TechnologIST Talks

In this episode of TechnologIST Talks, IST CEO Philip Reiner is joined by Dr. Margaret Mitchell, a computer scientist and researcher focused on machine learning and ethics informed AI development. She currently serves as Chief Ethics Scientist at Hugging Face, where she studies ML data processing, responsible AI development, and AI ethics. In her previous role at Google, she founded and co-led Goo...

On January 16, 2025, the Biden administration released the capstone Executive Order “Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity.” In this bonus episode of TechnologIST Talks, Chief Strategy Officer Megan Stifel and Chief Trust Officer Steve Kelly are joined by Carole House, Special Advisor for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Policy at the National Security Counc...

In this special episode of TechnologIST Talks centered on the implications of AI in cybersecurity, IST CEO Philip Reiner is joined by Heather Adkins, a 22-year Google veteran and founding member of the Google Security Team. As VP of Security Engineering, she built the global team responsible for maintaining the safety and security of Google’s networks, systems, and applications. Heather is also a...

In this episode, IST Chief Strategy Officer Megan Stifel sits down with Markus Pflitsch, founder and CEO of Terra Quantum, a leading quantum technology company that offers Quantum as a Service in the areas of quantum algorithms, quantum computing, and quantum security. The two unpack the disruptive nature of quantum, contrast approaches to R&D and commercialization in the U.S. and Europe, and disc...

IST Chief Strategy Officer Megan Stifel welcomes Stefan Leichenauer, Vice President of Engineering and lead scientist at SandboxAQ. SandboxAQ combines quantum computing technology with advanced AI to make technological advances in sectors like medicine, navigation, and the auto and aerospace industries. Stefan breaks down the current state of play in the quantum ecosystem, how the Chinese governme...

In the fourth episode of TechnologIST Talks, host Steve Kelly sits down with Banyu Carbon co-founder and CEO Dr. Alex Gagnon to explore the emerging field of carbon dioxide removal and its role in decarbonizing the economy. Banyu Carbon uses a process that relies on sunlight and seawater to remove carbon dioxide from water.  An associate professor at the University of Washington School of Oceanogr...

In this episode of TechnologIST Talks, host Steve Kelly welcomes Dr. Alain Harrus, an expert in helping scientists who are driving innovation in technologies like materials science, engineering, semiconductors, and energy to break through and become global leaders. Alain shares insights from his extensive career, which spans from microelectronics and materials science to his current role as Operat...

In the second episode of TechnologIST Talks, host and CEO of the Institute for Security and Technology Philip Reiner sits down with Dr. Manish Kothari, founding managing partner at First Spark Ventures and former president of SRI International. Manish shares his journey from a biotech startup founder to a leading deep tech investor, offering insights into the unique challenges and opportunities wi...

In October 2024, IST released Why Venture Capital is Indispensable for U.S. Industrial Strategy, written by IST senior fellows Michael Brown, Partner at Shield Capital and former Director of the Defense Innovation Unit, and Pavneet Singh, member of the EXIM Bank’s Council on China Competition and advisor to the Department of Defense.  In the first episode of the TechnologIST Talks series “The Stra...

In this season of TechnologIST Talks, we're focusing on the race to accelerate innovation in technologies of national strategic importance. We’re in an era where government is no longer the sole force driving technology-enabled economic growth; private industry plays an essential role in shaping technology for the future. To secure tomorrow, the public and private sectors must come together to adv...