Tech Transforms

Tech Transforms went live in front of an in-person audience (and simultaneously on the virtual platform and LinkedIn Live) for a special episode featuring Steve Stratton, retired Green Beret, former White House and Secret Service professional, and award-winning author of Skip Jack (included in attendees’ welcome package). The conversation explored why storytelling beats “speeds and feeds” when it comes to helping leaders and teams understand technology, remember what matters under pressure, and create real decision advantage. Steve explains how story creates emotional connection, strengthens recall, and gives context that data sheets can’t. Together, the hosts dig into the OODA loop, using a visceral film clip from We Were Soldiers to illustrate what decision-making looks like in chaos—then fast-forward to the near-future battlefield described in Skip Jack, where leaders are overwhelmed by sensors, AI, intel feeds, and massive data volume. A highlight is the reading from Chapter Five, where the commander describes mining high-threat networks and the dark web, relying on data diodes to stop malicious payloads hidden in media files, and pushing decisions to the point of information to speed response in a “nonkinetic war… at the speed of the internet.” The episode closes with rapid-fire “Tech Talk” questions—night vision tech, dream casting for Nicky Fury, and fictional worlds worth visiting—before the live audience transitions into the event’s first mission brief.

In this special holiday episode of Tech Transforms, we’re joined by Mike Beckerle—Chief Software Architect at Owl Cyber Defense, co-creator of the DFDL standard, and a foundational force behind the Apache Daffodil open-source project. Mike’s career has been a masterclass in solving some of the most complex challenges in data interoperability and secure information sharing—often behind the scenes, but always with massive impact. As he steps into retirement (though we’re not totally convinced he’ll slow down), we take a moment to reflect on the legacy he leaves behind—from his pioneering work at Tresys and Owl to shaping real-world standards that actually work. This episode is a celebration of big ideas, mentorship done right, and the kind of quiet brilliance that transforms entire fields. As longtime colleague Stephen Lawrence said best: “Mike didn’t just solve hard problems—he helped the rest of us learn how to solve them too.” If you've ever wrestled with legacy data or wondered what true tech leadership looks like, this one’s a gift.

In this thought-provoking episode of Tech Transforms, host Carolyn Ford welcomes Janet Kang, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned nonprofit leader whose work sits at the intersection of AI innovation, ethics, and long-term societal impact. After building companies since age 13, launching multiple ed-tech ventures, and incubating AI-powered products in a corporate venture studio, Janet experienced firsthand the exhilarating speed and unsettling risks of deploying AI in real-world environments. Those experiences ultimately led her to join Just Horizons Alliance, a nonprofit committed to developing open protocols, ethical frameworks, and real-time auditing tools that help organizations build and deploy AI responsibly. Janet shares candid stories from the early days of AI adoption, where models behaved inconsistently, guardrails lagged behind product timelines, and the pressure to scale fast often overshadowed deeper questions of safety and accountability. She explains why today’s biggest risk isn’t far-off superintelligence; it's the immediate, under-regulated integration of AI into education, healthcare, hiring systems, and public services. For younger users especially, she warns, AI already shapes communication, decision-making, confidence, and even identity and most tech leaders lack the tools to properly assess or mitigate those risks. Carolyn and Janet explore why ethical AI requires more than thought leadership and policy statements. It requires action: adversarial testing, real-world simulations, contextual frameworks, and independent audits that account for messy human behavior, not just ideal use cases. They also discuss the structural barriers women face in tech, the mentors who “give up their seat” to make space, and the mindset shift that comes with parenthood thinking in decades, not quarters. Looking ahead, Janet envisions a future where AI becomes “infrastructure, not the main character” as invisible and reliable as flipping a light switch because circuit breakers, safety layers, and accountability systems are finally in place. Until then, she calls on builders, executives, educators, and policymakers to take practical steps now: test relentlessly, understand failure modes, prioritize vulnerable users, and choose impact over speed. This is an episode for leaders who want to innovate boldly and responsibly, those wrestling with how to balance progress with protection, and how to shape an AI-powered future worthy of the next generation. Show Notes: www.justhorizons.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/kangjanet/ Pause superintelligence petition - https://www.axios.com/2025/10/22/superintelligence-ai-pause-yoshua-bengio Books Mentioned Empire of AI — Karen Hao The Alignment Problem — Brian Christian The Broken Earth Trilogy — N.K. Jemisin (recommended by Carolyn)

In this episode of Tech Transforms, host Carolyn Ford welcomes Connor Morley, Head of Security Research at Glasswall, for a deep dive into the spy-thriller world of modern file security. From malware hidden in images and PDFs to “polyglot” files that can appear as multiple formats at once, Morley exposes how attackers are redefining what a “safe file” really means. They explore how artificial intelligence is supercharging phishing and social-engineering campaigns, making malicious messages nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones. Morley explains the evolution of steganography—the art of concealing code inside digital images and why emerging threats like QR-code hijacking (“quishing”) have become one of the easiest ways to breach both corporate and personal devices. But this isn’t a doom-and-gloom story. Morley shows how zero-trust file filtering and Content Disarm & Reconstruction (CDR) can neutralize hidden payloads without disrupting everyday workflows. He also reveals how these proactive defenses reduce “SOC noise,” giving security teams back valuable focus time and keeping threats from ever reaching end users. From AI-powered deception to invisible payloads hidden in plain sight, this conversation uncovers the unseen layer of cyber defense and reminds leaders that innovation, not fear, is the best shield against tomorrow’s threats. Show Notes: • Whitepapers: Polyglot Files: Unmasking Images & PDFs (https://www.glasswall.com/blog/unmasking-polyglot-files-how-glasswalls-cdr-technology-tackles-this-stealthy-threat) Steganography: Smudging the Invisible Ink (https://www.glasswall.com/blog/innovative-steganography-mitigation-research-safeguarding-against-covert-data-concealment) QR Codes: Neutralizing Threats with CDR (https://www.glasswall.com/blog/beyond-the-scan-why-government-agencies-and-enterprises-must-tackle-qr-code-security-now) • Webinar: File Analysis & CDR: Forging A Formidable Defense (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCBYEDCXpXk) • Website: https://www.glasswall.com/ • Connor Morley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/connormorley/

For our Halloween finale, Carolyn Ford invites two favorite “AI conjurers”, Dave Egts “Mr. X,” public-sector field CTO at Mulesoft, and Laura Klebanow, founder & chief storyteller at Show & Tell, into the Tech Transforms cauldron. Each brings a “secret AI ingredient”: Carolyn composes whimsical Suno-generated theme music (after a prompt-crafting detour through ChatGPT), Laura pushes image creation and Gemini’s career-planner for playful, practical use, and Dave reimagines Gemini’s children’s-storybook gem to craft customer-hero narratives, plus a Scooby-Doo-style Tech Transforms tale. Then we stir in the shadows: misinformation at scale, AI “rights,” bioethics (organoids/bodyoids), job disruption vs. reskilling, and how creativity can demystify AI without sugarcoating risks. The trio closes with rapid-fire “treats & tricks,” classroom-to-boardroom starter tips (talk with AI, don’t just query it; red-team your ideas), and a reminder to “find your beautiful” use the tools to clear the junk so humans can do what only humans do. Brewed takeaways * Prompt craft matters; collaborate across tools (Suno, Gemini, ChatGPT). * Creative play ≠ fluff: it’s a safe on-ramp to literacy and adoption. * AI will change jobs; map “jobs to be done,” automate the rote, upskill the rest. * Ethics aren’t optional: teach harm awareness early (mis/dis/malinformation, bullying). * Start small today: keep a running dialogue with AI and build a personal “advisory board” of model personas. **Show Notes: Dave Egts - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidegts/ Laura Klebanow - Email: [email protected] - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraklebanow/ Suno - https://suno.com/ My storybook: https://g.co/gemini/share/56bbf0498a84 Dave & Gunner Show: www.dgshow.org