30 APR 2024 · Dr. Anthony Feinstein, a professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, studies journalists in wartime and conflict situations. He has authored four award winning books on journalists under conflict, including Moral Courage: 19 Profiles of Investigative Journalists [link]  and Shooting War,  has published a series of important studies exploring the psychological effects of conflict on journalists, covering the Balkans, Iraq, Mexico, Syria, Kenya, Iran, Afghanistan, the refugee crisis in Europe, and the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on New York City. His books have served as the basis of the documentary Journalists under Fire [link]  He currently consults for a number of news organizations, including the Globe and Mail, CNN, and the New York Times. Anthony joins us on the podcast today to discuss his research program investigating journalists' emotional responses to conflict in various parts of the world, focusing on how they manage stress and trauma. He shares more about some of the case studies in his book and how he connected with journalists worldwide to learn more about their response to trauma. Anthony also shares more about an ongoing project of his which helps journalists in big news organizations access basic mental health training to support their colleagues.    “Journalists who are going to the world's worst places in terms of danger are doing it voluntarily year after year, and their cumulative exposure to trauma is remarkable.” - Dr. Anthony Feinstein   This week on Disarming Data:  - Why frontline journalists, including those from major news networks like BBC, CNN, and NBC, experience high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) similar to combat veterans - The challenges of providing therapy to journalists in distress due to their scattered location and lack of access to local healthcare providers - Why journalists who cover dangerous conflicts and crises have a unique biological makeup that allows them to sustain their careers over time - The fascinating story about identical twins, one of whom is a journalist and the other not, highlights the potential biological factors that influence a person's willingness to take risks in dangerous situations - Anthony’s education sessions on trauma and mental health to foreign correspondents for the New York Times and other news organizations who are going out to war zones - How Anthony’s research has contributed to a growing literature on the psychological challenges faced by journalists, leading to increased awareness and support - Stories of the moral courage of 19 journalists from around the world who have faced persecution and danger for their work, including one who had to leave Russia and another who lived with armed protection for a decade - More about the documentaries based on Anthony’s work, including ‘Journalists Under Fire’  - Anthony’s work that supports journalists in Afghanistan to help one another using a buddy system and basic mental health training.   Connect with Dr. Anthony Feinstein: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Feinstein__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BLXYTlsS7Xs6ZXPPq5ZMBSefULgHdyWUPx-hfnsL1wjblQlyqBRMUi_10T8cXzVGTw3ppmMVwHBytkys46IVNmWxKVQxYw$  - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/sunnybrook.ca/research/team/member.asp?m=56&page=172__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BLXYTlsS7Xs6ZXPPq5ZMBSefULgHdyWUPx-hfnsL1wjblQlyqBRMUi_10T8cXzVGTw3ppmMVwHBytkys46IVNmWPvFlR3Q$  - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-feinstein-285a075/?originalSubdomain=ca__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BLXYTlsS7Xs6ZXPPq5ZMBSefULgHdyWUPx-hfnsL1wjblQlyqBRMUi_10T8cXzVGTw3ppmMVwHBytkys46IVNmUJBldtNg$  Connect with Disarming Data:  - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/paige-biderman-07a56a225/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BLXYTlsS7Xs6ZXPPq5ZMBSefULgHdyWUPx-hfnsL1wjblQlyqBRMUi_10T8cXzVGTw3ppmMVwHBytkys46IVNmVrYC1tnA$  - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BLXYTlsS7Xs6ZXPPq5ZMBSefULgHdyWUPx-hfnsL1wjblQlyqBRMUi_10T8cXzVGTw3ppmMVwHBytkys46IVNmUPAxfTdg$  

18 APR 2024 · We’re excited to have trailblazing anthropologist, Dimitris Xygalatas, author of the highly acclaimed book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, tell us how his study of high-intensity rituals like coronations, firewalking, and terrifying rites of passage are just some examples of multiple universal expressions that link us together. He describes how apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, fraternity and sorority hazings to parades, share an underlying logic central to our experience.  He helps you, our listeners, identify and appreciate the importance of the everyday ceremonies for understanding and guiding our lives. 

13 MAR 2024 · We love country music and have one of the best of the bunch here.  Houston Bernard is a popular and prolific independent country music artist with blasting rockabilly vocals and unbelievable songs. Houston, who tours nationwide, is an Army Veteran.  His country roots run deep with a family tree that includes songwriters, touring musicians, and an outlaw gunfighter nicknamed “Bitter Creek.”. Houston has released a series of singles, EPs and albums. In 2013, he released his debut self-titled EP and followed up with his first full-length album, Knockin’ Boots, in 2015. In 2018, he released his second EP, Lucky Man, followed by Freedom, in 2020, which continued to raise Houston’s profile as a diverse country music singer and songwriter. His latest Album is Ditch this Town, https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/u648841.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.xjPTMgBUy9vPCxfCNeRrcl54maJ3wiWXCTWXKEnXBVncqOmpuwC2rrWj9qKo4hB8Z6gznL2f6BZAusaYm1JnESrFp1O8TnTq0jAGgGQXmPm67MwDgNkWa2ahPPJjMXksg3FDkvvhPyybfK5ysUoesQ-3D-3D7Sbq_7B7bNdNZqH6DTRwXjLXpgEGsM4B8e-2FuMiwmnJiOBDWGu8FT6o-2FMrr2dzKLxkrtDndb2klKZ2jUbK7sgzV8iC5ejmnoGfWXrl8Q-2FUyswn-2F73DqWeyYOCFRkjKHGpXVbWwIQFE2kXe58-2FIu0d-2B617Z1u1nLSDX3Su-2BTRhWaJhjPVitOLfm7rdKO-2FPaAFDiUIjpZaI7DqZ30Lna0Bt8qkPPjAqlccAxA0bvlfklGeLWcJD7-2FZpbhcmvj86JkJjEuAhSTgxKS-2F6zRmuTAGdCk8yuGt36b6ajQFlpkGgVfoLm7YkRX3yqIiNIjBW9Wdj38iOC62zsCx71Tmi2qujW6wOEdcRFtc9i4gZicgd0A9Rvb8c-3D__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!AZ4zpukkWSXjKSwUrIp4-yRaPArw7XW_MWyEZP--W6kVs4RGS9U5Bd_kBH71hH_ToOfddFhYXag5GdO683GJJaI$, which reflects years of work and demonstrates Houston’s passion for independence and authenticity. Check out this moving video, https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/youtu.be/pmlBKfxAyhg__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!D3xoYaoqcie8yoxLCWHnEUomaI4BIH8LZ4Z1g75kfXw4luGH4CQg6BLCrKaKWa1qx_qBhPfoIJfTm7GPejVd_gJ_DevW$, featuring a song Houston shares with us on the Podcast   Houston is with us today to share his journey in country music, from starting with a classic sound to experimenting with different styles and eventually finding his own voice. He discusses some of the challenges of writing country music and how he seeks to improve storytelling by collaborating with other writers. Houston also digs into the importance of painting a picture with lyrics, using sensory details to transport the listener to the scene and creating an emotional reaction.      ‘My ideas became better with different writers, and the stories were better.”’  - Houston Bernard    Episode Highlights: - Houston shares his journey of improving his craft, including why he’s taking a growth mindset approach  - Houston shares a personal story about his great great grandfather's involvement in the Wild Bunch gang and the Eagles song "Desperado" being inspired by him  - Why Houston often feel like a "Desperado" in the music industry, looking for connection with others who understand his creative goals and struggles  - We dig into the cultural differences between cities and states and the impact on the music industry and artists' experiences while touring - How Houston feeds off the energy of the audience during live performances and the importance of connecting with the audience through the music - Why Houston writes emotional songs as a form of therapy to get things out and heal - Houston reflects on his journey of finding his voice in music and why he started playing country music after feeling unfulfilled with other genres    Connect with Houston Bernard: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/houstonbernard.com/home__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BNfP8GdllACjHCyFM83VS8p-TeqBAwz_XzlRGffzUNguhZqCNkZbHwnX7K4grWWXFiNQE15N13-34yfUKLM974NP1BHg4u7x$   Connect with Disarming Data: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/paige-biderman-07a56a225/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BNfP8GdllACjHCyFM83VS8p-TeqBAwz_XzlRGffzUNguhZqCNkZbHwnX7K4grWWXFiNQE15N13-34yfUKLM974NP1LS6o2HR$ - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!BNfP8GdllACjHCyFM83VS8p-TeqBAwz_XzlRGffzUNguhZqCNkZbHwnX7K4grWWXFiNQE15N13-34yfUKLM974NP1K-uUDUl$ 

27 FEB 2024 · Foreign Policy magazine Top 100 Global Thinker, Jamais Cascio, joins us to describe how we have transformed from the Defense Departments VUCA world(volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) to his concept of a BANI world (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible). He created the "BANI" model for working with chaotic futures, a concept now widely used around the world. James has appeared in multiple television and film documentaries and serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future. In early 2009, he released his book, Hacking the Earth: Understanding the Consequences of Geoengineering. Jamais is with Paige and me today to discuss how we can transcend the limits of short-term thinking and see future possibilities. We dig into where the VUCA Framework came and why we’ve moved from VUCA to the BANI model for working with chaotic futures. Jamais also shares why he decided to investigate the carbon footprint of a cheeseburger and what he discovered, and he give a nod to Bart Simpson. ‘ "Many eyes make all problems simpler.” - Jamais Cascio This week on Disarming Data: - Jamais discusses the lag in climate change and why there is a 5-25-year delay between carbon emissions and temperature changes, even after stopping emissions - The origins of the term "VUCA" and how it was used to describe the changing global landscape in the late 1980s, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of the internet - Why we’ve moved from VUCA to the BANI model for working with chaotic futures - Why organizations with established earthquake protocols fared better in the pandemic than those without - Why it’s so important to be prepared for and flexible with dramatic changes - How improvisational training and intuition help people make better decisions when it comes to complex and rapidly changing situations - Why Jamais advocates for a ‘many eyes’ approach to problem-solving - Why the pace of technological innovation in addressing climate change, particularly in the context of geoengineering is so slow - Geoengineering's potential impact on global rainfall patterns - Why people need to get more adaptable in their response to technological changes Connect with Jamais Cascio: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.iftf.org/people/jamais-cascio/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!D2FtmyYtoIL4kBkqRSNbfRXKVHf3P_8y6U7tOcuFR7WG-FJt7hnRF8yDhgP3n8QAc7VkdAVE8hm8oN_8sYDGfTlDPfNa2Q$ - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/jamaiscascio/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!D2FtmyYtoIL4kBkqRSNbfRXKVHf3P_8y6U7tOcuFR7WG-FJt7hnRF8yDhgP3n8QAc7VkdAVE8hm8oN_8sYDGfTlQGH901Q$ Connect with Disarming Data: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/paige-biderman-07a56a225/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!D2FtmyYtoIL4kBkqRSNbfRXKVHf3P_8y6U7tOcuFR7WG-FJt7hnRF8yDhgP3n8QAc7VkdAVE8hm8oN_8sYDGfTkNy7DW4A$ - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!D2FtmyYtoIL4kBkqRSNbfRXKVHf3P_8y6U7tOcuFR7WG-FJt7hnRF8yDhgP3n8QAc7VkdAVE8hm8oN_8sYDGfTla4idaWA$

14 FEB 2024 · Mark Nicholls is the Chief Executive Officer at Information Professionals Group. In this role, he specializes in crafting strategic plans for clients, showcasing his leadership and expertise in the field of strategic planning. Mark is also a Director and previous Deputy Chair of the Australian Information Industry Association, the peak industry body for the digital technology sector in Australia. His experience spans public, commercial & and not-for-profit sectors, and he passionately believes in the immense benefits digital technology brings to organizations, communities, and nations. Mark joins us on the show to share some of the lessons learned during his 30-year experience[--eliminate in tech]. He discusses why modern organizations face, management, and governance challenges with their planning, data and information systems and how we can overcome them. Additionally, Mark also shares why he believes you can’t be a good business person without having a good sense of strategic planning. ‘Executives need to be learning continuously.”’ - Mark Nicholls This week on Disarming Data: - We discuss how strategy consultants work with various organizations, including government, utilities, and healthcare, to develop customized plans for achieving business outcomes through technology - Why a future vision is important for strategy development, but must be practical and meaningful to be effective - The importance of defining business outcomes to measure the success of a project or initiative - Why it’s critical to focus on key metrics that drive success for an organization rather than measuring everything - The challenge of managing multiple layers of technology in large organizations - Mark shares his experience of working with Queensland House in 2020 on a system for tracking and managing communicable diseases, with a focus on privacy and security controls - Mark acknowledges the importance of continuous learning for executives, particularly in a rapidly changing business environment - Why technology and business are inseparable in today's world. - Mark’s thoughts on the potential of AI to empower individuals and increase productivity despite implementation challenges. Connect with Mark Nicholls: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/markdnicholls/?originalSubdomain=au__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!EPbnvZf2ZEyZkp5bX3tgbVcZxnrmTFjnaigxu-sy2l5a-NbhEXSX51l6kidy2J5fhcPrbG6dMHt18veQt2nO_SoexrvNjw$ Connect with Disarming Data: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/paige-biderman-07a56a225/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!EPbnvZf2ZEyZkp5bX3tgbVcZxnrmTFjnaigxu-sy2l5a-NbhEXSX51l6kidy2J5fhcPrbG6dMHt18veQt2nO_SpNWnGabg$ - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!EPbnvZf2ZEyZkp5bX3tgbVcZxnrmTFjnaigxu-sy2l5a-NbhEXSX51l6kidy2J5fhcPrbG6dMHt18veQt2nO_SrbQzUlIQ$

30 JAN 2024 · Joel Robinson is a citizen of the Osage Nation who currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a Bachelor's from Eastern Kentucky University in Recreational Park Administration and a Master's from Northwestern State University in Parks and Recreation Management. He currently works as an Evening and Weekend Studies Coordinator at a trade school in Kentucky while pursuing freelance writing projects. Joel joins us on the show to share more about his article Killers of the Flower Moon is not the movie an Osage would have made. You should still see it, why he wrote it, how it went viral and the reaction since then. We discuss Scorsese’s recent film Killers of the Flower Moon, why it is great but isn’t telling the story from the point of the Osage Nation, and the effect of the Reign of Terror on the Osage Nation. He also shares his personal history as a member of the Osage Nation, tells the story of his family, and talks about problems confronting the Native American Nations. It would take an Osage to tell the story from the Osage perspective.”’ - Joel Robinson This week on Disarming Data: - Joel Robinson discusses his perspective on a viral film article with Paige and her dad - When and why membership to the Osage nation changed - The history of the Osage Nation and how discovering oil changed their way of life - Why the previous chief wanted to create an orthography for the Osage language so that it could be written down - Joel’s knowledge and family experience of the Reign of Terror - Why Joel believes that the film The Killers of the Flower Moon depicted the story from the perspective of the people committing the crimes - Joel’s thoughts on how effective the FBI was in solving the crimes - How the Osage rights to the oil rights currently works - How Joel is currently exploring his Osage heritage and connecting with the former Chief of the Osage Nation - How Native American Nation issues are viewed today and why they’re not as widely reported as other populations Resources Mentioned: - https://slate.com/culture/2023/10/killers-of-the-flower-moon-movie-osage-martin-scorsese.html - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ceremonial-lon-schka-Civilization-American-Indian/dp/0806122846 by Alice Ann Callahan - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pipe-February-American-Literature-Paperback/dp/0806137266/ref=sr_1_1?crid=364TOJ34CYX1&keywords=A+pipe+for+February+by+Charles+H.+redcorn&qid=1706271440&s=books&sprefix=a+pipe+for+february+by+charles+h.+redcorn,stripbooks,102&sr=1-1 by Charles H. Red Corn - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Killers-Flower-Moon-Money-Murder/dp/0857209035/ref=asc_df_0857209035/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310857073810&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5180561608723729386&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045791&hvtargid=pla-441326501494&psc=1&mcid=b2c1e289b7513fedbf79a899473099e8&th=1&psc=1 by David Grann - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Project-562-Changing-Native-America/dp/1984859528by Makita Wilbur Connect with Disarming Data: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/ Produced By https://thepodcasthaven.com

19 OCT 2023 · Jay Knowles was born in Texas, raised in Tennessee, and educated in Connecticut. Over the last 20 years, his songs have been recorded by classic singers like George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Harry Connick, Jr., as well as today's hottest Country stars like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, and Raffi. Jay's professional honors include Number One songs on multiple charts, a BMI Million Air Award, and a Grammy nomination for Country Song of the Year. We’re excited to welcome Jay to the podcast to share more about the details about his songwriting career, the moments in musical history that have influenced him, and where he sees future trends in country music leading. He discusses the evolution of music in Nashville, particularly the blending of country, Southern rock, and Americana genres, and reflects on the current lack of representation in country music. Jay also discusses the Whalefarm project he co-founded, which is a network of unrecorded songs for music industry professionals to discover. “The way