Segal is proud to be part of a company that helps accelerate the federal government’s adoption of technologies alongside partners in the St. Louis region. Part of his success comes from staying curious and being willing to take risks. “My own path has taken me around the world—supporting highstakes missions in and outside the military and working with remarkable people,” he says. “You never know how one experience will open a door to the next, or how it might ultimately contribute to something bigger than yourself.”
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2026 QUESTIONNAIRE
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
What has been your/your company’s most significant success over the past 12 months? Our deep commitment to strengthening the St. Louis community and actively contributing to the revitalization of its downtown core. We believe in the immense potential of this city, and our recent initiatives reflect that conviction. A key part of this success has been the establishment of strategic teaming partnerships with St. Louis-based companies that have a significant downtown presence. These collaborations are built on a shared dedication to the city’s development and have already begun to foster a more interconnected and robust local economy. Furthermore, we’ve invested in the future of St. Louis’s workforce through an innovative educational partnership with the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). This collaboration is designed to bolster our geospatial workforce, providing our team members with accelerated opportunities to earn advanced degrees and ensuring a talent pool right here in St. Louis. These efforts culminated in our inaugural St. Louis Summit, a landmark event that brought together more than 70 senior stakeholders from across the city. We were honored to host Congressman Wesley Bell as our keynote speaker, and the discussions centered on a bold vision: positioning St. Louis as a leading defense tech hub. This summit underscored our pride in having our Scale AI Center located in St. Louis and our unwavering commitment to investing in the city’s growth and prosperity.
What has you most excited about the future of your company or industry? What excites me most about the future of our company and the broader AI industry is the transformative potential of integrating AI into U.S. government operational workflows. We’re at the cusp of a revolution in how critical decisions are made, and it’s incredibly inspiring to be at the forefront of this shift. A prime example of this is a recent contract Scale AI was awarded by the Defense Innovation Unit. We’re tasked with integrating AI into operational and theater – level planning, a groundbreaking initiative that will fundamentally change how military planners operate. Having been a military planner myself, I can tell you this isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s a leap forward. This system will accelerate decision – making dramatically, enabling planners to synthesize vast amounts of information and respond to evolving threats with unprecedented speed. We’re talking about reducing planning times from days to a matter of hours, which is a monumental step for national security. As the military continues to integrate more generative AI into their workflows, it creates an exciting and growing demand for high – quality writing datasets and for skilled professionals to test and evaluate government AI models. We’re already seeing this happen right here in St. Louis, where our talented writing workforce is engaged in this vital work daily. I fully anticipate this workforce will continue to grow significantly as more contracts like this come to fruition, further solidifying St. Louis’ role in the future of defense AI.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? AI’s benefits to modern society are truly limitless. A lot of people are just starting to understand how to use AI in their daily lives, but this type of new technology creates uncertainty for people. I think we need to continue to discuss what AI is, what it means, and the benefits it provides while keeping humans in the center of this innovation.
What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome? My toughest business challenge arose when I began my role in Pretoria, South Africa. Initially, I saw underperformance and felt an urge for immediate change. However, I quickly realized I lacked crucial context. Instead of rushing in, I chose a deliberate, phased approach. I meticulously investigated the root causes of underperformance, categorizing challenges into short-term fixes, systemic issues, and unchangeable realities. I then engaged key stakeholders, fostering collaboration to identify shared paths to improvement. This wasn’t about imposing solutions but empowering those closest to the problems. Within three years, our unit transformed from underperforming to the top in Africa, earning recognition at the highest levels of the Department of Defense. This experience underscored the power of understanding before action, and the value of collaborative problem-solving.
What’s a risk you took in business that didn’t pan out—but taught you something valuable? When I was working overseas, I had a very complicated project that involved establishing a new partnership. There were many stakeholders involved with the project and there was a lot at stake. Unfortunately, the potential partner ended up not liking the terms that we presented, and how I presented them, so the partnership fell apart. This meant that all of the people who dedicated time over those last several months were left with nothing to show for it. After the deal collapsed, I received 360-degree feedback on what went right, wrong, and how we can improve upon it for the next time. So when the next partnership opportunity presented itself, we were calibrated to meet the expectations of the opportunity. After several months of negotiations, we all finalized our agreement. None of this would have been possible without the failed first partnership agreement, because through that, I learned a lot of valuable lessons and we calibrated as a team to be successful in the next opportunity!
What advice would you give to the next generation of St. Louis entrepreneurs or leaders? I encourage the next generation of St. Louis entrepreneurs and leaders to take risks and stay curious. My own path has taken me around the world—supporting high-stakes missions in and outside the military and working with remarkable people. You never know how one experience will open a door to the next or how it might ultimately contribute to something bigger than yourself. Today, I’m proud to be part of a company that is helping accelerate the U.S. government’s adoption of advanced technologies—while doing so alongside incredible partners in the St. Louis area.
