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Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Ron McMurtrie with Honeywell

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ABR-Honeywell-Feature
Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Ron McMurtrie with Honeywell
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Georgia-Technology-Summit

Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Ron-McMurtrieRon McMurtrie, CMO at Honeywell, is an accomplished results-oriented global business leader with experience at world-class brands in roles that include Group President, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President Marketing.

A multi-dimensional leader with P&L and personnel responsibility spanning direct sales, marketing, enterprise consulting and professional services in private and public sector markets.

Diverse industry background with expertise leading transformation, turnaround and growth opportunities and specialization across sales and marketing including strategy, direct sales, sales operations, sales effectiveness, communications and all disciplines of marketing.

Connect with Ron on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor. We’re broadcasting live at the Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest, the diamond sponsor of this whole thing. It is Ron McMurtrie with Honeywell. Welcome.

Ron McMurtrie: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: Um, so excited for you to be here. Tell the folks why it was so important for not only to attend here, but to be the diamond sponsor of this great event.

Ron McMurtrie: Look, uh, we’re a member of the community, just like, um, the rest of the sponsors here. And Honeywell has a large presence with our building automation business and our software business, uh, Honeywell Connected Enterprise, uh, right here on Peachtree, and being a part of this is important for us to support the community, have our colleagues be engaged and share our technology. And, uh, for Honeywell, this is our third year in a row being a sponsor at this level.

Lee Kantor: So now as an organization, Honeywell is all over the planet. But how do you typically when you have presence in a community, do you get this involved or is this unusual?

Ron McMurtrie: Now we have um, we are a global organization, of course, and have colleagues in literally hundreds of countries and serve a broad range of industries. But, you know, where we have major colleague hubs in Houston and in Charlotte and in Atlanta and in parts of the Middle East and Asia, we we tend to very much embrace the community. Honeywell is very much a colleague focused organization, and we serve the the same communities that serve us. And wherever we have large locations, our colleagues tend to rally around the environment and the communities that they’re a part of.

Lee Kantor: So when Honeywell decides to get involved to this level, uh, with a tag, how does that trickle down to all the employees in Honeywell here in Atlanta? Is that something that’s encouraged for everybody at Honeywell to say, okay, we need you to be joining Tag. We need you to take leadership roles. It’s no, it’s we’re not just cutting a check. We’re really immersing our team in our culture into tag.

Ron McMurtrie: We, uh, we don’t require anything of that nature. It’s, uh, it’s an opportunity for them. We treat it as, uh, an area for them to those leaders that are looking to develop, develop themselves or get involved or have special interest communities. We you know, we have I sponsor a lot of it in terms of driving engagement with the colleagues as well as the rest of the leadership team, but it’s inclusive of all colleagues within the market, and they want to be a part of it. We we teach them about the societies and how to get involved. If they’re looking on developing leadership skills, we help them get different positions in terms of serving on boards and serving on committees, but it’s strictly volunteer. We all get back in some way, and it not only develops the career, but gives back to the community and this ecosystem we have.

Lee Kantor: So if you were giving advice to a young person, um, how would you kind of recommend that they leverage an organization like Tag.

Ron McMurtrie: Get involved, experiment, uh, volunteer and find an interest that you want to develop or you can contribute to and participate. We do about 120 events a year. It’s a great way to get out to network. And building a network is important. Um, and then developing your own skills. So tag offers a broad range of ways to get involved in the community. Ways to develop leadership and ways to develop your trade. And with each of our colleagues, when I coach them, I talk to them about how they can do that. And in fact, that’s what’s paid off. A lot in my career is my involvement in Tag and the different chances people have given me by me reaching out.

Lee Kantor: So now, um, did you have a chance to speak at this, uh, summit thus far, or are you speaking later?

Ron McMurtrie: I did, as I serve as the chair of the tag board, and I helped kick it off, the program off. I also did, um, a keynote, uh, participating a keynote fireside chat at the opening.

Lee Kantor: Uh, what was the topic?

Ron McMurtrie: It was I, uh, and and, uh, we we had a fireside chat chat and talked about the future of AI and agents and how agents are going to serve, uh, how agents will take AI to the next level.

Lee Kantor: So how what’s that through the lens of Honeywell from.

Ron McMurtrie: Well, Honeywell has been involved with AI for many of our products for some time. We use a lot of deterministic AI, that is things that can help monitor our products so that they’re always operating and have great uptime. And we can help customers know about a challenge or an opportunity before a challenge or an issue before it comes up. Um, but we’re also heavily embraced gen AI and other types of technology that allows us to make sure that we’re serving our customers, and we’re also using as productivity tools within our business. So we’ve we’re all in on AI in terms of transforming, supporting our colleagues, and most importantly, baking it into our products to make them smarter and, and, uh, better serve the the customers that we provide them to.

Lee Kantor: Can you share a story about how you were able to leverage AI within Honeywell system in order to maybe solve a problem, or to take an issue maybe away or to a new level?

Ron McMurtrie: Yeah, we have a, a, a product called Carbon and Energy Management. Uh, that product, uh, is put within it’s a software application that monitors, monitors, building operations, the heating systems, um, all the environmentals and helps them manage their energy in a way that helps, you know, curate environments for the colleagues, but at the same time, make sure it’s comfortable and safe. And at the end, it gives helps them optimize their spend, uh, on those types of capabilities. So it’s both a colleague benefit, particularly with how workforces are on flex time now. Uh, so that’s a that’s a product that we have, uh, that we deploy across a lot of commercial, uh, operations. Uh, and that’s very much AI driven. So it’s using technology to predict experiences load in the environment. Uh, and and then helping operate the, the building uh, management systems. We also use AI internally. Uh, we use it to help our sales force. So as they’re out, we can help them look at their opportunities, pick the next best opportunity to address based on certain characteristics, and use data models to help predict outcomes. Uh, in in that selling process.

Lee Kantor: It seems like AI information is coming fast and furious, but at the same time, this is probably the worst AI is ever going to be, right? It’s only getting better from this point forward. We’re just scratching the surface, right?

Ron McMurtrie: Well, I don’t I don’t I view it as a technology, uh, evolution and a bit of a revolution. I don’t know that it’s worse, but it’s changing rapidly with each day. There’s new technology breakthroughs, there’s new models that come out, and I. I harken it back to when the internet first came out. It was a bit of a Wild West. And then supply supply side got defined, demand side got defined, and innovation really accelerated the same things happening with AI.

Lee Kantor: So are we at that tipping point where innovation is accelerating.

Ron McMurtrie: At at a pace like I’ve never seen? I don’t I don’t think I’ve seen a piece of technology in my career, been in 30 years of tech that has moved as fast as I have, both from experimental, from the return it drives and the pace in which capabilities are being rolled out.

Lee Kantor: So what if you were looking ahead even six months to a year? What do you foresee?

Ron McMurtrie: Look, I, I see businesses building more knowledge, capabilities to help their workers be more productive. I see products having AI baked into the capabilities so that they run better. They are more predictable and they provide better outcomes. So AI is going to touch every function, every type of operations, how legal works, how finance works. Simple audit functions can now be done with AI agents, uh, and provide those answers and those outcomes. You still need technical colleagues to review and do that. But a lot of that that labor intensive work can now be automated, and colleagues can move to higher order activities that help serve their customers.

Lee Kantor: Is the workforce prepared for this disruption?

Ron McMurtrie: I think it’s like any evolution, there are early adopters. There are some that are retooling their skills. Uh, in marketing, I’m the CMO for for Honeywell. Um, our marketers are going through a transition. They’re learning how I can help craft their content. Uh, they’re learning how I can help with graphics production. They’re learning about how I can help with demand Gen. So it’s like any new tool, you learn it, you adapt, you create, and you educate yourself. Um, are. We already know, but we weren’t ready when the internet came on board. We weren’t ready on that when servers were being virtualized, and we weren’t ready on that when telephone lines switched to virtual private networks and things changed. So technology has gone in phases. And as it as it adjusts, people adapt, they take on new skills, new industries get formed. And that’s what’s that’s what’s so amazing about technology.

Lee Kantor: So what’s the problem that, uh, Honeywell customer is having? That Honeywell is the best solution for them.

Ron McMurtrie: Well, um, I’ll give you it. It depends. But if you want your if you’re an industrial automation and you want the best precision, the best uptime and the safest operations, and you come to Honeywell. But Honeywell, uh, is focused on the future of automation, the future of aviation. And we’re focused on creating new energy solutions. So we have three major megatrends that we address. And we have capabilities that serve all of those around the world.

Lee Kantor: And if somebody wants to learn more about Honeywell or have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team, what’s the website?

Ron McMurtrie: It can come to honeywell.com.

Lee Kantor: All right, Ron, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Ron McMurtrie: Yeah. Thank you very much.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will be back in a few. At Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Larry Williams with Technology Association of Georgia

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ABR-Larry-Williams-Feature
Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Larry Williams with Technology Association of Georgia
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Georgia-Technology-Summit

Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Larry-WilliamsLarry K. Williams has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) for almost a decade.

He also leads the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed) benefiting workforce development across Georgia, and the National Technology Security Coalition (NTSC).

A lifelong leader in economic development, Mr. Williams has worked across the U.S. in policy, programming, finance, government affairs, and international relations.

Williams is a founding member of Fintech Atlanta, and Venture Atlanta, plus serves as a member and supporter of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Chamber, Atlanta CIOs Advisory Council, the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, and the Atlanta Rotary Club.

Connect with Larry on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Larry Williams with TAG. Larry, How are you doing?

Larry Williams: Doing great. Lee. How are you?

Lee Kantor: I am doing great.

Larry Williams: Delighted to have you back here again this year as.

Lee Kantor: Well, interviewing so many interesting people. Uh, tell us about the summit. Tell us about your vision for the summit and how it’s going today.

Larry Williams: Gosh, Lee, there’s so much going on here, but I’ll highlight a couple things. One, the summit this year is really focused on a new reality. It’s about AI and the quantum verse. So everyone’s talking about AI. What are the real opportunities that we can have here? Um, but we also have to be looking over the next horizon. And that’s quantum. It’s coming faster than most people think, but it’s going to be the next major disruptor as we really start to get, uh, get AI on the tracks. The thing that I’m really, really proud of and I’m interested in is we’ve got people that are really taking AI and creating commercial and business opportunities and applying it in the real world. There’s so much that we often hear it’s more about the theory or the fear around it, but these are people that have actually taken this wonderful tool that is going to be a major catalyst and a major disruptor for what we do. Um, probably the most transformational technology of our lifetime. And they’re actually putting real world applications, uh, uh, in place for it. For example, Brett Taylor was a keynote this morning. We did a great fireside chat with him. Bret Taylor is, um, he’s the chairman of OpenAI. So if you think ChatGPT, that’s what they do. Um, he is the guy who was thinking about Google Maps back in Google back when it was just creating, when we just called it, you know, machine learning and sort of the infancy of what is now AI. He’s the guy who created the thumbs up. He’s the former co-CEO of Salesforce. He was the former, uh, chair of Salesforce. This guy’s the real deal. And now he’s running a company called Sierra AI, which is focused on customer service and language and, you know, real language modeling. So these are the types of people that are taking these great technologies, bringing it down to the street. How do we improve people’s lives? How do we improve productivity and creating great opportunities out of it? Super thrilled about that.

Lee Kantor: So when you’re, uh, obviously as the leader of Tag and you’re having conversations with people, I’m sure, all over the globe when it comes to the latest technology. You mentioned AI. You mentioned quantum. How do you take kind of all of these things that are at the bleeding edge and then create a path for people here in Atlanta through tag to at least get their feet wet or immerse themselves or get the knowledge they need in order to deliver that back, like you said to their customers.

Larry Williams: So one of the, you know, part of the heart of Tag is connections. So a lot of it is making sure that we’re getting people connected. And so that they can learn that they can share, they can inspire each other about what these particular opportunities are. You know, Lee, I’ve always felt like business will find a way. If there’s an opportunity out there, you get the right people connected and in the right room together and they’ll, they’ll they’ll figure out the rest. Um, but as we think about bringing people together in a relative way, it’s, it’s getting them thinking about how how can we do something? What can we do to collaborate, to actually build the next generation of ingenuity? And that’s what what happens here. The other thing, and, Lee, I think you’ve heard me say this before. One thing about Atlanta and Georgia throughout the state is that we really are a group of people that think about what are the real applications for something. I’ll say that Georgia is where technology meets the real world. It’s not always the, you know, shiniest new gadget or the coolest new social app or the biggest trend. But we’ve got people that are building businesses, creating opportunities that drive revenue more than anywhere else in the world. That’s what happens here. And so I think as you see it, um, the companies that are here, the innovations that come out of here, whether it be through our universities like Georgia Tech or the entrepreneurs, uh, the people that are thinking about next generation of, uh, innovation. That’s what’s happening here. People are building real businesses.

Lee Kantor: So walk us through what happens. Like you hear about I. You hear about quantum, you hear that things are happening. These are the next big things. How do you take those concepts and actually integrate it into tag, so that there are a pathway for businesses to connect and turn into the community that you want them to. So business can find a way in those areas. Uh, you know, it’s one thing business can find a way, but they have to be in the right pond to find that way. And tag is the right pond in a lot of places. But how do you put them in, uh, relationships? And how do you give them the information they need so they can say, okay, quantum is next. That is real. If Larry says that I should be paying attention, I should be paying attention. And who should I meet? And how do you kind of facilitate that? How does it go from your head into the real world?

Larry Williams: You know, it’s it’s interesting because it’s there’s a lot of layers to what you just put out there. Um, and especially when we think about something like AI that really it’s, uh, a lot of people that are implementing things today are pioneers. And so we’re learning. And so what I’m learning here today, and this is a lot about what this conference is, um, when I was thinking about quantum, you know, and I really AI is the first opportunity in front of us right now is things that we’re really implementing and commercializing right now, today. Quantum is really over the next hill. I used to describe last year, I was saying it’s about three hills over. It’s coming fast. So to get back to to you know what we’re saying, I think what people are, are learning here is that there are people that have taken more finite, uh, opportunities. Uh, the example with Brett Taylor and Sierra AI thinking about customer service, and they’re implementing AI in a product that is actually solving a problem, that people have a pain point, so they’re not trying to boil the ocean. They’re trying to do something that is going to help people solve a, you know, or create a solution or solve a problem today. So there are people that are taking it and using it. How do we improve healthcare? That can be a longer cycle because of the regulatory environment. You know, HIPAA laws and things like that that they have to work along.

Larry Williams: But you’ll start seeing it in fintech and people are really taking, you know, pieces, as we say, pieces of the elephant because you can’t eat it all at once. And actually creating solutions will continue to help convene people and connect people throughout Tag. And then we’ll start to see, hey, did application over here for industry for an industry actually help, uh, you know, a seemingly disparate industry over here. But actually the solutions and the challenge was the same. That’s what we’ll continue to make those connections and create those dialogs. Quantum’s going to be the same thing. You know, there’s a you know, I shared a quote on stage a minute ago, said the pace of change has never been faster. The pace of change will never be slower. And that’s what we’re going to see. That’s what we’re seeing with AI, and that’s what we’re going to see with quantum. We’re going to continue to convene those people, connect them and make sure that they can, you know, get together and have great conversations and inspire each other. Another piece of it, there’s two other pieces that we do so much of, you know, people don’t always know about how much we do down at the state House, um, to lobby to make sure that we have good policies. So one things the lens that I look at things on when it comes from a policy point of view is what are the things that are either going to enable or inhibit innovation.

Larry Williams: And that’s how we have to look at the policies. And right now, again, AI is a bit of the wild, wild West. We have to think about what are the policies that will allow this to flourish. But also and I’m an optimist, but we’ve got to make sure that the technologies are flourishing to do good and to help our people. So, you know, to the point that we can, you know, and get it right and we’ll get it right. Then we can put the right parameters in there, you know, to keep the, you know, the bad players at bay and also utilize this great transformational technology to move us forward. The third piece, let me give you one more. And that is the workforce. So our workforce is not to become irrelevant. It’s going to be uh, but we have to make sure they stay relevant and it’s going to be, you know, the relevancy is going to be in a new world, a new reality, as we say here at the at the Georgia Technology Summit. Um, you know, people who master the skills of AI and other technologies that are come on, are still going to be in high demand and and very much needed. So we’ve got to make sure that people are prepared and armed with those skills to be able to operate in, in a new reality with AI and other technologies.

Lee Kantor: Now, I know as a leader, you’re already looking ahead at 2030. Uh, can you talk a little bit about how you see, uh, talent and the partnerships with, uh, some of the educational institutions, whether they be universities, whether they be, you know, kind of ad hoc academies or even, you know, maybe K through 12. How do you see, um, kind of the upskilling of that group in order to be ready for the change that’s going to happen, like you said, at a rapid pace, um, five years from now.

Larry Williams: You know, we just rolled out today on stage our vision 2030, uh, uh, plan. And that’s exactly that’s one of the key components of it. We’ve got to really think about how, you know, continuing to connect as we do promote this great ecosystem, you know, influence through our lobbying. But educate is going to be critical. So we’ve got, you know, nobody’s going to solve this alone. But the demand. Listen, this is a business imperative that we have to make sure that we have the most relevant technology and innovation workforce in the world, and that we have them right here in Georgia. And the way that we’re going to do that is through partnerships. There is going to be a great and a huge role for our to continue to work with our well-known four year universities in four years and beyond. And then we’ve also got to work with our technical college system of Georgia, and we have some great partnerships with them already, helping prepare people for for AI and for other jobs. But the private sector is going to be critical in all of this as well. There’s a lot of programs out there that are helping develop people, and we really got to think about how we make sure that everybody across the state is getting plugged into this great prosperity that we’re experiencing, and it’s all driven by technology. Lee, you know, you know this. Georgia has been ranked number one place to do business 11 years in a row.

Larry Williams: That’s unprecedented. It was unprecedented at seven years in a row. And we keep it going. And it’s not because we sit back on our laurels. I can assure you that we’re always thinking about what’s next. Yesteryear when. When we were coming up, Lee, people used to move to where the jobs are today. The jobs are moving or the employers are moving to where the talent is. People are coming to Atlanta. People are coming to Georgia because they know about the workforce that we have. We’ve got to keep up. And the only way we’re going to keep up with that, man, that demand is to make sure that we’re engaging. It’s all hands on deck. We need all of our smart people across our states and everybody smart. We need them trained, and we need to get them plugged in to the great opportunities, to the great careers. This isn’t just about jobs. These are careers that people can have the ability to advance themselves. And then we need to be able to use every, every avenue that we can, four year universities up our our friends at the Technical college System of Georgia, private, um, educators, other ways to get training, even in house. That’s what we’re doing, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do. And we’re going to make that. I think we have about we have well over 100,000 jobs, new jobs that we’re going to have to fill over the next few years.

Lee Kantor: And we need to have a path for the people who are successfully exiting to stay around here and stick around and kind of fund the next ventures.

Larry Williams: You’re exactly right. So, you know, that’s part of that whole ecosystem. It is about, you know, it’s making sure that our great enterprises have great policies, great tax climate, great business climate to be able to thrive here. But we’ve also got to have the the great ecosystem about how do we, you know, generate new ideas and how do we help those, those those ideas grow and flourish here. I just had a chance to do a fireside chat with Toyota. He’s the founder of Calendly. So you know, Calendly sure. You know, what a, you know, sort of a maybe a simple what you think is a simple problem. But everybody had it. How do I effectively calendar, um, or manage my calendar? He came up with a great solution in about 2014. I believe he has scaled that to be a multi-billion dollar enterprise. So that’s the type of things that we want to continue to encourage here, to be able to connect to previous success people. His success, his connection was with, uh, David Cummings, who was a great entrepreneur, had a great exit with Pardot, created the Atlanta Tech Village. All of these connections have helped create and drive, uh, again, that next generation of innovation. So you’re dead on. We got to get more capital here, and we got to continue to plug them in with that capital.

Lee Kantor: And I hope the South Downtown initiative, um.

Larry Williams: Is that incredible?

Lee Kantor: It’s formative.

Larry Williams: It is transformative. And it’s so funny to hear David tell the story as well, because if you think about where all of the major corporations that were the icons of Atlanta, that’s where they all started. Right, exactly.

Lee Kantor: You know, what’s old is new again, right?

Larry Williams: Exactly. So.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to connect with tag online, what’s the the best way to do that.

Larry Williams: Tag online.org. You you said it. So please look for us on the website and be delighted to talk with you more. And also or look at our events page on there and come to some of our society events. They are all inspiring.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, there’s events for every special interest group, anything, uh, that touches technology, which as you mentioned earlier, is pretty much everything, uh, that’s happening in the economy. Well, Larry Williams, thank you so much for sharing your story, doing such important work. And we appreciate you.

Larry Williams: Thank you. Lee.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few. At Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Jason Sankey with City of Atlanta

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ABR-City-of-Atlanta-Feature
Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Jason Sankey with City of Atlanta
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Georgia-Technology-Summit

Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Jason-SankeyJason Sankey, CIO City of Atlanta, is an Executive with over 18 years of experience in a broad spectrum of business disciplines including; information technology, operations, corporate treasury, and fund administration. Strategic business partner with the ability to effectively manage across business lines while driving decisions.

His goal is to balance innovation with a realistic approach of advancing technology by integrating strategy with a sound service delivery model.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Jason Sankey with the City of Atlanta. Welcome.

Jason Sankey: Thank you. Glad to be here.

Lee Kantor: Um, so as the CIO of the City of Atlanta, what? Tell us a little bit about what that job did. Uh, what do you do in there? It sounds like an overwhelming job. I wouldn’t even know how to begin.

Jason Sankey: It does keep me quite busy. So I actually, uh, have two roles with the city. Uh, so as chief information officer, I oversee all technology for all departments throughout the city. And I also am commissioner of the Department of Atlanta Information Management. So if you think about that, it’s more technology operations, making sure that we have the infrastructure everyone needs in order to move day to day business forward.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your backstory? How do you even get a job like that? Like what do you need to know to even get a job like that? I can’t even wrap my head around it. It seems so, so many moving parts.

Jason Sankey: Well, the first thing you need to know. Technology.

Lee Kantor: I’m sure that helps.

Jason Sankey: It does, it does. It helps quite a bit. Uh, but I’ve been a chief information officer for the past decade, uh, at three different organizations. Uh, and prior to that, I was, uh, on the private sector side of the world with Citigroup. So I was a vice president at Citigroup for about a decade. Uh, prior to joining the public sector. Um, but it’s really understanding not only technology, but strategy building our strategy around, in this case, Mayor Andre Dickens. Uh, he has four goals for the city. Uh, one safe city. A City of opportunity for all, a city built for the future and an effective and ethical government. And when I think about that, technology is truly the nucleus of how we drive that vision forward. So it’s understanding that strategy, understanding the goals and then executing on them.

Lee Kantor: So when you get into this role, how do you kind of get started on this going from private sector to public sector? It just seems like a whole different way and a different speed of doing anything.

Jason Sankey: Oh, completely different from a private sector perspective, especially working for Citibank. Uh, understanding that the end goal is the bottom line, the end goal for what we do with the city is all about community and all about lives. So if you think about technology and the services that we provide, I’ll use 911 as an example. Uh, a second loss is a second that we can potentially put someone in danger. So making sure that from a community standpoint that everything runs smoothly And that services are, as expected to make sure that we’re really pushing the city of Atlanta forward.

Lee Kantor: So how do you go about recruiting talent into the public sector versus you would recruiting talent for the private sector?

Jason Sankey: So there has to be a passion for the public sector. Uh, we’re not as competitive as the Microsoft and Googles of the world, and they’re here in Atlanta. Uh, so they’re kind of a competitor, although they’re a partner when it comes to solutions. Uh, they’re a competitor when it comes to recruiting talent. So it’s really helping this incoming class of talent to understand that what you do truly makes a difference. And that is a different feeling than adding to a bottom line of a sell sheet.

Lee Kantor: So. So what are their characteristics or traits of an individual that has that mentality and that mindset of serving versus, you know, making as much money as possible?

Jason Sankey: I think it’s it’s exposure. So we have through the mayor’s, uh, summer youth internship program. We bring in interns every year, and they actually get a chance to experience what we do and how we do it. And that opens that dynamic. And I tell people this, I say, if I can go back in time and I can start my career over, I would actually start my career in the public sector because of what we do. So I think it’s that exposure. So through internship programs, we also have, um, a rotational program that we started up here recently that gives people just the opportunity to see what we do and how it impacts people, uh, through a fellowship. Uh, those are the the opportunities that really open people’s minds to, uh, a greater form of giving.

Lee Kantor: And because the impact is different. Right. Like that’s at the heart of this, the impact they’re making in the public sector is affecting a lot, a lot of people in more personal ways, I would think.

Jason Sankey: Indeed, indeed. And from a compensation perspective, we are competitive. We’re just not as competitive as those top tier organizations.

Lee Kantor: And the stock options probably are different.

Jason Sankey: Very different, very different.

Lee Kantor: Uh, tell us about why you got involved with the Tag board of directors.

Jason Sankey: So when I came to the city of Atlanta about four years ago, believe it or not, uh, it feels like 40, but that’s a good thing. Uh, depending on the day of.

Lee Kantor: The government time.

Jason Sankey: Yes, indeed. Indeed. Worse than dog years. But, uh, I met the president and CEO of Tag, uh, Larry Williams, and he talked to me about the opportunity, and I got a chance to see what tag was doing throughout the state of Georgia and really the impact that it has from a technology perspective. Uh, not only on, uh, the events like this great summit that we’re doing today, but also on the community. And I said, let me let me try it out. And then I decided to join the board after a little while, and I’m so happy that I did because of everything that I’ve been able to accomplish over these past three years through Tag and the relationships I’ve built and really the network, I would say my network is stronger here in metro Atlanta, and I’ve been here for going on four years. Then where I came from, where I had a very large network as well, but I was there for much longer, about ten years. But through Tag, I was able to build these relationships that I can’t say enough about.

Lee Kantor: So, um, what do you think makes Atlanta different than maybe the other places you’ve been to?

Jason Sankey: I think it is just more forward thinking, right? So I lived in New York City for a while. I lived in Columbus, Ohio for a while, and the strategies were different here in Atlanta. I could just see the the mindset of small business development, of entrepreneurship, of the drive that I think, uh, the, the metro Atlanta area brings to the community. I haven’t seen anything like it. Even when I lived in New York, people moved very fast. And they they chase different things. But the communities that come together here in Atlanta are like nothing else.

Lee Kantor: How do you see the kind of public, private collaboration that happens here? I believe that that’s kind of unique from the rest of the country, and the way that the business community works with the government sector, and how everybody seems to kind of work together in a pretty efficient manner, relatively.

Jason Sankey: Yeah. We can’t do what we do from a city perspective without our partners. We just can’t do it. We don’t have the scale. Uh, in some cases we don’t have the capability. Right? So as we look at generative AI and what the speed, I’ll say the speed of how fast, uh, that capability is growing without our partnerships that we have, uh, we wouldn’t be able to keep up. So I think it’s core to really driving things forward. And one thing that businesses realize over the years, in this case, if the city of Atlanta is successful, we’re all successful.

Lee Kantor: So if there’s talent out there that wants to explore the, uh, public sector, what’s the best way to connect with you or somebody on the team to at least learn more?

Jason Sankey: So we have our internship program that’s kicking off in May. Um, you can connect with me on LinkedIn. Uh, you can connect with our team, uh, on LinkedIn. Department of Atlanta information management. Uh, and always look at our, our website. We’re always recruiting new opportunities and would be happy to, uh, have more conversations on opportunities to to join the public sector.

Lee Kantor: Well, Jason, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Jason Sankey: Thank you. Lee.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few. At Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Javier Delgado with Quadion Technologies

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ABR-Quadion-Technologies-Feature
Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Javier Delgado with Quadion Technologies
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Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Javier-DelgadoJavier Delgado, CEO of Quadion Technologies, helps teams solve IT related problems with an agile, results-oriented, continuous-improvement approach.

Over his 25+ year career he’s assisted companies in streamlining the delivery of customised, highly adaptable, enterprise-level solutions. Javier does so by applying a combination of lean principles, agile practices and cutting edge technology.

Connect with Javier on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Javier Delgado with Quadion Technologies. Welcome.

Javier Delgado: Hello.

Lee Kantor: Well, uh, Javier, share a little bit about how you serving, folks?

Javier Delgado: Well, we are a customer, a custom software development company. Most of our team works from Latin America. What we mostly do is we service US companies with this software development teams from, uh, Latin America, mostly Argentina, but several other countries in Latin America also.

Lee Kantor: And then what type of services are you providing your clients.

Javier Delgado: It’s a single service, really. It’s custom software development. What we do is we interact with the IT departments of our clients and we build software for them.

Lee Kantor: So, um, what’s an example of some of the work that you’ve done? So, uh, an enterprise is an enterprise level companies that hire you or companies of all sizes.

