A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world

John Rouda: technical leader, author, speaker, educator

The ultimate podcast for aspiring leaders in the creative or technology fields. John Rouda discusses leadership topics, interviews some of the greatest minds today and teaches you practical leadership tips, techniques, tricks and hacks to improve motivation, negotiation, and other much needed skills for leaders today.

  1. 3D AGO

    AGL 459: Honestly Speaking with Andrew Blotky

    About Andrew Andrew Blotky, JD, PCC, brings a wealth of direct experience in leadership, culture, and communications in the corporate, political, and non-profit worlds. He has successfully built and led organizations during periods of unprecedented growth, change, and impact. His work focuses on building and maintaining vibrant cultures, steady, effective leadership across functions and teams, and consistent, clear communications on a wide array of issues. Andrew has always been passionate about leadership, culture and how organizations work, from his first election to student council in 3rd grade. He’s passionate about being an excellent manager, and empowering teams to grow and thrive. He is the author of the book, Honestly Speaking: How the Way We Communicate Transforms Leadership, Love, and Life. From 2023 – 2025, Andrew was Vice President of Communications at Johnson & Johnson, overseeing the enterprise employee communications, Human Resources communications, and global shared services communications teams. During his tenure, he significantly transformed the way the company engaged with its 130,000 employees globally across all business units. He also evolved the company narrative externally and internally about the company’s culture and its people practices, from hiring and recruiting to learning, development, and total rewards, in conjunction with the new J&J brand, launched in late 2023. From 2013 – 2018, Andrew built and led the first global employee communications team to support all company teams and functions at Facebook during a period of significant, rapid growth and global impact, as the company grew from 5,000 to 30,000 employees worldwide. At Facebook, Andrew was responsible for leading communications with all of the company’s employees and leaders globally on every initiative and program at the company.  He focused on maintaining and evolving highly-effective, open communications channels and messages during a period of rapid growth. Andrew started his career in politics and public policy as an intern in the White House Office of Presidential Speechwriting under President Bill Clinton. Later, he worked as the Communications Director for various elected officials in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and on the communications and policy team in the San Francisco Mayor’s office. Before joining Facebook, Andrew spent several years in Washington, DC, where he built and led the first-ever legal policy and communications program, Legal Progress, at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a progressive think-tank and advocacy organization. At CAP, he worked closely with the Obama Administration and progressive advocates in Washington, DC and in states across the country on building education and advocacy campaigns focused the U.S. courts and judges as a political issue. Andrew was also an adjunct professor at Stanford University for several years, where he developed and taught public policy courses on advocacy and nonprofits in the political process as well as on national security in a changing world. Andrew is currently an operating advisor for Bessemer Venture Partners. He has previously served on the boards of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and on the Stanford University Board of Trustees Committee on Academic Policy, Planning and Management. He holds B.A. and J.D. degrees from Stanford University, and is a member of the California State Bar. He holds an Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Accreditation from the International Coaching Federation and is a Certified Hudson Institute Coach. Andrew is also a graduate of the Modern Elder Academy. Today We Talked About Andrew’s background Communication Transparency Honesty Trust Invite others to come with you on the journey How do you build trust? Relativity for long term relationships Feelings Wheel Create space – silence Connect with Andrew LinkedIn Website Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

    36 min
  2. FEB 20

    AGL 457: Adrian Martinca

    About Adrian Adrian Martinca is a visionary tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate for children’s futures, dedicated to bridging the digital divide and empowering the next generation through innovative technology. Originally from Slovakia, Adrian has amassed over 100,000 hours in the tech industry, channeling his expertise into transformative initiatives that prioritize education and opportunity. As the founder of The Ark of Dreams, he has spearheaded efforts to deliver millions of dollars in cutting-edge devices and resources to underserved schools and children worldwide, impacting more than 100,000 young lives by ensuring no dream is left behind due to lack of access. A sought-after thought leader, Adrian frequently speaks on the ethical integration of AI in education, parenting, and city development, emphasizing how emerging technologies can foster human connection rather than replace it. His work extends beyond philanthropy; through Technology for the Future, he drives scalable solutions that redefine how we prepare kids for an AI-driven world. Passionate and relentless, Adrian believes dreams must guide our innovations. “Technology isn’t just a tool—it’s the key to unlocking potential,” he often says. Connect with him to explore how we can build a brighter, more equitable tomorrow. Today We Talked About Technology for children Foundations What is the Ark of Dreams How AI is affecting us Legacy? Screen Time Dreams Family Future of AI Open Doors Movement Connect with Adrian Website YouTube LinkedIn Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

