Podcasts about Panel discussion

In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly Bryant Dillon is joined by special guests Corinna Bechko (writer - Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Blood Type), Moni Barrette (comics librarian, educator, co-founder - Creators Assemble, writer - Enhance Your Library, Enhance Your Well-Being: How to Fight Burnout and Reclaim Library Joy), and Janet Joyce Holden (writer – Origins of Blood, Carousel) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding The Descent (2006) in light of the feature film's 20th anniversary, with topics including what the film has to say about friendship between women, how the primal nature of The Descent relates to Aliens and Predator, honest feelings on Sarah's final choice in the cave, and more. (Beware: SPOILERS for The Descent abound in this panel discussion!)

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software developments highlight the continued expansion of AI, workflow automation, and ecosystem connectivity across CRM, marketing, operations, and enterprise applications. Copado introduced Agentia, a Salesforce-first 360 delivery solution designed to streamline software delivery processes, while ECI Software Solutions added new AI capabilities to its Deacom and JobBOSS² platforms to enhance manufacturing operations. InvoiceCloud unveiled an AI-powered billing experience to improve customer interactions, and Pipefy announced a collaboration with Microsoft to strengthen workflow automation and enterprise productivity. Meanwhile, Airship expanded its fleet of AI agents to support customer engagement initiatives, and Clari and Salesloft introduced new capabilities aimed at improving revenue execution. Exclaimer deepened enterprise integration through its connection with Workday, HubSpot launched a solution focused on Answer Engine Optimization to help organizations adapt to AI-driven search experiences, Respondology introduced new tools for managing and engaging with social media comments, and StackAdapt released a live events campaign workflow tailored for sports advertising markets. Together, these announcements underscore how vendors are embedding AI and automation directly into business processes while expanding platform interoperability and customer engagement capabilities.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOB2KlqraVsQuestions for Panelists?

Abner Chou • Selected Scriptures • Sojourners

Abner Chou • Selected Scriptures

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I hosted an MSP Insights Roundtable on AI, automation, and observability at scale, bringing together three brilliant guests, Joe Burns, Fiona Challis, and Nick Horner. What struck me straight away was how all three agreed on one thing before we even got into the detail. AI, automation, and observability only work when you understand your own processes first. Joe walked us through how his MSP, Reformed, built its operational maturity by identifying repetitive tasks, spotting where human error crept in, and asking his team what they actually disliked doing. Only once that groundwork was done did he bring in automation, including an early AI triage system on the service desk, and it paid off.    Nick added a perspective I loved, describing how starting small with clients avoids the scope creep that can derail an automation project before it even gets going. He shared a story about a modest HR automation that grew organically once the client saw the value for themselves, and how bringing end users into the process from day one builds the kind of trust that makes AI, automation, and observability actually stick. Getting genuine buy in, as Nick put it, turns a nervous stakeholder into a project sponsor rather than a blocker.    Fiona introduced an idea I keep coming back to, becoming your own customer zero, assessing your own readiness before you ever take an AI conversation to a client. She told us most MSPs score only two or three out of five on her readiness assessment, which shows how much foundational work is still undocumented across our sector. We spent time discussing how observability has changed, moving away from juggling dashboards across Microsoft 365, PSA, and RMM tools towards a single intelligent layer that pulls everything together securely and quickly. Nick made the point that speed and accuracy no longer need a dedicated Power BI specialist, and Fiona reminded us that the ROI conversation always starts with measuring a baseline before you change anything.    One of my favourite moments came from Joe, describing a law firm that spent three to four hours every week cross checking court lists against their case management system, a task his team solved with an agent in fifteen minutes. Fiona echoed this, encouraging MSPs to lead with one practical win rather than an overwhelming pitch, because solving a single small problem tends to open the door to many more conversations. We also got into the tension between compliance and outcome. Fiona argued that clients buy the outcome AI delivers rather than the technology itself, and Joe pushed back with honest feedback from his law firm clients, who want compliance answered first given how sensitive that sector is to reputational risk. Both agreed that governance needs to be built into the foundations of any deployment rather than bolted on afterwards.    Drawing on Daniel Priestley's thinking around demand and supply tension, Joe warned us against pouring all our energy into operational capacity while neglecting sales and marketing, a gap that can quietly erode margins even as efficiency improves. Fiona picked this up with real enthusiasm, describing how AI and automation can make selling feel far more natural, framing every client conversation as a business problem to solve rather than a service to pitch. She introduced the three pillars she coaches MSPs towards, capacity, experience, and revenue, and stressed the importance of owning your intellectual property rather than giving away your hard built agents for free.    We closed by sharing how each of us measures success, from outcome-based tracking to client and employee satisfaction scores, before final takeaways. Nick urged everyone to embrace the shift and stay ahead of the curve, Joe reminded us that capacity means nothing without the ability to sell it, and Fiona encouraged listeners to stop overthinking and take the first step. I came away from this session convinced, more than ever, that AI, automation, and observability can genuinely transform an MSP, provided the fundamentals are respected along the way.     Connect with Fiona Challis through LinkedIn and website.  Connect with Joe Burns through LinkedIn and website.  Connect with Nick Horner through LinkedIn.    Make sure to check out our Ultimate MSP Growth Guide, a free guide that walks you through a proven process to take your MSP from stuck to scalable, without working even more hours. It's 44 pages rammed with advice, insights and inspiration to help you decide what support is available to you now if you want to grow and scale your business. Click HERE to get your copy.    Connect on LinkedIn HERE with Ian and also with Stuart by clicking this LINK    And when you're ready to take the next step in growing your MSP, come and take the Scale with Confidence MSP Mastery Quiz. In just three minutes, you'll get a 360-degree scan of your MSP and identify the one or two tactics that could help you find more time, engage & align your people and generate more leads.    If you're serious about growth and want to explore what this could look like for your MSP, you can book a Right Fit Clarity Call with us HERE.  OR   To join our amazing Facebook Group of over 400 MSPs where we are helping you Scale Up with Confidence, then click HERE  Until next time, look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!   

In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-hosts Bryant Dillon and Claire Thorne are joined by special guests Doc Wyatt (TV writer & producer - Stranger Things: Tales from 85, Ninjago, Star Wars: Resistance), Corinna Bechko (writer - Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Blood Type), and Chris Mancini (writer – Long Ago + Far Away, Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding Aliens (1986) in light of the feature film's 40th anniversary, with topics including the pop culture impact of James Cameron's sequel, if the Alien Queen added or took away from the "alien" nature of the H.R. Giger's creature, the controversial way the opening of Alien 3 impacts the ending of Aliens, and more. (Beware: SPOILERS for Aliens abound in this panel discussion!)

10 Years After Brexit: Scotland's European Journey

What's the one toxic leadership behaviour you'd banish forever? In this special Leadership Room 101 episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, three industry leaders each argue to banish one leadership behaviour for good: busyness, fear-based leadership, or pay-to-play culture. I'm joined by Katy Wright (Chief Client & Business Officer, AMV BBDO), Sergio Lopez Ferrero (Global CEO, Omnicom Production), and Sachini Imbuldeniya (Co-Founder & CEO, House of Oddities).Each leader gets around ten minutes to make their case, and at the end I pick just one to send into Room 101. The debate is honest, funny, and at times a little controversial, and each argument says something real about how leadership and the creative industry work today.What We Cover:00:00 Trailer00:50 The Leadership Room 101 concept, and meet the three leaders01:50 Katy's nomination: Busyness as a badge of honour06:20 Is being "busy" really pride, or is it fear?10:20 The fear of not looking busy enough12:50 The link between rest, sleep, and real creativity19:50 Sergio's nomination: Fear-based leadership21:50 Why blaming an unnamed "head office" erodes trust24:50 Can a little fear actually be healthy in leadership?27:20 Why "alpha" leadership is over, and vulnerability is rising27:50 The uncomfortable debate: do CEOs have psychopathic tendencies?40:50 Sachini's nomination: Why pay-to-play is rigging the industry45:50 Awards and access: is success bought or earned?47:50 How pay-to-play shuts out great creative work48:50 My verdict: which behaviour goes into Leadership Room 101Key Leadership Insights:Why “busy” has become a status symbol, and what it often hidesHow to hear what your team are really telling you when they say they're busyWhy a small amount of healthy fear can sharpen accountabilityWhy vulnerability now makes leaders more followable, not lessHow pay-to-play systems in awards and pitching hold the industry backWhy fixing fairness at the top can change a whole company culturePart debate, part masterclass, and a lot of fun. By the end you'll be deciding which leadership behaviour you'd banish too.

