We focus on everything surrounding businesses with good company culture. We will talk with company leaders to learn about real-life experiences, tips, and best practices for creating a healthy work environment where employees are finding joy and satisfaction in their work while also striving and growing within the company. We also find the companies that offer resources to help improve company culture and showcase them on the show to share their tips and tricks for growing culture.
Kindra Maples is spartan racer, past animal trainer, previous magician’s assistant, and has a weakness for Oreo cookie shakes. Her journey working with people actually started working with animals as a teenager (don’t worry we won’t go that far back for her bio).
She worked for over 15 years in the zoo industry working with animals and the public. Her passion of working with animals shifted into working with people in education, operations and leadership roles. From there her passion of leadership and helping people develop has continued to grow.
Then came the opportunity for leading the Culture Crush Business Podcast and she jumped on it. Leadership, growth, and strong company cultures are all areas that Kindra is interested in diving into further.
We want to thank a few people for their behind the scenes effort in helping this relaunch to come to life. James Johnson with Tailored Penguin Media Company LLC.– It is a small, but powerful video production company with a goal to deliver the very best by articulating the vision of your brand in a visually creative way. Gordon Murray with Flash PhotoVideo, LLC. -Flash Gordon has been photographing since high school and evolving since then with new products that will equip, encourage, engage, and enable. Renee Blundon with Renee Blundon Design – She is not only one of the best free divers (that’s not how she helped with the podcast) but she is great with graphics design and taking the direction for the vision that you have while also adding creative ideas to bring to your vision to life.
These are just a few of the folks that supported the relaunch of the podcast. If you would like to be part of the Culture Crush team or would like to support underwriting the show- please reach out: info@culturecrushbusiness.com
What technologies are law enforcement agencies and private-sector businesses adopting to protect public safety through a more informed lens? How can these entities implement these technologies effectively to produce more equitable outcomes, particularly for communities of color? And finally, which decisions should be made by humans and which ones can be made by AI?
The February 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s TechCast podcast featured public safety experts including Lauren M. Cziok, public safety senior manager at Accenture; Jason Hartford, vice president of Axon devices at Axon; Gretchen Peri, senior director at Slalom and Robin S. Reed, co-founder and principal at EmFluent, LLC and president and CEO of the Black Chamber of Arizona. These leaders joined Steve Zylstra, Council president and CEO, and Karen Nowicki, president and owner of Phoenix Business RadioX, in exploring technology’s role in public safety and how new innovations can help first responders make better-informed decisions in real time.
Throughout this hour-long episode, this panel of public safety specialists explained the recent evolution of public safety technologies to emphasize racial and social equity. They acknowledge that historically, law enforcement has been slow to change, and hasn’t always progressed as quickly as it needs to in order to respond to society’s needs.
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers.
Our 674,000people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.
Lauren Cziok serves as Accenture’s North America Public Safety Lead, delivering technology projects and strategic support to law enforcement agencies around the world.
As a former crime analyst from a US state agency, Lauren has experience in Intelligence Analysis, Investigative Support, Public Safety Business Processes and Operations Systems for State, Local, Federal, and International Public Safety Agencies.
Lauren comes from a family of police officers with a combined 75+ years of service, which has fueled her passion for providing Public Safety Agencies with the tools and skills to further their goals of trust and legitimacy through Analytics.
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With over 26 years of advancing technology, Axon is dedicated to a bold and powerful mission to Protect Life and Obsolete the Bullet. Axon is the global leader of connected public safety technologies. We stand for protecting life, protecting truth, transparency, and accountability.
Rick Smith founded Axon (formerly TASER International) following the deaths of two high school friends who were gunned down in an act of road rage. This tragedy sparked a passion in Rick to seek new technologies that would enable people to protect themselves without deploying lethal force.
Axon’s connected body-worn camera technology and evidence-management cloud are designed to help police officers work efficiently actively and transparently. Axon’s mission from the start has been to make the bullet obsolete, reduce social conflict and ensure criminal justice systems are fair and effective.
Following recent events, Axon has doubled down on its focus to eradicate racism and excessive force in the justice system.
Jason Hartford is a technology product management, marketing, planning and supply chain leader with over 15 years experience in team development, process improvement and change management.
He has experience in managing across multiple industries, go-to-market models and high/low volume businesses and is recognized as a product management leader in developing innovative experiences and capabilities.
He has proven abilities in forming, managing and developing diverse, multi-cultural high performance teams and has a consistent reputation for delivering high-quality results in fast-paced, high-accountability work environments.
Finally, Jason has demonstrated success in developing innovative processes and solutions that improve profitability, enable increased revenue and improve asset management.
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The EmFluent team are trusted business advisors who provide the highest levels of applied experience, industry knowledge, expertise, and white-glove service.
We engage with organizations to improve strategic and tactical execution through comprehensive workforce analytics and custom-developed solutions.
