Teach the Geek: Public Speaking and Communication Skills for Technical Professionals

Nick Schmidt: Technical Communication that Drives Decisions Nick Schmidt is a global entrepreneur, veteran, and technology leader who has scaled businesses across renewable energy, defense, aviation, manufacturing, and enterprise software. As a CTO, Nick has built high-performing teams and architected AI-driven and enterprise-scale systems that turn complex ideas into measurable business results....

Bob Hankins: Speaking Engineering to Business Leaders Bob Hankins is Director of Engineering with more than 20 years of experience in engineering leadership, product development, and medical technology. Bob has built a career translating complex technical challenges into practical business outcomes while also serving in executive leadership roles, including interim Medical CTO. In our conversation...

Thomas Mazzaferro: Helping Technical Professionals Influence Decisions Thomas Mazzaferro is a globally recognized executive who has led AI, data, and digital transformation initiatives at several companies. We discuss how communication gaps between technical and nontechnical stakeholders can shape decision-making, trust, and business outcomes. We also explore the role of storytelling, leadership,...

Venkat Sivaramakrishnan: From Battery Research to Leadership Venkat Sivaramakrishnan is an accomplished R&D leader who brings together deep technical expertise and strong people skills, currently working at the intersection of research, innovation, and business development in the battery technology space. He has also led global virtual teams and built international academic collaborations acro...

Kishore Ravilla: How CTOs Influence Business Decisions Kishore Ravilla is a CTO with 25 years of leadership across healthcare, insurance, and financial services. In this episode, we explore how technology leaders can better communicate with business stakeholders, why storytelling matters in digital transformation, and how strong execution and operational excellence create lasting business value. T...

Justin Windle: Bridging Data and Business Communication Justin Windle has more than 20 years of leadership experience across major financial institutions. In this episode, we explore why communication often breaks down between technical teams and business stakeholders, how storytelling shapes data-driven decision making, and what leaders get wrong about analytics, AI, and governance. We also discu...

Jill Luber: Translating Tech for Everyone Jill Luber is a longtime technology and data leader. Her career has included building the data backbone behind analytics products, leading major technology integrations, and overseeing engineering teams responsible for core linking and scoring systems. With deep expertise in data, engineering, security, and analytics, Jill is known not only for her technic...

Renaud Adams: Mining Leadership through Communication Renaud Adams is a mining industry leader with more than 30 years of global operational and executive experience across the Americas. Throughout his career, Renaud has led major organizations, helping guide strategic growth, operational performance, and major company transformations. In this episode, we discuss the communication challenges betwe...

Angelo Mazzocco: Speaking Beyond the Technical Audience Angelo Mazzocco, President of Mazzocco Consulting LLC, has built a career that includes leading technology organizations as a CIO, president, and advisor across several companies. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member and has earned numerous awards for innovation, leadership, and service. In this episode, Angelo shares how communica...

Naomi Lenane: Fixing the Tech-Business Disconnect Today’s guest, Naomi Lenane, is a results-driven CIO known for aligning technology with business needs. We’ll discuss why communication between technical teams and non‑technical leaders so often falters, and what those gaps cost an organization. We’ll also dive into how misconceptions about engineering and IT shape decisions at the highest levels,...

In this solo episode, I talk about my experience with Toastmasters and how it shaped how I view public speaking. For technical professionals who speak to decision makers, this episode was made with you in mind. __ TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.com Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG) Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Pro...

Raffi Krikorian: Translating Tech for Better Business Outcomes CTO Raffi Krikorian is a technology leader who has worked at the highest levels and, among other things, helped to launch the first self-driving fleet in the United States. In this conversation, we explore why communication breaks down between technical and nontechnical teams, the misconceptions that shape business decisions, and the r...

Uma Subramanian: Bridging the Technical Talent Communication Gap Uma Subramanian is founder of The Limitless Leaders, where she’s redefining how leadership is developed for the modern world of work. From scaling a global developer community to 37,000 members in just five months and leading developer success, she’s seen firsthand how technical talent can thrive or stall based on how well they commu...

