Engineering Excellence & Soulful Leadership 🔥 From Military Intel to VC & Storytelling with Purpose

What do war zones, startup boardrooms, and story circles have in common?

From military intelligence to Silicon Valley’s investment scene, today's guest has lived many lives—each shaped by resilience, reinvention, and a relentless pursuit of meaning.

In this inspiring Sunday SoulDay episode, we’re joined by Ari Block the host of Story Samurai and author of Engineering Excellence Unlocked to explore what it truly means to lead with both logic and soul.

He shares powerful lessons from his time in military service, building high-performance software teams, recovering lost multimillion-dollar projects, and now investing in the next wave of visionary founders through the Chicago Booth Angels Network of Silicon Valley (CBANSV).

Whether you're a tech leader, a founder in transition, or someone searching for clarity through life’s pivots—this conversation is a masterclass in healing, storytelling, and creating lasting impact.

🎧 What you'll hear in this episode:

🌱 From war zones to code—how military service shaped his leadership

🌱 The soul behind his podcast Story Samurai

🌱 Reclaiming purpose after failure, burnout, and identity shifts

🌱 What most engineering leaders get wrong about high performance

🌱 His experience as a Techstars alum & how he vets founders now

🌱 What he’s learned from interviewing extraordinary humans

🌱 Why storytelling is a form of service and healing

🌱 The moment he knew it was time to write his book

 

✨ This episode is a tribute to building with both excellence and empathy—and redefining success through story, healing, and human connection.

 

About Ari Block

Ari Block is a dynamic entrepreneur and global technology leader whose career spans military intelligence, digital forensics, and the startup world.

He founded his first company at just 8 years old and sold it by 15, setting the stage for a career defined by innovation and impact. Ari later served in military intelligence and went on to lead at Cellebrite, a global leader in forensic technology.

Key Highlights:

Founded first company at age 8 (computer repair)

Sold first company at 15 (B2B sales platform)

Military intelligence and digital forensics background

Former leader at Cellebrite, a global forensics technology company

Startup founder, advisor, and Techstars alumnus

Traveled to over 50 countries worldwide

 

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to catch more purpose-driven conversations.

Host: Damesha Craig, Certified Mindset Life & Career Coach, Startup Board Advisor, Founder, Entrepreneur & Author

Connect with Damesha Craig

🔗: https://www.leadershipgarden.ai

📸 : https://www.instagram.com/dameshacraig/

🔗: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dameshacraig/

📬: https://dameshacraig.substack.com/

🔗: https://www.talentconnectnetwork.com

 

Be a Guest: https://calendly.com/dameshacraig/sunday-soulday-guest-partnership

OR

Email me: [e-mail]

https://sundaysoulday.com/

 

Song: Sunset Beach by, Bryo

https://soundcloud.com/bryomusic/sunset-beach

 

#TechLeadership #StorytellingForHealing #EngineeringExcellence #VeteranFounder #StartupWisdom #PodcastGuest #CBANSV

 

 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.