We’ve rebranded!

The Brave Technologist

Deconstructing AI and Bleeding-Edge Tech

The Brave Technologist

Shedding light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!

Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.

Each episode of The Brave Technologist will bring you insightful conversations with industry leaders who share their expertise, visions, and practical applications of AI. From privacy concerns and the future of AI to, local data, machine learning, Web3 and more. We’ll explore cutting edge technology and its impact on our lives.

Preview

Podcast Intro

Transcript

Hosted by Luke Mulks

VP, Business Operations at Brave

The Brave Technologist podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP of Business Operations at Brave Software - makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, now powering AI with the Brave Search API. In this role Luke focuses on bringing new business lines to market, developing partnerships, community and engaging in industry initiatives. Luke’s background spans adtech, publishing, startups, and media production.

New episodes drop every Wednesday!

Episodes

Episode 51

Agentic Workflow and Generative AI for Enterprises

Vivek Kumar, Director Of CX Innovation & Strategy, Oracle Corporation, discusses the integration of generative AI into enterprise solutions, with a focus on its transformative impact on customer experience and CRM systems. He highlights Oracle's decade-long journey with AI, the evolution of agentic workflows, and the challenges and opportunities in AI adoption. The views expressed in this podcast are of Vivek's and do not necessarily represent Oracle.

Episode 50

Unplugged: Cellular Privacy in a Surveillance Economy

Ryan Paterson, CEO of Unplugged Technologies, discusses the mission and features of Unplugged, a privacy-focused mobile device aimed at empowering users to regain control over their personal data. He also shares stories from his background with DARPA, and the challenge of integrating emerging tech into these real-world operations.

Episode 49

Privacy and Digital Identity on the Blockchain

Kyle Den Hartog, Security Engineer at Brave Software, discusses emerging use cases for crypto, and their respective privacy implications. He emphasizes the urgency for innovative solutions to safeguard personal information in our digital financial systems given current privacy gaps on blockchains.

Episode 48

Become a Podcast Thought Leader Using AI

Cahill Camden, Founder of Echo Jockey, discusses how the landscape of media is shifting towards podcasts and away from traditional media. He also shares success stories from users of Echo Jockey, highlighting how automation can enhance outreach and content creation.

Episode 47

New Use Cases For AI and the Brave Search API

Jan Piotrowski, VP, Head of Brave Search Business discusses the importance of independent search engines and the evolution of Brave Search. Jan shares insights on scaling Brave Search to over 30 million daily queries, emphasizing the need for high-quality search results and the potential for future growth in the AI space.

Episode 46

How Pudgy Penguins Brought Digital Collectibles Into Big Box Retailers

Luca Schnetzler, CEO of Pudgy Penguins, discusses their mission to become the face of crypto through innovative uses of NFTs, community involvement in brand development, and successful partnerships with major retailers like Walmart. As a high school dropout to successful tech entrepreneur, Luca also shares advice for young entrepreneurs who want to build businesses at the intersection of tech, creativity, and IP.

Episode 45

How Crypto is Reshaping The Global Political Landscape

Sam Lyman, Director of Public Policy at Riot Platforms, discusses the disruptive potential of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency as tools to decentralize power. He highlights the generational shift that may influence the regulatory landscape as more tech-savvy policymakers rise to positions of influence. He also discusses how miners using excess energy (that would otherwise be wasted) could support future energy demands.

Episode 44

Human-Centered AI: Uniting Academia and Industry for Ethical Tech

Hamed Haddadi, Chief Scientist at Brave Software, discusses the future of ethical and inclusive technology, and how a human-centered approach can transform AI development's impact on society. We also discuss how to navigate the complex dynamics among academia, industry, and policymakers in crafting ethical standards that safeguard citizen rights.

Episode 43

Making Crypto Digestible and Accessible to the Masses

Camila Russo, Founder of The Defiant, discusses their role in making cryptocurrencies more accessible, and in making complex topics more comprehensible for everyone. We also explore the resilience of DeFi amid regulatory challenges and its potential to reshape the financial ecosystem.

Episode 42

Democratizing AI Through Open-Source Development

Jeff Boudier, Head of Product and Growth at Hugging Face, discusses the evolving landscape of AI and the role open-source development plays in its transformation. We also explore the challenges and opportunities that organizations encounter when embracing AI, especially with open-source solutions.

Episode 41

How Advertising Shaped Search Engines

Jean-Paul Schmetz, SVP of Ads at Brave, discusses the evolution of search engines from closed platforms like AOL to today’s open web, and how advertising has influenced their growth. We dive into AI’s integration in search and advertising, the challenges of maintaining privacy, and the future role of regulation. Jean-Paul also shares practical tips for users to protect their privacy and take control of their data.

Episode 40

The Long-Term Societal Impacts of AI: A Holistic View of Opportunities and Challenges

Lambert Hogenhout, Chief of Data and AI at the United Nations Secretariat, explores the delicate balance of embracing technological advancements while maintaining our authentic human identities. We also discuss the benefits of open-source models for global equity, and the crucial intersection of data privacy and AI.

Episode 39

Enhancing Your Web Experience with Privacy-First Browsing Strategies

Yan Zhu, Chief Information Security Officer at Brave Software, discusses ways to reduce your risk of getting compromised when browsing the Internet. She also explains how Brave's policy of only collecting the bare necessities not only boosts security but also simplifies legal compliance and keeps your data truly private.

