Tech Talks Daily

This is a highly challenging time for energy companies as we head towards a cleaner future that is only achievable through decarbonization and electrification. John Kochavatr, VP of IT & Supply Chain and CIO at Portland General Electric joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to share their story. Portland General Electric is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves approximately 900,000 customers with a service area population of 2 million Oregonians in 51 cities. Oregon has some of the most ambitious clean energy targets in the U.S. – and PGE is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power served to customers by 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2040. John shares how their path to reach these targets involves everyone working together - from their customers, regulators, stakeholders and technology providers. But how they have also participated in multiple ambitious projects to help us reach those targets, including our up-and-coming battery storage facility Wheatridge and the recently completed Integrated Operations Center (IOC). I learn more about how Portland General Electric sees technology in service of its larger mission of providing their customers with clean, safe and reliable energy. We also discuss some of the innovative ways they are currently using technology to improve reliability.

Richard Walters, CTO of autonomous integrated cloud security firm Censornet joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Censornet provides mid-market organizations with the confidence and control of enterprise-grade cyber protection. Its platform integrates attack intel across email, web, and cloud to ensure their cyber defenses can react immediately, whether it's day or night. The company has more than 1,500 customers globally, including several standout names such as Fever-Tree, the National Portrait Gallery, Hallmark Hotels, and Thatchers Cider. We discuss why attacks on critical infrastructure are on the rise and why ransomware will be the next security threat to cause human casualties. In addition, we also discuss the ABC of cybersecurity will be Activity, Behaviour, and Context and why we are moving a step closer to Walled gardens to protect data.

Mark Curtis, Head of Innovation and Thought Leadership at Accenture Interactive returns to the Tech Talks Daily podcast. Mark is a serial entrepreneur and innovator. His first company, Curtis Hoy, pioneered radio sales promotion from 1989. Highlights included introducing fixed frequency low-cost radios as a sampling driver for the Pepsi taste test, bringing drive-in movies to the UK for the first time ever (Diet Pepsi) and designing the first marketing use of virtual reality in 1993 (for a Unilever brand). Today's episode discusses how the Metaverse and its technology could impact brands and customers. In addition, we talk about how this is expanding beyond just the gaming community – designers, digital product developers, creatives, and technologists will play a central role in virtual world-building and content placement, as everything is 3D-based. However, as brands seek to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the Metaverse, ethics around behavior manipulation, sustainability, and accessibility for all must remain front of mind. Finally, we discuss the democratization of access might lead to a new wealth of shared cultural experiences and new economies.

WiFi has increasingly become a critical need for both consumers and enterprises over the years, and technology has needed to evolve to address these new experiences for all. WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E are fast becoming mainstream, and there is a growing need to improve performance. Just when you thought you were on top of the game, WiFi 7 is now within tangible reach, and it's expected to bring next-level wireless connectivity and performance to all. So today, I have invited Andy Davidson, senior director of technology planning, at Quualcom in a discussion about What is WiFi 7? And why it's already shaping up to be the next big thing in connectivity. Andy also shares how Qualcomm is at the forefront of WiFi evolution, driving the standards and technology to meet the aspirations of the ever-growing customers, devices, applications, and services.

CD Baby is an artist-services platform that makes it easy for independent musicians to distribute, promote, and monetize their music so they can thrive outside the major-label system. Built on the belief that every artist should be able to pursue their vision without compromise and have an equal opportunity to be heard, CD Baby's distribution services, self-promotion tools, and educational initiatives are designed to increase artist autonomy and empower independent artists to build their audiences without corporate assistance. Home to over 1 million artists and more than 10 million tracks, CD Baby has paid out over $1 billion in royalties to artists since its founding in 1998. However, with all the recent startup posturing, model shuffling, and race-to-the-bottom pricing in music distribution, it's time to take a step back and think, what is the role of a music distributor? Kevin Breuner shares his philosophy on what it means to be a music distributor in 2022.

Nik Froehlich is the CEO and Founder of Saritasa, a full-service mobile web, software, AR/VR, and IoT development brand. Today, he discusses the unique position of working with developers post-Covid, how the mobile and app development industry has changed, and trends that he's seen in working with some household name brands. One unique brand that they've worked with is: iHeartRadio. For their annual music festival, Saritasa's team was tasked with creating an immersive 'earthquake experience'. They've also created apps for BJs and other restaurants across the US and world. But where did it all begin? In 1987, he started a sidewalk repair company, and that is when he realized the real power of technology; and how he can use tech to scale a business. He created a database and a CRM to run this new business. Utilizing technology, he eventually grew the company to cover over 20 branches in 9 states across the country.

All In The Loop creates virtual, hybrid, and in-person event solutions. The company supports thousands of events in over 45 counties, and they pride themselves on delivering an outstanding event experience with their unique events technology platforms. Whether your event is virtual, in-person or somewhere in between, their versatile mobile apps and virtual event platforms can be tailored to your requirements. In 2020, the event industry was decimated by the pandemic. All in the Loop were forced to evolve its offering to cater for the rapidly emerging virtual event market. They positioned themselves to serve remote working audiences. By partnering with its homegrown streaming technology, they were very quickly able to provide a virtual event solution for their clients. All In The Loop designed and launched virtual rooms for attendees to view live presentations, which became the industry standard. Today, they pride themselves in supporting thousands of events worldwide, whether in-person, hybrid, or virtual. Lawrence Gillward shares their journey and how their technology is transforming events.