Javier Delgado: Yeah, we we have like two, two different, very different flavors. Our ideal customer, yes, they are very big companies, mostly corporations. We are currently working with four fortune 500 companies. In those cases, what we do is we build teams that work with these companies, uh, building, uh, different types of software. For them. It could be new products, it could be integrations of existing back office, back office systems. Since what we do is custom, it differs from project to project. One project may be one thing and the next could be something entirely, entirely different. And so in these cases, what we typically have is a huge team working with these companies and building one piece of software after the other. And the other flavor would be working with way smaller companies, mainly startups. And well, they they typically need a software product done. And we build it for them.

Lee Kantor: So you’re working with funded startups and you become kind of their technologist. Correct. So they’re coming to you with an idea and you’re executing it on their behalf.

Javier Delgado: Yes, we we may help with the product development, but the idea is theirs and the product is theirs. Whatever. Everything we do, we don’t own the pie. Everything is for our clients.

Lee Kantor: And then so are you based here in Georgia. And then you’re the kind of the tech team is overseas. Is that how you work?

Javier Delgado: Correct. We have a US based company. It’s actually based in Florida. That company and and most of our team is working from Latin America. We have a company in Argentina also.

Lee Kantor: So the US folks are the sales arm, correct?

Javier Delgado: Yes.

Lee Kantor: So, um, how’d you find out if you were based in in Florida? How’d you find out about Tag and the Georgia Technology Summit?

Javier Delgado: Well, we’ve been working with clients in Atlanta since we started. Uh, so even though our company is based in Florida, many of our clients are in other cities in the US.

Lee Kantor: And then so do you have boots on the ground in the other cities you work in, or is it primarily just, uh, Georgia and Florida and then you.

Javier Delgado: We yeah, we currently have clients in Florida, in Georgia and New York, in in Chicago, in Illinois. And those are the biggest ones. We used to work with the West Coast, but it’s easier for us, the East Coast, because of the time time zone.

Lee Kantor: Right. So then you’re So you have people that are actually in those cities here in the US as kind of the account reps or the salespeople internally.

Javier Delgado: Well, we have a business development developers here in Georgia, and the more we move around quite a lot. But yes, mostly it’s Georgia and us guys from Latin America coming over here.

Lee Kantor: Right? So the people that are here in the, in the US are, are kind of meeting with the clients. They’re just, you know, having the relationship with the clients, trying to understand what their challenges are and then making sure that you’re delivering what they need. Yes.

Javier Delgado: Uh, the people we have here in the US, they do the initial contact because once the project starts, what we have is a real close relationship between the development team or our client. So we want the development team to be a very embedded in what they need to do. So after we start working. It’s the development team, the one who meets regularly with the client in order to see if things are going according to plan.

Lee Kantor: So what was the genesis of the idea? How did this company come about?

Javier Delgado: Well, we started working, me and my partners. We started working with similar companies in the past as employees, and at one point in time, we decided that we had to own our own. Uh, we got a lucky we got a few clients right away, and one client led to the next one. And that’s what led us here. It’s been 20 years already. The company turned 20 last year.

Lee Kantor: Wow. Congratulations. And it was always you were always deploying, um, Latin American talent? Yes.

Javier Delgado: Yes. We found out that the there’s a very good sync between Argentina and Latin America and the US, uh, because of, uh, we have a similar culture. We really understand how things should be done over here. Well, the cultural affinity, the time zone also helps a lot. And we found out very early that we could work very easily with the US from Latin America.

Lee Kantor: Is there some, uh, advice you can give folks who maybe have never worked in worked with Latin American talent before? Is there some do’s and don’ts culturally to get it right? Yeah.

Javier Delgado: Um, yes. Even though there’s there are similarities, there are also things that are quite different. So the first the first suggestion is that there needs to be a, an initial phase as short as possible, where both parties get to know each other and get in sync. And really, there’s very good talent in Latin America. It’s just a matter of getting these teams in sync and getting the Latin American teams. Uh. To know what what the expectations are on this end. Once that’s set, it’s like magic.

Lee Kantor: And then you’ve been doing this 20 years. So when they work with you, you already can smooth that over and be, I would imagine, get people up and running faster and more effectively than somebody just trying this on their own.

Javier Delgado: Probably, yes. We’ve learned, we’ve learned.

Lee Kantor: You have some scar tissue.

Javier Delgado: Yes. And that’s it. And and that’s something unique about this type of business. Since what we do is different in each project, we have to learn because we do custom software, we we never do the same thing twice. We do we do software for specific companies to solve specific problems. So if this is a problem that is a recurring problem, there’s probably probably a ready product then that solves it. People call us whenever they need something new. So we need to learn and we need to learn fast.

Lee Kantor: Is there a story you can share? Uh, maybe a success story? Don’t name the name of the company, but maybe the challenge that they gave you and how you were able to help them get to a new level and.

Javier Delgado: Yes. Um. Uh, I have a story. It’s a good. It’s a good one because of the context. Uh, there was this company. It was in Florida. It was an engineering company. They were hired by the state in order to provide services after disasters where if a hurricane hit a city or a flood hit a city, there’s a number of things that need to happen at once in order to get to get the city back on track. Well, this engineering company was hired to fix things after a flood or a hurricane. They needed a piece of software in order to deploy their teams, and to have a real time information on what those teams need to do. Well, we have them building that software. That software was actually deployed. And as far as I know, in almost ten disasters. And the results were great.

Lee Kantor: Wow. That’s amazing. So if somebody wants to learn more and get more information or have a conversation with you or somebody on the team, what’s the website? What’s the best way to connect?

Javier Delgado: Well, you can reach us by means of our website. It’s triple. Com. You can also look for us in LinkedIn. We are quite into technologies and you can look me up on LinkedIn Javier Delgado. Uh, I always answer whoever gets in touch with me.

Lee Kantor: Well, Javier, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Javier Delgado: Thanks a lot.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few at Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Yogs Jayaprakasam with Deluxe

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Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Yogs Jayaprakasam with Deluxe
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Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Yogs-JayaprakasamYogaraj (Yogs) Jayaprakasam joined Deluxe Corporation in May 2022 as Chief Technology and Digital Officer and a member of the Executive Leadership team, leading all aspects of Deluxe’s technology, digital assets, DATA and AI capabilities, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and business resiliency.

Yogs has an extensive, distinguished background in financial services and payments, leading large-scale technology organizations for American Express, Cognizant Technology Solutions and a Start-up for more than 20 years. His expertise spans Multi-Cloud Payment Platforms, MarTech, Open Banking APIs, Client & Partner integrations, Data & Analytics Platforms, and other key areas.

Most recently at American Express, Yogs led the technology teams supporting the company’s B2B Digital Channels, Corporate Cards, Virtual Payments, B2B payments and API Platforms, Commercial Data platforms and other key areas. He holds several patents, and also co-led various innovation efforts including a recent innovation partnership with one of the largest cloud and CRM technology providers.

Yogs received his bachelor’s degree in Physics from University of Madras, India, and a master’s degree in Computer Applications from Bharathidasan University, India. He also has a Chief Technology Officer Certification from University of California, Berkeley.

Connect with Yogs on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest Yogs Jayaprakasam with Deluxe Corporation. Welcome.

Yogs Jayaprakasam: Thank you. I’m happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: Uh, for the two people out there that aren’t familiar, can you share a little bit about Deluxe? How you serving folks?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: Fantastic. Uh, Deluxe is a 110 year check printing company. So our founder invented the first checkbook that we all still use. And, uh, we are a $2.2 billion publicly traded company. Beyond check. We now also make, uh, digital payment Processing platforms. B2b payments and data driven marketing solutions as well. We work with 4000 financial institutions and millions of small businesses and mid-sized companies across the country.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your role with Deluxe?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: I lead their technology and digital organization for the company, so my team is responsible for driving the technology systems.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your backstory? How’d you get involved in this line of work?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: That’s a great question. So I started my career back in India after my post-graduation in computer applications. So I have background in working for startup companies that built web websites and mobile products. Then I was in consulting for a bit, but before taking this exciting job with deluxe, I worked for American Express for 13 years. So I believe a lot of the listeners would know American Express. It’s a fantastic card brand. So there is a lot of similarities between what the transformation Amex went through. If you don’t know, Amex used to be a traveler’s check company that evolved into digital payments Months now, Tada deluxe is transforming in from check company to become digital payments and data, uh, which is a commonality that excited me to come be part of this transformation.

Lee Kantor: So what’s it like for a legacy company like deluxe where like you like you said, the first checkbook. Yes. And to to have the foresight and still be relevant today is an amazing achievement, right. To be able to kind of move with the times to the point we are today where we’re getting into, you know, less and less checks. Right? So how do you like how important was the culture of, of innovation that that the deluxe must have? And how are you helping lead that culture through this transformation?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: I think that’s a fantastic question. Um, because culture eats strategy for breakfast is a very common, uh, saying, and I personally believe in that. So what I mean by that is if you pay attention to as a company what you do, you do certain problem solving for your customers. And as things move with time, the way you solve that problem keeps changing too. It’s up to the people and the culture. You have to pay attention to what is changing. So in the context of deluxe, if you really seriously think about it, our initial problem solving for the customer is issuing a check, which is an alternative form of form of payment from the currencies that we have. So now the payment mode from paper check to credit cards and digital payments and everything. We are still solving the same problem and that’s what we are trying to do. As tech becomes less relevant, how do you replace that with the solutions that is relevant to the customers too? So we focus on our customers and we focus on our communities because we believe as we help small businesses and mid-size companies succeed, they contribute to the economy and they contribute back to the workforce, which creates a virtuous cycle.

Lee Kantor: But to make that shift, a lot of companies weren’t able to kind of make that change and really get to the heart of what it is, the value they’re delivering to customers. A lot of companies get hung up with, well, this is how we do this so that the, the how we do it is the thing and it’s really not the how we do it. It’s the why we do it.

