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

It's said society is but three meals away from total collapse, or variations of that mindset. It's terrifying to think about as we consider how much the world relies on a stable supply chain and infrastructure system. This complex network of vendors and interconnected components presents a significant attack surface for malicious actors. Implementing a zero-trust cybersecurity architecture...

In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Tyler Watkins, a senior regional sales manager with Spirent Communications, about his career journey that began as a student athlete at small universities, including Coastal Carolina, turned U.S. Marine, turned sales manager—and how for his current role, he needed to embrace those learning years and become a "student of the process" as...

In this episode, we've repurposed the panel discussion presented during the conference TechNet Cyber 2024. This panel of national security experts discuss how to encompass the evolving landscape of inclusion within the cybersecurity workforce, particularly addressing the challenges and opportunities for individuals who may require different accommodations. As we navigate the intricate terrain...

We repurposed a recent webinar for and by AFCEA's Emerging Leaders for this podcast episode — and you will learn from some of the brightest association ambassadors all about the initiative dedicated to empowering members under the age of 40 to accelerate their professional growth and cultivate invaluable connections within the industry.

Host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Julie Brodell Smith, Director of Growth for the Rockwood Company and a member of AFCEA's Emerging Professionals in the Intelligence Community, or EPIC, Committee. They chat briefly about a recent analysis of artificial intelligence Smith and a co-committee member undertook for EPIC, and delve into Smith's work. Some sage advice to come from this episode:...

Podcast host Kimberly Underwood speaks with Luke Johnson, the operations director at The Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative, or CIRCE. The recent graduate from the University of Chicago with a degree in neuroscience takes us on a fascinating journey of the organization’s work to deepen society’s understanding of mental immunity and how the staff works to advance ways to combat misinformat...

Host Kimberly Underwood talks with Sheila McCoy, AFCEA’s director of the continuing education program. The program is a value proposition and commitment the association makes to its members: To help provide opportunities for an educated, trained and relevant workforce, from early career to advanced training. “I find it exciting because we're giving people, or helping them, get something they n...

Host Kimberly Underwood speaks with U.S. Space Force Col. Nicole Petrucci, Commander, Space Delta 3, Space Operations Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. She commands the Electromagnetic Warfare Delta with personnel deployed worldwide. To young professionals, the colonel advises to take, and make, opportunities to further careers and to learn to do your job—smartly. That means to questio...

Kimberly Underwood, podcast host and SIGNAL Media director of digital news media, speaks with Jacob “Jake” Dustan, a cybersecurity consultant and Americas chief of staff for Aerospace & Defense at EY, and the new AFCEA Lowcountry Chapter president. Kim describes him as a mover and shaker in the cyber field, helping clients understand the ramifications of cyber threats and more. Jake started hi...

In this episode, we take the liberty of showcasing a discussion between AFCEA President and CEO Susan S. Lawrence, USA (Ret.) and Jane Rathbun, the Department of Navy’s chief information officer. The two conversed during an AFCEA’s Women’s Appreciation presentation at WEST 2024, held in mid-February in San Diego. Listen as the two renowned women discuss taking circuitous career journeys to becomin...

Molly Mobley found the optimal way of combining her childhood love for science and her desire to help people in an early career choice of becoming a nurse. She loved it. She thrived. And then she was exposed to the emerging world of health informatics. Shaped by her personal experiences of living in a sparsely populated rural community in Virginia and helping her aging grandparents access adequate...

In this episode, we hear from a panel of Emerging Leaders speaking about AI at the WEST 2024 Conference in San Diego. They discuss how the recent advancements in AI and computational power provide an opportunity to optimize and protect supply chain and procurement processes. Natural language processing, advanced predictive analytics, cross-platform integration, and other automated support tools he...

Experience the exciting journey of business development and sales and learn what it takes to keep up with the ever-changing technology domain with guest Alec Longarzo, director of defense and national security at eSimplicity.

New and exciting programs are launching in 2024 for AFCEA International's Emerging Leader community—those young professionals making their professional marks on leadership. These programs will help members maximize their association benefits, says Emerging Leaders Coordinator Veronica Snell, speaking with podcast host Kimberly Underwood. Tune in to learn more about what's in store for 2024...

Not every job supporting national security must be technical. Take a peek into the world of communications and marketing, a profession as equally important as the data scientists, cyber warriors and technologists. Matt Klein, the growth and communications lead at CACI International and a graduate of James Madison University, talks with host Kimberly Underwood about the importance of developing pro...

Embark on a career journey for the dedication to mission, the satisfaction of the work, the opportunities for knowledge and growth—not for the paycheck, Disruptive by Design guest Gabe Solomon tells host Kimberly Underwood. Solomon is a cloud engineer at the Defense information Systems Agency, or DISA. Solomon is, as Underwood describes, “a young whipper snapper and superstar” hired at a very youn...

In an earlier episode, we heard from a panel of Emerging Leaders speaking about AI at AFCEA's TechNet Augusta Conference. In this episode, we hear from young panelists speaking from another geographic area at TechNet Indo-Pacific. Same topic — different perspectives. Catch up on this episode now. (Audio only) Then, gain additional insight by catching SIGNAL Media's coverage of the event .

In this special episode, we hear from expert panelists from AFCEA's TechNet Augusta event in August 2023, where they discussed how securing today’s data-centric battlefield is increasingly difficult due to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and machine Learning (AI/ML) model and data poisoning attacks. As data privacy is threatened by these new self-learning and automated threat vec...

In this episode, host Kimberly Underwood talks to Michelle Curran—one of only five women to fly for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds so far—about why, though a student of criminal justice, she joined the Air Force and became a fighter and Thunderbird pilot. Curran talks about facing social anxiety and overcoming imposter syndrome and how she realized she could create a better future for herself ins...

In this episode,  SIGNAL  Media's Kimberly Underwood speaks with Chris Hassett, executive director of product delivery supporting ManTech’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Innovation and Capabilities Organization. However, his title alone does not define him. He is best described as an innovator, leader and veteran with an unwavering commitment to "Bringing Digital to the Miss...

In this episode, SIGNAL Media's Kimberly Underwood speaks with Jennifer Miller, business operations manager at the Defense Health Agency. Miller speaks about her love of learning and studying and always improving oneself, offering great advice about networking and how to really leverage professional development organizations and associations to build a dream career. Additionally, Miller is a p...

In this episode, SIGNAL  Media's   Kimberly Underwood speaks with Melanie McCarthy, an Air Force Reserve veteran who now runs contracts for Maximus' Technology Consulting Service Division as an Army portfolio manager. McCarthy shares advice about project management, the importance of networking—even as an introvert—and how young leaders can affect change with purpose.

In this special episode, two leaders in their careers and AFCEA's Emerging Leaders program share how they found their local AFCEA chapter, why their work (and volunteering) matter and tips on how young professionals can find their place. Andrew Funk and Matt Denny, with AFCEA's Rocky Mountain Chapter, tell us it's not enough to stay in your lane, so to speak. Challenge the status quo....

In this special episode, we hear from expert panelists from AFCEA's TechNet Cyber event in May 2023. As cyber threats continue to proliferate and grow in complexity, organizations face an urgent need to ensure their defenses are focused, aligned, and ready to respond. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a powerful tool for enhancing cybersecurity operations, enabling organizati...

In this episode, Kimberly Underwood, director of Digital News Media at SIGNAL Media, talks with Michael Weigand, chief growth officer and co-founder of Shift5, a Virginia-based company working to build a "smarter, safer and more secure world by creating resilient and mission-ready fleets." Weigand is a former U.S. Army infantry officer turned cyber operator turned entrepreneur. While in...