Disruptive by Design, A SIGNAL Media Podcast, AFCEA Emerging Leaders

In our latest Disruptive by Design episode, repurposed from the Emerging Leaders panel at TechNet Cyber 2026 in Baltimore, experts discuss unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS), which play a fundamental role in today’s joint force operations. Discussions will focus on the implementation of core security principles such as Zero Trust (ZT) and Secure by Design (SbD), and Privacy by D...

In the final episode of our Disruptive by Design: Intelligence Edition, guest host Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and current member of AFCEA's Intelligence Committee, leads a conversation on agentic AI and the future of intelligence analysis. Featuring: Neil Wiley , former U.S. Navy officer who held prominent roles at the Office of the Director...

In this special episode of Disruptive by Design: Intelligence Edition, guest host Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and current member of AFCEA's Intelligence Committee, leads a candid, high-level conversation on one of the most consequential shifts in modern warfare: the rise of autonomy and artificial intelligence. Joined by two leading voices in...

AFCEA International’s Intelligence Committee takes over the Disruptive by Design podcast for a special intelligence 3-part series exploring the technologies and challenges shaping national security. In this first episode, guest host Ret. Lt. Gen. Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, dives into the rapidly evolving world of quantum technology and its implications for inte...

In this special #DisruptivebyDesign episode, SIGNAL Media reporters Evan Lynch and Nuray Taylor sit down with Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, Director of DISA and Commander of the Department of War Cyber Defense Command. Stanton discusses the latest developments coming out of his agency, ranging from recruitment and retention to the mission network as a service rollout. Stanton is scheduled to speak at AFC...

In this episode of Disruptive by Design , we bring you a compelling panel discussion from the AFCEA Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium (RMCS26), centered on a critical yet often overlooked driver of mission success: relationship building. Moderated by Maj. Gen. John W. Maluda, USAF (Ret.), the panel brings together a diverse group of leaders, including David Stickley, Former Services Executive at...

In this recorded webinar from January 2026, hear directly from Emerging Leaders (EL) panelists representing AFCEA’s Alamo, Bethesda, Bonn, Hawaii and San Diego chapters as they discuss their personal journeys, lessons learned and how mentorship has shaped their professional paths. Learn more about AFCEA’s EL program: https://www.afcea.org/emerging-leaders

Episode 1 of our Emerging Leaders series features a recorded webinar with Parker Woods, an Emerging Leaders Advisory Council (ELAC) member. Tune in as Parker gives an overview of the Emerging Leaders program and shares the ins and outs of how to leverage this community as you build your career. Listen today!   Learn more about AFCEA's Emerging Leaders program: https://www.afcea.org/emerging-le...

Cyber risk is no longer a distant threat—it’s a business reality. In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood is joined by two cyber experts, Brian O’Connell and Travis Rosiek, to break down the essentials of cyber insurance in today’s evolving threat landscape. Report: Cyber Insurance 2026  insurancequotes.com/insurance-tips/cyber-security-guide-2026 Brian O'Connell LinkedIn:  https://www.linked...

In this Disruptive by Design episode, repurposed from the #WEST2026 Emerging Leaders panel, hear experts discuss the future of human-AI collaboration. Agentic Experience (AX) defines a new stage in human–AI collaboration where intelligent systems act on intent, not instruction. This model is particularly relevant to the Navy, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, where operational tempo, data complexi...

In our latest Disruptive by Design episode, Kimberly Underwood sits down with Russ Feller from AFCEA’s Rocky Mountain Chapter. Learn about the Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium, Pikes Peak Robotics and the different programs supporting school-age literacy and robotics initiatives aimed at strengthening the future workforce. Don’t miss this episode!

SIGNAL Media’s Nuray Taylor sits down with Vice Admiral Michael Vernazza, Commander of the Naval Information Forces, for a forward-looking conversation on the future of naval information warfare. Tune in for a preview of the WEST 2026 conference in San Diego and insights into key initiatives from Vice Adm. Vernazza’s team, including AI integration, the Navy’s first Information Warfare Squadron, an...