Antonio Taylor: Turning Tech Talk into Business Value Most organizations don’t have a technology problem; they have an ownership problem. Today’s guest, Antonio Taylor, has spent more than 26 years in IT and executive leadership helping companies confront exactly that. He’s worked with organizations navigating growth, risk, and transformation, bringing executive-level clarity to technology decisio...

Jason Johnson: from Warehouse Floor to CIO Impact CIO Jason Johnson leads a 210-person IT organization focused on making technology serve the business, not the other way around. From packing boxes on the warehouse floor to building data-driven systems that directly impact revenue, efficiency, and customer loyalty, he brings a rare ground-level perspective to executive decision-making. With a backg...

Samya DasSarma: Bridging Tech and Business Communication CTO Samya DasSarma has more than 25 years of experience in software development and leadership. He has spent much of his career operating at the intersection of deep technical work and executive decision making. In this episode, we explore the communication gaps between technical experts and business leaders, how those gaps affect strategic...

Dan Lipp: Speaking Tech so Executives Understand Dan Lipp’s career began with a physics degree and grew into more than 25 years leading software teams, delivering products, and guiding Agile transformations across startups and established companies. Today, he focuses less on coding and more on helping individuals and teams improve their satisfaction and productivity through leadership, mentoring,...

Sam Juarez: Communicating Tech Risk to Executives Head of IT Sam Juarez has risen from the help desk to the boardroom, leading technology strategy for more than 3,600 employees. He has more than 15 years of experience scaling operations, driving digital transformation, and delivering measurable cost savings. In this episode, we explore the communication gaps between technical professionals and bus...

Ken Little: Bridging Engineering and Business Today, we’re tackling one of the most expensive and underestimated problems in modern organizations: the communication gap between technical professionals and nontechnical leaders. I’m joined by Ken Little, SVP of Engineering, to explore where engineers most often struggle with nontechnical audiences, how to make complex ideas understandable to busines...

Kader Sakkaria on Translating Technical Complexity into Executive Decisions Kader Sakkaria is a senior technology and data executive who has led enterprise-scale transformation across financial services and complex global organizations. The work sits at the intersection of data, AI, and executive decision-making, helping organizations turn fragmented efforts into durable business value. In this ep...

Mike Grabarek: Learning, Leadership, and the Language of Impact Mike Grabarek helps people and organizations thrive through better learning, coaching, and change leadership. From streamlining performance management to crafting top-rated eLearning and coaching programs, he has led L&D efforts that stick. We talk about how technical professionals can communicate more effectively with nontechnica...

Patrick Dunn: Bridging Technical and Non-Technical Audiences Patrick Dunn is no stranger to bridging the gap between technical and nontechnical teams. We explore how he translates requirements, resolves misunderstandings, and helps both sides achieve true alignment on complex projects. Patrick also shares his tips for improving communication, managing nerves, and speaking effectively in high-stake...

Richard Geary: Clarity over Complexity for Leaders Richard Geary, an EVP of drug development, and I discuss why communication is just as important as technical skill for leaders. We break down the biggest mistakes technical professionals make when talking to nontechnical audiences and share actionable strategies for making complex work clear and compelling. Plus, we cover tips on managing nerves,...

Ramesh Songukrishnasamy: Communication Gaps that Stall Progress CTO Ramesh Songukrishnasamy and I explore how communication gaps, not technical gaps, slow down projects, derail decisions, and limit career growth for technical professionals. As a transformational leader who has driven major technology transformations, built high-performing teams, and delivered millions in new product revenue, he sh...

Robert Blumofe: a CTO on Technical Influence CTO Robert Blumofe oversees areas like edge computing, zero trust, 5G, and IoT, while working closely with customers and internal leaders on digital transformation. In this conversation, we will explore how technical professionals can better communicate with nontechnical audiences, why technical excellence alone is not enough to influence outcomes, and...