AGL 426: Ben Johnson

About Abigail Abigail Hing Wen is an author, film producer and director, as well as former tech executive. She is the New York Times best-selling author of multiple novels for young people, including Loveboat, Taipei, which has been adapted as the movie Love in Taipei, now on Netflix. Abigail served as an executive producer and on set during production. Her novel Kisses, Codes and Conspiracies, a thriller and romantic comedy novel featuring three teens on the run through the Bay Area, is an instant national bestseller, USA Today bestseller and Amazon Editor’s Pick for YA Book of the Month. Abigail is directing her first short film starring Lea Salonga, a prequel to her middle grade debut The Vale, coming September 2025, and featuring an inventor family that builds an AI generated virtual world. She serves on the board of Harvardwood and is a member of Dan Lin’s Rideback Rise Circle. In 2025, she served as a judge for the Golden Trailer Awards, recognizing the industry’s most outstanding film trailers. Abigail is a frequent keynote speaker for young people, including Y’Allfest, US Presidential Scholars, and the Los Altos High Writer's Week, as well as libraries, colleges, high schools and bookstores around the country. She’s also given keynotes and fireside chats for the National Conference of State Legislatures, Meta, Google, Paramount, Paypal and other tech and entertainment companies, and spoken on panels at venues such as SDCC, LACC, LA Times Festival of Books and ALA. For more, visit AbigailHingWen.com. Today We Talked About Abigail's background Tech Lawyer The Vale Neurdivegent Bias The Vale is good... AI is all about the inputs Film   Connect with Abigail LinkedIn Website Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Pam Pam Buchanan founded Quantum Sense in May 2023 and is pioneering Soul Health innovations. With a remarkable 40 years of self-optimization experience, Pam’s journey began with an introspective look at her career, where she thrived in the fast-paced environment of Silicon Valley. Recognizing that her successes were attributed to more than just physical and mental health, she embarked on over a decade of research and self-examination, ultimately defining it as Soul Health. Pam’s personal and professional life is marked by her innovative mindset. In the 80s, she was among the first to introduce mutual funds to the banking industry and played a key role in identifying unicorn startups for public markets. Her career highlights include serving as a Managing Director at Nasdaq for 15 years, where she built and maintained relationships with pre-IPO companies, founders, c-level executives, and venture capital and private equity firms. This role placed her in the boardrooms and minds of some of the world’s greatest innovators, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Before her tenure at Nasdaq, Pam spent nearly 20 years at Deutsche Bank, managing financial institutions and independent representatives in mutual fund transactions. Her extensive experience also includes climbing the corporate ranks at firms such as Scudder Investments, Shearson Lehman, and Merrill Lynch. Through these experiences, Pam has witnessed the evolution of the corporate mindset and is now leading the next evolution through Soul Health. Now, as the Founder of Quantum Sense, Pam draws from her wide-ranging expertise and her ability to distill and convey complex concepts to bring Soul Health to the masses. She has developed programs and services designed to help companies empower their employees by reducing anxiety, increasing energy, enhancing focus, boosting creativity, and improving overall satisfaction both in the office and in life. Pam’s approach includes bringing together experts from neurologists to designers to sound engineers and more to deliver these sensory solutions. Pam’s journey has been one of personal empowerment and positivity. She has elevated her own energy to excel in the new paradigm, leading with positivity and letting go of the shame associated with the old ways of thinking. By recognizing that Soul Health encompasses more than just mental and physical well-being, she has created an approach that is set to transform the way we understand and achieve overall health. Pam Buchanan is ready to guide you through the next evolution of health, bringing her unparalleled experience and passion for Soul Health to create lasting positive change in both personal and professional realms. Today We Talked About Pam's Background Mind, Body and Soul Love Based Thrive Mode What does your soul look like? Be positivity - love Gratitude Bring positivity into the workplace Start with the positive Jocko - Good Video Small steps Ground, Elevate, Evolve Connect with Pam LinkedIn Website Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Frankie Frankie Berkoben is an executive coach and sought-after speaker whose clients include engineering, product, and design leaders at Google, Airbnb, and the White House.  Known for her work at the intersection of leadership and executive functioning, she helps intellectually brilliant professionals move from cycles of overwhelm and inconsistency to clarity, confidence, and sustainable success. Frankie’s process blends design thinking, the scientific method, positive psychology, and ADHD-specific expertise to help her clients do their best work (and scale their professional impact) without relying on grit, shame, or heroic acts of willpower.  Executive functioning (the brain’s ability to prioritize, plan, and execute those plans) and systems thinking take equal billing in Frankie’s work. She translates the complexity of how our brains manage decisions, focus, and prioritization into practical tools that resonate with high performers. Taking a systems approach, she moves beyond quick fixes and productivity hacks, diving into neuropsychology and environmental dynamics in order to help clients understand the “why” behind not only what causes them friction and heartache, but also how to elegantly address those underlying needs.  