🌶️ Hot Fudge Sunday for 2025-02-16
This week, I highlight #OpenToWork professionals, and share AI insights!
🙏 A big thank you to our new sponsor, NexusTek! 🙏
Thank you NexusTek for sponsoring!
Welcome to the latest Hot Fudge Daily. Each day of the week you get thematic value.
- 🌶️ Spicy Edition Sunday FREE (Hot Fudge Sunday weekly newsletter captures the best of Hot Fudge Daily and the most clicked links for the week.)
- 📈 Markets Monday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: What is moving markets and why does it matter for the week ahead?)
- 🔥 Hot Takes Tuesday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Get fast unfiltered thoughts on news of the day with just a dash of snark.)
- 🤪 Wacky Wednesday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Catch up on the wild and wooly memes from a variety of deep web #random channels.)
- 🔙 Throwback Thursday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Examine recent news in a thought provoking Shot and Chaser format.)
- ✅ Final Thoughts Friday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: A clear eyed look back on the week that was and could have been.)
- 🔮 Sneak Peak Saturday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Steady and sober unpacking of the slow news day where muted press releases and disclosure stories try to get buried before the weekend takes all the attention.)
🙏 And a big thanks to all our sponsors! 🙏(Scroll to the end…)
Hot Fudge Sunday 🤔 💡 🤯 🤓 is a free weekly newsletter containing a digest of the Hot Fudge Daily paid newsletter at hot.fudge.org in a single easy to reach URL. This free weekly edition is posted every… wait for it… Sunday.
Quick Recaps
I published the first of a series of AI Field Day 6 posts on the NexusTek Insights blog. Check it out to learn more about ML Commons.
More to come!
#OpenToWork Weekly
I believe in #NeverSearchAlone. I also continue to participate in a #JSC.
As a reminder, per our reader survey, each week, I’m going to be highlighting those in my network that are #OpenToWork by linking to their LinkedIn and quoting their LinkedIn About section. I strongly encourage my readers to view the LinkedIn profiles of these professionals, connect, and reach out to them.
I'm also pleased to add an Alumni 🎉 section this week for those that have transitioned from #OpenToWork to their next career adventure.
Alumni 🎉
Jarrod Weise
I bring over 15 years of comprehensive experience in strategic partnerships and business development, primarily within the high-paced technology sector. Currently serving as the Director of Partnerships Development at CoreStack, I am at the forefront of devising and implementing strategies that enhance our channel partnerships and advance our digital strategy initiatives. My role is pivotal in cultivating solid and productive relationships with key partners and aligning our business goals with innovative digital solutions.
Source: Jarrod Weise
Dan Kelleher
Accomplished Program Manager | Technical Project Manager | Certified Scrum Master
With 25+ years of proven success leading high-impact initiatives in IT, Healthcare, and Engineering, I bring expertise in managing complex programs, driving cross-functional collaboration, and delivering innovative solutions. Adept at navigating multi-million-dollar budgets, mitigating risks, and ensuring successful outcomes throughout the entire program lifecycle. Known for building strong, lasting relationships with stakeholders, C-suite executives, partners, and teams, I excel at aligning diverse groups to bring large-scale solutions to fruition. My approach combines strategic planning, continuous oversight, and flexibility to meet goals, while maintaining a sharp focus on quality, cost, and performance.
Source: Dan Kelleher
Rich Green
I am an experienced technology and sales professional who has worked in pre-sales, post-sales, and Customer Operations roles over my career. I am a self starter who works well both independently and in a team environment. Some of my professional achievements include helping launch the Iridium Satellite Phone System while at Motorola SATCOM and taking a startup Internet Service Provider (SoftAware) to the next level to be acquired by Digital Island. I have consistently exceeded multimillion dollar annual sales quotas selling into the Enterprise, SMB, and SLED space while at Hughes, EMC, Brocade, Broadcom and Faction. I continue to utilize the multiple skills I have learned throughout my career including solution selling, technical account management, objection handling, project management, and utilizing public/private/hybrid cloud environments to achieve business outcomes. I am also continuing to learn new technologies such as AI/ML and Cyber Security fundamentals. I know that I will be an asset to any organization that I join. I am also willing to relocate for the right opportunity.
In my spare time I work with Special Needs individuals who are non or minimally speaking to help give them their voice using alternative technologies.
Source: Rich Green
Barbara Hadley, EdM, SPHR
Empowering People, Elevating Businesses:
A strategic HR professional with a contagious enthusiasm for empowering employees. Expertise in crafting dynamic work environments that foster high engagement and drive results utilizing a data-driven approach to implement solutions that support both employee satisfaction and organizational success.Source: Barbara Hadley, EdM, SPHR
Andrew Webber
I'm a passionate leader with a proven track record of building and scaling innovative consumer products. As the Co-founder & CEO of Corsair Distillery, I grew the company from concept to a multi-million dollar operation with a national presence and 400 awards for quality and innovation. I'm adept at identifying unique market opportunities, developing award-winning products, and building high-performing teams.
Source: Andrew Webber
Lida Tohidi
🏆 Recognized as a Top 20 Visionary in Media & Tech by Adello and Top 15 Coach by Influence Digest
🚀 Career Highlights
- 15+ years of experience in product management, digital marketing, and strategic planning
- 7+ years advising, consulting, and investing in mission-driven startups and SMBs
- Led teams to win the Google Startup Battle (out of 1000+ teams) and other national awards
- Advised startups that have collectively raised over $500 million
- Launched a successful national incubator
Source: Lida Tohidi
Nathan Clyker
Successful Sales and Business Development Professional with a demonstrated 21 year history of working in the IT industry. Expert skills in Management, Sales, Enterprise Software and Hardware, Partner Management, Storage, Go-to-market Strategy creation/execution, and Sales Operations. Strong sales professional with a BS in International Business from University of Colorado, Denver and an intense focus on customer satisfaction via strong business and interpersonal relationships.
Source: Nathan Clyker
Gina (Gina Minks) Rosenthal
- Over 10 years’ experience as a global and fractional product marketing manager for global technology companies (up to 120K employees) as well as and startups.
- Over the last 5 years leading Digital Sunshine Solutions, generated over 150 blog posts, 26 case studies, and a range of messaging documents, launch plans, white papers, product datasheets, and solution briefs.
- Bootstrapped quarterly cross-company “Think Tanks” to create strong feedback loops between executives, product, marketing, and engineering teams.
- Created technical content and improved product positioning using sales and customer feedback. Served as the voice of the customer for enterprise clients exploring SaaS products.
- Planned, researched, and developed over twenty podcast episodes covering AI and infrastructure over two years.
The experience on my resume is definitely not traditional! But because there is a string connecting it all, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and creative marketing strategy to the table. With over a decade of experience working with industry leaders like EMC, Dell, and VMware, I’ve honed an in-depth understanding of the challenges IT executives face—and more importantly, how to solve them. However, since I come from a sysadmin/operator audience, I easily craft messaging that resonates and builds trust with them too.
Source: Gina (Gina Minks) Rosenthal
Janel Van Beek
For Humans: I intellectually help organizations and leaders grow and keep great teams, and lead change into the future. My favorite skills and experiences are strategy, program management, product, and organization and leadership effectiveness. My detailed resume is available here: https://www.francievanwirkus.com/resume
For Data Searches: Janel Van Beek (formerly Janel Lanza), SPC 6.0, FLMI, CCTP II, is a business strategist and certified Master Coach, helping people do what seems impossible. She is a digital transformation, OCM, leadership development, and product expert. She is strategy and business consultant. She has financial, health, entrepreneur, retail and services product experience. She has deep experience in strategy, change, instructional design and training as well as in being a turn-around people leader.
Source: Janel Van Beek
Greg Phillips
At IBM, my focus as a Cloud Platform Leader has been on fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovative marketing strategies. With a strong background in corporate marketing and a hands-on approach to customer relationship management, my recent work has centered on extending IBM's cloud alliances globally.
The team has successfully leveraged my skills in strategic and online marketing to create impactful campaigns, positioning us at the forefront of cloud solutions. Our collaborative efforts have not only filled the sales funnel but also strengthened IBM's presence in the competitive cloud marketplace.
Source: Greg Phillips
Sheri Gearhart
Innovative Technology Architect | Solution Designer | Collaborative Leader
Passionate about driving technological innovation and delivering cutting-edge solutions, I thrive on exploring and implementing new technologies to solve complex problems. With a keen eye for evaluating the benefits of emerging tools within solution stacks, I excel in leading proofs of concept and translating technical insights into actionable strategies for stakeholders, maximizing the return on investment through increasing revenue. My strengths lie in developing comprehensive presentations, providing expert training, and fostering collaboration across diverse teams. As a natural leader, I inspire and influence through my technical expertise and vision, without the constraints of formal management roles. My ideal position leverages my skills in architecting solutions, knowledge sharing, and project leadership, while allowing me to focus on the technical aspects of innovation rather than sales-driven engagements.
Source: Sheri Gearhart
Tamera Rousseau King
A highly skilled Technical Project Manager, Agile Product Owner, and people leader with a proven track record in managing large-scale marketing technology programs and building high-performing teams. Demonstrated ability to build strong cross-functional relationships to align on project scope, prioritize business requirements, and develop effective risk mitigation strategies, ensuring project goals were achieved on time and under budget. Adept at leveraging Agile methodologies to establish operational excellence, driving repeated success, and ensuring program accountability.
Source: Tamera Rousseau King
Ricardo Perez
With a deep-seated passion for pioneering virtualization solutions, my tenure at Dell EMC, Xerox, etc. has been marked by architecting and deploying PowerFlex and VxRail systems. My expertise lies in comprehensive lifecycle management, with a proven track record in steering projects from conception to completion, delivering high-performance and scalable virtual environments.
Source: Ricardo Perez
Mike Berteletti, CISSP
Experienced Information Technology Professional with a broad and deep knowledge of many information technology products and services found in large enterprises to small and medium businesses. Specialties include Converged Infrastructure, Cloud Computing, Information Storage Solutions, Virtualization, Microsoft Windows Infrastructure, Information Systems Security, Enterprise Network Design, Data Protection, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, IT Strategy, IT Leadership, Business Liason and Career Development.
- ISC2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- EMC Proven Professional Technology Architect
Source: Mike Berteletti, CISSP
Bob Lima, PMP
Experienced Senior Program Manager with 15+ years of successfully managing end-to-end lifecycles of large, cross-functional, and transformational programs. Expertise in delivering complex projects within scope, timeline, and budget while driving process improvements and ensuring strategic alignment with business goals. Adept at utilizing Agile, Waterfall, and Lean Six Sigma methodologies, with a proven ability to manage risks, resolve conflicts, and optimize resource allocation. Skilled communicator, capable of presenting technical concepts to senior leadership and influencing business decisions for maximizing ROI. A leader focused on mentorship, team empowerment, and continuous improvement.
323-513-6011Source: Bob Lima, PMP
Chris Mojica
Seasoned technical sales professional and technologist with proven pre and post sales engineering experience. Experience includes supporting startups, system integrators, vendors, channel partners/VARs, OEMs and end customers. I am always open to Solutions Architect or Sales/Systems Engineering opportunities.
Source: Chris Mojica
Matthew Leib
After many years as an engineer and presales architect, with specialties in data center, cloud, virtualization and most particularly storage, I've become noted for my writing and analytical expertise in those categories. My blogging has been ongoing since 2009, and I use those writing and focused IT value propositions to write for a number of analytics firms. I specialize in architectures surrounding Kubernetes, Converged and hyper-converged architectures in storage, cloud, AI, and virtualization, containers focused.
Source: Matthew Leib
Michael Joffe
Dynamic global technology leader and Military veteran. P&L responsibility for business lines ranging from $10M to $150M in annual recurring revenue—direct management of high-performing teams ranging from 10 to 75 professionals across the globe. Exceptional at driving growth with Series C, PE-backed, and large-cap multi-national companies. Extensive experience with technology solution co-creation and GTM execution across the OEM, ISV, and SaaS ecosystems.
Source: Michael Joffe
Colleen Coll
"Allow myself to introduce...myself." - Austin Powers
Ever feel like you're juggling flaming torches planning events—trying to keep all the details in the air while something’s always about to catch fire? Yep, I’ve been there. Events have a way of throwing curveballs, and when tech and tools aren’t playing nice, chaos can easily take over.
That’s where I come in. I love turning event madness into magic. Whether it’s on-site event coverage using digital media, live reporting, or behind-the-scenes management, I make sure everything runs like clockwork. I’m also a huge fan of using There.App, which simplifies on-location event management by keeping everyone in sync and streamlining the entire process, so no detail gets lost in the shuffle.
From tech conferences to startup launches, I capture the moments that matter and keep things smooth, whether it's happening live or behind the scenes. And when I’m not on the ground, I’m writing—blogs, articles, and ghostwriting for tech leaders to tell the bigger story behind the event, brand, or mission.
So, let’s make your next event one to remember, with every detail in place and every moment captured. Reach out! I’m always game for a brainstorm or a quick chat about how to make your event shine (without all the stress).
