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

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

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

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

Canopy Servicing offers a flexible infrastructure to build and launch next-gen credit, debit, and lending products and support them with world-class service in a secure and compliant way. Canopy's API-first loan management and servicing platform enable small Fintechs and large enterprises to quickly bring differentiated products to market. Its clients offer revolving credit, debit, and installment loans, including fixed-rate, mixed-rate, and differed with customized interest rates, promotions, billing cycles, etc. But I wanted to learn more about its flexible and immutable ledger technology and how it makes it possible to apply policies on a per-account level, empower customer service agents with real-time account information, automate dispute processing, and retroactively reprocess accounts, re-calculate interest, and apply for payments. Matt Bivons, Founder & CEO at Canopy, discusses how embedded finance is the fault line for the future of the fintech industry, and finding true market fit will lead to t

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

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

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

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

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

Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO of Quanterix and the Powering Precision Health Summit founder, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Kevin has more than 25 years of experience leading life sciences and biotechnology companies and believes that accelerating precision medicine is the key to changing our current healthcare system and improving the population's longevity. Two years ago, he founded the Powering Precision Health Summit as a way to bring all key stakeholders – including doctors, scientists, patients, patient advocates, investors, innovators, etc., together to discuss how we can accelerate research and turn today's sickcare into tomorrow's healthcare. He sees collaboration as the key for advancing our healthcare system and currently sits on the board of several life science companies, to ensure that all medical milestones are capitalized on. Finally, Kevin believes the ability to track the environment's impact on our health is key for helping move the needle forward. He grew up in a coal mining town and f

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

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

Adam Singolda, CEO of leading ad-tech company Taboola joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his insights on the open web, personalization, metaverse and AI, and content and consumption. We also discuss the top readership trends driving consumption on the web and how Meta's decisions in the attention economy are fundamentally harming the publisher/consumer relationship. Taboola's recent history has been noteworthy, as the company has experienced exponential growth and released new products that have shaken up the market. Recent examples include their acquisition of Connexity for $800m, their partnership with Microsoft, and the launch of Homepage For You, which adds AI to power editorial recommendations. About Taboola Adam Singolda, Taboola's CEO, founded the company in 2007. The company's platform, powered by artificial intelligence, is used by digital properties, including websites, devices and mobile apps, to drive monetisation and user engagement. Taboola has long-term partnerships with some of the top dig

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

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

Two leading quantum companies – Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum Computing (CQC) – have merged to form a new business called Quantinuum. The new company combines Honeywell's expertise in quantum hardware with CQC's software capabilities. "Quantinuum is now the largest and most advanced integrated quantum computing company in the world," said Ilyas Khan, CEO of the new company and founder of Cambridge Quantum. Ilyas Khan, CEO of Quantinuum joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the state of the quantum computing industry overall and Quantinuum's place in it. Ilyas also shares an inspirational origin story and being inspired by Stephen Hawking.

An "unprecedented" lack of tech skills is threatening the progress of digital transformation projects at more than two-thirds of companies worldwide. For example, did you know that the Asia Pacific region is bracing itself for a shortfall of 3 million unfilled cyber security positions? These skills shortages are creating opportunities for anyone to transition into a new tech career in anything from project management and coding to cyber security. Mark Wheatland from the Learning People joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how anyone can make the switch to a career in tech. We also discuss recruiting challenges when no one has the two years of experience employers are searching for and why University IT degrees are not always fit for purpose. We talk about the right skills and qualifications people need to land their dream job in IT, coding, and project management. We also discuss the hot areas of shortages and skills gaps that are in the highest demand right now.

Bilal Baloch, Co-Founder & COO of Enquire.ai joins me on Tech Talks Daily. Enquire's technology is empowering Fortune 500 companies like Apple and Oracle through diverse knowledge and a complete range of perspectives, which has proven to be critical in the fight against misinformation. Bilal provides unique insights into how technologies within the digital media landscape are promoting the consumption of low-quality information. We discuss how social media networks are currently failing their users and the potential implications of spreading misinformation. We also talk about why there is a current lack of trust behind an abundance of data and what steps we need to ignite a wave of change. We also explore trends around the future of information consumption looks like what declining CNN & MSNBC TV ratings mean for the future of the news cycle. Finally, we chat about the development of up-and-coming technologies that are changing the way we use information to make decisions.

Not long after the shelling began in Ukraine, Daniil Cherkasskiy got a phone call from a close friend. The surrogate mother of his friend's twins, trapped in Kyiv, had given birth at 33 weeks. But, unfortunately, the babies were in dire need of preemie formula. Local pharmacies were blocked by Russian gunfire. Daniil began working through the night to help coordinate the delivery of the formula. Through a series of connections, he met Natalia, a real estate agent, and young mother. Instead of evacuating, she stayed, narrowly escaping shelling as she drove from pharmacy to pharmacy — risking her life for a stranger's babies. The first link of trust was established. That moment led to a launching of a Chicago nonprofit called Ukraine TrustChain, made up of primarily Ukrainian immigrants who are working to fund six teams on the ground in Ukraine to meet citizens' most critical daily needs – food for bomb shelters, sleeping pads, evacuations of senior homes, baby formula, etc. I invited Daniil on the podcast to l

NETSCOUT, one of the leading cybersecurity and network diagnostics firms globally, recently revealed the findings of its bi-annual Threat Intelligence Report. The report provided insight and analysis into distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack trends in 2021. I invited Richard Hummel, ASERT Threat Intelligence Lead for NETSCOUT, to join me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss the big takeaways from the report. Richard shares how DDoS-for-hire services are now more accessible to the public and the significant increase in computer manufacturers and computer storage manufacturing attacks. We also discuss the different types of attacks used and who the suspected attackers are. Finally, I learn more about which industries have been most targeted and what business leaders need to be aware of when it comes to DDoS attacks.