Tech Talks Daily

Neil C. Hughes

If every company is now a tech company and digital transformation is a journey rather than a destination, how do you keep up with the relentless pace of technological change?

Every day, Tech Talks Daily brings you insights from the brightest minds in tech, business, and innovation, breaking down complex ideas into clear, actionable takeaways.

Hosted by Neil C. Hughes, Tech Talks Daily explores how emerging technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, fintech, quantum computing, Web3, and more are shaping industries and solving real-world challenges in modern businesses.

Through candid conversations with industry leaders, CEOs, Fortune 500 executives, startup founders, and even the occasional celebrity, Tech Talks Daily uncovers the trends driving digital transformation and the strategies behind successful tech adoption. But this isn't just about buzzwords.

We go beyond the hype to demystify the biggest tech trends and determine their real-world impact. From cybersecurity and blockchain to AI sovereignty, robotics, and post-quantum cryptography, we explore the measurable difference these innovations can make.

Whether improving security, enhancing customer experiences, or driving business growth, we also investigate the ROI of cutting-edge tech projects, asking the tough questions about what works, what doesn't, and how businesses can maximize their investments.

Whether you're a business leader, IT professional, or simply curious about technology's role in our lives, you'll find engaging discussions that challenge perspectives, share diverse viewpoints, and spark new ideas.

New episodes are released daily, 365 days a year, breaking down complex ideas into clear, actionable takeaways around technology and the future of business.

