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. Leila shares how she discovered that her passion was not necessarily d...

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...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 acro...

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 s...

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 c...

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...

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 im...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Zihla Salinas Arbit, CEO of Yes&, discusses how she leads an independent marketing agency through growth, change, and innovation. Zihla shares her experience managing organizational change and integrating eight agencies through mergers and acquisitions, emphasizing the importance of listening, building trust, and getting people on board before impl...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Matt Ambrose, president of Ambrose Packaging, shares how his third-generation family business has evolved from a traditional packaging distributor into a systems integration company focused on automation and innovative manufacturing solutions. Matt discusses how Ambrose works with customers across industries to design custom production lines, improve e...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Kyle Willis, Vice President of Growth at Belay Solutions, discusses how the company helps busy business leaders through remote and fractional staffing solutions. Kyle explains Belay’s approach to matching businesses with carefully vetted executive assistants, marketing assistants, bookkeepers, payroll specialists, and fractional CFOs. He also shares ho...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Carr, founder and CEO of Kentlands Psychotherapy, shares her journey from serving as a Navy psychologist to building a thriving psychotherapy practice in the Washington region. Dr. Carr discusses how her military experience shaped her approach to servant leadership and why creating a supportive environment for clinicians is essential to d...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Walter Allen, founder, owner, CEO, and president of Acumen Building Enterprise, shares the journey that took him from engineering and military service to building a company focused on transportation systems and infrastructure. Walter discusses Acumen’s early work with BART, where the company developed one of the first systems designed to convert large...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Renee Brown, President and CEO of DePaul Community Resources, discusses the organization’s work supporting children, families, and individuals with disabilities across Virginia. Renee shares how DePaul has grown from its origins as an orphanage in 1977 into a broad continuum of foster care, adoption, independent living, mental health, and disability su...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Devin Pintozzi, Chief Operating Officer of American Book Company, shares how his family business has spent 30 years supporting educators and students through print, K-12, test prep, curriculum materials, and digital learning resources. Devin explains why American Book Company takes a print-first approach to education and how the tactile experience of r...

In this episode of The Think Factory podcast, we sit down with Becky Rossman, CEO of Tuesdays Promise, an organization dedicated to supporting families affected by 9/11, 9/11-related illnesses, and military service loss. Becky shares how her background as an Army veteran and nonprofit leader shaped her approach to leadership, service, and resilience, as well as how Tuesdays Promise has evolved to...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Dr. Christopher Arndt, Interim President and CEO of UNM Medical Group and Chair of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of New Mexico, shares his perspective on leadership, healthcare, and navigating change in a complex medical environment. Drawing from his experience as a U.S. Navy officer, physician, educator, and healthcare executive,...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Mark Cartier, co-founder of No Limits Cafe, shares the story behind the nonprofit restaurant and workforce training organization creating meaningful employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inspired by his daughter Katie, who has Down syndrome, Mark and his wife Stephanie recognized the significant lack of e...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Percy Dengler, Managing Director of Baumer HHS, discusses how precision technology is helping the packaging and printing industries improve productivity, quality, and sustainability. As Baumer HHS celebrates 40 years, Percy shares the company's evolution from pioneering contactless glue application to becoming a global provider of adhesive application,...

In this episode of the Think Factory podcast, we sit down with Pam Brandon, founder of AGE-u-cate Training Institute and creator of Dementia Live, to explore the growing challenges of caring for an aging population and those living with dementia. Drawing from her deeply personal experience caring for both of her parents, Pam shares how years as a family caregiver exposed gaps in healthcare educati...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, we welcome Dr. Judy Keen, Executive Director of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), for a conversation about the critical role bone health plays in overall wellness and healthy aging. Dr. Keen explains why osteoporosis is often called a "silent disease," the importance of early prevention through exercise and lifestyle choices,...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, we sit down with Tom Bandy, Founder and CEO of BandyWorks, to explore how data-driven insights are transforming the convenience store industry. Tom shares his entrepreneurial journey—from an unexpected opportunity with Sheetz to building a company that helps operators turn complex data into simple, actionable decisions. He explains why the key to succe...

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Ryan Fox, Corrugated Packaging Market Analyst at Bloomberg, shares an insider’s perspective on the evolving corrugated packaging industry and the market forces shaping its future. Drawing from his experience as both an industry operator and analyst, Ryan explains how Bloomberg’s Green Markets Box Report brings greater transparency to a traditionally op...