What If This Could Be Better? – A Veteran's Approach to Innovation with A'Yana Leonard

Connect with A'Yana Leonard

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayanaleonardtexas/

In this episode of The Vector Podcast, host Christian Perez sits down with A'Yana Leonard—U.S. Army veteran, former Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy, and self-taught technologist exploring AI, cloud systems, and even FPGA hardware.

A'Yana's path into tech didn't follow the traditional blueprint. No CS degree straight out of high school. No linear career ladder. Instead, she moved from tech support to sales to marketing leadership, teaching herself cloud services and AI along the way. Her driving question throughout: What if this could be better?

That mindset—rooted in her military experience where you often have to make something out of nothing—shaped how she approaches technology, business problems, and even personal challenges. A'Yana shares the story behind Mom Hive, an AI tool she built to support her daughter who has autism, and discusses what companies consistently get wrong about artificial intelligence.

This conversation is for veterans early in their tech journey, anyone curious about AI's role in marketing, or those who need a reminder that ambition and resourcefulness can outpace credentials.

Topics Discussed

• A'Yana's military-to-tech transition and unconventional career path
• The "what if this could be better" mindset and where it comes from
• AI as a tool, not a magic solution—and what businesses get wrong
• The history of AI (hint: it didn't start with ChatGPT)
• Building custom AI solutions for small businesses
• Mom Hive: A'Yana's personal AI project for her daughter with autism
• The future of AI, developers vs. researchers, and quantum computing's potential
• Why veterans already have the skills tech companies need
• "You already did the hard part"—advice for transitioning service members

Key Takeaways

• AI isn't new—it's been studied since the 1950s. What's new is accessibility.
• AI should be customized to your business, not copied from someone else's playbook.
• The tech industry may shift toward more researchers and fewer traditional developers.
• Quantum computing could unlock breakthroughs in medicine and beyond.
• Veterans don't start from zero—military service builds problem-solving, adaptability, and grit.
• Continuous learning isn't optional in tech. Stay curious, stay competitive.