Data-Driven Podcast

What happens when enterprise AI meets inconsistent metrics, fragmented dashboards, and conflicting business logic? In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani sits down with Brad Lindsey and Jeremy Arendt from Blue Yonder to discuss how Blue Yonder transformed its analytics strategy from disconnected dashboards into a governed semantic layer foundation for A...

What does enterprise AI actually need to succeed: more data access or better context? In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO Dave Mariani sits down with Coginiti CTO Matthew Mullins to unpack one of the most important debates in modern data architecture: access vs. understanding. The conversation explores the rise of the semantic layer, the role of open semantics, and why initiati...

In this episode of the AtScale Data-Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani sits down with Juan Sequeda, Principal Researcher at ServiceNow and former Head of the AI Lab at data.world, to explore what’s next for analytics, AI, and trust in 2026. As AI becomes embedded across the enterprise, one issue is emerging as a hard blocker: lack of context. Large Language Models are powerful, but without semantic laye...

Large Language Models (LLMs) are transforming analytics, but only when paired with the right foundation. In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani, co-founder Dianne Wood, and product director Petar Staykov show how Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the semantic layer unlock trusted, governed, enterprise-ready AI. You’ll get a full end-to-end walkthrough of Claude using AtScale’s M...

Dave Mariani and Jens Kröhnert explore the "AI Frontier:” how semantic layers enable AI agents to operate autonomously without hallucinations or governance drift. Both veterans of scaling Microsoft BI stacks on Hadoop, they discuss why machines need semantic context even more than humans do. Topics include the AI Frontier operational model from Microsoft Research, automating semantic model de...

In this episode of AtScale’s Data-Driven Podcast, host Dave Mariani, Co-Founder & CTO at AtScale, is joined by Petar Staykov, Product Director, and Daniel Gray, VP of Solutions Engineering, for a deep dive into composable analytics —the architectural shift that’s transforming how enterprises model, govern, and scale data in the era of AI agents. Key Takeaway Composable analytics isn’t just a d...

In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and Co-founder Dave Mariani is joined by Rich Williams, SVP of Partnerships and Strategy at Hexaware, and Prashant Dahalkar, VP of the Cloud Data Practice. They dive into the future of analytics through the lens of agentic AI , semantic layers, and enterprise AI governance. Fresh from attending Snowflake and Databricks Summits, the trio unpac...

In this episode of the Data Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani, CTO and Co-Founder of AtScale, sits down with Dale Williamson, EMEA CTO at Databricks, to explore the transformative role of open source standards and semantic layers in modern analytics. They discuss the importance of interoperability in data infrastructure, the impact of generative AI on democratizing analytics, and how the right semantic...

Dave Mariani interviews Juan Sequeda, the Principal Scientist at data.world. They discuss Juan’s Benchmark report on Knowledge Graphics and semantics . The conversation also covers generative AI and its role in the future of enterprise innovation.

In this episode, AtScale CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani chats with Greg Deckler, Vice President at a global IT services firm and a seven-time Microsoft MVP. They discuss Microsoft’s strategy with Power BI and its integration with Microsoft Fabric, with Deckler critiquing the rushed release and its early limitations. Both express skepticism about business users adopting more complex tools, citing...

Welcome to the latest episode of the Data-Driven Podcast! Host Dave Mariani is joined by Jeff Curran, Lead Data Scientist at AtScale, for a deep dive into the transformative power of Generative AI in business intelligence. Jeff shares his pioneering research, demonstrating how AtScale’s semantic layer bridges the gap between natural language queries and accurate business insights. Explore the chal...

In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and Co-founder, Dave Mariani and VP of Engineering John Langton, discuss the exciting open-source release of the Semantic Modeling Language (SML) and its transformative potential for the data analytics industry. They dive into how SML establishes the first open standard for the semantic layer, enabling businesses to seamlessly define, share, and scale their data mode...

David Mariani interviews Kunal Agarwal, CEO of Unravel Data, delving into his entrepreneurial journey and the innovative world of data observability. Kunal recounts the compelling origin story of Unravel Data, revealing how the company's vision adapted over time. He shares the challenges faced and key learnings, offering priceless advice to future entrepreneurs. The conversation then shifts t...

David Mariani interviews Andrew Jones, Principal Engineer, GoCardless and a thought leader in data and analytics. Andrew outlines the concept of 'data contracts' and their relevance for leaders in the field. He then provides practical advice for fostering a data-driven culture within organizations, highlighting successful strategies and common pitfalls. The discussion also touches on the...

David Mariani sits with Jordan Morrow, a renowned expert in Data Literacy. They discuss effective strategies for embedding data literacy in organizations, emphasizing its significance beyond a buzzword. Jordan shares insights on fostering a data-driven culture, including key dos and don'ts. The conversation highlights the impact of data literacy through real-world success stories and explores...

Elif Tutuk interviews Liat Ben-Zur, a tech executive, on applying product-led growth (PLG) principles to data management. They discuss understanding customer needs, defining value propositions, and PLG techniques like freemium models. The conversation also covers key metrics and feedback methods for data product success, offering valuable insights for those aiming to leverage data for organization...

Join host Elif Tutuk in a captivating conversation with Mark Stange-Tregear as they uncover the power of Financial Operations (FinOps) in the realm of data analytics. The episode starts with a primer on FinOps, explaining its significance in today's data-driven landscape. Diving into Data and Analytics FinOps, they explore how it streamlines operations and optimizes costs, providing practical...

In this interview Dave Mariani welcomes Richard Langlois, President at IT Architecture and Strategy. Richard discusses his history, being an early adopter of AtScale, and how he achieved significant performance improvements. He delves into the importance of a strong data foundation, including ontology, governance, MDM, and a flexible data analytics platform. Richard emphasizes the need for a well-...

In this episode Jess Ramos, a senior data analyst at Crunchbase shares her journey into the field of data analytics, starting with her background in Math and Spanish during her undergraduate studies. She discusses how she discovered her passion for data analytics while working as a data analyst intern and eventually pursued a master's degree in business analytics. Jess also talks about the ch...

In this episode of the Data-Driven podcast, host David Mariani sits down with Justin Borgman, the CEO and founder of Starburst. The two seasoned entrepreneurs discuss the evolution of big data analytics, sharing their own journeys from the early days of Hadoop to the current landscape of data lakes and cloud-based solutions. Justin delves into the founding of Starburst, the challenges and opportun...

In this interview, Dave Mariani interviews Ryan Janssen, the CEO and founder of Zenlytic, and Paul Blankly, the CTO and founder of Zenlytic. They discussed the importance of Generative AI, Natural Language Query, and analytics in the data industry. The conversation delves into the role of analysts in the evolving landscape and the potential of LLMs and the semantic layer to revolutionize data cons...

In this interview, Dave and David J will discuss the value of the semantic layer in data management. They explored two different perspectives on delivering this value and shared insights about their respective paths that led them to co-found and start companies. The conversation will revolve around data analytics, the role of the semantic layer, and their experiences in the field of data managemen...

Listen to 🦾Jepson Taylor and discover the transformative power of generative AI and its impact on the future of artificial intelligence. Gain insights into the role of analytics leaders in driving AI adoption and overcoming challenges in legacy systems and data modernization. Explore strategies for success and understand the benefits of integrating platforms like Dataiku and AtScale in accelerati...

Listen to Christopher Wagner discuss paths into analytics, bridging the gap between technical and business aspects, and his experience working with business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing technologies such as Oracle and Microsoft Power BI. You also get to learn more about the evolution of Power BI and its interconnectivity. Chris also talks about the importance of enjoying what you do and...

Listen to Sharon Richardson, Databricks talks about the data mesh concept and how Databricks enables organizations to implement it. Elif and Sharon also discussed the four principles of data mesh, which include domain-oriented data ownership, managing data like a product, having a common self-service data infrastructure as a platform, and governance through federated computational governance. They...