Business Class News's Podcast

The White House recently urged private companies to bolster their cyber defenses, citing evolving intelligence suggesting the Russian government is exploring “options for potential cyberattacks” targeting U.S. critical infrastructure. Karl talks to Puranda Das,  the CEO and Co-founder of Sotero (www.soterosoft.com) and they discuss the challenges that CTO's and Security teams face when migrating from a physical location of data to a cloud infrastructure. Purandar discus's  organizations' security teams have not been able to achieve a consistent, reliable level of security across their cloud ecosystem and how organizations can have a framework that helps them obtain the industry's best-of-breed security capabilities through a revolutionary data security fabric. Purandar is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of success in the information technology and services space. He is skilled in Technology & Business Development as well as Enterprise Software, Enterprise Architect

Karl talks with Valecia Harris, the current President of the Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship Club, and they talk about the SMU Business Accelerator Program.Both Business Class News and kNEXTis are proud to be media sponsors of the program.The previous SMU Business Plan Competition will now be replaced by the new Cox Graduate Entrepreneurship Club (CGEC) Business Accelerator Program. This program will provide SMU students (both undergraduate and graduate students from across all departments) and recently graduate SMU alumni entrepreneurs the opportunity to take a business venture from idea to product launch. This intense and enriching 6-month program offers a unique combination of immersive workshops, mentorship, as well as access to a wealth of entrepreneurial and investor networks. The program is designed to accelerate ideas, technologies, products, or existing businesses into a thriving market by providing support and hands-on mentorship. This program features two competitions; (1) a Semi-Finalist Elevator Pi

Karl spoke with Finch Fulton, the VP of Policy and Strategy  at Locomation, and they had a fascinating conversation around their business model, and how it fits with the topics Business Class News has been showcasing - The Future of Our Workforce. Finch Fulton joined Locomation in February 2021. He previously served at the US Department of Transportation under Secretary Elaine Chao from 2017-2021, was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and was the nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. There, he led the USDOT’s efforts around the safe integration of transportation technologies into the US transportation system. This included the development of key policies and initiatives around automated vehicles, commercial space operations, data, machine learning and artificial intelligence efforts, hyperloop systems, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and more. He helped develop the President’s UAS Integration Pilot Program and Automated Driving System Demonstration Grants, managed t

On this segment of Link'd AM, Karl talks with Mike Bright, Ph.D. who is Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Grove City College in Grove City, PA. Grove City is a small (2500 students), Christian, liberal arts college with a strong commitment to balancing the liberal arts, science and technical degrees. Karl and Dr. Bright talk about the current state of engineering and how the need has changed over the past few years, and what it looks like going into the future.They touch on many things that have been touched upon in his conversations with Michael Steiner, the Executive Director of BEST Robotics, of which Dr. Bright has been involved with for many years and served as President until recently. ABOUT GROVE CITY COLLEGEA legacy of faithfulness.Faithfulness to our 1876 founding purpose is one of our core values, and it is central to our unique higher education story. Daily, we seek to be faithful to our mission to equip students to pursue their unique callings through an academical

Today I spoke to Nirav Patel, VP of Product Development, and we focused on how to get the most out of launching a successful program. The key to any successful launch and execution of these programs is getting the right elements into the mix. Pre planning is such a crucial part of an implementation and ChannelAssist and our XLA Solution team have adopted a process called Hyper Onboarding, which allows the project team to discover what client really needs and aligns it with the original scope. Getting this additional overlay of requirements allows for adjustments and refinement. In our conversation we talk about the process, the planning and what you should consider when implementing an engagement program. 

Our vision is to turn your donations into Training, Education and Technology for Veterans and their families in needWorking computers can provide a new life to struggling veterans rather than being discarded.Many veterans face two significant barriers when competing in the modern workforce: the lack of a computer and the lack of the skills needed to effectively use that computer.T4T supports these veterans by collecting used technology that would usually end up in landfills, then refurbishing the laptops and other devices.They provide the reloaded technology, along with training, to veterans in need for low or no cost.Who We Are:Tech For Troops was started in Richmond, Virginia by a mother and son team who were passionate about military veterans in need and wanted to do something to help. In 2013 after hearing about the force reductions and a huge number of returning soldiers, they decided to collect used PCs and Macs, refurbish them, and provide them to veterans’ support organizations.Since then we’ve grown

Last week, Karl spoke to Richard Stevens, President of ChannelAssist and they spoke about the power of Engagement and how it can be the difference to a successful Channel Rep program or a failure.Karl wanted to deep dive into some of the tactics to help engage the channel reps, and communication was brought up in the conversation.In this segment, Richard talks about the different tactics and how people learn and intake information. You can get more information by visiting: https://businessclassnews.com/channelassist/

Channel programs are becoming a very effective way for manufacturers and service providers to distribute their products and services.  But so many programs fail because of various factors that ChannelAssist have seen over the years they have been in business.  Richard Stevens, President of ChannelAssist talks to our Publisher, Karl Woolfenden and they talk about the things that need to be included when planning and executing an effective program.  The word throughout this segment is “Engagement” and its the missing link from either a successful program or a failure.  Richard talks about how ChannelAssist approaches this with their clients and points outs some tips to make  you more effective.Watch the video and get more information:https://businessclassnews.com/channelassist/

