The Tech Trek

In this podcast episode, Naomi Yudanin , the Director of Medical Data at Munich Re, discusses the relevance of domain-specific data science expertise. She shares her journey, starting in biochemistry and molecular biology, transitioning into systems immunology, and eventually ending up in medical data and EHR product management. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the objective of gener...

The podcast features Suresh Martha, Head of Data-Driven Innovation and Analytics at EMD Serono, discussing extending technical impact, particularly in AI and Machine Learning. He gives insights into managing technological advances within a team, ensuring resources are utilized efficiently, and delivering capabilities to stakeholders. Martha also elaborates on the challenges of upskilling oneself t...

In this podcast episode, Amir interviews John O'Toole, the Senior Director of Data Analytics at Tendo, a software-first company specializing in improving patient care journey. They discuss how Tendo uses data and analytics to improve patient care, help hospitals improve their rankings, and decrease the burden on healthcare providers. Integrating AI as a tool of assistance rather than a replace...

In this episode, Amir Bormand talks to Will Ross, the CEO and co-founder of Federato, about how insurance companies are adopting AI. They discuss the transformative impact of AI on the insurance industry, particularly in underwriting. Ross underscores the significant role of underwriters in influencing both the top and bottom lines of growth in insurance companies. He then explains how Federato le...

In this episode, Jason Ash , Chief of Data at Symetra, joins the podcast to discuss the transformation happening within the insurance industry. He highlights the dynamic relationship between business and technology and the importance of stakeholders in rolling out solutions. Jason also delves into the non-technical side of the insurance business and how it contributes to overall success. This conv...

In this episode, Vineeth Loganathan, the Director of Machine Learning at ViralGains, discusses building a successful data program. He explores the importance of a clear vision and steps in delivering value through data. Vineeth also explains the concept of zero-party data and how it can be used for targeted marketing. Tune in to gain insights on balancing short-term and long-term data needs and de...

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Clay Callaway , Director of Operations Data Insights & Analytics at Delta Dental of California, to unpack a multi-year data transformation journey inside a large healthcare insurer. What began as a leadership question that exposed massive data silos evolved into a full-scale enterprise initiative—complete with data governance, modern architecture, a...

On this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Madeline Minshew, the Vice President of Culture at True Ventures. They discuss the importance of hiring your first head of people and what to look for when taking a job as the first people leader hire. True Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in extraordinary founders and their innovative ideas. They are sector-agnostic and...

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Tariq Shaukat , co-CEO at Sonar , about the impact of software and AI on companies. They discuss how every company wants to be a software company and how AI is accelerating this trend. They delve into the challenges companies face in pivoting to deliver software and the importance of clean code. The conversation also touches on the role of the board in driv...

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Marissa Saunders , Senior Director of Data Science at Recursion. They discuss the importance of research and development (R&D) in data science and its various implications for different companies. They emphasize the need to balance accuracy and completion with understanding business value and return on investment (ROI). Marissa explains how Recursion is...

In this episode, Ivan Lee, the CEO of Datasaur.ai, joins Amir Bormand to discuss productizing LLMs and dealing with labeling issues. Ivan shares his insights on the productization of LLMs and provides his thoughts on the future of this technology. Tune in to learn more about the work of Datasaur.ai and the exciting developments in the AI industry. Highlights: [00:02:44] The importance of data labe...

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Ross Fubini, the managing partner at XYZ Venture Capital, to discuss the growing AI opportunity and how to identify lasting trends in the field. They delve into the impact of AI on enterprise software models and its potential for cost savings. Ross shares insights on XYZ's investment focus on enterprise and fintech companies, including those in the publ...

In this episode, Amir interviews Stephen Chu, the Chief Legal and People Officer at InStride, about the impact of education on talent retention, attraction, and tenure. InStride partners with academic institutions to offer education programs for large enterprise companies, including high school degrees, college degrees, non-degree certificates, and coding courses. The goal is to create a win-win s...

In this episode, Ofer Shterling, CTO of Amberflo.io, joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of the CTPO role (Chief Technology and Product Officer). They dive into why this role is becoming a trend and why companies are adopting it. Ofer also explains the main problem his company solves - the pricing problem for businesses. They believe that measuring usage and understanding customer behavior...

In this episode, host Amir interviews Ramiro Berrelleza, the founder and CEO of Okteto. They discuss the concept of building software cheaper and faster, exploring the changing landscape of development costs and productivity. They also delve into the impact of tools like GitHub Copilot on team efficiency and delivery. Ramiro highlights how Okteto's platform automates development workflows in K...

In this episode, Amir interviews Ugur Tigli, the CTO of MinIO, a high-performance object storage company. They discuss the infrastructure components of cloud storage, data protection, operating models, and costs and how they tie into AI workloads. Ugur explains that MinIO is an open-source, S3-compatible distributed object storage solution popular for its simplicity and ease of deployment. They al...

In this episode, we have Max Bruner, founder and CEO of Anzen, a marketplace for executive liability insurance. Max shares his unconventional journey from foreign policy to becoming a founder in the insurance industry. He discusses Anzen's mission and how they are working to accelerate change in the insurance sector. Additionally, Max talks about the impact of AI and the challenges of securing...

In this episode, Amir Bormand introduces two guests, Ajax Trueblood and Chris Ieva, who discuss the book "Bastards and Brothers" written by Ajax. The book focuses on the Marines and their fight for al-Qaim in Iraq. Ajax, a retired Air Force intel officer, shares his motivations for writing the book, while Chris, a Marine who served in Iraq, provides his unique perspective. The conversati...

Prashanth Sarpamale, CEO of Althea.ai, joins to break down the changing world of healthcare analytics and what it takes to move from chief analytics officer to the top seat in a company. He explains how data, AI, and real patient needs come together inside complex health systems. He also shares what leaders need to learn if they want to make the jump from technical roles to full business ownership...

In this episode, Shadi Rostami, the Senior Executive VP of Engineering at Amplitude, joins the podcast to discuss the role of prompt engineering in fueling innovation and speeding up hackathons. She emphasizes that prompt engineering is a team sport and explores how experimentation and data analytics can impact business outcomes. Amplitude aims to help companies build better products by leveraging...

In this episode, Amir interviews Siddharth Ram, the CTO of Velocity Global, about the impact of hackathons on innovation. They discuss the benefits and challenges of hackathons, as well as the importance of compliance in today's borderless work environment. Siddharth explains that Velocity Global helps companies navigate hiring and compliance regulations worldwide. The hackathons at Velocity G...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir talks with Keenan Wyrobek, co-founder and CTO of Zipline, about building one of the world’s largest autonomous logistics platforms. From delivering life-saving supplies in remote regions to scaling precision delivery in urban areas, Keenan shares how Zipline combines first-principles thinking, tight hardware-software integration, and customer obsession to cre...