Industry Ignited Podcast

Leeanne Aguilar, Ph.D.

Industry Ignited is a platform for bold conversations with leaders who are transforming the way business gets done. Each episode spotlights breakthrough stories from the industrial, manufacturing, biotech, chemical, and B2B sectors, giving you an inside look at how top executives, innovators, and changemakers tackle real-world challenges and drive meaningful growth. Hosted by Dr. Leeanne Aguilar—entrepreneur, executive coach, and marketing strategist—Industry Ignited goes beyond surface-level discussions to uncover the strategies, mindsets, and lessons that fuel leadership at the highest level. From navigating complex operations and scaling companies to rethinking culture and preparing for the future of work, every conversation is designed to inspire, challenge, and equip you with fresh perspectives. Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or emerging leader, this podcast will spark ideas, expand your vision, and ignite the drive to lead with confidence in today’s evolving business landscape.

  1. 4D AGO

    Why Failure Makes Better Engineers | Ep. 70 [Dr. Rashid Ali]

    What does it really take to become a great aerospace engineer? In this episode of Industry Ignited, Dr. Leeanne Aguilar speaks with Dr. Rashid Ali, aerospace educator, UAV designer, and flight control expert, about the mindset that separates competent engineers from transformational ones. From childhood fascination with flight to rebuilding confidence after a glider crash, Dr. Ali shares how failure, discipline, and intellectual humility shape engineering judgment. He explains why perfection is direction, not destination, and why engineering is ultimately about making sound decisions in uncertain environments. The conversation explores UAV design that survives reality, the power of simulation and digital twins, the importance of design-build-fly education, and a candid perspective on EVTOL hype versus practical use. At the heart of it all is one belief: knowledge only matters if you pass it forward. If you care about the future of aerospace, innovation, and developing the next generation of engineers, this episode is for you. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐢 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rashid-ali-ceng-citp-sfhea-fraes-fimeche-fbcs-frsa-7029867/ https://www.linkedin.com/school/coventry-university/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife #businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #drrashidali #innovation #engineering #aerospace

    50 min
  2. FEB 19

    Why Delayed Decisions Cost You Millions | Ep. 69 [Meher Billimoria]

    What separates high-performing manufacturing leaders from everyone else? It’s not just automation, AI, or bigger facilities. It’s the ability to build disciplined systems, develop strong teams, and make decisive moves under pressure. In this episode of Industry Ignited, Dr. Leeanne Aguilar speaks with Meher Billimoria, a manufacturing leader with over 27 years of experience spanning enterprise leadership, entrepreneurship, consulting, and large-scale operational expansion. From launching early automated production lines in India to scaling facilities from 5,000 to 100,000 square feet, Meher shares practical insights forged on the shop floor and tested through volatility. This conversation dives deep into why structure creates freedom, how discipline consistently outperforms raw brilliance, and why automation should amplify strong processes, not fix broken ones. Meher explains how delayed decisions silently erode performance, why culture fit outweighs skill gaps, and how strengthening the weakest link builds truly resilient teams. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  𝐌𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 https://www.linkedin.com/in/meherbillimoria/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/clarioncosmetics/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife #businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #meherbillimoria #ai

    44 min
  3. FEB 17

    Luxury Design Without the Designer Fees | Ep. 68 [Salman A Rahman]

    In this episode of Industry Ignited, Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Salman A. Rahman, Chief Technology Officer of Decorate AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the $290 billion interior design industry. Salman shares how his background in technology and textiles led to the creation of Decorate AI, a platform built to eliminate guesswork, reduce costly design mistakes, and give users the confidence to make decorating decisions before spending a single dollar. Instead of relying on expensive traditional designers or chaotic Pinterest boards, Decorate AI uses computer vision and generative AI to analyze your space, understand your preferences, and generate realistic, personalized design recommendations in seconds. The conversation dives into the emotional side of home design, why people struggle with regret, decision fatigue, and budget anxiety and how AI can bridge the gap between inspiration and action. You’ll also hear how the platform integrates real-time product availability, pricing, and “shop-the-look” functionality to make designs instantly purchasable, saving users time and frustration. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐀 𝐑𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/in/gourob/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ova-solutions/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife#businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #salmanarahman #innovation #ai

    24 min
  4. FEB 12

    Your Device Works… So Why Won’t Anyone Buy It? | Ep. 67 [Lisa Voronkova]

    In this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Lisa Voronkova, CEO of Ova Solutions and author of Hardware Bible: Build a Medical Device from Scratch, to unpack the real reasons medical devices fail, not in the lab, but in the real world. Lisa shares hard-earned lessons from her own founder journey, including the classic trap of building around “cool tech” instead of solving a real clinical and commercial problem. Together, they explore what founders consistently underestimate: manufacturing realities, clinical adoption, reimbursement strategy and what truly happens after FDA clearance. This conversation dives into why FDA approval is a milestone, not the finish line and how many startups get stuck in the “valley of death” between prototype and real revenue. Lisa explains the difference between building a prototype and designing for manufacturability, why hospital purchasing decisions are more complex than most founders realize, and how reimbursement can determine whether a breakthrough device ever reaches patients. They also discuss when outsourcing R&D makes sense, where AI is creating meaningful opportunity in medtech, and the single most important question every founder must answer before building anything: Who will pay and why? 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  Lisa Voronkova https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-voronkova/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ova-solutions/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife#businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #lisavoronkova #innovation #medicine #medicaldevice

    36 min
  5. FEB 10

    Building Hydrogen Fueling Stations: Cost, Safety and Scale Explained | Ep. 66 [Salim Rahemtulla]

    Hydrogen is often talked about as the fuel of the future, but what does it actually look like in practice? In this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Salim Rahemtulla, President and CEO of PowerTap Hydrogen Fuel Corp, to break down how hydrogen fuel cell vehicles work, where they make sense, and where they don’t. From 20-minute heavy-duty refueling to water-only tailpipe emissions, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets into real-world infrastructure, not science fiction. Salim explains why hydrogen may not be the best solution for every vehicle, but could be transformative for long-haul trucking, transit buses, forklifts and industrial applications where downtime and payload matter. He also addresses safety concerns head-on, explaining how modern hydrogen storage and fueling systems are designed, regulated and deployed today. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐑𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚 https://www.linkedin.com/in/salimrahemtulla/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/powertap-hydrogen-fueling-corp/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife#businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #salimrahemtulla #innovation

    30 min
  6. FEB 2

    The Secret to Making Aortic Surgery Safer: Inside Vestec’s Breakthrough Technology | Ep. 64 [Joseph Rafferty]

    What does it really take to turn breakthrough medical innovation into real-world impact when lives are on the line and the system isn’t built for speed? In this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Joseph Rafferty, CEO of Vestec, a seasoned medtech leader who has spent decades operating at the intersection of innovation, commercialization, and clinical reality. Joseph shares his unconventional journey from journalism to medtech, revealing how curiosity, deep listening, and humility became his greatest leadership advantages. Together, they unpack what it takes to build durable medical technologies, scale complex organizations, and survive the infamous “valley of death” between innovation and FDA clearance. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  Joseph Rafferty  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-w-rafferty-a5579b4/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vesteck-inc/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife#businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #josephrafferty #innovation

    35 min
  7. JAN 28

    Innovation in Medicine: Solving Problems No One Else Could | Ep. 63 [Perter Bonutti, MD]

    What does it take to turn an idea into a life-changing medical device? Peter Bonutti, MD explains how mentorship, curiosity and patient-driven innovation led to over 500 patents and 700 licensed products. Learn the importance of persistence, problem-solving, and ethical innovation in medicine.   Discover how Peter Bonutti is pushing the limits of medicine. From early orthopedic innovations to opening the blood-brain barrier for neurorestoration, he shares his vision for safer, patient-centered, biologically driven solutions. Explore the intersection of technology, ethics, and healthcare innovation.  𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671  𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢, 𝐌𝐃  https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-bonutti-md-facs-3758b7130/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/realeve-llc/ #podcasts #podcasts #podcastshorts #podcastinterview #podcastlife #businessgrowth #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #peterbonutti #medicaldoctor #medicine #innovation

    58 min

About

Industry Ignited is a platform for bold conversations with leaders who are transforming the way business gets done. Each episode spotlights breakthrough stories from the industrial, manufacturing, biotech, chemical, and B2B sectors, giving you an inside look at how top executives, innovators, and changemakers tackle real-world challenges and drive meaningful growth. Hosted by Dr. Leeanne Aguilar—entrepreneur, executive coach, and marketing strategist—Industry Ignited goes beyond surface-level discussions to uncover the strategies, mindsets, and lessons that fuel leadership at the highest level. From navigating complex operations and scaling companies to rethinking culture and preparing for the future of work, every conversation is designed to inspire, challenge, and equip you with fresh perspectives. Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or emerging leader, this podcast will spark ideas, expand your vision, and ignite the drive to lead with confidence in today’s evolving business landscape.