Tech Leader Talk

The Tech Leader Talk podcast brings together successful technology company leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts from around the technology industry to share successes, challenges, and examples of what’s working now to build strong tech companies. Tune in each week as Steve Sponseller interviews a new leader in the tech world.

Space Engineering: Power Systems and Orbital Data Centers – Al Tadros 08/13/2026

Space Engineering: Power Systems and Orbital Data Centers – Al Tadros Do you want to know how an experienced space tech CTO solves space’s toughest problems? Keep listening because that’s what I’m discussing with today’s guest, Al Tadros. Al is a Space Technology Innovator and the CTO of Redwire Space. In this role, he is focused on making strategic investments that support Redwire’s customers, advance technology development, and maintain a collaborative technical culture. Al has three decades of experience in space systems engineering, including satellite and space systems for exploration, national security, and commercial missions. On today’s episode, Al talks about his passion for solving tough problems, which led him to pursue engineering in the space industry. During our discussion, he shares information on designing space-based power systems, roll-out solar arrays, and orbital data centers. Al shares his insights on redundancy and risk strategies when developing systems that operate in space. He also discusses challenges when dealing with space industry innovation. Al provides his thoughts on the evolution of power systems for space missions and how those power systems may change in the future. He also talks about challenges when scaling up power generation for orbital data centers, lunar systems, and other systems. Whether you’re an engineer, a tech leader, or just curious about the future of space, this episode will provide inspiration and practical insights from an industry leader. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Techniques for solving hard problems - Scaling up power systems for space - Designing with redundant systems - High-efficiency, roll-out solar arrays (ROSA) - Requirements and challenges for orbital data centers Resources: Orbital Data Centers white paper: Video: Deployment of Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA): Connect with Al Tadros: LinkedIn: Website: Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve’s book, , and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at . /episode/index/show/techleadertalk/id/42368785

Innovation and Risk in Today’s Space Industry – Hadi Alhassani 08/06/2026

Using AI for Business, Innovation and Brainstorming – Mike Todasco 07/30/2026

Take Control of Your Data to Grow Your Business – Jon Thompson 07/23/2026

Take Control of Your Data to Grow Your Business – Jon Thompson Are you effectively leveraging your company’s data? On this episode, I have an interesting conversation with Jon Thompson. Jon is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Margin, which is a data analytics company that organizes data into dashboards. Jon discusses how these dashboards can help companies quickly and easily understand complex data. Jon and his team have helped over 200 companies improve their business outcomes through the use of performance dashboards that drive focus and accountability. Jon and the Blue Margin team works with companies in a variety of industries. Jon also co-authored a book with his brother titled “The Dashboard Effect,” which explains why data intelligence is the next great differentiator in business. He discusses this in more detail during our interview. Jon also explains that dashboards aren’t just for the company leaders. Jon encourages companies to provide dashboards to all team members, which can help build motivation and teamwork. I’m sure you will enjoy this discussion with Jon and I encourage you to take action by clicking the link below where you can download Jon’s Stakeholder Survey and a free copy of his Book. “Dashboards need to be people-centric, not topic-centric. Dashboards are tools for people to consume that will improve their activities and processes.” – Jon Thompson Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - How companies can derive value from large amounts of data - Different types of data analysis for business data - Leveraging data dashboards in your company - Determining the most valuable data indicators for your company - How to incorporate data analysis into your entire business Resources: Learn more about The Dashboard Effect: The Dashboard Effect podcast: Connect with Jon Thompson: LinkedIn: Website: Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve’s latest book, , and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at . /episode/index/show/techleadertalk/id/42131645