Robin Reed is the co-founder and Principal with EmFluent, an Executive Performance Consulting company that focuses on leadership strategy, talent optimization and sales arbitrage.
Robin is also President and CEO of the Black Chamber of Arizona and is recognized as a professional speaker and has spoken nationally and internationally on the topics of business development, strategy execution, talent optimization, sales arbitrage and mergers and acquisition.
Originally from Northern California, Robin currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife and is an avid golfer who enjoys getting out on the course 3-4 times per week.
Robin holds several board seats including:
Connect with Robin on LinkedIn and follow EmFluent on Facebook.
Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. They redefine what’s possible, and create what’s next.
At Slalom, personal connection meets global scale. They build deep relationships with their clients in 41 markets around the world, while sharing insights across markets to bring the full breadth of Slalom’s expertise to every engagement.
Slalom’s regional Build Centers are hubs for innovation, attracting top talent to rapidly co-create the technology products of tomorrow. They also nurture strong partnerships with over 400 leading technology providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Tableau.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom has organically grown to over 11,000 employees. Their Phoenix office has over 150 advisors, strategists, and engineers dedicated to serving the Greater Phoenix community. They believe in hiring locally and have a business model that allows consultants to serve clients in the same communities in which they live.
Slalom works with many Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies—along with startups, non-profits, public sector, and many other innovative organizations across the state of Arizona.
Gretchen Peri serves as Slalom’s US Lead for Public Sector, helping Slalom build better tomorrows for all with its state and local government, education, and non-profit clients. During her 10 years with Slalom, she has held a variety of roles including leading the Seattle market’s Public Sector Practice, Innovation Program, and Women’s Leadership Network.
Gretchen began her career working at the US Immigration and Naturalization Service and the US Mission to the United Nations. Her early experiences in public sector inspired in her a passion for helping government agencies deliver the best public services to their communities.
After completing her MPA, Gretchen spent several years consulting justice and public safety agencies on how to best leverage technology to improve operations and integrated justice data sharing. She joined Slalom in 2011 where she started the firm’s inaugural Public Sector practice. Today, Slalom serves its government, education, and non-profit clients across the globe through a network of 40+ local markets.
In the community, Gretchen serves on the King County Strategic Advisory Council, providing guidance to appointed and elected leaders on how King County can best use technology to enable a community where everyone can thrive. She has been honored as a Puget Sound Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Business Leader and is co-founder of the PSBJ 40U40 Alumni Advisory Board, whose purpose is to bring business leaders together from private, public, and non-profit industries to help solve our deepest local challenges.
Gretchen and her husband live on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, with their two children and a small army of farm animals.
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AZ TechCast is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond.
Through the art of connected conversation, AZ TechCast’s guests will share their expertise, success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies, as well as the latest industry trends and critical issues propelling the state’s growing technology ecosystem.
Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.
Zylstra serves on numerous councils, committees and boards, was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz.
Zylstra earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University.
Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.
Karen has been an expert guest on regional TV and radio shows, including Fox Phoenix Morning Show, Sonoran Living, Good Morning Arizona, The Chat Room, and Mid-Day Arizona. She has been a regular contributor to many print and online magazines – publishing articles and blogs for business and education.
In addition to working with private coaching clients, Karen is also the Owner & President of Phoenix Business RadioX. The Business RadioX Network amplifies the voice of business – serving the Fortune 500,000, not just the Fortune 500. Phoenix Business RadioX helps local businesses and professional associations get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, profession, and community.
Of all the experiences Karen has had the privilege of participating in over her vast career, she shares that Phoenix Business RadioX is a pinnacle adventure!
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and follow Phoenix Business RadioX on Facebook and Instagram.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bianca Buliga is a trilingual first-generation American of Romanian ethnicity. A marketing professional with experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Bianca currently works as Director, Marketing & Communications for the Arizona Technology Council.
Previously, Bianca worked as Marketing Communications Lead at Proctorio, a learning integrity platform that offers remote proctoring software ensuring exam integrity for learners around the world.
Bianca also worked as Senior Marketing Manager at SEED SPOT, a social impact incubator that educates, accelerates, and invests in impact-driven entrepreneurs creating market-based solutions to social problems. In January of 2020, Bianca was selected as an awardee of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program and traveled to the African island of Mauritius to run entrepreneurship programming for 15 impact-driven ecopreneurs on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Bianca has also completed comprehensive consulting projects for IBM, ESAN Business School, and the Peruvian government, and interned at the Arizona House of Representatives and U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
Bianca earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Global Affairs and Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2017. She is an avid reader, yogi, and world traveler always planning her next trip.
Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn.
The Arizona Technology Council, Arizona’s only statewide organization serving the technology sector, fosters a climate of innovation to enhance technology in Arizona.
A trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry, the Council proactively eliminates impediments that companies face, accelerates the entrepreneurial mindset in the state’s expanding innovation ecosystem, and works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.
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