In this episode, repurposed from an AFCEA Small Business Committee meeting, hear from guest speaker Ken Harvey. A former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker turned author, speaker, and creative entrepreneur, Harvey connects the mindset of professional football to what it takes to win in small business—discipline, teamwork, and preparation.

After meeting at AFCEA’s TechNet Transatlantic conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Kimberly Underwood sits down with Stanislav Novotný, founder of CZECH CYBER TV, for a conversation on today’s cybersecurity landscape. From ransomware attacks to sophisticated phishing scams, Stanislav shares real-world insights and lessons learned. His advice? Be skeptical and always verify.

Our newest #DisruptivebyDesign episode features a panel recorded at this year’s TechNet Transatlantic conference in Frankfurt, Germany. “Communication in a Security Contested Environment” is moderated by Matthias Klaus, Senior Business Analyst at Capgemini, and includes panelists Martijn Antzoulatos-Borgstein, Senior Sales Director Defense & Security at LiveDrop BV and Álvaro Saavedra, Manager...

In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Master Sgt. Michael Gresens, USAF, about operating in the area of responsibility (AOR) of the Indo-Pacific. Gresens shares key challenges and opportunities in the region and reflects on his impactful work with the AFCEA Hawaii chapter and its Emerging Leaders community.

Welcome to this special episode of Disruptive by Design. HostKimberly Underwood sits down with Manager Emily Lund and Coordinator Brittany Cardenas—team members from AFCEA International’s Educational Foundation , the nonprofit philanthropic arm of the member-based association. The foundation provides incentives, opportunities andassistance to student and teachers engaged in the science, technology...

Operating across the Indo-Pacific region means contending with the vastness of the theater, limited and degraded infrastructure, and the reality of a contested information environment. In this newest Disruptive by Design episode, repurposed from TechNet Indo-Pacific 2025 in Hawaii, hear from AFCEA’s Emerging Leaders on “Assured Command and Control in the Indo-Pacific.” Featuring Andria Gagnon, Chr...

On this newest joint episode of Disruptive by Design, host Kimberly Underwood is joined by SIGNAL Media’s Editor in Chief, George Seffers, and Luca Pagni and Joyson Cherian from Gov & Beyond. Tune into this special episode to learn more about SIGNAL Media and W2, a strategic communications agency.

In this crossover episode with Long Blue Leadership podcast, AFCEA International’s VP for Defense, Col. Michael Black, USAF (Ret.), walks us through his career, talks about staying calm under pressure and shares his “Five F’s Leadership Philosophy.” Check out this exciting episode today!

Check out our newest #DisruptivebyDesign episode, repurposed from our Emerging Leaders panel at TechNet Augusta 2025!  As government agencies often experience pressure to acquire new tools to address emerging threats, capabilities of current enterprise systems are often overlooked. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) is a significant concern that manifests uniquely across various organizations, as risks...

In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood speaks with ArnieBellini, a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist in Tampa Bay. He talks about his passion for cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and U.S. technology innovation, and is especially concerned with growing the next generation of leaders in these fields. In fact, Bellini and his wife donated $40 million to establish...

Step into this special episode of Disruptive by Design wherethe future is funded. Tune in for this panel discussion featuring top venture capital experts who’ve backed the boldest ideas, scaled the fastest-growing startups and shaped the innovation economy from the inside out. Originally presented at AFCEA’s TechNet Emergence event in July, this episode is a front-row seat, whether you're a fo...

In this newest episode, repurposed from an AFCEA International Small Business Committee (SBC) meeting, learn about AI and small business growth. Dan Roche, Senior Director of Capture at ICF, walks us through the dos and don’ts of artificial intelligence.

In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Meredith Caligiuri with Viasat, whose breadth of knowledge, capacity to innovate and expertise are as outstanding as is her passion for STEM education. Tune in to learn about her work on the space frontier and Meredith's dedication to STEM and a robotics team. If STEM is your passion, be sure to check out AFCEA's Educational Foundation,...