Adam Wray is the founder and CEO of AstrumU, a Seattle-based data science startup that translates educational experiences into economic opportunity. Adam held a variety of senior leadership and founding roles at data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud, and machine learning-focused companies. He was one of the founders and the CEO of Tier 3, a public sector cloud services provider acquired by CenturyLink, one of the largest U.S. enterprise telecommunications companies. In this episode, Adam and Aviv dive deep, explore the power of building an exceptional culture and, specifically, insights that emerged out of Adam’s experience as CEO. Adam describes his entrepreneurial journey and what inspired him to focus on education. He then reflects on the most impactful lessons he’s learned throughout his career. Finally, Adam outlines what he values above all other ideas and insights and provides sage advice to the audience on leadership and starting a business. 00:44 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Adam Wray who shares his background in the humanities and what he enjoys the most about his work 04:10 – The problem Adam is striving to solve at AstrumU and the Four Buckets of Universal Skills 08:22 – Adam shares his perspective on how the ability to focus has been impacted by the recent technological boon 14:33 – The inspiration to get involved in education and three key trends that are reshaping the space 22:41 – Other significant trends Adam has observed in education 26:36 – Adam’s entrepreneurial origin journey 29:22 – Critical lessons Adam has learned on building highly effective teams and culture 32:18 – The seven values Adam fosters in his organization 39:30 – Adam’s experience working at Amazon 41:28 – Adam speaks to the final two values he fosters in his organization 46:06 – How Adam reinvests in himself to become a better CEO 48:55 – Adam reflects on a moment in his past where he expressed courage in leadership 54:09 – Advice Adam would give to his twenty-five-year-old self 54:52 – The two insights Adam values above all else 56:14 – Final words of wisdom from Adam FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf110