🎙️ Episode 30: Live from Cloud Nirvana Columbus - Startups vs. Enterprise in the Age of AI
In this special milestone episode of Silicon Heartland Sessions, we recorded live on stage at the Cloud Nirvana Columbus Conference, bringing together an incredible panel of leaders from startups and enterprises to explore one question:
How is AI transforming the way we build software - and what does that mean for the future of work?
Our panelists share honest, unfiltered insights about:
✅ Why startups are moving at the speed of curiosity while enterprises balance innovation with risk
✅ The rise of vibe coding and what it means for prototyping, security, and product quality
✅ How AI is shifting skill sets - and why critical thinking and human connection still matter most
✅ Where AI is delivering real value across the SDLC, and where caution is still required
🔥 Startup Leaders:
Nate Lusher – Founder & Principal Consultant, Renew Work
Nilanjan Raychaudhuri – Founder, Tublian
Tushar Kulkarni – CEO & Founder, Big Kitty Labs
Ray Bohac – CEO & Co-Founder, Spearfish
🔥 Enterprise Leaders:
Justin Wilkins – Field CTO, Varonis
James Schumacher – Enterprise Architect, Honda
“If you really want to use AI, you have to use it every single day. You have to practice every single day.” – James Schumacher, Honda
Whether you’re scaling a startup or transforming an enterprise, this episode is full of practical advice, real-world lessons, and fresh perspectives on what it takes to build - and lead - in this era of AI-powered change.
🙌 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:
Rackspace Technology – We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security.
Varonis – The leader in data security and insider threat detection.
Trace3 – AI to help your business run, grow, and transform.
Sigma Computing – Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.
🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.