Deconstructing Data

AI promises instant answers. Most organizations are still stuck on a more fundamental problem: their data isn't ready for it.

Information is scattered across systems, locked inside dashboards, or sitting in databases that only a handful of people know how to query.

The gap isn't really about access, it's about making data usable by the people who need it, not just the ones who can extract it.

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, Jessie Lizak and David Finkelstein sit down with Connor Folley, Co-Founder and CEO of Alkemi.ai, to dig into how organizations can close that gap.

Connor built Alkemi.ai to let companies securely connect their databases and query them through natural conversation, directly through Alkemi's interface or inside tools like Slack.

No waiting on reports, no wrestling with SQL. Just questions, answered in seconds.

The conversation covers:

1. Making Existing Data Usable for AI

2. Secure Self-Serve Data Access for Organizations

3. The Role of Data Analysts in the AI Era

4. Tech Stack

From getting enterprise data AI-ready to navigating the tension between accessibility and security, this episode gets into how companies can stop leaving value buried in their own systems and start turning it into faster, smarter decisions.

When product data breaks down, so does the business.

Disconnected tools. Siloed teams. Inaccurate data. These are just a few of the reasons product launches miss the mark, before they even hit the market.

On this episode of Deconstructing Data, David Finkelstein & Jessie Lizak are joined by Tom Shoemaker, VP of Product Marketing at Propel Software, to explore how a unified product data strategy fuels smarter decisions, stronger collaboration, and faster time to revenue.

We’ll cover:

1. Product Commercialization Success: Accurate Data Matters

2. Enterprise Collaboration Through Product Data

3. Bridging the Product Data Gap: Design to Marketing

4. Tech Stack

Tom brings deep experience leading product marketing, sales, and R&D teams, and he knows what it takes to connect the dots between engineering, marketing, and market success.

If your teams build great products but struggle to launch them with impact, don’t miss this one.

The Super Bowl is more than a game. It is one of the largest cultural stages in the world for brands.

Every ad carries signals about representation, values, and identity. The question is not just who made the best commercial. It is what those messages reveal about culture, audiences, and the brands behind them.

On this episode of Deconstructing Data, Jessie Lizak and David Finkelstein are joined by Latha Sarathy, CEO & Founder of SALIENT HQ & Chief Research Officer at Videotape.ai, a research leader with more than 30 years of experience across media, market insights, and multicultural audience measurement.

Latha has led research teams at organizations including Telemundo, CBS, Univision, and The Walt Disney Company, and now advises brands through a purpose-driven, data-led approach that blends human intelligence with advanced analytics.

In this conversation, we explore:

1. Gender Representation in Super Bowl Ads

2. Audience Values and Brand Alignment

3. Measuring Cultural Impact Through Data

4. Tech Stack

From understanding how representation shapes perception to examining how brands align with shifting audience values, this episode breaks down how cultural impact can be measured, interpreted, and acted on using rigorous research and data strategy.

For leaders looking to connect brand storytelling with audience insight, this discussion offers a data-driven perspective on one of advertising’s biggest stages.

Data has never been more available, or more misunderstood.

Neil Sahota, CEO of ASCILabs and United Nations AI Advisor, joins Deconstructing Data to uncover the uncomfortable truths most businesses are missing about their data.

With decades of experience guiding Fortune 500 companies, global institutions, and emerging tech leaders, Neil breaks down the real risks hiding in your analytics and the strategic opportunities AI is unlocking.

From synthetic data and IP protection to the fast decay of relevance in today’s data sets, this episode is packed with insights for leaders navigating the intersection of data, AI, and innovation.

In this episode, we explore:

1. The Dark Data Economy: How 90% of Your Data Works Against You

2. Synthetic Data as the New IP Warzone

3. The Data Half-Life Problem

4. Tech Stack

Whether you're leading digital transformation or rethinking your AI strategy, this is the kind of conversation that reframes how you see the future of data.

Kat Wifvat, PhD CEO of Nuubi and a Data Science professor, joins Deconstructing Data to explore how AI is reshaping education and preparing students for the future of work.

In this conversation, Kathryn brings an academic and operator perspective to the role of AI in learning. She shares how educational institutions can move beyond experimentation and start treating AI as a true pipeline for workforce readiness. From the rise of agentic AI tutors to the responsible use of anonymized learning data, this episode focuses on how data and AI can improve outcomes for students while maintaining trust, privacy, and rigor.

Topics we’ll cover include:

1. AI in Education as a Pipeline

2. Agentic AI Tutors

3. Anonymized Learning Data Enrichment

4. Tech Stack

This episode is for educators, data leaders, and operators who want to understand how AI-driven learning models are evolving, what’s actually working today, and how education systems can responsibly scale AI to support both students and institutions.

Most marketers have access to more data than ever, yet still struggle to make sense of it.

From social metrics to Google Analytics to on-site behavior, the challenge isn’t getting the numbers. It’s knowing what to do with them.

On this episode of Deconstructing Data, we’re joined by Cynthia (Clements) Krantz, MAJ, Founder and President of Mezzo Creative LLC, to explore how brands can connect data across platforms, create meaningful insights, and build smarter campaigns.

We’ll also break down how to align your tech stack to support a streamlined analytics strategy, without overcomplicating your process.

Topics include:

1. Social Analytics

2. Google Analytics

3. Website Data

4. Tech Stack

This conversation is for anyone ready to stop chasing vanity metrics and start building clarity into their marketing decisions.

This episode of Deconstructing Data features Vlad Zhovtenko 🇺🇦, CEO and Co-Founder of RedTrack.io, who brings over two decades of experience in digital marketing and advertising.

From the rise of banner ads in the early 2000s to the evolution of programmatic advertising and now back to affiliate marketing and analytics, Vladyslav has seen it all.

With deep expertise in ad tracking and attribution, he joins us to explore why the paid media playbook hasn’t changed much in 100 years, and what needs to happen next.

We’ll dig into:

1. The Value of Data in Digital Media Buying

2. Making Media Buying Decisions Without Perfect Data

3. Why Paid Ads Data Hasn't Evolved

4. Tech Stack

If you’ve ever questioned whether your media spend is really working, or want smarter ways to make decisions without perfect data, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Most companies are drowning in dashboards but starving for action.

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, we’re joined by Tom Firth, Co-founder of Cotera to talk about what it really takes to make your business data work for you not just sit in reports.

Tom brings a fresh perspective on data readiness, automation, and the new era of AI agents. We explore how businesses can shift from static insights to real-time, data-driven decisions, and why breaking down silos is step one.

Topics include:

1. AI Agents in Action: From Dashboards to Decisions

2. Breaking Data Silos: Unifying Customer Identity

3. What Does It Take to Prepare Your Data for AI?

4. Tech Stack

If you're trying to future-proof your data strategy and move faster without sacrificing accuracy, this episode is your playbook.

From launching to scaling, how do founders get marketing right the first time?

This week on Deconstructing Data, we're joined by Julie Matzen, Co-founder of The Boarderline and seasoned marketing and brand strategist with over 20 years of experience helping businesses build smarter funnels, stronger brands, and better campaigns.

Julie has reimagined digital advertising for startups and scaling companies alike. From founding the Mayday Agency to advising brands on everything from rebranding to media buying, she’s seen firsthand what works and what breaks, across the entire marketing journey.

We’re diving into:

1. Using AI Without Losing Strategy

2. What Founders Should Know Early

3. Avoiding Common Founder Mistakes

4. Tech Stack

If you're navigating the early stages of your brand or trying to scale what you've already built, this one's packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

How do you know your marketing is actually working?

On this episode of Deconstructing Data, we’re joined by Adam Ortman, Founder and President of Kinetic319, to explore the truth behind performance, beyond just clicks and conversions.

Adam brings decades of experience at the intersection of media, analytics, and consumer psychology, helping major brands like Nike, American Express, and UnitedHealth Group build smarter media strategies that actually drive revenue.

Together, we’ll break down how to move from surface-level attribution to full-funnel clarity.

Topics include:

1. Lead-to-Revenue Loop: Optimizing Campaign Profitability

2. Multitouch Attribution: Beyond Paid Media Channels

3. Marketing Efficiency Ratio: Measuring Full Funnel Impact

4. Tech Stack

Join us as we uncover how modern marketers can close the loop, align media with outcomes, and scale smarter using better attribution and measurement.