In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija are in conversation with Dr.Travis Hoppe, Chief AI Officer at GroundVue and Former White House Assistant Director of AI Research and Development at OSTP. Travis also co-developed The Pile, the first open-source data pile for large language models. In this episode they discuss how AI will shape the future of democracy and the science behind developing large language models.

CDC Vision and Retun on Investment: https://www.cdc.gov/ai/vision/index.html

More background on GroundVue and the Founders: https://fedscoop.com/former-federal-technologists-tap-public-meetings-data-new-ai-venture/

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In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Josh Dorfman, Founder of Plantd and host of The Supercool Podcast. They talk about how AI will actually save the planet from climate change, and why companies need to STOP talking about the environment to actually make consumers care!

Follow Josh on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorfmanjosh/

About Supercool - https://getsuper.cool/about/

Buy Josh's Book "The Lazy Environmentalist" - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Environmentalist-Guide-Stylish-Green-Living/dp/1584796022

About Josh:

He is co-founder of Plantd, a carbon-negative materials company that converts atmospheric carbon into high-performance products, starting with building materials. As CEO, Josh led the company through its Seed and Series A rounds and helped secure a partnership with D.R. Horton, which has since scaled to more than 10 million carbon-negative structural panels.
He recently returned as fractional CMO to lead Plantd’s brand evolution, market positioning, and commercial strategy as the company scales.
Josh is also co-founder and host of Supercool, a media platform covering the companies building the low-carbon economy. Through founder interviews and editorial storytelling, Supercool highlights how climate companies gain market adoption by leading with performance, cost, and customer value.

Follow us on Linkedin!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/⁠

We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and

Timeleft DISCOUNT Code - BGT25

Download the app or go to https://timeleft.com and get 25% off on 1 month & 3 months subscription with code BGT25

Follow Mixime on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximebarbier/

Follow us on Linkedin!

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and

Follow Matt on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cashatt/

See how Polyfiric can help you - https://polyrific.com/

Visit Building Great Tech to see how we can help you - https://buildinggreattech.com/

About Matt:

I built Polyrific because I believe AI should multiply human potential, not replace it. That belief shapes how we design systems, how we govern them, and how we measure success.

Alongside this work, I’m building The Geniverse—an exploratory platform focused on how AI agents can amplify individual human capability. It’s a longer-term bet on what AI could become when humans remain firmly at the center.

Always open to thoughtful conversations about where AI is headed, how it should be applied, and what responsibility looks like as it becomes infrastructure.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/

Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.

We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and

They also unpack Armen's experience as a founder, struggling with self-doubt and pitching ideas with little-to-no money to fall back on!

Download Got It Life now! - https://www.gotit.life/

Visit Building Great Tech to see how we can help you - https://buildinggreattech.com/

About Armen and Got It Life:

I’m the founder at Got it Life - a Google-backed Mental Health App 🧠 that boosts High Performers' Resilience through AI-driven Self-Talk & Psycholinguistics ➡️ www.gotit.life

Follow us on Linkedin!

Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.

We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

Follow Rebecca on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-christianuk/?skipRedirect=true

See how Limitless Academy can help you - https://limitlessacademy.co.uk/

About Rebecca:I’m the founder of Limitless Academy, the home for female founders expanding beyond their internal ceilings, where overflow becomes the standard. If you’re building something meaningful but sometimes feel the wobble that comes with growth…

You’re not broken.

You’re expanding.

And I'd love to support you on your next evolution

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/

Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Ellis Taylor, founder of Glyde and Fintech specialist. Together they expose the scams of the FX sector, discussing the need for transparency and reflecting on how it could foster a more competitive, consumer focused market.

Follow Ellis on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellis-taylor-llm-law-596686166/

See how Glyde can help your business today - https://www.glyde.money/

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠

Follow Shannon on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-seaver-nbct-23a2a933/

About Shannon

Relentless about driving equity and innovation in education, I bring 20+ years of experience as an educator, nonprofit leader, and founder focused on building meaningful pathways into STEM and tech careers. As Executive Director of createMPLS and co-founder of FULL STEM—a startup bridging industry and education through hands-on, immersive learning experiences—I specialize in connecting talent, tech, and opportunity.

I proudly serve on the Hennepin County Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Board, where I advocate for youth employment access and help shape workforce policy that better serves our region’s diverse communities. My work bridges systems—education, workforce, and industry—to make tech careers more inclusive, attainable, and rooted in community voice.

Currently, I’m developing and preparing to ship an AI-integrated learning management system that adapts in real time to learner needs—offering personalized feedback, multilingual accessibility, and generative AI-driven content design. This project reflects my belief that AI should amplify human learning, not replace it—making tech education more equitable, flexible, and future-ready.

I lead collaborative initiatives with partners like Genesys Works, MnTech, school districts, and foundations, designing AI-integrated curriculum, coaching BIPOC professionals into CS education, and building real-world programming that prepares students not just for jobs, but for leadership.

Whether I’m podcasting to amplify unheard voices or building equity-centered solutions with FULL STEM, I’m committed to rethinking how we grow human intelligence in a tech-driven world.

If it’s bold, meaningful, and future-focused—I’m in. Let’s build what’s next.

Follow us on Linkedin!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/

Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.

We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Ian Cook about the implications of AI in the modern world. They talk about the American government's race to beat china in AI development, Google vs Apple's AI implementation AND they explore some of the worse AI products ever brought to market!

Follow Ian on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianpcook/

About Ian:

Follow us on Linkedin!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/

Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.

We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.