All Quiet on the Second Front

Latest Episodes:

18. Navigating Our Sci-Fi Reality: Insights on Cybersecurity & AI with Ron Gula Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Today on All Quiet, Tyler is joined by cyber nerd and UFO fanatic, Ron Gula. Ron is the President of Gula Tech Adventures, a cybersecurity company focused on cyber tech, cyber policy and recruiting people into the cyber workforce. In this episode, Ron guides us through a variety of thought-provoking topics to help us gain a better understanding of what cybersecurity is, how it’s used and why Ron’s such a firm believer in its power to unify.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

Calibrating amidst the noise and information overload in our data-rich society
Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Congress, Cybersecurity, and the Language of Technology
The potential impact of AI's advancement on outsourced labor and globalization
Defining and exploring the concept of transparent elections
Ways Ron believes cybersecurity can contribute to national unity

In this episode, we introduce Saved Rounds with Second Front CTO Enrique Oti. The topic today? SCSP’s Offset X strategy paper and how it can potentially drive change.

Connect with Ron:

LinkedIn: Ron Gula
Website: gula.tech

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

Catch 2F’s Offset Symposium replay here.

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

17. Demystifying Quantum Technology with Jen Sovada Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

In this electrifying episode of All Quiet, Tyler has a conversation with Jen Sovada, the President of Public Sector for SandboxAQ, a tech and data intelligence company that uses AI and quantum to solve global challenges. Given that quantum has everyone buzzing with both excitement and confusion, Jen tells us why she and her team have become so committed to educating consumers beforethey buy. She also breaks down how quantum, which has a tendency to come off as a distant dream, has already been revolutionizing industries behind the scenes for over a century.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

Helping consumers understand the inner workings of emerging tech
Simplifying and streamlining the procurement process
Uncovering the history and already existing applications of quantum

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: Jen Sovada
Website: sandboxaq.com

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

Catch 2F’s Offset Symposium replay here.

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

16. Why You Need a Global Perspective to Be Successful with Paul Vingoe Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

Today on All Quiet, Tyler chats with Paul Vingoe, the Director of VinDo Technology Ltd, a management consulting firm created to deliver business development, customer success, and regional expertise for US companies entering the UK and European markets at reduced risk. In this conversation, we learn how Paul leverages his unique skill set, including his time as a Colonel in the British Army, to help US startups survive and thrive in the UK defence market by challenging the traditional approach to business development.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

The pros and cons of working with smaller companies
Why US companies should want to do business in the UK
Startups vs. the government: The differing approaches to the procurement process
Why Paul places such an emphasis on thinking globally
Common mistakes that cause startups to fail in the UK

Connect with Paul:

LinkedIn: Paul Vingeo
Website: vindo.technology

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

Catch 2F’s Offset Symposium replay here.

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

15. Leading Amidst Constant Change with Alexis Bonnell Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

Today on the show, Tyler is joined by the former Chief Innovation Officer of USAID and soon-to-be member of the DoD, Alexis Bonnell. Throughout her admirable career, Alexis has become accustomed to forewarning others about the latest technology destined to change the landscape for good. First, it was the internet, now it’s AI. In this episode, we learn why Alexis is both excited—and terrified—for her next chapter with the DoD and how she intends to take initiative and remain adaptable as a leader while tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

How Alexis’ early days with the internet have prepared her for today’s AI
Creating your own job by identifying needs and being assertive
Alexis’ biggest takeaways from her three years at Google
What it means to be a leader amidst ever-changing technology
Using the feeling, thinking, and doing framework to make changes that stick
Drawing the distinction between expeditionary and service innovation

Connect with Alexis:

LinkedIn: Alexis Bonnell

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

Catch 2F’s Offset Symposium replay here.

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

14. Building Supply Chain Resiliency Through Automation with Dave Ferris Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

Today on All Quiet, Tyler is joined by Dave Ferris, the Director of Global Public Sector Capture at Interos Inc. Interos uses AI to help companies reinvent their supply chain management. By supplying data to help Interos’ AI tech helps reduce risk, avoid disruptions, and achieve superior enterprise adaptability. In this episode, Dave gives us supply chain 101 on how AI now has the power to give companies the ability to plan in advance of supply chain interferences in ways that were previously incalculable.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

What Dave wishes he had learned earlier in his career
Loathing the government’s lack of urgency around supply chain issues
Acknowledging the recent increase of collaboration between industry and government
How automation helps mitigate potential supply chain disruptions

Connect with Dave:

LinkedIn: Dave Ferris
Website: interos.ai

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

Catch 2F’s Offset Symposium replay here.

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

13. The Reality of Working For a Startup with Chip Colbert Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

Today’s guest, Chip Colbert, is the Vice President for DOD and IC at Virtualitics, an advanced analytics company that helps enterprises and governments make smarter business decisions faster with ready-to-use AI that can be understood by analysts and business leaders alike. In this episode, you’ll hear Tyler and Chip bond over their fondness for the chaotic, often unstructured, nature of defense tech work. They also share how and why their perspectives and preferences have shifted over the years as they’ve become more callused in the fast-paced startup industry.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

Missing the missions: Why Chip switched to working in defense and national security
Creating pockets of structure within a notoriously unstructured environment
What’s wrong with the pop-culture depiction of startups
Why Chip won’t be retiring in an RV

Connect with Chip:

LinkedIn: Chip Colbert
Website: virtualitics.com

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

12. Making the World a Safer Place with TJ Rowe May 22, 2023

Show notes

Today’s guest comes from the Second Front Systems team, the VP of sales, TJ Rowe. After completing his Engineering degree at West Point, TJ spent 7 years as an Infantry Officer with the Army, then carried his success over to the land of commercial real estate. It wasn’t too long before TJ returned to the world of defense, taking a position as the Director of Growth at Second Front. Now the VP of Sales, today’s conversation centers around the mindset and intangibles necessary to sell software to companies that can support scale.

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

Military, real estate, defense: The why behind TJ’s career transitions
The potential Tyler saw with TJ’s background
Why it's difficult to be optimistic in the world of defense
The requirements necessary to sell and scale as a software company

Connect with TJ:

LinkedIn: TJ Rowe

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

11. Bring Your Data to Life: Get Prepared for Machine Learning with Brian Raymond May 15, 2023

Show notes

With the continued advancement of machine learning models, it’s only a matter of time before we see the true value of unstructured data. In this episode, Tyler nerds out with Brian Raymond, the founder and CEO of Unstructured.IO, a software development company that’s helping businesses prepare for machine learning to start unlocking the power of their data. Brian took a non-linear career path, leaving a PhD program to work at the CIA and then the White House, followed by a humbling experience in the world of investment banking, to today where he is Founder/CEO of the machine learning startup Unstructured.io. Today, Brian tells us what needs to happen before machine learning models become mission-ready.

Shameless plug - You’re invited to our 2023 Offset Symposium on May 16 in Washington, DC. Get your tickets today!

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

Tyler and Brian share their respective ego-bounding experiences
Building your intellectual toolkit: The value of stepping out of your area of expertise
How Unstructured.IO aims to help companies get their data ready for machine learning
The current pros and cons of LLM’s (large language models)
How AI will increase productivity—discussing the prospect of job substitution
Focus on the FACTS - Food, Art, Clothing, Technology and Shelter
Leveraging all of your gigs (to get the ones you *really* want and getting reps in the game)

Connect with Brian:

LinkedIn: Brian S. Raymond
Website: unstructured.io

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

10. The Next Frontier: Exploring the Future of AI with Ben Van Roo May 08, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode, Tyler sits with Ben Van Roo, the CEO and co-founder of Yurts Technologies Inc., an AI software development company based in the Bay Area. Ben and Tyler talk about the current AI landscape, how it may—or may not—be regulated, and ponder what the world may look like in 20 years. They also dive into general business strategy and what they believe this next gen of defense tech needs to know in order to sustain long-term success.

Shameless plug - You’re invited to our 2023 Offset Symposium on May 16 in Washington, DC. Get your tickets today!

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

The parallels between working with the DoD and commercially regulated industries
Why we need to teach the fundamentals of corporate growth strategy and execution
The four areas of AI regulation
A brave new world: How the tech world might look in 20 years

Connect with Ben:

LinkedIn: Ben Van Roo

Connect with Tyler:

LinkedIn: Tyler Sweatt
Website: secondfront.com

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

9. Pioneering the Path to Quicker Deals with Bonnie Evangelista May 01, 2023

Show notes

Today on the show, Tyler sits with Bonnie Evangelista, Tradewind Execution Lead at the DoD Chief Digital and AI Office. Bonnie’s procurement background gives us some unique insight into the federal contracting and acquisition process, from start to finish. In this episode, she passionately opens up about how the government has begun transforming conventional procurement models and mindsets in an effort to create new ways to streamline the deal-making process.

Shameless plug - You’re invited to our 2023 Offset Symposium on May 16 in Washington, DC. Get your tickets today!

What’s Happening on the Second Front:

Why traditional contracting is not working for emerging technology
Leveraging your competitive playground: Three mechanisms that give the government buyer maximum flexibility
What the government is doing to minimize ‘red tape fatigue’ and make the contract process less intimidating
The pros and cons of negotiating in an unstructured environment

Connect with Bonnie: