Sheryle Gillihan is the Co-owner and CEO of CauseLabs, a Texas-based web and digital strategy agency that partners with nonprofits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven organizations. With over 25 years of experience in leadership, operations, and technical management, she has leveraged technology to bridge cultural gaps and drive social impact across military, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. Sheryle has been recognized as a 2022 Great Women of Texas honoree and was a Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40 winner.

With technology evolving, leaders are challenged to build companies that are innovative and grounded in values and purpose. From digital transformation to AI adoption, the choices businesses make today will shape the industry in the future. How can entrepreneurs stay focused while creating meaningful impact?

As a technology strategist and mission-driven business leader, Sheryle Gillihan emphasizes the importance of aligning work with personal values, measuring impact instead of guessing, and making smart investments in tools that serve customers. She also encourages leaders to bring their teams into major shifts like AI through education and transparency. Through intentional decisions, entrepreneurs can build with purpose and clarity.

In this episode of Lessons From The Leap, Ghazenfer Mansoor sits down with Sheryle Gillihan, Co-owner and CEO of CauseLabs, to discuss purpose-driven technology leadership. Sheryle talks about her transitions from corporate work, what she learned from acquiring companies, and how she guides clients through AI adoption and impact-focused innovation.

Jason Carroll is the Founder of Aptive Index, a company that leverages AI-driven behavioral science tests to assign individuals to the right roles. As a serial entrepreneur and leadership strategist, he scaled Champion National Security from $20M to $80M before its acquisition. Jason is also a trained leadership consultant specializing in people-centric business practices.

What drives business growth when strategy, talent, and pressure collide? Behind every breakthrough is a series of bold decisions, painful lessons, and moments of self-awareness that force leaders to rethink how they hire, lead, and grow. What separates leaders who scale from those who stall?

According to leadership and behavioral assessment expert Jason Carroll, growth starts with a deeper understanding of human behavior. Leaders must look beyond resumes and surface-level traits to uncover the core drivers that shape performance. Jason emphasizes using self-awareness to adjust leadership impact, placing people in roles aligned with how they're wired, and being curious rather than judgmental when conflict arises. These practices build stronger teams, drive informed decisions, and enable sustainable growth.

In this episode of Lessons From The Leap, Ghazenfer Mansoor sits down with Jason Carroll, Founder of Aptive Index, to discuss leadership, hiring, and human behavior at scale. Jason shares his hiring mistakes that sparked a new approach to assessments, how self-awareness reshapes leadership impact, and how putting people first fuels rapid company growth.

Ghazenfer Mansoor is the Founder and CEO of Technology Rivers, a software company developing HIPAA-compliant web, mobile, and cloud-based healthcare software applications. As a seasoned advisor and investor in technology and healthcare, he has fulfilled roles as an architect, programmer, software engineer, user experience specialist, product developer, growth hacker, and chief technology officer.

Developing software in regulated industries presents both opportunities and risks. Founders and leaders are pressured to innovate while protecting sensitive data, meeting compliance standards, and delivering adoptable products. How can you balance speed, innovation, and long-term performance without compromising trust or usability?

Mobile software developer Ghazenfer Mansoor urges leaders to start with clear requirements, workflows, and compliance guardrails before writing a single line of code. He also recommends focusing on retention over features, using AI to empower teams rather than replace them, and reducing friction through UX and conversational interfaces. Through these approaches, teams can build secure, scalable, and valuable software for users.

In this episode of Lessons From The Leap, Chad Franzen of Rise25 hosts Ghazenfer Mansoor, Founder and CEO of Technology Rivers, to discuss building scalable, compliant, and user-focused software. Ghazenfer talks about HIPAA compliance challenges, why retention matters more than launch, and how AI and conversational UI are reshaping modern product design.