Making Waves at C-Level

Former Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime joins the conversation on “Making Waves at C-Level”. Award-winning innovator and disrupter, Reggie Fils-Aimé has been revered by business leaders and gaming fans alike for helping to bring some of Nintendo’s greatest successes– the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch – to the global marketplace.  In his bestselling book, DISRUPTING THE GAME: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo, Fils-Aimé shares his story of grit and determination for the first time—from his humble beginnings in the Bronx as the son of Haitian immigrants, to the top of Nintendo as one of the most powerful names in the gaming industry—and the first American and African American president and chief operating officer for the company.  Immortalized for opening Nintendo’s 2004 E3 presentation with, “My name is Reggie, I'm about kicking ass. I'm about taking names, and we're about making games,” Fils-Aimé is a veteran at transforming companies, revitalizing brands, and reshaping industries.  Here he outlines the leadership lessons he learned over the course of his career from his time working with iconic brands at P&G, like PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, Guinness Import Company and television entertainment with VH1 to his tenure at Nintendo. He helps readers leverage disruptive thinking to pinpoint the life choices that will make them truly happy, conquer negative perceptions from those who underestimate or outright dismiss them, and master the grit, perseverance, and resilience it takes to dominate in the business world.    ABOUT Reggie Fils-Aime Reggie Fils-Aimé is an award-winning innovator and disrupter who has helped bring the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U and the Nintendo Switch to the global marketplace. He joined Nintendo of America Inc. in December 2003 as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In May 2006, he was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. He was inducted into the International Videogame Hall of Fame in October 2019 and received the annual Legend Award from the New York Videogame Critics Circle in January 2020.  Prior to joining Nintendo, Fils-Aimé was Senior Vice President of Marketing at VH1. During his tenure at VH1, he engineered the channel’s redirection to young viewers that resulted in an overall 30 percent ratings growth, and he created and executed the marketing plans for The Concert for New York City, which raised more than $35 million for disaster relief in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.  Fils-Aimé graduated with distinction from Cornell’s Dyson Undergraduate Business School in 1983 which launched a 35+ year career as an operating executive spanning the consumer-packaged goods, restaurant, beverage, and media/entertainment industries. Since retiring, he has focused his energy on developing the next generation of business leaders. In August 2019, he was named the inaugural Cornell University’s Dyson Leader in Residence for the 2019-2020 academic year. He also founded Brentwood Growth Partners to help emerging companies scale and enable leaders to create world-class cultures. HTTPS://thomsinger.com/podcast/disrupting-the-game  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Michael Ward Jr from the Austin Urban Technology Movement joins the conversation on the "Making Waves at C-Level" podcast to take about how to train new employees with internships and apprenticeships. Tech companies need great employees, and many skip training and growing talent and just poach from their neighbors. But this episode will dive deep into other ways to build your community of engaged employees. About Michael Ward Jr. Michael Ward Jr. is a social entrepreneur who focuses on STEAM, workforce development, and economic empowerment. Originally from Miami, FL, Michael began his career at Oracle in enterprise sales, focusing on cloud and on-premise technology. During this time, Michael also led Oracle’s Black employee resource group to increase the recruitment, engagement, and upward mobility of Oracle’s Black employees. After Oracle, Michael spent some time at ADP and Primal7 where he gained a better understanding of human capital management and Austin’s startup ecosystem. Currently, Michael leads Austin Urban Technology Movement (AUTMHQ) as President and CEO. He is also the Co-Founder of TwoWards Solutions, Co-Hosts Culture Crawl ATX, and sits on the following boards throughout Central Texas: Greater Austin STEM Ecosystem, the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Texas Science and Engineering Fair. Michael is also a community partner of the IT Caucus of the Texas House. Before starting his tech career and entrepreneurship journey, Michael earned a degree in International Relations at Miami Dade College and two degrees in Political Science and Global Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Michael is also a father, husband, Miami Heat fan, Tar Heel alum, and enjoys good food made with love! https://thomsinger.com/podcast/Austin-Urban-Technology-Movement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Today we chat about Behavioral Health with Ray Wolf and Brain Tucker from Televero Health. They are rewriting the way people get access to behavioral health by providing better access to the care people need. About Televero Health Televero Health provides Virtual Behavioral Health services across Texas, including psychiatry, therapy, and counseling for moderate and acute patients. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals needing care and our community’s safety. Televero breaks through the behavioral health access paradigm by offering access to licensed clinicians within seven days of the referral and accepting insurance. We operate an evidence-based integrated care model, partnering with Primary Care Physicians to deliver "whole patient" care to improve outcomes. Televero has a goal of screening 10 Million Texans for suicide and violence by 2025.   