Tech'ed Up

Steer PR partner Lauren Tomlinson joins Niki for the second installment of Beyond the Buzz, the bi-weekly series of Tech’ed Up that digs into the comms, tech, and DC news creating headlines. They talk “Spamoflauge”, Gemini, and Chat GPT.  Subscribe to the BLUF newsletter Read the Forbes article Read the Washington Post article Read the NY Times article Follow Lauren on LinkedIn  Learn More at www....

Head of Global Communications and Marketing at DeepMind, Dex Hunter-Torricke, joins Niki in the studio to inject some optimism and hope into the doom n’ gloom AI conversations dominating the airwaves. He highlights exponentially innovative developments at the Google subsidiary like AlhpaFold, scientific discoveries of new crystals and minerals, and AI-improved weather forecasting - all of which fe...

Steer PR partner Lauren Tomlinson joins Niki for the first installment of Beyond the Buzz, the bi-weekly series of Tech’ed Up that digs into the comms, tech, and DC news creating headlines.  They swap hot takes on “jargon monoxide” when it comes to corporate layoffs, the new space race for AI-augmented satellite surveillance, and the Swifties’ impact on Super Bowl advertising.  “ ...people are tal...

Spotify’s Head of Content Partnerships, Jordan Newman, joins Niki remotely to celebrate Tech’ed Up going weekly and to share podcasting tips and tricks. This episode is a great listen for anyone who has thought they might want to join the ever-growing community of podcasters. Jordan also offers his take on what he thinks the impact of AI will be on the industry. “...podcasting is one of the few me...

DC-based AI policy and governance expert, Chloe Autio, joins Niki in the studio to break down the state of play in Washington for AI regulations this year. They explore AI’s PR challenge, talk about the awkward optics of recent Congressional briefings, and Chloe explains why the term “artificial intelligence” conceals more than it reveals.   “It really should be more about not whether or not AI is...

What’s happening on the frontlines of tech? Tune in to Tech'ed Up for zippy conversations about emerging technology hosted by industry veteran Niki Christoff. From the C-Suite and Capitol Hill to AI and crypto, quantum computing to the decentralized internet, Niki breaks down the trends in tech to help savvy listeners get even smarter. Guests include experts, enthusiasts, regulators, policyma...

Managing Director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, Matt Swinehart, joins Niki in the studio to talk fintech and the future fate of the USD. Matt previews why alternatives to the US Dollar will be a hot topic globally in 2024, how the Libra project still impacts the way regulators are thinking about crypto, and shares his take on why the EU approaches tech regulation differently than the US. Niki sha...

Meghan Joyce, Co-Founder and CEO of AI startup Duckbill, joins Niki in the latest installment of our Profiles in Tech Series. She shares insights from her unconventional career path from the Treasury Department to raising venture capital for an early-stage Boston tech company with stops along the way at Bain Capital, Uber, and Oscar Healthcare. Niki and Meghan share their optimism for the incredib...

Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Consulting, a bi-partisan lobbying juggernaut in Washington, DC, joins Niki in the studio to share his thoughts on 2023 and tech. They have a spirited conversation about politics, progress, and the state of play for tech regulation that touches on AI, tech’s impact on polling, and social media.  “AI's existence doesn't mean, okay, now we're all goin...

Assistant Director of the CIA for the Transnational and Technology Mission Center, Sheetal Patel, joins Niki in the studio to talk about how important tech is to their mission, partnerships with the private sector, and why they are actively recruiting technologists. This episode looks back at technology that the CIA helped bring to our everyday lives and looks forward to the impact of AI.  “The gl...

CEO of Project Liberty, Martina Larkin, joins Niki remotely in the studio to talk about the non-profit’s hope for the future of the internet. They take a deep dive into data, decentralization, and how DSNP gives power back to the user. Niki makes the case for a digital backpack or ID and Martina shares how researchers, NGOs, and tech can partner together to make the next generation of the web safe...

New York Times reporter and host of the popular podcast Hard Fork, Kevin Roose, joins Niki remotely to talk all things AI and why he’s a “sub-optomist” when it comes to how this latest tech revolution will impact our future. He shares some tips from his book, Futureproof, about how to be resilient in the age of AI in the workplace. Turns out being more human is the answer because you just can’t ou...

Laura Dooley,  Head of Global Government Relations at StubHub, sits down with Niki in the studio to talk about the tech behind ticket pricing, why competition in the ticketing industry is so important for consumers, and highlights some smart and reasonable paths for policy solutions that will empower consumers and fans. " When you buy a ticket, it should be yours. That's our point of vie...

Niki is joined by Penny Lee, President & CEO of the Financial Technology Association and Amena Ross, Head of Global Policy at CashApp for a fintech coffee klatch: What’s brewing in DC for fintech? They have a lively conversation about open banking, the fate of the CFPB, and data privacy. Amena explains why screen scraping is a good thing and Penny makes the case for keeping America in the lead...

Niki looks back at the last two years of Tech’ed Up and shares some of her favorite moments from the podcast.  This episode highlights engaging clips from episodes featuring Bloomberg reporter Ashlee Vance, US presidential candidate and former Congressman Will Hurd, Washingtonian Tech Titan 2023 Amy Gilliland of GDIT, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Founda...

Senior Director of Policy at Reddit, Jessica Ashooh, joins Niki remotely to talk about her non-traditional path to Silicon Valley - from earning a Ph. D. in International relations, to working in Abu Dhabi and at think tanks. They take a quick dive into how Reddit works, why its community is so passionate about governance, and, of course, talk cat subreddit threads. " I would say that Reddit...

CEO of Biofire, Kai Kloepfer, joins Niki remotely in the studio to talk smart guns. They explore the technology that helps make these guns a safer option for home protection, the unique challenges of developing deep tech hardware, and some sobering statistics that keep Kai and his team motivated to help with one small part of a major, uniquely American, public health epidemic. "…there's...

Former U.S. Treasury spokesperson, current SVP of Public Affairs at Clyde Group, and crypto commentator John Rizzo joins Niki in the studio to talk about the state of play of crypto. Is there a future for crypto in America or will unelected bureaucrats successfully push the industry overseas? They discuss the broader regulatory climate and how other emerging technology, such as AI, could find itse...

Axios reporter Ashley Gold joins Niki in the studio for a lighthearted conversation about what Big Tech should expect from Congress this year. They talk Federal Trade Commission dynamics, Ticketmaster drama, and foreign investments in the United States. Ashley shares her insights as the lead reporter for Axios’ Pro Tech Policy newsletter: Who’s interested and what’s what? And Niki cracks wise abou...

Former Department of Homeland Security official, Paul Rosenzweig, joins Niki in the studio to share his thoughts on AI, hacking, and national security.  They dish some stories from the past and take a look to the future of big tech in China, talk AI hallucinations, and Paul shares his thoughts on what Congress should be doing to respond to the changing - and rapidly evolving - national security la...

NY Times best-selling author, reporter, and host of Hello World, Ashlee Vance joins Niki to talk about the wild and wonderful characters driving the new space race. He shares stories from his new book ‘When the Heavens Went on Sale’ and why he believes this new space gold rush will change life as we know it.   "...if you're interested in money and, and sort of power and what's going...

Cyber defense expert, Matteo Tomasini, joins Niki on the podcast to shine a light into the deepest, darkest parts of the web. He explains the differences between the “Clearnet" aka the surface web, deep web, and the dark web. While they dive into the dangerous - and legitimate - motivations for anonymous web browsing, Matteo also provides helpful tips for protecting your own privacy online. ...

CEO and co-founder of AudioShake, Jessica Powell, joins Niki remotely to talk AI and music. Her company created tech that has helped artists and fans alike since before we ever heard of a musical “deep fake.” In this episode, they chat karaoke, video game music, and Jessica breaks down what a stem is - as well as the creative impact AI will have on the music industry as we know it. " …what mo...

Washington-based litigator, Previn Warren, joins Niki in the studio to talk about his law firm’s multi-district litigation against social media giants Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. They discuss the growing epidemic of social media addiction among teens and tweens, and its impact on kids’ mental health, their developing brains, and bodies. "…we [Motley Rice]were kind of a...

Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Foundation, joins Niki in the studio to talk about the real world, right-now positive use cases blockchain technology is having on the underbanked. They explore the work the foundation is doing with the UNHCR and IRC in Ukraine, their partnership with MoneyGram, and why you should care. Denelle shares some sage advice for the industry on how to better communicate...