Outspoken with Shana Cosgrove

On this show we'll talk about tech - software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning - government contracting, the business of business, money, and what really drives us.

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Episodes

From the Rafters: Shana Cosgrove, Founder and CEO of Nyla Technology Solutions.

Send us a text Taking Time, Refining the Process, and Creating a Unicorn Farm In this special episode of The Outspoken Podcast, Rebecca Scott of TallSmall Productions interviews podcast host Shana Cosgrove, founder and CEO of Nyla Technology Solutions. Shana describes how her goals changed over time: at first she’d hoped to climb the corporate ladder, and then she realized she could start a company of her own. Shana tells Rebecca the story of how she named her company after her mother, Nyla, cre...

Nov 08, 2022•58 min•Season 5Ep. 6

From the Rafters: Jennifer Walsmith, Vice President of Cyber and Information Solutions at Northrop Grumman

Send us a text Balancing, Pivoting, and Innovating Through Diversity In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Jennifer Walsmith, Vice President of Cyber and Information Solutions at Northrop Grumman. Shana and Jennifer talk about the capacity for remote work to broaden access to decision-makers and increase organizational agility. Jennifer talks about her 20+ years at NSA—from a GS-2 to being the Senior Acquisition Executive (SAE)—and her experiences earning a degre...

Nov 01, 2022•56 min•Season 5Ep. 5

From the Rafters: Angel Smith, Partner, Mission Solutions and Customer Expansion (MSCE) at Microsoft

Send us a text Cyber Diversity, Running Heels, and Working Toward the Metaverse. In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Angel Smith, PhD, Partner, Mission Solutions and Customer Expansion (MSCE) at Microsoft. Angel talks to Shana about how data and data cooperation matter in today’s changing security environment, where the U.S. must consider the potential for conflicts with peer (no longer “near-peer”) adversaries. She describes the career path that led her from a...

Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 4

From the Rafters: Julie Lenzer, Chief Innovation Officer at ARMI

Send us a text Creativity, Technology, and Making Geek Chic In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Julie Lenzer, Chief Innovation Officer at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). Julie talks about her early start in computer science and manufacturing and why she recently completed a master’s degree in machine learning alongside working a fulltime job. She discusses her work in the biotech sector at ARMI, where she has joined innovator Dean Kame...

Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 3

From the Rafters: Bailey Bickley, Chief Strategy Officer, NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center

Send us a text Collaboration, Transparency, and Family Legacy. In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Bailey Bickley, Chief Strategy Officer for the NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center. Bailey discusses The NSA’s journey from a private organization to one that is now discussing cybersecurity publicly to help ensure online safety. Bailey’s family has been a part of The NSA for 3 generations, and Bailey explains why this family legacy is so important to her. She ...

Oct 11, 2022•48 min•Season 5Ep. 2

From the Rafters: Nic Cober, Esq., Principal Managing Partner of CJR and Founder of The BOW Collective

Send us a text Seeing Abundance, Supporting Women, and Shifting the Narrative. In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Nic Cober, Esq., Principal Managing Partner of CJR and founder of The BOW Collective. Nic describes her journey to and through serial entrepreneurship, from her unexpected first small business venture as owner of a hair salon and day spa to her current role as cofounder of a multi-million dollar legal and consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Sh...

Oct 04, 2022•56 min•Season 5Ep. 1

For the Back of the Room: Amit Singh, Chief Architect for the Intel Sector of BlueHalo.

Send us a text Equity, Taking Chances, and Keeping it Fun.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Amit Singh, Chief Architect for the Intel Sector of BlueHalo. Amit explains how he ended up studying electrical engineering at the University of Virginia. He also discusses the recent sale of Asymmetrik to Blue Halo, revealing why giving equity to his employees felt natural and how the sale affected him emotionally. Pranks and humor are how Amit keeps things light in t...

Jul 19, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 12

For the Back of the Room: Tasha Cornish, Executive Director at Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI).

Send us a text Philanthropy, Cybersecurity, and Bringing the Energy.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Tasha Cornish, Executive Director at Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI). Tasha discusses how her work has helped improve the nation, from running a human services nonprofit during COVID to defending the country from cyber attacks during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also explains why cybersecurity is important for every business and why...

Jul 12, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 11

For the Back of the Room: Megan Jaffer, CEO of IAI Strategies LLC and host of the Iron Butterfly Podcast.

Send us a text Perseverance, Transparency, and Breaking the Glass Ceiling.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Megan Jaffer, CEO of IAI Strategies LLC and host of the Iron Butterfly Podcast. Megan discusses the origins of her desire to get into the intelligence community and how she persevered until she got what she wanted. We hear the importance of Ellen McCarthy, INSA, and the many women along her professional journey that boosted her up. Megan opens up about ...

