Best Former Intel Officer Podcasts (2025)

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43 - CREATING AMERICA'S BATTLE HYMN | Julia Ward Howe (Poet/Abolitionist) | Civil War 12:01

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25m ago12:01

12:01

That night in Washington, D.C., towards dawn, Julia Ward Howe could not sleep, so she arose and sat at a nearby writing desk. She related this pivotal event later: “I awoke in the early morning twilight; and as I lay waiting for the dawn, the long lines of a poem began to twine themselves into my mind. Having thought out all the stanzas, I said to …

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Retracing the Hunt for Bin Laden 35:50

9m ago35:50

35:50

This Thursday marks the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which spawned a decade-long search for the man behind them – Osama Bin Laden. Ed Bogan was the Chief of Operations for the CIA Counterterrorism Center’s Pakistan / Afghanistan Department. He takes us into agency headquarters, where he oversaw the raid on Bin Laden’s c…

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The Role of Independent Research Analysts With Jon Arnold 47:30

6d ago47:30

47:30

All analysts, by definition, are influencers. But not all influencers are analysts. Eric Chemi welcomes Jon Arnold of J Arnold & Associates. Jon is an independent research analyst with a rich background in marketing and a diverse range of projects spanning telecommunications, technology, energy, transportation, and other sectors. Tune in as Jon sha…

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42 - A PRAYER TO SAVE AMERICA | Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father) | Revolutionary War 12:43

6d ago12:43

12:43

That critical summer of 1787 the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were on the path to failing miserably. For a month the delegates had argued over a forgettable list of ego-driven proposals, accomplishing nothing. Benjamin Franklin spoke addressing the head of the Congress: “I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more c…

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Predicting the Future With Former Gartner Healthcare Analyst 40:08

7d ago40:08

40:08

"I'm not here to report the news. That's the past. The job of the analyst is to predict the future by setting up a framework or paradigm that you want to establish with your readers and clients so they can visualize where the market is and where it's headed." After years of working alongside healthcare organizations, former Gartner analyst Seth Fed…

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An Assassination in Athens and a CIA Officer’s Legacy 31:47

13d ago31:47

31:47

It’s been 50 years since the assassination of the CIA’s former Station Chief in Athens, Richard Welch. At the time, he was the agency’s highest level officer killed in the line of duty. A Greek, Marxist terrorist group called 17 November claimed responsibility for his death, but that was just the beginning. Former senior operations officer Ralph Ma…

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41 - AMERICA'S FATHERLESS, ORPHANED HERO | Alexander Hamilton (Founding Father) | Revolutionary War 13:29

13d ago13:29

13:29

The Battle of Yorktown raged. A battle that would decide if the new, young United States of America would survive. Our hero that day, (October 10, 1781), would lead a desperate assault on the British forward position known as Redoubt #10. In bloody hand-to-hand combat, he and his devoted men turned the tide of battle and won one of the greatest vic…

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Looking at the Bigger Picture With Blogalyst Peter Radizeski 35:55

14d ago35:55

35:55

Next up in the analyst relations series, Eric Chemi introduces Peter Radizeski. Spanning tech and telecoms, Peter has shaped his career from blogging to channel development to consulting. Tune in to hear how Peter has approached helping organizations get from point A to point Z.By Eric Chemi

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From the SpyCast Vault: : Escaping Tehran with The CIA Pt. 2 29:04

20d ago29:04

29:04

We return to November, 1979 when radical Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of Americans hostage. Mark and Cora Lijek were two American officials stuck in Tehran, and in 2008 they shared their story with the late Peter Earnest, the founding director of the International Spy Museum. And this time they were joined by ret…

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40 - 3 MUST-SEE MOVIES FOR SEEKERS OF TRUTH | WWII, Civil War, Vietnam War 14:26

20d ago14:26

14:26

*MY 3 FAVORITE MOVIES FOR SEEKERS AFTER TRUTH* THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963): What impresses me most about The Great Escape are the many examples of resilience and loyalty shown by these desperate men. The Great Escape is the opportunity for modern, pampered, well-fed American audiences, people like myself, to see what The Greatest Generation accomplishe…

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From the SpyCast Vault: Escaping Tehran with The CIA 30:41

27d ago30:41

30:41

We'll go back in time to November, 1979 when radical Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of Americans hostage. Six US officials managed to find refuge with Canadian embassy staff, and 11 weeks later, the CIA led a daring operation to sneak them out of Iran disguised as a Hollywood film crew. Mark and Cora Lijek were two…

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39 - "THE LITTLE LADY WHO STARTED THIS GREAT WAR" | Harriet Beecher Stowe (Author) | Civil War 13:09

27d ago13:09

13:09

President Abraham Lincoln, when meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe for the first time was reported to have said to her, with a twinkle in his eyes: “So you’re the little lady who started this great war.” And she did, writing the first million-plus selling American novel—UNCLE TOM'S CABIN—about a kind and Christ-like slave named “Tom,” the novel showing …

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Behind the Scenes: The Integrated Communications Strategy for Intel's RealSense Launch 39:32

1M ago39:32

39:32

From defying conventional PR tactics to crushing KPIs, the Bospar team navigated Intel's RealSense launch with precision, leading to: 2.2 billion reach 4X website traffic increase 90-day LinkedIn goals hit in 12 hours Coverage in CNBC, Reuters, TechCrunch, Fortune, and more! Eric Chemi chats with RealSense's Mike Nielsen and the PR and Social Media…

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Catching an Iranian-American Missile Broker 35:38

1M ago35:38

35:38

Reza Olangian, a dual US-Iranian citizen, left behind his life in Silicon Valley to spy for Iran in the capital. And by the time DEA special agent Jeffrey James Higgins found out about him in 2011, Olangian was trying to acquire hundreds of surface-to-air missiles. That kicked off an elaborate, multi-country sting operation… and a 25-year prison se…

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38 - THE ALAMO'S DIVINE SECRET | The Battle of the Alamo | 1836 19:04

1M ago19:04

19:04

Too often today the Alamo is depicted as a bunch of American white-supremacists who oppressed the local population, hoping to “steal Mexican lands.” This is tiring, simplistic, and woefully unfair. History rewritten. Settlers in Texas were promised freedom and independence by the Mexican Government. In the spring of 1836, those who fortified the Al…

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Closing the B2B Intelligence Gap With Rich Karpinski From S&P Global’s 451 Research 35:33

1M ago35:33

35:33

Under the umbrella of S&P, Rich Karpinski and the 451 Research team are dedicated to delivering real-time analyst insights and consultation for enterprises across IoT, infrastructure, DevOps, and more. In this episode, Bospar's Eric Chemi digs into the art and opportunity of GenAI for market intelligence, the evolution of IoT adoption, and the role…

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Lethal Dissent: Iran’s Spy Games in Turkey 29:56

1M ago29:56

29:56

Washington and Tehran have a long and complicated history, with tensions that rise, fall and then rise again. Just this summer, we watched the U.S. and Israel strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. This month, SpyCast is bringing you a series of special episodes on Iran, looking back and forward, to unveil the country’s intelligence priorities, capa…

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37 - WASHINGTON'S MIRACLE MAN (Part 3/3) | Col. John Glover (Marblehead Mariners Commander) | Revolutionary War 12:39

1M ago12:39

12:39

On the Pennsylvanian shore of the Delaware River, Washington conceived a desperate plan—to cross back over the river into New Jersey and attack a Hessian garrison of 1,200 men. The Hessians were German mercenaries fighting for the British. Throughout that frigid night, Glover and his Marbleheaders rowed Washington’s Army across the ice-choked river…

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Does Your Company Need an Analyst Relations Program? 29:41

2M ago29:41

29:41

As part of a comprehensive and proactive PR strategy, analyst relations is an ongoing activity that relies on tight company branding and an experienced team. Eric Chemi takes a deep dive into AR with Bospar experts, Brandy and AJ.By Eric Chemi

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Agent 202: New Secrets Emerge on an American Who Spied for Cuba 30:32

2M ago30:32

30:32

Codenamed "Agent 202," Kendall Myers went undetected as a spy for Cuba for nearly 30 years. He worked at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, secretly spying for Cuba out of an earnest love for the island, its people, and their leader Fidel Castro. Myers was caught in 2009, after he retired. State Department Security Specialist and for…

