Teach the Geek: Public Speaking and Communication Skills for Technical Professionals

Jill Luber: Translating Tech for Everyone

Jill Luber is a longtime technology and data leader. Her career has included building the data backbone behind analytics products, leading major technology integrations, and overseeing engineering teams responsible for core linking and scoring systems. With deep expertise in data, engineering, security, and analytics, Jill is known not only for her technical leadership but also for her c...

Renaud Adams: Mining Leadership through Communication

Renaud Adams is a mining industry leader with more than 30 years of global operational and executive experience across the Americas. Throughout his career, Renaud has led major organizations, helping guide strategic growth, operational performance, and major company transformations. In this episode, we discuss the communication challenges between technical and nontechnical st...

Angelo Mazzocco: Speaking Beyond the Technical Audience

Angelo Mazzocco, President of Mazzocco Consulting LLC, has built a career that includes leading technology organizations as a CIO, president, and advisor across several companies. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member and has earned numerous awards for innovation, leadership, and service. In this episode, Angelo shares how communication breaks down between technic...

Naomi Lenane: Fixing the Tech-Business Disconnect

Today’s guest, Naomi Lenane, is a results-driven CIO known for aligning technology with business needs. We’ll discuss why communication between technical teams and non‑technical leaders so often falters, and what those gaps cost an organization. We’ll also dive into how misconceptions about engineering and IT shape decisions at the highest levels, and what leaders can do to build...

In this solo episode, I talk about my experience with Toastmasters and how it shaped how I view public speaking. For technical professionals who speak to decision makers, this episode was made with you in mind.

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Raffi Krikorian: Translating Tech for Better Business Outcomes

CTO Raffi Krikorian is a technology leader who has worked at the highest levels and, among other things, helped to launch the first self-driving fleet in the United States. In this conversation, we explore why communication breaks down between technical and nontechnical teams, the misconceptions that shape business decisions, and the real impact poor communication ca...

Uma Subramanian: Bridging the Technical Talent Communication Gap

Uma Subramanian is founder of The Limitless Leaders, where she’s redefining how leadership is developed for the modern world of work. From scaling a global developer community to 37,000 members in just five months and leading developer success, she’s seen firsthand how technical talent can thrive or stall based on how well they communicate their value. In this episode,...

Antonio Taylor: Turning Tech Talk into Business Value

Most organizations don’t have a technology problem; they have an ownership problem. Today’s guest, Antonio Taylor, has spent more than 26 years in IT and executive leadership helping companies confront exactly that. He’s worked with organizations navigating growth, risk, and transformation, bringing executive-level clarity to technology decisions without adding unnecessary compl...

Jason Johnson: from Warehouse Floor to CIO Impact

CIO Jason Johnson leads a 210-person IT organization focused on making technology serve the business, not the other way around. From packing boxes on the warehouse floor to building data-driven systems that directly impact revenue, efficiency, and customer loyalty, he brings a rare ground-level perspective to executive decision-making. With a background in the U.S. Navy and the D...

Samya DasSarma: Bridging Tech and Business Communication

CTO Samya DasSarma has more than 25 years of experience in software development and leadership. He has spent much of his career operating at the intersection of deep technical work and executive decision making. In this episode, we explore the communication gaps between technical experts and business leaders, how those gaps affect strategic decisions, and what technical pr...

Dan Lipp: Speaking Tech so Executives Understand

Dan Lipp’s career began with a physics degree and grew into more than 25 years leading software teams, delivering products, and guiding Agile transformations across startups and established companies. Today, he focuses less on coding and more on helping individuals and teams improve their satisfaction and productivity through leadership, mentoring, and continuous growth. In this e...

Sam Juarez: Communicating Tech Risk to Executives

Head of IT Sam Juarez has risen from the help desk to the boardroom, leading technology strategy for more than 3,600 employees. He has more than 15 years of experience scaling operations, driving digital transformation, and delivering measurable cost savings. In this episode, we explore the communication gaps between technical professionals and business leaders, the risks of gett...

Ken Little: Bridging Engineering and Business

Today, we’re tackling one of the most expensive and underestimated problems in modern organizations: the communication gap between technical professionals and nontechnical leaders. I’m joined by Ken Little, SVP of Engineering, to explore where engineers most often struggle with nontechnical audiences, how to make complex ideas understandable to business-minded leaders so they can mak...

Kader Sakkaria on Translating Technical Complexity into Executive Decisions

Kader Sakkaria is a senior technology and data executive who has led enterprise-scale transformation across financial services and complex global organizations. The work sits at the intersection of data, AI, and executive decision-making, helping organizations turn fragmented efforts into durable business value. In this episode, we focus on how technical...

Mike Grabarek: Learning, Leadership, and the Language of Impact

Mike Grabarek helps people and organizations thrive through better learning, coaching, and change leadership. From streamlining performance management to crafting top-rated eLearning and coaching programs, he has led L&D efforts that stick. We talk about how technical professionals can communicate more effectively with nontechnical audiences, and what organizati...

Patrick Dunn: Bridging Technical and Non-Technical Audiences

Patrick Dunn is no stranger to bridging the gap between technical and nontechnical teams. We explore how he translates requirements, resolves misunderstandings, and helps both sides achieve true alignment on complex projects. Patrick also shares his tips for improving communication, managing nerves, and speaking effectively in high-stakes situations.

To learn more a...

Richard Geary: Clarity over Complexity for Leaders

Richard Geary, an EVP of drug development, and I discuss why communication is just as important as technical skill for leaders. We break down the biggest mistakes technical professionals make when talking to nontechnical audiences and share actionable strategies for making complex work clear and compelling. Plus, we cover tips on managing nerves, improving presentations, and the...

Ramesh Songukrishnasamy: Communication Gaps that Stall Progress

CTO Ramesh Songukrishnasamy and I explore how communication gaps, not technical gaps, slow down projects, derail decisions, and limit career growth for technical professionals. As a transformational leader who has driven major technology transformations, built high-performing teams, and delivered millions in new product revenue, he shares what communication behavior...

Robert Blumofe: a CTO on Technical Influence

CTO Robert Blumofe oversees areas like edge computing, zero trust, 5G, and IoT, while working closely with customers and internal leaders on digital transformation. In this conversation, we will explore how technical professionals can better communicate with nontechnical audiences, why technical excellence alone is not enough to influence outcomes, and what organizations can do to clo...