Most MSPs say they care about security—Richard Avery actually trains his team to think like hackers. In this episode, John Rice sits down with Richard, founder of Titanium Computing, an Austin-based MSP and cybersecurity shop, to unpack how a childhood spent picking locks turned into a career protecting businesses from real-world threats.​

Richard explains why he builds “hackers first, technicians second,” giving every team member paid daily study time, pushing them through deep fundamentals like DNS, and equipping them with hands-on labs that mirror real attack paths. He also shares how Titanium helps growing companies navigate compliance (CMMC, SOC 2, PCI, HIPAA) while actually implementing the infrastructure, pen testing, and remediation work required—not just handing over a report.​

For MSPs and IT firms, Richard’s perspective on AI, security, and redundancy is a wake-up call. From using AI agents to configure firewalls to avoiding single-vendor lock-in and designing environments with “one is none” redundancy, this conversation is packed with practical, immediately usable ideas for leveling up your security offering and scaling a resilient, high-trust MSP.​

Episode Highlights

• [00:45] From locksmith’s son to cybersecurity leader: how physical security and early hacker culture shaped Richard’s approach to IT and MSP work.​

• [04:10] Why Titanium trains “hackers in-house”: paid daily study time, certification incentives, and deep DNS fundamentals that separate real engineers from checkbox techs.​

• [09:30] The AI wave inside MSPs: turning off noisy AI features vs. using AI to safely program routers, firewalls, and configs with human-plus-AI workflows.​

• [14:20] Compliance as Lego: how Titanium tackles CMMC, SOC 2, PCI, and HIPAA by combining cabling, infrastructure, and pen testing under one roof.​

• [19:05] The real growth engine: why many of Titanium’s best clients arrive after an incident or MSP failure—and how they position as a long-term security partner.​

• [24:00] Building a 20–40% growth machine: acquisitions, investment, and why 2026 is set up to be a breakout year for Titanium Computing.​

• [27:15] “Don’t worry, I’ll let myself in”: Richard’s upcoming book, YouTube education, and why marketing, social engineering, and security are all deeply connected.​

• [31:40] “One is none”: why every critical asset—domains, phones, websites, merchant accounts—needs backups, and how that mindset applies to MSP resilience.​

Tags/Keywords

• MSP cybersecurity

• AI in managed services

• Hacker mindset for MSPs

• Compliance for IT providers

• CMMC and SOC 2 for SMBs

• PCI and HIPAA security

• MSP growth strategies

• AI automation for IT teams

• Pen testing for MSP clients

• Redundancy and business continuity

Call to Action (CTA)
👉 To connect with John Rice and AI Savants:
Website: https://www.aisavants.io
Email: john@aisavants.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

👉 To connect with Richard Avery and Titanium Computing:

Website: https://titaniumcomputing.com/

Email: ravery@titaniumcomputing.com

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-avery-140a3010/

In this episode, John Rice sits down with Dr Vajahat yar Khan, CEO of USA Dental Solutions and founder of DentTracks Software, to unpack how AI and automation are reshaping the business side of dentistry. Dr. Khan explains how DentTracks overlays existing patient management systems to surface real-time KPIs, create actionable workflows, and eliminate the most painful, labor-intensive processes that drain teams and erode profitability.

He shares his journey from pediatric dentist and academic to scaling multiple practices, building a 350-person operations team in India, and then realizing technology was the only way to create true accountability and visibility at scale. From fragmented “shiny object” tools to fully integrated ecosystems, he breaks down what dental leaders should demand from their tech stack, IT partners, and cybersecurity posture to protect PHI and cashflow.

Finally, Dr Vajahat yar Khan looks ahead at robotics, voice-driven clinical workflows, conversational AI with insurers, and cloud migration. If you support or run a dental organization, this conversation is a masterclass in turning IT and AI into a strategic advantage—not just another software subscription.

Episode Highlights[00:30] Meet Dr Vajahat yar Khan and how DentTracks augments, rather than replaces, dental patient management systems.
[02:05] Turning raw PMS data into KPIs, workflows, and ROI for multi-location dental groups.
[05:10] From one small practice to 175 clients: scaling with an Indian operations team.
[08:12] Why labor-intensive, frustrating insurance work is the first thing to automate.
[11:40] The hidden cost of siloed dental tech tools and how Ttra’s modular ecosystem connects them.
[15:06] Bridging IT gaps in practices: security, firewalls, on-prem servers, and cloud readiness.
[18:25] Lessons from the Change Healthcare/Optum outage and keeping claims revenue flowing.
[22:48] Robots placing crowns, smart bite guards, and material science innovations in dentistry.
[26:02] Voice-activated practice ops: scheduling, payments, and clinical notes via AI assistants.
[29:10] How IT providers can become true strategic partners through integration and collaboration.
[32:00] Compliance, partnerships (FX, Super Dial), and a unifying vision for dental technology.

Tags / Keywords
dental technology
dental IT infrastructure
AI in dentistry
dental practice management software
revenue cycle management dental
dental cybersecurity
Change Healthcare outage
cloud migration for dental offices
dental KPIs and analytics
automation in dental billing
conversational AI for insurance
voice AI in healthcare
multi-location dental groups
dental compliance software
IT service providers for dentists

Call to Action (CTA)
👉 To connect with host John Rice and AI Savants:
Website: https://www.aisavants.io
Email: john@aisavants.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

👉 To connect with Dr. Vahan
Website: v.denttracks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-vajahat-yar-khan-usads-denttracks-001tx/overlay/contact-info/

In this episode, John Rice of AI Savants sits down with Noah Landow, CEO and co-founder of Macktez, a New York–based IT consulting firm known for its human-first approach to technology. With origins in architecture and biochemistry rather than traditional IT, Noah and his team built Macktez around a simple philosophy: technology must solve the real problem the user is facing - not the one the tool is designed for.

Noah shares insights from nearly 30 years of consulting, from solving unusual environmental constraints at Little Island to modernizing legacy infrastructure for MakerBot during rapid growth and M&A. He breaks down why the MSP world often becomes a race to the bottom, how to balance standardization with tailored solutions, and why organizations going through dynamic change are where Macktez delivers the most transformative impact.

Listeners will take away practical lessons on identity management, device onboarding, Zero Touch deployment, navigating legacy Active Directory, and knowing when to bring in an outside partner before problems become costly crises. Noah also shares his perspective on AI’s real value in IT - not the hype - and why trust remains the core currency in technical consulting.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] John introduces AI Savants and welcomes Noah Landow.

• [00:40] Why stepping back from daily work helps leaders see broader tech trends.

• [01:20] The unconventional origins of Macktez and a human-centered IT philosophy.

• [03:00] How “tech that technically works” fails real business needs.

• [04:30] MSP standardization vs. bespoke consulting — and finding the right balance.

• [06:00] Little Island case study: building IT into a park over water.

• [08:10] Working with Cisco on pre-release hardware to meet extreme conditions.

• [09:40] Early client acquisition through architecture referrals.

• [10:50] The MSP pricing challenge and why Macktez avoids the race to the bottom.

• [12:10] MakerBot transformation story: modernizing, hiring, and supporting M&A.

• [14:00] Why Macktez thrives in organizations undergoing dynamic change.

• [15:10] Outlook for the next 6–12 months and impacts of economic volatility.

• [16:20] Real-world use of AI in ticketing, triage, and internal knowledge access.

• [17:10] Zero Touch, JumpCloud, and modern device management wins.

• [18:20] The “magic wand” wish: being brought into messy projects earlier.

• [19:20] Costly security incidents and the consequences of delaying modernization.

• [20:10] Final thoughts: trust as the heart of IT consulting.

Tags / Keywords

Macktez, Noah Landow, IT consulting, MSP strategy, tech modernization, identity management, JumpCloud, Zero Touch, Little Island NYC, MakerBot IT overhaul, Active Directory migration, security incidents, IT for creative firms, technology change management, AI in IT operations

Call to Action (CTA)

👉 Connect with host John Rice and AI Savants:

Website: https://www.aisavants.io

Email: john@aisavants.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

👉 Connect with Noah Landow:

Website: https://www.macktez.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahlandow/

What keeps mission-critical computers running 24/7 on factory floors, military vehicles, and inside blazing-hot enclosures? In this episode of Tech Leaders Unplugged: Hardware Innovators & the Industrial Edge, host John Rice talks with Tim Barnett, President & CEO of Industrial PC, about how to design, build, and support rugged, long-lifecycle systems that don’t quit.

Tim traces his path from biomedical engineering and hospital mainframes to launching a U.S. industrial-computing integrator in the ’90s landing early web leads, navigating tariffs and supply chain swings, and growing a field-engineer-led sales org. He breaks down what truly differentiates industrial PCs (wide-temp, fanless thermal design, embedded roadmaps, serviceability), where AI/edge workloads fit (Intel vs. NVIDIA Jetson), and why modular panel PCs can turn a multi-week outage into a five-minute swap.

Whether you’re an MSP, OEM, or operations leader, you’ll get practical advice on specifying hardware that lasts, avoiding lifecycle traps, and building flexibility into your product roadmap - without sacrificing reliability.

Episode Highlights

• [00:28] From biomedical engineering to mainframes: Tim’s entry into computing and the “cold-room” hospital era.

• [02:10] Leaving rep life to found Industrial PC: early Taiwanese partnership and the late-night FrontPage website that made the phones ring.

• [04:35] What “industrial computing” really means: long lifecycle embedded chipsets, wide-temp components, and fanless thermal design.

• [07:18] Why consumer parts fail in the field: the hidden cost of standard-temp SSDs and mismatched specs.

• [10:02] Customer-first integration vs. e-commerce boxes: designing to the environment, second-sourcing, and footprint-compatible drop-ins.

• [13:21] Supply chain + tariffs reality: “Tim the tariff buster,” steering toward stable sources and shielding customers from shocks.

• [15:44] AI at the edge: Intel accelerators vs. NVIDIA Jetson, what Tim’s team supports, and where the learning curve is real.

• [18:06] Field challenge story: fitting a PC in a 3"×7" hot stainless cabinet risk-sharing with the customer and a decades-long win.

• [21:30] Innovation Tim’s proud of: modular panel PCs -five-minute field swaps instead of weeks of downtime.

• [24:12] Founder advice: be flexible, turn on a dime, chase solutions - not rigid plans.

• [26:40] Outlook: AI everywhere, edge growth, and why the PC isn’t “dead” in industrial - stability matters as much as speed.

Tags/Keywords

industrial pc, fanless computers, wide-temperature hardware, embedded lifecycle, edge ai, nvidia jetson vs intel, rugged panel pc, thermal design, supply chain resilience, tariff strategy, OEM integration, MSP industrial IoT

Call to Action (CTA)

👉 To connect with John Rice and AI Savants:
Website: https://www.aisavants.io
Email: john@aisavants.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

👉 To connect with Tim Barnett and Industrial PC:
Website: https://industrialpc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-barnett-a3439b12/

If your Macs live in a Windows world, this episode is your playbook. Rob Calvert, President & Founder of Second Son Consulting shares how his team became Los Angeles’s largest Apple Partner Network member by aligning IT decisions with real user workflows, not just shiny tools.

From “zero-touch” deployments and managed Apple IDs to practical security training that actually sticks, Rob shows MSPs and IT leaders how to harden endpoints without wrecking productivity. We also dive into recession-era lessons, hiring for soft skills, and why being the “mortar between SaaS bricks” is the future.

Whether you manage 20 Macs inside a 100-PC org or run a hybrid fleet across states, you’ll leave with concrete ways to cut friction, boost security, and ship devices anywhere - ready to work on first boot.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Origin story: From pre-press and “translator” between IT and the business to launching Second Son in 2003.

• [03:10] Finding the niche: Making Macs play nicely with Windows—VPNs, RAID, file servers, and Windows-only apps.

• [06:45] Weathering downturns: What 2008–09 and 2020 taught Rob about getting lean and growing via outsourced IT.

• [10:20] Security starts at the endpoint: Why network-first thinking fails in a WFH world; Foundations Plan basics.

• [14:05] Prevention over cure: Managed Apple IDs, device ownership proof, and avoiding iCloud lockouts.

• [18:30] Culture & training that works: Ongoing micro-education, targeted simulations, and “don’t shoot the messenger.”

• [22:40] Zero-touch at scale: Open-source Baseline to decouple deployments from any single MDM (Jamf, Mosyle, Intune, JumpCloud).

• [27:15] Packaging & pricing: Modular services—device mgmt, help desk, onboarding, cybersecurity, BCDR, and infra.

• [31:00] Hiring that sticks: DISC for role fit, live troubleshooting over written tests, and front- vs back-of-house engineers.

• [35:20] Go-to-market: 95% referrals via Apple, Microsoft partner communities, and telecom allies.

• [38:15] What’s next: SSO everywhere, SaaS “mortar,” privacy-safe on-device AI (Apple Intelligence), and shadow-IT done right.Tags/Keywords

AI for IT ops, Apple device management, zero-touch deployment, managed Apple ID, MSP growth, hybrid Mac/Windows, endpoint security, cybersecurity training, single sign-on (SSO), SaaS integration, Mac admins, Apple Partner NetworkGuest

Rob Calvert, President of Second Son Consulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcalvert/
Website: https://secondsonconsulting.com/about/our-team/Call to Action (CTA)

👉 To connect with John Rice and AI Savants:
Website: https://www.aisavants.io
Email: john@aisavants.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

From racking servers to launching AI programs, Coin Graham (VP, Pre-Sales & Professional Services at Bespin Global) shares how enterprise IT is moving from cloud-first to GenAI-enabled, and what it really takes to make that shift pay off.

We dig into practical lessons on data readiness, governance, model selection (SLMs vs. big multimodal LLMs), AI security, and a killer classification case study that turned messy product data into clean, searchable attributes at scale. For MSPs and IT leaders, Coin’s “dynamic engineering” model shows how to staff leaner, ship faster, and prove ROI without ballooning costs.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Welcome & setup -- why Bespin Global is betting big on AI services

• [00:48] What Bespin does: cloud enablement, data & analytics, GenAI services (all 3 hyperscalers)

• [01:59] Career journey: math → support → VMware → cloud — the AWS Japan “lightbulb” moment

• [06:02] Joining Bespin & GenAI surge; Coin’s digital-nomad workflow with a remote-first culture

• [11:01] Industry shifts: from hype to secure, observable, cost-effective enterprise AI; SLMs and protocols

• [16:24] Case study: using LLMs to classify product labels (e.g., “gluten-free”) across millions of SKUs

• [17:45] Readiness reality check: top-down AI pressure vs. messy data, missing governance, unclear ROI

• [20:15] AI security: attacker enablement, new surfaces (e.g., MCP), prompt-injection risks & human-in-the-loop

• [22:55] DIY shift: clients get 70–90% there with LLMs; consulting pivots to expert “last-mile” execution

• [26:32] Packaging & pricing: “dynamic engineering” pods, swapping skills as project needs evolve

Tags/Keywords

Bespin Global, Coin Graham, GenAI services, SLM vs LLM, AI security, data governance, cloud modernization, dynamic engineering, MSP growth, enterprise AI strategy, AI readiness, FinOps for AIConnect with Coin Graham (Bespin Global)

• • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coingraham/
  • Website: https://bespinglobal.us/

• To connect with John Rice and AI Savants:

• • Website: https://www.aisavants.io
  • Email: john@aisavants.io
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

  
  

  
  

What happens when two young founders decide to build their own venture ecosystem from scratch? In this episode, John Rice sits down with Justis Mendez, Managing Partner at OneSixOne Ventures, to explore how he turned a small university project into one of the fastest-growing early-stage investment platforms in the U.S.

Justis shares how his team is reshaping venture capital by focusing on community, access, and education - not just funding. From hosting over 70 nationwide events to helping founders raise millions without gatekeeping, Justice reveals the playbook behind building trust, scale, and long-term impact in the startup ecosystem.

Whether you’re an aspiring founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, this episode breaks down what it really takes to democratize opportunity and build lasting networks in today’s AI-driven economy.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Kickoff & mission: Why OneSixOne blends platform, community, and a fund

• [01:42] Origin story: From UF events to one of the largest SE tech communities

• [04:15] Pandemic accelerator: 10-week program → $13M raised, $15M revenue, 1 exit

• [06:31] From builder to funder: Deciding to launch the fund when scouts said “no”

• [08:45] Events as GTM: 70+ events/year powering deal flow, diligence & portfolio growth

• [12:02] The flywheel in action: VC speaker → CIO diligence → check written → T-Mobile intro

• [14:59] Platform VC trend: Why visibility + media beats capital alone for early stage

• [17:20] Founder realities: Younger teams, tighter relationships, and saving a startup’s runway

• [19:44] Common mistakes: GTM gaps, solution-in-search-of-problem, and cash burn discipline

• [21:32] Business model: Two-and-twenty fund economics + profitable events arm

• [23:52] Looking ahead & where to connect: Chips, compute, AI hardware—and how to reach Justice

Tags/Keywords:
Justis Mendez, OneSixOne Ventures, venture capital, startup accelerator, AI startups, early-stage investing, founder community, tech innovation, startup funding, entrepreneurship, business growth, VC platform, AI Savants PodcastConnect with Justis Mendez:
🌐 Website: https://www.onesixone.ventures/
📧 Email: justis@onesixonegroup.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Justis Mendez👉

To connect with John Rice and AI Savants:
Website: https://www.aisavants.io
Email: john@aisavants.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/

Tony Scott, President & CEO of Intrusion and former U.S. Federal CIO joins John Rice to unpack why today’s attackers have it easier than defenders, and what to do about it. Tony explains Intrusion’s reputation-based approach to blocking malicious traffic at the packet level, how it complements (not replaces) your existing stack, and why misconfiguration is the real 3 a.m. pager. We cover consolidation across MSP/MSSPs, pricing models from appliance to cloud to endpoint, talent realities for cleared cyber teams, and the emerging risks of AI and quantum.Episode Highlights

• 30+ years of “internet reputation”: mapping domains/IPs + actor behavior to allow/block traffic in real time

• Why reputation beats signatures: catches surveillance, C2 callbacks, and zero-day activity even without known malware

• “Once a bad guy, always a bad guy”: policy tuning for packet-by-packet enforcement

• Misconfigurations > malware: how drift and fat-fingers cause most real-world incidents—and how network anomalies flag them fast

• Commercial lineup:

  • Data-center/campus appliance (bandwidth-sized)

  • Cloud (AWS/Azure/private) with instance/time-based pricing

  • Endpoint (iOS/Android/Windows) per-seat bundles

• Critical Infrastructure focus: low-cost protection for OT/legacy environments (plants, water, telecom, elevators)

• Market trends: PE-backed roll-ups in “tier-2/3” cyber; MSP/MSSP consolidation for scale and talent

• Go-to-market: AWS Marketplace, channel-first motion, “punching above our weight” in events

• AI & quantum: huge upside—but expect a high-profile failure that forces governance reforms

• Practical advice: SMBs/SMEs should partner with a strong MSSP; build a living upgrade plan for security infrastructure

Tags / Keywords

Cybersecurity, Network Security, Reputation-Based Blocking, Intrusion Prevention, Zero-Day, Command-and-Control, OT Security, MSP/MSSP, Cloud Security, AI Governance, Quantum Risk, Misconfiguration

Call to Action

Want to share your AI or security story—or be a guest? Email john@aisavants.io and include your topic and a quick bio.

Connect with Tony Scott & Intrusion

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-scott-intrusion/

• Website: https://www.intrusion.com/

To connect with John Rice & AI Savants

• Website: https://www.aisavants.io

• Email: john@aisavants.io

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rice-31329526/