you learn how to write songs is by writing songs." - Jay Knowles "To me, all good songs are story songs." - Jay Knowles "You don't have to be country to like country music. It's really about whether your heart is connected to it." - Jay Knowles This week on Disarming Data: - Jay Knowles shares his background in country music and politics in Nashville - The very first song Jay wrote with his dad when he was five years old - Where Jay starts from when he’s writing a new song - The importance of having a thread of relatability running through a song - How country music has evolved with artists like Taylor Swift and Emmylou Harris pushing boundaries and blurring genres - The lack of storytelling in modern songs and why country music is an exception with its ability to tell a story within three minutes - Why it’s important not to overthink the creative process but allow the song to unfold naturally - The concept of Whalefarm, a platform for songwriters to share and collaborate on songs, and why he wanted to create a space for lost or overlooked songs to be heard - Challenges of getting old songs heard and recorded, particularly for independent songwriters and artists Connect with Jay Knowles: - https://www.thejayknowles.com/ - https://www.thejayknowles.com/whalefarm Connect with Disarming Data: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/ https://thepodcasthaven.com

3 OCT 2023 · Dr. Jada Watson holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Université Laval and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Ottawa. In 2020, she was awarded the Faculty of Arts Distinguished Teaching Award for Part-time Professors. She is the author of Whose Country Music? Genre, Identity, and Belonging in Twenty-First Century Country Music, a collection of essays forthcoming with Cambridge University Press. Since 2019, she has been the Digital Humanities Coordinator at the University of Ottawa, including the Digital Humanities Summer - the only bilingual digital humanities institute in Canada. In May 2022, she received the CSDH/SCHN Outstanding Early Career Award, for her research and contributions to the digital humanities in Canada. This week on the show, we’re talking with Jada about equity in country music radio. She tells us how she’s systematically measured country playlists and shown how BIPOC artists, women, and others are underrepresented. She tells how she is using her data to promote equality and diversity in country. We also don’t like some of the dark underbelly of country music, and thank Jada for her unbelievable work. Also, and as importantly, Jada tells us why—despite having a PhD in classical composers—she still loves country. Come listen. “Marketing labels are keeping the industry segregated." - Jada Watson "Songs by women actually get tossed out of the playlists at a far greater rate than songs by men." - Jada Watson "There is a limit to what a woman can achieve in Country music." - Jada Watson This week on Disarming Data: - How Jada first become interested in studying musicology - The interview by a prominent radio consultant who said that radio stations should improve their station ratings by playing songs by women at only 13 to 15% that prompted Jada to study the data behind the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart - What kind of radio Jada tracks, how she accesses the data, and why it’s important - How the industry caps the achievements of female country artists, even singers like Taylor Swift - Why country music concerts aren’t always safe spaces for white, cis-gendered individuals and what we can do about that - Why politics has such a tight relationship with the country music industry - Jada’s take on Jason Aldean’s pro-Trump stance and the public response to his song Try That in a Small Town - The racial inequity within the country format radio and why it’s so strange given that country music is so sonically diverse - Lil Nas X and the story of Old Town Road - why Nashville didn’t accept the song or the artist - The Chicks' experience with sharing their political leanings and why they haven’t been played on country format radio airplay since 2003 Connect with Jada Watson: - https://www.instagram.com/data_jada/?hl=en Connect with Disarming Data: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/

19 SEP 2023 · Commissioner of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, Leonor was appointed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith to examine the long-term strategic posture of the United States, including a threat assessment, detailed review of nuclear weapons policy and strategy, and recommendations as the most appropriate strategic posture and strategy moving forward. Leonor Tomero previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, supporting the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities by developing strategies, informing policies, and conducting oversight of nuclear deterrence policy, arms control, and missile defense policy. We welcome Leonor to the podcast this week to discuss why nuclear deterrence is still stuck in 20th-century architecture and thinking and some of the ways we could leverage artificial intelligence to improve it. We dig into what’s happening now regarding potential nuclear threats, and Leonor shares why China is currently the pacing threat. Leonor also discusses the impact of the war on Ukraine on strategic stability and why the U.S. dialogue with Russia was initially suspended. “The only current surviving nuclear arms control treaty is going to is going to expire in 2026. And we're not negotiating any new agreement." - Leonor Tomero "Compared to Russia and Chin, U.S. culture, entrepreneurship, creativity, and imagination, really is our unique advantage in terms of innovation." - Leonor Tomero "It's not about adding more nuclear weapons. It's about enhancing deterrence much earlier in the conflict, enhancing resilience, and making our platforms a lot more survivable." - Leonor Tomero This week on Disarming Data: - Leonor’s professional journey and why she’s now focusing on how innovation should be applied to deterrence - New concepts for strengthening deterrence - The huge impact on Russia of the war on Ukraine beyond government-imposed sanctions - What the Department of Defence is looking at for missile tracking and missile warning - The potential impact of attacks on satellites and other assets in space - The importance of using new innovative technology in defense - Why the US administration has said that China is the pacing threat right now - Why mutually assured destruction (MAD) is still a key tenant of preventing nuclear war - Why a current area of concern is how to prevent Russia from using small tactical nuclear weapons - How governments and organizations control the information in the public domain, particularly technological advances that would impact defense Connect with Leonor Tomero: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonor-tomero-4bb9633/ Connect with Disarming Data: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/

16 AUG 2023 · Melissa Fortunato, Founder and Chief Negotiation Officer (CNO) of Alchemy-Team, tells us about her 23-year FBI career as a Crisis Negotiator and Undercover Agent. Melissa is a graduate of Quantico’s famed negotiation training program and tells us how active listening and well-designed questions brought her remarkable success in resolving hostage for ransom, political kidnappings, and off-kilter abductions. On the show this week, she tells Paige and David how a “romantic” trip to Thailand led to a fake wedding and the chauffeur-driven apprehension of a large band of international arms dealers. Melissa also dives into some of the benefits of being a woman in crisis negotiation and how her background in psychology helps her de-escalate high-stakes risks. Melissa remains committed to empowering others through transformative negotiation training in her current role. “Humanness shows up in the strangest situations." - Melissa Fortunato "Crime is as old as time. We're always chasing; they're always evolving." - Melissa Fortunato "You can't meet anger with anger. It gets you nowhere." - Melissa Fortunato This week on Disarming Data: - How Melissa moved from being a counselor to becoming an FBI Agent - Melissa shares all about her fake wedding on a yacht and how it led to the apprehension of a large group of criminals - The duel-edged sword of building connections and a rapport with people they end up arresting - The difference between crisis response and hostage negotiations on an emotional level - The kidnap for ransom case of a U.S. citizen in Afghanistan involving the Taliban that Melissa was involved in - Melissa gives the real story of whether or not people should pay a ransom if someone or something is taken - The importance of reaching out for help if you’re a victim of ransomware or tech crime - The transition from undercover to hostage negotiator and why she stopped doing undercover work to focus on hostage negotiations - Melissa’s new company Alchemy Team and her role as a negotiation consultant for businesses - Melissa shares her book recommendations for people who want to improve their negotiation skills Connect with Melissa Fortunato: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissafortunato/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!FN4JoLYih4H4sxHiSmEDcAGbo5EUxumZ05v0J_hlfEO6rqWo3VO3na7Tx4qvz5R08px-rBGjEZK1NOHHo2hag1LaZdFMwA$ Connect with Disarming Data: - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-biderman-3337b45/__;!!K_R5ZAeIjLw!FN4JoLYih4H4sxHiSmEDcAGbo5EUxumZ05v0J_hlfEO6rqWo3VO3na7Tx4qvz5R08px-rBGjEZK1NOHHo2hag1J6SRYh5Q$