Tech Talks

Surely everyone should be able to travel the world and be their own fabulous self? Sadly, we know that's not the case. For members of the LGBTQIA+ community global travel is not a given. Join David on Tech Talks today is Riskline's Travel Intelligence Data Team Lead Claudia Gualdi. The talk specifically dives into the safety and needs of queer travellers. To help David unpack the subject i...

Rachel Jones has been on a journey in more ways than one. She invented a baby product, and then discovered it had been ripped-off. So she went to China and in time turned her battle against counterfeit products into a successful enterprise helping other entrepreneurs. In today's show we discover how she took on the challenge of protecting intellectual property rights and transformed her frustr...

In today's episode of Tech Talks we delve into the world of sustainability and ESG ratings with Birgit Vallmuur, Managing Director of TitanSwan. The conversation explores the challenges and dilemmas companies face in their pursuit of a greener future. From the trade-offs between environmental and social impacts to the risks of greenwashing, Birgit also shines a light on the importance of a hol...

Kamal Pradhan is the VP HR Technology and Operations at Signify Health. He sits down with David to talk about his career, a pivot to HR from electrical engineering. He faces the challenge of creating a unified view of the employee lifecycle, leveraging technology to enable better decision making and employee experience, whilst also fostering a culture of inclusivity and well-being Tech Talks is po...

On today's show we're joined by Cleo's VP of Technology Sam Taylor. 170 million US citizens are living paycheck to paycheck, so can an AI assistant help them break that cycle? How does it work? Cleo uses AI to analyze your spending patterns, categorize transactions, create budgets, and give personalized feedback and recommendations. Pretty simple! Also on the show Michael Goldberg (VP...

Matt Ford is the cofounder of Sidekick. His big idea is to help give financial independence back to the masses. Our parents were able to generate wealth via buying property, but that ship has sailed. So can we really gain access to products reserved for the ultra wealthy? Matt talks through his journey and how he came to this point as an entrepreneur. Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the lea...

Today David talks to Polaroid Therapeutics CEO Ran Frankel, a company who took the complex chemistry involved in photography and applied it to healthtech during the pandemic to try and ease the crisis. In the process they made discoveries that have led to better treatment for wound management and chronic wounds in particular. So, how did the company spin off from such an unlikely source, and how i...

This Friday is the start of the Euros in Germany. As football takes centre stage in a sporting summer, so will fears over abuse, especially towards the young athletes representing their countries. Striver co-founder Tim Chase dropped into the podcast (over breakfast in Rio) to talk about how they’re launch has successfully tackled abuse on social media.   Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the...

James Jackson is the co-founder and CEO of Bumper, a business that helps split the costs of repairs from little bumps to engine trouble. What are the key trends facing leaders, and why does he think they’re one of the fastest growing startups in Europe? Also on the show David and Sam invite Collision attendees to get in touch, and we find out why unplugging helps you to connect: https://www.thegua...

On the podcast today David meet’s Emilė Radytė, the co-founder of Samphire Neuroscience, a company committed to building unprecedented solutions with unprecedented thinking. Emilė and her team are changing the narrative to place women at the forefront, prioritising their needs in the creation of novel health technologies. With potentially up to 90% of women suffering from crippling period pain thi...

David talks to Nick Braund, founder of Words + Pixels, a PR-agency for high growth disruptors. But is PR always the right answer, and even if it is… have you asked yourself the questions you need to in advance. The big one Nick advocates is, “So what?”. From launching during the pandemic, to award-winning growth Nick shares his learnings and insight. Plus it’s #GlobalRunningDay and we’ve done some...

Rico Surridge is Chief Product and Technology Officer at Which? a UK-based a not-for-profit providing consumer reviews and advocacy: working to influence legislation and prevent consumer harm by lobbying in Westminster and engaging with manufacturers. Rico joins David to discuss how Which? is dealing with the impact of technologies such as generative AI, voice interaction, VR and AR on its busines...

Adrien Pages (CEO and cofounder) and Gregory Maitre (Country Manager, Brazil) are part of the leadership team at Morfo, a company using tech and AI to restore the world’s rainforests. The company has the ambitious goal to restore one million hectares of tropical forest by 2030, which would help enhance biodiversity, and create jobs. So how are they hoping to achieve the goal, how are they working...

