Micro Journeys: The Pulse of What’s Next

From Ukraine to the Sahara: How the 173rd Airborne Is Rewriting the Rules of Modern Warfare

In this episode of Micro Journeys: Inside Access, host Daniel Marrujo travels to Tantan, Morocco, embedded alongside the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team at African Lion — one of the largest multinational military exercises in the world. Daniel sits down with Captain Vincent Gasparri, a West Point-trained nuclear engineer who leads the Bayonet Innovation Team, a unit dedicated full-time to integrating commercial technology into one of the US Army's most forward-deployed brigades. From FPV drone strikes to autonomous ground vehicles operating in real time across the Sahara Desert, this episode pulls back the curtain on what the future of warfare actually looks like when it leaves the lab and hits the field. War is changing — and the data coming out of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict is accelerating that change faster than most people realize. The proliferation of small unmanned systems, the integration of artificial intelligence, and the demand for faster commander decision-making are no longer theoretical challenges being studied in laboratories. They are problems being solved in the field, in the heat, in the dust, and under pressure. Captain Gasparri and his team of seven are at the center of that effort, stress-testing commercial technology in austere environments and iterating in real time to ensure soldiers will actually use what they are given. The solution is not about replacing the soldier — it is about empowering the soldier, keeping humans firmly in the loop, and building systems that serve the formation rather than the other way around. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE [03:13] — How the 173rd Airborne breaks military technology into two core pillars: robotic implementation and communications and command and control, and why both are essential to increasing lethality and protecting paratroopers on the battlefield. [04:07] — Why testing technology in an office will never be enough, and what happens when battery issues, controller feel, and Sahara Desert conditions expose the gaps that only real field iteration can fix. [05:57] — How the Russo-Ukrainian conflict directly influenced the systems being deployed at African Lion, specifically the proliferation of small unmanned systems used both as reconnaissance tools and as weapons. [07:11] — Captain Gasparri's direct response to fears about artificial intelligence spiraling out of control on the battlefield, and why keeping soldiers safe remains the absolute number one priority above all else. [08:35] — Why the human in the loop is non-negotiable, and how new positions like FPV operator are emerging inside formations that never had to train for roles like this before. [10:36] — A firsthand account of the strike team exercise: 11 FPV one-way attack drones expended at the commander's discretion, two autonomous robotic ground vehicles successfully breaching a live objective, and what it took to get there. LET’S CONNECT * Daniel Marrujo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-marrujo/] * Captain Vincent Gasparri [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-gasparri-4649a1267/] * TSS Website [https://tss.llc/] Learn more about TSS: https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/ [https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Evidence Never Lies: The Science Behind Africa's Collective Security

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with two of the most quietly consequential figures in U.S. military operations in Africa — Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Thomason, Provost Marshal for the Southern European Task Force Africa, and Lydia Benyam, Lab Manager for the Joint Theater Forensic Analysis Center, or JTFAC, located at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Recorded live at the African Land Forces Summit, the conversation pulls back the curtain on a capability most people never knew existed: a small, internationally accredited forensics lab operating in East Africa that is turning physical evidence from some of the world's most dangerous environments into actionable military intelligence, successful criminal prosecutions, and tools for regional security across an entire continent. Most people picture forensics through the lens of a television crime drama — DNA swabs, fingerprints, a lab in a major U.S. city. The reality of what Thomason and Biniam's team does is far broader and far more consequential. Operating across two core categories — the who and the what — the JTFAC handles everything from DNA identification and latent prints to firearms analysis, serial number restoration, chemical detection of explosives and drugs, and full electronic data extraction and reverse engineering. In a region where bad actors are constantly evolving their tactics, techniques, and procedures, the pressure on this team to stay ahead of the threat, while producing evidence that holds up in international courts of law, is constant and unrelenting. Benyam and Thomason explain how a combination of rigorous science, cross-agency collaboration, and emerging AI technology is allowing their lab to do exactly that — not only keeping pace with a changing threat landscape, but expanding its reach to partner nations across Africa and beyond. What You'll Discover in This Episode [01:45] — Why a Forensics Lab Is Critical to Military Operations in Africa [02:36] — The "Who" and the "What": How Real Military Forensics Actually Works  [06:13] — How AI Is Changing the Way Evidence Is Analyzed  [11:37] — The Gulf of Aden: A Weapons Trafficking Case That Made International Headlines  [15:18] — The Future of the Lab: Expanding Across a Continent  Let’s Connect * Daniel Marrujo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-marrujo/] * LTC Kyle Thomason [http://linkedin.com/in/ltc-kyle-thomason-090925363?originalSubdomain=it] * Lydia Benyam * TSS Website [https://tss.llc/] Learn more about TSS: https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/ [https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