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2,001 episodes
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May 11, 2022 · 32 min
1972: Scale People, Processes, and Products Through Outcome-Driven Development.
Rootstrap is a full-service custom design and development shop specializing in responsive web/mobile solutions and custom applications. They help companies scale people, processes, and products through outcome-driven development. The company has helped launch more than 750+ digital products with more than 100 million combined downloads. Their mission isn't to merely build pretty interfaces. Instead, it's to iteratively design software solutions. The outcome? Achieving your business goals & generating ROI. Patrick Ward, Vice President of Marketing, Rootstrap, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share his story. We also explore emerging tech trends on the way to Web3, why AI isn't going to take your job, and why NFTs aren't just a get-rich-quick fad.
May 10, 2022 · 21 min
1971: How The Divi Project is Increasing Adoption of Digital Currency
Last year, Divi and LaLiga agreed on a deal that would bring crypto to the masses as fans' love for football and crypto overlapped for the first time. I wanted to learn more about this deal and their most well-known project Divi Wallet which enables instant crypto payments for everyone. Nick Saponaro, CEO of The Divi Project, joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how they aim to increase the adoption of digital currency. The most well-known project is Divi Wallet, which enables instant crypto payments for everyone. Since beginning in the crypto space in 2013, Nick has become one of the leading experts in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space with media appearances in Nasdaq, The Fintech Times, and Quartz. Nick shares his perspective on risk, given the stock market's current untethering from reality and the historical crashes that have followed periods like the one we're living through now. We also discuss the future of crypto, decentralization goals, and the importance of crypto's investment narrative.
May 9, 2022 · 29 min
1970: techUK - Why Digital Tech is the Best Way to Reach Net Zero
techUK is the trade association that brings together people, companies, and organisations to realise the positive outcomes of what digital technology can achieve. With over 850 members (the majority of which are SMEs) across the UK, techUK creates a network for innovation and collaboration across business, government, and stakeholders to provide a better future for people, society, the economy, and the planet. Matthew Evans, Director for Markets, techUK, joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about why digital transformation is critical to the decarbonisation journey of organisations in every sector. I learn more about how industries are converging across supply chains and sectors with tech partners to find innovations that reduce carbon emissions and efficiencies that drive down energy use. By 2030, digital technology can cut global emissions by 15%. Cloud computing, 5G, AI, and IoT have the potential to dramatically reduce carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. techUK is working to foster the right policy framework and climate leadership so we can all play our part. We discuss how techUK focuses on applying emerging technologies in traditional forms of infrastructure to deliver innovative environmental solutions. We also talk about their core aim to work towards a policy and regulatory environment that removes the barriers to tech investment. For example, techUK will lobby for a tax, R&D, innovation, and business environment that enables all sectors to invest in digital tools to help them decarbonise and, in turn, supports clean tech organisations. Overall digital tech is the best way to reach net zero and deliver wider benefits such as cost savings, process efficiencies, and new business models.
May 8, 2022 · 33 min
1969: The AdTech Helping Brands Anticipate the Unexpected
Sightly is a market insights resource that helps brands anticipate the unexpected. Its proprietary Brand Mentality platform uses data science, predictive algorithms, and expert human know-how to help brands maximize their media planning & outcomes, maintain authenticity and understand when, why, and how to effectively lean into controversial, hot-button issues in a meaningful way. Robert Helstrom, SVP of Marketing, Sightly, talks about how they are helping brands navigate shifting marketing insights while holding themselves to a higher accountability standard. We also discuss the current trends within adtech and how brands should plan to adapt to get ahead of the metaverse and Web3.
May 7, 2022 · 16 min
1968: The Tech Helping SaaS Brands Become SOC-2 Compliant
Girish Redekar is a CEO & Co-Founder of Sprinto.com. A company helping SaaS brands become SOC-2 compliant, close enterprise deals faster, and pass vendor security assessments easily. Previously, he built and bootstrapped RecruiterBox to 2500+ customers and 50+ employees in the US and India. The company was acquired by San Francisco based private equity firm Turn/River Capital in an undisclosed all cash deal (no stock or earn-outs). Girish is a passionate programmer and entrepreneur, keen on helping other SaaS businesses demonstrate security chops and close enterprise deals faster. So I invited him on Tech Talks Daily to share the startup story of how he took his first company from SMB to Enterprise, gaining over 2500 customers and exiting in an all-cash deal.
May 6, 2022 · 21 min
1967: REPL Group (Part of Accenture) - Sustainability Leadership in Tech
Hundreds of businesses around the world rely on REPL to help them solve critical enterprise problems. They develop intimate partnerships with businesses in order to transform their people, supply chain, and customer experience to create and deliver long-lasting value. Tech and retail sustainability expert Graeme Hamlet from REPL Group joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about sustainability leadership and its implications for businesses. We talk about the multitude of opportunities to make positive changes, increased transparency on production and consumption, reduced waste and emissions, improved working conditions, and greater learning & development goals. Graeme also discusses supply chains, in-store technology, workforce management, data science, and project delivery concerning sustainability goals for the industry.
May 5, 2022 · 33 min
1966: The Tech Giving Homeowners Control and Optimisation of Energy Use From a Smartphone
Lumin balances energy storage needs and multiple power sources (traditional electrical grid, solar PV, backup generator) by adding standard electrical panels and making ordinary circuits smart and responsive. Alex Bazhinov joins me on Tech Talks Daily to share how Lumin is helping homeowners automatically or manually control their home's microgrid to enhance and protect their investment in solar PV and energy storage. I learn more about the tech that makes it possible and how Lumin can connect to any existing circuit breakers, while competitors may require LG or Stalla to be installed. In addition, you do not have to purchase a costly, time-consuming upgraded circuit breaker to implement the smart control features that Lumin provides.
May 4, 2022 · 26 min
1965: The AI Startup Behind Tom Cruise Deepfakes on Building Metaverse Experiences
Metaphysic is building the AI tools and resources that creatives, the entertainment industry, and brands need to develop hyperreal content and tell incredible stories. The software being developed by Metaphysic will help creators process datasets, mix and remix proprietary and open-source AI models and integrate traditional production workflows. The result is a decentralized production process that can generate exponentially more hyperrealistic content without extra time and cost. Founded by the creators of @DeepTomCruise, Metaphysic and its team have worked with such brands as South Park, Gillette, and The Belgian Football Association. Metaphysic CEO and co-founder Thomas Graham joins me on the Tech Talks Daily podcast. We discuss the story behind the Tom Cruise Fake videos and how it has raised $7.5 million from leading tech investors and creators, including Section 32, 8VC, TO Ventures, Winklevoss Capital, and Logan Paul. I learn how the funding will help expand Metaphysic's groundbreaking work in pushing the boundaries of digital experiences, including its focus on pioneering synthetic content creation tools for emergent metaverse worlds that Facebook and other networks are building.
May 3, 2022 · 28 min
1964: Why There isn't a Single Solution for Optimised Data Privacy
Brian Pagano, Chief Catalyst and VP at Axwa joins me on Tech Talks Daily to offer tips, best practices, and expert analysis for organization leaders tackling privacy issues. Before Axway, Brian was a Global Platform Strategist at Google and was VP of Digital Success at Apigee. In addition, he has worked for years as a technology executive on Wall Street and was a CTO in Italy. Brian discusses why we should abandon the old faith in passwords. He argues that you can tell if an IT department is not evolving if you are required to frequently change your password (this practice has been shown to decrease security and has largely been abandoned). Keeping data private involves data-at-rest and data-in-motion, mostly ensuring that whoever is trying to access the info has the proper entitlements to that data. If privacy is a top concern, the organization should adopt a need-to-know check for any document. Prove you need this information. Then, keep logs and audit them randomly. We also discuss how there is no one solution for optimized data privacy and how the cloud has the same problems around data-in-motion. Finally, we talk about APIs and data privacy and how APIs are the critical front door to your business.
May 2, 2022 · 17 min
1963: SALT Lending - Bitcoin & Crypto-Backed Loans
As cryptocurrency becomes more widely adopted and additional real-world assets become tokenized, Salt Lending Inc is on a mission to offer solutions that allow people to hold and borrow against their crypto-assets securely. With SALT, individuals and businesses can secure fiat or stable coin loans without worrying about credit checks. Unlike a traditional loan that takes your credit score into account, a SALT loan is an asset-backed loan in which your crypto assets act as collateral for your line of credit. They have issued hundreds of millions in blockchain-backed loans. Justin English, CEO of Salt Lending Inc, is one of the earliest entrepreneurs in the space and serves on Elite Mining Inc.'s board, a crypto mining operation focused on clean energy and green mining. He joins me on Tech Talks Daily to talk about all things fintech, crypto, trading, investing, and raising money.
May 1, 2022 · 27 min
1962: Meet The Host.Co - The Tech Creating Shoppable Airbnbs.
