In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall interviews Krishna Gupta, co-founder of Presto, who reveals how AI is already serving millions of customers at drive-thrus across America - and most people can't even tell the difference. Gupta explains his "neuro-symbolic" approach that combines large language models with human oversight to prevent the kind of hallucinations that could turn "burger without onions" into "burger with only onions." The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Gupta describes how voice AI can now identify customer demographics in real-time, allowing restaurants to test new products and personalize offers without collecting personal data. Restaurant employees at chains like Taco John's and Carl's Jr. have started treating the AI as a genuine team member, freeing them to focus on food quality and customer connection rather than repetitive order-taking. Gupta makes a striking prediction that AI boyfriends and girlfriends will become far more common than most people expect, while sharing his philosophy that the best AI companies keep humans at the center of their mission. For listeners curious to experience this technology firsthand, Presto is already deployed at drive-thrus nationwide, with TikTok users documenting their interactions and more restaurant chains rolling out the system every month.

What if Hollywood-level storytelling could rewrite the script of your life? In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Caryn Ward Ross, founder of RE:FRAME Studios AI, who transforms personal identity using the same cinematic techniques that create blockbusters. A former child actor from Fame and The Bernie Mac Show, Ward Ross discovered that playing other people's roles left her unable to play herself authentically. Now she's developed an AI platform that helps people "spot the lie" in their life stories and rewrite limiting narratives unconsciously directing their choices. Ward Ross shares how one client shifted from "I get close, but never win" to "I was born to break generational cycles," landing a partnership he'd pursued for years within two weeks. For listeners ready to step into the lead role of their own story, Ward Ross challenges you to identify the automatic scripts running your relationships, career, and financial decisions.

On this episode of Lead with AI, host Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Mike Skura, whose AI model picked the top two Kentucky Derby finishers after just three days of learning. The Polish immigrant turned sports tech entrepreneur reveals how RaceOracle AI analyzes 600,000 historical races and updates odds every 10 minutes to help newcomers navigate the intimidating world of horse betting. Mike shares the $400,000 moment that sparked his vision, explains why a complete novice walked away with $1,700 using his platform, and discusses his bold prediction that artificial general intelligence already exists. Discover how machine learning is democratizing the "sport of kings" and making it accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Plus, Mike breaks down the ethics of AI-assisted betting and reveals his expansion plans into NASCAR and Formula 1 racing.

In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall speaks with Sandeep Sankarankutty, VP of Operations at Recycle Track Systems, who reveals how AI-powered sensors are transforming the $75 billion waste management industry. Sankarankutty shares how their "Pello smart Bin sensors" can detect contamination in real-time, predict literal dumpster fires, and turn reactive waste management into a proactive operation that prevents problems before customers even notice them. Employee number one at the decade-old company, he explains how their technology increased recycling diversion rates by 55% at Citi Field stadium, keeping thousands of tons of recyclables out of landfills. The conversation explores how major commercial clients across North America now receive text alerts about waste issues before they become problems, and how cycle vending machines at sports stadiums are turning recycling into an engaging experience for fans. Sankarankutty envisions a 2030 where waste management becomes completely transparent and educational, helping his own children understand that recycling creates real environmental impact beyond just sorting trash. For listeners wanting immediate proof of this technology's impact, he invites them to visit Citi Field to see how AI is turning 30,000 baseball fans into recycling champions.

In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Lexi Reese, CEO and co-founder of Lanai Software, who exposes a startling reality: 80% of AI use in companies happens completely off the radar. Reese shares a jaw-dropping story from an insurance company where sales teams unknowingly uploaded customer zip codes into AI tools - creating potential legal issues as zip codes can serve as proxies for race in insurance decisions. Lanai's platform acts as a "sixth sense" for organizations, detecting AI interactions across the enterprise in real-time and transforming apparent chaos into strategic opportunity - helping one financial institution boost client satisfaction by 30% after identifying and scaling effective AI use cases. The conversation tackles the ethics of visibility versus surveillance, with Reese emphasizing their commitment to focus on patterns, not policing employees, guided by their advisor's principle to "don't be creepy." For leaders wondering what AI tools their teams are actually using, Reese suggests creating an anonymous five-question survey that typically reveals teams are using 3-5× more AI tools than management realizes.

In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall uncovers a shocking truth with Nathan Werst, founder of Shoptimized AI: major retailers waste millions advertising products that never drive purchases. Werst reveals the shocking moment when clients first see their wasted ad spend, sometimes discovering 40% of their budget goes to products that generate zero sales. Using neural networks that can predict with 92.3% accuracy which products will sell in specific timeframes, Shoptimized is transforming retail marketing by analyzing patterns humans could never detect - like why blue items sell better on Sundays at 3pm while red items fail. A former data scientist for DICK's Sporting Goods and Farfetch, Werst challenges listeners to search Google for their own out-of-season products to witness firsthand how much money they're wasting right now. Looking ahead to 2030, Werst envisions not just revolutionizing retailers' ROI but creating truly seamless shopping experiences where customers never waste time clicking ads that don't match what they actually want to buy.