An unapologetic behavioral psychology nerd, Frankie combines intellectual rigor with a gift for making complex ideas accessible. She’s fascinated by how context (stress, social dynamics, or even internalized beliefs) shapes our capacity and impact, especially at work. These themes are woven throughout her coaching, speaking, and writing: instead of focusing on what’s wrong, let’s understand what makes it feel or go “right”, and optimize for conditions that make success more likely, rather than aiming for rigid definitions of success. Today We Talked About Fankie's background ADHD Executive Function Phsychological Safety Prep-work Advocating for yourself Experiements Take an Iterative Approach Without Awareness you can't change Reflection - We learn from reflecting on experience Imposter Syndrome Identity Shift Who am I to be here? ANTs - Automatic Negative Thoughts Focused on Solving Problems Working Memory What's the thought? What is the belief that causes that thought? Blending Emotion and Strategy Coach the person... not the problem Connect with Frankie Website LinkedIn Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Scott Scott Alldridge holds an M.B.A. in Cybersecurity and is a Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), ITIL Certified expert, and Harvard Certified in Technology and Privacy, and is a nationally renowned expert. Scott is a distinguished leader with over 30 years of experience in IT management and cybersecurity, specializing in protecting critical IT systems that businesses rely on today. As the CEO of IP Services, Scott has played a pivotal role in delivering advanced managed IT and cybersecurity solutions across various industries. His strategic use of the TotalControl™ framework aligns technology investments with business goals, ensuring enhanced security, operational excellence, and resilience. Today We Talked About His Background Cyber Security Today Book ITIL ZeroTrust Assume Breach Least Privileged Concept Visible Ops Change Management Configuration Management DevOps CMDB Leadership BuyTheBreach People over Process The Phoenix Project Visible Ops Exec. Companion Guide   The special offer is:  A free e-copy (pdf) of either my VisbleOps Cybersecurity Book or a e-copy of the VisibleOps Executive Companion Edition. Also, I am willing to offer up a no-cost Penetration Level 1 test by a third-party (not IP Services) for qualified businesses ($2K - $5k value) TEXT "SECURE 25" to 541-359-1269 and my team will be in touch to get you copies of the book or schedule you for a PEN Test Consult/Qualification. Connect with Scott Website IP Services Book   Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Kevin Kevin Dean has over two decades of experience in business process automation, CRM, and intelligent automation, driving substantial growth for enterprises. He holds a degree in Data Science and Analytics, and his data-driven approach has optimized sales, marketing, and customer service processes, making ManoByte a trusted partner for enhancing customer experiences. Kevin is a renowned keynote speaker on automation and digital transformation. Today We Talk About Automation AI Spreadsheets and Dos... oh my AI for Automation Success Stories AI at the Doctor's office Privacy Assume you're being recorded AI for Software Engineers Data Security Connect with Kevin LinkedIn Website   Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Shashank Shashank Kapadia is a forward-thinking AI leader who goes beyond the “what” of AI to delve into the “why” and “how.” Over the past decade, he has delivered large-scale, high-impact ML solutions across Fortune 1 and Fortune 500 organizations—optimizing revenue, elevating userengagement, and redefining personalization for millions of global users. Drawing on his valedictorian background in Operations Research from Northeastern University, Shashank has a proven track record bridging research and practice to deploy next-generation NLP, Deep Learning, and Reinforcement Learning systems. Yet Shashank’s impact goes far beyond algorithmic breakthroughs. As a champion for ethical AI, he infuses fairness, transparency, and responsible innovation into every project, balancing business growth with social accountability. A published researcher and council memberat leading AI institutes, he regularly speaks at global conferences, demystifying advanced AI techniques and guiding teams towardsustainable solutions. Through his articles on Substack, Medium, and LinkedIn, Shashank actively debunks AI hype, illuminates true innovation, and charts the future of responsible AI adoption—empowering businesses and communities to harness AI’s transformative power without compromising on ethics. Shashank Kapadia's comments and opinions are provided in their personal capacity and not as a representative of his present or past employers.  They do not reflect the views of these companies, including Walmart, Randstad and Monster) and are not endorsed by them. Today We Talk About Shashank's background ML vs. AI What is the problem we're trying to solve... tools and techniques Regulations Ethics Data growth Using LLMs internally Learning.  