The Brave Technologist

Luke Mulks, Vice President of Business Operations at Brave Software, discusses the tokenization of finance, exploring how cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are reshaping the financial landscape. He also discusses the significance of stablecoins and their growing adoption in emerging markets. Key Takeaways:  The basics of stablecoins and their role in bringing stability to crypto markets H...

Diego Pareschi, Global Product Line Manager for EV chargers at ABB, discusses the rapidly evolving field of EV charging technology, focusing on the intersection of user experience, data analytics, and AI. He highlights the role of AI and machine learning in enhancing charging solutions, and the importance of collaboration with local governments to facilitate infrastructure development. Key Takeawa...

Scott Mann, Ret. U.S. Army Green Beret and Founder of Task Force Pineapple, shares his journey from a Special Forces soldier to a storyteller and actor. He detailed his time as a Green Beret who helped form Task Force Pineapple,  a group of veterans who used technology to coordinate the evacuation of Afghan allies during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Key Takeaways:  The role o...

John Kiriakou, former CIA officer and whistleblower against the agency's  torture program, discusses his extensive background in intelligence, the evolving role of technology and AI in intelligence operations, and the balance between privacy and national security. John details his experience with the CIA's torture program post-9/11, and the consequences he's faced for exposing these practices. Key...

Sandy Carter, COO and Head of GTM at Unstoppable Domains, discusses the potential of on-chain and digitized identities, including real-world examples that highlight shortcomings of current systems. She also reveals details of the new .BRAVE domain and its significance for the Brave community. Key Takeaways:  How Unstoppable domains allows users to store verified digital identity information secure...

Debbie Reynolds, Chief Data Privacy Officer and host of "The Data Diva Talks Privacy" podcast, discusses the challenges parents face in protecting their children online, and simple habits users can adopt to take back control of their privacy. She also discusses the growing recognition among companies that excessive data collection poses significant risks. Key Takeaways:  How consumer expectations...

Rob Viglione, Co-Founder and CEO of Horizen Labs and zkVerify, shares his transition from military intelligence in Afghanistan to co-founding a blockchain company. He discusses the role of zero-knowledge (ZK) technology in enabling private transactions, the need for integration of crypto with traditional finance, and the vision to bring off-chain information on chain. Key Takeaways: Zero-knowledge...

Shafik Quoraishee, Senior Mobile/AI Game Developer at the New York Times, discusses the development process behind popular New York Times games such as Crosswords and Connections, along with what they learned about consumer behavior from the highly addictive and viral success of Wordle. Key Takeaways:  How to balance innovation with the legacy of traditional games The importance of user engagement...

Luke Mulks, Vice President of Business Operations at Brave Software, discusses how AI and crypto regulations have evolved in 2025, including new opportunities and regulatory reversals. He also shares updates about Brave's achievements and the movement towards a private world. Key Takeaways:  Brave's growth in user privacy and engagement The impact of user feedback and community involvement for Bra...

Anton Kraminkin, Founder of Sleepagotchi, shares insights on the importance of sleep, the cultural shifts towards valuing sleep, and how Sleepagotchi rewards users for maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Key Takeaways:  The surprising sleep habits Sleepagotchi has learned about their users The ethics of gamifying health habits and working with sensitive data Combating bots and bad actors attr...

Yemel Jardi, Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Decentraland Foundation, discusses the evolution of Decentraland from an experimental project to a thriving virtual social world. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities within the metaverse, and the importance of community and human connection. Key Takeaways:  How Decentraland is providing more opportunity for human connection through s...

Zack Guzman, founder of Trustless Media and host of Coinage, shares how he's using Web3 technology to transform the relationship between creators and their audiences through a community ownership model. He shares the inner workings of the Trustless Media model, and explains how their NFT holders aren't just subscribers, but rather co-owners with voting rights on content direction and the ability t...

Andrew Rabinovich, VP and Head of AI and Machine Learning at UpWork, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming freelance work into a human-machine partnership that amplifies rather than replaces talent. He also discusses job security in the age of AI, and ways the freelance economy is already responding to its opportunities and challenges. Key Takeaways:  Why 2025 is predicted to be "t...

John K Thompson, Global AI Leader at EY, addresses pressing questions about education, regulation, and society's AI readiness. He challenges the traditional educational divide between technical and creative disciplines among current students, and shares why the biggest risk with AI tools is giving powerful technology to people without training in structured thinking. Key Takeaways:  How AI technol...

James Massa, Senior Executive Director of Engineering and Architecture at JPMorgan Chase—and holder of six AI-related patents—emphasizes the evolving role of human experts in managing AI technologies and offers insights into the future convergence of AI and crypto. He also shares how major financial institutions are implementing guardrails around their AI systems, using techniques like retrieval a...

Rooshana Purnyn, Director of Data Architecture and Platform Engineering at Hyatt, discusses the potential of Generative AI in the hospitality sector, and how Hyatt is integrating AI to enhance guest experiences in their 1300 properties worldwide. She also emphasizes the need for balancing technology with human interaction, and fostering a culture of continuous learning within her team. Key Takeawa...

Dr. Jeff Esposito, Engineering Lead at Lenovo R&D, shares how his team is shaping the future of AI with innovations like the Hive Transformer and EdgeGuard. He emphasizes the importance of ethical innovation and building technologies that are intended to serve society's greater good. He also stresses the value of collective contributions and diverse perspectives in shaping a future where technolog...

Alaa Moussawi, Chief Data Scientist for the New York City Council, shares how AI is reshaping legislative processes through smarter, data-driven laws. He discusses the council's use of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) models, and open-source AI solutions to streamline workflows and ensure legislative originality. He also shares his perspective on the future of AI in government, the importance...

Chris Ghent, Chief Growth Officer at Input Output, explores the intersection of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, focusing on the empowerment of users through decentralization and privacy advocacy. He discusses strategies crucial for community engagement, the importance of developing meaningful relationships in tech, and the role of privacy in shaping the future of digital transac...

Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP, discusses the transformative role of AI in marketing, leadership, and society. We explore the use of synthetic audiences, ethical considerations of AI, and the future of work influenced by AI technology. Key Takeaways:  The use and impact of synthetic audiences in marketing and content creation AI's potential to enhance human creativity, and future job implic...

Kai Zenner, Head of Office and Digital Policy Adviser for German Member of the European Parliament Axel Voss, discusses the emerging regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence in Europe and its implications for innovation and consumer safety. He also discusses implementation hurdles of the EU AI Act, specifically the shortage of AI experts and the complexity of enforcement across 27 member s...

Katie Winterbottom, Director of AI (Digital and Merch) at Nordstrom, discusses a new pilot program that uses AI-powered trend reports and agentic architecture to craft unique fashion journeys. She also emphasizes the need for tech education within companies, and updating antiquated processes to leverage the benefits of emerging tech. Key Takeaways: How AI is revolutionizing the fashion industry by...

Jo Davaris, Global Chief Privacy Officer at Booking Holdings, discusses how to build trust in AI, emphasizing privacy and ethical governance as the pillars of AI innovation. We explore the importance of feedback mechanisms and transparency in AI systems, along with how to maintain user control without compromising innovation. Key Takeaways:  Building trust in AI systems and the role of privacy in...

Sophia Rowland, Senior Product Manager at SAS, discusses her journey from data science to product management at SAS, focusing on the integration of AI and analytics. She explains the concepts of Model Ops and ML Ops, the challenges organizations face in operationalizing machine learning models, and the critical role of analytics in this process. Key Takeaways:  Dependency management errors that oc...

Senthil Padmanabhan, VP of Platform and Infrastructure at eBay, discusses how eBay's use of fine-tuning is improving their operational workflows. He explains why fine-tuning existing models can often be more cost-effective than training from scratch, and how methods like low-ranking adaptation (LoRa) are pivotal in improving AI performance. Key Takeaways:  The impact of strategic fine tuning on ac...