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software developments highlight the accelerating convergence of AI, automation, and platform consolidation across multiple technology categories. Reshift Media launched Franify to help franchise organizations modernize marketing execution, while Sprinklr expanded its customer experience capabilities through its Spring '26 release. In the AI space, NeuBird AI raised significant funding to advance agentic AI for production operations, and Xoople secured substantial investment to build an AI-ready system of record for geospatial and Earth-scale data. Meanwhile, Advantive detailed its Advantive ONE platform strategy, and AppDirect announced plans to acquire PartnerStack to strengthen ecosystem and partner management capabilities. Amazon Web Services expanded its AI portfolio by introducing Claude Opus 4.7 to Amazon Bedrock, while BlackLine unveiled its Agentic Financial Operations model to transform finance workflows. Certinia introduced Veda, an intelligent operations engine designed to enhance business execution, and Copado launched Agentia, a Salesforce-first delivery platform aimed at streamlining software development and deployment. Collectively, these announcements demonstrate how vendors are embedding intelligent agents, operational automation, and connected data architectures into core enterprise processes to improve productivity, decision-making, and business agility.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXz-mbRHMowQuestions for Panelists?

This interactive panel discussion will support participants to engage in a dialogue about responsive and respectful relationships with children and partnerships with families with guest speakers

In this Season 4 finale, host Marc Goldberg brings together three passionate adult education advocates and champions who know adult ed from the inside out — as former students, faculty, and staff. The panel includes Bakr Alkarawi, a past Mt. Hood Community College student and recent Portland State University graduate, Lynne Hamblin, a graduate and former adult education staff member at Rogue Community College and current student at Oregon State University, and Erin Vobornik, the executive director for the National Association For the Transformation of Adult Education and past initiatives director at COABE. The panel discussion is rich and wide-ranging. Bakr and Lynne — both Season 1 All In podcast guests — return with inspiring updates on where their education and career paths have taken them a few years later. Erin sheds light on the staggering scale of need for adult education across the country, populations with limited access to quality jobs without adult education coursework, resources and supports, and clear educational pathways. Together, the three panelists offer candid recommendations to higher education leaders, workforce professionals, policymakers and students — making a compelling case for stronger investment in and commitment to adult education. Above all, they emphasized that adult education students themselves must be active voices, with their expertise honored, at the heart of every decision, policy, program, and partnership that affects them. This was a fantastic way to culminate the All In podcast season that concentrated on amplifying the voices of current and past community college students who accessed adult education courses, resources, and support along their higher education journey. The All In: Student Pathways Forward podcast is a part of Oregon's participation in the National Skills Coalition SkillSPAN network.

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software developments reflect continued momentum around AI enablement, industry partnerships, customer experience innovation, and strategic acquisitions. ECI Software Solutions and In Time Tec announced a collaboration to expand technology capabilities for their customers, while M-Files introduced new solutions focused on tax advisory, quality management, and contract processes. Nexthink expanded its digital employee experience portfolio with a new solution for Android and iOS devices, and TrueCommerce embedded agentic AI capabilities across its platform to improve supply chain execution and automation. Meanwhile, Yobi strengthened its AI strategy through a partnership with Microsoft, and Zone & Co expanded its financial operations footprint through the acquisition of Sudozi. Additional market activity included Algolia's launch of Recommendation Analytics to enhance digital commerce insights, Caylent's acquisition of Pronetx to deepen cloud and AI expertise, Optimove's acquisition of Smartico to strengthen customer engagement capabilities, and Pipeliner CRM's rebranding as Coevera. Together, these announcements highlight how software vendors are increasingly combining AI, data intelligence, and ecosystem expansion to drive business value and competitive differentiation.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4A-kDBpB1oQuestions for Panelists?

I was delighted to be invited by Will Wintercross of the Syrian Refugee Relief Fund to participate in a panel on geopolitics with Hannah Lucinda Smith, a distinguished foreign correspondent and author of the recent book, Hinterlands. If you would like to support this podcast please consider taking out a paid subscription to my Substack arthursnell.substack.com or if you don't want the hassle of a subscription you can buy me a coffee! ko-fi.com/snellarthur If you want to buy any of the books talked about in this show, please support independent bookshops by using Bookshop.org with this link: ⁠https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/behindthelines⁠ Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-host Bryant Dillon is joined by special guests Ben Crane (writer - Man of Lies, Scattered Futures, IDW's Cosmic Cadets, editor - Systemic) and Kevin Sharp (Fanbase Press contributor - "Between the Panels" Interview Series, editor-in-chief - Meanwhile ...A Comic Shop Anthology) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding A Scanner Darkly (2006) in light of the feature film's 20th anniversary, with topics including whether the use of interpolated rotoscope animation enhances the film, how the story represents Phillip K. Dick's feelings on drug addiction and drug enforcement within our society, how the film hits differently 20 years after release, and more. (Beware: SPOILERS for A Scanner Darkly abound in this panel discussion!)

This is a panel discussion from the Community Housing Aotearoa 2026 Conference held this week where I was asked to facilitate the panel on this topic of "Can we build it?  Yes we can!". The new Community Housing Guide from Parry Field Lawyers mentioned is a free download here https://www.parryfield.com/property/community-housing/  Community Housing Funding Agency mentioned by Luke: https://chfa.co.nz  Signature Homes mentioned by Gareth: https://www.signature.co.nz  Tamaki Regeneration mentioned by Shelley: https://tamakiregeneration.co.nz  For more content also visit Community Housing Aotearoa site: https://communityhousing.org.nz  And more episodes of seeds are at www.theseeds.nz   

Moderator:Irshad Rasheed, President, Stearns Salaam BankPanelists:Aamir Rehman, Chair, Innate Capital PartnersAijaz Hussain, Executive Vice President of Sales & Director, UIF CorporationAhmad Quqa, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Crescent Private WealthMonem Salam, Executive Vice President, Director, and Portfolio Manager, Saturna CapitalMushfique Shams Billah, Chair of Private Credit Team & Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP

The biggest week in the Rush universe in over a decade deserved something different... so we threw out the usual format and assembled an all-star panel.Chaz and Schatz are joined by our co-hostess with the mostest Jillian Maryonovich (RushCon), Ed Toth (The Doobie Brothers), Greg Russell (Mr. Peart's Friend, Drummer Natural Science, and Xcitelabs Director), and John Patuto (Cygnus-X1.net) to unpack the first week of Rush's historic 2026 return to the stage. From first impressions of Anika Nilles behind the kit, to the emotional tributes to Neil Peart, the jaw-dropping setlists, and the overwhelming reaction from the Rush community, this is a candid fan conversation recorded while history is still unfolding.Was everyone skeptical going in? Absolutely.Did the first four shows change minds?You'll have to listen.This isn't a review—it's five lifelong Rush fans trying to process something many of us never thought we'd see again: Geddy and Alex back on stage, celebrating the music, honoring Neil, and reminding us why this band continues to mean so much.In This EpisodeThe panel's honest reactions after opening weekWhy Anika Nilles may have the toughest job in rock musicThe emotional response from the Rush fan communityGreg Russell discusses creating the video tribute to his friendSetlist surprises, deep cuts, and what they mean for the tourWhy many longtime fans say they "felt safe loving Rush again"What the future of the tour could hold city by cityWhether you've already seen the show or you're counting the days until your date, this episode captures the excitement, uncertainty, and joy of an unforgettable week in Rush history.#Rush #RushRash #GeddyLee #AlexLifeson #NeilPeart #AnnikaNilles #RushTour2026 #RushFans #ProgressiveRock #ClassicRock #RushConSCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world! Yeah!⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here: ⁠Schatz's Scratch List⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠(And say it 5 times fast!)GO BONELESSCertified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software developments highlight how vendors are accelerating investments in AI, automation, connectivity, and operational intelligence across the enterprise technology stack. Zapier and Rillet connected general ledger processes to thousands of business applications, while ActivTrak introduced new capabilities to help organizations measure and govern AI adoption. At the same time, Celonis expanded its collaboration with Oracle to strengthen process intelligence initiatives, and C3 AI showcased enhancements to its enterprise AI development platforms. ECI Software Solutions and In Time Tec announced a strategic collaboration, M-Files introduced new solutions for tax advisory, quality management, and contract processes, and Nexthink expanded digital employee experience management with support for Android and iOS devices. Meanwhile, TrueCommerce embedded agentic AI throughout its platform to streamline supply chain operations, Yobi deepened its partnership with Microsoft to enhance AI-powered customer engagement, and Zone & Co strengthened its financial operations portfolio through the acquisition of Sudozi. Collectively, these announcements underscore the growing focus on embedding AI directly into core business workflows while improving interoperability, governance, and enterprise-wide productivity.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cCGErWYJIQuestions for Panelists?

This episode of the Tech On Demand podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks is a special presentation from the 2026 Darwin Perennials Day event in The Gardens at Ball in West Chicago, Illinois. Darwin Perennials Day is an annual event held each summer to showcase perennial plants, breeding innovations, a huge range of suppliers and of course the growers who produce and sell perennial crops. For many years, the event has included educational sessions, panel discussions and talks by perennial experts. This year, one of the panels was moderated by GrowerTalks editor Jen Zurko with three expert panelists focused on echinacea production. Echinacea Best Practices for Spring, Summer and Fall featured Ball Seed Culture Research Manager Nathan Jahnke, Darwin Perennials Product Representative Chris Fifo and Hans Stokes, the Seedling Business Manager at Swift Greenhouses in Iowa. You'll find this discussion interesting and packed with information to help you and your team level up your echinacea production. Darwin Perennials Day: https://www.darwinperennialsday.com/ Darwin Perennials on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@darwinperennials/videos

After nine weeks exploring the gifts of the Spirit, we gathered for a panel conversation to answer some of the most common questions people have about spiritual gifts. How do you discover your gift? What's the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts? What happens when we get it wrong? How do we practice the gifts with faith, humility, and discernment?In this conversation, we discuss practical ways to discern and develop spiritual gifts, the relationship between gifts and spiritual maturity, and how we can create a church culture where people are free to take risks, learn, and grow. Most importantly, we reflect on how spiritual gifts are meant to point us beyond themselves to Jesus—the Giver of every good gift.Whether you're still exploring your gifting or have been walking with Jesus for years, we hope this conversation encourages you to abide in Christ, serve others in love, and remain open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

A Panel Discussion | RespondIn this panel session, women of different ages and seasons talk honestly about what faithfulness looks like in real life through exhaustion, distraction, grief, comparison, church hurt, and everyday pressure. Together, they share practical rhythms for staying rooted in God's Word, prayer, community, and discipleship while learning to rest in God's faithfulness instead of their own performance.Respond Women's RetreatPlease leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help others grow in their faith. Click here to get our Colossians Bible study.

Wednesday 5/27/26 — The MCU'S Bleeding Edge YouTube channel and podcast are back covering television with a breakdown of Episode 1 of the new Prime Video series Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage alongside Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, and Brendan Gleeson. Co-host Jeff S ($TrueKnowledge) takes over moderating duties this week, joined by co-host Cyberneticshark, Andres The Pop Culture Guy, and Imran of the Jock and Nerd Podcast (also on YouTube) on the guest panel for this first episode discussion. We'll be diving into the premiere with live reactions, analysis, and discussion. If you caught us live or check out the audio version, please consider rating and following the podcast, subscribing to the channel, and leaving a comment—we love engaging with you.#SpiderNoir #SpiderMan #Marvel #PrimeVideo #NicolasCage #MCU #LiveStream #Podcast #TVRecap #Episode1

In this special live episode of Creative Guts, recorded in partnership with the New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA), we gather a panel of extraordinary women artists to talk about making meaningful work and navigating the realities of being women in the arts.  Joining the discussion are Cat Graffam, a painter, game developer, and content creator whose work bridges traditional and digital worlds; Maria Oakley, a painter, sculptor, and ceramicist; and Lori Moretti, a figurative painter. We are chatting while surrounded by work inspired by the memory of Sue Werner Thoresen, whose exhibition at the NHAA deepens the conversation about identity, memory, and artistic expression. Learn more about each artist on their websites: Cat Graffam: www.catherinegraffam.com   Maria Oakley: https://mariaoakley.com/ Lori Moretti: www.morettipaintings.com Moderated by Creative Guts co-host Becky Barsi, our conversation spans inspiration, process, visibility, challenge, community, and what needs to change to make the art world more equitable for women and gender-diverse people. Creative Guts would like to thank the NHAA for hosting this event! Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord. If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com.  Any views or opinions expressed by our hosts or guests do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Creative Guts.

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software developments further demonstrate how rapidly vendors are embedding agentic AI, governed automation, and composable data architectures into core enterprise workflows. Rootstock Software strengthened its manufacturing and warehouse execution strategy through the acquisition of Ascent Solutions, while Anaplan expanded its AI planning portfolio with CoModeler, Custom Analyst, and Agent Studio to accelerate enterprise planning automation. In the go-to-market space, Apollo.io acquired Pocus to build a more agentic revenue operations stack, and Zapier partnered with Rillet to connect general ledger workflows with thousands of operational applications. Meanwhile, Databricks introduced Lakewatch as an open, agentic SIEM platform built on the lakehouse architecture, and Oracle launched Fusion Agentic Applications designed to place coordinated AI agents directly inside ERP workflows. Governance and enterprise trust also emerged as central themes, with Relyance AI unveiling Lyo to monitor how AI agents interact with enterprise data, while Salesforce introduced AI Foundry to operationalize research into enterprise-ready AI models. Finally, Spade raised significant funding to transform messy transaction strings into finance-grade AI data, reinforcing how semantic normalization and governed enterprise context are becoming foundational to the next generation of AI-native enterprise systems.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hekHpEgI0zMQuestions for Panelists?

Welcome to the Art Life Faith Podcast, and I’m your host, Roger Lowther. We are recording live from the JCAMM conference in downtown Tokyo with the theme of “The Beauty of Japan・The Beauty of Heaven.” It’s a week-long conference from Friday, May 22 to Wednesday, May 27, 2026, where we are talking about the arts of Japan, the beauty of Japan, and how that helps us worship God. We’ve had so many amazing guests this week, and now I have the privilege of sitting down with one of our key presenters, a band like no other I’ve ever seen in the world called IziBongo. They sing not only in the various languages of the world, but they use the various instruments of the world and the various styles and genres of the world so people can see what it looks like for the nations to praise God and how that can lead us all in praise of God. So I wanted to sit down with them and have a conversation. I’ve also asked Akira Mori to sit down with us. He is our MC for the conference, and he’s a longtime friend and partner. We got to know each other very well through the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster. He’s the pastor of Global Mission Chapel in Iwaki, Japan, not too far south of the nuclear power plants in Fukushima. And his amazing church was one of the key centers for relief work for all of Tohoku. Through the years, we’ve gotten to know each other better, and I’ve so appreciated not just his encouragement and the way he leads especially movements of prayer in Japan but the way he’s encouraged me personally and for his friendship. And so I invited him to be the MC for this conference and also to be with us for this podcast episode. So thank you, all of you, for being here. Why don’t we start with a quick introduction? Please tell me who are you and where this name IziBongo came from. It’s kind of an interesting name. Cory Sure, Izibongo is a Zulu word which means praises intoned in honor of a person. It’s a kind of praise poetry. This is a second generation of the group itself, originally called the Wycliffe World Music Band, which came from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Roger Not as catchy… Cory Yeah…, which came from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Roger Okay, so what do you do? Why did you form IziBongo? Cory Originally, the Wycliffe World Music Band was meant to be an illustrative form of the music of the world and to promote Bible translation. That was one of the hopes for the people who organized it. We would go to Christian music festivals and perform there to show how the nations would worship or do their songs. Paul I might add that originally it was an ad hoc group of students in a particular class learning about some of these principles of music and worship around the world. The leader of that class was our mentor, Tom Avery. He would gather the students and throw instruments at them and say, “Sing this and let’s play this.” And so it was just to appreciate the worship around the world. This developed out of that educational starting point to more of a worship focus and whatever it is today. Cathy Another point that Tom would make when teaching us these songs was that music is not a universal language, it’s a universal phenomenon. But different peoples have different ways of singing. We think we might understand what they’re singing about. We might make a judgment if we hear another culture’s music and say, “That’s demonic,” or, “You could not praise God with that music.” But he was teaching us that we need to understand when we go into cultures their music systems. We can’t just go in and say, “No, you have to sing it this way.” Mary And to follow up on that is the focus of outsider-insider, an outsider trying to understand from the insiders, “What does this mean to you? What is the content?” because as outsiders, we can really miss it and not understand what’s actually being expressed. So we have terms. We say etic and emic, outsider/insider perspectives, that we talk about in our courses and our learning. Roger Help us to see what this looks like a little bit more concretely. What countries, what groups are you representing, and what kinds of instruments are you playing? Paul Well, I’m playing about 3 or 4 instruments here. One is a charango from Bolivia, which I bought on the River Walk in San Antonio from a real live player. I’m also playing a Moroccan oud, which we use for other instruments as well. We don’t carry 50 instruments, we carry about 10. And I’m playing a Greek bouzouki, but I’m using that to represent music from other parts of the world as well if the instrument sounds similar to the sounds. So again, we’re approximating all these. We’re never being exactly authentic. We are just Americans. We’re not trying to pretend that we’re something else. But we love the sounds of the world and the praises that they lift up. So we want to approximate those sounds so that you will learn to appreciate their music. As for the countries that we actually sing songs from, we could give a list if you’d like. Cory We do some from South America, so there’s Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia…Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo… Cathy Nigeria… Cory Egypt… Paul Tunisia, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, South Korea…We don’t have a Japanese song yet. Roger Okay, well, we’ll have to fix that. Paul Exactly! We’re working on it. Roger So tell me more about why you do this. What is your purpose in singing these different styles—using different instruments, different languages, representing different countries? Paul Well, for myself, and I think for my wife as well, we were worship leaders in a local church and trying to find the most relevant ways to help people worship in our culture. It was mostly not a mixed culture. It was mostly just a normal American church in Texas, but still we had to wrestle with contemporary versus older styles and who was there and what kind of music they liked. In the South it’s a little more Baptist hymnal kind of songs, which I wasn’t that familiar with. So you always have to learn and find out from the congregation that you’re worshiping with, what helps them express their heart, because that’s really what a worship leader is trying to do, just help the people worship from their heart. So that was where we started, and when we ran into Tom and he was doing that in the jungles of Brazil, it sounded radically different, of course. So we learned from him how to approximate that sound so that we could present it. Cathy So the first time we performed this kind of music, we thought we were just going to give people an educational experience and say, this is what your brothers and sisters sound like over in Africa, or this is what they say to God in their songs. The people that heard us in Memphis, Tennessee, on that very first trip were crying. They said, “This is a kind of worship that we’ve never experienced before.” It wasn’t necessarily something they could participate in, but it was like when you look up at the stars and go, “Wow, God, that’s amazing.” And you get a glimpse of the worship that God is preparing for himself across the world. And it does increase your love for your brothers and sisters. So we wanted to give more people that kind of understanding and that kind of love for brothers and sisters that they’ve never met, maybe an experience that would have them want to pray for those brothers and sisters. And so when we go to a mission conference, we hope, too, that it opens people’s eyes to understand that we want to encourage authentic ethnic worship and not just press our Western songs onto others. Mary I was just going to say one word, beauty. Well, I’ll say a few more words than just that. We have a colleague who decades ago said, why would God have created birds that only sing one song? And so we think about the diversity of artistic communication and think about the beauty of how we can all be different and have different artistic expression, but that it can be unified in the worship of our Creator, and to learn to appreciate that, but also know that it’s perfectly great to have those styles and songs and ways that you can sing and worship that come really from a deep place in your heart. So, we want to get into what that is in each culture to lead people to that place of beauty. Paul It makes me think also the necessity that we feel of presenting things with authentic instrumentation as much as possible and with some costuming. It’s not like we’re not trying to appropriate someone else’s culture. We’re trying to represent so that you will have a deeper appreciation of those—the beauty, not just the sound, but the beauty of those cultures in their expression of worship. Roger I’m glad you all are talking about this because that was one of my next questions is like, why is this important? You know, when I first came to Japan, the first thing that people wanted me and my wife to do is, as musicians, help with worship. And there’s basically two choices you can do. Contemporary or you can do traditional. One or the other. If you play organ and piano, well that’s traditional. If you use the guitar, well then that’s going to be contemporary. Those are the only two choices, so choose. If you go back and forth between the two, then that’s blended, a little of both. So to hear what you all do is so far outside people’s expectations of what worship can be. And that message, I feel, is especially needed in Japan. I would love Mori-Sensei to comment on that. Have you heard anything like this in Japan, this group? Mori No. That’s it. Roger And is it important then for Japan? Mori Absolutely. Japanese people like to feel safe, I guess, and don’t want to be criticized. Therefore, they try to conform to whatever is the mainstream, whether it’s a small group of 3, 4, 5 or a bigger group of 50–100. But that’s what I sense, and that’s what I find in myself from the past. So, especially when you think about the Christian church. The gospel was brought by typically Caucasian Western missionaries, and I don’t think they had any other way than to just do what they were used to. And without being intentional, I believe a kind of very clear line between Christians and non-Christian Japanese was drawn. When I was a teenager and a church member, the pastor said secular songs shouldn’t be sung, not even for yourself when you’re alone. So there was a very clear line, and I think in every church it was the same. And if you dare to play jazz or, rock was