Is it possible to make cybersecurity fun and engaging?

I sat down for an interview Reshad Alam and Corey Sodes. And I think both would answer the above, in chorus, with a loud YES!

Reshad is VP & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Regal Rexnord. Corey is the CTO and co-founder of Secure Compliance Solutions (SCS).

Both carry an unmatched passion for their work.

Corey and Reshad riffed on a number of topics…

• AI isn’t exposing your data. It’s exposing how much of it is already in the hands of your employees.

• Don’t block. Redirect.

• Innovate with purpose.

• HR is not giving you a free t-shirt.

• How continuous learning is critical to landing a cybersecurity job.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and this episode is also presented by Digital Bridge.

This article is the launch of a new paid partnership: Recycled by Digital Bridge. As part of this program, from time to time, I’ll highlight the important work happening at Digital Bridge, Milwaukee’s e-waste recycler. I’ll also “recycle” tech articles from the past. Because good stories deserve a second life, too!

For this article, I interviewed Michael Regione, VP of sales and marketing at Digital Bridge.

• Digital Bridge was founded by Jeff Hanson who started refurbishing laptops from the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

• Michael was in software startups and healthcare technology leading up to him joining Digital Bridge.

• He now leads the growth of Digital Bridge, including programs that keep electronics out of landfills by getting them into the hands of people who truly need them.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and is sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

For this story, Steve interviewed Jeff Hintz, Executive Director of Sports Tech HQ in Indiana and VP of Innovation at Indiana Sports Corp.

• The organization Jeff leads, Sports Tech HQ, works to make Indiana a global hub for sports technology.

• A native of Indianapolis, Jeff has spent his career focused on what sports can do for a community.

• He’s a convener and connector, helping sports tech founders relocate, scale, and grow in Indiana.

Steve and Jeff talk about how cities find their unfair tech advantage and how what they do with that matters.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by  Xorbix Technologies and sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

Kurt Bauer, CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, representing 3,800 businesses across the state, explains more.

• Kurt shares how tech plays out, or not, in the 90% of Wisconsin manufacturers with 100 employees or less. Hint: it’s not about the money.
• He also talks about the “dark factory” but that robots and automation still aren’t solving manufacturing’s biggest problem.
• Every manufacturing job creates four others. Kurt makes a strong case that what keeps Wisconsin manufacturers up at night should keep all of us up, too.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

From robots and vision systems to addressing Milwaukee's severe education gap, Austin believes we can (and should) keep talent from running to the coasts.

The quick snapshot of my conversation with Austin:

• Husco’s nearly 500 degreed engineers design the guts of machines the world’s best-known brands put into the world.

• There’s a staggering amount of data his company collects and doesn’t yet use. The number he threw out surprised me, and it’s exactly why he thinks a US manufacturing renaissance is just getting started.

• Austin also shares something about Milwaukee’s kids that he directly calls out as a tragedy and what his family is doing about it.

Experience Milwaukee is sponsored by SCS,  provider of managed security services, IT managed services and compliance solutions. Learn more at scsprotect.com.

Kristin’s quick bio:

• Kristin Milchanowski, PhD is Chief AI and Quantum Officer at BMO Financial Group leads BMO’s AI, data, and analytics strategy, with 20+ years in the field and past roles at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and EY.

• Author of Return on Intelligence, a 43-principle playbook for scaling AI responsibly so small businesses aren’t left behind.

• Oxford AI fellow with a PhD in Decision Sciences and, off the clock, a licensed race car driver and former Lamborghini board member.

• Connect with her on LinkedIn.

  Quick conversation summary:

• Kristin explains what AI actually looks like inside a bank, whether you see and feel it or not.

• She reveals the exact moment an employee’s job quietly changes the second you hand them an AI “widget” and the deliberate bet BMO made on AI with all employees.

• And she lands on the one trait that lets anyone keep up in the AI race, no tech degree required. Hint: it’s not being the smartest person in the room.

This special edition was sponsored by Cream City Cyber, Milwaukee’s global cybersecurity consultancy helping companies of all sizes navigate digital risk. From AI governance to cybersecurity, they’ve got you covered. Learn more at creamcitycyber.com.

CEO James Marino speaks to the growth story hiding in plain sight.

Quick Bio:

• James Marino is President and CEO of Jackson’s Food Company, the Muskego-based maker of avocado-oil snacks.

• James is born-and-raised a Milwaukeean and is a Marquette High grad.

• Connect with him on LinkedIn.

