Silicon Heartland Sessions

Cloud Nirvana

Join us for Silicon Heartland Sessions, where we interview tech leaders, including CTOs, CIOs, CEOs, Founders and others, to highlight their stories and insights. We delve into personal and professional development, leadership, technology, and more. This podcast is all about authentic conversations that go beyond buzzwords, offering real insights from the people shaping the Silicon Heartland. Subscribe now to learn from the best and be part of these meaningful discussions!

  1. 5D AGO

    🎙️ Episode 44: Live from Cloud Nirvana Cleveland - Tech Meets Humanity

    🎙️ Episode 44: Live from Cloud Nirvana Cleveland - Tech Meets Humanity Recorded live at Cloud Nirvana Cleveland, this powerful panel dives deep into the intersection of emerging technology and the human experience. Moderated by Sean Erikson, this vibrant discussion features a dynamic lineup of leaders: John Paganini, CEO @ CrewTracker Software Aud Jucaitis, SVP, NextGen Enterprise Transformation @ KeyBank Nicole Stika, Director, Sustainability Advisory @ World Kinect Tracey Forde Weaver, Lead Director, Product Management & Innovation @ CVS Health Together, they explore how AI is reshaping workforces, guiding strategic build-vs-buy decisions, redefining the role of human ingenuity, and challenging organizations to think differently about sustainability, trust, transparency, and upskilling. Their insights are practical, grounded, and deeply human. Whether you’re an enterprise leader, startup innovator, or tech practitioner navigating AI’s rapid evolution, this conversation offers powerful takeaways for your journey. 🙌 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: • Rackspace Technology – We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security. • Varonis – The leader in data security and insider threat detection. • Trace3 – AI to help your business run, grow, and transform. • Sigma Computing – Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.

    49 min
  2. JAN 9

    🎙️ Episode 43: Live from Cloud Nirvana Columbus - Tech Meets Humanity

    🎙️ Episode 43: Live from Cloud Nirvana Columbus - Tech Meets HumanityRecorded live at the Cloud Nirvana conference in Columbus on September 3, 2025, this special episode brings together an extraordinary panel of leaders to explore how AI can elevate - not replace - human potential.Our guests include: • Robin Barbacane, Global Chief Talent Development Officer, Rackspace Technology • Manisha Mahawar, VP TPM, AI Tooling at OpenTable • Kelly Wilson, VP Talent Management, Cardinal Health • Jen Dunlap, Director at Turnberry Solutions • Lacey Picazo, CEO & Founder of Zoco DesignTogether, they dive into the real-world challenges and opportunities at the intersection of AI, talent development, human behavior, and culture. From AI onboarding to internal Tinker Labs, from team empowerment to rethinking career paths, this episode is packed with honest insights, practical wisdom, and contagious optimism.Whether you’re an enterprise leader navigating change or a technologist redefining your role in the age of AI, this conversation will leave you inspired - and equipped.Tune in and share with your network - because the future of tech is human.🙌 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: • Rackspace Technology – We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security. • Varonis – The leader in data security and insider threat detection. • Trace3 – AI to help your business run, grow, and transform. • Sigma Computing – Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.

    50 min
  3. 09/19/2025

    🎙️ Episode 38: Gotta Find a Way - The Entrepreneur’s Mindset

    🎙️ Episode 38: Gotta Find a Way - The Entrepreneur’s Mindset In this episode, Warner Moore, founder of Gamma Force and a longtime leader in the Midwest tech scene, shares how a rebellious spirit and a love of early internet culture sparked his unconventional path into entrepreneurship. From teaching himself distributed systems in the days of IRC to building values-driven companies, Warner opens up about what it means to challenge the status quo, lead with authenticity, and find your own way - even when the path doesn’t exist yet. 🎸 Inspired by Nirvana’s Territorial Pissings, this episode explores how music, mindset, and mission can collide to drive meaningful change. 🔑 Highlights: – Why Warner left the enterprise world to build his own companies – The mindset behind driving change from the outside – What Nirvana taught him about leadership – Building a tech career without asking permission 🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.🙌 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: • Rackspace Technology - We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security. • Varonis - The leader in data security and insider threat detection. • Trace3 - AI to help your business run, grow, and transform. • Sigma Computing - Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.

    7 min
  4. 08/31/2025

    🎙️ Episode 37: Miro Humer - Leading with Empathy, Failing Forward, and Creating Space for Innovation

    🎙️ Episode 37: Miro Humer - Leading with Empathy, Failing Forward, and Creating Space for InnovationIn this episode of Silicon Heartland Sessions, we sit down with Miro Humer, CIO of Case Western Reserve University, for a powerful and human-centered conversation about leadership, innovation, and the evolving role of technology in higher education.Miro shares his journey from the private sector to academia, the impact of launching the internal GenAI portal CWRU AI, and how his team is helping shape the digital future of the university. But more than just technology, this episode is about building a workplace culture that empowers people, supports failure as a learning tool, and encourages leadership that is empathetic and purposeful.“Within the IT organization, what I try to do is have a culture where failure isn’t necessarily viewed as failure. It’s viewed as a learning experience… That makes for a better work environment. It gives people more control over their work life. And I think that leads us to a happier place to be.”- Miro Humer🎧 Key Insights You’ll Hear in This Episode: • How Miro launched CWRU’s secure, internal AI platform and is shaping AI innovation within higher education • Why empathy and psychological safety are foundational to tech leadership • How to foster a culture where failure leads to learning instead of fear • The importance of creating safe spaces for people to grow, contribute, and lead • What CIOs and tech leaders can learn from academia about long-term thinking and service orientation🙏 Special thanks to our sponsors for supporting the mission of Cloud Nirvana and the Silicon Heartland Sessions:🙌 Rackspace Technology - We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security.🙌 Varonis - The leader in data security and insider threat detection.🙌 Trace3 – AI to help your business run, grow, and transform.🙌 Sigma Computing - Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.

    1h 12m

About

Join us for Silicon Heartland Sessions, where we interview tech leaders, including CTOs, CIOs, CEOs, Founders and others, to highlight their stories and insights. We delve into personal and professional development, leadership, technology, and more. This podcast is all about authentic conversations that go beyond buzzwords, offering real insights from the people shaping the Silicon Heartland. Subscribe now to learn from the best and be part of these meaningful discussions!