Deepfakes are everywhere. Between big Hollywood movies like Star Wars to short YouTube clips of celebrities saying some crazy things. While some of them are for amusement, there are some deep concerns behind this technology involving politics and faked pornography. This episode talks about what deepfakes are, how they are created, and what they are being used for and could be used for in the future.

I recently spoke at the Women Tech Global Conference on how COVID-19 has affected and will continue to affect digital marketing trends and strategies and how companies can keep ahead of the game. This was the audio of my presentation that I am sharing with my podcast listeners today.

Technology has been a game-changer for all industries, and the marijuana industry is no exception. With many states legalizing it for both recreational and medicinal use, the market has had some major changes and has lead to numerous technological advancements in the growth and production of the products. Today we are going to talk about the different tech advancements in the industry ranging from personalized cannabis products based on your DNA profile to how law enforcement will be breathalyzing for THC.

Special Guest: Lewis Koski, Chief Operating Officer of Metrc which is an elaborate tracking system that serves to monitor cannabis production from day one until its sale. METRC ensures compliance in the cannabis industry by identifying and tagging plants, cannabis, and cannabis products; it also serves as a unique point of sale (POS) platform that further serves to monitor the growth of marijuana, its transportation, and the sale of cannabis.

When it comes to the tech world, it is mostly a male-dominated industry but things are starting to change. When it comes to tech that is specifically designed to help with the female body- who better to lead the charge than women coders, engineers and tech leaders?

This specific tech is what they refer to as FemTech and it has opened a lot of doors for women and has also raised a lot of questions and even controversy about what exactly FemTech means? So I decided not just to do an episode on the topic but an entire series of episodes devoted to the subject because it is a passion of mine being a woman in the STEM industry.

Today I have a special guest on the podcast to talk about the topic of FemTech. Prasha Dutra is the host of Her STEM Story a weekly podcast about extraordinary stories of real women in STEM. She has some great insight on what FemTech is and what it means to her.

The use of data collection and digital technology helps to lessen the impact of a crisis. There are some great ways that data is currently being used to keep track of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, landslides, and droughts that often lead to wildfires. The most relevant of course is the use of data to fight the spread of COVID-19 at this time. There are some great benefits to the use of big data, but also some controversy surrounding how it is used and if it crosses a line into invasion of privacy.

As sad as it is to say, in times of crisis it is also, unfortunately, the prime time for scammers. People are desperate right now for information and news that they are willing to click on things that would usually throw up red flags and prone to believing a lot of what they read online.

Over the years, there have been many challenges people face when getting diagnosed and treated for mental health issues. Things like lack of understanding from the community or support, lack of transportation, the right providers nearby, inability to afford care with no insurance and so on. However, technology has opened a whole new door in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving people access to physicians and therapists and new ways to access help, monitor progress, and eliminate the stigma of mental health disorders.

Social distancing is really important right now, but so is watching your mental health when it comes to social media and working from home. This episode discusses all of this and how to keep sane in this really crazy time!

Facial Recognition Technology has become increasingly popular in the last few years and is now being used in places like airports, concert venues, shopping centers and even by law enforcement. The industry for facial recognition technology was worth $3.2 billion in 2019 and Allied Market Research expects the market to grow to $9.6 billion by 2022. In this episode, we will talk about the significance of the software and how it is being used, as well as the negatives and benefits that come along with the technology. This is episode 9, Facial Recognition Technology.