AV/IT Amplifier

Ryan Gray is back for week two with Zach Moss of Yavapai College, this time leaving project management mostly behind for the questions that really matter. Zach establishes his place in the Yavapai College hierarchy of multiple Zachs, explains why he considers himself an extrovert, looks back at his first job washing dishes in an Italian restaurant, and shares why he tries not to let fear make decisions for him, even when that philosophy has led to some objectively questionable choices.The conversation continues through alternate careers in chemical engineering, total commitment to the Apple ecosystem, listening to the same music over and over, and the unexpectedly serious accomplishment of building a remarkably flat bench. Then Ryan and Zach develop the concept for Zach, an action movie in which a different actor plays Zach in every scene without explanation, before getting into what it means when someone genuinely asks how you are doing and discovering that even a man who refuses to let fear make his decisions occasionally knows when to let common sense kick in.Topics DiscussedThe Yavapai College hierarchy of ZachsBeing an extrovert and drawing energy from other peopleLessons from a first job in an Italian restaurantRefusing to let fear make decisionsMoving from Virginia to Prescott without a jobAn alternate career in chemistry or chemical engineeringApple loyalty and listening to the same music over and overBuilding a six foot, extremely flat benchCasting the action movie of Zach Moss’s lifeHonesty, common sense, and knowing what not to sayConnect with Zachhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-moss-mba-pmp-4732b1290https://www.yc.eduConnect with Ryanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/[email protected] by Chris DechterHave feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!

In this episode of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast, Ryan Gray sits down with Zach Moss, Project Manager in the IT department at Yavapai College, during a live recording at the Arizona Community College Technical Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Zach talks about what project management actually means inside higher education IT, where the work can stretch from campus remodel conversations to ERP replacement, portal launches, vendor coordination, and the daily challenge of keeping complex work moving across teams. The conversation quickly moves beyond timelines and task lists into the reality of leading projects when the technical answers live with subject matter experts, the stakeholders all have different needs, and the role often becomes less about having every answer and more about knowing how to remove the next barrier.Ryan and Zach also dig into transparency, ambiguity, risk tolerance, and the emotional intelligence required to manage technology projects without turning every issue into a crisis. Zach explains how taking good notes, focusing on the problem directly in front of him, building enough runway for timelines to shift, and meeting people where they are helps him keep work moving even when plans change. The episode closes with a wider conversation about accountability, trust, celebrating wins, choosing the right people for the work, and why successful project management in higher education often comes down to taking something that does not exist yet and bringing it together for students, faculty, and staff.Topics DiscussedRecording live at the Arizona Community College Technical Conference in TucsonZach Moss’s role as Project Manager in the IT department at Yavapai CollegeWhy project management looks different depending on the projectBuilding a project management role when the position is new to the departmentCoordinating work across ERP, portal, campus, and IT projectsLeading projects when the subject matter experts know the technical detailsRemoving blockers without personally knowing every system or acronymLiving in a constant state of emergency without treating every problem as a crisisTaking good notes and focusing on the problem directly in front of youKnowing when something is a Thursday problem instead of a Tuesday problemCreating enough runway so timelines can shift without panicThe difference between real imperatives and invented urgencyRecalibrating expectations when plans, features, or deadlines changeUsing transparency to build trust with teams and executive stakeholdersThe “you know everything I know” approach to project communicationWorking through forever projects and vendor implementation challengesWhitewater rapids as a metaphor for constant technology changeBuilding the right project team with the right ownershipMeeting people where they are in communication and work styleDefining project management as taking a scope or goal and bringing it togetherConnect with Zachhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-moss-mba-pmp-4732b1290https://www.yc.eduConnect with Ryanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/[email protected] by Chris DechterHave feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!

In this one off InfoComm 2026 episode, the tables turn as Laura and Rebecca from Igloo Vision take over the microphones and interview Ryan Gray for a change. What starts as a lighthearted booth conversation quickly turns into a surprisingly honest discussion about recognition, community leadership, HETMA’s future, the pressure of being seen by others, and why the best technology is often the kind instructors never have to think about.Ryan talks about winning AV Professional of the Year, the importance of working yourself out of a job, and why HETMA’s future depends on shared ownership beyond its original leaders. The conversation also dives into student centered classroom technology, including beamforming microphones, automated camera systems, capture workflows, and the role of AI in helping students translate class experiences into learning that fits their lives. Also, somehow, HETMA becomes cucumber lime electrolyte water and Ryan becomes “Persistence Man.”Topics DiscussedRyan being interviewed instead of hostingThe HETMA podcast takeover from InfoComm 2026Laura and Rebecca from Igloo Vision turning the tablesRyan’s role at Yavapai CollegeRyan’s role with Higher Ed AV MediaReceiving the AV Professional of the Year awardThe challenge of accepting recognitionWorking yourself out of a jobBuilding teams that create opportunities for othersHelping work outlive the person who started itHETMA as a volunteer driven organizationThe early growth of HETMA during the COVID eraShared ownership as the future of HETMABringing new leaders into the communityHETMA’s presence at ISE and international growthThe importance of education led community buildingHow higher education AV may translate differently outside the United StatesBalancing structure and substance in a growing organizationTechnology that supports teaching without getting in the wayDesigning AV systems around the student experienceBeamforming microphones in learning spacesShure ceiling microphone systemsAutomated camera systems and Huddly CrewLecture capture and recorded classroom experiencesAI searchable class contentSupporting working adults, parents, and students with complicated livesMatching teaching styles to student learning needsThe value of technology that feels automatic to instructorsConnect with Laura Millshttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/laurakellymillshttps://www.igloovision.comConnect with Rebecca Wadehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-wade-979094154https://www.igloovision.comConnect with Ryanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/[email protected] by Chris DechterHave feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!