About Ray Wolf As the Chief Information Officer, Ray leads the development and execution of the growth and operational strategies for Televero Health, from human capital to financial.   Ray brings three decades of global business experience across various industries and growth stages—from start-up to established enterprise – through inverting the healthcare inflation curve, designing patentable Mach 2+ jet engines, and developing space defense systems.   Ray's healthcare experience ranges from reducing Kaiser Permanente's operating cost by 20%, receiving the Apple Healthcare award for creating the first HIPAA-compliant mobile communication for physicians, transforming Essence Health into a cloud-based enterprise, and increasing clinical technology adoption from 15% to more than 85%, and inverting the healthcare inflation curve through an innovative gain sharing managed care model at Redirect Health, reducing the cost of self-funded company healthcare costs by 25%.     About Brian Tucker As Chief Digital Officer, Brian Tucker is the "transformer in chief," charged with leveraging technology to create unmatched, easy, frictionless client, patient, and provider experiences. Brian brings over two decades of strategic cross-business transformation, process innovation, and delivering profitable business and customer outcomes through technology solutions. https://thomsinger.com/podcast/televero-health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Connecting with your constituents (internally and externally) and understanding your message is important for companies of all sizes. Technology companies need to pay attention to their messaging, think about communication with employees (do not let them learn about your company events in the media), and to position their brands for long term success.   This episode is an important conversation with Kathleen Lucente from Red Fan Communications. She is a C-Suite Whisperer to high tech B to B companies, and has a team of experts that kicks butt in assisting clients with their internal and external messaging, investor relations, and crisis communications.   She also shares what makes Austin, Texas a vibrant place for tech companies and how her firms helps local organizations.   About Kathleen Lucente Kathleen Lucente moved to Austin just as the city began its meteoric rise as a hotbed for tech startups and investment. Before she adopted the lone star state as home, she built an award-winning career working domestically and internationally for IBM, JPMorgan, Ketchum Worldwide, and other global brands and agencies. With solid experience in the evolution of communications within the tech industry, first as a journalist, then as a PR professional, Kathleen realized she was ready to build her own team to deliver superior integrated marketing and communications services to B2B tech companies. Since the start of Red Fan Communications almost 15 years ago, she has helped countless companies of all stages clarify their purpose, tell their unique stories, differentiate from their competitors and establish lasting relationships with clients and customers. The Red Fan team is built of experts with the same tenacity in which Kathleen approaches her work and weaves it into everything she does.  Kathleen serves on several boards—including Austin Gives, PelotonU and the ABC Kite Fest—and donates much of her and her staff’s time to local nonprofits that have a tangible impact throughout the community, including the Corporate Engagement Council for the Austin mayor’s office and the Mike & Sherry Project, an Austin-based organization providing mental health support to local bar and restaurant workers. You can also catch Kathleen as a regulator contributor to the Forbes Agency Council, covering critical communications topics like crisis management, brand positioning, thought leadership, corporate communications and the fundamentals of great brand storytelling. In addition, she’s been a guest speaker on influential podcasts, at accelerators, and communications and business schools, including the Wharton School, the University of Texas at Austin, the Confident Communications podcast, and the MassChallenge startup accelerator, where she serves as a mentor. https://thomsinger.com/podcast/kathleen-lucente Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we go deep on how to you bounce back. Brain Wagner helps people see things they have never seen before. He went blind 12 years ago and now sees more than he ever has before. Brian is a speaker and works with the Ohio State School for the Blind.  He believes all of us can do more than we ever thought we could, and this episode will make you think deeper about how to bounce back when you face something difficult.  About Brian Wagner Embrace your own personal blindness to drive better performance. That's what Brian Wagner has done through BounceBack Leadership. He is the founder and CEO of "A Radical Vision." His mission is to help people embrace their own personal blindness to achieve a greater focus and drive better performance. Brian has worked with boards and organizations to clear the path for growth.  On March 4 of 2011 he woke up on the couch and wasn't able to see. For the next six months, he was blind. Only brain surgery and multiple eye surgeries have allowed a portion of his vision to return. Since then, Brian Wagner has become an author of the semi-autobiography book "Sometimes It DOES Take a Brain Surgeon".  Brian is a Past-President for the National Speakers’ Association, Ohio Chapter. https://thomsinger.com/podcast/brain-wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. This episode is a great conversation about change, the rate of change, and the power of Community. Rebecca (Becky) Taylor has been an active software engineer, entrepreneur, community activist, and advisor for over three decades in the Austin community and beyond. She was an early member of the Austin Technology Council (originally called the Austin Software Council) and remains active working with the Austin Technology Incubator - the oldest continuous tech incubator in the United States.   Check out this episode and be inspired.  