The Data Binge

Just 6 months ago, who would have known that words like "NFT", "metaverse", and "web 3.0" would be high interest topics of discussion amongst friends, text threads and corporate brand strategies. At an estimated $23B market size, NFT's could change the world as we know it this year...YES, in 2022. Heather Parady and Rich Cardona, are joining this LIVE "The Data Binge Podcast" discussion to talk to us about NFT's. Heather and Rich are Hosts of "NFT's for Newbies", a podcast ALL ABOUT NFT's, focused on their combined journeys of navigating the world of the NFT from a beginners perspective. "NFT's for Newbies" surpassed 200,000 downloads as of December of 2021, in less than 4 months from the start of the podcast. With the light and educational approach that Heather and Rich take in their discovery of this fascinating new world, there are take-aways for anyone willing to have fun and learn all about NFT's. Key themes and discussion points:

As the technology industry continues to hasten its evolution through continually changing global macro events, accelerating technical advances, and changes in the social constructs of how and why we work, building successful partnerships has never been so important.Vince Menzione has spent the last 25 years of his career thinking about how to create successful partnerships and joins this LIVE episode of The Data Binge Podcast to highlight a winning framework for how to get partnerships right. As a former Microsoft General Manager of Partner Strategy, host of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering podcast, and founder of the tech consulting firm Ultimate Partnerships, Vince brings an aptitude and energy for partnerships that can drive change in any tech organization.This discussion will include the following topics:The 8 principles of partnership success: understanding the very idea of what partnership between organizations means and why it's increasing in importanceEvolutions in the partner landscape, and the impact of hyper evolving global trends on partner strategy across the tech domainThe power of thought leadership: the learnings from creating a 5-year passion project, “The Ultimate Guide to Partnering”, and lessons of culture, leadership, and the obligation to lead with diverse and inclusive values that reach beyond our typical fields of impactKey Takeaways:[1:44] The recent speed of technology from Gaming to NFT's, to emerging Metaverse experiences[4:19] How Vince has built and maintained a 5-year podcast hyper focused on the world of successful tech partnerships [5:22] Vince's background and career direction, starting as the general manager of US public sector strategies for Microsoft across 9 years[6:56] The era in which every organization is adapting to the advancements of technology[11:31] How partnering is a phenomena that is all around us in the business ecosystem [20:25] Successful mindsets to partnering[23:39] The importance of building a brand and a brand story [25:17] Intuitive alignment, communication and adjustment towards success cross organizationally[28:44] Commitment before focus [31:02] Thinking differently to build successful ecosystems [37:39] An insight for people who don't want to get involved with partnering [41:13] The three C's: culture, communication, commitment[45:11] The partnership manifesto: Why people need to partner better[46:55] Diversity, inclusion, and leadership [50:50] On the issue of age discrimination, early retirement, and the lost value of experienced leadership in the tech industry[56:42] The power of community Memorable Quotes:[19:20] - ”I have identified with the work I've done over the years that the podcast is a good laboratory. I have over a hundred and thirty guests now that come to the podcast, and I ask every single one of them about partnering; what do they see from the best and why do they fail. I've sort of landed on the successful principles on what makes successful partnering.” - Vince Menzione[28:10] – regarding tech partnering organizations ”were not really looking at spend, were not really looking at who were talking to in the organization. We're looking at how eager they are to want to work with us on this specific transformational capability.” - Vince Menzione[38:16] - ”The proof is in the pudding in the sense that organizations will believe, if they see other organizations that are like-minded in the industry that are successful, and we see more of that every day.” - Vince Menzione[51:20] - ”Learn from other cultures where people who have age and wisdom are valued better.” - Vince Menzione RESOURCESConnect with Vince on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemenzione/Vince Menzione's Microsoft US Partner Blog - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/us-partner-blog/author/vincemenzione/Channels, partnerships & ecosystems: Jay McBain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymcbain/LinkedIn LIVE EVENT Link: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6872569678066188288/ Thanks for watching!To access more expertise on partnering in the tech industry, feel free to navigate to https://ultimateguidetopartnering.com/ or reach out to Vince directly on Linkedin!-------------------------------- *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

How can gaming, benefit our communities? Albert Dankwa III, content developer on the Microsoft Xbox team, joins this

ANGEL AID is a non-profit that provides mental health and wellness services for mothers of children with rare diseases. A rare disease is defined as one that affects fewer than 200,000 people. Even amongst accelerating scientific advancement, over 7000 rare diseases are still without cure, and only 5% have treatments. There are 350M people globally with rare diseases - around half are children. Mothers of children with rare diseases, or Rare Mothers, are the primary caregiver 82% of the time. Today's conversation is a Simply Tech LIVE interview recorded Wednesday, October 27th, featuring my co-host Ali Mazaheri, and our special guests Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin and Smriti Bhattacharya.October is ANGEL AID's month of giving, Wellfest 21, an opportunity to help create visibility and energy around the bold vision of providing relief and inspiration to these communities, by connecting 3.5 million rare mothers by 2025.Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin, Founder and CEO of ANGEL AID, discusses the organizations mission, the experience of care takers in the rare disease community, and the role of technology and digitization in creating community and impact for non-profits.Smriti Bhattacharya, a senior software engineer at Microsoft and a Rare Mother, also graces this conversation with her presence so that we can hear her story, gain a little more proximity to ANGEL AID's mission, and learn more about how we can support these incredible caretakers around the world.The discussion will include the following topics:-The challenges that families—especially parents—face when children get diagnosed with chronic conditions or rare diseases-ANGEL AID's digitization of its support services during the pandemic-The rise of conversations about mental health and wellness-The importance of work-life balance and self-care Key Take-aways:[10:18] A quick introduction to Smriti, Cristol, and ANGEL AID[11:58] What Ali learned when his child was diagnosed with diabetes[15:02] Smriti's experience as a Rare Mother[18:22] How Smriti and Cristol connected when the pandemic impacted ANGEL AID[24:20] What motivated Cristol to start ANGEL AID[26:58] How the organization's journey with Microsoft started[30:45] What's next for ANGEL AID from a business standpoint[35:32] How the organization and tech companies (like Microsoft) support parents who need better work-life balance[44:30] About Wellfest 21[47:58] How to support ANGEL AID Memorable Quotes:[27:52] “If we're going to cross borders and cross cultures, then we're going to need to have multilingual support, so technology is fundamental to our growth plans and growth strategy.” -Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin[32:22] “Just being reminded and given permission and given inspiration to take care of yourself is so empowering.” -Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin[32:42] “If the parents are doing well, everybody in the family is going to thrive.” -Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin[35:34] “Work can be a great escape... Work is self-care especially when you're working at a company like Microsoft that is sensitized and culturally supportive of work-life balance.” -Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin[41:28] “How we address and support your community of employees can be really transformational.” -Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin[43:48] “The roadmap for sustainable wellness in the family is to start with yourself and then echo out from there.” -Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin Resources:Connect with Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristol-barrett-oloughlin/ Connect with Smriti Bhattacharya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smritib/ “Hit Refresh” by Satya Nadella: Amazon.com: Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone eBook : Nadella, Satya, Shaw, Greg, Nichols, Jill Tracie, Gates, Bill: Kindle Store People With Rare Diseases Need Better Social Support: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disability-is-diversity/202010/people-rare-diseases-need-better-social-support Wellfest 21: ANGEL AID WELLfest '21 - A Global Festival of Wellness Honoring Rare Mothers Around the World (funraise.org)ANGEL AID ANGEL AID (angelaidcares.org) *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Have you ever thought about how many people are struggling with the same sleep issues as you? Many of us struggle with getting enough sleep. Even as the market continues to fill with everything from nose strips, to connected wearables and rings and even weighted blankets, yet we still somehow fail to find the right solutions for sleep. Why is that? Colin Lawlor is the CEO of SleepScore Labs, a sleep technology organization located in Carlsbad California, with the mission of helping people achieve more full-filling lives and better long term help through their best sleep. In this episode Colin talks about the data trends around sleep that impact our health and wellness at the personal level, the basic components of how technology and sleep come together, all the way through to the future of sleep and how we can better live more productive and full filling lives as platforms for sleep emerge. The SleepScore app is available for free, in both the App Store for Apple Devices and on Google Play for Android users. Thank YOU for listening, and we hope you get good sleep tonight.Navigate the Episode:[9:02] Getting to know SleepScore Labs and what they do[12:14] How to measure sleep to manage sleep problems[17:17] Creating models, insights and personalized recommendations based on data [19:07] How sleep impacts overall health[22:45] Understanding sleep technologies and choosing what really works[25:32] The verticals that influence your sleep[28:26] Sleep improvements grounded on data and science[29:46] Why sleep apnea leads to death[31:39] Understanding the fundamentals of the human body affected by sleep[40:59] How other industries are creating better ways to help improve sleep [41:23] The organizations that Sleep Score Labs partners with[45:18] How SleepScore Labs is bringing their expertise to consumers[47:17] Choose companies that really care for your sleep[52:54] Improving health and fitness through improving sleep [60:17] The impact of alcohol in sleep[01:02:41] Free app powered by SleepScore Labs[01:11:10] Colin's philosophy on better sleep and lifestyle[01:15:02] The future of sleep and what to look out for from the SleepScore Labs[01:19:48] Colin's best advice for people struggling with sleep Memorable Quotes:[09:30] “Sleep is an activity we do every day, it's essential to every part of life. The challenge is that billions of people woke up this morning, tired all over the world, every time zone. There are millions of people waking up tired, and that has a huge impact on their lives, productivity, and long-term health. It's a huge issue.” -Colin Lawler[13:40] “It's essential to be able to measure sleep because we cannot depend on humans' recall in order to understand what's really happening with sleep.” -Colin Lawler[15:45] “There is no one single solution that actually improves everybody's sleep. The answer is highly personalized.” -Colin Lawler[55:21] “We believe that sleep has been the missing ingredient of everything to do with health and wellness and health care. So we know that if you have your sleep under control, you will recover.” -Colin Lawler Resources:SleepScore Labs: https://www.sleepscore.com/Download the SleepScore app: https://www.sleepscore.com/sleepscore-app/?rfr=ssl-improvemysleep-buttonHow Better Sleep May Just Save Your Life (podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-better-sleep-may-just-save-your-life-w-colin-lawlor/id1536378494?i=1000499007398Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleepCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: Sleep and Sleep Disorders: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html Connect with our guests: Colin Lawlor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinjlawlor/ *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Sustainability is good for both business, and for the planet. Dawn James, Microsoft US Director of Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, and Alex Robart, Microsoft Worldwide Strategy Leader for Energy & Sustainability, connect with us to share learning and experiences in how organizations can strategically approach a differentiated way to reach sustainability goals, that create competitive advantages, while also being good for our environment. We are joined in this special episode by guest host Bob Familiar, Director of the Microsoft Technology Center in Boston. Bob is an experienced technical leader experiences in technologies that help organizations accelerate their vision to be more sustainable.Discussion themes will include the following topics: -How Microsoft leaders in Sustainability, communicate with customers about their sustainability journey: from adoption, to the elements of climate change mitigation-Equity in decision making, and the importance of how organizations derive and allocate strategies against their sustainability goals-The business opportunities of the transition to sustainable energy: the effort, the leadership, and the change management needed to successfully reframe the conversation-Tangible solutions and technologies that fit into the sustainability conversation, and how the Microsoft ecosystem can empower organizations to achieve more for their sustainability goals Navigate the Episode:[06:20] An Introduction to the Microsoft Technology Center, and our guests[07:36] General concepts around sustainability and it's importance in the business domain[15:25] How to understand and navigate sustainability in a very complex and evolving climate, from regulation through to organizational business objectives[16:31] The importance of cross functional ownership, business decisions, and brand for meeting sustainability goals[20:27] How sustainability is driving changes in customer/consumer behaviors[22:42] Sustainability as a new business model and source of growth – a mindset shift[23:30] The basic elements of a sustainability solution. (The 3 R's)[33:19] How to get started. How organizations should approach a sustainability strategy[41:48] The value of data for sustainability. Use cases for data reporting for carbon footprints and energy costs, and how the cloud can accelerate evolving use cases in the data realm[45:08] The complex challenges in climate change, its disproportionate impact on people and what organizations can do to address them[48:58] The energy transition. The role of industries most responsible for the future of energy in decision making[52:32] Technology, and the future of sustainability solutions and strategies Memorable Quotes:[19:55] “Sustainability is really having that introspection on who you are as an organization, and where you want to go, and then connecting the dots through digital enablement of that sustainability journey.” -Dawn James[22:39] “Let's not think of sustainability just as a cost. Let's think about sustainability, as the next growth driver for your business for the next 30 years.” -Alex Robart[46:38] “We must protect the most vulnerable among us, we must protect the people that are impacted by the most adverse effects of global warming, we have to provide justice. Because for us to have proper accountability for what it is that we're doing, especially if we're using database solutions, and we're pinching those database solutions on trust and transparency, then we must also be accountable.” -Dawn James Resources:Dawn James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnejames/ Alex Robart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arobart/ Bob Familiar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobfamiliar/ The proliferation of sustainability accounting standards comes with costs: https://www.economist.com/business/2020/10/03/the-proliferation-of-sustainability-accounting-standards-comes-with-costsPrioritizing Equity in Policy and Decision-making: https://energycenter.org/thought-leadership/blog/prioritizing-equity-policy-and-decision-making Recycling ocean plastic to help clean up our oceans: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ww/accessories/sustainability/ocean-plastic-mouseMicrosoft Cloud for Sustainability: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.comJoin the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell

We have all heard the thematic concepts of why "data" is an emerging natural resource, that is becoming increasingly valuable, and that must be captured, understood, and utilized - but becoming a data centered organization, is not as easy as it sounds. Edson Crevecoeur, Miami Heat's VP of Strategy & Data Analytics, and the Chief Data Officer for 601 Analytics, is joining this

We hear about innovation so much nowadays in the business world - we hear it in company earnings releases, we hear it internally in place of work, and we see it in peoples titles on LinkedIn, but what exactly is Innovation, what is Open Innovation, and how is it changing in our current technology landscape? Today's conversation is a Simply Tech LIVE interview recorded June 17th, of this year 2021, featuring my co-host Ali Mazaheri, and our special guests Jason Deskin, and Lisa Griego. Jason Deskin is the Chief Technology Officer for Digital Advisory in Microsoft's US West Region business, and in the US Retail & Consumer Goods Business. Lisa, is a Director in the Retail & Consumer Goods business supporting organizations in the West US, and both of these incredible voices are joining this discussion today to talk through the importance of innovation, and how critical it is for different organizations to bring together their strengths and weaknesses to meet unmet market needs. We're going to talk about different ways of approaching problems, and this idea of the "learn it all culture" vs the "know it all culture" - what this actually means and how to deploy curiosity at scale. We're going to talk about empathy and it's role in innovation, and finally, were going to talk about overcoming the barriers to innovation and how to build programs that can jump start organizational change, differentiation, and maybe even some re-direction. Technology has never been more important in our world - and understanding how to bring different thinking, mindsets, people, ideas, and cultures together, to stimulate new ideas, WILL be the future of how we create novel innovations and solutions for a very quickly evolving world. Key Take-aways:[08:40] Introductions[11:05] The roles of Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) within Microsoft organization[12:37] The Idea of Open Innovation[14:30] What Innovation generally means and “the surgeon's dilemma”[15:22] The power of unconscious bias, and how it impacts innovation[16:16] The innovation toolkit: design thinking, open innovation, business model canvas, and purposeful diversity – how using a series of high impact framework can direct the accelerate of out of the box thinking[18:48] Mixing industry expertise with a holistic approach through the “Open Innovation Lab” to find new business opportunities.[24:02] Every company will become a software platform company[25:00] Business disruption, and how technology organizations help create a competitive edge, through strategic partnerships.[28:50] The challenges due to Covid and managing open innovation virtually: tools, mindsets, and experiences.[39:27] Expectations from businesses and organizations betting big on technological transformations[48:41] The power of diversity in Innovation, lessons learned from empathy and leadership in diverse environmentsMemorable Quotes:[13:20] “Open Innovation really allows you to bring in different people with different backgrounds, with different perspectives. And they have different types of expertise that may allow you to kinda put aside any bias that you have and work through that.” - Jason Deskin[17:03] “Technology is evolving at such a fast pace right now that those companies that are able to leverage all the vicarious data that's out there today to capture those key consumer insights to deliver a differentiated experience, will truly change the world. – Lisa Griego[46:58] “Sometimes we're completely starting from scratch which is rare. Oftentimes we're envisioning something that's possible that our customers haven't thought about, we're bringing a series of different types of capabilities together to rapidly move that journey forward because we don't want to spend years and years just dreaming about it. We want to make it real. We want to make it happen now!” - Jason Deskin[51:30] “If we're gonna create for the world, we have to be represented by the world” - Jason Deskin Resources:Contact Guests on LinkedInJason Deskin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondeskin/Lisa Griego: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-griego/Surgeons Dilemma: http://atchub.net/diversity/the-surgeons-dilemma-a-test-for-unconscious-bias *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today is a fun discussion for those of you interested in the business implications of the cloud, specifically Azure, and some experiences I have to share about my time at Microsoft working with some of the largest businesses in the world, empowering business value through novel technologies mostly centered around Machine Learning and AI. I am joined in this recorded LIVE discussion by today's host, Bret Cullivan, Azure Applications and Infrastructure, Global Partner Director, at Microsoft. As you will see, Bret and I really share a lot of ideas around business empowerment through technology, and we talk through a lot of key concepts, learnings, and trends, as Bret hosts the discussion, with the help of his peers moderating the session: Srinivasan Venkatarajan, and Shalini Chandrashekar - Azure Global Partner Directors at Microsoft. We were joined by a LIVE global audience of Microsoft partners, with a total of 175 registrants across (2) LIVE discussions, with folks dialing in from places far beyond the shores of the West Coast where Bret and I are dialing in from.Thank you for taking the time to listen to today's discussion.Key Take-aways:[07:19] A short introduction by Bret Cullivan[11:32] How to build new skills – experiences as a newcomer in the tech industry[14:53] A quote from Satya Nadella in a recent CRM Magazine interview, around the criticality of a partner ecosystem in big tech.[17:04] Emerging trends and data points for how lines of business are leveraging cloud computing, specifically Microsoft Azure[23:15] The meaning of “outcome selling”, and why it's never been so important[30:01] How to have a business decision maker conversation, centered around technology[32:49] How to start engaging an executive discussion[37:57] AI and jobs: how to present a perspective on AI to businesses [43:11] Different methodologies around advocacy, sales, and landing an effective idea across organizations[51:15] The importance of telling good stories Memorable Quotes:[24:17] “When you're thinking about outcomes… you're teaching, you are tailoring, you are taking control. Those are the three specific things that you have to build in an engagement model. We are trying to get into that outcome or that business so that they can then start to transform and translate and traverse all the things that need to happen from an I.T. perspective to activate services, to activate products, to activate cloud consumption, etc. – Derek Russell[32:55] “One thing I've done very well…if you understand what resonates with these people (executive decision makers), you can start there. And the way that you understand what resonates is understanding their strategic priorities.” - Derek Russell[38:26] “I think the theme of Microsoft, in one of the things we are doing, our AI strategy is to deploy AI everywhere and not to replace or dispose of folks who are in the market but to empower them to do more. – Derek RussellResources:Contact Guests on LinkedInBret Cullivan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretcullivan/Srinivasan Venkatarajan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srinivasanvenkatarajan/Shalini Chandrashekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalini-chandrashekar-95a08b5/Microsoft Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/ CRM Magazine: https://www.crn.com/slide-shows/cloud/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-10-boldest-statements-from-crn-s-exclusive-interview Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story authored by Miri Rodriguez: https://mirirod.com/en/ *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview recorded May 6th, of this year 2021, featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our special guests, coming to us from Microsoft's High Tech Pursuits Unicorn Team - a special team focused on accelerating, partnering, and supporting the enterprise of the future.The discussion will feature Ken Miller, GM of Microsoft's West Region Intelligent Cloud team and leader of the Unicorn team we're talking with today. Shaloo Garg will be joining us in the discussion, Shaloo is the Managing Director of Growth Stage Startups and Unicorns at Microsoft. We'll also be featuring Matt Hughes in the discussion, Matt is a High Tech industry leader at Microsoft, and the combination of these (3) guests will cover a vast array of really fun, top of mind, and critical topics across the high tech industry, and, how value will be, and continues to be captured and developed with founders, venture capitalists, and new joint partnerships in the world of fast moving and emerging technologies.If you have any interest in the future landscape of emerging tech as a founder, an investor, or an organization looking to seek differentiated ways to think about the growth stage and unicorn ecosystem, you will very much enjoy this conversation. Thank you for listening, and now we bring you Microsoft's High-Tech Pursuits Unicorn Team.Key Take-aways:[09:32] High tech trends and transformations across the technology industry [12:00] Exciting tech related market making partnerships and acquisitions[13:31] Social impact and other emerging technology industry headwinds to pay attention to[15:23] High tech at Microsoft – what is means, who are the customers, and what the future enterprise looks like[20:21] Additional forecasts for market needs and opportunities in the high tech space[25:26] What consumers demand from the high-tech industry and how the consumer is shaping innovation[27:51] The Microsoft ecosystem and support environment for high tech organizations[32:53] Transformational change across business and culture: how to navigate, cope, and seize net new opportunities[38:47] Microsoft's Unicorn Initiative and thematic areas that empower the Start-up[41:37] Shaloo's experience as a woman leader at Microsoft, and women founder perspectives in the growth stage start up eco-system[46:18] Why founders should think about partnering with Microsoft[51:43] Advice and guidance for women founders[55:39] Discussions around engaging across the high-tech community, and opportunities to discover innovation through the Microsoft Technology Centers Resources:Contact our guests:Ken Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerken/Shaloo Garg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaloo-garg/Matt Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthughes4/The Marsen Group - https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2021/03/16/microsoft-acquires-the-marsden-group-a-leader-in-rapid-industry-innovation/Nuance Communications - https://news.microsoft.com/2021/04/12/microsoft-accelerates-industry-cloud-strategy-for-healthcare-with-the-acquisition-of-nuance/What Is a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC)? https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/spac.aspMicrosoft Technology Centers - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/mtc *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft"  ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell  Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's discussion is a recording of a session hosted by my friend and colleague, Andy Winskill, a Sr. Digital Advisor at Microsoft, who also leads a community of approximately 2700 employees at Microsoft, called the "Virtual Work Learning Group". The mission of the virtual work group is to empower everyone on the planet, to create engaging, meaningful, and impactful virtual work experiences, in an environment that enables us to do our best work. The community has featured talks from some amazing women and men around topics ranging from how to be a better storyteller, all the way to fine tuning remote presentation skills.This episode features a presentation that I led around Social Influence and Virtual Selling. I am no longer in a sales organization, BUT, I do believe that everything any of us do at any capacity in our work, most likely demands for advocating our ideas and getting our perspective heard - this, I believe, will be a highly valuable skill as our ecosystems become more digital, and our thoughts and perspectives as knowledge workers and executives, become more valuable to the world.Thanks for listening. Resources: MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH - May 2021 | National Today - https://nationaltoday.com/mental-health-awareness-month/ Waking Up with Sam Harris - Discover your mind. | Waking Up - https://www.wakingup.com/ROMWOD - https://romwod.com/ Andy Winskill | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/awinskill/Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk (goodreads.com) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36045512-crushing-itEverything You Need to Know About LinkedIn Video - https://blog.hootsuite.com/linkedin-video/Social media video tips & strategies - https://sproutsocial.com/insights/topics/social-media-video/ *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft"  ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell  Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview recorded February 25th, 2021, featuring my co-host Ali Mazaheri, and our very special guest, Katy Brown, Vice President of US Enterprise for the West Region, at Microsoft.Both Ali and I have shared the distinct pleasure of working with Katy and her senior leadership team professionally at Microsoft, but in preparation for and execution of this very discussion, we had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Katy on a more personal level, and to really understand her own journey of overcoming adversity, and how it has shaped her as a leader.The discussion will cover everything including hard decisions Katy had to make to take better care of her teams and people in the wake of the pandemic, as folks had to really show up more than they ever had for their customers, partners, and families. We will discuss Katy's reflections and adjustments in how she has been taking care of herself and showing up as her best self across the past year, as well as some guiding learnings and perspectives she has developed while navigating through challenges in her personal life.We are so happy to deliver and share a truly, special episode with all of you - we all need to hear more voices of vulnerability, courage, and strength, as we continue to help each other navigate very challenging moments as we move through life and adapt, struggle, and learn through our individual journeys. Key Takeaways:[09:23] Organizational changes and continuous evolutions in the new normal for the future of work across Katy's teams at Microsoft.[11:09] Katy's opinion on the change in the customer landscape due to the Pandemic, and how Microsoft has risen to meet customer and partners with empathy.[13:03] Adapting to changes in environment, stress, and work life harmony - how Katy manages her time efficiently as a leader in the new normal.[17:50] New paradigms for how organizations can give time back to their employees, while increasing productivity and reducing work related stress during a challenging year – Katy's decisions and perspectives around empowering her organization adopt new ways of working.[18:45] General guidance to maintaining a healthy work and life balance while working remotely.[21:32] The deep life experiences that have shaped Katy as a leader: the importance of co-dependency of courage and vulnerability.[26:21] How to embrace, support, and empower others in ways that guide them to their best selves.[29:41] Katy's mindset for sharing challenging moments in her life, and how those stories can redefine how others approach their own journeys, to help shape them into stronger versions of themselves. [32:03] The incredible opportunity that presents itself, when someone reaches out from a place of struggle – the opportunity to make a lasting impact in their life. Memorable Quotes[21:42] “I believe that you are shaped as a leader through the experiences that you have in your life. Some good and some hard.“ - Katy Brown[30:40] (on talking about her experiences with others) “It starts with taking small steps. It starts with being authentic. It starts with being vulnerable, which leads to being courageous. And then I think It is an opportunity for me to give back and if I could just help just one other person, then that goes a long way.” - Katy Brown Resources: Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyabrown/ Dare to Lead by Brené Brown: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/ *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft"  ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell  Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's discussion is a LinkedIn LIVE recording of the Data Binge Podcast featuring Dr. Angus Hervey, Political Economist and co-founder of Future Crunch. Future Crunch, based out of Australia, is a think-tank focused on fostering intelligent and optimistic thinking, inspiring enthusiasm and excitement for technology, and empowering people to contribute to an inclusive future.I came across Gus in a Global MBA learning event where he led a presentation focused on the adaptability quotient, or one's ability to overcome challenges by quickly determining what's relevant in the current era of knowledge. The interest of Gus's work doesn't stop there, Future Crunch is really trying to get people excited about technology again, as it exists within every layer of our lives, and as it tends to get mostly negative attention - there is another story to tell. Future Crunch disperses a phenomenal newsletter based on optimistic events happening in and around our planet, in an attempt to change the stories of the 21st century, by changing the stories we tell ourselves. In this discussion, Gus brings together his interests across economics, politics, and science, to weave together a new perspective on human kinds future, how to prepare for it, how to understand it, and how we can all look to empathize, entertain, and contribute to a novel and wonderful, narrative for our species. Key Takeaways [10:11] The mission of Future Crunch, optimism, story-telling, and technology[09:53] Why “Giving a Damn” is different than talking about impactful causes – the Fondo Guadalupe Musalem, and other groups and charities of importance. [15:56] The history of story-telling, and the criticality of stories and their importance to the human existence across the 21st century [18:50] Modern journalism and how it has evolved [23:36] 5G and the opportunities represented by a new future of data movement [28:46] On understanding the future of technology: Language, Fire, and Medicine [37:53] The applicability of the Language, Fire and Medicine Framework and how it can help leaders and organizations navigate in both business and innovation [45:37] Why change moves very slowly, until it moves very quickly: the Adaptability quotient [49:15] On efficiency and adaptability in adjusting to change, examples of how the US Navy is building talent pools to handle more fluid work environments. [54:04] What people and organizations can do to embrace unexpected and high-velocity change [55:03] How to contact Angus and Future Crunch [56:10] Given unlimited resources, what global challenges would Angus attempt to solve Quotes [08:27] “If you're working at IT, if you're working in digital, you can always keep on improving. There is always another line of code that you can write; there is always another optimization that you can put in there. But I think when it comes to designing built environments or when it comes to developing new energy systems when it comes to just figuring out a way that people work together, sometimes it is possible to say, “okay, we nailed that. That's fixed, and we can move on.” - Angus Hervey [15:21] “So really, it is a community thing. I'd love to take credit for it, but the reason that we can support these charities is that we have around 2,000 subscribers that think that the content that we produce is worth paying for, and then we can take some of that money and put that money where our mouth is and give a damn than just talking the talk.” – Angus Hervey [34:06] “Energy touches everything. You look in the room around you wherever you are right now, every single object in this room, if you can have the cost of energy required to produce that object, you're suddenly talking about a whole new type of economy.” – Angus Hervey Resources: Future Crunch Website: https://futurecrun.ch/ Future Crunch Twitter: https://twitter.com/future_crunch Future Crunch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futurecrunch/ Additional Featured Podcasts: Open the Pod Bay Doors: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e106-angus-hervey-future-crunch/id1246074250?i=1000505737408 Dr Angus Hervey - Future Crunch: Purpose and The Adaptability Quotient: https://www.rebeccatapp.com/decodingpurposepodcasts1/2019/12/10/dr-angus-hervey-future-crunch-purpose-and-the-adaptability-quotient Chemex Coffee Maker (the ultimate example of perfect design): https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/coffeemakers.html *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft"  ____ Thank you for listening! --------------------------------   Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell  Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview recorded October 29th, of 2020 - pulled out of the vault to serve to you at this very relevant time - produced by my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and featuring special guests Ross Valentine, and guest co-host Greg Vigil.Ross Valentine is the Director of Product Services at Arrow Electronics (the world's largest electronics distributor), and has spent the last 20 years studying the global supply chain from a perspective across different industry verticals and organizations.Greg Vigil, Industry Solutions Director for the US, will be co-hosting the Manufacturing mini-series, bringing more than 10 years of manufacturing industry experience to highlight trends in market, and to bring the most modern perspectives of how the world's largest manufacturers are approaching emerging business challenges.This is going to be a really fun listen for those looking to better understand how the supply chain has been evolving over the past 20 years, the different roles that technology and talent play in the supply chain ecosystem, and the trends and business models that are declining or EMERGING as the world moves faster, better, and becomes just a little smaller each day. Key Takeaways:[08:53] Ross' 20 years experience working on supply chain and its evolution over the years[10:00] Supply chain security and how it has evolved from deep impacts across global events ranging from 911, to the Great Recession, to a global pandemic.[14:16] The shift of the supply chain as a business strategy – moving from a cost of doing business, to a competitive advantage[16:41] Observations of the consumer and business in the supply chain ecosystem, and relationships as the core competency[19:01] NASA and the reverse logistics of getting man BACK from the moon – how this compares to real world supply chain challenges[26:52] Data sharing and how technologies like Blockchain, RPA, robotics, digital twins, and AI advisors, will shape the future of the supply chain [28:17] New business models and everything as a service[30:31] Zooming out and looking at supply chain as a supply web Memorable Quotes: [15:37] “It is critical that we move from historic supply chains which are prone to disruption and breakages. That can't go on as we move to the next 20 years here. We need to build resilience. We need to look at new things. We need to look at flexibility, sustainability. It plays such an important role not just to the planet but also in how you live and operate in the future as well. It is absolutely essential that supply chains continue to evolve. We should look at the order of the supply web.”[18:44] (Sending a man to the moon relating the supply chain) “The bigger part of the problem was not getting man to the moon, it was how do we get the man back to planet Earth. So there is this entire reverse process that no one thought of. We celebrated getting there and the team getting there, but there was an incredible effort with NASA and all the different agencies to make sure that there was a reverse logistics process and they got back safely. Think about the supply chain in exactly the same way.”[20:53] “Technology is not here to replace people, it's here to improve people, to improve decision making” Resources: Connect with Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-valentine-210b6b35/ Personal Website: https://supplyweb.org/Email: ross@supplyweb.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Canalhttps://fortune.com/2020/05/18/toilet-paper-sales-surge-shortage-coronavirus-pandemic-supply-chain-cpg-panic-buying/https://fortune.com/2020/05/18/toilet-paper-sales-surge-shortage-coronavirus-pandemic-supply-chain-cpg-panic-buying/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/29/suez-canal-is-moving-but-the-supply-chain-impact-could-last-months.htmlhttps://www.arrow.com/ *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview recorded July 27th, 2020, featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our special guest, CAT Susch.CAT is a Principal Technical Architect at the Microsoft Technology Center in New York, and is sharing her experiences as a highly technical leader in the tech industry, why there are so few women in technical roles, and the challenges and opportunities presented for the culture change that businesses need to make to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce.There are very few highly technical women leaders in industry, whether it be business broadly, or specifically in the tech world - this conversation will really surface both some data for why this could be, as well as solutions for women specifically, as CAT walks through her experience both working at Microsoft and at other organizations, as well as what we can all do to contribute to causes that impact the overall inclusion and leadership participation of women in our workforce and society.This was such a special episode, and we're so happy we can surface it this month as a special feature to Woman's History Month.Key Take-aways[06:59] CAT's background, and her career journey as a highly technical practitioner[09:32] Opportunities for diversity and inclusion in technology, and her latest work in virtual hackathons[12:47] The challenges facing women in highly technical leadership roles[16:22] How to get a wider base of women to apply to technology opportunities[20:52] On cultivating and mentoring women towards attracting them to technical roles[23:36] The impact of community events for young women and early in career women[26:06] On the influence of culture and customer expectation – how to be good examples of partner organizations and customers[28:06] On cross-collaboration or partnerships to build confidence for women to apply[29:26] What the Digi Girls project is and doing things for the younger women in Microsoft[31:57] CAT fostering international mentor relationships and engagements: a story about Beatrice and Ana[34:55] Innovative and ideas for structuring experience heavy activities for women through the pandemic[37:41] CAT's endeavors and ambitions to continue creating an impact on the current and future state of the women's technical community Memorable Quotes: [13:13] “I was seeing that women are going towards program/project management more often than I am seeing them go toward technical roles. And there were several times in my career where “you are good at planning, why don't you become a project manager”, then I would be like, “is that my only choice?” So I would typically make my decisions with my feet and move on to other positions that continue to give me technical accountability...” - Cat Susch[16:56] “It's harder for women to take on stretch goals or stretch roles… It is not necessarily because they lack the confidence, it is also the visibility to where those other opportunities are and how they get enrolled or get involved in those things.” - Cat Susch[17:47] (getting a wider base of women to apply) “I think we need to do more to attract the kind of roles that women would want to take both from the technical position or non-technical position and understand that some women may have come up through different tracks to get there.” - Cat Susch[18:44] “When I came up through the technology era, the PCs were just being invented, and at that time it wasn't that atypical that the boy in the family would get the PC and the girl wouldn't and that has had a lot of impacts I think on how things have recurred in technology through decades, and we can't disregard that. I think it's time for the fathers to get the girls techy toys and take a role there as well.” - Cat Susch Resources:Cat Susch on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catsusch/Women in Technical Roles Statistics: https://leftronic.com/women-in-technology-statistics/#:~:text=17%2B%20Women%20in%20Technology%20Statistics%20to%20Know%20in,than%20code%20written%20by%20men.%20More%20items...%20Women in Business and Technology Podcast: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/women-in-business-technologyDigiGirlz at Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/programs/digigirlz/default.aspxWhat can a Technical Architect at Microsoft learn from a Girl born to be a Child Bride? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-can-technical-architect-microsoft-learn-from-girl-linda-lockhart/?trackingId=TwAOtXfunD5d4tnBc5r5DQ%3D%3D *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft" ____ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a special "Black History Month" Simply Tech LIVE interview, produced this time, by my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and featuring our guests, Sonya Weaver-Johnson: Director of Sales for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Microsoft, and Celeste Alleyne, Director of Executive Engagements for Content Operations & Corporate Events.We visit topics across the episode ranging from the very idea of Technology for Good and what that means, to the power of community and culture transformation in large organizations, to how to build communities - however that may need to come about, whether in organization or in your local community. Both Sonya and Celeste really bring an incredible energy that you'll feel in the discussion, I'm proud to be connected to these two women, and so happy that we can share some of their perspective with you today. Key Take-aways:[06:19] Sonya & Celeste describe their current roles at Microsoft, and their journey into big-tech [10:12] A description of what “Technology for Good” actually means, as a focus area for business [12:40] The Global Skills Initiative, and the impact that skilling can have on the digital divide as exacerbated by the global pandemic [14:48] Sonya's opportunity to be part of Nasdaq's closing bell ceremony, to kick off Black History Month [15:23] The Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) employee resource group, and the foundations of its mission oriented pillars [17:50] National Ambassador Councils, and how assembling people within distinct communities can generate lasting change and impact at scale [20:18] The new Empathy in Action initiative at Microsoft in response to needed culture change, and Celeste's visit with Brian Stevenson from the Equal Justice Initiative [22:14] The most critical components in building successful communities [25:10] What both Celeste and Sonya both wish they knew Ten years ago coming into their career [28:06] Guidance on how organizations can approach using technology or business for good [29:49] Q&A: The difference between a mentor and a sponsor Memorable Quotes:[22:18] “I think community building is something that we do out of your heart really, right? And so, when you think about building a community or think you have what it takes, I think there are three imperatives I call the three Ps. You have got to have the Passion for bringing folks together. You have to be Persistent, and you also have to be Patient. And there is no compromising on those three things.” - Sonya Weaver-Johnson [23:16] “I have three things that have people to take away in terms of building communities. When we first get started with the Ambassador Councils, we want to bring people of all backgrounds and various backgrounds together. So that was number one. Number two was we wanted people to feel empowered to be creative. We did not want to tell them what they should do, but we wanted them to figure out what is important for their community within their city. The third one is to look at what is working and build from there because there are a lot of things that people are already doing yet we are right on point for the city that they live in… And of course, the fourth one is resources.” - Celeste Alleyne [25:24] “A mentor is someone who can coach you, who is someone who can listen to you, and someone who can guide you. A sponsor is a person that actually could get you your next promotion and your next opportunity. A sponsor is somebody who is going to be in that room to say no, he or she is the right person for this opportunity, for this job.” - Celeste Alleyne [25:56] “I think for me, the words smart, articulate, eloquent, and someone who speaks up are not bad words. But they are when someone says this person is so aggressive. I heard that my entire career. When you say that a man is aggressive when he is articulate, smart, speaks up, and has something to say? No, you don't. So, I have learned not to give myself up about being able to speak up because I feel that I have a voice, and that voice is going to be helpful not just to know other people but to my company as a whole and to the work that we are doing. So I tell all young women to not be afraid to speak up.” - Celeste Alleyne [27:08] “I think many of us get caught up in working hard and long hours, and even working smart, but the fact of the matter is that the progression and acceleration that you can receive in your career through that of a sponsor often outplays what you can do on your own.” - Sonya Weaver-Johnson [28:14] “If you have an end goal you want to get to, you have to first have a goal. So you'll set goals and don't be afraid to set big goals for yourself. Also, you want to stay the course, keep your eye on that prize… make sure that you learn from your setbacks. That is an opportunity to grow.” - Sonya Weaver-Johnson [28:47] “If your intentions are good, check your intentions, number one. Number two, I always tell people to do their research, know what you are going after and know it very well, and also know your brand, like building your brand. And then lastly, take one or things and do it well and build out results and metrics from those two things.” - Celeste Alleyne [29:58] “(on getting sponsors) I have learned that I always ask for what I want because if you don't ask for it, you won't get it… Do not be afraid to ask someone who you admire and whose work you think is impeccable, and who knows you very well. That is the key they have to know you. ” - Celeste Alleyne [31:02] “I think the best sponsors are those that have proximity to you, those who know your strengths and weaknesses, those who have seen you in action, because those sponsors are more likely to go to bat for you at the end of the day.” - Sonya Weaver-Johnson Resources:Sonia Weaver-Johnson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonyaweaverjohnson/ Celeste Alleyne on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/celeste-alleyne-9b9bab2/ Global Skills Initiative - https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/06/30/microsoft-launches-initiative-to-help-25-million-people-worldwide-acquire-the-digital-skills-needed-in-a-covid-19-economy/ The Microsoft Accelerate Program - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/us-partner-blog/2020/12/08/a-new-program-to-level-the-playing-field-microsoft-accelerate/ Equal Justice Initiative - https://eji.org/ ____ *The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of their employer, Microsoft"  Thank you for listening! --------------------------------   Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell   Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

This discussion is a LinkedIn LIVE recording of the Data Binge Podcast featuring Chris Redlitz and Jason Jones, of The Last Mile, a non-profit breaking the mass incarceration cycle by combating recidivism through in-person education and post-release mentorship focused on coding and software engineering. (for those pondering what this means, recidivism is the tendency for a convicted criminal to reoffend). The Last Mile's returned citizen alumni, maintain 0% recidivism. Chris Redlitz is a general partner of Transmedia Capital, one of the best performing micro funds in Silicon Valley, and co-founder of The Last Mile. Through The Last Mile, Chris, along with his wife and co-founder Beverly Parenti, launched the first-ever full stack coding program inside US prisons. Previously, Chris co-founded KickLabs, which Forbes ranked as a top technology accelerator and incubated Wish, AngelList and other influential companies. He received Ad Age's prestigious i20 award for his contributions to the development of interactive marketing and advertising. Earlier in his career, Chris was part of Reebok's explosive growth where he held positions in sales and marketing and also owned one of the first specialty sports retail chains in Southern California. Jason Jones is a full-time disruptor, activist, educator, and software engineer. Jason is the Remote Instructor Manager for The Last Mile, and leads a team of educators that remotes into classrooms across the US to deliver virtual lessons in computer coding. On September 25th, 2018, Jason was released after 13 ½ years incarcerated, during which time he graduated from The Last Mile's inaugural coding class. Three weeks before his release, Jason became the first person from his cohort to sign a work agreement with a tech company as a software engineer. Jason was also the first justice-involved person to be accepted into the Lightspeed fellowship with a team from Stanford, and today he is a participant in the Koch Associate Program.We talk across a broad range of topics in our time together today, from the very problem that The Last Mile is committed to help solve, to the systemic impact that incarceration creates within different communities, and the importance of solving the challenges facing the formerly incarcerated and system impacted individuals in our country.If you'd like to find out more about The Last Mile, or you are looking for ways to contribute, you can navigate to thelastmile.org/, or you can send an email to info@thelastmile.orgThank you for listening, and for being a part of this very important conversation. Key Takeaways: [07:28] The context of The Last Mile (TLM) and why is it created[09:30] What TLM means and the importance of Jason's story[11:31] The gap between hope and transparency for the justice impacted[13:41] What came into Chris's mind in creating TLM and the vision for hope and transparency[17:12] How TLM integrated into the prison system, and the importance of story telling[19:36] The big problems that The Last Mile is trying to solve[20:54] The challenge of developing a support system and creating opportunities for the justice impacted[24:39] How Chris and Jason think providing coding skills disrupts the very lineage of the problem [30:18] The process of admitting and providing education within the prison system[34:55] The obstacles that Chris and Jason have to overcome at the student level as part of the process and how this is navigated[38:46] Perceived challenges at the hiring organization level, when hiring justice impacted graduates [41:49] What Jason sees as potential challenges in working with companies as a TLM graduate[44:55] The big vision for TLM[48:58] What direction Jason seeks from the program, its listeners, and its communities[51:05] What support TLM needs and ways to get involved[55:55] What causes would they focus efforts on, if allocated unlimited resources and seven days to execute Memorable Quotes:[12:30] “When you talk about where the problem lies, not only control the narratives but also be able to see more than what your current situation is.” - Jason Jones [19:42] “I think that is one of the leverages we have been able to have is make our participants more visible by doing interviews or having media coms, stuff like that, putting the story to the name and not just the crime to a person. That's where it is really easy to dehumanize people, when all you have to go off of is just a crime or the narratives that are out there.” - Jason Jones[20:55] “The most vulnerable time for someone who's coming out is the first 120 days, and it's having a job, having a place to live, and a support system. So, we have worked really hard at developing that. We started inside as education, now we have a full-blown re-entry effort.” - Chris Ridlitz[22:14] “It is really important for us to sort of break that mental ceiling. There are people in prison who are living in a box and many think in the box, and you have to think literally sort of not to go trampled out of the box and blow away that perceived ceiling and we've done that now.” - Chris Ridlitz[32:38] “In our classroom we have every ethnicity, we have all folks working together that may not have ever interacted in their facilities or in the yard. I think it's important that it's not only the coding but it is also learning how to interact and work in teams and be collaborative and that's a big big part of it.” - Chris Ridlitz[34:03] “That was like the big challenge for all of us is just breaking down the barriers of politics inside. Once that happens and all those areas get broken down it makes it so much easier to learn because everyone's goal is to learn as much as they can so that it can get them close to getting a job in tech.” - Jason Jones[37:20] “When you think about the experience of each one of our learners and the different types of ways that they learn, one thing that helps is the fact that our company's built in a diverse way where so many different experiences on business, venture capitalists, corporate world, and then lived experience of incarceration, and learning in the program, you add that in the pot and you create a human-centered design and it makes a lot easier to build the system support for each individual.” - Jason Jones[49:49] “You shift from being system impacted to impacting systems. That is where I really want everything to start shifting towards. No one else is doing it. What we are doing is revolutionary. It's all about disruption.” - Jason Jones Resources:The Last Mile – thelastmile.org/ Learning to Code in Prison - https://youtu.be/7P4klAfyiG8 A Look Inside An Oklahoma Prison | Women Learning to Code - https://youtu.be/XjCpEKF_K6o Prevalence of Imprisonment in the US Population, 1974-2001 - https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/piusp01.pdfPrison Policy Initiative: Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020 - https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html Just Mercy Movie - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4916630/ Thank you for listening! --------------------------------   Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell   Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

This month, February of 2021, is a very special month for many different communities, February is officially designated as "Black History Month" - an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans, and for recognizing their central role in U.S. History. Originally this special time of year was sponsored by the Association for Study of African American Life and History, as the national Negro History week, chosen in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln & Fredrick Douglass. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”. Since 1976, every American president has followed the February designation of Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The theme for 2021, "Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity".In honor of Black History Month, the content of this podcast through February, will focus on black leadership in technology, and will give more attention to voices that are very seldom elevated.--------------------------------Joseph Akoni is a Product Manager at LinkedIn, and joins this LIVE recording of the Data Binge Podcast to discuss how different cultures and communities develop and consume technology. Joseph's first product release as a LinkedIn Product Manager was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal in July of 2020. The profile name pronunciation feature allows for the opportunity of correct pronunciation of names, a critical component in creating an inclusive workplace. If you haven't seen this capability, it allows you to record a 10 second clip of a LinkedIn member recording their name, a brilliant piece of tech changing a very important part of how we relate and communicate to each other as humans - the correct pronunciation of our very names.Joseph brings with him a collection of product manager and consulting experiences across some very recognizable businesses from Lyft, Intel, and Nvidia, all the way to Ford Motor Company. Joseph's academic achievements include an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.Joseph was also a fellow of the Management Leadership for Tomorrow's MBA Prep program, a non-profit led fellowship focusing on accelerating the career outcomes of African Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans. If you are interested in the program or would like to find out more about Management Leadership for Tomorrow, you can find links in the show-notes of this episode.  Key Takeaways: [07:56] Joseph's Management Leadership for Tomorrow experience, and background on his career trajectory to LinkedIn [09:49] The LinkedIn profile name pronunciation feature, and the product debut in the Wall Street Journal [11:04] Joseph's experience with LinkedIn [13:53] Careers in product management, and the types of experiences and capabilities that are native to the role [20:11] The intersection of product and culture [23:32] Understanding multi-constituent cultures, and how they consume technology [27:55] Product management trends and changes to expect in 2021 [34:09] The criticality of recruiting for diverse and inclusive talent pools, and how organizations can look at changing their recruiting patterns [34:52] Joseph's journey across academics, organizational networks, and creating connections for future opportunities [39:17] The “lived experience”, and the global perspective needed to capture product adoption at a planetary scale [43:19] Adopting new perspectives, and how to increase the aperture for perspective across product management and development [46:55] Future projects Memorable Quotes:[15:17] “If you're in that mental space where you like to build things and improve how people interact with technology, the PM role is ideal.” [18:02] “Your professional life is not just what you do at work. Your personal, your culture, all that affects how you bring yourself to work.” [18:41] “Your name is the first thing that refers to you as. It represents who you are or where you came from.” [40:05] “It is in understanding that you have to dive deep into various cultures and how products resonate with them: how they interact with technology, how they interact with each other outside of technology, to understand the best way to build your product, to ensure that it gets adopted worldwide." Resources: Joseph Akoni on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephakoni/ Joseph Akoni Product Management Blog - https://www.thepzeropm.com/ Management Leadership for Tomorrow - https://mlt.org/ Boomerang by Michael Lewis - http://michaellewiswrites.com/#boomerang LinkedIn Wants to End Pronunciation Gaffes on Names With New Audio Feature - WSJ - https://www.wsj.com/articles/linkedin-wants-to-end-pronunciation-gaffes-on-names-with-new-audio-feature-11594067349 The 5 Top Trends in Product Management to Watch in 2021 - https://www.productplan.com/top-trends-in-product-management/ 9 Surprising Stats about Product Management (and What They Actually Mean for You) | airfocus - https://airfocus.com/blog/surprising-product-management-stats/ Why Software is Eating the World - https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/ Thank you for listening! --------------------------------    Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter   Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell   Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com   Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featured Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetwork Medium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussell Email: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our special guest, Erik Åsberg. Erik is the Chief Technology Officer of eSmart Systems -- an applied AI solution that is transforming the way the world's leading energy providers inspect and maintain critical infrastructure. If you are unfamiliar with this type of tech, eSmart's grid systems solution injects high resolution drone and helicopter video footage into their AI application, to help detect structural issues in cables, towers, and other energy based infrastructure to prevent catastrophic failures and events (which for those of you who are living in California, could include wildfires). Additionally, eSmart is focused on the future of the smart grid, as both utilities and energy consumers seek to optimize energy investments, reduce energy consumption, and cut climate emissions. Erik is our first international guest - joining us from Halden, Norway, and brings with him a wonderful collection of experiences in his 20-year career in tech and energy. In parallel to Erik's CTO leadership at eSmart, he was also was nominated to be a Microsoft Regional Director - a 2 year program reserved by nomination only, recognizing the world's top technology visionaries. The entirety of this discussion focused on opportunities and capabilities available from the collaborative work between humans and machines (AI). Key Takeaways:[07:16] Background on Erik Åsberg and eSmart[10:32] The AI enhanced applications eSmart brings to the market and how the organization has evolved[16:42] AI model training and workflow for dynamic data sets [21:25] eSmart's target market, and why the energy industry is in need of automation technology[22:32] How Erik's team approaches their application testing and code management [23:56] Modern data capture and workflows for AI based applications [27:15] The idea of collaborative AI, and the power of the relationship between humans and machine – the feedback loop of intelligence growth[31:37] eSmart specific projects ranging from global energy infrastructure, oil & gas, and partnerships with Microsoft[33:50] Cultural challenges Erik has encountered while introducing AI in industry, and how to overcome objections to AI tech[36:54] Future scenarios as strategic targets for AI problem solving in the smart grid and energy arena[39:02] What the Microsoft Regional Director designation is all about[40:39] Getting a hold of eSmart, and being a part of the energy AI community Memorable Quotes:[16:03] “Now we try to focus on the value of the application, not much the technology behind it.”[24:03] “Some of our competitors, they do end-to-end. So they do the inspection, collection, and the software as well. Now we see that it can be, from our perspective, it can be difficult to scale cause you need to have people everywhere.”[28:20] That's what we call collaborative AI, where we work together with the engineers that do the inspection, and we improve the AI continuously by working with them” [38:23] “What we are doing is we are digitizing something digital.” Resources:eSmart Systems - https://www.esmartsystems.com/ Microsoft Regional Director - https://rd.microsoft.com/en-us/about/Erik Åsberg LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-osberg/ Thank you for listening! -------------------------------- Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.com Connect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's discussion features a LIVE interview hosted by Chat Mode, a system integrator focused on implementing conversational AI, located in Bellevue Washington. This particular LIVE discussion is part of a multi segment series, the Chat Mode Insight Series - a sharing of best practices, information, and insights around everything chatbots, voice and AI technology. Chad Oda, the host of the program and head of consulting at Chat Mode, engages with me in this discussion around AI adoption, program management, and the realities of accelerating successful AI projects with the world's biggest businesses and organizations.The conversation covers topics that are often not discussed enough in the world of AI and machine learning - the ideas behind advocating for mission critical technological change, with the most progressive, evolving, and accessible tech - across a broad range of challenges ranging from organizational politics, AI maturity within an organization, all the way to choosing the right problems to align resources to solve, are all part of this discussion with Chad at Chat Mode. Key Takeaways:[06:22] Recent learnings in the realm of AI deployment in large organizations[08:20] How Derek is interacting with customers on the front-line[10:35] The change of AI trends across the past couple of years, and the evolution of projects and use cases as technology accelerates through cloud computing[16:55] The general sentiment Derek hears around AI at the executive level with the world's largest organizations[19:40] Use case identification and qualification when talking to business leaders[26:25] The various mindsets around technology adoption and deployment within organizations[31:31] The characterization of AI strategy and how to get customers to think through this strategy[40:50] Chatbot solution adoption, and the business value demonstrated by automated AI solutions[46:29] The future of chat bots, voice, and other integration technologies[50:20] Relevant examples of specific business problems and customer outcomes[54:57] Finding motivation and inspiration in the world of AI – the importance of the democratization of skilling and learning in AI/ML Memorable Quotes:[25:40] “Understanding scope, commitment, and time horizon and the problem…, all of those things pour the bedrock for credibility, the You have to have credibility when you come to the conversation.”[48:56] “The future is not buying more technology, that's the beautiful thing about the current state of technology. All it is, is you're consuming services that you can kill, because of cloud computing” Resources:Chad Oda LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadoda/Chat Mode - https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatmode/ The Data Binge Podcast with Brandon Rohrer – https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/thedatabingeepisodes/2020/10/55-robotics-machine-intelligenceThe Data Binge Podcast with Elnaz Sarraf - https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/thedatabingeepisodes/2020/11/54-personalized-learning-experiences-for-every-childMicrosoft Garage - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/garage/Full Interview on Youtube - https://youtu.be/X3NEF3xmBAkThank you for listening! --------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode features Joe Forline. Joe is a Sr. Manager of Chapter Advancement at Make-a-wish America. Make-a-wish creates life changing experiences for children with critical illnesses. Founded in 1980, Make-a-wish has granted over 330,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses in the US, and 15,800 wishes in 2019 alone - when a child's wish is granted by Make-a-wish, it helps build the physical and emotional strength needed to combat critical illness. This idea, making contributions of energy, gratitude, and love in the form of acts of kindness, are at the center of the today's episode.Joe brings with him both a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Mechanical engineering, and began his career as a product engineer at L3 Technologies, an Aerospace & defense business, who provides solutions to DoD, the United States Intelligence Community, and Nasa. You will learn more about what pulled Joe to Make-a-wish, and you'll learn more about the idea of purpose and the very human emotions that come along with serving others. If you are wondering how you can contribute to the welfare of others, or you are searching for something to be a part of that will enrich your life and the lives of others, you'll find this episode enlightening for you, as Joe helps us navigate the essence of giving and the simplicity of the process. If you would like to contribute at any level or capacity, to create a life changing experience for a child with a critical illness, you can navigate to wish.org to learn more. Key Takeaways:[06:44] What Joe's role is at Make-A-Wish[09:46] The mission of Make-A-Wish, the magic of a wish to the child that it serves[16:29] A favorite story of Joe's favorite wish, and other memorable examples[18:31] What prompted Joe to do work that serves others, and how Joe made the transition from aerospace and defense, to a non-profit.[23:24] How the work at Make a Wish has changed the way Joe sees the world.[26:06] “Mission Monday moment's” – the importance of anchoring an organization in it's mission, and how this impacts culture[29:02] The feedback loop of gratitude expression within an organization, and the lasting impact across it's people.[34:28] How gratitude can help define and direct organizational culture[37:03] Applications, methods, and tools used to generate gratitude across an organization [45:57] Additional thoughts on how to contribute to causes we care for – how to get started Memorable Quotes:[09:46] “Our mission is laser-focused. We, together, grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illness. That's all we do. It's simple and that's what everyone is marching towards.”[12:27] “I joined Make a Wish for a number of reasons but ultimately, I was brought up that giving back to others and serving others was just something you did. It was important and that's ultimately the purpose of life, to serve others.”Resources:Joe P. Forline LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-p-forline/Joe P. Forline Email - jforline@wish.orgMake a Wish - https://wish.org/Brody's Wish - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US0AICx_LKsGabe's Wish - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRl1cpR-eF8Kudos App - https://www.kudos.com/Richard K. Davis - https://wish.org/news-releases/new-ceoGordon Ramsay - https://www.gordonramsay.com/Life Rolls On - https://liferollson.org/Thank you for listening! --------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our special guest, Gina Loften. Gina is the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft US, where she connects business leaders to unique perspectives that inspire them to drive the future of their business and accelerate and deliver digital transformational journeys built on deep customer knowledge and industry expertise.Prior to Gina's career at Microsoft, she led global initiatives for IBM's Watson, served as IBM's CTO for North America Consulting Services and Hybrid Cloud, and was a leader in IBM's Global Cloud Consulting Services business unit. Outside of Microsoft, she has served on the boards of George Mason Research Foundation, Museum of Life and Science, and Rise Against Hunger. Gina has addressed social topics that include how AI can help mental health among veterans, the true value of data for government and how open source can bring agencies to the cloud.Gina graduated from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering - a Historically Black Research University. Gina is incredibly passionate about Diversity & Inclusion, diverse thinking in the future of the workplace both internally and externally as it impacts people and organizations globally, and inclusion, inspiring today's youth to achieve their goals and inclusive work cultures that bring accessibility into a more modern workplace. Gina's thought leadership consistently finds a place across Women in Tech and Girls in Stem dialogues in the industry and across various communities.Key Takeaways:[07:47] Common trends Gina has seen within the industry following the cross section of technology and culture[10:43] Gina's career at IBM, and the main differences between tech giants IBM and Microsoft[12:49] The definition of the connected customer experience[15:59] How Gina's personal journey of adversity has helped her develop a perspective of empathy, compassion, and contribution[20:20] Specific areas of interest that energize Gina across technology and business[27:06] How those seeking career success can leverage experience and opportunities in the journey to leadership[26:51] Gina's guidance to those looking for highly technical leadership roles in large organizationsMemorable Quotes:[17:10] “People don't get a vote on your dreams, so they don't get to take it away.”[17:40] “You gotta define what's important to you and have the courage to speak out when things aren't as they should be.”[22:26] “No matter what industry you are in, you're gonna have to have some digital skills to succeed.”[27:08] “Make sure that you practice courage and risk-taking.”Resources:Contact Gina Loften - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginaloften/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/programs/digigirlz/default.aspx https://workforce.org/Thank you for listening! --------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode features Brandon Rohrer, Principal Data Scientist at iRobot. iRobot is an American robotics company that designs and builds consumer robots, including the Roomba, an AI powered autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner. Brandon is also the founder and lead instructor of an online course, "End-to-end Machine Learning", or E2EML, is a fun and very helpful learning environment focused on helping students learn the fundamental concepts in python based machine learning & AI. E2EML just hit 10,000 students around the original time of our LIVE discussion, so congratulations to Brandon on that huge achievement. If you are interested in learning or further understanding machine learning topics from basic to advanced, definitely take a look at his course, links included below.Brandon brings with him a deep math and sciences background with graduate and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as data science experiences from modeling plant genetics, to teaching and solving problems in big tech at Microsoft to Facebook, to helping robots do more efficient and intelligent jobs, at iRobot.Key Takeaways:[08:03] What Brandon does at iRobot and how he got into data science [12:45] The types of problems in the world, that make data science so important right now [16:06] What Brandon likes about difficult problems and what his framework is when approaching them [21:59] The difference between robotics and machine intelligence [25:08] Brandon's opinions and perspectives on intelligence: narrow vs broad [29:43] Specific limitations to technology that Brandon thinks people and organizations should consider [33:44] What Brandon thinks should be done to make it easier for folks to truly democratize opportunities behind quickly evolving technologies [38:28] The mindset needed to explore key new concepts [43:15] Brandon's fear management protocol [46:31] The importance of teaching robotics to children [50:18] What Brandon's End-to-End Machine Learning school is all about Memorable Quotes: [33:45] “One of the most radical things I can think of is to make technology education available to everyone.” [38:34] “We have a lot of pressure not to be wrong, not to say the dumb thing, not to make mistakes.” [40:48] Getting comfortable being wrong, getting comfortable making mistakes is one thing. Also, knowing that feeling lost is normal. It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.” Resources:Brandon Rohrer LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brohrer/End-to-end Machine Learning - https://end-to-end-machine-learning.teachable.com/p/complete-course-library-full-end-to-end-machine-learning-catalog Brandor Rohrer Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/BrandonRohrer Brandon Rohrer Twitter - https://twitter.com/_brohrer_?lang=enJapan rapidly moving toward Society 5.0: https://hbr.org/sponsored/2020/02/how-japan-uses-ai-and-robotics-to-solve-social-issues-and-achieve-economic-growthThe Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind by Alison Gopnik - https://www.amazon.com/Scientist-Crib-Early-Learning-Tells/dp/0688177883iRobot - https://www.irobot.com/ Thank you for listening! --------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our special guest, Elnaz Sarraf. Elnaz is the Founder & CEO of ROYBI, an investor-backed EdTech company that raised $4.2 million in its seed round, focusing on early childhood education and self-guided learning through artificial intelligence. Roybi is the creator of Roybi Robot, an interactive language learning tutor for children 3 and older, featuring 500+ lessons, 70 Subject Categories, and 70,000 vocabularies, that grow over time with your child. Roybi Robot was featured in TIME Magazine's "100 best inventions of 2019", and recognized in the 2019 World Changing Ideas list by Fast Company, and is on the 2019 CNBC Upstart 100 list as one of the world's most promising startups. Roybi Robot's mission is quite clear, "to provide a personalized learning experience for every child, highlighting their unique abilities and interests. We create a strong educational foundation for children during early childhood, putting them on track for a successful future".Elnaz grew up as a woman in Iran, and due to her personal experiences around cultural limitations of opportunities, she was inspired to create technology that would empower others - and you can really feel this in Elnaz's passion as she navigates the discussion. Elnaz has over 15 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, and also led and co-founded iBaby, a consumer electronics/IoT company, and leader in the baby monitor industry. Elnaz has been awarded numerous honoris including being selected as a Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center Milestone Maker, she was also included in the Silicon Valley Women of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2017, and recognized as a Female Entrepreneur of the Year by Women World Awards in 2017. Most recently, Elnaz has been invited to be an official member of the Forbes Technology Council. Key Takeaways[09:13] The specific problem ROYBI solves, and Elnaz's approach to the solution[11:39] How ROYBI can be used to help children with special needs[13:58] What brought Elnaz to the US and how she ended up becoming an entrepreneur[17:48] Feedback Elnaz has gotten from the kids and parents who are using ROYBI in their homes[20:21] The design journey and continuous feedback loop needed to create ROYBI[26:26] What Elnaz's thoughts are for the future, how education needs to evolve and personalize[31:57] Opportunities for ROYBI to help enable teachers in the classroom[34:42] Interaction limitations, curriculum, and data driven experiences between children and the robot[37:03] Additional growth areas in AI and ML with Roybi Robot – the future of data driven education [40:53] Advice Elnaz has for parents who seek to guide their own children with their personalized learning curriculums[43:20] Elnaz's advice to women who want to become entrepreneurs and engage in start-up culture Memorable Quotes[08:24] “The whole startup environment is so different. It is challenging and also so exciting cause every day, you have to deal with different aspects.”[06:59] “Now that we have more advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, it can help us to create better experiences.”[33:27] “I can really see ROYBI becoming part of the system, to help teachers to access more opportunities.” Resources: Elnaz Sarraf LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elnazsarraf/ROYBI - https://roybirobot.com/National Center for Education Statistics - https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/tables/dt18_209.30.aspHow Is AI Used In Education -- Real World Examples Of Today And A Peek Into The Future - https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/07/25/how-is-ai-used-in-education-real-world-examples-of-today-and-a-peek-into-the-future/#67cef041586eChildren Learning with a Social Robot - https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2157689.2157809 Thank you for listening! --------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell Learn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a solo discussion, culminating the top 10 learnings I've pulled away from a little over 3 years working at Microsoft US. These learnings were the outcome of numerous collaborations with amazing colleagues, mentors, and leaders within the Microsoft ecosystem and network. None of these were possible without the incredible opportunities provided by a thriving culture that is incentivized on empathy, creating impact for others and leveraging the impact of others, and a dynamic sense of doing things that are good for the world.Top 10 Learnings:1. What makes you fearful, is a worthy pursuit2. Lead with empathy3. Establish a routine4. Be clear about your values, and do your best to align your work, with your values5. Don't start your day until you finish it6. Write a damn good email7. Lead every human engagement with positivity & energy8. Do your best to include the smallest voice in the room9. Have a distinct and specific vision, and revisit often10. What is your legacy?Key Takeaways[03:10] What makes you fearful is a worth pursuit[07:58] Lead with empathy[11:30] Establish a routine[15:43] Be clear about your values[18:10] Don't start your day until you finish it[22:14] You have to track you time if you want to manage your time[27:44] Lead every human engagement with positivity and energy[29:00] Do your best to include the smallest voice in the room[30:40] Have a distinct and specific vision and revisit that vision often[34:37] Determine what your legacy isMemorable Quotes[04:05] “I really believe that if something is giving you fear, then it is something that you should really really compound and focus on.”[09:58] “I'm very hopeful about the world doing something about climate change.”[18:42] “Plan out your day before you start your day. Have that routine.”[23:17] “There is a way to manage your time but you cannot manage your time if you don't diagnose and track your time.”Resources:Waking Up App by Sam Harris - https://wakingup.com/Jim Rohn - https://www.jimrohn.com/The Social Dilemma (Netflix) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_DilemmaKate Johnson (Microsoft President) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katejohnsonatms/The Values Deck | A Card Sorting Game to Explore Your Personal Values: https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Your-Values-The-Deck/dp/0578493616#:~:text=%20The%20Values%20Deck%20%201%20Make%20sure,individual%20values%20organized%20by%20color-coded%20categories%20More%20Books Mentioned:Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson - https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Story-Justice-Redemption/dp/081298496XMiracle Morning Millionaires: What the Wealthy Do Before 8AM That Will Make You Rich by Hal Elrod - https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Morning-Millionaires-Wealthy-Before/dp/1942589239The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker - https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Harperbusiness-Essentials/dp/0060833459Thank you for listening!--------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletterInterested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a LIVE recording of The Data Binge podcast, hosted on LinkedIn, featuring Mike Sarraille, and George Randle. the co-authors of "The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent". The Talent War is available for pre-order, and scheduled to be made available anywhere you can buy books, on November 10th, 2020, in line with the United States Marine Corps Birthday, hallmarking the same day in 1775, when the Continental Marines were established.Mike Sarraille is a retired US Navy SEAL office, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, and the CEO and Co-Founder of EF Overwatch, an executive Search Firm and Talent Advisory, specializing in the recruiting, training and placement of U.S special operations forces veterans with organizations seeking top talent, co-founded with Jocko Willink. Mike served 15 years as an officer in the SEAL Teams, and 5 years in the US Marine Corps as an enlisted Recon Marine and Scout-Sniper. Mike served in SEAL Team 3 Task Unit Bruiser, alongside “Extreme Ownership” authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, where he led major combat operations that played a pivotal role in the Battle of Ramadi in 2006. Mike assumed duties as the primary leadership instructor for all officers graduating from the SEAL training pipeline, and was then selected for assignment to the Joint Special Operations Command where he completed multiple combat deployments. Mike is a recipient of the Silver Star, six Bronze Stars, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, and a Purple Heart.George Randle combines 20+ years of Fortune 100 and Fortune 1000 global Human Resources and Talent Acquisition Executive experience enabling individuals, teams and organizations achieve consistent and impactful outcomes. George is Hogan (HPI, HDS and MVPI) Leadership Assessment Certified, and began his professional life by enlisting in the US Army Reserve, where he got his commission as an Active Duty Army Officer through ROTC. George's career assignments included the US Army Berlin Brigade, US CENTCOM and III Corps with deployments to Africa, Central America and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Over the course of his active duty time he was privileged to serve in key leadership assignments – twice as a Platoon Leader, as the Executive Officer for the largest company in Berlin and finally 2 years as a Company Commander at Ft. Hood, Texas. In George's transition to the corporate world, he created the first Junior Military Officer Hiring Program for a Top-5 consulting firm, and went on to create one of the largest and most successful Veteran Hiring Programs for a Global Fortune 50 firm. In both instances, these programs resulted in the employer being ranked as a Top 100 Military Friendly Employer. For the last 20 years, concurrently with his roles as a Talent Acquisition Executive, George has trained and coached 1000's of Veterans on interviewing and career search skills. Today, George is the VP and Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Forcepoint, an industry-leading cyber security firm.Key Takeaways[11:20] The driving forces in George and Mike's lives that prompted them to write their book, “The Talent War”[16:27] The current state rigidity in hiring processes, and the importance of talent[18:03] The “talent” mindset”, vs the growth mindset – what organization must have to be successful[23:32] The Chief Human Resources Office role, the values, principles, and trats of leaders that should step into this role in any organization[31:48] The interview process[42:04] Culture and likeability as critical factors vs non-factors, for candidate selection[52:57] Talent retention and hiring for technical talent – maintaining the philosophy of hiring for character and training for skill, in highly technical roles[01:11:30] What is next for George and Mike after the release of “The Talent War”Memorable Quotes[11:20] “George and I are passionate about leadership and this book really is a subset of leadership. It's a very important aspect of leadership and it's usually the first stage of leadership, it's forming the team and bringing the right people into the organization to take an idea and drive it into something that is tangible.” -Mike[20:39] “Part of the talent mindset is ultimately getting to a point where you're treating your human capital with the same rigor, the same focus, the same level of importance as your financial capital because it's what's driving your finance capital.” -George[33:33] “For a lot of military leaders, leading is just muscle memory. The military is the world's preeminent leadership program without debate.” -Mike[34:21] “When you deviate from a process that is highly successful, that's when you start to make bad hires.” -Mike[43:51] “When people are hiring from likeability, generally, it's because they haven't been trained in how to interview.” – George[62:00] “It's all on you, but it's not about you” – on ego and leadership - GeorgeResources:How to contact Mike & GeorgeMike Sarraille: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsarraillemba/George Randle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelrandle/EF Overwatch: https://www.efoverwatch.com/Forcepoint: https://www.forcepoint.com/Josh Cotton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcotton/Full Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LYuJWdqw0PkBooks Mentioned:The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent by Mike Sarraille and George Randle - https://www.amazon.com/Talent-War-Special-Operations-Organizations-ebook/dp/B08GFG5C53Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057All that We Can Be: Black Leadership And Racial Integration The Army Way :https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Can-Leadership-Integration/dp/0465001130/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&qid=1603059411&refinements=p_27%3AJohn+Sibley+Butler&s=books&sr=1-3&text=John+Sibley+ButlerThe Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance: https://www.amazon.com/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance/dp/0593133943/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=attributes+book&qid=1603059533&s=books&sr=1-4One Mission: How Leaders Build A Team Of Teams: https://www.amazon.com/One-Mission-Leaders-Build-Teams-ebook/dp/B071LHK5C1/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=chris+fussell&qid=1603059702&s=music&sr=1-12-catcorrThank you for listening!Thank you to the men and women who have served, and who are serving in the United States armed forces.--------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletterInterested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview, capturing a new mini-series the program is doing on Transformations in Industry, Manufacturing. The episode features our guest co-host, Greg Vigil, Industry Director for Manufacturing at Microsoft - who is Microsoft's in-vertical expert on all things industry related - and our very special guest for the episode, Tracy Galloway, US Vice President of Manufacturing at Microsoft. Tracy has more than 20 years of experience in technology, some of her experiences include, Director level leadership at Unilever North America, as well as more than 15 years at Hewlett Packard, holding experiences ranging from managing the Ford Motor company relationship, all the way to multiple VP level roles including Channel and Attach sales, US technology services, and Strategy, Segments, and Alliances. At Microsoft, Tracy spent time as the regional VP of Microsoft's enterprise commercial team in the great lakes, as well as leading the Microsoft US services team just last year. Tracy brings an immense amount of passion and energy to the discussion.Key Takeaways[08:10] Microsoft's new Manufacturing industry vertical, and why Microsoft decided to carve out a special organization specifically for manufacturing customers and partners[09:05] High level solutions and key scenarios that are driving business impact in manufacturing, and the “why now” impetus for the market[16:10] The importance of strategic partnerships and cohesive collaboration for digital work accelerations in manufacturing[19:25] Tracy's experiences as a woman VP, and the importance of female leadership in the industry[23:25] One of Tracy's most passion fueled focus areas in manufacturing: sustainability. Why it's important for manufacturers globally, and the leadership that Microsoft is exemplifying in the space.[26:40] What Greg is seeing when it comes to sustainability across large global organizations[29:48] Tracy's thoughts on organizational skilling and education in the quickly evolving and maturing world of cloud and AI,[32:29] Greg's thoughts on how Microsoft is differentiating through education based approaches to technology adoption[33:50] What Tracy thinks business leaders in manufacturing should be thinking about when they want to partner with a large tech organizations like MicrosoftMemorable Quotes[09:33] “Using technology to bridge that gap (the workforce), reskilling the workforce, and embracing technology is really part of the future.”[20:18] “As a leader, you have to manage that success drive with a balance around where everybody's at right now.”[20:53] “Gender diversity really does provide benefits to organizations and the data just shows that over and over.”Resources:How to contact Tracy & GregTracy Galloway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trgalloway/Greg Vigil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregjvigil/Full Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UUeZOfK04hoMicrosoft Manufacturing: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/manufacturingMicrosoft Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/Thank you for listening!--------------------------------Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletterInterested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a Simply Tech LIVE interview featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our guest, Ed Essey. Ed is the Director of Intrapreneurship & Incubation in the Microsoft Garage, a program that delivers and drives a culture of innovation, and is largely responsible for coming up with some very creative Microsoft AI products that exist today in the market. One of which is Video Indexer, a media AI technology that makes it easier to extract insights from videos. The product has won numerous design and innovation awards including the 2019 National Association of Broadcasters or NAB product of the year, and Video Indexer brings together everything from facial detection to visual content moderation. It's a really cool way to see multiple AI models working within one solution, and a great example of the types of ideas that can be brought forward by very intentionally designed innovation programming.Ed is a titan in the world of innovation, and has spent his entire career focused on creating new things at start-ups and in the enterprise, as well as hiring people who can do this very well while creating programs that bring new ideas forward. Ed's been at Microsoft for almost 19 years, and brings with him a BS Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT.We talk today with Ed deeply about how organizations are typically approaching machine learning and advanced technologies with focus on scale and optimization, but why the true focus should be on purpose. We talk about innovation as a culture, and get into some depth around Ed's recent project experiences, including on AI solution for families of children with Epilepsy, to unlock real human experiences and proximity. This is a discussion around AI and it's most important sub component, Empathy.Items we discuss in the episode:[6:04] How Ed and the Garage are helping families of children with epilepsy[8:09] How Microsoft Garage fosters a culture of innovation[10:50] How putting empathy in action caused a huge cultural shift in Microsoft and how it impacts customers and employees[13:18] Functional programs at Microsoft Garage that Ed is proud of and have helped move projects forward[15:39] How the Microsoft Technology Center leverages technology and bring team members together despite the pandemic affecting the human-to-human element[18:29] How people view innovations and how Ed perceives of innovation as an ecosystem[21:36] How building technical solutions without working with customers first and building empathy, is just premature speculation[30:10] Ed's take on underfunding versus overfunding ideas and how he looks to address this[35:16] Ali and Ed's thoughts on the idea of interoperability and open source community[40:28] How Microsoft handles privacy data[42:26] How to apply empathy first in any companyMemorable Quotes:[8:30] "Our motto is ‘doers not talkers.' Instead of talking about it, we always try to create situation that actually get people in the experience."[10:40] "If it's truly brilliant, I hope I can make it real."[17:21] “Yes, you kind of lose that human-to-human element but you can still leverage technology with the power of AI to bring all team members together."[22:59] Data are people too but actually data are people first.[38:15] "So many of the best projects come from a few people working on adjacent spaces and see what others are hacking on and decide to merge their ideas together."Resources:How to contact Ed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/essey/Ed Essey's Blog: https://edessey.com/Full Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UrU9Hx4dvZIMicrosoft Garage - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/garage/Derek's LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Derek's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMgVideo Indexer - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/media-services/video-indexer/Microsoft Kaizala - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.mobile.polymer&hl=enMicrosoft Launcher - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/launcherReid Hoffman's LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman/GitHub - https://github.com/BooksTalking to Humans by Giff Constable - https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Humans-Success-understanding-customers-ebook/dp/B00NSUEUL4#ace-g7448806443Testing with Humans by Giff Constable - https://www.amazon.com/Testing-Humans-experiments-informed-decision-ebook/dp/B07JGQ2GYRThank you for listening!Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletter--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode features a dialogue with Kendra Crook, Sr. MBA Prep Coach at Management for Leadership for Tomorrow or (MLT). MLT is a non-profit organization specifically focused on changing the face of leadership in the private and social sectors, by driving break through results for individuals and institutions. The Rising Leaders that MLT seeks to target and then develop, are high achieving Black, LatinX, and Native American's, and this is accomplished through a portfolio of programs ranging from new to Career Prep, early career MBA Prep, to the more senior Career Advancement Programming.90% of MLT's undergraduates receive an offer for a high trajectory job, and 90% of MLT's MBA prep students get into a top 10 business school. Currently, there are over 1500 MLTers in high impact roles in the tech industry, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Microsoft. To name a few, corporate partners of MLT include: Bain & Company, Nike, Amazon, Andreessen Horowitz, Capital One, Google, and the NFL.Kendra's work, focused on the MBA Prep work of the organization, and through her 13 year tenure at MLT, has impacted over 600 fellows of the program.Key Takeaways06:40 Who Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) is09:20 What Kendra does specifically and how she feels about the impact she's making13:54 What the problem they're targeting is17:00 How Kendra has seen fellows change and the evolution she has seen24:01 The transition Kendra sees fellows go through31:22 Focus points organizations need to work on39:55 What confidence looks like and why it's damaging to the process47:56 How employers can bring on more diverse talent56:19 How Kendra can scale what MLT is doing59:46 Advice Kendra wants to give01:01:55 What Kendra will focus on if she has 7 days and unlimited resourcesNotable Quotes11:52 “It's incredibly rewarding work and when I think of 600 fellows, it sounds like a lot but I carry their stories with me all the time.”15:07 “The number one problem is making people understand the power of the degree, what it can do for you, your family, your community, and making sure that nothing gets in your way to that.”15:31 “What our premise is is that that degree springboards you so much further along your career. There's a recognition there. There's a training there that makes you an agent of power. And that's what we want more of. We want that multiplier effect.”19:24 “I can't wait for MLTers to run the world. It's gonna be a much better place.”Thank you for listening!Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletterFull Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AYmxeupsd9MHow to Contact Kendra:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendracrook/Management Leadership for Tomorrow: https://mlt.org/ResourcesManagement Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) - https://mlt.org/https://youtu.be/AYmxeupsd9MProfilesJohn Rice - CEO and Founder of MLT - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrice4/BookWomenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success by Claire Shipman - https://www.amazon.com/Womenomics-Write-Your-Rules-Success/dp/0061697184--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Andrew Strong is the Head of Business Operations at Correlation One, an organization headquartered in New York, focused on building technologies, programs, and frameworks that help companies find, evaluate, and train the world's best data science and analytics talent. Andrew finished his undergrad at Stanford University, with a BS in Management Science & Engineering, and spent the first decade of his career in roles ranging from heavy analyst type engagements with the likes of oil & gas bio-tech businesses, as well as developing investment strategies and financial models/simulations with JP Morgan Asset Management. Andrew has also spent some time in the valley, developing sales and operations strategy for Salesforce's platform business. I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew in business school, while we pursued our MBA's, class of 2017, UT Austin, McCombs School of Business.Items we discuss in the episode:-How the world is becoming more data centric and analytical, and why data literacy, the ability to read, understand, and communicate data as information, is a critical skill in the modern workplace, and modern word.-The importance of creating equitable transitions into a data driven economy, and the importance of developing data science excellence and algorithms that apply to a multi-constituent world, inclusive of everyone.-The types of organizations that are hiring and developing data talent well, the growth areas most organizations should focus on, and how new to career talent should view the addressable gap in the market and retain success.-New approaches to educating people in math and the sciences, that break the current mold of typical higher education - the power of data-thons and data tournaments, and most importantly, why curiosity and the willingness to learn, may be the best attributes for developing analytical minds.Thank you for listening!Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletterFull Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wYtuZUOxumMHow to Contact AndrewLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlstrong/Correlation One: https://www.correlation-one.com/University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business: https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Resources:Microsoft Global Skills Initiative: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/06/30/microsoft-launches-initiative-to-help-25-million-people-worldwide-acquire-the-digital-skills-needed-in-a-covid-19-economy/Most Companies Only Have General Talent Initiatives: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/cio-insider-business-insights/perspectives-on-gender-diversity-and-inclusion.html--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's show is a Simply Tech LIVE interview featuring my co-host, Ali Mazaheri, and our guest, Caitlin McCabe. Caitlin has been at Microsoft for almost 11 years, and is currently the Sr. Director of CEO Communications in the office of Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella. Across the discussion, Caitlin visits the key constructs of what it means to truly understand and be acutely aware of all constituents on a global scale, and the global impact and responsibility that is placed on the shoulders of the CEO, of a global organization.Additional areas of focus:- key learnings taken away from working with Satya Nadella and his office, amazing stories of innovation and creation that Caitlin and the executive team have experienced during global travel-how technology continues to shape the way we interact with each other in the new COVID existence, from the hand raising function in Microsoft Teams, to the diversity of meeting culture via quick drive by calls or highly structured meetings-Takeaways from working closely with highly talented colleagues in the face of accessibility needs, and re-approaching situations with language that builds space for empathy and understanding within collaborationsThanks you for listening!Join the **New Monthly Newsletter** - Data Binge REFRESH: https://www.derekwesleyrussell.com/newsletterSimply Tech LIVE LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplytechliveFull Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jHK8fdX-CWwHow to Contact CaitlinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccabec/Resources:Colleagues mentioned:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-katz-hernandez-7ab20835/--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's episode is a recording of a LIVE interview discussion, hosted on LinkedIn LIVE, featuring a program called "The Example Show" produced by Ryan Swanstrom. Ryan is a heavily credentialed Software Engineer, with a Masters in Math from Iowa State University, and a PHD in Computational Science and Statistics. Ryan's experience spans across over 20 years of working with notable enterprises including Northrup Grumman, all the way through to organizations like Wells Fargo and Microsoft, and most recently, Ryan consults for various organizations on his own, while late and current projects focus on reporting and analytics related to buying pattern during the COVID Pandemic. Ryan is also the author of the oldest data science blog on the internet, Data Science 101, started in 2012."The Example Show", featured in today's episode, is a weekly live Interview show that dives into the challenges and the successes of creating a weekly/monthly show, LIVE streaming program, podcast, etc. Ryan brings on some really talented guests to talk about different elements of how and why they create content, and LIVE streams the interview on LinkedIn LIVE. Today Ryan brings Derek Russell, the host of the Data Binge Podcast, onto his show as a guest, to talk about the "Why" of creating a show.Theses discussed:-The "Why" of creating a show, why YOU should get started, and how the fastest way to learn is to being a new project.-The (3) things you must have aligned before you start a podcast or LIVE streaming program.-Real talk on monetization, how to prioritize your efforts based on outcomes, and the new skills, connections, and opportunities presented with podcast and LIVE stream content creation.Thank you for listening!The Why of Creating a Show Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IgeNh6DP-Q4How to Contact Ryan Swanstrom:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanswanstrom/The Example Show: https://www.ryanswanstrom.com/the-example-showRyan's Blog:DataScience101: https://101.datascience.community/Resources:Building a Podcast Community with Sam Charrington: https://www.ryanswanstrom.com/the-example-show-community-sam-charringtonTips Mentioned:Kindle Paperwhite: https://amzn.to/332Rqc9Free Library Book App: Libby: https://libbyapp.com/welcome--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's discussion features Ian Connell. Ian is an Investment Principal at Charter School Growth Fund, a non-profit focusing on making multi-year philanthropic investments in public charter school networks. Charter School Growth Fund supports nearly 480,000 students, around 90% are students of color, and around 75% come from economically disadvantaged families. Charter School Growth Fund uses an approach similar to the venture funding model, to identify the country's best public charter schools, and to fund their expansion with the specific goal of increasing the school's vision and educational impact.Over the past 6 years at Charter School Growth Fund, Ian has focused his efforts on ed-tech and innovation in K-12 schools, and while on the investment team leading an innovation and technology strategy, Ian spends his time visiting schools, and talking to founders and partners to try to understand and identify, which school systems are developing the most novel and impactful approach to education, with the end of goal of taking the most robust and proven education designs, and scaling them to other schools to ultimately impact as many children as possible. Ian brings with him an MBA from the University of Chicago, The Booth School of Business, typically a top 3 business school globally year over year according to US News, and we find some time in the talk to visit how Ian was able to completely shift his career trajectory through the aid of a non-profit fellowship called Management Leadership for Tomorrow, an organization focused on equipping and empowering high achieving men and women from underrepresented communities. The talk today visits all of these cohesive ideas around the provision of opportunities and programming to populations that normally wouldn't have access to them.Additional Items Discussed:-Organizational inertia, and why it is so hard for big systems and organizations to effectively tackle dynamically changing challenges - whether in education or in commercial applications, how the size and age of organizations can impact their ability to change strategy and direction-Effective teaching models, and the difference between teaching 5th grade math, and teaching 5th graders math, the disparity curve across different levels of learning maturity in the average classroom, and some trends and evolutions of thinking to tackle these types of typical educational challenges.-How technology can be used to target specific educational outcomes, frameworks that support specific outcomes, megatrends in ed-tech, and big ideas on what school models may look like during COVID this coming fall.-Ideas around how to make ed-tech more interesting to institutional capital, and why the current model of venture funding in ed-tech has some addressable gaps that could change the future of education for our youth.Thank you for listening!How to Contact Ian:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianconnell/Resources:Charter School Growth Fund: https://chartergrowthfund.org/Management Leadership for tomorrow: https://mlt.org/MBA Prep Program: https://mlt.org/mba-prep/Data & Sources:Chicago Ideas: https://www.chicagoideas.com/Microsoft K12 Education Transformation Framework: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/school-leaders/k-12-microsoft-education-transformation-framework/default.aspxNational Center for Children in Poverty: http://www.nccp.org/profiles/US_profile_6.htmlUnited Negro College Fund: https://uncf.org/pages/K-12-Disparity-Facts-and-StatsDepartment of Education Office for Civil Rights: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/2013-14-first-look.pdfBooks Mentioned:Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-We-Sleep/Matthew-Walker/9781501144325--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's discussion features Courtney D. Cogburn and Jeremy Bailenson. Courtney is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Columbia University, Courtney is on the faculty of the Columbia Population Research Center and a faculty affiliate of the Center on African American Politics and Society and the Data Institute. Courtney's work focuses on the ways that society characterizes and measures racism, the effects of cultural racism in media, as well as the effects of racism on cultural inequalities in health. Jeremy Bailenson is a Thomas More Storke Professor in the Department of Communication at Stanford University, and is also the Founding Director of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab. Jeremy studies the psychology of Virtual and Augmented Reality, specifically how virtual experiences lead to changes in perceptions of self and others. Jeremy's work predominantly focuses on important social and behavioral issues including climate change, homelessness, and now, racism.Courtney and Jeremy join the broadcast to talk about their collaboration on "1000 Cut Journey" an immersive virtual reality experience, that allows participants of the experience, to become Michael Sterling, a fictional black male character, as he encounters racism as a young child, an adolescent, and a young adult. The world premier of the experience was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival Virtual Arcade in 2018, as well as at the New Orleans Film Festival Cinema Reset in 2018.Items discussed:-how VR can be used as a lever on very difficult problems by merging technology and very carefully constructed narratives based on empirical data-the transdisciplinary approach to merging different studies of research and thought-the specific power of virtual reality, the true nature of VR as an experience that you can walk away with, and the implications of these experiences to understanding, visualizing, and creating new perspective can be used to change everything from policing to policy-Learnings from working on the project, and future uses of virtual reality to bridge the gaps of understanding of the many complexities of racism, while motivating audiences to act on racism and racial injustices.Thank you for listening!Full Simply Tech LIVE Video Broadcast: https://youtu.be/EQKNkSbd3ikWays to contact Courtney and Jeremy:Courtney D. Cogburn: https://socialwork.columbia.edu/faculty-research/faculty/full-time/courtney-d-cogburn/Jeremy Bailenson: https://comm.stanford.edu/faculty-bailenson/Resources:1000 Cut Journey trailer: https://youtu.be/rA6fOMSx2ykExperiencing Racism in VR | Courtney D. Cogburn, PHD | TEDxRVA: https://youtu.be/M7T_u4hpiSEInfinite Reality: The Dawn of the Virtual Revolution with Jeremy Bailenson: https://youtu.be/1jbwxR8bCb4Additional Work Mentioned:Albert "Skip" Rizzo: https://ict.usc.edu/profile/albert-skip-rizzo/Fernanda Herrera: https://iriss.stanford.edu/people/fernanda-herrera--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

This episode is recognizing today, Friday, June 19th, 2020, Juneteenth or otherwise known as Freedom Day. This State holiday, which is now observed by 46 states, originated from June 19, 1865, commemorating the day the remaining black slaves in the Confederacy were made aware of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation - which was an executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln, on January 1st, 1863, changing the federal legal status of black slaves in the confederate states, from slaves to free people. Almost 2 years after the signing of this document, black slaves in Texas, where confederate sympathizers fled to from other southern states to evade the Union armies, the black slaves were finally made aware that they were indeed free.Today's episode is a series of (3) LIVE interviews taken from the February 2020 BAM conference, or Blacks at Microsoft conference. BAM is Microsoft's oldest employee resource group, just over 30 years old, dedicated to supporting the continued growth and development of black employees.We talk about everything from how BAM is helping to create a more diverse future workforce, to the real nature of identifying unconscious bias, we hear from a white ally about things they are working at to get better as a leader, and we talk about how to deal with additional cultural stigmas that people are challenged with in today's workforces.Ways to contact Guests:Sonya Weaver-Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonyaweaverjohnson/Sean Bittner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjbittner/Jason Bradley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-bradley-3a520a16/Black Nonprofits and Organizations Mentioned:Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated: https://jackandjillinc.org/100 Black Men: https://100blackmen.org/National Society of Black Engineers: https://www.nsbe.org/Home.aspxResources:Juneteenth: http://history.com/news/what-is-juneteenthLearning more about BAM: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/programs/blacks-scholarships.aspxBAM Conference Video Interviews: https://youtu.be/OsBQGrTpg98Satya Nadella Blog with ways to support black lives: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/06/05/change-in-ourselves-helps-drive-change-in-the-world/Causes I continue to SupportEqual Justice Initiative: https://eji.org/--------------------------------Upcoming Events: Exploring the Realities of Racism Through Virtual Reality (VR), Thursday, June 25th, 2020https://www.linkedin.com/events/6678637748611620864/Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Rodney Campbell and Keith Richardson are hosts of the More in Common Podcast, where their work around guest discussions, focuses on amplifying voices, and abstracting stories that leverage real human experiences. Keith and Rodney are professional conversationalists, but in the context of having really tough conversations, and having them well. As a result of their podcast they also launched a consulting business, where they help organizations engage in the fundamental fact that we all have more in common than that which divides us, and the basis for this, is anchoring humanity in compassionate conversation.Keith and Rodney are also providing workshops in the community, through the National Conversation Project, in Cleveland and Los Angeles, and they are releasing apparel that will be donated to causes focused on reforming criminal justice.Items we discuss:-anxiety, and how we each attempt to deal with in in our lives-the nuances of maintaining mental health, setting goals, and competing with yourself-the challenges of being who we are - from the tyranny of "should", to creating safe spaces for engaging dialogues, to the true power of execution vs planning, and "showing up"-how to have better conversations, and why it's not about you, but about the lived experience of the person you are engagingThank you for listening!Ways to contact Keith and Rodney:Keith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-richardson-8950bb4/Rodney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneybcampbell/Podcast and website: https://www.moreincommonpod.com/Books:The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle: https://amzn.to/3huBkMXPodcasts Mentioned:Finding Mastery, Dr. Michael Gervais: https://findingmastery.net/Masters of Scale, Reid Hoffman: https://mastersofscale.com/Resources:Les Brown Speeches: https://youtu.be/gXuSMjrx_e8The Man in the Arena, Teddy Roosevelt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_in_a_RepublicStatistics:When you are emotionally well as an employee, you can engage in your work: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2019/01/16/10-timely-statistics-about-the-connection-between-employee-engagement-and-wellness/#634046e122a0Upcoming LIVE Broadcasts & Events:Friday, June 19th, 2020: 930-1030am PST - Innovation in K-12 Education, and the Venture Capital Model as the Funding Mechanism for Education, with Ian Connell: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-binge-podcastThursday, June 25th, 2020: 12-1pm PST - Experiencing Racism, a Virtual Reality Driven Perspective on Simply Tech LIVE with associate professor Courtney D. Cogburn of Columbia University, and professor Jeremy Bailenson of Stanford University: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplytechliveAnti-racism Causes and Nonprofits that I am supporting and am working to collaborate closer with: https://eji.org/https://thelastmile.org/--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Noelle Silver is the VP of Digital Technology at National Public Radio (NPR), where she leads the engineering organization across initiatives ranging from the Alexa skills platform to mobile application development. Noelle has over 20 years of experience in tech. As a Principal Program Manager in the enterprise voice group at Microsoft AI, she led programs that empowered developers with AI algorithms that help applications see, hear, speak and understand user needs across the Microsoft application and tooling portfolios. Before NPR and Microsoft, Noelle was at Amazon Web Services (AWS) for 4 years, spending 3 of those years with the Alexa group as an evangelist and technical manager for the Alexa and Echo. Across her many other experiences, you will find that Noelle is surely an icon in the voice related AI space, as she has personally built a gambit of over 100 skills relating to all things enterprise voice, mental health, and self-development.Amongst Noelle's interests both personally and professionally, she is the founder of the AI Institute, which empowers organizations to think more deeply about AI, and she's also a founder of Women in AI, focusing on the amazing work that women are doing in the AI field ranging from voice to augmented reality. Noelle's been on NBC news to talk about how robots can make meaningful contributions to the arts, and was recently identified across the online tech community to be the #1 in a top 10 lineup of the best key-note speakers to have at your AI events.Key Topics in the discussion:-Re-defining your life mission, your brand, your impact, and focusing on the things that you care about in your career. Noelle highlights how she took some steps back in her career to become the AI personality that she is today.-Why Diverse & inclusive AI is so important to humanity, the organizational changes that need to happen at the top engineering ranks of tech organizations for more representative approaches to AI, and perspectives on building teams and publishing models in a far more representative way - from diverse user bases to diverse data sets.-How to hire teams that fit your organizational culture. High level lessons from Amazon's hiring culture and the power of constructing a mindful behavioral interview.-We talk about living a full-filling life, being ok with a strenuous work-life harmony, the never ending pursuit to being a whole person, and the lessons of how to navigate the day to day as a very busy executive, working mom, and people leader.Thanks for listening!Ways to contact Noelle:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindfulleadership/Books:Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark: https://amzn.to/3clpFw8Resources:Women in AI: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/happy-international-womens-day-noelle-silver/AI Leadership Institute: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aileadership/AI Leadership Institute Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmhC73n85xZfKXQ04XM05YwNoelle's Website: http://noellesilver.com/Top AI keynote speakers: https://readwrite.com/2020/04/22/top-ai-speakers/Robots can make art: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/can-robots-make-art-1476825155783Sam Harris Meditation App: https://wakingup.com/Pre-trained AI models (Microsoft Cognitive Services): https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cognitive-services/Pre-trained AI models (Google Auto-ml): https://cloud.google.com/automlAI Hiring: https://www.hirevue.com/Statistics:Using Artificial Intelligence to Promote Diversity: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/using-artificial-intelligence-to-promote-diversity/5 eye-opening statistics about minorities in tech: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/5-eye-opening-statistics-about-minorities-in-tech/Upcoming LIVE Broadcast Events:Simply Tech LIVE: The Evolution of Diversity & Inclusion in Tech, featuring April Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/events/theevolutionofdiversity-inclusionintech-aprilwalke/--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

Today's discussion, features, Jeremy Schneider, self-made multi-millionaire, retiree at 34 years old, and now founder of Personal Finance Club (@personalfinanceclub on Instagram), an organization built with the sole purpose of spreading the word that living below your means and investing early and often in index funds, is the most efficient and effective path to building wealth. Jeremy turned down a handsome offer from Microsoft 17 years ago, after interning as a software developer. Armed with a BS in computer engineering and a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, and with the help of his mom, grew Rentlinx.com, a rental property advertisement business, from a desktop under his desk in his living room, to a $5M dollar business, all while over the course of about a decade never paying himself more than a $36k salary. Jeremy is an absolute titan of personal finance, and his mission is to offer free, real deal no strings attached knowledge on how to make better financial decisions.Items we discuss on the episode:-The only (2) concepts you'll ever need to know about personal finance, spend below your means, and invest early and often-Ashley and Amanda, and other sample scenarios of how one can become a millionaire with a $4k after tax take home salary, by putting away $800/month over 40 years, vs the alternative - spending the entire $4k, and retiring into poverty living solely off of social security-The financial realities of buying a new car, and the working years that will be tacked onto the tail end of our lives to pay for it.-Why buying a home, is almost never a good financial decision. If you say it's the best investment you'll ever make, it is probably because it's the only investment you'll ever make.-We also end the discussion with topics ranging from student loan pay down strategies, debt consolidation, frugality, easy investment strategies, and actionable steps to improve your finances and to build a life of freedom.Thanks for listening!Ways to contact Jeremy:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/personalfinanceclub/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerschneid/Books Discussed:The Simple Path to Wealth, by JL Collins: https://amzn.to/2TaVrWcThe Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market, by Jack Bogle: https://amzn.to/2LEhr7mA Beginners Guide to Investing, : https://amzn.to/3cAnjKVResources:Personal Finance Club Web Site: https://www.personalfinanceclub.com/Jeremy Schneider's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqhRZnzfUig6jtRVtYpV7EgFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/personalfinanceclub/Rentlinx.com: https://www.rentlinx.com/The Rule of 72: https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0711/how-to-double-your-money-every-6-years.aspxFlorida Atlantic University and Florida International University faculty rent vs buy study: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/05/its-better-to-rent-than-to-buy-in-todays-housing-market.htmlhttps://business.fau.edu/departments/finance/real-estate-initiative/bhj-buy-vs-rent-index/MINT for budgeting: https://www.mint.com/YNAB for budgeting: https://www.youneedabudget.com/Statistics:National Credit Card Debt: https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/Auto Loans:https://www.lendingtree.com/auto/debt-statistics/US Consumer Debt: https://www.investopedia.com/personal-finance/american-debt-auto-loan-debt/Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.comInterested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellShoutouts: Check out this LinkedIn LIVE collaboration with the hosts of the “More in Common Podcast”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/derekwesleyrussell_mentalhealthawarenessmonth-culture-linkedinlive-activity-6669628486845521920-sREcInterested in More in Common? https://www.moreincommonpod.com/

Today's discussion features Matt Homann, CEO and Founder of Filament, an organization that designs, facilitates, and hosts collaborative meetings, conferences, off-sites and any type of human collaboration environment, with the objective of enabling meetings to produce measurable results that move organizations forward.For more than 20 years, Matt has been involved in the leadership spaces of designing creative experiences in everything including learning, skill building, collaboration and knowledge delivery. From building in person and virtual spaces that allow people to have better meetings, which he does at Filament today, to using arts to teach business skills, all the way to disseminating hard to explain concepts through illustrations and the drawing of pictures. Matt is an attorney by trade, holding a JD from the Washington University St. Louis School of Law, and not only spent time practicing earlier in his career, but also taught pre-trial practice and procedure as an adjunct professor of law at his alma mater.Matt describes how he's explicitly stitched together the many opportunities in his career in areas like law, with the collection of experiences in creative design thinking type endeavors as a consultant and leader, and his experiences as entrepreneurship building innovative conferences and meeting places. It's clear that Matt is one of the top practitioners in helping people and organizations collaborate better together.Themes of the episode:-How to build useful spaces (in person and now virtually) that allow us to do what we want to do, whether that's creating innovative products, or ideating around cultural transformations-How virtual meetings have translated the same terrible cultural qualities of in person meetings to this new online reality, with intensified challenges of inclusiveness and attentiveness-How Changing the meeting culture comes from the top, and how the status and connection of reporting out to leadership about the organizations direction, has trickled down in our organizations and has formed prohibitive collaboration behaviors don't move business forward-How to have better meetings, and why doing so can make your people up to 40% more effective: from tips like scheduling 47 minute meetings to build gaps in back to back scheduling, and removing ppt and other artifacts away from collaboration time, to asynchronous collaboration and the meaning of what it is to truly prepare for a meeting-How to build better conferences, where networking, learning, and connection isn't as much a serendipitous and ad-hoc condition, but more of a engineered outcome by conference facilitatorsThanks for listening!Ways to contact Matt:Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthomannLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/homann/Resources:Filament: https://www.thefilament.com/The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker: https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Getting-Things/dp/B01N51TCT1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GGCYWT8AMD50&dchild=1&keywords=effective+executive&qid=1588683249&s=audible&sprefix=effective+%2Caudible%2C199&sr=1-1So Good they Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport: https://www.amazon.com/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You/dp/B009CMO8JQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=so+darn+good+they+can%27t+ignore+you&qid=1588683210&sr=8-1The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities by Patrick Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Motive-Leaders-Abdicate-Important-Responsibilities-ebook/dp/B0851K989D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ECZ0KBANMUS0&dchild=1&keywords=patrick+lencioni&qid=1588599671&sprefix=patrick+lan%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-1Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.comInterested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell

David Moricca has been the CEO and Founder of what is now Socialive for over the past 10 years, as it has pivoted and evolved with changes and trending in digital media, live streaming, and now the emergence of video in the enterprise. Socialive is an enterprise grade video creation, production, and deployment platform that allows for the democratization of video capture and content generation.David has over 15 years of experience in leadership and innovation in digital media all up, with some familiar experiences at places like McKinsey & Company in his earlier career, to Scholastic where as a corporate entrepreneur, David focused on creating a new line of business based on digital learning platforms. An attorney by trade, David has a J.D. in law from Harvard Law School, and generally brings a wealth of perspective to the conversation as we talk about the many cross overs and nuances in David's journey that has gotten him to where he's at today with Socialive. The need for video creation has led to an explosion of content generation as businesses ramp up their internal and external communications, and we'll dive deeper into what David and his team have been busy doing pre and current through this pandemic era.Things we discuss in depth:-The evolution of video creation, and the difference between virtual conferencing and scalable video content creation-The power of creating dynamic video presentations as immersive experiences that engages audiences, in both gated and ungated experiences, and the emergence of LIVE-How COVID has inspired authenticity in communication, and why the logistics of video production should never hamper the story telling components of organizational messaging-The importance of democratized capture of video, and why execution, speed, and quality are more effective than the legacy approaches of high quality video production - example use cases included on how agile video can unlock creativity and innovation-How business leaders are focusing on using internal communications for business continuity, and how it can be used to ignite organizational cultural change and transformation-Entrepreneurship and raising capital, the challenges and advantages to innovation and talent development across difference market dynamics including in NYC, Silicon Valley, and LAThanks for listening!Ways to contact David:LinkedInResources:Socialive Platform45 Visual Content Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2020Sproutsocial: Social Media Video Tips and StrategiesMixify, LIVE streaming EDMBooks mentioned:Separate But Not Equal: The Dream and the StruggleLearn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.comInterested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russell

Today's episode features the recording of a LinkedIn LIVE broadcast via Simply Tech LIVE, a program that Ali Mazaheri and I are hosting now on a weekly basis to showcase as much relevant technology and innovation as possible, as it relates to the COVID challenges in healthcare and all up global business. (Date of recording, Friday, March 27th, 2020)The Topic: "The Crisis Management App for Emergency Response - Organizational Communication for Preventative Measures and Minimal Exposure", a solution that was rapidly developed internally with Microsoft and Schlumberger (Microsoft customer and global oilfield services provider) , to tackle challenges with organizational communications during the current times of crisis.Guest Speakers:Jacqui (Cuffe) McNamara: Microsoft Power Platform US Lead - Marketing & OperationsGrant Earl: Principal Collaboration Technology ArchitectItems discussed:-What organizations are struggling with, from communications to establishing a reliable single source of truth for ongoing updates and critical facts-Application in depth, a multi-component solution that can be assembled quickly cross organizationally, the templates and the code/documentation needed, available on Github - with key premium features currently being made available at no costWe're all wishing you and your families the very most health and safety in the present and future.Thank you for Listening!Simply Tech LIVE LinkedIn PageHow to contact guests:Jacqui (Cuffe) McNamara: Microsoft Power Platform US Lead - Marketing & Operations: LinkedInGrant Earl: Principal Collaboration Technology Architect: LinkedInResources:Simply Tech LIVE Broadcast: “The COVID-19 App” for Emergency Response - Organizational Communication for Preventative Measures and Minimal ExposureCorona Virus Self CheckerBing Covid-19 TrackerSchlumberger Stay Safe AppGithub Link to Application

Today's discussion features Uthappa Kattera Chengappa, a Principal Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, and his job in the organization from a day to day perspective is to help large organizations, many of which logos that you use or are familiar with on a daily basis, stand up new tech to support their business interests, specifically utilizing Microsoft's Azure Hyperscale Cloud as a backbone for doing everything from hosting applications and databases, to providing enterprise grade networking and security, all the way down to hosting machine learning models and providing workspaces to run python code.Uthappa covers options for establishing remote working environments in Azure, a technical discussion, and significantly IT focused (far more technical than past episodes as we get into the depth of the remote worker challenges), but for the laymen, people are having to work remotely due to social distancing guidance. From their laptop at home, workers need access to their businesses applications cross regionally, they need to collaborate, they need to access data and resources to continue business as usual, and without all these capabilities they would be unable to service their very own customers and maintain business continuity.High level discussion points:-We take a little time to discuss how each of us are being impacted personally, and some stories that bring us together-How organizations today are being impacted by COVID-19, and real challenges they are facing that we are learning day to day-Why depending on the cloud matters right now, and how Azure is being used to support business continuity-Solutions for Remote Working environments that we have learned from our customers, that are now being built and architected at scale to provide fluid remote work-Helping the largest call center in the world, move their contact center management workforce to a "work from home" environment, scenarios and learnings from this engagementWe're all wishing you and your families the very most health and safety in the present and future.Thank you for listening!How to contact Uthappa:LinkedInSimply Tech LIVE LinkedIn PageResources:Simply Tech LIVE Episode #3 LinkedIn LIVE BroadcastCoronavirus (COVID-19) live map tracker from Microsoft BingCDC Coronavirus Health CheckerWorking from home statisticsMicrosoft Azure Windows Virtual DesktopMicrosoft AzureLearn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram |

Today's episode features an audio recording of a LinkedIn Live Video Broadcast of a LIVE show, Simply Tech LIVE , that my co-host Ali Mazaheri, and I host at the Microsoft Technology Center in Irvine, and now virtually for the time being. The mission of the LIVE Broadcast is to focus on the evolving landscape of technology through the lens of Microsoft focus areas, our partner ecosystem, and our customers.The LIVE discussion features Kevin Orbaker, Chief Technology Architect at the Microsoft Technology Center in Irvine, and we talk specifically about why, It's never been a more important time to utilize technology to quantify and augment behavior that can enhance operational efficiency - and more recently, this could mean reduction of both highly-preventable infections and spread of disease.A very relevant topic in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we talk about a real life solution hosted with Microsoft IoT and data service technologies. PURELL SMARTLINK, a set of technology solutions from GOJO (inventor of Purell), and how this solution, on Microsoft's cloud Azure, streamlines the hand sanitization process with motion sensors, internet-connected dispensers and a cloud platform that collects and analyzes data.The CDC claims that hand-washing reduces incidents of common ailments by nearly 60 percent in some cases., and quantifying behavior is a critical component to augmenting behavior.We talk through the following in the chat:1) Overview of a LIVE demo of the hand sanitization process - internet-connected dispensers with data analysis in the cloud2) Motion sensor use cases and other data input feeds for better patient care and operational efficiency3) Additional IoT use cases and solutions that exist today in Azure, complexities of IoT, and IIot and industrial applications4) Lastly we talk about World Down Syndrome Day, with is March 21st, the importance of awareness around down syndrome, we talk about challenges of raising kids with disabilities, and what parents have learned from it, and how technology is aiding in these areasThanks for listening:How to reach Kevin:LinkedINGitHubTwitterHow to watch Simply Tech LIVESimply Tech LIVE | LInkedIn LIVE On-demand FeedLinkedIn PageResources:Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives2016 IoT Attack: MiraiMicrosoft Technology CentersSeeing AI: An app for visually impaired people that narrates the world around youAI Powered Agriculture | Microsoft FarmBeatsSwiftKey: Autocorrect that actually worksHow GOJO Industries, inventor of PURELL Hand Sanitizer, helps hospitals monitor hand hygiene with secure IoT dispensersCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | How to protect yourselfHow Microsoft is helping make hospitals cleanerLearn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Today's episode features Philippe Brissaud, a Principal Program Lead for the Power Virtual Agents platform at Microsoft - if you aren't familiar, Power Virtual Agents is a low code no code AI driven customer engagement platform (under Microsoft's Business Applications product pillar), on the platform, you can build and author topics, deploy bots and agents, and monitor performance of the these agents to enhance and enrich future customer engagements. It's absolutely amazing how commercial these AI technologies have become today, and we'll talk about the implications of AI democratization and the sensitivity to bias and other topics around these concepts. Philippe joined Microsoft, in France, in 2006, and has more than 15 years of experience in the Customer Relationship Management niche. He's spent a good amount of time in the project landscape, from technical scoping to enhancing project agility, and today spends the majority of his time today on customizing the Virtual Agent platform to the Financial Industry, namely large banking institutions.Beyond Philippe's technical resume, what he brings to the table is a very unique story on what makes him such a great product person, from his personal experiences raising multi-racial children, to his cross cultural professional journey - Philippe is also a Diversity & Inclusion Champion, and has a lot to say around how being uncomfortable is the best way to grow.Key Themes in the discussion:-Building inclusive products require inclusivity based habits - how to build better habits to better understand your end user. Creating product for ALL.-Challenges with American professional culture, overcoming differences, and "shutting-up"-Microsoft strategies in AI: "Anything we do in AI, should connect people for the better"-Technical professionals are the guardians of tomorrow's technology - why Diversity & Inclusion is ever more important in decision making-Critical conversations around social accepts of AI: Creating clarity, transparency, and education on what AI means for our species-The ambivalence between machines and humans, emotional intelligence, and the hardest challenges of all: parentingThanks for listening!Ways to contact Philippe:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philbrissaud/Employee Resource Groups mentioned:Blacks at MicrosoftWomen at MicrosoftAsians at MicrosoftDiversity & Inclusion at Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/default.aspxBAM Scholarships: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/programs/blacks-scholarships.aspxhttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/default.aspxResources and learning:Netflix Documentary: The Surrounding Game: https://www.netflix.com/title/81006598Tess Possner: Collaboration for all, a presentation on bias in Data, and how to ensure responsible and ethical AI: Ethics and Diversity in AILearn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

This episode is a LIVE recording from Microsoft Envision in San Francisco, October 22nd of 2019.Microsoft Envision is an annual multi-city tour, with intimate conference style innovation and industry collaborations focused on helping business leaders modernize their business with the use of technology, across the digital veins of Microsoft's stack. The majority of the presentations focused on how the business landscape is evolving, and what types of strategies and business models leaders are looking to deploy at scale.Our special guest on the episode today is Ken Miller (whom I caught for a LinkedIn LIVE broadcast, in between sessions at the conference), Ken is the General Manager for Microsoft's Azure, Intelligent Cloud, in the West Region. The Western US covers some very strategic and interesting, MASSIVE organizations and brands, and Ken has quite the exposure to provocative ideas and practices. You'll get to know a little more about Ken throughout our quick talk, and as a certified Level 1 Sommelier, he's even got some tips for you wine fanatics out there. Hang on tight.Items we cover:-Hyperscale cloud adoption is real: the current state of how businesses are adopting new capabilities-Why MSFT has never been in a better place in the market-How to approach the study of wine (special thread!)Thanks for listening!Ways to reach Ken:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerken/Other folks to follow:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonalthoff/Resources:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/envision-the-tourhttps://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/what-is-azure/Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Today's episode features Brig Lamoreaux, a Sr. Advanced Analytics and AI Solution Architect at Microsoft, and Brig's been with the company for about 4 years. Brig has roughly 20 years of software development and engineering experience. Before Microsoft Brig worked for Apollo Education Group for 10 years, where he spent his time building research and software behind adaptive learning and modeling student knowledge. Some of the systems Brig has been involved in developing and productizing feature novel advances in education including cognitive science theories and data driven personalization. Brig has also spent a lot of time directing, programming, and leading 12-week learning boot-camps where students build hands-on skills using real world examples and projects. Brig finds a lot of value in learning and teaching, and you'll learn more from is lessons around how people learn throughout the discussion.Themes of the discussion:-How to measure depth of knowledge, and the feedback loop of learning:—Teaching basic concepts—Developing examples that enforce these concepts (which involve different teaching methods)—Providing measurement tools for what was learned (tests and interviews: "tell me about Java")-Machine learning in its most basic form, the data science pipeline, and a real world AI project he's using to teach his children how to solve problems with technology-How to run a successful machine learning project:—Can you initially draw some correlations from a variable, and it's potential outcome?—Is there a human practitioner in the world that can make a probable estimate of the outcome you are trying to achieve? Ie, are there "hunches" that you can measure your hypothesis against?—What specific data sets are these practitioners using? This is critical data-People and teams, that are NOT successful with machine learning projects. A description of the WRONG approach, and mindset.Thanks for listening!How to connect with Brig:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briglamoreaux/Github: https://github.com/briglx - over 203 contributions in the last year.Resources and mentions:https://machinelearningmastery.com/how-to-work-through-a-problem-like-a-data-scientist/https://towardsdatascience.com/a-beginners-guide-to-the-data-science-pipeline-a4904b2d8ad3Books:https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Story-Justice-Redemption/dp/081298496X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=just+mercy&qid=1579358686&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.com/dp/1537196472/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_DOXiEb9D3DSFKhttps://www.amazon.com/Road-Cormac-McCarthy/dp/0307387895/ref=sr_1_1?crid=I0VP897UGVP0&keywords=the+road&qid=1579358941&s=books&sprefix=the+road%2Cstripbooks%2C419&sr=1-1https://www.amazon.com/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375842209/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+book+thief&qid=1579358970&s=books&sr=1-1Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Alain Briancon is currently the Chief Technology Officer and VP of Data Science at Cerebri AI. Cerebri AI is a SaaS Startup that focuses on helping enterprise businesses understand what their customers are thinking, by predicting the next best action to take, that will yield the most value for both the enterprise, and their customer based on their actions. Alain refers to this as: "talk is good, but the wallet is better" for predicting future customer behavior and the true measure of customer experience, by truly measuring everything. You can find more information about Cerebri AI at cerebriai.com.Alain is an Electrical Engineer by training, with a bachelors in EE from CentraleSupelec in France, and a PHD in Electrical Engineering from MIT - although, he categorizes himself not as an engineer but as a technologist. Alain has a background in telecommunications where he spent time working in areas from satellites, to wired communication, to wireless. Alain's had his hands on the data science aspect of prediction, forecasting, and advanced analytics in industries focused on use cases such as winning elections, auditions for artists, and diet management - and he's been the CTO and CEO of multiple startups (Cerebri is his 4th). While in these leadership roles, Alain really sees his central responsibility as creating a diverse learning environment that enables ideas, creativity, and curiosity.Big themes we cover in our talk:-"Being curious, and celebrating creation" - the job of the CTO, creating environments that enable ideas, and creation as the highest value activity of a human being.-The data science interview: What businesses are looking for in The process, the behind the scenes, and how technical talent should holistically approach how to solve challenges and focus on critical thinking. Learned experience as a crutch, or an accelerator to novel approaches.-Why we should stop talking about the size of our data - and why we all have a tendency to think the size of the data determines who we are. The idea of "Data debt", dynamically changing data stacks, and the true cost of pandering to large data sets.-Cerebri AI and the success of relying on highly diverse STEM oriented teams: geographic, intellectual, gender, race, age, and many other considerations to diversity that yield highly different ways to approach problem successfully, and unsuccessfully-Data science as a craft, intuition, and the importance of explainability and bias. The true measure of the customer experience, and how measuring end customers actions are the best indicators of how they are likely to act in the future.Thanks for listening!How to connect with Alain:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alain-briancon-phd-70115a/Email: alain@cerebriai.comResources and mentions:Thanks for the referral Nabeel! https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabeeladeni/https://www.cerebriai.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/cerebri-ai-inc-/https://youtu.be/hIfl98gdYJEhttps://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/22/bill-gates-says-people-with-these-3-skills-will-be-successful-in-the-future-job-market.htmlhttp://www.dbta.com/Editorial/Think-About-It/The-Enterprise-Data-Debt-Crisis-123008.aspxAlain's favorite scene, from his favorite movie, Lawrence of Arabia:https://youtu.be/_EZCG2Ex8Q0Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Today's episode features a new collaboration project, the audio recording of a LinkedIn Live Video Broadcast that a colleague and I created, co-host Ali Mazaheri, the director of the Microsoft Technology Center in Irvine. Simply Tech Live is a LIVE broadcast, focusing on the evolving landscape of technology through the lens of Microsoft focus areas, our partner ecosystem, and our customers."Invincible Expresso: A connected experience with Azure Sphere", features Phil Heine from Avnet. Phil is currently the director of Global Business Development at Avnet, where's has spent over 17 years of his career in roles ranging from engineering, sales, business development, and now product management. Avnet is a global distributor, solution provider, designer, and engineering firm with more than 15,000 employees in over 140 countries worldwide. Their vertical segments include everything from electronics manufacturing and consumer devices, all the way to healthcare and energy. Avnet also became the sole distributor of Azure Sphere just over a year ago, and businesses are taking full advantage of the secure IoT environment that it enables. You'll quickly understand why we call this expresso invincible, but it's founded on capabilities that Azure Sphere enhances. Azure Sphere, is a micro controller unit, or MCU, with built in security and high performance operability right on the chip, including a MSFT operating system, as well as a security service that is designed to guard it's connected ecosystem from emerging threats.Big topics we cover in today the discussion:-A live demo (for those who watched live or on demand), of Azure Sphere and the connected coffee experience-What differentiates Azure Sphere from ordinary microcontrollers in IoT solutions: the secured MCU, the secured operating system, and the included security service-The importance of a strong security profile, and why device isolation from the cloud can protect against incoming threats, and asset monitoring and predictive maintenance use cases that benefit-Guidance for businesses who are implementing IoT solutions, but have security concerns do to the complexity of building a secure deviceThanks for listening!Watch the on-demand episode here:https://www.linkedin.com/video/live/urn:li:ugcPost:6600117483707994112/Follow The Data Binge Podcast LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-binge-podcast/?viewAsMember=trueFollow Simply Tech Live LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplytechlive/?viewAsMember=trueHow to connect with PhilLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-heine-a00721196/Resources:https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/azure-sphere/https://www.avnet.com/wps/portal/us/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/SevenPropertiesofHighlySecureDevices.pdfhttps://azure.microsoft.com/mediahandler/files/resourcefiles/securing-iot-devices/Azure%20IoT_Securing%20IoT%20Devices.pdfLearn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Charla Pereira is the lead designer for all authoring on Dynamics 365 Guides. Dynamics 365 Guides, or what Charla will refer to as "guides" is a mixed reality application for the Microsoft HoloLens, that allows an enhanced learning ecosystem by providing holographic instructions within the flow of work, when and where employees need it. So imagine putting together some complex machine on an assembly line, having the worker wearing a HoloLens device, and having a series of step by step instruction cards with image and video visually tethered to the areas where the work needs to be accomplished - ultimately leading to fewer errors and greater retention of learned skills, and we'll talk much more about that in the discussion.Charla has been in tech for just about 20 years, and she began her career as a graphic designer. Charla joined Microsoft 11 years ago, and she's shipped everything from Microsoft Office to Microsoft Fresh Paint (a project originating from in Microsoft Research, that simulates oil on a digital canvas). Charla spent her time in academia focused largely on graphic design, including some time both at Capilano College in Vancouver, and the Art Institute of Seattle, and she has such an incredible passion for design and talks about how important things like empathy and love are in her ethos, and how these values help her know who her users are in an intimate way.Discussion themes:-Charla's biggest professional lesson, incurred at Microsoft, about the importance of knowing how to sell yourself and change your mindset - which for her, was about being more data centric in her design advocacy to team members-What Design personally means for Charla:Love, empathy, humanity, and fighting for what is needed for your customerAnd, inherently, knowing what your customers need, not just what they want.Basic design principles: Is it discoverable, usable, authentic, desirable, likable-The differences between the different technologies; VR, MR, and AR, and specifically how her newest product, Dynamics 365 guides, helps people learn by doing, and she tells some real stories about spending time with first line workers in a high paced manufacturing environment, and all the nuances of working in a factory that she discovered that helped her understand how to design a better product.-Learning, the importance of giving people the opportunity to make mistakes, some data driven observations about learning, and how workers should and will be learning in the now and soon to come future.Thanks for listening!How to connect with Charla:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlapereira/Resources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIJM9xNg9xs&feature=youtu.behttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/business/microsoft-hololens-job-training.htmlhttps://dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us/mixed-reality/guides/https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=288bc3e1eb8d4514f6ed1fd1dcbb9c20Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Today's episode features Anuj Bhatia, and solving problems is his wheelhouse - he's a problem solver, and we learn a lot about his approach and framework for this during the discussion.Anuj is currently a principal architect for cognition & AI at Microsoft, with a tenure exceeding 3 years. Anuj came into Microsoft with the Xamarin acquisition, where he spent 5 years in customer success for their strategic accounts, if you're not familiar with Xamarin, they were a marquee Microsoft partner that sold tools to help developers who use Microsoft products, build apps for Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile OS - helping to establish a stronger Microsoft presence in all kinds of different devices, not just those that run windows. So as you can imagine, some tremendous experience in mobile app development. He was Lead Architect for MCS Group, for some time, where he developed mobile app strategies for iOs and web applications used by emergency services responders. Anuj has experience in bioinformatics engineering, and brings with him a BS in Microbiology and Virology from the University of Texas at Arlington which is super interesting, and you'll definitely here why this is important to how he solves problems.Across the episode, we talk about what he and his team are hyper focused on today, which is helping customers accelerate applications of AI, and not just the modeling, but the translation into edge technologies (sensors and autonomous objects), including applications such as mixed reality, to every additional use case in the mobile space and beyond.Key themes in the discussion include:-Code as leverage, which has been the crux of innovation in the software world for the last 10 + years, and the incremental and compound effects of how problems can be solved through iterative software development-How to break apart a problem in digestible pieces for a more realistic opportunity for solution, and the importance of clarity in communication and how good mental models lead to a more empathic solution workflow-Culture in big cities, and how this applies to this topic of problem solving, why the bay area is a hot place to be right now, and what additionally may change in the future based on the most top of mind needs for human kind-Leading edge capabilities in AI, and the world of computers that can see, hear, and touch - generally what this means for business in the scope of data generation, the fidelity of machine teaching, and the democratization of AI-How to utilize every moment to engage with others, as an opportunity to extract value, and to empathically create a deeper connection with your fellow human, by being less like a robot, and more like a genuine human thinkerThank you for listening!How to connect with Anuj:Email: anujbh@microsoft.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anujbhatia1/Resources:https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2019/https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2016/02/24/microsoft-to-acquire-xamarin-and-empower-more-developers-to-build-apps-on-any-device/https://www.esmartsystems.com/https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/heilmeier-catechismhttps://www.econtalk.org/https://youtu.be/3qHkcs3kG44https://www.bons.ai/Learn more at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Today I'd like to introduce you to Ben West. Ben was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 1, at 21 years of age, and if you or any of your friends or loved ones have a similar diagnosis, you are definitely going to learn so much from Ben.Ben is currently a Staff Product Engineer at Dexcom, a global leader in diabetes care transformation and management, where they design, and manufacture continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGM), and you'll hear a lot more about that technology in today's talk. He spends his time today at Dexcom helping to prioritize where investments in innovation are spent, and which ideas to accelerate into the concept funnel that will yield the most impact for the organization and its customers.Ben spent the last 5 years, as part of his personal mission to reduce the burden of living with Diabetes Type 1, reverse engineering the open loop system of the insulin pump and has done a tremendous amount of work there, and is also a co-founder of the NightScout Project, an open source cloud based system that provides the availability of CGM information to web browsers, smartphones, and other devices, to help people with the diseases, manage the condition in real time and even predictively based on their bio metrics, activity, and glucose levels. Ben has also spent some time doing engineering work with Tidepool.org, which is a software that is helping to take the DIY capability of addressing both the data on the insulin pump and the data on the CGM, merging this data into a closed loop system, and providing prescriptive suggestions on ongoing therapy. Currently the software is up for approval with the FDA, and is looking to be democratized and provided within app stores for easy consumption. Ben also spent some time as a Cloud Networking Engineer at Cisco, and you'll see some of his experience in these capacities play out in the talk. Ben has a wealth of experience in software engineering and networking all up, and is a very reliable resource to follow and listen to as he discusses some big themes around the value of high fidelity solutions in healthcare.Some key topics we cover in the talk:-the journey, the community, and the people that have been working really hard on effectively creating high fidelity therapies to treat Diabetes Type 1-The definition of creating some high fidelity technology: the ratio of effort and the output of some external good from that effort-approaching the development of new tech, and some basic philosophies around capitalistic vs open cultures of development and innovation as they pertain to solving important problemsThank you for listening!How to contact Ben:Twitter: @bewestisdoingbewest@gmail.comGithub: bewestPeople mentioned:https://twitter.com/danamlewishttps://twitter.com/loudnatehttps://twitter.com/scottleibrandhttps://twitter.com/danamlewishttps://twitter.com/AliMazaheriHelpful resources and items mentioned:https://www.dexcom.com/https://peterattiamd.com/kevinsayer/https://openaps.org/https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/https://www.tidepool.org/http://nightscout.github.io/https://www.tidepool.org/blog/tidepool-loop-medtronic-collaborationhttps://professional.diabetes.org/?loc=bb-dorghttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ai-redefining-manufacturing-wendy-curcuri-bauer/