Tech Transforms

The ocean remains one of the least explored environments on Earth, yet it is rapidly becoming one of the most important frontiers for technology and national security. In this episode of Tech Transforms, Carolyn Ford welcomes Abbey Fabian, Strategic Lead at Raytheon and President of Women in Defense Greater Boston, for a conversation about the emerging world of blue tech and the leadership principles driving innovation across the defense industry.

Abbey explains how technologies designed for underwater environments must overcome challenges unlike anything encountered on land or in the air, and why advances in AI, software-defined systems, and sensing technologies will reshape the future of ocean exploration and defense. She also discusses her role connecting innovative startups with large defense organizations, offering valuable insight into what differentiates truly exceptional companies from the rest.

Beyond technology, the conversation explores leadership, mentorship, and professional growth. Abbey shares how humility, curiosity, and the confidence to ask questions have shaped her career, while highlighting the important work Women in Defense is doing to support professionals across engineering, finance, HR, marketing, and many other disciplines. The result is an engaging discussion about innovation, collaboration, and creating opportunities for the next generation of defense leaders.

Show Notes:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailkeith1/

Women in Defense Greater Boston Chapter: https://widgbc.org

National Defense Industrial Association: https://www.ndia.org

Home | Abbey Fabian: https://www.abbeyfabian.org/

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Carolyn Ford sits down with Ramon Perez, Executive Director of the Digital Democracy Project to explore how emerging technologies could fundamentally reshape democratic participation. Drawing on his background in AI, public policy, and military service, Ramon shares how secure mobile voting, blockchain, digital identity verification, and artificial intelligence are being combined to give citizens a more direct voice in the legislative process.

The discussion examines why traditional methods of contacting elected officials often fall short, how AI can make complex legislation more understandable without replacing human judgment, and why transparency and accountability are essential to rebuilding trust in government. Ramon also demonstrates the Digital Democracy platform, showing how verified citizens can review legislation, access AI-assisted bill summaries, track how lawmakers vote, and compare those votes against the preferences of their constituents.

Rather than replacing representative democracy, the conversation explores how technology can augment it—creating better-informed citizens, more accountable leaders, and new opportunities for meaningful civic participation. Whether you're interested in AI, cybersecurity, public policy, or the future of democratic institutions, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at how technology can be used for the public good.

Show Notes:

Book: The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowicki

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramon-perez-97a87a41/

Links: https://digitaldemocracyproject.org/

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When most people hear "AUKUS," they think of submarines. But according to Lee Davis, Senior Director at Honeywell Aerospace Australia, that's only part of the story.

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Carolyn Ford sits down with Lee Davis to explore how AUKUS is driving one of the most ambitious industrial transformations ever attempted across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Beyond submarines, AUKUS is reshaping how allied nations share information, align security frameworks, coordinate manufacturing capacity, and collaborate across complex defense supply chains.

Davis explains why the biggest challenge isn't technology, workforce, or even production capacity, it's enabling secure, real-time collaboration between governments, primes, suppliers, and manufacturers across three different nations. The conversation examines export control reforms, digital engineering environments, industrial interoperability, and the role secure cloud infrastructure will play in accelerating defense innovation.

The discussion also explores how lessons learned through AUKUS are already benefiting other initiatives, including Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) program, and why AI may become a critical enabler for future industrial collaboration.

Show Notes:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-davis-82323633/

Honeywell Aerospace Website: https://www.honeywellaerospace.com

Australia GWEO Enterprise: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/who-we-are/organisation-structure/guided-weapons-explosive-ordnance-group

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What if the most vulnerable targets in a cyber conflict aren't power plants, military systems, or critical infrastructure?

What if they're the everyday technologies we depend on without a second thought?

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Kurt Sanger, retired U.S. Marine Corps judge advocate, former Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Cyber Command, and cybersecurity attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, explores what he calls the "undefended front line."

Kurt argues that modern cyber conflict is no longer confined to government networks or battlefield systems. The front line now includes airport parking systems, boarding passes, water utilities, small businesses, and countless interconnected technologies that shape daily life. Because cyber operations can be calibrated to disrupt rather than destroy, adversaries can influence behavior, create uncertainty, and impact society in ways that traditional warfare never could.

The conversation examines why operational coordination—not just information sharing—is becoming essential to national cyber defense, the growing role of public-private collaboration, and whether the United States needs a dedicated Cyber Force to meet evolving threats.

Carolyn and Kurt also tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing organizations today: artificial intelligence. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, questions of accountability, governance, and responsibility become far more complex.

From cyber hygiene and critical infrastructure protection to AI ethics and national security strategy, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how cybersecurity has become everyone's responsibility.

Show Notes:

Email: kurt.sanger@bipc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtsanger

Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation – CSIS

https://www.csis.org

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney

https://www.bipc.com

US Cyber Command - https://www.cybercom.mil/

National Security Agency/Central Security Service - https://www.nsa.gov/about/cybersecurity-collaboration-center/

Carolyn Ford sits down with Dawn Zimmer, CIO of the United States Department of Energy, for a deep dive into what it really takes to modernize one of the most complex technology environments in government. From managing decades-old legacy systems across national labs and critical infrastructure to securely integrating AI into everyday operations, Zimmer shares how her team is transforming DOE technology at what she calls “the speed of need.”

The conversation explores DOE’s internally developed platforms, including Quanta, a secure data environment designed to break down long-standing data silos across the department, and Joulix, an AI-enabled workspace that gives employees access to powerful AI capabilities while keeping sensitive DOE data fully protected. Zimmer explains how her team is embedding cybersecurity into every modernization effort from the start, not as a roadblock, but as a foundational enabler that allows innovation to move faster and more safely.

Throughout the episode, Zimmer offers a candid look at balancing mission objectives, AI adoption, governance, operational continuity, and cyber hygiene in an era of rapid technological change. She discusses everything from modernizing HR systems in manageable phases to using AI for proactive IT support, cost reduction, and enterprise-wide cyber visibility through DOE’s new Echo initiative. The discussion ultimately highlights a new model for government technology leadership, one built on agility, mission alignment, reusable platforms, and secure innovation at scale.

ShowNotes:

U.S. Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov

DOE National Laboratories: https://www.energy.gov/national-laboratories

DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response: https://www.energy.gov/ceser/office-cybersecurity-energy-security-and-emergency-response