MENTORS & PEERS
What is a key strength of the St. Louis metro area business environment? A key strength of the St. Louis business environment is its unparalleled spirit of collaboration. Unlike larger cities, there’s a strong understanding that individual success benefits everyone. This means reaching out to key partners or leaders is remarkably easy. People genuinely want to help each other, recognizing that if one of us wins, the entire city wins. This collaborative mindset significantly accelerates progress and fosters a uniquely supportive ecosystem.
What is one thing you would change about the St. Louis metro area business environment? I would love to see more areas like Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis, which I believe would greatly attract businesses to establish their presence here, just like the way Scale AI did in 2022. During my time living in Kenya, I observed several small centers that truly offered everything one could desire in a single location: grocery stores, restaurants, bars, and even gyms, all conveniently co-located like self-contained islands. When a new “island” was developed, there was a palpable excitement, with people eager to explore the new shops and try out the new culinary offerings. I truly believe that developing a few more of these mixed-use centers in downtown St. Louis would strongly encourage businesses to relocate their teams within a comfortable walking distance, fostering a vibrant and integrated urban environment.
Who is the most interesting under-the-radar/emerging business leader in St. Louis? The CEO of LaunchCode, Gabe Lozano, is one of the most interesting under-the-radar business leaders in St. Louis. We first met because Scale AI and LaunchCode have enjoyed a partnership over the last few years and became quick friends. He is a driven leader that wants to build a high-performing team and bring out the best in each of his team members. He has an intellectual curiosity and drive to learn about a wide range of topics. Funny enough, he and I discuss some of our hardest problems together while exercising on a Saturday morning, resulting in both a physical and mental workout!
Who in your company (or industry) deserves more recognition for their impact? In my experience, many of the professionals at the intersection of AI and national security don’t seek public acclaim or recognition. They operate with a mission- and team-first mindset, focused on advancing critical work in an evolving era of technological innovation and global competition. It’s important to recognize that this work takes a village—from Scale AI’s global workforce to our exceptional partners here in St. Louis. Their quiet dedication is what truly drives impact.
What’s a local organization, nonprofit, or initiative that more people should know about—and why? We have built meaningful partnerships with several outstanding institutions and organizations across the St. Louis area, so it’s hard to name just one. We’re really proud of our partnership with the University of Missouri-Saint Louis (UMSL). UMSL’s efforts toward workforce development align perfectly with how much we care about our AI Center workforce. Other standouts are our partnerships with Chameleon Integrated Services, Mark One Solutions, and Hopewell Enterprises. These are St. Louis-based small businesses that are either minority-owned, disabled veteran-owned, or woman-owned, and our partnerships bring economic growth to downtown St. Louis.
BACKGROUND
Where were you born? I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Washington, DC.
What educational degrees do you hold, and where were they earned? Bachelor of Science in Management in Accounting; Master of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? My very first job, at 14, was delivering local newspapers door-to-door. I was responsible for receiving the bundles, wrapping them in plastic, and then walking to every house in my neighborhood. My initial impulse was to get through it as quickly as possible so I could go play sports before dark. However, I quickly learned a crucial lesson: speed doesn’t equate to accuracy, and rushing often leads to doing things multiple times. If I wrapped carelessly or hurried my deliveries, I’d inevitably have to rewrap papers or backtrack to missed houses. I realized that being deliberate and precise in my actions actually made me more efficient in the long run because I made fewer mistakes. That lesson stuck with me. Even now, when faced with a tough situation or a new challenge, I remember that it’s more effective to be deliberate in my approach than to try and solve something quickly.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What’s your hobby/passion? I have two young kids, 6 and 4, so my passion is giving them a fun childhood and being a good parent. Over their short lives, they have lived on two continents, lived in three countries, visited over six countries, and are really happy to finally be settled into St. Louis after my retirement from the Marines.
What is one book you think everyone should read (or podcast everyone should listen to) and why? My favorite podcast is Net Assessment, a show that reviews complicated international policy or important articles, and presents several different analyses from an international and domestic standpoint. They have a new topic every few weeks, and they cover recent news, so after an hour you’re very fluent on important issues that affect our country, at home or abroad.
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck or uninspired? Whenever I need to tackle a hard problem, and don’t know where to begin with a challenging issue, I use a large language model like ChatGPT to jumpstart my thinking. After working at Scale, I understand that ChatGPT is being fueled by high-quality data, written by some of the smartest people in the United States. LLMs help me frame my thinking and usually ask follow-up questions that I hadn’t thought of. This fuels my ideas and helps prepare me to dive into any challenge.
What would people be surprised to learn about you (fun fact)? I love to cook, and I have spent a lot of time learning how to cook from culinary instructors. I’m slowly writing a cookbook with one of my close friends that was a culinary arts instructor before he joined the Army. My daily challenge is how to make dinners for my family that are flavorful and healthy. The biggest hit with my daughter is spaghetti bolognese. My best recipe is for South Africa rusks, a toasted bread, similar to biscotti.
