Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP of Technical Sales at IBM, Making Data Simple cuts through the hype to reveal how data and AI reshape the modern enterprise. Thought leaders, researchers, and innovators share firsthand lessons on leading teams, scaling analytics, and driving real-world impact—delivered in Al’s signature straightforward, witty style. Tune in to Making Data Simple today. From data and AI breakthroughs to leadership hacks, top experts drop actionable gems that help businesses thrive in a…
Subscribe:.rss.atom.json.md.m3u.pls
Live Last read · last published · next check
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
Send us Fan Mail What if AI could tap into live operational data — without ETL or RAG? In this episode, Deepti Srivastava, founder of Snow Leopard, reveals how her company is transforming enterprise data access with intelligent data retrieval, semantic intelligence, and a governance-first approach. Tune in for a fresh perspective on the future of AI and the startup journey behind it. We explore…
Send us Fan Mail Rob May, Co-Founder & CEO of NeuroMetric AI, who’s revolutionizing how multi-model systems think and run, dramatically reducing expenses while boosting performance. Rob brings decades of experience as a founder, investor, and the creator of the popular ‘Investing in AI’ newsletter. 01:05 Meeting Rob May 04:22 The Investing in AI Newsletter 06:50 Starting Neurometric 11:39…
Send us Fan Mail This week on Making Data Simple, join Ajay Kulkarni, CEO and co-founder of TigerData, as we dive into the rapidly evolving world of data. Ajay shares his front-row perspective on the challenges and opportunities of building and scaling time-series databases in an era of AI-driven automation. From the mechanics of managing massive data streams to the bold bets shaping the future of…
Send us Fan Mail We dive into the exciting world of autonomous AI agents with Matt Glickman, Co-Founder & CEO of Genesis Computing. Join us as we explore how this technology is shifting the role of the data engineer and redefining what's possible. 02:36 Meet Matt Glickman 09:32 Frontier Models 17:14 The Origination of Genesis 18:51 What is an Autonomous Agent 30:25 Machines Have Our Code! 32:32…
Send us Fan Mail Making Data Simple sits down with Dave Trieer, CEO of ModelOp, to explore the rapidly evolving world of AI – particularly what happens when it starts acting autonomously. From safely deploying AI in regulated industries to navigating critical governance challenges, Dave offers invaluable insights on this transformative technology. 01:22 Meet Dave Trier 04:22 The Terminator is…
Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it....For the Electrical Engineers in Test out there, this is your episode. Todd VanGilder, CTO and CRO, and Ryan Smith, Tech Fellow, for Genuen join the podcast to talk about achieving reliable performance through Systems Engineering and Custom Test Equipment. And their secret sauce: Replica. 02:26 Meet Genuen Leaders 08:33 Boeing 09:21 Genuen 15:11 2-min Pitch…
Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it..... RAG didn't just survive the LLM boom — it became the backbone of how enterprises put AI to work. In this replay, we sit down with Douwe Kiela, the AI researcher who led the team that introduced Retrieval-Augmented Generation in 2020 and went on to co-found Contextual AI. Douwe unpacks whether RAG is here to stay, why most enterprise AI dies in the gap…
Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it.... Ready to reclaim your time and live with intention? In this episode, Katherine Mayne sits down with Jacob Hicks, Coach and Speaker , to explore the intersection of productivity and intentional living. We dive into the tools, habits, and strategies that can help you master time management, optimize your workflow, and unlock your full potential. From the…
Send us Fan Mail Most people building with AI are working from the same playbook. Dr. Sean Falconer isn't. As AI Entrepreneur in Residence at Confluent, Sean sits at the intersection of real-time data streaming and production AI — where the decisions get hard and the stakes are real. In this episode, he and Al get into what it actually looks like to run multiple LLMs simultaneously, what happened…
Send us Fan Mail Your Brain Generates Data. Are You Using It? Your brain is producing data every second. The question is whether anyone is actually reading it — and what happens when AI starts to. In this episode, Al sits down with Dr. Nicholas Dogris and Dr. Tiff Thompson, the founders behind the NeuroField ecosystem — a triad of companies applying advanced neuroscience data to brain health,…
Send us Fan Mail The database has always needed a human hand — someone to tune it, protect it, and keep it running. But what if AI could do most of that work autonomously? And if it can, what does that mean for the people who've built careers doing exactly that? In this episode, Al sits down with Satya Krishnaswamy, Director at IBM, to explore IBM's Db2 Genius Hub — a bold step toward autonomous…
Send us Fan Mail Raffi Khatchadourian, Account Technical Leader at IBM, shares his expertise - from AI deployments to infrastructure and more. Raffi dives into the latest trends and insights in the field of artificial intelligence and data science. Tune in for practical advice and real-world examples from a leading expert in the industry. 01:37 Meet Raffi 05:43 Success AI Deployments 13:08…
Send us Fan Mail From Sovereign AI to Social Impact: The Big Shifts You Need to Watch with IBM VP and CTO of IBM Canada, Manav Gupta Manav Gupta, Vice President & CTO at IBM Canada, returns to the podcast to unpack the fast-changing landscape of artificial intelligence. From keeping a technical edge to navigating the rise of sovereign AI, Manav shares insights on how emerging trends are shaping…
Send us Fan Mail The rapidly evolving world of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with Manav Gupta, VP & CTO of IBM Canada! We’re tackling the big questions – is an ‘AGI clock’ ticking? – alongside critical discussions on risk, regulation, and the future of work. Manav and I pull no punches as we explore the surprising realities of AI’s development and its potential impact on our lives. 01:55…
Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it.... 🎧 Episode Description: This week on Making Data Simple , we welcome David Hirschfeld , Founder and CEO of Tekyz . With a background spanning major tech firms and startup trenches, David brings grounded, data-backed insight into what makes or breaks a startup. From tackling the #1 reason startups fail to exploring the value of validation and the real…
Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder how your bank transaction really gets processed without a hitch? Barry Baker, Chief Operating Officer of IBM Infrastructure, oversees the world’s most critical systems – including the iconic IBM Z. Barry has spent over 25 years building mission critical technology. We’ll dive into everything from mainframe modernization and AI acceleration to the future of cloud and…
Send us Fan Mail What separates the leaders who scale from the ones who stall? According to Dave Martin — CEO, tech entrepreneur, investor, and coach to elite executives worldwide — it's not IQ, it's not hustle, and it's definitely not the framework on your whiteboard. It's how they think. In this episode, Al sits down with Dave to unpack Mega Thinking — his simple, powerful process for making…
Send us Fan Mail Last week we brought back Part 1 of our Ruchir Puri masterclass. This is the episode that completes it. If Part 1 was about how AI works — agentic loops, inference scaling, the death of prompt engineering — Part 2 is about where AI is going . Ruchir takes on the biggest questions in the industry: Is Jensen Huang right that AGI arrives by 2029? What does IBM's bet on open models…
Send us Fan Mail Today we're joined by Kareem Yusuf, SVP at IBM, where he leads Ecosystem and Strategic Partnerships . His career journey spans IoT, sustainability, and product growth — and it's more diverse than you might expect. In this episode, we dig into the critical thinking behind building successful partnerships , navigating complex tech ecosystems , and what it really takes to prioritize…
Send us Fan Mail Part2: Craig McLuckie, Founder and CEO of Stacklok and inventor of Kubernetes, discusses his latest venture: Stacklok, an Enterprise MCP Platform that makes developers and AI agents more productive. 00:12 The 2-min Stacklok Pitch 01:47 An Enterprise-grade MCP Platform 06:28 The Case for Smaller Models 07:09 Are Clients Ready? 11:36 The Winners and Losers 14:20 Stacklok's Major…
Send us Fan Mail Craig McLuckie is the Founder and CEO of Stacklok and one of the original inventors of Kubernetes — the open-source container orchestration system that became the backbone of modern cloud infrastructure. After leading Kubernetes into the CNCF and navigating VMware's pivot under Broadcom, Craig made a sharp turn and founded Stacklok: an Enterprise MCP Platform designed to make…
Send us Fan Mail First Aired Apr 23, 2025 If you've been following the AI space lately, this episode hits differently the second time around. When Al sat down with Ruchir Puri — Chief Scientist of IBM Research, IBM Fellow, and the architect behind Watson and watsonx — the conversation covered ground that's only gotten more relevant since: the death of prompt engineering, the rise of agentic AI,…
Send us Fan Mail Making Data Simple dives into the exciting world of synthetic data with Adam Kamor, Co-Founder & Head of Engineering at Tonic.ai — a company building a synthetic data platform to power AI and software development. Adam unpacks how synthetic data is revolutionizing the way we build smarter, safer AI systems. 01:31 Meet Adam Kamor 08:43 The Road to Software Engineering 11:10…
Send us Fan Mail Making Data Simple dives into the world of data security with Josh Scott, CISO and VP of Security at Hydrolix — a real-time data platform built for massive scale. Josh unpacks critical challenges like AI adoption, cybersecurity priorities, and how organizations can harness data to stay ahead, all while keeping performance high and costs down. 01:02 Investing 04:25 Meet Josh Scott…
Send us Fan Mail Tom Griffiths, Henry R. Luce Professor at Princeton University, joins the show to explore the surprising science behind how we actually think. His new book, The Laws of Thought , bridges computational cognitive science and AI—challenging assumptions about decision-making, neural networks, and the path to artificial general intelligence. Show Notes Timestamps 01:21 – Meet Tom…
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Making Data Simple , where we explore how data-driven strategies ignite innovation and transform businesses. In this exciting episode, we sit down with Marco Rota , VP of Strategic Technology Alliances at Lumen Technologies , whose incredible journey spans from the glitz of Hollywood to leading-edge telecommunications. Tune in as Marco reveals how embracing a…
Send us Fan Mail Tackling the messy reality of data fueling artificial intelligence, Andrea Muttoni—President & CPO at Story —joins the show to unpack how Story is building an AI-native infrastructure for intellectual property and training data. We dig into making the $80T IP asset class programmable, traceable, and monetizable, and how Story aims to turn “mysterious training data blobs” into…
Send us Fan Mail Prasad Calyam, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and Center Director at the University of Missouri, joins the show to explore how knowledge graphs, modern data platforms, and AI are reshaping power grids and cybersecurity. He breaks down graph database fundamentals, real-world research projects, and how industry can tap into cutting-edge university work—all in language that…
Send us Fan Mail Manav Gupta, Vice President & CTO at IBM Canada, returns to the podcast to unpack the fast-changing landscape of artificial intelligence. From keeping a technical edge to navigating the rise of sovereign AI, Manav shares insights on how emerging trends are shaping both industry and society. Timestamps 01:25 – Manav Gupta is back! 02:39 – Maintaining your technical edge 04:38 –…
Send us Fan Mail This was a fantastic 2 part series on how to design intelligent organizations. Check it out! Part 1 of 2 How do we make organizations not just run — but run intelligently ? In this episode of Making Data Simple , we welcome Phanish Puranam , Professor of Strategy and Organizational Design at INSEAD , to explore the intersection of AI, organizational science, and intelligent design…
Send us Fan Mail We're joined by Ron Brill, President and Chairman of the Board, and Kris Johnson, Chief Product Officer of Anglepoint, a global leader in software asset management. From their startup origins to tackling massive compliance challenges, we'll dive into the world of SAM, licensing, and what the future holds for optimizing IT assets – a conversation essential for anyone in this space.…
Send us Fan Mail Unpack a groundbreaking application of IBM’s AI technology designed to revolutionize training and learning. This episode delves into how IBM’s AI-powered partner – built around IBM training – can sharpen technical knowledge, boost confidence, and help teams master every interaction, from pipeline development to closing critical deals. 02:12 Meet Paul Zikopoulos, Matt Bateson, and…
Send us Fan Mail Fresh off a high-profile appearance on CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange discussing how AI will move beyond chatbots to autonomous agents that reshape jobs and productivity! Replay this episode where Jure digs into why structured data is still lagging behind the AI revolution and what comes next for predictive AI on relational data. Data’s everywhere, but so often it feels… stuck. Joining…
Send us Fan Mail When there’s a need to re-center, stay grounded, and remember that growth is accessible to all of us, this is the episode to revisit. The Mindful Response with Estela Zuheros, Corporate Social Responsibility leader at IBM, explores how social impact, reskilling, and mindfulness come together to create a better, more inclusive world. Come for the global perspective on reskilling,…
Send us Fan Mail Are your teams struggling with disengagement and declining performance ? What if the real problem isn’t talent or strategy, but a hidden “buy-in” gap quietly draining energy, innovation, and results? Joining us is Dave Garrison, a seasoned leadership strategist who has seen firsthand how a lack of buy-in fuels these issues – costing businesses billions every year. Dave unpacks the…
Send us Fan Mail On this replay of Making Data Simple, Manav Gupta, VP and CTO of IBM Canada, jumps straight into the world of large language models and what they really mean for businesses trying to scale AI. From how today’s models are built and tuned, to where the next generation is headed, Manav translates complex AI concepts into practical guidance for leaders, practitioners, and anyone…
Send us Fan Mail Hit replay on this high-energy conversation with Ben Lowe , Founder and CEO of Lighthouse Technology, as he breaks down what it really takes to build something from scratch in a fast-changing AI world. From finding the right co‑founder and stepping into the CEO role, to navigating the toughest challenges of entrepreneurship, Ben shares practical lessons and hard‑won insights for…
Send us Fan Mail Hit replay on one of the most thought-provoking Agentic AI conversations on Making Data Simple. GTM Account Director Megan Gallagher makes the case for Agentic AI from the Maven AGI front lines, where AI agents stop following rigid decision trees and start acting with real autonomy over enterprise workflows. “We’re still living like everything is deterministic,” Megan argues, “but…
Send us Fan Mail Dive into the powerful world of mainframes! Chief Product Officer of IBM Z and LinuxONE, Tina Tarquinio, reveals the truth behind those eight nines of uptime and explores how mainframes are evolving with AI, hybrid cloud, and future-proofing strategies for mission-critical business decisions. Discover the cutting-edge innovations transforming enterprise computing—from on-chip AIU…
Send us Fan Mail Data’s everywhere, but so often it feels… stuck. Joining us today is Jure Leskovec, Chief Scientist at Kumo and a Stanford Professor who's fundamentally reshaped how we understand networks—from Pinterest's recommendations to tracking the spread of disease. We’ll unpack why structured data is lagging behind the AI revolution, exploring how techniques like Graph Neural Networks are…
Send us Fan Mail Guest: Kris Kluver, Founder of Life on Your Terms — speaker, facilitator, best-selling author, advisor, and coach helping leaders design fulfillment that matches their ambition. Summary: In this powerful replay, Kris Kluver flips the script on success. Too many high performers master their business but neglect their well-being — Kris shows how to align both. From defining what…
Send us Fan Mail Exploring the intersection of creativity and innovation, Geoff Thatcher, Founder and CCO Creative Principals, shares his insights on how AI is revolutionizing live experiences. From personalized exhibits to universal storytelling, Geoff delves into the possibilities and pitfalls of harnessing AI to elevate our connections with others. 01:39 Introducing Geoff Thatcher 02:48…
Send us Fan Mail This is one of my favorite episodes - it's all about the story! Part 2 of our conversation with Vinca LaFleur , Founding Partner of West Wing Writers . From the power of ideas to the art of delivery, Vinca shares what it takes to write words that resonate — and why every great message starts with meaning. 00:30 Tricks and tips to a presentation 04:14 Speech gotchas 07:29 Knowing…
Send us Fan Mail We're joined by Douwe Kiela, CEO of Contextual.ai and pioneer in RAG research. From deploying AI agents at Fortune 500 companies to shedding light on data privacy and security, Douwe shares his expertise and insights on how to make data simple, effective, and secure. 00:46 Introducing Douwe Kiela 01:37 RAG - Here to Stay or Go? 06:59 LLMs with Context 08:20 Making AI Successful…
Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re rewinding one of our most talked-about episodes! Richmond Alake, Developer Advocate at MongoDB, joins us to explore how databases power the future of AI. From RAG best practices to the truth behind AGI hype, Richmond breaks down what it takes to build systems that scale — and think. Show Notes 02:05 Meet Rich Alake 03:57 A Developer Advocate at MongoDB 05:57…
Send us Fan Mail Replay Episode: Python, Anaconda, and the AI Frontier with Peter Wang Peter Wang — Chief AI & Innovation Officer and Co-founder of Anaconda — is back on Making Data Simple ! Known for shaping the open-source ecosystem and making Python a powerhouse, Peter dives into Anaconda’s new AI incubator, the future of GenAI, and why Python isn’t just “still a thing”… it’s the thing. From…
Send us Fan Mail This week on Making Data Simple , join Ajay Kulkarni, CEO and co-founder of TigerData , as we dive into the rapidly evolving world of data. Ajay shares his front-row perspective on the challenges and opportunities of building and scaling time-series databases in an era of AI-driven automation. From the mechanics of managing massive data streams to the bold bets shaping the future…
Send us Fan Mail What if AI could tap into live operational data — without ETL or RAG? In this episode, Deepti Srivastava, founder of Snow Leopard, reveals how her company is transforming enterprise data access with intelligent data retrieval, semantic intelligence, and a governance-first approach. Tune in for a fresh perspective on the future of AI and the startup journey behind it. We explore…
Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ This week on Making Data Simple : Fred Joyal — you may know him from the iconic 1-800-DENTIST commercials. Today, Fred takes us beyond marketing genius into the art of being BOLD . Show Notes 02:20 – Brand Fred Joyal 19:20 – Monetization Strategy 20:58 – Boldness as a Superpower 23:18 – Just Show Up 26:15 – Step Up with Exercises 27:00 – Failures are Steps Up: Take Another…
Send us Fan Mail Get ready for an insightful conversation on the future of data integration and real-time decision making with Dima Spivak , Director of Product Management at StreamSets . We cover everything from the “why StreamSets” story to its secret sauce , how it plays in regulated industries , and what makes it a powerful player in data fabric, AI, and streaming use cases . If you’re…