Yogs Jayaprakasam: I, uh, that’s that’s a very insightful, uh, statement that you just made there. If you really understand why we exist and continue to be true to that purpose, then solving that problem becomes easier. To what I mean by that is, of course, every company exists to make money and contribute to their shareholders. That is a judicial job that we all have to do. But it it cannot be at the cost of forgetting what you’re supposed to do for your customers, right? Focusing on your customers and then focusing on your employees takes care of focusing on the shareholder promises that you make to. And that’s what we fundamentally believe in.

Lee Kantor: So how do you like what advice would you give an organization that might have maybe fallen in love too much with the nuts and bolts of their product or service and are kind of forgetting, like, okay, what are our customers really need? And what uniquely can we be delivering to them that’s different and special?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: My advice would be, uh, shift your focus from falling in love with what you are good at doing to falling in love with the problem you are solving for your customer. If you are very clear on the problem you solve for your customer. Just like how I explained, the problem we solve is creating alternative payment solution for our customer. Then you will start to find what is the best way to solve that problem. And that changes with time, with process, with technology evolution. You will constantly experiment to find the best solution to solve it. And that’s my recommendation. Stop falling in love with what you are good at. Start falling in love with what you are committed to. Solving the problem for your customer.

Lee Kantor: But I, like you said earlier, that’s a cultural issue because a lot of times it’s going to require some of the times it’s going to require you to abandon things and to, you know, the sunk cost is real. And a lot of people don’t want to pay that price when it comes to sunk costs, especially in technology or things they’ve invested a lot of, or even maybe brand identity, you know, to make that shift. It takes a lot of leadership.

Yogs Jayaprakasam: Yeah, I think that’s a very good point. Often companies that are focused too much on today’s profitability forget that for you to sustain your own profitability. Sustained investment in technology and innovative culture is critical. So what I mean by that is if you don’t invest today and over a period of time, you either become too expensive to maintain every old things that you have inside your company, whether it is old systems and databases and everything. But if you invest to stay current, the managing those technology becomes cheaper and cheaper as you go as well. So for example, we used to be on so many data centers running all of our own servers before. So now we consolidated our footprint to a much smaller data center and moved to public cloud. It not only reduced our cost, of course, initially you have to make some incremental investment to do that, share.

Lee Kantor: The change.

Yogs Jayaprakasam: It. Right now it reduced the cost, but also because we are already on public cloud, we are able to innovate faster because the public cloud providers are already enabling generative AI, artificial intelligence, machine learning, all the cutting edge thing that is coming to become available now, you are paying for the use of it. You are not making one time big investment like you used to make as well. So even though the thought of it looks daunting, unless you go through that process, you are not going to have the same profitable growth that you can enjoy in the future as well.

Lee Kantor: So now, why was it important for you and deluxe to have you become part of the Tag board of directors? Like what was the thinking there?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: So there are two reasons. One, uh, our CEO has this, uh, pretty much a mandate or a requirement. Part of our goal that every one of our executive leadership team should sit in a not for profit organization. And, uh, Tag is a relevant organization for me and my role. Because being a technology leader, you cannot solve it all by yourself. You got to be connected to the industry where you have like minded people who can bring similar problems that you are trying to solve to. So tag made all the difference in the world for me to be part of that as well. So it is 2 in 1 opportunity. So there is a need for me to be in a non not for profit board. But being in a technology driven, not for profit board is very relevant for me and the company as well.

Lee Kantor: So, um, what did you spoke here at the summit or have you spoke yet?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: I’m going to be speaking at 1250. In a panel discussion that talks about, is AI going to change the CEO’s job, or should we let AI to change the job of CEO?

Lee Kantor: So any spoilers? Is it going to change the job?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: I think I will change how we do our jobs. So it will replace people who don’t use AI to do the job with people who know how to use AI to do the job better.

Lee Kantor: So, uh, your advice is to lean into AI. Don’t run away from it.

Yogs Jayaprakasam: My advice is not only lean into AI, but also be part of shaping how AI should be used because the narrative today is, oh, it is going to come and change my job. If we let any technology, not just AI, it will do what you don’t want it to do. We got to be part of shaping what are the things we want AI to do? What are the things we don’t want AI to do? As an example, I don’t want my nurse’s job to be fully done by. I want a human telling me how I feel. What is my health? All of those things, and those are the things we need to consciously contribute and shape the laws shape as a tag, as it plays a bigger role, because we can influence the community and then go influence the law as well.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more about deluxe, what’s the website? What’s the best way to connect?

Yogs Jayaprakasam: D e l u Xe.com Xe.com is our website and we share all the great products that we do, how we are modernizing, what problems we are solving for our customer. We would love to talk to anyone who is interested in what we do to help them solve their needs.

Lee Kantor: Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today, doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Yogs Jayaprakasam: Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few. At Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Caroline Cochran with Qgenda

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Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Caroline Cochran with Qgenda
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Georgia-Technology-Summit

Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Caroline-CochranAs Chief People Officer, Caroline Cochran is responsible for developing and executing QGenda’s people strategy around the employee lifecycle.

She oversees all aspects of human resources including talent acquisition, strategic business partnerships, learning and organizational development, and compensation and benefits strategy, as well as culture and employee engagement.

Prior to her focus on people, learning, and culture, Caroline leveraged her background in technology to build and lead risk, compliance and audit practices for several public companies including Secureworks, a Dell Technology company. She is a graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.

Connect with Caroline on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Caroline Cochran with Qgenda. Welcome.

Caroline Cochran: Thank you.

Lee Kantor: Well, for folks who aren’t familiar, can you tell us a little bit about Qgenda? How are you serving folks?

Caroline Cochran: Sure. We are a healthcare workforce management platform, uh, focused on, um, you know, making sure healthcare providers are deployed when and where they’re needed. Um, so we do that through a number of ways, whether it’s scheduling for physicians, nurses, staff, um, the credentialing, onboarding of of those individuals as well. Um, so we create a whole workforce platform.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your backstory? How did you get involved with this line of work?

Caroline Cochran: Oh, and in HR.

Lee Kantor: Yeah.

Caroline Cochran: Well, yeah. Well, so I’m the chief people officer. I have not been a career long, uh, HR professional. I started my career at a number of technology public companies, um, in the compliance audit space. Um, but I found myself with the opportunity to hop into HR, uh, in my last role during the pandemic. So go big or go home. That’s it. Yeah. Yes. Um, so, uh, drinking through a fire hose there. But it was it was a really great opportunity to build a team, which I’ve done several times, um, and kind of focused on the new way we work. Um, so, but since then, I evolved and, uh, stepped into agenda about two and a half years ago, um, to help them scale and grow, um, as they have been, um, we have been growing rapidly over the last few years, gone from 300 employees to almost 800 now. Um, so that’s been my role and how I arrived here.

Lee Kantor: So why was it important for you to get involved with tag?

Caroline Cochran: Oh, tag. So I’ve known Larry for a number of years. The tag CEO.

Lee Kantor: So he volun told you? Yeah.

Caroline Cochran: He volun told me. No, it was actually when I actually after I joined, after I stepped into HR as the chief people officer at my prior company. Um, you know. Yeah, I had the opportunity to step into tag with Larry, uh, and team and, um, haven’t looked back.

Lee Kantor: And then for folks, do you mind giving like, kind of the elevator pitch when you talk to other people about tag and why it’s important to get involved?

Caroline Cochran: Oh, yeah. I think you know why. It was important to me. And I feel like it would be important to others, too, is just having the ability to influence, you know, the technology ecosystem in Georgia. Um, we get a seat at the table, which is really unique. Um, driving whether it’s, um, you know, through, um, the education, how we’re going to be educating and offering, uh, in developing talent in the Atlanta space, uh, or in the Georgia market brought more broadly. Um, but really, it’s it’s got that critical role of influence. Um, and that’s why it’s so important to me.

Lee Kantor: So have you had a chance to work with other organizations like Tag and some of the other work that you’ve done.

Caroline Cochran: Yeah, sure. I’ve done a number of others maybe focused on women in technology, um, and other kind of executive leadership type, um, type organizations in the past.

Lee Kantor: Were they around the country or was it have you primarily worked here in Georgia?

Caroline Cochran: Yeah, primarily here in Georgia. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: Now, your speaker as well.

Caroline Cochran: Today I was yes, I already I just who just stepped off the stage completed my duties.

Lee Kantor: What was your what would you talk about?

Caroline Cochran: Uh, I, um, spoke on and introduced a video that is sharing the 2030 vision for tag. Uh, we’ve been developing this over the last couple of months. Um, as a member of the board. Um, we’ve been creating, you know what? What’s our vision for 2030? What do we want to be? What does what do we want tag to influence? What do we want to drive over the next five years?

Lee Kantor: So is there any can you share a little bit about what you talked about or what you saw?

Caroline Cochran: Yeah. Yeah. So so there was a great video. I was very brief in my comments on stage brief, but, you know, fabulous. Um, but uh, no, the video shared just kind of the pillars of what that vision is to promote, to connect and to elevate, uh, throughout the technology ecosystem in Georgia. Um, I have a particular passion where I’m spending a lot of time helping with this drive. This vision is around education. Uh, and just kind of you can imagine with my role as being a chief people officer. Sure. But wanting to develop and develop talent in Georgia. Um, so I’ll be spending a lot of time with Loretta, one of your your previous guests, um, kind of working on what that can be, how we can partner, uh, with, uh, educational institutions around Georgia, um, how we can get maybe potential certification programs in place and help prepare the workforce for the future.

Lee Kantor: Now, is that going to involve maybe expanding, uh, or just kind of not just thinking that university is the only path that there’s going to be? We’re going to have to kind of cast a wider net and really kind of reach people where they are in terms of certifications and things like that.