Jul 05, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 10

For the Back of the Room: Christie Getman, Country Director for Nepal at Mercy Corps.

Send us a text Discovery, Immersion, and Breaking the Mold.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Christie Getman, Country Director for Nepal at Mercy Corps. Christie describes how she landed on her path of international work, explaining her desire for a unique career. She also discusses the value of athletics and how she met her husband through a running club. Shana and Christie dive into the technical side of the work of Mercy Corps, illuminating the ways in whi...

Jun 28, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 9

For the Back of the Room: Vimesh Patel, Chief Technology Advisor at World Wide Technology and Board of Directors Member at INSA.

Send us a text Identity, Family, and Protecting the Nation.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Vimesh Patel, Chief Technology Advisor at World Wide Technology and Board of Directors Member at INSA. Vimesh and Shana discuss how they first met and what she learned from him. Vimesh details his early experience with the NSA and how he was able to secure paternity leave for the birth of each of his 3 children. Vimesh also explains how he found meaning during his car...

Jun 21, 2022•46 min•Season 4Ep. 8

For the Back of the Room: Ashley Spurr and Lisa Harris, Co-Owners of Elevare, LLC.

Send us a text Support, Communication, and Simplifying Complex Problems.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Ashley Spurr and Lisa Harris, Co-Owners of Elevare, LLC. Ashley and Lisa discuss starting Elevare and how they landed on the name over chips and salsa. They also explain how narrowing their offerings resulted in a more refined approach for Elevare. Ashley and Lisa dive deep into the world of GWACs, Polaris, Service MACs, and more. Finally, Ashley tells us...

Jun 14, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 7

For the Back of the Room: Gerard Spivey, Senior Systems Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services.

Send us a text Curiosity, Focus, and Forging a Path.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Gerard Spivey, Senior Systems Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services. Gerard speaks in detail about Amazon’s interview process, giving us insight into their procedures and how he prepared himself. We also hear about Gerard’s time at Amazon and the types of work he’s taking on. Side hustles are a way of life for Gerard, and he speaks about his latest experiences managing...

Jun 07, 2022•56 min•Season 4Ep. 6

For the Back of the Room: Laura Neuman, Entrepreneur, CEO, and former candidate for Governor of Maryland.

Send us a text Persistence, Service, and Making a Difference.Content warning: This podcast episode contains brief discussions of sexual assault.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Laura Neuman, Entrepreneur, CEO, and former candidate for Governor of Maryland. Laura discusses how persistence and a love for work allowed her to leap every hurdle on her path to a career in tech. We hear how Laura turned a difficult experience into a powerful lesson about the import...

May 31, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 5

For the Back of the Room: Benjamin Harvey, Founder & CEO of AI Squared, Research Professor, and Data Science Leader.

Send us a text Consistency, Impact, and Versatility.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Benjamin Harvey, Founder & CEO of AI Squared, Research Professor, and Data Science Leader. He takes us on his multifaceted journey, spanning from Harvard to The NSA to Johns Hopkins University to his most recent endeavor, AI Squared. Benjamin gets technical, discussing everything from Hadoop to Apache Spark to ACID transactions. We hear how Benjamin’s new journey as foun...

May 24, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 4

For the Back of the Room: J'aime Drayton and Scott Kashnow, Director and President of The Baltimore Family Alliance.

Send us a text Family, Education, and City-Living.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to J'aime Drayton, Executive Director of Baltimore Family Alliance and Scott Kashnow, the President of the board. They explain the ins and outs of leading a non-profit and the significance of keeping families in Baltimore. They discuss how the non-profit came to be and how the three board members view changes in the city. Scott and J’aime walk us through many of the programs Balt...

May 17, 2022•54 min•Season 4Ep. 3

For the Back of the Room: Roxanne Wood, President and CEO at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics.

Send us a text Leadership, Tenacity, and Staying Curious.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Roxanne Wood, President and CEO at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics. Roxanne discusses her experience becoming CEO and why we should all lean into leadership roles. She also explains the path that she took to rise up the ranks, focusing on her commitment to complete the task by learning from those around her. Roxanne has always been fearless when taking on new challe...

May 10, 2022•46 min•Season 4Ep. 2

For the Back of the Room: Robb Wong, CEO of Fedsolve, President of The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and Industry Leader for Growth Strategies at the SBA and Small Business Government Contracts.

Send us a text Entrepreneurship, Standing Out, and Empowering Small Businesses.In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Robb Wong, CEO and Founder of Fedsolve. Robb discusses his lifelong entrepreneurial drive starting at 11 years old, stringing tennis rackets with his brother, and holding 7 part-time jobs in college. He also talks about his email hack to avoid spam and whether or not he feels like a Government Contracting Celebrity. Robb’s experience with HUBZone a...

May 03, 2022•55 min•Season 4Ep. 1