Micro Journeys: The Pulse of What’s Next

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Duncan, Chief Technical Advisor for Africom J6, on the ground at African Lion 2026 in Morocco. Chief Duncan pulls back the curtain on how a small, specialized team is integrating commercial and military technology into a single agnostic cloud platform — enabling real-time data sharing across U.S. forces, industry partners, and partner nations in some of the most remote corners of the African continent. What begins as a conversation about innovation during a multinational training exercise takes an unexpected turn when the exercise itself becomes a live rescue mission, putting every piece of technology on the ground to an immediate, real-world test.The African continent presents unique operational challenges that solutions built for other theaters simply cannot anticipate. Without reliable infrastructure, traditional server stacks and communication systems become liabilities — too heavy, too slow, and too dependent on connectivity that doesn't exist at the edge. Chief Duncan describes a military landscape where commercial technology floods the market but rarely accounts for the realities of remote, irregular warfare environments where every day is unpredictable and the cost of a communication failure can be measured in lives.Chief Duncan and his team proved that a backpack-sized edge device and a Starlink terminal can replace an entire server stack — and that an agnostic platform capable of integrating any system, including a partner nation's commercial drone feed, is the key to rapid, effective coalition operations in austere environments.What You'll Discover in This Episode01:43 — Why solutions that work in other theaters don't automatically translate to the African continent, and the specific transport and connectivity questions every commander needs to ask before deploying technology to a remote location.02:56 — How Chief Duncan's team replaced heavy server stacks with a small form factor edge device and a Starlink terminal that fit in a backpack — redefining what it means to operate at the edge.05:38 — The moment African Lion 2026 shifted from training exercise to live rescue mission, and how an agnostic cloud platform allowed every industry partner on the ground to immediately contribute a solution for the commander.07:16 — How a whiteboard session with Moroccan partner forces unlocked the ability to pull a partner nation's drone feed directly into the U.S. network — reinvigorating coalition energy and demonstrating interoperability in action.08:55 — Chief Duncan's candid reflection on what made this exercise historic: a team that broke systems, integrated them anyway, and built a common operational picture that no one had assembled quite like this before.12:02 — The lesson that will outlast African Lion 2026: speed of implementation matters as much as the technology itself, and units with the freedom to act don't have to wait for approval to prove what works.Let’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoChief Brian G DuncanTSS Website

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo takes listeners on a rare, behind-the-scenes journey inside Brookhaven National Laboratory, a 5,300-acre federal research facility located in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Joined by Daniel Marx, Accelerator Physicist, and Alex Jentsch, Associate Staff Scientist, Daniel steps inside one of the most secured and scientifically significant facilities in the United States. From navigating multiple layers of security and suiting up in full construction gear, to walking the tunnels of a machine that has operated for 25 years, this episode immerses listeners in the sights, sounds, and scale of cutting-edge nuclear physics research happening right now on American soil.At the heart of this episode is one of the most profound open questions in all of science: what actually makes up a proton? Despite decades of research, scientists can only account for roughly 1% of the proton's total mass through the quarks that compose it. The remaining 99% — driven by the dynamic interactions between quarks and gluons — remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of modern physics. To answer it, Brookhaven is in the middle of a decade-long transformation, converting its existing Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider into the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) , a first-of-its-kind machine designed to take three-dimensional snapshots of the internal structure of protons and atomic nuclei.The EIC represents the answer — a facility built with unprecedented flexibility, precision down to tens of microns, a detector the size of a three-story building, and the integration of artificial intelligence through Project Genesis to accelerate data analysis and protect the machine, bringing humanity closer to understanding the fundamental building blocks of all matter.What You'll Discover in This Episode[04:43] — Why scientists believe only 1% of what makes up a proton is currently understood, and what the remaining 99% could reveal about the mass of all matter in the universe.[08:49] — Alex Jentsch breaks down how E=MC² is not just a famous equation but a living, unresolved mystery at the subatomic level — and why the proton's mass cannot be explained by its quarks alone.[15:07] — Daniel Marx introduces listeners to the 25-year-old the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the decade-long construction plan to convert it into the Electron Ion Collider, including what stays, what gets torn out, and why the precision required is measured in millionths of a meter.[28:55] — Alex Jentsch reveals how the EIC's detector — essentially a three-story digital camera — captures billions of particle collisions per run, and why reconstructing a single image of a nucleus is like having 10,000 people each photograph an elephant with a one-pixel camera.[33:41] — How Project Genesis, the Department of Energy's artificial intelligence initiative, is being integrated into the EIC to filter data, recognize new patterns, predict machine failures, and reduce costly downtime — supercharging the speed of scientific discovery.[32:21] — Why building the EIC is not just a physics problem — it takes software engineers, surveyors, technicians, procurement specialists, and computing infrastructure experts, making this one of the most interdisciplinary scientific endeavors in American history.Let’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoAlex JentschDaniel MarxTSS Website

In this episode of Micro Journeys: Inside Access, host Daniel Marrujo travels to Tantan, Morocco, embedded alongside the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team at African Lion — one of the largest multinational military exercises in the world. Daniel sits down with Captain Vincent Gasparri, a West Point-trained nuclear engineer who leads the Bayonet Innovation Team, a unit dedicated full-time to integrating commercial technology into one of the US Army's most forward-deployed brigades. From FPV drone strikes to autonomous ground vehicles operating in real time across the Sahara Desert, this episode pulls back the curtain on what the future of warfare actually looks like when it leaves the lab and hits the field.War is changing — and the data coming out of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict is accelerating that change faster than most people realize. The proliferation of small unmanned systems, the integration of artificial intelligence, and the demand for faster commander decision-making are no longer theoretical challenges being studied in laboratories. They are problems being solved in the field, in the heat, in the dust, and under pressure. Captain Gasparri and his team of seven are at the center of that effort, stress-testing commercial technology in austere environments and iterating in real time to ensure soldiers will actually use what they are given.The solution is not about replacing the soldier — it is about empowering the soldier, keeping humans firmly in the loop, and building systems that serve the formation rather than the other way around.What You'll Discover in This Episode[03:13] — How the 173rd Airborne breaks military technology into two core pillars: robotic implementation and communications and command and control, and why both are essential to increasing lethality and protecting paratroopers on the battlefield.[04:07] — Why testing technology in an office will never be enough, and what happens when battery issues, controller feel, and Sahara Desert conditions expose the gaps that only real field iteration can fix.[05:57] — How the Russo-Ukrainian conflict directly influenced the systems being deployed at African Lion, specifically the proliferation of small unmanned systems used both as reconnaissance tools and as weapons.[07:11] — Captain Gasparri's direct response to fears about artificial intelligence spiraling out of control on the battlefield, and why keeping soldiers safe remains the absolute number one priority above all else.[08:35] — Why the human in the loop is non-negotiable, and how new positions like FPV operator are emerging inside formations that never had to train for roles like this before.[10:36] — A firsthand account of the strike team exercise: 11 FPV one-way attack drones expended at the commander's discretion, two autonomous robotic ground vehicles successfully breaching a live objective, and what it took to get there.Let’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoCaptain Vincent GasparriTSS Website

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with two of the most quietly consequential figures in U.S. military operations in Africa — Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Thomason, Provost Marshal for the Southern European Task Force Africa, and Lydia Benyam, Lab Manager for the Joint Theater Forensic Analysis Center, or JTFAC, located at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Recorded live at the African Land Forces Summit, the conversation pulls back the curtain on a capability most people never knew existed: a small, internationally accredited forensics lab operating in East Africa that is turning physical evidence from some of the world's most dangerous environments into actionable military intelligence, successful criminal prosecutions, and tools for regional security across an entire continent.Most people picture forensics through the lens of a television crime drama — DNA swabs, fingerprints, a lab in a major U.S. city. The reality of what Thomason and Biniam's team does is far broader and far more consequential. Operating across two core categories — the who and the what — the JTFAC handles everything from DNA identification and latent prints to firearms analysis, serial number restoration, chemical detection of explosives and drugs, and full electronic data extraction and reverse engineering. In a region where bad actors are constantly evolving their tactics, techniques, and procedures, the pressure on this team to stay ahead of the threat, while producing evidence that holds up in international courts of law, is constant and unrelenting.Benyam and Thomason explain how a combination of rigorous science, cross-agency collaboration, and emerging AI technology is allowing their lab to do exactly that — not only keeping pace with a changing threat landscape, but expanding its reach to partner nations across Africa and beyond.What You'll Discover in This Episode[01:45] — Why a Forensics Lab Is Critical to Military Operations in Africa[02:36] — The "Who" and the "What": How Real Military Forensics Actually Works [06:13] — How AI Is Changing the Way Evidence Is Analyzed [11:37] — The Gulf of Aden: A Weapons Trafficking Case That Made International Headlines [15:18] — The Future of the Lab: Expanding Across a Continent Let’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoLTC Kyle ThomasonLydia BenyamTSS Website

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Barry Broome, CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC), for a wide-ranging conversation that traces one of the most unlikely and compelling careers in American economic leadership. From a blue-collar upbringing in Ohio shaped by Marine veterans, Irish immigrant values, and a deep sense of civic duty, to running gang intervention programs in Cleveland's most underserved neighborhoods, Barry's path to the top of regional economic development was anything but conventional. What emerges is a portrait of a leader forged not in boardrooms, but in the foxholes of broken cities and forgotten communities.Long before Barry became the architect of Sacramento's semiconductor future, he was navigating the wreckage of the American Rust Belt — watching cities like Cleveland lose tens of thousands of jobs in a single week, witnessing real estate rendered worthless by industrial pollution, and choosing to walk away from a $100,000 corporate offer to keep working for $18,000 a year in the inner city. That decision, and the values behind it, set the trajectory for everything that followed — from leading economic councils in Michigan and Phoenix to ultimately landing in Sacramento, where he has spent eleven years transforming a government town into one of the most dynamic regional economies in the United States.Barry Broome's answer to collapse has always been the same: simplicity, resiliency, and the relentless pursuit of trust — building coalitions across universities, energy companies, government, and industry until an entire community moves as a single unit toward a shared economic vision.What You'll Discover in This Episode[01:11] — The Values That Built Barry Broome Barry reflects on growing up blue-collar in Ohio with a World War II Marine father, an Irish immigrant mother, and a family lineage of military service stretching from Korea to Fallujah. [06:11] — When Cleveland Lost 35,000 Jobs in One Week Barry takes listeners inside the devastating collapse that first ignited his passion for economic development and community rebuilding.[10:45] — The Gang Intervention Years That Changed Everything Barry details the 16-week leadership program he built, the over 300 young men he helped transition into professional lives, and the moment he turned down a $100,000 job offer.[27:53] — Building Phoenix Into a Semiconductor Powerhouse Barry breaks down the strategy behind Arizona's 2011 Competitiveness Act and how a simple but bold framework helped transform a desert city into one of the most significant microelectronics hubs in the world.[45:58] — How Sacramento Became a Global Semiconductor Player Barry explains how GSEC built the trust, coalition, and infrastructure to attract anchor tenants like Bosch, Micron, Solidime, and the Defense Microelectronics Activity.[53:57] — The Vision for Sacramento's Next Chapter Looking ahead, Barry shares what he believes Sacramento's economic trajectory will be in the next five to ten years — and lays out what it would take for the next governor of California to make the state's broader transformation possible.Let’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoBarry BroomeTSS Website

Daniel Marrujo sits down with Lokesh Sikaria, Managing Partner at Moneta Ventures, to unpack the intersection of technology, business, and venture capital. From his early days growing up in India to studying at UC Berkeley and rising through the ranks of consulting and executive leadership, Lokesh shares how his journey shaped a unique perspective: technology alone is never enough. The conversation explores how real success comes from pairing innovation with strong business fundamentals, and how venture capital acts as a catalyst to transform promising ideas into scalable companies.The discussion dives deeper into the mechanics of venture capital, breaking down how startups move from early funding stages to large-scale growth. Lokesh explains what makes a company “VC fundable,” why most startups never receive funding, and how founders should approach rejection. He highlights the importance of growth trajectory, founder commitment, and the role of venture partners in guiding companies beyond just providing capital. The episode also explores Moneta Ventures’ strategy, emphasizing regional ecosystems, hands-on support, and the power of networks in accelerating success.At its core, the episode reveals that building a successful company isn’t just about having a great idea—it’s about execution, resilience, and finding the right partners who can help turn vision into reality.What You’ll Discover in This Episode(02:32) Why Lokesh believes technology should never be treated like a “science project”(08:01) The critical role of people and processes in making technology actually work(09:49) How venture capital accelerates growth compared to building a company organically(13:20) What determines a company’s valuation and why growth trajectory matters more than revenue alone(31:37) The reality of venture capital: why only 3% of startups get funded(34:20) How founders should handle rejection and find the right investors instead of chasing the wrong onesLet’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoLokesh SikariaTSS Website