Today we’re talking about live commerce and social media in Brazil. Monique is the CEO and founder of MIMO, a platform that combines live streaming and e-commerce, a trend that is growing in Brazil and other markets (including China in particular). Brazilians are very social and interactive online, and how they like to buy from real people and influencers.  David also explores the challenges and o...

Today’s recap from Web Summit Rio is a chat with Carolina Natal, a Product Owner at Mercedes-Benz. So why did Carolina travel to Brazil from Portugal, especially as Web Summit is on her doorstep in Portugal? Carolina is also the Women in Tech chapter lead in Portugal. What is her view on this event's approach to gender inclusion and what has she seen?  Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, th...

Today’s guest is Anuradha Muralidharan, COO of Expensify. Anu tells David that the main problem in expense management is not the lack of solutions for the administrators, but the lack of convenience for the end users. Anyone who travels will feel that pain… dealing with manual processes, fragmented apps and currency conversions. Expensify solves this problem, providing accurate and automated recei...

Today’s show is a trip to Rio de Janeiro and the first of five talks (one every day) that revisit the themes of Web Summit Rio. This first talk is about technology, AI and the future of ‘brand’ creation and marketing. David sat down with R/GA’s Alex Sehnaoui (Global Chief Growth Officer) and Melissa Jackson Parsey (SVP Global MD, Brand Design and Consulting), who were in Rio to talk about the idea...

Sam Grice founded Octopus Legacy (formerly Guardian Angel) after the tragic loss of his mother in a car accident in 2016. He saw firsthand how hard death can be, and was determined to help families facing similar situations. That journey has led the team to help over 200,000 and Sam/Octopus Legacy have raised over £1.6m of investment. What has he learnt, how has an acquisition impact him and his b...

In today's show we're talking to Check Point's Deryck Mitchelson. Deryck advises the Scottish Government and World Economic Forum on all matters cyber... so what are the trends? We're obviously talking about AI, but also the legal and financial impact of breaches (and implications for the board), as well as the future of the Chief Information Security Officer. To watch our livestream of 'AI and Ro...

What3words is a global address book, where the team have divided the entire globe into 3 squared metres and given each of those a unique three word 'address'. Sounds neat, but why? Chief Marketing Officer Giles Rhys Jones joins Tech Talks to explain the applications of the tool and why people love their mission. Also on the show, come to Edinburgh for the premiere of Tech Flix: https://bit...

Meri Williams is CTO at Pleo, a fintech offering expenses solutions and cards. The main focus of today's show is how AI is impact the CTOs world, that of the engineers who work for them, and getting a CEO and/or CFO to understand the limits and capabilities of AI. Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solu...

Six years ago David interviewed Avanti Sharma, and her older brother Leo. Last week Avanti was a speaker at the Women in Tech Global Summit in Paris. David took the opportunity to talk to her again. As a 17-year old leader what's her outlook on technology and how do we keep young people safe online whilst also reassuring parents and family members with legitimate concerns about the impact tech...

Harry Yates has been involved in the building industry since the age of 15. Following studies he has launched BuildPrompt (where he is founder and CEO), a product built for construction allowing engineers upload documents of any size and search them within seconds. Using an AI model the tool can swiftly responds to Prompts of all types, delivering accurate and detailed information tailored specifi...

VoteLGBT is a solution that uses AI to safeguard LGBT+ leaders, transforming the way we empower our most targeted political leaders. In Rio David spoke to VoteLGBT Executive Director Gui Mohallem and councilor/activist Patricia Borges, a transwoman who faced violence whilst working in politics in São Paulo. Both Gui and Patricia believe in the power of AI to create safer spaces for political engag...

Sabba Keynejad is the cofounder and CEO of VEED.IO. A few months back I turned up at his office (he thought the interview was remote) and stuck a microphone on him. Over a tea we discussed his background, how art school and dyslexia shaped his work, and why he build VEED. We also talked about his views on the way video and AI are changing the way we communicate. Also in the show today we bring you...