CU Business School 2025 "Business Leaders with an Edge" Student Forum

MOST Programming announced CEO Marina Johnson's participation as a panelist at the University of Colorado Business School's 2025 Business Leaders with an Edge annual event. The recent event addressed AI literacy, cybersecurity threats, and career guidance for graduate and undergraduate technology students.

MOST Programming announced that Marina Johnson, the company's Chief Executive Officer, served as a distinguished panelist at the University of Colorado Business School's 2025 Business Leaders Annual Edge event. Johnson joined five other recognized technology business leaders to address critical questions about artificial intelligence and generative AI for graduate and undergraduate students pursuing technology careers.

The panel consisted of:

• Darius Alavi – VP, Software Development & Programming Operations, Charter Communications
• Marina Johnson – CEO, Data Analytics, AI & Custom Software Development Company
• Frances Matthews, Executive Producer, The Business of Colorado, PBS12
• Chris Peppler – VP, Platform, Trimble, Inc.
• Amanda Sorensen – SVP, Business Information Security Office, Bank of America
• Christian Winward – CIO, First Bank

Moderator:

• Cynthia A. Wright – Principal, Cyber Strategy & Policy, MITRE Corporation

As artificial intelligence reshapes the technology arena, the panel explored pressing concerns for emerging professionals, including AI literacy for both technical and non-technical leaders, understanding AI capabilities and limitations, the evolving threat of AI-powered attacks and deepfakes, and the critical AI and cybersecurity skills and mindsets essential in modern technology roles.

Students asked questions such as “How important is it for non-technical leaders to understand AI capabilities and limitations?”, “What level of AI literacy do you expect from leadership?”, and “How has the threat landscape evolved with AI-powered attacks and deepfakes?”.

The originally scheduled two-hour panel was extended due to overwhelming interest during the question-and-answer period, demonstrating the relevance of these topics for future technology professionals.

"Your current knowledge doesn't matter; what's more important is what you're willing to learn," Johnson stated during the panel, encouraging students to stay curious and always take on new challenges.

The panel guided over 90 graduate and undergraduate students through considerations for their professional paths in an industry experiencing rapid technological transformation and growing demand for skilled professionals.

Johnson’s leadership philosophy emphasizes listening to employees and customers to make informed observations and draw conclusions. She serves on multiple boards, including the University of Colorado Denver Business School Center for Information Technology Innovation Advisory Board, the Society for Information Management Colorado Chapter as Board Member and Treasurer, and the Executive Advisory Board at Regis University.

Johnson’s company, MOST Programming, is a certified Woman and Veteran Owned Business specializing in data analytics, data visualization, business intelligence, AI and custom software development. The company transforms complex business challenges into data-driven solutions through process optimization, automation, and Power BI development, helping organizations turn data into actionable insights, improving operational and financial results.