Episode 38

Rethinking Outdated Legislation and Regulation with the SEC

Hester M. Peirce (appointed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by President Donald J. Trump), shares insights into the SEC's role in enforcing laws amidst rapid technological advancements. We also explore balancing innovation with consumer protection, and emphasizing the need to rethink outdated legislation along with how regulatory clarity can foster more innovation.

Episode 37

How Moonwalk Fitness is Gamifying Health with Crypto Incentives

Caitlin Cook, Head of Growth at Moonwalk Fitness, shares how their product is gamifying health, leveraging Web3 technology and offering crypto incentives to get you moving. She also shares how they’re targeting non-crypto native users in an effort to achieve mainstream adoption.

Episode 36

AI Revolution: Transforming Business, Jobs, and Regulation

David Westera, AI & Data Leader at Adidas, discusses the pressure that many companies feel to adopt emerging technologies, and the biggest challenges companies face when trying to implement AI solutions. He also explores the contrasting regulatory landscapes of the EU and the US, highlighting the challenges and ethical considerations that come with AI advancements.

Episode 35

Creating Inclusive and Responsible AI for the World of Tomorrow

What if the future of work could be reshaped by artificial intelligence in ways that empower rather than displace? In this episode Didem Un Ates, founder & CEO of LotusAI Ltd, discusses strategies for organizations to integrate AI in a way that maximizes benefits while minimizing job displacement. We also explore the complex landscape of AI's societal impact and the need for diverse perspectives in technology.

Episode 34

Permanent Internet: Buy Once, Store Forever

Phil Mataras—CEO at Permanent Data Solutions—discusses Arweave's innovative “pay once, store forever” model and its potential to revolutionize various industries, from content creation to healthcare, by offering permanent storage solutions. Phil also sheds light on the regulatory challenges that come with the rapid pace of innovation in the Web3 space.

Episode 33

AI and Neuroscience: Global Impacts & Redefining Humanity

Benjamin B. Bargetzi, CEO of Bargetzi & Company Group, discusses how cultural and regulatory differences influence AI innovation and adoption across China, Europe, India, and the US. He also explores AI's role in transforming medicine; the ethical implications of AI in military applications; and the urgent need for global AI literacy to prevent economic disparities and job displacement.

Episode 32

Revolutionizing Payments: Perspectives from Brazil to the US

Elton Chang, Investor at Propel, discusses how Brazil is setting the standard for real-time payment systems with PIX, and why Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins have the ability to revolutionize financial services in emerging markets. We also discuss the critical need for regulatory awareness in these rapidly evolving sectors.

Episode 31

Data Regulation & GDPR During COVID-19

Christian D'Cunha, Head of the Cyber Coordination Task Force at the European Commission, discusses the critical role of GDPR during the pandemic, and explores how Europe balanced the necessity of contact tracing and mobility data with the imperative to protect personal privacy. He also shares the challenges regulators face in enforcing GDPR against tech giants, and the strategies these companies use to delay compliance.

Episode 30

Why Blockchain Transparency Is Changing the Future of Exchanges

Bartosz Lipiński, CEO at Cube.Exchange, discusses how they're approaching the exchange model more transparently in the wake of FTX and other opaque exchange issues. We’ll explore how Cube.Exchange is redefining blockchain's original promise of a public and trustworthy ledger, and the complex challenge of building a global crypto exchange that adheres to disparate international regulations.

Episode 29

How Mistral AI Strikes the Balance Between Openness and Profitability

Sophia Yang, Head of Developer Relations at Mistral AI, discusses why they don’t open source everything, and how they strike a balance between openness and growing their business. She also discusses how Mistral AI approaches developer relations and community building to advance AI.

Episode 28

The Future of Crypto in India and its Blockchain Revolution

Rahul Pagidipati, CEO of ZebPay, discusses how India’s regulatory environment and technological advancements are paving the way for blockchain’s integration into various sectors. From meme coins to top-tier cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, Rahul offers a nuanced perspective on trading and investing in digital assets. He also shares his thoughts on the growing interest in NFTs, and how platforms like Brave are expanding Web3 adoption.

Episode 27

Introducing Answer with AI, Brave’s New AI Assistant

Josep M. Pujol (Chief of Search at Brave) and Rémi Berson (Principal Engineer at Brave) discuss Brave Search’s latest feature, Answer With AI, which is the first privacy-preserving answer engine available at scale. They explore what this new assistant’s capabilities mean for traditional search, and its potential to reshape our search habits.

Episode 26

Balancing Environmental Stewardship with Technological Progress

Steve Kinard, President of the AI Innovation Association, discusses Bitcoin mining and the environmental implications that turned him into an advocate with the Texas Blockchain Council. He also emphasizes the inevitability of AI's disruptive impact across industries, and advocates for prioritizing open source collaboration as the cornerstone of technological innovation.

Episode 25

The Right to Be Forgotten: Fundamental Human Rights in the Digital Realm

Pat Walshe, Data Protection Officer at Brave, discusses the intersection of artificial intelligence, privacy, and data protection…and how these elements intertwine with fundamental human rights in the digital realm. He also scrutinizes tech industry giants, questioning the authenticity of their privacy claims and the efficacy of their data protection measures.

Episode 24

Secure DeFi Investments and The Future of Finance

Greg Jizmagian, CoFounder and CTO at Exponential, shares how trust is being rebuilt in the financial sector through blockchain technology, and ways users are regaining financial autonomy. He also explains the intricacies of making complex DeFi platforms approachable, striking the balance between detail-rich data and a seamless user experience.

Episode 23

The War of Technology: How AI and Crypto will Converge Over Time

Paul Barron, Founder of the Paul Barron Network, examines power, corruption, and the technology war he expects to see over the next 20 years. He also discusses why gaming is the gateway to Web3 growth, and will lead to a steep adoption curve.

Episode 22

Using Public Data Sets to Monitor Dark Web Activity

Adam Zarazinski, CEO of Inca Digital and former intelligence analyst, shares his journey from the front lines of international security to leading the charge in harnessing AI for financial innovation. He discusses how Inca Digital’s technology is helping to monitor dark web activity, and gives examples of how they’ve been able to track terrorist financing, including Hamas’ use of cryptocurrency.

Episode 21

Reducing Your Data Footprint and Confronting The Illusion of Privacy

Naomi Brockwell, Founder of NBTV Media, discusses the true cost of “free tools,” and why we need a major mindset shift when it comes to trading value for value. She also discusses the illusion of privacy versus the reality that data brokers are working in, and how AI may make the data broker’s job obsolete.

Episode 20

Measuring The Speed of AI Through Benchmarks

David Kanter, Executive Director at MLCommons, discusses the work they’re doing with MLPerf Benchmarks, creating the world’s first industry standard approach to measuring AI speed and safety. He also shares ways they’re testing AI and LLMs for harm, to measure—and, over time, reduce—the potential harms of AI.

Episode 19

Cherishing the World of Analog, and Advocating For Your Right to Privacy

Carissa Véliz, Associate Professor at the Institute for AI at the University of Oxford, discusses how our personal data is the currency of power for tech giants, and ways the balance can be tipped back in favor of individual rights. We also address the privacy implications of large language models, and consider whether OpenAI and tools like ChatGPT are complying with the GDPR.

Episode 18

Harmonizing User Privacy with Web Functionality and Ad‑Blocking Technology

Ryan Brown (Filterset Engineer at Brave) and Peter Snyder (Senior Privacy Researcher at Brave) discuss the latest advancements in ad-blocking technology, and how Brave's control over its browser stack plays a crucial role in maintaining a private yet fully operational Web experience. They also reflect on the resilience of the ad-blocking community, especially in response to the looming changes of Manifest V3, and its potential to reshape the extension landscape.

Episode 17

When Power Goes Unchecked (Crypto Wars, Privacy Rights, & Mandating Encryption)

Josh Swihart, CEO at Electric Coin Co., discusses public perception of pseudonymity versus privacy, and how this impacts adoption of privacy preserving products. He also explores the increasing challenge of crypto wars—which impacts cryptographic and privacy rights worldwide—and why he believes encryption should be mandated for US citizens.

Episode 16

Fighting the Privacy Washing of Big Tech with ProtonMail

Andy Yen, Founder & CEO at Proton, discusses how big tech is presenting a false sense of privacy to its users—and why this is dangerous. He also unpacks the confusion between privacy and anonymity, and how where you live impacts your right to each.

Episode 15

Private Keys: The Solution to Combat AI Fraud?

Preston Byrne, Partner at Brown Rudnick LLP, discusses the benefit of using public private keys as a solution to authenticate communication, and avoid both AI scams and fraud. He also shares his predictions for how AI and cryptocurrency will work together in the future, leaning on each other’s polar-opposite strengths.

Episode 14

Digital Sovereignty & Maintaining Our Connection with Humanity

Anupam Chander, Scott Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown, and Visiting Scholar at Harvard’s Institute for Rebooting Social Media, discusses the future of humanity during a wave of paid technology innovation. He also shares how AI is impacting digital sovereignty.

Episode 13

The Role of AI in Enabling Self-Driving Trucks

Shubham Shrivastava, Head of Machine Learning at Kodiak Robotics, discusses how AI is solving the increasing challenges within the long haul trucking industry, specifically with safety and driver supply. He also provides practical examples of Kodiak’s safety strategy and redundancies they’ve put in place.

Episode 12

The EU’s AI Act: Creating Legislation That Will Survive Over Time

Gabriele Mazzini, Team Leader - AI Act at the European Commission, discusses the risk-based approach they took when crafting specific rules for the Artificial Intelligence Act (versus simply opposing the technology as a whole). He also discusses the complexities involved in regulating emerging technologies that evolve at a much faster pace than the legislation itself.

Episode 11

Blockchains, Bringing Transparency and Democratizing Access to Global Finance

Austin Campbell, Managing Partner at Zero Knowledge Consulting, discusses the outdated infrastructure of finance and how blockchain is positioned to solve many of the current challenges. He also tackles the complex issues regulators face, and cultural hesitancy towards harnessing the full potential of innovations like blockchain.

Episode 10

AI Ethics & Safety: What Could Go Wrong and How to Stop It

Nell Watson is a pioneering ethics and machine intelligence researcher, and president of EthicsNet. Here, she discusses different scenarios in which things could go “wrong” with emerging technologies, and lead to AI working against the best interests of humanity instead of for it. She also shares the amazing work that’s being done now to prevent this.

Episode 9

AI’s Impact on Employment, Equal Opportunity and Upholding our Civil Rights

Keith Sonderling, Commissioner at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), discusses how HR companies and employers are using AI, and the implications of this usage on employment law. He stresses the importance of governance and regulation to avoid discrimination, prevent HR biases at scale, and to ultimately uphold our civil rights.

Episode 8

Limitations of Artificial Intelligence and Misaligned User Expectations

Gilad Lumbroso, Squad Lead @ AI21 Labs, discusses the various ways we overestimate AI, and the gaps that currently need to be filled in AI capabilities. He also explains the role that natural language will play in the evolution of new AI, and discusses how to apply natural language usability as a key part of product development.

Episode 7

Building Your Own LLM

Greg Diamos, co-founder of Lamini, shares how their discovery of the Scaling Laws Recipe led to rapid evolution of language learning models, and inspired Lamini’s product offering. He also discusses his message for policy makers, including what we should be worried about, and what pitfalls we should work to avoid.

Episode 6

Privacy Protecting AI and Building Consumer Trust

Kleomenis Katevas, Machine Learning Researcher at Brave Software, discusses how we can build trust in AI with the general public by making data as safe and secure as possible. He also unpacks some of the myths the general public holds about AI, how to debunk these myths, and tangible steps companies can take to reduce privacy concerns with AI.

Episode 5

The Golden Age of CFO Technology and the Urgency to Adapt

Grant Halloran, CEO of Planful, discusses AI’s impact on CFOs and finance leaders, and ways these technologies have changed their role within organizations. He also shares how the financial industry will witness a future where extensive human involvement in routine financial tasks is reduced in favor of focusing on high-value, strategic work.

Episode 4

Introducing Leo: Brave’s New AI Assistant

Brian Bondy, Co-Founder and CTO of Brave, discusses the recent launch of Leo, Brave’s browser-native AI assistant. Brian discusses the benefits of having AI directly in the browser, and how Brave has actually been using AI in its tech stack for years.

Episode 3

Creating Data Informed Campuses and Building AI for Higher Education

What impact will Generative AI have on Higher Education? This week’s guests tackle this question head on. Ravi Pendse and Bob Jones lead the development of ITS AI Services, a suite of AI tools that they believe makes the University of Michigan the first university anywhere to provide a custom AI platform for its entire community. In this episode of the Brave Technologist Podcast, they’ll discuss why they’re embracing GenAI (versus trying to ban it) with their students, and share some positive case studies they’ve already collected since their students have adopted U-M’s new AI tools.

Episode 2

Challenging the “Google Adjective” with Brave Search

Josep M. Pujol, Chief of Search at Brave, and Subu Sathyanarayana, Director of Engineering for Brave Search, discuss the history of Internet search and how it's quickly evolving with the adoption of AI. They share its current limitations and their biggest challenges (noise reduction, relevance and referencing) in their pursuit of improving search through Brave Search.

Episode 1

Artificial Intelligence: Is it the Key to Boosting Human Intelligence?

Dr. Kjell Carlsson, Head of Data Science Strategy & Evangelism at Domino Data Lab, contemplates AI’s impact on human intelligence and its implications on understanding ourselves. We also discuss ways that artificial intelligence’s value is underestimated in society and its less-known applications.

Never miss an episode

Be the first to hear any future episodes

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts

YouTube

The Brave Marketer

If you like The Brave Technologist, check out our previous podcast, The Brave Marketer. 7 seasons, dozens of episodes, recorded from 2021-2023.

Preview

Podcast Intro

Transcript

Episodes

Season 7

Episode 4

Live from Consensus! Gamifying your Identity and Next Gen Privacy Implications

Danny Wright (Chief Brand Officer) and Eddie Satterly (Chief Technology Officer) of OneOf discuss ways they’re decentralizing identity in an effort to empower consumers and ultimately build loyalty. They also discussed some of the boldest companies and campaigns that have caught their attention lately.

Episode 3

Ways that Cannabis and Web3 Can Come Together

Robert Lund, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Studio TBD, discusses their decision to make their cannabis company Web3 native from its inception. He also shares the biggest opportunity that media agencies have in supporting crypto and Web3 companies.

Episode 2

Increasing Ad Efficiency and Performance of Your Advertising Strategy

Will Haire, Co-Founder of BellaVix, shares the tactics they’re currently employing to help their brands scale on marketplaces like Amazon, including the step-by-step process they used that landed them being featured by Amazon as one of the best launches on their platform to date!

Episode 1

How Polygon is Building Community to Decentralize Their Brand

Jennifer Kattula, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Polygon Labs, discusses how they approached their recent rebrand. This process forced their team to critically review how they articulated their brand ethos to the right audiences, both now and in the future. She also shares the role the community will play in their ongoing effort to decentralize their brand.

Season 6

Episode 15

Decentraland Offers Brands Creative Freedom and Limitless Possibilities

Marja Konttinen, Marketing Director of Decentraland Foundation, discusses building on the open metaverse and some of the most creative pieces of user generated content she’s seen on the platform to date. She also explores the unique opportunity marketers have to write a new playbook for marketing in Web3 – starting with rethinking metics.

Episode 14

Leveraging the Virtual Real Estate Market with SuperWorld

Hrish Lotlikar, Co-founder and CEO at SuperWorld, discusses how they’re blending the virtual and physical world to unlock diverse opportunities for brands to reach more customers, unlock new monetization opportunities and build community.

