The Tech Blog Writer Podcast - Inspired Tech Startup Stories & Interviews With Tech Leaders, Entrepreneurs And Innovators

Dirk Schrader, VP of security research at Netwrix, joins me on The Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss the cybersecurity firm's latest research into cloud vulnerabilities and what more organizations can do to better protect data in the cloud. Dirk shares insights from Netwrix's new Cloud Security Report. The report's findings show that 88 percent of UK organizations store sensitive data in the cloud, where it can be left vulnerable to cyberattacks. Of this data, 65 percent was personally identifiable information (PII) of customers, 42 percent was the PII of company employees, and 31 percent was corporate financial information. Furthermore, threats to this data were ubiquitous, with 52 percent of surveyed UK companies reporting a cyberattack on their cloud infrastructure within the last 12 months. Of these attacks, phishing was the most widespread at 69 percent of reported incidents, followed by account compromise at 35 percent and targeted attacks against cloud infrastructure at 31 percent. In this climate o

Wärtsilä Voyage develops the technology that enables the maritime industry's digital transformation. Responsible for the carriage of around 90% of world trade, shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy. Sarah Barret shares with me how the industry is waking up to the reality of data-enabled decision-making and how it holds the key to optimizing every vessel and voyage. I learned more about how the volume of data we have at our fingertips has never been greater, but as more data is generated, it becomes increasingly complex to store, manage, and analyze. Finally, Sarah discusses how data can help connect the dots across the entire maritime ecosystem and how shipowners and operators can use data to their advantage. Wärtsilä Voyage has also developed a whitepaper outlining seven key benefits of data-driven decision-making in the maritime industry. The benefits include achieving long-term regulatory compliance, enabling transparency and accountability, allowing for timely decisions to optimize operations, a

Elijah Allan-Blitz and Brie Larson have an innovative recently released on Disney+ called REMEMBERING. The short film uses first-of-its-kind technology via a companion Augmented Reality app that allows viewers to interact with the story by scanning the TV to extend the World of Imagination into your room. Elijah joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss REMEMBERING, the technology behind it, why it was created, and the inspiration behind it. I also learned more about how Brie & Elijah's VR experience, The Messy Truth, won them an Emmy in 2020. We discuss bringing the future of storytelling to audiences through innovative technology -- a pillar that is core to their joint production company, The Great Unknown Productions.

The future is electric. The automobile and the supporting industries are investing heavily in electric battery technology, testing, and manufacturing. This is happening locally in the Detroit area as well as abroad. Leaders in the industry are saying we are at the beginning of an Electrical Revolution. At HED, they believe great design is about thinking creatively to overcome challenges and improve tangible outcomes. So, I wanted to learn more about how they improve every facet of design, from architecture, consulting, engineering, and planning to creating a positive impact through responsive, innovative, and sustainable design solutions. Todd Drouillard shares how technology and facility updates are changing how organizations conduct business. We also discuss how the pandemic and increased shipping issues have forced companies to rethink their real estate needs. Finally, we explore how manufacturers are investing in new and existing facilities to build products in the United States.

DIMO is an open platform that connects data producers (like cars) and consumers (applications and businesses) to unlock next-generation mobility services. So I invited Andy Chatham to join me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the converging tech trends around cars, IoT, data, crypto, and software development. Andy Chatham has worked in the mobility industry for ten years, overseeing some of the largest autonomous and electric vehicle fleets and developing software used by millions of passengers. Before DIMO, he managed a team of hundreds of people working on Waymo, Google's self-driving car division. He's also worked in many other areas of mobility, assisting transportation and real estate partners in leveraging emerging technology and deploying mobility-as-a-service solutions. We explore the future of mobility for transit-dense cities, reinventing the digital infrastructure for moving objects, the importance of growing decentralized IoT networks and how blockchain and IoT technologies are powering innovation in

Despite the acceleration of tech developments, it can often seem like consumer expectations outpace every industry. Whether outlandish or reasonable, consumers want intuitive, tech-enabled experiences in the here and now. It's all well talking about what's possible in 2030 or even 2050, but how much of that is readily available for us to use currently – what technologies are turning vision into reality? On this podcast, I enjoy exploring how those expectations transform areas you don't associate with tech, and a great example of this is car parks. For instance, it's not uncommon to pay for your parking space using a smartphone app. Today's guest takes that a step further and believes that today's cars do much more than get you from A to B, as integrated tech experiences are revolutionizing travel on our roads by making transport greener and more innovative while turning cars into smartphones on wheels. Peter O'Driscoll, Managing Director of RingGo, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the future of parking

Nathan Howe, VP of emerging technology and 5G at Zscaler, once again joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Nathan discusses how AI and ML-based capabilities can secure and manage cloud infrastructure, sensitive data, and native applications deployed across multi-cloud environments. Lean-running IT and security teams are experiencing security alert fatigue with increasing exposure to real-time threats and often don't have the resources or skills to effectively investigate and respond to the mounting volume of threats. Nathan shares how to address these challenges by providing one-click root cause analysis to instantly identify the issues behind poor digital experience, freeing up IT and security teams from troubleshooting to focus on preventing attacks. On the topic of AI-powered phishing prevention, we talk about how to detect and stop credential theft and browser exploitation from phishing pages with real-time analytics on threat intelligence from 300 trillion daily signals. We also discuss AI-powered se

More than one billion people use messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger to connect with businesses. This is proving to be a significant consumer behavior shift that requires businesses of all sizes to adapt quickly to their customers' rising expectations. Dan Levy, VP, Business Messaging at Meta, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily podcast to discuss the future of tech, the Metaverse, and business messaging. We discuss why conversational commerce looks set to be the next big thing in online shopping and why Facebook is doubling down on business messaging. We also explore how businesses can expect to meet these demands of having a fluid conversation across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. With one eye on the future, we also talk about how business-to-consumer messaging and business messaging will evolve with metaverse and the brave new world of Web 3.

Peter Coppinger, Co-Founder, and CEO at Teamwork, a Cork, Ireland-based project management platform, with hubs in Boston, Belfast, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. Started in 2007 by Peter and his fellow developer pal Dan, they now have a global workforce of over 350 employees. Their platform is used by over 20K companies worldwide, including Disney, Spotify, and Paypal. Peter joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share the story behind Teamwork which is currently the only scalable project management platform built for client work and founded by former agency owners. We discuss the importance of understanding the efficiency of your organization is key to unlocking the next level of success and avoiding burnout. We also discuss how businesses that deliver client work should work smarter, not harder, by getting organized and managing all of their work in one tool that scales with you as you grow. Finally, we explore how process drives efficiency and profitability and why it's the only way to confidently scale your business

New research shows automation demand surged in more than 90% of companies. With macroeconomic uncertainty — across markets, hiring, costs, and more — now firmly top of mind, CEOs and leaders across the business focus on efficient growth, cost savings, and increased productivity. As a result, companies are turning to automation more than ever to drive immediate value across all parts of the business, from technical to non-technical departments like sales, customer service, marketing, and commerce. To understand how IT is approaching these demands and some of the challenges businesses face, I invited Matt McLarty from MuleSoft to join me on Tech Talks Daily. Matt shares how organizations across every industry want to automate processes and customer experiences as quickly as possible. However, they'll impede true innovation if they try to go fast with the wrong tools and techniques. Matt discusses why it's vital that organizations become more adaptable to technological change, enabling them to build automation a

Mobility programs often rely on carrier-provided devices or, if corporate-owned, represent a high CapEx burden. Internal IT resources have to deal with staging, MDM, help desk, and logistics, while repair shops and insurers are used to mitigate unforeseen device defects. This often leads to an outdated device inventory that's often a patchwork of different models and operating system versions resulting in security risks, sub-par staff productivity, cost spikes, accounting challenges, and problematic sustainability and DE&I situations. These are just a few examples of how enterprises face many challenges regarding mobile device management and maintaining employee satisfaction/productivity. Tillmann Schwabe, General Manager of Everphone US joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about overcoming these challenges, what's coming next, and the solutions available. We also discuss the circular economy and how device-as-a-service is the most sustainable solution for enterprises and how Everphone's model

Before Flowout was born in April 2021, they were just a friendly bunch of freelancers. Each of them with a startup story, a passion for bootstrapping products, and a love for Webflow. But this passion for launching new products led them to seek how they can help brands stand out on the internet. With a mission to help brands create unique and superior user experiences, they created Flowout, a business focused on all things Webflow. Today, Flowout is currently in full growth mode, successfully conquering the US market. From building a new SaaS tool, giving back to the community, and sharing free templates to gaining bigger clients with exciting projects. Ziga Fajfar shares his story and what differentiates Flowout from other Webflow companies. We also talk about the thriving tech startup scene in Slovenia. He also shares tips on successfully conquering the US market from Europe and the lessons they have learned in scaling Flowout and other ventures.

Polymer is a no-code Data Loss Prevention (DLP) platform that allows companies to monitor, auto-remediate & apply behavioral techniques to reduce the risk of insider threats, sensitive data misuse & leakage over 3rd Party SaaS platforms. It focuses on SaaS platform data security because that is a 'dark web' of sorts for organizations where data controls generally do not exist. Additionally, most SaaS applications' high collaboration focus makes it easy to lose or exfiltrate sensitive data. Data Loss Prevention is no longer a technical problem but a business risk, especially in a remote/hybrid work environment. In addition, information security resiliency is critical in the cloud-first infrastructure where the tech stack is no longer a clear set of boxes (like it used to be for on-premises tech architecture) but rather a mishmash of SaaS and an overlapping set of technology services. Often in infosec, teams view security as a 0 or 1 problem-either I am secured (check box) or I am not. As an ex-wall str

Jon Gregory started his career as a finance guy, working around the clock on algorithmic trading and high-frequency computing and squeezing in workouts in the company training room, which consisted of a bunch of metal weights. Surely, we can do something better, Jon thought. Using his degree in applied physics, Jon dedicated himself to making training more effective, efficient, engaging, and beneficial by transforming the traditional gym using 21st-century technology. And, just like that, Jon exchanged the trading floor for the weight room and created Vitruvian, one of the fastest growing connected fitness brands in the world, on a mission to disrupt human health and wellness. Delivering up to 440 lbs. of digital weight, the Vitruvian Trainer+ uses artificial intelligence to adjust its weight to individual users in real-time, loading and unloading the optimal resistance up to 50 times per second, all in a slim carbon fiber platform that can easily slide under a couch or bed. Jon joins me on Tech Talks Daily t

PraSaga is a Swiss Foundation building the next generation of Layer One blockchain. Its technology solution is on a mission to solve many of the limitations that plague first-generation Layer One blockchains. The SagaChain™ successfully addresses lowering transaction fees and extensibility for supply chains and significantly lowers development costs. We've designed the next evolution of blockchain architecture. A Layer One blockchain achieves the promise that all blockchains aspire to. One that provides the highest level of resistance against attacks. Rewards its ecosystem of contributors. And most importantly, it scales in throughput as more resources are added to the network, providing the maximum possible increases in speed. Any additional information: Rich Phillips, Chief Product Officer of PraSaga, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to talk about all this and the recent announcement of SagaPython at Consensus 202

Women make up 64% of the 40 lowest paying jobs in the US despite being less than 50% of the overall workforce. Additionally, the pandemic pushed women's labor force participation rate to 1993 levels, and the US lost 11 years of progress toward parity throughout the pandemic. Katica Roy is a Gender Economist and CEO of Pipeline, a technology platform that uses AI to weed out unconscious bias and help companies create gender equity in the workplace by analyzing employee hiring, pay, performance, potential, and promotion data. Katica joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share story. We discuss how a recession might disproportionately impact women as they are typically the first to lose their jobs during a recession and the last to gain them back. Katica also shares how Pipeline found through its implementations that men receive promotions at a 21% greater rate than women, and the promotion gap doubles for Black women (men are promoted at a rate of 42% greater than Black women). I learn more about the steps companies

What is the Metaverse? The metaverse is a persistent shared virtual environment where you, as an avatar, can meet and interact with other people and engage in a wide array of virtual activities. The metaverse can be used to work, play, learn, or all three — and its applications in the enterprise are limitless. The metaverse is a topic that is becoming impossible to ignore. It promises to present a virtual world and extended reality of possibilities for enterprises. Many believe that companies that master the metaverse can reap business benefits by exploiting the power of shared virtual environments. But what does this mean for the future of the workplace? Mike McDaniel, president of Modern Workplace at DXC, and Nathalie Vancluysen, DXC's Head of Extended Reality, join me on Tech Talks Daily to talk about all things virtual reality, extended reality, and the metaverse regarding businesses. In addition, we explore the different services, virtual environments, and how easily they can be deployed.

Video chat doesn't work as well for large groups or social situations. By letting participants move around the space and collaborate with others, GroupRoom gives individuals their freedom back. Three people on one side of the room can have a group conversation with a whiteboard or google doc etc completely separate from a group of two people on the other side. Chris Matthieu, founder & CEO of XRPA.NET, and Chris Fleck, Vice President and Technical Fellow at Citrix Systems, join Neil C. Hughes in a conversation about digital hybrid workspaces. We also discuss how businesses can leverage technology to re-enable those moments of serendipity in the workplace that are the lifeblood of every organization. About Chris Matthieu Chris Matthieu is the founder & CEO of XRPA.NET inc., a metaverse company. We build and market spatially-aware alternative communications platforms including: GroupRoom.io (2D digital twin virtual offices for digital hybrid workplaces) andMetaverses.io (3D metaverse platform allowing u

Scalefast is changing the way brands do direct-to-consumer eCommerce, by empowering them to regain the control and simplicity they need to create an exceptional shopping experience, directly from their online storefront. By joining forces through the Scalefast Commerce Cloud, brands can deliver localized and personalized direct-to-consumer shopping experiences while leveraging the volume and data of an entire brand ecosystem. Scalefast's modern approach to eCommerce has generated award-winning success for their clients and has allowed them to become the fastest-growing eCommerce platform in the U.S. Its full-stack enterprise solution brings together a cloud-based eCommerce platform, global business services and an international footprint of logistics, payment, tax and business partners. Amandine Soares shares her inspirational story with me on Tech Talks Daily. She's an absolute rockstar and pro on Scalefast's Air360 platform, a US analytics solution that helps reduce friction in the customer experience, incr

Ryan Cloutier, CISSP and president of Security Studio joins me on Tech Talks Daily to talk about their mission to help simplify cybersecurity. In particular, Security Studio is passionate about working with underserved/under-resourced organizations like local governments and public educational institutions to improve their cybersecurity. Ryan discusses why public organizations like schools and local governments find themselves woefully unprepared for cyberattacks and how hybrid workplaces have affected them. We also discuss the importance of taking a holistic approach to risk assessments and simple steps that organizations (and individuals) can take to improve their cyber-resilience (or ability to recover from a cyber-attack). Ryan shares real-world examples of how cybersecurity risks in public institutions (on both sides of the pond) affect us all. For example, from recent FOI requests in the UK, just five government departments confirmed they have a data backup in place. The Department for Education (DfE)