#AskTheCEO Podcast

Melissa Sassi is a Startup Program Manager at IBM focused on empowering early-stage entrepreneurs to transform their lives through technology and business mentorship. She is a division-level lead for IBM’s Call for Code initiative which involves preparing for and responding to natural disasters with technical innovation. Prior to joining IBM, she spent several years in Microsoft's Airband Initiative where she was an impact investor focused on internet and energy access. She is currently, Co-Chair of IEEE's Digital Skills Working group and is a founding member of the Coalition for Digital Intelligence with the World Economic Forum, OECD, IEEE, and the DQ Institute. She is the Founder & CEO of MentorNations, a youth-led digital literacy movement, which aims to inspire underserved communities via access, skills, and utilization of technology. She holds two master's degrees in supply chain and finance and is working toward her PhD in international business. Her research focus is the digital inclusion of indigenous communities. Contact Melissa: Twitter: @mentorafrika More information on IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator: https://developer.ibm.com/blogs/ibm-launches-ibm-hyper-protect-accelerator-powered-by-ibm-linuxone/ Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [02:26] With the onset of the “gig economy” many people are turning to Entrepreneurship to go for their dreams as well as make an impact in the world. However, as you know, most small businesses fail within their first year of business. What kinds of resources does IBM offer to help startups become viable during their critical first year in business and beyond? [03:44] IBM Hyper Protect will help FinTech and HealthTech startups with technologies, such as AI and Blockchain. [04:00] Most small businesses fail during their first year in business. To avoid becoming a statistic, FinTech and HealthTech entrepreneurs turn to accelerators, such as IBM Hyper Protect. [04:59] IBM is looking for FinTech and HealthTech startups with under $1M in revenue, and less than 5 years old. [05:08] IBM is offering FinTech and HealthTech startups a business in a box! [06:30] One of the goals with IBM’s Hyper Protect Accelerator is to focus on solving Sustainable Development Goals, such as eliminating poverty or creating a more balanced economy. [07:00] What kind of technology does IBM offer startups as part of the IBM Hyper-protect Accelerator? [07:11] IBM is offering $120k in free Cloud credits per startup! [09:36] What are some of the unique challenges faced by FinTech and HealthTech startups? [11:56] Thinking about the IBM Hyper-protect Accelerator, I’m sure there are many businesses that are watching this video right now that are thinking, let’s sign up right away. Others might not be so sure. What do you think is holding them back, and what might you say to these ambivalent Entrepreneurs? [12:45] For companies dealing with high level of PII (Personally Identifiable Information), IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator is a game-changer. [14:12] For startups that don’t have access to capital, why pay for a Cloud Solution, when IBM will give it to you for free! [ 16:17] How can people participate in IBM Hyper-protect, and where can people go to connect with you? [18:28] Do you have any parting words of wisdom to share with the audience?

Kai Hermsen is the Global Coordinator for the Charter of Trust with Siemens, where together with his team in the Central Technology department, he is driving the Siemens Cybersecurity Strategy, Initiatives, and Innovation. Previously, he was head of Security Business Strategies for Siemens, as well as a Project Manager in Siemens Management Consulting in Germany and India. He is at the front lines of the Digital Transformation battlefield. Contact Kai: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-hermsen-6b4b9021/ Twitter: @HermsenKai Web: http://www.charter-of-trust.com Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [00:48] Your presentation on Charter of Trust talks about the opportunities and risks associated with Digital Transformation. Can you elaborate on that? [05:11] What is the Charter of Trust? [05:11] The Charter of Trust is an initiative comprised of 17 companies that are trying to establish trust in a digital world. [09:27] What type of companies make up the Charter of Trust? [10:19] Will the Charter of Trust become a certification authority? [13:40] Doing Cybersecurity the right way gives you the license to play in the field of digitalization. [13:54] What would IoT Manufacturers need to do to conform to the Charter of Trust? [14:48] The Charter of Trust is a CEO activity. [15:28] A company’s Cybersecurity strategy needs to be driven by the CEO. [16:07] A proper Cybersecurity strategy is like cooking. You can’t add salt later! [18:54] What do you think is the next step for Siemens with regards to Charter of Trust? [23:32] Trust is the new gold!

Neil Cattermull is a global Cloud technology influencer and leading independent analyst, who consults, educates, and delivers Cloud strategies for vendors and client organizations. His specialties include: Service Delivery Management, Business Continuity Management, Technical Architecture, Management Consulting, and Cloud Computing. He’s held multiple Director level positions at international banks and financial service delivery firms, such as IBM, Olivetti, ADP Telerate, Thomson Financial, Merrill Lynch, and West LB. He has created many startup technology firms and is ranked in the Top 50 for the technology market. Contact Neil: Twitter: @NeilCattermull LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilcattermull/ Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: 01:06 Recently, IBM was in the news regarding their merger with Red Hat. As someone who specializes in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions, help us understand, why did IBM acquire Red Hat? 02:40 IBM Cloud PaaS is also built on open source technology. 03:32 What is Hybrid Cloud, and why are people interested in it? 04:52 For the layperson, what is the difference between Hybrid Cloud & Public Cloud? 07:21 Is IBM looking to compete with AWS with the Red Hat acquisition? 09:05 How to avoid Cloud sticker shock when migrating to IaaS / PaaS! 11:43 One of the reasons cited for IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat is their Kubernetes distribution. What is Kubernetes? What is Red Hat doing with it? And why is IBM interested in it? 14:02 Let’s talk about Mergers and Acquisitions in general. Why would a company want to acquire or merge with another company? 33:15 You need multiple lines of defense for Internet Security and Cybersecurity. 34:54 When starting a business, always start with the end in mind. QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE: 18:20 Neville Huang – CEO Neurozo Innovation, New Taipei City, Taiwan - It's said that IBM acquiring RedHat will have a significant impact on Cloud services. In your opinion, how will the prevalence of Cloud impact Cybersecurity? 20:40 Neville Gaunt - Founder MindFit Ltd, UK - What large corporate merger or acquisition has ever given 1+1 is greater than 2? 23:37 Jan Barbosa - Brand Ambassador at beBee Inc., Puerto Rico – Can you name two recent good mergers, and two really bad ones? 28:27 Paul Colmer, Digital architect, coach, and trainer with ALC Training & Consulting in Brisbane, Australia - Does the acquisition mean we'll see IBM hit the IoT consumer market....ala Alexa / Google Home? 30:55 Ken Herron - CMO UIB, Orlando, FL - For those of us who create Internet of Things Solutions for our customers, in 2019 what are the 3 top things we should be looking out for to improve the security of our solutions?

Mr. Scott N. Schober is the President and CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems (BVS), a 45 year-old New Jersey-based privately held company and leading provider of advanced, world-class wireless test and security solutions. Since the beginning of Mr. Schober’s BVS tenure in 1989, the company’s product line of wireless test and security instruments has increased to over 100 products with a core focus on Wi-Fi, Cellular, WiMAX, LTE, IoT and advanced radio devices. As an experienced software engineer, Schober has developed cellular test instruments used for measuring, optimizing and plotting signal coverage, primarily for the initial cellular build-out throughout the United States. Scott’s recent focus has been development (patent pending) of BVS’ cell phone detection tools, used to enforce a ‘no cell phone policy’ in various markets including government, corporate, military, educational, correctional and law enforcement. Thousands of these security tools have been deployed throughout every state in the U.S. and around the world. Mr. Schober is a highly sought after subject expert on the topic of Cybersecurity and wireless technology for media appearances and commentary. He is often seen on ABC News, Bloomberg TV, Al Jazeera America, CBS This Morning News, CGTN America, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Fox News, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, MSNBC and many more. His security advice is heard on dozens of radio stations such as National Public Radio, Sirius XM Radio, Bloomberg Radio, and The Peggy Smedley Show. He regularly presents at conferences around the globe discussing wireless technology and its role in the current Cybersecurity breaches along with his vision for best practices to stay safe in the future. Scott has been interviewed in WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, Success, NY Daily News, Newsweek, USA Today, and The New York Times. Scott educates all business around the world about how to prepare for a future of Cybersecurity and corporate espionage, opening their eyes to this ever deepening black hole of liability. He has spoken at SecureWorld, ShowMeCon, GovSec, Counter Terror expo, ISS Americas, Espionage Research International, Connected World, ConstrucTech, IEEE and GSM World Congress as well as many business events. Mr. Schober was a VIP attendee at two Concordia Summits both held in New York and was selected to appear in an interview discussing national security. He is a regular contributor on Huffington Post, Fortune Magazine, and blogs for IBM, SecureWorld, HP’s Business Value Exchange, and TripWire’s State of Security. Contact Scott: Web: https://www.bvsystems.com/ Web: https://scottschober.com/ Email: scott@bvsystems.com Twitter: @ScottBVS Twitter: @HackedAgainBook Twitter: @BVSystems Get FREE 6 week hands on training on Cybersecurity + job placement: https://hackeducate.com/ Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [00:54] The Japanese cryptocurrency firm Tech Bureau Corp said about $60 million in digital currencies were stolen from its exchange, highlighting the industry’s vulnerability despite recent efforts by authorities to make it more secure. What exactly transpired? [01:52] Why do Cryptocurrency exchanges keep on getting hacked? [02:34] How can we, as consumers, protect our cryptocurrency investments? [05:47] Blocksafe Technologies developed products that can protect your digital wallet. [08:12] How can the Cryptocurrency industry restore consumer trust? [11:05] A recent report came out regarding some guy who drove off with a brand new Tesla Model 3, which he stole from Mall of America, by using only his cellphone! I'm not sure which thing to be more concerned about - that he hacked into a car & stole it, or that it was done using a smartphone! What's going on here? [17:20] We need secure OTA Patching for cars!

Jola Burnett is Vice President at GfK Consumer Life, where she consults with many Fortune 500 clients, looking at disruptive shifts and forces to make sense of the future (and she is really obsessed with the future!). She studies US and global consumers, as well as, disruptions and innovation, around the world, to guide her clients on how to connect with today’s and tomorrow’s consumers, to pinpoint white space opportunities and high growth areas and tailor marketing strategies to future proof their business. Her category expertise includes technology, retail, health, media & entertainment, PR & marketing, consumer packaged goods, personal care, beauty & fashion, government and non-profit. She is a frequent speaker at numerous conferences including the Marketing 2 Moms Conference, The Market Research Event, The Media Insights Conference, the North American Shea Trade, and the AMA Marketing Conference. She also moderated a panel of experts at the Debunking Millennials Mediapost event in NYC. She is a columnist at MediaPost and Customer Think, and the author of “In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Customers Remain King, and many other industry blogs. Contact Jola: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jola-burnett-2024869/ Twitter: @JolaBurnett Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [02:15] How are millennial moms driving adoption of smart home technology? [05:39] The top 3 influencers of new technology for moms are: Effortlessness, Time, and Data Privacy. [10:13] Innovation must make sense to the consumer. Moms are the consumers. [10:45] How can technology help moms become the super moms they aspire to be? [13:17] The speed of innovation is behind the massive growth of AI & Robotics. [15:20] GenZ is your crystal ball to future consumer trends. [16:16] What are the differences between Millennials and Genz, as it pertains to the way they use technology? Questions from the audience: [18:31] Jan Barbosa - Is AI democratization viable? [22:35] Juan de la Cruz - How do you analyze the market demands for an innovation or product which doesn't yet exist? [26:52] Mirko Ross - Will consumers accept interaction with an AI-based user interface in the same way as a human to human interaction? [31:55] AI is likely to become an extension of your brand. Its personality should match your brand. [33:05] Nick Tang - Will consumers be annoyed that AI is chatting with them for the easy items? [34:01] Neurozo Innovation - Is it possible that physical stores will go extinct in the future? [41:04] Neville Gaunt - The UK has lost several large high street brands because of a shift from physical to online. Will the high street as we know it just disappear? [42:57] Jo Peterson - How will AI build on the advantages of e-commerce to make it a-commerce? [46:16] Audrey DeSisto - The majority of consumers fear AI will replace their jobs. Do you feel this is due to speed and precision, or cost? [48:33] Ken Herron - How can we prepare ourselves to successfully work alongside and for new robot co-workers? [52:37] Johannes Drooghaag - Will consumer behavior influence the implementations of blockchain beyond crypto? [55:10] Tony Flath- What are some of the biggest breakthroughs that we'll see in AI and Healthcare over the next year? [58:34] Anubhav Yadav - Will we ever be forced by machines to live in a MATRIX world once someone's AI disrupts the whole IoT, and technology dependent society? [59:22] Jaymie Cutaia - How do you see blockchain transforming the way we think of cybersecurity? [1:00:27] Jolene Stillinger - How do you feel about our mall touch directories facial recognizing us and collecting data? [1:03:28] Code Brew Labs - The use of technology in construction firms can be considered minimal until one learns about the endless benefits of AR and VR tools in the same.

Paul Colmer is an engaging digital architect, coach, and trainer, who empowers others through the transfer of knowledge. He is currently working for ALC Training & Consulting in Brisbane, Australia, where he develops and runs public and custom courses tailored to their clients’ needs. He also coaches and mentors his clients, empowering them to bring cloud, cybersecurity, agile expertise, and best practices to their organizations. Prior to this, he was a Senior Principal Cloud Architect for DXC Technology, where he was a joint winner of the Citrix System Integrator Award 2017 for Innovation on the DXC Shared Platform. His passion is helping people develop and grow, through compelling stories and experiences. Contact Paul: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcolmer/ Twitter: @MusicComposer1 Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [02:46] There is massive disruption taking place in every industry, thanks to the rapid advancement in technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Robotics, and so on. As someone who works in, and mentors people on, the forefront of cutting edge technology, what kinds of trends are you seeing regarding Digital Disruption? [03:15] How do you define Digital Disruption? [04:20] How do you define Digital Transformation? [05:14] Prediction: Every industry will be disrupted, including governments! [06:50] GDPR in EU is a form of disruption. [07:44] There are forms of GDPR that have been adopted as law all around the world. [10:52] A Digital Transformation project is not complete without a robust Cybersecurity strategy. What are you seeing out there, with regards to the ways companies employ Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Protection? [11:02] What are the top 5 Cloud Security Threats? [11:02] The #1 Cloud Security Threat is a Data Breach. [13:20] How to get through a data breach. [13:20] A data breach is inevitable. The key is how you will react when it happens. [14:09] Another buzz word that people hear over, and over again, is BigData. What is that? [14:38] A few thousand records is called “Little Data” (up to 100k rows). [15:07] BigData is about making good business decisions around very large sets of data. [16:20] Our personal habits are contributing to the huge volumes of data. [19:42] What is Machine Learning? [21:01] The Tesla Driverless Car [22:33] Blockchain: Beyond the hype [23:28] McKinsey: It will take many years for Blockchain to go into production. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/blockchain-beyond-the-hype-what-is-the-strategic-business-value. [23:28] The challenge with Blockchain is scalability [24:05] Will Quantum Computers solve the challenges with Blockchain? [26:22] Quantum Computers raise Cybersecurity fears [27:08] Another component to Digital Transformation is migrating to The Cloud. In an article published by ZDNet in November 2018, they wrote about Guinness World Records and stated that Cloud Computing is the key to their digital transformation. What do businesses need to know as they contemplate migrating to The Cloud? [30:30] Can you tell us about some of the technical courses you teach, and what kinds of businesses would benefit the most from these classes?