Episode 13

Why Tokenization is the Core Building Block of Web3

Matt Wurst, Founder of PointSymmetry and Co-Founder of Mint, discusses the role that tokens will play in enabling brands to reward and incentivize participation in their metraverse experiences. He also stresses the importance of making Web3 terms and technologies more clear and consistent for everyday users.

Episode 12

Web3 Ideals: Ease of Use, Security and Risk Mitigation

Andrew Klein, SVP, Web3 Brand Strategy & Innovation at Publicis Media, discusses how they’re helping brands convert their existing audiences to Web3 without scaring them off by unfamiliar technologies. He also shares his vision of the limitless creative potential that metaverse environments offer.

Episode 11

Grassroot Marketing Strategies That Scale

Hugo Feiler, Co-Founder and CEO of Minima, shares how they’ve been partnering with their community to stress test their technology, and amplify their brand message through token based gamification. He also shares the role that creators will play in the adoption of Web3, and in educating the masses.

Episode 10

The Importance of Privacy in the Metaverse

Arjun Bhatnagar, CEO and Abhijay Bhatnagar, Chief Product Officer at Cloaked discuss the role privacy will play in the evolution of the Internet and the transition to Web3. They also share the reasoning behind their surprising decision to build Cloaked off the blockchain.

Episode 9

The Urgency for Brands to Adopt Emerging Technology

Thomas Webb, Founder of Worldwide Webb 3, discusses the real fear of missing out brands are facing if they don’t embrace emerging technologies such as Web3 proactively. He also shares how gaming will be the future of entertainment.

Episode 8

Monetizing in the Metaverse

Justin Hochberg, CEO of the Virtual Brand Group, shares how he’s helping brands have an omnichannel metaverse presence including his work with Forever21 and NBC’s The Voice. He also discusses how to decide which metaverse platforms are best for your brand to start with, and how to define success when there’s limited information available.

Episode 7

From a 2D to 3D Internet: How Marketing Strategies Must Shift

Mark van Rijmenam, Strategic Futurist and Founder of the Digital Futures Institute, discusses the many complex and exciting ways the shift from a 2D to a 3D internet will impact our lives. He also urges us to fight for an open metaverse as part of this shift in order to protect our data and future digital selves.

Episode 6

How Marketers Can Convert The Masses to Web3

Quinn Campbell, VP of Growth at Sky Mavis, discusses how they’re working with Web3 content creators, and the critical role these partners play in converting the masses to Web3. Quinn also shares how he thinks marketers are missing the mark in Web3 marketing by focusing on tech features over the experiential impact Web3 has on the end user.

Episode 5

Making the Metaverse Commercially Viable for Advertisers

Ryan Kumar, Founder and CEO of Mintdropz, explains why we’re in the caveman stages of an unexplored metaverse. He shares his predictions for when we can expect to see mainstream adoption of the metaverse and what needs to happen first

Episode 4

Why Marketers Need to Make Blockchain Invisible

Jon Hook, CMO at PlayEmber, discusses their efforts to attract more gamers by removing the blockchain infrastructure as a barrier. He also explains how marketers can apply this across sectors outside of gaming to increase mainstream adoption of their Web3 projects.

Episode 3

Privacy First Marketing

Andrew Milich, CEO of Skiff, discusses their commitment to consumer privacy despite its associated marketing challenges. He explains how their team has gotten creative with their marketing strategies - utilizing privacy preserving forms of marketing to reach their desired audiences.

Episode 2

Dentsu: What Holds Brands Back From Jumping Into Web3

Michael Liu, SVP, Head of Innovation at Dentsu Media and Kevin Villatoro, Partnerships at Dentsu, share how their agency clients are responding to Web3 marketing opportunities and taking their first (small) steps. They also explain why Web3 isn’t the channel to fight for attention, but rather to engage consumers in meaningful ways, embracing innovation while providing real value.

Episode 1

Vayner3: When to Expect Mainstream Adoption of Web3

Avery Akkineni, President of Vayner3, discusses the current state of Web3 adoption and her predictions for its future. She explains how brands are currently experimenting with Web 2.5 – a bridge offering the speed and ease of use from Web2 but with the ownership and self sovereignty of Web3.

Season 5

Episode 10

Being a Brand in a Brandless Category: Avocados From Mexico

Kelly Poquiz Burke, Associate Director of Brand Marketing & Strategy at Avocados From Mexico, discusses many of the brand experiences their team has launched in an effort to create a deep, emotional connection with consumers, despite lacking any marketing ability on their products themselves. She also shares her approach to Web3 marketing: sticking to a strategy instead of chasing shiny objects.

Episode 9

Collaborating with Creators to Solve Marketers’ Most Pressing Challenge

Lisa Marie Paul, Head of Content and Partnerships at Talenthouse AG, discusses how millenial and Gen Z mindsets have changed consumer expectations surrounding advertising. We examine how marketers are challenged with creating large amounts of content very quickly, without compromising quality, authenticity or relatability.

Episode 8

Adjusting to the Complexities of Web3 Marketing

Stacy Wakefield, VP of Marketing at Delphia, discusses her biggest new marketing challenge: building a Web3 brand and community. She explains the complexities of managing risk and compliance and how Web3 differs from Web2 marketing tactics.

Episode 7

PepsiCo is Bridging the Physical and Digital World with Next Gen D2C Marketing

Kate Brady, Head of Next Gen D2C Consumer Experience & Direct Digital Marketing Capabilities at PepsiCo, shares how mainstream brands and marketers can utilize Web3 technologies. Kate’s team is currently testing a number of next gen initiatives as part of PepsiCo's newly established Web3 & Metaverse Center of Enablement. We also discuss the removal of third party trackers and moving towards a private internet while still owning the communication with your audience and prioritizing zero first party data.

