This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro

This was quite a week both for big tech developments, and big tech hassles.

Listen now, to find out more about Verizon’s big outage , which affected more than a million customers on Wednesday.

We'll also hear about  how the US Government is planning to integrate Elon Musk’s controversial Grok AI into Pentagon networks, rising concerns about the potentially damaging environmental effects of data center expansion throughout Ohio, and new federal EPA air pollution rules that no longer take the economic cost of harm to human health into consideration.

I also had a really interesting conversation this week with Telle Whitney, who is a Computer Scientist, Entrepreneur, and Author. Her new book “Rebooting Tech Culture: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive”,  explores why she believes creating an inclusive and welcoming work environment for women and other employees who don’t fit the typical “Tech Bro” mold, is not only better for employee morale and productivity; but also, for the company bottom line.
About the Author

Telle Whitney is a senior executive leader, an entrepreneur, and a recognized advocate and expert on women and technology. She has over 30 years of leadership experience and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of Women and Technology.

She is an accomplished technologist who spent twenty years in the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley. Telle has been called “a pioneer for the promotion of women technologists” and “one of the most inspirational leaders I have ever known.”

Telle co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference in 1994 and was CEO of the non-profit Anita Borg Institute from 2002 to September 2017. She transformed the Institute into a recognized world leader for women and technology.
Prior to that she served in leadership positions at several semiconductor startups.

She has won numerous awards, including the ACM Distinguished Service Award, an honorary degree from CMU, and an honorary member of IEEE. In 2024, the REC Foundation recognized her as a STEM Hero. She co-founded the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). In 2022, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and serves on the National Medal of Technology nomination committee.

Telle serves on the board of AI4All, CMD-IT, and Power and Systems and consults for numerous technology organizations.

She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from the California Institute of Technology and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Utah.

This week, all the reasons why the currently popular “bring your whole self to work” trend is most definitely not a great idea when it comes to being successful and effective at work. 

At least, that’s what organizational psychologist, author, and entrepreneur, Dr. Tomas-Chamorro-Premuzik, tells us his new book; “Don’t be yourself: Why authenticity is overrated, and what to do instead”. Listen now:

This week, I interviewed Dr. Dane Quinn who is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, while I was hosting the Ray Horner Morning show. I wanted to hear what he thinks about future employment prospects for students interested in pursuing that type of degree, in the face of so much change and disruption expected from AI.

This week, I interviewed Dr. Dane Quinn who is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, while I was hosting the Ray Horner Morning show. I wanted to hear what he thinks about future employment prospects for students interested in pursuing that type of degree, in the face of so much change and disruption expected from AI.

Dr. Dane Quinn, University of Akron's Professor of Mechanical Engineering, joined Jeanne Destro to discuss the future of engineering, employment, and more.