Agreena was founded within the industry by visionary farmers and fintech-savvies. What originated as an online commodity trading marketplace has become one of the first carbon farming platforms in the pan-European landscape. Using a set of core principles to regenerate soil, the company's unique vertically integrated solution suggests putting the farmer first – backing with the knowledge, support, and incentives to implement sustainable ag practices at scale. In 2021 alone, Agreena serves more than 150 farmers in eight countries; and more than 50,000 hectares of farmland yielding regeneratively. Verified to the ISO 14064-2 standard, AgreenaCarbon is based on a yearly harvest cycle, with the data capture process giving farmers the opportunity for payouts from year one. Simon Haldrup, Co-founder & CEO, Agreena, joins me in a conversation about how we are entering an exciting phase of climate action where both farmers and innovation are stepping center-stage as discussions move toward removing carbon from the atmosphere. We discuss the Carbon Farming Initiative and how it emphasizes public funding to spur growth and create more certainty for landowners to participate. With new funding on the horizon for carbon farming through mechanisms such as the CAP eco schemes, I learn more about how it will be essential to ensure that all programs are designed to complement what has already been created through incentives from the private sector and voluntary carbon market. With plans to develop a carbon removal certification, the European Commission is currently positioning itself to take a leading role; getting measures in place from a governing body can ensure transparency and environmental integrity of the market. Now is the time that requires collaboration and activation across all stakeholders – public, private, academic, civic – all hands in the soil. We discuss how technology will bring all this together.

DroneShield is a worldwide leader in counter-UAS security and technology. The company develops pre-eminent UAS security solutions that protect people, organizations and critical infrastructure from intrusion from UAS threats. Its leadership brings world-class expertise in engineering and physics, combined with deep experience in defence, intelligence, and aerospace. I wanted to learn more about how this anti-drone company uses AI to jam or shoot drones out of the sky. Matt McCrann, US CEO of DroneShield (DRSHF), breaks down types of attacks, potential risk, rise in drone use age, etc. Matt elaborates on both the benefits and downfalls of drone use and discusses how the use of drones will shift the type of attacks we see in modern warfare. But most importantly, he also provides insights on how destructive attacks can be prevented.

UiPath is a leading robotic process automation (RPA) software company. Renzo Taal designs and manages the company's growth strategy for the EMEA region in close collaboration with the senior leadership team and has been recognized as one of the most influential young business leaders in the EMEA. We discuss the importance of retaining and attracting talent with automation education and how to best implement automation upskilling and reskilling programs within the context of the current job market. Finally, Renzo shares his story and how an increased awareness of the power of UiPath's end-to-end automation platform coupled with solid execution by the team resulted in a fiscal third-quarter ARR of $818 million, an increase of 58 percent year-over-year.

Rob Ellis from Thales joins me in discussing the rise of the sovereign cloud. We discuss how data sovereignty is not just about localization; it's ensuring that nation-states can store their data in their own country and control access to it. There are now more than 1,800 data compliance laws companies must comply with on a global scale. I learn how this surge in regulation is creating a shift towards the containment and localisation of data and why we will see this more and more in the years to come. The public will become increasingly aware of these challenges too, with individual data sovereignty on the horizon. This will allow individuals to control where their data is and how it is used, strengthening the correlation between identity and data protection. Finally, we discuss how it's likely that more tech giants will build localized data centers to circumnavigate geographical barriers to business. This in turn will lead to an increasing level of investment from global cloud providers in the cloud infrastructure of nation-states, driving forward their ongoing digital transformation journey.

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities have been plaguing supply chains across industries. According to an analysis conducted by BSI, ransomware attacks on the supply chain have increased by 66 percent in the last three years, expediting the concern of cybersecurity for private companies. Considering these attacks range from targeting the sea modality to the trucking modality, tools to combat the threat of cyber-attacks on the supply chain have solidified in the last year, making it a central part of the United States cybersecurity policy. Mark Brown, Global Managing Director, Digital Trust Consulting Services at BSI joins me in a conversation about all this, along with cybersecurity risk and trends that are emerging along with how we can better prepare, Mark Brown joined BSI in February of 2021 as the Global Managing Director of the Consulting Services, Cyber Security, and Information Security business. In his role, Mark drives a new global focus on emerging technologies and risks such as IoT and Operational Technology (OT), increased cloud adoption, RPA Security, 5G security, and the CISO desire to achieve central management over the new converged digital arena, positioning cyber security as a business enabler. With over 25 years of in the industry, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge on the expanding cybersecurity marketplace as organizations grapple with digital transformation and addressing new technologies that bring new business risks. Mark has previously held global leadership roles across industry and professional services, including tenures as Global CISO at SABMiller plc, and Global CIO/CTO at Spectris plc, as well as leadership roles as a Partner at Wipro Ltd., and Ernst & Young (EY) LLP.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added many layers of complexity to the workplace, as companies are increasingly relying on technology to establish secure remote work capabilities. Since a multi-cloud IT infrastructure can provide exceptional benefits, including optimizing cost performance, avoiding vendor lock-in, and increasing reliability by distributing assets in the event of an IT crisis, it's no wonder so many companies are racing to adopt multi-cloud solutions. However, this rush to migrate sensitive data and business functions from on-premises to multiple clouds is leaving many organizations ill-prepared for security and compliance issues. Gartner has predicted that by 2025, 90% of the organizations that fail to control public cloud use will inappropriately share sensitive data. Companies that fail to employ security guardrails when planning a cloud migration are severely increasing their risk of misconfigurations that can lead to devastating security and compliance incidents. Keith Neilson, Technical Evangelist at CloudSphere joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how companies can maintain a competitive edge and keep company data secure by leveraging a more agile cyber asset management approach.

Paddy Padmanabhan is the Founder and CEO of Damo Consulting Inc., a digital transformation and growth advisory firm focused on the healthcare sector. For over 20 years, Paddy has had a distinguished career in leadership roles working extensively as a technology strategist and trusted advisor to C-suite executives in large health systems and digital health firms. Paddy is also the author of the best-selling book Healthcare Digital Transformation - How Consumerism, Technology, and Pandemic are Accelerating the Future and The Big Unlock – Harnessing Data and Growing Digital Health Businesses in a Value-based Care Era. We discuss the top digital priorities for health systems today and the Digital transformation trends driving healthcare in 2022. We also talk about developing enterprise digital roadmaps and digital maturity in healthcare.

Trace Network Labs is creating an ecosystem that will allow an individual to create their own exclusive virtual space, live their lives, and roam freely across. They aim to enable the evolution of the luxury lifestyle for the metaverses as the boundaries between real and virtual continue to blur. Lokesh Rao discusses how the Metaverse will change the way people connect with others and express themselves through clothing, accessories, etc. We also discuss what this will mean for consumers and brands and how NFTs will continue to revolutionize the fashion industry. We also talk about how technology has changed and influenced fashion over recent years and what we might expect from the convergence of blockchain and fashion.

Steve Neat, GM EMEA of a large Enterprise Data Catalog and Data Governance company called Alation, joins me in a conversation about Data Intelligence. IDC recently coined the term to mean a system that delivers trustworthy, reliable data. We discuss how Alation is credited with creating the data catalog product category, how this relates to data intelligence, and why a number of the world's best known brands are now turning to data intelligence to create a more data-driven culture. I learn how an ability to better understand and trust data across an organization leads to creating communities around data where people can reach out to each other and share information.

We all care about climate change - but it's not always easy to know what to do about it. So what are the best things we can do - and how can we quantify our impact? Treepoints is the easiest way to do good and earn rewards along the way. With Treepoints, not only will you offset your carbon footprint, but you'll support projects that deliver life-changing benefits to vulnerable communities and local ecosystems. Treepoints had raised £150k to help us reach our goal of planting 67 million trees (one for every UK resident) within the next five years. But I wanted to learn more about how technology brings all this to life. Jacob Wedderburn-Day returns to the podcast to talk about all this and much more.

Building on Shopify and selling on Facebook won't work anymore for the brands as this is just pushing CAC through the roof, leaving brands struggling for profitability and growth. Organically reimagining commerce is the only way for digitally native brands to win in every normal. dotkonnekt is building the industry's first Experiential Commerce platform, purpose-built for brands to grow their D2C channel organically. How? By converging Content, Community, and Commerce and scripting a composable and unique experience for their customers visiting their site. The commerce platforms that exist today, Shopify's of the world were built for Retailers and SMB's, hence brands feel stuck, with no room for creativity, in their templatized and monolithic architectures. Started amid a pandemic last year by 2 retail enthusiasts & industry veterans Dhiraj (in Bangalore) & Chandan (in the US), who in their previous avatars have led this space for 2.5 decades.

The recent pandemic response has elevated the importance of simplified administration of UCC platforms like Teams to senior management who are navigating a highly complex hybrid working environment with increasingly distributed workforces. However, the fragmentation of technology in the UCC space has actually led to a disunification of communications, meaning that the challenge for businesses now is to re-unify and automate management and user administration, freeing admin specialists to do the work they need to do, and employees to work, collaborate and innovate. Kurmi is a company that works with the likes of Verizon, NTT, Orange, BP, L'Oreal, BNP Paribas, etc to handle the automated provisioning of around 5 million people worldwide to ensure that employees have the tools and platforms they need to get working ASAP. Eric Olson, VP Sales Americas joins me in a conversation about the multitude of different platforms like Teams, Google, Avaya, Cisco etc, and collaboration tools that organizations need to navigate. We also discuss how things like 'the great resignation' and hybrid working have created greater pressure for admin teams and why automation can alleviate the burden.

Lara Hodgson is the CEO and co-founder of Now®️, a fintech startup enabling minority-owned small businesses to grow through its invoice payment solution that redefines how and when companies get paid. Lara also serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Business School and is an internationally recognized speaker, leading seminars on creativity, innovation, and access to capital. Lara joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share lessons from the growing pains of starting her own small business with Stacey Abrams and their guide for entrepreneurs highlighted in their upcoming book, Level Up. In 2010, they created NowAccount because they were sick of waiting for their customers to pay. Initially, they celebrated when they landed a big contract, but weeks and weeks would pass and payment would still be outstanding. They needed working capital to continue business operations and their cash was tied up in their invoices. Everyone told them to get a line of credit or try factoring, and they thought, "Why should we have to borrow money or factor when we are the free bank to our customers? There had to be a better way!" I also learn more about her entrepreneurial journey as a female founder and startup story about how and why she co-founded Now®️. Finally, we discuss the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on small businesses and the importance of supporting small, minority-owned businesses.

Darren Person joins me on Tech Talks Daily. As Global CIO, Darren leads NPD's Technology Group, encompassing the company's operations and technology organizations, and is responsible for spearheading the development of NPD's next-generation platform, addressing clients' needs through innovations in data and analytics. Today's episode explores the opportunities beyond Silicon Valley, and we discuss where to find the best tech jobs across America. Darren also shares advice on how to find the right company to further your career in tech and shares tips on why a career in technology is the best investment you can make. Finally, we discuss the importance of data-driven decision-making across organizations, and the guest offers some strategic advice for CIOs on building a future-proof tech workforce.

Founded in 2015, Roboze was created to redesign the global supply chain through its patented ultra-precise 3D printing technology for super materials, leveraging a proprietary CARBON PEEK material - the highest performing 3D printing super polymer in the entire industry. Roboze currently works with GE, Bosch, Airbus, and other global organizations across space, energy/sustainable energy, medical, manufacturing, and more to design and create end-use parts. The company recently released the world's largest 3D printer equipped with a heated chamber for the fast production of incredibly strong non-metallic parts and is the creator of additive manufacturing systems with the highest accuracy and repeatability in the world. I invited Alessio Lorusso onto Tech Talks Daily to learn more about his tech startup story, 3D printing, and much more.

Digital collectibles platform, RCRDSHP, has just embarked on a brand new journey with RCRDSHP Studio. Developing a space for artists and fans to engage with each other in such an innovative and personalized web3 environment is everything RCRDSHP has aimed to do, and now it is here for the world to explore. Far from the big tech hype and commercial bluster surrounding NFTs and web3, thousands of projects and collectives are quietly shaping new music communities via decentralized tech. These grassroots, often fan-driven efforts blend experiences, collaboration, collective creation and investment with ever-evolving creativity. RCRDSHP wants more of these experiments to flourish. To make this happen, the web3 music platform has launched RCRDSHP Studio, a home base that provides the tools for music lovers and artists to experiment together with all that web3 offers. RCRDSHP Studio gives music fans a base and the tools to play around with new web3 experiences, from collectively creating something to running a remix contest to supporting a cause that matters. These experiences take place primarily on Discord and Twitch, NFTs, and the legacy music business to build a bridge to music's web3 future. It's part of RCRDSHP's ongoing mission to find new ways to assert music's value and create sustainable artist livelihoods. Obie Fernandez joins me in a discussion about the future of our music collections.

Denis O'Shea joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a discussion about securing remote workers using their personal devices. We also talk about balancing security with employee experience, and he shares a few tips around running a paper-less, server-less, password-less business. Finally, I learn more about the story behind Mobile Mentor. Denis O'Shea founded Mobile Mentor in New Zealand in 2004. Since then, the company has helped millions of people unlock the full potential of their technology. In 2017, O'Shea moved to Nashville, Tennessee to launch the company's US business, with a focus on securing the mobile workforce in industries such as healthcare, education, finance, and government services. Mobile Mentor is a global leader in the endpoint ecosystem, helping clients navigate the right balance between security and employee experience. The company was named Microsoft's 2021 Global Partner of the year for Modern Endpoint Management primarily for their work helping Alive Hospice safely treat patients during COVID 19. In addition to being a top Microsoft partner, they are also certified by Apple and Google. In addition, mobile Mentor has recently worked with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Michigan Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and the US Coast Guard.

Under the "Great Resignation," millions of people are leaving their jobs to start their own businesses. However, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of those businesses will fail within the first year. And those that do survive the first year will likely not turn a significant profit for quite some time — if ever. What if people could keep their day jobs and monetize their expertise without significant risk or time and capital expenditure? Well, that's exactly what Kajabi is doing. With Kajabi, users have a single platform to publish, market, and sell online courses, membership sites, communities, and other digital products. Tens of thousands of entrepreneurs rely on Kajabi to build and manage their online businesses, and the company has helped these entrepreneurs generate over $2 billion in sales from nearly 50 million customers to date. As an example of how people are growing their businesses on Kajabi, Dr. Jamie Wilkey earned $230,000 in 2021 on Kajabi through her online class that teaches pharmacists to use personalized medicine to change the trajectory of their careers. Ahad Khan is the CEO of Kajabi, an all-in-one platform for knowledge entrepreneurs and creators to build, market, and sell educational content. I learn more about the story behind Kajabi and how they are helping people and businesses with their tech.

A company called LANDR recently set off my tech spidey senses when they launched Chromatic, a first-of-its-kind virtual instrument featuring exclusive sounds by well-known artists, session players and producers. These sound sets are grouped by color and mood to spark more creativity for music makers. With an impressive streaming library growing with new material in the next month, including artist-generated sound sets by 2020 Grammy nominee D Smoke (Best New Artist, Best Rap Album) and platinum selling Montreal singer-songwriter Ariane Moffatt (with her SOMMM collective), Chromatic offers the artist community a playable interface they can use in producing new works. Chromatic will soon incorporate royalty splits for creators who are contributing sound sets and those who utilize them in their works, generating potential new revenue streams for artists everywhere while allowing for artful collaboration and exchange in a unique way. It will function as an intriguing additional asset artists can use to promote their recordings and projects and boost their income. Khaled Said shares the story behind LANDR.

Tina D'Agostin is the CEO of Alcatraz AI, an artificial intelligence company that employs facial authentication technology to create autonomous access control solutions for enterprises. D'Agostin previously served as the Chief Revenue Officer for Alcatraz AI, responsible for driving top-line growth and expanding Alcatraz's footprint globally. As CEO, she plans to take Alcatraz AI into its next chapter to modernize the access control industry. Tina brings over 25 years of experience within the security technology and solutions industry, with leadership experience building high-performing organizations in hardware, IT, and smart technologies. Prior to Alcatraz AI, D'Agostin was the General Manager of Building Technology & Solutions at Johnson Controls, focused on delivering smart building technologies to global companies. Tina earned her undergraduate degree and her MBA from Rockford University. An avid and lifelong student, she has continued her education at Stanford University, receiving professional certifications in Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Energy Innovation & Emerging Technologies. Tina currently serves on the board at the Bay Area Council and is a contributing member of the Forbes Technology Council. In today's episode, we discuss the touchless future awaiting all of us as well as how buildings are getting smarter and how these technologies evolving are making for safer physical environments.

Should small startups care about cybersecurity? Did you know that the average cost of a ransomware attack is $500k? For most small businesses and startups, this means they go out of business. Even if they can afford to pay the ransom, the reputation damage is permanent. For that reason, more than 60% of small businesses & startups never survive the attack. Scary statistics. Brian Fritton, CEO & Founder of Havoc Shield shares how they've taken the technical and legal ocean of complexity in the security arena and turned it into a simple step-by-step action plan that integrates many of the products, services, and policies companies normally need to wade through and implement individually. Brian discusses why cybersecurity is not only for the big players as 43% of attacks target brands under 500 employees. He also shares easy-to-apply strategies that can literally save the businesses of everyone listening. Finally, we talk about how something as simple as putting a cybersecurity badge on your website increases the conversion rate by more than 5%. And that's just one of the underleveraged strategies.

Panos Siozos is the Co-Founder and CEO of LearnWorlds, an online course platform for creating, selling and promoting online courses. He formerly worked in the European Parliament as a policy adviser for research and innovation issues (2009-2014). He is currently 'tasting his own medicine' having co-founded his edtech SaaS startup. LearnWorlds is a powerful, easy-to-use and reliable training solution for individuals and enterprises. A fully customizable, white-label solution to train employees and associates, educate customers, or sell online courses to a wide audience. The cloud-based e-learning platform offers Professionals, Entrepreneurs & Training Managers a solution tailored to their specific needs and a team of experts to help achieve your goals. Much more than just selling online courses, LearnWorlds comes with a built-in Social Community. But I wanted to learn more about the technology that makes it easy for anyone to create, market, and sell the most engaging online courses. Panos joins in on Tech Talks Daily shares the story behind LearnWorlds, how the pandemic affected the way we learn, market trends, and surge in demand.

In 2017, Andrew Butt launched his third startup -- Enable, a venture-backed ($58.6M) cloud-based SaaS solution for B2B rebate management. The software is used by procurement and finance professionals in distribution, wholesale, and manufacturing across over 50 industries so that they can have an easy, seamless solution to execute and track their full range of trading programs. More than $1 trillion in rebates are issued each year, and 4% of potential rebate revenue typically goes unclaimed due to companies using old methods like inadequate software solutions and excel sheets. Enable makes sure this revenue doesn't fall through the cracks and has more merchants and suppliers in the UK and US than any other comparable software solution. Andrew Butt, Co-founder, and CEO of Enable, shares his story with me on Tech Talks Daily Podcast.

Andres Rodriguez is the founder and CTO of Nasuni, a cloud file storage provider. He is also the former CTO for the New York Times. We last spoke a few years ago, and I was eager to invite him back onto Tech Talks Daily for a catchup. Andres talks about why ransomware has finally pushed back up to the breaking point. Backup, especially as the last line of defense against disasters like ransomware, is dead and ineffective. If it's taking an enterprise or organization 2 weeks to recover their files (because they are following "best practices") and suddenly paying the ransom seems like a good idea for business continuity, then the model is broken. Prevention is no longer enough. It's the detection and, most importantly, recovery. Unfortunately, the IT silos and no one wanting to take responsibility for recovery exacerbates the problem, causing it to fall between the cracks. As ransomware attacks continue into the new year, the traditional backup will be more widely exposed as entirely inadequate for business continuity and minimizing disruption to the business. But we discuss how cloud-native, global file systems can make a recovery in minutes possible, not days or weeks.

Most of today's DeFi lending and borrowing protocols have inflationary token models, don't capture or pass on the value the protocol generates, often lack cross-chain capabilities, and offer an overly complex user experience. Minterest changes that. Having launched in September, following a $6.5 million from top-tier investors, the team is made up of ex-Cardano, Prysm Group, Chainlink, and IBM leaders and members with elite academic and technology credentials. What sets Minterest apart from DeFi incumbents is that it is engineered from the ground up to capture the value it generates. By utilizing its buy-back mechanism, the protocol passes on 100% of revenue generated to its community of active participants. Josh Rogers, the CEO and Co-founder is an Australian entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur. Josh has been a founding member of numerous start-ups, including COMindico, the world's first point-to-point IP telco (US$300M raise); Oriel Communications, the world's first micro-billing content engine including the world's first monetisation of Big Brother 2 content; Freelancer.com, and the world's largest freelance marketplace. In today's episode of Tech Talks Daily, Josh discusses why the Minterest protocol provides users with decentralized token money markets, combined with a uniquely fair incentive structure. He also shares how Minterest recaptures crypto's vision of creating a fairer, more egalitarian financial system and the industry's current issues.

IRIS is a revolutionary new audio experience that dramatically increases sound quality by introducing the space usually missing from recorded audio, unlocking the 'live' dimension that's often lost. This is achieved through a proprietary algorithm that splits out and increases the phase information sent to the brain. The listener's brain then reassembles this vast increase in information and becomes far more active in the listening process. The audio technology company has also just launched IRIS CLARITY, a desktop application that eradicates all background noise in online meetings, ensuring the voice of each participant is heard clearly and bringing control to otherwise uncontrollable environments. Jacobi Anstruther joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share how this new audio technology company is on a mission to enable the world to listen well. Their patented algorithms use advanced psycho-acoustics, machine learning, and AI to create cutting-edge, sound innovation software that enhances audio streams in real-time and dramatically increases sound quality. About Jacobi Jacobi Anstruther has been considered a leading innovator in the music industry for over 15 years. Possessing a background in finance and an irrepressible entrepreneurial spirit, he has been behind start-ups spanning technology, music, venues, and record labels. With a clear vision and desire to instigate change in the music space by bringing 'live' experiences to everyone, Jacobi became obsessed with tackling music compression and audio quality issues alongside neurological behaviour and human performance. It was in 2016, while building a music festival in California that would blend music and social change with audio quality at its heart, that he was introduced to the two key engineers behind IRIS technologies Ltd. Instantly blown away by the superior audio experience and their unique understanding of the neurological effects of sensory input stimuli, he began to build a business model focused on hacking the nervous system to improve human performance and quality of experience looking to solve the many issues found with digital content. Today IRIS has been recognised as the most innovative steps forward in audio and human performance in over 10 years. IRIS continues to expand its understanding of this area and the book of patented technology solutions.

Every piece of data tells a story. Ordnance Survey data is more than a map. It keeps us all safe, helps businesses be more productive and gives people the freedom to step outside and explore. The emergency services depend on it to get exactly where they're needed. And when disaster strikes we work with our partners to minimise damage and save lives. Its data is used to plan smart cities, brings gaming worlds to life, helps lenders and insurers assess risk and prevent fraud, and supports over £100 billion of our nation's economy. For over 230 years, Ordnance Survey has been mapping Great Britain in extraordinary detail. But I wanted to learn more about the company's digital transformation and how it has developed one of the world's largest spatial databases. So first, Lloyd Clarke shares how its old products and data sets were on multiple Oracle databases. Then, we discuss how Ordnance Survey (OS) has completely overhauled its approach to data storage with Pure Storage and achieved its innovation goals. I also learn how thanks to FlashArray™, the company can now deploy servers and spin up virtual machines in minutes, which allows it to react to its customers far quicker than before. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

At Dynatrace's annual Perform conference, the company revealed new capabilities to help developers automate observability and security best practices in their applications. In addition, the $13.48 billion monitoring and observability company is going head-to-head with Splunk and Datadog on its mission to boost growth. We have recently spoken with Steve Tack from Dynatrace about going multi-cloud with serverless monitoring, and I also learned that they have a new CEO in Rick McConnell. At the Perform 2022 event, I caught up with him to learn more about his origin story, what attracted him to Dynatrace's vision for the company's future, and much more. Join me in learning more about the motivations, passions and insights from the Dynatrace CEO. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

For over 200 years, Wiley has been helping people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. They are known for creating digital education, learning, assessment, and certification solutions to help universities, businesses, and individuals move between education and employment and achieve their ambitions. By partnering with learned societies, Wiley supports researchers to communicate discoveries that make a difference. Its online scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, books, and other digital content build on a 200-year heritage of quality publishing. At last year's Dynatrace Perform event, I got chatting with Wiley's CIO and CISO; Sean Mack shared his experience in DevOps, infrastructure, security, enterprise applications, development, and program management. But, at this year's Perform Event, I have invited Eric Lytle on the podcast to learn more about how Wiley's digital transformation journey has progressed. We also discuss how Wiley accelerated its cloud journey and worked with Dynatrace. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Providing essential security and compliance infrastructure, Very Good Security (VGS) enables startups and enterprises to focus on their core business instead of compliance and regulatory overhead. With one single integration, VGS customers unlock the value of sensitive data without the cost and liability of securing it themselves, while also accelerating compliances like PCI, SOC 2, GDPR and more. Since I last spoke to VGS in 2019, the company has raised a $60 million Series C funding. It has also hit several key milestones including recognition as a Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startup, doubling revenue and headcount, launching several pivotal products, acceptance into the AWS ISV Accelerate Program, and expanding its executive bench. Peter Berg, VP of Business Development & Strategy at Very Good Security (and former head of Visa Ventures) joins me on Tech Talks Daily. He has a great back story and is a fintech expert who shares the latest industry trends (like the rise of virtual cards and embedded fintech) and why data security is a crucial pillar for payments and e-commerce companies as consumers are increasingly worried about using their personal info. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Derek Osgood is a former marketing exec turned founder, building Ignition – the collaborative GTM platform helping Product and Marketing teams to get new products to market faster and more effectively. Prior to founding Ignition, he was an early hire at Rippling where he stood up the Product Marketing function and helped scale the company to $20M in ARR. As a Product Marketing leader everywhere from startups to major brands like PlayStation, Derek has launched over 100 products, and his products have generated over $1B in revenue. Now he's building the platform he wished he had along the way. In today's episode, Derek discussed the vital elements to a successful product launch and the future of software for product and marketing teams. We also talk about the biggest mistakes companies make when launching products + how to avoid them. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