Episode 6

Mindsets For Success: How Marketers Can Stand Behind Their Brave Ideas

Sierra Reed, Vice President Director of Social Strategy at Digitas, discusses how she’s successfully leaned into brave marketing moments and stood up for her values, even in the early days of her career. She also shares how she’s helping brands like Macys and Crocs act boldly through her agency work.

Episode 5

Authentic Team Cultures Build Authentic Brands That Standout

Laura Mesa, Vice President of Community and Marketing at Product Hunt, shares how allowing your team to be vulnerable in the workplace, allows your brand to show up authentically too. She also discusses the importance of developing a customer first product strategy and putting in extra effort to personalize based on real needs of your users

Episode 4

Culture is Changing: How Marketers Can Prepare For The Future Now

Quynh Mai , Founder & CEO of Qulture shares how culture is changing quickly from Gen Z and what brands need to change in order to be successful on platforms like TikTok, the Metaverse and Twitch. We also talk about making your audience the star of your campaigns with user generated, collaborative content.

Episode 3

Favorability Focused Storytelling For Nestlé’s Locally Minded Audience

Liz Caselli-Mechael, Global Head of Digital & Content for Nestlé, discusses how she’s built her career around purpose-driven digital storytelling and engagement. She shares how to focus on favorability rather than driving sales, by integrating important values like sustainability, social responsibility, and climate action into Nestle’s brand strategy.

Episode 2

Why Your Audience Is Not Your Community

Claire Kart, VP Marketing & Community at Mina Foundation, discusses how they’re leveraging “just in time marketing” as a go to market strategy for their upcoming SDK launch. Claire also shares Mina’s rebrand story and how it actually started with getting sued by a larger player in crypto!

Episode 1

How X (formerly Twitter) is Promoting Safety and Gamifying Privacy

Maura Tuohy Di Muro, Global Head of Product Marketing at X, discusses how X is promoting safety on their platform and the unique ways they’re adding gamification to privacy, including a recently released video game experience they made for their users. We also discuss how Web3 can deliver on its big promises of accessibility and inclusivity and how X thinks about earning trust.

Season 4

Episode 11 Bonus!

Understanding Exotic Options and Marketing Tactics for a Mainnet Launch

Winston Zhang, Co-founder at Cega, shares how they’re preparing for their upcoming mainnet launch. He discusses the marketing strategies they’re working on, including an NFT collection, and a major risk they took by differentiating their visual branding. He also educates us on the benefits of exotic options, even in a bear market.

Episode 10

Experiential Marketing and Making Crypto Events More Memorable

Jay Kurahashi-Sofue, VP of Marketing at Ava Labs, discusses how his team disrupted the traditional event experience with their recent Avalanche Summit in Barcelona, along with some of the risks they took that really paid off. He also shares the biggest opportunities for crypto marketers across all stages of the funnel.

Episode 9

How eToro is Making Crypto Trading More Social

Brad Michelson, Head of US Marketing team at eToro, discusses the unique social features their platform offers in an effort to reduce intimidation and attract new investors into crypto trading. He also shares his thoughts on the biggest challenges with crypto marketing and the effective strategies they’ve implemented to overcome them.

Episode 8

Crypto Utility: What’s Still Missing from the Crypto Ecosystem?

Aaron Schneider, Business Development and Partnerships at Bitpay, discusses ways that crypto can become more useful in order to maintain its relevance into the future. He shares what Bitpay is doing differently to solve this with e-commerce, along with the challenges they’re up against in transitioning to crypto as a mainstream form of payment.

Episode 7

The Future of Decentralized Identifiers and Monetization of Personal Genome Data

Dylan Dewdney, Co-Founder and Lead Initiator at NFT3.com and Kylin Network, discusses the world of DIDs (decentralized identifiers) and some of the future use cases, along with how Web3 will change the way data is handled. He also talks about the changing relationship between marketers and the data needed to optimize their businesses, and why privacy is often highlighted but becomes compromised in an effort to track results.

Episode 6

The SuperRare Creator Economy: Crypto Art and NFTs

David Feinstein, Head of Partnerships at SuperRare, discusses the economics of digital art and how valuing NFTs compares to the traditional art world. He also shares how luxury products, designers and brands can get into the Web3 game via the SuperRare marketplace.

Episode 5

Crypto Philanthropy: Using Crypto as a Force for Good

Duke Kim, Director of Crypto Partnerships at The Giving Block, educates us on the benefits of crypto philanthropy and the work they’re doing to connect donors and nonprofits, along with ways that companies can create corporate social responsibility programs to make and impact. Discover why donors should donate cryptocurrencies versus dollars, and the associated tax implications to consider.

Episode 4

Digital Asset Ownership and Gaming in the Metaverse with Splinterlands

Aggroed Lighthacker, CEO at Splinterlands, discusses why gaming was the winning solution to support the mass market to engage with crypto. He discusses how Splinterlands massively exploded its user base through word of mouth advertising among hardcore gamers, along with growth tactics that other crypto companies can replicate.

