Tech Talks Daily

Ahmed Ismail, a seasoned investment banker and tech-driven entrepreneur with 18 years of experience at major financial institutions such as Bank of America, Credit Suisse, and Jefferies, is now the CEO and President of FLUID, a liquidity aggregator that uses AI quant-based models to tackle fragmented liquidity in virtual asset markets. In today's episode of Tech Talks Daily, Ahmed discusses how AI can change the decentralized ledger and explains the benefits of using AI in the crypto market. We also talks about how liquidity aggregators could help manage market participants get through Black Swan events and the growing number of tech talent migrating to Web3. About Fluid: FLUID is the AI quant-based liquidity aggregator providing execution for CeFi and DeFi at high throughput, ultra-low costs, ultra-low latency, and zero counterparty risk. Many physical and digital assets will be tokenized in the future. FLUID intends to capitalize on the multi-trillion dollar tokenized market volume potential across spot, futures, derivatives, synthetics, STOs, tokenized assets and more. FLUID is driven by a seasoned senior team with diversified experience in tier one financial institutions such as Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, Citibank, Visa, and founders of leading regulated digital asset OTC trading desks, quantitative firms, and popular blockchain companies.

Intel's Responsible AI work recently revealed FakeCatcher, a deepfake detection technology that can detect fake videos with 96% accuracy. The platform is the world's first real-time deepfake detector that returns results in milliseconds. FakeCatcher uses Intel's hardware and software to assess "blood flow" signals in real videos to detect inauthenticity. The technology can run up to 72 different detection streams simultaneously on 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Social media platforms can use this technology to prevent the spread of deepfakes, global news organizations to avoid amplifying manipulated videos, and non-profit organizations to democratize the detection of deepfakes for everyone. Intel also recently announced its extended collaboration with Mila, an AI research institute in Montreal, to help advance AI techniques to tackle global challenges like climate change, identify drivers of diseases, and expedite drug discovery. Accelerating the research and development of advanced AI to solve some of the world's most critical and challenging issues requires a responsible approach to AI and the ability to scale computing technology. As leaders in computing and AI, Intel and Mila will work together to tackle some of the challenges the world faces today and drive tangible results. Lama Nachman, Intel Fellow and Director of Intelligent Systems Research Lab at Intel Labs, joins me on Tech talks Daily in a discussion about Responsible AI and the real-time deepfake detector. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Are you tired of feeling trapped in the traditional 9-5 workday? Meet Peter Johnston, the founder of Polywork, the revolutionary professional network for multi-hyphenates. With $44.5M in funding from top investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Polywork is changing the game for those looking to pursue multiple passions and collaborate with like-minded individuals. Join me as I speak with Peter about his own journey from product designer to CEO, the inspiration behind Polywork, and why traditional online communities like LinkedIn fall short for those looking to explore multiple career paths. Plus, Peter offers valuable advice for those ready to take the leap and start their side hustle or passion project. Don't miss out on this exciting episode of Tech Talks Daily. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

CISA recently announced critical guidance on threats against organizations using certain forms of multi-factor authentication. The agency urged all organizations to implement phishing-resistant MFA controls in order to prevent phishing and increasingly automated and sophisticated attacks on authentication processes. With so many phishing attacks targeting credentials to be used in a later campaign, more organizations are getting the hint that they need to have MFA in place for at least those users with access to critical resources and/or valuable data, if not everyone. However, what happens when the threat actor has the credentials but doesn't have the additional forms of authentication? I invited Sally Vincent, Threat Research Senior Engineer at LogRhythm to join me on Tech Talks Daily. Listen in as we discuss how organizations can identify unusual authentication activity and explore mitigation strategies to stay ahead of phishing attacks. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

I'm excited to have Josh Rogers, CEO of Precisely, joining us today. We last spoke in 2020, but I was intrigued to learn that he has led the company through seven acquisitions. So I invited him to join me again to share his unique perspective on the current Mergers and Acquisitions (M & A) market. As we all know, today's business leaders are facing a complex and challenging economic environment, with many facing the decision to either move forward or cease M&A activity completely. In fact, PwC reports that in comparison to the first half of 2021, deal values have declined by 20 percent. However, buyers can experience better returns during a downturn and achieve outsized growth as valuations come down, according to the same analysis from PwC. Josh touches on this and the current economic environment, evaluating risk, and how leaders should proceed with M&As. He also shares his experience leading Precisely through seven acquisitions and the company's acquisition plans in the current market. Additionally, we discuss how leaders should communicate acquisitions to customers and the acquired company's employees. Listen in as one of the most experienced M&A leaders in the tech industry shares his insights. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

On today's edition of Tech Talks Daily Podcast, I'm joined by Vinay Joosery, CEO of Severalnines. The database industry veteran shares with me how Severalnines has built its reputation around open-source database operations, driven by a values-driven approach to building products that deliver "Wow!" moments to customers. Vinay also delves into data sovereignty and how organizations often center their discussions around data residency for compliance purposes. He explains that true data sovereignty is an extension of sovereignty over an organization's stack and that heavy users of public clouds and their services, such as DBaaS, are not truly sovereign. However, it's not a binary proposition, and there are varying degrees of sovereignty. Vinay also touches on the importance of stack decisions being made based on balancing capabilities and risk tolerance, not convenience. He also points out the risks of cloud deployment models, including vendor, environment, ecosystem lock-in, database license type and stability, key-man risk, cost predictability, etc. Vinay shares that the landscape has evolved to enable organizations to get the convenience of cloud deployment models and the reliability and scalability of DBaaS without sacrificing their sovereignty wholesale. Please tune in to learn more about data sovereignty and how organizations can make informed decisions about their data stack. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

On today's episode of the podcast, we're discussing the importance of innovation in warehouse safety as workers in states like New York, Illinois, and California speak up about poor safety protocols and high injury rates. I am joined by Beemal Vasani, Director of Ansell's Inteliforz, a connected workplace safety solutions brand. Beemal believes that a company's safety program directly reflects its workplace culture and explains how investing in safety solutions technology and employee engagement tools can encourage safer workplaces, speed up training, and reduce onsite injuries. According to the National Safety Council, every $1 invested in injury prevention returns between $2 and $6. We'll also discuss how wearable technology can act as the eyes and ears of employees, especially when staffing and training courses are tight, to ensure the correct personal protective equipment is being used at the right time. Additionally, we'll explore how communication platforms or apps can help workers quickly identify and report unsafe conditions and provide real-time feedback. Beemal also shares how Inteliforz can tailor its platforms to a company's specific needs, making them as large and robust or as simple and minimal as needed. In addition, with customizable haptic technology based on a company's dataset, Inteliforz enables solutions to be tailored to a company's specific needs. Tune in to learn more about how technology can improve health and safety in the warehouse industry and how organizations can better equip their staff through wearable and connected technology. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Theta Labs is the company behind Theta Network, the leading chain for media & entertainment. Theta has partnered with brands and personalities such as Katy Perry, Sony, Samsung, Google, American Idol, World Poker Tour, and many more. So, the recent launch of Metachain seemed like an excellent opportunity to learn more about it. ] Metachain is the new customizable, highly scalable blockchain designed for media and entertainment businesses, built from the ground up to be a user-centric, simple, and intuitive platform. It's developed for the needs of video platforms, ticketing companies, metaverses, and other enterprises as they evolve to decentralized models. Among two of Theta's biggest fans — and two of its advisors — are Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube, and Justin Kan, Co-Founder of Twitch. Steve Chen has said, "Theta's innovation is set to disrupt today's online video industry much in the same way that the YouTube platform did to traditional video back in 2005." Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Andrew De La Torre is the Group Vice President of Technology at Oracle Communications. He is responsible for making strategic decisions that improve the company's competitiveness and leads the technical sales, business development and acquisitions teams. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including leadership roles at Vodafone, and has also consulted in other industries such as oil and gas and construction. He has experience in corporate governance, finance, strategic planning, and technology transformation. Today, he joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the upcoming trends in 5G technology and what communication service providers are looking for. I also learn more about how Oracle Communications offers integrated comms & cloud solutions for service providers & Enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation journey. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

SOURCE Global is an Arizona-based organization founded by world-renowned Engineering professor Cody Friesen whose mission is to make drinking water an unlimited resource. The brand is backed by Bill Gates Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, and Blackrock. I invited Neil Grimmer to join me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how the company's hydropanels use the sun to draw pure water vapor out of the air and transform it into fresh, high-quality, perfectly mineralized drinking water. I also want to learn more about the technology that makes it al possible and how it has impacted the citizens of remote communities in 50 countries worldwide. About Neil Neil Grimmer is an entrepreneur with a rich history of disrupting categories by bringing to market innovative products and human-centered brands. Leading with an exceptional blend of intuition and data-driven strategy, he has been an architect and accelerator of impact-driven companies for over two decades. Currently, Neil is the Brand President for SOURCE Global, PBC, a technology company harnessing the unlimited resources of sunlight and air to produce clean drinking water globally. Prior to his current role, Neil served as the first- ever Brand President for Harley Davidson where he was responsible for all consumer-facing global touchpoints. For over a decade, Neil solidified his passion for brands with a social purpose when he founded two successful health and wellness companies, Habit and Plum Organics. Both companies share a progressive approach to food innovation and nutrition science with disruptive products that revolutionized their industries. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Intel's Ignite program is one of the most competitive and challenging accelerator programs for early-stage startups, providing the winners with everything they need to compete and succeed in the tech industry. The program offers access to world-leading experts in technology and business, a preferred path to top investors, as well as the knowledge, resources, and association that comes with being accepted into the program. The 12-week program focuses on mentorship and is designed for the 10 most diverse and impressive early-stage startups. Tzahi "Zack" Weisfeld, the program director, joins md on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how the Ignite program stands out from other startup accelerators and the recent expansion in Boston. He also shares insights he's gathered from the program since its launch in 2019. I also learn how they are helping turn cutting-edge ideas into industry-disrupting technologies by giving entrepreneurs hands-on mentorship, technical support, and the business acumen they need to build world-changing companies. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Quasar is a new app-chain built in the Cosmos Ecosystem, optimizing inter-chain value capture with a human-centric design. Its mission is to provide sustainable, sovereign, and ergonomic investment vehicles for digital assets. Quasar's flagship product will be yield-aggregating vaults that enable users to easily deposit Cosmos-based tokens, and passively earn yield generated from automated strategies. It will function like a decentralized, permissionless hedge fund. Valentin Pletnev, the 23-year-old CEO and co-founder of Quasar Finance, discusses how Cosmos represents the future of blockchain and why he beives it's the best way to deliver on the decentralization blockchain has promised from the start. He also discusses the Appchain thesis, Permissionless vaults, Non-custodial trading, Defi native inter-chain strategies. Listen in to learn more about Quasar and how it plans to bring simplicity, fairness, and ease of use to the DeFi sector, with the aim of opening the sector to much wider adoption. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Karoli Hindriks, an Estonian entrepreneur, has made a major pivot in her business that has proven to be a game-changer for her company, Jobbatical. In 2018, the company was recognized by Forbes as one of Europe's 10 most exciting technology SMEs. However, as Karoli noticed that the biggest problem for her clients in international hiring was not the hiring process but getting people into the country, she decided to take an incredible leap of faith. Karoli decided to focus on automating the immigration and relocation process, providing businesses with a way to retain talent amidst a growing global skills shortage. Her new business model, which removes the friction of labour mobility, became more critical than ever in 2022 as worker priorities continue to shift in favor of borderless working in the wake of the pandemic. As a result, business has been booming for Jobbatical, with 8x ARR growth in the past 12 months alone. Karoli's entrepreneurial spirit began early, founding her first company at 16 and becoming the youngest inventor in Estonia to have a registered patent. By the age of 23, she became the youngest-ever CEO at MTV. In 2021, she gave a talk at TED@Monterey, becoming the first person from Estonia to ever speak on the main TED stage in the US. Karoli's TEDtalk, "Why Passport Needs an Upgrade," has been translated into twelve languages. In 2020, the EU Council named her one of 8 most inspiring women in Europe, and this year EU-Startups named her one of the 50 most influential women in the European startup and VC space for the seventh year running. Karoli shares her story, Jobbatical's journey, the importance of hiring beyond borders, why being resilient in business is critical for success, and her famous Happy Dance in Times Square. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

In today's data-driven world, staying aware of the latest trends and strategies in data management and innovation is essential for success. Unfortunately, many chief data officers (CDOs) and business leaders must understand what other organizations and industries are doing with data. However, with this awareness and a basic curiosity, CDOs may be able to innovate and improve their business operations. On this Tech Talks Daily podcast episode, Roman Kucera discusses this issue and the importance of staying informed about other companies' data strategies and practices. He emphasizes that while there are rarely entirely new ideas for using data, there are often opportunities to borrow and adapt ideas from others. I also learn more about the story behind Ataccama. Recently spun off from Adastra, the company also secured $150 million in funding from Bain Capital to fuel its worldwide expansion. As a provider of master data management (MDM) and data quality solutions, Ataccama understands the importance of high-quality data that is appropriately managed. We discuss the need for data quality and proper management, as well as the art of telling effective stories using data (hint: pie charts aren't always the answer). With the right strategies and tools in place, businesses can turn data into a powerful asset for driving growth and innovation. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Join us as we sit down with Kazuki Ohta, CEO, and founder of Treasure Data, a leading customer data platform. Kaz has dedicated his career to helping businesses effectively leverage data to power exceptional customer experiences in marketing, service, and sales. He will share his insights on the importance of understanding customer data and walk us through the steps to personalize the customer experience and stay ahead of the competition. With his background as the founding CTO of Treasure Data, as well as his experience co-founding the world's largest Hadoop User Group and contributions to open-source software, Kaz is a true industry expert you won't want to miss. We also touch base on Kaz journey of moving to America and overcome the language barrier and his key role in building world fastest super computer while he was still a student. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

I sit down with Brewster Stanislaw, a true industry veteran with experience leading product and strategy at some of the biggest names in tech, including Google, Adobe, and Marketo. Currently the Chief Product Officer at Demandbase, Brewster has a wealth of knowledge to share about building a world-class R&D organization, defining product-led growth, innovation during hypergrowth, and the crucial role of the customer in product development. Whether you're a product manager, marketer, or simply interested in how these industry giants operate, you won't want to miss this episode! About Demandbase Demandbase is a B2B marketing technology company that provides a variety of solutions to help businesses target and convert high-value B2B accounts. Their platform offers features such as account-based marketing, website personalization, and real-time visitor tracking to help businesses identify and engage with their ideal customer profiles. Additionally, Demandbase also provides a suite of analytics and optimization tools to help businesses measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions about how to improve them. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

On today's episode, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Alan Jacobson, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Alteryx. Alan leads the company's data science practice, helping businesses get the most out of their data and insights. He is also responsible for data management, governance, and the use of the Alteryx Platform to drive growth. Alan has held a variety of leadership roles at Ford Motor Company and was recognized as a top leader in the automotive industry with awards such as the Automotive Hall of Fame Leadership & Excellence award and the Outstanding Engineer of the Year by the Engineering Society of Detroit. He has also worked as an advisor on data science topics with the National Academy of Engineering and other organizations. In this episode, Alan will be discussing driving key data initiatives and accelerating digital business transformation for the Alteryx global customer base, as well as the issue of many businesses being stuck on the AI hamster wheel and why nearly 80% of organizations do not trust or use their own analytic insights for decision making.

On today's episode of the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, we're joined by Angel Grant to discuss the results of the F5 Survey on Emerging Tech. For example, did you know that one in ten IT decision-makers are already operating in the Metaverse, and 51% expect to be there within five years or sooner. However, this virtual world also brings new threats, such as virtual reality storefront attacks and the potential for ransomware in the Metaverse. Many IT professionals are also concerned about the security and data privacy risks associated with the Metaverse, with six in ten reporting that it has introduced complexities their organization may not be equipped to handle. Additionally, 37% say their organization has already been attacked in relation to the Metaverse. As we continue to explore the possibilities of the Metaverse, we discuss the importance of addressing these concerns to ensure a seamless and secure experience.

We have arrived in 2023, and big topics such as Social media, independent media, journalism, futurism, censorship, surveillance, algorithms, digital rights, and Internet freedom are more important than ever. But what role does technology play in fixing the problems created by big tech? Bill Ottman is the co-founder and CEO of Minds, an open source decentralized social networking app with 6M+ users focused on censorship resistance, global dialogue, privacy, and creator monetization with both traditional payments and cryptocurrency. He is also the co-author of "The Censorship Effect". I learn more about how the code and algorithms behind Minds are free and open source for maximum transparency and accountability and how they believe the only way to change someone's mind is if you provide them with a platform to speak it.

Rytis Lauris, the co-founder and CEO of Omnisend, shares practical insights on how e-commerce stores can benefit from omnichannel marketing during this period of economic uncertainty. We also discuss how paid advertising costs are rising while its effectiveness is plummeting. About Omnisend Omnisend is an e-commerce-tailored email & SMS marketing automation platform built to help nimble teams drive more revenue without increasing their workload. One-click ecommerce stack integrations, pre-built workflows and intuitive drag & drop editing make it easy to get up & running without diving into the gritty details unless you want to. More than 80,000 ecommerce brands use Omnisend to grow their businesses on autopilot, converting their customers with quick-to-build, highly-relevant emails & texts. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Brennan Spellacy, Co-Founder, and CEO of carbon offset technology business Patch shares the story behind the company. I also learn how their technology enables customers to calculate their carbon footprint to identify and finance offset projects that capture the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions associated with that footprint. The company works with over 100 corporations and institutions, including the likes of Farfetch, Afterpay, Harvard University, and the University of Oxford. Its customer portfolio spans industries such as travel, fintech, crypto, and ecommerce. Patch is jointly headquartered in London and San Francisco, and its principal investor is American VC fund Andreessen Horowitz. We discuss how the software allows companies to choose which projects they'd like to finance to support the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with projects ranging from reforestation and conservation projects to more high-tech, early-stage technologies like direct air capture and sequestration projects. Finally we explore the current macroeconomic landscape for climate technology founders in the UK and US right now and how Patch's technology works in practice and why it should not be viewed as an alternative to the decarbonisation of business. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Sateliot is the only satellite company that connects IoT solutions worldwide under the 5G protocol with its patented technology via a low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation of nanosatellites. Its satellite constellation functions as cell towers from space and delivers its service to land-based telecom operators, extending mobile operators' coverage to everywhere on the planet, including formerly out-of-coverage places. Jaume Sanpera, CEO and Co-founder of Sateliot, joins me in a conversation about how satellite constellations can bring 5G networks worldwide to users without having to purchase equipment other than their own mobile device. We discuss the differences between 5G-IoT-NB satellite constellations and other satellite constellations. We also talk about how cubesats (nanosatellite standardized models) have made access to space easier for start-ups and the benefits of this new space scenario to the world. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

According to Chainanalysis, over $2 billion in cryptocurrency has been stolen in cross-chain bridge attacks last year. Exasperated by another string of bridge hacks over the last two weeks, many are calling into question the technology's ability to adequately secure users' assets and enable the interoperable, multi-chain future that is needed to propel the DeFi industry forward.. According to Chainanalysis, over $2 billion in cryptocurrency has been stolen in cross-chain bridge attacks last year. Exasperated by another string of bridge hacks over the last two weeks, many are calling into question the technology's ability to adequately secure users' assets and enable the interoperable, multi-chain future that is needed to propel the DeFi industry forward.. With hacker techniques becoming increasingly sophisticated in cryptocurrency, we talk about the state of security across cross-chain bridges and why the industry needs better solutions. But most importantly, what can be done to prevent future hacks. Finally, we discuss why an interoperable, multi-chain future is essential for the DeFi industry. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

As work environments undergo a rapid transformation and distributed and hybrid workforces become the norm, the need for an efficient, smooth digital document creation and management process becomes paramount. Documents remain the essential glue of how business gets done, but many professionals still need help in manual legacy processes or face challenges in their digital document creation. The old way of signing and sending documents means you're tethered to your desk. The new way: collect eSignatures wherever life takes you – whether it's an office or a beach halfway around the world. You can even track important updates right from your mobile phone. So today, I have invited Mikita Mikado, CEO of PandaDoc, to explore Digital transformation in remote work environments and the mission to create seamless document creation and finalization tools. We also discuss how PandaDoc recently introduced the first "forever free" e-signature solution and offers businesses of all sizes an all-in-one solution to easily manage the creation, editing, and signing of documents in every work setting in the new era of hybrid and remote work. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

The well-documented tech skills shortage also provides opportunities for people from any age or background to consider a tech career. In today's episode, I am joined by Graham Hunter from CompTIA to share his insights and actionable tips for anyone to start or grow their career in tech with an IT certification from CompTIA. Graham reveals insights from CompTIA's recent report into the State of the Tech Workforce UK. I also learned more about the cyber security skills gap and a new initiative to help those who don't make it as professional footballers into careers in the sector and what needs to be done to address the UK's data skills gap. About Graham Graham Hunter is Executive Vice President, Global Sales at CompTIA. The company represents over 12,000 member companies and registered users worldwide; it is the world's leading provider of vendor-neutral skills certifications for the global IT workforce. Graham is responsible for explaining how critical it is for governments, businesses and educators to provide the most current certifiable IT training programs for their employees and students to meet the demands of the global IT workforce, as well as providing senior strategic direction, leadership, management, and support to the EMEA, APAC and Canadian team. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

In 1999, Michael Beckley, Matt Calkins, and two other friends were in a basement. Twenty-three years later, Appian is publicly traded with more than 2,000 employees - and was the most successful software IPO of 2017. Today he joins me in a discussion on growth in tech and shares tips to push through the looming recession. He shares how they grew Appian to be a company with a market cap of more than $3B, giving giants like Salesforce and ServiceNow a run for their money. Appian became a unified platform for change that accelerates customers' businesses by discovering, designing, and automating their most important processes. The Appian Low-Code Platform combines the key capabilities needed to get work done faster, Process Mining + Workflow + Automation, in a unified low-code platform. Michael offers advice for newer tech execs on how to combat economic downturns. We also discuss why companies automating tasks in white-collar office roles are not taking away jobs but changing the workflow dynamic to remove menial tasks and allow employees to focus on more important aspects of their job. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

In today's episode, Neil shares his new year message and explores the opportunity to learn more about leveraging technology to make lasting connections. Then, Sarah Elkins, the founder of the No Longer Virtual (NLV) Conference, shares her insights on how to use technology to create meaningful connections. Through her inspiring stories and lessons learned, Sarah provides tips on how to benefit from stories to shape personal growth and development. She also discusses the importance of pushing oneself beyond fear and taking risks, as well as her favorite song, Hang On Little Tomato, by Pink Martini. Sarah shares how to use technology to create meaningful connections and build relationships. She also shares her motivation for creating the NLV conference and how the stories we tell ourselves that shape our perception of the world. Listen in as Sarah offers advice on how to push ourselves beyond our fears and encourages us to open ourselves up to the opportunities that technology can provide.

In today's Tech Talks Daily episode, I explore technology's role in demystifying music licensing and its complexities. More Specifically: how Tracklib has automated sample licensing to the benefit of both music creators (artists, producers, and songwriters – superstars and budding talent) and rightsholders (labels and publishers). Today's guest is Pär Almqvist: who caught my attention when he said, "There's a big, positive implication from knowing you can sample something and not be afraid of being sued." I learn more about how Tracklib makes sampling and sample clearance fast, easy, legal, and affordable for every music producer worldwide. By simplifying music licensing, can technology unlock creative opportunities for all the world's music creators, new revenue for the whole music industry, and change how the world can make music? Listen in to learn more.

Otovo is Europe's leading online residential solar marketplace and has assessed over 4 million homes across Europe. They're currently active in 13 markets, serving 90% of Europe's population. Andreas Thorsheim, its founder and CEO, joins me on today's episode of Tech Talks Daily. I learn more about how Otovo uses proprietary technology to connect customers to local, vetted installers, making the process of adopting solar at home as smooth and seamless as possible. We discuss how the online marketplace takes a customer's address and then automatically calculates the size, shape, and specification of suitable rooftop solar products. Using satellites, Otovo also calculates exactly how much sun is shining on a roof and how much energy can then be produced from it. It then runs an automated, 'real time' auction between local solar installers to find the cheapest price for the work required. As a pioneer in solar, Otovo is already the market leader in their native Norway, where they've managed to cut the price of solar in half over the past 5 years alone. They've helped over 10,000 households in Europe transition to domestic solar power already, operating at a pace of 9,000 installations per year.

Pete Sena is a design-led entrepreneur who loves to partner with forward-obsessed founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to unlock new possibilities and growth. For nearly 20 years, Pete has built and led cross-functional teams that have delivered many successful multi-channel programs and activations, ranging in scale from venture-backed startups to Fortune 50 companies. Pete joins me in a conversation that covers everything from marketing, branding, entrepreneurship, design thinking, tech (Web3, AI, metaverse), and the importance of a growth mindset. I also learn how he constantly remains curious and the tech trends that excite him in 2023.

2219: EdgeQ - RISC-V: The Linux of 5G EdgeQ is a 5G chipmaker leveraging the RISC-V architecture to open its tech. RISC-V is not only shaping the evolution of 5G, it's also redefining the broader mobile landscape. The mobile/telco industry has historically been dominated by proprietary, closed technologies and vendors. However, with RISC-V's growing popularity, the mobile industry is adopting openness at a massive scale for the first time. Just as Linux drove enterprises to embrace open-source software, RISC-V is driving mobile operators and telcos to adopt open approaches to building networks. This is a necessary shift: For 5G to pay off, organizations need the flexibility and customizability RISC-V delivers. But the impact of this shift will extend beyond 5G and enable the industry to deliver other innovations that would be lost in a proprietary ecosystem. Adil Kidwai shares with me how RISC-V adoption is transforming the mobile industry and what this mean for 5G and beyond.

Neil McGregor, COO at REPL Group, Part of Accenture, has amassed over 15 years of consulting experience – mainly focused on global retail systems integration. Neil has been at REPL for over six years, taking on the role of COO back in 2020, where he leads all people, projects, and operations across the consulting team globally. Before that, he was Consulting Operations Director, where he lead and motivated the delivery team; and Consulting Director, where he was responsible for leading complex change, system implementation and developed teams of solution oriented consultants. Prior to REPL, Neil has held roles at both EY and Accenture – where he kickstarted his career. In today's episode, Neil shares his story and the retail technology trends that excite him along with a few predictions and challenges for the year ahead.

Cyber crime is everywhere, it's on your phone, laptop, it's even seeping into warfare, shutting down entire countries. How many times have you received a notification saying your password has been compromised on a retail website you've spent far too much time on? Usually you change the password as soon as possible, the risk to bank details and other personal information is too great. Yet, the same attention and diligence is not given to cybersecurity for businesses, despite reports of fraud and cybercrime in the UK reaching more than 400 000 in 2021 alone. It is critical that businesses have strong cyber defences in place, much like changing your personal password, businesses need to be on top of threats before they go too far. JP Perez-Etchegoyen, CTO of Onapsis, a cybersecurity provider for business-critical applications, has extensive experience identifying and solving these threats. Onapsis provides cybersecurity solutions to 20% of Fortune 100 companies around the world and has grown 187% over the past three years. JP joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss why organizations should be worried about unknown internet-facing vulnerabilities and how they can prevent them.

Ryan Lasmaili is the Co-Founder & CEO of Vaultree, the world's fastest searchable encryption technology for databases. Ryan has been fascinated by technology breakthroughs from space travel to EnviroTech since childhood, and in the last 12 years he has been involved with technology startups developing solutions to major problems. Ryan's background is in financial mathematics with a passion for astrophysics and economics, having also worked in corporate environments in roles ranging from project manager to senior analyst, reporting to executives in listed multinationals. Ryan is always looking for ways to improve and apply his out-of-the-box thinking to solve significant cybersecurity problems, with his biggest undertaking to date solving today's and tomorrow's data encryption and protection challenges.

Surveillance State tells the gripping, startling, and detailed story of how China's Communist Party is building a new kind of political control: shaping the will of the people through the sophisticated—and often brutal—harnessing of data. It is a story born in Silicon Valley and America's "War on Terror," and now playing out in alarming ways on China's remote Central Asian frontier. As a minority separatist movement strains against Party control, China's leaders have built a dystopian police state that keeps millions under the constant gaze of security forces armed with AI. But across the country in the city of Hangzhou, the government is weaving a digital utopia, where technology helps optimize everything from traffic patterns to food safety to emergency response. Award-winning journalists Liza Lin takes listeners on a journey through the new world China is building within its borders, and beyond. Telling harrowing stories of the people and families affected by the Party's ambitions, Surveillance State reveals a future that is already underway—a new society engineered around the power of digital surveillance.

The machines we interact with every day make our lives easier. As they become more intelligent and able to help us in new ways, we need to take a step back and consider whether how third parties govern them is fit for purpose, particularly as we move towards a world with autonomous vehicles. Many machines, devices, and vehicles we use daily are centrally controlled, limiting what the machines can or can't do regarding the provision and rendering of goods and services. Machines built for Web2 exist in a closed, permission-based environment, which massively limits how they can interact with other machines, where they can go, and what they can do. Existing identification numbers are one-dimensional and are used to label machines and their specifications. This does not enable them to leverage their identity to enable movement, service authorization, trade, or payment. Sheridan Johns, Enterprise Lead at Ocean Protocol, and Leonard Dorlöchter, co-founder of Peaq discuss their mission to enable the secure, fast, and frictionless transfer of value and data between humans and machines through Self-Sovereign Machine IDs (SSMIs). I learn how the implementation of SSMIs as digital identities will enable vehicles, machines, robots, and devices to identify themselves with each other, people, and their environment. Decentralized Machine IDs will solve some of our biggest societal and economic challenges while enabling communities to benefit from the increased use of machines and automation within the workplace. We discuss how giving machines Self-Sovereign Machine IDs will change the future of work and how Web3 can ensure that job automation empowers a global workforce. We also explore what a fully decentralized machine economy will look like and how this can benefit individuals.

Push Protocol is a web3 communication network, enabling cross-chain notifications and messaging for dapps, wallets, and services. It powers communication for over 100 of the world's leading dapps and service providers across DeFi, NFTs, gaming, dev tools, and more. Until Push, no solution existed to enable native communication between wallets in response to on- and off-chain data. The result was a fractured dapp ecosystem, held together by antiquated and centralized communication platforms. Push is building the communication network for Web3, addressing a gap in critical infrastructure and improving the everyday experience for blockchain users. Harsh Rajat, CEO and co-founder of Push Protocol (recently rebranded from EPNS), joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast in a conversation about bringing simplicity and ease of use to web3 communications. Listen in as Harsh defines what Web3 communication is and why it matters. He also offers an overview of Push Protocol and PushChat. Finally, we explore the future of decentralized social media and much more.

Sean Farrington, EVP EMEA at Pluralsight – the workforce development platform, joins me on today's episode of Tech Talks Daily to talk about the ongoing challenges around hiring and the role of internal skill development in plugging gaps. We discuss the scramble for talent and how tech companies must still take on high revenue projects, bring new products to market and keep customers happy. This means talent remains critical, but businesses will need to turn to expanding the skillsets of existing teams, rather than relying on new hires or outsourcing work, and support them to deliver on new projects. We also talk about the importance of capitalising on the hunger to learn. For example, 75% of technologists determine whether to stay at their company partly based on how dedicated their employer is to development opportunities. Now more than ever, reducing turnover is key. A commitment to L&D can support this, and develop more engaged team members. Finally, we discuss why tech leaders need to create a culture of learning and why putting this culture of learning in place needn't cost businesses a fortune. In fact, it makes good business sense to invest in upskilling – with estimates suggesting that upskilling could save at least $3,125 per employee.

Steven Furnell, IEEE senior member and professor of cybersecurity at the University of Nottingham, joins me on today's episode of The Tech Talks Daily podcast. Steven discusses the findings of his recently published paper titled 'Assessing website password practices –Unchanged after fifteen years?', which explores how leading websites guide and support users in making appropriate password choices. The paper presents the fifth in a series of studies that have been conducted every few years since 2007, with the aim of examining the level of guidance provided to users before and during the password selection process, as well as examining the nature of the passwords that users are then permitted to choose. We also discuss the enforcement of password rules and applying various tests which determine whether the site filters out common or predictable password choices. About Steven Steven Furnell is a senior member of the IEEE and professor of cybersecurity at the University of Nottingham. His research includes usability of security and privacy, security management and culture, and technologies for user authentication and intrusion detection. He has authored more than 320 papers in refereed international journals and conferences, as well as books including Cybercrime: Vandalising the Information Society and Computer Insecurity: Risking the System.

A recent report has revealed that Google harvests 39 types of private data on its users, which includes users' specific location, their browser history and the emails on their Gmail accounts. Google is constantly invading our personal space thanks to the many formats at its disposal, including: Search, Chrome, Gmail, Youtube, Maps, Workspace, and Android. As Google's oppressive dominance continues to grow, more and more email users are ready to embrace new decentralization tools that are providing private solutions. Skiff is fusing the mail interface that consumers use everyday with Web3 open source technology, to provide a privacy-first, end-to -end encrypted, wallet native workspace. Users will be able to send messages, write notes and share files all while completely owning their own data. Utilizing IPFS, Skiff users will also have the option to store their content, including all Skiff Drive files, fully decentralized and end-to-end encrypted. In light of this, Andrew Milch, CEO and Co-Founder of Skiff, joins me in a conversation about how new technologies can help individual de-couple privacy concerns from a reliance on big tech companies. We also discuss the need to embed privacy into the platforms we use in order to protect against the non-consensual usage of sensitive data by third parties. Finally, we explore the advantages for users of switching from other cloud storage providers to a totally private storage platform that is entirely censorship-resistant and decentralized.

When every business is talking about the power of digital experiences, I want to learn more about what that means and look beyond the buzzwords and toward the business value it offers. Contentsquare, the global leader in digital experience analytics, was recently named a winner of the 2022 Aragon Research Innovation Award for Digital Experience Analytics. So today's guest is Dave Anderson from Contentsquare, which helps brands deliver the power to make the digital world more human. Dave shares his origin story and the path that led him to an AI-powered platform that provides rich and contextual insight into customer behaviors, feelings, and intent at every touchpoint in their journey. I also learn more about the story behind Contentsquare, founded in Paris with offices worldwide and has raised $1.4B in investment funding. We also discuss the emergence of apps and reliability but the lack of focus on the experience. Finally, we talk about the Tech Seeking Human Podcast - a podcast about AI built on the back of working at Dynatrace and exploring where AI is heading.

Draft.dev helps businesses achieve their technical content goals through a team of writers who are also professional software developers and subject matter experts. As a result, they create content that resonates with technical audiences and performs well on search engines. After spending eight years as a CTO, building software engineering teams in venture-funded startups, Karl Hughes started Draft.dev to help companies create authentic technical content that resonates with software developers. Since founding the company in 2020, the team has grown to include marketers, editors, engineers, and over 130 technical writers. Karl joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story of transitioning from engineer to team leader to business owner. He also reveals the skills and lessons learned throughout his career. I also learn how he had to learn to sell and closed over $1mm in new business in his first year. Karl also discusses growing a business quickly and going from 1 to 16 employees and 200 contractors in 2 years with no funding.

Jeffrey Partyka, Principal Data Science Engineer at Xactly, joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a discussion about the rise of data scientists and their value for companies. Jeffrey shares how forecasting models work, the importance of statistical analysis, and how wider teams can utilize data to create better business products. He discusses how this role has evolved and is better institutionalized in recent years. We also explore Xactly's survey report - Insights on The Sales Talent Crisis of more than 400 U.S. sales leaders, and the lessons learned from the great resignation. Jeffrey Partyka has been a principal data science engineer at Xactly since July 2020, actively conducting and overseeing numerous machine learning/statistical projects relating to sales forecasting, churn, cross-selling, and other sales areas. Jeff has worked in data science since 2007 as a Big Data engineer, data science team lead, research & development manager, and part-time professor across multiple domains, including geospatial indexing, psychometrics, productivity optimization, and sales performance management.

Continuous digital transformation has created a data explosion that's overwhelming many organisations. Every tap, click, or swipe from a user, new code deployment or architecture change, and attempted cyberattack generates more data that can be captured and analysed. However, there is too much data to store and use cost-effectively. Organizations are therefore forced to discard most data or lock it away in cheaper storage layers where it can't be analyzed. This has led to a tipping point, where the datasets used for observability and security analytics are too incomplete to be truly valuable. The value of observability and security data is in the insights it can provide to help organizations optimize their digital services. However, current approaches to analytics mean they often need help to maximize the detail those insights contain. As well as having an incomplete dataset, most of what they keep is stored and analyzed in silos, so it lacks a crucial ingredient – context. This means any answers from data analytics are often incomplete, imprecise, or even incorrect – limiting its value to the business. Grail is a data lakehouse, purpose-built to solve these challenges. It combines the structure, management, and querying capabilities of a data warehouse, with the low-cost benefits of a data lake. Bob Wambach shares the story behind Grail and how it enables organizations to store vast quantities of observability and security data cost-effectively and analyze it together in context. I also learn how Grail uses a massively parallel processing (MPP) analytics engine, enabling organizations to run thousands of queries simultaneously rather than processing them sequentially. As a result, they can get instant, more precise, and cost-efficient insights from analytics.

The transportation industry is going through a massive digital transformation right now. The changing value proposition of cars is moving software to the center of a legacy business. So it's a great time to get in on an early software trend that will soon redefine driver expectations. In today's episode, I want to learn more about how the advanced technology team at General Motors is doing inspiring work driving the future of transportation, from EVs and AVs to connected cars. Padma Sundaram, director of Software Defined Vehicle Quality and Operations at General Motors, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share how she played a crucial role in launching a new software platform called Ultifi. I learn more about how Ultifi will leverage a Linux-based operating system allowing third-party developers worldwide to create apps for GM. This will also help expand the capabilities of a customer's connected car long after it's sold and create collaboration opportunities never seen before. We discuss how open source is powering the shift to an era of software-defined vehicles where cars will become much more like our smartphones – a connected device that will regularly update, customize and evolve with their owners over time. Padma also shares how the auto industry might be the next frontier for tech talent looking to build their careers.

Did you know that Biodiversity loss represents a risk to more than half the world's GDP - about $44 trillion? Today, I want to explore what Biodiversity is and technology's role in improving it. Dr Mike Musgrave joins me in a conversation about all this and more. We discuss his work with the School of Wildlife Conservation at the African Leadership University is working with Dalberg Catalyst and Financial Services Deepening Africa to develop a Biodiversity Investment Ratings Agency (BIRA). Dr Mike Musgrave graduated from Rhodes University and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and holds a PhD in Sustainable Development from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. A recipient of the prestigious Frederick Soddy Award from the Royal Geographic Society, he writes broadly on African customary law, common-pool resource governance and nature-based solutions for addressing climate change in Africa. Mike is currently Conservation Leadership Faculty in the School of Wildlife Conservation at the African Leadership University in Kigali, Rwanda where he leads the development of a Biodiversity Investment Ratings Agency for Africa in partnership with Dalberg and FSD Africa. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

Visibility and detection tools such as Orca, AWS Security Hub, Wiz, Lacework, and others revolutionized cloud security assessment and analysis, inching the world of SecOps towards remediation. The transformation they introduced to risk prioritization and assessment in the cloud brought to the surface valuable indications and alerts that required the attention of security teams. SecOps teams are now swamped with a growing number of security findings but no comprehensive tools or streamlined processes to remediate them. Opus is filling that gap. Meny Har witnessed firsthand the growing need for SecOps orchestration in cloud security remediation. Listen in as Meny shares with me how they have built a solution that will do for cloud SecOps remediation what Orca, Wiz, and others did for cloud risk detection and prioritization. Opus strives to transform cloud SecOps by enabling organizations to effectively respond and remediate in the cloud. About Opus Opus Security is a Cloud Security Orchestration and Remediation startup emerging from stealth with funding in the double-digit millions led by YL Ventures, Tiger Global, and big-name security executives and serial entrepreneurs, including the CEOs of CrowdStrike and Cyber Ark. The co-founders, are experienced, successful executives who come out of Siemplify, acquired by Google in Jan. to boost SecOps. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks

At IDEO, they believe a more sustainable, equitable future is for all of us to design. And there is an urgency to that collective effort, as today's challenges are increasingly global and interconnected. For decades, They have helped individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate such complexity, designing the products, services, and experiences of the future. But what is the role of technology in these efforts? Wes Eugene, CIO IDEO on the podcast, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story. We discuss the Circular Economy and How organizations can tackle the greatest challenge of our lifetime. For example, H&M recently partnered with IDEO to eliminate plastic in its packaging (2,000 tons, in fact). Logitech also turned to IDEO to set new sustainability goals when they decided to become climate positive by 2030. We also discuss how to design inclusion into existing systems and processes. For example, IDEO worked with LA County to create a new voting experience that's more intuitive and accessible, as well as Ford Foundation to elevate frontline workers in the business decision-making process. Finally, we explore organizational transformation and how organizations can evolve around global forces and digital innovation while staying true to their mission and purpose. For example, IDEO worked closely with Ford Motor Company on designing its successful electrified fleet last year. It's also worked with governments such as the UAE on new ways of designing policy when traditional processes fail.

Cipher Skin CEO Phillip Bogdanovich shares the story behind the biometric and motion smart sleeve used for physical rehabilitation. He is a former US Marine Corps Amphibious Recon Medic and was Tactical Medical Chief Diplomatic Protection for the US Dept of State. I learn more about how he launched Cipher Skin after his own physical rehabilitation recovery from combat injuries and success with previous startups. We also discuss how the patented technology has numerous applications, including athletic performance and industrial monitoring (like oil and gas pipelines). We also discuss what biometric and motion data is collected through Cipher Skin and explore the possibilities for future hybrid care and wearable technology.

Stephen Semmelroth was in the Army for 6+ years, and he served in Afghanistan and the Army's Cyber Corps, where he led a red team and a threat intelligence team defending US assets across an entire continent. Unfortunately, he broke his back while on a mission which left him paralyzed, and he had to relearn how to walk. After retiring from the Army, he founded Rainier Cyber, a cybersecurity recruiter that matches Cyber Vets with tech jobs across the county, which was acquired by StrataCore in 2020. Stephen holds CISSP, PMP, GSNA, GCIA, and GPEN cyber security certificates, and he mentors between 200-300 people annually in the cybersecurity space. Stephen shares his story with me and discusses a rise in global conflict necessitates a review of cybersecurity best practices. He also talks about how companies and non-tech professionals can solve the cybersecurity talent problem. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Check out Flippa, who is the show sponsor in December. Find out more information at https://flippa.com/tech-talks