Defense and Offense: Vanta CEO on Security, 6sense CEO on Sales, Plus Growth in Hard Times
Christina Cacioppo of Vanta, Jason Zintak of 6sense, Dr. Iman Abuzeid of Incredible Health
I was on vacation for a little more than a week, so the newsletter took a hiatus. It’s back, and so is the stock market volatility.
One of the more reliable areas for revenue and growth in this economic environment? Cybersecurity. Palo Alto Networks had strong earnings results that shot the stock higher. Companies need to keep playing tech defense even if they’re rethinking the aggressiveness of their offense.
This week, I’m sharing an interview from earlier this month with Christina Cacioppo, Vanta cofounder and CEO. I’ll also be doing a Fortt Knox 1:1 with new Cohesity CEO Sanjay Poonen, and a Fortt Knox update with Rubrik CEO Bipul Sinha, a rival. I’ll also have an update talking ransomware with F5 CEO François Locoh-Donou. Call it security week!
Letting Curiosity Drive: Vanta CEO Christina Cacioppo
Christina Cacioppo, Vanta’s cofounder and CEO, couldn’t wait to get out of the college town in Ohio where she grew up. That led her on a journey to different countries, different professions, and eventually different startups. A problem she discovered while employed at one led her to start Vanta, which is now one of a few newly minted software unicorns — which in a tighter capital environment is starting to mean more again:
When a Skeptic Runs a Sales Technology Company: 6sense CEO Jason Zintak
Jason Zintak might be good at sales, but he’s had several sales jobs he didn’t love. He’s now CEO of 6sense, a company that aims to use data and help customers close deals when a prospect is warmest — hopefully making the process a better fit for everyone:
Platform for Recruiting and Training Nurses Going Bigger: Incredible Health CEO Dr. Iman Abuzeid
I caught up with Dr. Iman Abuzeid, cofounder and CEO of Incredible Health, after the company announced a $80 million Series B round of funding. She caught me up on the state of nursing, and explained why her platform is growing to embrace other medical professionals, too:
You can see our original Fortt Knox 1:1 from February here:
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott on the Resilience of Enterprise Demand for Transformative Software
In the latest Working Lunch on CNBC's PowerLunch, meet ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott, who ran a deli/arcade on Long Island as a teen before he rose through the corporate ranks in tech:
Is Peloton Wise to Embrace Amazon? On the Other Hand
Big changes continue at Peloton, with the company raising prices, outsourcing manufacturing and delivery, and now selling some products on Amazon. Is the embrace of Amazon a wise move for a direct-to-consumer company? I argued both sides in the latest On the Other Hand, on CNBC's Squawk Box:
Check out The Black Experience in America: The Course, an online educational resource I researched, designed and built. A free PDF download is available to bring the material to kids, and the online interactive experience is made for young people and adults. You can also take interactive courses at your own pace:
