Brains Byte Back

In today’s episode of the podcast, we speak with Patrick Hill, CEO and founder at Disctopia, a podcast hosting & streaming service dedicated to artists, podcasters, film directors, & content creatives.

Hill starts us off by sharing how he founded Disctopia after his friend asked him to burn CDs for him. This set Hill on a path that would lead him to create Disctopia which focuses on empowering content owners with transparent data and fair payments. 

Hill also talks about his history of selling mixtapes in high school. And we discuss the transition from physical CDs to streaming and digital content, followed by the rapid shift in the music industry and the rise of streaming platforms.

Additionally, Hill talks about the play on words in the name "Disctopia" and how the concept of "freedom to distribute yourself" is encapsulated in the name.

Hill then goes on to highlight how Disctopia sets itself apart from the competition, stating the fair payment practices that help it shine compared to mainstream platforms like Spotify.

We also talk about predictions for the podcasting industry, with Hill advocating that audio is the future of communication. He believes that the expansion of podcasting will evolve beyond entertainment into various communication uses. And he also believes that we will see a rise in tracking engagement thanks to AI technology.

Finally, Hill shares his future plans for Disctopia. He advocates that the company will look to expand into other industries, and plans on carrying out innovations in the distribution of audio and video content. Along with an emphasis on providing more details engagement metrics to content owners. 

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Patrick Hill here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/acmceo/

Find out more about Disctopia (website) -

https://disctopia.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the podcast, we speak with Ted Ko, President of Techko Group, a family-run consumer electronics company.

Ko kicks off by sharing how his father started the company in 1982, originally starting out with landline telephones and evolved into a diverse range of consumer electronics. He also mentions how, for younger generations who don’t know what landline phones are, he references the TV show "Stranger Things" to help them understand.

Ko highlights the unique aspects of his role, which involves overseeing both big-picture strategy and day-to-day operations. He describes a typical day that starts with coffee and strategic planning, emphasizing the company's commitment to achieving quarterly and monthly goals.

The conversation then moves on to how the company has branched into home and office security, office equipment, robotic vacuum cleaners, and now outdoor solar lighting. 

And Ko discusses how the company recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of continuous innovation and adaptation to changing consumer needs.

We then talk about smart cities, where Ko delves into Techko's role in building smart cities and their focus on sustainability. He discusses the philosophy behind their solar lighting products, which prioritize simplicity, reliability, and energy efficiency. 

Ko also shares that, for him, smart cities mean systems that operate seamlessly without constant user intervention and how that aligns with Techko’s vision.

We also dive into case studies of how Techko's products have positively impacted users' lives. 

Ko highlights the importance of Techko's pool alarms in ensuring the safety of children in homes with pools. And Ko describes the creativity of customers who have used Techko's solar lights in unconventional settings, such as boats in remote locations.

Finally, Ko explains how Techko Group differentiates itself in this crowded market by focusing on quality, thoughtful design, and alignment with personal values. And how , rather than getting bogged down by the competition, Techko prioritizes delivering genuine value to customers.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Ted Ko here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamtedko/

Find out more about Techko Group (website) -

https://techkogroup.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

Longtime listeners of the show will be familiar with Puscar, as he was previously on back in February 2020. Puscar kicks of the show by giving some background on himself for new listeners and shares what he has been up to since then.

Puscar briefly introduces his background as an AI expert and serial entrepreneur and highlights that he has had three successful exits, most recently in May 2023.

Puscar then gives us an update on Ziotag, a company where Michael was the CTO, and it was a key topic of the last episode together. Michael explains how Ziotag used AI to make videos more interactive and navigable, and discusses how generative AI models like ChatGPT disrupted the industry by performing content classification. He also talks about the patent he received for a unique natural language processing engine related to video transcripts.

Following this we talk about his new focus, NPCx, and its goal to enhance realism in video games. Puscar details how NPCX's technology models characters' movements and behaviors based on real human actions. He discusses the potential for NPCx technology to create video games that resemble animated films, and raises ethical concerns regarding the use of such technology and the potential for misuse.

And finally, Puscar talks about his charitable initiatives. In this part of the interview, Puscar shares his belief in entrepreneurs giving back to the communities that support them. He talks about his initiatives supporting children, young mothers, and raising awareness about mast cell syndrome.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Michael Puscar here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelapuscar/?originalSubdomain=pa

Find out more about NPCx (website) -

https://npcx.ai/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

In today’s episode of the podcast, we speak with Len Summa, Head of Global Sales at Acid Labs, an end-to-end software design and development firm. 

Summa kicks off by sharing why Latam talent is a strategic choice for companies looking to thrive, and how the region offers a rich pool of tech talent due to strong universities and a tech-savvy workforce.

He adds that the linguistic abilities and English proficiency of Latam talent make them ideal for global organizations, alongside how the proximity to the U.S. minimizes time zone differences, ensuring smoother collaboration.

Summa also takes time to explain the difference between the terms offshore, referring to outsourcing to countries such as India and Eastern Europe, and nearshore, highlighting Latin America as an example. 

Following this, Summa shares tips for listeners looking to hire talent in Latam, including the importance of defining needs and choosing reliable partners. And he also highlights the significance of evaluating a partner's track record for stability and quality.

We then dive into strategies to retain top talent in Latam, emphasizing workplace transparency and the value of employee contributions. And Summa discusses the work ethic and expectations of Latam talent.

Next, Summa shares success stories of how Acid Labs has made a positive impact on clients in Latin America and the U.S.

Finally, Summa shares what’s next on the horizon for Acid Labs, where he talks about the company’s growth strategy, focusing on getting better before getting bigger. He elaborates on these expansion plans, and discusses including digital experience practices and collaboration with major tech companies. And he also shares how the company evolves based on client feedback and market demands.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Len Summa here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/len-summa

Find out more about Acid Labs (website) -

https://acidlabs.com/en/home/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the podcast, we speak with Meredith Bailey, Founder & CEO at StreamWork, a collaboration platform built exclusively for creative workflows.

In this episode, Bailey shares the journey of creating Streamwork and how it streamlines the creative process. We also delve into the challenges of cross-team collaboration in the creative space and how Streamwork addresses these issues.

Bailey discusses the impact of the war in Ukraine on Streamwork's team members based there, and explains how the company provided paid time off and support to ensure the safety of their Ukrainian team. 

Additionally, Bailey explains how Streamwork simplifies creative workflow management, claiming that the platform brings together three critical workflows: feedback collection, automated approvals, and project management.

She elaborates, adding that users can easily collect feedback on various creative assets, invite stakeholders for approvals, and manage projects seamlessly. Alongside, unique features, like turning feedback into actionable tasks.

You will also hear Bailey’s advice on the keys to successful cross-team collaboration, where she advocates that effective cross-team collaboration requires open communication, transparency, and goal alignment. 

She also adds that the use of creative briefs helps ensure everyone is on the same page from the start, and highlight how clearly defining roles and responsibilities, especially during the approval stage, is crucial for successful collaboration.

Towards the end of the show, Bailey outlines how StreamWork sets itself apart from the competition stating that, while there are other companies in the creative collaboration space, Streamwork stands out because it offers a full-suite creative workflow management solution, not limited to video review. Adding that its powerful workflows, including approval routing and project management, provide a comprehensive and unique solution.

And finally, Bailey talks about StreamWork’s plans for the future hinting at exciting product announcements and integrations in the pipeline for the company. One notable integration is with Slack, which enhances communication and collaboration for teams.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Meredith Bailey here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/baileymeredith

Find out more about StreamWork (website) -

https://www.streamwork.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the podcast, we speak with Lauren Cascio, a Founding Partner of Gulp Data, a company helping startups use data to access capital without giving up equity.

From the conversation you will learn where the concept of data backed lending comes from, and why it was previously so difficult to carry out. 

Lauren kicks off the show by sharing a bit about her background, her role at Gulp Data and what the company does. We then talk about why now is the turning point for data backed lending, with a growing number of startups and businesses looking to extract value from their data. 

Additionally, Lauren shares how founders, who are unsure of what their data is worth, can take steps towards identifying and securing value from their data. Lauren also talks about what sets Gulp Data apart from their competitors, and why Gulp Data doesn’t shy away from competition, but infact welcomes it. And finally, Lauren opens up about what is next on the horizon for Gulp Data.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Lauren Cascio here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencascio

Find out more about Gulp Data (website) -

https://www.gulpdata.com/

https://www.gulpdata.com/datavaluations

Contact email here - 

swimwith@gulpdata.com

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Find out more about Diane Le here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lediane

Find out more about Punchh(website) -

https://punchh.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today's episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Nate Macleitch, Founder and CEO of QuickBlox, a company that provides instant messaging API that allows chat and calling functionality to be added to any Android, iOS, or Web application.

From the show, you will learn insights into how QuickBlox provides real-time communication tools, including video calling and chat, for applications and websites. And Macleitch delves deep into the impact of AI on digital communication and discusses the company's vision for the future.

Macleitch starts off by sharing how he and his team identified a market gap for adding chat, video calling, and file-sharing functionalities to various platforms. He adds that the name "QuickBlox" originated from the concept of providing quick-enabling blocks of functionality that users can add to their applications.

He then highlights the transformational potential of AI in enhancing digital communication, pointing towards AI's ability to transcribe and summarize conversations, aiding users in finding pertinent information. He also talks about AI as a virtual assistant, performing tasks and providing suggestions in various scenarios, such as social networking, sales calls, and telemedicine.

Macleitch then goes on to share how the company distinguishes itself in this crowded market stating that QuickBlox stands out by offering a deployable solution within the customers' hosting environment, providing enhanced security and data control. The focus on providing enabling layers and applications, including AI-driven features, differentiates QuickBlox from companies offering basic communication functionalities.

He also shares advice for remote teams and entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of building the right team and utilizing existing technologies, particularly AI, to enhance efficiency and productivity.

And finally, Macleitch talks about the transformative impact of AI in communication, akin to the birth of the PC or the Internet, providing co-pilots that assist in various tasks. While also highlighting the ethical considerations regarding privacy and data security with the widespread use of AI in communication.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Nate Macleitch here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemacleitch/

Find out more about QuickBlox (website) -

https://quickblox.com/

Read the QuickBlox Blog here - 

https://quickblox.com/blog/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today's episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Mike Starr, Founder and CEO at trackd, a platform that aims to simplify vulnerability management and patch management.

From this episode, you will learn about Starr’s journey from being an NSA engineer to entering the startup world. We also learn about the intriguing story behind the name trackd and how it resonates with both tech enthusiasts and non-nerds alike.

To kick off the show Starr shares how he transitioned from his role as an NSA engineer to the startup world after meeting a brilliant individual at a tech gathering in DC. This encounter led him to work on software-defined networking and eventually paved the way for founding trackd.

Starr then shares his views on some of the worst cybersecurity advice, including the misbelief in the security of air-gapped networks. He emphasizes the need for tailored security approaches that consider the specific context and needs of each organization.

Additionally, he shares the best cybersecurity advice for listeners, which according to him is understanding the problems that need solving and aligning security and IT teams' efforts. He takes it a step further and advocates that collaborative decision-making, treating humans as humans, and bridging the gap between security and IT tools are essential in this process.

Also, Starr sheds light on the significance of considering the human factor in cybersecurity breaches. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and empathy between different teams and how vendors can contribute to fostering a more collaborative culture.

And finally shares how trackd aims to expand its network and install base, providing tools and features to eliminate vulnerabilities in enterprises. With a focus on making patching safer and more efficient by aligning it with corporate risk strategies and considering the operators' perspective.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Mike Starr here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/starrmc/

Find out more about trackd (website) -

https://trackd.com/

Read the trackd Blog here - 

https://trackd.com/blog/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

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In today’s episode, we speak with Chris Duffey, Strategic Development Manager at Adobe, who comes on the podcast to discuss the exciting and evolving landscape of Web 3 and the Metaverse. 

Duffey kicks off the show by giving us a brief history of the web. He takes us back to the late 90s/early 2000s which saw the birth of Web 1.0, a read-only environment. This was followed by Web 2.0, which allowed for interactions with both reading and writing, enabling sharing and expression.

He then takes us to the present day with Web 3.0, which expanded on the work of Web 2.0, focusing on co-ownership, decentralized finance, smart contracts, DAOs, and NFTs. Duffey distinguishes between the metaverse and Web 3, and in the process highlights the seven characteristics of each and their interconnectedness.

As the conversation progresses, Duffey then leads onto the interplay between Web 3 and the Metaverse. He dives deeper into the characteristics of the metaverse, including immersive 3D experiences, real-time interactions, and co-ownership of digital assets. He also emphasizes the importance of interoperability among different metaverse worlds, allowing users to transfer assets seamlessly.

With regardless to the potential for businesses to benefit from the Metaverse, Duffey advocates that the rise of the creative economy and new forms of commerce offers exciting prospects for businesses. During this part of the conversation, Duffey shares insights on the potential for businesses to co-create with consumers, leading to mutual success and community-building.

Before wrapping up the episode, Duffey shares interesting insights from his forthcoming book, “Decoding the Metaverse.” He mentions that a surprising number of NFT artwork is predominantly stored on the cloud rather than on the blockchain, posing potential risks for those investing in this technology. 

He also shares how NFTs have evolved from being investments in digital artwork to forming loyalty clubs with token gating, offering exciting possibilities for businesses.

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Chris Duffey here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisduffeycreativeai

Find out more about Chris Duffey (website) -

https://chrisduffey.ai/ Find out more about Chris' book -

https://www.koganpage.com/product/decoding-the-metaverse-9781398609044

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

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In today's episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Jose Torres, co-founder of LongFi Solutions, a company that deploys Decentralized Infrastructure to enable low-cost, last-mile connectivity essential for local communities.

Torres kicks off today’s show by sharing his background, including his journey from Medellin, Colombia, to the United States and his experience in aerospace engineering and the water desalination industry.

Torres also shares how the name "LongFi" originated from a protocol created as part of the decentralized wireless movement, adding that a focus on IoT led to the name "LongFi Solutions.".

Additionally, Torres educates listeners about the DeWi (Decentralized Wireless) ecosystem, and how it is leveraging blockchain and crypto tech stack for innovative wireless communication network deployment.

On this topic, he opens up about the limitations of the conventional telecommunications business model, such as high capital costs, limited profitability, coordination challenges, and slow expansion. 

He then details how the role of the blockchain and crypto tech stack can help overcome these challenges and enable disruptive and innovative ways to deploy wireless communications networks. This is then followed by examples of functioning DeWi ecosystems and blockchains, showcasing the potential of this new sector.

Before wrapping up the show, Torres shares the philosophy behind decentralization and the belief in eliminating the wall between the controlling elite and the rest of the world. 

He speaks about leveraging blockchain and crypto tech stack to create a unified ecosystem where individuals can participate in the improvement and share the profits, and he also stresses the need for cryptocurrencies and blockchains as a unifying layer in the decentralized wireless ecosystem.

And finally, Torres highlights the example of the Helium network, where antenna owners receive micropayments in real-time to provide connectivity to IoT devices, and elaborates on how cryptocurrencies enable seamless micropayments for data transmission between antenna owners, sensor owners, and end users.

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Jose Torres here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-m-torres-pmp/

Find out more about LongFi Solutions (website) -

https://www.longfisolutions.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today's episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Pablo Miller, CEO of Remoti, an end-to-end platform that allows companies to achieve their expansion needs through finding, hiring, retaining, and paying talent. 

To start the show Miller shares how Remoti is a total talent platform that connects companies with talent in Latin America, and advocates that the platform offers three main services: talent connection, talent employment, and people products. People products include retention plans, smooth onboarding and offboarding processes, and the upcoming launch of their recruitment app.

He also shares the origin story of Remoti, explaining that the initial basis of the company was established in the UK seven years ago when Miller noticed the demand for salespeople in London's fintech companies and started a small recruitment firm.

He recognized the need for a different approach and aimed to build a business that understood company culture and provided a unique service. While visiting Colombia, the country his mother is from, Miller witnessed the rise of second-generation Latin talent and the potential for innovation in the market and decided to set up operations in Colombia, serving clients from the US and UK.

The conversation then moves onto the topic of the future of remote work and innovation. With this in mind, Remoti aims to connect Latin American professionals with global companies that can offer better opportunities and development.

Miller also shares how he believes remote work promotes social mobility and breaks down geographical barriers, providing opportunities for talented individuals who may not have access to the same resources locally.

And finally, Miller shares insights on how to hire talent quickly and effectively for your business. He states that those looking to hire should consider international perspectives, local preferences, benefits, upskilling opportunities, and candidate output rather than focusing solely on universities.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Pablo Miller here (LinkedIn) -

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pablo-miller-929b8825

Find out more about Remoti (website) -

https://www.remoti.io/

Blog Post - 

https://www.remoti.io/blog/how-to-recruit-fast

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with ⁠Mark Herschberg⁠, Creator of ⁠Brain Bump⁠, an app that helps you retain what you read and hear, and an MIT Instructor.

To kick off the show, Sam opens up about how he was interested in Herschberg’s initial message to him, where he advocated that “we invest time reading and listening but it's inefficient. This is because where we read information isn't where we need information.”

On this topic, Herschberg explains in greater detail how there is a learning disconnect that often occurs when people consume information in one context but need to apply it in another. 

He then goes on to highlight the challenge of remembering valuable information from books or podcasts when it's needed most. 

To address this issue, Herschberg created Brain Bump, an app that provides just-in-time information access. It condenses key ideas from books, blogs, podcasts, classes, and talks into concise tip cards. 

Users can easily search for specific content tags, making it convenient to retrieve relevant information when needed. The app also sends daily notifications at a user's preferred time, serving as a reminder of key concepts.

Herschberg also goes on to clarify the difference between Brain Bump and book summary apps like Blinkist, advocating that while Blinkist offers simplified summaries of books, Brain Bump aims to complement various types of content, helping users better retain the information they have already consumed.

Additionally, for the content creators in the audience, Herschberg shares tips on how you can produce work that sticks in the memories of your audience. 

And finally, Herschberg talks about one of his latest articles “ChatGPT is Just a Calculator . . . Crossed with a Nuclear Reactor” and shares his predictions of what we can see develop from this technology, alongside what technology currently excites him.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Mark Herschberg here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey/

Find out more about Brain Bump (website) -

https://brainbumpapp.com/

Apple - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brain-bump/id1616654954

Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brainbump&hl=en_US&gl=US

Read Mark’s article “ChatGPT is Just a Calculator . . . Crossed with a Nuclear Reactor” - 

https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog/chatgpt-is-just-a-calculator-crossed-with-a-nuclear-reactor

Check out resources from Mark’s website -

https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/resources

https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

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In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Kim Ressler, Founder and CEO of SNiP Nutrigenomics, a company custom-creating supplements based on your body's unique genetic code, making it easier for you to absorb and utilize essential nutrients.

Ressler starts off by sharing her own personal journey that led her to work in the field of nutrigenomics, explaining that her health struggles motivated her to explore the connection between genetics and nutrition. 

Having worked in the field for the past five years, she shares how she recognized the complexity and cost involved in genetic mapping. 

Thus she created SNiP Nutrigenomics, which aims to simplify the process by focusing on key areas of the body and providing a single supplement that addresses an individual's specific genetic profile, thereby saving time and simplifying supplementation.

Ressler also goes on to explain that the use of "SNiP" in the name of the company refers to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are genetic variants that influence functions in the body. 

She highlights that SNPs can determine various characteristics, such as eye color or skin tone, and by analyzing these SNPs, SNiP Nutrigenomics identifies an individual's specific genetic blueprint and determines the nutrients they require. Ressler also talks about how her core mission is to increase awareness of the importance of personalized nutrition and prevention. 

She aims to support doctors in incorporating genetic analysis and customized nutrition into their practices. Additionally, she talks about how the company plans to conduct clinical trials and case studies to further validate its product. 

And finally, Ressler shares how the ultimate goal of the company is to provide simple, affordable, and customized solutions to the masses, reducing the confusion and overwhelming nature of the supplement market.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Kim Ressler here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-ressler-b13b157

Find out more about SNiP Nutrigenomics (website) -

https://www.snipnutrition.com/

Use coupon code "brains" to get a special discount when you sign up (valid for 30 days following the publication of this episode)

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Joe Ferraro, Vice President of Revenue at Hypothesis, a company striving to implement a conversation layer over the entire web that works everywhere, without needing implementation by any underlying site.

Ferraro kicks off the show by sharing how the goal of the company is to enable discussions and collaboration on various topics, similar to commenting in Google Docs but applicable to the entire web. He opens up about how this initially began as an idea in 2011 when the founder and CEO, Dan Whaley, identified a need to address misinformation on the web.

Ferraro shares how Whaley came up with the concept to facilitate conversations on source data, such as articles or research studies, to promote nuanced discussions and different perspectives. The project underwent several years of development and standardization efforts, leading to the launch of Hypothesis in 2019.

Additionally, Ferraro explains the origins of the name, advocating that it signifies the exploration of theories and the importance of bringing facts and conversations to the forefront. He also goes on to add that the site’s creative URL (hypothes.is) is both a domain hack and a nod to Iceland's progressive approach to freedom of speech and information.

Following this, Ferraro shares how Hypothesis is making a difference in the education space. He states that Hypothesis initially gained traction in the education sector, with millions of university students using the tool for collaborative reading and discussions. He also argues that students have embraced the ability to collaborate beyond traditional discussion boards, and the aim is to help them transition seamlessly into the workplace.