This week on the AV/IT Amplifier, Ryan continues the conversation with Philipp Gude of GUDE Systems, moving beyond the product conversation and into the people, personality, and philosophy behind the company. The episode starts with the most important technical matter of all: how exactly Americans are supposed to pronounce “Gude,” why “good” works just fine, and how quickly a strong product name can become a full episode worth of puns.From there, Ryan and Philipp get into the energy of InfoComm, what it means to make a traditionally dry category like power management feel engaging, and why smart power is more than just something sitting in the bottom of a rack. Philipp talks about working in a family company, his path through engineering, IT, and sales, the pride and responsibility of having his name on every product, and why his confidence in GUDE comes not just from the engineering team, but from the feedback he hears every day from customers. The conversation also wanders, in the best possible way, through Cologne, German beer, factory tours, grilled salami and gouda sandwiches, the future film Mr. Strom, and the value of creating enough trust that people will tell you the truth.Topics discussedThe difference between saying GUDE in German and saying “good” for English speaking customers.How GUDE’s slogan, “good, great, GUDE,” turns the company name into a natural brand advantage.The danger and delight of making too many power management puns.Why AV and IT people often build big public systems while personally preferring to stay in the background.Philipp’s answer to whether he is an introvert or an extrovert: both, depending on role and day.InfoComm as an exhausting but energizing week for people who thrive on connection.Making power management feel more engaging without losing sight of how serious and important it is.Philipp’s unexpected path into the family business after work in chemical industry, IT, engineering, and technical sales.What it feels like to sell a product that literally carries your family name.Why Philipp says his confidence in GUDE comes from customer feedback as much as from knowing the engineering team.GUDE’s firmware being built from scratch and the value of knowing what is actually inside the product.Cologne, the Cologne Cathedral, German beer, and why ordering “a beer” may be the right move in Germany.The imagined movie of Philipp’s life: Mr. Power, or better, Mr. Strom.The best sandwich question, answered with grilled salami and gouda.The importance of blunt, honest feedback from customers, colleagues, and team members.How assumptions about family businesses can miss the real story of how someone started.Where to connect with Philipp and GUDE Systems.InfoComm booth details and HETMA member show floor tours.Connect with Philipp Gudehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-gude-pdu/https://gude-systems.comConnect with Ryanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/[email protected] by Chris DechterHave feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!

In this episode of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast, Ryan Gray sits down with Philipp Gude of GUDE Systems during the final run up to InfoComm 2026. Philipp shares the story of GUDE as a family company, founded by his father more than 35 years ago, and explains how that structure shapes the company’s approach to decision making, long term investment, and customer relationships. The conversation quickly moves beyond power distribution as a product category and into the operational realities of higher education AV, where reliability, remote rebooting, standardization, and human support all become part of the same equation. GUDE will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas at booth C1706, where the company plans to showcase smart IP power solutions for AV and IT infrastructures.    Ryan and Philipp also talk about the reputational nature of the AV industry, the value of HETMA Approved testing, and why feedback from actual higher education colleagues often matters more than a logo, spec sheet, or certification alone. Philipp previews smaller NEMA 5 15 PDUs, smart UPS products, vertical PDUs, remote reboot tools, open REST API support, plug and play drivers for platforms like Crestron, Q SYS, and Extron, and self healing watchdog functionality. The episode closes with a wider conversation about GUDE’s global reach, German manufacturing, US availability, international power standards, and how HETMA can build European presence by partnering with existing regional communities rather than trying to force a duplicate model into a place where strong networks already exist.Topics DiscussedInfoComm 2026 preparation and why the show matters to the AV industryPhilipp Gude’s role with GUDE SystemsGUDE as a family company founded more than 35 years agoSmart PDUs, power management, and power protection for AV environmentsWhy family company decision making can move faster than large corporate processesPeople first supplier relationships and the importance of access to real humansThe reputational nature of the AV industryHETMA Approved testing and real campus feedbackReliability, remote rebooting, and reducing unnecessary campus truck rollsInfoComm previews including compact NEMA 5 15 PDUs, smart UPS products, and vertical PDUsCampus standardization and AV systems becoming more like enterprise IT deploymentsOpen REST API support and integration with control and monitoring platformsSelf healing watchdog functionality and reducing trouble tickets before users notice issuesWorking across 120 volt and 230 volt power environmentsGUDE’s US presence, US stock, and NEMA 5 15 and NEMA 5 20 productsHETMA’s European growth opportunitiesPartnering with existing higher education technology organizationsUsing university case studies and presentations to create value across regionsThe human side of AV technology partnershipsThe upcoming deeper dive into GUDE gear and InfoComm coveragePhilipp's Post as discussed:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/philipp-gude-pdu_proav-avtweeps-activity-7463223348601290752-ni3nConnect with Philipp Gudehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-gude-pdu/https://gude-systems.comConnect with Ryanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/[email protected] by Chris DechterHave feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!