    43 min
  3. JAN 30

    AGL 454: Dr. Michael Housman

    About Michael Dr. Michael Housman is a seasoned technologist and data scientist specializing in the integration of artificial intelligence and human psychology. Over the course of his career, he has held a variety of C-suite roles and led technology divisions at various early-stage companies, hiring and managing teams that have grown to include hundreds of engineers and data scientists. His hands-on approach to leadership is exemplified by his commitment to coding and model building, ensuring he remains at the cutting edge of his field. He has helped architect platforms aimed at enhancing the hiring process (Evolv), handling time tracking and payroll for small business employees (Homebase), enhancing customer communication (RapportBoost.AI), detecting fraud (Point Predictive), and facilitating real estate transactions (Doma). Of those five start-ups—one was acquired, one went public, another is poised for an IPO in 2025, with others making significant strides in the industry. As a dynamic and engaging speaker, Dr. Housman has delivered hundreds of keynotes worldwide across more than a dozen countries, consistently receiving top accolades from diverse audiences. His expertise has enlightened executives within an all-star list of organizations, including: American Express, Barclays, Accenture, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Aramco, U.S Venture, Resort World, and YPO. In addition to his leadership roles, he actively provides artificial intelligence and data science advisory services to both burgeoning start-ups like PetLab, as well as established enterprises such as Coca-Cola. Dr. Housman’s unique ability to demystify complex technical concepts and present them engagingly sets him apart in a field often dominated by futurists and theorists. Dr. Housman’s academic credentials are equally impressive. His pioneering research, published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, presented at dozens of academic and practitioner-oriented conferences, and featured in prominent media outlets like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Atlantic, underscores his significant contributions to the field. Not only has his work been recognized by academics and the media but has also captured the attention of other thought leaders in the space, being featured in Adam Grant’s second book “Originals” as well as the “Freakonomics” podcast. He is a regular lecturer at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas-Austin, teaching undergraduate and MBA students about the intersection of AI and business. Dr. Housman holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics and Managerial Science from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an A.B. from Harvard University. Today We Talked About Michael’s background Data is the fuel for decision AI Training AI vs. Automation AI + People > AI or People AI-ccelerator Academy Solutions Technology is easy, People are hard. Fear Book – Coming March 1st. Connect with Michael LinkedIn AI-ccelerator Website Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

    27 min
  4. JAN 16

    AGL 452: Crispin Thompson

    About Crispin Crispin Thompson is the Founder and Principal Consultant at The Leadership Studio, offering nearly 30 years of experience in leadership roles throughout the technology industry. With a proven track record in driving transformational change, he specializes in digital transformation, pricing strategy, and operations management. Known for his hands-on, people-first approach, Crispin empowers teams to thrive and achieve exceptional results through effective coaching services. Before founding The Leadership Studio, Crispin served as an Executive at a Fortune 100 tech company, where he led cross-functional teams to achieve groundbreaking successes in partner and finance transformations. His leadership development initiatives consistently bridged the gap between high-level strategy and operational execution, earning recognition for innovative solutions and strategic insight. At The Leadership Studio, Crispin leverages his expertise to help individuals and organizations navigate complex challenges and build sustainable paths to success. He is passionate about fostering growth, driving impactful change, and cultivating a culture of excellence, all while enhancing team expertise. Outside of work, Crispin enjoys traveling, playing some very mediocre golf, and spending time with his young daughter, reflecting his belief in a balanced and well-rounded approach to leadership. Today We Talked About Background Days at HP Communication Being Intentional about communication Forget Perfection… just be better than you were Speak as you are being spoken Make it a “we” not an “I” Different perspectives / lenses Imposter syndrom It’s not the 1st time… I’ve been here before Emotional Intellegence, how to read the room? Empathy Introspection Listening for Intent AI and Emotional Intellegence History Connect with Crispin LinkedIn Website Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

    39 min
4.9
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

The ultimate podcast for aspiring leaders in the creative or technology fields. John Rouda discusses leadership topics, interviews some of the greatest minds today and teaches you practical leadership tips, techniques, tricks and hacks to improve motivation, negotiation, and other much needed skills for leaders today.