That Tech Pod

Today Laura and Kevin have Bruce Randall on the pod. Bruce is a thought leader who delves into AI's impact on human enhancement and consciousness. Bruce is currently working on his book "The AI Human Paradox," examining AI's transformative potential and regulatory challenges. We talk about the ethical impacts of AI advancements, such as brain-computer interfaces and superhuman capabilities. Bruce advocates for balanced regulatory frameworks to ensure safe and ethical AI integration. We also discuss superhumans, super soldiers, and more. 

Bruce's expertise goes beyond technology and business; his personal journey includes meditation, Reiki, and exploring the deeper aspects of human potential. These experiences provide unique insights into the human mind, enriching his perspective on AI and its societal implications.

Today Kevin and Laura speak with Ajay Malik about all things AI. As the former Head of Architecture/Engineering of the Worldwide Corporate Network at Google, Ajay is a technologist, business futurist, and prolific inventor with about 100 patents pending/issued specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Wi-Fi networking, Quantum computing, and Real Time Location. We talk about generative AI versus classic AI. We discuss which is the best LLM. We chat about the difference between AI and super intelligence. We also discuss expensive tech toys and early holiday gift ideas. We also learn that you can only have up to 30K LinkedIn connections (because Ajay is maxed out!)
 
Ajay Malik is the CEO of SECO MIND USA LLC, a company that builds StudioX, world’s leading enterprise AI platform to accelerate incorporating AI in business. Ajay has also held executive leadership positions at Meru Networks, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and Motorola. He completed B.E in Computer Science & Technology from IIT, Roorkee, India. Ajay Malik's unique blend of creativity, leadership, and technical expertise promises an engaging and enlightening experience for all attendees.

Ajay Malik has founded and successfully sold multiple startups, led the exit of a public company, and has experience as a Section 16 officer. He has authored various books "RTLS for Dummies," "Augmented Reality for Dummies," "Artificial Intelligence for Wireless Networking," "First God, Then Man, Now AI - Generative AI".  

Today Laura and Kevin speak with Quinton Goddard, the Head of Solutions and  Sustainability for SquareTrade Europe. They chat about planned obsolescence and the right to repair, exploring how these issues impact both consumers and the environment. Quinton shares his expertise on how SquareTrade Europe is tackling sustainability, discussing the development of tools and processes and the broader implications for the insurance industry.  Quinton provides insights into how sustainability is being integrated into SquareTrade’s operations, ensuring that the company not only meets but exceeds its environmental responsibilities. They chat about Quinton's path from astronomer to the insurance sustainability guy, turning the Titanic, Jake from Statefarm, the Safelite jingle, and much more! 

Quinton Goddard is the Head of Solutions & Sustainability for SquareTrade Europe. Quinton oversees the development and implementation of the region's sustainability strategy. In this role, he spearheads the creation of tools and processes to measure annual emissions, set reduction targets, monitor progress, and integrate sustainability across all facets of SquareTrade Europe.

Today Kevin and Laura speak with Jake Moshenko, the co-founder of AuthZed, a leader in permissions systems as a service. We talk about what its like to work for both Amazon and Google. We chat about Amazon's trick firings/secret PIPs and Jake's iPhone app for the game Big 2. We also talk about the challenges of building and selling to developers, his cofounding of Quay and using the Zanzibar papers as a guide. Laura also rants about Disney adults and gives her most controversial take ever about Taylor Swift fans. Check this one out! 

With his extensive background in developer tooling and distributed systems, Jake Moshenko is an expert in creating robust authorization software. He is passionate about developer experience and scalable infrastructure. 

AuthZed was founded by 3 successful entrepreneurs with expertise in enterprise software, most recently as leaders at Red Hat. Jake and Joey met on the APIs team at Google in 2010. They went on to found Quay, where Jimmy joined as their first hire. Over the past decade, they’ve changed the landscape for building and deploying software.

Today Laura and Kevin speak with Daniel Gold, Principal in Forensics and the eDiscovery Managed Services Leader for BDO. We talk about his origin story from law to legal tech leader. We talk about Athenagy and AI's impact on the industry. We discuss the shrinking of the billable hour, differentiating true AI from traditional keyword searching and myths vs. reality in legal tech.

Daniel is the Principal in Forensics and the eDiscovery Managed Services Leader. He is the creator of BDO's Athenagy, the only patent pending business intelligence solution in the world that created a Common Data Model and data driven insights fueled by both RelativityOne and Microsoft Purview eDiscovery.

Daniel has over 20 years of experience in the legal space. As a practicing lawyer, Daniel quickly identified that by appropriately harnessing new forms of legal technology, both lawyers and legal professionals could be vastly more productive and effective. This realization led Daniel to the legal service provider space and with it, came years of success at consulting with some of the largest corporate law departments and law firms across the country. Daniel’s experience in e-discovery technical consulting, consultative selling, as well as leading a national operations team for an IT managed services company has enabled him to provide a  comprehensive approach to how legal professionals can leverage technology to create a collaborative and dynamic approach to e-discovery. Daniel’s passion for managed services has made him a known thought leader in e-discovery. 

Today Laura and Kevin speak with Simon Chen, the founder and CEO of Eight Black. We talk about the security and transportation industries. We talk about the Paris Olympics and its challenges. We also discuss the Trump shooting attempt and how the Secret Service responded. We get into tech's impact on security, ongoing cyber threats, Jason Bourne, the Taken movies and more!

Simon Chen, the founder and CEO of Eight Black, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the security and transportation industries. Originally from Australia, Simon has lived in Colorado for the past eleven years. Prior to moving to the United States, he and his family were based in Singapore, giving him a rich international background. With over 20 years of consulting experience with technology companies across Asia Pacific and the US, Simon has held several senior management positions in large multinationals. Simon has a strong background in advanced driver training, having taught for 15 years at Australia’s largest and most respected Advanced Driver Training company. His motto, "safety before schedule," is evident in the impeccable safety standards of the Eight Black fleet. Additionally, Simon spent 8 years in the Australian military (Army), and he now leads Eight Black's Security and Executive Protection division, collaborating with some of the most talented security professionals in the world. Since founding Eight Black eight years ago with just one car, Simon has grown the business significantly while maintaining his passion for contributing to the ground transportation and security industries. Eight Black now provides bespoke security and transportation solutions worldwide, ensuring clients' journeys are secure, comfortable, and seamless, whether they are traveling from Africa to Paris or anywhere in between.

Today Kevin and Laura speak with Chris Bradbury a serial entrepreneur with an amazing life story. We focus on how to fail as an entrepreneur and how to get back in the game. Chris takes us through his numerous ventures from cutting grass, to building a video game, to selling cars, to selling drugs, to doing computer repair, to running an energy site, even being a politician and then to real estate and finally to contracting with the US Postal Service. Chris explains that mindset about failure matters most for whether an entrepreneur gets back to it or gives up. Chris is the living embodiment of the Rocky Balboa speech on taking your lumps and moving forward. This is a pod you don't want to miss!

For our 200th episode, Laura and Kevin chat about the Microsoft patch/Crowdstrike outage, the AT&T data breach, Google's potential $23 Billion acquisition of Wiz and more! We also talk about Laura's new gym, the Drop in! This is a fun bonus pod.   

Today Kevin and Laura chat with Carsten Brinkschulte about wildfire technology. Carsten is a telecoms tech veteran and serial entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of impact tech startup Dryad Networks, the firm’s large-scale IoT network for the ultra-early detection of wildfires will help to save the world's forests and fight climate change. We speak about impacts for profit. We learn about sensors that smell fire versus see it. We figure out who pays for this and much more!

Carsten Brinkschulte is CEO and co-founder of Dryad Networks. Dryad provides ultra-early detection of wildfires as well as health and growth-monitoring of forests using solar-powered gas sensors in a large-scale IoT sensor network. Dryad aims to reduce unwanted wildfires, which cause up to 20% of global CO2 emissions and have a devastating impact on biodiversity. By 2030, Dryad aims to prevent 3.9m hectares of forest from burning, preventing 1.7bn tonnes of CO2 emissions. 

Today Laura and Kevin speak with Ray Rivard. We talk about legal and ethical considerations with Generative AI. We talk about the complaint against Adobe for selling AI-generated imitations Ansel Adams' work. We talk Sarah Silverman suing OpenAI and other IP claims and copyright issues with GenAI. We talk about replacing Al Michaels with an AI bot. We hear Ray's origin story and get his advise on being an IP lawyer in 2024. We also chat about who is liable when GenAI breaks the law. This pod has it all including going deep on accountability and the need for guardrails on GenAI. You don't want to miss this one!

Ray Rivard currently serves as Senior Director for the Federal Government Sector for Prevail.ai.  In his role, he devises and promotes solutions for government agencies, government contractors, and law firms, utilizing Prevail's artificial intelligence (AI) tools and processes.  Prior to his current role, Ray was the Senior Information Technology Specialist for the eDiscovery Group within the Legal Information Technology Unit for the FDIC’s Legal Division. His specialties included devising and integrating best practices in failed bank data collection, preservation, authentication, processing, review, analytics, and production. Ray has provided technical expert testimony in civil and criminal court hearings across the United States; filed declarations and affidavits as an expert in numerous federal courts; participated in meet & confer conferences with opposing parties in failed bank litigation matters; and revised and modified ESI protocols, protective orders, and joint discovery plans. Prior to joining the federal government, Ray spent nearly two decades handling large litigation matters for several D.C.-based law firms, including Jones Day, Wilmer, Mayer Brown, and DLA Piper.