Connect with Shashank LinkedIn Medium Leave me a tip $Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Lucy Lucy Adams is a trailblazing visionary in people management and leadership, with over 15 years of experience revolutionizing how organizations empower and inspire their teams. As the former HR Director at the BBC, Lucy led with exceptional strategic insight during a transformative era, steering the organization through a high-stakes site relocation, complex executive transitions, and ambitious cost-saving initiatives—all while fostering resilient, high-performing teams that thrived under pressure. Renowned for her innovative approach, Lucy has driven groundbreaking change by simplifying management processes, cultivating dynamic, performance-driven cultures, and delivering substantial organizational efficiencies. Her leadership extends across diverse sectors, where she has expertly guided teams through disruption, equipping them with tools to excel in fast-paced, evolving environments. As the bestselling author of *HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different*, Lucy challenges conventional HR practices, advocating for bold, adaptive strategies that align with modern workforce dynamics, technological advancements, and organizational demands. Her insights have reshaped the global conversation around people management. Now, as the CEO of Disruptive HR, Lucy is redefining the art and science of leadership. With her unrivaled expertise and passion, she inspires leaders worldwide to embrace change, unlock potential, and build thriving workplaces in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. Today We Talked About Lucy's background Distruptive HR Performance Reviews What are you working on? How can I help? How are you feeling? Leaders Policies Leadership Develoment Programs vs. Mentorships Scenario based Leadership Development Speakup Session Leadership Practices Coach your team Show Appreciation Lead with Trust Connect with Lucy LinkedIn Podcast Website Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Radhika Radhika Paliwal, a Real Estate Investor, Computer Engineer, Speaker, and Personal Finance Enthusiast, shares her journey from financial confusion to financial success. After realizing the limitations of a "good" degree and job, she took control, eliminating debt, crafting a lifestyle budget, investing in stocks, and acquiring real estate. Radhika's guide is a comprehensive resource born out of the belief that anyone can build wealth with the right tools, offering a time-saving roadmap for independent financial success. Today We Talked About Radhika's background Leadership Financial Success Advice for savings Automate it Keeping up with the Jones' Self-reflection "Some of the most successful people are slowing down, not speeding up..." Burnout Daily Checkin 401K vs Roth IRA Match your Employer Most Millionaires have 7 streams of income. Real Estate Investing in Real Estate with low or no money down. Create a 5 year plan. Life isn't something that happens to you... you can choose. The "right time to start" Connect with Radhika Website Twitter Linkedin Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Ben Benjamin Johnson is a serial technical co-founder with a track record of success and hands-on open-source programming experience. He has a wide range of being both a board-level advisor and founder but also an in-depth understanding of how things work. Through his 20+ years as a software developer and leader, he has gained extensive experience with remotely distributed development teams and business hacks. Benjamin is the CEO & Founder of Particle41, a dev firm founded by industry veterans that aims to help companies accelerate their initiatives through Software Development, DevOps, and Data Science. With a constant focus on results and ways to improve, Benjamin is having fun building highly scalable and highly secure applications. Today We Talked About Background The Name of Particle 3Vs - Visibility, Velocity, Vision Special Operations Teams for Tech OKRs and Smart Goals, KPIs, etc. Velocity Staff Augmentation vs. Solution Outcomes = Mission Aligned Teams Questions Preceed Clarity Dependability Culture Imposter Syndrom Adaptability Resourcefulness Connect with Ben LinkedIn Website Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Keith Dr. Keith D. Dorsey is a board member, researcher, and speaker focused on executives’ pathways to corporate board service. Founder of the Boardroom Journey, he empowers professionals to navigate their path to the boardroom. Author of The Boardroom Journey (Wiley), published in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and Directors & Boards, he writes extensively on leadership, governance, and board effectiveness. His research explores the structural and strategic factors that shape board selection, diversity, and corporate leadership pipelines. As the Senior Advisor and former Managing Partner and Practice Leader of CEO & Board Services at a global executive search firm, Keith has worked with corporate boards and leadership teams to identify and develop top-tier governance talent. Keith has spent over two decades as a growth strategist at Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. His expertise extends beyond research and consulting—he is an active board member and sought-after speaker on boardroom strategy and composition, leadership resilience, and the evolving role of corporate governance in today’s business landscape. Keith holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California and is a recognized voice on the intersection of leadership, governance, and diversity. He currently serves as an advisor to executives and organizations seeking to strengthen board effectiveness and navigate the complexities of governance in an ever-changing corporate environment. He splits his time between research, writing, board service, and advising senior leaders on securing board opportunities that align with their expertise and impact. Today We Talked About Keith's background US Airforce Corporate America Boardroom Journey What to do differently? Diversity in Boards Be intential about being on a board Get Operational Experience Reverse Engineer your goal Have Courage Connect with Keith Book LinkedIn Website Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership