Making Data Simple

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Aaron Cooper, Senior VP of Global Policy at BSA | The Software Alliance, shares insights on advancing emerging tech policies like #DataPrivacy, #Cybersecurity, #AIRegulation, and #DigitalTrade. Topics include balancing regulation with innovation, global vs. local policy, and the future of AI and cybersecurity. Hosted by Al Martin on Making Data Simple.

Aaron Cooper serves as Senior Vice President, Global Policy at BSA, Business
Software Alliance. In this role, Cooper leads BSA’s global policy team and
contributes to the advancement of BSA members’ policy priorities around the
world that affect the development of emerging technologies, including data
privacy, cybersecurity, AI regulation, data flows, and digital trade.

• 01:06 Introducing Aaron Cooper
• 05:29 Washington on Election Day
• 08:44 AI Regulation's Two Objectives
• 09:25 Representing the Alliance
• 11:15 Defining Alliance Success
• 16:05 Politics in Regulation
• 18:09 EU Regulation
• 19:49 How to Regulate
• 23:10 State versus Federal versus Global
• 25:40 Regulation without Stifling Innovation
• 28:47 AI Worries
• 30:24 Cybersecurity Fears
• 31:29 Predicting the Future
• 34:43 What's True
• 38:55 Job Satisfaction

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaroncooper4/
Website: https://www.bsa.org/
Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at
[email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making
Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where
we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while
keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

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Ben Lowe, Founder and CEO of Lighthouse Technology, shares insights into building a successful entrepreneurial journey, the creation of Lighthouse, and the transformative potential of Agentic AI for enterprises. Packed with career advice and strategies for innovation, this episode is a must-listen for tech enthusiasts and aspiring entrepreneurs.

#Entrepreneurship #AgenticAI #TechLeadership #Innovation #BusinessGrowth #CareerAdvice #AIForEnterprise #StartupJourney

• 01:34 Finding a Entrepreneurial Partner
• 04:43 The Creation of Lighthouse
• 08:10 Becoming the CEO
• 09:34 The Biggest Challenge of Entrepreneurship
• 11:30 Lighthouse Technology
• 19:07 Agentic AI
• 20:16 The Lighthouse Trajectory
• 22:12 The GTM
• 31:39 Reseller versus Innovator
• 36:53 AI for the Enterprise
• 41:35 The 2-Min Pitch
• 43:30 What's True?

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowebenjamin/?originalSubdomain=uk

Website: https://lighthousetechnology.ai/

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. TheMaking Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales,IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, andleadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

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Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [[email protected]] and tell us why you should be next.

Synopsis

What if hiring wasn’t about flipping through endless CVs but instead focused solely on skills? In this episode of Making Data Simple, we sit down with Tim Freestone, founder of Alooba, the groundbreaking platform revolutionizing how businesses hire for analytics, data science, and engineering roles. Tim shares how Alooba eliminates bias, speeds up hiring, and ensures candidates are evaluated based on what really matters—their capabilities.

From his journey as an economics teacher to leading data teams, Tim’s insights are a must-hear for anyone tackling hiring challenges in today’s competitive job market. Learn how Alooba’s data-driven approach is transforming recruitment and why the future of hiring might just leave resumes in the dust.

Show Notes

• 4:46 – How do you go from economics teacher to head of business intelligence?
• 7:53 – Do CV’s matter anymore?
• 13:22 – What business problem is Alooba solving?
• 16:05 – Do you have any data that supports your theory?
• 19:01 – Why analytics, data science, data engineering?
• 20:26 - What do you do that others don’t?
• 23:50 – How does Alooba define success?
• 25:42 – Who’s your target client base?
• 32:40 –Is there a customer you can talk about?
• 36:24 – What does Alooba mean?

Alooba 

Connect with the Team
Executive Producer Kate Mayne - LinkedIn.
Host Al Martin - LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

Phillip Swan is a dynamic, forward-thinking leader renowned for turning complex challenges into strategic opportunities. As Chief Product and go-tomarket (GTM) Officer at The AI Solution Group, Phillip blends customercentric go-to-market strategies with cutting-edge product development, leadership, and partnerships. 

• 01:19 Meet Phillip Swan
• 03:33 Wind River Systems
• 07:30 Responsible AI Solutions
• 08:25 3 Key Areas : Manufacturing, Financial, Pharma
• 10:22 AI on Quicksand
• 11:30 AGI in 6 Months.  Seriously?
• 13:08 The Definition of AGI 14:32 A Responsible AI Culture
• 19:51 Is Regulation the Catalyst?
• 21:57 AI Change Management
• 24:24 Phillip and the AI Group
• 25:33 AI Solution Group
• 29:16 Achieving Responsible AI
• 30:36 Clean Data
• 36:16 What Scares the Responsible AI Guy
• 39:36 Shadow AI
• 40:54 A Summary

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/phillip-swan

Website: https://www.theaisolutiongroup.ai/

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

#LeadershipInTech
#FutureOfAI
#GoToMarketStrategies
#CustomerCentricity
#ProductInnovation
#StrategicGrowth

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

Peter Wang, Chief AI and Innovation Officer and Co-founder of Anaconda, is back. Peter discusses Anaconda’s AI incubator. "It turns out Python is still a thing". Python and much, much more.

• 01:27 Meet Peter Wang
• 05:10 Python or R
• 05:51 Anaconda's Differentiation
• 07:08 Why the Name Anaconda
• 08:24 The AI Incubator
• 11:40 GenAI
• 14:39 Enter Python
• 16:08 Anaconda Commercial Services
• 18:40 Security
• 20:57 Common Points of Failure
• 22:53 Branding
• 24:50 watsonx Partnership
• 28:40 AI Risks
• 34:13 Getting Philosophical
• 36:13 China
• 44:52 Leadership Style

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/pzwang
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anacondainc/, https://www.anaconda.com/
Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at
[email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

Part 2 with Mr. Ian Smith, the most interesting man alive… Serial Entrepreneurial and Co-founder of Lighthouse Technology, accelerating AI in the data center to optimize IT, Cloud and Data environments.

• 00:50 Lighthouse Technology
• 02:23 A Closed, Free AI Model?? How is it Monetized?
• 08:17 Back to the Data Center
• 10:44 The Edge
• 11:51 Lighthouse GTM
• 19:29 The Future
• 21:12 Reaching Lighthouse
• 21:43 Rapid Fire- Hardest Part of Entrepreneurship- Easiest Part of Entrepreneurship

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ian-smith-a803701
Website: https://lighthousetechnology.ai/

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. TheMaking Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP TechnicalSales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation,and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

Mr. Ian Smith, the most interesting man alive… Serial Entrepreneurial andCo-founder of Lighthouse Technology, accelerating AI in the data center to optimize IT, Cloud and Data environments.


00:58 Meet Ian Smith
03:24 Knowing when to Walk Away
06:32 Back to Ian
08:14 Startup Companies
09:51 A Wine Making Distraction
14:54 Exercise?
16:01 Back to Exciting Tech
19:12 Lighthouse Technology
26:46 Optimize Cloud via Conversational AI

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ian-smith-a803701
Website: https://lighthousetechnology.ai/

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. TheMaking Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales,IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, andleadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

Part 2 : Learning leadership from a 2-star General : "The harder right versus the
easier wrong". Hear about the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP)

• 00:12 How to become a 2-Star General
• 01:22 Raising 3 girls
• 4:10 Leadership style
• 05:21 MDMP to civilian leadership
• 09:55 General McConville's book recommendation
• 10:54 How military influences POV
• 14:06 Advice to others
• 15:52 Finally! The lighting round

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dianne-del-rosso-7950871
Website: https://www.ibm.com/products/expertlabs
Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at
[email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making
Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM,
where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and
leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

More on GenAI, Hallucinations, RAG, Use Cases, LLMs, SLMs and costs with Armand Ruiz, Director watsonx Client Engineering and John Webb, Principal Client Engineering.  With this and the previous episode you'll be wiser on AI than 98% of the world.

• 00:12 Hallucinations
• 02:33 RAG Differentiation
• 06:41 Why IBM in AI
• 09:23 Use Cases
• 11:02 The GenAI Resume
• 13:37 watson.x 
• 15:40 LLMs
• 17:51 Experience Counts
• 20:03 AI that Surprises
• 23:46 AI Skills
• 26:47 Switching LLMs
• 27:13 The Cost and SLMs
• 28:21 Prompt Engineering
• 29:16 For Fun

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/armand-ruiz, linkedin.com/in/john-webb-686136127 Website: https://www.ibm.com/client-engineering

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Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

We all need to tell a better story.

Meet Vinca LaFleur of West Wing Writers. As a writer, the West Wing is the dream job.  Learn how to embody "The story is the difference". Fascinating and only Part 1.

• 02:28 Meet Vinca LaFleur, the diplomate, wait?!
• 08:25 Politics? Continuous news?
• 10:40 "Hanging" with Bill Clinton
• 18:41 The craft of writing
• 23:53 Not a PowerPoint hater, but...
• 26:53 A writers process (case study)

President Clinton at the Mackie Plant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLCBP3o2kOM

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vinca-lafleur-28909315

Website: https://www.westwingwriters.com/

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.