What is the business opportunity with eSports Marketing? Alex Martin is a workaholic, software engineer, creator, and gamer. He’s the founder & CEO of esports and professional gaming startup, athletes.gg. Prior to starting athletes.gg, he was an Integrations and Professional Services Manager at Tenfold, where he managed a large engineering team, as well as relationships with partners and Enterprise customers. Prior to joining Tenfold, he held several positions as Lead Software Engineer. Most recently, at Springbox, where he lead many projects for large Enterprise clients; and prior to that, at Help.com, where he built up their entire engineering foundation for both, the code and the culture. He started programming computer games when he was just 8 years old! In his senior year of college, he realized that building things is what he loved to do, so he joined the amazing world of startups and never looked back. Connect with Alex: Twitter: @suitupalex Instagram: @suitupalex Web: https://athletes.gg Email: alex@athletes.gg Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [01:16] Many people don’t get the gaming industry. They think it’s just a bunch of kids playing video games. However, as we’ve seen with games like Pokémon Go, there are real world business implications to every kind of business leveraging this demographic. Can you help us understand what is the gaming industry? [01:16] eSports is geared mainly towards Millennials and GenZ, and is a $905M industry, having grown over 30% from 2017. [03:56] eSports differs from Traditional Sports in that you can make it big, literally overnight, thanks to the Internet. [05:00] As a business – or marketer – why should I care about gaming? I’m too busy trying to make money than to follow the latest game tournaments! [05:35] How are companies like NFL, RedBull, and Geico leveraging eSports to grow their businesses? [07:39] As a marketer that’s looking to take advantage of this newly discovered demographic, what challenges am I likely to run into, that I should know about? [10:00] Now, you actually built a business, athletes.gg, around this. Tell us about it. [12:05] What is an eSports Agg score? [12:05] How are eSports athletes measured? [12:05] How can businesses choose the right eSports athlete for influencer marketing? [13:35] How do companies, like Underarmour and Nike select eSports athletes for influencer marketing? [16:10] Can you give us some examples of how brands would leverage a platform like yours to identify influencers? [16:10] How do companies, like Uber leverage eSports athletes for influencer marketing? [16:10] How can the average business select and negotiate with eSports athletes for influencer marketing? [19:04] The mission of athletes.gg is to empower young athletes. [20:10] Why millennials are uniquely suited as CEOs of eSports related businesses. [20:56] How did you get started with this business? [24:40] Can you talk about some of the emerging technologies being used in gaming, such as AR, VR, AI, and IoT? [27:25] Robot assisted surgeries use a controller similar to an Xbox! [29:35] How to educate yourself on leveraging eSports for marketing your business.

Bill Mew is a leading advocate for digital ethics and digital transformation. A former global leader for IBM Financial Services Sector, CMO for Compare the Cloud and Cloud Strategist for UK Cloud, he is a strategic advisor to a number of leading tech firms, including Govtech specialist Advice Cloud. As an evangelist for the transformational value of technology, he is the world’s top social influencer on #Govtech, a top commentator on #Cloud, and also one of the judges of the UK Cloud Awards. As a campaigner for data privacy and other ethical issues in technology, he is also the world’s top social influencer on #Privacy. He appears almost weekly on broadcast TV and Radio, is a prolific author of articles and blogs, as well as being exceedingly socially engaged. Contact Bill: Twitter: @BillMew Email: bill@mewera.biz Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [ 01:48] Can you explain to the lay-person, what is digital ethics all about, and why is it so important? [01:48] Facebook data breach [04:04] A decade ago, people expected companies to take action for issues such as, Diversity, Sustainability, and Global Warming. Nowadays, it’s Privacy & Data Security. [05:20] If there is a perception of a lack of trust, people won’t do business with you. [07:58] Companies need to have some form of privacy assessment. [09:03] To protect your brand, companies need to be prepared for a data breach. [13:00] Companies are potentially liable for the criminal actions of their employees, such as a data breach. [13:50] Class action lawsuits are starting to emerge in response to companies’ behavior during a data breach. [14:57] How do you define Digital Ethics? [15:15] Digital Ethics is defined as having a cultural approach across an organization that is as responsible for data, as anything else of equal value. [16:40] Will GDPR be coming to the US? [18:00] Why companies need a Digital Ethics consultant. [22:20] A small Cloud provider in the UK beat Amazon & Google by differentiating themselves with Data Privacy & Data Sovereignty. [26:33] France is giving up the Google browser in favor of local Qwant, citing concerns about US Tech domination. [27:30] Under the Cloud act, any company that operates in the US is subject to seizure by the US Government. [30:00] Every kind of business, from every industry, is impacted by Digital Ethics.