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

In this special crossover episode with Tech Transforms, we showcase a recent interview between host Carolyn Ford and AFCEA President and CEO Lt. General Susan S. Lawrence, USA (Ret.) The two share a compelling conversation about the future of national defense in an AI-powered world. Together, they unpack:  Why cybersecurity and data integrity must be the foundation of AI adoption  How real-world c...

In this week's episode, host Kimberly Underwood sits down with Dr. Charles Clancy from MITRE to talk all things #TechNetEmergence. Join us on July 15-16 in Reston, VA! Don't miss this opportunity to hear from government, industry and academia experts that will unite to set the stage for emerging technologies. Register: https://buff.ly/iUaSMM4 Check out sponsorship opportunities: https://bu...

In this special episode, AFCEA International Vice President for Defense, Col. Mike Black, USAF, (Ret.), sits down for a conversation with two AFCEA Emerging Leaders. Tune in to hear insights from John Barker, DevOps Engineer, Knack Works, and Viplav Patel, Government Account Manager, CALIBRE Systems. Learn more about AFCEA’s Emerging Leaders program: https://www.afcea.org/emerging-leaders

In this special episode, we are presenting the Emerging Leader panel from AFCEA's TechNet Cyber conference, held in May 2025. Quantum computer development is advancing rapidly, presenting an imminent threat to current cryptographic systems. Many traditional encryption methods will soon be vulnerable to decryption by our nation’s adversaries, putting sensitive data at risk and challenging the secur...

In this newest episode,Disruptive by Design host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Andrew Borene,Executive Director for Global Security and International Markets at Flashpointand lifetime AFCEA member. Learn about how to navigate the biggest cybersecuritythreats and hear his advice for emerging leaders. Also in this episode:breaking down Flashpoint’s 2025 Global Threat Intelligence Report. Resources:...

Navigating Careers: Tools, Resources and Support for Those Transitioning to the Private Sector In this Disruptive by Design episode, experts will address the critical need for the government to have a capable and ready workforce and how developing such a workforce involves a multi-disciplinary approach across policy, program development, strategy, data analytics and data science.  Resources: www.a...

In this special episode, Katie Arrington, who is performing the duties of chief information officer (PTDO CIO), speaks with SIGNAL's podcast guest host Nuray Taylor about her priorities at the Department of Defense and the work being done to provide warfighters the best options, the best technology, the best chance of survival.

In this special episode, Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and commander of Joint Forces Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN), speaks with SIGNAL's guest hosts George I. Seffers and Nuray Taylor about his priorities for both organizations, which include readiness, campaigning, continuous modernization and establishin...

Ret. Maj. Gen. Patrick Higby joins SIGNAL Media’s Kimberly Underwood to discuss life after the service and offer advice on planning for success after the military. Learn about life beyond the uniform and nonprofit organizations that support veterans!   Resources :  Freedom Hunters - A veteran-focused hunting organization that helps veterans, particularly disabled veterans, participate in outdoor a...

In this week’s episode, Kimberly Underwood sits down with Persistent Systems Executive Vice President for Corporate Strategy, Leslie Hulser as she delves into the company’s newest project. Learn about the Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) and its installation in the Baltic Sea Nations. Resource links: Persistent Systems website: https://www.persistentsystems.com/ Leslie Hulser LinkedIn: linkedin.com/i...

In this newest Disruptive by Design episode, we repurposed the Emerging Leaders panel from WEST 2025 (01/28/2025). Today’s critical infrastructure must defend against a diverse and evolving threat landscape. With new technologies that pose an increased potential for harm against our nation’s security, reliance on existing compliance processes is insufficient. To optimize cybersecurity solutions, p...

The U.S. Air Force is making history with an initiative thatbrings back the warrant officer role in the cyber space domain. Podcast host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Lt. Col. Justin Ellsworth, the division chief, Cyber Force Management & 17X Career Field Manager assigned to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations,on the decision and...

In this week’s Disruptive by Design, hear from Jarrod, a member of the Central Florida AFCEA Chapter’s Emerging Leaders. Jarrod talks to us about his career in cybersecurity, cyber threats and how to safeguard critical infrastructure to protect national security. Check it out! Resources mentioned in this episode: Southern Illinois University Information Technology Program - https://academics.siu.e...

In the last episode of this three-part series on misinformation and disinformation, we delve into how to combat disinformation without compromising free speech rights. Host Kimberly Underwood is joined by Andy Norman, the executive director of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE) and author of “Mental Immunity,” and John Gilligan, president and CEO of the Center for Internet Sec...

For this episode, we repurposed a panel discussion from TechNet Indo-Pacific, a flagship event co-hosted by AFCEA International and the AFCEA Hawaii Chapter in October 2024. In the fast-paced realm of cybersecurity, inclusivity is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity. This panel delves into the transformative power of addressing the unique challenges within the community, and how...

In this episode, part two of a three-part series, learn a little more about the differences between misinformation and disinformation and how the dividing line boils down to one word: intent. Host Kimberly Underwood speaks with experts who address how foreign nation-states take advantage of the pathways that have developed to spread both misinformation and disinformation to influence democratic po...

Series: Part 1 of 3 . In this episode, we learn more about the rapidly evolving cyber threats related to misinformation and disinformation, and how artificial intelligence, deep fake technology and machine learning have the potential to greatly expand the capabilities and reach of the phenomenon. Tune in as experts suggest how best to counter and not fall victim to these emerging threats. We are t...

In this special episode, hosted by the Emerging Leaders of AFCEA's Rockbridge Shenandoah Chapter, a panel of experts focus on smart city development, helping communities learn from each other, improve on successes and build smart city standards. Hear from: Moderator : Nickie Hawkins, Director, the Virginia Innovation Accelerator and Services for the Advancement Center Michael Dunaway, Associate Di...

In this episode, we hear from a panel of Emerging Leaders that, in today's complex battlespace, secure and reliable communication is fundamental to achieving mission success. This panel, who spoke at #TechNetIndoPacific, explores the next generation of secure communication technologies and their applications. They discuss the cutting-edge developments in areas such as software-defined radio, radio...

In this episode of SIGNAL Media’s Disruptive by Design, podcast host Kimberly Underwood interviews Brian Cook, the technical director of 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) about the service’s Phoenix Initiative, an effort to help pull in more innovation through improved relationships. The Phoenix Initiative is designed to be an innovation incubator, focusing on forging a community and culture of in...

Take a listen to this interview with AFCEA's Chief Information Officer/Chief Technology Officer Tim Reyna, a retired U.S. Army warrant officer, as he talks about the association's journey of digital modernization to better support AFCEA's global family. You'll glean insights on how today's experts can stay ahead of the rapidly changing field (hint hint—being a member of a professional association...

For this episode, we repurposed the a panel discussion from one of AFCEA International's flagship events, TechNet Augusta, which took place in August 2024. In the fast-paced realm of cybersecurity, inclusivity is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity. The panelists delve into the transformative power of addressing the unique challenges within the community, and how aligning org...

In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Aaron Pierce, CEO of Pierce Aerospace. The two discuss what Pierce refers to as the "Golden Era of Aviation," or the merging of existing and emerging aviation technology for an exiting future and what it will take to secure the new domain. He also speaks of his company's internship program that has produced a new generation of entr...

In this episode, we hear from a panel of Emerging Leaders speaking about secure communications at an AFCEA International flagship event, TechNet Augusta, which recently took place August 19-22, 2024. The panelists talk about how in today's complex battlespace, secure and reliable communication is fundamental to achieving mission success and explore the next generation of secure communication t...

Podcast host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Ronak Shah, senior director of research at Shift5, a startup that brings onboard data to light, helping defense, aviation and rail build and maintain intelligent fleets. Shah paired his passion of engineering with cyber to scratch his itch in both domains.