Have you ever stayed at a chic Airbnb and wished you could buy one of the paintings on the wall? Or woken up with a headache while spending a weekend at your short-term rental and wished you had some ibuprofen? Having to leave in search of a nearby pharmacy is enough to make your head spin. Now, shoppable Airbnb rentals are on the rise as guests seek out all the comforts of home and long to bring a piece of their getaway back with them. Annie Sloan recently launched The Host Co, the digital commerce marketplace for short-term rentals, so I invited her on Tech Talks Daily to find out more. We discuss the growing trend of 'shoppable Airbnbs.' Designed for spaces like Airbnb, VBRO, and even Swimply, The Host Co. gives hosts the ability to add items for sale and increase revenue while improving the guest experience. The Host Co. adds the amenities guests receive at a hotel, including preordered services and products, but have been missing from Airbnbs and other short-term rentals. Guests also have access to curated local goods they can ship home, such as artisanal foods and crafts. Annie Sloan discusses the benefits of digital retail for guests and hosts at their Airbnb rentals and what products and services are most demand.
Apr 30, 2022 · 20 min
1961: Canopy Servicing: Why Fintech Should Embrace Transparency
Canopy Servicing offers a flexible infrastructure to build and launch next-gen credit, debit, and lending products and support them with world-class service in a secure and compliant way. Canopy's API-first loan management and servicing platform enable small Fintechs and large enterprises to quickly bring differentiated products to market. Its clients offer revolving credit, debit, and installment loans, including fixed-rate, mixed-rate, and differed with customized interest rates, promotions, billing cycles, etc. But I wanted to learn more about its flexible and immutable ledger technology and how it makes it possible to apply policies on a per-account level, empower customer service agents with real-time account information, automate dispute processing, and retroactively reprocess accounts, re-calculate interest, and apply for payments. Matt Bivons, Founder & CEO at Canopy, discusses how embedded finance is the fault line for the future of the fintech industry, and finding true market fit will lead to the next evolution of innovation. We also discuss why the fintech industry should embrace transparency and how credit providers can make alternative credit options safer for consumers (Buy Now, Pay Later).
Apr 29, 2022 · 36 min
1960: Talking Security Service Edge (SSE) With Zscaler
Nathan Howe, VP of Emerging Technology at Zscaler, joins me on Tech Talks Daily in a conversation about developing transformative technology such as Security Service Edge (SSE). SSE reflects the circumstances organizations have contended with over the past two years. Driven by the pandemic, employees have left the secure network and instead access their applications through various new working environments. In addition, as more organizations adopt SaaS offerings, data and applications will continue to be increasingly distributed outside of on-premise data centers. We also discuss How hybrid work will shake up IT infrastructure and why instant and real-time demands will drive 5G and edge computing. About Nathan In his current role, Nathan is in charge of developing a security strategy for 5G. As a digital transformation and telecommunications expert, he's assisted hundreds of enterprise customers in seamlessly modernizing their environments, adapting to distributed workforces cloud migrations, and standing up private 5G networks. He has more than 20 years of experience in the security industry and previously worked for Nestle and Verizon.
Apr 28, 2022 · 25 min
1959: Empowering Gen Z to Grow and Own Their Creativity With Polarr
Polarr is a photo and video editor made by creators, for creators. Its sharing ecosystem is designed to enable creativity within the creator community, empowering creators to establish their visual identity and express their individuality through the filters they create Polarr's focus is to use technology to empower and protect the creativity of Gen Z and its other users and be a platform where they can maintain full ownership of their creativity and unlock their creative potential alongside a growing community of creators. Borui Wang, CEO, and founder of Polarr, joins me on Tech Talks Daily. We discuss the great divide in the current creator economy between those profiting handsomely off their creativity and those not being compensated at all. But how companies must step forward and play a role in helping creators who use their platforms establish their visual identity and learn how to take the next steps in their creator journeys. With over 75% of its users being Gen Z, we also discuss its unique position in identifying the latest trends among Gen Z creators. As Web 3.0 continues to make its way into various industries, Borui believes the metaverse will not only be about ownership b
Apr 27, 2022 · 27 min
1958: Forever Labs: Adult Stem Cells Storage & Banking Technology
Did you know that your adult stem cells are a specialized population of cells that have the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple tissue types. Because of this, they can replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissue. You can think of them as the tools your body uses to repair damage acquired over time. As we age, the number and function of our stem cells decline. But what if you could stop time on this invaluable resource and preserve the biological potential of these cells for the future. I recently discovered a company called Forever Labs which uses technology to bank your stem cells to help you live healthier and longer. Steven Clausnitzer, CEO and Co-founder of Forever Labs, joins me in a conversation about how the company is evaluating autologous interventions to extend the healthy human lifespan. Forever Labs has received several patents, including one for a service providing accelerated healing and reversing hair loss. In addition, Steven has managed to personally raise over $8 million in funding for Forever Labs, building his brand in a way that continues to make a difference in the future. An avid supporter of young entrepreneurs, I also learn how Steven spends his free time mentoring these individuals.
Apr 26, 2022 · 29 min
1957: The Hiring App for Startup Founders Filling Jobs in Hours
Hiring is a time-consuming process. Have you ever gone through hundreds of resumes, shortlisted candidates, scheduled multiple interviews, and still could not find the right person for your team? This is the exact problem a company called Hirect set out to solve. Hirect focuses on top tech startup hiring. Using its proprietary algorithm, they match job seekers and recruiters instantly. The one-stop-shop for matching candidates and video interviewing removes the time-consuming email tennis waiting for responses. Stephanie Lovell shares how Hirect's algorithms combined with asynchronous communication are, helping tech startups find the right candidate fast. I also learn how this means no more anxious waiting or messy communications for candidates.
Apr 25, 2022 · 35 min
1956: How Oasis is Addressing the Complexity of Data Sharing in Web3
Imagine if essential data such as your name, address, date of birth, etc., was public information that anyone could access. Would you feel safe? Data is an important driver that helps an individual or an organization make key decisions. However, a lot of this data is sensitive, and once out in the public domain, people lose control of how it will be used, misused, or re-used. Solving this data sharing problem, working towards building responsible Data DAOs, and powering the next-gen of web3 with privacy, speed, and security is one of the leading blockchain networks, Oasis. By leveraging the Oasis Protocol, developers can address the complexities of data sharing in Web3 by enabling individual data sovereignty and the right to own and share data on their terms. Linda Lu joins me on Tech Talks Daily in discussing using data for social welfare and economic efficiency. We also talk about governance for data rights, prevention of misuse/abuse, and more
Apr 24, 2022 · 35 min
1955: Quanterix (NASDAQ: QTRX) Biomarker Detection Technology
Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO of Quanterix and the Powering Precision Health Summit founder, joins me on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Kevin has more than 25 years of experience leading life sciences and biotechnology companies and believes that accelerating precision medicine is the key to changing our current healthcare system and improving the population's longevity. Two years ago, he founded the Powering Precision Health Summit as a way to bring all key stakeholders – including doctors, scientists, patients, patient advocates, investors, innovators, etc., together to discuss how we can accelerate research and turn today's sickcare into tomorrow's healthcare. He sees collaboration as the key for advancing our healthcare system and currently sits on the board of several life science companies, to ensure that all medical milestones are capitalized on. Finally, Kevin believes the ability to track the environment's impact on our health is key for helping move the needle forward. He grew up in a coal mining town and from an early age became fascinated with how environmental factors dictate our health. He has found that protein biomarkers can track a person's health as it changes over time, which can enable doctors to spot diseases before they occur, and is working to advance digital technologies that can measure these biomarkers in real time. We discuss how biomarker technology is enabling researchers to see and monitor health conditions that were previously impossible to study in blood, including COVID-19, TBIs, Alzheimer's, MS, cancer and more. I learn how this tech is making a tremendous impact by identifying diseases much earlier in the disease progression opens the floodgates to new and better treatment outcomes.
Apr 23, 2022 · 31 min
1954: The Boston Based VC Fund With 15 Exits and 3 Unicorns
Flint Capital is a Boston-based international VC fund that has raised $250M in two funds and announced that it closed its second fund. Its portfolio includes 45 companies like Flo, Socure, Walkme, CyberX, Cyolo, and 15 successful exits, 3 of which are unicorns. But what is the story behind the company? At the age of 35, Andrew Gershfeld of Flint Capital ($500M fund) has already made a few brilliant investments, including Flo. Additionally, he is a ski marathon runner, which gives him a sense of confidence while competing with top venture funds. I invited him on the podcast to share his insights into how startups become unicorns and how venture funds can help startups scale successfully. We discuss how health tech startups disrupt the healthcare system, how the pandemic has changed the venture market, and with 90% of pitches being made online, he also shares tips on pitching via zoom.
Apr 22, 2022 · 21 min
1953: QuickSwap, the Largest Decentralized Exchange on Polygon.
QUICK is an Ethereum token that powers QuickSwap, a decentralized exchange that runs on the Polygon Network in order to provide faster and cheaper transactions on Ethereum. QUICK can be used to create and vote on proposals governing QuickSwap and can be staked to earn a portion of trading fees. Nicole Grinstead joins me in a conversation about how QuickSwap became the biggest decentralized exchange on Polygon since launching in 2020. We discuss DeFi growth, especially layer 2 platforms, and why institutional investors can no longer afford to ignore DeFi. We also talk about Indian blockchain and DeFi innovation and recent FUD around regulation, DeFi growth, and what happens next.