TechTables

I started TechTables almost 5 years ago by accident on the show room floor at CES in Las Vegas. My idea? Interview senior technology leaders in an authentic, relationship-first way (and the public sector wasn't even on my radar!). Fast forward to last month: I'm at EDUCAUSE, the nation's largest HigherEd conference, recording the TechTables Podcast from the Carahsoft booth on the show room floor. To everyone chasing a dream: Keep going. You might just find yourself living it. ps: Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made this possible. It means the world! Cory Wilburn, Doug Thompson, Kendra Ketchum, Jared Pane, Saby Waraich ??, Wayne Bridges, Ed.D., Kyle Bowen, Josh Bright, Charles Elliott, Timothy Winders, Ph.D., Zach Rossmiller, MBA, Mani Keerthi N, Vanessa Hammler Kenon, Ed.D., Joe Way, PhD, CTS, William Huang, LeeBrian E. Gaskins, Ph.D., Kathy Hausmann, Tyler Horning, Craig Woolley, Ed Wozencroft, Kim Milford, Mary Lou Prevost, Shane Hans, Gordon Barr, Tim Boltz, Laura Miller, Anthony Rowe, Cathy (Milford) Cromley, Tom Rigamonti, Jr., Sherilyn Shultz Hammond, Molly Beck, Vanessa Espinoza, Lani Trieu, Hannah Horowitz, Elizabeth Thompson, Rich Rizzardi ??

Who would have thought that I would use "heartwarming" to describe a tech event? But that's exactly how I felt after attending the TechTables Houston Live Tour last week! The conversation about teamwork and its role in building resilience for emergency preparedness was insightful, but what really made the event special was the sense of community and connection. ? A personal highlight for me was spending time with Joe Toste's son, Jack (aka Jackman). We shared some of my favorite snacks (though he wasn't a fan of seaweed!) while he staged many Lego battles between Darth Vader and NASA Astronauts.?It was such a joy to connect, chat tech, and getting immersed in a bit of silly childhood fun! ???? ? It was a reminder of how lucky I am be part of such a great team—and how moments like these make the world of tech feel just a little bit warmer. Can’t wait for the episode to drop! ? #TechTables #Teamwork #EmergencyPreparedness #TechCommunity #Grateful #TechPodcasts Lisa Kent, Jane W., Bert Quarfordt ------ ?? Hello! If this is your first time reading my post, my name is Summer, and you can always find me exploring the intersection of humanity and technology. Let's connect!

Last Friday, TechTables made its last live event stop of the year in West Houston featuring cities, counties, and state agencies across Texas. ?? Here are the four interviews you won't want to miss (sign up on the TechTables newsletter to not miss this drop): 1?? Building Storm-Ready Infrastructure & Emergency Response Systems ??????????????????: ? Lisa Kent, CIO, City of Houston ? Summer Xiao, PMP, Enterprise Applications and PMO, City of Houston ? Jane W., Deputy Director - Data Privacy and Business Operations, City of Houston ? Bert Quarfordt, Deputy CIO - Infrastructure, City of Houston 2?? Team of Teams & One Mission Deep Dive ??????????????????: ? Craig Hopkins, CIO, City of San Antonio 3?? Modernizing DMV & TDLR – Inside Texas' $180M+ Digital Transformation Journeys ??????????????????: ? Courtney Arbour, Executive Director, TDLR ? Wendy Barron, CIO, DMV 4?? Inside the Digital Transformation of Texas Counties: Building AI-Ready Infrastructure and Resilient Operations ??????????????????: ? Sindhu Menon, CIO, Harris County ? Misty Witmer, CIO, Galveston County (and it was her birthday!) ? Robyn Doughtie, CIO, Fort Bend County ? Mani Keerthi N, Field CISO, SentinelOne Craig Hopkins summed it up best: "The power team. So impressed with these four women." I love that! Truly honored to hear from so many amazing senior technology leaders. Honored to highlight the great work everyone is doing! Of course, these events wouldn't be possible with SentinelOne, Infojini Inc, BMC Software, Verizon, Loblolly Consulting. Join the TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates. ?? https://lnkd.in/giwgtxW3 #govtech #publicsector #govetechlive #digitalgovernment #Houston

Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending the TechTables event, and I’m still reflecting on how enriching the conversations were. The discussions were not only thought-provoking but also incredibly genuine. It was an honor to connect with such inspiring leaders and learn from their diverse experiences. Moments like these really highlight the value of building meaningful connections and the power of shared insights. I’m excited to carry these conversations forward and look forward to many more opportunities to engage, collaborate, and grow. #TechTables#Leadership #Networking #Learning #Innovation

Spent an incredible day at The Canyon in Houston with an inspiring group of IT leaders, diving into conversations on leadership, AI, cybersecurity, and more. It was a pleasure watching Joe Toste from TechTables in action, and we even celebrated a surprise birthday! Great insights and good times all around. Mani Keerthi N, Sindhu Menon, Robyn Doughtie, Wendy Barron, Kristina Ward, Richa Rawat, Tammy Buechler, Misty Witmer, Steve Stocks, Matt Wright, Summer Xiao, PMP, Craig Hopkins, Lisa Kent, Bert Quarfordt, Courtney Arbour, Jane, Jeremy Deckert, Al Jasso.

I am in Houston today with Joe Toste for the Public Sector Show by TechTables. Joe and Jamie brought state, county and city leaders together today to discuss how government is improving customer service and tackling challenges through better technology, smart processes and being intentional about agency culture. This afternoon Wendy Barron and I will be sharing about the Digital Transformation Journeys of DMV and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Thank you Joe for bringing us together for a day of learning & sharing.

Wrapped up Day 1 filming with Dr. LeeBrian E. Gaskins, Ph.D., Senior Associate VP of Information Technology & CIO, University of Houston-Clear Lake (Go Hawks!). My highlight was exploring their private archive, which houses amazing NASA memorabilia and showcasing LeeBrian's impressive work. You won't want to miss this episode! Now Day 2 of the 2024 TechTables Houston Live Podcast Tour starts soon! ?? Sign up on the TechTables website to not miss this episode!

We're kicking off the TechTables Houston Live Podcast Tour today. ?? This afternoon we're featuring Dr. LeeBrian E. Gaskins, Ph.D., Senior Associate VP of Information Technology/CIO, University of Houston-Clear Lake inside the NASA memorabilia space at the university. ? Our episode is titled: NASA's Backyard: How UHCL's CIO is Bringing Space-Age Innovation to Higher Education. We're gonna have as much fun today as Jack had last night at Buc-ee's. ??

My travel buddy for the TechTables Houston Live Podcast Tour. ?? - Bluey downloaded on the iPad ? - Weird But True downloaded on the iPad ? - Coloring books in backpack ??? - Jack excited about the NASA Space Center ? See you in Houston! ??

So excited to drop episode 181 on Smart Cities & Digital Innovation – Transforming Cities with AI & 5G. Featuring: - Dr. Bianca Lochner, Ph.D., CIO, City of Scottsdale - Feroz Merchhiya, CGEIT, CRISC, SCPM, QTE, FACHDM, CIO, City of Glendale (currently, City of Santa Monica) - Dr. Muriel J. Reid, CIO, City of Jackson, MS - Ken Williams,?National Sr Manager, Partner Solutions Engineering at?T-Mobile In this episode, you’ll learn: - How cities like Scottsdale and Glendale are implementing smart city initiatives through strategic roadmaps and innovative technologies - The role of GIS and data analytics in improving public safety and city operations during major events - Approaches to implementing AI solutions safely and effectively in government settings - How public-private partnerships and inter-city collaboration drive innovation in municipal services - Strategies for balancing competition and cooperation between neighboring cities to improve resident services This episode was a lot of fun. Thanks for coming on TechTables, Bianca, Feroz, Muriel, and Ken! Check out the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gZ9Zp68f