This week we launched XLA Solutions, a strategic partnership with ChannelAssist one of Worlds leaders in Channel engagement campaigns, and we are excited that our new suite of incentive and rewards can help companies drive revenue and increased engagement.Karl has been in the promotional and incentive business for over 30 years, working with companies like General Motors, Ford and other major organizations designing and executing employee recognition programs, and other engaging campaigns that drive results.In this new environment, we need to, more than ever recognize our most valued partners, and that can be in a channel model or a direct sales and operational model.Sales and operational roles are the fuel to keep the business engine running and if you don't feed the engine with engaging and creative ways to motivate and keep your stakeholders moving forward, a business can suffer.In this episode Brooke Friendly, Marketing Director for ChannelAssist talks to Karl about the importance of getting the mess

Ryan Weaver is a high-energy, all-American, rockin’ country music artist who proudly served as a Black Hawk Helicopter Aviator, Chief Warrant Officer 3, in the United States Army. In 2017, Ryan was announced as the Patriotic Voice of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) for their Celebrate America Campaign at the 2017 PBR World Finals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2018 and 2019, Ryan toured across the U.S. and internationally to Australia with the PBRBuy Ryan's latest release - Let's Talk About Heroes https://linktr.ee/RyanWeaverOfficialABOUT RYAN WEAVERRyan’s personal story is like no other artist in country music today. Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school

When the Marines and the Army partner up, nothing can stop them.  And this is true for Cheramie and Todd Aho , the owners of Cheramie Wine, a Texas wine company that is showcasing the best of Texas wine and how it can be up there with the best.This episode talks about the importance of having the right wine with the right dish, and especially for this Thanksgiving holiday.Cheramie and Todd are going to be regular guest on the show and they will be showcasing up and coming wines they are launching.You can learn more about Cheramie Wine by visiting their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cheramiewine

Be NimbleHow the Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in BusinessMarty Strong's direct and compelling message is focused on business but in truth, its leadership tenets are agnostic as to industry, marketplace, private or public setting. This is not a textbook. It is a personal conversation between a high-performance business leader and professionals searching for actionable insights that deliver results. Be Nimble provides mentorship, tips, tools, and useful examples to help drive home its valuable leadership insights.Marty Strong has an accomplished leadership career spanning four decades. He worked his way from enlisted SEAL Team member to the SEAL Officer corps, retiring with twenty years’ service in that highly-decorated and esteemed military unit. He is the author of the Time Warrior Sagas and the SEAL Strike Series.Link To The Book: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/business-books/our-books/be-nimble-navy-seal-mindset

When people say to me "you are so creative" it gives me a sense of pride that someone has seen I have put thought into my idea, action or work.  So when I was given the opportunity to have the co-author of the book "Cracking The Creativity Code" - Shlomo Maital, as a guest on my show, I jumped at the opportunity.  Shlomo, is Senior Research Fellow at the Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies, Technion and Professor (Emeritus) at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. All that being said I was honored that he joined me and Michael Steiner, Executive Director of BEST Robotics, Inc. to discuss this topic of creativity.We discussed whether creativity can be taught or are you born with it, and the answers were very interesting.Shlomo and Michael talk about the situation in todays educational systems and some concerning trends they are seeing.I am hoping that when leaders of industry and key executives listen to this conversation they learn to embrace creativity within the workforce,

Over the past few months, we have been having some disruptive, and thought-provoking conversations with Michael Steiner, Executive Director of BEST Robotics around the training, education and the elements and skills that students and the workforce need today.One part of my last conversation made me stop and think.Michael talked about the importance of communication in today’s business World, and I wanted to have a deeper conversation around this subject, so we arrange the recording of this segment.I have been an enterprise sales professional for the majority of my career, and I chose to use the power of communication to help educate my audience about the things I am passionate about in the process of doing this over the past several years I have created many strong partnerships and had several win-win outcomes where we have benefited from this approach.But communication was a key element of this approach.  And in today’s “instant” reward approach, sometimes communication is diluted and some of the key element

Ryan Weaver is many things -- a U.S. Army Combat Veteran, Two-Time Gold Star Family Member and a Country Music Singer/Songwriter. Ryan’s personal story is like no other artist in country music today.  He’s a former Black Hawk Aviator who lost a brother and brother-in-law in service, making them a two-time Gold Star family. His brother Aaron was killed in Iraq on January 8, 2004 and his borther-in-law Randy was killed in Afghanistan on December 17, 2013. Ryan used his heartache as determination to succeed.  Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel his fire to accomplish his dreams in music. In the music video, 24-Year NYPD Detective & Emergency Service Unit - Rich Miller relays the behind-the-scenes story of how he helped raise the flag amidst the rubble of the downed World Trade Center buildings after 9/11 – an iconic moment and photo in American history.Learn More: www.ryanweaver.net

An Individual is an Island. A team player is The World Over the next few months Business Class News is going to be having various conversations with Michael Steiner, Executive Director of BEST Robotics Inc.  BEST is an organization that is dedicated to programs that teach students how to work together as teams and give them the experience of the various components of developing a project from design, testing, production, and marketing. A couple of weeks ago Michael spoke with our publisher, Karl Woolfenden and they discussed the topic of training for the future and the importance of getting our students comfortable working as teams and supporting each other to see the best results. It became obvious that this was not a one segment conversation and there are supporting topics that need to be discussed. Training in its traditional sense is developing skills that allow an individual to perform and complete tasks that are essential to a project or job function. Michael wanted to discuss a skill that is quite comp