The BreakLine Arena

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with John Donahoe, President & CEO of NIKE, Inc., world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. John dove into his own career transitions and the deeper sense of purpose that guides him. He shared some of the inner challenges he has navigated throughout his career, insights from “wisdom conversations” he had with peers and mentors during a sabbatical, how he and his wife, Eileen, built a dual-career family, and so much more.This podcast was recorded on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. References to events or facts are true up to that point but might have changed between the recording and release of this episode.Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jessica Nordell, journalist, and author of  The End of Bias: A Beginning.In our conversation, she shares practical and research-backed approaches for addressing the habits of mind and action that prevent leaders from building and retaining outstanding teams. Among other topics, she describes the power of having an “existence proof,” the stabilizing and uplifting role that mentors play for up-and-coming professionals, and how to prevent “shadow requirements” from blocking one’s path to success. Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jen Sovada, President of Public Sector at SandboxAQ. SandboxAQ is harnessing the power of AI + Quantum technology to develop products for computationally-intensive industries including the public sector, healthcare, and telecommunications.Jen dives into her experience working on emerging technology while bridging the public-private sector gap, as well as her mentality around being a lifelong learner. She also shares some tips for building effective teams, managing imposter syndrome, and building a career in national security.“When building a team, don’t look just at the qualities and skillsets that they bring. Look at how interested they are in learning, how inquisitive they are, and whether or not they want to grow and build.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Dan Streetman, CEO of Tanium, a company developing innovative technology to manage complex security and IT environments.Dan dives into his professional journey and describes the challenges he overcame as a CEO. He provides insights into what cultivates a successful leader and outlines the desired qualities of potential talent. All while revealing his framework for making the tough decisions that arise along the way.“[The] trick is not just to be a good leader, but a leader of leaders.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with William Treseder, Senior Vice President at BMNT, a company transforming how governments deliver new capabilities at speed and at scale.William dives into all things defense tech, including the evolutions he has seen over the past decade and the current state of the market. He also shared the story of his non-linear career path and the essential insights he gained along the way. “There’s more defense startup-related activity now on any given day than there was in an entire year, ten years ago.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a Conversation with General H.R. McMaster, Former US National Security Advisor, seasoned military strategist, and author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World.In this episode, General McMaster analyzes the shifting tides of global threats since his tenure at the White House. He dives deeper into strategies aimed at reclaiming America's shared sense of identity, shares insights into what the U.S. public should keep in mind as we navigate current conflicts, and explores the collaboration between government and tech for enhanced national security. It's a thoughtful reflection on the collective consciousness of a nation amid strategic geopolitical challenges and the broader global impact.“A lot of [US defense policies] are underpinned by implicit flawed assumptions and because they’re implicit, they never get challenged.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Richard Coleman, President of Axon Federal, a technology company delivering critical public safety solutions to the nation’s top security, law enforcement agencies, and military departments.Richard shares what attracted him to the public sector and national security as a young engineer, the importance of “breakthrough moments” in your career,  Axon’s work protecting lives and building trust between law enforcement and the community, and the importance of building a diverse team.“Mission-driven people are typically the most passionate people, and oftentimes I find that they’re the most productive. It’s critical to make sure that you find something that you’re passionate about. Find something where every single day you wake up and go to sleep thinking about it. It becomes less like work and more like your why – why you exist, why you do what you do.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems | Defense Tech: Transforming Government Software Delivery Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems, a software startup building the first of its kind DevSecOps platform that accelerates delivery of commercial technology to U.S. warfighters and national security professionals.Tyler shares what drew him to the defense tech space, ositions in the tech industry that are well aligned to veteran skill sets, and how Second Front is “the lattice that stitches the defense tech revolution together.” He talks about the importance of mission when it comes to attracting talent into the space, the value of building a team that is both intellectually and experientially diverse, and his advice for tech companies looking to create what he calls a “human capital flywheel.”“If you’re creating space as a leader to enable good ideas, new expectations, and new ways of doing [things] to come up and ultimately get operationalized or institutionalized, that’s a human capital flywheel that’s pretty magical.”Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

In this podcast, Brett Granberg, Co-founder and CEO of Vannevar Labs, discusses funding and building a defense tech company, ensuring product-market fit, and the importance of mission-driven organizations. He also shares insights on leadership and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs. The chapter highlights the significance of adaptability, resilience, and team building in the startup journey.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Ethan Schmertzler, Co-founder and CEO of Dispel, a computer and network security company revolutionizing the Zero Trust and network security space.Dispel started in Ethan Schmertzler’s New York City apartment nine years ago and today the company is well on its way to becoming the gold standard in industrial scale moving target defense technology. In this episode of the BreakLine Arena, Ethan shares the factors that are foundational to Dispel’s culture; including the flat hierarchy, the emphasis on “good expedition behavior,” and the prioritization of life outside of work. He digs deeper with the core mission of Dispel, their approach to hiring talent, and some fun stories from their early days in business!“What Dispel focuses on is really enabling secure access to industrial control systems and all the components around that. We succeed as a company because we get really in the technical weeds on the market that we serve.“Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org.