NY Professional Spotlight

What happens when a doctor decides to walk away from the traditional insurance system to focus on better patient care?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner welcomes Dr. Clifton Jackness, an endocrinologist at Park Avenue Endocrinology and Nutrition in New York City, to discuss the business of medicine, the growing role of artificial intelligence, and the importance of building strong relationships with patients.

Dr. Jackness shares one of the biggest challenges of his career: moving his medical practice away from insurance-based billing. He explains why the decision was difficult...

What does it take to leave a successful Wall Street career and build technology that could help improve people's lives?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with Sakthivel (SV) Vellingiri, an experienced technology professional who made the move from financial services to life sciences.

After spending years working with leading investment banks and fintech companies, SV decided to follow his passion for using technology to make a meaningful difference. Today, he's focused on developing AI-powered platforms that help life sciences and pharmaceutical companies manage data, improve trust...

What does it take to help nonprofit organizations grow, improve performance, and better serve their communities?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner welcomes Sharon Doctor, Founder and CEO of Valentius LLC, to discuss the importance of strong leadership, better systems, and building trust within organizations.

With more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofit and healthcare organizations, Sharon shares practical lessons about organizational change, responsible technology use, and creating long-term financial stability.

Sharon's career was shaped by her experience as...

Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, learn, and solve problems. But what does it take to make AI technology available to more people around the world?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner welcomes Abhishek Malvankar, Senior Software Engineer and Master Inventor at IBM Research, to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, open source innovation, and the importance of collaboration in technology.

Abhishek has built his career around optimizing large-scale computing systems, managing resources, and improving how technology operates in cloud environments. Today, his work focuses on making AI...

What happens when a doctor realizes that the traditional healthcare system isn't allowing him to provide the kind of care his patients deserve?

For Dr. Robert Kornfeld, the answer was to change the way he practiced medicine.

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner welcomes Dr. Robert Kornfeld, an experienced New York podiatrist specializing in functional and regenerative medicine.

With 44 years in practice, Dr. Kornfeld has built his career around understanding the underlying factors that contribute to chronic pain rather than focusing only on symptoms.

He...

Running a successful dental practice takes more than clinical skills. It requires compassion, trust, business knowledge, and the ability to adapt to a changing healthcare industry.

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner welcomes Dr. Parul Makkar, a general dentist and private practice owner based in Jericho, Long Island.

Dr. Makkar shares her journey of building a patient-centered dental practice, the challenges of running a small healthcare business, and why she believes treating the person behind the smile is just as important as treating their teeth.

From navigating...

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 t...

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 r...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

What does it take to build a successful career in financial advising? For Benjamin Williams, it starts with resilience, learning, empathy, and understanding what each client truly wants to achieve.

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast with Roman Kirzhner, Roman sits down with Benjamin Williams, MBA, a financial advisor who works with individuals, families, and businesses to help them plan for their financial goals.

Benjamin shares the unique path that brought him into financial advising. Before his current career, he worked in corporate America in research, development, innovation, and business transformation. He...

What happens when blockchain, artificial intelligence, and traditional capital markets come together?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast with Roman Kirzhner, Roman speaks with Kelly Ye, Co-Founder and CIO of CoinBridge, about her work at the intersection of finance and innovation.

Kelly shares how CoinBridge is working to connect capital with assets on-chain and expand access to private investment opportunities. Drawing on 18 years of experience in capital markets and financial innovation, she explains why curiosity, trust, and understanding the needs of the end investor have remained important throughout her career.

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What happens when powerful technology meets strong human leadership?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast with Roman Kirzhner, Roman speaks with Nidhi Sharma, a senior software engineering leader at Cox Automotive with more than 15 years of experience working with enterprise Salesforce and AI platforms.

Nidhi shares the four pillars she believes set her apart: execution, original thinking, trust and credibility, and giving back through mentorship.

She also talks about one of the biggest challenges of leadership: finding the right balance between getting results and taking care of people. For Nidhi...

What does it take to build a world-class medical career while staying curious, innovative, and passionate about helping people? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with ophthalmologist Dr. Samir Jabbour to discuss the experiences that shaped his journey from France to Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom before joining a prestigious ophthalmology practice on Park Avenue in New York City.

Dr. Jabbour shares how studying and working in different healthcare systems expanded his perspective and strengthened his ability to provide exceptional patient care. He explains why curiosity, imagination...

What does it take to spot investment opportunities before everyone else? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with investor and hedge fund manager Brad Lamensdorf to discuss the mindset behind successful long-term investing, the value of patience, and why diversification remains one of the most important principles for building wealth.

Brad shares his unique journey from working alongside legendary investors in Texas to managing hedge funds, private equity investments, and large-scale real estate developments. He explains why he considers himself a contrarian investor, how he evaluates opportunities that others...

Can you retire with confidence? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with financial professional Domenick D'Andrea, who shares over 30 years of experience helping retirees, business owners, and families build financial confidence through thoughtful planning.

Domenick explains why financial success isn't about chasing quick wins—it's about creating a personalized plan that can withstand both good markets and challenging ones. He discusses how technology, including artificial intelligence, has improved client communication while reinforcing that personal relationships and trust remain at the heart of financial planning.

During the conversation, Do...

What does it really take to retire with confidence? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with retirement specialist Robert Cannon, who shares why successful retirement planning is about much more than simply growing investments. With more than 35 years of experience, Robert explains how taxes, Social Security, inflation, healthcare costs, and investment risks all work together to shape a secure retirement.

During the conversation, Robert discusses why acting as a fiduciary—always putting the client's best interests first—is the foundation of quality financial advice. He shares stories from his own...

How do you build a career that helps people every day?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner talks with Anthony Liberty, Senior HR Associate at Bellevue Hospital.

Anthony shares how he moved from college admissions into healthcare human resources during the pandemic. He explains why trust, employee support, and hiring the right people are so important in healthcare.

They also talk about Bellevue Hospital's mission to care for everyone, no matter their insurance or ability to pay. Anthony shares details about the Bridge to Home program, which helps...

What does it take to lead one of the busiest trauma centers in the United States while staying focused on compassion, resilience, and community service? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with Cristina Contreras, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, to discuss her inspiring leadership journey and the lessons she's learned throughout more than three decades in healthcare.

Cristina shares how her background in social work shaped her leadership style, why caring for people has always been her greatest strength, and how overcoming language barriers and breaking through leadership barriers...

What does it take to earn a patient's trust while navigating today's complex healthcare system?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner welcomes board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rowland Mayor for a conversation about leadership, communication, and innovation in orthopedic medicine.

With more than 30 years of experience specializing in sports medicine, Dr. Mayor explains why listening to patients is one of the most important parts of providing quality care. He discusses how personalized treatment plans, built on trust and clear communication, help patients make informed decisions about their health.

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What happens when highly successful physicians spend years mastering medicine but receive almost no education about managing their own finances?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with Eric Mangold, Founder of Argosy Wealth Management, to discuss why financial planning is so important for physicians and how trust, relationships, and long-term planning create lasting financial confidence.

Eric explains why many physicians view money as a taboo subject, the financial challenges they often face throughout their careers, and why protecting wealth is just as important as growing it. He shares...

What if the biggest gap in your financial plan isn't your investments—but the lack of communication between your advisors?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with financial advisor Thomas Martin, founder of Martin Strategic Wealth, to discuss why successful financial planning requires more than investment management. Thomas explains how coordinating financial advisors, CPAs, estate planning attorneys, and other professionals helps clients make smarter decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

Drawing from more than 12 years of experience, Thomas shares how he helps business owners prepare for successful business ex...

What happens to a child with special needs when their parents are no longer there to care for them? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with CPA, financial planner, and author Mike Ringel to discuss one of the most important financial planning conversations families can have.

Mike shares how his career evolved from public accounting and entrepreneurship into a mission-driven practice focused on helping families with children and adults who have special needs. He explains why these families must plan for two lifetimes, how thoughtful financial planning can protect government...

Artificial Intelligence is changing the way businesses work, but how can professionals move beyond simple prompts and start using AI as a true business partner?

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner sits down with entrepreneur and AI innovator Patrick Buquet, who shares how he built and sold a global consulting firm before launching PleaseFix.ai, a new AI-powered consulting platform designed to transform how organizations access expert advice.

Patrick explains why he believes the future belongs to AI agents rather than traditional chatbots, how businesses can use AI to...

How can business owners build lasting financial security while staying ahead in the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with financial advisor, business strategist, and startup sales leader Rafi Glantz to discuss the intersection of financial planning, entrepreneurship, and AI innovation.

Rafi shares how he helps individuals and business owners make smarter financial decisions, from investments and retirement planning to estate planning and insurance. He explains why separating personal and business finances early can prevent major challenges as companies grow.

The conversation...

What inspired a successful Manhattan plastic surgeon to choose her career? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, host Roman Kirzhner speaks with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michelle Zweifler about the personal experience that shaped her path and her passion for helping patients feel more confident.

Dr. Zweifler shares how having rhinoplasty as a teenager inspired her to become a physician and ultimately a plastic surgeon. She discusses the importance of advanced training, continuous learning, and staying current with new techniques and technology.

During the conversation, Dr. Zweifler explains some of the challenges...

What does it take to build a successful career that lasts nearly four decades? In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with retired oral and maxillofacial surgeon Barry Bass to discuss the mindset, discipline, and generosity that helped him grow a thriving practice while making a lasting impact on his community.

Barry shares how his career took an unexpected turn from scientific research into dentistry and oral surgery, leading to 37 years in private practice across Long Island. Rather than focusing solely on technical skills, he explains why creating memorable patient experiences...

In this episode, Dave Dubeau sits down with multifamily real estate investor Roman Kirzhner, principal at Veles Holdings and host of the New York Professional Spotlight Show. Roman shares how he transitioned from single-family investing to apartment buildings and explains why multifamily properties offer greater scalability, stability, and long-term wealth-building opportunities.

Roman discusses the criteria his team uses when evaluating apartment building acquisitions, including market selection, neighborhood quality, property age, and financial performance. He explains why strong cash flow from day one is essential and how protecting investor capital remains at the center of every decision they...

NY Professional Spotlight is the show where host Roman Kirzhner sits down with accomplished professionals from across New York to uncover the stories, strategies, and expertise behind their success.

From doctors and lawyers to engineers, financial professionals, business owners, and industry leaders, each episode features candid conversations about career growth, leadership, business, investing, overcoming challenges, and building a lasting legacy.

Whether you're a professional looking to elevate your career, a business owner seeking new insights, or someone who enjoys learning from successful people, NY Professional Spotlight delivers practical wisdom and real-world experience from some of...