Caroline Cochran: Absolutely. Yeah. It’s not just university based. Absolutely. So, um, there are many programs. My company has actually gotten involved in an apprenticeship program. Um, so we have a number of apprentices in our at Q agenda that are focused in the technology space and have different technology roles. Um, so that’s one really important arm of kind of what we do. And um, through tagged as well. So yeah, it’s broad and not just focused on universities.

Lee Kantor: Can you share maybe some best practices or some ways to leverage that apprentice program? Like I know that you’re implementing it in your firm, but if somebody had maybe hadn’t considered it or thinking about it. What are some do’s and don’ts? What are some best practices?

Caroline Cochran: Yeah. Well, I think, um, what we did and I think what others should do could, could do to when if they’re considering something like this. First of all, it’s about building a pipeline of talent. Right. And it’s also about supporting folks that are learning and new. So there’s kind of a two fold benefit to it really. Um, and we looked across our organization at the teams that are growing, at the teams that are innovating, at the teams that have the ability and the cycles to teach at the same time as executing whatever their mission is or whatever their function is. Um, so we have we’ve spent um, we have two, two roles now we’ll be broadening, um, as, as we move forward. But within our, our kind of back office IT systems as well as our development teams. Um, and it really creates a great opportunity to, uh, teach someone, your company, your methodologies, your way of doing things. You’re also educating them, giving them real life experience. And we’re actually working on hiring one of them full time right now, too. So just kind of considering, you know, you have to have the time to invest, but also the opportunities where, you know, you can have folks that have been trained generally but haven’t had been able to have the chance yet to really focus on whatever, uh, subject matter area that they’re, you’re offering.

Lee Kantor: So how do you kind of teach a person an apprentice, maybe differently than you would teach an intern, or how you would teach an employee, like, how do you kind of, um, at least within, internally have that type of leadership that can instruct that individual. And it might it’s probably slightly different in each one of those constituents. Right. An apprentice versus intern versus an employee.

Caroline Cochran: Yes. Yeah. So, you know, interns, you kind of give them you let them get their feet wet here and there. Right. Give them a few projects. It’s short term too. Right. So they’ve got like three months and you. And then you let them let them go. Um, but from an apprentice perspective, there’s just you can immerse them immediately into your team. You can immerse them immediately into whether it’s a particular project, um, or a process. And it’s on the job learning, which if you look at how adults learn, 70% of it’s on the job, right? You learn a little bit in the classroom, maybe a little bit on your own, but really it’s on the job learning. And so when you have somebody who’s full time immersed in your team, um, with leader, a leader who has the capability to, um, to mold and shape and, and develop, uh, which is a really important part of it. You really can’t just put these apprentices and think that they’re going to be successful on their own. No, it’s not set. And forget it. So it takes time and investment and it takes someone who has the ability and the passion to do that. Um, but so, um, but really, it’s not terribly different from like, a new employee, but you do. You are starting more with basics. You need to have, um, you know, some very detailed actions, some very detailed support for them as well. Um, but, uh, so it just goes a little bit deeper and requires a little bit more investment than maybe your average new employee.

Lee Kantor: So when you’re when you have kind of an apprentice lined up, how do you find the appropriate person in the organization to kind of manage that? And is there kind of some training that you have to do to help them, you know, get the most out of The Apprentice?

Caroline Cochran: Yeah. So it’s new for us, right? So we just started doing this this year, but we did create. So we’re very familiar with our people leaders and the teams within our organization. So we targeted a few areas a few a few folks and say are you interested in this? And our development team resoundingly, yes. Because because.

Lee Kantor: They’re hungry.

Caroline Cochran: They’re hungry for it and they’re yeah. Talent is is not um, readily available in the development space, right? It’s limited. So and it’s very attractive to, to be able to mold somebody right, right to exactly what you want them to do, as opposed to having someone who may have.

Lee Kantor: To fix some bad habits.

Caroline Cochran: Yeah, exactly. They may have they may have done things differently in another role. So that’s what’s so appealing. Um, but we did we we focused on finding, you know, the, the managers in our, our team that are already really capable managers. Right. Um, and do that. Well, just, um, and that’s.

Lee Kantor: A.

Caroline Cochran: Pro.

Lee Kantor: Tip there.

Caroline Cochran: That’s a pro tip.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. Choose wisely.

Caroline Cochran: Choose choose wisely. Choose their leader wisely. Um, but um, but yeah, it’s it’s been a fabulous experience for us. Um, and I hope we’re going to be getting we have one now like I said, two now in two different areas. But our development teams, we’re going to be expanding it.

Lee Kantor: So you’re pretty bullish that this is something that you’re going to be able to expand.

Caroline Cochran: Very bullish I mean we’re just hiring one now as a full time employee. She’s been with us almost a year. Um, so it’s a year long program right. So you do really kind.

Lee Kantor: Of look at it long term. This is an internship over the summer. This is.

Caroline Cochran: Right. This is not an internship. It’s a commitment. Right?

Lee Kantor: On both sides.

Caroline Cochran: Yep. Both sides. It’s a full time job. It’s a commitment. And it’s an opportunity to prove yourself, to learn and get a full time role.

Lee Kantor: And you’re happy because now this person is ready to go.

Caroline Cochran: Ready to go. They’re ready to go. We’ve trained them for a year, right. We know that they are motivated. We know that they are capable. And we now we know that they know what we want them to do, right? Yeah, exactly.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more about Shugendo, what is the best way to do that? Is there a website? What’s the best way to connect?

Caroline Cochran: Yeah, we have Sina.com as our website. Also, we’re very active on LinkedIn and all of our open roles are posted out there. So yeah, check us out.

Lee Kantor: All right. Well, Caroline, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Caroline Cochran: Thank you.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few. At Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

Women in Health: How AI and Compassionate Care Can Coexist

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Women in Health: How AI and Compassionate Care Can Coexist
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In this episode of Women in Motion, host Lee Kantor is joined by Amanda Leno, a psychotherapist at Thrive Counseling Services. Amanda shares her journey into therapy, the evolution of mental health perceptions, and the role of AI in therapy. She emphasizes the importance of a strong clinician-client relationship and discusses strategies for building a successful private practice. Amanda also highlights the significance of finding a niche and underscores the importance of supporting women in business.

Amanda-LenoAmanda Leno is the founder and driving force behind Thrive Counseling Services, LLC in Gilbert, Arizona.

With a passion for guiding individuals toward hope and healing, she has built a dynamic group practice of dedicated clinicians committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based mental health services. Beyond her role as owner, Amanda also offers clinical supervision, nurturing the next generation of therapists as they refine their skills and discover their professional identities.

Dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive environment, Amanda champions personal growth not only for her clients but also for the professionals she mentors. She believes that the best way to serve a community is by fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. Thrive-Counseling-Services-logo

Inspired by her vision of empowering others, Amanda strives each day to challenge stigma, expand access to mental health resources, and help individuals—especially women—step into their potential as leaders in their own lives and beyond.

Follow Thrive Counseling Services on Facebook.

Music Provided by M PATH MUSIC

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Women In Motion and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. This month we’re highlighting Women in Health, and so excited to be talking to Amanda Leno. She’s a psychotherapist with Thrive Counseling Services. Welcome.

Amanda Leno: Hi. Thank you.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Thrive. How are you serving folks?

Amanda Leno: So, Thrive Counseling Services is a counseling private practice in Gilbert, Arizona. We provide trauma informed therapy for clients. We do individual therapy, couples, families therapy, as well as med management with a couple of nurse practitioners.

Lee Kantor: So, what’s your backstory? How did you get involved in this line of work?

Amanda Leno: Well, you know, at some point they make you pick a major, right? You have to put something down on paper. And I was interested, you know, in the classes back when I was in college. But the more I pursued it, the more I loved it. I was really interested in doing something in my life that was in the helping professions, as well as something with decent amount of flexibility for family planning.

Lee Kantor: And when it came time to go into your own practice versus working for someone else, how did you decide to go into your own practice?

Amanda Leno: Well, I always had that vision, I think, in the back of my mind, even if I hadn’t developed the plan yet, I knew I wanted my failures to be my own, but also my successes to be my own. And so, after I accrued enough hours where I could work independently, I started working part-time, just kind of on the side with my own practice. Started slow, started in a way that felt manageable, where I could do both, have the security of working for another entity while I worked on building my own practice.

Lee Kantor: Now, how did you land on kind of the areas of practice that you’re working in today? Did that just happen organically, or did you start kind of feeling like, oh, I’m really making an impact with this kind of person, so let me lean into that?

Amanda Leno: I would say that it was both. You know, there’s things that I just felt like I was naturally called to do, maybe have a little bit of just natural kind of instinct for it. I would say that was more with working with couples. I really love working, doing couples therapy, meeting people in a place where they’re feeling very desperate for change and connection.

Amanda Leno: But I also found tremendous need in certain areas, such in the areas of trauma, sexual abuse, work with children. My background before I was in private practice, I was just fulltime a victim therapist, and so definitely found a niche in that way because it’s an area a lot of people don’t want to work in. So, doing that, it was really, really neat to feel the impact, meet with families in crisis, give them some hope very quickly. So, that was very, very motivating.

Amanda Leno: But then, it just kind of expanded from there. I consider myself classically, you know, lifetime student and always pursuing new trainings in different modalities, kind of following what the community is needing, maybe some areas that people have a hard time finding a specialized therapists in. I kind of see that as a great business model, too, because you really have to find your niche and give people a reason to choose you over other competitors.

Lee Kantor: Now, how kind of popular is therapy? Is it something that more and more people are kind of using as a tool to help them improve their life? Or like what percentage of the population pursues therapy, even if they had some traumatic event, or, you know, there’s so much talk about depression and anxiety, and things like that, is the majority of the population kind of using therapy or is it something they’re just trying to figure out on their own?

Amanda Leno: That’s a great question. I probably have to look up the stats because I really don’t have that information. But my intuition and just observation would tell me that the stigma around counseling and therapy, I think, is decreasing. I think it’s becoming more common. I think accessibility is getting easier.

Amanda Leno: Thanks to the COVID era, accessing these types of resources via telehealth is much more commonplace. I even think sometimes, you know, the next generation is seeing getting mental health help as even somewhat trendy, something that is kind of a cool thing to do. So, at least that’s my hope. Certainly there’s different sides of the coin, but I feel like it’s getting better and easier.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’ve noticed like business coaching was something that was only for a few people at one time in the business world. And now coaching kind of it’s almost ubiquitous that everybody has a coach of some kind or a lot of people have coaches. I think that therapy is going along that same track where it might have been a stigma or it wasn’t for everybody, but now more and more people have either know people that have gone through it, or they’ve gone through it themselves, and you could almost tell by the language they use when you’re talking to someone if they have been through therapy or not.

Amanda Leno: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. No, I think you’re right on the money there. At least that’s my hope too. You know, there’s specialties in trauma, different areas that people need specific help in. But really who can’t use someone to talk to, right?

Lee Kantor: Now, do you see a place for AI in this? Because AI, you know, answers questions and talks very conversationally. Is there a place for artificial intelligence, in your opinion, when it comes to these type of services?

Amanda Leno: Oh, you’re hitting on a very controversial topic. I’m a fan of AI. I’m not trying to reject it. It depends on what you mean. On one hand, nothing, absolutely nothing will replace a real life human to human relationship. So, that’s one reason why I don’t feel threatened by it in any way. I think one place that can really serve people is in, really, kind of acute crisis situations.

Amanda Leno: I don’t have the specific names, but I know there can be apps and things that people can access, you know, in the middle of the night, specifically around suicidal ideation, things like that, where it is hard to be in touch with a human being. So, I think there can be a balance. I think AI can actually help client care in terms of documentation, monitoring progress, just quality control in general with treatment of clients. So, I’m excited about it. I think there’s a place for it for sure.

Lee Kantor: And you mentioned kind of the unique relationship human to human when you’re dealing with someone, especially over time. In your practice, you have multiple clinicians that work with you, how do you go about kind of curating that clinician family that you’ve built? Like, what kind of things do you look for and what are kind of some red flags where you’re like, okay, they’re not going to be kind of a cultural fit for what I’m trying to do here?

Amanda Leno: Oh, yeah. No, that definitely goes along with that human to human relationship piece. Because, first, it kind of goes with gut instinct. I think we all kind of have our little senses that tell us whether or not we feel comfortable with that person or not. We’re always encouraging our clients to listen to that part of them. And so, I certainly listen to that part of me when I’m interviewing or thinking about bringing a clinician on. Certainly, there’s the particular trainings and accolades that are important.

Amanda Leno: But more than anything, because therapy is so crucially based on a relationship, I want to feel authenticity from that person. I want to feel just a sense of curiosity and humility, and, you know, general emotional intelligence.

Lee Kantor: Now, how do you go about hiring that person? Is there a way to do it just based on an interview? Or do you have to kind of see them in action, at least for a trial period to see with your own eyes how things are going?

Amanda Leno: Oh, you know, it’s kind of difficult in that way because of confidentiality reasons. So, anybody that I’ve hired has been a combination of the interview process, possible personal referrals, perhaps a colleague that I know that has worked with them and knows what their clinical skills are like. And then, it’s good old fashioned just getting a feel for the person. And specific trainings kind of speak to how they operate as well. So, usually it’s gone pretty well. Just like most things, you know, listening to that inner voice, listening to that gut about somebody is really, really quite important.

Lee Kantor: Now, for folks who are thinking about starting their own business or practice like you’re doing it, and in this field, it seems super challenging because every relationship is kind of a one off. How do you go about building a practice in a field like psychotherapy? Is it with working with other clinicians in different areas that refer to you or like just word of mouth? Because it seems like the customer, I don’t know, maybe now it’s different that they’re not, you know, going on Facebook and saying I have the best therapist, you should call them.

Amanda Leno: Sure, sure. Yeah. I would see it kind of like a pie graph of different areas you’re getting referrals from. Number one, it may seem obvious, but really perfecting your craft is important. I kind of have my own little business theory that if you build it, they will come. If you’re a good clinician, if you can help people, and you’re good at what you do, then it’s probably going to be okay. That’s just the first step.

Amanda Leno: But secondary to that, there’s different areas of referral networking resources. So, one of those would be colleagues staying connected to some kind of community. I have noticed that when therapists are kind of isolated, you know, they’ve got an office in a building and then the only therapist in the building, it does create some challenges because we do refer to each other. We are kind of helping each other out because we’re not specialists in every single area. So, that’s a huge piece, getting involved in other communities like WBEC-West or your chamber of commerce, things like that.

Amanda Leno: And word of mouth, honestly, is probably the number one referral source. I don’t necessarily think anybody’s shouting from the rooftops on their Instagram about their therapy, but that’s what people are talking about with each other in more intimate settings. So, it is a very personal choice to choose your therapist. And when you can have someone you trust recommend you, that’s gold.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned the niche, even if you serve a lot of people, is it important to be kind of the go-to person in some niche? And that does kind of make you easier to refer, because then it becomes an easier referral because this person’s an expert in trauma or this person’s an expert in marriage counseling. Like they know that if they go there, they’re going to probably get a good outcome.

Amanda Leno: Yes, I would agree with that 100 percent. I have witnessed what you might call generalists not do as well, because you’re really trying to communicate to the community why should you come to me, why am I the person that’s going to be the best fit for your particular needs.

Amanda Leno: And usually people are coming in with things that they’re really challenged with. I mean, if your marriage is on the rocks, you’re not going to want to go to a provider who just has sort of dabbled in couples counseling, right? You want somebody who really knows what they’re doing, that you really feel like can help you. And so, I do find the niche training really helpful to being successful in this business.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, I talked to a lot of people, and I’m a big proponent of that as well, like I say, niches bring riches. You have to be the go-to of something, I think, to differentiate yourself. And a lot of people are just afraid to say no to people. So, they say yes to everybody, and then they become known for nothing because they say yes to everything.

Amanda Leno: Yeah, absolutely. And for that, I would say go to an intern. We have an intern program where when clients see them, they know that’s what they’re there for. They are trying to get experience in a lot of different areas with really fantastic supervision. But even then, even interns have their somewhat niches as well.

Lee Kantor: Now, why was it important for you to become part of the WBEC-West community? What were you hoping to get out of that relationship?

Amanda Leno: Yeah. You know, I thought to myself, I really want to be a part of another community that’s specific to supporting women. It’s tough out there, right? Most business owners in my industry and similar industries did not go to business school, and so we need maybe the extra support. And I just thought, well, supporting other women sounds like a win-win either way, and it’s been awesome.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there any advice you would give other women who are thinking about launching their own business, or even if it’s not their own business, maybe becoming more of a leader within the business they’re in? Is there some advice you’d like to share?

Amanda Leno: I would say give yourself permission to make money. I know that seems kind of funny because that’s sort of the point, but I’ve noticed that that women are often kind of conditioned to be smaller, quieter, not take as much space, things like that. And it is amazing how many women notice some internal dialog they have about being successful financially in their career. And so, I think something as simple as giving yourself permission to succeed, and to take up space, and to be successful is a wonderful mindset to start out with.

Lee Kantor: So, aim higher.

Amanda Leno: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: So, what are you looking ahead to? Is there any goal or roadmap you have for your business or yourself?

Amanda Leno: Yeah. Thrive, we plan to expand. We just have the one location in Gilbert right now, but we are looking to expanding to Queen Creek and Ahwatukee. Our most recent venture has been in the area of ketamine assisted psychotherapy, so we want to continue to expand on that and get the word out. Some of our specialties related to the integration of therapy with ketamine assisted therapy, making sure people understand the difference, and educating our community more on that topic.

Lee Kantor: Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you. Is there a website or a way to connect if somebody wants to learn more?

Amanda Leno: Oh, sure. Our socials are Facebook and Instagram, @thrivecounselingaz, as well as our website is thrivecounselingaz.com. Our intake coordinator can via reached by text or phone as well. So, if you ever want to get in touch to make an appointment, just visit our website and reach out to her there.

Lee Kantor: Well, Amanda, thank you again for sharing your story.

Amanda Leno: Thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor, we’ll see you all next time on Women In Motion.

 

Georgia Technology Summit 2025

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Georgia Technology Summit 2025
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Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Reggie-MarableReggie Marable, Head of Sales, Sierra

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Laura-Gibson-LamontheLaura Gibson-Lamothe, Georgia Fintech Academy

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Beverly-Wright-hsDr. Beverly Wright, Wavicle Data Solutions

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Scott-McMichaelScott McMichael, Improving

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Loretta-DanielsDr. Loretta Daniels, Technology Association of Georgia’, TAG-Ed

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Caroline-CochranCaroline Cochran, QGenda

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Yogs-JayaprakasamYogaraj (Yogs) Jayaprakasam, Deluxe Corporation

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Javier-DelgadoJavier Delgado, Quadion Technologies

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Jason-SankeyJason Sankey,  City of Atlanta

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Larry-WilliamsLarry K. Williams, The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

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Ron-McMurtrieRon McMurtrie, Honeywell

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John-WilsonJohn B. Wilson,  Spelman College

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Vikram-RamaniVikram Ramani, Synovus

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Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Loretta Daniels with TAG Education Collaborative

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Atlanta Business Radio
Georgia Technology Summit 2025: Loretta Daniels with TAG Education Collaborative
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Georgia Technology Summit brings together 1000+ Georgia-focused technologists to network, learn, and engage with the latest trends in Georgia innovation. This year’s summit was held at the Woodruff Arts Center, a stunning and iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Loretta-DanielsDr. Loretta Daniels, Interim Executive Director, Technology Association of Georgia’, TAG-Ed and CEO and Managing Partner at Kendall and Kendrick Consulting Group, is an expert in organizational Leadership, DEI, conflict management, and communication.

As an executive leader in the corporate arena, she has served in executive leadership roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Executive Director of Sales Operations, and General Manager.

In addition, she has written corporate training manuals Leading by Example and Fast Track to Excellence. As the former Executive Director of Corporate Relations of Kennesaw State University (KSU), she worked with medium and large organizations to define and deliver leadership growth certificate programs aligned with the company’s vision and objectives.

Dr. Daniels has recently created TAG Bridge Builders, a social justice and equity initiative to promote Georgia’s underrepresented tech professionals advance from mid-level positions to senior-level leadership roles, providing access to funding and customer acquisition for tech entrepreneurs.

Dr. Daniels partnered with C-level Leadership and HR to determine leadership development goals, identify training gaps, enable cultural workplace initiatives, and implement gender pay equality and equitable hiring practices. In addition, she served as the University Office of Diversity and Inclusion CoChair and Presidential Commission on Gender & Work-Life Issues. Also, she advised executive teams, including the President and Chief Diversity Officer, consulted as a subject matter expert on DEI challenges and solutions, and supported DEI’s continuous improvement efforts.

As an adjunct leadership instructor at KSU since 2002, Dr. Daniels delivered in-class and online lectures encouraging students to think strategically by applying fundamentals to real-world problems. Courses taught included Corporate Communication and Conflict Resolution, Human Communications, Public Speaking, Writing for Public Communication, and Foundations of Leadership. Additionally, she has designed a Coursera Specialty Certificate program, Advanced Leadership Skills for the 21st Century Specialization Certificate.

Dr. Daniels received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organizational Leadership from Johnson University, a Master of Science (MS) in Conflict Management, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication from Bradley University, and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mass Communication/Media Studies from KSU. She is a Certified Diversity Professional and the author of two books, For Women Only, Women Mean Business (J & W Publishers, 1992), and Unlock Your Success, a Comprehensive Guide for Starting a Successful Business (J & W Publishers, 2006). Dr. Daniels’ upcoming book, Organizational Leadership, published by SAGE Publications, will be available in January 2025 This textbook will offer a new and comprehensive approach to organizational leadership to address the paradigm shift in our global business community.

Connect with Dr. Daniels on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Georgia Technology Summit 2025 at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is Business RadioX. And now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from Georgia Technology Summit 2025. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Loretta Daniels with TAG Education Collaborative. Welcome, Loretta.

Loretta Daniels: Oh, thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m so excited to get caught up. Uh, for folks who aren’t familiar, can you tell us about TAG Education Collaborative? How are you serving folks?

Loretta Daniels: Yeah. Um, we are the 501 C3 charity side of TAG. The Technology Association of Georgia.

Lee Kantor: So, what’s your backstory? How’d you get involved with TAG?

Loretta Daniels: Uh, it’s been about two and a half years now, and, um, I got involved by coming in and creating a program for the workforce. It was a program really designed to help the underserved population enter into the tech workforce. Also to help businesses acquire customers and capital.

Lee Kantor: So, uh, how’s it going?

Loretta Daniels: It’s going extremely well since then. Um, now I have, um, received a promotion, and I. I manage the entire tag editor collaborative. And so our focus there is workforce development, leadership development and entrepreneurial success.

Lee Kantor: So, um, how do you work with kind of the universities and the I would imagine you’re also kind of dipping into maybe high schools and middle schools and, and even do you go down to elementary as well?

Loretta Daniels: Right. There are a couple of our programs. We we do like to focus on immediate workforce needs. So we do have a program, a couple of programs like Georgia Stem day and Day of Day of Code, which introduces K-12, more of the younger students to an experience of, um, AI and other technology. What our focus is how do we help high schoolers, uh, be prepared to enter into the workforce? Some may want to go to college, some may not. Um, but we do have a high school internship program that’s starting, um, next month. Uh, for that. Um, also, we work with colleges. We we understand the most important thing is for college curriculum to be designed to help to meet the needs for the workforce. As a professor, um, of leadership, I think it’s really important that we address that now.

Lee Kantor: Are you getting a lot of kind of collaboration with the university? Because I would imagine that’s in their best interest to be as up to date when it comes to this type of learning and knowledge.

Loretta Daniels: Yeah, exactly. Like the business school at KSU. Um, they help to collaborate to make sure that the curriculum is designed to meet the needs. Um, companies like, um, Again, like Tag and companies like Honeywell and other type of industry leaders, it’s important for them to go into the classroom. So Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, these are all schools that allow these companies to come in to say, here’s what curriculum looks like. Let’s talk to your students. Let’s make sure that we have a prepared workforce.

Lee Kantor: Now, is it something that the the the enterprise organizations, are they kind of leaning into this? Because in my mind, it’s common sense. Like you, you’re getting a chance to shape your, your next employee in a way that that’s going to solve some training problems down the road. If we can kind of get them at least beginning their training at the university level.

Loretta Daniels: Yeah, I think we have to take it to a next level, right. So many are accustomed to going in for career days saying, here’s what we have. We have internships.

Lee Kantor: So they think they’re done there. Right. And it’s more than that. Right.

Loretta Daniels: It’s more than that. It’s being involved.

Lee Kantor: So how would you recommend like? Like if you had a chance to have a conversation with somebody at enterprise? What how would you communicate to them on how to best leverage this opportunity to work with Tag in this way?

Loretta Daniels: I would say meet with your department leaders, establish exactly what you’re going to need, especially with AI and all the new technology. What are you going to need? Don’t make assumptions that the curriculum is going to meet your needs. So then schedule a meeting with the dean of the university to say, here’s what we’re looking for. Here are our job descriptions. Let’s align this with your curriculum. And if your curriculum aligns, that’s great. If not, let’s take a look at how we can enhance it and allow our leaders to come in and speak to your students.

Lee Kantor: So it can be kind of customized to what they need. I think that they’re not connecting the dots, and they’re not understanding the full scope of what is possible.

Loretta Daniels: Exactly. Customization is possible. We’re not looking for, um, enterprise to come in and change the curriculum just to enhance the curriculum. So it’s meeting the need. Again, with AI and technology, it moves at a rapid pace. So the curriculum needs to change and adjust accordingly.

Lee Kantor: Right. This is one of the things that university, if they remember, is there to serve their students and to give them the best possible chance of success. And this is a chance to really kind of not wait until this is dribbled down to a textbook. Right? Like you can get this in real time. Almost.

Loretta Daniels: Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I left the corporate world. I was a C-suite executive in the medical device industry, but always teaching adjunct, you know, at KSU. Right. And one of the things I wanted to do was to go full time with the university to say here, not everyone wants to go out and be a PhD, right? They’re there to get a job.

Lee Kantor: Exactly.

Loretta Daniels: How do we prepare them to get a job today? Exactly.

Lee Kantor: So, uh, now. So what do you need more of? Do you need more kind of, uh, enterprise level organizations to want to take this kind of leap and work together, or is that the challenge or the biggest rock that you’re kind of dealing with?

Loretta Daniels: Yeah, for us, we are establishing more partnerships. So the more, um, educators can work through us, we can be that middleman, right? So that the industry leaders can come to us, tell us what their challenges are. We will help to connect them with the universities to make that change. We have a very unique program now where the first in the state of Georgia to have a registered tech apprenticeship program, and that’s very unique because it helps these employers tap into untapped talent. These are individuals who may or may not have a college degree. Right. Um, and it allows them to have training. But before they even go into training, like cybersecurity or software developer, um, they are hired by the companies. So they are full time employee. It’s different from an internship program, but it’s one of the most effective workforce gap fillers right now.

Lee Kantor: Because once they go through that, the company has an employee. The company is an employee throughout the whole process.

Loretta Daniels: Yeah, you have a company employee, but you don’t have someone who’s just coming out of college. Because if when you look at the numbers, there is simply not enough college graduates in tech in, in the tech arena to fill these jobs. Right. And so we have to look at those who may have a degree in business or may have a degree in nursing or English and get them trained into tech jobs. And now you’re filling that gap that you would not have had that talent to fill.

Lee Kantor: Right. But it requires you to kind of think outside the box here a little bit and really expand what you’re defining as that prospective student. Right. Like this is a it sounds like a little bit of a leap of faith.

Loretta Daniels: Yes. But you have to companies have to be more innovative in their approach to filling the jobs.

Lee Kantor: Because they’re not going to fill themselves. So you better be doing the work.

Loretta Daniels: Mhm. Exactly.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to connect with you um, or learn more about how to collaborate, what is the best way to do that.

Loretta Daniels: Visit our website. Tag online.com.

Lee Kantor: And then uh, they can go there and then they can just find the appropriate program.

Loretta Daniels: Yes. And the what they want to look for are programs. If they’re looking for leadership development, professional development, upskilling or reskilling for AI. Um, whether they’re looking for steam or just how do I prepare now to get into the workforce.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there a story you can share, maybe that, um, illustrates or gives the listener an idea of what’s possible?

Loretta Daniels: Yeah, I’ve got two stories real quick. Um, one is the registered tech apprenticeship program. We have. We’ve just, um, placed a couple of apprentices in one of our organizations around board organizations. They are doing very well. They’ve gone from not having a tech career to one was working, I think, in a restaurant, and now they are cybersecurity analysts with a real job making real money. Right. Another is on the entrepreneurial side, um, we have invest connect. Um, and that’s where we allow these, um, tech entrepreneurs to present for, for, for, um, pitch competition funds. But not only that, half of the room are, are, um, investors. So we’ve just got a report that three entrepreneurs were able to get funding through Invest Connect.

Lee Kantor: Wow. The impact is real.

Loretta Daniels: Yes it is.

Lee Kantor: Well, thank you, Loretta, for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you. All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few a Georgia Technology Summit 2025.

 

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