Tech Talks Daily

Brett Galloway, CEO of AttackIQ, joins me on The Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss how security leaders can build a comprehensive defense-in-depth strategy to confidently report to their boards, auditors, and leadership teams the strength of their security posture. I ask why CISOs keep investing in more and more security controls when 82% of enterprise breaches that existing controls should have stopped weren't. Finally, we discuss why buying more silver bullet tools to combat evolving threats doesn't solve the underlying problem: how to be indeed confident in your defenses against adversaries. Brett expands on his belief that the only way to do so is by gaining data-driven visibility into what's working across your whole system, people, processes, and technologies by continuously validating them. Then, organizations can build a comprehensive defense-in-depth strategy to stop intruders from breaching their applications, networks, and clouds by automating adversarial emulation.

Ram Palaniappan, Chief Technology Officer, TEKsystems, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss its recent State of Digital Transformation report. The report found that leaders who strategically applied technology to enable business transformation thrived and further increased the gap between themselves and digital laggards. We discuss highlights from the report such as why 2 out of 5 organizations note that digital transformation initiatives fail to deliver the identified outcomes. As leaders continue to invest in all aspects of digital transformation, we also talk about how their expected return-on-investment is more immediate, with leaders expecting ROI in one to three years, compared to the laggards at three to five years. TEKsystems recognizes that each organization's road to transformation is rarely a straight line and collectively works with partners to map out attainable wins to identify a path to long-term success in total business transformation. 9 out of 10 organizations indicated that the skills critical to their workforce are also areas where they experience the most significant gaps. We explore how overcoming these gaps, albeit challenging, requires the development of creative talent strategies where companies can acquire new talent, upskill and reskill existing talent, and cultivate a future-ready workforce.

Blake Hall is a former Army ranger who turned his vision of helping veterans into ID.me, the leading digital identity verification company. Blake has grown his company from 21 employees into a $1.5 billion entity. I invited him on Tech Talks Daily to share his tech startup story and learn more about the innovative technology changing how Americans identify themselves online by: We discuss how they are eliminating identity fraud and the $56 billion consumers lost to it in 2020. We also discuss reducing bias and opening access to online services for Americans in underserved communities. Finally, Blake shares how he built ID.me into a unicorn from his initial VC pitch to passing the $1billion valuation mark and how his military background helped him navigate the business world.

Wi‑SUN Alliance® is a global industry association devoted to seamless connectivity. They seek to promote certified standards that coordinate various wireless systems and standardize power levels, data rates, modulations, and frequency bands, among other variables. Through technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, Wi-SUN Alliance supports the worldwide development of Wireless Communications Networks for Utilities, Smart Cities, and IoT. Phil Beecher, President and CEO of Wi-SUN Alliance, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story and mission to accelerate the implementation of smart cities, smart utilities, smart grids and other large-scale outdoor Internet of Things (IoT) applications by enabling the global adoption of interoperable solutions based on open standards. Since 1997, Phil has played a key role in developing communications standards, including Bluetooth, WiFi, and IEEE, and the specification of test plans for many Smart Utilities Network standards. We discuss how IoT is transforming cities and the technology making it happen. We also talk about how smart networks enable other applications, such as smart traffic signals, public transit signs, parking spaces, and electric vehicle charging stations. Finally, we explore how smart cities benefit businesses and residents.

When it comes to hybrid work, debates continue to rage about who should decide where employees work on any given day and how many days they should be in the office. But, the notion of a fully hybrid workforce has been accepted across those industries that can support it. However, the implementation details of a hybrid work model aren't as important as a result: there will be employees working from home and from the office every day of the week. Hybrid work is the new default. And this promises to have a profound impact on the future of access strategies. F5 application services ensure that applications are secure and perform the way they should—in any environment and on any device. But in today's episode, Lori MacVittie from F5 joins me in a conversation about how hybrid work is driving a shift to identity-centric security. Lori MacVittie is a Principal Technical Evangelist at the Office of the CTO at F5. She has extensive development and technical architecture experience in both high-tech and enterprise organizations. She also serves on the Board of Regents for the DevOps Institute and CloudNOW, and has been named one of the top influential women in DevOps. We discuss IP-based access and how traditional IP-based technologies rely primarily on a fixed set of network ranges and addresses, but why identity is the way and how the security challenges associated with hybrid work are accretive to those arising from the rapid pace of digitization. We also talk about the importance of expanding our understanding of identity beyond people to the workloads, applications, and devices we increasingly rely on.

Giancarlo Hirsch from Phaidon International's Glocomms brand joins me in a conversation around securing business-critical talent in technology. We discuss the intricacies of recruiting in the tech space right now, including the most lucrative positions and insights from both the candidates and companies on what they are looking for. We also talk about bringing humanity back into recruiting and why it's more than just a numbers game while also busting a few myths and misconceptions of recruiting in the tech industry.

Seamlessly monitoring people's temperatures in real time was essential during the height of the pandemic, so Jau Huang took his award-winning photo editing AI tools and adapted them into a COVID health monitoring solution deployed in hotels, malls, and workplaces across the US. Jau Huang is the Founder and CEO of CyberLink, a company that's grown from a small startup into an international powerhouse for multimedia products and facial recognition tools for private businesses. Originally, Huang developed a popular virtual makeup applicator called YouCam, and then transformed it into a facial recognition software called FaceMe that could pair with temperature cameras for accurate identification and health monitoring of subjects, even when masked. The solution consistently ranks as one of the most accurate in the world. On the podcast, Jau shares his journey to adapting his tech for health monitoring and discusses how AI is transforming industries including banking, retail, and employee management.

Peter Wang is a veteran software developer turned co-founder and CEO of Anaconda, which brought the programming language Python to the mainstream for business data analysis. Anaconda's open-source data science solution helps organizations mitigate bias, deploy deep learning models using neural networks, and predict numerous current business challenges, such as customer churn, consumer demand levels, stock prices, maintenance needs and outage probabilities. Anaconda also partners with some of the world's largest tech organizations, including IBM, Red Hat, Snowflake, AWS, and Intel. Peter shares his story on Tech Talks Daily and discusses why bias in data, AI and ML should be an enterprise priority right now. I also learn how Anaconda and the open-source community is responding to the Russian-Ukraine crisis and the importance of mentorship in an ever-changing field like data science.

Ivan Ostojic was recently named Chief Business Officer of Infobip, the Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) which, in 2020, became the first Croatian company to reach unicorn status. In the past 12 months alone, over 5 billion people have used Infobip solutions and services. Ivan joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share the story behind the company. We discuss the new Adobe partnership and how the company introduced SMS and WhatsApp messaging for Adobe Commerce customers. This means customers can get real-time alerts via texts or WhatsApp with information related to stock levels, personalized special offers, and order tracking, adding value to the Adobe Commerce experience. We also discuss how Infobip recently secured funding of $500m, advised by Morgan Stanley and led by funds managed by the Credit Group of Ares Management Corporation and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock. We also explore several macro trends in the API market, the rise of CPaaS, the unicorn effect, and more.

Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything can be connected. That's why they are building the ultimate communications network, to enable great, global connectivity to be brought to where it's needed and wanted most: to homes all over the world, to faraway communities, to warfighters on the battlefield, and to people in the air or at sea — to name a few. John Reeves, Managing Director of Viasat UK joins me on Tech Talks Daily. John discusses the need for better technology development using third parties within the public sector and connectivity. More specifically, we explore a fresh approach to technology development. With MI6 recently outlining plans to use technology developed by outside companies for the first time, John shares why the Government and bodies such as the MoD need to perform the same cultural shift. John also expands on how and why using commercial technology can, with the right approach and controls in place, offer more opportunities to innovate, adapt and develop the best capabilities against the rise of increasingly advanced and sophisticated adversaries. After all, ultimately it's all about getting tech into the hands of people in the field. John also outlines the importance of a hybrid approach, using a combination of technologies to deliver end users the connectivity and services they need. After all, the person on the ground – whether armed personnel, paramedics, or someone living in a remote village – doesn't care how their service arrives. They just care that it arrives.

Anthony Hughes is the co-founder and CEO of Tech Elevator, a 14 to 30-weeks coding bootcamp that teaches students in-demand tech skills that can lead to meaningful careers in the tech industry. After reading that 2,300 students have graduated from Tech Elevator, with 90% of whom secured tech positions at companies within 6 months, I felt compelled to find out more about the story behind the company. Anthony has been nominated twice for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2020 and 2021). Before starting Tech Elevator, he was the President of the Software Craftsmanship Guild, another fast-paced program that teaches the skills required for a tech career which Learning House acquired in April 2015. In today's episode of Tech Talks Daily, Anthony shares his story. He discusses how Covid-19 has accelerated the need for a digital workforce and why anyone thinking of joining the tech industry should do it now as the career leap will be worth it. We also talk about how the modern-day coding bootcamps are helping companies meet the enormous demand for tech talent.

Itxaso Del Palacio, Partner of VC fund Notion Capital joins me on Tech Talks Daily. Notion is a European VC fund in the B2B SaaS and Cloud space with more than $700m in assets under management. Having made 80+ investments to date, the Notion team founded, built, and exited two highly successful SaaS businesses – Star and MessageLabs – and today invests exclusively in exceptional founders with the ambition to build global category leaders. The fund's investments include Go-Cardless, Paddle, Currencycloud, and Tradeshift. Notion is also the founding fund of Included VC, the venture capital fellowship for individuals from diverse and overlooked communities from around the world. But I wanted to learn more about Itxaso's unconventional journey to the VC world, which includes a decade of classical ballet, working on the assembly line at DaimlerChrysler, a Masters in Engineering, and, ultimately, a PhD in Entrepreneurship. Once she turned her hand fully to VC investing, since 2010, she moved to London and has invested in more than a dozen businesses in the last 12 years. She has also taught entrepreneurship to around 2,000 students at University College London and Imperial College. And before joining Notion, she spearheaded the European launch of Microsoft Ventures and led investments in Onfido, Beamery, and Unbabel. In the episode, we discuss why there is no one route to entering the VC industry and how product-led growth will be the key to the expansion, explosion, and even domination of European software companies globally. Itxaso also shares what traits she looks for in founders and what the best founders do to blow away investors beyond their entrepreneurial vision.

Eversheds Sutherland is a global top 10 law practice that provides legal advice and solutions to an international client base that includes some of the world's largest multinationals. They have a reputation for helping their clients, people, and communities to thrive by providing quality, innovation, and consistency in legal service delivery around the globe from over 70 offices in more than 30 countries. The legal industry has been criticized for being slow to adapt to the digital world, but I wanted to determine if this is a myth that we can finally lay to rest. So I invited James Grice on the podcast to discuss how this law firm is being driven by legal technology and how it launched the hugely successful Techtober alongside its first Legal technology graduate scheme last year. James Grice is an experienced technology transformation professional, working directly with clients and lawyers to collaborate on new, innovative solutions. He is also the Head of Legal Service Design at Eversheds Sutherland LLP. Having conceived and built the team to design new service delivery models and drive continuous process improvement. He leads a diverse team of talented professionals focusing on human-centered solutions, designing and implementing their Legal Service Design framework to ensure the consistent delivery of excellent service to clients. James also has a keen interest in emerging technology, leading the firms Robotic Process Automation CoE, as well as supporting the business in the implementation of new legal tech solutions, coordinating the overall product portfolio, and driving adoption and awareness across the firm. He is a qualified Business Change Practitioner, Design Thinking practitioner and facilitator, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, APMQ Project Manager, and Certified Technical Trainer.

Tshepo Mahloko heads up the Co-Innovation Lab for SAP. He leads a team dedicated to developing groundbreaking applications for software and technology. Yet, it's his inspiring journey to his career as a technologist that truly serves as a foundation for his current vision as a leader. Growing up in South Africa, he began to hone his skills as an innovator from a young age, experimenting with ways to pair technological prowess with an unwavering passion for social good. He ultimately found early success applying his abilities by leading grassroots initiatives that employed technology to help alleviate poverty within his community. These formative experiences helped mold his abilities as a problem solver while further reinforcing his ability to lead within a highly competitive field. So I invited him on the podcast to share his story, which began with the African way of innovation and how it led him to the global company lSAP. About Co-Innovation Lab for SAP Have you ever wondered how many liters of water it takes to create one liter of mineral water? Or what happens when you have to stop a sugar mill because there is a shortage in the delivery of sugar cane? Can a repair centre safely retread a particular truck tire without impacting the tire warranty? The SAP Co-Innovation Lab provisions and delivers co-innovation services and project environments from currently 16 locations worldwide. Each location uniquely reflects regional nuances while offering the same degree of professionalism and co-innovation experience.

Dave Grow is the CEO of Lucid – the leading provider of visual collaboration software. After raising more than $500 million in June 2021, the company is now valued at $3 billion and trusted by 99% of the Fortune 500 to connect candidates and employees and help them clarify complexity, collaborate visually, and progress opportunities to advance no matter where they're located. Looking back at the last two years of the pandemic, we can no longer underestimate the hit collaboration has taken in the shift to remote working – and how visual collaboration technology can help restore it. Great virtual meetings don't happen by accident. As offices open their doors again amid mass resignations, project managers are increasingly asking themselves, 'what could've gone better during the pandemic?' and 'what technology do I need' to redefine the next wave of working. For Dave Grow, businesses have still not cracked proper remote collaboration platforms. 75% of employees believe collaboration suffered most during the pandemic, according to Lucid's research. I invited Dave to join me on the Tech Talks Daily podcast to discuss the importance of understanding the difference between an adaptive strategy vs. a reactive strategy and altering collaboration processes for new circumstances. I learn how one size doesn't fit all and why businesses should equip themselves with the most relevant tools to facilitate collaboration for their team. But why they shouldn't rely on the tech, they brought in during the pandemic but constantly re-evaluate their stack. Finally, we talk about creating an environment where everyone can contribute, no matter if they are in person or remote.

Europe has been paving the way for digital IDs with the eIDAS legislation, and the U.S. is next in line. Apple is rolling out a feature that will enable U.S. residents to upload their government-issued ID to their Wallet app, while some states like Mississippi and Florida have already launched or are working on launching their own digitized driver's license program for residents. While digital ID solutions do offer a more convenient alternative to physical IDs, the high sensitivity of these documents means this approach will come with many potential security and privacy implications that governments must be prepared to face. Jumio has verified more than 500 million identities issued by over 200 countries and territories from real-time web and mobile transactions. Jumio's solutions are used by leading companies in the financial services, sharing economy, digital currency, retail, travel, and online gaming sectors. Bala Kumar, Chief Product Officer at Jumio Corporation, discusses what we currently know about digital driver's licenses and what governments should consider to safeguard their residents' identities. Bala can also discuss the privacy challenges that may arise with a digital ID system and best practices for ensuring the system is truly secure.

If you have ever looked at the food hashtags on Instagram, it doesn't take long until you feel hungry. But have you ever opened up the Deliveroo, Just Eat, or UberEats App to see the same big fast food outlets? If you are a food lover, you will probably want something more sophisticated or tastier than a Mcdonald's or a KFC. Father and son duo Brandon, CEO, co-founder, and the COO Jacob of Propagrub share their story on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. I learn more about the technology behind a new food delivery service app that aims to create a community for foodies. Inspired by the impact of the pandemic and how it hit chef unemployment rates and the rise of small businesses selling goods through social platforms, Propagrub was born. The platform provides independent chefs and traders with new business and exposure. For food lovers, it makes food discovery easy. It also builds a foodie community where users can chat, and share food images, recipes, clips, reels, and experiences. Ultimately the love and passion for food. Brandon shares how he worked for 28 years as a chartered surveyor growing hospitality brands from one or two sites to 100+. His first client was Cafe Rouge who he began working in 1994, assisting in their expansion to 150 units in three years. Jacob brings Propagrub a wealth of experience spanning marketing technology, merchandising, operations, cryptocurrency, design, and development, having already run several start-ups in the past decade.

Brandon Leibowitz runs and operates SEO Optimizers, a digital marketing company that focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses get more online traffic, which in turn converts into clients, sales, leads, etc. For the past 14 years, he has been involved with search engine optimization and other digital marketing strategies to help drive targeted traffic that converts. I invited Brandon on the podcast to share his story and explore SEO topics such as advanced link-building strategies and analyzing your data to find SEO opportunities.

Gigster is on a mission to companies develop software applications with the speed of a startup, coupled with the quality and expertise of the most innovative global talent. Cory Hymel leads all things Web3 as the Director of Blockchain at Gigster, a company dedicated to helping businesses develop software applications with the speed of a startup, coupled with the quality and expertise of the most innovative global talent. Cory also manages academic partnerships to help further research into distributed teams and the future of work. I invited Cory on the podcast to share his insights on what he sees as emerging trends for mass adoption and early execution of enterprise impacting technology like NFTs, blockchain and Web3. We also discuss how to create a roadmap for an NFT marketplace development project and why inter-blockchain communication is the key to blockchain mass adoption. We explore the topic of high Ethereum gas fees and why Gas is vital on the Ethereum network as it avoids poor performance and security issues for every transaction.

I recently read that approximately 50 percent of men and 30 percent of women in the US will develop symptomatic heart disease. I wanted to learn more about the scale of the problem and how non-invasive technology can help determine who is at the greatest risk for a cardiovascular episode, Dr. Charles Taylor, co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer, and member of the Board of Directors of HeartFlow joins me on Tech Talks Daily. We discuss how technology is transforming the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease. We also discuss how the medical community has received HeartFlow and how technology drives a more proactive healthcare approach. About Charles A. Taylor, Ph.D. Dr. Taylor is a co-founder, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and member of the Board of Directors of HeartFlow. Previously, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Surgery at Stanford University with courtesy faculty appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Radiology. He is internationally recognized for the development of computer modeling and imaging techniques for cardiovascular disease research, device design, and treatment planning. He received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, and MS degree in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

In today's episode of Tech Talks Daily, Dr. Steven Hunt, Chief Expert, Technology & Work at SAP, joins me in a conversation about Workforce Psychology, HR Technology & Business Strategy. Steven shares his origin story, and we discuss how technology is influencing the way we work and how this has evolved over the last few years. Shifting demographics combined with the digitalization of all aspects of life are transforming the nature of work. This is forcing companies to rethink how they design jobs and recruit, develop, and engage employees. In Talent Tectonics: Navigating Global Workforce Shifts, Building Resilient Organizations, and Reimagining the Employee Experience, Steven Hunt explains how technology is changing the purpose of work and why creating effective employee experiences is critical to building organizations that can thrive in a world of accelerating change and growing skill shortages. I learn more about how a technology company like SAP embraces this area of focus and how it impacts new software solutions being developed. We also explore the role of technology in all of this and what tools are critical in this future of work evolution. About Steven A recognized expert on strategic human resources (HR), Dr. Hunt has had a pivotal role in developing systems that have improved productivity and engagement of millions of employees working for hundreds of companies around the globe. A well-known speaker, author, and thought leader on strategic human resources, Dr. Hunt has written over 100 articles, published two books, and supported strategic HR efforts working with companies across five continents. Dr. Hunt holds a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from The Ohio State University, a B.A. in applied mathematics and psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and certification as a Strategic Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) from the Society of Human Resource Management. He has experience as an advisory board member for the Society of Human Resource Management, the Workforce Institute, the Journal of Management, and other talent management organizations. Prior to joining SuccessFactors, Dr. Hunt held positions with Kronos Talent Management Division, Starbucks Coffee Corporation, SHL Inc., Personnel Decisions International, and the U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. Find out more information on today's conversation at http://talenttectonics.com/

At CES this year, Peter Virk, Vice President, IVY Product & Ecosystem at BlackBerry on #1839, shared how over 195 million cars worldwide currently use BlackBerry software. In the light of current geopolitical events and the consequent necessity for extra cyber security vigilance, I wanted to bust a few more myths and talk about the role of BlackBerry in Cybersecurity. After 14 years at McAfee, where he was vice president of central and north/eastern Europe, Hans-Peter Bauer moved to BlackBerry to start his new role as senior vice president of EMEA. But I wanted to learn more about BlackBerry's Prevention First approach, which involves using AI and machine learning ML to prevent attacks from the outset. We discuss why a four-day workweek is possible for the always-on cybersecurity industry and what it looks like for a small business to be fully protected against cyber-attacks and explore if it's sustainable. We also talk about why a prevention first cybersecurity approach is much more than just a perimeter defense – at its best; it's an active effort to neutralize malware before the exploitation stage of the kill-chain Finally, we talk about how not to become a victim, the shortage of IT workers, why security specialists are critical, and what organizations can do to attack new cyber specialists.

Peter Holten Mühlmann founded Trustpilot in 2007. Over the last fourteen years, he has led Trustpilot from a small Danish startup to a global FTSE-250 listed company. Day to day, Peter focuses on business strategy and product development and has overseen Trustpilot's expansion to 800+ employees across six countries. Peter joins me on Tech Talks Daily to talk about the story behind Trustpilot and how they are using techology to remove fake reviews. We talk about a new Consumer Verification tool, an industry first in the world of online reviews. This tool is yet another step in Trustpilot's effort to protect and promote trust online – something that continues to be a struggle, as we've seen with companies like Fashion Nova hiding bad reviews from the public and businesses buying fake reviews. As a result, it's difficult for a shopper to trust what's said online. We also discuss the growing issue of misinformation causing distrust between consumers and businesses and discuss some recent data Trustpilot has uncovered through recent consumer surveys. For example, 84% of Americans say they'd be motivated to prove their identity if it would protect others from misinformation online. We explore how another recent survey about consumer grudges that revealed 66% of Americans aged 45-54 years old are less likely to regret holding a grudge than those aged 25-34 (37%) and 69% of Americans are holding a grudge, while 51% regret holding a grudge.

Oleg Giberstein is the Co-Founder of Coinrule (YCombinator backed startup, S21), which is all about catching the next market opportunity on your behalf by automating your investments. With Coinrule, hobbyist investors can compete with professional traders and hedge funds by creating automated strategies for Crypto and Stocks. The company has achieved over 209% of its seed target during one of its most recent crowdfunding campaigns, raising an impressive $700K from 670+ investors. Other investors include the founders of Twitch, EightSleep, and Fitbit. I invited Oleg on Tech Talks Daily to share his story, which began when he worked in Banking and Risk roles at Citigroup London for many years. In his last role at Citi, Oleg was Chief of Staff to Citi's Global Public Sector Portfolio Head. Here in 2022, I learn more about Coinrule and the problems it solves for its customers. We talk about fintech, crypto, trading, investing, and how Oleg organizes Enterprise Ethereum Alliance meetups in London.

Yotta is a solar storage solution that simplifies the solar storage process through decentralized, panel-level storage and optimizes energy efficiency with intelligent software. Through its flagship product, SolarLEAF™, they have pioneered a modular storage solution with smart thermal regulation that seamlessly integrates behind each photovoltaic (PV) panel while maximizing the life and performance of the battery. Unlike fixed storage centers, SolarLEAF allows you to expand the development of solar + storage microgrids in minutes. Today, the market needs a breakthrough in energy storage solutions. Although solar+storage has risen in popularity over the last 10 years, the industry has faced challenges with producing practical batteries for energy storage. Omeed Badkoobeh shares Yotta's vision to accelerate the adoption of solar+storage by engineering a new generation of solar storage that is cost-effective and reliable, changing the face of solar energy as we know it.

Remittance tech is booming right now and the digitization of sending money isn't slowing down. 2021 was a milestone year for remittances, and according to a recent report from the Remittance Industry Observatory, digital transactions accounted for 37% of all global remittances – a 15% bump compared to 2020. Moreover, as the global payment industry continues to maneuver choppy macroeconomic situations, the digitization of remittances is only expected to grow, with industry leaders estimating that digital transactions will reach 50% by 2032. Earl Melivo, a global payment expert and Director of Country and Business Development at the digital-first remittance company, WorldRemit joins me on Tech Talks Daily. We discuss the digital remittance trends WorldRemit is already seeing with their users worldwide. He also shares his first-hand insights on how the industry is heading towards a more digital world.

Epiverse is a global collaborative led by data.org to co-create distributed data analysis tools that will get ahead of the next global health crisis. Its inclusive, open-source software ecosystem is led by an interdisciplinary community of experts driving equitable innovation in infectious disease response. Ultimatley, it's an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts from health, science, academia, business, technology, and philanthropy working to improve global epidemic response. But I wanted to learn more about the story behind the company developing privacy-preserving technology to unlock insights in non-traditional data, Danil Mikhailov, Executive Director at DataDotOrg, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how data collected and distributed in silos does not support a cohesive global response and how Epiverse is building a global software ecosystem centered around people and a sustainable system of data sharing. However, technology is just one part of a larger human system of connection and relationships. It's also important to remember that global social impact strategies will fail without conscious inclusion and a focus on capacity-building within LMIC's. We talk about how the Epiverse community and ecosystem aspire to serve as a blueprint to inform how technology design and global collaborative response can be applied across the social good sector.

Rootstrap is a full-service custom design and development shop specializing in responsive web/mobile solutions and custom applications. They help companies scale people, processes, and products through outcome-driven development. The company has helped launch more than 750+ digital products with more than 100 million combined downloads. Their mission isn't to merely build pretty interfaces. Instead, it's to iteratively design software solutions. The outcome? Achieving your business goals & generating ROI. Patrick Ward, Vice President of Marketing, Rootstrap, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story. We also explore emerging tech trends on the way to Web3, why AI isn't going to take your job, and why NFTs aren't just a get-rich-quick fad.

Last year, Divi and LaLiga agreed on a deal that would bring crypto to the masses as fans' love for football and crypto overlapped for the first time. I wanted to learn more about this deal and their most well-known project Divi Wallet which enables instant crypto payments for everyone. Nick Saponaro, CEO of The Divi Project, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how they aim to increase the adoption of digital currency. The most well-known project is Divi Wallet, which enables instant crypto payments for everyone. Since beginning in the crypto space in 2013, Nick has become one of the leading experts in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space with media appearances in Nasdaq, The Fintech Times, and Quartz. Nick shares his perspective on risk, given the stock market's current untethering from reality and the historical crashes that have followed periods like the one we're living through now. We also discuss the future of crypto, decentralization goals, and the importance of crypto's investment narrative.

techUK is the trade association that brings together people, companies, and organisations to realise the positive outcomes of what digital technology can achieve. With over 850 members (the majority of which are SMEs) across the UK, techUK creates a network for innovation and collaboration across business, government, and stakeholders to provide a better future for people, society, the economy, and the planet. Matthew Evans, Director for Markets, techUK, joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about why digital transformation is critical to the decarbonisation journey of organisations in every sector. I learn more about how industries are converging across supply chains and sectors with tech partners to find innovations that reduce carbon emissions and efficiencies that drive down energy use. By 2030, digital technology can cut global emissions by 15%. Cloud computing, 5G, AI, and IoT have the potential to dramatically reduce carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. techUK is working to foster the right policy framework and climate leadership so we can all play our part. We discuss how techUK focuses on applying emerging technologies in traditional forms of infrastructure to deliver innovative environmental solutions. We also talk about their core aim to work towards a policy and regulatory environment that removes the barriers to tech investment. For example, techUK will lobby for a tax, R&D, innovation, and business environment that enables all sectors to invest in digital tools to help them decarbonise and, in turn, supports clean tech organisations. Overall digital tech is the best way to reach net zero and deliver wider benefits such as cost savings, process efficiencies, and new business models.

Sightly is a market insights resource that helps brands anticipate the unexpected. Its proprietary Brand Mentality platform uses data science, predictive algorithms, and expert human know-how to help brands maximize their media planning & outcomes, maintain authenticity and understand when, why, and how to effectively lean into controversial, hot-button issues in a meaningful way. Robert Helstrom, SVP of Marketing, Sightly, talks about how they are helping brands navigate shifting marketing insights while holding themselves to a higher accountability standard. We also discuss the current trends within adtech and how brands should plan to adapt to get ahead of the metaverse and Web3.

Girish Redekar is a CEO & Co-Founder of Sprinto.com. A company helping SaaS brands become SOC-2 compliant, close enterprise deals faster, and pass vendor security assessments easily. Previously, he ​​built and bootstrapped RecruiterBox to 2500+ customers and 50+ employees in the US and India. The company was acquired by San Francisco based private equity firm Turn/River Capital in an undisclosed all cash deal (no stock or earn-outs). Girish is a passionate programmer and entrepreneur, keen on helping other SaaS businesses demonstrate security chops and close enterprise deals faster. So I invited him on Tech Talks Daily to share the startup story of how he took his first company from SMB to Enterprise, gaining over 2500 customers and exiting in an all-cash deal.

Hundreds of businesses around the world rely on REPL to help them solve critical enterprise problems. They develop intimate partnerships with businesses in order to transform their people, supply chain, and customer experience to create and deliver long-lasting value. Tech and retail sustainability expert Graeme Hamlet from REPL Group joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about sustainability leadership and its implications for businesses. We talk about the multitude of opportunities to make positive changes, increased transparency on production and consumption, reduced waste and emissions, improved working conditions, and greater learning & development goals. Graeme also discusses supply chains, in-store technology, workforce management, data science, and project delivery concerning sustainability goals for the industry.

Lumin balances energy storage needs and multiple power sources (traditional electrical grid, solar PV, backup generator) by adding standard electrical panels and making ordinary circuits smart and responsive. Alex Bazhinov joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share how Lumin is helping homeowners automatically or manually control their home's microgrid to enhance and protect their investment in solar PV and energy storage. I learn more about the tech that makes it possible and how Lumin can connect to any existing circuit breakers, while competitors may require LG or Stalla to be installed. In addition, you do not have to purchase a costly, time-consuming upgraded circuit breaker to implement the smart control features that Lumin provides.

Metaphysic is building the AI tools and resources that creatives, the entertainment industry, and brands need to develop hyperreal content and tell incredible stories. The software being developed by Metaphysic will help creators process datasets, mix and remix proprietary and open-source AI models and integrate traditional production workflows. The result is a decentralized production process that can generate exponentially more hyperrealistic content without extra time and cost. Founded by the creators of @DeepTomCruise, Metaphysic and its team have worked with such brands as South Park, Gillette, and The Belgian Football Association. Metaphysic CEO and co-founder Thomas Graham joins me on the Tech Talks Daily podcast. We discuss the story behind the Tom Cruise Fake videos and how it has raised $7.5 million from leading tech investors and creators, including Section 32, 8VC, TO Ventures, Winklevoss Capital, and Logan Paul. I learn how the funding will help expand Metaphysic's groundbreaking work in pushing the boundaries of digital experiences, including its focus on pioneering synthetic content creation tools for emergent metaverse worlds that Facebook and other networks are building.

Brian Pagano, Chief Catalyst and VP at Axwa joins me on Tech Talks Daily to offer tips, best practices, and expert analysis for organization leaders tackling privacy issues. Before Axway, Brian was a Global Platform Strategist at Google and was VP of Digital Success at Apigee. In addition, he has worked for years as a technology executive on Wall Street and was a CTO in Italy. Brian discusses why we should abandon the old faith in passwords. He argues that you can tell if an IT department is not evolving if you are required to frequently change your password (this practice has been shown to decrease security and has largely been abandoned). Keeping data private involves data-at-rest and data-in-motion, mostly ensuring that whoever is trying to access the info has the proper entitlements to that data. If privacy is a top concern, the organization should adopt a need-to-know check for any document. Prove you need this information. Then, keep logs and audit them randomly. We also discuss how there is no one solution for optimized data privacy and how the cloud has the same problems around data-in-motion. Finally, we talk about APIs and data privacy and how APIs are the critical front door to your business.

As cryptocurrency becomes more widely adopted and additional real-world assets become tokenized, Salt Lending Inc is on a mission to offer solutions that allow people to hold and borrow against their crypto-assets securely. With SALT, individuals and businesses can secure fiat or stable coin loans without worrying about credit checks. Unlike a traditional loan that takes your credit score into account, a SALT loan is an asset-backed loan in which your crypto assets act as collateral for your line of credit. They have issued hundreds of millions in blockchain-backed loans. Justin English, CEO of Salt Lending Inc, is one of the earliest entrepreneurs in the space and serves on Elite Mining Inc.'s board, a crypto mining operation focused on clean energy and green mining. He joins me on Tech Talks Daily to talk about all things fintech, crypto, trading, investing, and raising money.

Have you ever stayed at a chic Airbnb and wished you could buy one of the paintings on the wall? Or woken up with a headache while spending a weekend at your short-term rental and wished you had some ibuprofen? Having to leave in search of a nearby pharmacy is enough to make your head spin. Now, shoppable Airbnb rentals are on the rise as guests seek out all the comforts of home and long to bring a piece of their getaway back with them. Annie Sloan recently launched The Host Co, the digital commerce marketplace for short-term rentals, so I invited her on Tech Talks Daily to find out more. We discuss the growing trend of 'shoppable Airbnbs.' Designed for spaces like Airbnb, VBRO, and even Swimply, The Host Co. gives hosts the ability to add items for sale and increase revenue while improving the guest experience. The Host Co. adds the amenities guests receive at a hotel, including preordered services and products, but have been missing from Airbnbs and other short-term rentals. Guests also have access to curated local goods they can ship home, such as artisanal foods and crafts. Annie Sloan discusses the benefits of digital retail for guests and hosts at their Airbnb rentals and what products and services are most demand.

Canopy Servicing offers a flexible infrastructure to build and launch next-gen credit, debit, and lending products and support them with world-class service in a secure and compliant way. Canopy's API-first loan management and servicing platform enable small Fintechs and large enterprises to quickly bring differentiated products to market. Its clients offer revolving credit, debit, and installment loans, including fixed-rate, mixed-rate, and differed with customized interest rates, promotions, billing cycles, etc. But I wanted to learn more about its flexible and immutable ledger technology and how it makes it possible to apply policies on a per-account level, empower customer service agents with real-time account information, automate dispute processing, and retroactively reprocess accounts, re-calculate interest, and apply for payments. Matt Bivons, Founder & CEO at Canopy, discusses how embedded finance is the fault line for the future of the fintech industry, and finding true market fit will lead to the next evolution of innovation. We also discuss why the fintech industry should embrace transparency and how credit providers can make alternative credit options safer for consumers (Buy Now, Pay Later).

Nathan Howe, VP of Emerging Technology at Zscaler, joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about developing transformative technology such as Security Service Edge (SSE). SSE reflects the circumstances organizations have contended with over the past two years. Driven by the pandemic, employees have left the secure network and instead access their applications through various new working environments. In addition, as more organizations adopt SaaS offerings, data and applications will continue to be increasingly distributed outside of on-premise data centers. We also discuss How hybrid work will shake up IT infrastructure and why instant and real-time demands will drive 5G and edge computing. About Nathan In his current role, Nathan is in charge of developing a security strategy for 5G. As a digital transformation and telecommunications expert, he's assisted hundreds of enterprise customers in seamlessly modernizing their environments, adapting to distributed workforces cloud migrations, and standing up private 5G networks. He has more than 20 years of experience in the security industry and previously worked for Nestle and Verizon.

Polarr is a photo and video editor made by creators, for creators. Its sharing ecosystem is designed to enable creativity within the creator community, empowering creators to establish their visual identity and express their individuality through the filters they create Polarr's focus is to use technology to empower and protect the creativity of Gen Z and its other users and be a platform where they can maintain full ownership of their creativity and unlock their creative potential alongside a growing community of creators. Borui Wang, CEO, and founder of Polarr, joins me on Tech Talks Daily. We discuss the great divide in the current creator economy between those profiting handsomely off their creativity and those not being compensated at all. But how companies must step forward and play a role in helping creators who use their platforms establish their visual identity and learn how to take the next steps in their creator journeys. With over 75% of its users being Gen Z, we also discuss its unique position in identifying the latest trends among Gen Z creators. As Web 3.0 continues to make its way into various industries, Borui believes the metaverse will not only be about ownership b

Did you know that your adult stem cells are a specialized population of cells that have the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple tissue types. Because of this, they can replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissue. You can think of them as the tools your body uses to repair damage acquired over time. As we age, the number and function of our stem cells decline. But what if you could stop time on this invaluable resource and preserve the biological potential of these cells for the future. I recently discovered a company called Forever Labs which uses technology to bank your stem cells to help you live healthier and longer. Steven Clausnitzer, CEO and Co-founder of Forever Labs, joins me in a conversation about how the company is evaluating autologous interventions to extend the healthy human lifespan. Forever Labs has received several patents, including one for a service providing accelerated healing and reversing hair loss. In addition, Steven has managed to personally raise over $8 million in funding for Forever Labs, building his brand in a way that continues to make a difference in the future. An avid supporter of young entrepreneurs, I also learn how Steven spends his free time mentoring these individuals.

Hiring is a time-consuming process. Have you ever gone through hundreds of resumes, shortlisted candidates, scheduled multiple interviews, and still could not find the right person for your team? This is the exact problem a company called Hirect set out to solve. Hirect focuses on top tech startup hiring. Using its proprietary algorithm, they match job seekers and recruiters instantly. The one-stop-shop for matching candidates and video interviewing removes the time-consuming email tennis waiting for responses. Stephanie Lovell shares how Hirect's algorithms combined with asynchronous communication are, helping tech startups find the right candidate fast. I also learn how this means no more anxious waiting or messy communications for candidates.

Imagine if essential data such as your name, address, date of birth, etc., was public information that anyone could access. Would you feel safe? Data is an important driver that helps an individual or an organization make key decisions. However, a lot of this data is sensitive, and once out in the public domain, people lose control of how it will be used, misused, or re-used. Solving this data sharing problem, working towards building responsible Data DAOs, and powering the next-gen of web3 with privacy, speed, and security is one of the leading blockchain networks, Oasis. By leveraging the Oasis Protocol, developers can address the complexities of data sharing in Web3 by enabling individual data sovereignty and the right to own and share data on their terms. Linda Lu joins me on Tech Talks Daily in discussing using data for social welfare and economic efficiency. We also talk about governance for data rights, prevention of misuse/abuse, and more

Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO of Quanterix and the Powering Precision Health Summit founder, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Kevin has more than 25 years of experience leading life sciences and biotechnology companies and believes that accelerating precision medicine is the key to changing our current healthcare system and improving the population's longevity. Two years ago, he founded the Powering Precision Health Summit as a way to bring all key stakeholders – including doctors, scientists, patients, patient advocates, investors, innovators, etc., together to discuss how we can accelerate research and turn today's sickcare into tomorrow's healthcare. He sees collaboration as the key for advancing our healthcare system and currently sits on the board of several life science companies, to ensure that all medical milestones are capitalized on. Finally, Kevin believes the ability to track the environment's impact on our health is key for helping move the needle forward. He grew up in a coal mining town and from an early age became fascinated with how environmental factors dictate our health. He has found that protein biomarkers can track a person's health as it changes over time, which can enable doctors to spot diseases before they occur, and is working to advance digital technologies that can measure these biomarkers in real time. We discuss how biomarker technology is enabling researchers to see and monitor health conditions that were previously impossible to study in blood, including COVID-19, TBIs, Alzheimer's, MS, cancer and more. I learn how this tech is making a tremendous impact by identifying diseases much earlier in the disease progression opens the floodgates to new and better treatment outcomes.

Flint Capital is a Boston-based international VC fund that has raised $250M in two funds and announced that it closed its second fund. Its portfolio includes 45 companies like Flo, Socure, Walkme, CyberX, Cyolo, and 15 successful exits, 3 of which are unicorns. But what is the story behind the company? At the age of 35, Andrew Gershfeld of Flint Capital ($500M fund) has already made a few brilliant investments, including Flo. Additionally, he is a ski marathon runner, which gives him a sense of confidence while competing with top venture funds. I invited him on the podcast to share his insights into how startups become unicorns and how venture funds can help startups scale successfully. We discuss how health tech startups disrupt the healthcare system, how the pandemic has changed the venture market, and with 90% of pitches being made online, he also shares tips on pitching via zoom.

QUICK is an Ethereum token that powers QuickSwap, a decentralized exchange that runs on the Polygon Network in order to provide faster and cheaper transactions on Ethereum. QUICK can be used to create and vote on proposals governing QuickSwap and can be staked to earn a portion of trading fees. Nicole Grinstead joins me in a conversation about how QuickSwap became the biggest decentralized exchange on Polygon since launching in 2020. We discuss DeFi growth, especially layer 2 platforms, and why institutional investors can no longer afford to ignore DeFi. We also talk about Indian blockchain and DeFi innovation and recent FUD around regulation, DeFi growth, and what happens next.

Adam Singolda, CEO of leading ad-tech company Taboola joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his insights on the open web, personalization, metaverse and AI, and content and consumption. We also discuss the top readership trends driving consumption on the web and how Meta's decisions in the attention economy are fundamentally harming the publisher/consumer relationship. Taboola's recent history has been noteworthy, as the company has experienced exponential growth and released new products that have shaken up the market. Recent examples include their acquisition of Connexity for $800m, their partnership with Microsoft, and the launch of Homepage For You, which adds AI to power editorial recommendations. About Taboola Adam Singolda, Taboola's CEO, founded the company in 2007. The company's platform, powered by artificial intelligence, is used by digital properties, including websites, devices and mobile apps, to drive monetisation and user engagement. Taboola has long-term partnerships with some of the top digital properties in the world, including CNBC, NBC News, Business Insider, The Independent and El Mundo. More than 13,000 advertisers use Taboola to reach over 500 million daily active users in a brand-safe environment. The company has offices in 18 cities worldwide, including New York and Tel Aviv.

Audius is a digital streaming service that connects fans directly with artists and exclusive new music. It does this by being fully decentralized: Audius is owned and run by a vibrant, open-source community of artists, fans, and developers all around the world. Audius gives artists the power to share never-before-heard music and monetize streams directly. Developers can build their own apps on top of Audius, giving them access to a unique audio catalogue. Backed by an all-star team of investors, Audius was founded in 2018 and serves millions of users every month, making it one of the largest crypto applications ever built. Audius also recently introduced $AUDIO 'Engage to Earn' Crypto Rewards program with Cheat Codes, Alina Baraz. The feature allows artists and fans to earn $AUDIO through challenges on the web's largest decentralized streaming service. I invited co-founder Forrest Browning on the podcast to find out more. About Forrest Browning Forrest Browning, co-founder, and CPO of Audius, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, and most recently was a Co-Founder of StacksWare, an enterprise datacenter management platform started from a Stanford University research project. The company provides analytics at scale for Fortune 500 customers, and was successfully acquired in late 2017.

Leadership is a strange word. For some, it conjures up images of the "old" world of work, with strict hierarchies, stuffy titles, and (predominantly) ageing men in suits with inflated salaries. For others, it's a fluffy concept filled mostly with hot air. However, as work shifts to become more collaborative, cross-functional, and complex, it's more important than ever for managers to excel at bringing people together, inspiring them, and empowering them to reach their full potential. And that's what leadership is. BUNCH is an AI leadership coach on a mission to help anyone become a great leader. BUNCH enables anyone to overcome everyday leadership challenges with personalized 2-minute leadership tips - all in the format of a sleek, intuitive app. Bunch co-founder Darja Gutnick joins me in a conversation about the science of leadership and how anyone can become a great leader. We explore how leadership is a mindset that can be learned and not some hidden talent that we need to discover. Then, Darja shares a few lessons she had to learn the hard way on female entrepreneurship.