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Rehan Kapadia to explore the intersection of imagination, engineering, and access in the world of microelectronics. From a childhood shaped by science fiction to a career at the forefront of semiconductor innovation, Kapadia shares how exponential technological growth is turning once-impossible ideas into reality. The conversation weaves through his academic journey, the evolution of computing, and the systems now enabling faster, more ambitious experimentation in hardware.At the core of the discussion is a critical challenge: while ideas in technology are abundant, access to the tools required to test and build them remains a major bottleneck. Traditional semiconductor fabrication is prohibitively expensive and complex, limiting who can participate in innovation. Kapadia explains how this gap has historically constrained progress—and how new infrastructure, like Mosis 2.0, is working to democratize access by lowering costs, aggregating resources, and guiding innovators through the process from concept to prototype.Ultimately, the solution lies in building ecosystems that reduce barriers and accelerate the journey from idea to hardware—making it faster, more accessible, and more scalable for innovators at every level.What You’ll Discover in This Episode(01:12) How science fiction inspired a lifelong pursuit of innovation at the edge of human knowledge(04:22) Why exponential growth in technology is unlocking entirely new possibilities each generation(17:16) The hidden cost of hardware innovation and why it can take millions just to test an idea(19:41) How multi-project wafers changed the economics of prototyping in semiconductors(31:00) The mission behind Mosis 2.0: accelerating the path from idea to hardware(36:39) What success for Mosis 2.0 looks likeLet’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoRehan KapadiaTSS Website

From a childhood moment of curiosity that quite literally sparked with a jolt of electricity, Randy Sandhu’s journey into microelectronics unfolds as both deeply personal and globally significant. In this episode, he sits down with Daniel Marrujo to trace his path from a curious six-year-old tinkering with electronics to a leader shaping the future of semiconductor innovation at Northrop Grumman. Along the way, Randy shares how early hands-on experiences, academic exploration at UCLA, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty helped guide him toward breakthroughs in high-speed electronics and advanced materials.The conversation expands beyond personal journey into the evolving landscape of microelectronics, where speed, collaboration, and national security intersect. Randy offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Microelectronics Commons initiative, highlighting how traditional silos between academia, industry, and government are being dismantled to accelerate innovation. With global supply chains under strain and increasing geopolitical pressures, the urgency to onshore critical capabilities and rethink how technology is developed has never been greater. The episode reveals both the challenges and opportunities in building a resilient, future-ready ecosystem.At its core, the solution lies in rethinking collaboration—bringing together the best minds, breaking down barriers, and accelerating innovation cycles to meet real-world demands faster than ever before.What You’ll Discover in This Episode(00:57) — Randy’s first encounter with electronics at six years old—and the shocking moment that sparked a lifelong passion(10:36) — Randy’s unexpected decision to pursue a PhD and how mentorship and support systems shaped that path(25:41) — “Building the plane while flying it”: How the Microelectronics Commons is redefining innovation speed and collaboration(23:25) — The real-world impact of global supply chain disruptions—and why microelectronics are critical to national and economic security(36:59) — Compressing years of semiconductor development into months through cross-industry partnerships(36:59) — Why choosing an “80% solution” and iterating fast can accelerate learning from years down to monthsLet’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoRandy SandhuTSS Website

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Nicholas Fahrenkopf at GOMAC Tech to explore the cutting edge of microelectronics, from nanotechnology and silicon photonics to quantum systems. Fahrenkopf shares his unconventional journey into the field—sparked by a fascination with nanobots and inspired by Richard Feynman—and unpacks how today’s semiconductor innovations are pushing beyond traditional limits. The conversation spans the intersection of electronics and biology, the evolution of advanced manufacturing ecosystems in New York, and the real-world applications shaping industries from healthcare to defense.Diving deeper, the episode highlights a central tension in modern technology: innovation is accelerating faster than our ability to fully understand or apply it. Fahrenkopf explains how breakthroughs like neuromorphic computing, silicon photonics, and quantum systems are opening entirely new frontiers—yet remain underexplored. From implantable biomedical devices to light-based chips and quantum sensors that can operate without GPS, the discussion underscores both the immense potential and the complexity of these technologies. At the heart of it all is the challenge of translating early-stage innovation into scalable, real-world impact.To bridge this gap, Fahrenkopf emphasizes the role of collaborative ecosystems like the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH), one of the Microelectronics Commons hubs led by NY Creates with Cornell University, RPI, IBM, and the University at Albany, which brings together academia, industry, and government to solve hard problems, mature technologies, and accelerate deployment. Success, he explains, lies in coordination—connecting expertise, infrastructure, and ideas to turn breakthroughs into reality.What You’ll Discover in This Episode(01:17) – How a Richard Feynman lecture sparked a journey into nanotechnology and microelectronics(02:13) – What it means to engineer technology smaller than a human cell—and why we’ve only scratched the surface(03:29) – A breakdown of neuromorphic computing and how machines can mimic the human brain(15:18) – The rise of silicon photonics and how light-based chips are transforming data, sensing, and beyond(26:03) – Quantum computing explained: why it’s fundamentally different from classical systems(29:23) – Quantum sensors and the future of navigation without GPSLet’s ConnectDaniel MarrujoNicholas FahrenkopfTSS Website