Twinning Strategy: Leadership and Scaling for Small Businesses

Episode 95: Community as a Catalyst for Business Growth

Christine Rosemin and Janet Alicea join Eric Sigel, Elena Putilina, and Jeff Sigel to talk about the role of community in driving business growth. Their Message: "Scaling isn’t just about systems or sales — it’s about alignment, communication, and creating space for people and ideas to thrive."Bios: Janet Alicea is a B2B marketing leader and community builder passionate about connecting people and ideas across fintech and SaaS. As Chapter Director of Jersey City TechWalk, she brings together innovators and entrepreneurs through walking-networking events that blend tech, wellness, and conversation. Professionally, Janet has led marketing for fintech and financial services companies, developing go-to-market strategies, brand storytelling, and growth programs that drive measurable impact. Through her consultancy, she helps organizations turn strategy into scalable marketing systems and authentic engagement.Christine Rosemin is an accomplished B2B marketing and partnerships leader with a talent for translating aspirational goals into actionable plans that drive audacious results. She currently holds roles as head of partner marketing at Rho, expert with Primary Venture Partners, Principal at Sursum Consulting, and Founder of TechWalk.

Episode 94:Bringing Integrity, Empathy & Accountability into Machine Systems

Tim Kuglin joins Elena Putilina, Eric Sigel, and Jeff Sigel to talk about ensuring that integrity, empathy, and accountability get built into the machine systems that emerge from the rapid rise of AI tools and capabilities. Tim's Focus: "We’re scaling by turning our operating system into the product. Every framework, escalation path, and trust protocol we use internally is being documented, automated, and deployed as infrastructure others can build on. That means every new project or agent doesn’t add complexity—it multiplies reliability. Our focus is replication of verified systems, not rapid expansion of headcount." Tim's Bio:Tim Kuglin is the founder and architect of ZIPR INC and RQ Lab, pioneering relational intelligence for AI. Over nearly a decade, he has led the creation of frameworks that bring integrity, empathy, and accountability into machine systems. A designer by training and systems thinker by instinct, Tim has fused governance, ethics, and engineering to build AI that collaborates responsibly with humans. His work sits at the intersection of technology and trust, inviting a future where speed and scale are matched by wisdom and moral clarity. https://youtube.com/live/Y9Ij5v7NT9w

Episode 93: Bridging and Funding the Pharma-Startup Gap: The Impact of Digital Innovation on Pharma

Dr. Naomi Fried of Pharmstars joins Elena Putilina, Eric Sigel, and Jeff Sigel to talk about the challenges and opportunities of funding Pharma start-ups in this moment of rapid digital innovation. About Pharmstars: The PharmStars accelerator and the PharmStars Ventures fund together work to help digital health startups scale their business by preparing them for meaningful pharma engagement and providing the capital to grow. PharmStars equips startups through its PharmaUTM program — providing a tailored pharma curriculum and personalized mentoring to address the specific needs and challenges digital health startup face when selling to pharma. PharmStars Ventures builds on the accelerator foundation by leveraging the high-quality deal flow and rigorous due diligence to invest in the exceptional graduates of the accelerator. The two programs provide extensive support of startups with produce market fit, introductions to clients, and financial investment, enabling faster growth, stronger partnerships, and positive impact on patient outcomes.Naomi's Bio: Dr. Naomi Fried is a leading voice in digital health and pharma innovation. As CEO of the PharmStars accelerator and co-founder and general partner of the PharmStars Ventures Fund, she supports and invests in pharma-focused digital health startups. She has mentored 100+ startups, advised pharma on their digital health strategy, built a pharma-focused accelerator, and been involved in 25+ pharma–startup collaborations. Naomi previously was the first Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, the first VP of Innovation and Advanced Technology at Kaiser Permanente, and the VP of Innovation and External Partnerships at Biogen. Her perspectives have been featured in major healthcare and biotech publications.

Episode 92: Silence Isn’t an Option : Expertise, Authority & Communication in the AI Age

Dan Nestle of Inquisitive Communications joins Eric Sigel, Elena Putilina, and Jeff Sigel to talk about AI, PR, and the importance of visibility to drive establish authority as an expert. Dan's Message:"My focus is on AI and AI-enabled content strategy for communications, personal brand, and executive positioning."Dan's Bio: Dan Nestle is the founder of Inquisitive Communications, host of The Trending Communicator podcast, and a strategic communications advisor with 25+ years of experience, including 16 years in Japan and nearly a decade leading global communications teams. Named to PRWeek's Dashboard 25 (2023, 2024) and Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders (2025), Dan helps executives transform dormant expertise into systematic market authority through AI-enhanced methodologies. His approach—what he calls "intellectual archaeology"—excavates and amplifies existing knowledge rather than starting from scratch. Connect at be-inquisitive.com.Links: be-inquisitive.comlinkedin.com/in/nestle https://youtube.com/live/I1DWzD8NSbM

Episode 91: The Adaptive Business - Growing with AI as it Evolves

Nick Pope joins Eric Sigel, Elena Pultilina and Jeff Sigel for a lively conversation about how to leverage AI now and be ready as the technology evolves. Nick's Message: Don’t just teach tools; Rewire how teams think about their work. About Nick: Nick Pope os Chief AI Officer at Train in Your Lane, America’s #1 Corporate AI Training Company."My path to AI training was completely unintentional, but it turned me into exactly the right kind of generalist for this moment. Chemical engineering (systems thinking), teaching 4th graders (breaking down complexity), 18 years in Fortune 40 companies (sales, leadership development, executive coaching, content creation), and my time at The Rundown AI reaching 1M+ daily readers with cutting-edge insights. This eclectic background means I don’t just know AI; I know how to make it stick for anyone, in any industry.Beyond Train in Your Lane, I serve New Hampshire businesses as “The AI Pope,” helping local companies compete with tech-enabled competitors through practical AI implementation. As Regional Organizer for AI in NH, I’m passionate about ensuring our local economy doesn’t get left behind in the AI revolution."