Ep20 Adam Lehde — Family Values, Ukrainian Excellence: Creating the Ideal Workplace

Today in the Sky Lounge, we’re joined by Adam Lehde, co-founder of Happen Technologies, to explore the art of building businesses across borders. Adam shares how he turned his initial doubts about outsourcing into a thriving hybrid business model that bridges Midwest strategy with Ukrainian tech talent. We dive into Adam’s journey from a rocky internship to mastering mobile development, the resilience of Ukrainian developers amidst wartime, and why culture always matters in tech. Adam also reveals how personal priorities and work-life balance shaped his company’s values and offers insights into the ever-evolving remote work landscape. And yes, you’ll want to hear why Ukraine’s tech scene is full of PhDs and rocket scientists—and what makes it an underestimated hub for startups and innovation. ABOUT OUR GUEST Prior to founding Happen Technologies, Adam spent his career building mobile apps and managing software projects for national brands, including Mazda, Hyundai, Anheuser-Busch, National Car Rental, and more. He has a passion (maybe an obsession) for improving everything he encounters and looks for EVERY opportunity to make it better. Socials LinkedIn Company LinkedIn Happen Technologies Website Contact info Email: [email protected] What is THE SKYLOUNGE? Tales from the SkyLounge is a podcast where we take you on a journey through the world of business, consulting, and venture investing. In each episode, we gather in our virtual sky lounge, high above the hustle and bustle of the everyday world, to hear stories from the people shaping these industries' future. From entrepreneurs who are disrupting the status quo, consultants who are helping companies solve their biggest challenges, and investors who are making bets on the next big thing. ABOUT OUR HOST Todd Merrill is an experienced software executive who typically assists clients as a fractional or interim CTO and CiSO as a partner at TechCXO. He has served in a series of companies as a C-Level executive focused on leveraging the Cloud to bring SaaS offerings to market. As an entrepreneur, turn-around expert, technology and product leader, and mentor, Todd has held full corporate P&L and product development responsibilities and directed diverse international teams of Engineering Managers, Mobile Architects, Developers, Dev Ops, QA, and Customer Success professionals. Subscribe and turn on notifications to listen to new episodes as they launch! YouTube Spotify Apple Amazon Follow Tales From The SkyLounge on Social Media X/Twitter Instagram Learn more about TechCXO Production/Design: James Liebman Music: Soundstripe/Cody Martin-Sunrise