Protecting Your Highest Priority Inventions – Steve Sponseller 07/16/2026

Protecting Your Highest Priority Inventions – Steve Sponseller This is another solo episode of the Tech Leader Talk podcast. Today’s episode continues the discussion of the 7-Step system I created that’s helped many tech companies build robust patent strategies. I will be discussing the fifth step in that system, which helps you protect your highest priority inventions to build a valuable patent portfolio. In previous episodes of the podcast, I’ve discussed the first four steps. Today, I’m discussing step 5 which is: Protecting your highest priority inventions that will add valuable assets to your patent portfolio. This step follows from the previous discussion of step 4 which talks about defining invention evaluation criteria that’s used to evaluate your team’s inventions. If you want to listen to the step 4 episode, it was published on: May 28, 2026. Link to that episode: You want to patent the most valuable inventions that your team creates, so you continually build a strong patent portfolio filled with high-value patent assets. Unfortunately, many patents have minimal value for a variety of reasons, such as being easy for a competitor to design around. Applying your company’s evaluation criteria to each invention allows you to prioritize those inventions and select the highest value inventions for patent protection. When prioritizing your inventions, it’s important to protect your core technology that provides a competitive advantage. You should also prioritize must-have features that make your product stand out in the marketplace. If you patent a must-have feature, you may have the ability to exclude competitors from offering that feature. Other high-priority inventions are those that are likely to have high value in the future based on today’s technology trends. Be sure to apply your evaluation criteria to each invention then select the highest priority inventions to file patent applications that will create patent assets for your patent portfolio. Make this process of invention evaluation and patent protection part of your regular business activities. I will be talking about the remaining 2 steps to building your robust patent strategy in future episodes. Questions? If you have any questions about building a robust patent strategy for your company, contact me to schedule a complimentary call. Contact me via email: Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of my latest book, , and discover my proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at . /episode/index/show/techleadertalk/id/42104690

Growing your Business with the SBIR program – Tracy Gregorio 07/09/2026

Raising Funds for Your Tech Startup – Mark Sherman 06/25/2026

Leveraging Your Innovation and Automation – Andrew Cohen 06/18/2026

Space Tech Innovation for X-Ray Satellite Inspection – Lee Rosen 06/11/2026

Creating Valuable Innovations In Space Technology – Ryan Sullivan 06/04/2026

Creating Invention Evaluation Criteria for a Robust Patent Strategy – Steve Sponseller 05/28/2026

Creating Invention Evaluation Criteria for a Robust Patent Strategy – Steve Sponseller On this episode, I’m continuing my discussion of the 7-Step system I created that’s helped many tech companies build robust patent strategies. I will be discussing the fourth step in that system, which is important to ensure that you create the best invention evaluation criteria for your business. Two important things your Patent Strategy must do: 1. Protect your company’s critical inventions 2. Support your business goals By creating Invention Evaluation Criteria that’s unique to your particular business, you satisfy both of those requirements. First, your Invention Evaluation Criteria ensures that you are protecting your most valuable inventions. And, your Invention Evaluation Criteria is customized for your specific business goals. By creating invention evaluation criteria that’s unique to your company, you can be sure that you are spending your patent budget to protect the inventions that are critical to your company’s success. With many of my clients, we create 12-15 different evaluation criteria that are applied to each invention. Based on applying the evaluation criteria to multiple inventions, those inventions can be prioritized based on their value to the company. I will discuss some of the common evaluation criteria used by clients for many years. · Feasibility of the invention. Is it commercially feasible to design and produce the invention? If the cost is too high or the development time is too long, the invention may not be a good choice for patenting. · Does the invention cover a “must-have” feature? If this feature fills a desired gap in the marketplace, it may be a good candidate for a patent application if other criteria are confirmed. · Does the invention satisfy short-term or long-term goals of the company? As I mentioned earlier, the inventions you patent should support company goals. · Is the invention related to the company’s exit strategy? Will the invention support that exit strategy? · Are there any potential patentability problems? Some inventions may be valuable, but difficult to protect with a patent. · Can someone easily design around the invention? If the invention is patented, can a competitor avoid infringing the patent by easily designing around the patent? · Should the invention be maintained as a trade secret instead of disclosing the invention details in a patent application? · What’s the lifetime value of a patent covering the invention? If the invention is likely to be obsolete in a couple years, it may not be worth the time and expense to seek patent protection. These are just some of the invention evaluation criteria that may be appropriate to your company. It’s important to define your own invention evaluation criteria that support your company goals and help build a portfolio of patents that are valuable to your organization. Questions? If you have any questions about building a robust patent strategy for your company, contact me to schedule a complimentary call. Contact me via email: Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of my latest book, , and discover my proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at . /episode/index/show/techleadertalk/id/41407245

Get Funding Without Giving Up Control of Your Tech Company – Ron Bauer 05/14/2026

Get Funding Without Giving Up Control of Your Tech Company – Ron Bauer Would you like a roadmap that helps your tech startup grow while you maintain control of the company? On this episode, I have a great discussion with Ron Bauer who helps companies launch and raise funds without giving up control of the company. Ron is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in technology, life sciences, education technology, and natural resources. He has created a number of ventures with leading entrepreneurs and scientists. He is the founder and managing partner of Theseus Capital. Ron has also launched ventures with several academic institutions, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, and Cornell. He has as strong track record of nurturing innovative concepts and supporting entrepreneurs and scientists from early-stage startups to initial public offerings. Ron has successfully raised capital across many sectors, multiple geographies, and ever-changing market conditions. I’m sure you will enjoy this discussion with Ron, where he shares his expertise with launching and growing tech companies, and discusses strategies for raising funds. “The roadmap we created allows the founders to maintain control of the company and retain full scientific and creative freedom.” – Ron Bauer Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - What investors look for in tech startups - Creating and launching university spin-out companies - Adapting to changing economic environments - The critical importance of intellectual property - Identifying hot sectors based on changing market conditions Book recommendations: Upsiders by Bobby Castro: The Breakthrough Code by Tom McCarthy: Connect with Ron Bauer: Website: LinkedIn: Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve’s latest book, , and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at . /episode/index/show/techleadertalk/id/41165960

Innovation Leadership at IBM – Nick Donofrio 05/07/2026

Combining Blockchain with Serverless Infrastructures – Tim Wagner 04/30/2026

B2B Marketing - The War Between Art & Science – Camela Thompson 04/23/2026

Creating an Authentic Brand that Attracts Customers – Kate DiLeo 04/16/2026

Solving Real Problems and Niching Down – Dan Fuller 04/09/2026

The Power of the Space Mindset – Shelli Brunswick 04/02/2026

Revolutionizing Energy Storage – Gunjan Agarwal 03/26/2026

Tracking All of Your Critical Inventions – Steve Sponseller 03/19/2026

Transforming Your Business with Digital Twins – Brenda Discher 03/12/2026

Space Technology and Deep Sea Diving – Hiro Hirokazu 03/05/2026

Managing Software Vulnerabilities – Tracy Ragan 02/26/2026

Managing Software Vulnerabilities – Tracy Ragan Podcast Partner I want to thank the New Mexico Tech Council () for being the Podcast Partner for this episode. The NM Tech Council was established with the vision of propelling New Mexico into a brighter future, and serves as a catalyst for collaboration, education, and networking among businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, and tech enthusiasts. The organization plays a pivotal role in uniting the diverse tech community in New Mexico and helps these stakeholders come together to collaborate and build synergistic relationships. This Episode Would you like to learn more about software security and deployment? Keep listening because that’s what I’m discussing with today’s guest, Tracy Ragan. Tracy Ragan is the CEO and co-founder of DeployHub, which supports software security after deployment. During today’s episode, Tracy discusses the importance of tracking and remediating software vulnerabilities, especially for critical systems like satellites. Tracy explains how to manage new vulnerability challenges with modern software. She also shares that many of the innovations at DeployHub were the result of listening to hundreds of people to uncover real-world problems before building solutions. Tracy also discusses her experience with multiple accelerator programs to grow DeployHub. She talks about the lessons learned from each program experience, such as navigating government contracts and understanding the space domain awareness ecosystem. I’m sure you will get some valuable insights from this conversation with Tracy that will give you some ideas to apply in your own organization. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Tackling software vulnerabilities - Potential risks and scalability in the space industry - The necessity of listening to market needs - Exercising caution when adopting AI in business operations - Leverage partnerships and accelerators Connect with Tracy Ragan: LinkedIn: Website: Get a copy of Steve’s one-sheet summary for Building a Robust Patent Strategy. Send an email to: Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve’s book, , and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at . /episode/index/show/techleadertalk/id/40181700

Transforming Space Logistics and Propulsion – Joe Pawelski 02/19/2026

Identify All Patent Filing Deadlines for your Patent Strategy – Steve Sponseller 02/12/2026

Accelerating Growth With A People Strategy – Andrew Bartlow 02/05/2026

Using Quantum Communications for Secure Timing – David Mitlyng 01/29/2026

From Apollo Inspiration to Data Storage in Space – Mark Matossian 01/22/2026

Insights on AI, Machine Learning, and Innovation – Vaclav Vincalek 01/15/2026

2026 – The Year of Patent Strategies – Steve Sponseller 01/08/2026

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