NY Professional Spotlight

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast with Roman Kirzhner, Roman sits down with Kathy Entwistle, Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor at Morgan Stanley with the True North 360 Group. Kathy helps clients who have worked hard to build wealth understand how their financial resources can support the next phase of their lives.
 
Kathy explains why great wealth management starts with listening. Rather than focusing only on numbers, she takes time to understand each client's goals, values, priorities, and what matters most to them. From there, she works to create a financial path that connects their resources with the life they want to build.
 
Roman and Kathy also discuss the importance of trust in professional relationships. Kathy shares why trust is earned over time by showing up, following through, and being there when clients need support. She also explains why communicating financial concepts in clear, understandable language can help clients feel more comfortable and confident.
Kathy shares her unusual path into wealth management after spending 12 years as a stay-at-home mom. Despite entering a demanding training program with nearly 400 participants, she was one of only three who remained after three years. Her story highlights persistence, flexibility, and the value of recognizing the strengths people bring from different life experiences. Pasted markdown
Kathy shares her unusual path into wealth management after spending 12 years as a stay-at-home mom. Despite entering a demanding training program with nearly 400 participants, she was one of only three who remained after three years. Her story highlights persistence, flexibility, and the value of recognizing the strengths people bring from different life experiences. Pasted markdown
 

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with Deepika Sidana, a Senior Engineering Manager at American Express with around 15 years of experience in software engineering.
Deepika shares how she began her career as a Java developer and gradually moved into engineering leadership. One of the biggest lessons from that transition was learning that leadership is not about being the person who solves every problem. Instead, strong leaders empower their teams to think independently, challenge assumptions, make decisions, and learn from mistakes.
 
Roman and Deepika also explore the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence. Deepika discusses her work with AI agents and knowledge-assistant initiatives, along with her personal interest in using AI as a tool for learning rather than simply an “answering machine.” She created a custom GPT for her daughter designed to encourage critical thinking by guiding her toward answers instead of providing them directly.
 
Deepika also shares her efforts to help the next generation become more confident with technology. She has delivered coding and AI workshops to nearly 100 Girl Scouts and hopes to expand the initiative so more volunteers can help young people develop foundational AI and technology skills
 
The conversation also touches on career growth and the importance of becoming comfortable with uncomfortable situations. Deepika explains why failure has been an important part of her own development and why professionals shouldn't allow fear of failure to prevent them from taking on new challenges

AI, Leadership, and the Power of Continuous Learning with Arindam Mukhopadhyay
What does it take to lead through decades of change in finance, technology, and now artificial intelligence?
In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with Arindam Mukhopadhyay, founder of Inflection Advisory and a seasoned finance and technology executive with more than 25 years of experience, including two decades at Citigroup.
Arindam shares how curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning have helped him move into new roles, master unfamiliar areas, and lead large global teams. He explains why there is no shortcut to developing real knowledge and why professionals need the discipline to focus on a few important priorities at a time.
Roman and Arindam also explore the growing role of artificial intelligence in business. Arindam discusses how AI can improve enterprise operations, why understanding the technology requires ongoing learning, and why trust will play such an important role as people give AI greater responsibility in everyday decisions.
The conversation goes beyond technology. Arindam shares lessons from managing teams around the world and explains why understanding history, culture, and society can make someone a more effective global leader. For him, technology may be a powerful enabler, but business and leadership ultimately remain deeply human.
The episode also touches on creating income outside a traditional career. Arindam emphasizes understanding the risks and the field before putting money into alternative investments and reminds listeners that investing in their own skills and creativity can open opportunities too.
 

What does a business website really need to tell people?
In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner talks with Tom Belknap about websites, business information, artificial intelligence, and the lessons that come from years of solving technology problems.
The conversation explores a simple but important idea: a website should start with the truth about the business. Customers need to understand who the business is, how to contact it, what it sells, how to buy, and how the product or service will be delivered.
The episode also looks at the growing role of AI. They discuss why AI should be treated as a tool, why its results still need to be checked, and how developers can use AI to complete work that once took much longer.
The conversation also covers the challenges of building a business, the value of working on many different projects, and why experience can help professionals recognize problems that appear again and again.
You’ll also hear about a practical AI project discussed in the interview called Menu Goblin. The idea is to take information from a paper menu and turn it into a digital menu in just minutes.
 

Roman Kirzhner believes one of the most important skills in real estate is knowing when not to buy.
In this monthly update, Roman shares what his team is seeing in Texas multifamily and why they are putting more attention on smaller markets instead of major cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin.
One market on his radar is Texarkana, where his team already owns a 22-unit property and is now working on a 60-unit property about 10 minutes away.
Roman walks through what makes the deal interesting. The property is currently 77% occupied, rents are about 17% below market, and the planned improvements are focused on light renovations, curb appeal, and getting amenities like the gym and laundry working well.
He also explains one of the strongest financial pieces of the deal: an assumable loan at 5.5% with another six years of interest-only payments.
Then Roman takes us behind the scenes of due diligence. He explains why the due diligence clock should not start until the seller has provided the required documents, why his team walks every unit, and why paperwork alone does not always tell the full story.
On the Texarkana property, the insurance loss run showed zero claims. The physical inspection told a different story. One unit had burned, and that discovery brought Roman and his team back to the negotiating table, where they negotiated about $25,000 to cover the issue.
Roman also shares why he is studying artificial intelligence, how his team uses AI during due diligence, and a simple habit he recommends when using AI: after getting an answer, ask the tool to critique its own response.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Why Roman is concentrating more of his attention on Texas• What he looks for in smaller Texas markets• Why 20 to 75 unit properties fit his buy box• The plan for a 60-unit Texarkana apartment property• How below-market rents and vacancy create a value opportunity• Why the assumable 5.5% loan matters to the deal• What Roman checks during physical and financial due diligence• How an inspection uncovered a burned unit that was not shown on the loss run• How Roman is using AI to help analyze real estate information• Why he recommends asking AI to critique itself

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with Renato Shemsiu, an experienced engineering and project management professional working across the oil and gas, refining, renewable fuels, and process technology industries.
Renato shares how his interest in engineering began as a child in Albania, where his father introduced him to industrial equipment, processes, and the importance of building strong relationships with a team. That early experience helped shape a career that now spans more than 18 years. Pasted text
Renato discusses his evolution from a technical process engineer into a leader responsible for multidisciplinary teams, stakeholders, business decisions, and complex projects. He explains why professionals should develop deep technical expertise while also learning about finance, contracts, customers, risk, operations, and how organizations make decisions. Pasted text
The conversation also explores the role of culture and communication in leadership. Renato speaks five languages and shares how an assignment in France pushed him to learn French and better understand a different culture. For Renato, leadership isn't simply about having every answer. It is about asking the right questions, creating clarity, building trust, and bringing people together around a common goal. Pasted text
Roman and Renato also discuss creating income outside of a primary career. Renato shares his experience as a licensed real estate agent, owning a rental property in Albania, exploring entrepreneurship, and considering consulting opportunities. He emphasizes identifying real problems, listening carefully to people, developing useful solutions, and having the courage to act on an idea.

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with Ameen Sherali, a technology professional with an engineering background and 14 years of experience at JetBlue. Ameen works in DevOps and platform engineering, helping support the systems and infrastructure that keep applications running. Pasted text
Ameen shares why curiosity has been one of the most important factors in his career. Rather than simply accepting that a system works, he wants to understand how and why it works. He explains how that mindset helps engineers solve problems, continue learning, and distinguish themselves in a fast-changing industry. Pasted text
Roman and Ameen also discuss artificial intelligence and its growing role in technology. Ameen sees AI as a powerful assistant that can simplify tasks and improve productivity, but he also believes the human element remains essential. He shares how he learns by experimenting with different AI tools and applying them to both professional and personal projects. Pasted text Pasted text
Ameen’s career began as an intern at JetBlue, where he once handled tasks as basic as plugging in printers at the airport. He credits curiosity, consistent effort, and hands-on experience with helping him grow throughout his career. His advice to other professionals is simple: put in the time, stay curious, work on personal projects, and never stop learning. Pasted text Pasted text
Looking ahead, Ameen is experimenting with AI-powered applications designed to make engineers' work easier and reduce the time required for certain tasks.

What does it take to build a successful career in software engineering when technology is changing faster than ever?
In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner speaks with software engineer Aviral Srivastava about his career in technology, the importance of strong technical fundamentals, and how artificial intelligence is changing the way software engineers work.
Aviral shares how his interest in programming started when he was only eight or nine years old. That early curiosity eventually developed into a career in software engineering and infrastructure. His professional experience has included work at Affirm, Pinecone, Twitter (now X), and Atlan.
Aviral explains why breaking large problems into smaller ones has been such an important part of his approach to engineering. He also discusses why good software is not only about computers. It is ultimately built for people, which makes thoughtful system design, communication, and long-term usability important.
Roman and Aviral also explore one of the biggest questions facing technology professionals today: Will AI replace software engineers?
Aviral shares a practical view. He sees AI as a powerful tool that can improve productivity, but he also believes engineers still need to understand the fundamentals behind the work. Rather than simply asking AI for an answer and applying it, professionals need enough knowledge to understand the problem and guide the technology.
The conversation also covers an important lesson Aviral has learned as his career has grown: technical ability alone is not enough. Communication becomes increasingly important when engineers begin working on larger and more complex problems. Being proactive, setting expectations, and communicating timelines can have a major impact on a team.
Aviral also shares his personal approach to investing and financial planning, including why he prefers a simple, long-term approach rather than depending heavily on speculative investments.
 
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How can technology and AI help improve cancer care while keeping people at the center of the process?
In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast with Roman Kirzhner, Roman speaks with Kyu W Hwang, a technology leader at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Kyu leads software engineering teams that build technology solutions for researchers, clinicians, and patients.
For Kyu, this work recently became deeply personal when his mother was diagnosed with gastric cancer. Her experience gave him a new view of healthcare from both the patient and caregiver side. He shares how technology helped reduce friction during her journey, from processing medical records to digital pathology and access to treatment.
Kyu also discusses the growing role of artificial intelligence in software engineering and healthcare. Rather than seeing AI simply as a replacement for people, he sees it as a tool that can help technology teams accomplish far more. At the same time, he stresses the importance of human oversight, especially in healthcare, where trust and patient safety matter.
Roman and Kyu also discuss what tomorrow’s technology professionals will need to succeed. Technical knowledge remains important, but creativity, communication, adaptability, collaboration, and other human skills are becoming increasingly valuable.
For leaders, Kyu shares another important lesson: leadership does not mean being the smartest technical person in the room. It means trusting talented people, listening to their expertise, being authentic, and building the kind of relationships that people want to follow.
The conversation also explores one of the biggest challenges in technology: successful change requires more than building a great system. People must understand it, accept it, and change how they work. That makes communication, partnership, and change management essential parts of technology leadership.
Kyu is especially excited about the potential for AI to help researchers make better use of complex cancer data and open new possibilities for research, drug discovery, and treatment.
 
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What happens when the career path you worked hard to build no longer feels like the right one?
On this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast with Roman Kirzhner, Roman sits down with Dr. Jack Bulat, a double board-certified physician specializing in anesthesiology and pain medicine who also practices interventional vein medicine.
Jack shares the unusual path that brought him to medicine. After studying chemistry and entering a PhD program at the University of California, Berkeley, he realized that research was not giving him the sense of purpose he wanted. Making a major career change was not easy, but with guidance from mentors, Jack made the decision to leave the PhD track and pursue medicine.
That decision eventually took him to the University of Pennsylvania for medical school, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell for residency, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital for fellowship training.
Roman and Jack also discuss one of the most important parts of medicine: trust. An anesthesiologist may have only a few minutes to meet a patient, explain what will happen, and help that person feel safe before a procedure. Jack explains why kindness, communication, confidence, and attention to detail are so important during those first few minutes.
The conversation also explores planning for financial independence as a physician, knowing when to seek professional financial guidance, and why professionals should think about future income long before they are ready to slow down.
Finally, Jack shares an important lesson about mentorship. Finding a great mentor is only half of the relationship. Jack believes mentees need to take an active role by staying connected, asking questions, and taking initiative.
 
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