TechnologyBusinessCareersNewsTech News

Cloud Currents

Merchants Media

Welcome to the Cloud Currents podcast. This is where the future of cloud technology comes alive. Every episode is a deep dive into the heart of cloud innovation. Join us for insightful interviews and conversations with experts who shape the cloud industry. We break down the latest trends, tools, and strategies that are revolutionizing how businesses thrive in the cloud. Cloud Currents is more than just a podcast; it's your frontline resource for all things cloud. Stay ahead of the curve with us, at the Cloud Currents podcast.

The Cloud Currents podcast is brought to you by TierPoint

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 49 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Monday · 51 min
55 - AI Hype Versus Real Value with Artur Kiulian
In this episode, Matt sits down with Artur Kiulian, founder and CEO of Principal, a frontier AI research company, to unpack his journey from Ukrainian entrepreneur to leader in AI-driven crisis response and scenario planning. They dig into the real gap between AI hype and business value, why prediction and simulation are fundamentally different tools, and how Artur's work coordinating pandemic and wartime response shaped his approach to high-stakes decision making. Artur shares hard-won lessons on preparing for low-probability events, avoiding sycophantic AI feedback loops, and treating AI as a thought partner rather than an oracle. The conversation closes with a candid look at where the AI market is headed and what business leaders should actually be worried about.
July 31 · 40 min
54 - How Dropbox Measures Real AI Impact with Ali Dasdan
In this episode, Matt sits down with Ali Dasdan, Chief Technology Officer at Dropbox, to trace his winding path from early neural network research to leading engineering at one of the world's largest storage and collaboration platforms. Ali shares how Dropbox is embedding AI into nearly every part of the business, from an internal tool that helped one engineer complete 900 migrations in two weeks to Dash AI, a system built to surface work context across scattered data sources. The conversation digs into how Dropbox evaluates new AI tools, measures engineering impact through frameworks like DX Core metrics, and balances speed with security and customer trust. Ali closes with candid predictions on where AI is headed next and a simple piece of leadership advice: stop overthinking and just start.
July 10 · 55 min
53 - Mental Resiliency and Burnout in Cybersecurity with Rick Mischka
In this episode, Matt sits down with Rick Mischka, Senior Director of Education and Enablement at Avant Communications and a recently minted PhD in cyberpsychology, to unpack the human side of cybersecurity. They dig into what's really driving burnout and talent shortages in security teams, why mental resiliency training can extend a professional's career by nearly a decade, and how leaders can spot the early warning signs before it's too late. Rick also shares practical strategies for using AI to ease alert fatigue without losing sight of the human vulnerabilities attackers still exploit. Whether you're building a security team from scratch or trying to keep your current one from burning out, this conversation is packed with hard-won insight from Rick's unusual path through special forces, firefighting, coaching, and cyber.
July 8 · 49 min
52 - Financial Clarity in an AI-First World with Kunal Agarwal
In this episode, Matt sits down with Kunal Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of Unravel Data, to unpack the often-overlooked costs lurking beneath the surface of enterprise AI investments. Kunal breaks down why the real story isn't the model costs everyone talks about, but the pipeline inefficiencies, zombie jobs, and idle compute that quietly drain budgets. The conversation digs into the critical difference between cost cutting and cost optimization, and why getting that distinction right is what separates companies that innovate sustainably from those that stall out. Kunal also shares practical advice for leaders on how to build AI-ready teams, govern AI spend responsibly, and frame these investments in a way that earns board confidence.
July 2 · 36 min
51 - Building Smarter Logistics with AI with Gary Dowdy
In this episode, Matt sits down with Gary Dowdy, Chief Technology Officer at Trinity Logistics, one of North America's leading freight brokerage firms. Gary shares his fascinating career journey through warehouse automation, mobile banking, and seven years helping build the JB Hunt 360 digital freight marketplace before landing at Trinity. Together, they explore how Trinity is leveraging cloud infrastructure, agentic AI, and voice automation to transform freight operations — handling over 80,000 minutes of AI carrier conversations in a single month. Gary also offers candid insights on governing AI adoption, keeping data ready for what's next, and why strong leadership and human connection remain the most important ingredients in an increasingly automated industry.
July 2 · 53 min
50 - Building Secure AI with Anthony Baio
In this episode, Matt sits down with Anthony Baio, VP of AI, Machine Learning, and Data Infrastructure at West Hills, whose career path wound through D1 athletics, the Air National Guard, and hands-on hardware hacking before landing at the forefront of enterprise AI. Anthony breaks down the real security risks organizations face when employees use consumer AI tools with corporate data, and shares how techniques like RAG, model armor, and multi-agent architectures are changing how companies build responsibly. The conversation covers everything from AI governance frameworks like ISO 42001 to the emerging trend of multi-LLM ensemble architectures that Anthony believes most companies are sleeping on. Whether you're an IT leader trying to sell cloud-native AI to skeptical executives or an engineer thinking about what comes next, this episode is packed with grounded, practical insight from someone who has built it all from the ground up.
June 12 · 53 min
49 - How AI Can Hand Attackers the Keys to Your Cloud with Cody Pierce & Mark St John
In this episode, we sit down with two cybersecurity veterans from Neon Cyber: Mark St John, who's been in the trenches since the dial-up era, and Cody Pierce, an offensive security specialist who's spent the last decade chasing emerging threats. Together they unpack the most pressing threats hitting cloud environments right now — from AI-powered phishing campaigns so convincing they fool trained security teams, to credential and token-based attacks that bypass encryption entirely by just walking in the front door. Mark and Cody break down why speed is the defining asymmetry in today's threat landscape, how attackers are weaponizing AI to automate exploit development and brand impersonation at scale, and why the shift to SaaS and Microsoft 365 has quietly handed adversaries a new master key to corporate data. They also get practical — sharing frameworks for IT leaders at mid-market and enterprise organizations who are trying to build a security strategy without unlimited resources, starting with the foundational work most teams skip: true visibility into your attack surface.
May 1 · 53 min
48 - CIO's Survival Guide to the Agentic AI Era with Sumit Taneja
Sumit Taneja, SVP and Global Head of AI Consulting at EXL Service, took one of the most unconventional paths to the top of enterprise AI — and he's got the battle scars to prove it. In this episode, Sumit breaks down real agentic AI deployments, why most enterprises are failing at AI readiness, and the hard truth about what it actually takes to get AI working at scale. No hype. No theory. Just 25 years of hard-won experience distilled into one conversation.
April 14 · 55 min
47 - Biometrics, Sabotage & $5 Trillion Infrastructure with Kevin Surace
Kevin Surace — inventor of the world's first virtual assistant and the technology that laid the foundation for Siri — joins Cloud Currents for a wide-ranging conversation on the two forces reshaping enterprise tech: AI and cybersecurity. Kevin exposes why the MFA and authenticator apps most companies rely on are actively being exploited, and why biometric FIDO2 is the only real fix. He also gets candid about why 80% of AI rollouts are failing, what true AI-first culture actually looks like, and why the one-person, fifty-agent startup is coming for every traditional business that isn't paying attention.
March 20 · 48 min
46 - The Private Cloud Playbook with David Morales
David Morales helped build Walmart's private cloud from the ground up—385,000 virtual cores, a custom PaaS layer, and AI-powered store robots before the world knew what to do with them. Now, as SVP of Technology and CIO at Western Governors University, he applies those same principles to keep a 100% digital learning environment running for 193,000 students at 99.7% uptime—while fending off nearly 10,000 cyber attacks per minute. In this episode, David and host Matt Pacheco cover why lift-and-shift migration fails, how to build governance into your architecture instead of bolting it on, and what AI readiness actually requires. His closing framework says it all: listen first, get the fundamentals right, and focus on outcomes—not outputs.
February 26 · 50 min
45 - Governing AI Sprawl Before It Governs You with Yabing Wang
In this episode of Cloud Currents, host Matt Pacheco sits down with Yabing Wang, VP of Security & IT Services and dual CISO/CIO at JustWorks, for one of the most candid conversations yet on what it actually takes to lead security in the age of AI. Yabing opens up about her unlikely path from philosophy major to Netscape engineer to cybersecurity leader — and why that winding road gave her the mental frameworks she relies on today. Then the conversation gets into the real stuff: how AI is reshaping the threat landscape faster than most organizations can respond, why your attack surface grew from 5 integrations to 500 almost overnight, and what "AI tool sprawl" is actually costing your business in risk, money, and operational clarity.
Dec 9, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
44 - From COBOL to ChatGPT: Modernizing a 110-Year-Old Tech Stack with Jeremy Uniake
In today's episode, Jeremy Uniake, VP of IT at Thrive, shares how he's modernizing 40 million lines of COBOL while implementing AI that analyzes 10+ million calls with 98% accuracy—all at a fraction of typical enterprise costs. From managing tech across 10+ acquisitions to challenging what "AI" really means (spoiler: it's pattern matching, not intelligence), Jeremy delivers no-BS insights on legacy modernization, practical AI implementation, and why simplification is harder than anyone thinks. Learn his three-tier AI strategy, how to avoid big bang deployments, and why the future of search might be in jeopardy
Oct 31, 2025 · 48 min
43 - Enhancing DirecTV: AI, Cybersecurity, and Lessons in Corporate Separation with Manish Khadiya
Join host Matt Pacheco as he sits down with Manish Khadiya, VP of IT Enterprise Architecture and Cybersecurity at DirecTV, for insights into one of the most complex enterprise transformations happening today—DirecTV's separation from AT&T. With nearly three decades of technology leadership across GE, NBCUniversal, Facebook, and Parker Hannifin, Manish shares how they're building enterprise architecture and cybersecurity functions from scratch while maintaining business continuity for millions of customers. The conversation covers DirecTV's AI implementation strategy that's delivering 15% productivity gains, the unique challenges of vendor relationship management during corporate separations, and emerging technologies like agentic AI and autonomous vehicle entertainment opportunities.
