Outspoken with Shana Cosgrove

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For the Back of the Room: Laura Neuman, Entrepreneur, CEO, and former candidate for Governor of Maryland. May 31, 2022

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Persistence, Service, and Making a Difference.Content warning: This podcast episode contains brief discussions of sexual assault.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Laura Neuman, Entrepreneur, CEO, and former candidate for Governor of Maryland. Laura discusses how persistence and a love for work allowed her to leap every hurdle on her path to a career in tech. We hear how Laura turned a difficult experience into a powerful lesson about the importance of equity. Laura explains how reopening the investigation into her sexual assault created positive change not only for her but for countless other women.QUOTES“That path just wasn’t going to happen for me. I mean I wasn’t able to afford college, at that point I was choosing between gas, food, and shelter. And so, college just wasn’t an option for me. I did try, and I just couldn’t afford it.” - Laura Neuman [08:30]“I actually really enjoy working, I find it fun. And part of the fun for me is the interaction with other people. I get energy from being around people, and so I like that environment of being in an office. But what I really wanted was a path to opportunity - I wanted to be able to build a career.” - Laura Neuman [14:01]“I really, truly thought that I was the smartest person in the room. And then they did their IPO, and I realized in fact I’m not as smart as I thought I was. Because I got all those great perks and I had this lifestyle to go with it, but what I didn’t have was ownership.” - Laura Neuman [25:12] TIMESTAMPS [00:10] Intro[01:37] Laura Talks About Raising Children[02:07] What Motivated Laura to Run for Governor[06:39] Laura’s Experience with the School System[08:43] Laura’s Harrowing Experience[10:31] Applying for T. Rowe Price[13:59] Laura Loves to Work[21:45] Paying for College[23:14] Early Experiences with Tech Companies[28:37] What Motivated Laura to Work for Equity[31:24] The Sale of Matrics[32:04] Laura Reopens the Investigation into her Case[36:22] After her Assailant’s Prosecution[43:35] Running for Governor[46:46] Laura Believes in Tech[48:45] Discussing Laura’s Campaign[52:07] Advice to Young People[53:47] Laura’s Book Recommendation[55:04] Laura’s Surprising Fact[56:53] Outro RESOURCEShttps://atlanticmidwest.org/middle-and-high-schools/institute-notre-dame (Institute of Notre Dame (IND))https://www.vox.com/2016/7/27/18089352/freddie-gray-baltimore-riots-police-violence (Freddie Gray Protests)https://www.troweprice.com/corporate/us/en/home.html (T. Rowe Price)https://www.loyola.edu/ (Loyola University Maryland)https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat (The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT))https://www.linkedin.com/in/parker-rockefeller-523ba0b/ (Parker Rockefeller)https://livingclassrooms.org/ (Living Classrooms)https://www.american.edu/magazine/article/donors-make-a-diifference-george-maureen-collins.cfm (George Collins)https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1995/04/10/digex-flourishes-with-internets-popularity/12a4e3ed-d9ef-413d-9197-54fd452e87b0/ (Digex)https://oneringnetworks.com/what-is-a-t1-line-and-how-fast-is-t1-internet/ (T1 Lines)https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/1998/06/29/newscolumn2.html (CAIS Internet)https://www.hilton.com/en/ (Hilton Hotels)https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sec-form-s-1.asp (SEC Form S-1)https://www.nsa.gov/ (National Security Agency (NSA))https://spotsee.io/blog/passive-rfid-tags-find-innovative-use#:~:text=Active%20and%20Passive%20RFID%20Systems&text=Passive%20RFID%20tags%20don't,data%20back%20to%20the%20reader. (Passive RFID)https://www.ibm.com/us-en/ (IBM)https://www.microsoft.com/ (Microsoft)https://www.princeton.edu/ (Princeton University)https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/matrics (Matrics)https://www.cbs.com/shows/48_hours/ (48 Hours)https://www.propublica.org/article/this-is-how-you-get-your-power-back...

For the Back of the Room: Benjamin Harvey, Founder & CEO of AI Squared, Research Professor, and Data Science Leader. May 24, 2022

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Consistency, Impact, and Versatility.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Benjamin Harvey, Founder & CEO of AI Squared, Research Professor, and Data Science Leader. He takes us on his multifaceted journey, spanning from Harvard to The NSA to Johns Hopkins University to his most recent endeavor, AI Squared. Benjamin gets technical, discussing everything from Hadoop to Apache Spark to ACID transactions. We hear how Benjamin’s new journey as founder of AI Squared is rooted in his discipline and the simplicity of consistent hard work over time. Finally, Benjamin’s NCAA basketball dominance is revealed, as he impresses us with his performance against Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook.QUOTES“Having that mindset of being focused on helping others, and not having to go back to that environment is really what kept me focused and gave me that grit, those habits to be able to be successful” - Benjamin Harvey [20:12]“General Nakasone is really focused on figuring out how to even enable folks that are in mission spaces to be able to do tours in industry and then come back. Because the point of the matter is that a guy like myself - I was interested in doing a tour in industry, but I didn’t come back because programs like that don’t exist.” - Benjamin Harvey [30:21]“How can I leave my mark for the next generation of Ben Harveys that come from similar backgrounds, face similar challenges - how can I take the experiences and the knowledge of navigating through some of these challenges and make it easier for that next generation to be successful?” - Benjamin Harvey [47:40] TIMESTAMPS [00:04] Intro[01:39] How Benjamin Knows Stephanie Beben[03:38] Benjamin’s Day Job[05:33] Discussing JHU COVID-19 Risk Tools[09:19] Benjamin’s Family[11:17] Was Benjamin This Driven as a Kid?[14:01] High School Experience[16:35] Benjamin’s Scholarship[19:05] Benjamin’s Discipline[21:24] From Harvard to Bowie[25:07] Highlights of Benjamin’s Time at NSA[28:24] Why Benjamin Left the NSA[32:56] Advantages of Spark Over Hadoop[35:55] ACID Transactions[38:56] Moving on From Databricks[41:25] Creating AI Squared[44:47] Benjamin’s Experience as Founder[46:16] Advice Benjamin Would Give His Younger Self[47:32] What Does Success Look Like?[48:05] Benjamin’s Favorite Books[49:13] A Surprising Fact About Benjamin[50:05] Outro RESOURCEShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-beben/ (Stephanie Beben)https://www.nsa.gov/ (National Security Agency (NSA))https://www.boozallen.com/ (Booz Allen Hamilton)https://www.nsa.gov/Signals-Intelligence/Overview/#:~:text=SIGINT%20is%20intelligence%20derived%20from,capabilities%2C%20actions%2C%20and%20intentions. (SIGINT)https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysha-camacho/ (Jaysha Camacho Irizarry)https://www.nea.com/ (New Enterprise Associates)https://www.jhu.edu/ (Johns Hopkins University (JHU))https://www.cdc.gov/ (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))https://covid19risktools.com:8443/ (COVID-19 Risk Tools)https://www.army.mil/ (United States Army)https://www.american.edu/ (American University)https://www.att.com/ (AT&T)https://www.mvsu.edu/ (Mississippi Valley State University)https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/archive/fcat/ (FCAT)https://www.gwu.edu/ (George Washington University (GWU))https://www.harvard.edu/ (Harvard University)https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/42421 (Vincent James Carey, Ph.D.)https://www.bioconductor.org/ (Bioconductor)https://www.bowiestate.edu/ (Bowie State University)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119217/ (Good Will Hunting)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120660/ (Enemy of the State)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance (Edward Snowden)https://www.dni.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=572&Itemid=991...

For the Back of the Room: J'aime Drayton and Scott Kashnow, Director and President of The Baltimore Family Alliance. May 17, 2022

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Family, Education, and City-Living.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to J'aime Drayton, Executive Director of Baltimore Family Alliance and Scott Kashnow, the President of the board. They explain the ins and outs of leading a non-profit and the significance of keeping families in Baltimore. They discuss how the non-profit came to be and how the three board members view changes in the city. Scott and J’aime walk us through many of the programs Baltimore Family Alliance offers, including Adopt-A-Family and Playground Crawl. Tune in until the end to find out how you can get involved!QUOTES“I work for a non-profit! So I literally get paid to serve families. Which is unique… I actually get to serve people, so if people are pissed, I’m not having a good day.” - J'aime Drayton [03:20]“We’re coming together as families that are committed to great schools, safe streets, and great neighborhoods. And all of [that] starts with people.” - J'aime Drayton [06:21]“Managing volunteers is probably the hardest thing I think I’ve ever done. Learning how to do that has been really rewarding for me, personally. It’s extraordinary to me how many people are actually willing to give of themselves so much time and so much effort.” - Scott Kashnow [34:48]“We are the face of families, but we don’t speak for all families. We want families to speak for themselves.” - Scott Kashnow [45:57] TIMESTAMPS [00:04] Intro[01:45] Meet J'aime[03:45] Meet Scott[04:17] Scott’s IT Stack[05:55] The Baltimore Family Alliance[08:18] Scott’s Role at Baltimore Family Alliance[09:37] The Origin of Baltimore Family Alliance[14:15] The Main Thrusts of Baltimore Family Alliance[15:49] Walkability and “The Black Butterfly”[18:56] Programs of Baltimore Family Alliance [21:24] Naming the Non-Profit[23:47] Living in a City[26:25] Systemic Racism and Poverty[27:37] Baltimore Family Alliance Offerings[29:54] Hosting the School Fair[32:57] Playground Crawl[34:18] Being the President of a Non-Profit[35:28] Adopt-A-Family and Starting a Family in Baltimore[43:28] School Funding and Pushing Change[50:00] Inspiring Reads[52:28] How You Can Help[53:55] Outro RESOURCEShttps://www.baltimorecitycollege.us/ (The Baltimore City College)https://www.ednorgardenslakeside.org/ (Ednor Gardens - Lakeside)https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/schools/44 (Montebello Elementary/Middle School)https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/schools/76 (Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School)https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/ (.NET Core)https://www.salesforce.com/ (Salesforce)https://dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us/ (Microsoft Dynamics)https://www.linkedin.com/in/shariccaboldon (Sharicca Boldon)https://www.umbiopark.com/ (University of Maryland BioPark)https://www.facebook.com/ (Facebook)https://www.target.com/ (Target)https://crossstmarket.com/ (Cross Street Market)https://www.harristeeter.com/ (Harris Teeter)https://www.fourseasons.com/ (Four Seasons)https://ncrc.org/the-black-butterfly/ (The Black Butterfly)https://baltimorecityparks.com/patterson-park-park-profile/ (Patterson Park)https://www.creativealliance.org/signature-events/great-halloween-lantern-parade-and-festival (The Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival)https://www.linkedin.com/in/christie-getman-26150a21/ (Christie Getman)https://www.jhu.edu/ (Johns Hopkins University)https://www.tesla.com/ (Tesla)https://wftda.com/wftda-leagues/charm-city-roller-girls/ (Charm City Roller Girls)https://www.wypr.org/show/on-the-record/2017-09-15/more-than-a-marching-band-west-baltimore-christian-warriors (The Christian Warriors)https://www.avam.org/ (American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM))https://www.afyabaltimore.org/tunbridge (Tunbridge Public Charter School)https://hha47.org/ (Hampstead Hill Academy)http://www.pppcs.org/ (Patterson Park Public Charter School)...

For the Back of the Room: Roxanne Wood, President and CEO at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics. May 10, 2022

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Leadership, Tenacity, and Staying Curious.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Roxanne Wood, President and CEO at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics. Roxanne discusses her experience becoming CEO and why we should all lean into leadership roles. She also explains the path that she took to rise up the ranks, focusing on her commitment to complete the task by learning from those around her. Roxanne has always been fearless when taking on new challenges, and she discusses everything from computer science to riding horses to playing music. Lastly, Roxanne tells us where she hides her power tools - it’s not where you’d expect!QUOTES“They told me, ‘give that up you’ll never get finished, you don’t come from smart stock.’ I was like alright, that is really a game on for me.” - Roxanne Wood [14:20]“I think everybody is your mentor - everybody’s your safety net, you’re their safety net, everybody is your mentor. You take the good pieces from everybody that you meet, and you make that part of your own.” - Roxanne Wood [25:59]“I think that everybody can do everything. I think when people say ‘oh I can’t do that, I’m not flexible enough’ - baloney! You can do anything that you want to do as a person. You just gotta do it.” - Roxanne Wood [44:13] TIMESTAMPS [00:04] Intro[01:53] Meet Roxanne Wood[03:07] What Boeing Intelligence and Analytics (BIA) encompasses[05:27] How Roxanne Became CEO[07:09] Searching for Team Members[08:00] Main Differences as CEO[11:43] Should you Avoid Leadership Roles?[13:45] Why Roxanne Majored in Computer Science[17:20] Working After College[19:10] Living in Maryland[22:28] Working at Lockheed Martin[24:54] What is the Secret to Climbing the Ranks?[27:58] Struggles that Roxanne Pushed Through[31:34] Shana’s First Time Meeting Roxanne[36:12] Advice for People Starting Out[37:55] Impactful Books[39:39] Roxanne’s Surprising Fact[40:58] What’s Next for Roxanne[42:15] Roxanne’s Fashion[43:44] Riding Horses and Playing Music[45:48] Outro RESOURCEShttps://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/whollyownedsubsidiary.asp (Wholly Owned Subsidiary)https://www.socom.mil/ (United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM))https://www.dia.mil/ (Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA))https://www.nga.mil/ (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA))https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))https://www.dhs.gov/ (Department of Homeland Security (DHS))https://www.energy.gov/ (Department of Energy (DOE))https://slack.com/ (Slack)https://www.towson.edu/ (Towson University)https://www.ccbcmd.edu/About-CCBC/Locations/CCBC-Catonsville.aspx (CCBC Catonsville Campus)https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/assembly-language.asp (Assembly Language)https://fortran-lang.org/ (Fortran Programming Language)https://www.britannica.com/technology/Pascal-computer-language (Pascal Computer Language)https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/glossary/what-is-zero-trust/ (Zero Trust)https://www.boeing.com/defense/b-1b-bomber/ (B-1B Lancer)https://www.military.com/equipment/m1a2-abrams-main-battle-tank (M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank)https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/index.html (Lockheed Martin Corporation)https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104492/c-5m-super-galaxy/ (C-5M Super Galaxy)https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104506/f-22-raptor/ (F-22 Raptor)https://www.java.com/ (Java Programming Language)https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/westport/ (Westport, Maryland)http://places.baltimoreheritage.org/structure/hanover-street-bridge/ (Hanover Street Bridge (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge))https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariarosemarinelli/ (Maria Marinelli)https://eblingroup.com/products/the-next-level/ (The Next Level by Scott Eblin)https://www.amazon.com/Nice-Girls-Dont-Corner-Office/dp/1455546046 (Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner...

For the Back of the Room: Robb Wong, CEO of Fedsolve, President of The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and Industry Leader for Growth Strategies at the SBA and Small Business Government Contracts. May 03, 2022

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Entrepreneurship, Standing Out, and Empowering Small Businesses.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Robb Wong, CEO and Founder of Fedsolve. Robb discusses his lifelong entrepreneurial drive starting at 11 years old, stringing tennis rackets with his brother, and holding 7 part-time jobs in college. He also talks about his email hack to avoid spam and whether or not he feels like a Government Contracting Celebrity. Robb’s experience with HUBZone and the SBA has had a major impact on small businesses in America, and he discusses that path and the potential effect of recent developments. Lastly, Robb recommends a book that you may not have read in a while!QUOTES“I would say this about leadership in general. I practice this. I try to practice this at home. What I say to my daughter is, I'm trying to be the dad that you expect me to be, not the dad that I want to be. And so, I say that to my wife about me trying to be a husband. And I tried to apply that to SBA. I tried to be the type of leader that other people expected me to be, not the person that I wanted to be.” - Robb Wong [26:59]“What's going to happen is if you continue to try to help people, they're going to come to you and they're going to say, Shana, I know this isn't what NYLA does, but we have this other problem. And if you answer and honestly say, listen, I'm not the expert in that, but I can figure it out. That's how you, that's how you evolve, that’s how you change as a company. And you have to be open for change.” - Robb Wong [50:50]“I love helping small businesses who can help our government because I think it makes for a stronger government. And I devoted my life to government service. I was inside, I was outside. I was inside again, now I'm outside, but I think if we have a strong government then we have a strong country.” - Robb Wong [54:00] TIMESTAMPS [00:04] Intro[02:12] Meet Robb Wong[04:09] Robb’s College Experience[05:22] Ursinus College[07:57] Born an Entrepreneur[12:52] Robb’s Email Address Hack[15:02] Robb’s Experience with Race-Based Assumptions[20:37] The Advantages of Living in America[22:34] Does Robb feel like a Government Contracting Celebrity?[25:43] Robb’s Experience with HUBZone and the SBA[34:44] Recent Developments with the SBA and Category Management[37:38] It Comes Down to Business Development[41:47] Lowest Price Technically Acceptable[45:00] Role of the Contracting Officer[48:32] The Personal Aspect of Government Contracting[50:03] Advice Robb Would Give to his Younger Self[51:20] Robb’s Interest in Curious George[51:53] Robb’s Surprising Fact[54:44] Outro RESOURCEShttps://www.ursinus.edu/ (Ursinus College)https://www.georgetown.edu/ (Georgetown University)https://www.nih.gov/ (National Institutes of Health)https://www.gwu.edu/ (The George Washington University)https://www.wikihow.com/String-a-Tennis-Racquet (How to String a Tennis Racket)https://www.berkeley.edu/ (University of Berkeley, California)https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/8a-business-development-program (8(a) Business Development Program)https://hubzonecouncil.org/National-HUBZone-Conference (National HUBZone Conference)https://www.gsa.gov/buying-selling/category-management#:~:text=Category%20Management%20is%20the%20practice,and%20effectiveness%20of%20acquisition%20activities. (Category Management)https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-biden/ (President Joe Biden)https://discover.dtic.mil/section-809-panel/ (Section 809 Panel)https://www.va.gov/osdbu/verification/ (Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) Program)https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/veteran-assistance-programs (Information on SDVOSBs from the SBA)https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/joint-ventures (Joint Ventures)...

Nyla? Apr 20, 2022

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9 Reflections on 9 Years in Business Apr 14, 2022

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Two-Career Couples Apr 12, 2022

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