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Tech Talks Daily

Tech Talks Daily

2,037 episodes — Page 37 of 41

Ep 17711771: Talking Data Compliance With Talend CISO Anne Hardy

Are data privacy and compliance laws at risk of becoming speeding tickets for major enterprises? Progress from governing bodies like recent bipartisan data privacy bills in the US or the EU's new focus on unethical AI are all steps in the right direction. But recently levied fines and pushback against new regulations suggest compliance will not enforce protection so much as force companies to budget for its existence. Talend's Talend's CISO, Anne Hardy, joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about data compliance. Anne shares her belief that there is an opportunity for both big tech and government regulators to set a precedent for good compliance and regulation. We discuss how outdated attitudes towards personal consumer data collection can lead to compliance breaches. We also talk about how international tech giants can turn compliance into teachable moments for smaller and burgeoning companies dealing in data and why compliance regulators need to focus on smaller companies and not just those offering major payouts.

Nov 4, 202124 min

Ep 17701770: Cognitive Behavioral Science Tech For Substance Use Disorders

Clark Lagemann is Co-CEO of Avidon Health, a platform for employers and healthcare providers to offer wellness and healthcare-related courses to help individuals improve health outcomes. Clark joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss how technology can help employees who are struggling with substance abuse. According to a recent survey, the pandemic has exacerbated substance use for employees. Among workers struggling with addiction or substance abuse issues, more than one-third say it has affected their work more since the pandemic began. Unfortunately, many employees are afraid to say they need help. They may end up leaving the workforce altogether or suffer in silence as their work deteriorates––and they may experience safety risks if their job entails driving or using heavy machinery. So what can employers and companies do to help if they don't know their employee is struggling? Fortunately, technology can make a difference for individuals needing to make a change and Avidon Health takes a different approach to online coaching through a hybrid approach

Nov 3, 202117 min

Ep 17691769: The Next-Gen Machine Identity Automation Platform

Murali Palanisamy, chief solutions officer of AppViewX, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. He shares why machine identity management is critical for today's enterprises and share some of the latest findings from AppViewX and Vanson Bourne's The Next-Gen Machine Identity Management Report. The report explores where the current machine identity market stands, the challenges and opportunities for organizations today, and what has been the true impact of sub-optimal digital identity management. Some of the key findings: 61% of organizations don't hold full awareness of certificates and keys across their digital assets 67% believe managing certificates is too complex 66% lack of skill sets within IT/security teams to properly manage digital identities and certificates After implementing a machine identity management strategy, 51% of enterprises have strengthened security credentials and 41% have reduced outages due to certificate expiry or human error About Murali Palanisamy Murali is responsible for the overall product vision, development and technical direction of AppViewX. Prior to AppViewX, he was a Senior Vice President at Bank of America, where he was leading the e-commerce application delivery's architecture and engineering team. He also served as VP of Architecture and Product Engineering for Merrill Lynch, where he designed and developed automation and integration solutions for servers, application delivery controllers, IP services and networking.

Nov 2, 202121 min

Ep 17681768: AI Computer Vision and Motion Analytics Unlocking CCTV Data

Fyma was founded by Karen Burns and Taavi Tammiste. They have created an AI platform that easily plugs into most retail, city, urban, and CCTV cameras, transforming your standard camera feed into deep insights into objects, people, and bahaviours in real-time. Use cases include The London LegacyDevelopment Corporation, using AI to keep building the Olympic park legacy; major retailers and shopping centres; the Dutch GranPrix; European city governments; urban planners and event spaces. It's more ethical - the AI is trained to not recognise faces, ever, in the training and deployment stages of AI, so there's no risk of facial/racial profiling. And, Fyma does not store any camera feed data, only the metadata. For businesses, it's good for unlocking data, getting new insights to create more tailored retail experiences, loyalty schemes, offers, etc., to improve in-store revenue. For venue owners and urban planners, it means getting the insights to adapt and create more accessible, inclusive, and efficient spaces. For citizens and consumers, it's all about protecting privacy, avoiding data being misused, no racial or facial profiling. Fyma is pushing ahead with AI learning in new ways and focusing on other things (movements, weather, gender, age, etc.). Taavi Tammiste, CTO and co-founder of Fyma joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to share the story behind the company.

Nov 1, 202128 min

1767: How SquadLocker is leveraging Printing Technology

Gary Goldberg is an entrepreneur and third-generation textile scientist who has combined his passion and unique knowledge of the craft with a relentless entrepreneurial spirit to disrupt the way sports leagues, teams and schools design and purchase customized gear for today's young athletes through his B2B and B2C business: SquadLocker. The company has grown phenomenally in recent years and raised $20 million in a Series C funding round in 2020, one of the largest institutional funding rounds in Rhode Island in recent years. SquadLocker leverages a sublimated printing technology that has allowed the company to circumvent the recent strains of the supply chain by dyeing fabric entirely through the printing process, and not relying on shipments of particular fabric colors to fulfill orders. They've also utilized a more streamlined production process so that orders can be placed directly by individuals rather than through coaches or school administrators, allowing for a better customer experience and direct shipping of goods (which became more important during the pandemic when social distancing was broadly recommended). Gary is also extremely passionate about the impact of mentoring when it comes to helping today's young athletes reach their full potential. He also believes coaches, teachers and mentors are the unsung heroes in the fabric of America's youth and has launched a podcast which dives deeper into the topic called On The Whistle.

Oct 31, 202122 min

Ep 17661766: The Tech On A Mission To Help You Make More of Your Money

We're entering a savings account crisis where millennials' uninvested cash will lose over $18.5B to inflation in 2022 alone. Investing is imperative. Did you know that the average portfolio of 25-35-year-olds consists of a broad range of assets, including stock, crypto, shoes, cards, whiskey, private equity, and more? I am fascinated by how people are turning away from savings accounts and 1% interest rates and turning to alternative investments. Firma is an investment platform built to support new generations of investors with different goals and behaviors than their predecessors. They offer public and private securities across asset classes so users can build a comprehensive and well-balanced portfolio. Anna Roubos shares how Firma helps investors manage and keep their portfolios healthy by providing access to tools and opportunities typically reserved for institutions and the ultra-wealthy. I also learn more about the technology that makes all this possible.

Oct 30, 202129 min

Ep 17651765: Gary Brotman, CEO of Cambridge start-up Secondmind

The automotive industry is in transformation. Whilst the sector has made huge strides to reduce its environmental impact, pressure to do more increases each day. The result is an engineering design process that is orders of magnitude more complex than anything faced before. Secondmind is on a mission to help automotive manufacturers navigate the increasing complexity of engineering design in its transition to electrification. The technology is underpinned by years of award-winning, practical machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to design cleaner cars, and achieve greater sustainability. Gary Brotman, the newly appointed CEO of Secondmind joins me on the Tech talks Daily Podcast. We discuss how the role of technology will continue to increase as automotive manufacturers move away from creating hardware to software. Gary also shares how AI/ML technology will gradually lead to new approaches like digital twinning and simulation-led manufacturing with AI/ML technology at the forefront. We also talk about the future of automotive and the transition to green will be a multi-decade journey for the industry. It's a complex problem facing the industry on the road to greener mobility beyond fuel emissions. But Gary reveals how Secondmind's technology is helping automotive brands prepare for this future.

