When Lt. Thomas Porto’s department chief asked him if he’d want to oversee the police department’s technology deployment, he knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Now, 12 years later, he’s transformed the Fort Lee, NJ, police force in countless ways, from internal processes like digital scheduling to public-facing tasks like issuing tickets. On this episode of The Big REthink, Lt. Porto joins host Susan Campbell to discuss some of those tools and how they’ve improved safety for citizens and police officers alike.

For Captain Matt Bolger, adopting technology is all about working smarter, not harder. In his role in IT with the Michigan State Police Department, he’s helped lead an overhaul of how officers do their work, including which technology solutions to use. In-car modems, real-time video uploads to a cloud, and body cameras all help law enforcement spend more time policing, and less time finding a good Wifi connection. On this episode of The Big REthink, Capt. Bolger joins host Susan Campbell to share how that shift has helped officers and citizens alike.

The night before John Verdi’s first day at the police academy, his dad—a former officer himself—had some advice: say hi to everyone. That counsel proved to be pivotal to Verdi’s career, including a profound experience on 9/11 and a split-second decision that spared a life. Verdi’s since retired from the NYPD, but his learnings inspired him to create an app that helps communities and police connect on a human level and, just maybe, save future lives. On this episode of The Big REthink, he joins host Susan Campbell to discuss how his app is bringing people closer together.

When Captain Don Redmond retired from the Chula Vista Police Department in 2022, he had nearly 26 years of experience in everything from SWAT responses to jail command, and was ready to bid law enforcement goodbye. But after joining BRINC, a drone company that specializes in public safety, he became vice president of special projects there, and has been a promoter of using drones as first responders (DFRs) ever since. In this episode of The Big REthink, Redmond joins host Susan Campbell to share some of the ways in which drones are improving safety outcomes and supporting police departments, including de-escalation, accelerated response times, and reducing officers’ workload at a time when staffing is a challenge. Finally, he describes the tech-enabled future he envisions (drones are key, and so is a real-time response system) for safer communities.

Scott Harkless, the Chief Innovation Officer for Alcorn McBride, never intended to go into the theme park business. A tinkerer with a degree in electronic engineering, he originally sought out work in museum-related technology. But now, years later, he’s an expert in his field. On this episode of The Big REthink, he joins host Susan Campbell to share some of what he loves about his work, the types of technologies that go into making fan-favorite rides, and why relationship-building is essential for innovation. Harkless also explains why show control systems are essential to every ride—and how they’re akin to conducting an orchestra.

In Charlotte, NC, law enforcement has been adopting new technologies to help officers boost their productivity, streamline workflows, and keep their community safer. On this episode of The Big REthink, Charlotte’s Public Safety Technology Director, Crystal Combs, joins host Susan Campbell to discuss how tools like AI and ML are reshaping how officers do their work now, and what it might look like down the line. From using predictive analytics to deploy officers more efficiently to computer-aided dispatch, she shares how technology is impacting the work of law enforcement and how it might evolve in the future.

On this episode of The Big REthink, host Susan Campbell speaks with Peter Weishar, the Director of Themed Experience at the University of Central Florida. Weishar has created first-of-their-kind academic programs on themed experiences, including a major and a Master of Fine Arts degree at UCF. During the conversation, he shares what drew him to the field, the technology that students use to design those experiences, and what they might be using in the future. Plus, he explains what, exactly, the difference is between a theme park and an amusement park. (Hint: storytelling and narratives are key.)

From amusement park rides to arena concerts and high school theaters to TV studios, there are countless ways that people, technology, and innovation come together to bring storytelling to life. As president of InterAmerica Stage, a Florida-based entertainment production company and manufacturer, Mark Black leverages all three. On this episode of The Big REthink, Black joins host Susan Campbell to pull the curtain back on some of the training that goes into entertainment production (physics, fine arts, and rope-climbing are all in the mix) and how pioneering pieces of equipment and capabilities (3D modeling, for example) have changed the game. Plus, he shares where he thinks entertainment is going—and why in-person experiences still matter.

At first glance Schenectady, New York, may seem an unlikely place to be on the leading edge of technological innovation. But the leafy, mid-sized city, which sits about 160 miles north of Manhattan, is quickly becoming a smart city: building and adding far-reaching enhancements to its infrastructure and municipal operations that, according to Police Chief Eric Clifford, improve everything from public safety to climate-change resilience. On this episode of The Big REthink, Clifford joins host Susan Campbell to discuss how he and his colleagues are transforming Schenectady, and what other cities can learn.

Each year for two nights in September, downtown Binghamton, NY, transforms from a business district into a wonderland of immersive storytelling, projection mapping, and magic under the stars. The annual LUMA festival kicked off in 2015 and has since become a focal point for the city, attracting thousands of locals and tourists to take in the experience. On this episode of The Big REthink, LUMA founders Tice Lerner and Joshua Bernard Ludzki join host Susan Campbell to discuss what inspired the festival, the hurdles and triumphs of producing a grassroots event, and the power of art and technology to build community.

What, exactly, is web3? What are NFTs again? And how do they relate to marketing, content, and brand-building? On this episode of The Big REthink, host Barry Ross speaks with Jason Keath, co-founder of Social Fresh and Sofresh Labs, about exactly what these technologies are and how innovations in blockchain and infrastructure can inform marketing strategies now and down the line. Plus, he talks about how a luxury brand bounced back from an early NFT misstep to pioneer and showcase new ways of collaborating with and engaging consumers.

Theme park attractions wow visitors with their thrilling, immersive experiences, which meld together lighting, video, sound, and motion. Behind the scenes, big-thinking creative designers and pragmatic engineers have to work together to make it all happen. On this episode of The Big REthink, Brent Pritchett, VP of Systems Integration for 4Wall Entertainment, joins host Susan Campbell to explain how he and his team—who specialize in lighting systems integration for theme park attractions and entertainment facilities—use technology to bring those big creative visions to life. He also reveals two of his own favorite theme park attractions and describes the impressive technologies behind both.

Stuart Duncan is a web developer and the father of an autistic son. When his son faced difficulties interacting with the wildly popular game Minecraft, Duncan responded by creating Autcraft, which he describes as the first Minecraft server dedicated to providing a safe and fun learning environment for children. Today, Autcraft has 16,000 subscribers. On this episode of The Big REthink, and in honor of Autism Acceptance Month, Duncan joins host Brian Rowley to explain how Autcraft meets its users’ emotional and social needs, and to discuss the importance of accessibility in technology.

In celebration of March’s Women’s History Month, host Susan Campbell looks back at three episodes of The Big REthink featuring creative female leaders at the intersection of education, business, technology, and science. Our guests include an Ivy League university dean who’s pioneering a new approach to engineering, the CEO of a company that trains individuals for new careers in tech, and a master storyteller who’s making waves in the world of AV.

Whether taking guests on a live-streamed visit to Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood in celebration of Black History Month or a live, virtual tour of Stonewall National Monument in honor of Pride, Unexpected Virtual Tours offers immersive, interactive virtual tours. Today, host Brian Rowley welcomes Akila McConnell, founder and owner, for a conversation about this immersive storytelling platform and team building concept, and why a focus on DEI is critical for companies in all industries.

At Give Kids the World Village, a nonprofit “storybook resort” in Orlando, Florida, critically ill children and their families can escape from shared emotional weight thanks to a number of meaningful, immersive experiences, many of which are technologically driven. On this episode of The Big REthink, Ian Cole, chief innovation officer, joins host Susan Campbell to discuss how technology is used to bring experiential storytelling to life for the Village’s guests. He also explains how automation is used to streamline behind-the-scenes operations, allowing resort staff to fully focus on guests.

Today, as climate concerns continue to rise, consumers, employees and investors are looking for a lot more transparency from the companies they buy from, work for and support. On this episode of The Big REthink, Lee Taylor, co-founder and CEO of REsurety Inc.—an analytics company serving clients in the renewable energy industry—talks to host Brian Rowley about the current state of clean energy initiatives, what his own company is doing to make a positive impact, and what the future of clean energy looks like. He also breaks down what it all means for business.

A new experience at LEGOLAND California Resort allows guests to build their own Ferrari (with help from their own personal pit crew), race it on one of three obstacle-filled tracks, and create a custom, digital version of their fancy new car. The experience is an adrenaline rush for kids, and just one more example of how the brand brings experiential learning to life. On this episode of The Big REthink, as part of our audio visual experience series, LEGOLAND director of entertainment, Jeremy Pancoast, joins host Susan Campbell to talk about how LEGOLAND parks embrace technology and immersion to encourage exploration.

"The world's problems are getting more and more complex. They require multiple disciplines to be able to solve,” says Alexis Abramson, who is the dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and a mechanical engineer by trade. “When we're dealing with a problem like climate change—or, think about building medical devices—we can't solve that problem in isolation.” On this episode of The Big REthink, Abramson joins host Barry Ross to share her take on why a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that she calls human-centered engineering is crucial to solving sustainability issues and combatting climate change.

In 2020, with live sporting events on pause, Quince Imaging undertook the herculean task of bringing the NFL Draft fan engagement experience to life virtually and in real time. Since then, Quince has captured that same exciting, in-person energy for virtual corporate events through its use of 3D projection image mapping, augmented reality and other technological features. On this episode of The Big REthink, as part of our audio visual experience series, Scott Williams, Quince Imaging’s co-founder, CEO and CFO, joins host Susan Campbell to explain how the technologies will continue to improve both live and virtual events for audiences across industries.