not so much in Japan in those days, then you were looked at as unspiritual, not a good Christian. So naturally, for those reasons, the Japanese ethnic or original music was separated from the church. It is still very much the same, I think. Therefore, it’s very difficult to take different styles of music and even ethnic music into the church. We don’t have any group like IziBongo. I don’t know if any other countries do either, but it is great riches brought to the church. Roger You know, when I first came to Japan, I was in language school that first year. We made friends with a clarinetist, and she was feeling turmoil about being in the church because the church told her she couldn’t play. She was a professional clarinet player, but they would not allow her to play clarinet in church because that was not appropriate for Christian worship. But, they said, you can play the piano because we need someone to play the piano. She was like, but I’m not a keyboardist and don’t play the piano very well, and it was hard for her to worship while playing the piano. When we came in, they asked us as missionaries to come give a concert, and we invited her to join us. There were tears in her eyes because that was the first time anyone in the church had ever heard her play the clarinet, which was her heart language. And I was like, wow, well, maybe it’s just this church. Well, then we went and were helping to plant another church out in Chiba, where we met a pastor whose son played the saxophone. And it was the same story. He invited his son to play saxophone once in worship, and the church members got so upset. Saxophone is not appropriate for worship, they said. It sounds worldly. It sounds like jazz, you know. And we’ve come across stories like that over and over again. And I want to tell you one more. Sorry I’m talking so much! But there’s this other story when we met this koto player. She was featured in one of our videos during the conference. I think I’ve shared this in a past podcast episode, but we invited her to come and play koto in worship. That’s a traditional Japanese harp, and it was so beautiful. We loved it, but there were so many people upset afterwards. And there were so many meetings afterwards, not the kind of meetings that you really want to have happen, you know, like with the pastor and the elders. Okay, this person’s upset, and they felt like it was connecting to the non-Christian culture in Japan. They said, “You can’t use the koto in worship. You were distracting me from worship. I was not able to worship God because you had the koto there.” And, you know, the way—I’ve shared this with some of you before—the way that we were able to bring healing to that situation is when they realized how she was able to worship God through her heart language, through the koto, it drew them in and they were able to worship God by seeing how she was worshiping God. It wasn’t a gimmick, you know, it wasn’t like we’re trying to force something on the church, but that this is how she worshiped, and they were able to worship through her. It was that relational key that made all the difference. Mori Um, can I ask you a question? Roger Sure. Mori That was your experience in the beginning. Is that still very much the same in the Japanese churches? Roger I do sometimes continue to hear stories, yeah… Mori This is my subjective, biased opinion, but around 20 years ago, God raised a young man and gave him song after song. An authentic Japanese young man, producing Japanese praise songs, worship songs, and they did some gatherings using yukatas and guitars on the stage, dancing and singing. And those worship songs created by those people, they have quite rapidly spread all across Japan. Roger Oh, wow. I’d like to hear them. Mori Yes. Oh, you know him. Taka. His songs, I believe, have changed the atmosphere of Japanese churches. Nagasawa Takafumi wrote that famous song, “Sono Hi Zen Sekai Ga” (“On That Day”). He started out as a worship leader in his father’s church. Now, he’s the senior pastor. But he was invited as a worship leader to a church in a different place, totally different place, and the pastor, as the congregation sang that song, proudly said to Taka, “Don’t you think this is an awesome song?” He didn’t know that Taka wrote that song, and Taka did not tell him. But today, more instruments are naturally taken into church services. Different styles are tolerated. Not every church, but, by and large, so many churches are resembling Western American churches, worship band in front and leading songs with guitars and drums and bass guitars and keyboard. And it’s spreading. And I just think that change has been happening. But still though, not Japanese authentic instruments or styles. Roger Yeah, that's still pretty rare. Mori Yeah, because of the schism that happened, right in the beginning, the Christians somehow feel that those instruments are not theirs. And to me, that’s okay if Christians don’t play any koto or shakuhachi. Of course, they’re greatly considered by Christians to be a special genre of instrument. Roger Generally. Yeah, Cathy? Cathy That’s one thing that seems to happen when we play. We had an experience in Singapore. A Japanese gal came up and talked to me afterwards and said, “This makes me want to go home and find what is unique from my culture that I can offer to God. It makes me want to go home and find or make something unique from my culture. And so, I think that IziBongo sometimes has that effect when we show what other cultures are doing. Roger Yeah, I also wanted to ask you all, I know that like sometimes I hear this word “appropriation” in the States, because you are not from those cultures, because you are Americans doing that music. If someone was to come at you and say, “Hey, that’s not appropriate for you to be doing that,” how would you respond to them? Paul Well, it depends who it’s coming from, I think, is where we start. We have never had anyone come to us from those nations with a problem with us. In fact, all we’ve ever heard is appreciation that we at least attempted to sing in their language. And again, we don’t do it perfectly. We had one experience up at Prairie Bible College where we played a First Nations song, a Native American song, and there was one young gentleman there who was a young man from the First Nations, and he was so excited. He wanted to sing the song. It was very simple, so he wanted to lead it. It was so amazing to him that he could do that. And almost immediately, we got strong pushback from a missionary couple who’d been there for 30 years working with First Nations peoples who felt like that was very inappropriate for the church. So let me say it this way: What we do is not try to impose on the church what you should do. What we’re doing is saying praise is happening all over the world, not always on Sunday morning. In fact, most of this wouldn’t be in Sunday morning worship, but it’s worship. Some of it’s on the streets of Brazil, a samba. And it was a Christian song sung on the streets of Carnaval. I mean, that’s not Sunday morning. So again, what we’re presenting is just the various expressions of praise. Whether they fit on Sunday morning in the church, your pastor and your worship leaders need to work that out. And we shouldn’t be judging them. They’re the ones who are to guide and guard the flock. So pray for your pastors that they might have vision even when they have reservations. Cathy I would say it’s also not only praise, but Scripture memory songs, storytelling, telling of Bible stories, and historical things. So there are other ways to use the music. Cory And the use of the music that we do when we perform are based on relationships that we have with the communities themselves, either through a Bible translation project or actual one-on-one. So, we have gotten permission to do these songs according to the communities that we’ve come in contact with. Mary And I’ll say that coming back to the U.S. from West Africa and starting to hear this word appropriation, I was a little bit shocked because I was like, oh, what does that mean? You know, I had to say, what does that actually mean? Because to be in West Africa or in that particular culture, you dress with the cloth and you learn their songs and they are thrilled that you are learning their language and wearing their clothes. So appropriation is not about using these things for our own benefit, but it’s about lifting up and respecting that culture. Roger We are almost out of time, but I want to give Mori Sensei the last word. So, think about what you’re going to say. Let me just say that I’ve been moved by talking with all of you, you know, outside this interview, the stories you’ve told me about how people respond saying, wow, I had no idea I could worship God in that way through my culture, through my art, and how it’s encouraging them, empowering them really. You are empowering the nations to say, God has given you these gifts to worship him, and it’s just such an important message. Thank you so much for the time and money you’ve spent to come all the way to Japan to share this with us. We really appreciate it. Mori Sensei, do you have any final comments? Mori Well, thank you very much. I’m so honored. Change is happening in the Japanese churches. It’s not only negative. In one church, 45 minutes away from Tokyo, they started using enka. Enka is very secular, many love songs. They were the songs church members' husbands especially loved. So they invited the husbands and did a couples' night. They served beer and they sang enka. And the people loved it. Actually, the wives loved it too. So, some changes are happening. Also, Japanese instruments—koto, shakuhachi, shamisen—are not widely used in the churches. I think that’s because nowadays Japanese people have grown up without those instruments nearby. But those who have, they should be invited to the churches to perform and make them feel at home. Still, the Japanese churches are very much under the control of pastors. So these gatherings would be excellent for the Japanese pastors to know and come attend, listen to, hear the stories. That’s probably the challenge for the near future. Roger Thank you. Thank you so much, all of you. I really appreciate it. God bless you. You've been listening to the Art Life Faith Podcast. To watch the video of this podcast or many other videos from the conference, please go to our website: www.communityarts.jp. As we say in Japan, “Ja, mata ne.” We'll see you next time.

Purpose on Monday - Panel Discussion - Lerato & Panel | 7/6/2026 by Every Nation Rosebank

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software announcements further confirm that the market is rapidly converging around agentic AI, semantic intelligence, and autonomous workflow orchestration. Blue Yonder introduced new AI agents and mobile applications aimed at strengthening supply chain execution and frontline operations, while Zendesk expanded its AI customer service strategy through the acquisition of Forethought. Actian launched an AI analyst designed to convert business glossaries into a live semantic layer, highlighting the growing importance of governed enterprise context for AI-native operations. Meanwhile, ActiveCampaign and Contentsquare announced new capabilities focused on customer engagement and digital experience intelligence. On the enterprise planning side, Anaplan expanded its AI planning portfolio with CoModeler, Custom Analyst, and Agent Studio, while Oracle continued embedding coordinated AI agents directly inside Fusion ERP workflows through its new Fusion Agentic Applications initiative. In parallel, Apollo.io acquired Pocus to strengthen its agentic go-to-market stack, Databricks introduced Lakewatch as an open agentic SIEM platform built on the lakehouse architecture, and Rootstock Software acquired Ascent Solutions to deepen its manufacturing and warehouse execution capabilities.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksS15kccXPcQuestions for Panelists?

How can institutions bridge the gap between traditional academic programs and dynamic labor market needs? How can you move from one-off internships and class projects to build true partnerships? What role can data, technology, and systems play? What strategies can you use to combat organizational silos and institutional risk-aversion? In this special episode from a session at the Ellucian Live Conference, Elliot Felix presents the whitepaper he partnered with Ellucian on and then facilitates a panel discussion on these questions with Noah Brown from Ellucian, Rupa Saran from Coast Community College District, Antwon Foreman from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and Norman Palmer from Complete College America.  Episode Highlights include: [6:10] Elliot Felix shares highlights from the Ellucian whitepaper “Understand, Align, and Partner so that Students Succeed and Employers Excel”  [16:15] Noah Brown talks about how colleges can build the trust with companies to enable workforce development even when proprietary technology is involved, for instance with electric vehicles [18:13] Antwon Foreman reveals the power of using co-curricular activities to build interest, momentum, and trust that sparks curriculum change and in the process reach 6,000+ students annual [27:10 Rupa Saran discusses the development of a common cloud among California Community Colleges so that they can share data and avoid reinventing the wheel at each institution [29:35] Norman Palmer shares the importance of lowering the stakes through pilot projects to make it safe to fail fast, learn, and improve – and doing this not alone but with peers and partners so you can learn together.

At this year's PEGS Boston, industry experts gathered on a panel to explore how AI and machine learning are deployed in biologics R&D today. Moderated by Peter M. Tessier, Ph.D., Albert M. Mattocks professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at University of Michigan, the panel consisted of Andrew Buchanan, Ph.D., head of discovery at a stealth-mode biotech company; Norbert Furtmann, Ph.D., head of biologics AI and design of large molecules research at Sanofi; Konrad S. Krawczyk, Ph.D., founder and CSO at NaturalAntibody SA; Andrew C.R. Martin, Ph.D., emeritus professor of bioinformatics and computational biology at University College London; Melody Shahsavarian, Ph.D., senior director of data strategy and digital transformation of biotherapeutics discovery research at Eli Lilly & Company; and Bernhardt L. Trout, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Links from this episode:  Pharmaceutical Sciences & Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan University of Michigan Sanofi NaturalAntibody SA Bioinformatics, UCL Biosciences Computational Biology, UCL University College London   Eli Lilly & Company 

Engineering a solution is one thing; making it work in a high-stakes clinical environment is another. This panel discussion features the minds who build the tech and the hands that use it. Leading bioengineers and frontline clinicians from NYU, NYU Abu Dhabi, the University of Michigan and the University of Maine deconstruct the challenges of medical device innovation. The topics include glaucoma and other chronic diseases such as metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurologic diseases. The discussion also touches on AI, robotics, and wearable technology to improve patient care. Panel Members Andreas Hielscher, Professor of of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering Shy Shoham, Professor of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine and Tech4Health Giovanna Guidoboni, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Dean of Engineering and Computing, University of Maine Manjool Shah, Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Associate Chair of Innovation, University of Michigan Sefy Paulose Joshi, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, NYU Langone Health Moderated by Yong-Ak (Rafael) Song, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering and 19 Washington Square North Faculty Fellow, NYUAD

In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-host Bryant Dillon is joined by special guests Michael Poisson (writer - Robot Chicken, Netflix's Raising Dion, The CW's Tom Swift, and Fanbase Press' The Arcs), Jack Phoenix (librarian, writer – Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library: Graphic Novels, Manga, and More), Moni Barrette (comics librarian, educator, writer, co-founder - Creators Assemble), and Vince Ventura (co-founder – Dread Alert Media) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding Scream (1996) in light of the feature film's 30th anniversary, with topics including how the film changed the horror genre, the ways the film tapped into the cultural zeitgeist of 1996 with prescient accuracy, the stand-out performances of the cast, and more. (Beware: SPOILERS for Scream abound in this panel discussion!)

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software announcements highlight how rapidly the market is evolving toward agentic architectures, semantic intelligence, and AI-driven operational orchestration. Anthropic expanded MCP with a framework designed for full-stack agentic applications, reinforcing the industry's push toward composable AI ecosystems. Meanwhile, Hubbl Technologies raised funding to position itself as an intelligence layer for the Salesforce agentic environment, while Salesforce continued broadening its AI footprint through Agentforce for Communications. Sage enhanced the Sage Intacct Suite with new capabilities focused on finance operations, and Sinch introduced a collection of AI agent features targeting customer engagement workflows. On the operational side, Typeface unveiled a marketing orchestration engine, while Blue Yonder announced new AI agents and mobile applications aimed at supply chain execution and workforce enablement. At the same time, Zendesk moved deeper into AI-powered customer support through its acquisition of Forethought, and Actian launched an AI analyst designed to transform business glossaries into a live semantic layer, signaling the growing importance of governed enterprise context for AI-native operations.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCxtpqQ_vIwQuestions for Panelists?

This week on Bollotta-FIDE, we're talking all about the Big Beautiful Ballroom. What does it take to bring a grand ballroom event to life? From logistics and operations to design and guest experience, we explore the ins and outs from both the event planning and hospitality perspectives.Hosts Anthony and Alex are joined by an expert panel of industry leaders:Jaclyn Bernstein — President & Owner, Empire Force EventsHeidi Brumbach — CEO, Technisch CreativeLenny Talarico — Chief Experiential Architect, Lenny Talarico EventsTogether, they share their insights, experiences, and behind-the-scenes knowledge on what it takes to create unforgettable ballroom events. Whether you're an event professional, hospitality enthusiast, or simply curious about the magic that happens behind the scenes, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.Bollotta.com

In our series finale, we're joined by Pastors Kyle & Obie, Dr. Willie Nolte and Eileen Soto for a discussion of five topics.

Panel Discussion

In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-hosts Bryant Dillon and Claire Thorne are joined by special guests David Avallone (writer – Drawing Blood, Elvira meets H.P. Lovecraft) and Paul Pakler (co-host – Paul and Corey Cross the Streams, Quality Time with Family Ties, writer - Hobo Code) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding Children of Men (2006) in light of the feature film's 20th anniversary, with topics including how the film reads differently two decades later, the religious symbolism in the film, the drastic differences between the film and the novel that inspired it, and more. (Beware: SPOILERS for Children of Men abound in this panel discussion!)

April 25, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 3 - 1:30 PM Session   Preachers/Elders Panel Discussion: Questions and Insights for Leaders - Mike Vestal, Richard Melson, Wayne Jones   The panelists discuss how church elders can balance their spiritual and administrative duties, emphasizing delegation ("train and trust"). They explore strategies for elders to genuinely know their congregation in growing churches and outline the components of a healthy, collaborative relationship between elders and preachers based on mutual respect, friendship, role clarity, and spiritual care. The discussion also covers signs of burnout and practical remedies, offers concise advice for new leaders, and concludes by celebrating the joy of witnessing transformed lives through ministry.   Duration 40:29

April 25, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 3 - 1:30 PM Session   Marriage/Family Panel Discussion: Questions and Insights for Family - Bill Burk, Steven Ford, Richard Sutton   A panel discussion featuring Richard Sutton, Bill Burke, and Stephen Ford addressed strengthening marriages and families. The session began by introducing the panelists, highlighting their diverse backgrounds in mission work, biblical scholarship, and preacher training. The discussion emphasized that couples often drift into a "coexistent mode" and require intentionality—through improved communication, dedicated time, and small, consistent acts of love—to thrive as God intends. The speakers explored the vital role of older, experienced couples in mentoring younger ones through hospitality, transparency, and modeling a Christ-centered life. The conversation then shifted to parenting, identifying common mistakes like delaying spiritual instruction and prioritizing worldly success over faithfulness. The panelists stressed the importance of teaching scripture early, consistent modeling and discipline, and explaining moral reasoning from a Christian perspective. A significant portion was dedicated to navigating betrayal and broken trust in marriage. Key advice included total honesty, patience, and humility from the offending spouse, and managed emotions, a willingness to understand, and forgiveness from the offended spouse. The session concluded with foundational principles for strong homes: love Jesus first, love your spouse second above all others, and maintain open communication.   Duration 40:09

April 25, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 3 - 1:30 PM Session Youth Panel Discussion: Questions and Insights for Youth - Jerry Elder, Justin Rogers, Tim Lewis   Three directors and ministers—Tim Lewis, Dr. Justin Rogers, and Jerry Elder—discuss the primary struggles facing young people today: busyness, social media pressure, and anxiety. They offer practical guidance for spiritual growth, including consistent, reflective Bible study, taking personal responsibility, and building strong church relationships. They also highlight encouraging trends: young people's desire to serve their communities and pursue truth.   Duration 40:17

April 25, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 3 - 10:00 AM Session   Questions About Spiritual Growth and Development  Discusses the multifaceted nature of Christian spiritual growth. Key indicators of increasing faith include decreased fear, increased obedience, sensitivity to sin, and the fruits of the Spirit. Maturity is a disciplined, lifelong process nurtured by consistent engagement with Scripture, prayer, enduring trials, and active participation in a supportive church community. This resilience is built by trusting God's character, especially during life's unexpected challenges.   Duration 41:33

April 25, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 3 - 1:30 PM Session   Join hosts Emily Pollard, Brittany Kemp, and Tiffany Secula for a heartfelt and practical conversation about living out faith in the middle of busy, messy, and unexpected seasons. Each woman brings personal experience—Emily serving young women in ministry and raising a growing family, Brittany balancing family life, missions experience and graduate study, and Tiffany offering decades of ministry and licensed Christian counseling—to offer encouragement rooted in Scripture and real life. The episode opens with a discussion on spiritual consistency: what it really means and how it looks when schedules and responsibilities shift. Guests reject the idea of a rigid routine and emphasize "habit stacking" and small moments of spiritual connection—audio Bibles, quick Scripture readings, prayer lists, meditative quiet in the car, and leaning on weekly assemblies and preaching as fuel for the week. Passages and examples from Genesis and Psalm 139 underscore the idea of an ongoing spiritual trajectory rather than perfection. Next, the panel tackles comparison, resentment, and unrealistic expectations. Brittany's reminder that "comparison is the thief of joy" sets the tone as speakers encourage contentment (Philippians 4) and gratitude, practical boundaries, and honest communication with sisters in Christ. They discuss warning signs of unhealthy comparison, the difference between harmful comparison and healthy imitation of godly examples, and how to refocus identity on what God says about us rather than cultural pressure or curated social media snapshots. The final thread of the conversation explores trusting God when life doesn't go as planned. Through biblical examples (Joseph, Esther, Ruth, Job) and personal stories of unexpected moves and ministry life, the guests urge listeners to remember God's faithfulness, reflect on past times He provided, and rely on promises like Proverbs 3:5–6. Practical counsel includes looking back to recognize God's hand, leaning on community and counseling when needed, and allowing rest as part of spiritual health. Throughout the episode you'll hear candid anecdotes, Scripture references, and actionable takeaways: use technology (audio Bibles, apps) to stay connected, make small daily anchors that fit your season, practice gratitude and healthy comparison, guard your heart, and trust God's sovereignty when plans change. Expect warm, encouraging teaching geared toward women seeking practical ways to love God and serve others amid real-life demands.   Duration 41:07

On last weeks podcast I talked you through the Breaking Free course in detail so do have a listen if you missed it I recently hosted a discussion on Zoom with four Breaking Free graduates which will give you a real insight into the results that people are getting… On the podcast you'll hear the soundtrack from that discussion So if you want to be sure of a place on the next BF program which kicks off soon then please sign up today as places are filling up fast You can sign up for Breaking Free here More Info Tribe Sober membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.   Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).  

Matthew Bannister onClarence B Jones the American lawyer and civil rights campaigner who helped Martin Luther King to write his famous I Have A Dream speech.Judith Chalmers, the TV and radio presenter best known for her globetrotting holiday series Wish You Were Here.Dr Anna Ritchie, the archaeologist who excavated some of Orkney's most revealing ancient sites.And Frank Land, one of the prime movers in the development of the world's first business computer - at the Lyons catering company.Interviewee: Mark Durden Smith Interviewee: Matt Ritchie Interviewee: Georgina FerryProducer: Catherine Powell Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Josie Hardy Editor: Andrea KennedyArchive used: Martin Luther King March on Washington, SOUND ARCHIVE Reference: 28322, 28/08/1963; BBC News special, BBC News, 28/08/2020; Wish you were Here…? Thames TV, ITV, 10/01/1978. From YouTube upload ThamesTv, 8/08/2020; Wish you were there, BBC Archive, 28/03/1966; Tracks of My Years, BBC Radio 2, 28/09/2017; Smillie's People: Judith Chalmers, BBC 1, 20/01/1997; Pebble Mill, BBC 1, 14/05/1993; Gardeners' Question Time: Matt Biggs' House, BBC Radio 4, 27/08/2023; The House the Picts Built, BBC, 28/08/1974; Around Scotland: The Scots, BBC1 Scotland, 10/03/1977; Around Scotland: Early History: The First People, 17/09/1979; LEO celebration Part 2 - Panel Discussion with Frank Land, Georgina Ferry, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Centre for Computing History and the LEO Computers Society (partnership project), 18/05/2023; BBC Oral History Collection - Interview with Judith Chalmers, John Escolme History of the BBC, 26/03/1982;

Send us Fan MailThis week's enterprise software announcements reveal how aggressively vendors are repositioning around AI agents, composable integration, and industry-specific workflows. NetSuite introduced its new integration platform to simplify connectivity across enterprise ecosystems, while Oracle expanded both its process manufacturing capabilities and AI agent portfolio inside Fusion Cloud Applications. QAD and Tata Consultancy Services strengthened their manufacturing operations strategy through the Redzone partnership, reinforcing the growing importance of connected frontline execution. Meanwhile, Intuit Mailchimp rolled out new e-commerce enhancements, and Seismic and Highspot announced a major merger that could reshape the sales enablement landscape. On the AI infrastructure side, Anthropic expanded MCP with a framework for full-stack agentic applications, while emerging vendors like Hubbl Technologies positioned themselves as orchestration layers for the Salesforce agentic ecosystem. Finally, Sage, Salesforce, and Sinch continued the broader trend of embedding AI agents deeper into finance, communications, and customer engagement workflows, signaling that the enterprise software market is rapidly shifting from passive systems of record toward autonomous systems of execution.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Ktqz2rXh8Questions for Panelists?

