Innovation Heroes

A decade of better tools. Better services. Better data. And yet the same statistic keeps showing up: 25-30% of enterprise technology spend is wasted. Why can't anyone move the needle? Shane Cronin, Head of ITAM & FinOps Services at SHI International, breaks down why traditional approaches to IT asset management have stalled—and what it actually takes to turn savings reports into realized value...

Everyone’s talking about AI that writes code and answers questions. But what happens when AI has to operate in the physical world, where mistakes don’t just generate weird sentences, they have real consequences? On this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara sits down with Tete Xiao, VP of Engineering and AI at Bot Auto, to explore what it actually takes to deploy AI that touches the real...

The encryption protecting your most sensitive data has as an expiration date. Nation-states are harvesting encrypted traffic right now, stockpiling it until quantum computers become powerful enough to crack it in seconds. In this episode, Ed McNamara sits down with Brad Bowers, SHI's Lead Field Chief Information Security Officer, who breaks down the quantum cryptography threat in terms IT leaders...

AI ambition is colliding with physical reality. As data centers push from 20-kilowatt racks to 120-kilowatt systems—with megawatt-per-rack infrastructure on the horizon—the limits of power and cooling have become impossible to ignore. In this episode of Innovation Heroes, Ed McNamara explores the collision between AI ambition and energy reality with two guides who see the problem from opposite end...

State and local governments are under pressure to deliver modern services, but budgets, staffing shortages, and long procurement cycles make innovation feel impossible. In this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara talks with three leaders proving that AI-powered Smart Cities aren’t a futuristic concept. They’re happening now. SHI’s Jack Hogan and Denise Collison join NVIDIA’s Michael She...

Enterprises are spending thousands — sometimes millions — on AI productivity tools. But for many, the big question remains: Are we getting what we paid for? In this episode of Innovation Heroes, SHI's Chief of Staff to the CIO, Brooke Pierantoni, shares how SHI turned Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Chat into a measurable win: $1.4M in monthly productivity savings and a fully secured enterprise roll...

Most chatbots fall short—slow responses, confusing menus, and frustrated users who abandon the experience. But what if you could replace that with a lifelike, multilingual Digital AI Ambassador — and prove it works in just six weeks? In this episode, host Ed McNamara sits down with SHI’s Jack Hogan and HPE’s Robin Braun to break down how SHI and HPE built Digital Humans that are fast, secure, and...

While everyone debates whether AI is overhyped, Intel's Stacey Shulman argues we're dramatically underhyping it—and our linear thinking is making us dangerously unprepared. AI capabilities are doubling every six months, four times faster than Moore's Law, yet most organizations are still trying to build "AI infrastructure" instead of resilient infrastructure that can evolve with technology moving...

What happens when IT leaders have to choose between safety and innovation? In New Jersey, one teacher proved that the biggest obstacles to transformation often come from inside our own departments.  Chris Aviles started Garden State eSports during COVID with borrowed laptops and a spreadsheet. Today, it's the largest scholastic eSports league in the country, serving 12,000 students across 400+ sch...

A Hong Kong employee sits through what seems like a routine video call with colleagues and the CFO. Everything looks normal. Then comes the urgent wire transfer request. $25 million later, the horrifying truth emerges: every face on that call was fake, generated by AI. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, host Ed McNamara sits down with Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, to unpack...

Twelve years. That's how long a vulnerability sat in sudo—the command powering every Linux system—waiting for the wrong hands. When Stratascale researchers Rich Mirch and Quentin Rhoads-Herrera discovered not one, but two zero-day vulnerabilities in sudo, millions of systems worldwide were at risk.  Go behind the scenes of a discovery that could have changed everything—but didn't, thanks to ethica...

More than 80% of disabilities are invisible, yet too often technology and workplace systems overlook these needs. In this episode, Rutgers swimmer and Deaflympian Brooke Thompson shares her inspiring journey—from Michigan lakes to the global stage—powered by adaptive technology and relentless advocacy. Through her story, we uncover the bigger message for IT and business leaders: accessibility is n...

SHI's Innovation Heroes is back. After hitting #1 on the Apple Technology charts, Season 7 brings twelve no-fluff episodes on the real risks and real answers facing IT leaders today—from cybercrime that runs like a Fortune 500 to the power of accessibility in tech. It's a new season— with a clear mission: Bringing you conversations that cut through the noise and give IT leaders what they actually...

What should you really do about your VMware environment? Since Broadcom’s acquisition, virtualization strategy has become a hot topic on the minds of CIOs and infrastructure leaders. In this episode, we sit down with Cody Hosterman, Senior Director of Product Management – Cloud at Pure Storage, who speaks with hundreds of IT execs every year through high-level briefings and customer strategy sessi...

AI is here and IT leaders are under pressure to make it work—fast. But adoption doesn’t happen overnight, and organizations need a clear strategy to drive ROI from Microsoft Copilot. In this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara sits down with three of SHI's Microsoft experts—Carrie Randolph (Public Sector Strategist), Michael Heath (Power Platform Solutions Engineer), and Dominick Raimat...

What if the company you worked for went bankrupt overnight—only for a bold new leader to step in and turn it into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse?   That’s exactly what happened to SHI’s first employee, Melissa Graham.   In this special episode of Innovation Heroes, we’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of SHI. Melissa, the company's very first employee, shares stories about co-founder and CEO,...

Last month, no one had heard of DeepSeek. But then it racked up a stunning 16 million downloads in just 18 days — nearly double ChatGPT’s initial adoption.     The China-based AI model has certainly captured the attention of both investors and technologists. But while some see it as the future of AI, others are raising red flags over its origins and potential security risks.     In this episode of...

How are data and AI revolutionizing teams—whether on the field or in the boardroom?  In this episode of Innovation Heroes, Casey Murphy, goalkeeper for the North Carolina Courage and the U.S. Women’s National Team, and Founder and Director of Operations of AP2T, Mike Olim, dive into the cutting-edge tech reshaping elite sports.  From wearables to AI-driven insights, discover how these tools optimi...

What if the future of AI didn’t live in the cloud, but right in the palm of your hand?   In this episode of Innovation Heroes, host Ed McNamara uncovers the revolution of on-device AI with Qualcomm's Mike Belcher, Director of North American Commercial Channels.   Discover how this cutting-edge technology is reshaping industries, slashing costs, helping the environment and redefining what’s possibl...

It's been an incredible year of captivating stories and thought provoking discussions. We're taking a short break over the holidays to recharge, plan, and gear up for even more exciting episodes in the new year. So mark your calendar, stay subscribed, and keep an ear out for our return.  Until then, take care, enjoy the holiday season, and thank you for making this year truly unforgettable. From S...

It’s good to identify a problem. But’s it’s even better to find a solution.  We speak with Elizabeth Bieniek, an innovation consultant and a former Cisco strategist who spearheaded the creation of Webex Hologram – the first real-time, photorealistic holographic tool to transform business collaboration.   Elizabeth shares her journey from a strategic partnerships role to leading the development of...

AI is stealing jobs. But that’s not the whole story. In this episode of Innovation Heroes, we explore the often-overlooked benefits of AI in the workplace.     While AI is automating tasks and changing job roles, it's also empowering employees, boosting creativity, learning, and unlocking their untapped potential. We speak with Geoff Wright, Global Solutions Owner at Mondelēz International, a glob...

When bad actors get more sophisticated, cybersecurity professionals only have one choice: Innovation.   In this episode of Innovation Heroes, we explore the rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape with Brianna Farro, Cisco's Security Director of XDR Product Management. Briana explains why traditional siloed security approaches are insufficient in today's complex threat environment and how extende...

What happens when a small town in North Carolina embraces cutting-edge technology to become a leader in smart city innovation? In this episode, host Ed McNamara is joined by SHI’s Senior Vice President of Public Sector Sales, Denise Collison, and special guest Dan Ault, Assistant Town Manager and Chief Innovation Officer for Cary, North Carolina.   Together, they dive into the challenges and succe...

What if the key to detecting cancer earlier—and saving thousands of lives—lies in AI? Host Ed McNamara explores how Kheiron Medical is making that a reality. Joined by Peter Kecskemethy, CEO and co-founder, and Sarah Kerruish, Chief Strategy Officer, they delve into the groundbreaking technology behind Mia® – Kheiron’s AI-powered tool that is revolutionizing breast cancer detection by detecting wh...