Episode 3

Cutting the Jargon and Making Crypto Accessible to the Masses

Chris Ghent, Global Head of Brand Strategy & Partnerships at the NEAR Foundation, shares how he and his team are taking a unique approach to making crypto more tangible to new users, along with how Layer 1 protocols such as NEAR can really bring in the masses and remove friction through branding.

Episode 2

How Solana Looks at DeFi and Leads Crypto Marketing with the Community in Mind

Matty Taylor, Head of Growth at Solana Labs, shares how and why community drives the growth of Solana. We also discuss some of the challenges with trying to shift to a decentralized company / model, and why having a great user experience is even more crucial in building trust within a DeFi application.

Episode 1

Crypto.com Believes That “Fortune Favors The Brave”

Steven Kalifowitz, CMO at Crypto.com, shares the strategies and tactics he’s implementing on his team’s quest to become a world renowned brand like Coke and Netflix. This includes how they’ve approached their partnerships with the UFC, Formula One, Matt Damon and the Sixers, along with their record breaking naming acquisition of the Staples Centre in LA.

Season 3

Episode 10

Virgin Voyages is Disrupting the Cruise Industry with Risk built into their DNA

Virgin is a powerful brand that's succeeded across many ventures: media, airlines, mobile and more. Now, they've set their sights on the cruise ship industry. They've launched an entirely new cruise line during the pandemic, and are taking the guest experience to a whole new level with massive success.

Episode 9

Why Amex is Taking a Balanced Approach to Competition

Andy Goldberg, SVP, Global Brand Content & Platforms at American Express, discusses how he is reframing the competitive landscape by fighting for finite attention. One of the strategies he shares is thinking about advertising like a TV show you actually want to watch.

Episode 8

How This 100% Electric Jet Company Thinks About Marketing

Jessica Bryndza, CMO at Lilium (an aerospace company that’s developed a 100% electric, 7-seater jet), is challenging conventional players in the industry from both a user experience and global impact standpoint. She also shares what it’s been like for her to market a pre-revenue company that won’t be available until 2024.

Episode 7

The Decentralized Revolution and the Emergence of NFTs

Jeremy Epstein, CMO at Gtmhub, shares how he’s shaping the future of work by empowering companies to measure performance based on target outcomes (OKR method). He also dives deep into how the decentralized revolution and emergence of NFTs is impacting brands and marketers by shifting the power back to communities.

Episode 6

Building Successful Partnerships That Live, Breathe and Create Culture

Andrea Sengara, VP Marketing at Campari, discusses how she’s building successful partnerships for their portfolio of alcohol beverage brands, including her work with Sean Combs and The New York Film Festival. We also look ahead at emerging technologies and where marketing and advertising is heading in the next 10 years.

Episode 5

Challenger Brands That Pick Fights and Exhibit Brand Courage

Chris Kneeland, CEO of Cult, discusses what marketers can learn from brands that have a cult-like following. He shares how his agency clients are challenging the status quo and exhibiting massive brand courage. Chris also points out the philosophy around competition, for example Southwest Airlines isn’t competing against other airlines; they’re competing against the road trip.

Episode 4

Crypto Marketing: Risks, Regulations and Major Opportunities

Shiran Herzberg, Head of Media at eToro, discuss\es the complexities of crypto marketing and how he’s navigating the industry when buying media. Shiran also shares what he thinks are the biggest opportunities in crypto marketing and what he’s found to be the best performing channels.

Episode 3

Celebrity Partnerships and the Big Risks That Paid Off

Ian Wishingrad, Co-Founder of Three Wishes Cereal, shares stories of creative, thoughtful yet risky marketing campaigns he launched that were a big success. One of Ian’s bold ideas got this company featured in national news television, resulting in $20k of sales in three minutes and landing the cover story in their local newspaper. Ian also shares how he’s challenging large and established brands in the competitive CPG market.

Episode 2

Using Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter

Shanee Ben-Zur, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Crunchbase, discusses the importance of testing marketing campaigns and prioritizing needle-moving metrics that actually move companies forward. She also examines that human element in B2B marketing that is often overlooked.

Episode 1

How AngelList Creates an Experimental Culture That Rewards Curiosity

Helen Min, Head of Marketing at AngelList, discusses the pressure marketers face to continue discovering and mastering new marketing channels as regulations and consumer behaviors change at record pace. She also shares innovative tactics she uses at AngelList to create a culture that encourages ongoing experimentation and making quick pivots.

Season 2

Episode 9

All Things NFT: Marketing, Investments and Future Opportunities

Luke Mulks, VP Operations at Brave Software, breaks down NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and why they’re such a hot topic and opportunity amongst both marketers and investors. He also discusses how mainstream brands are embracing NFTs to engage users, and shares the ways that Brave and the BAT Community are an integral part of Brave’s success.

Episode 8

Leading with Empathy in Marketing and Creating Human Connections

Andra Zaharia, Cybersecurity Content Marketer, discusses how to create content that resonates with users by bringing out the human values behind your company and its products. She also shares how she’s breaking down stereotypes and clichés in the InfoSec and Technology sector, and discusses her top tips on how users can take control of their privacy.

Episode 7

P&G Beauty: Experimenting w Virtual Gaming and Shifting to Privacy as a Mandate

Sergio DosSantos, Director of Technology and Digital Transformation at Procter & Gamble Beauty, shares how he convinced senior leadership to take a risk and launch a branded campaign inside Second Life’s virtual world. He also shares his perspective on why privacy is a mandate, and how first party data plays an integral role in any marketing strategy.

Episode 6

Measuring and Rewarding Attention in New and Personalized Ways

Dylan Boyd, Director of R/GA Ventures, shares the cutting edge advertising tactics he’s helping global brands implement to better reach and reward target audiences. He also discusses what the future of personal data ownership might look like for consumers worldwide.

Episode 5

Cutting Edge Media Strategies that Heighten the User Experience

Darren Herman, Operating Partner at Bain Capital and award winning advertiser, discusses the disruptive marketing campaigns he’s created for global brands such as, Vespa, Armani Jeans, Michael’s and even Kim Kardashian! Darren also shares why privacy preserving advertising is so effective in heighting the user experience, creating trust and ultimately increasing sales.

Episode 4

Brave Advertisers: An Insider’s Perspective on their Burning Questions and Biggest Opportunities

Get a backstage view of the Brave Ads Platform from one of Brave’s most experienced Regional Sales Directors. You’ll hear the most common questions that come up about Brave Ads, and the biggest opportunities advertisers must consider. Learn how brands and agencies are preparing for a future without 3rd party cookies, and navigating a constantly evolving and unpredictable future for the marketing and advertising industry.

Episode 3

The Benefits of B2B Content Marketing and Measuring ROI on Blogs and Podcasts

Natalie Mendes, Brand Content Team Lead at Atlassian, shares how she transformed their B2B content marketing strategy and created a blog that received an award from Digiday. She also discusses where blogs and podcasts fit in your marketing funnel, and how to track your growth and ROI back to company sales. Natalie has unique insights for the next generation of marketers and how they can gain a competitive edge as they progress in their careers.

Episode 2

How the Impulse Economy Resulted in a Total Collapse of the Funnel

Chad Stoller, Global Chief Innovation Officer, UM & Managing Director, IPG discusses how the Terry Tate Office Linebacker video series with Reebok unexpectedly became one of the top 10 Super Bowl commercials of all time. Chad also dissects the rising shift to an impulse shopping economy, and how increasing consumer expectations are impacting the advertising industry.

Episode 1

How Disney+ Strives to Deeply Understand Their Customer as a Strategy for Exponential User Growth

Andrea Cutright, VP, Global Subscriber Marketing and Insights for Disney Streaming, including Disney+ discusses the strategies and tactics they used to surpass their four year growth target, in only 14 months. Andrea explains how her strategy for “killing the hypothesis” has led to massive product adoption and their readiness for global expansion.

Season 1

Episode 10

Spotify Apple

The Consumer Privacy Movement and Brand Safety Challenges with Big Tech

Listen to Richard Kramer, Founder of Arete Research and Brendan Eich, CEO of Brave Software, discuss the challenges with the current “data donation agreement” that Big Tech has created related to user information, along with the brand safety concerns advertisers are now facing.

Episode 9

Spotify Apple

How Duolingo is Pushing Beyond Brand Boundaries with Experiential Advertising

Listen to Cammie Dunaway, Chief Marketing Officer at Duolingo, discuss the gamification tactics they’ve implemented to create product adoption and retention, along with the wild marketing ideas they’re testing to prepare for a future without 3rd party cookies.

Episode 8

Spotify Apple

Attention Economy & Changing Consumer Experiences in Media

Listen to Sarah Stringer, EVP, Head of US Media Partnerships at dentsu Media, discuss how media is shifting the way in which consumer attention is measured, along with the movement towards more interactive and participatory experiences for consumers, and what that means for advertisers.

Episode 7

Spotify Apple

Navigating Crypto: Tax Filings, Marketing Challenges & Opportunities

Listen to Michelle O’Connor, VP Marketing at TaxBit, share her top tax considerations for crypto holders, and discuss how she’s overcoming the advertising regulations facing crypto companies today and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Episode 6

Spotify Apple

Funding Content That’s Difficult, Dangerous & Disruptive

Listen to John Nolan, Managing Director of APEX Content Ventures at Publicis Media, shares how he decides which media projects to fund, along with his foresight into the future of advertising and subscriptions.

Episode 5

Spotify Apple

A Risk Taker’s Approach to Marketing

Listen to Kevin Rose, Serial Entrepreneur and Partner at True Ventures, discuss the entrepreneurial mindset and tolerance that’s led to his success and how marketers can follow suit, regardless of their size of business.

Episode 4

Spotify Apple

Fraudulent Ads and Dirty Data

Listen to Dr. Fou, Cybersecurity and Ad Fraud Investigator, discuss his research on ad fraud reporting, brand safety threats and ways marketers can mitigate their risk.

Episode 3

Spotify Apple

The Future of Advertising is Cookieless

Listen to John Marshall, Head of NA Digital Activation at HP, who discusses the death of the 3rd party cookie.

Episode 2

Spotify Apple

Betting on Your Brand with a Super Bowl Ad

Listen to Duncan Bird, VP of Brand Marketing & Digital at Fiverr, discuss the major ad spend Fiverr invested in during the 2021 Super Bowl for their ‘It Starts Here’ campaign.

Episode 1

Spotify Apple

The Consumer Privacy Movement and Brand Safety Challenges with Big Tech

Listen to Israel Mirsky, Executive Director, Global Technology and Emerging Platforms at OMD, share his latest endeavour: The Brand Decision Framework - an editable scoresheet that brands can leverage to ensure decisions they’re making reflect the brand values they’ve committed to.