About Becky Taylor Rebecca (Becky) Taylor is Executive-In-Residence at the Austin Technology Incubator, and Industry Fellow at UT-Austin’s Ethics Project. Ms. Taylor is a senior level executive with 35 years’ experience inventing new technologies, forming startups, building committed teams and raising funds. She has led advanced development and strategy efforts at organizations from very small start-up companies to large multinationals including the launch team at Shell Technology Ventures, and senior advisory roles at the U.S. Department of State. She has executed and advised on monetization involving licensing, venture capital investing, sales negotiations, expanded market opportuni5es. An inventor and multiple patent holder, she created technology that among other things, makes your phone smarter. She served as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009, advising the University on commercialization alternatives for promising research. Ms Taylor has advised dozens of startups in the course of her professional career, helping them with funding strategies, technology planning, and negotiations. She is a mentor and very much enjoys presenting to diverse audiences, large and small. She has had a lifelong commitment of raising money and awareness for important community needs. Becky Taylor is a Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and serves Vice Chair of the IEEE-USA Government Relations Committee. She holds a BS in Computer Science from Iowa State University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public Policy. She is certified as a Winemaker by the University of California – Davis. She holds a Series 79 FINRA designation and is affiliated with a NYC-area boutique early stage investment bank. Her board service has included board and advisory roles with multiple startups, election as a director of TruWest Credit Union ($750 MM assets), service on Austin Community College’s Foundation Board and service for other non-profit organizations in the Austin area. A resident of Austin for 40 years, she has fun with family – her son, lovely daughter-in-law, adorable granddaughter, happy dogs, and is traveling as often as possible. www.thomsinger.com/podcast/becky-taylor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Min Choe and Angell Tsang sit down to talk about their unique company, Tso Chinese Delivery. Many would not expect a delivery and carry-out quick service restaurant to also be a leading technology company. But in Austin, Texas you find unique tech pioneer in many forms. This interview is both inspiring and informative.  If you have never heard of Tso Chinese Delivery, you will. They are on their way to being the leading provider of great food to your door anywhere in the world....and they do it with proprietary technology.  About Tso Chinese Delivery Tso Chinese Delivery is a delivery and carryout-only, quick service restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Offering free delivery and a no tipping policy, Tso offers one of the best, value-driven delivery services of fresh Chinese food, anywhere. Tso offers its transparent pricing model by offering free delivery and a strict no-tipping policy. Tso is able to execute this service by utilizing a virtual kitchen platform which focuses on online ordering -- no app necessary -- with the ability to track order progress on one’s computer or mobile phone. Since launching in Central Austin in 2017, they have since opened a second location in Fall 2019 in North Austin and followed up with a third location in South Austin in November 2021, with a Round Rock location in the pipeline for late 2022. Tso proudly serves high-quality, affordable Chinese-American food. Culinary direction comes from Jenna Choe, Chief Culinary Officer, who has created a menu of classic Chinese-American dishes made with the freshest ingredients possible. Everything is made to order in Tso’s kitchen and vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are readily available. Tso offers appetizers like real crab rangoons, potstickers, vegetarian spring rolls, and Szechuan dry green beans as well as a selection of soups like hot & sour soup and egg drop soup. About Min Choe Min Choe is the Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, and Co-Founder at Tso Chinese Delivery, a delivery and carryout only restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Tso offers free delivery and has a no tipping policy for fresh, high-quality yet affordable, Chinese-American food. After the success of the first Tso location in Central Austin, the second Tso opened in fall of 2019 in North Austin. Min’s primary role at Tso is to provide vision and direction for Tso to one day become America’s #1 choice for Chinese food delivery. He leads the team by establishing core values that are centered on providing a benefit to the communities and employees they serve, while also building a company focused on growth and profitability. About Angell Tsang Angell Tsang is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Tso Chinese Delivery, a delivery and carryout only restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Tso offers free delivery and a no tipping policy for fresh, high-quality yet affordable, Chinese-American food. After the huge success of the first Tso location, the second Tso opened in fall of 2019 in North Austin. Angell helped develop the cloud based kitchen platform on which Tso functions. Https://www.thomsinger.com/podcast/tso-chinese-delivery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. This is a great conversation with Sarah Jones Simmer about resilience and the courage to show up. Sarah has a wonderful story that lead her from majoring in music to the CEO of a leading digital health company innovating in the weight space. You must hear this interview!   Sarah Jones Simmer will be the featured Keynote Speaker at the Austin Technology Council's CEO Summit on October 17, 2022. If you are a C-Suite executive, you will want to be sure to be present for this event in Austin, Texas.  About Sarah Jones Simmer Sarah Jones Simmer is an executive, investor, board member and C-level operator. In September 2021, she joined Found as CEO, with a mission to make evidence-based, sustainable weight care accessible for all. Found is quickly emerging as a leader with its innovative approach to weight loss by leveraging the best of modern medicine with personalized support. Prior to Found, Sarah was an executive at Bumble, the women-first social networking app for four years. From 2017-2020, she was the Chief Operating Officer of the Bumble app, where she was responsible for core strategy, international growth, marketing initiatives, and business operations, as well as the expansion of Bumble’s rapidly growing team. Sarah also led the investment strategy for the Bumble Fund, Bumble's early-stage investing vehicle launched in 2018, focused on the next generation of women-led businesses. Sarah has spoken at Dreamforce, SXSW, Techcrunch Disrupt, Traction, the Global Partnership for Education, and UN special sessions on topics ranging from venture investing to girls’ and women’s rights to the future of ethical business, and the challenges and opportunities of scaling rapid growth businesses. She has a Masters’ in Public Policy from Northwestern University. She used to run marathons and has completed an Ironman, but now spends her time outside of work raising two young daughters. About Found:  Found is an evidence-based weight care solution that combines the best of modern medicine with personalized coaching and community. Centered around clinical care and lasting behavior change, Found provides its members with a comprehensive weight loss program that delivers long term, sustainable results. Found designs personalized treatments around every factor that makes people unique — from biology, medical history, mental health, existent lifestyle, goals, and more. Found’s members are supported by the best of consumer technology, and a team that includes doctors to prescribe safe medication, and coaches to guide them on nutrition, movement, sleep, and emotional health. For more information, visit www.joinfound.com. https://thomsinger.com/podcast/sarah-jones-simmer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Thom Singer talks to Carlos Martin from macami.ai. They talk about the future of AI and RPA as well as why Austin, Texas is a great place for business.  This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnology Council.org. About Carlos Martin: Carlos Martin is the CEO of macami.ai, a company focused in bringing efficiency to the enterprise by leveraging Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI. Formerly Director of Strategic Alliances for Brazil for the company Blue Prism, which pioneered the RPA market, and where he worked for 5+ years. Carlos has a degree in Computer Science and a Master’s in Technology Commercialization from UT Austin. He has more than 20 years in IT with a solid experience in technology, systems, problem solving, research and business strategy.   Carlos is the author of the upcoming book “The Efficient Enterprise”, which will discuss topics on how to leverage these technologies for bring exponential benefits to business. About macami.ai: macami.ai is an AI consultancy headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas that demystifies the use of artificial intelligence and robotic process automation to make businesses more efficient and allow them to scale effectively. The founders have trained and mentored the top consulting firms on best case use of AI and practices of automation. macami.ai analyzes companies’ financials and the cost of business processes with a top down approach to recommend and execute simple financial and software methodologies that incorporate AI and RPA technology. The company will also be providing free trainings online and within local communities on spotting financial scams. https://thomsinger.com/podcast/macami-ai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the "Making Waves at C-Level" podcast, we discuss working with your spouse or significant other. In this entrepreneur focused world, many people start businesses with people together. But what happens when that person is the love of your life? Terry Brock and Gina Carr sit down with Thom Singer to talk about how they manage business and life. About Gina Carr Gina Carr works with business leaders to leverage Web3 technologies for more impact, influence, and income. Web3 tech includes blockchains, the Metaverse (virtual reality), cryptocurrencies, NFTs, artificial intelligence, and other powerful tools.  Gina is on a mission to help business leaders use these tools to grow their businesses in a way that significantly benefits all stakeholders. Known as “The Tribe Builder,” Gina helps passionate people build powerful tribes of raving fans. A serial entrepreneur, Gina has created several businesses including Video Rock Starz, an award-winning real estate company, and a chain of community magazines. Gina is an MBA graduate of the Harvard Business School and an industrial and systems engineering graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Gina was the CEO of TEDxDupreePark.  A native Atlantan, she now lives in Orlando with her fiance, Terry Brock. Gina is a passionate advocate for animals, freedom, and plant-based living! About Terry Brock Today, more than ever, you need to know about what is happening with technology and business and how to benefit from the changes. Terry Brock is ideally suited to help you understand what is happening and how to take advantage of the opportunities. He is a professional speaker who works with clients showing them how to use tech to get the results they want. He’s a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation, and has received the highest award available from the National Speakers Association, the Cavett. He recently was asked by Ace Hardware to be their Chief Retail Advisor training their retailers around the world in video. His clients include sole proprietors to Fortune 10 companies. Most recently he is regularly asked to speak about Bitcoin, Web3, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). https://thomsinger.com/podcast/working-with-spouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices