AI Radicals

Alation

Some people can see things that nobody else can. They seem to be able to peer around corners and into the future. These seemingly super powers come from being able to synthesize the data all around us. They approach problems with a curious and rational mind. They think differently and encourage others to embrace data culture.

We call them “data radicals” because they transform themselves and the world around them

In this podcast, we talk to these Data Radicals to understand what makes their approach so unique and how it can be replicated.

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32 episodes
weekly
Avg 44 min
English

Episodes 32

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#67
Apr 2, 2025 · 47 min
GTM is a Data Management Problem — How AI (& Better Data) Can Fix It with Copy.ai’s CEO, Paul Yacoubian
Generative AI is reshaping the way go-to-market teams create content, optimize workflows, and drive velocity — but only when it’s powered by the right context and data. In this episode of Data Radicals, Alation CMO David Chao sits down with Paul Yacoubian, CEO and co-founder of Copy.ai, to explore how large language models (LLMs) are transforming content creation and sales execution at scale. Paul shares lessons from building Copy.ai since 2020 and how his team is helping over 15 million users
#66
Mar 19, 2025 · 57 min
From Back Office to Boardroom: The CDO's AI Opportunity with Ryan den Rooijen & Wade Munsie
As technology rapidly evolves and businesses focus on getting real results, data jobs are shifting. Many data tasks now fall under the CIO or CTO, data leaders are moving into roles that affect bigger business plans, and more companies are using self-service data tools or seeking a path to AI—making CDO-led teams less necessary. How can data leaders adapt? In this episode of Data Radicals, Satyen Sangani talks with Ryan den Rooijen, Writer and Consultant at Qstar.ai, and Wade Munsie, Interim Dir
#65
Mar 5, 2025 · 44 min
Declarative Computing in an AI World with Jeff Chou, Co-founder & CEO at Sync Computing
Cloud costs are skyrocketing, and for data teams running AI inference, Spark jobs, and big data workloads, optimization is no easy task. Tuning these workloads for efficiency without disrupting production is a major challenge—but what if there was a better way? In this episode of Data Radicals, Satyen Sangani sits down with Jeff Chou, CEO and co-founder of Sync Computing, to explore a revolutionary approach to cloud optimization. Sync’s closed-loop tuning engine continuously fine-tunes workloads
#64
Feb 19, 2025 · 40 min
Redesigning Processes for the Age of AI Agents with Tom Davenport
AI is here—but are businesses truly ready to harness its full potential? In this episode of Data Radicals, host Satyen Sangani sits down with Tom Davenport to explore what it takes for AI to create real business value. As one of the most respected voices in AI and analytics, Tom brings decades of expertise to the table. From agentic AI to AI-driven leadership, this conversation covers the pressing challenges—and opportunities—that will shape the next era of business transformation. What You'll
#63
Feb 5, 2025 · 48 min
LLMs Decoded: A Starter's Guide to AI with Raza Habib, co-founder & CEO of Humanloop
As AI becomes integral to every aspect of business, ensuring its accessibility for everyone—not just specialists—is essential. Companies like Humanloop are leading the charge with innovative platforms that empower non-technical users to harness the power of advanced language models through intuitive tools and frameworks. Democratizing AI access paves the way for transformative business outcomes and a future of collaborative AI systems. However, building a strong AI strategy starts with leveragi
#62
Jan 22, 2025 · 51 min
Empowering AI Practitioners with Wendy Turner-Williams, CEO of TheAssociation.AI
There’s a digital revolution happening – and it’s poised to impact data leaders across all industries. During this time of never-ending change, it’s crucial to have data practitioners at the center of holistic AI transformation as regulatory compliance and ethical standards come into the fold. Businesses of every size will encounter these complex regulations. Learn about these challenges and how connecting practitioners across fields can create more compliant and trusted AI environments. This
#61
Jan 8, 2025 · 39 min
Using AI to Revolutionize CX with Michael Olaye, EVP & Managing Director at Hero Digital
Any digital marketing leader will tell you that data and marketing strategies go hand-in-hand. In this episode, Michael Olaye, EVP and Managing Director of Hero Digital, shares his journey and practical strategies for success, drawing from his career path that began with door-to-door job hunting and led to spearheading major digital initiatives. Michael emphasizes the central role of data in digital marketing, from informing internal business decisions to enhancing customer experiences, and dis
#60
Dec 18, 2024 · 45 min
From Statecraft to Codebreaking: The Big Data Origin Story with Chris Wiggins, Chief Data Scientist at The New York Times
If you’re a history buff in the data world, you know that there’s a complex interplay between data, statecraft, and machine learning. The history of data visualization is entwined with societal governance and technological advancements, starting from the usage of statistics for statecraft in the 18th century to the transformative innovations during World War II that birthed computation and data science as we know it. And because of the subjective design choices that underpin data gathering and a
#59
Dec 4, 2024 · 47 min
The Art of Data Leadership: Lessons from Taylor Culver
What does it take for data leaders to deliver real business value? In this episode, Taylor Culver, founder of XenoDATA, shares practical strategies for success, including: Focus on the right problems: Taylor explains the importance of refining problem statements for actionable, data-driven solutions. Engage like a salesperson: Actively listening to stakeholders and identifying pain points is key to building impactful use cases. Adopt a product management mindset: Taylor emphasizes weaving gov
#58
Nov 13, 2024 · 42 min
Data Intelligence in Flux: The Impact of AI with Stewart Bond, VP at IDC
About 15 years ago, organizations knew they needed data governance but faced a branding problem. People hated the term. Stewart Bond coined “data intelligence” to describe intelligence about data and shift the governance conversation – and a category was born. Today, data intelligence represents a $9B+ market. This concept has given rise to the "data intelligence stack," which includes data cataloging, data quality management, and data product hubs, all of which play vital roles in AI model dev
#57
Oct 30, 2024 · 47 min
AI and the Workforce: Copilots or Competitors? with Jeremy Kahn, AI Editor at Fortune
The transformative potential of AI is going to affect all of us, regardless of what industry you’re in. While AI has the capability to democratize high-demand professions through specialized copilots, it also presents potential positive and negative societal impacts, including misinformation and political discourse manipulation. Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at the evolution of AI copilots tailored for specific professional fields and the need for critical thinking and transparent AI syst
#56
Oct 23, 2024 · 41 min
Gen AI at Work: Inside the Digital Bank Revolution with Dr. Geraldine Wong, CDO at GXS Bank
Legacy systems in the financial services industry are notorious for being slower to adapt to big data. But for good reason. Because banks are complicated and intersect across networks, it’s difficult to implement new processes without disturbing the rest of the system. Yet, GXS Bank is proving it doesn’t have to be this way. The digital bank is leveraging data to drive financial inclusion and innovation. Their strategic use of data from parent companies and partnerships, helps create financial p

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