Behind Numbers

What happens when AI can execute faster than organizations can make decisions? In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Neil Redding, Global Keynote Speaker on AI, Leadership, and the Future of Work , to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership, decision-making, and the way companies operate. Neil shares why the biggest challenge facing businesses may not be AI adoptio...

At 27 years old, Bryan set out to do something most people would never attempt: start an airline. After raising $30 million in investor commitments, everything was about to change. In this episode of Behind Numbers, Bryan shares the story of his biggest business failure, the lessons that came from it, and how that experience led him to build companies in industries ranging from oil & gas to AI...

Five unicorns. Four failures. Nearly 30 startup investments. Most investors never back a unicorn. Baba Page has backed five. In this episode of Behind Numbers, Baba breaks down how he evaluates founders, why he believes people matter more than ideas, and what separates the companies that scale from those that disappear. But this conversation goes far beyond investing. We also discuss the realities...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, Senofer Mendoza — Founder & General Partner of Mendoza Ventures — shares an inside look into the world of venture capital, startup investing, and the challenges of building a fund outside the traditional system. From representation in venture capital to founder psychology, leadership, AI, and the future of innovation, this conversation explores what really ha...

Why do some people build successful careers without having everything figured out… while others feel stuck even when they’re doing everything “right”?In this episode of Behind Numbers, Catherine shares how her path evolved from early storytelling to journalism, marketing, and eventually building her own business, without a perfectly planned roadmap. Along the way, she reveals one pattern she’s see...

He left Google at the peak of his career… but something still felt wrong. Even on a beach in Mexico, the stress didn’t go away. In this episode of Behind Numbers , Julian Pistone (ex-Google leader) shares the moment he realized success wasn’t enough—and what it really takes to redesign your life from the inside out. After nearly a decade at Google leading international teams, Julian walked away fr...

What if the key to a successful career isn’t working harder… but worrying less? In this episode of Behind Numbers , I sit down with Monica Pool Knox — former CHRO and Leader at global companies like Microsoft, Twitter/X, Sony, and PepsiCo — to unpack what really drives career success, leadership, and long-term impact. From building high-performing teams across global organizations to transitioning...

Most people ask “Why me?” when life breaks them. She didn’t. After being diagnosed with cancer, Asya had a reaction that most people would never expect… and honestly, most wouldn’t understand. In this conversation, we go beyond the surface to uncover:     How a life-threatening diagnosis reshaped her mindset Why she prioritizes impact over personal gain How she approaches decision-making across ca...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Nick Fuoco — Chief Financial Officer, Equity Partner, Honorary Consul of Italy, and founder of one of Utah’s largest cultural events. Nick shares the leadership mistake that shaped his career: trying to always be the smartest person in the room. From growing up in an immigrant family to helping build Festa Italiana in Salt Lake Cit...

At just 24 years old, he left his family, his country, and everythingfamiliar, with only a small suitcase and a big ambition. In this episode of Behind Numbers , I sit down with Pushkar Bedekar, a CFO whose journey started in Mumbai and led him across the world to build a career in global business and healthcare innovation. We talk about: ·       The moment he decided to leave home and move 7,000...

What separates good leaders from great ones? In this episode of Behind Numbers , we explore, with Jenny Fuss – CFO at Crowley, a powerful mindset shift that changes how leaders think about risk, failure, and decision-making. “Your energy flows where your focus goes.” “Everything is figure-outable.” “Stop asking: What if it fails?” Jenny shares lessons from a global career that took her from German...

What does it really take to build a $3B company? Sometimes, it means starting at the very bottom — even after you’ve already “made it.”In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Andrew Smith, Founder of Savory Fund, to unpack the unconventional choices behind building one of the most successful hospitality investment platforms in the U.S.After years in tech, Andrew made a counterintuitive...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Saroop Bharwani, founder and CEO of Senso AI, to unpack what the founder journey really looks like behind the hype — constant rejection, daily failure, and the resilience required to keep building anyway. Saroop describes entrepreneurship as a decade-long journey of rejection, where failure isn’t the exception but the rule. Th...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Zak Ali, General Manager of the U.S. at Finder, to unpack one of the most unconventional leadership journeys in modern tech — building a senior executive career without a college degree. Zak’s path didn’t follow a traditional blueprint. Instead of credentials, he focused on learning by doing, building products, growing audienc...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Tim Bean, an engineer and founder whose unconventional career journey led him into the world of autonomous defense technology and AI-driven systems — not through a lifelong plan, but through pivotal moments and real-world opportunity. The conversation begins with 9/11, a defining global event that reshaped Tim’s perspective an...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Frank, one of the rare leaders who has operated at the very top of both the consulting and corporate worlds. Frank served as Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Italy, where he led the firm through one of its most challenging periods, and later as President and CEO of Herbalife, guiding the global organization through transformationa...

In this episode of Behind Numbers , we go far beyond titles and résumés to explore the story of a leader who built her career with conviction, resilience, and an unshakeable sense of direction. I’m joined by Joy Mbanugo , CFO of CXAI , a publicly traded SaaS company using AI to transform how we experience workspaces. Joy’s journey spans EY, BlackRock, Google, and ServiceRocket—companies where she...

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with X, a leader whose career spans from being employee #2 at a startup to driving billion-dollar M&A deals at a FinTech unicorn and leading transformation at a Fortune 100 company. Today, as Co-Founder & COO of Bridge, X is tackling one of the most significant challenges of the decade — the $10 trillion wealth-transfer opp...

In this episode of Behind Numbers , host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Tara Spalding , a dynamic leader whose journey spans from Silicon Valley startups to the boardrooms of Utah’s most innovative companies. Today, she’s the Strategic Relationship Advisor at Nusano , helping shape the future of isotope manufacturing — a field poised to transform energy and healthcare. But behind the milestones a...

From navigating layoffs during the 2008 crash to leading financial transformation at Google, Lamont Johnson’s journey is a story of resilience, empathy, and reinvention. In this episode of Behind Numbers , host Alessandro Cozzi dives into how Lamont built his career through uncertainty, embraced change, and transformed finance into a driver of innovation and human connection. Raised in Northern Vi...