The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , Derrick Girard shares his remarkable journey from financial services advisor to tech founder — despite having no technical background. Derrick opens up about scaling his company without a traditional sales team, surviving multiple lawsuits, and ultimately selling his business. His story is one of grit, resilience, and what he calls the FIO (Figure It O...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I sit down with Rob Duffy , CTO of HealthEdge , to unpack how healthcare—one of the last industries to modernize—is finally undergoing a deep digital transformation. Rob shares how his journey through companies like Amazon, Kindle, Time Inc., and Expedia prepared him for leading one of the most complex transitions in technology: taking healthcare syste...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I sit down with Leandro Cartelli , CEO of Lana Talent , to explore how Latin America is emerging as one of the most strategic regions for global hiring. From Argentina to the world, Lean shares insights from 15+ years in talent acquisition—helping startups and SMBs build cost-effective, high-performing remote teams. We discuss why the “right hire” is e...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we dive into the future of education and technology with Greg Banks , a veteran teacher, school administrator, researcher, and author. Greg brings over 20 years of experience in K-12 education and chemistry teaching, along with a deep perspective on how AI is reshaping classrooms. From the early days of clickers and smart boards to today’s AI-powered t...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I sit down with Rob Kalwarowsky — executive coach, TEDx speaker, and author of Capitalizing on Chaos . Rob shares his powerful personal journey from MIT-trained engineer to leadership coach, opening up about toxic leadership, mental health struggles, and how he transformed adversity into a framework for resilient leadership. We explore what chaos reall...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I sit down with Alistair Gordon , founder of Expertunity and author of Master Expert . Alistair has spent decades helping organizations unlock the hidden potential of their technical experts by transforming them into influential leaders. We dive into why technical skills alone are no longer enough, how “enterprise skills” drive innovation, and why over...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I sit down with Corey Hart , Senior Director of Growth at Mentavi Health . Corey shares his journey from the entertainment industry to scaling telehealth and mental health startups, his lessons from driving 800% growth in behavioral health, and how AI-driven personalization (“B2Me”) is reshaping healthcare marketing and patient care. We also dive into...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I’m joined by Elipaz Tanzman , Co-Founder and CEO of Cygnostic . Elipaz brings a wealth of experience from his early career as a cybersecurity officer in the Navy to leading innovative solutions in application, AI/ML, and cloud security. We explore how organizations can break the long-standing tension between R&D and security teams, building a part...

What if our education system is training students for jobs that no longer exist? In this eye-opening conversation, bestselling author, film producer, and former venture capitalist Ted Dintersmith shares why decades of math education have missed the mark — and what we must teach instead to prepare for the AI-driven future. From his years in venture capital spotting disruptive innovation to his curr...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , I sit down with Lars Maaløe , Co-Founder and CTO of Corti.ai , to explore how AI is transforming healthcare. From explainability and compliance to building scalable AI infrastructure, Lars shares his journey from researching generative models to delivering life-changing technology for clinicians and patients worldwide. We unpack the challenges of deplo...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we dive deep with Ron Green , CTO of Kungfu.ai , a veteran AI engineer and serial entrepreneur who’s built 9 startups and deployed 120+ enterprise-grade AI systems. Ron shares how to go beyond AI hype , build custom AI that works, and unlock real ROI using the data you already have. 💡 What You’ll Learn • Why bottom-up AI initiatives often outperform b...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we dive deep into the future of venture capital with Cyril Shtabtsovsky , founder of AlphaSemantic and a practicing VC. Cyril shares how his data-driven platform helps venture firms source, score, and connect with high-potential startups — using proprietary algorithms and machine learning to augment traditional VC workflows. From the role of AI in deal...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we sit down with Glen Cameron, founder and CEO of Bonded, to explore how technology can validate the most human thing we have: relationships. From immigration barriers to identity verification in a deepfake world, Glen unpacks the inspiration behind Bonded — a startup building proof-of-relationship infrastructure for the AI age. 🎯 Key Takeaways • The...

In this special 500th episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we dive deep into the talent game behind startup scaling and private equity moves. Joining us is Justin Dixon , founder of Hire Tomorrow, who brings nearly two decades of recruiting experience—from Fortune 500s to early-stage startups and PE-backed ventures. We explore how AI is disrupting (and complicating) hiring, why job security at bi...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , host Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Karan Jain , Founder and CEO of NayaOne , to explore the broken state of enterprise tech adoption — and what it takes to fix it. With over two decades of experience in financial services and technology, Karan is on a mission to eliminate the painful 12-month vendor procurement cycles that cripple innovation in large i...

In this episode, host Mehmet Gonullu welcomes back Dev Aditya , Co-Founder of OIAI by Otermans Institute , who returns nearly two years after his first appearance to share an extraordinary update: they’ve built an AI teacher that runs completely offline — even on a 2020 Android phone. From educating learners in refugee camps to scaling across 17 countries, Dev’s mission is clear: make AI-powered l...

Raj Singh, VP of Product at Mozilla and a seasoned startup founder, joins The CTO Show with Mehmet to share a candid look into the evolution of building products—from the early days of AI to today’s GenAI-fueled solo founder wave. We dive into what vibe coding means, how big companies like Mozilla are tackling zero-to-one innovation, and why most startups fail—not because of the idea, but because...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we sit down with Jeremy Ames , Co-Founder and CEO of Guidant Financial , a company that has helped over 30,000 entrepreneurs fund their businesses using US retirement funds. Jeremy shares his unconventional path into entrepreneurship, the rise of Main Street innovation , and what truly holds people back from launching businesses. This is a masterclass...

In this episode, I sit down with Greg Marlin , the CTO of ZKcandy , to explore the evolving intersection of AI agents, blockchain infrastructure, NFTs, and the gaming world . We dive deep into how Greg is building seamless onboarding for Web3 gaming, how AI agents are redefining non-player characters and companions, and why encrypted AI agent NFTs might just be the future of user-owned digital exp...

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Mauro Battellini , co-founder of Black Unicorn PR , to break down why PR is no longer optional for startups—and how the rise of AI-powered search is changing what investors and customers see first. From fundraising strategy to media perception, Mauro explains how to build legitimacy , earn visibility , and outperform better-funded competitors —even if you’re...

In this episode of The CTO Show , Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Cosmin Ivan , CEO of Platinumlist , the leading event and ticketing platform in the MENA region. From selling tickets by hand to building a platform used for the biggest concerts and sporting events, Cosmin shares his 18-year journey and how Platinumlist became a trusted tech partner for global entertainment brands. They unpack the po...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , we sit down with Eric Müller , Product Engineering Associate Director at Work & Co, to unpack the evolving intersection of AI adoption , digital security , and empathetic leadership . With a career that spans cybersecurity, product architecture, and agency collaboration, Eric shares how to lead engineering teams through complexity without losing th...

In this episode, Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Mary Moore-Simmons , VP of Engineering at Keebo AI, to unpack what it really takes to scale high-performing engineering teams in today’s AI-powered environment. From DevOps and ML Ops to building team culture that lasts, Mary shares hard-won insights from over a decade in engineering leadership across startups and high-growth tech companies. This is a...

In this episode of The CTO Show , Mehmet welcomes Keith Cassar , CTO at Game Lounge, who shares his journey from SQL developer to tech leader, and what it takes to evolve from a data specialist into a cross-functional CTO. Together, they explore how to make data genuinely useful, what AI can and can’t solve, and how to scale high-performing tech teams without overengineering. 📌 Key Takeaways • Th...

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet , Dr. Andrey Kunov — serial entrepreneur, founder of Silicon Valley Innovation Center, and AI advisor — joins us from the heart of Silicon Valley to dissect what truly makes the Valley unbeatable. We explore why other ecosystems struggle to replicate it, what founders in emerging markets should focus on instead, and how AI is reshaping the rules of start...