Techtopia with Chitra Ragavan

On March 7, 2022, The front page of the New York Times ran a graphic photograph that summed up the tragic cost of Russia’s war on innocent Ukrainian civilians. It was a photograph of a mother, her two children, and a church volunteer crumpled to the ground. They were the victims of a Russian mortar attack on civilians as they attempted to flee over the Irpin River to Kyiv. The photo, which was was taken by the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, sent shock-waves throughout the world.

Capturing that image also put Lynsey Addario in grave danger, something that she has confronted many times over during her more than two-decade career as one of the most accomplished war-photographers in the world.

Addario has had boots on the ground in Ukraine since the begining of the Russian invasion. And, as we near the one year anniversary of the war, she describes the toll of the conflict on Ukrainian civilians and reflects on the personal cost of covering conflict.

Ukraine is just one of the war zones that Addario has traveled in and out of, on assignment for The New York Times, National Geographic, and other publications for more than two decades.

In 2015, American Photo Magazine named Addario as one of the five most influential photographers of the past 25 years, saying she changed the way we saw the world's conflicts.

I spoke with Addario when she made a brief stop in Washington DC on November 3rd to receive the prestigious Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation.

This is my third conversation with the fearless Addario. To hear her personal story of how she became a photojournalist, how she covers major conflicts, how she survived a violent kidnapping in Libya, and why she does the work she does, do check out my previous interview with Addario on my leadership podcast, When It Mattered, Episode 35. It’s an incredible story. And do listen to Addario’s previous appearance on Techtopia, Episode 18, as she reflects on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the aftermath of the chaotic pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

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👂Contact Chitra & Link to Podcast Platforms

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When It Mattered:

🎙️70. A protector of U.S. nukes evaluates Putin's nuclear threats / Maj Gen Robert Wheeler, USAF (ret)

🎙️ Ep. 60. Putin laid his cards on the table years before the Ukraine invasion / Gen. James Jones, USMC

🎙️ Ep. 66. Distinguished diplomat reclaims her narrative / Marie Yovanovitch, “Lessons from the Edge”

Techtopia:

🎙️ Ep. 29. How drones, crypto, and satellites are changing the future of war / Thomas Frey & Trent Fowler

🎙️ Ep. 26. Technology is rewiring Ukraine's narrative / Alex Deane & Bryan Cunningham

Do check out these related articles in SWAAY

✍️  A “Genuine Badass”: How Marie Yovanovitch Reclaimed Her Narrative and Reputation

✍️  The Incredible, Indomitable Super-Survivors of Ukraine

✍️  Refugees in the Shadows: A Viral Insights Column on War, Displacement, and Super-Survivors

Thanks for Listening!

Russia’s war on Ukraine has turned a lot of assumptions about the fundamental nature and trajectory of how wars are fought, on its head.

For one thing, Ukraine’s strong defense has upended conventional wisdom about big powers being able to violate at will the sovereignty of little powers.

Technology, in particular, drones, has also leveled the playing field in unique ways.

The emergence of cryptocurrency, both as a means to fund the war and the relief efforts, raises all kinds of interesting questions about the ability to enforce sanctions and bypass the traditional financing of wars with alternate means.

I had a great discussion about these and other topics with Thomas Frey, and Trent Fowler, who have been giving a lot of thought to the future of war.

Frey is the founder and Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute and co-host of the Futurati Podcast. Over the past decade, he has built an enormous following around the world based on his ability to develop accurate visions of the future and describe the opportunities ahead.

Trent Fowler is a machine learning engineer, keynote speaker, and co-host of the Futurati Podcast.

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If you liked this episode, please check out these other episodes!

🎙️Breakfast with Putin 

🎙️Distinguished diplomat reclaims her narrative

🎙️Heroism, activism, reconciliation with nature

🎙️What does IRS Criminal Investigation Do?

🎙️Are NFTs overhyped?

🎙️Father’s gift and brother’s illness led him to crypto 

🎙️What’s driving the bitcoin mania?

Do you want to be a writer but suffer from writer’s block? I know I often do! Well, my guest today may have the perfect solution for us — the world’s first AI-powered writing and publishing platform — that she says will help you put words 3x faster on the page, and transform the future of writing, publishing, and connecting.

The AI platform is the brainchild of tech entrepreneur, startup founder, and former beauty queen, Iman Oubou. Oubou is the author of a new book just released called, “The Glass Ledge: How To Break Through Self-Sabotage, Embrace Your Power, And Create Your Success.”

A Moroccan-American, Oubou is the Founder and CEO of SWAAY, a digital women’s content and empowerment platform. But as her candid book indicates, this journey from pageant winner to startup founder and now author has not been an easy one. 

If you liked this episode, check out these other episodes from my podcast, When It Mattered (👍 Please subscribe to both podcasts and give them a Thumbs Up!) 

Ep. 11. Reluctant beauty pageant winner finds unique path to public service / Erin Walczewski, Attorney

WIM Ep. 28. Dermatologist breaks mold in medicine, sports, Silicon Valley / Dr. Michelle Longmire, Medable

Ep. 46. Impulsive career move leads to big inflection point / Julie Schafer, The Flu Lab

Ep. 44. Mentee takes up mentor's mantle / Karen A. Clark, City National Bank

Ep. 37. Tumultuous childhood led to career in human behavior / Nicole Fisher, HHR Strategies

Ep. 6. Martial arts contest gives polymath life lesson / Dr. Shawna Pandya, Citizen-Scientist Astronaut 

Ep. 47. Busy diplomat's bored wife pursues unusual psychology career / Anne Speckhard, ICSVE

This past April, the FBI disclosed an astonishing fact about the breach of the blockchain behind the popular “play to earn” game Axie Infinity a few weeks earlier. The FBI said the hackers who stole $615 million dollars in cryptocurrency were, in fact, from the group “Lazarus” which has direct ties to the government of North Korea.

To add insult to injury, the brazen attack took place just weeks after President Joe Biden had released an Executive Order, authorizing a whole-of federal government approach to derisking digital assets.

It was the equivalent of North Korea thumbing its nose at the U.S. Government.

The incident revealed the incredible challenges confronting President Joe Biden and his national security and economic teams as they attempt to craft sweeping policies to protect consumers without hindering financial innovation, at the same time earning the trust of and cooperation from the crypto communities to help police the space, without violating the libertarian ethos undergirding blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets.

With all these challenges swirling about, I am delighted to share my recent wide-ranging conversation on crypto regulation and compliance with a key White House official who has been thinking about this and working on these complex issues for years.

Carole House is the former Director for Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation for the National Security Council, The White House. She joined the NSC on detail from the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), where she led cybersecurity, virtual currency, and emerging technology policy efforts as a Senior Cyber and Emerging Technology Policy Officer. House has just returned back to FinCEN after her White House tour of duty.

Please like, rate, review, and subscribe to my new YouTube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/c/ChitraRagavan

If you liked this episode, please check out these other episodes!

What does IRS Criminal Investigation Do?

Are NFTs overhyped?

What’s driving the bitcoin mania?

Father’s gift and brother’s illness led him to crypto

With Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — resulting in what’s become the first war to be largely televised and video-recorded — Ukraine has become Ground Zero for how technology is reshaping history’s narratives and the story of politics, war and conflict.

I have two great guests to talk about how technology is shaping human history and how it will be told. Bryan Cunningham and Alex Deane are co-hosts of a wonderful new podcast called, “Hidden History, Happy Hour”, available on YouTube and all the major podcast platforms.

As my regular listeners know,  my friend Bryan is a frequent guest on both this podcast and my leadership podcast, When It Mattered (I’ve added his previous appearances below)

I’m also delighted to welcome Bryan’s co-host, Alex Deane, author of the bestselling non-fiction book, “Lessons from History: Hidden Heroes & Villains from the past & what we can learn from them.” The book inspired “Hidden History, Happy Hour”.

Bryan Cunningham previous appearances:

Techtopia, Ep. 12 — Flying Saucer Pilgrimage

When It Mattered, Ep. 9 — A Deadly Fire Leaves Lasting A Legacy 

Other episodes referenced in this podcast in the section on UFOs.

WIM: Episode 55. Great-granddaughter of a SciFi pioneer spots a UFO / Alex Dietrich, US Navy

Techtopia: Episode 13. Astrophysicist searches for aliens/Adam Frank, University of Rochester 

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It’s no secret that Russia has become the world’s playground for ransomware groups —-  and that America is target #1.

The threat of ransomware attacks on U.S. businesses and critical infrastructure recently took an ominous turn when a prominent Russian ransomware group named Conti — threatened to attack any nation or organization retaliating against Moscow for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Now, a groundbreaking new report titled Ransomware: A Technology Pandemic on the Brink, from New York-based crypto forensics and analytics firm Elementus (where I serve as Chief Strategy Officer), documents the full extent of the threat of Russian ransomware attacks.

That’s the topic of my conversation with  Max Galka, CEO and founder of Elementus.

Join Max and me on this journey into the dark world of ransomware attacks as we explore the extraordinary sums of money that have changed hands with ransomware groups — more than a billion dollars just in 2021 alone — and discuss the evolution in modus operandi and business models of ransomware-as-a-service franchises. 

We also talk about the rise in double jeopardy attacks — where paying vast sums in ransomware does not prevent the attackers from leaking your breached data. And given that these ransomware groups are predominantly Russian, we consider the national critical infrastructure implications in light of the U.S. and allied push-back against Russian President Vladimir Putin for his brutal and unremitting attack on Ukraine.

A data scientist by training and passion, and a former derivatives trader at Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse, Galka is a noted authority on ransomware attacks and has been widely cited in major news outlets including Security Boulevard, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, NBC News, and NYSE Floor Talk.

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If you enjoyed this episode, do check out these other episodes:

Techtopia, Ep. 22 — The Role of Technology in Human Trafficking / Anjana Rajan, Chief Technology Officer, Polaris.

Techtopia, Ep. 17 — The Global Race to Secure 5G Networks Against Cyber Threats from China and other Geopolitical Adversaries / Rob Strayer, EVP, Information Technology Industry Council & Former Ambassador for Cyber Policy at U.S. State Department.

Techtopia, Ep. 3 — Bitcoin and the boom in cryptocurrency investing / Perianne Boring, Founder and President, Chamber of Digital Commerce.

“Accountants with guns” — These are the special agents of the Criminal Investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service. There’s 2,000 of them. And they have not only plenty of firepower, but they’re also armed with the sole mandate across the US Government to investigate violations of federal tax laws and related crimes.  

For more than a century,  CI special agents have worked quietly across 21 field offices and 11 foreign countries, on investigations of massive scale and complexity, seizing billions of dollars in assets. 

Criminal Investigation has played an outsize role in some of the biggest, most fascinating criminal tax cases of our time. From taking down legendary bootlegger, Al Capone, and investigating the Lindbergh baby kidnapping — to cryptocurrency crimes and most recently — bringing the hammer down on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his oligarchs for sanctions violations via the Justice Department’s Kleptocracy Task Force, 

I’m delighted to have as my guest today, James Robnett, Deputy Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation to tell us more about the amazing work that he and his team are doing.

Welcome to the final episode of Season 1 of Techtopia! I thought it would be appropriate to end the year as we began it, talking about Covid-19 and its pernicious impact on our lives, psyche, and the healthcare system at large. Hard as it may seem to imagine, we’re now entering year three of COVID-19 with a new variant, Omicron, upending lives globally. Two great guests join me in this episode to discuss our year in health or lack thereof and looking ahead to 2022. They are Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr, co-hosts of two great podcasts: Fixing Healthcare, and Coronavirus: The Truth. Jeremy Corr is also the CEO of Executive Podcast Solutions and as many of you know, produces both my podcasts, Techtopia and When It Mattered. And Dr. Pearl is the former CEO of Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. He is currently both practicing and teaching at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His new book is, “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients” and all proceeds from his books go to Doctors Without Borders.

Jeffrey Epstein never faced the consequences for allegedly trafficking dozens of girls, some as young as age 14, and engaging in sex acts with them. He committed suicide in jail 35 days after he was arrested, avoiding a trial and potentially, half a century in prison for his evil actions.

Now, however, more than two years later, at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, Epstein’s former lover, and alleged enabler, Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial for aiding and abetting Epstein in satisfying his unmitigated sexual appetite for and exploitation of vulnerable girls.

Prosecutors allege that Ghislaine Maxwell was at the heart of the trafficking conspiracy that Epstein was accused of carrying out both in his tony Manhattan townhouse and luxurious Palm Beach estate. Maxwell’s lawyers say that she is simply the proverbial fall guy for Epstein’s actions.

The trial is casting a lens on the tragic world of human trafficking and how wealthy powerful people can engage, often over decades, in these crimes and escape seemingly with impunity.

My guest this week to talk about the Ghislaine Maxwell trial and what it teaches us about the state of human trafficking and the role of technology is Anjana Rajan, the Chief Technology Officer of Polaris, an NGO leading a data-driven social justice movement to fight human trafficking.

My former colleague at Palantir Technologies, Rajan’s expertise is applying cryptography to human rights and national security issues. She’s the former Chief Technology Officer of Callisto, a nonprofit that builds advanced cryptographic technology to combat sexual assault.

Rajan has testified before Congress as an expert witness to speak about ways technology can protect survivors and victims of human trafficking.

Related Episodes:

Techtopia, Ep. 8: How Polaris is Fighting Q-Anon in its Use of Human Trafficking Disinformation Campaigns/Anjana Rajan, CTO, Polaris.

Techtopia, Ep. 5: Technology has given women a powerful voice in the alt-right movement / Seyward Darby, Author, Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism.

The world is engaged in a new form of war — this one centered around the technology called artificial intelligence — which, put simply — is the science and art of making machines more human. But at what cost?

The race to dominate in Artificial Intelligence, also known as the global AI arms race has deep implications for how our society evolves in the decades to come and raises many troubling questions about privacy, civil liberties, and inherent biases transferred from human to machine and back to humans again. 

I really enjoyed this deep conversation about the current state and future of AI with one of my favorite guests and former Palantir colleague, Courtney Bowman. He is the Director of Privacy and Civil Liberties Engineering at Palantir. Bowman's work addresses complex issues at the intersection of policy, law, technology, ethics, and social norms. Bowman has worked closely with the U.S. government and governments around the world to address the issues around the collection and analysis of COVID-19 pandemic data. And he has been thinking and writing about the challenges around the global AI Arms race.