Unapologetic Leadership

Don’t Waste the Wait: Faith, Grit, and a Medical Device Built From Scratch, with Rebecca Altounian

In this inspiring episode of Unapologetic Leadership, Cory Dunham sits down with Rebecca Altounian, founder and CEO of SWICK Medical Solutions and inventor of the SWICK device, for a deeply personal conversation about faith, grit, resilience, and building something meaningful from the ground up. What began as Rebecca’s own health struggle eventually became a mission to help millions of patients suffering from dysphagia and swallowing disorders through an innovative medical device designed to improve quality of life and reduce serious healthcare complications. About Rebecca Altounian Rebecca shares the unlikely journey from hairstylist and mother to medical device entrepreneur, revealing how purpose often emerges from pain, uncertainty, and unexpected detours in life. Together, Corey and Rebecca explore the realities of entrepreneurship, self-doubt, leadership, faith, personal loss, perseverance, and what it truly means to trust the process even when the outcome feels uncertain. The conversation also dives into authenticity, overcoming fear, trusting God during life’s hardest moments, navigating grief, building confidence without having all the answers, and why greatness often exists inside ordinary people willing to keep moving forward despite challenges. Rebecca’s powerful message to “don’t waste the wait” becomes a central theme throughout the episode, reminding listeners that growth, wisdom, strength, and transformation are often found during the difficult seasons we try hardest to escape. Rebecca Altounian is a patented inventor, founder, and devoted mom of three daughters whose family continues to keep her grounded and fiercely motivated. She brings sincerity, grit, and real-world perspective to everything she does and believes passion and authenticity are the true keys to success. Connect with Rebecca here Website: SWIKmedical.com Podcast:  https://swallowyourpridepodcast.com/241-managing-secretions-with-swik-the-oral-suction-system-with-rebecca-altounain/ [https://swallowyourpridepodcast.com/241-managing-secretions-with-swik-the-oral-suction-system-with-rebecca-altounain/]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stephen-wierenga_how-to-turn-pain-into-a-product-esp-026-activity-7413004357488635905-N_is/ [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stephen-wierenga_how-to-turn-pain-into-a-product-esp-026-activity-7413004357488635905-N_is/]

Meaningful Connection and Bridging Generations in Virtual Space, with Kyle Dornan

In this episode of Unapologetic Leadership, Cory Dunham sits down with Kyle Dornan, founder and CEO of The Net VR, for a fascinating conversation about virtual reality, meaningful human connection, gaming culture, AI, leadership, and the future of digital interaction. What begins as a discussion about gaming quickly evolves into a much deeper exploration of how technology is reshaping relationships, communication, identity, education, and society itself. About Kyle Dornan Kyle shares his journey from lifelong gamer to tech entrepreneur and explains why gaming and virtual environments are no longer just entertainment, but emerging spaces for community, collaboration, learning, and human connection across generations. Together, Cory and Kyle unpack the growing disconnect between older and younger generations in digital spaces, the dangers of unmonitored online environments, the ethics of big tech and AI, the value of empathy and human-centered innovation, and why leadership in the digital era requires far more than simply chasing metrics and profit. The conversation also explores the powerful distinction between “bits and atoms,” the hidden influence of algorithms and social media, faith-driven leadership, ethical innovation, and how leaders can create healthier digital ecosystems that prioritize people over manipulation. Through thought-provoking insights and practical wisdom, this episode challenges listeners to rethink technology, virtual spaces, and what it truly means to create meaningful connections in an increasingly digital world. Kyle Dornan is the Founder and CEO of The Net VR and believes technology has the power to profoundly shape society when built with strong moral values and positive intent. Passionate about virtual space and the evolving metaverse, Kyle focuses on helping people create meaningful relationships inside digital environments while bridging generational understanding around gaming, AI, and immersive technology. His leadership philosophies are influenced by thinkers including Frederic Laloux, Stanley Milgram, Donald Cressey, Gordon Moore, and Ray Kurzweil, while also embracing principles of Six Sigma, agile systems, lean operations, and high-performance organizational design. Connect with Kyle: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-doran1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-doran1/]

Human-Centered High Growth Companies have Curiosity, Trust and Collaboration, with Tia Milder

In this episode of Unapologetic Leadership, Cory Dunham sits down with business consultant Tia Milder to explore what truly drives sustainable growth inside modern organizations. From leadership evolution and operational scaling to AI, trust, collaboration, and change management, Tia shares why human-centered companies consistently outperform organizations stuck in outdated leadership models. Together, they unpack the importance of empowering people, building adaptable systems, creating trust-driven cultures, and leading with curiosity in a rapidly changing business landscape. This conversation is packed with practical insights for leaders navigating growth, innovation, team burnout, and the future of work in the AI era. About Tia Milder Starting her career as a QA Engineer over 10 years ago, Tia has always focused on the quality of process, product, and peace of mind. Her ability to quickly learn systems, ask the right questions, understand operational details, and align teams around company objectives accelerated her rise into leadership roles across QA, Projects, Releases, and organizational operations. With experience ranging from Fortune 500 companies to two-person startups across ecommerce, insurance, advertising, technology, photography, and more, Tia brings a unique ability to assess where companies and teams are today, identify operational gaps, and create impactful solutions from executive strategy down to day-to-day execution. Known for her strong analytical thinking and communication skills, Tia bridges the gap between technical and non-technical teams while helping organizations align business goals with individual growth and fulfillment in a way that drives long term success. Connect with Tia here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tia-longo-milder-2475ba113/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tia-longo-milder-2475ba113/]

Building What Your Community Needs, Faith, Risk, and Responsibility, with Isaac Isiko

What happens when a doctor decides the future of healthcare needs more courage, more technology, and more heart? In this inspiring episode of Unapologetic Leadership, Isaac Isiko shares his journey from medical school in Uganda to AI, engineering, and public health innovation in Canada, while building life changing initiatives that support vulnerable women, youth, and underserved communities. From overcoming fear and family resistance to launching SafeMom Uganda and mentoring future global leaders, Isaac reveals why you do not need all the answers to begin. Sometimes the next step changes everything. About Isaac Isiko Isiko Isaac is a passionate public health researcher, entrepreneur, and youth mentor currently pursuing graduate studies in Population and Public Health at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health. Holding an MPH from NIMS University and a BTech in Computer Engineering from Marwadi University, he specializes in global health, infectious diseases, and health systems strengthening. As founder of SafeMom Uganda focused on maternal and child health, Orbit Scholars focused on global education access, and Asili Apex Foundation focused on youth empowerment through skills and mentorship, Isaac leads initiatives transforming lives across underserved Ugandan communities. With more than 35 publications and experience as a peer reviewer and mentor, he combines rigorous research with bold action to create lasting social impact. In this episode, Isaac shares why taking risks creates opportunities most people never see, how technology and AI can improve lives instead of replace people, the power of mentorship and purpose driven leadership, why progress matters more than perfection, and how faith, resilience, and service can shape a meaningful life and career. Connect with Isaac: Email: isaacisiko12@gmail.com Phone/WhatsApp: +1 (236) 862-7683 Websites:  https://orbitscholars.com/ [https://orbitscholars.com/] https://safemom.org/ [https://safemom.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isikoisaac/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/isikoisaac/]X/Twitter: @isaac_isiko Instagram: @orbit_scholars Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isaac.isiko.5/ [https://www.facebook.com/isaac.isiko.5/]

Sustainable Agriculture, Failing Forward while Leaving a Legacy, with Jonathan Pickering

What if failure isn’t the problem… but the path forward? In this episode, Jonathan Pickering shares how bold thinking, resilience, and sustainable innovation are shaping the future from agriculture to advanced technology. From building with his hands to leading cutting-edge R&D, Jonathan breaks down what it really takes to move ideas forward when you don’t have all the answers. This conversation is about thinking bigger, learning faster, and building solutions that actually matter both today and for generations to come. If you’ve ever doubted your next step or felt unqualified to go after something bigger, this episode will challenge you to rethink failure and lean into growth. About Jonathan Pickering Jonathan Pickering is the Co-Founder of OmniForge Dynamics and co-owner of Myrkheim Customs. His background spans management, leadership, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on building practical, engineered solutions from the ground up. At OmniForge Dynamics, he leads the development of SolVita Gardens, a modular controlled-environment agriculture platform designed to strengthen food security on Earth while advancing systems that can scale into space-based applications. His work sits at the intersection of infrastructure, agriculture, and emerging space technologies, with a strong emphasis on reliability, performance, and real-world scalability. Jonathan believes innovation should be both visionary and executable creating solutions that are not only forward-thinking, but operationally sound and commercially viable. Connect with Jonathan Jonathan Pickering Co-Founder, OmniForge Dynamics Email: jonathan.pickering@omniforgedynamics.com Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-pickering-73b088198 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-pickering-73b088198]