ECINS started as a germ of an idea back in 2000, when founders, Gary and Sarah Pettengell, were still working in the police force. They saw vulnerable people grappling with problems like gambling, addiction, family violence and sex crimes and wondered if there might be a less authoritarian, more compassionate way to help them. They thought how much better it might be if support agencies could securely share their knowledge about people, so the complexity of their lives and struggles might be more fully seen and supported. They wondered what might help empower vulnerable people and communities to take action in their own lives. And so, Empowering Communities through Integrated Network Systems, or ECINS, was born. Gary and Sarah share how their collaborative technology is solving complex social problems. Bios: Gary Pettengell Global CEO As head honcho of E-CINS, if there is one thing you can be sure of, it's that Gary's sights are firmly set on making things better. Whether during his time in the police force, helping vulnerable people. Or when E-CINS first began. Or right up to this day, when he learns about the problems his clients are facing, and stays up late into the night, mind ticking over to the next piece of new functionality he can add to E-CINS to make things better for users. Never one to sit still, it's no wonder coffee is his best friend. Sarah Pettengell Director of Services Sarah's compassion has always been front and centre in her approach to life and work. This quality served her well during her time in the police force, chairing domestic abuse conferences and managing specialist teams grappling with complex issue such as child abuse, vulnerable adult abuse and serious sexual violence. Dunsborough is her home base in Australia. It brings with it the sounds of the ocean and sand between the toes that spell relaxation with a capital R. Sarah's in-depth knowledge of the real problems faced not only by vulnerable people, but those helping them, is invaluable to our clients. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

The UK and European fintech space has seen a boom in recent years. But over the last five years in particular, Europe has seen huge growth. In the first half of 2021 alone, fintech investment in the region reached $39.1bn. The boom in Europe's fintech scene is apparent in our work at Ripple too. A quarter of our customer base is from the region. Over the years, Europe has developed strong foundations for the fintech industry to flourish, and it looks set to continue this upward trajectory with no signs of slowing down soon. So why does Europe have a booming fintech scene? Sendi Young, Managing Director, Europe, Ripple, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss Ripple's momentum in the market, trends she's seen in digital payments, crypto adoption, and financial regulation in this space. We also talk about how Ripple is supporting the next generation of talent in finance with initiatives including its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) in partnership with the world's leading universities. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Adam Moelis shares why half of American's can't come up with $400 in an emergency, and 78% of people live paycheck to paycheck. But they spend $80 billion on the lottery every year. We also discuss a recent study that showed that most wished they'd learned more about money in school and scored themselves low when it came to financial literacy. Could tech change this? Adam shares how he founded Yotta to help Americans make healthier financial decisions and become more financially secure. Adam's company provides the chance to win big every week, similar to playing the lottery but in an FDIC-insured account where customers cannot lose any money. About Adam Adam Moelis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Yotta, a financial technology startup whose mission is to help Americans become more financially secure by offering a unique banking experience that allows customers to win weekly prizes of up to $10 million. Adam graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Wharton. His degree and interest in personal finance and passion for behavioral psychology led him to co-found Yotta with Ben Doyle. Adam and Ben were honored with the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021 for their social impact on founding their company, Yotta. Additionally, Yotta has raised over $17 million from investors like Base 10, Core Innovation Capital, Slow Ventures, FundersClub, TwentyTwo VC, Chapter One, Capital X, among some angel investors. Yotta graduated from the prestigious Y Combinator in July of 2020. Previously, Adam was an investment analyst in the Multi-Strategy Investing Group at Goldman Sachs. He also worked as a Product Manager and Data Analyst at YipitData, where he built a mobile app for consumers. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Since co-founding NineTwoThree Digital Ventures in 2012, Andrew Amann has helped launch countless ventures for clients and emerging companies and turned his business into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America on the Inc 5000 list. Amann is an experienced intrapreneur and entrepreneur. He is responsible for patents for nuclear submarine components and three supply chain innovations and has successfully launched twelve startups, including the digital business card solution, Inigo App, acquired by Royaltie. Amann excels at bootstrapping startups without the involvement of venture capital. In today's episode, Aman shares how he has navigated the startup world by building a digital venture studio vs. a traditionally backed V.C. model startup. He also discusses how mentors and encourages young entrepreneurs with this approach. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

As many traditionally in-person industries embrace hybrid work on a large scale, there have been, and will continue to be, many changes to both the technology and the workplace. But I wanted to learn more about how workplace collaboration technology shifted and grown over the last 2 years to meet the needs of this new workforce. Jamie Snaddon shares his insights and story. About 8x8 8x8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT) is transforming the future of business communications as a leading Software-as-a-Service provider of voice, video, chat, contact center and enterprise-class API solutions powered by one global cloud communications platform. 8x8 empowers workforces worldwide to connect individuals and teams so they can collaborate faster and work smarter. Real-time business analytics and intelligence provide businesses unique insights across all interactions and channels so they can delight end-customers and accelerate their business. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

The Great Resignation is here, employees are seeking new opportunities and businesses are having to re-evaluate their workplace cultures to improve employee retention and evolve their onboarding programmes for new joiners. Whilst business leaders are busy finding solutions to retain talent with new perks The reality is, the Great Resignation has brought about growing business IT challenges associated with insider threats. Insider threats have become a new, distinct challenge for organizations as they try to balance employee turnover, employee onboarding and the use of non sanctioned apps and platforms. The sheer number of employees leaving their jobs and potentially still having access to the network or proprietary data has created a headache for IT and security teams tasked with protecting the organization. In 2022, Rick McElroy, Principal Cybersecurity Strategist at VMware believes we'll see the number of insider threat incidents increase. Attackers will also start targeting employees to carry out their attacks or plant ransomware. As a result, we'll see new protocols and guidelines established as organizations work to keep networks and sensitive data protected. In today's episode, we discuss the growing IT challenges associated with insider threats and how businesses can respond to this new threat, and how businesses can make sure employees with legitimate access to systems aren't using this privilege for illegitimate reasons. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Steve Tack, SVP, Product Management at Dynatrace, reveals the big announcements from Dynatrace Perform 2022. We discuss how Dynatrace will extend observability and advanced AIOps to all major serverless architectures. As a result, DevOps and SRE teams can now automatically discover, analyze, and optimize serverless applications in cloud-native applications at scale, freeing teams from manual processes and enabling them to spend more time accelerating innovation. We also discuss how Dynatrace will enhance its Application Security Module to deliver on the promise of Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) for cloud-native applications. Building on existing capabilities, including immediate and automatic detection of vulnerabilities in cloud-native apps and container workloads, Dynatrace will also block against attacks. As a result, organizations can secure modern cloud workloads and applications – accelerating throughput. Finally, we discuss why these product updates are important and what they mean for Dynatrace's product portfolio. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Amanda Mountain has been with SAP for over 15 years. She serves as Global Vice President of SAP Digital Commerce, providing customers one seamless experience across all digital channels. She oversees digital customer strategy for SAP across sales, customer success, support and marketing, and has enabled and exemplified the digital transformation of SAP. In today's episode, Amanda discusses how 2020 (and much of 2021!) reshaped the way she led her team at SAP. From the impact being virtual had on employees to its effect on B2B sales and customer experience, Amanda highlights how she has remained human-focused to keep employees and engaged and business in the green. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Tomas Gorny was born and raised in Poland. He moved to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream at the age of 20 without knowing any English. Today, he's a technology visionary, Co-founder and CEO of Unitedweb and Nextiva, and on the board of directors for Endurance International Group. Tomas has received numerous awards for his leadership in the technology industry. In 2014 he was recognized as the "Business Leader of the Year" at Arizona Technology Council's 2014 Governor's Celebration of Innovation, and in 2017, he was named Top Tech CEO by the Phoenix Business Journal. Nextiva co-founder and CEO joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story. We discuss how Nextiva brings together communications, customer management, intelligence, and automation to help businesses build deep, lasting relationships with their customers. Tech Talks Daily Podcast Sponsor Details Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TTD - Enter promo code TTD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!

Josh Millet is the founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Criteria, a venture-backed ($64.3M) assessment company dedicated to helping organizations make better talent decisions using objective, multidimensional data. The company acquired Alcami Interactive, a video interviewing platform, and Revelian, the leading game-based assessments company in the past couple of years. Josh founded Criteria in 2006 with a vision to create a SaaS-based pre-employment testing service that would eliminate biases in the hiring process. I invited him to share his story on Tech Talks Daily. With over 20 million assessments administered globally, the company has helped organizations make objective, data-driven hiring decisions that lead to better business outcomes with its scientifically validated assessments across multiple dimensions, including aptitude, personality, and skills. On average, Criteria has helped organizations increase their hiring success rates by 52%, reduce turnover by 48%, and generate 25% more revenue. Before launching Criteria, Josh co-founded an online test preparation company, Number2.com, which Xap Corp acquired in 2002. Josh holds a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar and a Mellon Fellow. I learn how Criteria helps companies make better talent decisions and how their goal is to help companies practice science-based talent management, producing better outcomes and reducing the impact of bias. Finally, Josh shares his belief that the predominant hiring model centered around resumes consistently produces bad outcomes and exacerbates bias. He advised the science of what works and what doesn't work in hiring is very clear, but most companies are still

Lauren Woodman, the tech-for-good veteran who was recently announced CEO of DataKind, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the future of the Data for Good movement. DataKind is a global non-profit organization that leverages data science in the service of humanity. They are unique for pushing the boundaries of what is possible when social and humanitarian causes leverage advanced technology to enact positive change in the world. Woodman has over 25 years of experience in the technology and non-profit sectors including roles as congressional liaison at the UN and GM of Microsoft's global education programs. Most recently, she was the CEO at NetHope where she awarded $190 million in technology capabilities and infrastructure to humanitarian organizations. In this episode, we discuss her experience as a pioneer in the tech policy and non-profit space. I also learn more about the current data projects DataKind is working on using AI solutions and its social impact.

Miles Barr, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of solar startup Ubiquitous Energy, joins me on Tech Talks Daily. The solar energy company designs transparent solar technology for windows, electronics, and other applications. We discuss their goal of helping solve climate change by creating truly transparent renewable energy for every surface across the globe. Founded in 2011, Ubiquitous Energy was started by a group of MIT and MSU scientists and engineers looking for new ways to reduce humanity's carbon footprint by seamlessly integrating solar power technology into everyday products and surfaces. Here in 2022, Ubiquitous Energy has the world's leading transparent solar technology – converting light into electricity using semiconducting materials while maintaining visible transparency. To both residential and commercial building occupants, Ubiquitous Energy's solar windows provide a clear, vibrant experience that is expected from traditional Low-E windows, but with self-contained, on-board power and smart functionality.