Send us Fan Mail

Building innovation inside a giant company sounds like a contradiction until you hear how it actually gets done. We sit down with Jason W. Gallo, Vice President of Cisco’s Partner Go-to-Market Acceleration, to trace the path from Brooklyn Tech roots and an engineering mindset to leading transformation across one of the world’s biggest partner ecosystems. Along the way, we get honest about what changes when you climb the ladder: the job stops being “having the answer” and becomes knowing when to let go, delegate, and shape culture without crushing the team’s creativity.

We also dig into the Cisco 360 partner program and why it qualifies as a true corporate maverick move. When you work with about 35,000 channel partners and most revenue flows through the channel, changing governance, incentives, and operating rhythms is not a small tweak. Jason explains why Cisco chose to co-design the new program with partners, even announcing changes before everything was fully finished, and what that kind of openness demands from leaders and from partners who want to stay relevant.

Then we take on the AI question everyone is asking: elimination or opportunity? Jason’s take is direct, practical, and a little uncomfortable. AI may not fully replace humans, but people who use AI well will replace those who don’t. He shares how reskilling looks in the real world, why “playing with ChatGPT” is not the same as understanding AI, and how he used Claude to build and publish a simple app to GitHub after not coding for 20 years.

If you care about partner strategy, go-to-market execution, AI reskilling, or leadership growth in tech, this conversation will give you frameworks you can use immediately. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with the one skill you’re committing to build next.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Scott Cohen founded Jaxon.AI in Boston to build deterministic, mathematically provable AI verification for insurance, financial services, defense, and life sciences. He got there through an Air Force project where the use case had to work—and where the variability of large language models wasn't sufficient.

In this episode: why LLMs are token predictors that return the highest-probability answer rather than the correct one, why asking the same question twice gets you two answers, and why retrieval-augmented generation and LLM-as-judge are probabilities stacked on probabilities. Scott's alternative is symbolic reasoning — rule engines where a thing either is or isn't. That approach is what DSAIL does.

Also: growing up in a family of inventors behind Sweetheart Cup and the flexi-straw, what training as a chef at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts taught him about mise en place and running a company, and the costliest hire he ever made — data scientists when he needed builders.

Guest: Scott Cohen, Founder and CEO, Jaxon.AI — jaxon.ai

Recorded 7 July 2026.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this special episode recorded at Optics and Photonics Days 2026 in Jyväskylä, Finland, we speak with:

• Tomi Salo — Kvanttinova

• Sesha Manuguri — Dispelix

• Byron Seabolt — Optikos

• Mikko Närhi — Coherent

• Sampo Härkönen — Business Tampere

• Julian Gallego Urrea — Horiba

Together, we explore the technologies quietly powering the future of optics, photonics, quantum systems, AR, and advanced manufacturing.

Our guests explain how Finland built one of the planet's most concentrated photonics ecosystems through patience and infrastructure, how quantum research connects to real market partners, and what it takes to solve the complex waveguide challenges for next-generation AR glasses.

We also discuss automated optical metrology for volume production, high-power industrial fiber lasers, regional talent engines for advanced chip design, and the precision measurement instruments like spectroscopy that underpin both academic research and quality control.

Whether you’re interested in optics, lasers, quantum technology, AR hardware, or Nordic deep tech innovation, this episode offers a practical look at the people and companies building the foundations of tomorrow’s technology.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this special episode recorded at Optics and Photonics Days 2026 in Jyväskylä, Finland, we speak with:

• Juha Purmonen — Photonics Finland
• Matti Pesonen — Noptel
• Julia Matthes — Laser 2000
• Derrick Defever — TactoTek
• Pierre Brochard — Silentsys
• Oliver Grass — Assemblify

Together, we explore the technologies quietly powering the future of AI, quantum systems, lidar, sensing, and advanced manufacturing.

Our guests explain how Finland built one of Europe's strongest photonics ecosystems, how laser-based measurement systems perform in challenging environments, what it takes to commercialize photonics technologies, and why ultra-low-noise lasers are becoming essential for next-generation quantum applications.

We also discuss smart surfaces with embedded electronics, supply chains for deep-tech hardware, manufacturing at scale, certification challenges, and the realities of turning cutting-edge research into successful products.

Whether you're interested in photonics, optics, lasers, quantum technology, AI infrastructure, or hardware innovation, this episode offers a practical look at the people and companies building the foundations of tomorrow's technology.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Quantum computing is moving from lab experiments to scalable machines. This episode explores the "unglamorous" ingredients of this transition: infrastructure, specialized engineering, and the national strategies turning breakthroughs into products.

Guests in this episode:

• Mikko Möttönen (QMill)
• George Schwartz (Global Quantum Intelligence)
• Katri Raevuori (Business Finland)
• Sirpa Salmi (Kvanttinova)
• Santeri Ojala (Business Finland)

Key topics:

• The Technical Stack: From superconducting qubits to autonomous processing units—mapping the direction of hardware in plain language.
• Manufacturing Capacity: How pilot lines and shared clean rooms allow startups to prototype faster without massive capital investment.
• Ecosystem Density: Why collaboration across semiconductors and quantum technologies is creating a unique national advantage.
• The Talent Pipeline: Addressing the workforce shortage and how to build pathways for the next generation of engineers.
• Cybersecurity: A sober look at "harvest now, decrypt later" risks and the urgent need for post-quantum cryptography.

Whether you're building in the space or curious about the future of deep tech, this is your guide to the quantum ecosystem.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Tariffs do not feel abstract when you are the one trying to get a container released from the port. We sit down with Liz Picarazzi, founder and CEO of Citibin, to trace the full arc from a Brooklyn streetscape problem to a real manufacturing company selling rat-proof, weather-resistant trash and parcel enclosures across the US. What starts as an “eyesore” story quickly becomes a practical lesson in product-market fit, modular design, and how customer demand can drive new lines, including a steel, bear-resistant version built for regions far beyond New York City.

From there, we get into the supply chain decisions most people only debate in headlines. Liz explains why she moved production to Asia after struggling to consistently hit price, quality, and lead time in early US manufacturing attempts, and why the goal was never “cheapest” but “most reliable partner.” We also unpack the chaos of changing tariff rates, Section 232 aluminum and steel tariffs, what happens when the rate shifts with little notice, and why a transparent tariff surcharge can be simpler than constantly rewriting your pricing.

Finally, we talk about reshoring without slogans. Liz shares why she is building a US manufacturing base in Indiana, what makes domestic production expensive, and how trade education and workforce skills shape what is even possible. If you run a small business in manufacturing, importing, e-commerce, or product design, this conversation offers a clear-eyed playbook for diversification and risk management. Subscribe, share this with a builder in your life, and leave a review with your take: should the consumer be the one paying for tariff uncertainty?

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

This episode, recorded in collaboration with Katri Raevuori (Business Finland), at the APS March Meeting, explores why Finland is a global hub for quantum and deep tech.

Guests in this episode:

• Sirpa Salmi (Kvanttinova)
• Harry Smith (SemiQon)
• David Gunnarsson (Bluefors)
• Galina Leväsluoto (IQM)
• Dominic Lennon (QuantrolOx)
• Bilge Can Yildiz (Arctic Instruments)
• Tommi Hakulinen (Vexlum)

We discuss:

• Ecosystem: Why collaboration between research and industry is the key to faster prototyping.
• Scaling Hardware: Overcoming the challenges of cryogenics and instrumentation.
• Talent & Culture: What it’s like for international experts to build a career in Finland.
• Future Tech: The role of automation and lasers in stabilizing quantum systems.

Whether you're an engineer, a researcher, or just curious about deep tech, this is your grounded guide to the market.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

A landmark Supreme Court decision on IEEPA has redefined the tariff landscape, ending broad emergency powers and forcing a shift to Section 122. For importers and manufacturers, this means a renewed focus on managing landed costs and navigating the legal scramble for tariff refunds.

In this episode, we break down:

• Tariff Refunds & Compliance: The complexity of passing savings to end-users and the critical need for a "paper trail" in trade finance.
• The End of De Minimis: How the removal of duty-free exemptions is reshaping e-commerce and small-parcel logistics.
• AI in Customs Enforcement: Using automation for supply chain mapping, valuation detection, and building an audit-ready "golden folder."
• Practical Defense: Why pairing AI with expert oversight is now essential for legal tariff engineering and HTS classification.

Stay ahead of 2026 trade turbulence. Subscribe for expert insights on scaling global operations and mastering customs compliance.

Support the show