7 DEC 2023 · In the second half of Saurajit's conversation with Robert M. Atkins, the acclaimed tech visionary, Robert provides a captivating inside look at the ingenious accomplishments of his CTO, who was named "Inventor of the Year" by the US Patent Office for his breakthrough work in interactive entertainment technology. Plus, Robert emphasizes that, with any emerging technology, ethical questions arise that we must grapple with responsibly. He shares the principles and values that guide his company's creations as they work to shape the next generation of immersive gaming experiences. Join us for an eye-opening discussion exploring the excitement of pioneering new frontiers along with the wisdom required to innovate ethically and positively impact people's lives through technology. Discover Robert's insights on inspired leadership rising to meet our current moment. About Robert M. Atkins: As a founding member of five interactive entertainment companies, Robert has contributed to some of the interactive industry's highest acclaimed franchises including Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, SiN, Heavy Metal, LUXOR, 7 Wonders, Glowfish, 25toLife, Tomb Raider, Star Trek, Metal of Honor and Counter Strike.During his 30+ year career, Robert has been highly involved in Product Design, Creative Direction, Company Management, Brand Building and Marketing. Over 50 titles contributed and credited, including 30 first-party in-house products, while a leadership role was held during development. Robert’s companies and titles have won dozens of industry awards and worldwide acclaim.In 1996, Robert co-founded his first development company Ritual Entertainment, managing and developing original & 3rd party content under this label for over a decade. At the largest stage, the company employed nearly 100 team members who worked on multiple AAA titles for the industry’s top publishing companies simultaneously.Shortly thereafter in 1998, Ritual co-founded the first of its kind developer-owned publisher, Gathering of Developers. The publisher launched dozens of new franchises including Nocturne, Heavy Meatal: F.A.K.K.2, Kiss Psycho Circus, Railroad Tycoon and Max Payne, also new studios, PopTop, Edge of Reality and Remedy Entertainment. Notably, Robert directly helped create core standards for developer/publisher relationships in interactive entertainment which are still the gold-standard today.Additionally, Robert's experience includes a long line of casual and mobile gaming successes. In 2007, after a successful acquisition of Ritual Entertainment to the leading Casual Games Retailer in the world MumboJumbo, Robert spent three years as a director on their core design team while also guiding the Brand Management for all in-house franchises including: Elements, Little Farm, Square Logic, Discovery, Midnight Mysteries, Samantha Swift, LUXOR 3, LUXOR: Adventures, and LUXOR: Quest For The Afterlife to name a few. He also helped lead the prototyping of numerous other titles that became the product roadmap for years after his departure from the studio. Simultaneously, he oversaw the Marketing team's creative effort for Branding and Design for all retail products, advertising and packaging.Departing MumboJumbo in 2009, Robert has founded a number of development studios, including Happy Muffin Top in 2010, which focused on casual gaming including the Fallen Shadows franchise with Adrian Carmack, formally of id Software.In 2012 also co-founded Green Eye Games, a tabletop gaming company, which to date as raised over $5million on Kickstarter with the Cthulhu Wars franchise. The Cthulhu Wars product is one the all-time money makers on Kickstarter and has re-defined the Lovecraft gaming genre.Robert has advised other successful campaigns, with millions raised over nearly a dozen projects on Kickstarter.After a formal invitation in 2012, Robert joined the accomplished ranks as a mentor to graduate students in the role of Adjunct Professor at SMU Guildhall in Dallas Texas, teaching Game Design, Professional Development, Focused Study and Industry Ethics. In 2017 & 2018 the school was named the number 1 Game Design Graduate program in the world by Preston Review.Starting in 2016, as CEO of BALANCED Media | Technology, Robert is focused on inspiring a culture of innovative technology design, compassionate capitalism and community entertainment brands with genuine purpose, while improving the lives of users. BALANCED is redefining what it means to engage interactive entertainment, with the mission to empower communities to use the resources they have to make impact on the world around them. The BALANCED mission will entertain the gaming culture while connecting them to purpose. Robert is driven to create unique interactive experiences which have a quantifiable impact on the world.

30 NOV 2023 · This week on Demystifying IT, Bhopi Dhall & Saurajit Kanungo welcome Robert M. Atkins to the podcast. With over 30 years of experience shaping iconic interactive entertainment franchises including Quake, Tomb Raider, and Counter Strike, Robert has been at the forefront of gaming and technology. As CEO of BALANCED Media | Technology, Robert leads with vision, purpose, and compassion. He believes in leveraging the power of AI, gaming, and interactive technologies to create positive change. His pioneering work continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, accomplishing innovative breakthroughs across the industry. Robert's remarkable vision, pioneering spirit, and commitment to purpose exemplify extraordinary leadership. In this episode, listeners will explore his triumphs and insights on the evolving landscape of gaming and technology, what it takes to create hugely successful franchises, the importance of leading with purpose, pioneering new frontiers in entertainment and AI, and the ingredients for inspired, compassionate leadership. Join us for an eye-opening conversation with this game-changing pioneer. Discover Robert's captivating vision for the future and how we can all unleash our inner pioneering spirit to create positive change. About Robert M. Atkins: As a founding member of five interactive entertainment companies, Robert has contributed to some of the interactive industry's highest acclaimed franchises including Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, SiN, Heavy Metal, LUXOR, 7 Wonders, Glowfish, 25toLife, Tomb Raider, Star Trek, Metal of Honor and Counter Strike.During his 30+ year career, Robert has been highly involved in Product Design, Creative Direction, Company Management, Brand Building and Marketing. Over 50 titles contributed and credited, including 30 first-party in-house products, while a leadership role was held during development. Robert’s companies and titles have won dozens of industry awards and worldwide acclaim.In 1996, Robert co-founded his first development company Ritual Entertainment, managing and developing original & 3rd party content under this label for over a decade. At the largest stage, the company employed nearly 100 team members who worked on multiple AAA titles for the industry’s top publishing companies simultaneously. Shortly thereafter in 1998, Ritual co-founded the first of its kind developer-owned publisher, Gathering of Developers. The publisher launched dozens of new franchises including Nocturne, Heavy Meatal: F.A.K.K.2, Kiss Psycho Circus, Railroad Tycoon and Max Payne, also new studios, PopTop, Edge of Reality and Remedy Entertainment. Notably, Robert directly helped create core standards for developer/publisher relationships in interactive entertainment which are still the gold-standard today.Additionally, Robert's experience includes a long line of casual and mobile gaming successes. In 2007, after a successful acquisition of Ritual Entertainment to the leading Casual Games Retailer in the world MumboJumbo, Robert spent three years as a director on their core design team while also guiding the Brand Management for all in-house franchises including: Elements, Little Farm, Square Logic, Discovery, Midnight Mysteries, Samantha Swift, LUXOR 3, LUXOR: Adventures, and LUXOR: Quest For The Afterlife to name a few. He also helped lead the prototyping of numerous other titles that became the product roadmap for years after his departure from the studio. Simultaneously, he oversaw the Marketing team's creative effort for Branding and Design for all retail products, advertising and packaging.Departing MumboJumbo in 2009, Robert has founded a number of development studios, including Happy Muffin Top in 2010, which focused on casual gaming including the Fallen Shadows franchise with Adrian Carmack, formally of id Software.In 2012 also co-founded Green Eye Games, a tabletop gaming company, which to date as raised over $5million on Kickstarter with the Cthulhu Wars franchise. The Cthulhu Wars product is one the all-time money makers on Kickstarter and has re-defined the Lovecraft gaming genre.Robert has advised other successful campaigns, with millions raised over nearly a dozen projects on Kickstarter.After a formal invitation in 2012, Robert joined the accomplished ranks as a mentor to graduate students in the role of Adjunct Professor at SMU Guildhall in Dallas Texas, teaching Game Design, Professional Development, Focused Study and Industry Ethics. In 2017 & 2018 the school was named the number 1 Game Design Graduate program in the world by Preston Review.Starting in 2016, as CEO of BALANCED Media | Technology, Robert is focused on inspiring a culture of innovative technology design, compassionate capitalism and community entertainment brands with genuine purpose, while improving the lives of users. BALANCED is redefining what it means to engage interactive entertainment, with the mission to empower communities to use the resources they have to make impact on the world around them. The BALANCED mission will entertain the gaming culture while connecting them to purpose. Robert is driven to create unique interactive experiences which have a quantifiable impact on the world.

12 OCT 2023 · In Part 2 of this episode, Margaret shares her forward-thinking insights on AI and ChatGPT and how these emerging technologies could impact the future of Camillo Companies. With transformative change on the horizon, she discusses the need to find the right balance between rapid growth and maintaining high quality and customer satisfaction. Margaret also outlines her strategies for achieving aggressive growth goals without compromising customer experience. With insightful lessons learned over her distinguished career, Margaret offers advice for organizations looking to expand quickly while staying true to their values and commitment to the customer. Tune in for an eye-opening conversation with one of today's most accomplished leaders in business and technology.

5 OCT 2023 · Tune in for this week's episode of Demystifying IT with hosts Bhopi Dhall and Saurajit Kanungo. Their special guest is Margaret Potter, CEO of Camillo Companies, a multi-billion dollar business that builds, leases, and manages single-family homes and townhomes across Texas. With over 30 years of experience leading major corporations as both CIO and CEO, Margaret offers a wealth of insights into business transformation, leadership, and the evolving role of technology. In this episode, she shares her unique perspective on driving digital innovation, managing enterprise-wide change, and developing winning corporate strategies. Saurajit engages Margaret in a fascinating, in-depth discussion about her career journey and the lessons she's learned along the way. They explore her leadership philosophy, how she navigated key inflection points, and the mindset shifts required as she transitioned from CIO to CEO. Margaret provides actionable advice for aspiring executives and talks about the skills needed to lead in today's complex, rapidly changing business landscape. You'll come away with inspiration and strategic insights you can apply to advance your own career and guide your organization into the future.

14 SEP 2023 · In this episode, Tyler goes deeper into the mindset and strategies needed to drive transformational change as an IT leader. He explains why adopting a "never say no" mentality is key to pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Tyler also shares his insights on emerging technologies like AI and machine learning, and gives his thoughts on chatbots like ChatGPT and their implications for the future. Join Bhopi and Saurajit as they dive into the components of forward-thinking leadership with Tyler. Discover how leading with curiosity, flexibility and vision can enable CIOs to spearhead innovations that create both sustainable IT and sustainable business growth. Gain unique perspectives on how to develop a collaborative, empowered team ready to take on the challenges ahead on the path to digital transformation.

7 SEP 2023 · Join Bhopi and Saurajit as they speak with Tyler Falkenhagen, CIO/CTO of Shell Energy, on how he's pioneering sustainable IT innovation in the energy industry. Learn how Tyler is leveraging emerging tech like AI and IoT to optimize renewable energy production, lower carbon emissions, and deliver superior customer experiences. Gain insights into building resilient, eco-friendly IT infrastructure and adopting agile methodologies to enable Shell's rapid evolution towards net zero. This episode provides an insider's view of how transformative CIOs like Tyler are using IT to lead the sustainability revolution in the energy sector. A must-listen for IT leaders looking to drive change through digital transformation.

10 AUG 2023 · Saurajit concludes his conversation and gets inside the mind of a CEO on the hunt for a star CIO. Jason McCann, founder of workspace innovator Vari, pulls back the curtain on his approach to hiring transformational technology leaders. Learn what specific qualities Jason looks for beyond technical expertise—strategic thinking, innovation, and creative problem-solving. Discover how he determines whether a CIO will be a true strategic partner in achieving the company's vision. Gain insights on the evolving role of the CIO from Jason's perspective. Hear how empowering the right technology leader is crucial for customer experience, data-driven decisions, and shaping the future of a company like Vari. Don't miss this rare glimpse into a CEO's playbook. Jason shares invaluable advice for evaluating, hiring, and retaining superstar CIOs poised to drive growth.

3 AUG 2023 · Discover the secrets behind building a leading workspace innovation company with Vari founder and CEO Jason McCann. With over 20 years as an entrepreneur putting customers first, Jason pioneered the sit-stand desk industry with VariDesk in 2013. He rapidly grew the company into a top provider of ergonomic office furniture and flexible workspaces. Now, as Vari, Jason continues to elevate how people work and feel with solutions designed for comfort, health, and productivity. Tune in as Jason shares his insights on succeeding in competitive markets, fostering company culture, and staying nimble to meet emerging workspace needs. Join Saurajit in demystifying the world of workplace innovation with this inspiring business leader. Discover Jason’s vision for the future of work and the keys to elevating performance, no matter where work happens.

13 JUL 2023 · Saurajit wraps up his talk with Kim Hales, the Senior Vice President of Information Technology for NRG Energy, one of the largest energy providers in North America. Kim is a creative leader who oversees all aspects of information technology, cyber security, and digital development for NRG. He shares how he is leading the company’s digital transformation and how he leverages data analytics and artificial intelligence to create innovative and sustainable energy solutions for homes, businesses, and communities. This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in the future of energy and technology. Tune in now and learn from Kim’s experience and vision. And don’t forget to subscribe to Demystifying IT for more episodes where we explore the latest trends and innovations in the IT world.

6 JUL 2023 · In this episode of Demystifying IT, Saurajit welcomes Kim Hales, a visionary IT leader who is driving NRG Energy’s digital transformation. NRG Energy is one of the largest and most innovative energy companies in the US, with a diverse portfolio of power generation, retail electricity, and renewable energy solutions. Kim oversees all aspects of information technology, cyber security, and digital development for the company, ensuring that IT is aligned with NRG’s business strategy and customer needs. Saurajit and Kim dive deep into how IT can enable innovation, efficiency, security, and growth in the energy sector, which is undergoing rapid changes and disruptions. Kim shares how he has leveraged data analytics, robotic process automation, and customer experience to create value and differentiation for NRG. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities he faces as an IT leader in a complex and dynamic industry. If you want to learn how to lead a digital transformation in your own industry and organization, you won’t want to miss this episode of Demystifying IT.