The Tech Trek

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Emily Long, the CEO and co-founder of Edera, a deep tech startup focused on secure infrastructure. Emily shares her unconventional journey from HR leadership into the world of high-performance computing, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Together, they explore the realities of leading a technical startup as a non-engineer, the underestimated v...

Arlene Watson, a product and engineering leader in the cybersecurity space with experience at CrowdStrike, ServiceNow, and Tenable, joins the show to unpack the critical challenges facing cybersecurity teams today. We dive into breach realities, the need for proactive defenses, how automation is reshaping security operations, and why AI is both a threat and an essential tool. If you’re building, m...

In this episode, Amir sits down with David Marchick, Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University, to explore how AI is transforming higher education. From early skepticism to full-scale integration, David shares how his faculty is embracing generative AI—not just as a tool, but as a cornerstone of future-ready learning. The conversation dives into what it means to prepare students...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Brent Keator, an expert advisor at Primary Venture Partners, to unpack one of the most debated engineering challenges: tech debt versus reengineering. They explore how to define tech debt, when to refactor versus rebuild, the ROI of revisiting old code, and how AI is (and isn't) changing the equation. This is a must-listen for engineering leaders navigating...

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Andy White, CEO of ClosingLock, to talk through his journey from PhD engineer to startup founder. Andy shares the aha moment that launched ClosingLock, a cybersecurity-focused platform protecting real estate transactions, and offers a transparent look at the early struggles of building trust in a skeptical industry. From pitching title companies with Ch...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand talks with Jason Wells, Head of Engineering at BrowserBase, about building a high-performance culture rooted in trust, emotional intelligence, and psychological safety. Jason shares how his unconventional path—including a six-year break from tech—helped shape a management philosophy that puts human connection at the center of engineering leadership. F...

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Kieran Furlong, CEO and co-founder of Realta Fusion, to explore the unique path of a deep tech startup spun out of a university lab. They discuss building a fusion energy company, navigating complex stakeholder relationships with universities and government agencies, and keeping long-term mission-driven teams aligned. From licensing technology to managi...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Clark Downum, CTO at Redox, to unpack the deeper dynamics between engineering, product, and business stakeholders. From tech debt and project delays to culture, communication gaps, and delivery trade-offs—this conversation is a candid exploration of how technical teams can drive impact without getting stuck in process perfection. Whether you&#3...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Daniel Whatley, co-founder and technical lead at Vividly, shares his journey launching a startup while still a student at MIT. From managing college life during COVID to navigating the CPG industry's digital transformation, Daniel reflects on what it meant to be the youngest in the room, how he grew into executive leadership, and what he wishes he’d known befo...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir is joined by Jonathan Myron, VP of Engineering at Healthie, to dive into what it really takes to lead engineering teams inside startups. From aligning with founders' visions to building engineering cultures that thrive on autonomy and creativity, Jonathan shares hard-won lessons for engineers stepping into leadership. Whether you're building early-sta...

What should you really be asking during your interview as a tech leader? And once you land the role, how do you manage expectations, reduce technical debt, and make meaningful impact fast? In this episode, Justin Nguyen, Technology Director of Enterprise Data & Analytics at Home Depot, shares hard-won insights from his recent leadership transitions. From assessing team maturity to setting real...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Brendan Grove, CTO and co-founder at PrizeOut, shares how his non-traditional background shaped his leadership style and hiring philosophy. Brendan dives into how being curious, humble, and pattern-aware has helped him scale teams and solve complex problems. He also unpacks how hiring for core traits like learning velocity and ownership can outperform chasing resu...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Ronak Vyas, Co-Founder and CTO of Lead Bank, to explore how leadership principles remain constant even as the problems — and companies — change. Ronak shares lessons from leading at Yahoo, Square, and now founding a fintech bank, reflecting on how to adjust to new environments, make high-stakes decisions, and transition from engineering leader...

In this episode, Marty Neese, CEO of Verdagy, joins Amir to unpack what it takes to scale a company in one of the most innovative and high-stakes industries—green hydrogen. From managing a purpose-driven culture to embracing failures as a strategic advantage, Marty shares insights on leading ambitious climate tech initiatives while staying grounded in economic reality. Whether you're in tech,...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir chats with Rob Williams, co-founder and CTO at Read AI, about what it truly means to be an AI-native company. Rob shares how Read AI uses its own tools internally, how his small but mighty engineering team balances speed and structure, and the evolving role of AI in productivity workflows. Whether you're building AI products or trying to adopt them effectivel...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Abhi Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder of Relyance AI, to unpack the philosophy of "unreasonable hospitality"—a framework for building unforgettable customer and team experiences. From small gestures like a humidifier in the interview room to culture-embedded rituals, Abhi reveals how this principle fuels trust, retention, and performance at...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sasha Gainullin, CEO of Battleface, to explore how focusing on a small, underserved niche in the travel insurance industry unlocked global opportunity. Sasha shares how Battleface used in-house technology to revolutionize the outdated travel insurance model, expanding from serving adventure travelers to powering major partners through their ser...

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Tony Speller, Division SVP of Technical Operations and Engineering at Comcast, to explore how AI is quietly but powerfully transforming the customer and employee experience at one of the world’s largest media and technology companies. From self-healing network devices to predictive outage detection, Tony walks us through Comcast’s internal innovation pl...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Nirman Dave, co-founder and CEO of Zams, an enterprise AI platform built to help businesses design and deploy AI agents with ease. They dive into Nirman's founding story—launching during the pandemic, navigating the evolution of the AI ecosystem, and the unique challenges of maintaining customer focus amid shifting trends and rising competition. Nirman also...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, I sit down with Artem Rodichev, Founder & CEO of Ex-Human, to explore the emerging world of empathetic generative AI. We discuss how today’s LLMs fall short on emotional intelligence and how Ex-Human is building AI that can emotionally connect with users. Artem shares the vision behind their product Botify AI, its real-world applications—from gaming and educat...

What does it mean to find out what your team is actually good at—and how do you use that insight to grow, scale, and lead effectively? In this episode, Amir sits down with Pallavi Pal, Head of Product at Grata, to unpack the nuanced art of identifying strengths within product teams. From hiring with purpose to fostering technical and soft skills, Pallavi shares how she built her team from the grou...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Zach Barney, Co-founder and CEO of Mobly, the system of record for event marketers. Zach’s story takes us from his early ambitions of joining the NSA to a career-altering injury, a serendipitous fall into sales, and eventually the founding of Mobly. This episode explores not only the career pivots that led Zach to entrepreneurship, but also the mental, financia...

Join us in this insightful conversation with Eric Valasek as we explore the crucial relationship between CEOs, product teams, and engineering leaders. Eric shares his expertise on managing prioritization, strategic tech debt, and ensuring engineering teams stay focused and insulated amidst business dynamics. Key Takeaways: Balance is Crucial: A company's success depends heavily on balancing bu...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Shang Wang, Co-founder and CTO of CentML, to explore the dynamic landscape of open source AI technologies and how enterprises are rapidly adapting to this growing ecosystem. Shang offers expert insights into why open source solutions are becoming essential in AI development, the advantages in security and privacy, and how CentML strateg...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Andrew Levy, CEO and Co-founder of AirCover.ai, to explore how agentic AI is transforming the sales landscape. Andrew shares how AirCover builds real-time digital assistants that empower sales teams, the role of humans in AI-driven workflows, and how enterprises—both nimble and traditional—are adopting these tools to leap ahead. From change man...