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36 - WASHINGTON'S MIRACLE MAN (Part 2/3) | Col. John Glover (Marblehead Mariners Commander) | Revolutionary War 9:42

2M ago9:42

9:42

John Glover and his Marblehead Mariners, with seemingly impossible stealth, evacuated Washington’s entire army, all 9,000 men, across the East River onto Manhattan Island in nine hours during a single night! How that happened became known as the Miracle of the Fog, for just as the British were preparing to attack, the river and shoreline were blank…

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Agent of Chaos: The Austrian Fugitive Running Russia’s Global Spy Networks 31:24

2M ago31:24

31:24

Today he’s one of the most wanted men in the world, but before Jan Marsalek fled to Russia, he was the COO of payment-processing firm Wirecard. Officials and investigators say Marsalek used the company to finance Moscow’s covert operations and spy networks in Africa and Europe. In 2020, nearly €2 billion vanished from Wirecard, along with Marsalek.…

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35 - WASHINGTON'S MIRACLE MAN (Part 1/3) | Col. John Glover (Marblehead Mariners Commander) | Revolutionary War 11:54

2M ago11:54

11:54

John Glover and his Marblehead Mariners, with seemingly impossible stealth, evacuated Washington’s entire army, all 9,000 men, across the East River onto Manhattan Island in nine miraculous hours during a SINGLE night! But it would never have happened without one often ignored event which I see as nothing short of divine intervention. For just as t…

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From Intel Officer to White House Adviser: A Chat with The Museum’s Executive Director 33:03

2M ago33:03

33:03

This week we spoke with the International Spy Museum's Executive Director, Colonel Chris Costa. His decades-long career in the intelligence community spanned multiple continents, running sensitive operations in Panama, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he earned two Bronze stars for his human intelligence contributions. Later, Costa advised Navy…

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34 - THE DAY AN ANGEL APPEARED IN THE WHITE HOUSE | Rebecca Pomroy (Army Nurse) | Civil War 13:01

2M ago13:01

13:01

Most Americans do not know that Abraham Lincoln, when elected president, went from “apostate to prophet” all in those critical four years of the Civil War. And helping along his miraculous conversion was a humble, yet highly capable, Army nurse by the name of Rebecca Pomroy. What she was able to accomplish with the Lincoln Family in the White House…

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“America’s Gatekeeper”: A Conversation with DCSA’s Director David Cattler 29:00

2M ago29:00

29:00

Born out of a major Chinese cyberattack that stole personal information from millions of federal government employees, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency calls itself ‘America’s Gatekeeper.’ Now five years into its existence, it’s responsible for overseeing most of the security clearances for government personnel and contractors. D…

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33 - THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: THE MOST WORTHY AND JUSTIFIED IN HISTORY | 4th of July Special 13:54

3M ago13:54

13:54

We have reached a milestone in America’s beloved past. The 249th and 250th year anniversary of this grand experiment in republicanism, in self-government, but mostly in individual freedom. But, ironically, as of late, we are facing the gravest challenge we have ever faced. And the danger, tragically, is coming from within. Now is the time to look b…

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Season 1 Finale: Risks, Rewards, and Realities of Open vs. Closed AI 26:16

3M ago26:16

26:16

In TechSurge’s Season 1 Finale episode, we explore an important debate: should AI development be open source or closed? AI technology leader and UN Senior Fellow Senthil Kumar joins Michael Marks for a deep dive into one of the most consequential debates in artificial intelligence, exploring the fundamental tensions between democratizing AI access …

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Russia's Fake Identity Assembly Line in Brazil 31:44

3M ago31:44

31:44

When a Russian spy was arrested in Brazil in 2022, authorities were shocked to discover that he seemed to have a real birth certificate and authentic citizenship documents. The incident sparked a multi-year investigation that uncovered a network of Russian operatives living and working in Brazil – Their false identities supported by genuine documen…

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32 - THE PURE SON OF LIBERTY | Thaddeus Kosciuszko (Military Engineer) | Revolutionary War 12:45

3M ago12:45

12:45

The massive British Army under the command of General John Burgoyne, was rushing to attack and destroy Washington’s Continental Army. The Americans needed time to prepare. And young Thaddeus with his unique skills would give the Americans that time. Moving fast with his engineers and rangers, Thaddeus and his team cut trees in the path of the Briti…

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Breaking the Silence: Coming Out in the CIA 32:42

3M ago32:42

32:42

Emerging alongside Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare in the 1950s was the Lavender Scare: Widespread panic and paranoia over the inclusion of gay personnel in the federal government. Their perceived dangers led to the terminations and forced resignations of thousands. Fast forward to 1988 – Tracey Ballard, who worked at the CIA, headed in to take a polyg…

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Betting Early on Zoom, Canva, and Crypto: Inside the Playbook of Visionary Solo VC Bill Tai 1:02:22

3M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Legendary technologist and investor Bill Tai joins our latest episode for a wide-ranging conversation spanning decades of Silicon Valley innovation. Bill shares his remarkable journey from being employee #1 at TSMC to becoming one of the first seed investors in Zoom and Canva, and his early embrace of Bitcoin when it was priced at just 7 cents. The…

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31 - AMERICAN MIRACLE AT LITTLE ROUND TOP | Joshua L. Chamberlain (Infantry Commander) | Civil War 11:55

3M ago11:55

11:55

On a sweltering July day in 1863, the quiet town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania exploded! This tiny hamlet became the center of the decisive battle for the world’s most pivotal nation locked passionately in its final death throes. The clash between North and South would decide the fate not only of our nation, but by extension, the world. It would be a…

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A Conversation with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman 32:56

3M ago32:56

32:56

What should the US Intelligence Community prioritize domestically and overseas, and how should the work be done? We sat down with Congressman Rick Crawford, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to learn his perspective on these questions. The conversation emphasized the growing threat of China’s influence in the West, t…

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30 - THE AMERICAN SUPERSPY | Virginia Hall (Anti-Nazi Resistance) | WWII 14:21

3M ago14:21

14:21

“I will get my hands on that American woman and destroy her!” This was the threat of Klaus Barbie, the local Gestapo chief, known as the “Butcher of Lyon.” The powers of hell seemed to be gathering all around young Virginia Hall. She was simply out of time. More so, thousands of young American Rangers would be soon landing on the beaches of Normand…

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Ghost Stories: The Hunt for Russian Spies in the US 31:15

3M ago31:15

31:15

In the early 2000s, the FBI uncovered a team of Russian operatives who had been living double lives in the United States. They were posing as professors, journalists, financial planners, real estate and travel agents, all while sending information back to Moscow. Now, 15 years after they were arrested, Alan Kohler, the former Assistant Director of …

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Blueprint for an AI Future: OpenAI Chief Economist on How AI Will Shape the Global Economy 52:18

3M ago52:18

52:18

Will AI displace more jobs than it creates? How can the U.S. win the AI race? How can AI benefits be evenly distributed across businesses and society? We explore these questions and more as Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Ronnie Chatterji, Chief Economist at OpenAI, for an in-depth exploration of AI's economic impact and policy implications. Ronn…

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29 - ROMANCING THE REVOLUTION | Abigail & John Adams | Revolutionary War 13:04

3M ago13:04

13:04

They loved each other for 54 years. Even as Abigail lay on her deathbed, John sat by her holding her hand. They had been through everything together—declaring independence from the most powerful empire on earth, the American Revolution, creating a great republic from a divided people, opposing slavery, representing the United States abroad, and the…

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Welcome to Bospar’s AI University 27:24

3M ago27:24

27:24

Welcome to AI University! At Bospar, we understand that AI isn’t going anywhere. So instead of resisting, we are embracing AI and leveraging the power it holds to help us do our jobs better. Courtney Merolle and Kyle Ankney, our professors at AI University, join Eric Chemi to talk through how we thoughtfully leverage AI in our day-to-day operations…

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The Secret Navy and Their Hunt for a Nazi Sub 33:06

3M ago33:06

33:06

How do you catch an enemy’s submarine … and then make it vanish? That’s what the U.S. Navy’s elusive Tenth Fleet planned, as it tracked down Germany’s U-505 submarine. The mission came right before the Allies ran ashore on the beaches of Normandy in World War II. Historian Alexander Rose draws on long classified documents and intercepted transmissi…

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28 - SHE SAVED HUNDREDS... | Harriet Tubman (Abolitionist) | Underground Railroad/Civil War 13:40

4M ago13:40

13:40

She made 19 highly risky trips back into the South to save hundreds... During the Civil War she also scouted for the Union Army. HARRIET TUBMAN is a well-known American hero who risked her life to help escaping slaves. What is not known about her was what drove her fervently, a passion that is today often suppressed by historians, increasingly remo…

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How Are Shifting Priorities Impacting National Security in America? 27:18

4M ago27:18

27:18

Most Americans would agree that the United States should be protected, but from whom … and how? Dr. Donell Harvin, the former Chief of Homeland Security and Intelligence for the District of Columbia, says the U.S. is taking its eye off the ball - focusing its large domestic intelligence apparatus in a direction that is politically expedient, but no…

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Inside Nokia’s Strategy: CSTO Nishant Batra on Telecom’s Future, Brand Reinvention, and Betting on Bell Labs 47:31

4M ago47:31

47:31

In this episode of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of telecom and wireless technology. Nishant shares insights into the seismic shifts transforming network infrastructure—from core networks to edge computing—and discusses how…

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27 - "THE HAMMER" WHO SAVED CHRISTIANITY | Charles Martel ("Knights of Our Lord" Leader) | 700s A.D. 13:45

4M ago13:45

13:45

The young woman, Ella, watched as her father and brothers were beheaded before her eyes. She, along with her younger sister, were tied together with the captive women and children, now the slaves and concubines of the Arab invaders. Ella feared she would never see her mother and her beloved homeland again. For the first time in history, a great Mus…

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Mental Health Awareness Month: How Bospar Supports Its Employees 40:30

4M ago40:30

40:30

At Bospar, we’ve been proudly remote before it was trendy, but working from anywhere doesn’t mean escaping the pressures of PR. In this Mental Health Awareness Month episode of Politely Pushy, we get candid about the unique mental health challenges of remote communications professionals. From always-on expectations to navigating digital burnout, we…

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Sharing Intelligence: Challenges between US and Ukraine 31:56

4M ago31:56

31:56

After Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. rushed to create a secret center that set targets for the Ukrainians to destroy. But the counteroffensive of 2023 failed to achieve its goals. So, what went wrong? New York Times reporter Adam Entous spent more than a year reporting on this story. He joins SpyCast host Sasha Ingber to talk abo…

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26 - IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT ANGELS... | Near-Fatal Personal Experience | 1950s 12:38

4M ago12:38

12:38

I was four years old. Fascinated, I stood on the banks of a storm-swollen, raging river. The next thing I remember I was tumbling beneath the rapids, being washed into the depths. But as I turned over under the frigid torrent I could see up through the water the face of a Bonafide angel. His arms were reaching for me, stretching until he snagged my…

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Stories From the President's Daily Brief 23:34

4M ago23:34

23:34

Conflict has been escalating between two nuclear powers–India and Pakistan. It started in April, after India blamed Pakistan for supporting militants who carried out a massacre in Kashmir. President Trump offered to help defuse the tensions.Throughout history, India and Pakistan’s hostility has been documented in the President's Daily Brief, a high…

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Leading Through Chaos: John Chambers on Tariffs, Cyber Threats, & the AI Supercycle 39:37

4M ago39:37

39:37

Competition, growth, tariffs, hacks, AI – what does it take to be an effective leader today? John Chambers, former CEO and Executive Chairman of Cisco and founder of JC2 Ventures, joins TechSurge host Sriram Viswanathan to share valuable wisdom on leading and growing businesses through times of significant change. As a leader who has transitioned f…

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25 - THE HEROES WHO REBUILT OUR DESTROYED U.S. NAVY | Engineers & Rescue Divers (U.S. Navy) | WWII 14:39

4M ago14:39

14:39

This is a story few Americans have ever heard. We consider this a travesty, for it is America’s history, a story of adventure, tragedy, unbelievable professional skill, and undying dedication to a cause. The story of how America’s crack engineers and divers not only rescued many of the American sailors trapped within the navy ships sunk during the …