And finally, Ferraro wraps up the show by sharing how the company has recently entered the enterprise space, where the goal is to enable more efficient collaboration within organizations and relieve the administrative burden of using multiple tools.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Joe Ferraro here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmferraro

Find out more about Hypothesis (website) -

https://web.hypothes.is/

Blog Post - 

https://web.hypothes.is/blog/preparing-students-for-the-workplace-with-social-annotation/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

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Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Austin Yavorsky, CEO and Co-Founder of the Landian Metaverse, a decentralized metaverse creating spaces for the community to experience a new level of immersive encounters. 

Austin shares how the company is working with a forward-thinking healthcare group to help patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by allowing them to relive some of their trauma in a VR environment.

He discusses how this work was carried out, and the promising results that have come from it stating that many of the participants went from taking five, six, or seven different types of antidepressants, all the way down to just a handful or none after a relatively short period of time. 

And finally, Yavorsky talks about what else excites him the most about the Metaverse, and what is next on the horizon for Landian.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Austin Yavorsky here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-yavorsky-8a8966236/?originalSubdomain=co

Find out more about Landian (website) -

https://www.landian.io/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Madhav Srinath, CEO and CTO of NexusLeap, a technology and management consulting firm focused on helping organizations make sense of their data and use it to make critical business decisions.

Srinath shares the story of how NexusLeap started in response to the pandemic, specifically helping food distributors consolidate data and provide insights to solve the problem of food distribution during this difficult time.

Srinath also explains the meaning behind the name NexusLeap, which reflects the company's mission to help businesses break free from what they know and take a leap into using data to drive critical decisions.

For Srinath, the "nexus" part of the name refers to the congregation of important decisions and data, while the "leap" part refers to the need to make a leap into the future to keep up with new challenges, problems, and technologies.

Additionally, Srinath shares advice for businesses looking to improve their data management practices. He suggests starting with a data audit to identify areas for improvement, creating a roadmap for data management, and involving all stakeholders in the process. 

We also discuss the future of cloud and data services. During this segment Srinath highlights the importance of cloud computing, stressing that it should be used to build only what is necessary and pay for exactly that without taking on a lot of overhead. 

He predicts that we will see an increasing number of cloud platform providers partnering with AI tech providers to create an experience for users that seamlessly integrates cloud and AI technologies.

And finally, Srinath opens up about how he and his wife share a 10-year goal to purchase large plots of land and build infrastructure to rescue as many animals as possible. Alongside their desire to facilitate better human-animal connections using technology.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Madhav Srinath here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavsrinath/

Find out more about NexusLeap (website) -

https://nexusleap.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

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Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Dan Berges, Managing Director & Founder of Berges Institute, an online Spanish language school for adults headquartered in New York City.

In this conversation, Dan shares how, before the pandemic, the institute mostly comprised of in-person teaching, and had begun to dabble in online teaching in 2019, with a total of 1200 students and a large school in Chicago. 

However, since the pandemic, the institute has transitioned to work 100% online, with students in the US, the UK, Canada, and beyond. 

The school uses the Graf method, which is their self-developed style of teaching Spanish. It is a highly deductive method, meaning that they first teach the rules and then practice them, instead of an inductive method where students are expected to infer the rules from the examples.

Dan also shares the origin story of the company, stating that it first began in 2013 with a small studio on the upper side of New York City. They developed the Graf method themselves and it quickly became very popular. 

Additionally, Dan discusses the benefits of learning a new language, claiming that most research shows that it improves cognitive ability, memory, and concentration. 

He advocates that brain scans show an increase in the density of gray matter and white matter when learning another language. Alongside this, research has shown that learning a new language also can significantly delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

And finally, Dan shares how the institute is recruiting the use of AI in order to implement new Spanish language chatbot features for their students in order to help them learn.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Dan Berges here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-berges

Find out more about Berges Institute (website, Twitter + Contact page) -

https://www.bergesinstitutespanish.com/

https://twitter.com/bergesinstitute?lang=en

https://www.bergesinstitutespanish.com/contact-us

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Venkatesh Sundar, Founder & CMO at Indusface, a company offering web app security, WAF and SSL Certificates to keep businesses safe.

In the conversation, Sundar shares tips to help listeners defend their businesses from hackers. He starts off by stressing the importance of ensuring that all software and systems are kept up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Doing this can help to shut down any known vulnerabilities that hackers may look to exploit.

Additionally, he underlines that it's important to make use of strong access controls and authentication measures to ensure that only authorized users are able to access sensitive data or systems. This consists of measures such as two-factor authentication, strong password policies, and limiting access to only those who require it.

Sundar adds that regular security assessments and penetration testing can be effective when it comes to identifying vulnerabilities before hackers can take advantage of them. This can entail simulating real-world attacks and attempting to exploit weaknesses in the system,to find potential areas where improvement is necessary.

Alongside the above, Sundar highlights specific tactics that listeners can use to defend against ransomware attacks, such as ensuring that data backups are regularly performed and stored securely. This can help to reduce the impact of a ransomware attack by allowing businesses to restore their systems and data from a previous backup.

And finally, Sundar covers why it is important to educate employees about the risks of phishing attacks and other social engineering tactics that hackers frequently use to gain access to sensitive data or systems. 

He encourages business owners to provide regular security awareness training to make sure that employees are more knowledgeable and fully aware of the latest threats and how to avoid falling victim to them.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Venkatesh Sundar here (LinkedIn) -

https://in.linkedin.com/in/venkateshsundar

Find out more about Indusface (website) -

https://www.indusface.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Bryan Janeczko, Co-Founder and CEO of Nunbelievable, a mission-based baked goods company striving to combat hunger in America; “one cookie at a time”.

Long-term listeners of Brains Byte Back will remember Janeczko from our episode back in 2020 titled “How Anyone Can Turn an Idea Into a Startup.” Janeczko kicks off the show by sharing what has been keeping him busy since we last spoke, and talks about his work with Nunbelievable. 

He talks about how the company has a one-for-one giving model. While he admits the one-for-one giving model is no longer unique, Janeczko argues that Nunbelievable sets itself apart as a for-purpose business that combines the best of running a for-profit business and supporting a cause that people care about. 

Janeczko goes on to add that their mission, to end hunger in America, is a major issue that everyone can get behind, regardless of their background or political affiliation.

To date, Nunbelievable's one-for-one model has provided over a million meals to those in need. Janeczko also goes into detail about the company's partnership with Feeding America, an organization that aims to eliminate poverty and reduce hunger, particularly in densely populated urban areas and communities of color.

And finally, we talk about the importance of conscious consumerism, and Janeczko shares why he believes it is important to be impact-focused and sustainable when it comes to business practices. 

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Bryan Janeczko here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjaneczko

Find out more about Nunbelievable (website) -

https://nunbelievable.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Adam Lawrence, Co-Founder and CEO of Boom & Bucket, a trusted digital dealer for buying and selling used heavy equipment. 

In this episode, Lawrence kicks off by sharing how Boom & Bucket is the largest website for buying and selling used construction equipment online, ranging from tractors to bulldozers to cranes. 

He then details how the company got started, when the two co-founders, Aaron and Samir, sold a company to Caterpillar in 2017 and stayed on to help with Cat Digital Labs, the innovation department of Caterpillar. 

During this time, Lawrence was running a large payments business which he left in 2020. Lawrence and Samir met, and with Lawrence's desire to stay in e-commerce, and Samir's insights on using data to better understand the quality of the equipment being sold, the founding team started working on Boom & Bucket.

Despite the company having only been around for two years, Lawrence shares that they have achieved a lot in this short space of time. He highlights this by pointing out that they have raised a venture round in 2021 and built a team that includes a head of operations and a head of engineering. Boom & Bucket officially launched in February 2022 and since then has become one of the fastest-growing companies of its type.

Lawrence also shares the backstory behind the name "Boom & Bucket," which Lawrence advocates was chosen from a list of 50 names. The alliteration, as well as the fact that both a boom and a bucket are components of the construction equipment being sold, made it a winning name. 

Lawrence claims that they set out to build an iconic logo and brand around the name, with a red, white, and blue color scheme and a simple line drawing of an excavator that evokes movement. He explains that the goal was to build an Americana brand that would still resonate 50 years from now.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Adam Lawrence here (LinkedIn + Twitter) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aslawrence

https://twitter.com/im_asl?lang=en

Find out more about Boom & Bucket (website) -

https://www.boomandbucket.com/

Watch the “Gorge Video” Adam references here - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8z7f7a2Pk

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

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Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Mateo Zimmermann, Investment Manager at CEMEX Ventures, a company that invests in innovative construction startups aiming to foster the construction revolution.

Zimmermann shares how the company started in 2016 with the idea of partnering with top minds and entrepreneurial spirits to bring innovation to the construction industry, which is lagging behind other industries. They also aimed to capture most of that innovation and change the productivity gap in the industry.

During the conversation, Zimmermann discusses the challenges faced by young people in finding affordable housing. He notes that in many countries, including Spain where he is from, the culture is to buy a home rather than rent, and young people are struggling to afford even renting a place due to the high costs. This leads to uncertainty for the future and delays in pursuing careers and personal lives.

