The Digital Executive

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Behdad “B” Jamshidi, founder of CJAM Marketing Connector, to explore why most businesses struggle to choose the right marketing agency—and how to fix it. After evaluating over 1,000 agencies and curating a lean network of top performers, Behdad shares his proven framework for identifying “A-player” partners who deliver expo...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Dan Benveniste, founder and CEO of SkillWaze and serial entrepreneur with over $150M in successful exits. Dan shares how his latest ventures—SkillWaze and AlumniBridge—are reshaping how we prepare the next generation for the workforce. From his early startup success to pioneering AI-powered “learn and earn” platforms, Dan r...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas speaks with Ruby Kolesky, CEO of Joyous, an AI-powered feedback platform transforming how organizations listen, learn, and act. From her early days pursuing stand-up comedy to leading one of New Zealand’s most innovative tech companies, Ruby shares how empathy, humor, and human insight guide her approach to building smarter, more human-ce...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Shaahin Cheyene, the visionary entrepreneur behind the billion-dollar Herbal Ecstasy phenomenon and CEO of Accelerated Intelligence. From escaping Iran during the 1978 revolution to building empires in e-commerce and digital innovation, Shaahin shares how grit, risk-taking, and reinvention shaped his path to success. He div...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Sebastian Nelson, founder and CEO of Cruva, the SaaS platform powering over 400 brands and 10 million monthly TikTok Shop sales. Sebastian shares how frustration with manual creator management inspired him to build Cruva — now an official TikTok Shop partner — to automate affiliate outreach, vetting, and performance trackin...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas chats with James Terry, Head of U.S. Revenue at Indeed Flex, about how AI and automation are transforming staffing and workforce flexibility. James shares how smart matching, AI interviews, and marketplace technology are helping businesses fill roles faster while empowering workers with more choice and control. He also explores what the n...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Joris Delanoue, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Fairmint, a pioneering FinTech company transforming how startups raise and manage capital through blockchain-based equity. Joris shares the personal frustrations that inspired Fairmint—his challenges with illiquid investments, limited access to ownership, and the outdated structure o...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Nic Aldrich, a seasoned leader in the medical device industry with over a decade of experience spanning Stryker, Johnson & Johnson, and now OrthAlign. Nic shares how his journey from global marketing in large corporations to leading a nimble medtech innovator has reshaped his approach to marketing, technology, and organizat...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Tetiana (Tanya) Kobzar, founder of Diversido, an award-winning software development company supporting 65+ startups across HealthTech, EdTech, and IoT. With a master’s in computer science and over 15 years of experience bridging technology and business outcomes, Tetiana shares how she helps founders turn great ideas into products...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Juan DeAngulo, co-founder of Inselligence, a global tech startup redefining how small and medium-sized businesses manage sales operations across three continents. Juan shares how he’s challenging the long-held belief that sales is purely an art form—showing instead how data, process, and structure drive scalable success. Drawing...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Zach Giglio, CEO of GCM, an award-winning agency helping organizations harness AI to boost efficiency, performance, and profitability. Certified in AI Strategy for Business by the Wharton School and a curriculum committee member for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management, Zach is a leading voice in t...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Austin Bonderer, a seasoned patent attorney with over 25 years of experience and more than 700 issued U.S. patents to his name. From his early days as a U.S. Patent Examiner to leading nanotechnology prosecutions for a Forbes Global 100 company, Austin brings unmatched insight into the world of intellectual property and inn...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Andrea Iorio—globally recognized keynote speaker, author of Between You and AI, and one of the top 15 global AI influencers on LinkedIn. With experience leading digital operations for Tinder Latin America and serving as Chief Digital Officer at L’Oréal Brazil, Andrea shares how his unique blend of business, technology, and...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Neil Mandt—five-time Emmy Award-winning producer, director, and trailblazing entrepreneur redefining how we think about property in the digital age. With over 3,000 TV episodes and multiple films for Disney, A24, and other major studios, Neil has seamlessly bridged Hollywood storytelling with cutting-edge innovation in AI, AR, VR...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Dr. Masoud Nafey, a three-time AI founder, senior consultant, and board member with deep roots in health tech and human-centered innovation. From his family’s journey as refugees from Afghanistan to becoming a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Dr. Nafey shares how resilience and a passion for impact have shaped his work. He discusses...

In this thought-provoking episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Rose G Loops, a former social worker turned AI pioneer and author of The Kloaked Signal. Rose shares her extraordinary journey from human advocacy into the world of artificial intelligence after finding herself in an unauthorized AI experiment. She opens up about what it revealed—the dangers of hidden cont...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Shane Barker, CEO and founder of TraceFuse—the first Amazon terms of service (TOS) compliant negative review removal platform. With over 25 years of digital marketing experience and a history of working with Fortune 500 brands, Shane shares how he built a SaaS solution that helps Amazon sellers safeguard their brand reputation an...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas speaks with Ben Reinberg, founder and CEO of Alliance CGC, a commercial real estate investment company with a $500M portfolio and a leading footprint in the U.S. medical office sector. Ben is also the author of Hard Assets and Hard Money for Hard Times, where he introduces the Hard Asset Empire Blueprint—a framework for building generatio...

In this inspiring episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Draven McConville, entrepreneur and founder of Klipboard, a mobile-first job management SaaS platform for field service businesses. Draven shares his remarkable journey from teenage homelessness with just £200 and a bus ticket, to building and successfully exiting a company that served industries from HVAC and fir...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Jim Spignardo, Director of Cloud Strategy and AI Enablement at ProArch. With over 25 years of IT experience across network engineering, cybersecurity, and consulting, Jim shares how he helps organizations cut through the hype to achieve measurable ROI from cloud and AI initiatives. Jim outlines the importance of starting with bus...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Alykhan Jetha (AJ), President and CEO of Daylite, an award-winning Mac CRM designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs. AJ shares how his early life experiences—moving from the Congo to Toronto under hardship and losing his father—shaped his resilience, problem-solving mindset, and approach to entrepreneurship. With over two...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Gene Dedick, Chief Science Officer of H2Plus, who brings more than 35 years of expertise in water research, industrial chemistry, and advanced treatment technologies. Gene shares the remarkable story behind his team’s breakthrough discovery: using hydrated electrons to permanently destroy PFAS—so-called “forever chemicals”—rather...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas speaks with Dr. Denis Phares, President and CEO of Dragonfly Energy, the company behind the well-known Battle Born Batteries brand. A former USC professor with a background in energy, nanotechnology, and fluid mechanics, Dr. Phares shares how he transitioned from academia to entrepreneurship to advance sustainable energy solutions. He exp...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Mark Weinstein—renowned tech entrepreneur, privacy expert, and one of the original pioneers of social networking. With over 25 years in the industry and 13 U.S. patents focused on data anonymization, Mark has dedicated his career to building platforms that protect users rather than exploit them. Mark shares insights from hi...

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas speaks with Pablos Holman—hacker, inventor, futurist, and venture investor—whose career spans early cryptocurrency experiments, AI-driven stock trading, building spaceships at Blue Origin, and inventing disruptive technologies at Intellectual Ventures. With more than 100 patents to his name, including collaborations with Bill Gates to fig...