Edge of Excellence: Empowering People to Shape the Future

Early technology decisions can shape how easily a company grows later. In this episode of Edge of Excellence, iuvo 's Jessica DeForge and Bryon Beilman speak with Ian Findlay , Partner in TechCXO’ s Product & Technology practice, about technology debt, IT strategy, and the value of fractional CIO guidance for growing companies. Ian shares how startups and small to mid-sized businesses oft...

What does it take to build a global supply chain company from a basement prototype? Krenar Komoni , CEO and founder of Tive, joins Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman for a candid conversation about a career that has been anything but linear. Krenar shares the pivots, near-failures, and defining moments behind Tive, now on track for $100M in revenue and growing at 50% annually. From designing wireless...

Imposter syndrome is not rare. It is just often quiet. In this episode of Edge of Excellence , Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman are joined by iuvo team members Derek Murphy and Ken Hillstrom for an honest, relatable conversation about imposter syndrome, self-doubt, high performance, and growth. They explore how imposter feelings show up during career transitions, leadership moments, high-pressure wo...

In this episode of Edge of Excellence , Bryon Beilman and Jessica DeForge sit down with iuvo CIO Jesse McCain to explore a leadership idea that does not get enough attention: creativity without a deliverable. In a work culture often driven by constant output, metrics, and availability, Jesse offers a more human-centered perspective on what helps teams think, create, and perform sustainably. The co...

What does world-class support really feel like to the people receiving it? In this episode of Edge of Excellence , Bryon Beilman and Jessica DeForge sit down with Bethany Haley to talk about the human side of exceptional service. The conversation explores how trust, empathy, communication, preparation, and team culture shape the client experience long before and long after a problem is solved. Bet...

Behind every successful AI initiative is something far less glamorous: strong data fundamentals. In this episode, we talk with Jacob Hesterman, Ph. D., Chief Data Officer at Ratio Therapeutics , about how his team built a structured, governed data ecosystem from the ground up and why that foundation is now accelerating scientific discovery, efficiency, and collaboration across the organization. Ja...

We all live inside stories, about who we are, what we're capable of, and what's "realistic." But what if those stories aren't fixed? In this episode of Edge of Excellence, hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with Dora Farkas, Ph. D. , Director of Business Development at Connex Ecommerce , author, storyteller, and leadership advisor, to explore how intuition and n...

DevOps is often framed as a modern software movement, but its roots go much deeper. In this episode of Edge of Excellence , we’re joined by Kevin Eberman , a leader in information security, cloud operations, and compliance, to explore how DevOps has evolved into DevSecOps, and why governance (GovOps) is emerging as the next critical phase. Drawing on lessons from manufacturing systems like Toyota’...

AI tools are everywhere, but not everyone takes the time to understand how they actually behave. In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Bryon Beilman and Jess DeForge sit down with Justin Mantell , Business Operations Analyst at iuvo , to talk about what happened when he spent 90 days building structured workflows with AI. Instead of simply using AI for quick prompts, Justin pushed multiple models...

In this episode of Edge of Excellence , Jess DeForge and Bryon sit down with Urvashi Batra , Co-Founder & CEO of PrioriWise, to explore why AI initiatives stall, and how leaders can refocus on outcomes that actually move the business forward. Together, they discuss: Why activity doesn’t equal impact in AI initiatives The importance of aligning AI with real business KPIs How hidden growth oppor...

Microsoft 365 powers modern work. But behind the scenes, most environments are constantly changing, often without anyone realizing it. Permissions shift. Settings drift. Updates roll out. Compliance gaps quietly accumulate. The real risk is not knowing what changed, when it changed, or why it matters. In this episode of Edge of Excellence , Jess DeForge and Bryon sit down with Adam Jones , Princip...

In this episode of Edge of Excellence , Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with Brian St. Marie , Principal Consultant and vCIO at iuvo, to unpack how organizations can start using AI in a way that’s practical, secure, and actually valuable. They discuss: Why “just waiting” on AI is a risk How to start small with AI pilots instead of massive investments The importance of data hygiene and AI u...

In this episode of Edge of Excellence , co-hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman are joined by Jeff Ouellette , Co-Founder and COO of iuvo, to share the story behind the company and the values that shaped it. Jeff reflects on the early challenges of the IT industry, where technical expertise often lacked business understanding and customer empathy. Together, they discuss how iuvo was intentionally...

Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls, passwords, and software updates. It’s about people. In this episode of Edge of Excellence , hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with expert Russell Poovey to explore the often-overlooked human side of security. From phishing attacks and insider threats to leadership accountability and employee training, this conversation highlights why culture an...

As remote and hybrid work models become the norm, leaders are facing a new challenge: How do you build a strong, connected, high-trust culture when your team is distributed? In this episode of Edge of Excellence , hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with Matt Freake , Vice President of Client Services at iuvo , to unpack what great culture looks like in remote environments and how leader...

In this episode of Edge of Excellence , we sit down with Ed Perkins, Principal Consultant, vCIO, and the architect behind iuvo’s secure, self-hosted AI platform, to unpack what AI adoption really looks like inside modern businesses. Instead of adding to the noise, this conversation cuts straight through the hype. Ed breaks down the biggest misconceptions leaders have about AI, why companies feel s...

What will it take for businesses to stay competitive, secure, and resilient heading into 2026? In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Empowering People to Shape the Future, we break down the future of IT and what leaders need to know to make smarter, future-ready decisions. For years, IT was viewed as a cost center, a support function that “kept the lights on.” But today, IT drives growth, innovat...