Zimmermann advocates that the solution is more housing, but he also notes that the problem goes deeper, with the construction industry contributing to almost 30% of CO2 emissions, making climate action and sustainability a critical issue for the industry to address.

Mateo discusses the various ways that CEMEX is tackling this issue, including focusing on new construction materials with a lower carbon footprint. He draw on an example from one of their portfolio companies which uses plastic waste in concrete to create a sustainable landfill where the waste is buried into the structure of buildings or different elements of the construction. 

Another focus is on carbon capture utilization and storage, which involves capturing CO2 emissions and finding ways to process, store, or utilize them. 

And finally, Zimmermann speaks about the future of the construction industry, where he talks about how they are exploring the use of automation and robotics in construction, which could increase productivity and reduce labor costs.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Mateo Zimmermann here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateozg/?locale=en_US

Find out more about CEMEX Ventures (website) -

https://www.cemexventures.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Walter Paliska, Walter Paliska, Vice President of Marketing at dotData, a company that democratizes the use of AI and Machine Learning by making it simple for organizations to leverage the power of their data through fast, unique, and easy-to-use tools.

In this episode, we discuss the company's origin story, its target customers, and the solutions it offers. We also explore predictive data mining and how it helps businesses leverage historical data to make accurate predictions about future events.

Additionally, Paliska shares how dotData was founded as a spin-off from NEC Corporation in Japan in 2018, after the company's CEO and founder, Ryohei Fujimaki, noticed that his team of data scientists would spend an inordinate amount of time on the feature engineering process. Since this was the most time-consuming and manual part of the data science process, Fujimaki turned to automation to solve this problem, giving birth to dotData.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Walter Paliska here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterpaliska/

Find out more about dotData (website) -

https://dotdata.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Sean Whitley, Vice President of Sales, Americas at Mitto, a leading provider of global, omnichannel communications solutions, supporting business growth with advanced customer engagement technology. 

From this episode, you’ll learn why active listening is vital in order for sales success and how it can give you ammunition to sharpen your value proposition. Whitley also covers how you can measure the effectiveness of omnichannel communications and track ROI, alongside best practices for training and empowering sales teams to effectively communicate with customers across all channels.

Whitley also talks about the podcast that he co-hosts and co-created, The Two Sales Guys, and how the often-overlooked dark side of sales on mental health, served as a driving force to create the podcast. Additionally, he shares advice for listeners who are considering starting their own podcast.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Sean Whitley here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitleysean/

Find out more about Mitto (website) -

https://www.mitto.ch/

Find their The Two Sales Guys here - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-two-sales-guys/id1539596883

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Rakshith Rao, Co-Founder and CEO of APIwiz, a low-code, API automation platform allowing developers to build and release reliable APIs quickly.

During our conversation, we discuss what an API Driven economy is, how to tell if your API portfolio is well managed, and some API security tests you should be using. We also go into how APIwiz first started and the story behind the company’s name.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Rakshith Rao here (LinkedIn) -

https://in.linkedin.com/in/rakshithgrao

Find out more about APIwiz (website) -

https://www.apiwiz.io/

Find their blog post here - 

https://www.apiwiz.io/resources/blogs/7-questions-to-ask-yourself-for-top-api-security

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we are joined by Dave Remy, CEO of Event Store DB, an open-source state-transition database, designed for businesses that are ready to harness the power of event-driven architecture.

You will learn why Dave advocates that we need a new category of database now and what makes this type of database different. Alongside this, we discuss how you can leverage the event store platforms to drive growth, efficiency, and innovation. And finally, he shares some practical ideas and pitfalls of a data engineer when implementing event storage databases.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Dave Remy here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveremy

Find out more about Event Store DB (website) -

https://www.eventstore.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode, we speak with Agnieszka Wilk, the CEO of Decorilla, a company using technology to democratize top-quality interior design services.

In the episode we cover: 

• How the company began after Agnieszka moved to South Korea, hoping to continue her career in finance, but instead faced discrimination as a woman and a foreigner. 

• How she used a company name generator website to create the name, and why she fell in love with the idea of Decorilla as the name of her company.

• How the company uses 3D & VR realistic design concepts and highlights what technology it plans to incorporate moving forward, in order to expand its services.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Agnieszka Wilk here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnieszkawilk

Find out more about Decorilla (website) -

https://www.decorilla.com/

Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY

Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB