In this episode of "Leaders in Tech," host David Mansilla sits down with Vivek Vaidya, General Partner at Superset, to pull back the curtain on the "Company Builder" model. Vivek shares his 25-year journey from surviving the .com crash to overseeing massive exits to Microsoft and Salesforce.

If you are a founder or tech leader, this conversation is a masterclass in Founder-Market Fit, "clock speed," and the grit required to turn a raw idea into a durable, data-driven enterprise.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between an incubator and a Company Builder Studio.
• How to identify "Painful Business Problems" before writing code.
• The secret to surviving a "Hard Right Turn" (Pivot) in a volatile market.
• Why building technology is easy, but building companies is the ultimate challenge.

Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned CTO, this episode will change the way you think about resilience and market adaptation.

#LeadersInTech #AI #Startups #TechLeadership #VivekVaidya #LeadersInTech #VivekVaidya #Superset #CompanyBuilder #AIStartups #TechLeadership #Entrepreneurship #VentureStudio #DataScience #ScaleUp #FounderGrit #TechPivots #MicrosoftAcquisition #SalesforceMarketingCloud

The world is changing at an exponential rate. By 2030, two billion jobs will be transformed or displaced. Are you prepared to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption, or will you fall into it?

In this "Golden Nuggets" highlight, we’re extracting the high-level leadership blueprint from John Rathje, VP and CIO of Kent State University. John oversees the tech strategy for a top-tier R1 research powerhouse—the same place that birthed the liquid crystal technology in your smartphone.

From writing code on a borrowed computer to leading global tech shifts, John shares why "looking up" is the most important skill an entrepreneur can have in the next decade.

Key Takeaways:

(1) Stop Hunting, Start Solving: Don't build a product and look for a market; find a massive pain point and obsess over it.

(2) Environment is Everything: You are the architect of your team's creativity. Build an "Innovation Hub," not just a workspace.

(3) Human Impact to Code: Technology is built by people, for people. If you lose the human element, you lose your competitive edge.

Listen To The Full Podcast Episode Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vr-_ybTrFI

#FutureOfWork #EntrepreneurMindset #LeadershipTips #TechInnovation #GoldenNuggets #JohnRathje #2030Vision #BusinessGrowth #StartupAdvice

What does it take to lead through forty years of digital revolution? In this episode of Leaders in Tech, host David Mansilla sits down with technology consultant Adrian Smith to trace his journey from the "school of hard knocks" to the high-stakes world of global consulting.

Adrian shares the incredible story of how he went from a summer job loading half-inch tapes to building the groundbreaking videotex systems that powered the London Stock Exchange. We dive deep into the mindset required to survive in an industry where you are judged solely on your deliverables.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

👍 The "Invaluable" Intern: How Adrian turned a boring entry-level role into an essential business asset by mining data for leadership.

👍 Disruptive Tech: The 1980s "Netflix" style technology that gave retailers a massive edge.

👍 The Consultant’s Creed: Why over-delivering and maintaining a "bug-free" reputation is the only way to scale a consulting business.

👍 The Accidental Meeting: A hilarious and insightful story about a breakfast meeting with Bill Gates that happened by total mistake.

👍 The Golden Rule of Leadership: Why you should never burn bridges and why your junior staff might be your most important resource.

#TechLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #ConsultingLife #TechEvolution #LeadersInTech #DigitalTransformation #BillGates #LondonStockExchange #CareerGrowth #BusinessIntegrity #OverDeliver

In this episode of Leaders in Tech, host David Mansilla talks with Adrian Smith, the tech head (CIO) of the London business consulting firm AdSatis. Adrian, who has helped banks and financial companies for decades, shares a strong warning about modern technology: it's incredibly fast, but also surprisingly easy to break.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Power of Experience: Why managers who have seen years of booms and crashes are crucial for making level-headed decisions today.
• The Weekly Fixes Problem: Adrian asks why big software makers release hundreds of fixes every week, creating unstable systems that are always at risk.
• One Mistake, Global Chaos: We look at how a single technical failure can stop major airlines or shut down a bank for days, showing how vulnerable we all are.
• Work from Home vs. Office: A deep dive into why people need to be social, and why key jobs (like doctors and drivers) prove that society still needs people to physically show up.
• The Fight for Privacy: A discussion on why governments asking for secret entry points (backdoors) into our phones is a serious threat to personal freedom and security.

#AdrianSmith #TechVulnerability #CIO #PrivacyMatters #FutureOfWork #HyperConnectedWorld #BusinessAdvice #ExperienceCounts

In this episode of Leaders in Tech, we sit down with George London, Chief Technology Officer at Upwave, to explore how data and science are transforming the world of brand advertising. From his early career at Bridgewater Associates to leading Upwave’s engineering and data teams, George shares how curiosity, adaptability, and people-centered leadership shaped his journey.

Discover how Upwave brings “science to the top of the funnel”, why George believes AI is underhyped, and what meaningful leadership looks like in today’s tech world.

👉 Topics Covered:

• How Upwave measures brand advertising scientifically
• George’s journey from Philosophy to CTO
• Leadership lessons in managing technical teams
• The transformative power of AI
• Why meaningful work and relationships drive long-term success

📍 Guest: George London, CTO at Upwave

📍 Host: David Mansilla, Founder of ISU Corp

🎧 Subscribe for more inspiring conversations with today’s leading tech innovators.

#LeadershipInTech #Upwave #DataScience #AIInnovation #CTOInsights #LeadersInTechPodcast

In this episode of Leaders in Tech with David Mansilla, we sit down with Jonathan Cook (JC), a pioneering technology leader with over 25 years of experience in cloud innovation, healthcare data platforms, and enterprise-scale system design.

From his early days as a “coding cowboy” to becoming a visionary CTO, Jonathan shares how he bridges the gap between technology and business value, builds strong cultures, and leads teams through the toughest challenges.

🚀 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why technology must always serve measurable business value
• How to scale from individual contributor to leader of leaders
• The power of culture in driving innovation
• Lessons from overcoming impossible deadlines and legacy systems
• Jonathan’s simple yet powerful leadership mantra: “Be useful. Do less harm. Rinse and repeat.”

Whether you’re a tech leader, entrepreneur, or aspiring innovator, Jonathan’s story will inspire you to lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring conversations with today’s top leaders in tech.

#TechnologyLeadership #TechInnovation #CloudComputing #AIandData #DigitalTransformation #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #CTOInsights #VisionToExecution #ScalingLeadership

In this episode of the Leaders in Tech Podcast, host David Mansilla speaks with Arthur Phidd, a Chief Information Officer who is reshaping how organizations approach technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Arthur shares his journey from early beginnings in marketing and computer science to high-pressure roles on Wall Street, and now leading large-scale technology strategies that blend security, innovation, and data-driven decision-making. From building hybrid workforces overnight to introducing augmented reality in retail, Arthur’s leadership shows what it takes to future-proof an organization in a rapidly changing world.

You’ll discover:

• How to lead a technology transformation with precision and vision
• Why innovation must be grounded in practical use cases
• The role of data in driving competitive advantage
• Lessons from decades of experience across multiple industries

Whether you’re in tech leadership, business strategy, or simply passionate about innovation, Arthur’s story is filled with valuable insights you can apply today.

#TechnologyLeadership #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #CIO #LeadersInTech

In this episode of Leaders in Tech, we sit down with Bashir Agboola, Vice President, CTO, and Associate CIO at the Hospital for Special Surgery. With over two decades of experience in technology and healthcare innovation, Bashir shares how he’s transforming patient care, building AI-ready platforms, and driving enterprise-level change across a national hospital system.

From humble beginnings in Nigeria to leading cutting-edge digital strategy in New York, Bashir discusses leadership growth, AI disruption, and the future of tech in healthcare. Whether you’re a startup founder or tech executive, this conversation is packed with insights on building systems, teams, and solutions that last.

🔹 Topics covered:

• Building a future-ready tech team
• Using AI to enhance leadership capacity
• Turning ideas into scalable infrastructure
• The evolving role of the CTO
• Quantum, cybersecurity, and what’s next

📍Learn from one of the most respected leaders in healthcare tech.

#Leadership #HealthcareTech #DigitalTransformation #AI #CTO #Innovation #TechStrategy