Source: Colleen Coll
Karl Edwards, PMP
An innovative, strategic and results-oriented technical program manager and network strategist with twenty-two years of experience in the telecommunications and technology industries. I can interact with and contribute to technical discussions with engineers as well as communicate program updates, strategy and roadmap to senior executives. For the last seven years at Cox Communications, I managed the three largest and most strategic programs within the technology portfolio: DOCSIS 3.1 program, Remote PHY program and DOCSIS 4.0 program. I have an inherent bias for action and have successfully operated in an environment where I managed cross-functional and cross-organizational teams without authority every day.
Source: Karl Edwards, PMP
Shianna Maxwell
Creative and independent graphic design and marketing professional with a keen eye for detail and a strong background in digital brand management, logo design, and layout design. Passionate about delivering high-quality projects on time, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively with global teams, manage tight deadlines, and handle multiple projects simultaneously. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office Suite, with excellent time management and problem-solving skills that enable me to work autonomously while fostering strong teamwork.
Source: Shianna Maxwell
Paul Lysko
Results-oriented Product Management Executive and former Air Force officer with 20+ years of experience across B2B software, retail technology solutions, FP&A, and operations. Skilled in driving business growth through strategic product management, P&L ownership, and customer focus. Repeatedly managed P&Ls of up to $225 million, consistently delivering impactful results. Passionate leader with a track record of hiring and managing teams of 10+.
Source: Paul Lysko
Thomas Chatham
Engineering leader and technologist with over 20 years of experience in the Enterprise technology industry, most recently specializing in engineering and validation for Dell's enterprise software as a service (SaaS) subscriptions. My expertise lies in management, particularly in leading end-to-end development and integration of various Converged Infrastructure platforms. This includes spearheading formation of a global engineering organization to create next-gen automated converged systems.
Source: Thomas Chatham
Sam Aiello, Ph.D.
Experienced cybersecurity and technology strategist with a proven record of delivering innovative, tailored solutions by collaborating with C-suite executives and cross-functional teams across Sales, Product, Engineering, and Marketing. Adept at driving business growth and client success through strategic insights, technology leadership, and effective pre-sales engagement. A self-driven contributor with expertise in technology strategy, client advocacy, and sales enablement, recognized for enhancing company visibility through impactful presentations and industry event participation. Seeking a dynamic pre-sales role that leverages cross-functional collaboration to create transformative solutions while maintaining a balanced scope of responsibility and work-life integration.
Source: Sam Aiello, Ph.D.
Hot Fudge Daily Digest
📈 Markets Monday for 2025-02-10
As a reminder, this is an end of day snapshot…
Quick Recap
For Market Monday, I continue to look at the same key indicator that I take from a simple Yahoo Finance webpage each week. It’s how I look at things through the lens of the closing bell on Monday.
Last week:
This week:
Previously, I decided on a view from Yahoo Finance. For example, this was a view of intraday in Technology which usually gets around a dozen or so interesting companies when the market is moving and a smaller handful of companies when the market is not moving as much.
If you are using Yahoo Applied Filters for Stocks screener you can bookmark your own heat map view.
% Change in Price (Intraday):greater than 4
Region: United States
Market Cap (Intraday): Mid Cap and Large Cap and Mega Cap
Price (Intraday):greater than or equal 5
Volume:greater than 15000
Sector: Technology
Industry: Software—Infrastructure and Information Technology Services and Computer Hardware and Software—Application and Communication Equipment and Electronics & Computer Distribution and Consumer Electronics and Electronic Components and Scientific & Technical Instruments and Semiconductor Equipment & Materials and Semiconductors
🔥 Hot Takes Tuesday for 2025-02-11
Two hot takes for two stories that caught my eye on Tuesday.
🍪 + 💰 Chips are back in season again so it makes sense to see a grab for vertical integration and custom silicon ambitions to offset NVIDIA only procurement at scale outside the US — and especially if there are dithering tariffs to be considered.
Techmeme: Sources: Meta is in talks to acquire South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI, which has raised ~$115M since its 2017 founding; the deal could close this month (John Kang/Forbes)
By John Kang / Forbes. View the full context on Techmeme.
🍪 + 💰 That said, the appeal of manufacturing chips close to home within the US is another way to avoid dithering tariffs by investing in the US as a quasi-home team advantage.
Techmeme: Reno, Nevada-based Positron, which sells AI chips intended for inference and manufactured in Arizona, raised a $23.5M seed from Flume, Valor Equity, and others (Anna Tong/Reuters)
By Anna Tong / Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
🤪 Wacky Wednesday for 2025-02-12
Each Wednesday I go through dozens of Slack communities.
I then select the most interesting shared links.
This will always be a safe for work list. 🙈
My Favorite Things #27 Cave Pearls | WeirdKatharine
I have been entertaining myself googling cave formations lately. I may post more later. Most cave formations are created when rain water picks up carbonic acid from decaying leaves and eats away at...
Scho-Ka-Kola - Wikipedia
🔙 Throwback Thursday for 2025-02-13
One headline for a Thursday Throwback caught my eye.
🔐 + 💰 CyberArk went shopping again — this time for Zilla Security.
Techmeme: Identity security company CyberArk acquires identity governance and administration platform Zilla Security for $165M in cash and an additional $10M “earn-out” (Paul Sawers/TechCrunch)
By Paul Sawers / TechCrunch. View the full context on Techmeme.
🔐 + 💰 In fact, CyberArk gobbled up Venafi back in May 2024.
Techmeme: CyberArk acquires machine identity management company Venafi from Thoma Bravo in a deal valued at around $1.54B; Thoma Bravo bought Venafi for $1.15B in 2020 (Sophie Shulman/CTech)
By Sophie Shulman / CTech. View the full context on Techmeme.
But M&A is not new for CyberArk. For example, it has been almost 10 years since the acquisition of Viewfinity in 2015.
While these aren’t Wiz size numbers, it does show that consolidation is happening in some parts of cybersecurity landscape even as it continuously expands to address the ever expanding threats landscape.
✅ Final Thoughts Friday for 2025-02-14
🤖🤖🤖❤️💰 3 robot funding stories caught my eye this week.
Techmeme: Sources: humanoid robot startup Figure is in talks to raise $1.5B led by Align Ventures and Parkway VC at a $39.5B valuation, up from $2.6B in February 2024 (Bloomberg)
From Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Techmeme: Sources: Meta plans major investment in AI-powered humanoid robots, with an initial focus on household chores, and has formed a new team within Reality Labs (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)
By Mark Gurman / Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Techmeme: Texas-based humanoid robot startup Apptronik raised a $350M Series A co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory and plans a series of pilot programs in 2025 (Dan Primack/Axios)
By Dan Primack / Axios. View the full context on Techmeme.
🔮 Sneak Peak Saturday for 2025-02-15
By Friday, everything seems to be reaching the peak of getting news turned in before a deadline or dread-line. It sometimes seems like we reach a fever pitch in news coverage throughout the week.
Peak 🏔️ vs. Peek 👀
Then there is a trope, cliché, or bromide about slow news days and the quietly mentioned news updates sent on a Friday — to try and sneak it past wider coverage. Or, in a nutshell, peak patronizing publishing.
In that spirit, here are a few stories that you might have missed on the slow news of a Friday.
Insert Let's See Who This Really Is Meme
Techmeme: Uber sues DoorDash, accusing it of anticompetitive practices like coercing restaurants to exclusively work with DoorDash for parts of their delivery business (Heather Haddon/Wall Street Journal)
By Heather Haddon / Wall Street Journal. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert Ceiling Cat Meme
Techmeme: The doge.gov website tracking Elon Musk's cuts to the federal government pulls from a database that anyone can edit, say two sources who found the vulnerability (Jason Koebler/404 Media)
By Jason Koebler / 404 Media. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert We're All Trying To Find The Guy Who Did This Meme
Techmeme: Sources: Mark Zuckerberg cozying up to President Trump has made employees uncertain and is part of an effort to shift antitrust scrutiny off Meta and onto Apple (Jonathan Vanian/CNBC)
By Jonathan Vanian / CNBC. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert That Wasn't Me, That Was Patricia Meme
Techmeme: Italy accuses Amazon of evading €1.2B in VAT payments; sources: the claim is linked to the sale of goods from China and other non-EU countries from 2019 to 2021 (Financial Times)
From Financial Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert Anthony Adams Rubbing Hands Meme
Techmeme: Sources: Dell is close to securing a $5B+ deal to provide xAI with servers containing Nvidia's GB200 chips in 2025 for xAI's supercomputer project in Memphis (Brody Ford/Bloomberg)
By Brody Ford / Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Note: Some images via Unsplash
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