Tech Leaders Today

Matt is the Founder & CEO of Teckst, the texting platform for customer service. He was also the first Creative Director of Seamless/GrubHub. Matt is an expert in Mobile and customer service. He was a member of the GrubHub IPO team in 2014 ($GRUB) and has worked with Adidas, Visa, Wells Fargo, and Disney. Matt was tapped by Seamless to expand the company to the billion dollar giant it is today. Starting with marketing then moving into product and customer care, Matt's leadership was integral to the massive growth of the company. Working directly with companies such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter, Matt and his team were leaders in innovation mimicked by Fortune 500 companies such as P&G and Viacom. After working on the merger and IPO team at Seamless/GrubHub, Matt left to consult for global brands such as Adidas, Condé Nast, and Visa. His guidance to the c-suite of these major brands helped them shift into the mobile market. Other enterprises such as Disney, Wells Fargo, and The Hartford have all lea

A Rising Star finalist for the 18th Annual Women in Technology Leadership Awards, at age five Priyanka Komala gave an impromptu speech about an aeroplane which catapulted her into becoming the distinguished speaker she is today. Having been invited to speak at Women in Tech DC Summit, Women in Technology, Girls in Technology, INROADS, YuvaShakthi, DreamScholars, Women of the World festival, she enjoys sharing insights on happiness, personal growth, entrepreneurship, women's issues, and the potential of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). She has been featured on Huffington Post, InPower, Toastmasters International Magazine, and HelloGiggles. Currently, at the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, she is responsible for creating and delivering the web strategy and future technological direction for a $30M division.She graduated from Anna University, India with a degree in Engineering. She holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from American University and an MBA

Karl Smith is an inventor of open network IoT3 UbiNET which he has patented and a holistic transformation consultant more involved with how humans have to deal with technology than the technology itself. Karl Smith is also former Global Head of Mobility User Experience at Accenture and Partner (founder), Global Head of Digital Design at Wipro Digital, current Chairman of the Human Centered Design Society and has relaunched or launched Design as a USP in several global enterprises. Karl has always been fascinated by how technology can augment the lives of humans, his desire was not to build things that humans already do but to find out how technology could evolve all human experience. He is still looking for the Gene Roddenberry future today where humanity pulls together and projects all of us the next stage of evolution. Transformation is at core of this evolution; he's highly engaged in Ubiquity or the IoT as it is a gateway point. At heart, Karl is an inquisitive person, unashamed of fai

Aurelia Takacs joined Cisco Systems in 2010, and is a Global Delivery Partner Manager in their Technical Services organization. She is also the Inclusion & Collaboration Co-Lead for her organization, leading & driving all Diversity & Inclusion initiatives for +3,000 people, as well as the Founder and Co-Lead of the Cisco Belux 'Connected Women' Employee Resource Group (ERG) chapter which launched this year, which contributes to a strategic effort to enhance Cisco's success in attracting, developing and retaining talented female talent, and achieve a more diverse, globally competitive workforce. Prior to Cisco, Aurelia worked with MasterCard and held several leadership roles, managing global teams in Europe, Middle East and Asia. Aurelia has a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration in International Business & Relations from St. Louis University, and a Master's of Science in Management from Boston University. Aurelia is currently an Advisory Board member in charge of Diversity & In

Betsy McHugh is the co-founder and CEO of Hurdl Enterprises. A 15+ year professional in the entertainment business, McHugh is pioneering the de-anonymization of persons in event venues with a new kind of entertainment experience - Hurdl. Vanderbilt University graduate (magna cum laude, Business Psychology), Betsy McHugh, is a 15+ year professional in the entertainment business. Earning her professional start at the Country Music Association, she relocated to LA where she helped build CAA's tour marketing department, working hundreds of tours both in the US and internationally, including Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, American Idol, Warped Tour, John Mayer, Bon Jovi, Jewel, Beck, and many more. In 2004, she joined Borman Entertainment working directly with then rising artist, Keith Urban, before cutting her entrepreneurial teeth as a partner in the management of Hunter Hayes. Betsy co-managed her own company as well as Hayes' and his companies from signing to Atlantic Records, to a now multi-platinum a

As Chief Solutions Officer, Bill Michalski leads Product Management, Product Development and Marketing at ArrowStream, driving all go-to-market initiatives in new technology innovation. Michalski strongly believes in utilizing technology to strengthen the link between business targets, process and people. With ArrowStream he has served in leadership roles ranging from process improvement and product management to sales. Michalski has spent over 20 years delivering technology-enabled solutions to companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500. Michalski received his Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and English at the University of Pennsylvania, and his Master's degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago. Website: https://www.arrowstream.com/ Email: bmichalski@arrowstream.com Twitter: @Bill_Michalski, @arrowstream1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmichalski/ I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or through email  cassie@cassiecrossley.com To rec

Joel Jacobs is vice president and chief information officer of The MITRE Corporation. As CIO, Mr. Jacobs is responsible for advancing information technology (IT) services, infrastructure operations, and the innovative use of information technologies that enable MITRE staff to effectively serve the company's government sponsors. He leads the Center for Information and Technology (CI&T), the organization providing comprehensive information technology, corporate communications, knowledge management, enterprise technical computing, and global security services to the corporation. Mr. Jacobs is among the few CIOs with oversight of both IT and corporate communications and public affairs—a combination that has enabled MITRE to take full advantage of technology to communicate with key audiences. Under Mr. Jacobs' leadership as CIO, MITRE has been recognized for its innovative IT practices and for its outstanding work environment for technology professionals. From 2011 to 2013, MITRE was named to the InformationWe

Steven Aukstakalnis is an author, research scientist and instructor in the area of virtual and augmented reality. He is the former Director of the Virtual Environment and Interactive Systems Program for the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Computational Field Simulation. He has served on the professional research staff at the University of Washington and the faculty of Mississippi State University. Steve is an invited lecturer and researcher for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Nat'l Reconnaissance Office, University of Michigan, Pepperdine, Purdue, Dartmouth, Nat'l Taiwan University, the Smithsonian Inst. and a host of other universities, corporations and government agencies across N. America and around the world. Steve has authored three books on the topic of virtual and augmented reality, as well as dozens of papers, magazine articles and technology reviews. His second book, Silicon Mirage, was published in 6 languages and adopted as a text in schools across the U.S., Europe and Asia. H

As a nearly 20-year veteran of Information Technology with a laser focus on Systems & Security Management, Duncan McAlynn, is a driven and passionate IT professional. He is a contributing author/editor to several books, magazine publications, and websites as well as a popular presenter at many Microsoft events. These activities have led to him receiving the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award for six consecutive years and being named a member of the FBI InfraGard division. While his experience includes many facets of Microsoft technologies, over the span of his career, his exclusive focus on the Microsoft System Center suite and supporting infrastructure technologies has led him to become a globally recognized authority on the subject matter, going back to the days of SMS 1.2 beta (circa 1996). Twitter: @infosecwar LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanmcalynn Website: https://about.me/mcalynn Website: http://www.Ivanti.com I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or through e

  Mayor Martin J. Walsh appointed Jascha Franklin-Hodge as the City of Boston's Chief Information Officer in June 2014. As Chief Information Officer, Franklin-Hodge leads the City's efforts to enhance online service delivery, empower City employees with effective digital tools, and improve access to technology and the Internet for all Boston neighborhoods. Prior to his work with the City, Franklin-Hodge co-founded Blue State Digital (BSD) in 2004 and ran BSD's Boston technology office. He oversaw the development and operation of the BSD Tools, an online fundraising, email, and CRM platform that powered the digital presence of President Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns. He previouly worked for Howard Dean's groundbreaking 2004 presidential campaign, where he led the technology team responsible for scaling, securing, and maintaining a high visibility, high traffic website. Since 2009, Franklin-Hodge has served as an advisor to Code for America, a nonprofit which connects technologists with cities to

As co-founder and President of Valencell, Inc., Dr. Steven LeBoeuf has developed ongoing strategic partnerships between Valencell and leaders in industry and academia. He has raised more than $10M in funding for Valencell and is the inventor/co-inventor of more than 50 granted patents, including dozens of foundational patents in the field of accurate wearable sensors. Prior to Valencell, LeBoeuf led the optoelectronic biosensor program at GE Global Research, where he managed the development and productization of biosensor systems and developed cutting-edge nanosensor technology. Before joining GE, LeBoeuf developed optoelectronic solid-state materials and devices while researching at North Carolina State University. Dr. LeBoeuf holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from N.C. State and a B.S. in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University. Website: http://www.valencell.com Twitter: @valencell_inc Email: media@valencell.com I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or

Dr. Anthony Deese, Ph.D. is founder and CEO of VerapoTech, a firm developing innovative mobile application software for the Internet of Things (IoT) industry. He is also an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). His primary field of study is smart power grid technologies with focus on Internet of Things. He received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in computer engineering as well as Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in electrical engineering from Philadelphia's Drexel University in 2003 and 2008 respectively. Before joining TCNJ in Fall 2010, he spent two years as a postdoctoral research fellow and adjunct assistant professor at Drexel's Center for Electric Power Engineering (CEPE). He has significant experience teaching undergraduate as well as graduate courses on linear circuit analysis, electronic devices, power system analysis, power electronics, and economic operation of power systems. His research interests include: 1) smart grids and sustainable energy,

Darius Blasband, author of the book "The Rise and Fall of Software Recipes", has a master's degree and a PhD from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium). His focus is legacy modernization, articulated around compilers for legacy languages. Darius is the founder and CEO of Raincode (www.raincode.com), main designer and implementer of its core technology, an acclaimed speaker in academic and industrial circles. Amazon: The Rise and Fall of Software Recipes Websites: Raincode.com, DariusBlasband.com Twitter: @_B_Darius LinkedIn: Darius Blasband Email: Darius@raincode.com I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or through email cassie@cassiecrossley.com To receive show notes, sign up for the email list through my website. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest, reach me through Twitter or on my website. http://www.TechLeadersToday.com

Oscar O'Connor started his career in IT in the 1980s and for the past 10 years has enjoyed a number of leadership roles in IT and Cyber Security. In October 2016, Oscar joined the Board of Qufaro at Bletchley Park as CTO. Qufaro is a new, privately funded venture. They are building an investment fund to help incubate and nurture exciting and innovative startups and early stage firms in the field of cyber security. The other main focus is on education; Qufaro is building the first National College of Cyber Security which will open for students in September 2018. Oscar's background in software development, programme management, technical governance and risk management has given him a broad understanding of technology concepts and their implementations. He has previously managed teams of technical, management and security consultants in both private and public sector engagements. Oscar is familiar with the information assurance and cyber security requirements of UK government, the EU, the London Stock

Dinu Chacko is part of the Ignitho's New Business Team having maximum focus on UK & Europe market and also looks after US markets as an added responsibility. He is part of the initial team which has come forward to be a disruptive force in the market and help companies to get best out of cutting edge technologies like IOT, Machine Learning, and AI especially in segments like retail, travel and manufacturing. Ignitho is a Digital Technology Solutions company set up with a mission to transform enterprises, 'igniting thought' new models that disrupt the existing order with efficient value propositions. Ignitho is committed to delivering business outcomes that accelerate success for enterprises in the digital economy. Founded in 2013 and headquartered out of London, UK, Ignitho is a coming together of senior IT industry professionals with a proven track record in western markets to bring to market disruptive Technology Services and next-gen Products. The Ignitho ecosystem is built on an ethos of entrepreneurs

  Rowan Benecke is a member of Burson-Marsteller's global executive leadership team and has more than 20 years of experience developing strategic communications programs for consumer and technology brands in the electronic commerce, consumer electronics, enterprise software, semiconductors and telecommunications sectors. Rowan has managed communications campaigns for a wide range of established and emerging brands including Airbnb, American Express, BlackBerry, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Huawei, IBM, Lenovo, Motorola, Oracle, T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile, among others. Website: Burson-Marsteller Twitter: @BMTech, @RowanBenecke LinkedIn: Rowan Benecke Email: rowan.benecke@bm.com I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or through the contact page on my website. To receive show notes, sign up for the email list through my website. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest, reach me through Twitter or on my website. http://www.TechLeadersToday.com

Patty Azzarello is an executive, best-selling author, speaker and CEO/Business Advisor with more than 25 years of experience working in high tech and business. She became the youngest general manager at HP at the age of 33, ran a $1B software business at the age of 35 and became a CEO for the first time at the age of 38. Her prior roles have included: Vice President and General Manager at HP, Chief Marketing Officer for Siebel Systems, and President and CEO of Euclid Software. Ten years ago she founded the Azzarello Group, which works with CEOs and leadership teams to help their businesses (and people) get better at what they do. She is the author of the best selling book "RISE: 3 Practical Steps to Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader (and Liking Your Life)." Her latest book, "MOVE: How Decisive Leaders Execute Strategy Despite Obstacles, Setbacks & Stalls." is being released in February. Books: MOVE: How Decisive Leaders Execute Strategy Despite Obstacles, Setbacks & Stalls, RISE: 3 Pract

Sandeep Bhatnagar is the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Communications Transformation Services. He is an acknowledged business and thought leader who defines and delivers the next stage of business growth and leadership for TCTS's business globally. Over the years, he has built business portfolios and has successfully managed and transformed complex business processes and operations across industry verticals. Website: Tata Communications Transformations Services I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or through the contact page on my website. To receive show notes, sign up for the email list through my website. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest, reach me through Twitter or on my website. http://www.TechLeadersToday.com

  Bestselling author Anthony R. Howard has been an industry recognized consultant and technology expert for the premier global technology firms for over 12 years. Presently he is a leading Technology Specialist for one of the world's largest Information Technology firms where he was named #1 IT Super Hero by InfoWorld and ComputerWorld, was the winner of the National Federal Office Systems Award (FOSE - Nation's Largest Information Technology Exposition Serving the Government Marketplace), and the 2004 winner of Government Computer News Best New Technology Award. Several case studies have been published on Howard's solutions across the Information Technology industry. Currently he provides enterprise technology solutions and advisement for America's most distinguished clients including a sizeable amount of work for the U.S. Defense Sector, Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. His projects have been featured in national media outlets including Fox News. After founding his own te

Eileen O'Loughlin is a Market Researcher at Software Advice (a Gartner company), which hosts online reviews for project management software. She joined the team in 2015, and specializes in collaboration and PPM tech trends. She conducts primary research with both consumers and business owners to get a full picture of technology's role in these markets today. Her work has been featured on CIO.com, ProjectManagement.com and Projects at Work. Report: FrontRunners for Project Management Software Website: Software Advice - Project Management LinkedIn: Software Advice, Eileen O'Loughlin Twitter: @PMSoftAdvice, @EOLoughlin5 Email: eileen@softwareadvice.com I'd love your feedback! Contact me on Twitter @CassieC007 or through the contact page on my website. To receive show notes, sign up for the email list through my website. If you or someone you know would like to be a guest, reach me through Twitter or on my website. http://www.TechLeadersToday.com