The BreakLine Arena

What does resilience look like when the market turns against you? In Episode 78 of the BreakLine Arena, Team BreakLine’s own, Natalia Peddycoart, sits down with Jackson Fairburn, a former U.S. Army AH-64 Apache pilot, company commander, and now Mission Success Lead at Swarm Aero, to unpack his journey from nine years of military service into a volatile 2022 tech hiring market. Jackson shares how h...

Sam Jones started his career as a GS-7 cyber operator in the Air Force. Today, he’s the co-founder and CEO of Method Security, a bleeding-edge, dual-use cybersecurity and AI company that has raised $26M from top investors, including Andreesen Horowitz and General Catalyst.  In this BreakLine Arena conversation, Sam doesn’t just talk with Zayn (CEO and Host) about cybersecurity; he talks about buil...

In the first episode of 2026, we’re bringing you a fresh conversation that sits at the intersection of purpose and performance. Join us in The BreakLine Arena to hear Justin Crocker, Head of People & Talent of the a16z-backed startup, Sharp Performance, pull back the curtain on his strategy for building high-caliber teams. Justin discusses his career and the key decision-making variables along...

In this powerful episode of BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Crystal Maggelet, CEO and Chairwoman of FJ Management, to explore what it means to carry forward a family legacy with purpose and grace. Crystal shares the remarkable story of saving her family business from the brink of bankruptcy, stepping into leadership in a time of immense pressure, and choosing to say “yes” even when it felt risky...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena as we sit down with Carina Edwards , CEO of Kipu Health , for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about leadership, innovation, and the power of building intentional community—what she calls f(r)amily . Carina shares insights from her remarkable 30-year career across the private and public sectors and opens up about what drew her to Kipu Health’s mission...

What does "service before self" look like in one of the world’s most competitive industries? In this powerful episode of the BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Anthony Mirabile , Managing Director at Goldman Sachs , to explore how his military background continues to shape his leadership in finance. Drawing on his experience at the U.S. Air Force Academy and over a decade at Goldman, Anthon...

What does it take to lead grounded in values and with heart, all while scaling businesses? In this episode of BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Marc Maloy, COO of Voze, to explore his leadership journey—from his humble beginnings to building and leading high-performing teams in the tech industry. Marc shares invaluable insights on scaling fast-growing companies, overcoming imposter syndrome, and u...

What does it mean to manage someone else’s legacy, future, and trust all at once? Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Pete Koziol, co-founder of Dauntless Ventures, about building a venture firm with a national purpose. Pete shares his journey from the U.S. Naval Academy to Stanford Business School, his time at Goldman Sachs, and how he co-founded Dauntless Ventures—a firm backi...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for an insightful conversation with Raj Shah , Managing Partner at Shield Capital and co-founder of Resilience . As a former fighter pilot and the current Director of the Joint Reserve Detachment at DIU , Raj brings a unique perspective on the future of war, innovation in defense, and the intersection of government and technology . In this episode, Raj shares his exp...

What does it take to build and scale a thriving business? In this episode of The BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Stef Fisher-Sample, CEO & Co-Founder of HenHouse Holdings, to explore the realities of entrepreneurship and franchising. Stef shares her journey from taking over seven struggling Taco Bell locations to growing a successful business portfolio. She dives into her "pain cave"...

The world of strategic intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace. In this episode of the BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Eric Levesque, COO and Co-Founder of Strider Technologies, to explore how organizations can protect their technology, innovation, and competitive advantage in an era of global strategic competition. Eric shares his expertise on the high-stakes battleground of strategic...

How do you disrupt an entire industry and transform customer experience? Together with his team, TJ Parker, Co-Founder and former CEO of PillPack, did just that. During our conversation, TJ shares the journey of building PillPack, from their early vision and startup team, to navigating through extremely tense dynamics with very large incumbents, to ultimately selling PillPack to Amazon, and contin...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Todd Bennett, President and COO of Deer Valley Resort. Todd and his team are known for the “Deer Valley Difference.” They deliver extraordinary experiences unavailable anywhere else in the world. Todd shares insights on leadership, innovation, and guest experience, and covers topics from major resort expansions, hosting the Olympics and the Wo...

In Episode 63 of the BreakLine Arena, we sit down with Lexi Reese, CEO and co-founder of Lanai Software. Lexi shares actionable insights and research-backed strategies to help individuals and companies achieve big goals together. From hiring practices to building high-functioning teams, she breaks down the five key components that drive success and shares her priorities at Lanai. We also explore L...

We’re thrilled to feature Leslie Snavely, CEO & President of CHG Healthcare, the largest physician and recruiting staffing company in the US. Join us as she shares her inspiring career journey, the unique insights she's gained as a military spouse, and how she stays true to her values: “I want to be who I am, where I am.”  With BreakLine’s new Utah initiative for military spouses and veter...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Josh Araujo, CEO of Forterra. His team, among the earliest innovators in the field, is revolutionizing the defense sector with its dual-use autonomous vehicle systems, while supporting and protecting soldiers and civilians on the front line.   Josh delves into a series of compelling topics, including his unique journey from the Marines to Wall...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Chris Mahl, President and COO of Pryon. Pryon is developing a best-in-class knowledge management platform, transforming complex, unstructured data from multiple sources into solutions for leading enterprises and government agencies. Chris dives into a range of interesting topics, from professional experiences and lessons learned in his earlier...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with John Donahoe, President & CEO of NIKE, Inc., world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.  John dove into his own career transitions and the deeper sense of purpose that guides him. He shared some of the inner...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jessica Nordell, journalist, and author of  The End of Bias: A Beginning . In our conversation, she shares practical and research-backed approaches for addressing the habits of mind and action that prevent leaders from building and retaining outstanding teams. Among other topics, she describes the power of having an “existence proof,” the stab...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jen Sovada, President of Public Sector at SandboxAQ. SandboxAQ is harnessing the power of AI + Quantum technology to develop products for computationally-intensive industries including the public sector, healthcare, and telecommunications. Jen dives into her experience working on emerging technology while bridging the public-private sector gap...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Dan Streetman, CEO of Tanium, a company developing innovative technology to manage complex security and IT environments. Dan dives into his professional journey and describes the challenges he overcame as a CEO. He provides insights into what cultivates a successful leader and outlines the desired qualities of potential talent. All while revea...

J oin us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with William Treseder, Senior Vice President at BMNT, a company transforming how governments deliver new capabilities at speed and at scale. William dives into all things defense tech, including the evolutions he has seen over the past decade and the current state of the market. He also shared the story of his non-linear career path and the essent...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a Conversation with General H.R. McMaster, Former US National Security Advisor, seasoned military strategist, and author of  Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World . In this episode, General McMaster analyzes the shifting tides of global threats since his tenure at the White House. He dives deeper into strategies aimed at reclaiming America's share...

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Richard Coleman, President of Axon Federal, a technology company delivering critical public safety solutions to the nation’s top security, law enforcement agencies, and military departments. Richard shares what attracted him to the public sector and national security as a young engineer, the importance of “breakthrough moments” in your career,...

Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems | Defense Tech: Transforming Government Software Delivery  Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems, a software startup building the first of its kind DevSecOps platform that accelerates delivery of commercial technology to U.S. warfighters and national security professionals. Tyler shares what drew h...