The BreakLine Arena BreakLine Education

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Chris Mahl, President and COO of Pryon. Pryon is developing a best-in-class knowledge management platform, transforming complex, unstructured data from multiple sources into solutions for leading enterprises and government agencies.

Chris dives into a range of interesting topics, from professional experiences and lessons learned in his earlier career to the transformation and impact we’re currently experiencing with AI. He emphasizes how essential passion is to the success of businesses and their workforce, details Pryon's distinctive strategies for tackling AI issues, and so much more!

“A startup is a ridiculously, wonderfully complicated, exciting experience.”

Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with John Donahoe, President & CEO of NIKE, Inc., world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. 

John dove into his own career transitions and the deeper sense of purpose that guides him. He shared some of the inner challenges he has navigated throughout his career, insights from “wisdom conversations” he had with peers and mentors during a sabbatical, how he and his wife, Eileen, built a dual-career family, and so much more.

This podcast was recorded on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. References to events or facts are true up to that point but might have changed between the recording and release of this episode.

Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Lenore Karafa, Partner at First In – an early-stage investment firm focused on empowering entrepreneurs on a mission. First In invests in companies at the forefront of modern security for enterprises and for society, including cybersecurity software and defense technology companies.

Lenore brings us along on her journey, from the Naval Academy to a prestigious career on Wall Street to surrounding herself with teams that exemplify her values. She details the growth mindset that helps her reframe challenging situations into opportunities, her experience being the only woman in the room, and the importance of building a supportive and strong professional network.

“My failures prepared me for the challenges that were to come. I went from being brittle to being resilient, setting me up well for the rest of my career.”

Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jessica Nordell, journalist, and author of  The End of Bias: A Beginning.

In our conversation, she shares practical and research-backed approaches for addressing the habits of mind and action that prevent leaders from building and retaining outstanding teams. Among other topics, she describes the power of having an “existence proof,” the stabilizing and uplifting role that mentors play for up-and-coming professionals, and how to prevent “shadow requirements” from blocking one’s path to success. 

Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Jen Sovada, President of Public Sector at SandboxAQ. SandboxAQ is harnessing the power of AI + Quantum technology to develop products for computationally-intensive industries including the public sector, healthcare, and telecommunications.

Jen dives into her experience working on emerging technology while bridging the public-private sector gap, as well as her mentality around being a lifelong learner. She also shares some tips for building effective teams, managing imposter syndrome, and building a career in national security.

“When building a team, don’t look just at the qualities and skillsets that they bring. Look at how interested they are in learning, how inquisitive they are, and whether or not they want to grow and build.”

Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.

Join us in the BreakLine Arena for a conversation with Dan Streetman, CEO of Tanium, a company developing innovative technology to manage complex security and IT environments.

Dan dives into his professional journey and describes the challenges he overcame as a CEO. He provides insights into what cultivates a successful leader and outlines the desired qualities of potential talent. All while revealing his framework for making the tough decisions that arise along the way.

“[The] trick is not just to be a good leader, but a leader of leaders.”

Please like, rate, subscribe, or review our show if you’ve liked what you’ve heard! We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested in joining our community, please visit www.breakline.org. If you’re interested in exploring partnerships with BreakLine, please visit https://breakline.org/partners/partner-signup/.