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 2:30 PM Session Join a seasoned panel of speakers including Todd, John, Denny, Howard, and references to Brother Wayne Jackson, Brother Caleb Colley, O'Connor, Mike, with Sam Wilkins closing in prayer, as they tackle difficult questions from the book of Genesis. This episode investigates foundational topics that stretch from the opening words of Scripture to the unfolding scheme of redemption. First, the panel examines how literally we should read the days of creation in Genesis 1. Speakers discuss the Hebrew term yom, Exodus 20:11, arguments for a 24‑hour day reading, and how that view interacts with science and young‑earth apologetics. They address the perception that literal biblical faith opposes science and point listeners to resources and evidence used by creationist scholars. Next, the conversation moves to troubling narratives of judgment in Genesis—such as the global flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—and how these events relate to God's holiness, justice, love, and wrath. Panelists unpack why divine judgment is not arbitrary, emphasize God's patience and long‑suffering (including Noah's 120 years of warning), and explain how love and righteous anger can coexist. The discussion then focuses on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and whether God set humanity up to fail. Panelists outline four purposes of the tree: enabling genuine devotion, inviting trust, establishing moral boundaries, and defining God's role as Lawgiver. They argue the tree provides a real context for moral freedom rather than a trap. Listeners will also hear reflections on Genesis as a record of human failure alongside divine faithfulness. Using examples like Cain and Abel, Abraham's struggles, Jacob's deception, and Joseph's long wait, the panel shows how Genesis portrays flawed people candidly while demonstrating God's covenantal loyalty and redemptive work through imperfect agents. Finally, the episode addresses how to maintain trust in God's promises when fulfillment is delayed. Speakers reflect on biblical timeframes (Abraham, Joseph), New Testament perspectives (2 Peter), and practical pastoral insights for patience and spiritual growth during waiting seasons. Practical takeaways include ways to engage skeptics respectfully, resources for further study, and pastoral encouragement that Genesis aims to reveal God's character—both his justice and his mercy—while inviting listeners into deeper trust. The session closes with a prayer from Sam Wilkins and information about follow‑up sessions and worship led by Andy Baker. Duration 42:08

Zack Riley, Jessica Barberi, Jesse James Fain, and Gustavo drop by for a chat on in-person events. We discuss success stories, cringe tactics, and advice for newbies.   Guests' websites/links: Jessica Barberi's website: Jessicabarberi.com Jesse James Fain: Outlawauthor.com Gustavo/Jordan St James: https://linktr.ee/houseofqllc Zack Riley: Zackriley.com   Podcast Website: thetrueandthefictional.com Contact the show: thetrueandthefictional@gmail.com Support the show: Buymeacoffee.com/sttatf Buy Merch: Jabryden.printify.me   Follow us on the socials: FB: Facebook.com/storiesthetrueandthefictional IG: @stories_podcast X: @stories_ttatf Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzIXhRcUvPPAzpCL-_a9N4w   Dropbear/logo designed by Mike Crumbs: Cartooncrumbs.com   Sponsor 1: Rebecca Cassells Buy her books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/.../e/B08WCH6RHG/ X: RACassells_auth IG: Rebecca.cassells.92 FB: Facebook.com/RebeccacassellsbooksTikTok: @rebeccacassellsauthor   Sponsor 2: J.A. Bryden  Website: Jabryden.com Socials: @jabryden   Kearsells Indie Book Award Winners 2025:   Janelle Schiecke: Socials: J_Schiecke Buy her books: https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0CCXHKVGH/allbooks?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=aufs_ap_ahdr_dsk_ab&pd_rd_w=XSV9m&content-id=amzn1.sym.b4344408-bcb0-46d7-b9b0-ac31160009fa&pf_rd_p=b4344408-bcb0-46d7-b9b0-ac31160009fa&pf_rd_r=358-0097934-1431222&pd_rd_wg=8hy1R&pd_rd_r=f0f7368c-365a-4c1c-8cc2-4a75595b0f92   Alexander Rob: Socials: @TheStarwald Website: Alexanderrob.com   #indieauthorpodcast #meettheauthor #books #indiebooks #booktube

What's actually working for balloon business marketing, and what's a waste of money? In this panel episode, I'm joined by Renisha of Chic Balloons and Alex of Blown Away Decor for a candid conversation about finding clients, spending wisely and what they'd tell someone just starting out. You'll hear our discussion about each of these marketing methods: Word mouth and local Facebook groups Chamber of Commerce Paid advertising Vendor events and bridal expos Van wraps Printed goods Websites and social media We also talk about how to get your first clients when you have no portfolio and why making what you want to sell is the fastest way to build that portfolio. And thank you to this month's presenting sponsor, Grow My Balloon Biz!   In the UGlu Hotline, hear how one listener labels all of her equipment.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets Grow My Balloon Biz  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  blownawaydecor.com @chicballoonsdtx  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

Send us Fan MailRecent announcements across the enterprise software landscape highlight an accelerating convergence of AI, integration, and industry-specific innovation as core pillars of modern enterprise architecture. Oracle continues to expand its footprint with new capabilities across financial services, process manufacturing, and AI agents embedded within Oracle Fusion Cloud, reinforcing the shift toward intelligent, industry-aware ERP ecosystems. At the same time, Sage is advancing AI-driven enhancements in Sage X3, while NetSuite is strengthening composability through its new integration platform. Beyond core ERP, ecosystem players such as ActiveCampaign, Bombora, and Omilia are embedding intelligence into customer engagement and data workflows, while emerging innovators like Fibr AI attract funding to push experimentation at the edge. Strategic partnerships, including QAD and Tata Consultancy Services, further signal the importance of services-led transformation. Collectively, these moves reflect a broader structural trend: enterprise platforms are evolving into tightly integrated, AI-augmented ecosystems where domain specialization, real-time intelligence, and composable architectures define competitive advantage.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtcFOMAANWMQuestions for Panelists?

Send us Fan MailRecent developments across the enterprise software landscape underscore a dual narrative of rapid AI-driven innovation alongside growing skepticism around how value is measured and delivered. Critiques such as the limited practical relevance of metrics like AWU from Salesforce highlight the disconnect that can emerge between vendor messaging and CIO priorities, even as the broader ecosystem accelerates toward agentic and automated capabilities. Companies like Incubeta and Intentsify are expanding data-driven and agentic offerings, while Klaviyo integrates with ChatGPT to embed conversational intelligence into marketing workflows. Enterprise application vendors are also advancing domain-specific innovation, with Unanet targeting GovCon growth automation, Aptean enhancing routing intelligence, and Oracle and Sage introducing AI-driven enhancements across financial services and ERP platforms such as Sage X3. Meanwhile, partnerships like Cognizant with Uniphore and acquisitions such as ActiveCampaign acquiring Feedback Intelligence reinforce a broader trend: enterprise systems are increasingly converging around AI-infused automation, but buyers must remain vigilant in distinguishing substantive capabilities from surface-level innovation narratives.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usuYQZcFrRQQuestions for Panelists?