Advertise on podcast: Leaders and Legends in Government

On this episode of Leaders and Legends in Government, host Aileen Black speaks with Tariq Shaukat, CEO of Sonar and board member at Public Storage and Gap Inc., about leading through change at scale. Drawing on his experience at Google Cloud, Bumble, and Caesars Entertainment, Shaukat discusses trust, resilience, and what it takes to lead teams in today’s fast-moving, high-stakes technology environment—especially where public and private sectors intersect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Leaders and Legends in Government on Federal News Network, host Aileen Black sits down with Dr. Rebecca D. Kaltman, a board-certified breast medical oncologist and the executive eirector of Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center at Inova Schar Cancer Center  With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Kaltman has led teams in cancer genetics, prevention, and infusion services while helping patients and staff navigate the challenges of modern healthcare. She shares powerful insights on leadership, resilience, and patient-centered care in today’s rapidly changing medical landscape. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Leaders and Legends in Government, host Aileen Black sits down with George Hoyem—venture capital leader, former managing partner at In-Q-Tel, and a driving force behind technologies that strengthen America’s national security. With decades of experience at the intersection of innovation and defense, Hoyem shares his journey, lessons from investing in cutting-edge startups, and insights on what makes great leaders and resilient companies. From navigating the challenges of early-stage ventures to shaping the future of U.S. competitiveness, this conversation offers valuable perspective for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and anyone passionate about leadership and national security innovation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Leaders and Legends in Government, host Aileen Black welcomes the Honorable Nazak Nikakhtar, former assistant secretary at Commerce’s International Trade Administration, and former acting under secretary at the Bureau of Industry and Security. She is now a partner at Wiley Rein. Known for her ability to bridge national security, economic policy, and global trade, Nikakhtar shares her inspiring journey from immigrating to the United States as a child to shaping U.S. policy at the highest levels. In this wide-ranging conversation, she reflects on early career lessons, leading under pressure, balancing innovation with national security, and navigating the challenges of public service, private practice, and motherhood—all while offering practical leadership insights for the next generation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Young Bang, former principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, joins Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends. He will discuss the leadership principles needed to take on the challenges and opportunities for Army innovation that will shape the future of defense IT. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Technology executive and former federal CIO Clare Martorana joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends program. Martorana served as federal chief information officer in the Biden Administration from March 2021 until January 2025. She was the fifth person to hold the job which was created by the E-Government Act of 2002. During the program, Martorana gives some valuable advice to executives who are leading during changing times. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alexis Bonnell, chief information officer and director of the Digital Capabilities Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends program. Bonnell will discuss leadership, innovation, and the challenges faced by federal government leaders today.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tyler Sweatt , CEO of Second Front Systems, joins host Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to discuss leadership, innovation, and the challenges faced by national security leaders in today's rapidly changing environment. As the chief executive officer of Second Front Systems, Sweatt works to bridge the gap between innovative technologies and national security organizations. In addition, he serves as a technical advisor at Pallas Advisors and a partner at the non-profit Silicon Valley Defense Group. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The honorable Dan Goldin joins host Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends.  Goldin is an entrepreneurial and scientific visionary, with the distinction of serving as NASA’s longest-tenured Administrator from April 1992 to November 2001. He reported to three U.S. Presidents: George H.W. Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former California Congressman Jerry McNerney joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends. McNerney served for 16 years in Congress has an extensive technical knowledge of energy, technology, and environmental policy to position clients for growth opportunities. He is widely regarded as an accomplished leader in Washington and in his home state of California, and has achieved bipartisan successes working with officials in the House, Senate and the White House. Through his experience in the private sector, academia and national laboratories, McNerney has also forged industry relationships in energy, fusion, utilities and technology.  Today he is a senior policy advisor at Pillsbury Law. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bogomil Balkansky, partner at Sequoia, joins Leaders and Legends to talk about leadership and the keys to building a successful technology startup. Balkansky joined Sequoia as a partner in 2020 and was previously vice president of Cloud Recruiting Solutions at Google and a senior vice president at VMware. Balkansky describes his leadership style as "very approachable but fearless". He believes that great leaders are "great listeners. They listen to their team members' ideas, concerns, and feedback, and act on them." Finally Balkansky said “I’m a very intuitive person. If I try to be overly rational and put all the pros and cons in a spreadsheet, I get myself into trouble. But if I follow my gut, I rarely make mistakes.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paula Schneider, president & CEO of Susan G. Komen joins Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to talk about leadership and leading an amazing cause. Schneider is responsible for day-to-day operations, strategic direction, and is accountable for the world's largest breast cancer organization. She has led Susan G Komen to be one of the highest regarded charities. According to Charity Navigator, Susan G Komen's score is 95%, earning it a Four-Star rating. More than 80 cents of every dollar spent by Susan G. Komen has gone directly towards research, community-based health programs, education and advocacy programs to support its mission of saving lives and ending breast cancer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Leaders and Legends host Aileen Black interviews Dr. David A. Bray, distinguished fellow and co-chair of the Alfred Lee Loomis Innovation Council at the non-partisan Henry L. Stimson Center. Bray is also a distinguished fellow with the Business Executives for National Security and a CEO and transformation leader for different “under the radar” tech and data ventures. He is principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures and has served in a variety of leadership roles in turbulent environments, including bioterrorism preparedness and response from 2000-05. Bray has also led efforts to improve the organizational adaptability of the U.S. Department of Defense, and worked on countering disinformation from 2017-2020 – including personally surviving a disinformation attack that occurred in 2018. He has received both the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award and the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal. Business Insider named him one of the top “24 Americans under the age of 40 who are changing the world”, and The World Economic Forum has named him a Young Global Leader. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Leaders and Legends, Tom Lash, CEO of Vibrint and an Amazon Web Services veteran, joins host Aileen Black to talk about leading technology teams through rapid growth and change. Lash is a recognized leader in the intelligence technology sector with a 30-year career deeply rooted in serving the national security mission. An engineer by training who holds a patent in intelligent database technology, Lash has extensive experience building technology-focused teams that design and deploy innovative intelligence systems. That experience combined with his inclusive, entrepreneurial management style, makes Lash him a dynamic and collaborative leader.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sarah Hess, west coast director of the Silicon Valley Defense Group, and an investor/operator at Lux Capital joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends.  Throughout Hess' career she has focused on national security and leveraging innovative technologies. In her work, she has helped the US and its allies secure democracy through innovation. Previously, Hess served as deputy lead to launch the NATO Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund modeled off of In-Q-Tel During the interview, Hess said the best leaders for new innovative startups are persistent and ” will run through walls towards a pursuit”.  When talking about cultures and leadership styles, Hess said those who lead with empathy make their teams more effective. Early in her career at the CIA, she said empathetic leadership made it easier for her team to accomplish its mission and goals. Hess also offered some advice for the next generation of leaders saying “don’t be afraid to try something new", because new challenges will help you grow.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.