From Gang Intervention to Elon Musk's Boardroom: The Barry Broome Micro Journey

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Barry Broome, CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC), for a wide-ranging conversation that traces one of the most unlikely and compelling careers in American economic leadership. From a blue-collar upbringing in Ohio shaped by Marine veterans, Irish immigrant values, and a deep sense of civic duty, to running gang intervention programs in Cleveland's most underserved neighborhoods, Barry's path to the top of regional economic development was anything but conventional. What emerges is a portrait of a leader forged not in boardrooms, but in the foxholes of broken cities and forgotten communities. Long before Barry became the architect of Sacramento's semiconductor future, he was navigating the wreckage of the American Rust Belt — watching cities like Cleveland lose tens of thousands of jobs in a single week, witnessing real estate rendered worthless by industrial pollution, and choosing to walk away from a $100,000 corporate offer to keep working for $18,000 a year in the inner city. That decision, and the values behind it, set the trajectory for everything that followed — from leading economic councils in Michigan and Phoenix to ultimately landing in Sacramento, where he has spent eleven years transforming a government town into one of the most dynamic regional economies in the United States. Barry Broome's answer to collapse has always been the same: simplicity, resiliency, and the relentless pursuit of trust — building coalitions across universities, energy companies, government, and industry until an entire community moves as a single unit toward a shared economic vision. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE [01:11] — The Values That Built Barry Broome Barry reflects on growing up blue-collar in Ohio with a World War II Marine father, an Irish immigrant mother, and a family lineage of military service stretching from Korea to Fallujah.  [06:11] — When Cleveland Lost 35,000 Jobs in One Week Barry takes listeners inside the devastating collapse that first ignited his passion for economic development and community rebuilding. [10:45] — The Gang Intervention Years That Changed Everything Barry details the 16-week leadership program he built, the over 300 young men he helped transition into professional lives, and the moment he turned down a $100,000 job offer. [27:53] — Building Phoenix Into a Semiconductor Powerhouse Barry breaks down the strategy behind Arizona's 2011 Competitiveness Act and how a simple but bold framework helped transform a desert city into one of the most significant microelectronics hubs in the world. [45:58] — How Sacramento Became a Global Semiconductor Player Barry explains how GSEC built the trust, coalition, and infrastructure to attract anchor tenants like Bosch, Micron, Solidime, and the Defense Microelectronics Activity. [53:57] — The Vision for Sacramento's Next Chapter Looking ahead, Barry shares what he believes Sacramento's economic trajectory will be in the next five to ten years — and lays out what it would take for the next governor of California to make the state's broader transformation possible. LET’S CONNECT * Daniel Marrujo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-marrujo/] * Barry Broome [https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrygbroome/] * TSS Website [https://tss.llc/] Learn more about TSS: https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/ [https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Inside the Mind of a VC: What Makes a Startup Investable

Daniel Marrujo sits down with Lokesh Sikaria, Managing Partner at Moneta Ventures, to unpack the intersection of technology, business, and venture capital. From his early days growing up in India to studying at UC Berkeley and rising through the ranks of consulting and executive leadership, Lokesh shares how his journey shaped a unique perspective: technology alone is never enough. The conversation explores how real success comes from pairing innovation with strong business fundamentals, and how venture capital acts as a catalyst to transform promising ideas into scalable companies. The discussion dives deeper into the mechanics of venture capital, breaking down how startups move from early funding stages to large-scale growth. Lokesh explains what makes a company “VC fundable,” why most startups never receive funding, and how founders should approach rejection. He highlights the importance of growth trajectory, founder commitment, and the role of venture partners in guiding companies beyond just providing capital. The episode also explores Moneta Ventures’ strategy, emphasizing regional ecosystems, hands-on support, and the power of networks in accelerating success. At its core, the episode reveals that building a successful company isn’t just about having a great idea—it’s about execution, resilience, and finding the right partners who can help turn vision into reality. What You’ll Discover in This Episode (02:32) Why Lokesh believes technology should never be treated like a “science project” (08:01) The critical role of people and processes in making technology actually work (09:49) How venture capital accelerates growth compared to building a company organically (13:20) What determines a company’s valuation and why growth trajectory matters more than revenue alone (31:37) The reality of venture capital: why only 3% of startups get funded (34:20) How founders should handle rejection and find the right investors instead of chasing the wrong ones Let’s Connect * Daniel Marrujo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-marrujo/] * Lokesh Sikaria [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lokeshsikaria/] * TSS Website [https://tss.llc/] Learn more about TSS: https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/ [https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

MOSIS 2.0: Powering the Next Generation of Breakthroughs through Aggregation

In this episode of Micro Journeys, host Daniel Marrujo sits down with Rehan Kapadia to explore the intersection of imagination, engineering, and access in the world of microelectronics. From a childhood shaped by science fiction to a career at the forefront of semiconductor innovation, Kapadia shares how exponential technological growth is turning once-impossible ideas into reality. The conversation weaves through his academic journey, the evolution of computing, and the systems now enabling faster, more ambitious experimentation in hardware. At the core of the discussion is a critical challenge: while ideas in technology are abundant, access to the tools required to test and build them remains a major bottleneck. Traditional semiconductor fabrication is prohibitively expensive and complex, limiting who can participate in innovation. Kapadia explains how this gap has historically constrained progress—and how new infrastructure, like Mosis 2.0, is working to democratize access by lowering costs, aggregating resources, and guiding innovators through the process from concept to prototype. Ultimately, the solution lies in building ecosystems that reduce barriers and accelerate the journey from idea to hardware—making it faster, more accessible, and more scalable for innovators at every level. What You’ll Discover in This Episode (01:12) How science fiction inspired a lifelong pursuit of innovation at the edge of human knowledge (04:22) Why exponential growth in technology is unlocking entirely new possibilities each generation (17:16) The hidden cost of hardware innovation and why it can take millions just to test an idea (19:41) How multi-project wafers changed the economics of prototyping in semiconductors (31:00) The mission behind Mosis 2.0: accelerating the path from idea to hardware (36:39) What success for Mosis 2.0 looks like Let’s Connect * Daniel Marrujo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-marrujo/] * Rehan Kapadia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rehan-kapadia-423a9021/] * TSS Website [https://tss.llc/] Learn more about TSS: https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/ [https://tss.llc/micro-journeys-podcast/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.