  Quick Summary:

• Jackson’s has quietly scaled its capacity 20X in just a few years. The reason why comes down to one unusual thing about their factory that most snack companies never get to start with.

• CEO James Marino walks through how a rare autoimmune diagnosis, a Shark Tank investment, and a shuttered brand all led to the “2.0” company making waves out of SE Wisconsin today.

• There’s a reason nobody touches the product from the cutting table to the end of the line and it says something bigger about where Milwaukee’s manufacturing talent fits into the future of food.

  Experience Milwaukee is sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions. Learn more at scsprotect.com.

Who’s in this interview and what’s it about?

Sri Kantamneni [LinkedIn]: CIDO of Schreiber Foods.

Stephen Pounds [LinkedIn]: CEO of Vadar Alpha.

Summary: In this episode, I talk with Sri and Stephen about what happens when a food manufacturing giant teams up with a scrappy two-year-old startup. They break down (in lemonade-stand terms) how Vadar Alpha helps Schreiber manage pricing, risk, and the “spread” between what it buys and sells, and why the best partnerships pair deep data and expertise with the agility to actually use it. It’s a real-world look at cutting through AI hype to solve actual business problems. This is a preview of their fireside chat at Summerfest TechAI 2026 (more info and register here).

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This special edition was sponsored by Cream City Cyber, Milwaukee’s global cybersecurity consultancy helping companies of all sizes navigate digital risk. From AI governance to cybersecurity, they’ve got you covered. Learn more at creamcitycyber.com.

Steve talks with Chris about his recipe behind one of the world's most-used apps, the company he's building with his 17-year-old son, how he's looking forward to his first trip to Milwaukee, and more.

You can catch him in Milwaukee as a keynote speaker at Summerfest TechAI 2026.

This special edition episode was sponsored by Cream City Cyber, Milwaukee's global cybersecurity consultancy helping companies of all sizes navigate digital risk. From AI governance to cybersecurity, they've got you covered. Learn more at creamcitycyber.com.

Robert Cordova and Derek Hyde talk AI in sports ahead of their unique panel discussion with Tim Dickson on June 24.

This special edition episode was sponsored by Cream City Cyber, Milwaukee's global cybersecurity consultancy helping companies of all sizes navigate digital risk. From AI governance to cybersecurity, they've got you covered. Learn more at creamcitycyber.com.

In this episode, Steve sits down with the following for a fun and insightful conversation about the sports tech panel at Summerfest TechAI on June 24:

Tim Dickson: [LinkedIn] The maestro. The connector. The guy who is always celebrating tech in Milwaukee and who brings all of us together. Also, he’s the Chief Digital & Information Officer at Regal Rexnord. He’ll be moderating the panel with Robert and Derek at Summerfest TechAI on Wednesday, June 24 at 2:00PM CST. Register for Summerfest TechAI here.

Robert Cordova: [LinkedIn] Always keeping it real. Also, the guy who promised to give me a private tech tour at the Fiserv Forum. Oh, and he’s Chief Technology & Strategy Officer for our Milwaukee Bucks.

Derek Hyde: [LinkedIn] One of my faves to grab a beer with. He always brings the passion for sports tech and Milwaukee to any discussion. He also works as SVP of Information Technology at our Milwaukee Brewers.

Lena DeLaet: [LinkedIn] How the hell does she make Summerfest TechAI happen every year? Because she’s incredible and loves the work she does for our city. Which reminds me, Lena is Director, Sales & Summerfest TechAI.

From AI agents to facial recognition technology, if you love the Bucks and/or Brewers, you'll love this episode.

This episode is part of our 2026 Summerfest TechAI series, sponsored by Cream City Cyber.

Steve's guests on this one include:

• Celeste Cuffie, Chief People Officer and Co-founder, Cream City Cyber
• Sheldon Cuffie, CEO & Co-founder, Cream City Cyber
• Lena DeLaet, Director of Sales & Summerfest TechAI

What you'll get:

• Sheldon and Celeste share how they bootstrapped Cream City Cyber from scratch into a nearly 40-person, multimillion-dollar cybersecurity firm in the last 18 months.

• They also announced they’re now launching a second Milwaukee venture,

• They make the case that AI is moving at “light speed,” but the real risk isn’t the technology

• On the cybersecurity front, Sheldon warns that AI is becoming “a firecracker on top of a rocket ship”
• The conversation then turns to Milwaukee’s biggest challenge

Thanks to Concurrency and Secure Compliance Solutions, sponsors of Experience Milwaukee!