Oct 29, 202128 min

Ep 17641764: MarTech - MarTech - Digital Asset Management and Customer Retention

Jake Athey, VP of Marketing and Customer Experience at Widen Enterprises, provider of digital asset management and product information solutions, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. We discuss the value of digital asset management (DAM) as part of core brand and marketing channel strategies and the technology that makes it all possible. We also talk about how effective management and efficient use of content is critical to maximizing return on marketing investments, ways to ensure brand consistency to increase revenue and drive customer retention.

Oct 28, 202124 min

Ep 17631763: The Virtual Events Platform Humanizing Online Interactions.

Hoyin Cheung, founder, and CEO of Remo left an online meeting and couldn't shake the feeling that he couldn't connect with people in the same way he could connect with someone in the real world. Worse yet, he noticed time and again that social media had become anti-social. Hoyin asked a simple question: What's stopping us from cultivating online relationships that are every bit as deep, meaningful, and enriching as relationships that develop in-person? From there, he set out to transform the experience of connecting, communicating, and collaborating with people across the globe by "humanizing" online interactions. Remo Conference helps creators, coaches, and event organizers create immersive online events! Users can learn and connect with each other, just like in real life. The platform allows people to have face-to-face networking just like in-person events, building meaningful relationships and conversations. Hoyin joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story. We discuss how we can use technology for authentic conversations that build meaningful relationships. I also learn how Remo is leveraging technology with his online interactive events platform that connects people more authentically.

Oct 27, 202125 min

Ep 17621762: Paul Stobart, CEO of Zen Internet on Going Net Zero by 2028

Everyone has talked about how much the world has changed in the last two years. But today, I want to explore how our home internet expectations have increased. Wi-fi is now fundamental to every aspect of the family home. In some cases, doorbells, lighting, heating, 4k streaming, online gaming, and a long list of smart devices are all hungry for a slice of bandwidth. Research from Zen Internet recently revealed that 75% of people are unaware microwaves could interfere with their internet connection, and one in seven regrets not switching broadband providers over the last year. I invited Paul Stobart on the podcast to learn more about the report. We also discuss how Zen is the first broadband provider to go Net Zero by 2028 – meaning it will remove more carbon emissions from the environment than it generates. I also learn more about why Zen has also been awarded the Cisco Powered SD-WAN Service accreditation for its SD-WAN solution. Finally, we talk about how CityFibre, with help from Zen, is extending its infrastructure to 216 additional towns and villages across Britain – delivering gigabit-speed broadband and ensuring everyone has access to full fiber.

Oct 26, 202132 min

Ep 17611761: What the Vaccine Rollout Teaches About Big Data and B2B Marketing

Amnon Mishor is the CTO and founder of Leadspace, a leading B2B Customer Data Platform. He has designed and deployed innovative global data & AI solutions for some of the world's largest B2B tech organizations such as Zoom, Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, and more. After successfully designing and deploying world-class technology to aid the military in catching terrorists, Amnon saw an opportunity to apply data and AI in another industry where leaders cannot afford to "fail": B2B enterprise software. He shares his experiences from his time heading up the Intelligence Systems and Data Mining Department of the Israel Defense Force's Technological Intelligence Unit. In 2010, he founded Leadspace to help Silicon Valley's biggest enterprise companies take full advantage of customer and prospect data — their most valuable business asset. Have you ever wondered what the vaccine rollout teaches us about AI and big data? Amnon Mishor believes there are key takeaways for B2B marketers. In this podcast, Amnon shares expert opinion as a data technologist to expose what the vaccine rollout teaches B2B companies about big data, AI and more. We also discuss what's wrong with applying big data solutions to small data sets - and how to get it right.

Oct 25, 202127 min

Ep 17601760: MarTech Interview With Anudit Vikram, CPO at MediaMath

Anudit Vikram, former board member of the IAB Data Center of Excellence and Chief Product Officer, MediaMath joins me in a discussion about consumer privacy (amid Amazon fines), Google's FLoC (which recently wrapped up the first phase of testing), and addressable/scalable identity solutions to replace third-party cookies. Anudit explains, "While there has been a flurry of activity preparing for the demise of the third-party cookie, the pushback around it and signals from the EU hinted that it would not be smooth sailing for Google, so, ultimately, it's not a complete shock that the timing changed. There is no question that first-party data performs better, and that the quality of third-party data is questionable, but that is not the only factor driving transparency. Transparency to the actual user – what we call addressability – is directly affected too. To continue the momentum of creating a more transparent supply chain, industry leaders must continue work around the activation of first party identity options and creating cohort-based solutions. As far as next steps for the industry, marketers, advertisers, publishers and the like should use this time to start working with first party identity solutions and perfect the stack they will use, while still being able to leverage the scale provided by third-party cookies."

Oct 24, 202129 min

Ep 17591759: The Personal Finance Revolution Powered by Blockchain

Modern banking hasn't changed since the 1400s, when financial institutions were established by Machiavelli's Medici family in Florence, Italy. Since, the power has long been in the hands of the intermediary. We've been at the mercy of market fluctuations and currency volatility. Today, with the rise of blockchain, the power is shifting. As Rob Frasca, Managing Partner at Cosimo Ventures and a holder of ndau, the world's first adaptive digital currency, states, "This is the single largest value creation event in our lifetime, because we're moving to a more resilient networked approach to value and trust exchange. It's a borderless resilient value exchange, putting financial control into the hands of the people. Consider this: less than 50% of people in the world have a bank account. Yet, 75% of the world's population have smartphones. More than 50% of those who have smartphones have prepaid accounts. We now have the technology to allow 75% of the world to have true cross-border banking. It's a personal property, a personal finance revolution: owning the property rights to your money versus bank control." Frasca discusses what this seismic shift means and dives into the realities of market volatility and the benefits of owning your savings for the long term.

Oct 23, 202135 min

Ep 17581758: MuleSoft - The IT and Business Alignment Barometer Report

MuleSoft is a trusted integration and API platform provider that can empower any company to quickly unlock and integrate their apps and data to create connected experiences faster. Paul Crerand joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss the IT and Business Alignment Barometer report findings. Highlights from the report include: Significant hurdles preventing automation: Security and data governance issues, along with data siloes, are hindering automation initiatives for more than 70 percent of organisations Security concerns slow the pace of innovation: the majority (87 percent) of IT and business leaders say that security and governance concerns are slowing down the pace of innovation Seeing eye-to-eye? Almost nine in ten (87 percent) reported that IT and business alignment has improved over the past 12 months, suggesting there are opportunities to overcome security and governance challenges and enable faster innovation Disparate systems remain a key challenge: almost three quarters (73 percent) of organisations say the integration of disparate systems has increased their concerns around data security and governance – 34 percent say it had 'significantly' increased concerns Empowering non-technical users key to creating connected experiences: The vast majority (86%) of organisations agree business outcomes would improve if business users were able to use low or no code to securely connect apps and data on their own to create connected experiences We discuss the technological and operational challenges organizations face in achieving their business priorities. We also talk about what is behind these results and what businesses should take away from them.

Oct 22, 202123 min

Ep 17571757: Agritech - Fermata and AI Plant Disease Detection

Valeria Kogan, founder of the agritech startup Fermata built a scientific career in bioinformatics and worked as a hired employee in Gero (a Singapore-based longevity biotech company) for more than five years before founding her agrotech startup Fermata. The next-generation farming tool uses AI-based technology to provide farmers with precise monitoring of their greenhouses, preventing 30% of the harvest loss and reducing the monitoring time by 50%. Valeria Kogan joins me on the podcast to talk about how crop and livestock monitoring applications will hold a significant market share from 2020 to 2025. Fermata offers an integration within weather data, irrigation, nutrient, and other systems to improve resources used and boost output by more accurately identifying deficiencies. We discuss enhancing data quality in the ecosystem, and the potential use case for data in agriculture. Massive data volumes of mapping, variable rate seeding, soil testing, crop monitoring, and crop rotation must be stored and managed correctly as successful farming relies entirely on it for assessing the conditions and improving regular operations. At the same time, it is pretty hard for farmers to develop and fulfill data storage from scratch: that's where intelligent technologies are needed!

Oct 21, 202128 min

Ep 17561756: The Role of Tech and Geospatial Analytics in Pandemic Response

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the importance of timely, detailed, and comprehensive data to the forefront. To help curb or prevent the next pandemic, many leading institutions are actively discussing how global data-sharing could be established and governed to detect the risk of future pandemics and disease outbreaks more quickly. One company at the forefront of this new, collaborative approach is HSR.health. The health tech firm has successfully adapted its 'Health Risk Index' to improve pandemic emergency response efforts with hyper-focused risk indices that nations and public health agencies have adopted worldwide. Ajay Gupta, CEO of HSR.health, reveals the many benefits of health-focused geospatial analytics in aiding pandemic response and mitigating future risk.

Oct 20, 202122 min

Ep 17551755: Farmer Connect and the Surging Supply Chain Demand

The world of consumer goods is changing for the better – and technology is at the forefront of this transformation to answer demands for a more sustainable and ethical supply chain. CEO of Farmer connect® Michael Chrisment has already helped secure $9 million in a Series A investment round for the platform that uses blockchain to track the lifecycle of coffee and chocolate. He now continues his mission to transform the agriculture supply chains by cleverly connecting farmers to consumers and everyone in between. Michael joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the importance of traceability. He also shares his insights on the company's vision and the future of the industry. We recorded the episode on World Coffee day. So, we also discuss the importance of supply chain traceability and why coffee/cocoa companies should be transparent in their product journey farmer connect® is a platform that allows consumers, farmers, and retailers to have insight into the complete supply chain of the coffee and chocolate products, using blockchain-based on IBM technology, self-sovereign identity, and artificial intelligence. It connects the user to farmers, traders, roasters, and brands. Its rapidly growing roster of clients and industry partnerships already includes some of the world's biggest coffee brands, such as UCC coffee, HEMA, and Massimo Zanetti Beverage.

Oct 19, 202121 min

Ep 17541754: Blue Prism - How RPA is Transforming the Workforce of the Future

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is the fastest-growing part of the AI industry. But it's is often overlooked by the media and misunderstood by the general public. RPA allows businesses to automate necessary processes, whether invoicing or data entry, without investing in lengthy and costly IT systems. While businesses and organizations like the NHS are already using RPA, many still view RPA simply as a threat to their jobs. The reality is that RPA is transforming how businesses function and the workforce of the future will be hybrid with human employees managing extensive team of digital workers. Blue Prism pioneered the concept of RPA, and Eric Tyree, their Head of AI, explains how RPA is already transforming how businesses work and what the workforce of the future will look like together. Eric also discusses how accessible AI and RPA are becoming, as systems are increasingly designed to be understood and used by everyone – not just IT or tech professionals. Eric Tyree biography Eric Tyree is the head of AI at Blue Prism and is an expert in the commercial application of AI and advanced analytics with over 20 years' experience in related product and technology leadership roles. Eric has led the development of a wide range of data driven products and services in travel, consumer analytics, HR, pensions & insurance, portfolio management, algorithmic trading, retail banking and equity exchanges. Eric is experienced in building and leading high-performance organizations and has worked with a wide range of companies ranging from some of the largest corporate institutions in the world to start-ups developing from the ground up. Before joining Blue Prism, Eric was CTO and chief data scientist for the data division of CWT where he was responsible for data products, personalization and data driven revenue management. Prior to that Eric was chief data scientist at Capita Plc responsible for new data products and services. Eric has also founded and/or advised a number of startups while serving in a range of senior AI/data science, product and technical roles. About Blue Prism Blue Prism has operations globally and is currently listed on London's AIM stock market. It has grown fast from around £50m when it listed in 2016. They have a great long-term perspective on the industry and its evolution, with a global client base – including EY, Jaguar Land Rover, Siemens and Google.

Oct 18, 202134 min

Ep 17531753: How Payhawk is Building the Financial System of Tomorrow

One of the big reasons I record this podcast every day is to try and feature as many voices and tech communities from around the world, NOT just silicon valley. So today, I am excited to take you on a trip to Bulgaria, where Hristo Borisov, Co-Founder & CEO of Payhawk, discusses how and why fragmentation in fintech is coming to an end. Payhawk is an all-in-one integrated finance platform for businesses, combining credit cards, payments, expenses, cash management and pre-accounting into one platform to give businesses maximum control and visibility over their spending. The company is London founded and headquartered, with Bulgarian roots, and recently raised $20m from Klarna's investors QED. Its customers include the likes of Zenloop, Nexo, and Telus. Due to Payhawk's technology, the average finance team saves 2-3 days of work each month and broadly speaking, a customer with approximately 100 expenses per month can save an extra $3,540 per month on average when switching from manual processes to Payhawk. We discuss how Payhawk reimagines how payment works (by simplifying and automating processes and building an end-to-end experience). We also talk about how banks and fintechs could coexist in the future? (working together rather than against them). Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 17, 202127 min

Ep 17521752: Level Up Your Remote Teams With Virtual Reality Training

We now have employees recruited, onboarded, and working daily without ever meeting their teammates in person. So how do we bring everyone together and make them feel a valued part of a team well? In today's episode of Tech Talks Daily, I explore how technology can help develop and train teams to innovate even when employees are working from home and the office. When a team is stuck in its comfort zone, growth and innovation are dead in the water. But a tech company believes that nothing inspires a new mindset more than adventure. But most teams can't drop everything to climb a mountain. At Vestigo, they are bringing the adventure to you: VR experiences that force employees to let go of fear and think differently, designed to help remote teams level up from fear to bravery, enabling radical innovation and adaptability. For example, Vestigo's AltspaceVR experience unites teams in an unforgettable Mt. Everest expedition. Marshall Mosher is a world-record-holding action sport poly athlete, tech futurist, and host of the Inside the Adventure podcast. As the Founder and CEO of Vestigo, he's bringing his passion for adventure into the digital world by building the future of virtual reality adventure by digitally recreating the world's most inspiring and daunting adventure environments. I learned how his recent VR team programs include work for enterprises and businesses like Microsoft and the CNN Emerging Product & Platform team. Marshall has tapped into something with his business as he evaluates how tech teams are tapping the power of virtual reality to harness their fearlessness to innovate and work together. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 16, 202127 min

Ep 17511751: LogRhythm - Why It's Time for the CSO to Report Directly to the CEO

In the wake of major breaches over the last few months, organizations across industries are re-evaluating their cybersecurity strategies, with many realigning priorities to ensure their security team and technology solutions can meet the needs of an evolving threat landscape. Mark Logan, CEO of LogRhythm, talks about the importance of the CSO reporting directly to the CEO. Mark explains why this reporting structure demonstrates the value a company places on cybersecurity as an enabler of business performance at a time when cyber breach headlines are top of mind for the public and maintaining trust is crucial. Cybersecurity is now a board-level initiative for all companies, not just those in the software and security spaces. We talk about why enterprises that do not get on board with this shift in organizational structure that brings CSOs to the forefront could lose out on key talent. Perhaps more concerningly, they also stand to see a weakening of consumer trust and business value, especially if the organization ultimately experiences a damaging breach because security was not prioritized. Mark discusses how this reporting structure fosters trust among consumers and future business partners that security and data privacy are taken seriously and given the highest priority within the company. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 15, 202122 min

Ep 17501750: AvidPlay and the Tech Making Music Distribution Seamless

AVID empowers media creators with innovative technology and collaborative tools to entertain, inform, educate and enlighten the world. For example, AvidPlay, Avid's subscription-based, independent music distribution service, now allows independent artists and labels to distribute their Dolby Atmos tracks directly to Apple Music's Spatial Audio. Apple Music is the latest streaming service with the largest user base to receive Atmos tracks directly from AvidPlay. In addition, the distribution service has delivered immersive audio to Amazon Music and TIDAL since 2020. Avid is the only provider of both music production tools and an independent distribution service where Dolby Atmos tracks can be made and delivered from the same setup. AvidPlay makes it extremely easy for artists and labels to distribute and monetize the music they're creating with Pro Tools, Avid's industry-leading, Rob D'Amico joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his lifelong passion for audio and production informed his position and goals at Avid. I learn more about AvidPlay: what it is, who uses it, and details about the audio formats and quality it enables artists and producers to work with, as well as details about how compensation, splits, and fees work with other independent distribution services in the market. Rob shares a few use cases to illustrate how AvidPlay works and a detailed description of the process from production suite to streaming services. We discuss why today's creators need AvidPlay; the opportunities it provides artists, labels, audio engineers, and how AvidLink fosters community amongst users by enabling feedback and questions. We talk about how an artist can start using AvidPlay and make the most out of the service, along with how customer demands and feedback are informing future offerings. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 14, 202138 min

Ep 17491749: Exploring The Great Resignation With Explorance

As "the Great Resignation" continues to rock companies across industries (recent surveys say 37% of workers are thinking of making a move) it's more important than ever to listen to employee feedback and take real action to improve employee retention. However, mining rich, actionable insights from thousands of employee comments has always proved a daunting and incredibly time-consuming task until now. Samer Saab, the CEO of Explorance, shares his story and the path that led to him starting Explorance 18 years ago. He discusses the three foremost challenges facing the industry today – recruiting, retention and inclusion. We also talk about machine learning has proven beneficial in helping address these issues. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 13, 202127 min

Ep 17481748: Empathy and The Tech Helping Families Navigate Loss

It feels like every aspect of our lives is dominated by tech. It also makes our lives easier in so many ways. But when we lose a loved one, it seems that tech and innovation are absent. Suddenly at a time when you don't want to speak to anyone, you can be thrust into endless calls to arrange a funeral, flowers, closing accounts, removing names from mailing lists, and so much more, Empathy is removing the taboo on death while providing information to help families navigate the logistics of losing a loved one. These are just some things technology excels at, like navigating logistics. Empathy's app combines technology and human support to streamlines end-of-life bureaucracy, minimizes tedious tasks, and automates processes involved in the administration of an estate while also providing emotional guidance. It's a sensitive topic, and today I learn more from Ron Gura about how the collaboration of humans and technology can help when we are trying to go through the grieving process. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 12, 202121 min

Ep 17471747: How to Prevent Email Tracking With Ghostery

Pete Knowlton, Senior Director of Operations for Ghostery, rejoins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss data tracking, specifically the new (terrifying) channel of email tracking. Pete is a privacy expert who leads US operations for Ghostery, a privacy intelligence platform with over 7 million monthly active users. Pete focuses primarily on web tracking and how little bits of code can get ahold of your data when you're using Google or another browser. However, as more people have become wary of online tracking, Ghostery has found that email trackers are becoming more prolific, and most people don't know how to protect their data in their inbox. Pete shares what email tracking is and how to prevent it in a language that everyone can understand. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 11, 202130 min

Ep 17461746: How Etherisc Is Democratizing & Decentralizing Insurance

Etherisc is developing a protocol for decentralized insurance applications. We use blockchain technology to make the purchase and sale of insurance more efficient, enable lower operational costs, provide greater transparency into the industry. Christoph Mussenbrock shares how Etherisc is on a mission to make insurance fair and accessible through its open-source, decentralized insurance protocol and collectively build insurance products on the Ethereum blockchain. Since its launch in 2016, the Etherisc protocol has been reimagining insurance solutions to democratize the process in the interest of the consumer. Etherisc is currently working with ACRE Africa on the Bima Pima crop insurance product, which offers farmers weather index insurance policies to protect them against climate-related risks for their crops. This crop insurance is more affordable, fairer, and more transparent than the traditional insurance solutions available to farmers to protect their livelihoods in case of extreme weather events fueled by climate change. Other projects currently hosted on Etherisc's open-source Generic Insurance Framework include Flight Delay Insurance, Crop Insurance, Social Insurance, and Hurricane Protection. Podcast Sponsor Download Hirect, the free app is trusted by 10,000+ startups who chat directly with ideal candidates and accelerate their hiring process 10x faster than traditional ways.

Oct 10, 202136 min

Ep 17451745: Re-Experience Life's Best Memories With Free AI Cloud Storage

Degoo is an experience-driven cloud provider offering 100GB of free, secure storage with an AI-empowered interactive display that helps users re-discover their best, stored memories. Designed in the bursting Swedish startup scene, Degoo's platform offers users a place to securely store and uniquely experience their photos and memories anywhere in the world. With Degoo, users will never run out of space for their photos and have protection knowing that running out of storage space or a broken phone no longer equals the loss of your favorite photos. In addition, Degoo is available across operating systems and on the web, meaning that users will never be without their memories. Degoo is constantly innovating and improving their product, having recently released AutoAlbums, which uses AI to create albums of similar photos - whether they are taken during the last year or are photos of basketball games or specific landmarks. Carl Hasselskog joins me on the podcast and discusses how Degoo has watched competitor after competitor acquired by Google Photos, making it one of the few challenger brands left on the market. He also shares how Degoo has navigated the changing landscape of photo cloud storage.

Oct 9, 202121 min

Ep 17441744: Cybersecurity Month: The Citrix Security Stack and Ecosystem

Andre Leibovici and Anil Kumar join me in a conversation where we explore the Citrix Security Stack and Citrix Ready Security Ecosystem. The guests discuss how expensive it has become to recruit security professionals and how businesses can turn this challenge into an opportunity. They also talk about retiring legacy VPNs, Zero Trust, monitoring, and analytics to measure your security improvements. Useful Links Citrix Ready Workspace Security Ecosystem: https://citrixready.citrix.com/program/workspace-security-program.html Citrix Secure Access solutions: https://www.citrix.com/solutions/secure-access/

Oct 8, 202145 min

Ep 17431743: Carbon Sequestration to Creating an Intergalactic Internet

Mike Betzer, CEO of Hypergiant, joins me on The Tech Talks Daily Podcast to chat about how artificial intelligence is actively solving some of the world's biggest problems, both on earth and in space. From powering carbon sequestration machines with algae and fighting climate change to building out the infrastructure for an internet on Mars, artificial intelligence undoubtedly has the capacity to do good. As an enterprise AI company, Hypergiant is genuinely in the trenches developing these groundbreaking technologies – just ask companies like NASA, Boeing, and Apple, all of which are turning to Hypergiant for new and improved AI solutions. Hypergiant Industries is an enterprise AI company focused on developing world-changing technologies to solve the world's biggest problems in the areas of space, defense, and critical infrastructure. Hypergiant offers a suite of AI services, software, and solutions that support companies and governments in preparing for the future of AI. Mike discusses how artificial intelligence impacts space innovations, defense solutions, infrastructure improvement, climate solutions, and how tech and AI can shape the future.

Oct 7, 202134 min

Ep 17421742: Happy Mining With RAKwireless on The Peoples Network (HNT)

Since 2014, RAKwireless has delivered simple but powerful tools that eliminate barriers in IoT connectivity and empower people to build a smart future. RAK's continuous development of these IoT solutions empowers innovators and commercial enterprises to build the right environment for their property. The brand has held partnerships with some of the world's leading tech players such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Microsoft. In addition, they regularly partner with academies, schools, and organizations supporting young people working to build a better, more innovative future through IoT devices. But after hearing how they recently secured $10M in Series A funding, I invited Jose Marcelino, Solutions Architect at RAKwireless, on the podcast to learn more. Despite global manufacturing and supply chain disruption, the renowned producer of IoT tools, hardware, miners, and software tools has seen tremendous growth. We talk about RAKwireless, the relationship with Helium, and how the miners work. We discuss the People's Network, what it represents and why the 'builder community is so important to RAKwireless. We also talk about how to mine the Helium cryptocurrency tokens (aptly named HNT) and how it allows people to create passive income. Finally, we talk about why this is such an exciting time for RAK fans and other young folks who love to 'tinker, create and build new devices and ideas?

Oct 6, 202129 min

Ep 17411741: Sezzle - The Tech Behind The Buy Now, Pay Later Solution

Killian Brackey is the CTO at Sezzle, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payments tool working with global brands like Discover, Target, Lamps Plus, GameStop, Barstool Sports and more. Over the last few years Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has exploded in popularity, especially during the peak of the pandemic when online spending saw record levels. Now that stores have fully reopened across the country, consumers are looking to get a fix of the in-store shopping experiences. However, many still want to have the option to finance their purchases with BNPL payments platforms. Additionally, BNPL will only improve the touchless experience at the register, with tap-to-pay tools, improving the overall contactless experience. Killian discusses what Sezzle is doing to move the needle on that front with its own tap-to-pay technology, as well as Apple's move into buy now, pay later, whether big tech is set to take over the space (and why that may not be a good thing for innovation), and more.

Oct 5, 202119 min

Ep 17401740: accessiBe - The Tech Making the Internet  More Accessible

People relied on the internet more than ever before throughout the pandemic, doing everything from ordering groceries to keeping up with critical health updates online. However, for millions of people with disabilities, only 2% of all websites are accessible, making navigating the internet nearly impossible. This is where accessiBe comes in, using proprietary technology to make websites usable for people in the disability community. As a web accessibility hub, accessiBe provides different AI-Powered solutions for testing and remediating web accessibility and various professional services to create an inclusive web and help businesses comply with web accessibility standards and regulations, i.e., WCAG and ADA. accessiBe's full suite of web accessibility solutions enables businesses of all sizes, from solopreneur to large corporations, to participate in global inclusion efforts and make their websites available to everybody, regardless of ability. accessiBe's founding team has deep domain expertise in the field of web development and accessibility services. It has developed the technologies in close partnership with users who have vision impairments or blindness, epilepsy, motor impairments, cognitive dysfunctions, and other disabilities. I learn how their technology helps businesses meet ADA and WCAG 2.1 compliance within 48 hours and as low as $49/month.

Oct 4, 202119 min

Ep 17391739: Forbes Asia 30 under 30 Crypto CEO on Staking, DeFi and Blockchain Interoperability

Proof-of-Stake (PoS) continues to dominate the blockchain landscape in 2021, with Ethereum moving closer to its 2.0 upgrade and PoS consensus, as well as other major protocol launches this year using the consensus mechanism. Tushar Aggarwal, CEO, and Founder of Persistence, an ecosystem of next-generation financial services designed to stimulate global liquidity, has been a long-term advocate for PoS blockchains. A former Podcast Host for Decrypt Asia and Venture Partner deal sourcing for blockchain and crypto startups for Outlier Ventures, Tushar has extensive expertise across operations, investment, and management consultancy in the financial technology and blockchain industry. Prior to founding Persistence in 2015, Tushar worked as a Principal at blockchain and cryptocurrency fund LuneX Ventures. The experienced entrepreneur and investor, Tushar was awarded a place on the renowned Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list in 2021 for his work in finance and venture capital. As CEO of Persistence, Tushar is aiming to bridge the gap between legacy finance and decentralized finance via a fully interoperable protocol and evolving ecosystem of services purpose-built for seamless integration across blockchains. As a recognized thought leader on DeFi, staking, and interoperability, he shares his insights on several developments in blockchain including, Interoperability in blockchains; the importance of a self-sovereign network of blockchains. We also discuss Blockchain network governance on Eth2.0 and liquid staking and how to stimulate locked assets. Finally, we discuss unlocking mass DeFi adoption through better tooling.

Oct 3, 202132 min

Ep 17381738: Joe Baguley, VP and CTO, EMEA at VMware

The UK's plans to explore its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) is a testament to the increasingly mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies and the realization of its potential to truly revolutionize the way we move money around the world today. Rishi's Sunak's recent announcement claimed that a Britcoin could tackle some of the challenges of popular cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin – i.e., from a regulatory and volatility point of view. However, Joe Baguley, VP, and CTO, EMEA at VMware believes the chancellor must also consider the sustainability cost of introducing Britcoin en-masse and how it could foil the government's green ambitions due to the unjustifiably high environmental burden of cryptocurrencies. Joe joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about the fundamental mistake the founders of bitcoin made by building the cryptocurrency on a proof-of-work blockchain which consumes an incredible amount of energy. We also discuss why we cannot unpick the environmental problems proof of work blockchains have caused by plugging renewable resources into powering them. If the UK considers its own CBDC seriously, it must learn from the industry's early mistakes and ensure that it is green by design. We explore what building a more sustainable blockchain ecosystem would look like and the role that VMware will play in a new future of work from any device, location, and time.

Oct 2, 202122 min

Ep 17371737: Cybersecurity Awareness Month With Robust Network Solutions

Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. So what will you be doing differently this year? Will it be switching to a password manager? or adding MFA to your email and social accounts? Alanna Gilson and Eric Due from Robust Network Solutions join me on today's episode of Tech Talks Daily in a discussion about how to improve your security hygiene. Robust Network Solutions is a premier IT consulting firm headquartered in San Mateo, CA, that specializes in providing proactive services to many professional firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Specializing in Microsoft, VMware, Cisco, Citrix, HP, IBM/Lenovo, network buildouts, technology projects, mobile technology, remote access, enhanced security, disaster recovery, improved network performance, helpdesk support. About Eric Eric Due works as a Senior Engineer at Robust Network Solutions. He helps provide business planning and implementation to bring digital services that align with business needs. He has over 25 years in systems and business implementation. Alongside his design skills and startup experience, he brings a wealth of perspective. Focusing on people and reducing risks, Eric is passionate about aligning solutions with business goals and ensuring IT is a positive experience. About Alanna Alanna has worked in the digital media tech industry for more than 20 years. With experience in global web and mobile app monetization, inventory management, and internet fraud, the seasoned tech business development executive is also passionate about advancing cybersecurity and cyber-Training for Businesses and their Employees. In addition to business development/IT consulting, she is also involved in digital marketing, virtual/experiential events, and digital content development. Outside of the office, Alanna enjoys her work as an accomplished artist and spending time with her family.

Oct 1, 202134 min

Ep 17361736: CEO of $400M+ Funded Startup on Culture-first Hypergrowth

Liftoff is a performance-based mobile app marketing and retargeting platform, using post-install user data to run true cost-per-action user acquisition and re-engagement campaigns. Traditionally, marketers pay for each click or app download when devising a mobile ad campaign, regardless of whether new customers spend money in the app. Liftoff changes this model by only requiring marketers to pay for advertising when a person completes an action or spends money in an app. Powered by machine learning and lookalike targeting, Liftoff's campaigns drive actions beyond the install, securing only the most engaged users for its customers. Mark Ellis, CEO, and co-founder of Liftoff joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Mark has made community and culture a core tenet of Liftoff's work, eschewing the toxicity that's rampant in fast-growing Silicon Valley businesses and aiming for impact beyond revenue alone. This approach has been integral to building Liftoff's global, high-performance mobile app marketing platform that's attracted customers like CBS Sports, Amwell, Lifelock, acorns, and many others. The last three years served as another great stretch for Liftoff as the company had explosive growth with over 400% increase in revenue from 2017-2020. With Mark's leadership, Liftoff cemented itself as an industry leader, creating an alliance of mobile marketers focused on promoting good-business practices in a dynamic sector. This community-first approach has come to define Mark's successful tenure and sets him apart from his peers in the tech-startup world.

Sep 30, 202118 min

Ep 17351735: Expert AI - The Case for a Hybrid Approach to AI in NLP

Industries like insurance, finance, and media have all found impactful ways to apply symbolic AI and deep/machine learning to common pain points when taking unstructured language data from documents, social content, and emails. By extracting sentiment and the deeper meanings of words that only humans can do, language can be turned into data, and actionable insights for a wide range of use cases can be drawn from it. Walt Mayo, CEO of expert.ai, the natural language processing AI company trusted by The Associated Press, Dow Jones, Gannett, and other top brands, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily podcast. We discuss how combining a symbolic approach to AI with machine learning can form an innovative hybrid model. Walt talks about the difference between symbolic AI and deep learning/machine learning and what kinds of use cases are typically applied together. We also discuss the strengths of each and what organizations can gain by combining them. Finally, we discuss how a hybrid approach addresses the "black box" problem in AI; and scaling existing human biases.

Sep 30, 202135 min

Ep 17341734: Infragistics and the Tech Accelerating Application Design

Dean Guida officially launched enterprise software company Infragistics in 1989 when his small start-up of 10 people went head to head against Microsoft for a $300k deal with Philadelphia Conrail—and won. Dean has since scaled the company to 250 employees across six countries, including a 75,000 square foot headquarters in New Jersey, without accepting outside funding. As a result, the company now boasts a client roster that includes 100% of the S&P 500, including Intuit, Exxon, and Morgan Stanley. And this year, Dean launched Infragistics' $50M Innovation Fund and Lab to encourage entrepreneurism within his own company. Dean joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast to share his entrepreneurial journey and how he has navigated Infragistics through its 30+ years in the tech space. Infragistics has thrived through major economic recessions, tech bubbles, and bursts. Dean reveals how the company survived – and saw success –during even the most challenging times. Dean also shares why he never accepted outside funding and how he bootstrapped Infragistics to, the multi-million dollar global company today, without ever taking VC funding. We also discuss how their Innovation Fund works and creates freedom for internal inventors to experiment with innovations beyond its core UI/UX products without an immediate need to generate revenue.

Sep 29, 202135 min

Ep 17331733: AdTech - The Tech Transforming Digital Ad Verification

Integral Ad Science (IAS) ensures ads are running exactly where, when, and how you want — no ifs, ands, or bots. They help protect brands and save their cusotmers from spending time and money on inappropriate content, markets, or fraudulent traffic. These insights are based on 100+ billion web transactions they process every day. Netflix, Apple TV, and consoles are becoming more popular advertising avenues than traditional linear TV. As a result, we're consuming more video than ever before, and I wanted to explore the challenges and opportunities with connected TVs and explore the latest shopping trends. I invited Tony Marlow, CMO, Integral Ad Science, to analyze these trends and understand the scale of the problem with fraud and the role that technology will play in the industry's future. Tony Marlow is the Chief Marketing Officer for Integral Ad Science, based in New York. He is an insights-driven executive and leads all aspects of corporate marketing strategy, brand development, and communications for the company. Before joining IAS in 2019, he was the CMO for the big data company Data Axle. Before that, he was the Global Head and Vice President of B2B Marketing for Yahoo – overseeing all B2B Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Product Marketing, Sales Learning, and Sales Insights.

Sep 28, 202140 min

Ep 17321732: The Role of Tech in Fleet Tracking and Telematics Solutions

Geotab is advancing security, connecting commercial vehicles to the internet and providing web-based analytics to help customers better manage their fleets. In addition, Geotab's open platform and Marketplace allow both small and large businesses to automate operations by integrating vehicle data with their other data assets. As an IoT hub, the in-vehicle device provides additional functionality through IOX Add-Ons. Processing billions of data points a day, Geotab leverages data analytics and machine learning to help customers improve productivity, optimize fleets by reducing fuel consumption, enhance driver safety, and achieve regulatory compliance. Since being established in 2000, Geotab Inc. has grown from a small family business to a global leader in fleet management and vehicle tracking solutions. They are now one of the largest telematics outfits globally and have become the first to surpass two million connected vehicles built on a single, open platform. David Savage, Associate Vice President, UK, and Ireland at Geotab, joins me in a discussion about electric vehicle adoption, fleet telematics, sustainability, and tech. David leads the operational, commercial, and organizational activities of the UK and Irish regions. In addition, he has accountability for delivering Geotab's overall strategy and realization of the company's ambitious growth targets in support of its wider UK/European growth focus. With more than 15 years of experience within operations and transport management, David has a proven ability in helping businesses to scale sustainably. Before joining Geotab, he held the role of General Manager at FreeNow (formerly MyTaxi and Hailo), Europe's leading e-hailing app. David shares his story and also discusses the growing conversations around the intersection of sustainability and tech.

Sep 27, 202133 min

Ep 17311731: How Tech Can Foster Great Inclusivity in the Workplace

The case for diversity in the workplace is straightforward: it's the right thing to do, and numerous studies suggest it can drive better business performance, too. For example, a 2018 report found that gender-diverse executive teams, which make the most important strategic and operational decisions, were correlated with profitable outcomes across geographies; and companies with the most ethnically/culturally diverse boards worldwide are 43% more likely to experience higher profits. However, an organization might consider its workforce "diverse," but that doesn't mean all employees feel valued or are given the same opportunities. Far too often, because of unconscious bias, inclusivity is left out of the equation. In the past, unconscious bias was often perceived as subjective or circumstantial versus a larger systemic issue. Now, rather than taking action against an individual, emerging technologies are empowering business leaders to analyze the different ways that diversity and inclusion are hindered at a foundational level and inspire action to remove those factors from the equation. The team at Knockri, for instance, understands the detrimental effects unconscious bias has on applicants and organizations—and has designed a suite of AI-powered behavioral assessments that help eliminate these issues and shortlist the best-fit job candidates to interview during the early screening process of hiring. Knockri's CEO, Jahanzaib Ansario joins me in a conversation about how tech can foster great inclusivity in the workplace.

Sep 26, 202126 min

Ep 17301730: Unlock Your Digital Potential Through Experimentation and Personalisation

The pandemic's impact on the acceleration of digital means that just providing a personalized experience to customers is no longer good enough. In order to succeed and stay one step ahead of the competition, brands need to embrace a data-driven approach to optimize every digital experience based on outcomes. Justin Anovick, Chief Product Officer at digital experience company, Optimizely joins me on Tech Talks Daily. We talk about how businesses can unlock digital potential through a combination of personalization and experimentation. Justin also discusses why it's so important to look beyond just personalisation and the importance of combining this with experimentation in order to move away from guesswork and gut decisions to use data to a more scientific approach that will provide customers with the best digital experience possible. About Optimizely With its digital experience platform (DXP), thy equip teams with the tools and insights they need to create and optimize in new ways. Now, companies can operate with data-driven confidence to create hyper-personalized experiences. Building sophisticated solutions has never been simpler. Optimizely's 900+ partners and 1100+ employees in offices around the globe are proud to help more than 9,000 brands, including Peloton, Uber, AMEX, WSJ, Santander, KLM and Mazda enrich their customer lifetime value, increase revenue and grow their brands. `

Sep 25, 202124 min

Ep 17291729: Octopus Energy Founder & CEO Greg Jackson

Octopus Energy Founder & CEO Greg Jackson joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Greg is inspired by giving customers the best experience at the cheapest price-point possible to drive the green energy revolution. We discuss how technology is reinventing the energy industry and tackling climate change. For years, the energy industry has been running on the software equivalent of floppy disks, but through the application of technology, Octopus Energy is bringing energy into the present day, innovating in the space through their tech platform - Kraken – to provide affordable and clean energy to millions across the globe with an unrivalled focus on the customer experience. Described as 'Amazon of energy' Octopus Energy are a global disrupter bringing energy towards a greener future. They currently serve 2.2 million customers with renewable, clean energy which their technology allows them to do cheaper and much more efficiently than anyone. They also license their technology to their competitors around the globe in USA, Australia & Japan reaching 15 million homes and currently growing at 100k per month.

Sep 24, 202121 min

Ep 17281728: How Spark Commodities is Empowering Trade With Technology

Serial entrepreneur Tim Mendelssohn had an early entrepreneurial experience, starting his first company, Elephant Branded in university. Famously, it was featured in an episode of BBC's Be Your Own Boss. After that, he had a progressive career in technology and finance before becoming a CEO of Spark, including roles at Sony, Warner Brothers, BP, and Koch Supply and Trading. With no ability to code but passion for seeing how technology can fundamentally improve how the markets operate, Tim saw the flaws of markets and took on the challenge of using the technology to take on the competition of established companies with 50+ years in the industry. Spark Commodities was founded in 2019 with a mission to disrupt the trade in the commodity markets thanks to technology and data. Spark's key users are leading commodity market participants, exchanges and brokers focused on bringing value to customers suffering from expensive, unsophisticated legacy providers In February 2021, Spark beat legacy market players such as Baltic Exchange (250+ years), Platts (100 years) and Argus (50+ years) to secure a listing on ICE - an exceptional achievement for a startup. Tim Mendelssohn shares his inspirational story on Tech Talks Daily

Sep 23, 202120 min

Ep 17271727: The Serial Entrepreneur Merging his Love for the Ocean and Tech

Serial entrepreneur, William West, has founded four startup companies; his most successful sold to a global outsourcing company. In addition, he's written two business books, was featured on CBS 60 Minutes and in FORBES, won twenty entrepreneurial awards, and made the Inc. 5000 list five times. Now, after twenty years building tech companies using VR, AR, and AI, West is building his piece-de resistance, a passionate endeavor merging his love for the sea with that of building companies. His most recent venture, Regatta VR, trained companies to tackle difficult HR issues and used cutting-edge VR technology to do it. Regatta Travel uses its technology to tackle more fun issues: planning the perfect vacation for you. If you want to shop, its app will send you to St. Bart's; if you want to hike the rain forest, to Dominica. And if you're a celebrity or a couple just wanting your privacy, Regatta's algorithm can handle that too. Regatta Travel Co. is built around its Waypoint app, which overcomes the Paradox of Choice typically associated with travel planning and engages the Dopamine Circle the way a dating app does. Unlike a dating app, every option is the crème de la crème and sure to delight – it's simply a matter of what the client wants to do on this trip. In fact, focusing on the activities their customers want to enjoy—the experience—is what sets Regatta apart from other travel companies. Instead of exhaustive lists of villas or boats that all look like, and leave customers unhappy with their eyes glazed over, Waypoint focuses on what vacationers want to do, and then aligns them with the top locations and accommodations on them. While Regatta's fleet, one of the largest in the travel industry, includes 1,000 boats, 1,000 villas, 4,000 planes, and 30 private islands across 50 countries, users will only see options based on their vacation vibe they're going for, and the activities they're most interested in enjoying on their trip.

Sep 22, 202120 min

Ep 17261726: The Student Tech Startup Story Behind StuDocu

The Amsterdam-based scale-up StuDocu was founded in 2013 by four students, including CEO Marnix Broer, and StuDocu was born out of the need to share study resources more efficiently. Since launching, the company has expanded to markets like Australia, Canada, Germany, the UK, and the United States. It boasts more than 15 million monthly active users, helping the platform become the international leader in the document sharing space. Marnix shares his startup story and his belief that education is a resource that should be accessible to everyone and built the platform on that premise. In addition, Marnix feels strongly that education technology, particularly platforms like StuDocu, needs to complement teachers' and professors' work, creating ways for students to study for exams and learn the course material applicable in their careers in the future. Marnix also discusses the continued rise of EdTech over the past 18 months and how StuDocu recently received $50M in funding. I also learn why the solutions so desperately needed during COVID-19's study-from-home period will continue to be important as students return back to school. StuDocu utilizes a freemium model, where 80% of all documents on the site are free to access by all, and 20% fall into the premium category, which can be accessed by paying a small quarterly or annual fee or by uploading your own study materials for premium access.

Sep 21, 202120 min

Ep 17251725: Cult Wines - How Tech is Transforming the Wine Industry

Tom Gearing is the CEO of Cult Wines, the global leader in fine wine investment. But I wanted to learn more about how Cult Wines is leveraging technology to disrupt the fine wine investment industry. Traditionally, fine wine investing was targeted to the "snooty" high-net-worth investor, but Tom uses technology to bring more accessibility, transparency, safety, and credibility to the industry. Tom grew up with an investment banker father who took him all over the vineyards of Europe as a boy, and he learned and sampled wine and is more knowledgeable about fine wine than people twice is his age. But his love for technology has been instrumental in making Cult Wines a leader in innovation. They released the first NFT in their industry for auction on OpenSea, and they are continuing to utilize blockchain and other technologies to set Cult Wines apart from its competitors. Tom shares his tech story and how he appeared on BBC's Apprentice a decade ago. He has also overseen the growth of the business, receiving several awards, including appearing on the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in 2015 and 2017 and receiving a Queen's Award for International Trade. But here in 2021, he regularly appears as a market commentator on media outlets such as Bloomberg, CNBC Europe, CITYAM, and more.

Sep 21, 202138 min

Ep 17241724: Preparing for BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)

Both Google and Entrust recently announced support for email authentication specification BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). A survey of 1,000+ US and UK adults from Red Sift, a leading cybersecurity company, looks at consumer interaction when brands are able to display their logos in an email inbox consistent with BIMI standards – revealing how this will affect consumer interaction with emails, open rates, buying behavior and brand recall. For example, the study found that BIMI has the greatest impact with Gen Z with 28% reporting that not deploying BIMI would negatively impact purchasing decisions. Rahul Powar, CEO, and Founder of Red Sift, joins me in a discussion about the rise of BIMI standards and what this will mean for marketing and security. We talk about the impact of BIMI and how this standard will translate into market value, why BIMI will be the new standard for logo visibility in email, and how BIMI will become a crucial part of security protocol in the future.

Sep 20, 202126 min

Ep 17231723: The Tech Transforming Reservations and Ordering in Hospitality

Since its inception, SevenRooms has served hospitality operators from independent restaurateurs to global hospitality groups. They created the company to overcome a challenge they recognized within the industry: limited access to and ownership of guest data. Over the past ten years, they have built a platform that unlocks a 360-degree view of the guest journey and empowers operators to deliver highly personalized experiences to every on- and off-premise diner. As a result, they are leveraging technology to helping hospitality businesses, big and small, increase revenue and create loyal guests for life. Joel Montaniel, CEO & Co-Founder of SevenRooms, returns to the Tech Talks Daily Podcast for a catchup. We discuss on-premise and off-premise dining, vaccine passport mandates, and how customer's needs have evolved over the last 15 months. We also talk about how Joel sees hospitality adapting to these needs by leveraging technology. Finally, we discuss how restaurants can create a seamless journey that diners prefer from discovery to booking to the dining experience itself with technology.

Sep 19, 202120 min

Ep 17221722: NOK NOK - Talking Metal Payment Cards and Passwordless Authentication

According to ABI Research, the market for metal payment cards is expanding rapidly and is expected to reach 90 million cards (cumulative) by 2025. In addition, CompoSecure, the category leader in metal payment cards, and Nok Nok Labs, the co-founder of the FIDO Alliance and leader in passwordless authentication, recently revealed they would bring to market the first Internet ID and Payment Card that can be used as a virtual ignition key for the authentication of a user into any digital service on any device. This new offering will combine Nok Nok's passwordless, secure and scalable authentication server with CompoSecure's three-factor authentication technology and patented metal NFC hardware to ensure a high level of security on any device or card. In addition, all transactions using the CompoSecure internet ID and payment card will be enabled to be used for either a POS or a card-not-present transaction. Other everyday use cases for the card include cryptocurrency transactions, eGaming, online gambling, and identity verification applications. Phil Dunkelberger joins me in a conversation about the recent announcement and shares insights from his career in tech. About Nok Nok Nok Nok is a trusted leader in passwordless consumer authentication to the world's largest organizations. Delivering the most innovative authentication solutions in the market today, Nok Nok empowers global organizations to improve the user experience to access digital services, while meeting the most advanced privacy and regulatory requirements. The Nok Nok™ S3 Authentication Suite integrates into existing security environments to deliver a proven, cost-effective, future-proof and standards-based passwordless consumer authentication solution. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, the company has delivered unique inventions and innovations that are protected by a robust global patent portfolio. As a founder of the FIDO Alliance and an inventor of FIDO specifications, Nok Nok is the expert in deploying standards-based authentication, and its industry leading customers and partners include BBVA, DDS, Inc., Ericsson, Fujitsu Limited, Hitachi, Intuit, Lenovo, MTRIX GmbH, NTT DATA, NTT DOCOMO, OneSpan, SoftBank, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Sep 18, 202130 min