The Think Factory Podcast

In this episode of the Think Factory’s Podcast, Leyla Sudbury, CEO of BSU Electronics, discusses her journey from engineering and consulting to leading a contract manufacturing business that produces electronic components for applications ranging from space exploration and deep-sea equipment to autonomous vehicles and robotics. Leyla shares how she discovered that her passion was not necessarily designing products herself, but building companies and helping businesses reach their potential. She explains her approach to taking over an established company, emphasizing the importance of spending the first six months listening to employees, visiting customers, and understanding existing processes before making significant changes. Leyla also discusses how BSU improved its quoting process by clarifying responsibilities, setting customer expectations, and introducing a custom AI agent that has helped double productivity. She explores the role of servant leadership, empowering technical experts, and balancing ambitious growth goals with manageable workloads to prevent employee burnout. As AI adoption accelerates, Leyla emphasizes the importance of human accountability for AI-generated work and anticipates a growing role for robotics in manufacturing. Looking ahead, she shares her ambition to grow BSU into a business generating more than $100 million in revenue while becoming known for exceptional service and technical expertise. She also encourages young women to pursue engineering, highlighting how it combines technical problem-solving with human-centered work and provides a strong foundation for a wide range of career paths.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Todd Zielinski, founder and CEO of Athena SWC, discusses how businesses can use AI to strengthen sales and marketing strategies, improve productivity, and generate measurable revenue growth. Athena SWC partners with contract manufacturers, particularly in the packaging industry, to build systematic sales processes that help companies acquire high-value accounts and expand existing customer relationships. Todd shares practical ways businesses can use AI for prospect research, lead generation, personalized outreach, proposal preparation, and market analysis, emphasizing that automation should free employees to focus on higher-value work rather than replace their expertise. He also explores how companies can adapt their websites for AI-driven search through answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO), highlighting the importance of clear FAQ content, qualified leads, and tracking conversions through the entire sales cycle. Todd stresses that successful sales and marketing require measurable goals, a well-defined ideal customer profile, and a systematic approach to managing the pipeline, from initial outreach to closed deals. He also explains why businesses should not overlook the human side of selling, emphasizing that personal conversations, face-to-face meetings, trust, and strong customer relationships remain essential to winning and retaining valuable accounts. Looking ahead, Todd encourages businesses to experiment with AI, integrate it into a structured sales process, and use technology to create more opportunities for meaningful human connections and sustainable growth.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Sabarni Chatterjee of Sutherland discusses her career journey from mechanical engineering and hands-on manufacturing to strategy, sales, and leadership in the CEO office. Sabarni shares how her early experience commissioning an engine assembly line at Royal Enfield taught her the importance of root-cause analysis and solving problems beyond quick fixes, lessons she now applies to business strategy and client solutions. She also reflects on her time at Amazon, where managing more than 300 people helped her develop skills in people management, motivation, stakeholder alignment, and understanding how operational realities connect with business objectives. Sabarni explains how her MBA and current role at Sutherland have helped her combine execution with strategic thinking, particularly when managing competing priorities and influencing stakeholders without direct authority. She also discusses how working closely with senior leaders has shaped her understanding of leadership, including the need to balance data-driven decision-making with empathy and the human side of business. As a woman who began her career in male-dominated engineering and shop-floor environments, Subarni shares advice on overcoming bias, embracing challenging experiences, and not allowing preconceived expectations to influence career choices. Looking ahead, she encourages young professionals, particularly women in engineering and technology, to embrace every stage of their careers, learn from each experience, and trust that each step contributes to their growth.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, John McGuckin, CEO of Clio Snacks, discusses the company’s entrepreneurial beginnings, rapid growth, and strategy for building a snack brand around changing consumer preferences. John shares how founder Sergei Konchakovsky turned a simple idea inspired by chocolate-covered yogurt bars into a growing business, expanding from a small garage operation to an 85,000-square-foot facility producing more than 150 million bars annually. Drawing from his experience with companies including Kellogg’s, Kraft, Nestlé, and Sabra, John explains how Clio is responding to demand for convenient, protein-rich, flavorful, and portion-controlled snacks across retail, club, food service, convenience stores, and more than 500 colleges and universities. He also explores the importance of strong teams, trusted customer partnerships, supply chain execution, and smart distribution strategies, including the company’s use of food service distributor Dot Foods to expand its reach nationally and into Canada. John discusses the challenges of securing limited shelf and cooler space, emphasizing performance, category management, merchandising, and proving incremental value to retailers. Looking ahead, he explains Clio’s significant “white space” for growth, its strategy of expanding distribution and product placement, and the importance of continuing to deliver quality, execution, and products that meet evolving consumer needs.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Larry N. Rein, President and CEO of ChildNet, discusses how the organization manages community-based foster care across Broward and Palm Beach Counties in Florida and works to improve outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system. Larry explains how ChildNet’s community-based care model brings together nonprofits, government agencies, foster care providers, and other community resources to provide specialized services while keeping responsibility for each child’s case centralized. He shares how ChildNet has helped reduce the number of children in foster care in Broward County from approximately 4,000 to fewer than 1,200, while also discussing the challenges that success can create for partner organizations whose services and funding needs change. Larry also explores the evolution of child welfare from removal-focused approaches toward family reunification, kinship care, and strengthening families whenever safely possible. He discusses the importance of supporting and retaining case managers who face significant emotional and professional pressures, emphasizing work-life balance, recognition, gratitude, and organizational support. Looking ahead, Larry reflects on the importance of continuously evaluating what is working, acknowledging imperfections, communicating successful models to policymakers, and ensuring that young people leaving foster care continue to receive support as they transition into adulthood.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Kelly Burlage, Chief Human Resources Officer at Lineage, discusses her career journey in HR, the evolution of talent management, and how organizations can prepare for a workforce increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Kelly shares how her experience during COVID became a pivotal moment in her career, motivating her to expand her knowledge across HR functions and pursue a leadership role where she could have greater ownership over major decisions. She also discusses how her approach to talent has evolved, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and understanding how AI can augment rather than replace human capabilities. Kelly explains why she believes leadership potential can be identified through qualities such as followership, ownership, humility, the ability to navigate ambiguity, and giving others credit for their contributions. She also explores how AI is changing recruiting and workforce planning, while emphasizing that human judgment should remain central to decisions involving people and careers. Looking ahead, Kelly expects organizations to move away from rigid job descriptions toward skills- and capabilities-based models, while managers and leaders become even more important for building trust, exercising judgment, and providing accountability. She encourages HR leaders to take the lead in shaping how AI is integrated into their organizations rather than allowing technology to dictate the future of work.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Robin Senss, Chief Operating Officer of Friends Association For Care and Protection of Children, discusses the realities of family homelessness and the community-based solutions needed to help families achieve lasting stability. Robin shares Friends Association’s long history and its work providing emergency family shelter, eviction prevention, legal support, and ongoing case management for families facing housing instability in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Drawing from her own childhood experiences with housing instability, Robin explains why homelessness can happen to families for many different reasons and why understanding the circumstances behind a housing crisis is essential to providing meaningful support. She also discusses Friends Association’s expansion from six shelter units to 16 private family apartments, which has helped eliminate the organization’s family shelter wait list, while emphasizing that safe housing must be paired with services that address employment, finances, disabilities, legal challenges, and other underlying issues. Robin explores eviction prevention, including free legal representation and assistance before, during, and after court proceedings, as well as the importance of advocacy, volunteers, community support, and flexible funding. She also shares her perspective on the Housing First model and why housing and case management need to work together to address the deeper challenges families face. Looking ahead, Robin emphasizes the power of empathy, community involvement, and treating housing as a basic need while remaining flexible enough to respond to changing needs and create opportunities for families to rebuild stability, dignity, and hope.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Alexis Crowell, General Manager of Americas and Global CMO at Axelera AI, discusses her unconventional career journey across finance, engineering, technology, marketing, and executive leadership. Alexis shares how taking on unfamiliar challenges, including leading a team of software engineers without an engineering background, taught her the value of curiosity, learning, and being comfortable saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” She also explores how her international experience across four continents shaped her adaptable leadership style and helped her understand different cultures and perspectives. Alexis discusses common misconceptions about AI, emphasizing the importance of using the right data and focusing on specific business problems rather than adopting AI simply for the sake of it. She also explains how Axelera AI is bringing AI inference to the edge, enabling faster, more private, and more power-efficient AI applications in areas such as healthcare, finance, and other regulated or remote environments. Looking ahead, Alexis shares her excitement about Axelera's mission and reflects on the twists and turns of her career, encouraging others to embrace uncertainty and trust that their path will unfold in ways they may not expect.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Pratik Bhadra, CEO of North America at Netcore Cloud and Unboxed, discusses his journey from software engineering to leading businesses across public, private equity-backed, venture-backed, and bootstrapped companies. Pratik shares how taking strategic leaps of faith and applying first-principles thinking helped him navigate different industries, scale businesses, and adapt his leadership approach to changing stages of growth. He also discusses the importance of understanding customer problems, learning from both successes and failures, and tailoring strategies to the people and circumstances within each organization. Pratik shares leadership lessons on building cross-functional teams, creating capacity by developing future leaders, asking for help, and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. He also explores the different leadership mindsets required across various ownership structures and growth models, while emphasizing the importance of taking initiative rather than waiting for permission. Looking ahead, Pratik discusses his interest in advising startups, angel investing, continuing to operate and scale businesses, and balancing future opportunities with being present for his family.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Amy Francis, Global HR Business Partner at GSK, discusses her 25-year career within the organization and how working across HR operations, systems, global process ownership, and strategic business partnering shaped her approach to leadership. Amy shares how her experience leading global Workday processes across more than 100 countries taught her the importance of curiosity, understanding local practices, and listening before trying to change or standardize a process. She also explores the HR business partner’s role as a translator between business goals, employees, and leaders, emphasizing that trust and strong relationships are essential to influencing decisions and navigating change. Amy discusses the value of being a “jack of all trades,” explaining how broad experience builds judgment, helps leaders recognize what they do and do not know, and allows them to connect with the right experts. She also shares lessons from large-scale technology transformations and how organizations can approach AI by first mapping and understanding their processes, identifying where human judgment and empathy are needed, and then determining what can be automated. Looking ahead, Amy encourages professionals to step outside their comfort zones, raise their hands for opportunities, and recognize that even seemingly small assignments can build credibility, demonstrate potential, and open doors to future growth.