In this episode of the Nonconformist Innovation Podcast, Steve chats with ultra runner and coach Colton Gale, who shares his incredible journey from lacrosse player to conquering 100-mile races. Colton dives into the highs and lows of ultra running, revealing his secrets to mental toughness, pacing strategies, and how he uses music as his secret weapon on the trail. He also opens up about overcoming injuries, the thrill of crossing the finish line, and his passion for coaching others to reach their potential. Colton’s insights go beyond running, offering life lessons on resilience, problem-solving, and the power of community. With stories of unexpected challenges, like busted shoes and surprise bear encounters, Colton’s enthusiasm and approach to embracing the adventure of ultra running will inspire you to push your own limits—whether on the trail or in everyday life. Tune in for an engaging, fun, and motivational conversation!

Topics Covered:

• Colton’s transition from lacrosse to long-distance running through AmeriCorps
• Colton’s emphasis on the importance of community and camaraderie in running
• The mindset needed to overcome ultra-running challenges
• Colton’s focus on problem-solving and patience as core training philosophies
• How Colton adapted his training to prevent injuries and strengthen his core
• Managing effort and patience during ultra marathons
• Colton’s strategic use of music to enhance race performance
• Reflections on emotions when finishing his debut 100-mile race
• Lessons in patience and problem-solving learned from running
• Colton’s passion for coaching and helping others achieve success
• Handling gear issues and wildlife encounters during training runs
• Colton’s aspirations to compete in more 100-mile races and the Western States 100
• Balancing competitive drive with the enjoyment of running
• Innovations in running gear and Colton’s favorite shoe brands
• Colton’s advice on transitioning from shorter races to ultra-marathons

This episode is sponsored by Identient. Identient empowers businesses to innovate, modernize, and execute enterprise IAM initiatives and programs effectively. Visit Identient.com to learn more.

Colton Gale on IG: @americolt Website: https://www.coltongale.com

Oregon Cascades 100: IG @alpine.running Website: https://www.alpinerunning.co/cascades100

Photograph: Mark Stockamp IG @markstockampphotography Website: https://www.markstockampphotography.com

Bear Butt Wipes: IG @BearButtWipes Website: https://bearbuttwipes.com

FootZone: IG @footzonebend Website: https://www.footzonebend.com

More episodes: https://www.nonconformistinnovation.com

Thank you for listening!

In this episode of the Nonconformist Innovation Podcast, Steve is joined by Brian Chidester, Head of Industry Strategy for Public Sector at Adobe and former GTM leader at Socure. They dive into the critical role of digital identity in transforming customer experience within government services. Brian shares insights from his extensive experience and discusses the innovative approaches being used to enhance public sector engagement.

The discussion covers the current state of identity fraud, highlighting key statistics from the Socure State of Identity Fraud 2024 report. They examine the challenges posed by siloed government portals, disjointed UX, and advanced security measures under scrutiny. Emerging technologies such as AI and biometrics are also discussed, with a focus on their impact on identity verification and fraud prevention.

Listeners will gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in deploying identity verification across large enterprises and government agencies. The episode also explores practical strategies for modernizing digital identity protocols, emphasizing the importance of a foundational approach to seamless engagement and user-centric design in government services.

This episode was recorded in Nashville, TN at the Identivation Conference in May, 2024.

Show notes and more episodes at https://www.nonconformistinnovation.com

Welcome to Season 5 of the Nonconformist Innovation podcast. In this engaging episode, Steve has a conversation with Katy Ruckle and Jordan Burris about the future of identity verification, privacy implications, and the ethical considerations of AI in both the public and private sectors. They discuss the complexities of implementing biometric technologies, the regulatory landscape, and the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing digital identity solutions.

Topics discussed:

• Exploring the balance between innovation in biometric technology and the necessity to protect privacy rights.
• Discussing the emerging regulations around biometrics and the variability across different states and vendors.
• Addressing the ethical implications of AI and the need for intentional and transparent use of data.
• Highlighting the importance of collaboration between government and private sector to improve digital identity solutions.
• The debate over opt-in versus opt-out privacy frameworks and the need for clear consent mechanisms.
• Examining the challenges of enforcing privacy laws and the trend towards granting individuals the right to enforce their own privacy rights.
• The tension between technological advancements in identity verification and maintaining privacy and security standards.
• The influence of state-specific laws on the use of biometric identifiers and the implications for businesses.
• The need for modernization in digital identity and the role of innovation in driving this dialogue.
• The practical difficulties of implementing powers of attorney and ensuring they are user-friendly and effective.

Visit NonconformistInnovation.com for show notes and to listen to more episodes of the podcast

Socure's The State of Digital Identity in 2024

In this engaging podcast episode, Steve sits down with Jeremy Grant, a Managing Director at Venable, to discuss the evolving landscape of digital identity. The conversation initially focuses on Jeremy's contributions through the Better Identity Coalition, highlighting its role in enhancing digital security, privacy, and convenience in collaboration with policymakers.

Steve and Jeremy dive into the upcoming developments in the NIST Digital Identity Guidelines, drawing lessons from states who have successfully adopted biometrics to achieve NIST IAL2. Steve and Jeremy examine how these insights could inform future strategies for state agencies in the U.S.

Looking ahead, the discussion shifts to public trust issues, particularly regarding biometric data and identity verification. Jeremy shares his insights on their impact on digital transformation and offers advice on how listeners can engage with or learn more about the initiatives of the Better Identity Coalition. Steve & Jeremy discuss highlights from the Better Identity in America: A Blueprint for State Policymakers report, and how the Better Identity Coalition collaborates with various stakeholders to promote best practices in identity management.

For show notes and additional information visit:

https://www.nonconformistinnovation.com/jeremy-grant

In this episode Steve has a conversation with Ann (Gregg) Skeet and Brian Green about the ethical challenges and risks of AI and disruptive technology, the role that leadership and culture play, and explores a pragmatic roadmap for providing technology ethics governance for leaders and organizations who wish to operationalize ethical principles and practices in their business. In this episode, Ann and Brian discuss their new book, Ethics in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: An Operational Roadmap.

Link to eBook download at https://www.scu.edu/institute-for-technology-ethics-and-culture/#d.en.941248

Listen to more episodes of the podcast: https://www.nonconformistinnovation.com

In this episode, Steve has a conversation with Geeta Pyne. The conversation begins with Geeta's background as a boarding school student in Calcutta and moves to her discovery of advanced parallel computing in college, her current role as the Chief Enterprise Architect at Intuit, and her evolution and principles as an IT and business leader.

During this episode, you will hear exactly how a leader at the top of her game breaks down complex challenges on the fly in real-time, applies optimism, courage, and science to solve hard problems, and uses architecture for the common good. Also on this episode, you will hear about Geeta's leadership approach which she refers to as ITRACCK, and her recommendations for not only succeeding but thriving through adversity as a minority in a male-dominated industry.

Subscribe to the podcast and listen to more episodes on entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation at https://www.nonconformistinnovation.com

Thanks to Season 4 sponsors:

BetterCloud - SaaS Management Platform
https://www.bettercloud.com

Secuvy - Data Privacy Management
https://secuvy.ai

In this episode Steve has a conversation with Marina Nitze about political capital (what it is and how to get it), tackling big challenges, navigating organizational dynamics, inclusive innovation, hacking bureaucracy, and her affection for dry-erase boards.

Marina is author of Hack Your Bureaucracy, and a partner at Layer Aleph, a crisis response firm that specializes in restoring complex software systems to service. Marina is also a fellow at New America’s New Practice Lab, where she works on improving America’s foster care system. She was previously the Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2013-2017), helped found the United States Digital Service, and served as a Senior Advisor on technology in the White House under the Obama Administration.

In this episode Steve has a conversation with Jamil Farshchi and Timothy Held about top cyber risks, leadership, innovation in cybersecurity, standards, regulations, and thoughts on the threat landscape for 2023.

Jamil joined Equifax in 2018 and led an unprecedented transformation of the company’s security and technology capabilities. Today, Equifax is regarded as having one of the most advanced, effective, and transparent cybersecurity programs in business. Prior to Equifax, he was Chief Information Security Officer at The Home Depot, where he led the security turnaround for the Fortune 50 company following a high-profile data breach. Jamil serves as a Strategic Engagement Advisor for the FBI and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Technology Security Coalition.

Tim joined US Bank in 2005 and leads a multidisciplinary information security team operating across the United States, Europe, and Asia, focusing on prevention, detection, and response. Tim is responsible for U.S. Bank’s cybersecurity architecture, engineering, security operations, incident response, data loss prevention, vulnerability assessment services, online fraud detection, security monitoring, insider threat, and cyber threat intelligence. Tim sits on several external committees and is recognized by the Security 50 Organization as one of the top 50 CISOs in the world.

CISOs are not only responsible for the security posture of their organization, they are guardians of the teams, employees, customers, and stakeholders they serve. They have a difficult job to perform, and I do not envy them one bit. But I am grateful for their contributions to society, and I am grateful for Jamil and Tim taking the time to talk with me for this epic episode on cybersecurity leadership.