Oct 30, 2025 · 56 min
39. The Future of Platform Engineering: AI, FinOps, and Developer Experience with Dani Matzlavi
Matt Pacheco sits down with Danny Matzlavi, VP of Engineering at Blackhawk Networks, for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of platform engineering. With over 25 years of experience spanning VMware, Nutanix, and fintech, Danny shares how Blackhawk has built a comprehensive platform engineering organization that unifies infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, observability, and SRE under one umbrella. They discuss cutting-edge insights on AI integration in infrastructure operations, cloud cost optimization strategies that can save 20-30% immediately, and Danny's bold prediction that platform engineering will evolve into "platform engineering in a box" within the next 3-7 years.
Sep 12, 2025 · 41 min
42 - Hybrid Cloud Unplugged: Migration, Optimization & AI with Azure Local with Kristopher Turner
In this episode, we talk to Microsoft MVP Christopher Turner, a seasoned Product Technology Architect at TierPoint. As organizations grapple with VMware's licensing changes under Broadcom, Christopher shares invaluable insights into Azure Local as a compelling alternative for hybrid infrastructure. We unpack the complexities of modern cloud migration strategies, from avoiding the common lift-and-shift trap to leveraging AI for infrastructure automation. Christopher reveals how he's transformed his workflow using GitHub Copilot and AI-driven code generation, comparing working with AI to "managing a toddler" - a metaphor that perfectly captures both the potential and pitfalls of these emerging technologies. The conversation spans critical topics including cloud cost optimization strategies, the realities of cloud repatriation, and practical approaches for migrating legacy applications. Christopher shares hard-won lessons about why many cloud migrations fail and offers actionable advice for organizations seeking to maximize their hybrid cloud investments.
Aug 26, 2025 · 52 min
41 - Two Decades of Cloud Evolution with AWS's Jeff Barr
Join us for a conversation with Jeff Barr, VP and Chief Evangelist at AWS, as he takes us on a 23-year journey from witnessing the birth of Amazon Web Services to predicting an AI-driven future where data outlasts applications and ancient languages like Quechua can generate Python code. Jeff shares insider stories about AWS's humble beginnings when EC2's first $10 day felt monumental, reveals his latest experiments with spec-driven development through AWS's Curo platform, and discusses the possibility of orbital data centers becoming reality.
Aug 15, 2025 · 54 min
40. AI Era Cloud Breaches with Matthew Toussain
Join host Matt Pacheco as he sits down with Matthew Toussain, Founder and CEO of Open Security and former US Air Force cyber warfare specialist from the military's first specialized cybersecurity class. In this episode, Matthew reveals the shocking reality of cloud security in the AI era—from unsecured S3 buckets that still plague enterprises to the terrifying new world of AI-generated vulnerabilities being created faster than defenders can handle. Discover why the most common cloud breaches still involve basic authentication failures, how Microsoft 365 Copilot is accidentally exposing corporate secrets, and why voice-based AI attacks are about to revolutionize social engineering. Matthew shares exclusive insights from real incident response cases, including a ransomware attack that went from vulnerability disclosure to complete compromise in just two weeks.
Jul 18, 2025 · 42 min
38. The CISO's Guide to GenAI Security with Mohit Kalra
In this episode, host Matt Pacheco sits down with Mohit Kalra, CISO and VP of Security at Typeface, to explore the evolving landscape of AI security. Mohit shares how traditional SaaS security principles must evolve to address GenAI challenges, from data governance and model selection to building enterprise trust through transparency. The conversation covers the intersection of FinOps and security, balancing innovation speed with security rigor, and the essential skills security professionals need to thrive in an AI-first world.
Jul 9, 2025 · 40 min
36. Sustainable AI Infrastructure with Clean Energy Innovation with Tamanna Sait
Today Matt Pacheco sits down with Tamanna Sait, VP of Engineering for Cloud at Crusoe, who brings over 25 years of experience spanning IBM's public clouds, Facebook's massive private cloud architecture, and customer-side optimization at Netflix and Airbnb. In this episode, we discuss how Crusoe is pioneering the world's first vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform by harnessing large-scale clean energy sources, including their groundbreaking 1.2-gigawatt Abilene Data Center and fully geothermal-powered Iceland facility. Tamanna shares practical insights on cost optimization strategies that don't compromise reliability, the evolution from traditional cloud to AI-optimized platforms, and leadership principles for building resilient technical teams.
Jul 7, 2025 · 38 min
37. Taming Kubernetes Complexity with Elliott Clarke
Join host Matt Pacheco as he sits down with Elliott Clark, CEO of Batteries Included and former Facebook infrastructure engineer, for a discussion about why giving developers Kubernetes is like handing them "a spinning ball of razor blades." Elliot shares hard-won insights from seven years at Facebook on cloud cost optimization, why security is fundamentally a human problem, and his revolutionary bring-your-own-compute approach that's democratizing enterprise-level infrastructure for startups and growing companies.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes