On this episode, Janet Cinfio, Chief Information Officer of Acxiom, discusses the company's role in marketing intelligence and data management, the importance of balancing privacy with personalized marketing experiences, the need for responsible innovation in technology, and the significance of encouraging diversity in STEM careers.Key Insights:Personalization in marketing is crucial for consumer engagement.Brands are closer to understanding consumer preferences without identification.How Acxiom employs machine learning for data preparation and real-time insights.Privacy by design is integral to Acxiom's solutions.Diversity in STEM is essential for innovation and growth.Investing in young people's interest in STEM is vital for the future.Collaboration between technology and business strategy is key.–Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network. In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Ahmad Bahai, CTO of Texas Instruments, discusses the importance of innovation in the semiconductor industry and the challenges of meeting the increasing demands for faster, more efficient technology. He highlights the need for disruptive innovation to keep up with the exponential growth of data and the widening gap between hardware capabilities and demand. Bahai emphasizes the role of problem-solving and risk management in the innovation process, as well as the importance of talent and multidisciplinary approaches. He also touches on the power of human intuition and the limitations of AI in replicating it.Key Insights:Texas Instruments is a leading semiconductor company specializing in analog and embedded processing.Dr. Ahmad Bahai's role as CTO is to identify strategic and disruptive innovations for TI's product lines.TI addresses challenges in energy efficiency, connectivity, and intelligence in electronic systems.Engagement with customers and suppliers is crucial for understanding system requirements and driving innovation. The semiconductor industry is constantly pushing for innovation to meet the increasing demands for faster, more efficient technology.Disruptive innovation is necessary to bridge the widening gap between hardware capabilities and the exponential growth of data.Problem-solving and risk management are crucial in the innovation process, balancing the need for progress with calculated risks.Talent is essential in driving innovation, and a multidisciplinary approach can lead to new perspectives and breakthroughs.Human intuition plays a significant role in innovation and is difficult to replicate with AI.--Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network. In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Tony Lambert, CTO of TechSmith, discusses how TechSmith stays at the forefront of innovation by listening to customer needs, conducting research, and staying informed about industry trends. Plus, he explains why TechSmith has invested in content creation roles and how, in the future, video AI may be able to diagram manual skills, teach soft skills, and provide more advanced editing capabilities.Tune in to learn:How the screen recording industry has evolved, with more tools entering the market and screen capture becoming more prevalent.How TechSmith stays at the forefront of innovation by listening to customer needs, conducting research, and staying informed about industry trends.Why TechSmith prioritizes the end-user experience while also considering the needs of enterprise customers and addressing security and privacy concerns.How the company culture at TechSmith fosters longevity and loyalty among its engineers, who appreciate the focus on work-life balance, support for experimentation, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. How TechSmith uses its own products for documentation, project management, and HR training.Why the company has invested in content creation roles and leverages visual communication tools.Whether in the future, video AI may be able to diagram manual skills, teach soft skills, and provide more advanced editing capabilities--Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Leslie Beavers, the acting Chief Information Officer for the Department of Defense, discusses the role and responsibilities of the Department of Defense (DoD) in defending the nation. The DoD is responsible for coordinating all IT efforts within the department, as well as warfighting command control and communications. With a budget of $60 billion annually and over 4 million people across the globe, Ms. Beavers emphasizes the importance of interoperability and integration within the department, as well as the need for a streamlined acquisition process and organizational change strategy.Tune in to learn:The Department of Defense’s responsibilities in for defending the nation and coordinating all IT efforts within the department.Why interoperability and integration are key challenges in aligning the various branches and agencies within the DoD.How the DoD aims to utilize commercial off-the-shelf solutions as much as possible, but modifications are often necessary to meet unique requirements.Why organizational change and education are crucial in driving technology strategy and ensuring alignment and cooperation across the department.Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network. In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Sastry Durvasula, the Chief Information and Client Services Officer at TIAA, discusses how TIAA uses technology, including AI, to improve the retirement experience for its customers. He also digs into the challenges of integrating new sources of data and the need for companies to reimagine their approach to technology and innovation.Tune in to learn:How to use technology to improve retirement educationWhat AI looks like in actionWhy TIAA is changing mindsets with RetireTechThe importance of democratizing access to AIThe Changing Role of Data ScientistsHow to build on integrated platformsHow to navigate the challenges of legacy systems--Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Harpreet Suri, the CTO of K&L Gates, discusses the role of technology in the legal industry and how it is transforming the way law firms operate. She highlights the importance of ease of adoption and security when evaluating technology solutions for law firms, and she shares her insights on the future of the legal industry, including the use of AI in understanding slang, solving logical arguments, and sequencing screenshots, among other applications.Tune in to learn:The Impact of Gen AI on the Legal IndustryHow to Go About Implementing and Validating New TechnologiesChallenges Around Acquiring Technical Talent for Law FirmsTips For Evaluating Technology Solutions for Law FirmsThe Future of Law and TechnologyFun Predictions: What Tech is Less Than Five Years AwayMentions:K&L Gates Careers

Babak Hodjat, CTO of AI at Cognizant, discusses the impact of advancements in AI and the factors that have enabled its rapid progress, including increased processing capacity, access to large amounts of data, and improved neural network architectures. Babak also highlights the importance of moving to the cloud and leveraging AI to make informed decisions.Key Takeaways:Advancements in AI have been driven by increased processing capacity, access to large amounts of data, and improved neural network architectures.Moving to the cloud is essential for companies to leverage the power of AI and stay competitive.AI agents can help companies reduce tech debt and navigate complex data flows, enabling faster and more efficient AI adoption.Synthetic data plays a crucial role in building AI models and simulating real-world scenarios.AI-enabled decision-making has the potential to transform various industries and improve outcomes. Enterprises are gradually moving toward agent-oriented architecture, enabling robust and scalable systemsAgent-based AI systems can streamline workflows and simplify everyday tasks–Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network. In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Prince Kohli, the CTO of Automation Anywhere, discusses the evolution of robotic process automation (RPA) and its impact on industries. He shares real-world examples of how RPA and AI have transformed processes and improved efficiency in various sectors, and he delves into the implementation of RPA and AI, data governance, and the future of automation.Key Takeaways:The evolution of RPA and AI has led to significant advancements in automation, impacting various industries and improving efficiency.Real-world examples demonstrate the transformative impact of RPA and AI in healthcare, government, and other sectors, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.The implementation of RPA and AI requires careful consideration of data governance, AI model governance, and the reduction of hallucinations in AI models.The future of automation involves the seamless integration of RPA and AI to address complex business challenges and improve operational processes. AI and automation are transforming industries and enabling the creation of new tools and processes.Data quality is crucial for the success of AI and automation, and techniques like RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) are used to ensure veracity and reliability of data.Technological advancements have the potential to solve everyday problems such as traffic optimization, flight rerouting, and automated invoice processing.Investment and awareness are key drivers for the adoption and implementation of advanced technologies in various sectors. --Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionariesMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

 On this episode, Mark Butler, CISO for Trace3, discusses the impact of AI on various industries, the challenges of AI governance, and the adoption of cloud services. He also delves into the application of AI in different sectors and the implications of cloud migration for companies with legacy infrastructure.Key Takeaways:AI has the potential to transform industries such as healthcare, finance, and energy, leading to significant improvements in customer experiences and operational efficiency.The governance of AI, including data security, training, and explainability, is a critical focus area for organizations adopting AI models.Cloud migration presents challenges for companies with legacy infrastructure, but it also offers opportunities for leveraging advanced AI services and technologies.The early detection and accurate diagnosis of health conditions through AI have the potential to significantly improve health outcomes and patient care. The demand for GPUs is increasing, driven by the need for on-premise LLM training and AI workloads.The shift in skill requirements is evident, with a growing need for new skills to adapt to the evolving AI landscape.AI is not directly taking jobs but is creating new opportunities and skill demands.The need for AI training is significant, with organizations investing in internal training programs to educate employees about AI.The challenges of AI verification and the impact of AI on job roles are key considerations in the evolving AI landscape.Mentions:Google’s AI Recommended Adding Glue To Pizza And Other Misinformation—What Caused The Viral Blunders?--Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network. In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Shelia Anderson, CIO of Aflac, delves into the use of technology to improve customer service, streamline processes, and enhance the overall experience for policyholders. The discussion also highlights the role of leadership in driving organizational change and the importance of transparency and education in decision-making. Plus, a discussion about the continuous improvement nature of AI and the need for trusted sources of data.Key Takeaways:The use of technology in the insurance industry is focused on improving customer service, streamlining processes, and enhancing the overall experience for policyholders.Transparency and education are essential in decision-making and driving organizational change, especially when it comes to technology and innovation.Leadership plays a crucial role in demonstrating the value of technological advancements and driving the adoption of new approaches within the organization. AI's impact on the insurance industry and the challenges of data security and integrityThe continuous improvement nature of AI and the need for trusted sources of data–Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit www.zayo.com/networkMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Bill Waid, the Chief Product and Technology Officer of FICO, discusses the role of FICO and its products and services beyond the FICO score. He reveals how FICO applies artificial intelligence and machine learning in its decision-making processes. Plus, Bill explains how FICO's software division helps businesses operationalize analytics and make data-driven decisions.On this episode, Bill Waid, the Chief Product and Technology Officer of FICO, discusses the role of FICO and its products and services beyond the FICO score. He reveals how FICO applies artificial intelligence and machine learning in its decision-making processes. Plus, Bill explains how FICO's software division helps businesses operationalize analytics and make data-driven decisions. Tune in to learn:Why FICO is more than just a credit score; it offers a range of products and services to help businesses make data-driven decisions.How FICO applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance its decision-making processes.Why digital engagement and the ability to adapt to changing customer needs are crucial for businesses in the financial industry.How the digitization of banking is transforming the industry.How FICO is using alternative data sources and augmented data analysis to assess credit risk for individuals with limited credit history.FICO's future focus is on making AI and machine learning more usable and transparent for businesses, empowering them to make better decisions.Why an emphasis on a strong company culture empowers employees to control their own destiny.The future of AI and machine learning lies in making it more accessible and usable for non-technical users.How FICO enables businesses to quickly test and iterate on models, making incremental improvements and driving better outcomes.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In this conversation, Steve Stone, Head of Zero Labs at Rubrik, discusses the importance of data security and the challenges organizations face in managing and securing their data. He explains Rubrik's role as a data security company and how they provide backup, recovery, and analytics solutions to help organizations protect their data. Steve also highlights the growing problem of data growth and the impact of AI-generated data. He emphasizes the need for visibility into the data estate, the importance of securing data in a hybrid environment, and the role of proactive AI solutions in the future of data security.Tune in to learn:Rubrik is a data security company that provides backup, recovery, and analytics solutions to help organizations protect their data.Data growth and AI-generated data are major challenges in data security.Visibility into the data estate is crucial for organizations to understand and secure their data.Securing data in a hybrid environment requires a comprehensive approach that includes backup, recovery, and analytics solutions.The future of data security may involve proactive AI solutions that can detect and prevent threats in real-time. Data is the most important asset in cybersecurity and should be the primary focus.AI can be used for analytics and to bridge the gap between different teams in cybersecurity.Steve's journey into cybersecurity came from a background in special operations.Did you know that less than half of IT leaders feel their network infrastructure is ready to make the best use of emerging technologies?  Zayo, a leading global communications infrastructure provider, empowers some of the world’s most innovative companies to take advantage of next generation technologies with the help of reliable, resilient network infrastructure. Read their research paper, IT Confidential, to gain valuable insights from IT leaders. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In this conversation, Mike Hanley, the Chief Security Officer and SVP of Engineering at GitHub, discusses the transformation in security practices and the shift towards a distributed and zero trust approach. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration between security and engineering teams to enable great security outcomes. Mike also shares insights on managing concurrent projects and creating clarity around goals. He highlights the significance of empowering engineering teams and enabling creativity and expertise. Additionally, he expresses his excitement about the current state of the software space and the future of coding and learning, particularly with the impact of AI.Tune in to learn:AI can assist developers in completing redundant tasks and improve productivity.The future of AI in software development holds the potential for significant advancements and transformations.AI can play a crucial role in enhancing security practices and preventing vulnerabilities.A security-first approach is essential, and engaging with customers is crucial for successful security implementations. Security practices have transformed from a perimeter-based approach to a distributed and zero-trust approach.Collaboration between security and engineering teams is crucial for achieving great security outcomes.Creating clarity around goals and providing support to teams helps unlock creativity and expertise.The future of coding and learning will be influenced by AI, enabling new ways of accessing information and formulating questions.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this episode, Josh Lemos, the CISO at GitLab, discusses the role of GitLab in the software development lifecycle and how it helps companies build and ship secure software. He highlights the challenges in code reuse and security and emphasizes the importance of visibility and governance in software development. Josh also discusses the trust and explainability in AI and how AI can be leveraged for efficiency.Tune in to learn:What is GitLab (1:00)Creating trust in your platform (7:30)Figuring out how best to use AI (13:00)Making well-informed decisions (18:20)How to approach problems in ways that make sense (24:00)The future of the field (26:00)AI use cases (29:30)Recruiting the next generation of talent (34:40)Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

AIOps is becoming more and more important to enterprises, and that is only going to continue. On this episode, Jason Walker, the Chief Innovation Officer at Big Panda, discusses the role of AIOps in improving operations and problem resolution in enterprise applications. He explains how Big Panda uses data and AI to identify, alert, and solve problems in digital services and shares the challenges faced by organizations in understanding their technology ecosystem and how AIOps can help in gaining visibility and context.Tune in to learn:Understanding AI Ops (1:00)Getting started implementing AIOps(4:35)The before and after of implementing AIOps (10:40)How AIOps can help simplify your ticket resolution (19:00)What will the AI ops space evolve into? (26:30)How to know you’re remediating the right thing (33:50)Going from the Marines to the IT world (38:55) Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

We’ve been living in the cloud for a long time now, so why is it still so difficult to navigate the multi-cloud infrastructure? Indu Keri, SVP and GM Hybrid Multi-cloud at Nutanix, is trying to simplify that landscape and on this episode, he breaks down how.  Tune in to learn:Navigating the multi-cloud complexity? (4:00)How can it get easier to do cloud management? (8:00)The web has changed how we experience the world (25:00)The role of infrastructure (30:00)Striving for simplicity (35:00)Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Google made its name by changing the way the world uses the internet. Today, the company is still on the leading edge of innovation and Ritika Gunnar, the Sr. Director of Product Management, Databases at Google, is helping to shape the future of technology once more. On this episode, she dives deep into how, where, and why generative AI is going to revolutionize the way engineers build, how apps are developed, and how everyday work gets done.Tune in to learn:Why is database management so hard? (3:00)How generative AI is transforming what Google builds (12:00)Creating a whole new world for app developers and programmers (18:00)Generative engineering and how it will change the way developers work (24:00)How generative AI is being use to create new experiences (33:40) Predicting how AI will be used in the future (36:42)Mentions:Google careersThe rise of GenEng: How AI changes the developer roleMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

So much of the way data is used happens without us even knowing it. And the power of data is beyond comprehension. At Teradata, Erica Hausheer and her team are trying to harness that power and make lives better — even if you don’t realize they’re doing it. On this episode, Erica details the ways data, AI, and other innovative technologies are transforming the way we live and work.Tune in to learn:How Teradata is improving your life without you even knowing it (4:00) What it takes to understand and execute high-impact jobs (9:00) The evolution of digital transformation (14:00) The juxtaposition between product development and IT (25:00) Fighting against bad data (30:00) Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Moving to the cloud is nothing new — but doing it efficiently is still tough. Brantley Richbourg is the Principal Technical Consultant of Cloud Networking at AHEAD, and it’s his job to help companies navigate their journey to the cloud. On this episode, he describes some of the reasons companies are looking to make the move and the challenges they face along the way. Plus he explains where and how generative AI is playing a role and why innovation might not be the driving force behind customer decision making. Tune in to learn:What is Ahead? (1:32)Finally solving the problems with moving to the cloud (5:40)Integrating cloud systems and hybrid clouds (11:30)The role of generative AI (16:35)Why the cloud is not about saving money (30:00)How Ahead is working with clients (36:15)How to win at sales (38:38)The timeline for adopting new infrastructure (44:20)Predicting the next big thing (50:00)Mentions:Brantley’s first appearance on IT Visionaries--Did you know that less than half of IT leaders feel their network infrastructure is ready to make the best use of emerging technologies?  Zayo, a leading global communications infrastructure provider, empowers some of the world’s most innovative companies to take advantage of next generation technologies with the help of reliable, resilient network infrastructure. Read their research paper, IT Confidential, to gain valuable insights from IT leaders. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Whether you realize it or not, there’s an extremely good chance that you have interacted with PAR Technology. This brand powers payment systems, loyalty apps, and more for some of the biggest restaurant brands around, including Five Guys, Sweet Green, Arby’s, and thousands more. Raju Malhotra is the Chief Product & Technology Officer at PAR Technology, and on this episode, he explains how PAR implements its technology to make the restaurant experience seamless for both the workers and the diners.Tune in to learn:What is PAR Technology? (1:00)Why big brands choose PAR (2:00)The need to be flexible with different infrastructures (5:00)Blending the hardware and software components clients need (9:00)How to decide what to build (13:00)The rise of third parties and the challenge of integration (26:00)--Zayo connects critical data centers across the US, Canada, and Europe with high-capacity metro fiber and extensive long-haul dark fiber. Trusted by the world's most innovative companies, Zayo embodies what's next in networking.Discover Zayo’s expansive network maps on their website and see where their network can take you. With low-latency, reliable, 400G and 800G-enabled routes, it's the modern network solution you've been searching for.Visit Zayo's website today to unlock the power of your network and tap into the technologies of tomorrow. Go to Zayo.com/network now.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In business and technology, speed is key. This is especially true in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where seconds matter to all the innovators submitting patent applications. In this episode, Jamie Holcombe, CIO of the USPTO, explains how his team is using new technology and working faster on a network that will keep up with the products and technologies inventors are hoping to bring to market. Tune in to learn:What is the USPTO? (1:20)How new technology is used to help evaluate patent applications (6:30)The importance of having a reliable and fast network (16:30)Cybersecurity at the USPTO (21:25)--Zayo connects critical data centers across the US, Canada, and Europe with high-capacity metro fiber and extensive long-haul dark fiber. Trusted by the world's most innovative companies, Zayo embodies what's next in networking.Discover Zayo’s expansive network maps on their website and see where their network can take you. With low-latency, reliable, 400G and 800G-enabled routes, it's the modern network solution you've been searching for.Visit Zayo's website today to unlock the power of your network and tap into the technologies of tomorrow. Go to Zayo.com/network now.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

There is no doubt that the world is more connected now than ever before, but there are still places and people who lack access to the internet. In this episode, hear why this is one of the things that Mattias Fridström and the team at Arelion is trying to fix. Also, hear how they are working to make the internet faster and more secure at the same time. Tune in to learn:What is Arelion? (1:10)The push for innovation (3:00)What is going on at the edge? (7:40)How to be more proactive in your security (9:40)Data storage and compliance (16:30)Building solutions for customers (21:05)Mattias’s love of networks (28:00)--Zayo connects critical data centers across the US, Canada, and Europe with high-capacity metro fiber and extensive long-haul dark fiber. Trusted by the world's most innovative companies, Zayo embodies what's next in networking.Discover Zayo’s expansive network maps on their website and see where their network can take you. With low-latency, reliable, 400G and 800G-enabled routes, it's the modern network solution you've been searching for.Visit Zayo's website today to unlock the power of your network and tap into the technologies of tomorrow. Go to Zayo.com/network now.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

NTT Data is a major company that works on large-scale projects every day. But CIO Barry Shurkey is constantly encouraging his team to get better and stay innovative. On this episode, he explains why he put so much trust in solution architects, and how he sees and helps companies and tech leaders adapt to the changing technology landscape.  Tune in to learn:What is NTT Data? (1:10)How major projects start (3:00)What it takes to integrate your systems (7:00)The current constraints companies are facing with hardware and software (13:50)The newest problems businesses face while undergoing digital transformation (22:50)The dream product we wish existed (25:50)What the adoption of AI means for the tech industry (29:00)How to balance your team (31:10)What technology shifts can we expect in the next five to 10 years? (35:00)Mentions:Justin Mescher episode of IT VisionariesDid you know that less than half of IT leaders feel their network infrastructure is ready to make the best use of emerging technologies?  Zayo, a leading global communications infrastructure provider, empowers some of the world’s most innovative companies to take advantage of next generation technologies with the help of reliable, resilient network infrastructure. Read their research paper, IT Confidential, to gain valuable insights from IT leaders. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In today’s world, technology is a part of almost everything we do. It’s constantly evolving, but even in the realm of cybersecurity, there are limits to what technology can do without the help of hardworking humans. Whether it’s laying wire for networks or understanding systems and codes, David Monnier, CIO of Team Cymru, explains how and where technology and humans will always need to come together.     Tune in to learn:What is Team Cymru? (1:25)What is changing right now in the cybersecurity category? (2:40)How tech leaders should evaluate new products (10:00)The reason why technology is not always a silver bullet (19:00)How Team Cymru has been able to expand worldwide (23:30)Where we’re seeing the most cyber threats (27:20)How to keep your team in a learning mode (31:20)Finding the right people for your team (36:30)Mentions:David’s first appearance on IT VisionariesDid you know that less than half of IT leaders feel their network infrastructure is ready to make the best use of emerging technologies?  Zayo, a leading global communications infrastructure provider, empowers some of the world’s most innovative companies to take advantage of next generation technologies with the help of reliable, resilient network infrastructure. Read their research paper, IT Confidential, to gain valuable insights from IT leaders. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

We're taking a quick pause for the summer, but we'll be back soon with more new and exciting content!  

Medical transportation is sometimes necessary, but the operations and companies responsible for making it happen have remained relatively stagnant. This is where DocGo comes in. On this episode, Hawk Newton, the CTO of DocGo, explains how the company is solving the extremely difficult task of medical transportation, and making the entire experience easier for all involved. Tune in to learn:What is DocGo? (1:40)How can medical transportation performance improve? (5:45)Solving the extremely hard problem that is medical transportation (14:30)Finding the next wave of engineers (20:30)--IT Visionaries is sponsored by Zayo.Concerned about your network's health? Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. So, how’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Ultimately, most of what we do in business today relies on data of all kinds. In the last decade or so, the rise in unstructured data has meant that companies need to find ways to store and then use that data in ways they hadn’t needed to before. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Brian Pawlowski, Chief Development Officer, of Quantum, discusses what that means and how data storage has evolved. Tune in to learn:What is Quantum (2:00)What it means to store unstructured data (4:00)Why all storage is software (15:15)Meeting customer demands while dealing with physical limitations (31:00)Understanding why data is mobile and how to manage its infrastructure (37:40)Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Cybersecurity is a world that is constantly evolving, and experts like Vishal Salvi, CISO & Head of Cyber Practice at Infosys, are doing their best to keep up. On this episode, Vishal discusses how to prioritize your cybersecurity needs, and he breaks down some of the ways that AI will play a role in cybersecurity moving forward. Tune in to learn:What is Infosys? (2:00)The complexity of what Infosys does (6:00)What to prioritize with your cybersecurity (9:30)The conflict between security and speed (13:55)What it takes to move data loads today (17:40)The rise of identity-access AI (22:00)Where are we with AI ops? (29:40)Vishal’s journey in IT (34:50)Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Cybersecurity has moved from a luxury to a necessity for pretty much every business. But still, many organizations are operating in a reactive rather than a proactive fashion when it comes to securing their networks. Adam Burke, VP Sales & Partnerships, Quest Technology Management, explains why this is and how to change your mindset and operate in a more secure fashion. Tune in to learn:What is Quest Technology? (1:45)The security needed to work in the cloud (5:10)Recommendations for organizations to address potential security concerns (11:45)Finding the right person to protect your infrastructure (19:30)How to choose the right third-party to help with cybersecurity (22:30)How Adam got his tech chops (25:55)The impact of AI in tracking cybersecurity activity (32:20)How fast Quest can help a customer in need (39:20)The benefits of military service for a tech professional (41:00)–Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Our energy infrastructure is going through major changes. The population is looking for more efficiency and cleaner options, and Stem, Inc. is helping to deliver those solutions. Albert Hofeldt, SVP of Technology at Stem, joins IT Visionaries to describe the work his team is doing, and what the future of energy might look like.Tune in to learn:What is Stem? (2:00)Dissecting the distribution of energy (5:12)What Stem-collected data unlocks (16:09)Who is leading the charge in updating energy infrastructure? (20:40)How Albert landed at Stem (25:40)The changes coming to the energy sector (28:30)Creating more infrastructure for long-haul driving with EVs (32:00)Mentions:Librestream episode of IT VisionariesZayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

With the technology landscape shifting at a rapid pace, it’s nearly impossible to keep up. But that’s the job of Kit Colbert, the CTO of VMware, and he is constantly learning from and leading his team so that they can best serve the needs of their customers. On this episode, Kit explains what that looks like and how the world of public and private clouds, the edge, and infrastructure are constantly changing.Tune in to learn:What is VMware? (1:40)How to service the appetites of customers today (6:45)Thinking through levels of orchestration (14:30)Where is the industry when it comes to shifting its models? (22:44)The role VMware will play in network security (26:40)How growing companies solve network and infrastructure weaknesses (30:45)Defining and predicting the future of the edge (36:00)The philosophy of continuous learning (41:45)Advice to CTOs expanding their networks and getting answers they need (45:00)Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Healthcare technology has frequently been lambasted as being behind the times. The reason is because hospitals and healthcare providers are operating on lagging networks and with outdated technology. Derek Grimes, the SVP of Operations at Frontage Clinical Services explains what it will take to get our healthcare systems to work better for all patients, and he gives us some insights into the ways technology is currently being used to improve our experiences. Tune in to learn:Understanding the need for CROs (2:45)The technological landscape needed to operate clinical trials (5:10)How are healthcare systems improving? (12:15)What is stopping us from demanding more from healthcare providers? (18:30)Solving the Interoperability problem in healthcare (30:00)Advice for practitioners on where to modernize right now (37:45)--Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Without a doubt, technology has been a game changer in just about every industry. And as tech continues to evolve, it is being used in more innovative ways, even in places that typically have trouble with network connectivity. Librestream is helping to make that happen, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, Chief Customer Officer Charlie Neagoy explains how.  Tune in to learn:What is Librestream? (3:00)Getting information to workers in all kinds of places (9:15)Defining augmented reality (17:00)When and how new technology is implemented in the field (21:30)How to approach customers with limitations around access to technology (26:00)Can you train to be a pilot from your desk? (35:00) Zayo’s future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Network infrastructure is important if you want your organization to run smoothly and without interruption. From hospitals to supply chains to government agencies, there are countless examples that illustrate just how critical network infrastructure can be. ePlus works to create better cloud infrastructure solutions for its customers to ensure they can perform their important roles. On this episode, Justin Meschner, the Vice President of Cloud Solutions of ePlus, shares more about the way that his team collaborates to give clients the network speed and redundancy they need, while also providing them with new cutting-edge solutions. Tune in to learn:The industries ePlus services (2:15)How speed plays a role in the architecture of consumer applications (5:00)Leveraging automation to allow for speed and standardization (7:00)Thinking through the levels of redundancy you need in critical industries (10:20)Working with clients to keep them informed and on the cutting edge (16:00)Building teams that can keep up with the pace of change (19:40)Justin’s personal journey in the technology field (22:45)Developing your communication skills (26:10)Deciding to specialize or generalize (27:35) Bio:Justin Mescher, Vice President of Cloud and Data Center Solutions for ePlus, leads overall strategy and go-to-market for both the Cloud and Data Center practices as part of ePlus’ Global Strategy Team.  He started his career in corporate IT, managing a hospital’s data center, then expanded his experience as a Pre-sales Engineer at EMC and then CTO for IDS, where he led the engineering team and developed the cloud practice. After IDS was acquired by ePlus in 2017, he has served in his current role, utilizing and leveraging his expertise in cloud strategy, design, implementation, migration, and managed services to grow the Data Center and Cloud practices for ePlus. Justin spends his time meeting with strategic customers, discussing their journey to the cloud, and developing new solutions within the ePlus portfolio to align with customer needs.--Zayo's future-ready network and tailored connectivity solutions enable some of the world’s most innovative companies to connect what’s next for their business. Exceptional end-user experiences and better business outcomes demand one thing – a strong, healthy network. How’s your network health? There’s one way to find out – take Zayo’s Network Health Check now. https://zayo.is/3ztMpIuMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In order to better prepare for the next season, IT Visionaries is taking a short break! After four years of continuous production, we’re hitting pause in order to reassess and reexamine the program. We love learning more about how technology impacts fields outside of software, such as aviation, healthcare, and the environment. But we’re open to everything! If you have any suggestions for guests, industries, and topics to cover, send them our way! And in the meantime, stay tuned for updates.Mentions: Mission Daily - https://mission.org/mission-daily/

Buying residential real estate is typically mired down in paperwork, presenting a difficult experience for consumers. But technology is currently changing this burdensome process for buyers and sellers alike. Our guest, Raji Subramanian, CTO of Opendoor, explains how the company’s platform addresses all aspects of the process (and the business behind it) by putting customer needs and the company’s core principles front-of-mind in every transaction.Tune in to learn:How Opendoor touches every aspect of buying and selling homes (4:40)Addressing and overcoming homebuyer pain points  (11:30)Leveraging technology for home assessment (21:10)Opendoor’s core leadership philosophy (29:11)Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.

The need for a company to act quickly and scale efficiently is imperative when a global crisis is at hand. Fortunately, prior to the pandemic, the leadership at Pfizer had already been laying the groundwork for digital transformation with the help of Lidia Fonseca. When the demands grew, the company was prepared to scale, allowing it to bring desperately needed help to the world. Tune in to learn:Pfizer’s tactic of increasing scaleability by creating a CTO role. (01:40) Building a strong culture as a foundation before the pandemic (8:14)The personal toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on Lidia. (14:12)Leadership advice in time of crisis (21:00)The exponential future impact of technology in healthcare (26:29)Mentions:Jim Collins, Good to GreatIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What does success now look like for business leaders as economic shifts keep us all guessing? Thomas Cozzolino, Senior Director of Competitive Strategy at Salesforce, joins us to help discover the answers to this question as a special co-host in the Success Now Mini Series. Solutions for cost reduction, increased efficiency, rapid ROI, and lightning-fast time to value are top of mind for many of today’s business leaders. Setting a prime example, Amazon is ever-innovating; and today we get to hear more about what this looks like for Mark Chien, General Manager of CRM Platform, AWS Sales, Marketing, and Global Services.Tune in to learn:What is the Success Now Miniseries all about (03:45)Importance of data quality at AWS (7:10)Culture of Build vs Buy at AWS (9:10)Amazon’s continuing journey of reducing costs and time to value while increasing efficiency and ROI (18:00)Best practices for using and implementing Salesforce (33:55)Lightning Round (40:40)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Researcher Alan Kay is widely credited for saying, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Our guest Brian Woodring, CIO of Rocket Companies concurs, as he is part of a company that is currently trying to define the future of mortgages. Working with Salesforce, his organization is continually trying (and learning from) innovative ways to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and generate ROI. Hear how Brian and his team may not have a “master plan” but still succeed through discovery, feedback, and a consistent focus on customers.Tune in to learn:Why there’s no “master plan” for growth in IT businesses (5:00)How did Rocket measure the progress of its digital transformation (14:45)The differences between an OKR and a key result (25:14)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Cybersecurity, like so many other industries, is based on connections. Not just to countless endpoints, but also connection to the people behind the data. In this edition of IT Visionaries, guests Taher Elgamal from Salesforce, and Mike Sentonas from Crowdstrike share their perspectives on why practical communication still matters, even for the most intricate data security challenges.  Tune in to learn:The benefits of the Crowdstrike Salesforce partnership (2:30)How to protect data by securing all endpoints (6:20)How companies should approach security investments for 2023 (17:30)Tips for solving the cybersecurity skills gap (26:35)Mentions:Cybersecurity Learning Hub - Trailheadhttps://bit.ly/3EytgZECrowdStrike University: https://www.crowdstrike.com/crowdstrike-university/NextGen Scholarships: https://www.crowdstrike.com/about-crowdstrike/nextgen-scholarship-program/IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

 Women are still largely underrepresented in the tech workforce. To combat barriers for women, Alaina Percival, CEO of Women Who Code, shares how the organization tackles bias in the tech industry by providing a platform for women to succeed without limitation. Tune in to learn why the growth of women in tech is vital for industry success, and how Women Who Code is bridging the gap for a more equitable future in tech leadership. Tune in to learn:Why women are underrepresented in the tech field (07:00)What advice Women Who Code has for breaking the barriers around becoming a tech leader (14:45)About investing in yourself and your skills in an economic downturn (27:22)Mentions:Harlan Coben, New York Times Best Selling AuthorIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The primary goal of cybersecurity is human safety. Even if high-tech isn’t typically equated with healthcare, Cindi Carter, Global CISO of Check Point Software Technologies, explains why it should be. Tune in to learn:Why high-tech is imperative for healthcare (3:37)The vulnerability of medical records (08:40)Healthcare cybersecurity predictions for 2023-24 (30:27)The “human factor” of cybersecurity (37:00)Mentions:HIMSS Cybersecurity in HealthcareNassim Nicholas Taleb, author of AntifragileCISSP certificationCybertalkIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How did one of the world’s biggest bureaucracies successfully develop a sleek, efficient, and user-friendly online benefits experience for veterans? Today’s guest, Charles Worthington, CTO of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shares how he applied a tech startup mentality to help make the VA’s services more accessible to our nation’s finest, and why he hopes to spark a “tradition of public service” in the tech industry.Tune in to learn:An overview of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ digital services (2:55)The effort to rebuild the VA website (5:00)How the VA mobile app was launched (12:551)The state of tech in the public sector   (28:50)Mentions:VA: Health and Benefits (App)Presidential Innovation FellowsUnited States Digital ServiceCareers - DigitalVA - Veterans AffairsIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How has finding the perfect solution for physical office spaces evolved since hybrid working has become more prevalent? James Quinn, Executive Managing Director at JLL, shares how the company analyzes the aspirations and layouts of businesses to provide the best option for building or buying a physical office space that accommodates hybrid and in-person companies. Tune in to learn more about how JLL incorporates sustainable options as well as technological advancements into its plans for the companies it partners with. Tune in to learn:How the market shift is affecting JLL and what it offers (01:20)What JLL does to curate the perfect space for a company (08:50)About the first steps of building within sustainability (11:57)How Beacon Of Hope 365 inspires Jim to focus on the positives of technology (22:48)Mentions:Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter and TeslaTwitter“Is Hybrid Work Killing Remote Summer? Yes, but It Doesn’t Have To” article by Katherine Bindley for Wall Street Journal featuring American Express.Isaac Sacolick ITV episode  (17:37)Oracle CareersOpen Bionics Beacon of Hope 365Apple NASA “Tech Trends 24/7 and the Impact of Covid-19” by James P. Quinn“How to Operate Section Eight Properties” by Albert Chou (unreleased)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On this special end-of-year crossover episode, the hosts from Up Next in Commerce, Marketing Trends, and IT Visionaries meet up again to discuss their biggest takeaways from their guests over the past year, and to make some predictions for what should be an exciting 2023 in marketing, tech, and ecommerce.Tune in to learn:Why your employees are your greatest customers (8:43)Why good business instincts can help overcome a lack of data (14:43)Why intuition matters, even in data-driven industries (20:47)Mentions:David Ting, ZenniDavid Heinemeier Hansson, 37signalsStephanie Dobbs Brown, CMO, Intercontinental ExchangeLil’ WayneKevin Warren, UPSEric Toda, MetaMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The problem-solving prowess of the IT leaders we meet has inspired and motivated us all year. The guests we’ve featured in 2022 have shared their strategies for cutting costs to their businesses through technology and effective leadership. They’ve shown us new tools, software, and philosophies that make the world a better place. From healthcare and education to business and sustainability, their innovation continues to carve a clear path for future success. These are just a few of our favorite segments from the 100+ interviews we held this past year.  Tune in to learn:How low-code innovation is empowering Pacific Clinics to increase efficiency (02:20)How Tableau saved the Seattle Seahawks time and money with their tech (07:31)Effective scaling for technology teams (27:49)Creating sustainable power with new tech (31:57)Mentions:How Legends of Low-Code Brought Magical Solutions to Pacific ClinicsWatch: Legends of Low-Code on Salesforce PlusChampioning the Prospective Customer With David Heinemeier HanssonMining the Golden Age of Data with Tableau’s CEO Monetize Your KnowledgeAlbert’s Kajabi Course on InvestingInnovating at the Cutting Edge of Ad TechnologyMaking Reproductive Healthcare Accessible with SimpleHealthHow Deel Makes Empowering an International Workforce EasierRemoving Latency Byte by Byte with Zayo Group  Respect All Your Clients’ Dreams Equally How to Be a Fearless Engineer Visualizing Code Is the Key Harnessing the Consistent Power of the Sea Through Tech IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Software itself is constantly being updated, but are some conventional approaches used by tech leaders also in need of an upgrade? David Heinemeier Hansson is the Co-owner & CTO of the software company 37signals, producer of the successful web services Basecamp and HEY. On this episode, David explains the forward-thinking methodologies that his company has successfully implemented, like championing prospective customers rather than current ones, enforcing a short six-week planning cycle, and placing a higher value on intuition over data.Tune in to learn:About the “six-week cycle” approach to innovation at 37signals (6:50)Why 37signals creates “opinionated software” (26:55)About David’s reliance on intuition over data (33:40)Why David considers writing to be a crucial leadership skill (42:08)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

New research shows that businesses that invest in interoperability can grow revenue six times faster than competitors. Why, then, are only one out of every three companies making this investment? Emma McGuigan, Global Lead of Enterprise and Industry Technologies at Accenture, joins us to discuss the tech consulting company’s latest report on the benefits of adopting interoperability, and other burgeoning technologies that are driving the growth of her clients.Tune in to learn:Findings from Accenture’s report on interoperability (04:33) How Accenture approaches the collaborative process with clients (11:30)How is Accenture Reducing Costs, and Increasing Time to Value and ROI  (21:26) Why Emma is excited about the future of tech (33:09) Mentions:Value Untangled: Accelerating Radical Growth Through Interoperability - Accenture“Companies with Highly Interoperable Technology Achieve Six Times Higher Revenue Growth, According to New Accenture Research” (Accenture Press Release; Nov. 30, 2022)MuleSoft“Emma McGuigan, Senior Managing Director, Accenture Microsoft Business Group at Accenture” (Digital Leaders Podcast)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

When logging into devices and applications that hold the key to a user's identity, how can that user tell who is at the other end of the line? When it comes to internet safety and securing a user's identity online, Phil Dunkelberger, President and CEO of Nok Nok Labs, shares that the future of online security is cybersecurity that can be simplified through public private key cryptography. On this episode, Phil explains what that means, plus the purpose of FIDO and how it can create frictionless security for users logging into their devices and applications.Tune in to learn:What FIDO is designed to do for users (9:55)Why public private keys used for authentication benefits the customer (14:00)How pass keys have evolved to render the need for two devices for personal and work purposes unnecessary (28:00)About Nok Nok’s Study on the IT Support side of the problem with authentication (35:36)Mentions:Vanguard Totem TechAlli Bey, CEO of Totem TechDr. Larry Ponemon, Founder and Chairman of Ponemon InstitutePYMNTSKaren Webster, CEO of PYMNTSKaren webster’s study“Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” by Phil KnightXerox Phil ZimmermannSymantecIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Over 90% of all cyber attacks start with a phishing email to an unsuspecting victim. As cyber criminal techniques become more sophisticated, how can businesses keep their communication channels safe? On this episode, David Raissipour, Chief Technology and Product Officer at the cloud-based cybersecurity company Mimecast, discusses the importance of cyber protection education and shares how his engineering team innovates to give businesses the upper hand over cyber threats.Tune in to learn:The importance of cybersecurity education (07:11)How Mimecast innovates for new kinds of cyber crime (13:56)How the current economy is impacting the cybersecurity industry (28:01)The demand for cybersecurity jobs (33:20)Mentions:“Closing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap” (IT Visionaries podcast; Episode 425)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

Are menial workflow tasks keeping cybersecurity teams from reaching their full potential? Tines is a fast-growing, Ireland-based company that’s bringing automation to the security workforce, with no code writing necessary. The company’s Co-founder and CEO Eoin Hinchy joins us to discuss the ingenious automation process that narrows all workflow duties down to a mere seven “action types,” freeing up cyber workers to focus on keeping your data safe.Tune in to learn:Tines and its no-code approach to cybersecurity (01:00)The seven “action types” that Tines automates (06:48)How much time is saved automating these workflows? (25:03)Eoin’s “hot take” on the cybersecurity skills gap (27:20)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

For companies seeking to scale globally, overcoming language barriers in foreign markets can be a major challenge. Unbabel is an AI-powered platform that combines machine and human translation to help businesses provide localized, multilingual customer experiences around the world. On this episode, Unbabel’s Co-founder and CEO Vasco Pedro reveals how his lifelong passion for language led to the company’s formation, and why AI technology is transforming the way we communicate across cultures.Tune in to learn:About Unbabel and LangOps (1:06)The origin of Vasco’s fascination with language (15:30)The early breakthroughs at Unbabel (22:48)AI translation’s impact on globalization (31:48)Mentions:AlphaGo - DeepMind“Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies” (book by Jared Diamond)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Let’s face it — nobody likes doing taxes. And staying on top of changing codes, rates, and regulations can be a time-consuming endeavor for companies. Avalara is a tax compliance automation platform that’s making tax solutions easier for businesses all around the world. Avalara’s EVP of Engineering and CTO Danny Fields joins us to discuss the wide scale of innovation required to deliver fast and accurate tax computations globally, and why companies still using manual methods should make the switch to automation now.Tune in to learn:What is Avalara and what does it do? (01:09)How Avalara keeps track of constant changes in the tax code (10:45)What it was like moving Avalara toward automation (16:39)Why some companies are slow to adopt tax automation (27:03)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Business processes get faster and more convenient everyday as we automate tedious busywork. That said, how much further can automation efforts take us? Chris Byers, CEO of Formstack, discusses the wide ranging industries that would benefit from additional digital automation and how Formstack empowers non-technical employees to solve process-problems.Tune in to learn:How has Formstack simplified the user experience over time? (02:52)The rise of automating office work (15:40)Who is driving innovation in organizations? (17:40)How far are we from a paperless future? (24:00) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce. With Salesforce’s low-code app dev tools, you can be more efficient, more productive and save money by reducing development time by up to 90%. Get Salesforce’s Low-Code Playbook and increase time to value for your team and your customers. Download the free playbook today.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, how are businesses handling the busiest commerce period of the year? On this special crossover episode, the hosts from Mission.org podcasts, Up Next in Commerce, Marketing Trends and IT Visionaries join forces for the first time ever to discuss all things retail. Tune in to hear Stephanie, Jeremy, and Albert share their thoughts and expertise about the latest shopping technology, holiday cyber threats, and whether shifting consumer attitudes will make Black Friday a thing of the past.Tune in to learn:Has in-store Black Friday shopping become a thing of the past? (04:21)Cybersecurity’s role in Black Friday and Cyber Monday (13:51)Is there consumer optimism in today’s uncertain market? (19:02)End capping its evolution into ad-buying (29:15)The Mission hosts share about their podcasts (42:52)Mentions:“Bringing Build-A-Bear Alive in New Ways With Jenn Kretchmar, Chief Digital and Merchandising Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop” (Marketing Trends podcast; Episode 359)“How The Simple P&L Statement Can Be Key To Long-Term Success” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 33)“Not Dumbing It Down: DECIEM and the Art of Straightforward Marketing with Jordanne Dyck” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 197)“Flipping Ecommerce on its Head” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 90)Common Thread Collective“Where ‘Credit’ Is Due with Randy Kern, CTO, Marqeta” (IT Visionaries podcast; Episode 417)Stephan Pretorius - Chief Technology Officer - WPP“Smart TV and Smarter TV Marketing With Jordan Rost, Head of Ad Marketing, Roku, Inc.” (Marketing Trends podcast; Episode 341)American Giant: American Made Clothing & ActivewearDanny Fields - EVP Engineering and Chief Technology Officer -  Avalara“Why Liquid Death Didn’t Water Down Its Marketing Strategy” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 262)Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

With so many options provided by different platforms, how can a company ensure it is choosing the best option? Boris Lokschin, Co-founder and CEO of Spryker Systems, has nearly 20 years’ experience building commerce technologies, and claims it’s best to create a tech stack that provides options for the customer rather than relying on preset models. Listen to hear more about Spryker Systems and how the company created stability for sophisticated transactional business models in today’s ever-changing market.  Tune in to learn:How digital transformation has changed the industry (04:38) Why Spryker’s buyers started to change (11:42) About the evolution of commerce engines  (17:25) What happens when the market flips (31:47) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Not only are cybersecurity threats rapidly evolving and increasing in number, but the market for solutions is almost equally complicated. Ian McShane, Field CTO and VP of Strategy at Arctic Wolf, explains how they guide companies through these challenges, sharing his thoughts on the cybersecurity industry and offering words of wisdom for business leaders. Tune in to learn:What is unique about Arctic Wolf (01:10)Ian’s observations about the industry (4:40)How the cybersecurity industry has changed over the last 10+ years (9:47)The shortage in cybersecurity professionals (22:30)Technologies and skills business leaders should invest in (25:55)Mentions:NIST Cybersecurity FrameworkCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)Minority Report (Science Fiction Movie)The Bombpops (Band)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How can brands best utilize today’s technology to make the biggest possible impact on consumers? Our guest today is Stephan Pretorius, Chief Technology Officer at WPP, the world’s largest marketing services organization. Poised at the forefront of advertising innovation, Stephan discusses how marketers can effectively target consumers without impinging on their privacy, and shares how some of WPP’s most groundbreaking ad campaigns came to fruition.Tune in to learn:What is WPP and what is Stephan’s role there? (01:10)How does WPP navigate the changing marketing landscape? (16:40)Deepfakes and the future of likeness licensing in advertising (28:10)Stephan’s tech journey and his advice for aspiring tech leaders (35:55)Mentions:Cadbury Celebrations | Not Just A Cadbury AdToxic Influence: A Dove Film | Dove Self-Esteem ProjectIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

A staggering 1.5 billion people all over the world are actively trying to learn English as an additional language, which can be difficult without access to a regular conversation partner. Enter Sameer Shariff, Co-founder and CEO of Cambly, a networking platform that allows students from around the globe to interact with English-speaking tutors. Hear Sameer describe the innovative technology behind the app and how its simple, fun design positions students for success.Tune in to learn:What is Cambly and what inspired its formation? (02:11)How Cambly built its community of tutors (8:20)Comparing Cambly with other language apps (18:40)Why Cambly is going “all in” on English learning (27:00)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Starting a new creative endeavor can often seem like a major gamble, but what if there existed a tool that helped creators minimize their entrepreneurial risk? Mahesh Guruswamy is the CTO of Kajabi, a multifaceted online business platform designed to help entrepreneurs, experts and influencers succeed. Tune in to learn the approach to innovation at the company, and how Mahesh and his engineering team have effectively scaled the platform during a time of major growth.Tune in to learn:About Kajabi and what makes it special (02:30)Kajabi’s various product domains (08:20)The Kajabi playbook of scale, speed and reliability (21:55)How Kajabi decides which new features to bet on (32:05)Mentions:Kajabi Edge (podcast)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

According to a 2018 survey, 40% of first-time homebuyers considered purchasing a home to be the most stressful event in modern life. But does it have to be that way? Regis Hadiaris is the VP of Product Strategy at Rocket Central, a hub of companies that includes America’s largest mortgage lender, Rocket Mortgage. Tune in to hear how his team is using data-driven innovation to try to make the home buying process as fast, simple, and stress-free as possible.Tune in to learn:Rocket Central’s emphasis on simplicity (2:40)The outdated model of some of Rocket’s competitors (10:35)The long-term vision at Rocket Central (19:43)The UI design process at Rocket Central (24:55)Did you know, Salesforce is one of the founding members of World Economic Forum's Cybersecurity Learning Hub ?The learning hub democratizes access to cybersecurity skills by providing free and career-oriented modules that give people a route towards in-demand roles. Visit Trailhead to skill up for the future and learn in-demand skills that lead to top jobs.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How can small businesses find success with funding? Prashant Fuloria, CEO of Fundbox, shares his insights on how short periods of reliable funding can boost capital and keep small business owners focused on their crafts. Tune in to learn more about Fundbox’s data innovation and how building customer relationships can help customer retention.Tune in to learn:What Fundbox is and how it helps small businesses (1:40)How Fundbox creates strategies to help solve funding problems (15:20)About Fundbox’s unique customer loyalty strategy (28:10)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus ? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Closing the cybersecurity skills gap might seem like a problem for established tech professionals to solve, but a technical background isn’t even necessary to join the cause. On this episode, we continue our “Cybersecurity” series with guests Melonia da Gama, Director of Marketing at Fortinet’s NSE Training Institute, and Lynn Simons, Senior Director of Security Awareness and Engagement at Salesforce. Hear these two champions of cyber education discuss why a diverse talent pool and a bit of daily diligence are needed to stop cybercriminals in their tracks.Tune in to learn:The partnership between Fortinet and Salesforce (04:03)The importance of hiring diverse talent for cybersecurity jobs (16:10)Why cybersecurity is a “human issue” (22:54)The success of cybersecurity training programs (34:31)Mentions:Cybersecurity Learning Hub - TrailheadNational Cybersecurity Alliance“Closing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap with Cyber Experts Gill Thomas and Seán Doyle” (IT Visionaries podcast)CIO MagazineDid you know, Salesforce is one of the founding members of World Economic Forum's Cybersecurity Learning Hub ?The learning hub democratizes access to cybersecurity skills by providing free and career-oriented modules that give people a route towards in-demand roles. Visit Trailhead to skill up for the future and learn in-demand skills that lead to top jobs. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The need for cybersecurity has never been more apparent than in today’s growing digital world. But are there enough skilled cyber workers to keep up with rising demand? On this episode, Gill Thomas, Director of the Engagement, Capacity & Resilience Program at the Global Cyber Alliance and Seán Doyle, Lead at the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity, share how an innovative instructional program is providing people with the skills to help address the global cybersecurity worker shortage.Tune in to learn:The extent of the cybersecurity professional shortage (04:17)The success of the Cybersecurity Learning Hub (17:08)The curriculum at the Cybersecurity Learning Hub (24:50)What is the future of cybersecurity? (36:42)Mentions:Cybersecurity Learning Hub - TrailheadFortinetCybersecurity Multi-Donor Trust Fund - World BankCyberFirst - National Cyber Security Centre“The War with Algorithms: Why Your Next Security Strategy Includes A.I. and Machine Learning” (IT Visionaries podcast; Episode 244)Did you know, Salesforce is one of the founding members of World Economic Forum's Cybersecurity Learning Hub?The learning hub democratizes access to cybersecurity skills by providing free and career-oriented modules that give people a route towards in-demand roles. Visit Trailhead to skill up for the future and learn in-demand skills that lead to top jobs. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

How is automation creating more jobs in the workplace? Jeff Burnstein, President of A3, claims that by using automation to function alongside workers, it can create more jobs for the market and allow workers more time for important tasks. Listen to the episode to hear more about Jeff’s perspective on how automation can transform the job market. Tune in to learn:What is A3 and  how does it supports the industry (1:20) How A3 educates companies on automation (7:45) About the Automate Show (18:00) Taking advantage of the data to improve automation technology  (28:00) IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

As companies rely more heavily on analytics to draw insights, how can they be sure that they’re truly getting the most out of their data? Dr. Yu Xu is the CEO of TigerGraph, a graph analytics software company that created the industry’s first distributed native graph database. Tune in to hear Dr. Xu explain the development process behind this revolutionary technology and why it is reshaping the way businesses approach, analyze, and act upon their data.Tune in to learn:What a native parallel graph database is (2:00) How companies integrate TigerGraph’s database (9:44)About TigerGraph’s six-year development journey (16:00) How Dr. Xu has adjusted to his role as CEO (30:19) IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

If automation technology has the ability to revolutionize the way businesses operate, then what’s keeping so many from adopting it? Today, we are joined by two top minds from the world’s leading CRM platform Salesforce: Joyce Paul, Director of Research & Insights, and Shalini Mayor, Senior Director of Enterprise Automation. Tune in to hear Joyce and Shalini discuss how Salesforce is collaborating with its customers to make automation implementation faster, easier, and more personalized than ever.Tune in to learn:Why some companies are slow to adopt automation (02:50)About the collaborative process at Salesforce (14:45)What successful automation implementation looks like (24:20)How automation is changing people’s lives at work and at home (28:25)Mentions:“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't” by Jim CollinsAutomation Is Just the Beginning for Business — Here’s How the IT Leaders Are Taking It to the Next LevelIT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Adding features to existing software often requires a great deal of hard work, but simplification can be an even more difficult process. Clate Mask is the CEO and Co-Founder of Keap, a CRM and sales and marketing automation platform focused on small business needs. On this episode, Clate speaks candidly about the company’s early days, which boasted a powerful but complex automation tool, and the challenges he and his team overcame in order to make the platform more accessible.Tune in to learn:What Keap provides its customers (1:50)How Keap simplified its platform for small businesses (12:00)About “when/then automation” (23:55)Clate’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs (25:40)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Businesses often rely on data to provide them with useful insights about the “what” — what is working and what isn’t. But is there a way to uncover the “why”? Jigar Desai is the SVP of Engineering at Sisu, a data intelligence engine that uses automated analytics to determine why certain KPI changes occur. On this episode, Jigar explains the revolutionary technology behind the Sisu engine, what its implementation process involves, and how this very podcast could benefit from its use.Tune in to learn:What Sisu provides its customers (02:20)How Sisu offers recommendations after making its findings (15:30)The benefits of using Sisu (26:40)Which dimensions help Sisu make its determinations (30:30) IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Data center maintenance requires an intricate balance of automation, integration, supply management, and equipment knowledge. Without an optimized approach, the risk of extended resolution times looms large. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we welcome Michael Cantor, CIO of Park Place Technologies for a discussion of how his company streamlines these processes to support an ever-growing slate of platforms and hardware, alongside some thoughts on the future of optimized data management. Tune in to learn:An overview of Park Place Technologies and its innovations in optimizing enterprise-class data center systems (1:45)The biggest challenges Park Place faces in maintaining and optimizing these systems (6:22)The origin and importance of “DMSO” to Park Place Technologies (14:32)How Park Place Technologies continues to support and optimize older hardware (19:09)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

While credit cards have made the payment process considerably easier for users over the years, the systems that support those transactions are more complex than one might expect. Randy Kern is the CTO of the modern card issuing and payment processing platform Marqeta. On this episode, Randy offers a deep dive into the evolution of card payment technology and tells us how Marqeta is transforming the payment landscape.Tune in to learn:About Marqeta and its customers (2:00)About the modernization of credit payments (5:25)Untangling the payment space (16:30)What the next few years might hold for the payment space (30:45)Randy’s thoughts on alternative payments and peer-to-peer lending (36:00)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automationMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How have digital consultancies continued to evolve in the modern business landscape?  Jenny Koehler, Strategic Growth & Business Development Leader at PwC, and Patty Cheung, VP of Alliances & Channels (Americas) at MuleSoft believe that lasting customer connections come from truly listening to customers’ unique problems and updating tech systems to better support their processes. Listen in to hear more about their thoughts on investing and modernizing software to encourage growth and customer relationships.Tune in to learn:What MuleSoft and PwC do and how they work together (02:25)MuleSoft and PwC collaborating to help SMBs leverage the loan process (11:10)Patty’s thoughts on custom coding (18:50)Why crossing the chasm to newer tech is vital for a company’s growth (29:00)About PwC’s acquisition of Netrovert and partnership with MuleSoft (36:40)Mentions:Jim Collins “Good to Great” bookIT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How can CIOs drive successful digital transformation within their organizations? Isaac Sacolick, author and President of StarCIO, shares his expert advice based on his experience in digital transformation consulting, as well as ideas from his new book Digital Trailblazer. Tune in to hear his insights into the market and his tips for CIOs.Tune in to learn:Isaac’s Career Evolution (02:45)Isaac’s Insights into the Market (05:01)What CIOs Should Be Thinking About (10:13)Will Doing Nothing Lead to Failure? (25:55)Tips for CIOs in Legacy Industries and Organizations (34:29)Mentions:Digital Trailblazer: Essential Lessons to Jumpstart Transformation and Accelerate Your Technology L eadership (book by Isaac Sacolick)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce. Did you know all the very best Dreamforce sessions are available free on salesforce.com/plus? We recommend watching the Platform and MuleSoft keynote to get the down-low on doing more with less and increasing efficiencies with automation.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Watching Salesforce Trailblazers work under pressure to craft customer low-code solutions for Pacific Clinics is inspiring and even brought tears to the eyes of Eleanor Castillo Sumi, the SVP of Strategy, Innovation, and Growth. As a nonprofit, Pacific Clinics faces unique challenges integrating systems with disparate government entities, and CFO Jason Gurahoo can account for the powerful changes these solutions are bringing to the organization. Tune in for a special BTS of how the Legends of Low Code tv series is bringing more efficiency and a better user experience to Pacific Clinics and their customers. Tune in to learn:Who does Pacific Clinics help?  (2:15)What it takes to bring transformation at Pacific Clinics  (4:30)Understanding how  and find the tools to make change (11:45)Finding and cultivating the right practitioners (25:00)Why Elenor was blown away by her experience on Legends of Low Code (31:30)Mentions:Salesforce Plus TV Show “Legends of Low Code”IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on Salesforce Plus. Just visit Salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling today!Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Software itself is constantly being updated, but are some conventional approaches used by tech leaders also in need of an upgrade? David Heinemeier Hansson is the Co-owner & CTO of the software company 37signals, producer of the successful web services Basecamp and HEY. On this episode, David explains the forward-thinking methodologies that his company has successfully implemented, like championing prospective customers rather than current ones, enforcing a short six-week planning cycle, and placing a higher value on intuition over data.Tune in to learn:David describes the “six-week cycle” approach at 37signals (03:30)How did 37signals develop its short-term planning method? (08:30 )The relationship between designers and programmers at 37signals (13:30)David’s reliance on intuition over data (29:15)The importance of writing and advice David received from Jeff Bezos (37:50)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How fast can data be collected and used in current business models? Evan Kaplan, CEO of InfluxData, claims that in the era of smart products, an autonomous system can utilize data collected every millisecond for instant responses. Listen in to learn more about how collecting instant data can provide better service for products and create loyalty with customers.Tune in to learn:What InfluxData does (01:12)Monitoring data to build real-time responses (08:39)How quickly data is being recorded (14:36)Types of projects built with InfluxData (16:28)InfluxData's popularity with student engineers (20:17)Mentions:Check out our previous episode with Paul Dix also from InfluxData.“Memorial Day Murph” Crossfit RoutineIT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What is Indoor Intelligence? How can Indoor Intelligence data be used to improve the customer and employee experience? Nadir Ali, CEO of Inpixon, shares practical applications and case studies, as well as his thoughts on future implementations with augmented reality and the metaverse. Tune in to hear the impacts Indoor Intelligence can have on security, and even employee retention. Tune in to learn:How Businesses are Leveraging This Data to Solve Problems (05:36)What the Data Shows About Post-COVID Work Trends (9:51)How Indoor Intelligence Can Support the Employee Experience (15:17)The Evolution of the Business Idea (21:23)What Nadir Envisions for the Next Five Years (27:12)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Where do some of the most successful tech leaders in the world turn to for sound advice? Prashant Kelker is the Chief Strategy Officer and a Lead Partner at ISG, a multinational technology research and advisory firm that consults an astounding 80 companies in the Fortune 100. Tune in to hear the fascinating details about ISG’s advisory process and why Prashant calls the firm “the industry’s best-kept secret.”Tune in to learn:What sets ISG apart from other consulting firms? (3:00)How does ISG gather the information necessary to make recommendations? (06:44)Prashant shares a success story he experienced at ISG (08:50)At what point in the process does ISG get involved? (18:25)Prashant discusses Web3 (32:30)Mentions:“The Platform Delusion” (book by Jonathan A. Knee)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Edge computing has a lot to offer enterprises in terms of cost savings, increased efficiency, and all manner of other positive benefits that Justin Boitano is excited about. As the VP of EGX at NVIDIA, he and his team help enterprises drive incredible efficiencies, training models, and implementing a strategy that includes a low cost time to value. Tune in for some practical examples and case studies of what edge computing can really do for the future of technology.Tune in to learn:How NVIDIA is unlocking more powerful computing at the edge. (02:15 )How does computing at the edge actually help companies scale? (05:45)Improving the customer experience through edge computing (12:27)Fast model training means fast time to value with NVIDIA AI Enterprise (14:49)Addressing security concerns for edge computing (21:35)Mentions:NVIDIA Fleet CommandIT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on Salesforce Plus. Just visit Salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Everybody loves saving time and money, which are natural results of automation. There can be fear around automation and it taking jobs away, however, the truth is that automation can make jobs more meaningful by reserving people’s time for tasks requiring good judgment. Today our return guest, automation expert, and CIO of Autodesk, Prakash Kota, sheds light on what automation is unlocking for an improved employee and customer experience across the spectrum of product innovation. From increasing business efficiency, to increasing sustainability around product development, automation is paving the way for a better tomorrow.Tune in to learn:How has the evolution of Autodesk been driven by automation? (04:06)Why is it so important to be selective about what you automate? (12:46)What kind of culture fosters a citizen-development mindset? (14:46)How does Autodesk use Salesforce to provide the best customer experience? (21:18)Automation brings sustainability benefits, especially with physical product creation (25:41)Finding the balance between Independence & Innovation and Commonality (35:31)Mentions:Innovation at Autodesk, with CIO Prakash Kota - First episode of IT VisionariesOur Automation Series is brought to you by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022! We don’t want you to miss out on the world’s largest software conference (with a healthy dose of magic), so log in to https://www.salesforce.com/plus for more automation-focused sessions.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

From telephone lines to the cloud, the human impulse to connect has long been a powerful driver of innovation. But how is the rapid advancement of automation technology changing the way we communicate? Continuing our “Automation” series, we welcome Savinay Berry, EVP of Product and Engineering at the cloud communications provider Vonage. Tune in to hear eye-opening insights from an industry leader who’s at the cutting edge of communications technology.Tune in to learn:A brief history of Vonage (01:18)Automation advancing communications at Vonage (07:03) What is Vonage’s automation philosophy? (09:50)How has the evolution of language impacted Vonage? (13:02) How fast do they implement updates? (18:48)How do you work at the speed and acceleration of innovation in communications? (23:55)What will customer service look like in five years? (33:12)Our Automation Series is brought to you by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022! We don’t want you to miss out on the world’s largest software conference (with a healthy dose of magic), so log in to https://www.salesforce.com/plus for more automation-focused sessions.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Are the antiquated systems at your business holding it back from its full potential? Today’s the day to automate! On this episode, we kick off our “Automation” series with guests John Kucera, SVP of Product Management at Salesforce, and Matt McLarty, Global Field CTO & VP of the Digital Transformation Office at Salesforce’s integration platform MuleSoft. John and Matt join us to discuss how system automation is rapidly changing how businesses operate, and which arenas outside of the tech industry would most benefit from an automation overhaul.Tune in to learn:The trajectory of the automation market (04:28)What is preventing some businesses from fully embracing automation (19:50) About innovations that have the potential to accelerate automation (24:00)About areas that could benefit from more automation integration (34:30)Mentions:Einstein Next Best Action (Salesforce platform feature)Forbes Technology CouncilOur Automation Series is brought to you by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022! We don’t want you to miss out on the world’s largest software conference (with a healthy dose of magic), so log in to salesforce.com/plus for more automation-focused sessions.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The constant need to re-share your health history with each new healthcare provider you encounter is frustrating and, unfortunately, all too common. It leads to wasted time, inaccuracies, and lost opportunities. Finding a way to improve archaic hospital and physician healthcare record systems takes someone who’s been on the other side — in the physician’s shoes. Rimidi, a clinical management platform software company, offers a solution that brings physicians’ perspectives to bear. Tune in to hear Lucienne Ide, the Founder and CEO of Rimidi, as she shares her indirect route to entrepreneurship and the wealth of unique perspectives and experiences she’s gained along the way. Tune in to learn:About Lucienne’s winding career: From the NSA to investing, academia, healthcare, and finally entrepreneurship (03:47)About the great potential for improvement in diabetes care (12:29)A use case for how Rimidi is bringing change (18:28)About weighing social determinants and other healthcare factors (26:14)Our Automation Series is brought to you by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022! We don’t want you to miss out on the world’s largest software conference (with a healthy dose of magic), so log in to salesforce.com/plus for more automation-focused sessions.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Are commonly accepted cybersecurity strategies even helpful? Corey White, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of the cybersecurity-as-a-service company Cyvatar, claims typical techniques don’t truly mitigate security threats. Listen in to learn about Corey’s ideas for an updated cybersecurity strategy and his thoughts on optimizing continuous protection for companies.Tune in to learn:About alert fatigue in cybersecurity (08:27)Corey’s comparison of home security and penetration testing (20:16)Corey’s thoughts on securing personal devices in SMBs (30:27)What’s trending in cybersecurity (38:26)Mentions:“The 6 Phase Guided Meditation” (by Vishen Lakhiani)“The Firewall is Dead” (talk by Corey White)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What drives a company toward winning? Manjula Talreja, SVP and Chief Customer Officer of PagerDuty, shares how the company has evolved into an “operations platform in a digital-first environment” to help businesses create positive experiences for its customers. Tune in to learn from Manjula about how PagerDuty’s “proactive” approach to support customers leads to wins internally and for the companies it serves.Tune in to learn:About PagerDuty and what the company does (00:30)Why driving customer experience is vital for brand loyalty (04:59)How PagerDuty is saving lives (16:11)What brought Manjula to PagerDuty (19:39)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform and Dreamforce 2022. Catch the news and insights coming out of Dreamforce this year for free on salesforce.com/plus. Content will start rolling on September 20th. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

On an international scale, is it possible to make hiring, contracting, and paying workers a more smooth and cohesive process? Yaron Lavi, CTO of Deel, claims it’s easier now than ever before with Deel. Also, tune in to hear how Yaron sets up his interview process to make great hires for his teams.Tune in to learn:What is Deel and how does the company improve the hiring process (02:04)How Yaron interviews engineers (13:02) How “put the customer first,” according to Yaron, is more than business saying for Deel (21:37) About how customer needs lead to where Deel directs its attention (27:50)What was the craziest IT problem Yaron’s solved (35:00) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Shy of having a crystal ball to predict the future, venture capitalists have to rely on other skills to determine what companies to fund. With a decade of experience, Insight Partners Managing Director Thomas Krane knows how to spot innovative startups that are bringing a significant value-add to the market. Just as importantly, he’s also looking for CEOs that understand the market value and how to make their product profitable. Learn more about the next generation of software VC!Tune in to learn:About How Insight Partners has grown in the last decade (08:43)Where the best innovation are in new startups for security, DevOps, or automation (15:09) How 10x is the standard improvement rate for NextGen Cybersecurity development (22:06)What factor is enabling the break-neck speed of tech innovation (28:22)About Thomas’ career hop from the astronomy lab to venture capital (34:14)Where Thomas looks to find the next big thing to invest in (39:40)Mentions:“The Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Cybersecurity—and How to Avoid Them” (article in The Wall Street Journal)Why Your Code is My Code with Sonatype’s Derek Weeks (prior podcast episode of IT Visionaries)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Does current media output alter the way consumers think about information? Dr. David Bray, a Distinguished Fellow at The Stimson Center, explains that the media that people take in does change consumers’ thoughts. Tune in to learn how he suggests future tech can help improve people’s critical thinking skills.Tune in to learn:(07:11) About David’s viewpoint that technology must be seen as a “tool” (17:44) How to combat polarization (21:51) About the loss objectivity in news media (33:40) David’s interest concerning “triangulating” information Mentions:"The Social Dilemma"  (Film)Iain M. Banks (Novelist) David’s report (referenced at 44:50) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The IT world has many talented innovators, but they often work with outdated or overly complex software systems. Kit Colbert, the Chief Technology Officer at VMware, asserts that the virtualization company is helping set the table for these developers to flourish. Tune in to hear Kit explain how the synergistic relationship between VMware and its customers creates an “ecosystem” of innovation.Mention:“Top Data Security Trends for 2022” (Salesforce research report)Tune in to learn:What VMware does (05:47) What Kit has seen as effective practices to oversee various technologies (12:43) What Kit is excited about in the VM industry (24:18) About Kit’s experience with vMotion (38:45) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Is it the concept or the process that truly sets great companies apart from the rest? Borya Shakhnovich, the CEO of the workflow automation company airSlate, suggests that entrepreneurs are better served improving on an imperfect idea rather than trying to create the perfect one. Tune in to hear about the “kaizen” approach that airSlate takes toward innovation.Tune in to learn:About airSlate (04:15)About the “kaizen” approach to building software at airSlate (19:13)How Borya measures success at airSlate (24:05) About Borya’s leadership style (28:54) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Is telemedicine the future for reproductive healthcare? Carrie SiuButt, CEO of SimpleHealth, suggests that increased virtual reproductive healthcare will enhance traditional approaches to care. Listen in to learn how Carrie’s personal health journey has also guided her career path.Tune in to learn:(00:38) SimpleHealth's mission, including using data to offer dynamic healthcare(16:37) How differing state telehealth regulations are a challenge (19:45) About the future of telemedicine for reproductive healthcare  (21:37) How to build the right team for success  Mentions:“Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” by Malcolm GladwellIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Even if everyone could easily develop their own applications, would that really be a good thing? Mike Fitzmaurice, Chief Evangelist & VP-North America of WEBCON, points out that low-code solutions, like those offered by WEBCON, work well in experienced hands. Tune in to hear Mike’s myth-busting takes on low-code and no-code solutions and what he sees as the realistic promise of these sorts of development tools.Tune in to learn:The distinction between low-code and no-code tools (05:40)Why Mike believes ‘citizen development” needs guardrails (09:24) How low-code tools help developers move more quickly (14:01) How companies can use low-code tools successfully (30:33) Mentions:"WEBCON 2022 Predictions: The year of low-code and development shakeups" (VMblog.com article, written by Fitzmaurice)"4 Common Reasons Low-Code projects Fail"  (InformationWeek article by Fitzmaurice)“Seven Trends Reshaping IT” (Salesforce report)About the Guest:BIO: “Responsible for developing WEBCON’s North American presence, evangelizing its Business Process Suite, and advocating overall best practices in workflow and business process automation, digital transformation, and citizen-assisted development. Fathered SharePoint evangelism at Microsoft, and was a critical part of growing it from an internal startup to an enterprise mainstay. Frequent and sought-after speaker at industry conferences, webinars, and symposia. Key force multiplier for others' work in marketing, competitive sales, partner relations, and engineering.”IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The increasing complexity of software systems has made it challenging for service providers to maximize efficiency and reduce technical debt. Marcin Kurc, the Co-founder and CEO of Nobl9, claims that these companies can find help in the burgeoning market of SLOs (service-level objectives). Tune in to hear the software innovator explain why SLOs are saving service providers precious resources and helping them maintain customer satisfaction.Definitions: five 9s: “The five-9s term indicates how many ‘9’s there are in the uptime calculation. For example, saying something is up (and available) 99.99% of the time would be four nines. Five nines mean something is available 99.999% of the time or it only has downtime of 5.26 minutes per year.” (404 Tech Support article by Jason, 05/10/2012) SLA (service-level agreement): “A service-level agreement (SLA) defines the level of service you expect from a vendor, laying out the metrics by which service is measured, as well as remedies or penalties should agreed-on service levels not be achieved. It is a critical component of any technology vendor contract.” (CIO Article by Stephanie Overby and Lynn Greiner and Lauren Gibbons Paul, 07/05/17)SLO (service-level objective): “Within service-level agreements (SLAs), SLOs are the objectives that must be achieved — for each service activity, function and process — to provide the best opportunity for service recipient success.” (Gartner glossary)SRE (site reliability engineering): “SRE leverages operations data and software engineering to automate IT operations tasks, and to accelerate software delivery while minimizing IT risk.” (IBM Cloud Education, 11/12/20)Tune in to learn:About Nobl9 and how it was founded (04:23) About service-level objectives (SLOs) (06:33) What the market demand is for SLOs (23:47)Marcin’s advice for startup founders (33:42)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The rapid advancements in camera and data storage technologies serve humanity more than simply feeding us our favorite entertainment in higher definition. To wrap up our communications series, Fredrik Nilsson, VP of the Americas for Axis Communications, stops by the show to illustrate a multitude of ways the company’s software and cameras are making the world a safer place. From detecting fires to locating the perpetrators of crimes, Axis’ technology brings their customers a greater degree of speed and precision while cutting costs.Tune in for Fredrik's explanation about how automation is enhancing the future of security.Tune in to learn:About the tech behind network security on IP-based cameras (08:04)How Axis cameras can prevent forest fires (15:22)How evolving technology is driving security costs down (25:44)How automation at Axis is reducing costs in the security industry (35:00)Mention:"Surveillance Cameras Help in Stamping Out Wildfires"This episode is a special part of our technology in communications series. Check out our episodes with: Phenix Real Time Solutions https://youtu.be/c0-97798P4UComcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Judy2YqtEZayo Group https://youtu.be/Vu080hl_CmQAxis Communications https://youtu.be/CuyfwpQjOsIIT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform. If this episode makes you want to go deeper into the data security world, check out Salesforce.com/datasecurity and download the IT Guide to Data Security and Governance to learn how to protect your customer data with Salesforce Security Portfolio.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Think for a minute about the millions of photos, messages, and videos flying around the world every second. Behind all of that data lies a company like Zayo Group, which provides communications infrastructure. At the helm of reducing latency, securing data, and driving innovation is EVP and CIO, Ginna Raahauge. Tune in as she brings her 28 years of experience as a CIO and CTO to this insightful conversation.Tune in to learn:What is on the horizon for low latency data-center connectivity (04:41)What CIOs really want (08:47)How to adapt to increasing consumption and demand (20:34)How Ginna continues to drive innovation at Zayo (21:32)How to power digital twin experiences and how to growing demand in multiple verticles (29:25)The unplanned evolution of Ginna’s career in tech (34:32)Mentions:Marketing Trends Episode with Zayo Group’s SVP & CMO Kimberly Storin: Using ABM as a Driver for Business GrowthThis episode is a special part of our technology in communications series. Check out our episodes with: Phenix Real Time Solutions https://youtu.be/c0-97798P4UComcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Judy2YqtEZayo Group https://youtu.be/Vu080hl_CmQAxis Communications https://youtu.be/CuyfwpQjOsIIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In the communications world, it doesn't get much bigger than Comcast. With three massive arms of the business, including NBC Universal, Comcast Cable, and Sky, Comcast touches millions of customers every day. As Comcast's EVP, CTO, and CIO, Rick Rioboli is responsible for providing excellent customer service, innovating future technologies, and curating the next generation of technical professionals. Learn more about his servant leadership style and the aggressive way Comcast is training current and future technologists that keep Comcast on the cutting edge of all they do.Also, check out the rest of our communications series featuring companies covering a broad spectrum of connectivity, latency, networking, and surveillance with leaders from Zayo, Phenix Real Time Solutions, and Axis Communications.Tune in to learn:How Comcast is shifting from using AI on products to also on the business end (10:27)About Comcast’s 10G service (12:59)How the future of customer service is personalized and proactive (19:00)About the flywheel of good company culture (24:33)How to develop world-class tech talent (27:36)What’s one of the craziest IT problems Rick has ever solved (39:07)Mentions:"Raising the Stakes at Comcast with CIO Rick Rioboli"(First episode of IT Visionaries)Comcast 10G Comcast Grows to CodeThis episode is a special part of our technology in communications series. Check out our episodes with: Phenix Real Time Solutions https://youtu.be/c0-97798P4UComcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Judy2YqtEZayo Group https://youtu.be/Vu080hl_CmQAxis Communications https://youtu.be/CuyfwpQjOsIIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What is more annoying than watching the big game, texting your friends about it, and then realizing they’re ahead of you by 30 seconds? More than just being annoying, latency actually prevents certain business transactions, like remote-betting or live virtual voting, from occurring. As an avid sports fan and former NHL Board of Governors member Roy Reichbach, CEO of Phenix Real Time Solutions, immediately saw the massive potential for this company. Learn more about how the future for Phenix includes unlocking incredible experiences in the metaverse, as wild as you can imagine, including dancing on stage with Kanye. This is a special part of our Communications Series on #ITVisionaries. Tune in to learn more in this series about the frontier of connectivity, streaming, and communications from experts and executives at companies including Comcast, Zayo, and Axis Communications! Tune in to learn:How Phenix is solving latency issues in video streaming (04:45)What re-analyzing and seeking to improve WebRTC looked like (09:23)How Phenix is built to handle the wide range of video quality, up to 16K (14:02 )How Roy became  involved with Phenix (24:29)That Phenix has the speed to be able to run real-time virtual auctions with in-person bidders (29:24)How Phenix is keeping up with the aggressive pace of innovation (32:56)This episode is a special part of our technology in communications series. Check out our episodes with: Phenix Real Time Solutions https://youtu.be/c0-97798P4UComcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Judy2YqtEZayo Group https://youtu.be/Vu080hl_CmQAxis Communications https://youtu.be/CuyfwpQjOsIIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. Did you know, streaming now on Salesforce+ you can watch “Legends of Low Code”? In this series three teams of Trailblazers race to build the best low-code app. Check this out... Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hyper-scale security detection and response master Dave “Merk” Merkel, the Co-founder and CEO of Expel, is a self-proclaimed “security-nerd.” Merk explains that staying ahead of the hackers and ransomware requires a multi-pronged strategy, including an informed C-suite, intelligent technologists, and excellent tech. Tune in to learn from Merk how every password and multi-factor authentication (MFA) matters and helps to keep you and your information safe from attackers.Tune in to learn:More about what Merk calls the “accessible boogieman”: ransomware (06:43)Merk’s thoughts on the “Top Data Security Trends for 2022” findings (11:30) How to  help people utilize the security measures already in place (15:43) Why there is hope; it’s not all doom and gloom in the security industry (23:09) Why all leadership in the C-suite needs to understand what good security looks like (25:22)  Mentions:Top Data Security Trends for 2022IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. Did you know, streaming now on Salesforce+ you can watch “Legends of Low Code”? In this series three teams of Trailblazers race to build the best low-code app for one of California's largest non-profits, Pacific Clinics. Check this out. https://www.salesforce.com/resources/videos/legends-of-low-code/   Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Our special Financial Week coverage continues with Nationwide CTO Jim Fowler. We’re bringing this episode back from 2020 because it’s chocked full of powerful insights and wisdom that are still true today. Jim helps us understand the true meaning of “digital transformation” and just as importantly, understand the necessity of transforming company culture to be more unified and thereby impactful. Enjoy! Tune in to learn:Why taking the jobs that no one else wants will propel your career. (01:02) The scope of work for the CTO at Nationwide (06:05) Why Digital Transformation is the most overused and most misunderstood term in the industry. (09:28) How Nationwide thinks about dividing the work between AI and their employees. (25:10) How we’re going to handle the masses of data now being collected (37:30) What is YearUp and how is it helping? (40:42) Mentions:Career Advice for My Younger Selt - By Jim Fowler​​From West Point to the C-Suite of Johnson & Johnson With CISO Marene AllisonYearUp NonProfit Open Tech Jobs at NationwideIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. Did you know, streaming now on Salesforce+ you can watch “Legends of Low Code”? In this series three teams of Trailblazers race to build the best low-code app. Check this out... Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Upleveling the customer experience is a primary focus for legacy financial company, Prudential Financial. Stacey Goodman, EVP, and CIO at Prudential Financial describes what digital transformation looks like at a company with 145 years of history. She explains how her strategy for tech innovation is wed to what customers desire and delves into Prudential’s new way of thinking about team building and innovation. Enjoy this episode! Tune in to learn:About the opportunity Goodman seized by joining Prudential  (08:27)What Goodman is excited about bringing to the business (15:40)  Challenges and roadblocks Prudential is constantly overcoming (20:48)Attracting and retaining talent (23:05)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. Did you know, streaming now on Salesforce+ you can watch “Legends of Low Code”? In this series three teams of Trailblazers race to build the best low-code app. Check this out... Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

​Will practicing for an interview increase the chance of success for software engineer candidates? Mohit “Mo” Bhende, Co-Founder and CEO of Karat, suggests that allowing candidates to redo their interviews and providing feedback leads to higher success rates. Listen in to learn how Mo’s background as an executive at Microsoft led him to create a more effective interviewing process and how Karat is working with Serena Williams to help more Black software engineers break into the industry through its Brilliant Black Minds program.Tune in to learn:The purpose of Karat and its Interviewing Cloud (05:38) Why Karat offers redos for every candidate’s interview (08:38) How the use of data can improve engineering hiring, including supporting Black candidates (17:30) What Karat has discovered to make the interview process more effective  (32:54) Mention:Karat’s Brilliant Black Minds programIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. Did you know, streaming now on Salesforce+ you can watch “Legends of Low Code”? In this series three teams of Trailblazers race to build the best low-code app. Check this out... Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Can AI truly make the world a better place? Mike Betzer, Hypergiant's CEO, shares how Hypergiant uses AI to shore up vital infrastructure, support the US military, and more. Learn more about how the software company will sometimes create hardware solutions to show the good that AI can do.Tune in to learn:Hypergiant’s process for solving problems with AI (07:27) About the need to invest in infrastructure (11:45) How AI can help important decisions be made in real time (13:10) How AI can be used to offset the impact of carbon (15:41) How Hypergiant will create hardware/AI solutions to show what can be done (20:12) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What key factors make the tech products you use great? SC Moatti, Founder of Products That Count and Managing Partner at Mighty Capital, offers a wealth of knowledge from her experiences in the VC and tech worlds about creating fantastic products. She also shares that understanding function, design, and how to be a great leader are all a part of making an outstanding Chief Product Officer.Tune in to learn:Three measures to define what makes a great product (12:09)The characteristics of a great Chief Product Officer (17:22)The skills it takes to be a Chief Product Officer (21:34) A framework for thinking about how to create good products (32:05) How much should product development prioritize function over form (37:21) More about SC’s personal life, including musical talents, and advice for her younger self (43:53) Mentions:"Mobilized" by SC Moatti“The Growth Mindset” IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Do people really need to be very educated about crypto? Dan O’Prey, CPO of Crypto at Bakkt, suggests that crypto education is less important than creating beneficial products that are easy to use. Listen in for more insights concerning the blockchain and crypto arenas. Tune in to learn:What Bakkt provides (04:39)How Bakkt helps people get involved with crypto (11:46) The benefits of Bitcoin and the blockchain (25:56) How banks are now leaning into crypto (34:17)  IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Is it better to build your own foundation or build upon already strong foundations? Heather Shoemaker, the CEO and Co-Founder of Language I/O, shares how her company’s tool selects the best translation engine and then supplements that service with terminology specific to each customer/company. Learn how her passion for languages led to learning to code and eventually co-founding Language I/O.Tune in to learn:How does Language I/O solve the complex reality of translating languages? (11:00)How does Language I/O integrate into customer service platforms (23:07) What other industries/applications could language I/O help with? (24:48)  Are humans starting to support bots to serve customers? (31:39) How does language I/O both embrace Wyoming and remote work? (33:32)  IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How much of business success is about conviction? Raj De Datta, the CEO of and Co-Founder of Bloomreach, believes very strongly that we’re in “a first-party world” and that Bloomreach is set up to thrive in this environment. Tune in as Raj shares Bloomreach’s compelling story: “Bloomreach was a rocket ship and then it was nearly dead, and… it’s a rocket ship again.”Tune in to learn:What’s Raj’s book “The Digital Seeker” about? (03:02)How does Bloomreach help design personalized customer experiences? (06:09)How does AI and data science help create these personalized experiences? (09:57)Can success ever be a problem? (17:01)What does Raj see as the future of personalization?  24:19:Are we in a first-party environment? 27:50:Mentions:“The Digital Seeker: A Guide for Digital Teams to Build Winning Experiences”“Beyond the Status Quo With Raj De Datta, CEO and Co-Founder of Bloomreach” (Business X Factors podcast)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Can you imagine a future where contacting customer service does not elicit a groan or sigh of despair? This is the future that CEO Rowan Trollope is creating at Five9. Their cloud-based platform integrates modern AI and machine learning to efficiently intake customer problems and match them to effective customer solutions. Saving the business world almost a quarter of a trillion dollars annually in customer service costs is the goal and hiring for intellectual curiosity is part of the solution. Tune in to learn:What is Five9 and what does it do? (6:45)How we all benefit from fully integrated and automated customer service solutions. (8:55)How can the learnings of one industry serve all others by using AI? (17:11)How is machine learning empowering the democratization of technology through no-code solutions like Five9?  (22:35)How do we hire for the problems of the future? (31:23)How radically and how quickly can the customer service aspect of all businesses be transformed? (38:59)IT Visionaries is brought to you by  Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What creates growth in a company — a flashy or a practical approach? Shailesh Kumar, SVP and Head of Technology at ClickUp, contends that a practical mindset helps companies scale. He also chats about how to organize teams, help them run efficiently, and set up a system so that different teams can learn from each other. Also, Shailesh shares a little about his passion for woodworking.Tune in to learn:What interested Shailesh in ClickUp? (03:47)How does Shailesh advise companies to consider scaling? (07:54)How does ClickUp deal with security, including with 3rd-party apps? (17:17)How does Shailesh attract and retain talent?  (22:45)Mentions:“Top Data Security Trends for 2022”IT Visionaries is brought to you by  Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

When the world catches up to a business model that’s already been working well, then a company can really take off. Hemant Elhence, the President of Excellarate, describes how a cooperative, distributed software development model rooted in the company’s origins has positioned Excellerate to thrive in the cloud environment. Furthermore, he explains how society has now caught up with the concept of remote work. Hemant also chats about a few books that have really meant a great deal to him.Tune in to learn:Why do customers go to Excellarate for help building software? (02:26)Why has Excellarate seen growth providing DevOps to customers? (06:31)What’s the history of the business? (11:59)What’s it like working with regulated businesses that could be targets for attacks?  (23:46)What does Hemant see as the future of software development? (27:43)IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

As we train computers to complete repetitive tasks for us automatically, we need to be keenly aware of the biases we may be subconsciously programming. So, what questions should we be asking as consumers and employees in a world augmented by computer assistance? The Principle Architect of Ethical AI Practice at Salesforce, Kathy Baxter, and journalist Jacob Ward give guidance on creating a responsible AI ecosystem that prioritizes safety, privacy, and equality. This episode was published first by Blazing Trails, our sister podcast over at Salesforce, hosted by Michael Rivo.Tune in to learn:How is AI changing the way that we think? (3:41)How are companies changing the way they think about the ethics of AI? (8:06)Whose responsibility is it to regulate the ethics of AI? (11:25)What is the current regulatory landscape for AI? (16:07)How should employees think about correcting bias in AI? (19:07)How can you build AI ethical awareness into your organization? (27:03)How are we using AI to help the environment? (35:15)Mentions:The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight BackSalesforce AI Ethics ModelBenioff Ocean InitiativeOECD AI PrinciplesIT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

The ocean is massive and powerful, and harnessing its energy has been difficult. Inna Braverman and her business partner, both with outsider perspectives, have worked to develop an elegant tech solution that can harness the continuous power of the moving seas. Their company, Eco Wave Power Ltd., is bringing their low-profile "floaters" that gather ocean energy to ports around the world, including in Gibraltar and Los Angeles. Also, hear Inna's personal story about how surviving the Chernobyl disaster has motivated her to make a positive impact.Tune in to learn:How is Eco Wave Power harnessing ocean energy? (00:45)How does Eco Wave Power’s tech ultimately create electricity? (06:13)How did the original idea develop to use already existing structures on shore?  (13:58)Does the tech require a lot of maintenance to be sustained? (20:14)Is there private interest for this solution? (25:40)IT Visionaries is brought to you by  Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

If you’re in a service industry, should you honor every client’s dream equally? According to Miles Ward, the CTO of SADA, that’s absolutely the correct business mindset. Miles also talks about the benefits companies are finding in the cloud and how it’s valuable to be an engineer who communicates well too. He even shares a little about his passion for playing a musical instrument called the electric sousaphone.Tune in to learn:What’s the history of SADA? (04:14)What does Miles see customers wanting to do in the cloud? (11:28)What innovations are exciting to Miles? (19:18)Does SADA build applications for themselves? (23:37)  Mentions:“What Twitter and friends prove about multi-cloud” (Check out “Miles-low’s Hierarchy of Tech Needs”)IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Is being successful tied to being perpetually inquisitive? Vittorio Cretella, the CIO of Procter & Gamble, discusses how maintaining a posture of curiosity has been a constant throughout his career. Also, he chats about Procter & Gamble’s digital transformation at an international scale and that AI is now being used across the company. Listen in to learn a little about Vittorio’s passion for motorcycles too.Tune in to learn:How is digital transformation manifesting at Procter & Gamble? (03:47)How does P&G manage to operate in so many countries? (10:29) Is AI used across the entire company? (15:09)How might the consumer experience get better in the future? (17:39)What’s the balance for innovating quickly yet maintaining trust? (21:22)What is Vittorio most excited about in his role as CIO at P&G? (27:22)What sort of peers can Vittorio commiserate with and learn from? (30:04) IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

How do you protect banks and their customers from bad actors now that banks are no longer just brick and mortar? Due to technological advances, banking services are increasingly digital and on mobile devices. Saul Van Beurden, the Head of Technology at Wells Fargo, chats about strategies to deal with cyber threats including educating customers and methods of devaluing data. He also talks about how Wells Fargo is improving NLP to better communicate with customers and why the future of banking at Wells Fargo will one day be entirely in the cloud. Tune in to learn: Why does a technology-based industry still need brick-and-mortar buildings? (5:31)How is Wells Fargo improving NLP to better communicate with customers? (11:25)The importance of thinking for yourself when it comes to security (14:39)Why Data Devaluation can mitigate loss in a cyber attack (20:32)IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform. If this episode makes you want to go deeper into the data security world, check out Salesforce.com/datasecurity and download the IT Guide to Data Security and Governance to learn how to protect your customer data with Salesforce Security Portfolio.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

We’ve all heard about “cyberattacks” – it seems there is a new article or clickbait headline about them every day. But what can we do to stop them? Better yet – can we predict them before they even happen? David Monnier of Team Cymru is here this week on IT Visionaries to talk about cybersecurity, the importance of a “no-touch audit”, and how – when it comes to global cybersecurity – the best offense is always an active defense. Tunes in to learn: Why you should care about global cybersecurity (5:43)How perspective can change the way we approach cyberattacks (8:22)How reconnaissance can turn the tables (12:20)Why a “no-touch audit” can be essential (22:50)What the next phase of cybersecurity will look like, according to experts (34:33)Top Data Security Trends for 2022: ReportIT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform. If this episode makes you want to go deeper into the data security world, check out Salesforce.com/datasecurity and download the IT Guide to Data Security and Governance to learn how to protect your customer data with Salesforce Security Portfolio.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

Can noticing repetitive aspects in systems help you to solve problems? John Gray, the CTO and CPO of InterVision Systems, suggests seeing “problem patterns” in business and technology can help to deliver solutions. He also explains that serving clients often involves synthesizing different tools rather than building totally tailor-made solutions. John also talks about his hobby flying remote control airplanes.  Tune in to learn:What’s InterVision’s framework for assessing technology? (07:55)What makes a recovery system a great one? (11:15)What’s scary to John from a security standpoint? (15:34)How did John get interested in technology? (20:05)What’s the value in seeing patterns? (26:32)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Not many people ask about where their energy comes from. We want it to be clean, but what does that really mean? For decades, no one has really had a choice – but Kiran Bhatraju, CEO of Arcadia – the first nationwide digital utility – is changing all of that. Our modern society will continue to drive us to find better options to fuel our tech-savvy and on-the-go lifestyles. Changing the behemoth known as “the grid” is paramount to our success in the future. Tune in to learn: Why energy needs software (1:24) Why the energy business needs disrupting (6:04) How data leads to cleaner energy (11:17) How to innovate in the face of regulations (29:00) IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What can help reduce fear about cybersecurity threats? Experts with skills to mitigate these threats can instill courage in us. Derek Hardy, CVP and CISO of AMD, provides his expert take on the current cybersecurity threat environment given his work securing both hardware and software elements. Also, he shares how a movie about hacking inspired his career path.Tune in to learn:Is there an AMD chip in almost every home? (01:51)What’s different for network security and IC security? (05:59)What does Derek see as the current cybersecurity climate? (11:40)What sort of employees does AMD need? (16:03) How did Derek get into the security arena? (21:54)Will zero trust slow down processes? (26:24) IT Visionaries is powered by Salesforce Platform. If this episode makes you want to go deeper into the data security world, check out Salesforce.com/datasecurity and download the IT Guide to Data Security and Governance to learn how to protect your customer data with Salesforce Security Portfolio.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What if the parking process was better so there would be less traffic congestion? Gianni Strul Maxemin, the Founder and CEO of Pied Parker asked that question and then came up with a solution. Gianni explains how his company is building out a system that can help individual drivers, parking management customers, and even entire cities manage their parking needs and increase transportation efficiency.Tune in to learn:How does Pied Parker work? (01:14)Can Pied Parker reduce traffic congestion? (08:29)What led Gianni to focus on this parking and traffic problem? (16:40)What were some difficulties in disrupting the parking business? (18:58)What are some compelling Pied Parker use cases? (23:17)Why does Pied Parker use edge computing? (27:02)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In today’s world, knowledge is at our fingertips – you’re always only seconds away from learning how to bake a banana flambé or craft your own standing desk. But even with all this access, it can be hard to find the right learning avenue – and that is especially true for professional skills. That’s where Barnaby Dorfman of Go1 comes in. Go1 is a platform that brings courses for professional development, wellbeing, and compliance to employees everywhere. The way we train our workforce is changing and Go1 is hoping to help close the education gap. Tunes in to learn: Why is Go1 different from other e-learning platforms? (0:24)Is telework here to stay? (10:10)How is Go1 trying to be smarter about helping people upskill? (23:14)What’s next for this digital learning platform? (28:19)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Innovators don’t see limitations – they see challenges. And that’s exactly what happened when Andrew Feldman and his team at Cerebras Systems were told that it was impossible to build a computer chip that could deliver the same performance as hundreds of graphics processing units. They tackled that challenge head-on, and have created the CS-2, the fastest AI computer in existence. This mega-sized chip is being used to tackle the world’s most pressing problems. None of this would have been possible without a bit of audacity and what Andrew calls “fearless engineering”. Dive into the thought process of a status-quo challenger on this episode of IT Visionaries. Tune in to learn: What is Cerebras doing that others can’t? (0:23)What is the difference between a regular computer and an “AI” computer? (2:34)How does a bigger chip make a difference? (6:55)How do our work habits affect tech? (8:48)What is the mindset of someone who tackles unsolvable problems? (13:34)How is AI shifting the way we approach healthcare? (14:30)How is creating new hardware similar to raising a baby? (21:05)Why does a faster computer change everything? (23:21)Will Cerebras ever try to go even faster? (27:43)IT Visionaries is brought to you by Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What good is a hybrid meeting if you are remote and can’t see and hear what’s most important? Mark Schnittman, the Co-Founder and CTO of Owl Labs, breaks down how his company is creating products to help make hybrid meetings more meaningful for all participants. Learn about how Mark landed on the idea of creating a camera that could better capture the in-person meeting experience for remote teammates. Tune in to learn:What’s the origin story of Owl Labs? (03:54)What were some of the technical difficulties in building the product early on? (6:22)How much did customers influence the development of the product? (24:32)How did sales begin for the initial product? (29:27)How does Owl Labs decide what updates to make? (33:45)What does the future look like for Owl Labs? (40:17)IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Even though detection is well-intentioned, it ends up being a losing security strategy because, by its very nature, it is responsive. But organizations and individuals need to have proactive security measures that keep their systems and devices safe. Dr. Ian Pratt, the Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP, describes how virtual machines can mitigate inevitable threats. He also shares about his way into the security sector. Tune in to learn:Why is endpoint security so essential? (04:19)What security issues really concern Dr. Pratt? (07:22)Is security detection always going to be reactive? (11:40)What’s a virtual machine? (15:40)Are the use of virtual machines becoming common? (18:25)How did Dr. Pratt’s career interests develop? (24:05)How does Dr. Pratt think about securing so many types of IoT devices? (28:55)IT Visionaries is powered by The Salesforce Platform. If this episode makes you want to go deeper into the data security world, check out Salesforce.com/datasecurity and download the IT Guide to Data Security and Governance to learn how to protect your customer data with Salesforce Security Portfolio.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Any industry can get into a routine that works to a degree but ends up being inefficient. It’s no different with development — there are the ways coding has historically been done and then there are new possibilities on how the process might change. Shanea Leven, the Co-Founder and CEO of CodeSee, suggests that a visual coding tool can revolutionize development for engineers but also be useful across other areas of a business where people can use a better understanding of what’s being coded. Tune in to learn:What does Leven mean by a tool that visualizes code? (01:18)What can this code visualization tool be compared to? (03:37)What sparked the idea for this product? (05:55) Did Leven initially think she was going to start her own company? (09:49)What has the feedback been from users? (14:29)How can CodeSee change software development moving forward? (22:08)How did Leven get into tech and development? (28:43) IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Marketplaces for carbon offsets sound like a great idea, but may seem a little shrouded in mystery as to how they actually help the environment. Brent Thumlert, the Managing Director of Software and Technology at Radicle, helps to demystify these sorts of marketplaces. He describes how Radicle helps users account for their carbon footprints and then, ultimately, reduce their carbon impact on the environment. He also shares how he entered the industry and what motivates his desire to help sustain the planet.Tune in to learn:How does a marketplace work for the buying and selling of carbon offsets? (01:19) How does this sort of market actually help benefit the Earth? (05:10)What kind of companies are using what Radicle is offering? (11:00)How does Radicle help companies recognize their carbon footprints? (15:10) How long does it take to get a result from data concerning creating carbon offsets? (18:01) What does Thumlert see for the future of the carbon offset industry and for Radicle? (21:00)How did Thumlert get into this industry? (24:30) IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

​​When the majority of an industry zeroes in on one part of the market, focus on the other part. In this episode, that’s a key message from Gary Guseinov, CEO of RealDefense. Guseinov reveals how RealDefense, which is a holding company, has directed its attention on the consumer security and privacy market while the greater security industry has focused on the enterprise market. From his position as CEO of RealDefense in conjunction with his experience as a mentor to startups, Guseinov also offers an insightful perspective as to the current state of how artificial intelligence can be used for security purposes.Tune in to learn:What is RealDefense looking for in companies it considers acquiring? (00:47)What cybersecurity areas does Guseinov see as potential opportunities? (03:01)What captivated Guseinov’s interest in the cybersecurity market? (07:54)What might simplifying cybersecurity for consumers look like? (16:43) What is RealDefense’s goal in helping consumers with privacy? (20:12)Is AI at a place to make security decisions for us as consumers? (25:00)What kinds of cybersecurity innovations are exciting to Guseinov? (29:56)Mentions:IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Frontline workers are people who work hard and, oftentimes, heroically. They perform essential services that help society to function. Just as frontline workers support society, they also need support to stay safe at work. James Simpson, CTO of SafetyCulture shares how technology can be individualized so companies can create useful safety processes for their unique industries and workers.Tune in to learn:What’s the history of SafetyCulture’s work? (04:24)How does the product work in terms of hardware and software? (05:14)How does SafetyCulture make the platform easy to use for companies? (09:01)How does the platform help create a safe work culture? (17:00)What technologies is SafetyCulture investing in for the future? (19:22)What is SafetyCulture doing to scale securely? (27:07)How is SafetyCulture recruiting talent? (30:42)IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

If companies don't truly know the elements in their products, then they are set up for trouble. According to Brian Fox, Co-Founder, SVP and CTO of Sonatype, without this knowledge they won’t know how to address issues or if bad actors have infiltrated their products with disruptive parts. Brian advises that all aspects in the supply chain for software must be identified and secured just like any physical product. Tune in to learn:How does Sonatype help companies make better supply chain decisions for their software? (01:56)How did Sonatype evolve to focus on supply chain security for software? (05:57)How did Sonatype help address the Log4j vulnerability?? (15:32)How does Fox describe bad actors using what he calls “malicious components”? (23:25)Can automation inadvertently amplify attacks? (29:05)How to move fast yet deal with bad actors? (33:38)IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Having data and artificial intelligence by themselves is not the answer to business success. Instead, it is about being able to use AI insights to make the correct decisions. Richard Potter, CEO of Peak, describes a customized yet systematic process where AI can create predictive models to inform supply chain determinations.  Tune in to learn:What is “decision intelligence”? (00:46)In what areas can decision intelligence be applied? (02:30)How is Peak different from its competitors? (05:27)How does Peak help companies receive results quickly? (09:22)How can machine learning use data to help make forecasts? (15:27)How much data is needed to drive AI predictions? (19:55)Is AI impacting unifying tastes across cultures? (25:29)Mentions:IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

So many tech companies take a slash and burn approach in order to get their product to market as quickly as possible. Dan Sturman, CTO at Roblox, shares why Roblox takes a much more deliberate approach concerning its platform that is the foundation for many different worlds.Tune in to learn:How did Roblox start out as a world-builder? (02:19)Why does Roblox use physics as a creative baseline? (04:59)Why is Roblox building its own cloud? (10:16)How can Roblox apply to education? (15:11)What’s the future of Roblox and the market? (20:05)How does Roblox recruit innovatively? (26:46)How does Roblox deal with security, privacy, and protecting users? (30:33)Mentions:RobloxRoblox’s Corporate SiteIT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform. If you love the thought leadership on this podcast, Salesforce has even more meaty IT thoughts to chew on. Take your company to the next level with in-depth research and trends right in your inbox. Subscribe to a newsletter tailored to your role at Salesforce.com/newsletter.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

AI and machine learning are part of the solution in many cybersecurity products. The issue is that machine learning tends to take a lot of time. Cyber threats are moving quickly so computers need to learn fast to stop them. Chuck Everette, the Director of Cybersecurity Advocacy at Deep Instinct, breaks down the difference between machine learning and deep learning. Main TakeawaysDeep Learning Versus Machine Learning: As Everette describes the difference, machine learning is about a human delivering items alongside their classifications to a computer; whereas with deep learning, a computer is able to determine these classifications by itself. Deep learning, therefore, according to Everette’s description, can reduce the human role in the learning process while also increasing the learning speed for the computer. Though this technology has applications in security, certainly deep learning can have a profound impact across a range of applications. Weaponized AI: Everette tells the scary truth that attackers are now so sophisticated that they are using their own AI as a weapon, and that these attackers are “more patient these days.” This reality means that defenders have to keep upping their game to thwart these attacks. In any industry, it’s wise to remember that just because you are pressing an advantage, it doesn’t mean your adversary isn’t doing the same thing. From Games to Cybersecurity: Reflecting back on his career, Everette points to a love of gaming as his initial step toward cybersecurity. Although he had a winding career path from a love of games to cybersecurity, it is interesting to consider how one passion, that others might even disregard, can eventually lead to an entire career. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Mark Nelson is the President and CEO of Tableau, a company dedicated to democratizing analytics and putting data back in the hands of consumers. But while this digital pioneer may be excited about the technical side of things, he’s more excited about how accessing data (and asking the right questions) can evolve the human endeavor. Tune in to learn:What was the Golden Age of Data? (8:00)What are data specialists thinking about A.I.? (10:00)What is The ‘Big Three’ approach to expansion and why should you use it? (15:40)How is data a force for good? (23:03)Mentions:Data 10 Million ChallengeThe Data Leadership Collaborative As always, IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Salesforce Platform, and the folks at Salesforce Platform are excited about Tableau's Data Leadership Collaborative. You can get involved in data leadership conversations at DataLeadershipCollaborative.com and connect with like-minded leaders to help each other progress on the journey to build data-driven organizations.Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Working backward from problem to customer solution is the method that Harini Gokul uses in her role leading customer success at Amazon Web Services. Understanding what it means to be “customer-obsessed” is Harini’s favorite part of being on a team with “big builder energy.” Also, she describes some of the cloud-central innovations on the horizon that she is most excited about. Tune in to learn:How to turn a passion into a brand. (2:00)What does AWS do? (0:36)Why every millisecond matters in the customer journey. (4:02)What’s different about AWS culture? (8:12) What does it take to get companies to the cloud in a way that works for them? (21:13) IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platformMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Empathy, in a time of stress or decision-making, goes a long way in making someone feel cared for and understood. What if the businesses providing our services, flights, meals, etc, were already thinking about our wants and needs, and laying out options that apply to us. This kind of consumer-focused empathy, driven by user data, is the trait that Genesys’s, CEO Tony Bates, deemed so important that he made it a part of the corporate decision-making process. As Tony describes in this podcast, and in his book, “Empathy In Action,” times have changed in terms of what consumers want and expect from companies that provide services to them.Main TakeawaysExperience As a Service: If you think about the customer experience as one of the services that you provide, that creates room to allocate more resources to improving it.  Bates found that priortizing and making space for experience as a service helped them strategize at Genesys about problem-solving in more individualized ways. Data Informs a More Empathetic Customer Experience: As Bates describes, every consumer has unique needs for customer service and interaction. Companies can streamline resources to be there for customers who want more personalized attention and also easily serve customers who are more suited for an automated process on an app or chat experience. Empathetic listening and analysis of data can paint a picture of what a customer wants to experience and how you can help them solve their problems. Empathy in the Decision Making Equation:  A company framework for decision-making that is built on empathy ensures that empathy is actually implemented through the company. Bates is keen on the believe that quantifying the value of empathy with a number makes it easier to equate with traditional business values like efficiency.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Top athletes duke it out to outperform their opponents; usually only winning by a slim margin. That margin is what matters, and part of having a competitive edge means having high-value information on what your competitors are doing. Crayon offers competitive intelligence and product marketing to its customers, and Erica Jenkins, their Chief Product Officer, shares that doing this well requires great communication.Main TakeawaysData Insight Helps Create Magical Products: There are a million different problems and a million different software products that could help solve them, but resources are limited. Using data to help determine where the needs are greatest can help you as a product leader to guide your team towards the most profitable product solutions. You Need to Repeat Yourself: Some would say repeating yourself, even often, is necessary. Repetition helps other people remember important information and act correspondingly if acting is required. For Erica, rephrasing her ideas is a way to know if her message is being communicated correctly.  You Need to Spell It Out: Don’t assume that just because the product you’ve built looks shiny and seems intuitive, people will readily understand how to use it. Even if it is painstakingly user-friendly, it never hurts to spell things out. Take advantage of creating walk-through tutorials for your products. It creates more value for your customers and highlights the features of the product. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We’ve all had those repetitive work tasks that must be done, are a total pain, and waste time too. Chaim Mazal, SVP of Technology and CISO at Kandji, makes the case for automation being used to free people up so that they can focus on more important work. Main TakeawaysAutomating for Freedom: There’s lots of talk about automation as a part of platforms and products. Chaim lays out in simple terms that the reason for automation is about freeing people up so they can drill down on more important work. It’s helpful to remember that humanity should be the guiding light at the core of any technological innovation. The question ought to be: How is this tech serving people. Or even better: How is this tech serving the world?From Customer to SVP and CISO: For Chaim, he came across Kandji in a previous job and Kandji was able to help him solve problems he was having managing devices for the prior company on an international scale. First of all, this is a really cool story. Secondly, it’s a reminder that employees can come from any place and that passion can be uncovered in any situation. Building Products: Chaim makes a fascinating point about data and strategy. He suggests that many of the companies that he worked at previously focused on using data to make products better. Yet he also describes how he likes to think more on the strategic side of things. Strategy, for him, at least in part, seems to be more about bringing in knowledgeable people; then thinking together about where the overall industry might be headed and acting accordingly.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Metaphorically, the tech security world tends to look over a city-scape and hones in on a few shiny skyscrapers, protects them, and declares victory. These big buildings represent the largest institutions. But oftentimes, all the interconnected infrastructure of smaller homes remains unprotected — the smaller homes, in this context, are the SMBs and other various organizations. Sinan Eren, the VP of Zero Trust Access at Barracuda, broke down how security is interconnected across all institutions, regardless of size. Main TakeawaysAttackers Have a Market Now Too: Eren explains the challenges around the reality that cyber attackers have their own market now. Gone are the days when a singular attacker might be responsibile for conducting all elements of a criminal act. Instead, Eren reveals that an entire criminal community facilitates these acts. The Long Tail Must Be Protected: Eren points out that larger entities that have security in place can still be vulnerable through interactions with smaller and less secure entities in its supply chain. These smaller organizations include SMBs that often interact with larger companies. Furthermore, Eren suggests that there can be an ethical component to make sure that the entire community is secured, not only the largest companies and institutions. How to Secure SMBs: Since it is clear, from Eren’s point of view, that large businesses and SMBs are interconnected and therefore all must be secured or none will be, the question becomes: What is the best way to secure SMBs? Eren contends that security must be provided to SMBs through MSPs rather than as direct sales to SMBs. His argument is a very reasonable one — SMBs have too much on their plates already to handle security themselves.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Likely on the phone in your hand, while you’re playing this very podcast, is an app or site using Akamai in the background, so that you can listen, search, and discover new information as fast as you can think, type, or speak. Accelerating the delivery of the right content and blocking potentially harmful content are the nitty-gritty details that Akamai solves to give you a safe and seamless experience. Leading the charge to improve security and accelerate connectivity is Dr. Robert Blumofe, Executive Vice President and CTO of Akamai. Main TakeawaysPower and Protect Together: A common problem with security is that it slows things down for users and causes them to want to avoid using the security measures in the first place. To solve this problem, Dr. Blumofe explains that Akamai has integrated security and performance products on its platform so that they can work cooperatively. The lesson here for any sort of business is to constantly be considering how security and performance can function seamlessly so that neither is hindered by the other,Endpoint to Endpoint Mindset: Since the world is becoming more remote and more open, security must adapt to this environment. According to Dr. Blumofe, this means the framework of being on a network versus off a network is no longer really applicable. Instead, it is more helpful to consider how apps are connected together from one endpoint to another.The Office as a Coffee Shop: You can think about a new problem, like an increase in remote work, as being stressful, or as a chance to reframe it as an opportunity. Dr. Blumofe points out that returning to the office for face-to-face time will be even more purposeful — sort of like hanging out at the coffee shop with colleagues. He describes solving for the new remote office network as a high-performance coffee shop as being a “freeing and enabling concept.” The new perimeter-less architecture of access can actually facilitate collaboration.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The next time you’re Sunday-brunching at your local breakfast joint and perusing the menu for Avocado Toast, you’re not likely to be disappointed. Restaurants want to know the foods that you are craving to keep you happy and coming back. The sooner they can jump on trends, the better edge they’ll have over the place down the street. Trendy foods, dishes, and ingredients are not easy to predict, but Jack Li, the CEO of Datassential has a deep passion behind his work for doing just that. Main TakeawaysBig Players Jumping Onto Early Stage Trends: As Li points out, more companies and large corporations are reacting to early-stage food trends in the landscape. Things are so competitive that any advantage a restaurant or chain can have they'll take it. When competition is fierce, even the small details can become cut-throat. Business is about the bottom line, after all. Seeing Opportunity for Art and Science to Align: According to Li, he and two of his “early business partners,” had a clear sense that they could combine their passion for the artful aspect of food with science to increase efficiency. The lesson here is that often art and science are not in different camps altogether. Instead, art and science can be integrated together for each part to sharpen the other.Tracking Data to Predict the Flavors of the Future: Having data is one thing, but sifting through it for potential predictive insight is what it’s really all about. Datassential is taking a close look at its data to attempt to determine what food flavors and trends are tracking up and can really break through in the market. There’s gut instinct, of course, but insights drawn from data to forecast food trends can really help businesses make quality decisions. Using data to predict where a market is heading cuts across all industries.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The world is changing quickly, and the everyday corporate landscape is changing with it. Every company has to prove compliance with different governmental agencies, from everything from environmental reports down to payroll. That’s where Lisa Edwards the COO at Diligent, comes in, bringing her focus on using technology to improve the process for all payers. Every company has governmental rules and regulations they must follow and governmental rules to adhere to. Audits can be tedious and can take valuable time away from innovation and growth. Edwards brings incredible passion and expertise in using technology to improve the process. Main TakeawaysAdapting to global and evolving client needs: At a corporation like Diligent with branches all over the world, adapting to the different regulations of different regions, is complex and nuanced and is one of the strengths of Diligent’s work according to Edwards. The mindset of preparing for current client needs and preempting future desires continues to drive the company forward. Corporate governance to lead a wave of social change: Diligent creates a streamlined interface where departments can interact with transparency, and this has allowed for positive changes in the cooperate structure. They have created ways for companies to diversify their boardrooms which, it turns out, makes for increased profit margins as well as improved social capital. It is also preparing for a very near-future reality where a company’s environmental impact needs to be reported and monitored. Improved operations mean faster, more meaningful growth: Operations might seem like the least interesting part of a business, but a streamlined system is, according to Edwards, the key to freeing a business to fly as high as it can. Without worrying about regulatory snafus, a business can just focus on what it does best: providing the best goods and/or services to the consumer. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In an industry that relies on being ahead of the curve, the ability to see the potential in new innovations is a necessity. Eric Anderson, Partner of Scale Venture Partners knows how to look ahead, and gives us an inside look at how a cutting-edge venture capital firm finds and funds new technology that benefits the everyday user. Main TakeawaysThe depth of the problem is more important than the solution: According to Anderson, it’s important to come in with the empathy needed to sort out the problem set of any particular company, because innovations are grown out of the solutions. It might be intuitive to think that quick fixes mean quick growth, but Anderson cautions against it. Digging in and finding the deeper problems is well worth it, because longer solutions often lead to more meaningful expansions. Young insiders might be the key to innovation: While anyone can have a great idea, Anderson points out that it might be the younger players in older, “sleepier” industries that wind up being disrupters. He points out how as a child of dental distributors he was quick to see the need for a new way to distribute raw materials and bring in a new solution. Software Vs. Content: While, historically, consumers have been more interested in buying content over software, Anderson says that the small sale might change that. We shouldn’t ignore the power of the one-dollar design app you can carry on your phone – it might change the way people value software. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Setting up a network at home can devolve into a stream of choice words while pulling out your hair. A sudden, global shift to remote and hybrid work can lead to the same frustration for a number of reasons that may or may not include setting up a router. Morgan Teachworth, the VP of Engineering & Supply Chain at Cisco Meraki, suggests that his company was ideally positioned to support a hybrid workflow.Main TakeawaysSupporting Hybrid Workflows: It’s obvious that the working world has shifted to many more fully remote or hybrid models. Morgan shares how Cisco Meraki was in a good place to help people from home set up networks easily with what he describes as “plug and play” options. With so much of the workforce under strain, any products that quickly make working from home easier and more secure are valuable to employees and their companies. Straddling Engineering and Supply Chain: Being the VP of Engineering & Supply Chain is a pretty unique job title for Morgan. It affords him the opportunity to connect both worlds together. Fundamentally, it makes sense that any person who builds hardware ought to also be considering the supply chain. Though it may not always be easy, doing so will strengthen products.    Needing Engineers With Good People Skills: Teachworth describes how Cisco Meraki engineers embed with outside manufacturers to work as a team to produce products. He makes the point that it is important that these engineers are able to work well with these contractors. Even more importantly, he chats about how these relational skills can be developed when assisted by communicative management. This mentality can certainly be helpful across industries. On one hand, leaders need to find employees that have good relationship skills. On the other hand, these skills can also be leveled-up through clear conversations and training.Innovations in intelligence: In terms of future innovations, Morgan points out two primary areas concerning intelligence. The first is intelligence at the edge in terms of devices and gaining more insight into the physical world. The other intelligence aspect is gaining a greater understanding of what’s happening beyond one’s network into other areas of the world, and what he calls the “pipes,” since so much of what’s occurring is interrelated. Each of these types of intelligence could provide actionable insight to initiate changes.Democratizing Access: Many people still do not have network access or the ability to use the internet. This is true in the United States and around the world. Morgan contends that working toward democratization is essential. Making easy to use products can be helpful but they must be broadly shared. Morgan explains that leaning into the edge must be a part of the solution to democratize access for the entire world. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Trucking in this country is a big deal. It’s a massive industry ripe for disruption because of its scale and the fact that there is plenty of room for technological advancement. According to Jairam Ranganathan, the SVP of Product at KeepTruckin, fleet management is also an area where a company can make a huge, positive impact.Main TakeawaysRipe for Disruption and Opportunity: Clearly, the commercial fleet industry is massive. Due to its size and also its fragmentation, innovations do take time. On the other hand, there is an incredible need for innovation and the potential to make a real impact in the fleet management space.Saving Lives and Increasing Quality of Life: According to Ranganathan, the exciting aspect of making a difference in fleet management comes down to helping people. He describes the satisfaction that is derived from saving lives on the road and from helping truck drivers have a better work experience. There’s a lesson here that can cut across all industries — helping others is a high value and is very motivating too.A.I. Cameras: A.I. cameras are one such innovation that Ranganathan is working on at KeepTruckin that can increase safety and save lives. Ranganathan shares how A.I. cameras can provide life-saving information in real time. Where sometimes it may be difficult to easily quantify the benefit of A.I., here is a crystal clear example of how A.I. can be used to better human life.Fleet Management Integration: Ranganathan suggests that the fleet management world was fairly atomized when KeepTruckin came on the scene. He explains that KeepTruckin made a decision when entering the market to focus on integrated products. KeepTruckin creates hardware and software products as well as diverse applications. To make a dent in a market among specialized companies, creating a more integrated product line makes sense to offer more utility and ease for customers.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Developing enterprise apps quickly is essential for business success, and securing data during the development process is imperative too. Jedidiah Yueh, the Founder and CEO of Delphix, suggests that though not as many people are talking about securing data in the app development process, they should be. Even more so, he argues they must secure this data or face huge consequences. Main TakeawaysSomething People Need to Talk About: Talking about data security is all the rage. But according to Yueh, securing development data is not discussed as much. Yueh contends that this lack of attention creates security vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit. He believes that automated platforms built on zero trust principles can mitigate such risks.Out With the Old in With the New: The old way of testing apps in development involved a group of people all helping to gather production data and then copy that to the development territory. Of course, with so many hands in the process, the data was not very secure. Now, a platform, like Delphix, can make that process automatic; therefore, more secure. Setting Loftier IT Goals: Yueh argues that IT leaders are not setting high enough goals in terms of developing products quickly enough. In a conversation about his book, “Disrupt or Die,” he explains that the rate of acceleration is much faster than the typical business cycle so leaders must adapt the pace of their goals accordingly.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Developing physical products quickly is what it’s all about in a fast-paced world. What slows down the development speed and drives up cost are the materials and the time it takes to see if a concept works. Using digital simulations, alongside predictive analytics, increases speed while lowering costs. Prith Banerjee, the Chief Technology Officer at Ansys, makes the point that the precise capabilities of simulations today are providing the power to create new products from the micro to the macro.Main TakeawaysThe Appeal of Digital Simulations: The old process of developing a product would involve lots of different versions and materials. With the use of a digital simulation, in other words, a digital twin, all these trial and error versions can play out in the digital arena. Doing so increases development speed and reduces cost.Academia and Industry: Academia, at its best, projects forward into the future new possibilities that are later implemented across industries. Therefore, forward-thinking industries ought to have a motivation to connect to academia to offer resources so that academic institutions can strive for innovations. Ansys is partnering with a number of academic institutions to make its simulation software available for free.    Exciting Simulations Now and in the Future: Banerjee mentions current digital simulation use cases ranging from the oil industry to electrification of cars to heating and cooling huge buildings. Furthermore, he shares excitement in the healthcare area because, right now, there is an ability to simulate a heart that is having a problem functioning to see if a pacemaker will solve the issue. With this level of precision, one can imagine all manner of encouraging applications for simulations both now and in the future of healthcare and in many other areas IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

A company’s position about digital transformation could be out with the old and in with the new. But, generally, if a product or service has existed for a long time, that’s because it has held its value. In a legacy business with good values and a deep tradition, digitization of services is more about improving respected systems as well as innovating with a forward-looking mindset. Stacey Goodman, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Prudential Financial, describes her strategy for transforming the digital experience at Prudential.Main TakeawaysTransforming a Legacy Company: It’s a big lift to digitally transform a legacy company such as Prudential, which has existed for 145 years. But a company with good values and an established track record of delivering for customers has a great foundation on which to build upon. In other words, challenges are opportunities. One challenge that Prudential constantly faces is scale combined with the complexity of its life insurance and annuities products. Furthermore, a company with so much history also has a high volume of products that must be managed.Marriage Between Customer and CIO Priorities: Most customers want more access at the touch of their fingertips. Prudential customers want to be able to see their assets whenever they want; particularly, during times of economic uncertainty. Customers desire the freedom to explore and make their own choices yet advisement help when needed. As CIO, Goodman’s goals are in support of what customers desire. For instance, she cares about making sure customers can easily get their password, or that robotic advice is readily available when customers want help.Culture and Dynamic Work Attracts Talent: Goodman has a unique mindset regarding attracting and retaining talent at Prudential. Fundamentally, she sees the company having a good culture and providing interesting work. She makes the point that sometimes startup culture and work does not always meet the hype and that working at Prudential can provide employees a comfortable environment. An established company with well-defined structures in place can support its workers. She sees Prudential as the sort of place where employees want to be.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The data science field is expanding because so many businesses and other institutions require skilled workers who can manage data as well as provide insights. Companies and students are clamoring for more academic programs. There is great need, but academic institutions are still transitioning to meet the demand. Dr. David Bader, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute for Data Science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, explains how his school is leading the charge to create opportunities for more students to study data scienceMain TakeawaysConnecting Data and Graphs: A current area of focus concerning data science for Bader and his institution is taking huge amounts of data and associating it with corresponding graphs. This process helps provide context to the data so insights can be gleaned.Arriving at Insights With Less Data: One difficulty with gaining insights is that typically it takes a lot of data points to make sense of a significant occurrence. Often, in the real world, insights need to be determined faster and with less data. Consider the archetype of the malevolent lone wolf who may have not had done the behavior previously. The answer is two-fold in order to stop a lone wolf type of situation. One, create more context to whatever data is obtainable. Second, consider data that may not be the exact same behavior but is still relevant.Academia Is Rising to the Challenge: All manner of institutions now have massive amounts of data and need people to manage it and provide insights. Academia may be somewhat slow to change but there is a push from companies and from students for more data science programs. These sorts of programs are growing throughout higher education but there is much more room for expansion.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every company wants to grow their market. But in order to expand into another region, one corner of the market has to be secured first. Only from this position of utility and stability can a business secure other territories. Todd Olson, the CEO of Pendo, explains his strategy.Main TakeawaysCreating a New Product Market: Many companies disrupt a current market. It’s another category altogether to create a new product market. Although it’s a great problem to have with a ton of upside, one area of focus must be on educating prospective buyers. Of course, having an effective product that’s easy to implement is the best pitch. Pendo was able to provide its software product to businesses easily and without involving developers. This helped give Pendo a foot in the door to prove what it could do.Strategizing for Future Growth: Pendo’s plans for growth are educative. One side of the approach is to continue to sell current products to new markets; both nationally and internationally. The other side is to develop new products that will further benefit existing customers. Furthermore, it’s intriguing how Pendo’s product has moved from SaaS B2B clients to other arenas as those individuals who’ve used the product have moved into different industries and brought Pendo with them.Representing Raleigh: Finding and retaining top talent is a concern for many businesses today. Pendo has an interesting angle because it is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. In Raleigh, there’s natural beauty, a low cost of living, and also access to the talent coming out of many of the colleges and universities in the region. Although Pendo is based in Raleigh, it has offices in New York and San Francisco to utilize the talent in those areas as well.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Passwords are the worst things ever. Okay, maybe that’s a bit hyperbolic, but they are pretty annoying. Here are the top hits of their most obnoxious qualities: One, they cause friction to get things done. Two, who can remember all their passwords? Three, it’s easy for bad actors to steal them. Four, practically everything requires a password now, so there are just too many. Mickey Boodaei, the CEO of Transmit Security, also agrees that passwords are terrible, but he has a solution to get rid of them.Main TakeawaysThe Problems With Passwords: Passwords have become ubiquitous. Despite the good intention behind them to foster security, they remain cumbersome and ineffective. The layers added to passwords to make them more secure are insufficient. Two-factor authentication remains vulnerable to bad actors. Though biometric authentication is a helpful technology, many apps that attempt to harness it still have a password underneath the biometrics.Getting Rid of Passwords: Biometric data held on secure devices is part of the solution to move people beyond passwords. The data on a private device is very secure overall. Furthermore, it is possible to create trust between devices to provide access to applications, etc.Cryptographic Keys: Biometric data on a secure device can then be used for authentication through the creation of parallel cryptographic keys — a private key that stays with the device and a corresponding public key connected to an application. Using this technology, the private key always remains secure on the individual device. This makes it very difficult for bad actors to access any data of import.   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

Just like there’s too much junk on Earth, we’re sending up too much junk into space now too.  As private enterprise gains more access to space, even more satellites are launched up there —  taking up space. It’s a real problem with the potential to get worse as businesses have greater interest and access to get their gear into space. Bruno Carvalho, the Director of D-Orbit, contends that the answer is better space logistics in order to support space sustainability. Main TakeawaysSpace Sustainability: Space is filling up fast. The concern for space collisions and the dangers of debris is real. Sustainable solutions concerning satellites must be developed and implemented because their numbers will only be increasing.Space Taxis: D-Orbit has essentially developed a space taxi system to put satellites in their final orbital positions. These taxis can have additional applications after they have completed their taxiing missions. For instance, this sort of vehicle could perhaps be used to pick up space refuse. They also relay important alert information back to Earth more quickly.Partnering with AWS: Partnering with AWS enables D-Orbit, like many companies, to reduce its own need for infrastructure. Also, the use of the AWS Ground Stations help reduce delay by increasing the speed at which D-Orbit can access its data via the cloud.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Running fast is good but not headfirst into a brick wall. Similarly, software development needs to move fast, but moving too fast typically is not secure and can cause headaches. Furthermore, old security protocols are insufficient and inefficient. Idan Plotnik, the Co-Founder & CEO of Apiiro, makes the case for a platform that quickly provides contextualized information concerning codingMain TakeawaysContextualized Info: An old way of checking code often involved the coders themselves answering a long list of questions. This was inefficient and ineffective. A more helpful approach is to have a platform that quickly provides contextualized information concerning the coding, the process, and potential breaks in the chain. With this type of info, security risks can much more efficiently be discovered and addressed. Establishing Trust: A platform that provides contextualized information can assist in communication between AppSec teams and developers. If an AppSec team is able to approach the developers with helpful information, then that can establish trust between all parties. With trust established, everybody can work together to reduce the security risk.   Mission-oriented: An entrepreneur, or a company, should have passion for their mission, whether that’s in securing software development or otherwise. In Israel, there is certainly a connection between innovation and the lessons that many entrepreneurs have learned during their military service. Mission-oriented values seem to translate to successful business outcomes.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

If data is in a pool that only keeps getting deeper as data inventory is accounted for, when is the exact moment for a business leader to jump in to do something with all the accumulated information? Leaders who care about data appreciate that it’s necessary to take stock before analyzing and strategizing. But taking inventory could be all one does because, whether it’s in a small or large business, the amount of data is only increasing. Mara Reiff, the Chief Data Officer of FreshBooks, suggests to account for enough data to begin the work and then to dive in.Main TakeawaysTaking Stock and Then Activating: A company must take inventory of its data, of course. But taking stock of data is a perpetual process. So, the trick becomes knowing when enough data has been collected so that you can move to applying that information to solve particular problems on behalf of customers. Being a Data Advocate: With so much data at any singular organization, there can be a natural tendency to want to put one person in charge of all data and for that individual to have total responsibility, Reiff made the point that it’s impossible to be responsible for all data if one is not in control of who is adding all the data. Over time, she has come to see her role as being a leader who advocates for all the company’s data to be used in a responsible and constructive manner.A Scientific Data Mentality: Accumulating data at a business is not done for its own sake. Whether one has a science background or not, using data to help customers is about hypothesizing, testing, making a case, and then acting on that basis. Sometimes it’s about finding a particular customer with an issue that needs addressing; other times it’s about anticipating customer needs and acting accordingly to address them.ML and NLP: Many leaders in the data field are excited about the prospects of machine learning and natural language processing. One area to zero in on as a benefit is how NLP can really help in the area of translation; particularly for companies that operate in many countries. The mission for FreshBooks is to make accounting easier for small businesses, which the company serves in 160 countries. Translating language accurately and efficiently would certainly smooth and simplify accounting practices, among many other applications for other industries.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The healthcare industry in the U.S. can feel like a slow moving, bureaucratic, dysfunctional mess. But the question is: What is the best way to activate a digital transformation that leads to better care for people? Sean Duffy, the Co-founder and CEO of Omada Health, suggests that fitting innovative digital care into the current model is the best strategy to make the most constructive change.Main TakeawaysProviding Proactive Care: Proactive care is difficult in the current in-person model; in part, because care is associated as occurring mostly during in-person experiences. Digital care through Omada operates differently in that Omada’s support team is able to provide monitoring without reliance on in-person office visits for the majority of care. Omada also provides prescriptions for monitoring devices and ships them right to the patient. Working Within the System: Given the longstanding structures of the U.S. healthcare system, it is important that companies looking to innovate appreciate the realities of the system and be willing to work inside it in order to make changes. For Omada Health, this even comes down to making semantic choices regarding care that best fit into the current healthcare lexicon. Creating a Culture of Innovation: With half a million users, Omada has been able to collect a lot of potentially useful data. Omada created the Omada Insights Lab in order to create a culture of innovation where its employees would use this trove of information in order to ask different questions and come up with solutions. Now, Omada has been able to open up this information to its customers so that they can also weigh in with their own ideas.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When it comes to IT security, there are a lot of marketing pitches out there offering bullish assessments of certain technologies, and, of course, the particular products being pitched. Really, there’s nothing wrong with marketers doing their jobs, and it’s especially useful when this information leads to learning about emerging technologies and innovative products with a great deal of potential. But it’s also nice to get some security straight talk.Frankly, so much noise concerning security products and innovation can be a liability because it’s just more information to process. There’s a real need for a clear-eyed, big-picture assessment of the current IT security landscape. This includes providing a sense of the big threats and what can be done to mitigate them both on the macro and micro level. Main TakeawaysCurrent Threats and Strategic Solutions: Big threats to businesses are coming from state actors performing espionage. Additionally, criminals have begun to use state sponsored attack techniques in order to hold companies’ data hostage. On a macro level, governments need to come together to agree that these sort of state sponsored attacks are unacceptable. Companies can also shore up their endpoints and maintain basic security protocols to reduce threats regardless of where they come from.Cloud Use: Although there are some legacy companies still slow to change to the cloud out of concerns that they may disrupt their old systems, there is a certain inevitability in companies moving to the cloud. Even more importantly, cloud-backed companies, that have put time in the space, will have greater opportunities as more companies move to the cloud,Technologies Making Security Easier: A.I. can help with anomaly detection, access management, and by reducing the quantity of human talent required. Though some marketing may suggest otherwise, A.I. and automation that is proactive to reduce threats is still in a more aspirational phase.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The word “cloud” is often uttered up in an almost reverent tone by anyone even tangentially affiliated with the IT world. A big reason for this is because cloud computing has been a tremendous boon for all manner of institutions. Getting away from on-prem servers has reduced cost and increased the speed at which organizations operate as well as the amount of data and applications that can be used to add value. But there is a tremendous amount of complexity in the cloud. With so many developers working in the cloud, there are also many potential access points and, therefore, security vulnerabilities. Ami Luttwak, the Co-founder and CTO of Wiz, explains how cloud complexity increases risks to security.Main TakeawaysThe Promise and Problem With the Cloud: Use of the cloud can add value to organizations. For instance, the cloud can potentially decrease cost and promote efficiency. It also adds complexity and possible access points. For bad actors, this sort of complexity creates openings to infiltrate systems in order to achieve their malevolent ends.Asking the Question Differently: To innovate, sometimes it’s a matter of just asking a question differently. Also, asking the question simply can be helpful too. That said, it may only appear to be an elemental question after it has actually been answered. Wiz asked the basic question: are your cloud databases exposed? Solving this problem has allowed the company to make an impact in cloud security.MVP Plus Scale: In startup circles, it makes sense to get an MVP out ASAP. Luttwak suggests that startups must create MVPs that also have the capacity to scale. If they do so, they will save time and put their companies in a better position down the line.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Recent disruptions have stretched supply chains all over the world. In some cases, supply chains have been broken in their weak places and have needed to be repaired. But there will always be unexpected events and outcomes. What helps are predictive models that can aid in decision-making. Dr. Madhav Durbha, the VP of Supply Chain Strategy at Coupa Software, suggests simulations can help companies make smart decisions that will lead to great heights.Main TakeawaysMacroeconomics: In order to best guide its customers, Coupa needs to have a sense of the ever-evolving, macroeconomic landscape. To do so, Coupa compiles and analyzes data from external as well as internal sources. Machine learning is an asset to help pour over and analyze the external data. Coupa is able to leverage its vast community of customers, and their data/resources, in order to provide high value insights. Digital Twins: Digital modeling is an effective tool in order to analyze a given company’s supply chain. Predictive models can be established and then informed decisions can be made and implemented to impact the supply chain in the physical world. Two Big Supply Chain Steps: One thing companies can do to shore up their supply chains is to go from a mentality of a one-to-one relationship with each distributor to instead thinking about each element of the supply chain as a multi-layered network. With this new mentality, companies can form relationships with other entities in the supply chain and leverage their scale in order to secure the products that they require. Additionally, companies must have a willingness to work with governments in order to secure the supply chain. This may involve certain products being manufactured at the local level rather than relying upon the global supply chain.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There is a lot of conversation among IT security leaders about engaging the workforce in order to mitigate threats. But how do security professionals actually win people over to their side? Many employees are willing to comply but what can be done to really get through to those that are resistant? Johanna Baum, the CEO and Founder of S3 (Strategic Security Solutions), contends that to enact change, leaders must involve those that are most reluctant to go along with security protocols — especially the person still keeping their login password on a post-it note on their computer. In order to change the security culture of a company, Johanna suggests seeking out the person at a company who is least likely to comply.Main TakeawaysIt Comes Down to the People: There’s always going to be a security tech stack. A security platform and relevant apps will help reduce threats. But, fundamentally, people are still required to act with any given platform or system as part of the security solution. Furthermore, employees also need to engage in secure behaviors that reduce the overall risk to the company.Involve the Malcontents: Cultural change concerning security is only as strong as the weakest link. Leaders must seek out the malcontents in order to engage them in the process. Leaders must put employees who are reluctant to accept security protocols in situations where they can test out measures and be part of the solution. Keep Security Simple: Because there are so many security threats, there can be a tendency to assume risk mitigation must be very complicated and beyond human capacity. Although artificial intelligence and automation can certainly be helpful to thwart so many threats, there are also really simple things people can do on their own to embolden security. For instance, this can be as basic as ensuring people log out or use effective passwords. On a company-wide level, it can be as elemental as making sure there is an up to date list of all the users at the organization.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

If the topic of databases is brought up to certain people, their eyes may gloss over. But if that happened, that would be because they just don’t know the awesome power of databases. Data can be valuable but only if it is contextualized, and time is an extremely relevant aspect to consider when analyzing huge amounts of data. Paul Dix, the founder and CTO of InfluxData and the Creator of InfluxDB, explains how a time series database can help provide that temporal contextual information to promote efficiencies.Main TakeawaysTime Contextualizes Data: Data has value only when it is placed in context and then the information gleaned from it is applied into actionable items. Time is a key factor to provide a basis for understanding information. A time series database, iike InfluxDB, can provide this sort of context for server and IoT device monitoring. This info can then be applied to track performance and increase efficiency.Failure Becomes Opportunity: Sometimes it’s hard to see how a win can come from a loss, and most people try their very best to avoid losing. But the reality is that learning is happening when something is being created, and the knowledge that’s gained in the creative process has nothing to do with the outcome of a given project. To ultimately be successful, the lesson is to take what’s been learned and then keep pivoting until the product and the market are aligned and the timing is right.Evolving Engineering: Technology is always advancing rapidly. Therefore, even a successful product will require adaptations to meet new challenges. Accepting the reality of the high rate of change and, therefore, the need to constantly adjust accordingly will position a company in the best position to succeed.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Human beings have an ability to tolerate quite a bit. Oftentimes, this is a helpful survival strategy. Rather than being overwhelmed by life’s frailties to the point flight or fight is kicking in, it’s generally a good thing to accept the realities of existence that cannot be changed and then operate accordingly on that basis. This is better than being constantly unnerved by real and sometimes alarming things that it seems one cannot control. But sometimes a huge disruption lets people know that they have been tolerating something concerning that’s impact could have been mitigated by a sustained effort which leads to a new solution. Neil Day, CTO of R-Zero, makes this point about the seeming unstoppability of certain infectious diseases. Main TakeawaysSolving Multiple Problems: Not only was the coronavirus a huge problem, typical disinfectant solutions, such as liquid disinfectants, were difficult to apply and inefficient. Of course, massive problems are also opportunities for innovation.Relying on Something Tried and True: Using UV light as a disinfectant has historical precedence as well as scientific evidence concerning its effectiveness to curb the spread of viruses. R-Zero leaned into this established technology and then created a product that could utilize it effectively. Sensors in the machine as well as its capacity to hold data allow for implementation of risk management procedures.Now That We Are Utilizing UV More…: UV technology may become a more typical means to disinfect both businesses, and, eventually, homes. In recent history, people have mostly accepted that illness from viruses is an inevitable part of life. Based upon the experience of the pandemic and the potential solutions that may spring forth to solve that problem, this mentality may evolve and push humanity into a different expectation concerning health. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

With so much change happening at such a fast pace, the digital transformation process can feel like it must be extremely far along and, perhaps, near completion. Companies have been moving as speedily as possible to adapt their businesses to the digital realm and, in many cases, to create new digital territories altogether. If digital transformation was a baseball game, it could be easy to assume that the transition is in the latter innings. Rich Nanda, the US Monitor Deloitte Practice Leader at Deloitte Consulting, offers a contrary perspective.Main TakeawaysConsultation with Specificity and a Broad Vision: With the intensity of digital transformation happening across all sectors, consultants must adjust their skillsets. On one hand, they must have thorough domain expertise. Yet, on the other hand, consultants must be able to take a broader view as well in order to best guide their clients in these fast-moving times. Growth Versus Fixed Business Mindset: To be successful, leaders must adopt a growth mindset over a fixed mindset. A fixed mindsight is rigid and sees the world as locked in place. A growth mindset accepts that change is inevitable. With a growth mindset, change is seen as an opportunity rather than a problem.Opportunities for Expansion: Projecting forward, there will be amazing opportunities for expansion. Companies will be in a position for more mergers and acquisitions. Some companies will jump outside their typical lane to pursue more opportunities. Companies not traditionally thought of as intrinsically associated with tech, or software, may find unique opportunities to delve into new digital territories.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Technology can no longer be isolated from the rest of life and only discussed in particular circles among scholars, professionals, or those that just like to geek out on tech. This is because the innovation is too rapid, the tools are too powerful, and the stakes are too high. Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, the CEO & Publisher of the MIT Technology Review, explains that people must consider how technology is impacting their lives and suggests journalists need to play a role in framing these conversations.Main TakeawaysThe Need for Ethical Debate About Technology: Technology is touching just about every area of life. Now, more than ever, thoughtful stories about technology are needed to educate and engage the public in necessary ethical conversations. The question must be asked: Is a certain technology going to be good or bad for humanity and for the world? People must then respectfully debate that question and act accordingly based upon their convictions.Modernizing a Legacy Publication: Many publishing companies have adapted to incorporate a digital space. An important first step to do so is a willingness to disrupt the current publication. Additionally, training writers for this format is an essential step as the format is shorter and the frequency intensifies.  Knowing Your Lane and Always Earning an Audience: A media company, and any organization for that matter, must know its mission. Then, it’s a matter of producing high quality content with that lane in mind and constantly earning an audience by adding value to the customers’ lives.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There’s a general tendency for people to desire to fit in — to want to be on the inside of systems and institutions. The drive to be in the in-crowd or on the team is so embedded in the socialization process that the idea of being an outsider often becomes associated with something undesirable. But many times people who come into a situation with an outsider perspective see things more clearly and can come up with alternative solutions to problems. That was the case for Rory San Miguel, the CEO of Propeller Aero, whose outsider perspective led to innovation in the construction and surveying industries. Main TakeawaysOutsiders Can See Solutions: Maybe being an insider isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, there are VIP perks, but there is also the myopic vision that can develop from spending too much time on the inside.There’s a greater scope of vision when looking in from a distance. An outsider perspective is also an advantage because there’s less to lose and more to gain.An Adaptable Construction Industry: Oftentimes, construction is unfairly categorized as an industry that is resistant to change. The truth is that the construction industry is pretty adaptable to new technologies. The construction business is about building tangible things and the margins really matter. It’s ready and willing to adapt to any technology that helps in getting the work done and that’s good for the bottom line too.A Frisbee and a Pizza Box: There’s a lesson to be learned from being willing to walk down a path with a spirit of openness and see where it leads. At the beginning stages, Propeller Aero knew its passion without having a clear sense of application. As doors were cracked open by customers showing the way, Propeller, led by its founders, walked through the door into the surveying industry. A Frisbee and then a pizza box were outside of the box influences toward innovation. Propeller Aero shows that it’s good to think outside the box and, in fact, maybe use a pizza box as a prototype to solve a complex problem. Loyalty in Both Directions: Customers that believe in a business and give multiple chances to deliver can provide that runway innovators need to uncover a solution. On the other hand, companies should be loyal to their customer base. There can be a tendency to want to expand to other industries and go wide rather than deep. Really, loyalty between businesses and customers is all about valuing relationships and deepening them over time. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There’s an obvious tension in the crypto world between decentralization and centralization. Of course, Bitcoin was a reaction against the power of the entrenched banking systems and a move toward individual economic empowerment. The essential element of blockchain technology is a distributed ledger, so it’s a reasonable desire for those who care about the technology to want the scale tipped toward decentralization. It’s also undeniable that some centralization often proves useful with scaling and building trust. But living within the tension between decentralization and centralization may be the key to empowering individual people by providing them with economic access. Manish Gupta, the EVP of Engineering at Coinbase, makes the case that Coinbase is equipped to democratize the crypto economy. Main TakeawaysTension Between Decentralization and Centralization: Coinbase is living between the binary of a centralized versus a decentralized system. Fundamentally, by maintaining a balance between both paradigms, it has an opportunity to further democratize the crypto economy,Seeing Opportunity Instead of a Problem: When the crypto economy has boomed in the past, the Coinbase site has gone down, at times, due to the volume of users on the site. Trust is essential for Coinbase customers, so being able to solve for capacity issues is essential for sustaining that trust. In part, the solution to handling traffic issues has been to institute a series of tests to be proactive rather than leaning on a spike in the market to test the system. For Coinbase and Manish Gupta, these platform issues became an opportunity to strengthen the platform.Leaning into Decentralizing Technologies: Coinbase has made a strategic decision to lean into decentralized products. Overall, Coinbase plans to focus on decentralizing its workforce, products, and what it builds on the blockchain. One example of offering increased decentralization on the platform is creating wallets where assets can be individually held rather than combined into a larger pool of assets.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Disruption is a word that gets thrown around a lot in business. It’s curious because most people don’t want their day to day to be disrupted in regular life. People don’t just casually offer up the phrase, “I can’t wait for some disruption today.” But that’s why it’s absolutely necessary. It helps to change things up and see the world differently. Umesh Sachdev, the Co-founder and CEO of Uniphore, explains how he first realized the call center industry was ready for an evolution.Main TakeawaysCreating Super Call Center Agents: A.I. in conjunction with automation can act as a coach or mentor for agents. It can give clues as to customers’ engagement while helping provide data and facts in real time. It can also take notes on the conversations so there is a record to reflect back on and use to make improvements. This A.I. augmentation turns agents into super agents. Language, Tone, and Facial Recognition: A.I. has had an incredible progression. Initially, A.I. was trained for language and then for tone of voice. Now, A.I. can read faces and gestures. All of this accumulated interpreted data can be applied to provide call agents, or whomever, with the information they need to better communicate with customers.Applying Knowledge: It’s one thing to acquire information as an engineer or a business leader. But acquiring knowledge without applying it is like holding the best tasting spice in the world in one’s hand but never adding it to any food. Knowledge that is held but not applied is wasted. Use knowledge to solve problems. Switching to Sales: Sometimes engineers and creators are so focused on their work that they forget about sales. The obvious aspect of doing so is that without funding, the creativity stops. Reframing striving to make sales as a creative, communicative job helps. Also, customers can provide insights and ideas for new, interesting projects. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In business, there can be a tendency to label, categorize, and then make corresponding assumptions. This is very reasonable. In order to organize, it’s necessary. One less than ideal aspect of this mentality is that certain responsibilities may be assumed to be mostly relevant to only one title, team, or department. With that sort of thinking, the concept of communication tends to be more associated with marketing or sales. But the need to communicate well cuts across every area of a company. To serve clients, it’s imperative. Clearly articulating shared goals between companies and their clients allow expectations to be set and then delivered.Main TakeawaysRemote Communication - Signal Versus Noise: Skyrocketing remote work has necessitated different styles of dialogue. For instance, it calls for more written channels on Slack or email, or more Zoom meetings. But management is necessary to make sure employees are using effective means to communicate that enable them to accomplish their tasks rather than getting bogged down in unnecessary and time-consuming mediums that don't really further their specific work product.In-Person Meetings Still Matter: For all the positives in remote work and communication channels, there is still something that’s lost when people aren’t able to be with each other. Actually gathering together does help to connect team members. Properly managed hybrid models can create small teams that are able to leverage their in-person time as well as the remote tools that help to bind them together and get quality work done.How Open Should Channels Be?: With these new forms of remote communication, there is an even greater ability to have conversations between different teams at a company. This can be a double edged sword between the sales and developer teams. On one hand, communication can really help customers. On the other hand, there can come a point when a decision about a certain project must be made and further back and forth may not be as relevant at that point.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Storytelling defines how we see ourselves in the world. Telling the story of one’s own life can be empowering or disempowering, depending on the story a person tells. This is true for companies too. The story of a company’s work can be told in a limited or an expansive way. The difficulty is that not only does the company tell its story, their audience — consumers, media, and even other companies — all help tell the story too. For a legacy company, that story can calcify until an effort is made to rewrite the narrative. Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, the Corporate SVP at LG Electronics and Head of North America Innovation Center ("LG Nova"), explains how he is rewriting LG’s story to reflect that it is a company promoting all kinds of innovation. Main TakeawaysStrengthening Innovation through Partnerships: LG has created a center of innovation in Silicon Valley, LG Nova, to support innovation from diverse startups across wide-ranging industries. Ultimately, LG Nova becomes partners with select startups and backs them with LG’s might so that they have the ability to scale. Telling the Story Differently: LG is primarily known as an electronics and appliance company. The true story is that LG promotes innovation across many sectors and has the capacity to support that aim. Dr. Rhee honors LG’s legacy but is sharing the story that LG’s interest in innovation is very expansive.  Close to the Action, High Above It, and in the Middle: Rhee tells the story of his career. First, he found himself close to the creative action in the startup world. Then, he worked in government, was high above the action, but could shape policy, etc. Finally, he has found a balance at LG in working with startups yet having the power of LG to make a difference.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There’s a whole new manner of interacting at work now, especially with the rise in remote and hybrid workflows. The digital transformation was already well under way and then, if the transition was a campfire, the pandemic poured lighter fluid on it. Fortunately, lots of companies responded by making s’mores rather than getting burned, and utilized the technological tools that were already developed to help.Main TakeawaysOrganizational Alignment: The pace of technological change is breathtaking. Companies must continually be making sure their entire organization is aligned with their mission. This requires working quickly and adapting accordingly. Communication via channels helps to ensure the right people in an organization all have access to the same info to allow for conversations to to quicken the pace of workMental Shift: Working in channels is significantly different than an email workflow. For those that liked the finality of responding to an email and closing it out, the channel system can feel like it is without an end. The positive aspect of this feeling could be that the information is always available and can be of easy access as needed. When it comes down to it, individual mindsets can be adjusted to reframe the channel experience in a manner that’s helpful.Focusing on Virtual and Physical Spaces: For a long time, companies primarily focused on physical places for employees to work and, in many cases, for customers to interact with a business too. Now, the focus is adjusting, partly based on necessity, to creating supportive virtual places. Moving forward, companies will need to integrate physical and digital spaces. In many businesses, and in most human interactions, there is a place for both the physical and digital spaces.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

It’s easy to feel unmoored in a fast-changing world with such choppy waves. With so much change, there’s a natural tendency to want to drop the anchor in the nearest calm waters and remain there, hoping this approach will be the most secure. But the water’s never really placid. There are extremely strong currents beneath the surface. Even the most gigantic anchor won’t be able to keep the ship from moving. It’ll just slow it down a little, and, maybe, even pull the vessel apart no matter the quality of how it was built. Joshua Scott, the Head of IT and Security for Postman, believes that accepting and planning for changes in technology is the best security strategy.Main TakeawaysEvolution of the API Market: The API market was often overlooked in the past but that’s no longer the case. Postman has about fifteen million developers on its site who are working on various API projects. Where API was treated as something less than before, it is now appreciated like any other application. The mentality concerning API security has also evolved. Previously, API security was more of an afterthought. Given the  amount of increasingly interconnected tools, the import of API security is now more greatly understood.Both Centralization and Decentralization: When maintaining security, there needs to be clear leadership; therefore, a level of centralization. A clear, centralized hierarchy establishes accountability for leadership. An aspect of security decentralization is building a culture of shared responsibility among all stakeholders. Additionally, decentralizing security by empowering those closest to the action increases the speed of decision-making.Compartmentalization is a Good thing: In one’s personal life, compartmentalization is a good thing in some respects but tends to have diminishing returns when overused. In the security arena, the capacity to compartmentalize mitigates risk from spreading from one spot to all aspects of the business. If a business is a ship, it’s never great to have a breach in the hull but it’s better if the gaping hole is limited to one compartment.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Threats are not new to business. Whenever there has been a plentiful economic prize, there have also been pirates. In the swashbuckling days, the captain and the crew were charged with protecting the merchandise on board. The difference today is the sheer volume of cyber attacks inbound to companies. Carolyn Crandall, the Chief Security Advocate and CMO at Attivo Networks, describes the attack as an enormous wave.Main TakeawaysA Security Threat Tsunami: Cyber attacks are like giant perpetual waves. Businesses are constantly inundated with these threats. The first steps toward fighting back are recognizing the power of one’s adversaries, understanding how the company is being attacked, knowing where the company’s vulnerabilities are, and then devising a plan to combat the attacks.Strategy over Monitoring: Businesses tend to want to monitor their systems and that’s generally a good thing. Part of the method of attackers, however, is to overwhelm with data. Instead of only monitoring, companies have to decipher attacker techniques and then strategize on how to defend accordingly.Automate, Automate!: People can only do so much by themselves to defend against constant cyber attacks. Automation can be an answer to these attacks. Humans can’t protect against the deluge of attacks by themselves and must lean on A.I. and machine learning to help combat these nefarious attacks. When companies begin to deploy an A.I. defense strategy, the designed algorithms can begin to decipher what is normal activity on network servers and what is not.Data Cloak and Disrupt: Misusing credentials is a great way for attackers to gain access to resources. It is possible to have an automated system, such as Attivo, that can bait rogue elements, gain their trust, and then deny their access while hiding vital data.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Freedom is not something to fear; in fact, it’s an essential component of creativity. Chaos is something to avoid, however. Many creative people confuse freedom with chaos and think a chaotic environment inspires creative passion. The most creative environments are those that provide enough order, and essential security, that allows individuals to stretch out to create something new. As security information management has evolved with the cloud, a new form of defense has been required. Dave Frampton, the VP/GM Cloud SIEM & Security Analytics at Sumo Logic, describes this system as living in the middle of the cloud chaos. “What you really need to do is rethink this and deliver this SIM from the cloud, like as a cloud service itself. So that’s it’s right there in the midst of all that chaos [and] able to ingest all of that data and it’s savvy and smart about all those different new threat surfaces, because, in and [of] itself, this service is built and made from all of these same components: microservices, and containers, and modular, modern software that communicates by APIs.”By living in the midst of the cloud chaos, a security platform such as Sumo Logic is in the middle of the action and is creating a secure place for business and creativity to flourish. In Greek mythology, Atlas was forced to hold up the sky as a punishment by Zeus. Cybersecurty forces must hold back those with ill intent and to do so they dwell inside the chaos and create a safe place there. They don’t do this because they are condemned to this fate. Instead, they do so because they have chosen this role of protector and this is their mission.On this episode of IT Visionaries, Dave chats about how cybersecurity has evolved to decrease silos and increase automation. He explains how humanity, and ethics, are required to make judgements on how A.I. and automation should be used to further security aims. Enjoy the episode!Main TakeawaysMoving Into the Cloud Chaos: If the action is in the cloud, then security needs to be in the cloud too to ingest necessary data and to disrupt attacks. The security product must be at the same level, and made with the same parts, as that which it is intended to protect. Platform Disrupts Silos: In companies, silos are often made out of a sense of necessity. People work in their areas with their specific knowledge and access. In security, however, it is important to have a platform that connects those on the application and security teams so they can work together to protect the company.  Automation with Ethics: There’s a drive to automate as much as possible in the security realm because there is so much data and so many threats with everything moving so fast. This is reasonable, but humanity must lead decision-making concerning automation. It’s a matter of ethics. People must choose when to automate and for what purpose. They must weigh the pros and cons of their actions and accept any consequences. Fear and Greed: People are often driven by fear and greed. This is the case when considering A.I. and automation advances in security. On the fear side, it’s reasonable to be concerned about potential technological overreaches and unintended consequences. On the greed side, A.I. and automation has vast potential to deal with so much incoming data and to make quick decisions.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

Even when trying really hard to please people, it’s difficult. Most people don’t know exactly what they want. And when they do know, they often don’t know how to articulate it. In our personal lives, this can be frustrating, for sure. In the professional world, it can be crippling for a company if they don’t have a pulse on their customers’ wants; but, even more importantly, their needs. Michael Peachey, the VP of User Experience at RingCentral, suggests the best  practice for understanding customers is for a company to enhance their observational capabilities. Main TakeawaysUsing Powers of Observation: To design effectively, a company has to understand how customers are using their products. Surveys help and so do conversations, but observations are best. Tech tools won’t replace the power of human contact, but they can augment observational capacity. Seeing where people place their mouse on screen, for instance, can help strengthen design elements. Observing customers who are struggling with a specific aspect of an app can increase empathy from designers and motivate them to address the issue.Function Versus Beauty: It’s an age-old question as to whether function as opposed to beauty is paramount in design. Function is number one. Without it, products will definitely fail. Beauty is nice but not necessary. The ideal is design that has both function and beauty.BCB Demystified: Everything is interconnected as people who work in the business sector are also consumers. Apps often start in enterprise first. Then employees like them because of the functionality so they take them home and share them and the apps spread among consumers. Consumers also bring apps they like from home back into the business market because they want to use these products at work.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Certain types of technology are easier to understand for some people than for others, and that’s okay. Passion is contagious; iIt attracts employees and customers. Strong, passionate leadership with clear vision increases employee satisfaction that then translates to satisfied customers. Developers who make products that build and maintain infrastructure toil to solve problems so their customers can pursue their own desires. Idit Levine, the Founder and CEO of Solo.io, shares her zeal for her company’s work as well as a belief in her team’s competitive nature.Main TakeawaysThe Power of Passion: Passion is often underrated. It is the engine of creativity and accomplishment. Lean into passion in order to educate others, gather phenomenal employees, and attract customers.  Creation from Competition: Competition can be something that people shy away from. Perhaps this is because they wrongly equate it to being domineering. True competition is about striving to be the best version of oneself and creating an environment for one’s entire team to do the same. Embrace competition to win.Knowing the Why of Founding: Founding a company is a huge endeavor. Knowing the reason to be a founder is essential. For Idit Levine, founding was about building on the successful things she had learned from previous stops but also learning from experiences she found wanting and believing she could do even better. Supporting the Team: A CEO should be obsessed with their employees. Leaders must make sure their employees are content and empowered to be their best. Happy employees lead to satisfied customers.  Listening to the Market but Pushing Too: Listen to the market, but don’t just listen to the market. Customers don’t always know what they need or the direction of where a technology must head. It’s the job of a CEO to lead and determine the company’s course and the products they must build.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When a new technology with tremendous potential rolls out, expectations are sky high. It’s going to be a magical technology that changes the world, right? If it doesn't take off immediately with consumers, there can be a tendency to overreact, be let down, give up, and move on to the next new thing that’s supposed to change the world. But what if the technology is augmented reality and it does, truly, change the way people see the world? Even though everyone isn’t walking around every second, using AR, just yet, augmented reality has been making great strides over the last decade. And Peggy Johnson, the CEO of Magic Leap, explains that digital augmentation will be the norm eventually.“There will be a time again where we'll look back and say, ‘Remember when we didn't have digital augmentation in front of our eyes.’ Whether that'll be in the form of glasses that we'll wear or contacts maybe at some point, I do believe we will have that kind of capability as a tool to help us just get through our days, do our jobs, and to entertain us. This is the start of it.”The way to combat overreacting when a new technology is not immediately broadly used is to simply realize that it takes time to change the world; in particular, how people see the world. With augmented reality, the complex goal is to seamlessly integrate physical and digital spaces. That’s a real challenge. Technological advancement of this magnitude takes patienceents and there are always fits and starts. But it’s happening right now.On this episode of IT Visionaries, Peggy shares the state of AR today and where she sees it heading in the future. She also explains how technological advancement has a trajectory that can sometimes be misunderstood. If a technology does not immediately take off with consumers, some mistakenly write it off as a failure. She also discusses the journey trials and tribulations that Magic Leap has been through as a company, including how she’s helped the company pivot from a consumer-facing to product one that focuses solely on enterprise applications. Peggy clarifies that this is just part of the process as a powerful technology is often first directed toward consumers, then to enterprise, and then finally cycles back to consumers in a major way. Enjoy the episode!Main TakeawaysIt’s Okay to Pivot: Resisting change is like trying to try to stop the seasons. Magic Leap was first more consumer-focused but then pivoted to enterprise. Its initial consumer-facing approach helped to visually clarify what augmented reality could be. Now, there are many enterprise use cases for Magic Leap. Proving Value: For consumers, value is about having great content and then enough of it. For enterprise clients, proving value is also constant. Magic Leaps works with current application vendors of their enterprise clients to help heighten their existing applications with AR. Security and privacy are big concerns for companies that must be addressed too. In the enterprise-lane, the AR device typically needs to be used all day so it has to be very comfortable to wear: smaller, lighter, and not too hot. No one wants overheated employees.Creating Ahead of the Curve: Being out front with new technologies requires a bold mentality. When a company creates products ahead of the curve, they have to make things that have never been made before. A company culture of innovation supported by similarly oriented partners gets great work done.Vendors as Partners: There’s no doubt AR is complex and groundbreaking so new products and components need to be built all the time. In this sense, the supply chain is always having to catch up with very speedy tech. Having vendors that are more like partners help to keep the supply chain moving efficiently.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The world has changed; work has too. Many people are reassessing both their personal and professional lives. The truth is that the personal and professional worlds have always been intertwined. People never left their humanity outside the front door of the office. Now, due to the increase in remote work, there may not even be a physical office. And the integration of personal and professional life is more obvious today than ever before. Work is being done at home, but so is taking care of the household or kids. There’s a lot of life for people to sort out. It’s a challenging time, for sure, but also one filled with potential.Companies have an opportunity to take care of their employees in new ways. Or, if they are reluctant to change, employees can leave for other opportunities. Instead of an outdated and unhelpful mentality about controlling workers, companies have to adjust to make sure employees have the freedom they need to do their best work.Part of this is making sure that work culture is good. Leaders don’t try to control employees; they make sure their path is smooth to do their work. It’s also about providing the right tools at the opportune time to get work done efficiently. Most people are decent and hard working. They want to be productive and to be respected. If companies take care of their core needs, employees will produce, increase ROI, innovate, and care for customers. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Preeti Somal, the VP of Engineering at HashiCorp and Mark Thiele, the CEO and Founder of Edgevana, discuss how companies can transform to create more productive work environments in this new era of increased personal and professional integration. Enjoy the episode!Takeaways:A Good Culture and the Right Tools: In this new world of increased remote work, companies must create an environment where workers feel satisfied and productive in order to retain them. First, create a work culture based on trust, freedom, and support. Then, provide the right technical tools that make work easier for employees to be their best.Control is a Mirage: Most employees care and do quality work. Trying to control workers based upon the fear of a few underperformers is counterproductive. Control isn’t even really possible nor should it be desirable. It restricts the freedom that is necessary for most workers to achieve their goals. Instead, performance must be evaluated through common sense and accomplishments rather than surveillance.New Wave of Internal Tools: Low-code and no-code developments are allowing for lots of new tools to be created within companies. These new tools can be micro-targeted to help a few employees, but also have the ability to be designed, developed, and integrated rapidly. With so many new internal applications, it’s important to develop an organizational team and platform to track them.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

A lot of times people look at someone who changes the world and think that person must have known exactly what they were doing right from the very beginning. A lot of times, people are dead wrong. Creating comes from a place of not knowing exactly what comes next, and being willing to try to make something new anyway. Sure, trying something new takes courage; but, it’s more about being willing to try things and not be concerned with the outcome. Also, in reality, individuals don’t change culture — people join forces to do that. If a company wants to change the world, then they need to develop a culture that promotes creativity. Dieter Shirley, the Co-creator of CryptoKitties and the CTO and Lead Architect of Dapper Labs, explains the creative process he has learned to employ.“We would try all sorts of crazy stuff. Of course, most of it didn’t go anywhere. But that was how we learned. Even if CryptoKitties hadn’t taken off, we would have learned a ton and been able to try something else.”Creative people often make objects that other people collect. Creative-types do this because creating new things help them to interact with the materials of the world and then shape them into a certain type of order. Collectors collect because these items help provide meaning to their lives. In this way, both creators and collectors are attempting to create order. Today, these objects can be digital too. CyptoKitties — digital blockchain cats — the latest basketball sneaker, or the hottest painting are now all one in the same. People will queue up for digital collectibles just like they would stand in a line at the sneaker store. They’ll outbid each other for digital memorabilia just like they would for that painting.   On this episode of IT Visionaries, Dieter talks about all he and his team learned when they created CryptoKittes, the limitations that blockchains such as etherium placed on their ability to scale CryptoKitties or other similar products, and how they've applied that knowledge to NBA Top Shot — which are digital NBA and WNBA collectibles they build on their blockchain, Flow. Enjoy the episode!Main TakeawaysTry Crazy Things: Just create new things. Not knowing where everything is going is okay. The creation process is never wasted time even if a certain project isn’t considered successful. Creating is about learning. Regardless of the outcome, what’s learned can always be applied moving forward.The Power of Fun and Games: Having a spirit of playfulness in the creative process allows new things to be tried. It’s also really important to make technology that’s fun too. If consumers find the tech fun in itself, like a game, for instance, they’ll take the time to interact with the technology.If You Build it, They Will Come: Just build the tech and keep it simple. If you build something, that gives it a chance for consumers to use it. If it’s simple, even better. If it’s fun, that’s the best because people will take the time to actually use it. People don’t need to know everything about a certain technology to use it. They just need to be interested in it and be able to learn just enough to engage with it.If You Need To, Build It Yourself but Better: Sometimes, taking matters into your own hands is the best path forward. CryptoKitties crashed the Ethereum network. Rather than relying on Ethereum or any other blockchain, Dapper Labs built its own blockchain, Flow, that increased efficiency and met their requirements to scale.Something That Never Dies: Digital memorabilia is attractive because it never dies. Collectors collect items to create meaning for their lives. Digital items, that can live forever, can provide comfort to collectors in that they will always exist and be there for them to provide that meaning.Trust Your Team: As a leader, it’s imperative to trust the team. Even if a leader is initially very involved in the creative process of a certain project, over time the team members working on the project every day will likely develop greater expertise. When that happens, the best thing a leader can do is trust the team. This, of course, also opens up the leader to meet other responsibilities, including dreaming up new projects.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In the sport’s world, some teams have all the talent they need to win championships, but, oftentimes they can’t seem to put it all together to be the last team standing at the end of the season. On the other hand, there have been moments when the most unlikely teams come together to shock the world. But when you look back, their success is not so surprising. It’s simply that their culture, their togetherness, was underrated. Championship teams don’t just appear; instead they are built. Company cultures are a lot like teams. Winning is the work, and work must get done. This is especially true when complex software products have to be created that solve problems for customers. Himanshu Palsule, the President and Chief Product and Technology Officer at Epicor, explains how the team works together at Epicor.“We operate pretty flat, including our CEO, Steve Murphy, who’s a process engineer himself. We  all roll up our sleeves and talk to the person that has the answer versus sort of go down a hierarchy of people. If you want to succeed at Epicor, you need to be comfortable with that.”Part of building a great team is when leaders are members of the team too and not above it, and everyone works together. Another aspect of being on a successful team is being able to define what the team does well, stick to that core identity, and then having respect for other teams for what they do best. Every game is a series of problems and then solutions. Solve enough problems and the game is won. Great teams create cultures that identify each problem correctly and then work together to solve them.On this episode of IT Visionaries, Himanshu discusses how the Epicor team works together to provide enterprise resource planning software. To do their job effectively, he describes a culture of teamwork that extends to even incorporating the fans, the customers, into the team too. Enjoy the episode!Main TakeawaysBeing a Vendor/Coach: Sales go ary when salespeople either push a client too hard to take on more than they need or allow a client to overcommit to more than they require. Rather than thinking from only a sales perspective, it is helpful for a vendor to think of themselves as the client’s coach. With this mindset, they seek to help educate and support the customer so that their business can succeed. This mentality allows long-standing relationships based upon respect to develop.Core Identity Versus Respecting Other Players: As a large player in an industry, it’s important to identify core company work and stick to that. If there are other players with a specific technology to solve a particular problem, it’s good to respect their product and allow them to do what they do best too. A large player in the industry doesn’t have to do everything; they just need to do their thing.Creating a Problem-Solving Culture: A constructive culture is essential to solve project problems and get work done. Creating an environment where hierarchy is not rigid and communication is fluid is one key. Another key is providing some guardrails to brainstorming sessions in a group of can-do people. Parameters can drive creativity.Fielding a Good Team: Team building involves creating places for people to learn. Partnerships with academic institutions certainly can help. It’s also important to look for potential employees who have a specific skillet that can be adaptable even if they haven’t done the exact type of work before. These sorts of workers can be trained to be very productive members of the team.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

In general, creative-types fall into two camps. The first camp loves the excitement of creating something flashy — things that people can identify, experience, and viscerally respond to. The second camp is made up of those who care about building a foundation so that other people can create great things upon it. If they do their jobs really well, their work may go relatively unnoticed. But that’s okay with them. They can sit back and smile, knowing they helped other creators do their best work. Tony Minessale, the Founder and CEO of SignalWire, describes the satisfaction that comes with building a strong foundation to help developers do what they do best.Main TakeawaysCreating Infrastructure so Developers Can Flourish: Some people are attracted to the bright lights of creating flashy applications. That’s fine and helpful too. It’s also necessary to have people that are focused on creating a strong foundation of infrastructure so that developers can build their artful products on top of it.Lessons From Open Source: Open-source work can teach developers a lot. There’s a sense of community that is often established. Also, there’s something meaningful in people doing work for its own sake, rather than for money. On the other hand, the open- source model does have its limitations. Often, a developer can end up serving too many masters because a solution for one person can be a problem for another. At some point, creating a company makes more sense as the capital allows focus and the ability to create a unified team to serve the vision.  The Benefit of Rolling out Tech Gradually: Consumers learn more about a new technology when it is delivered to them over time in multiple products that are successively more complex. This graduated process helps consumers to understand a given technology better. It also provides more sales.No Sympathy for the Buzzword: If buzzwords are rated, they’re overrated. Buzzwords can be bandied about by anyone wise enough to recognize them. Too often, however, they lose their meaning from overuse, are imprecise, or don't serve in educating other people and fostering effective communication.   An Internet Driven Telecom Industry is Inevitable: Legacy telecommunication models are still around, but an internet telecom industry is the future. Even now, satellite internet has enough bandwidth to stream content. Legacy telecom companies will evolve as they always do to make money. It may take a while for people to adapt but the technology is here. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

One way to think about data is that it is like rain, and it is pouring outside. Imagine c-suite executives running around in a parking lot with huge buckets trying to capture as much as they can. Afterward, they return to the office, analyze the data, and then decide what to do based upon their discoveries.But in this example, it’s not about how many buckets you come back with, it’s what’s in the buckets that matters most. Data is interpreted based upon a person’s values. In fact, certain types of data are acquired, or discarded, because of someone’s core principles -— their guiding light as to how they see the world and their role in it. Entire companies make decisions about how to use data based upon their mission. It all comes down to values whether at the personal level or at the overall company level.    In business, data is leaned on because it is measurable. Data is useful, no doubt. It can guide decisions. But, really, the heart of decision-making is about a leader’s values. The underlying question is: What do you believe in? On this episode of IT Visionaries, guest host, Michael Rivo, Director, Salesforce LIVE, Virtual Events Content & Platform at Salesforce, is joined by Kimberly Paige, EVP and CMO of BET, and Dan Torunian, VP of Employee Technology &Experiences at Paypal. They discuss how their intuition and values drive how they use data and help make decisions for their respective companies.Takeaways:Data Drives Decisions: Data is driving decisions all across companies. At BET, it is being used to adjust brand marketing. At Paypal, it is being used to increase the wellbeing of employees so that they can, in turn, serve customers more effectively. Data Versus Instinct: Using data to make decisions certainly is important. Striking a balance between using data and using intuition is key for good leadership. It’s ideal to find an even balance between both data and intuition, while leaning slightly on common sense.Collaboration Through Mission: Shared values and a shared mission creates collaboration and helps break down silos of people and data. Data can be used to support a company’s mission, but values are the foundation. It’s important to remember that values are at the core of everything, including how data is gathered, interpreted, and acted upon.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Despite so many technological advances, the way people worked stayed fairly static for many years. Work has now changed suddenly; there is no doubt about that. Where work was mostly in person, now a lot of work is remote or in a hybrid model. Nobody wanted this change to happen in this way — by being forced to quickly adjust due to a global health crisis. It’s like the whole working world collectively face-planted. No one asks to fall. But with any fall, there is an opportunity to reassess, get back up, and change course. Now, there is a tremendous opportunity to redesign the rituals of work. Ashok Krish is the Global Head of Digital Workplace at Tata Consultancy Services, and he believes we are in a transitional phase of work where new routines and rituals are being established.“A lot of new rituals of remote work had to be put in place. And I think that is the single biggest culture change that a lot of companies missed; more so than the technology. I think the technology, most companies already had it. They just accelerated the adoption and rollout of it.” The entire world is right in the middle of a work culture change. Employees are still learning to work and be productive from a distance. And companies are figuring out how to bring people together despite distance. But there is a way to bridge the divide between a company and it’s employees, wherever they may be physically working. Thoughtful analytics and technological design are the answer, and when applied effectively, they can create new digital norms that foster productivity and employee contentment.    On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ashok explains how work must be reimagined with these new norms in mind. He details how new rituals must be designed and then incorporated, and he dives into how reshaping the old way of work can actually open up new possibilities and efficiencies within the technology companies already have under the hood. Enjoy the episode!Main TakeawaysTransitioning Work Rituals: Work has changed suddenly from mostly in person to often remote. The old rituals of work no longer apply today. Long, frequent meetings don’t work well remotely. Perhaps they were never really efficient in person either. New rituals must be established for remote work to be successful and for workers to be content.  Valuing Frontline Workers: Frontline workers are immensely valuable. Given the tumult of the last eighteen months, companies have learned to better appreciate their frontline workers. Historically, frontline workers were underserved by IT and had to find their own tech solutions. Now, there is more of a focus on providing frontline workers the IT support they need.New Work Norms: New norms must be established given more work is remote or hybrid now. Technology can be used to increase productivity and contentment in the workforce. Using tech to limit meeting times and messages increases the importance of these activities. It’s essential to get two-way communication going, perhaps especially in high power distance cultures. Interactive town halls, that aren’t too long, can create two-sided communication that connects leaders with their employees. Creating a Culture of Connection: The challenge with remote work is that we can no longer rely on physical proximity to create connection between people and to identify when people are feeling disconnected. Analytics can be helpful to determine if people are overworked and stressed. Then, HR needs to reach out to establish contact to make sure employees are doing okay.Ritualization of Design: New IT design principles must be established that support today’s work and workers. Ritual can be helpful for many types of work because it establishes an efficient guide on how to efficiently get things done the right way.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Some people are super health conscious, with their days driven by early-morning trips to the gym and kale smoothies. Others try their very best to avoid thinking about anything health-related at all, pushing thoughts of vegetables or long walks right out of their minds. Regardless of which camp you fall in, your overall health is important and your medical history is critical data. So why is it so difficult to get access to important health information for ourselves and those we love? Is the onus on us? Or is it due to a breakdown within the system? Either way, we clearly need systems and technology that support our health. Vijay Anand is the EVP of Engineering at Castlight Health, and he believes that technology combined with the human touch can increase everyone’s health.“What we actually do is a combination of things. [We] certainly help you with content that helps you understand, why is that important? And what is it? But it's also about now using the power of high touch, right? This is essentially a key element of what our care guides do. On their single panel as they support our users, they actually have your whole health profile, but also the key recommendations and the gaps that you need to be closing.” Healthcare can feel like the ocean. It’s huge, important, overwhelming at times, and its waves can crash down on a person if they’re not careful. There’s a sea of healthcare information out there. Without some assistance, no one person can gather it all, make sense of it, figure out a plan, and then act accordingly. Fortunately, we do have help. There is technology that can guide us through the data and help us figure out what to do. Well-intentioned people can be a great support too. The key is getting technology and humanity working together toward the common goal of individual and community health. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Vijay explains the steps we can take to create a system that aggregates health data, personalizes it, and then helps engage people in making healthy decisions. He also shares how future innovation can help those who need services the most by identifying need and targeting care. Enjoy the episode!Takeaways:Three Tech Steps Toward a Healthy System: The first step is aggregating data from a variety of sources concerning health providers and procedures. Secondly, users need the ability to have personalized health information that is driven by the data. The last step involves engaging users so that they can adjust their behaviors to act on information that supports their health. Commonality Between Taxes and Healthcare: Making technological advances for people is not only about taking something that is incredibly complex and making it more simple. People need confidence that they can actually do something in order to even give it a try. The need for confidence to complete one’s taxes is similar to the confidence required to care for one’s health, as it is in many other important endeavors. The human touch can help support people’s confidence and encourage their perseverance.Tech/Health Innovations: Targeting services to people who really need it is something to look forward to and be motivated to do. Information will hopefully become less siloed and more holistic. A.I. advances will target/personalize health even more and then drive healthy behavior changes.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We talk to our computer by asking it a question and then the computer talks back, trying its best to answer it. At least that’s how the conversation generally happens between humans and A.I. Sometimes we’re happy with the computer’s answer and other times, not so much, and we either try again until we’re successful or give up. But real learning takes place with true dialogue, when there are successive exchanges that deepen understanding and where either a person or a computer can start the conversation. For people and computers to learn, good data is very important — as are ways to access it quickly. Even more important is constructive communication driven by language. Corey Patton is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pramana Labs, and he thinks prose and narrative conversations are the future in communication between A.I. and people.“We created a way to learn about a relational database using training processes and NLP models that allows a user to just ask the question in free text. What are the most home runs that any Angels outfielder has had in seven at bats, and then instantly get the answer back. It comes back in tables and graphs, and then also human prose, narrative language.” Developments in natural-language processing are beginning to allow for dialogue between people and A.I., which in turn creates a foundation for learning. Many people point to the bright, shiny object of vehicle automation when thinking about the potential for A.I., but perhaps the most exciting aspect of A.I. overall is the future of conversation and the amazing opportunity for learning quality exchanges between people and computers will provide. After all, this thirst for learning, and our need to talk to do so, may draw humans and computers even closer together.On this episode of IT Visionaries, Corey covers the bases about how natural-language processing is being incorporated into the sports world, with professional leagues such as the NHL and beloved publications like Baseball America relying on the technology to get information to audiences more accurately and quickly. And, as Corey says, that’s just the beginning for Pramana Labs as its applications are seeping into other industries spanning from commerce to finance to mortgage lending. Enjoy the episode!TakeawaysBuilding a MVP: When creating a product, it’s important to solve one particular problem for a customer rather than trying to solve all of them. Lean on the customer to inform the scope of the product based on what they need.Making the NLP Reusable: Having reusable, paramentixed, and interchangeable pieces of NLP data cuts down the time required to get a question answered. Once a question is answered, another question can be asked with only a slight variation, and then another answer can be quickly provided. In this sense, both speed and delivery of accurate information increases.Answering Questions for Intent: The key in NLP is to discover what question a person is trying to ask and then offer up the correct answer. Looking at the entire sentence signature through an analysis of all the pieces that the computer has been trained for allows A.I. the ability to decipher the sentence and then respond accordingly. A True Two-Way Conversation: The future of NLP is really tech that scans a database and then provides prose, narrative responses. In fact, A.I. will react to things that are happening in real time and create a narrative for what it is seeing without the user necessarily having to ask any questions. This will allow A.I. to initiate conversation and guide a person to the knowledge that they are seeking.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Each day, we’re coming into contact more and more with artificial intelligence and machine learning that is meant to make our lives better. We’ve all had some A.I. experiences that have gone really well. Perhaps, we didn’t even realize A.I. was helping us at first. On the other hand, getting help from A.I. doesn’t always work out perfectly, at least not right away. So why the inconsistency? If the human mind can take in so much complex information and make sense of it, why can’t our computers? Or can they if they have good data to learn from? Brad Porter, CTO of Scale AI, believes the key to A.I. learning efficiently is the right labeling:“What you need is those samples to be labeled perfectly because if they're labeled ambiguously, then the model can't actually decide what exactly is signal versus noise. So one way to solve that is to throw more and more data at it. Eventually you have enough data that the algorithms learn, okay, this is the signal and all these other pieces are the noise. If you get [a] really high quality signal, though, you can learn that signal very quickly if there's not a lot of noise in it.”Computers need lots of data to learn. More accurately, they really need lots of quality data labeled properly. Fundamentally, this just makes sense. The best way to learn something is through repeated exposure and practice. This is just as true for people as it is for computers. That’s where Brad comes in. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Brad explains how his diverse work experience, particularly his work in robotics, ultimately led him to focus on solving the problem of data labeling for A.I, which is setting us up for an exciting future. After all, if proper labeling is the key, and the key is becoming more readily available, then we can expect great things in the A.I. space. Brad discusses some of those great things, including how the tech will help us understand medical histories and its use in autonomous vehicles. Enjoy the episode!Main TakeawaysBreaking the Data Bottleneck: There is a lot of data in the world for A.I. to access. The primary issue for machine learning is for the computer to be able to distinguish what information is most important so it can learn. In this way, people and computers are similar. But computers need our help to know what data is essential. Labeling Data is Key: It’s easy to get caught up in the glamorous possibilities of A.I. and how it can help us. Computers need data to learn, but they need the right data to learn effectively and efficiently. Labeling data is essential to speed up the pace in computer learning. What is Signal Vs. What is Noise: Proper labeling helps A.I. distinguish between signal as opposed to noise. A.I. doesn’t necessarily need massive amounts of data to learn if the right, properly-labeled data is being provided.Quantity vs Quality: Without proper labeling, there has been a tendency to simply inundate A.I. with data so learning can happen eventually. Of course, this is inefficient and costly. Proper labeling streamlines this process. In an ideal situation for learning, there’s a tremendous amount of data that’s also all properly labeled. With large amounts of properly labeled, automated data, A.I. has a real chance to take off.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

It used to be the case that we mostly proved our identity by offering up a piece of paper. Perhaps that seems silly now — at least a little. In the digital age, that is definitely no longer the situation — and for good reason. Right now, we have difficulties of our own. Today, our digital information seems like it is everywhere and available for anyone to access, whether they are well intentioned or not. Because there is so much information, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to prove who someone actually is or is not. Through the use of A.I., Persona answers the fundamental question: Are you who you say you are? Rick Song is the CEO and Co-Founder of Persona, and he believes removing humans from the verification process is part of the solution.Main Takeaways:Identity Service Tools: Building identity infrastructure can be incredibly challenging for companies if that is not their area of expertise. Rather than having to create that structure from scratch, integrating an A.I. platform can make identity verification much easier. Using A.I. technology increases speed, privacy, and specificity.Tailoring to Companies and People: Many companies and people suffer due to lack of trusted identity services geared directly for them. Companies typically have difficulty identifying their customers. Through the use of A.I. technology, customers can be reached that historically have not had access to important resources.Learning to Sell: It’s definitely not easy transitioning from engineering to selling. Good friends, mentors, practice, and lots of honesty help. Focusing on the customer rather than what the company does is the key. Find what the customer cares about and hone in on that. ---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Many times we think about ideas in terms of debate — that there are only two ideas that are oppositional in nature and that one is superior to the other. This is true right now in the network conversation concerning an industry push toward either decentralized edge computing or more centralized network systems. What if, as is often the case, there is another way to think about duality where a unity lies somewhere in between? Raj Yavatkar, CTO of Juniper Networks, believes that to be the situation in terms of the debate for supremacy between decentralized versus centralized networks. “So before I get into the debate, which is a very interesting debate, you can say that three factors, a trio of trains, are coming together. People are putting more and more workloads to the public cloud, the 5G infrastructure, which is very densified, and there [are] micro cells.There's a densification of the traffic, which is at the edge. And third is the new applications based on A.I., M.L. and analytics. So when you look at all these three trends, it's not so much just sending the traffic to the public cloud. You're using edge from multiple lists.” In this episode of IT Visionaries, Raj proposes that, in truth, networks can be both things simultaneously as they become increasingly “aggregated at the edge.” He also shares that teleportation via quantum networking is occurring right now.Main TakeawayAggregation at the Edge: Rather than an either or proposition concerning decentralized edge computing or centralized network consolidation, there is a great deal of network aggregation at the edge. On one hand, there is a drive to centralize due to the ability to send traffic to the public cloud. Alternatively, issues concerning limits of data transfer across national boundaries due to GDPR regulations as well as the potential need for local networks for automation are promoting edge computing. In reality, aggregation is still occurring but simply on the edge.Customers Drive Tech Advances: Customers are the vanguard of technological advancement and driving development based upon their evolving needs. Customers increasingly want automation and predictive analytics to support maintenance. In terms of network service, this includes maintaining the physical products that support the network operating seamlessly.Quantum Networking is Real: Not only is computing capacity advancing rapidly but so is communications. Simply put, quantum networking is real. It is based upon the idea of encoding data into quantum bits in order to send it along a network. In other words, teleportation is not relegated to the realm of science fiction. It’s happening now.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every solution starts with an idea. Consumers needed more home security, so the founders of Ring came up with the smart doorbell. Home owners had trouble finding time to complete recurring tasks like vacuuming, so Roomba automated the vacuum. But despite those great ideas, every founder needs some help along the way. Or more specifically, they often need financial backing to scale a business, and they need someone to believe in them when others won’t. “We often joke that our best investments are the ones that nobody else likes. We're investors in Dollar Shave Club and I was told that was stupid. It was acquired for a billion dollars. With Ring, people laughed at me and they're like, ‘You invested in a doorbell business?’ A lot of times the ones that aren't necessarily obvious are really the best opportunities. So it was digging in and understanding if this does work, is it going to be really valuable?”Kevin Dunlap is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Calibrate Ventures, a VC firm focused on funding early-stage A.I. and automation companies. Every year Kevin and his partners sift through hundreds of companies looking to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey. But what separates the companies that receive funding from the ones that never make it past the pitch stage? And what trends is he seeing within the automation and A.I. space? On this episode of IT Visionaries, Kevin explains Calibrate process for picking companies to partner with and what questions start-ups should be answering before they step up to pitch to VCs. Enjoy this episode. Main TakeawaysIt’s All About Data: Data capturing and data labeling remains the two most important factors to developing functional A.I. solutions. When data is not effectively captured and/or labeled, the algorithm cannot effectively decipher what it needs to in real time. An example of this involves self-driving cars that need to not only be able to recognize the distance of a truck in front of them, but what kind of truck is in front of the vehicle, and all the other road conditions that could impact a drive.Honesty Gets you Far: Everyone wants to impress in their pitch to a VC, after all, the ability for them to fund a business could make or break a company. But one of the leading things that separates good pitches from great ones is the ability to admit where there is a gap in your business and how funding will help you close that gap. Going into a pitch meeting with all the answers is an early red flag and raises more questions than answers.Building a Better Tomorrow: With a growing labor shortage in tough skills and technical skills, companies and government programs must invest in STEM and STEAM programs to ensure that we are funding future generations of innovations, but also opening up more geographical regions as well. This also means that investors want to see how owners recruit talent to an organization, but also their strategy for training and retraining individuals to fit the needs of the business.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Standing in line at an airport is a bad experience. Shuffling through your wallet once you reach the front of that line only to realize you don’t have your driver’s license, that’s a worse experience. From boarding airplanes to purchasing alcohol, the technology that enables digital driver’s licenses already exists, but with adoption levels still so slow, the question is what’s the hold up?“I always liken it to chess and checkers — checkers, super easy to play. And giving access to people is playing checkers. Giving access to people based upon them being who they say they are, that they're doing what they're supposed to be doing, that they are where they're supposed to be, that they've been given approval for those assets, that's chess.There's this notion of authentication authorization approval, and today it's expanded into verification and proofing. So four key components and just like chess, you learn how to play it relatively quickly, but you spend the rest of your life mastering it.”At least 17 states in the continental US have considered or implemented digital driver’s licenses, but few have been able to create a system that leads to widespread adoption across the population and in government offices alike. On this episode ofIT Visionaries, Richard Bird, the Chief Customer Information Officer at Ping Identity, explains what the hold up is in getting digital driver’s licenses to all 50 states, and he sheds light on the biggest obstacle that is stalling the adoption process.Main TakeawayThe Privacy Paradox: From GDPR to CCPA, all data privacy legislation requires companies to protect consumers from harm that could come by way of using its product or services. But there are few or no rules or guidelines that protect users from their own digital identities. This means that companies must take on a larger role in not only making sure that users’ digital identities are secure, but that they are educating users on the proper ways to protect themselves.You’re So Predictable: Digital identity experiences need a vessel to live on such as smartphones or wearable devices, but one of the big concerns from implementing these pieces of equipment is the amount of data that will be gathered from these events. What is the appropriate level of data aggregation and how much is too much when it comes to being able to predict things such as human behaviors and predictability patterns?A More Inclusive Environment: Digital identity has the power to be a key driver to globalgrowth and digital transformation, but at the same time it can also lead to data biases that are collected from these. If someone fails to update an address on their driver’s license, that information could lead to misrepresentation of population.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The way we learn is no longer unilateral. So why act as if still one teacher, standing in front of a group of students lecturing them on a particular subject is the best way for them to learn a second language? Instead of teaching simple words or phrases such as bike, or car, what if the focus was on developing the skills that actually help people advance their careers? “The old way of teaching, where you teach the same thing to everybody — teacher in front of the room, using a textbook that gets purchased — no one thinks that's a good way of doing it. Good teachers actually go out and try to find supplemental materials that were interesting to their students. They look for news articles, or short stories, or something, but they can't take all that content and curate it and deliver it to learners. It's impossible for humans to do that. However, machines are really good at doing that. When I realized that was the very best way to teach learners, I decided to try to use computers for what technology can do best, to let people do what teachers do best.”That’s Dr. Katie Nielson, who earned her PhD in the school of languages from the University of Maryland in 2013, where her research focused on technology-mediated language training. Katie has dedicated her career to making language learning more accessible and now, as the CEO and founder of Voxy EnGen, she’s using technology to deliver high-quality needs-based instruction to immigrants and refugees.On this episode of IT Visionaries Katie, dives into why the way we teach language in the states is a broken process and how to fix it. She also explains how her platform is delivering personalized learning at scale to those that need it most. Enjoy!Main TakeawaysIf There’s A Problem, Fix it: When you’re developing a solution to a problem, you have to think about how your solution can be applied across different verticals. This means taking time to research the various options you have when it comes to getting your product to market, but also thinking about what your unique identifier is.A Barrier to Success: English is often what holds workers back from succeeding at their jobs. Instead of non-English speakers having to go to class in order to advance their linguistic skills, they should be able to do that on their own time with a program that teaches them the basics, but real-world scenarios based on their jobs to help them  improve.Setting a Baseline: When you’re developing any kind of algorithm or personalized experience, the first thing you have to identify and establish is a baseline for your measurement. This is how you identify the areas where someone needs to grow, but it also can be used as a tool to identify how far a user has come with your program.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Companies are built off profitability. The investments you make are designed to support the products or services you sell. But let's be honest for a moment, you like buying the things that are core to your business because that’s what you care about. The secondary expenses that occur, those are less fun. Whether you’re dealing in electronics, retail, mortgages, or hamburgers, inevitably there are expenses that arise that don’t support your product. So how do you cut down on those expenses? And how can all the data gathered from shipping and receiving actually improve your profit margins? “What's not core to you is core to us. What I mean by core to your businesses is at Harley Davidson, they make motorcycles. They source and buy steel, bolts, oil, leather, so on and so forth. But what they also need to operate their business is they need marketing. They need packaging, they need stores to sell their motorcycles in. Their retail operation. They need to ship things. It's everything else.”Craig Garno is the CTO at LogicSource and he’s helping companies such as LuluLemon, BIG Lots, and Tupperware cut down and streamline their spending. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Craig explains why companies that fail to focus on indirect services will struggle to scale the business while also paying more than fair market value. Plus he dives into how LogicSource is helping these businesses trim the fat on those investments, and the role data management plays in its efforts.Enjoy this episode.Main TakeawaysLost in Time: One of the main challenges to solving indirect procurement problems is the lack of attention these services are afforded. In most cases, the data input is still done manually, which also means most of the technology is behind as well. Businesses need to invest in these services in order to not only understand the areas within the supply chain where they are experiencing disruptions, but also to have a better idea of the costs they are incurring on items such as packaging and delivery services.Understanding How to Use Data: Once companies begin investing in their internal structures, they need to follow that action by doing a deep dive into understanding what data points are most important to the overall success of the business. But you also need to have a better understanding across the business of how to read and understand what the data is telling you. Once this is accomplished, you will have a better idea of how to fix some of the challenges the company is facing when it comes to procurement spend.Keep it Simple: The key to good product design is to not overcomplicate the application. When apps are easy to read, agile, easy to scale, and simple to understand, you have a greater chance of the product gaining traction and more adoption.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

There are 750 million transactions processed every day. Let that number sink in… Across ATMs, self-checkout machines, and online payments, NCR — through both hardware and software infrastructure — is helping you checkout faster. We already have tap-to-pay credit cards and payments-synced watches. So is there a way for transactions to actually get more seamless? And can creating that more effortless experience actually save you money?? Tim Vanderham, CTO and SVP at NCR, said it’s not that unrealistic.“We're going on this notion of frictionless, passive, and then us as consumers sharing our data where we want to share it so that we get benefits from it in our daily lives. If you're not a bank individual, but you start thinking about what's happening with decentralized finance around cryptocurrencies and blockchain, I can start to leverage that data in ways that I can ask for loans from my financial institution when I'm making larger purchases. It also gives me a way to save an extra $500 for a week.”In 2021, data is precious currency, especially when you’re a company that moves hundreds of billions of data points at a time. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Tim provides a new outlook on the future of your transactions Tim also goes into how NCR, a company established in 1884, is going through its own digital transformation to deliver customers the interactions with brands they desire. Enjoy this episode.Main TakeawaysInto the Serververse: Right now a majority of transactions are done with the swipe of a credit card or through physical cash. But that will change, and one way it will change is through the use of digital wallets on smartphones. These digital wallets will be able to store and read your information without you ever having to actually pull out a credit card.It’s Just a Transaction: NCR covers more than 750 million transactions a day, which means that hundreds of billions of data points pass through its system. These data points will eventually allow consumers to use that information to create better financial profiles — meaning if a user routinely invests 20 dollars into an account, the system will be able to automatically do that or that data will be used to create recurring buying profiles.From Hardware to Software: When you’re transforming a company that has been around for more than a century, you have to understand the verticals your company operates in. This means identifying where your technology is successful, and where you can improve. For NCR, that means moving away from just hardware products and developing a software platform that allows the three unique industries it serves to operate under one umbrella. ---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Let’s think about this for a second — what is more important: the pace at which a business must change its technology in order to keep up with its competitors or the culture that makes the whole thing flow efficiently? It’s an interesting conundrum, and one that Gautham Pallapa, Senior Executive Advisor at VMware thinks about often.“I look at things through the lens of culture, organization and people and processes first, because it's very easy to bring in the right technology. Technology is much more discreet. It's people and the culture that's not.”The bottom line for Gautham: culture wins, and it’s time for companies of all sizes to invest in it. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Gautham, self described as a culture evangelist, author, and a founder, explains how he works with some of VMware’s biggest customers to help them transform their businesses. He talks about why he advocates for culture ahead of technology, and he gives his reasons for why focusing on workplace culture is going through a digital renaissance of its own. Enjoy this episode.Main TakeawaysTaking a Modern Approach: While every company goes through some kind of digital transformation, it is important to also make sure that while you’re investing in your technology, you also invest in your workplace culture. Oftentime companies focus solely on the things that drive value and profit margins and not enough on the components of the organization that make it run.Leading with Empathy: 87% of remote workers report working longer hours than the traditional nine-to-five. With more employees working remotely than ever before, businesses must adapt their leadership styles to reflect the changing workplace. This means taking into account the challenges remote workers face and working with them through those struggles.End the Day on High Note: One of the ways organizations can lead with empathy is by creating a workplace culture that not only motivates employees to accomplish their tasks, but also praises them for their accomplishments. This can include implementing meetings such as “spin downs,” which are end of the day conversations designed to praise employees for the work they did that day.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

An A.I. the model is similar to a boat in that it needs constant maintenance to perform. The reality is  A.I. models need adjusted boundaries and guidelines to remain efficient.  And when you live in a world where everyone is trying to get bigger and faster and have a certain edge, Scott Clark is helping make that possible with his finely-tuned A.I. modeling techniques.“As you're building up these rules and constructs for how that system will even learn itself, there's a lot of parameters that you need to set and tune. There's all these magical numbers that go into these systems. If you don't have a system of record for this, if you're just throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks, and then only checking the best one, and you don't have a system of what you tried, what the trade-offs were, which parameters were the most important, and how it traded off different metrics it can seem like a very opaque process. At least that hyper parameter optimization and neural architecture search and kind of tuning part of the process can be a little bit more explainable, a little bit more repeatable and a little bit more optimal.”More explainable, and more optimal, but most importantly scaleable and reproducible. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Scott, the CEO and Co-founder of SigOpt, a company that’s on a mission to empower modeling systems to reach their fullest potential, explains the basic steps that go into successful models, how his team tweaks and optimizes those models to build more efficient processes. Plus, Scott touches on the future of algorithmic models — including how they will improve and where they struggle. Enjoy this episode.Main TakeawaysBad Data, Bad!: When you’re building algorithm models you have to not only focus on the data you are putting into those models, but you have to know where that data is coming from and if that data is trustworthy. When you have untrustworthy data — either its coming from an unknown source or is bias in any way — this can lead to models that deliver poor results.Delivering Consistency: While every algorithm needs to be tweaked and tuned at the start, the best way to deliver consistent, scalable algorithmic models is to make sure you are able to define hyper-specific patterns that the algorithm can abide by. When algorithms know what rules they are looking for (such as this person only likes medium sized shirts with stripes) it has a set of hyper-specific boundaries it can operate off of in order to deliver the best results.Where is the Band Conductor?: Algorithms will continue to infiltrate our everyday lives, but the truth is they still need humans to effectively run them, to tune them, and to make sure that the decisions they are making are the right ones. ---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every day we make a choice — to recycle, to compost, or to simply discard an item. But regardless of what decision the consumer makes, corporations are one of the biggest contributors to environmental damage. “Recycling and composting and all that stuff. It's great, but it's not where the real problem is, the real problem is the way we make things and move things around. It's the factories, and supply chains. If you want to reduce waste in the world, that's where you target.”Reducing waste is an ambitious challenge to tackle, but it's one Steve Pratt, Founder and CEO of Noodle.ai, is facing head-on. The strategy: use artificial intelligence and machine learning to help manufacturers and supply chain distributors limit the amount of waste they produce everyday. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Steve explains just how much waste is produced yearly by industrial operations  and the monetary ramifications that waste brings. He also explains the way his team is using A.I. to help manufacturers predict hiccups with their machines, and why it's time for users to overcome their fear of A.I. Enjoy this episode. Main Takeaways:It’s Not a Hardware Problem: The biggest problem facing industrial machines remains the software that runs them. In order to cut down on waste, the software must be consistently updated and optimized based on the working conditions.Data Library, Data Lake, Data Everywhere: There’s been an explosion of data, and yet corporations still can’t figure out how to put it all to good use.One way to use data is by extracting it from industrial machines, which can be in operation for decades, and then using it to design A.I. solutions based on variables a machine needs to run on.You Have to Test Your Models: When you are trying to build an effective modeling solution, you should consistently test your models to understand if your predictive models are working as they should. Make sure you take your time and test over and over again before implementing. A vast majority of A.I. solutions fail because they are not properly tested.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Too lucrative, too easy, and not enough investment. In the simplest terms possible, that is how you could describe the current state of cybersecurity. Over the last month, we’ve heard from some of the top minds in the industry, and a general consensus is that despite the innovations and optimism in the world of cybersecurity,  those three issues remain at the heart of the problem. “There's more tools available. There is more research. The hacking communities are actually businesses. They employ people, they pay people and they ride these things and it is becoming easier. The overall system has not been very well-studied to understand what are the right things to do and what things we should limit and that kind of thing.”That’s Taher Elgamal, CTO for Security at Salesforce and on this episode of IT Visionaries, our cybersecurity series concludes as Taher is joined by Ed Amoroso, Founder and CEO of TAG Cyber. The two discuss the state of cybersecurity, including where companies are getting their security measures right, and where the industry is struggling as a whole. The two also detail why the growing divide in skills is a problem without an immediate solution, and why financial incentives are simultaneously the biggest opportunity to stop attacks and the biggest threat to escalating attacks.Main TakeawaysCyber Know How: Today it’s easy to simply buy a product or service and bolt that service on top of your current tech stack. But one of the biggest problems most enterprises are running into is a lack of knowledge in how to actually operate those services efficiently and effectively.Test, Then Test Again: Securing a network is not a one-time fix, it requires companies to be continually testing their networks for vulnerability. A good practice is to place a heavy emphasis on hiring white hat employees, or other hacker services whose sole responsibility is to attempt to break your network. When you are continually testing, it's much easier to understand where your weaknesses are and then design products to patch those weaknesses. Can’t We All Get Along?: There are more cybersecurity applications than ever before, but even with the growing number of available vendors, attacks are increasing. Until cyber threats begin to dwindle yearly, a good solution would be for companies to start sharing assets and information in order to help build more securable and unbreakable products.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The work from home shift has revolutionized IT Departments more than any invention ever could. When closets became offices, and commutes morphed into strolls around the neighborhood, corporate IT was left scrambling. Many companies were ill prepared to support remote workers and this shift exposed security vulnerabilities. “The level that this pandemic made everybody go right at home, immediately created tons of risk around how you're going to support traditional security. That was out there and remote workers and remote security, it changed the dynamic tremendously.” While that dynamic had been changing for a while, it was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we sat down with Bob Venero, President and CEO of Future Tech Enterprises, a global solutions provider that works closely with the Fortune 500. Bob explains why companies that have shifted to a philosophy of bringing your own devices, are opening themselves up to a bevy of productivity and security challenges. He also dives into the level of security challenges the pandemic has caused and how his company is aiding those enterprises through this big pivot.Main Takeaways:No. 1 in our Hearts: The rise of software as a service is evident with many companies moving to a public cloud infrastructure, but companies still must focus on hardware components as well. Hybrid infrastructure models, where companies have a mix of public cloud and on-premise are the only way to ensure a company can avoid drops in productivity in case an internet failure occurs. Is this BYOD?: With more employees working from home, companies have started to deploy a bring-your-own-device approach — a service where employees are provided with stipends and allowed to pick out their own device. The problem with this approach is it opens the company up to a lot of productivity flaws, including employees buying models based on price and if it can actually perform the duties of the job.It’s a Skill Issue: While many developers have focused heavily on producing software components, a ripple effect is that it has created a big gap in terms of personnel that can actually develop hardware products and service those products.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The biggest innovations don’t always occur where you expect. Canon and Nikon didn’t invent the go-everywhere camera known as GoPro. It was a surfer who wanted to film his friends. Automakers didn’t believe styling could attract buyers to Electric Vehicles until Tesla defined the industry. The reality is that insights can occur anywhere, and come from anyone, and Will Grannis, Managing Director of Google’s CTO Office, knows that.“The more ambitious [the problem], the more ambiguous, the more complex, the better. In my experience, if you're going to try to transform an industry, it's hard. And it takes a long time and a lot of new technology. It takes years of discovery of trying things, of finding what works and amplifying that and this whole consideration of people, process and technology. And so in the CTO office, one of our goals is to work on the most ambitious projects that our customers have.”Find the most ambitious projects with an eye toward redefining an industry, that’s the mission of Google’s Office of the CTO and it’s one that Will takes seriously. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Will describes how his office works with some of the most prominent companies to help build better customer experiences. He also discusses how holistic team building can be a recipe for innovation and why disruption across industries can happen anywhere. Enjoy.Main TakeawaysTransaction, Approved: It’s important for businesses to provide collaborative teams to big clients to solve business problems free of charge. When clients feel as if they have a support group to lean on, not only are you providing a valuable customer experience, but you can also potentially solve problems for other clients that might be experiencing the same challenges.Are you Actually Listening to Me?: It sounds simple, but when you’re approaching any relationship with a client, the number one thing consultancy teams need to do is listen to the issues at hand. This includes talking to multiple stakeholders within the business and not just the leadership group within the department you are solving for. All in This Together: Your teams should never have a niche focus, but instead focus your team building on having a wide breadth of knowledge with varying degrees of experience across multiple backgrounds. When you build holistic teams, you have a better chance of being able to provide insights to multiple clients across multiple industries.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The rapid pace of change can be boiled down to one mission critical service: the cloud. But despite widespread adoption and enthusiasm for the cloud’s seemingly endless possibilities, many organizations are still not seeing the payoff from their investments. At least that’s what Jenny Koehler, the US Cloud and Digital Leader at PwC, told us“There's this notion now of how am I going to deliver this thing? So I don't have to wait until the bitter end to get value out there. How do I sequence it the right way to get the value unlocked earlier? How do I not have to wait until the end? I think almost as much as the price take conversation is happening and trying to tie it to value, there's also this approach to get it rolled out. How do I see value faster? How do I not have to wait? That's a conversation that's different. And technology allows it.”The good news is Jenny has one mission; to change the digital face of her clients and on this episode of IT Visionaries, she offers up some insights into why companies are no longer worried about security when it comes to cloud, and instead are focusing on if they are deriving enough value from it. Jenny also touches on PwC’s intense initiative to close the talent gap within the IT space. Enjoy Main TakeawaysThe Talent Divide has Worsened: As the digital divide has worsened, companies now must invest more resources into not only being a destination for talent, but also upskilling the current talent pool on their roster. When thinking about upskilling, it’s best to take a holistic approach to team building. Not everyone is going to be an expert in a particular field, but if you have enough team members who can compliment each other and effectively work together, you can fill-in a lot of the gaps.Security is Not Top of Mind: Enterprises are no longer focused on securing its cloud infrastructure, but rather actually getting value out of the investment. At the heart of this issue is that while the members of executive teams have bought into the cloud’s benefits, there is no synergy amongst the C-suite when it comes to strategy and integration practices.Data Remains a Company's Biggest Asset: With third party cookies going away, a company's biggest form of currency remains its data and how it’s using that data to unlock value insights for other parts of the business. One of the main drivers of data moving forward should be how companies are using information to create a frictionless experience for consumers at every digital touch point.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Security is big business, but has the role of securing networks and employees bloated to the point that businesses cannot properly protect themselves? Or is the speed of business moving too fast to care? On a roundtable episode with Beth-Anne Bygum, CISO at Acxiom and Anthony McMahon, CIO/CTO and Principle Consultant for Target State Consultants, the two discussed a host of topics, including if technology was moving too quickly for security measures to matter.“We have to move at the speed of the business anymore because the ability to access, purchase, integrate, buy, share, is extremely fluid,” Bygum said. “It means one, we have to constantly press ourselves to be more efficient. Two, we have to constantly ask ourselves: is our defense fabric, the set of tools we use, even keeping pace with the tools my development teams are using?” On this episode of IT Visionaries, our security series continues as Beth-Anne and Anthony take a look at why implementing proper security hygiene practices remains crucial to ensure better overall security. The two also touch on why security officials are having to constantly defend against attackers at the code level and why that problem can be solved by architects designing with security in mind. Enjoy.Main TakeawaysPracticing Good (Security) Hygiene: Until application developers start designing with security in mind, a best practice is to consistently be measuring the health and cleanliness of your current security measures. There are some downsides, like oversecuring and unwanted steps in some processes, but it remains the one of the only ways to properly protect a company and its employees.Feeling the Pressure: With the pace of business moving more quickly than ever, vendors are first to roll out new apps and services without thinking about security. This means that security teams are not able to provide proper risk assessments on these services prior to their installation and that leaves people at risk.Privacy by Design: The only way to avoid employees and businesses from feeling “oversecure” is for vendors to begin designing their applications with security in mind from the beginning and not as an afterthought.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Today, technology is an integral part of the sports landscape. In fact, it’s become so ingrained in American sports that data and algorithms are part of pretty much every broadcast and in every locker room.  Technology is now used to predict win probability, analyze launch angles of home runs, and track shot charts of NBA superstars. But technology isn’t just used to build a better viewing experience. It is also being dropped into the hands of coaches to do things like perfect a runner's stride and track every moment from the beginning of a sprint, to the final lunge across the finish line to reveal surprising information.“We pull out things like velocity acceleration and when they hit their top speed. For example,  when an athlete hits their top speed. We can see something that's really fascinating. They actually hit a top speed and then they start to decelerate and every athlete does it. Even when you look at Usain bolt, you see his races and he looks like he's pulling away. And you think that he's kicking it up to another gear. He's actually slowing down, just not as much as his competitors, you just can't see it until you look at the data.”That’s just one of the fascinating data points that Jonathan Lee, the Director of Sports Performance Technology for the Olympic Technology Group at Intel, has at his fingertips. And on this episode of IT Visionaries, he offered up details about how his department and Intel are working together to enhance 3D tracking technology ahead of the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo so that the athletes and coaches can also benefit from Intel’s technology. Jonathan explains how Intel is leveraging everyday cameras to track and monitor athlete performance and he also dishes on how this technology is being used to enhance the health and well-being of some of the best athletes on the planet.Main TakeawaysWhat Kind of Camera is That?: By designing technology around cameras in a way that makes it possible for anyone to use it — from professionals to amateurs — you’re able to increase the adoption of the platform, and increase the scale at which the system can operate. Since Intel designed the technology around smartphones, a coach with a phone or table, can record an athlete doing a particular drill and have instant analysis on the spot. If you only design for high-definition or high frame-rate cameras, those cards then have to be pulled off the cameras and then run through the system.The Future of Sports Medicine: Thanks to A.I. tracking, coaches can more easily hone in on body mechanics or identify trouble spots to bring to an athlete’s attention. From there, the athlete can more effectively train to fix a specific problem or enhance a part of their performance based on data. So there’s no Sensors?: With a sensorless system, you are able to get more accurate results based on the exact moment an athlete completes a drill or finishes a run. When you use sensors to identify when a particular test has begun or finished, you are reliant on the sensor to identify the exact moment it was crossed. By relying on instant tracking, Intel is able to gather more precise times which have led to higher accuracy with its data sets.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Have you ever tried to upload a video and been frustrated by the time it takes to land on the server? Now imagine you’re a broadcast crew, working the Super Bowl, with hundreds of cameras that all have to upload video simultaneously. Transferring millions of data points, and moving massive files with no latency puts your video upload woes to shame. It’s no easy task, yet it gets done relatively seamlessly every year. For that, you can send your thank you notes to Garrett Boss, CIO West Coast at FOX, where he is responsible for providing the infrastructure and technology to the broadcast crews that bring you your favorite sporting events and television shows.“Our mandate is to reduce friction everywhere we can to enable creatives and production to spend all of their energy and time focused on those things. I want to remove every barrier, every hiccup, every challenge that they have that's not related to their talent of putting inspiring content on the air for our viewers.”  It’s no small feat, and the challenges are vast, especially when you consider that the media landscape is undergoing a renaissance. There is more need to push content to over-the-top platforms, and customer expectations are getting higher and higher every day. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Garrett gives up the goods on how his team rises to the occasion. And he provides a unique look at how FOX went through a massive digital transformation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, he discusses the shift from a hardware mentality to a software mindset, and how FOX is building scalable technologies with reliable partners. Enjoy this episode.Main TakeawaysBuild vs Buy: Software as a service, and digital platforms have allowed IT teams to rethink what products and services they should build themselves and which products they can buy from vendors. When you are going through this process, it’s important to have a clear understanding of where some of your previous technology was over-indexed and where you can streamline some things.Digital Video Revolution: OTT platforms are providing broadcast partners with the ability to not only compile a better understanding of their viewers’ habits, but also the ability to push more targeted advertising to their audience. But the infrastructure required to compile the data, digest it, and then use that information means rethinking what your tech stack looks like.Team Building: When you’re undergoing a digital transformation in a virtual environment, it’s not a great idea to have a hierarchical structure with technologies that are forced down the ladder. Instead, employing more of a linear decision making process allows everyone on the team to have a hand in the decision making process, and still allows for quick and thoughtful decisions under tight deadlines.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Technology is advancing at pace never seen before and the newest tech, applications and widgets are being widely adopted at an even quicker rate. Just look at A.I. and machine learning tools,which are now used to identify things once thought unimaginable — whether it's to figure out simple things such as what clothes best suit consumers or completing everyday work tasks, the endstate for these technologies appear endless... But as technology grows more sophisticated, why is the software that operates it not being secured?“The human without the suit is weak and the suit without the human is dumb. A.I. and machine learning, these different computer learnings we've got to work with now in cybersecurity and across the board, they're levers. They're not a replacement in my mind for human intelligence. When that happens, we're going to be worried about Skynet, not these conversations. And I'm going to be thinking about how to hack that stuff, to make sure that humans stay safe.”The future of A.I. and machine learning is mostly rooted in Hollywood sci-fi; Tony Stark’s Jarvis, or Skynet represent the full advancement of our imaginations of these technologies so far. But the reality of these tools isn’t there, but the power is. So why are we not protecting ourselves from it? On this roundtable episode of IT Visionaries, we explore the impact A.I. and technology are having on society and cybersecurity with Casey Ellis, the founder and CTO of BugCrowd, andMalcolm Harkins, a cybersecurity advisor, coach and board member. The two discuss why you’ll never be able to eliminate risk and why the lack of financial incentives is leaving most companies vulnerable to nefarious attacks. Enjoy this episode!Main TakeawaysJust Throw Money at the Problem: One of the leading issues right now when it comes to cybersecurity is that app developers are not incentivized to protect products during the development lifecycle. When there is no monetary incentive for developers to protect their software, the needed layers of security are not built in. This leads to security teams doing patch work on problems that could have been architected during the development process.  Two Repelling Magnets: Security and privacy are consistently bound together but the reality is that good security can encroach on a user’s privacy. When designing products, developers must be thinking first about the layer of security they are placing within the code, but also how those security measures will infringe on the user’s rights.Working Hand-in-Hand: Your cybersecurity strategy should be a mix of technology and human creativity. While A.I and machine learning algorithms can help detect irregularities within a platform, most of those algorithms are not trained to learn from mistakes, leaving them open to vulnerabilities. Instead of relying just on technology, deploy a hybrid model using crowdsourced protection which allows for highly-trained and skilled hackers to test the vulnerabilities within a system that can then be fixed immediately. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Companies big and small, old and new are trying to get a handle on the best way to secure their data. But the challenge is that there is so much that goes into cybersecurity, it can be overwhelming for a company to oversee it internally...These vast challenges are often shouldered by a couple people in the IT department who are left to defend an entire company against a host of bad actors. “Cyber security is one giant game of whack-a-mole. It is either, you're trying to take out the threats against your company as they're attacking your organization or entity, or you're trying to tackle one problem at a time as it comes up because you never assessed what those problems could be in the first place.”To help defend against these nefarious attacks, more companies are employing the services of third parties to aid them in their defense. Jenna Waters is a Cyber Security Consultant at True Digital Security, where she specializes in assisting clients with security development and threat intelligence. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Jenna explains how her service in the military led her to defending clients  from cyber criminals. She also explains cybersecurity essentials every company should deploy, plus she speaks to the future of privacy regulation and the need for security professionals to align their personal goals with the business.Main TakeawaysOut of Alignment: When designing your security measures, you have to take into account what the goals of leadership are. If you are pushing strict security measures on your product and services and they are hampering leaderships’ ability to sell the product, you are going to consistently be pushing against the current when it comes to implementing your policies, so you have to make sure you are aligning your values with the businesses.Secure by Default: When developing in-house software systems, make sure you are designing these systems with security in mind. When software or products are developed with security measures already in place, you can see as much as 80-90% of the security work will already be done. When systems are not designed to be secure, it creates a scenario where patchwork security systems need to be developed, making the product more vulnerable.Lonely, I’m So Lonely: One of the key issues with the alignment of IT and security teams is that they often operate in silos or within departments that don’t know how to manage them or have the proper resources and budget to support the vast needs of a cybersecurity team.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

So you want to build a giant enterprise platform. Great. You want mission critical and private data to flow between CRMs and other critical applications flawlessly, with no leaks, no breaches, and no compromises. You also want to build infinite user controls and optionality, and also smooth and seamless user identification to access these business apps. No pressure right?Marla Hay is the Senior Director of Product, Security and Privacy at Salesforce and she knows how to balance critical security with smooth identity management. It’s actually one of the key reasons she’s in the field.“We've seen an increased focus on data security and privacy over the last like 15 years. One of the things that makes me really excited, and one of the one of the reasons I loved and picked this area to work is that intersection of data security, privacy, and usability. That's a place where I think we've seen a lot of evolution.”Data and privacy are two hot-button issues right now, but a company’s concerns over these two topics isn’t insular. The worry goes beyond the data on internal networks and into the idea of what’s happening to the information that gets sent out to other services as well. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Marla explains how Salesforce designs its products and services, including a detailed look at the feedback loops her team has in place to ensure product quality. Plus, Marla touches on the evolution of digital identities and how Salesforce is managing those permissions.Main TakeawaysCan I Get Access to That? Managing digital identities is a two-way street: employers must be able to make sure that the permissions they are granting to a group of employees are the appropriate permissions, but that they are securing those identities depending on where that data is going. On the other side is the employee, who is responsible for knowing where their permissions are being used and remaining conscious of the risks associated with sharing data.   Designed to Fail: Your customers are your biggest asset, so make sure you are constantly asking them what is working and what is not working with your products and services. When you are consistently communicating with your customers, gain an idea of big picture themes that are coming down the pipeline, but you are gaining ideas on how to fix thousands of problems, not just one.Intersection of Data and Privacy: Over the last 15 years, there has been an increased focus on data and privacy and how that data is managed on internal services, but also the group of products that a company’s data is being fed to.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For many people, the process of buying and selling a home will undoubtedly be the most difficult decisions they will make in their lifetime. Is the price you’re paying for your home fair? Is the price you’re selling your home for an adequate sale price? For a long time, realtors have been oracles with the answers to those questions, but times are changing. Today, Opendoor, a data-driven real estate start-up, is putting data to work to answer those questions for you.“Opendoor from a technical perspective, is the hands down single most fascinating technical challenge I've ever come across. If you look at the questions that we have to answer, they're just fascinating and you have to answer them in the right ways. Otherwise they just don't really work. You think about the prediction problem, you think about the optimization, probably you think about the portfolio optimization problem. There's so many different pieces to the problem and you just have to do it.” Kushal Chakrabarti is the VP of Research and Data Science at Opendoor, a company that is reimagining the way homes are bought and sold by moving the process online and empowering buyers and sellers to make informed decisions by taking an algorithmic approach and removing the ambiguous nature of the home buying process. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Kushal explains some of the processes Opendoor uses to help make home offers, including the importance of clean and trustworthy data. Plus, Kushal opens up on his personal journey, including how he got into data science and some of the trends he sees in the A.I. and machine learning space.Main TakeawaysThis is Trendy: There are two popular trends happening in A.I. and machine learning. The first is the democratization of tools, which in return is making it easier for data scientists to quickly test and measure their models. The second is the abundance of third party data that is readily available, which is making it more difficult for data scientists to know which data they are getting is trustworthy data, and which is not.Trust in Numbers: All great algorithms start with great data, but having a high fidelity of data is one of the key differentiators for any high-performing model. When you’re mixing first-party data with third-party data, be intentional about how you create strategic data models that fit your business. Asking the Right Questions: As a data scientist you must be asking the right questions otherwise, your models will have a tendency bias introduced to them. When models have bias, you might get an answer that is close to your hypothesis, but it won’t be the correct answer.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Are cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, more frequent? Do people even care anymore? Do businesses care anymore? As these threats rise in frequency and the monetary damage continues to increase, why aren’t businesses taking the necessary steps to protect their systems, data, and customers? Anthony Johnson is the Managing Partner and CISO of DelveRisk and during a roundtable discussion with Rohit Parchuri, an industry veteran and security advisor, Johnson spoke at length about the threat cybersecurity poses today.“Cyber can be fully catastrophic to a company. A big enough cyber event could delete the backups, could delete the ability of the company to operate, and just completely wipe the organization. There is not another threat that can be as macro systemic to any one organization.”Those are strong words from Anthony, but the subject matter is just as stiff. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Anthony and Rohit discuss a host of topics, including how recent events have shifted the spotlight on network security, and they debate whether security breaches will make a difference in the long run. The two also touch on why security can often take a backseat to the goals of the company. To learn more, keep listening!Main TakeawaysAre you Worried Now: The No.1 reason most companies end up with breeches is due to negligence when it comes to their security measures. A passive system is a network ripe for issues. Make sure you are consistently educating leadership on the risk of passive networks.Can I Get An Adjustment? It’s more important than ever for security professionals to align their personal goals with that of their companies. When your value set is not aligned, you may create a security strategy that will not be backed by leadership or have company-wide buy-in.Rising Threat Level: While risk models are important in order to understand where a network is vulnerable, it’s equally imperative to understand the types of threats your company might be vulnerable to and understand what the motivations of the attacker might be. Doing this will help quickly identify what is a need for your system against what is a want.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Much like a snowflake, no two companies are alike. After all, something has to separate you from your competition — from mission statement, to products and services, to customers, nothing in the marketplace is exactly like the other. But regardless of what industry you serve, more than likely you’re dealing with many of the same issues that your peers are. From all sides of the C-Suite, every executive is dealing with similar obstacles. Maybe that’s designing an infrastructure to support remote work, or navigating a treacherous journey to the cloud, or fixing a workplace culture. No matter what the  issue is, there are more similarities than we may think.On a recent episode of IT Visionaries, special guest host, Neeracha Taychakhoonavudh, the Executive Vice President, Global Customer Success & Strategy at Salesforce, was joined by two industry experts representing very different parts of the marketplace. The result is a conversation which brings together two executives from two different roles for a look at what makes their challenges similar, but different. Tony Wells, is the Chief Brand Officer of USAA, and Michael Smith, is the CIO of Estée Lauder, and on this episode, the two discuss why they believe that companies will inevitably embrace a hybrid work environment and how to bring employees back safely. They also touch on how to build a tech-first culture, and the need for IT and other departments to work together.Main TakeawaysDeep Thinkers: Non-technology executives need to constantly be thinking about how current or future technology could be a disruptor to their current business model. It’s important for members of the C-suite to understand the challenges they face, but also to work together to attack those challenges. Working with the CIO on a day-to-day basis to help optimize some of the company's responsibilities will pay dividends in the long-run.What do you Value?: The younger workforce we see today puts value in things other than just a steady paycheck and benefits. Now it’s incumbent on the employer to provide a state-of-the-art facility that can best set up employees to succeed, but they have to ensure that the value and image of the brand aligns with their workforce.Is That a Hybrid?: The future model of work will include both a physical office and provide employees with the ability to work remotely and with distributed teams. If companies are going to retain and recruit talent, that is likely the only model that will draw them in.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Security identity management comes in all shapes and sizes, and it’s an industry that continues to innovate at a rapid pace and there is no end in sight. Think of identity management like this: that card or fob you scan to enter an office or building, that’s security management. Or maybe the password you change every 30 days, that’s identity management. But while these processes seem simple and familiar, they haven’t been part of the security ecosystem for very long.“15 years ago, phones were different. We didn't know about online identities. We didn't have digital passports. We were using batches to access buildings. If you fast forward, the pace of what we are changing is pretty traumatic and fast.”Traumatic and fast are strong but appropriate words when describing the pace at which Martin Ladstaetter, and HID Global, are working at when it comes to making it easier for consumers to access their everyday necessities. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Martin, the Head of Consumer Authentication and VP of Product Management at HID Global, explains how the company is digitizing this new world and securing consumers across multiple networks. Martin also dives into the struggles enterprises are facing when it comes to securing distributed workforces and what the future of access identity management holds.Main TakeawaysCreating an Unknown Digital Experience: Customer experience is key in any sector. In identity management, the key to a good experience is to make it not feel like an experience at all. The future of this space involves users being able to make purchases, access buildings and cars seamlessly, without having to use security cards or fobs or other devices.Is This Ethical?: As distributed workforces rise in popularity, one of the hot discussion topics is how large enterprises should be securing their employees and what is the right line to toe when it comes to security procedures? You don’t want to be constantly monitoring an employee's actions, but at the same time you must make sure you protect sensitive data. Finding a good balance between security and privacy remains key.Securing Against a Single Breakpoint: Every building has multiple entry and exit points — this is necessary in case of an emergency. Your technology should be built the same way, You have to secure your devices and technology against having a single breakpoint. That way, if a a card is deactivated, a phone system breaks down, or a password fails, employees and IT professionals have other ways to gain access.. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

The spirit of innovation is mostly positive. After all, innovation  leaps humanity forward. The wheel enabled transportation, space exploration led to the internet, the smartphone has connected the world.These are just some examples.  And the innovation wheel keeps turning. These days there is no doubt that  For our brief history of breakthrough innovation, we’ve rarely had to discuss or think about the ethics behind those efforts like we do with the next breakthrough; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.A.I and Machine learning  are widely considered to be the tools that will leap humanity forward into the future, but there’s a catch...… who decides the ethics of AI and ML? Who tells the computer how it should think? What should the computer value? What is ethical? And at what point have we gone too far?“This technology is not fully developed, It's not an end state. So we don't know all of the consequences of using this technology.”When we think about innovation, we think about all the good that will come from it, and rarely think about the consequences that innovation leaves in its wake. Someone is thinking about that, though, and that someone is Beena Ammanath. As the Executive Director at Deloitte’s Global A.I. Institute., It’s her job to go through all the “what ifs” of A.I.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Beena explains how she weighs all the outcomes, and she discusses the three paths companies are currently pursuing ethically A.I. .  She also talks about why trustworthy A.I. and machine learning will be the secret to all successful technology breakthroughs. Enjoy!Main TakeawaysCan I Trust You?: Trust must be at the center of all your A.I. models, which means you need a clear understanding of the data sets you are using and if the data you are using to build your algorithms is reliable. When using third party data, make sure you have a clear understanding of how that data was collected, what the subject matter was and if it truly fits into your modeling. When you can’t trust your data  sources, you end up with biases in your algorithms.The Secret Sauce: A.I. and machine learning continue to be the two big underlying pieces of technology that businesses are using today because of their ability to consistently digest data and learn on the fly. Traditional software used to rely on updates that may arrive every six months, now machines can continually be evaluated and taught new techniques at a moment’s notice.Driving Adoption: Getting people to use your product is always goal number one, but with A.I., and really any new form of technology, consumer adoption is key because in order for A.I. and machine learning to be successful, it’s reliant on the continuous feedback loops it gains from its users. When you’re designing UX, you need to think about how you are going to drive adoption upfront, and not just about how the technology is going to be deployed.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

On IT Visionaries, we talk a lot about security, but we mostly talk about cybersecurity and making sure that your networks are protected from cyber criminals. We don’t really talk about in-the-flesh criminals and how technology is helping to keep them out of your home.But what is the value of home security? Is it being able to constantly check your front door to see if a package has arrived? Is it the calmness that comes with being notified that there’s movement in your driveway? Or is it simply the piece of mind that you get when you know that if something goes wrong, you’ll know it? In 2014, Ring did something no other company else had done: andit gave homeowners a sense of security by providing a 24/7 view of their front door… “[We ] had a mission around how to create a better layer of security for people to always be home. Our slogan is always home. What that did was allow people to either answer the door comfortably from their phone, whether they actually wanted to go to the door, or if you weren't home, at least give the perception that you were home and the doorbell was really an amazing product to start with.Over the last seven years, Ring has built a businessan business empire fromoff of not just doorbells, tobut an entire smart home that is accessible to everyday homeowners. Josh Roth is the CTO at Ring, and it's his responsibility to build an ecosystem that gives those homeowners some piece of mind. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Josh discusses how Ring went from a start-up trying to find product-market fit, to an Amazon acquisition thatacquisition  billion-dollar company that now sells hundreds of thousands of security and smart devices every month.Enjoy!  Main TakeawaysMore Than A Doorbell: You products need to be able to make that initial connection with consumers, but your products and services must consistently remind the user why your technology is different from other products. For example, while a video doorbell was unique and gave users access to their home they didn’t have before, it was the software within the product and the Ring ecosystem which led to different consumer touchpoints and as a result added additional value.Letting Your Engineers Grow: Software engineers need the ability to explore new things, and they also need the freedom to fail. Your management style should cater to both those realities. And when you’re managing a group of engineers, it’s helpful to think about the product from their perspective, and also allow them to design and develop with as little friction as possible. When engineers feel as if they have more liberty, their creativity and innovation can break through.Customers Driving Innovation: Regardless of the size of your organization, you need to consistently be listening to your customers in order to drive innovation. Don’t just listen to your customer service team, especially when you are in the early stages of designing a product and customer feedback can make or break you. And when customers do come to you with problems, don’t pass them off, solve them yourself because if you can solve one problem for a single customer, you can solve that same problem for thousands.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Is chat support helpful or annoying? To me, it’s both. It’s helpful because it’s the way I prefer to be helped. It’s asynchronous, it allows for multitasking, and it can be done anywhere. But, it’s also annoying. It sucks when you type something in and your customer service agent or bot has no idea what you’re talking about. LivePerson is trying to make customer interactions smarter.Joe Bradley is Chief Scientist at LivePerson, and his mission is to define and anticipate customer needs and intent, via each and every single customer-to-brand interaction. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Joe explains the difference between creating conversational A.I. that not only can hold meaningful conversations with the user, but also understands the intent of the customer. He also gives a look into the future of how A.I.  will empower brands to create better customer experiences. Enjoy. Main TakeawayWhat’s the Intent: The future of conversational technologies is going to rely heavily on A.I. and machine learning to not only be able to process the question the consumer is asking, but to be able to understand the intent of what the customer is asking. Importance of the Hand-off: Conversational intelligence can coherently communicate with the customer on its own, but perhaps more importantly is able to store that information in a centralized location so that when a customer service representative gets to the case, the hand-off is clear and there is no breakdown in the conversation from the consumer’s perspective.How to Manage Your Data: When developing A.I. solutions, it's important to think of ways to creatively encourage your customers to engage with the platform so that you can collect useful first party data. By asking leading questions that get to the root cause of the customer’s issue, you can design a platform that is not only consistently learning from your customers, but also building trust.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every company is undergoing some kind of digital transformation. Whether you’re upgrading your tech stack, migrating to the cloud, or analyzing your processes to improve your employee experience, every enterprise is saddled with the need to improve their systems. But what if that daunting process was a thing of the past? What if instead of having to undergo massive technology upgrades every few years that process was continuous? If you ask Jon Knisley, Principal Consultant, Automation and Process Excellence at FortressIQ, that’s the way of the future.“Process data is that missing puzzle piece that nobody's had access to. Once we get it in place, that's when you'll have a complete and comprehensive understanding of how [your company] truly operates. I'm starting to play with this idea that when we get to that point, is that going to be the end of our digital transformation journey? The end of digital transformation? Sounds too good to be true, but is it? In this episode of IT Visionaries, Jon explains why the reality of continuous system improvement through the use of automation tools is not far off. Plus, Jon dives into data-driving insights, powering continuous transformation across enterprises and why employees should embrace automation tools. Enjoy!Main TakeawaysBuilding a Roadmap for Tomorrow: Understanding how your organization actually operates is foundational to improving key business initiatives. Enterprises need to have a 360 view of how their organization operates on a day-to-day basis to have a better understanding of not only the knowledge that long-time employees possess, but how they can improve the overall experience for those employees as well.It’s an Ongoing Process: Digital transformation projects tend to be slow and take years to complete. Companies should not rely on large-scale changes every few years, but instead implement a continuous improvement model where they are consistently measuring their tech stack to understand what is being done today so they can improve, automate and optimize for tomorrow.Automation as a Companion: Employees should view A.I. and automation as a companion to their work efforts and not as a piece of technology that is going to eliminate jobs. When automation is implemented properly into an organization, it should free up employees to be more productive and more creative.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

In the last year, a number of auto companies have announced huge investments into the development of electric vehicles, with some committing to transforming their entire fleets over to clean energy. In the past, the biggest hurdle consumers and businesses had to overcome when switching to electric power was the question of battery life. Drivers were worried, and understandably so, about whether their car’s battery would be  powerful enough to get them where they needed to go, hassle-free. The answer is yes, and it’s thanks to some interesting software that a cleaner future is possible."By unleashing what we call depth of discharge and top of charge on a battery just with software, we can add five to 10% range. And so that may not sound a lot, but if you have a car that's 300 miles, now it's 330 miles that trip to the beach is no problem.” Anil Paryani is an EV industry veteran and pioneer who possesses more than 30 patents and currently he serves as the CEO of Automotive Power, where he is committed to getting the most out of your electric vehicle. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Anil explains what really controls an EV battery’s capacity and overall performance, and he reveals why you might not need that fast charging station afterall. Main TakeawaysCan I Get Some Charge?: In order for electric vehicles to become widely adopted, consumers need to feel confident that they can get to their desired destination. Fast-charging stations already exist, but there is still a mental hurdle consumers have to clear in order to feel secure in their ability to get from point A to point B. As such, more charging stations and options are still needed in more locations to give drivers the sense of security they require. Running to the Edge: Preventing lithium platinum plating is what will keep your car running efficiently for as long as possible. Lithium plating is what happens when the battery is pushed past its maximum abilities. In order to prevent this from happening, the software that the car runs on must be optimized to keep the battery running at the edge.Cool Car, Man: One of the main obstacles EVs face is the stigma that electric cars are not fun to drive. Initially, when manufacturers designed EVs, they were small and seen as practical, everyday cars for consumers. Now, the tides are changing as OEMs, such as Tesla, Ford and Audi, are now bringing EVs to everyday, classically-cool, performance-based models such as the Mustang. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Industrial equipment lasts for decades, and the data produced by these machines are invaluable to the organizations that rely on them. So what happens when industries that rely on industrial equipment, with on-location workers, and limited digital reliance face a pandemic and limited to no travel. “I had a CEO of one of the big utilities [companies] telling me, he taught, given the last discussions he had with his leaders, that it would take five to six years to do digital transformation. When COVID started last year, they did a lot of what they thought would take five years in five weeks. It worked, so now the question is can you continue doing it?”Colin Parris is the SVP and CTO of GE Digital, a billion dollar software division dedicated to creating better outcomes using the immense data produced by industrial machines.At GE, Coliin leads software, systems, and analytics teams to push the boundaries of how data can power industrial digital transformation. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Colin explains one of the ways GE Digital is transforming industries with their digital twins program. He explains exactly how digital twins is helping factories effectively predict the lifetime of machines, maintenance schedules, and predictive optimum yields all with an eye towards safety to ensure their plants stay up and running. Colin also touches on the importance of gathering data at the edge and the impact that kind of computing will have on efficiency.Main TakeawaysMeasuring Success and Proving Value: Measuring success or measuring value from data and analytics is a difficult proposition. A best practice for measuring value is to set a baseline and make sure that you pick the right tool to advance your use case. Then you can measure that baseline to provide the value of those investments to gain the credibility to advance your analytics.It’s a Balancing Act: When you are measuring your data and setting baselines, you must be using both data at the edge and cloud-based data to predict the life expectancy of a system. When you manage data locally, you are consistently setting benchmarks with your local products, and then by sending that data to the cloud, you’re allowing your systems in other areas to use that data to then prevent potential problems.Industrial Problems: The two biggest issues currently facing the industrial industry right now are decarbonization, reducing a factory’s carbon footprint and cyber security, protecting that software that manages and runs their machines. The software that runs inside machines now must not only be able to predict when a machine might need maintenance, but that software must make sure the machine is not only safe and secure, but keeps it running efficiently in order to help it’s sustainability efforts.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Nikola Mijic is the Founder and CEO of Matik, and he has one piece of advice of for anyone entering the start-up arena:“When people ask me what have you learned through this experience of starting your own company, I would say how to ruthlessly prioritize because your users and your customers and prospects are gonna want the world, and it's your job to be able to decipher what is valid and what is habitual.”Building, scaling, and maintaining success is every entrepreneur’s dream, and there’s one way to get there. By consistently meeting customer expectations and finding product-market fit. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Nikola peels back the curtain on how he stepped outside of his comfort zone of product management and took a chance in launching Matik, a personalization tool designed to automate Google slides and powerpoint presentations with customized data points. Nikola also explains why customer success is dependent on managing expectations and how data-driven insights are not here to kill dashboards, but to assist them.Main TakeawaysGet Your Priorities Straight: When you’re running a company, prioritization is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. When you are first starting out, prospects and clients are going to consistently be asking you to over deliver with your products and services. You won’t be able to do everything or meet every expectation, so you have to prioritize what is possible and be sure you can deliver on what you promise.Trust Your Data: Your products need to be rooted and consistently measured based on what your data is telling you. Is the user using the product? If they are not, use your data to understand why and get to the bottom of why a particular product is succeeding or failing.Not Here to Replace your Dashboards: Dashboards still serve a purpose of being exploratory while providing the ability to quick insights, but they don’t solve the entire problem of pulling all that data into a single place so that you can quick find those insights and make them accessible.-IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For years there has been a debate about whether video games are the next great learning tool, or gateways to desensitization due to violence and a lack of face-to-face interaction. The debate rages on, but regardless of the long-term side effects of video games, there are scenarios where they are being put to use in practical ways as it relates to military training.“The idea of training soldiers using computer games was like, ‘There's no way a computer game can train my guys how to shoot. You have to go out into the mud and do it for real.’ And while there's some truth there, what we offered was like an accelerator for decision-making processes.”Mark Dzulko had been serving in the military for 13 years when he recognized the potential that computer-based simulation tactics could have in the military. As the CTO and Director at Bohemia Simulations, Mark is now turning the potential into something practical. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Mark breaks down the difference between traditional consumer-based video games and Bohemia’s simulation device, plus, he explains how the company scaled despite having a limited customer base.Main TakeawaysAn Open World: By using open source tools, engineers are able to quickly draft up different scenarios to fit a potential need rather than completely build a model from scratch. This gives simulation a sense of agility and scalability that traditional training models, such as pre-built flight simulators, do not have.Game vs Reality: Video games are built with an end goal in mind: to achieve the highest possible score. Simulations are designed to recreate actual life tactics. By being put in a simulated scenario, soldiers can hone their response times and get a better sense of how to react before being deployed. How to Make It: When you bring any product to market, it’s important to have an understanding of if you have product-market fit first. But when your customer base is limited it’s even more important to know that you will solve a problem for that base of customers in a reliable way, which will help ensure your success from the start. Constantly testing and gathering feedback from potential buyers before you hit that market is a strategy to put in place so that when you are ready to launch your product, it’s already set up for the customer to succeed.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Let’s be frank: the healthcare industry needs help. Medical records have far too many inconsistencies, patients struggle to find ways to transfer information from one doctor to another, and as the world slowly begins to reopen and the focus on health increases, the industry is going to have to lean on modern technology more than ever in order to track and maintain records as it relates to COVID-19. “There are several like electronic health information systems out there and their operability is pretty poor. You have to be able to get that information [to your doctors]. You have to be able to integrate it and make it accessible to your patients, as well as your primary care providers. And, that's something that we do better than anybody else.”Claire Hough is the CTO of Carbon Health, a tech-enabled healthcare provider that is developing data-driven programs in an effort to help modernize the healthcare industry by removing the boundaries of health care to create high-quality experiences. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Claire details how Carbon Health has used technology and data to solve a wide array of issues in healthcare, including the delivery care model. Plus, Claire dives into her past experiences scaling startups such as Netscape, Napster, and Udemy.Main TakeawaysUser Error: There’s a saying when it comes to data, “garbage in, garbage out.” When it comes to data entry, this still applies because there is still far too much room for user error. Workers are manually inputting data in spreadsheets allowing for a margin of error, and this is one of the biggest problems facing the healthcare industry. By using an automated system that removes the physical person from that process, you can access a clearer picture of your data without concerns about input accuracy.Not Enough Information: The healthcare industry is overrun with processes that are not streamlined or convenient for patients. When a patient gives information to a physician or an urgent care provider, that information remains only with those sources rather than shared widely to the patient’s broader healthcare team.. By creating a central record system that controls every aspect of the healthcare process, companies are able to not only have the most accurate information regardless of where a patient is seen, but it creates a better overall customer experience for your patient who no longer have to repeatedly provide the same information.Built to Scale: When you’re scaling your engineering teams, you have to think about what the company is going to look like in the near future and not just what you need in the present. Make sure the people you are bringing on can work in a fast-paced environment and possess multiple skill sets.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Move fast and break things. A famous adage adopted by many software companies. But what if you’re an industry giant where innovation is required, but failure is absolutely not an option. That doesn’t seem to be a mix for success.Meet Amdocs, a company withe more than 26,000 employees and generating more than $4.2 billion in revenue annually, the expectations for success are a little bit higher.“The difference between great companies and good companies is how much your endurance is to failure.”Avishai Sharlinis the Division President for Amdocs Technologies, a company that works with communication and media companies to help consumers complete more than 1.7 billion digital journeys every day. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Avishai explains how Amdocs uses open source tools to provide the scale and agility needed to operate some of the world’s most complex systems, and he reveals why and how Amdocs is helping to accelerate many companies' journeys to the cloud.Main TakeawaysWhat Separates Good From Great: The difference between a good company and a great one is a company's ability to deal with failure. In technology, failure is inevitable, but the key is to make sure that with each failure, your team is continually learning from your mistakes and building off of them.Different Ways to Architect Your Technology: There are no longer one-size-fits-all solutions for your digital products. Today, each individual piece of technology must be adaptable in order to meet a consumer's needs. This means that technology teams building products have to keep multiple solutions in mind and take into account the different ways users will use technology.  A Whole New World: With the rise of IoT devices, 5G networks will not only bring the bandwidth and low-latency needed to power today’s networks, but it will also enhance the ability for communication companies to better prioritize the amount of data they send to individual devices and how to protect them from cyber threats.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

NFTs, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Tokenization. There is more hype than ever for these technologies and endless debate on the utility of this technology. . While consumers are attempting  to understand the value of cryptocurrency, governments and private firms across the globe are doing the same, and they are experimenting with the idea of a central bank for digital currency that will adapt and meet changing consumer needs.Main TakeawaysBenefits of a Central Bank: The digitization of currency will not only simplify the distribution of government cash, but it will eliminate banking deserts, which are large populations of the country where traditional banking branches are not accessible to the general public. By moving to a digital currency, users will be able to easily complete transactions similar to how cash purchases are done, but without the time needed to complete a credit transaction.Programmable Money: One of the exciting innovations and benefits of digital tokens is the concept of “programmable” money. This means that during the design and build phase, the technology that houses the currency can be reconfigured to scale and add critical functions at any time.Easily Traceable: By modernizing currency and moving to a digital token, the flow of currency from one user to another will be much easier to track than physical transactions. When transactions are done digitally, you can trace that currency back to where it originated, making it simpler and easier to detect fraud.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

Gabe Gumbs has a deep-rooted passion for technology and information security, and his goal is to share that passion to push data security to the forefront of every business's agenda.“Security is all I've ever done. It's what I know, it's what I love. I enjoy every aspect of [security]. From building it, to talking about it, to marketing, into selling it to you, It's a passion.” Gabe is the Chief Innovation Officer at Spirion — a leader in rapid identification and protection of sensitive data— and these days he’s channeling that passion to make the digital world a safer place. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Gabe explains his vision for data privacy and why it’s time to kick siloed data to the curb. He also provides a detailed view on the future of work and why the talent shortage that security professionals have discussed may not be exactly as drastic as it seems.Main TakeawaysSilos are an Unnecessary Evil: Data professionals are ingesting data from various sources which is opening them up to unnecessary vulnerabilities. When data is sourced from multiple areas, such as datasets and the cloud, security models are spread thin, making that data harder to protect. By bringing that data into one single area, companies will have a better chance of not only understanding data, but protecting it as well.Your Off-the-Shelf Model Needs to Go: Organizations that use a cybersecurity maturity model as a framework to measure the progress of their security tactics are leaving themselves vulnerable to attackers. Every bad actor is different, which requires a unique model to prevent those attackers from infiltrating your network.The Security Skills Shortage That Wasn’t: Analysts have been writing about a cybersecurity shortage for years and some believe the data privacy sector will suffer a similar fate. The issue however is not a lack of talent, but rather data security professionals must broaden their hiring practices because security is no longer simply about keeping data safe, but it’s also about policy and compliance with new data rules.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Over the last quarter century, data and its ability to provide valuable insights for companies to plan, predict, and implement strategies has expanded exponentially. Organizations have grown more reliant on data, and the speed at which data is uploaded and analyzed now must match the pace at which it is generated.“Data has to be up to date and available almost immediately in order to just keep the business running.”Mark Van de Wiel is the CTO of HVR, a company that specializes in partnering with enterprises to realize the full potential of data through real-time data replication. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Mark explains why data replication is an imperative step for companies wanting to take a more data-driven approach, how replication is providing real-time insight as opposed to batch data uploads, and why having a single source of truth when it comes to your data is just good business.Main TakeawaysHolistic Data View: Today, organizations are pulling data together from multiple sources. But regardless of whether your data pulls are from first-party or third-party sources, getting all of it into one unified space is paramount. Replicating data is a very quick way to migrate data from multiple sources in order to provide a holistic view of your data.Know Where Your Data is Coming From: Garbage in, garbage out is a philosophy every data leader is familiar with, which is why it's important to understand where your data is coming from. Be strategic about how you manage your data, what sources you are collecting your data from, and if the source is reliable.Real Time Data Application: Being able to replicate your data in real time and not have to wait on monthly or quarterly data uploads is an enabler for allowing an organization to be more data-driven.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

An A.I. the model is similar to a boat in that it needs constant maintenance to perform. The reality is  A.I. models need adjusted boundaries and guidelines to remain efficient.  And when you live in a world where everyone is trying to get bigger and faster and have a certain edge, Scott Clark is helping make that possible with his finely-tuned A.I. modeling techniques.“As you're building up these rules and constructs for how that system will even learn itself, there's a lot of parameters that you need to set and tune. There's all these magical numbers that go into these systems. If you don't have a system of record for this, if you're just throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks, and then only checking the best one, and you don't have a system of what you tried, what the trade-offs were, which parameters were the most important, and how it traded off different metrics it can seem like a very opaque process. At least that hyper parameter optimization and neural architecture search and kind of tuning part of the process can be a little bit more explainable, a little bit more repeatable and a little bit more optimal.”More explainable, and more optimal, but most importantly scaleable and reproducible. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Scott, the CEO and Co-founder of SigOpt, a company that’s on a mission to empower modeling systems to reach their fullest potential, explains the basic steps that go into successful models, how his team tweaks and optimizes those models to build more efficient processes. Plus, Scott touches on the future of algorithmic models — including how they will improve and where they struggle. Enjoy this episode.Main TakeawaysBad Data, Bad!: When you’re building algorithm models you have to not only focus on the data you are putting into those models, but you have to know where that data is coming from and if that data is trustworthy. When you have untrustworthy data — either its coming from an unknown source or is bias in any way — this can lead to models that deliver poor results.Delivering Consistency: While every algorithm needs to be tweaked and tuned at the start, the best way to deliver consistent, scalable algorithmic models is to make sure you are able to define hyper-specific patterns that the algorithm can abide by. When algorithms know what rules they are looking for (such as this person only likes medium sized shirts with stripes) it has a set of hyper-specific boundaries it can operate off of in order to deliver the best results.Where is the Band Conductor?: Algorithms will continue to infiltrate our everyday lives, but the truth is they still need humans to effectively run them, to tune them, and to make sure that the decisions they are making are the right ones. ---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The modern worker needs access to multiple applications. And with every new piece of software implemented, the security and identity requirements grow exponentially.  Identity authentication is creating increasing headaches for IT professionals everywhere. Relying on usernames and passwords won’t be enough much longer.“We've been using usernames and passwords as the primary identity feature for 50 years. I really have been working in my career to help change that and come up with a better way. When I think of usernames and passwords, I think that is a lose, lose situation. It's a bad experience and it's bad security because everybody uses the same passwords and doesn't change them.” That’s Fran Rosch, the CEO of ForgeRock, a company that is helping users connect with the world and its software safely and simply with it’s A.I.-driven platform. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Fran explains how ForgeRock is pioneering next generation identity authentication that can help verify users through multiple passive data points such as domains, ip addresses, time of day, previous logins, concurrent logins, and many others. If his future comes into reality, you might be able to forget that username and password for good.Main TakeawaysUnder Pressure: IT organizations today are under immense pressure to not only create a secure and safe digital environment, but also where their employees feel safe. Today employees need to trust where they are storing their information, but that user experience must also be seamless.What’s the Username?: For more than 50 years, usernames and passwords have been one of the primary features used to secure a digital environment. The problem with this process is those passwords have to constantly be changed in order to remain secure, which creates a poor user experience. An emerging tool when it comes to creating a seamless experience is using face ID.Demanding control: Enterprises are now demanding control over where their identity lives. As more companies operate in the cloud — whether that’s a private or public cloud — they want their identity authentication to run separately and have control over it and not have to have multiple identity services based on where they’re running the technology.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There’s a festering problem growing beneath the surface of small businesses everywhere, and it’s an issue that most SMBs are refusing to address. As large-scale companies invest big money in information security teams to protect themselves from data breaches and bad actors, their small business brethren simply refuse to invest in security at all.“People only spend money on things they can detect.”Gary Chan is an information security management consultant and president of Alfizo, a company that is helping SMBs and large-scale enterprises use IT as an enabler while meeting compliance, security and privacy obligations. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Gary dives into some of the biggest obstacles facing SMBs from a security perspective and why small businesses leave themselves vulnerable to cyber attacks. Plus he explains why regardless of how secure your network may be, the weakest link remains your staff.Main TakeawaysWalk in Through the Front Door: SMBs are leaving themselves vulnerable to security threats because they don’t believe they need to invest in the basic tools and services to protect themselves. SMBs are attacked at a far higher rate than large-scale organization because they often leave themselves open to attackersBasic Tips and Tricks: For SMBs that don’t want to invest high dollar amounts into a security tech stack, it’s still wise to invest in simple things that fit what you need, such as phishing training for your staff, which can help detect and report malicious emails, multi-function authentication, and password vaults.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Maggie Louie remembers the moment her career changed forever. Working with the L.A. Times on digital and mobile products, Maggie, now the founder and CEO of Otto, remembers a friend asking her to look into an issue they were having with their website.“[they asked] me to look at their ad tags and figure out why their traffic was going through the roof, but they weren't making any more money. They couldn't figure it out. I had suspected that their ad techs were either misconfigured or there's something easy there, and after 24 hours looking through their code. I discovered that they indeed were being stolen internally. The head developer was hijacking all of the ad tags and just doing all sorts of crazy stuff.” The lines of code hidden in the JavaScript were driving traffic and stealing money, and it was that revelation that opened Maggie’s eyes to underground ad fraud and bot traffic, and this ad fraud wreaked havoc. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Maggie details how that moment led her to launch Otto and she discusses the company’s efforts to democratize access to internet security for all, its Chrome extension to protect consumers when online shopping, and the variety of enterprise solutions for businesses her team has developed.Main TakeawaysNew Frontier: Hackers are always looking for new industries with vulnerabilities to disrupt. Ad tech is one of the fastest-growing industries underserved by cybersecurity solutions. This is due to the complex nature of ad tech, which makes it difficult for cyber security experts to easily shift solutions into.Safety is a Fallacy: Popular ecommerce platforms want you to believe that just because you use their service and tools that your company is safe from bad actors. The truth is that just because you use popular no-code or low-code operating systems, bad actors still target vulnerable people who don’t secure their code.Always Be Testing: Just because your platform is safe today, doesn’t mean that it is safe tomorrow. The more your platform is customizable the more vulnerable your JavaScript becomes to outside bad actors. A general rule of thumb when it comes to security is to constantly be testing and looking over your code.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The journey to cloud is not the same for everyone. In fact, for some, it can be a grueling and daunting process. For CIOs and CTOs of century-year-old companies, they are burdened by server after server piling up and as they tackle the obstacle of migrating data to the cloud. Meanwhile, peers at digitally-native companies, born in the cloud, use their agility and ease of scale to soar past their old-school brethren. So what’s a legacy company to do?“The reality in the environment is that there are all stages of software in these companies and disentangling that and figuring out how to move to the cloud is a journey. And that's the thing where we're really excited about being able to help with at least kind of taking care of the infrastructure pieces. So CIOs and CTOs can focus on the application layers and not really have to worry about how the infrastructure gets operated.”  19:37That’s Preeti Somal, Vice President of Engineering at HashiCorp, a company constructed on the idea of building open-source communities to help users quickly implement the infrastructure necessary to run cloud applications. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Preeti unpacks how open-source tools are helping customers get to the cloud faster, how hybrid cloud models have evolved over the years, and more. Main TakeawaysAll Shapes and Sizes: There is not a one-size-fits-all method for companies trying to move to the cloud, but cloud adoption has been driven by organizations prioritizing the ability to quickly add applications and implement them within their network.Building a Secure Environment: The shift to operating in the cloud requires a different approach to security. Instead of focusing on a secure network perimeter with the assumption of trust, you must shift your focus to securing the infrastructure and application services themselves through a trusted source of identity managementBuilding a Remote-First Team: When you’re building a remote-first team, you have to be intentional about how you document your process so when you scale, your team members will have a complete understanding of the workflow.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Have you ever picked up a plant at the grocery store and wondered to yourself, can I really keep this alive? Or maybe you’ve planted seeds in the ground only to see them never sprout. Don’t worry, if you’ve struggled to find any success, you’re not alone. But imagine the pressure when the food industry’s supply chain is relying on your green thumb, so you have to find a way to plant trillions of seeds that yield crops covering millions of square miles to feed the world.. It’s no longer about having a green thumb. It’s a full on science and technology based operation, and it can’t fail. That’s where Bayer Crop Science and Elisha Herrmann step in to bring that supply chain to life.“We produce not only the seeds that the farmers plant, but we have to produce the fruits and the vegetables that produce the seeds that the farmers plant.”Elisha is a Global Supply Chain Strategy and Innovation Partner a Bayer Crop Science, a company that is currently utilizing all forms of science and technology, including drones, machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics, to deliver the best produce from the moment seeds hit the dirt to the second you remove them from the shelves. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Elisha describes the unique ways Bayer Crop Science is utilizing technology to ensure quality from both ends of the supply chain, why blockchain is now an integral tool for the food industry when it comes to tracking and tracing products, and much more.Main TakeawaysCan You Track That: Being able to track the lifecycle of a plant is incredibly important when it comes to managing where certain plants and produce are shipped. If a plant or seed is infected with a fungus and is sent to a geographic location of the world that doesn’t have the resources to remedy the causes of that fungus, it could be detrimental in very severe ways.It’s Just Science: Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are used to track the overall health and life cycle of crops, but also to manage current and future food trends. By using A.I. and machine learning, scientists can let the growers know if they need to plan for different crops.Blockchain Grows in Necessity: A few years ago, most growers, suppliers, and distributors were tracking the whereabouts of their crops manually. This meant that regardless of where those crops ended up, the data they were inputting was done manually and could have discrepancies. With blockchain, they now have the ability to instantly track where their crops are going, to whom they are being shipped, and how they are getting there.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Smartphones are incredible pieces of technology. They allow users the ability to track stars, text people around the world, purchase items at the ease of a click, map their next destination, and so much more. Their individual capabilities are truly remarkable.“It's crazy. And all of that is powered by the battery and all of that and really what limits it, the engineer's imagination, you know, they're, they, they know how much, how much they can get out of that in terms of the energy. And so imagine now, if you could get 50% more energy from your phone and do 50% more, more tasks that we hadn't even thought of yet."That’s Rick Costantino, and while what he is saying may sound too good to be true, it’s not. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Rick dives into how Group 14 is reversing that trend by working to replace the traditional graphite anode with a silicon casing material. Plus, Rick touches on why silicon is the future of the battery industry, the impact it will have on devices that use  lithium-ion batteries, and how Group 14 is thriving despite some early stage struggles.Main TakeawaysA New Home: For the last two decades, there has been very little innovation as it pertains to lithium-ion battery casings.  Group 14 bucked that trend and by using a hybrid material of carbon and silicon, the company has found a way to eliminate the use of graphite, allowing batteries to weigh less, but produce more energyCan I get A Charge: It’s important to remember that while silicon allows for longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries, the real benefit is in unlocking the possibilities promised by that more powerful and energy-efficient battery.Built to Last: Another advantage of using a silicon-based battery is its sustainability benefits. The ability to consistently reuse silicon-based batteries means that there is less need to constantly dig into natural resources to constantly produce new batteries.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Early learning education programs are not new —they’ve been around for years in multiple forms. Whether that’s Dora the Explorer taking you on her latest adventure, or hopping on your computer to travel along the Oregon Trail, the traditional education system has been supplemented with various platforms and programs for ages. The issue is, though, very few of them actually show or measure tangible results.That’s Stephanie Dua, the Co-founder and President of HOMER, an early learning program that is primarily focused on helping children get the best possible start to their education. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Stephanie explains how she was in a unique opportunity to not only help jump-start her own daughter's education, but to bring a scalable education product to market. She also explains what separates HOMER from its competitors and why phonemic awareness is the secret to the product’s success.Main TakeawaysEducating and Entertaining: There are multiple gaps in the education system that have created complexity when it comes reading comprehension. By streamlining and simplifying the reading process for kids, HOMER is creating a less messy hand-off system that is providing kids with the foundational skills needed and it’s working in a way that can scale.Can I Get Some Feedback?: Feedback loops are incredibly important in designing a personalized education program for young children. The more a student engages with the program, the more the A.I. and machine learning abilities of the platform learn the likes and dislikes of the student, but also the comprehension level of the student. So not only is the program then offering personalized content to each student, it’s also continuously challenging them.Have to Give them a Reason to Learn: Studies by the HOMER team prove that kids have a natural desire to learn, but the key ingredient is finding a way to present learning to them to where it is fun and enjoyable. This means creating multiple programs based on a kid's individual likes and dislikes. If a kid naturally likes baseball, and you are constantly providing them with content that is centered around bugs, the likelihood of engagement drops, but if the same content is presented in the form of baseball, the child is much more likely to re engage with the process.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

How many times over the last year have you visited a restaurant and sitting on the table right in front of you was bar code that led you to all the information you needed. From drinks, to desserts and entrees and everything in between, that simple code unlocked a handful of opportunities and experiences all through technologies that already exist within your phone. With more than 2 billion QRC- and NFC-enabled devices in use today (including the cell phone you might be listening to this podcast on), and in the midst of a global pandemic, QR codes have undergone a renaissance and companies such as RRD are rushing to meet your needs.“We create those touch points, something that triggers the experience, and that can happen way before you get to a payment machine, that can happen on a label on the outside of a product, on signage, outside of a building, on a post in front of a parking space, any number of different ways where a individual can engage a device, where they are basically triggering a touchless experience.”Making smartphones smarter and the user experience better through taps, snaps or scans is RRD’s latest piece of communication technology, Touchless World. Ken O’Brien is the EVP and CIO of RRD, a leading global provider of marketing and communications. And while you might not think RRD is known for its transformational technology, you’d be flat-out wrong. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ken provides context for how RRD’s Touchless World operates and how the company is helping its clients leverage NFC technology to deliver seamless customer experiences. Plus, Ken dives into the challenges that the company currently faces, including how it is managing its technology debt after being in business for more than a century.Main TakeawaysIt’s a Tough World: When a company is more than a century old, that shows that it has adapted, grown, and changed with the times. As that happens, though, technical debt builds up and needs to be dealt with in order to stay agile.But What is A Touchless World?: A touchless world simply means eliminating some of the impediments that can cause a poor user experience, such as waiting in line to checkout at a kiosk. By developing scannable QR codes that incorporate a device's NFC system, RRD. has given the user a streamlined experience. Keeping Up with the Times: One of the most important things for any company is continuing to modernize its tech stack. Regardless of any technical debt that may have accumulated, it’s critical to always have a clear path for your digital transformation efforts.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The internet is a fascinating place and over the years it has provided tremendous resources to billions of people around the world. It’s brought us closer, and it’s divided us and at the same time. People feel more empowered to make their voices heard. The problem is anonymity has seemingly eroded basic standards of kindness and decency. At least that’s what it seems like when you look at the comments section on blogs, social posts, and more.“The way of communicating online is a massive problem, and it affects our mental health. It affects how we see ourselves and our confidence levels and, and everything about it. It's just this constant cesspool of just the worst parts of humanity. And we wanted to really try and solve that problem. And that's where Yappa differentiates itself.”Meet Kiaran Sim, Co-founder and COO of Yappa, an app that is hoping to make the internet a little more conversational, a little less hostile, and at the bare minimum, more empathetic. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Kiaran discusses how their conversation integration tool monitors and censors bad actors, while simultaneously building a positive internet community and the benefits that brings to the internet as a whole. Plus, Kiaran also details the importance of keeping a clean revenue stream and more.Main Takeaways:Know Your Worth: As a start-up — especially in the social media industry — you don’t want to get in the habit of relying on ad revenue as your primary source of income. Instead, figure out a constant revenue model that takes the pressure and guesswork out of your financial status. If At First You Don’t Succeed: Always make sure you are listening to your users; they will guide your product in the direction that it needs to go in. For the Yappa team, that meant abandoning their initial social media app in order to integrate as part of larger programs. By listening to its customer base, and giving users what they wanted, Yappa overcame two obstacles at once.Taking out the Garbage: By removing the anonymous aspect of commenters, the Yappa team was able to dramatically reduce the number of inappropriate users from a traditional average of 18% down to 2%. When users are forced to verify their identities rather than hide behind accounts and usernames, an authentic community of like minded users can form without fear of anonymous online abusers.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Problem Solvers, pioneers, but more importantly data nerds. That’s how Sumo Logic describes itself, and well...it’s fitting. Rooted in big data and security, SumoLogic is among the most powerful machine data analytics services in the world, but to reach the pinnacle of any industry, requires a culture that strives to be the best.“There's a lot of discomfort in this type of a culture, because in order to really be willing to disrupt yourself so that you don't get disrupted by somebody else, you have to empower and enable people inside of your company to challenge decisions, to take risks, to take accountability for those risks. But it has to be a culture that relies on transparency, collaboration, risk, and essentially distributed decision-making.”Bruno Kurtic is the Founding Vice President of Product and Strategy for Sumo Logic and on this episode of IT Visionaries, Bruno delves into how the Sumo Logic platform operates, why the pace of change in the technology industry continues to keep them on their toes, and why more-and-more enterprises are utilizing multi-cloud approaches. Plus Bruno dives into what a successful technology culture looks like, how it should operate and every voice matters no matter where you sit in the company hierarchy.Problem Solvers, pioneers, but more importantly data nerds. That’s how Sumo Logic describes itself, and well...it’s fitting. Rooted in big data and security, SumoLogic is among the most powerful machine data analytics services in the world, but to reach the pinnacle of any industry, requires a culture that strives to be the best.Main TakeawaysPace of Change: With the speed that technology is changing, you can never rest on your laurels. Companies must constantly be reinventing themselves and the services that they provide to their clients. One of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve is to implement an agile approach, that lets you pivot on a moments notice.If You’re Note Reliable, What are You?: If you’re a digital business, your application services must be reliable and they must perform and they must consistently perform to the standards you sold the client on.Your product should always aim to be an industry leader in service and repair, because it what will always set you apart from your competitors is the reliability of your product.One Cloud, Two Cloud…: 70% of enterprises now deploy a multi-cloud approach, which is a major shift from just 10 years ago when most companies were getting familiar with the cloud and adopting single cloud strategies. Because of these multi-cloud strategies, it’s affected the way software has to be integrated into the infrastructure of your tech stack.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Companies flaunt the term digital transformation almost as if it’s a badge of honor. It’s a  phrase that can signify an enterprise is on the cutting edge of innovation with a constant eye toward the future. But Joanne Friedman, CEO of Connektedminds, has another word for it.“It's a misnomer,” she said. “Any company that isn't constantly in some state of transformation isn't alive.”Joanne believes that companies don’t simply go through a digital transformation once and then pat themselves on the back — at least, the good ones don’t. No, she is of the mind that digital transformation is an ongoing process, and it’s one she’s been going through her entire career.  An industry visionary, entrepreneur, and IT executive, Joanne envisions herself and Connektedminds as the leaders of the team helping companies reach their goals when it comes to their IT needs and how to constantly improve.“Coach Is the best description because we stay with the client throughout the whole process,” she said. “It's not just helping them choose technology. It's what do you want to be when you grow up as a digital business? You have to define the outcomes. You have to look at the business model of how that company is going to operate. This is what you're going to have to go through to get to that point. So we act as a coach.”On this episode of IT Visionaries, Joanne dives deep into the world of digital transformations, how companies should be thinking about the process, the role a proper analyst plays in helping to make those decisions, and why it might be time to alter the phase all together. Plus, Joanne discusses the intricacies of IoT and why it’s time to finally set some standards when it comes to connected devices.Main TakeawaysWhat is Digital Transformation: Digital transformation is a gradual process, it does not happen overnight and companies need to stop thinking they can take on large tasks in a swift manner. What they should be thinking about is their technology stack as a toolkit, filled with 15-20 different tools. Each of those tools should have one goal: does it drive value to the overall business? If it does not, it should not be in your tech stack.Coach Friedman: Analysts are coaches, there to help you reach your goals and accomplish the task at hand. When you are an analyst, you have to constantly be thinking about the company's future and what it could be in five to ten years and then reverse engineer strategies to help get them there.Can we Get Some Standards Up in Here?: Right now, one of the biggest problems surrounding the IoT space is the lack of defined standards between consumer IoT, which includes items such as iPads, phones and routers and industrial IoT devices. Currently, there is ambiguity about where industrial IoT falls and the list of guidelines it must adhere to.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

They say one of the biggest attributes any entrepreneur needs to have is the ability to problem solve. To be able to identify challenges large and small and effectively produce a solution for them. It seems simple, but it’s not. A vast number of start-ups fail, and the reason is although they identified and addressed an issue, it’s not the right issue. So how do you know when the problem your company is attempting to solve is the right one? Paul English, Founder and CTO of Moonbeam, has some noteworthy advice.“My advice to other entrepreneurs, when they ask when they should go for it and when should they quit their day job to go work on their new idea is when you have an idea, a problem that you want to solve, and the problem is more important than the solution. Most tech companies don't fail because the programmers couldn't write good code. Most tech companies fail because they solved the problem that no one cares about. What's most important is solving a big problem.”Paul has had a prolific career as a founder, with all the highs and lows you would expect. But for Paul, the thrill of the next big idea and the next adventure is what keeps him going, and his success has been rooted in his. ability to understand the big issues and develop and implement a plan to rectify them. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Paul goes into detail about that skill, and he explains why Moonbeam, his new company, is solving one of the biggest pain points in on-demand programming. Plus, Paul dives into his past experiences, details key pillars that make up a successful CTO, and predicts why Moonbeam is about to take-off.Main TakeawaysHey Now, You’re a Problem Solver: For any entrepreneur that is starting out, you have to answer a few questions before you get started. What problems are you solving, and is the problem something that will resonate with consumers? It’s very easy to get locked in on ideas that are important to you. But if your problem is not something that the rest of the public cares about, your business will most likely failSearch and Engagement: The two most important factors of any social platform are the ability to identify relevant content, make it searchable, and then drive engagement for its active users.The Power of the Algorithm: When you are designing a machine learning strategy, it’s very important to make sure that your algorithm is not just feeding users the same content over and over again. Instead, make sure that your platform has some level of randomness to it, so the user is exposed to new forms of media. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In gambling there’s a common saying, the house always wins...After all, the majority of people who spend their nights and weekends throwing dice across the craps table, or contemplating their next blackjack hand are always relying on luck. Yuchun Lee, CEO and co-founder of Allego, is not one of those people.Yuchun is one of the founding members of the infamous MIT Blackjack card counting team portrayed in the movie 21.With his earnings, he was able to bootstrap Unica which was acquired by IBM for 400 million. Now, Yuchun is back building the next great software company with  Allegro, an accelerated learning video-based sales platform. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Yuchun explains how his calculated decision-making removes risk  and details how it is using A.I. and machine learning to empower every sales professional to close the next deal.Main TakeawaysCan You Hop on a Sales Call?: The way companies and sales professionals approach clients has changed drastically over the last year. No longer are tried and true sales techniques closing deals. Now, sales professionals must be able to make a personal connection through Zoom calls instead of one-to-one meetings, which is causing a lot of businesses to rethink their sales practices.Just in Time Learning: One of the ways businesses are altering those methods is through just-in-time learning, which are ways to educate sales professionals in real time, by empowering them with the required tools they need to close deals. These tactics are similar to YouTube videos, but instead are hyper-focused on a client’s needs and desires.Providing Value: While virtual assistants are becoming more popular in the sales world, there is still no equal to a personal human touch.So, while a lot of the more rudimentary work can be done by A.I. and RPA, there is still an overwhelming need for that one-to-one connection. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

The term “smart city” might bring to mind images from The Jetsons, maybe flying cars and robots serving humans. And while that’s possible, cities are getting smarter right now in very practical and useful ways. Building a smart city is about its citizens and how their lives can continuously be improved through data and incremental change.“The ultimate goal is very simple: Can we use the combination of innovative thinking, the right technology solution, the right policy making, and the right decision framework to ultimately improve the quality of life for the citizens. Smart cities are not about smartness. It's about a better life for the citizens.”Meet Sameer Sharma,General Manager of Smart Cities and Intelligent Transportation at Intel. He leads a global team that works to drive new IoT growth categories and revenue streams for Smart City Services. In this episode of IT Visionaries, Sameer defines the term smart city, and how cities can harness the massive amounts of data they produce. Plus he  provides some case studies for what cities such as Singapore and New York are doing to increase the quality of life for their citizens. And Sameer also pinpoints key areas that cities that wish to take the next step in their smart city journey must identify in order to reach their goals.Main TakeawaysJohnny (Data) Tsunami: We are in the midst of a data tsunami, and how cities manage the massive amounts of data they collect on a daily basis has never been more critical to the future of those cities than it is today. By understanding the insights data provide, cities can advance things like traffic patterns, infrastructure, and other areas of everyday life that affect citizens. Think Big, But Start Small: City planners and policymakers should always be thinking about the next big project when it comes to improving their citizens’ lives. But while you should always be thinking big, you have to start small. Begin by thinking about how you are managing your networks, and this begins and ends with edge computing. How is your data being transferred back-and-forth? Are you deploying any form of edge computing? Start by answering those questions first because cities that lack that basic tech won’t have the infrastructure to solve many of their problems at the scale they need to.Changing Tide: Previously, CIOS were solely responsible for advancing and implementing technology. Things are different now, even at a city-wide level. Technology is not siloed in the way that it used to be, and with so many more people affected by all forms of technology, everyone needs to have a seat at the table.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform  

There’s a saying that every company is becoming a software company. But what might be just as true is in that every company is becoming a publisher as well. Photos, blogs, designs, video, and sound is created and published at unthinkable rates… and it’s being used, EVERYWHERE. Web, Mobile, Signage, Kiosks, In-Store… it doesn’t matter. Businesses are creating content to match consumer appetite.So how does a company manage all of these assets, and what kind of content management systems are necessary to handle these massive distribution requirements?Nishant Patel is the Founder and CTO of Contentstack, an API-first headless content management system designed to deliver first-class digital experiences by making it easier to deliver and maintain content distribution anywhere. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Nishant explains how the Contentstack system integrates with various products to publish content at a moment’s notice and why companies are finding that to be a critical part of their success.Main TakeawaysAll in One Place: As the arms race for content delivery ramps up, having a secure and safe place to store and manage your content is increasingly important. An added benefit of Contentstack is while it can store your content, it can also deliver that same content across various channels, such as web, mobile, and digital signage Democratizing Content: One of the biggest issues within large corporations is the ability to make content accessible to their various teams across the world. With Contentstack, users have the power to instantly upload and share their content for anyone associated with the organization, whether that be domestic or international. The second the file is uploaded to the system, anyone with access to publishing abilities then possesses the power to deliver that content at scale.Can You Tag Me in That? Every day millions of images and videos are uploaded to websites and systems but are never tagged or IDed. Contentstack, thanks to its A.I. and machine learning techniques, has the ability to instantly identify and tag hundreds of millions of images. So if someone needs a picture of a yellow lab with a Coke, the system can instantly cycle through its system to find those pictures.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The No. 1 feature of technology is storage. Ok, so that’s not true. But, it’s one of the most critical pieces of hardware that enables software to function. How fast, how easy, and how much data can be accessed and leveraged inside of applications plays a critical part in technologies effectiveness and user experience. File systems have largely evolved unnoticed.“Existing file systems written 20 years ago are like Microsoft word. It works, but you can't collaborate with it. You don't get the full effectiveness. In fact, if you had a project that started at night, and had to be done the next morning, everyone would overwrite everyone else's work. And whoever was in charge would have a major headache, and the best work wouldn't be done. In the case of a parallel file system, everyone gets the full use every single day to do as much work as they can. So there's no latency, you're not waiting for anything.”Ken Grohe, President and CRO at WekaIO, a company that is working to solve those data and storage obstacles by eliminating and replacing legacy systems with a cloud-based collaborative file system structure, and we’re not talking about files like a spreadsheet. We’re talking about huge massive files like Electronic Medical Records, Gene Maps, and other critical files that now can be updated around the world like an excel file. Hear how WekaIO played a role in Covid Vaccine development in a way that would not have been possible just a few years ago. Learn more about that plus other applications of modern file systems next, on IT Visionaries. Main TakeawaysOut of Storage: Nobody buys computers just because of their storage capabilities. But while storage is often overlooked, it is also the engine that powers the speed of your system. Currently there are three types of storage: Cloud, GPU and Flash. In order to create the fastest and most reliable system, your storage needs must be optimized for all three.What is a Weka-Byte?: According to research conducted by the Weka team, nine out of 10 big data centers are now operated by Weka. The reasoning for the shift? While most storage systems are designed with terabytes in mind, which are units of information which are equal to one million 1012, which is how traditional storage companies operate, a Wekabyte is considered 10100 , so nearly 10 times of the size. The Rise of the Data Chief: The newest member of the C-Suite is also becoming one of the most important members of leadership teams: The Data Chief. As more companies possess unstructured data, they are going to need someone with the data literacy and requisite knowledge to understand how to properly use that data.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every year millions of products and services hit the market with sky-high aspirations, and every year millions of those same products and services fail. The reason? Consumer expectations are rising, which means their tolerance for a bad experience, has all but disappeared.“We tend to remember the good experiences that we have, and that creates expectations across all other similar or comparable experiences,” Van De Loo said. “This was something we saw a lot of — the first experience with a new platform determines whether they’re going to work with them in the future or not. The bar keeps rising. It keeps getting higher and higher. Especially with these newer experiences.” Kaj Van De Loo is the CTO of UserTesting, a human insight platform that provides companies with the opportunity to gather real-time feedback, from real customers, regardless of where an item stands within the development process. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Kaj joins me for a conversation centered on how UserTesting is creating real-time feedback loops based on the emotions and interactions real people experience with a product. Plus, Kaj goes under the hood and explains how UserTesting is using these insights to create actionable insights for their clients.Main TakeawaysSo Simple Even I Can Use It: Consumers are now evaluating a product or service on everything from design, to pick-up and drop-off location, but the number one thing that is making or breaking a consumer’s experience is overall ease of use. Products or services that have more steps to reach the same conclusion as a product that had a similar, more streamlined approach, always received negative feedback.Jury by Your Peers: One of the biggest influences in how new platforms are being evaluated now is based upon the experience shoppers have on a similar website. If a user has a tremendous shopping experience on a website such as Amazon, they are now more likely to evaluate a new platform based with the good experience setting a new bar. This means that first impressions, especially for new websites, are now more important than ever before.Can I Get Your Feedback?: By deploying an online community of verified users and testers, UserTesting has been able to create more accurate feedback loops that can be iterated and retested in real-time. By using humans instead of various testing services, clients can gauge how an individual interacts and connects with a site, while detailing what they like and don’t like about each product.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

The customer experience has never been more important than it is today. Why is that? d Because consumers and enterprises are no longer just evaluating their needs based solely on a product’s pros and cons. Instead every purchase decision is being thought through on multiple levels, including whether or not a product is the right fit for personal and professional needs, and looking into the deeper value of a product as it relates to the bigger picture of a company. Simply put, if you are not placing an emphasis on delivering the best possible customer experience to make those decisions easier and more seamless, you’re fighting an uphill battle from day one.“From a competitive perspective, everyone's upping their game. Everyone's wanting to provide that latest, greatest experience and capability for our customers. As the technologies have evolved, particularly around things you can do in platforms, the opportunity for a digital experience is much more customer-driven now than ever before.”Mark Arnold is the Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at HPE Pointnext Service, a support and services arm of Hewlett Packard Enterprises. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Mark dives into the changing needs and expectations of customers and why the experience you give them has to rise to new levels. Plus he explains why IT support centers such as call centers are having a harder time meeting consumers’ needs.Main TakeawaysThe One True King: The only way for companies to build a true digital customer experience is for those experiences to be completely tailored to the client or the person they are serving. This may sound simple in today’s day and age, but IT support centers, such as call centers, still struggle being able to tailor their customer service to the person they are speaking with.So Lonely, I’m So Lonely: One of the key reasons that IT support centers struggle with being able to personalize information is because the system is not constructed in a way that allows for the easy transfer of information. Removing the silos that are currently constructing this process is the only way to make it better.  A New Driver for Success: From a customer perspective, the level of competition within the marketplace has risen to a point where the product by itself is no longer the reason that a customer makes decisions. Now, those decisions are being made in conjunction with how the buyer perceives the service experience and the offerings you are able to make them.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The digital world continues to evolve a rapid pace. Customers’ expectations have risen, and the user experience now must match the rising tide of their needs. So while cloud has made it faster and easier to deliver services, the same can’t be said for troubleshooting and solving issues caused by cloud connectivity. That is, until now...“Cloud A.I. changes both the experience between the business and his customer, between the business and his vendor. From a customer to business point of view, where it really ends up is fewer support tickets. So at that level, A.I. is basically proactively finding problems ahead of time. And when you reduce the number of support tickets, that translates into a better user experience.” Bob Friday is the Co-founder and CTO of Mist, a Juniper company. Mist is deploying artificial intelligence via the cloud to help revolutionize the world of IT. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Bob delves into how the Mist cloud network is helping companies save time and money with network automation, while also delivering a reliable and efficient network that creates a valuable customer experience. Plus, he previews the future of automated assistants in IT.Main TakeawaysA Real Problem Solver: One of the biggest advantages of cloud-based A.I. infrastructure is the ability for A.I. to quickly and efficiently identify network problems — such as poorly-configured routers or offline systems — and correct them before the user ever knows there is a problem. All About the... Insights!: While a system’s ability to identify and self-correct its own issues is important, being able to break down the data it is ingesting everyday is critical. By doing this, you will be able to understand where those same issues are coming from to prevent problems from ever occurring .The Next Big Thing: Automated assistants will be the next big shift for all IT departments. As IT administrators begin to trust A.I. on a deeper level, and trust the data that their systems are providing them, the use of A.I. and its abilities will continue to expand into assistants that can help administrators complete rudimentary tasks.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform 

There is no way to sugar coat it: consumers are nervous about their privacy. And rightfully so. There is a trail of data bread crumbs you leave behind wherever you go, and people are watching and following along — some with good intentions, but not all.  The internet as we know it is controlled by centralized networks, but one company is helping change the playing field by taking away the power of those networks and offering it to the masses.“You shouldn't have to be a security expert to know what applications you use in order to have the level of privacy that you prefer,” Dr. Waterhouse said. “We believe that things like a decentralized VPN are a step in the direction of decentralizing a lot of different kinds of messaging and communication platforms. There are definitely very layered challenges in what that means.”Dr. Steven Waterhouse is the CEO of Orchid Labs, an open-source decentralized VPN system that is allowing users to shield themselves from internet lurkers following their every move. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Steven describes what this open-source system could look like, and he dives into the rising tide of privacy issues, why regulation has gone too far, and the benefits of an open-source system.Main TakeawaysPower to the Users: Over the last few years, a rising tide of privacy concerns has continued to swell amongst internet users. By decentralizing communication, and masking a person’s ability to be tracked, users can freely surf the web without being worried about a third party tracking them or selling their data. What’s Mine Is Yours: As an open-source system, Orchid’s VPN code is made freely to be distributed around the world. This is important because the company believes that decentralized VPNs are a key component of creating a decentralized internet.Crypto-for-VPN? Since Orchid Labs allows its users to layer their VPN usage — which means they could be connected to multiple VPN sites at a time — the company uses a form of cryptocurrency as a central payment method, as opposed to using a credit card system. By using cryptocurrency instead of credit cards, users are able to free-send coins back and forth without a central authority figure and without a paper trail of data.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The best products and solutions are often born out of personal experiences. For Sam De Brouwer, CEO and Co-Founder of doc.ai, her breakthrough moment occurred after her son was hospitalized and induced into a coma as a result of a severe accident. Frustrated, anxious, and wanting to help, Sam found herself doing what any mother would; looking for ways she could make a difference.“What I was seeing at the hospital, and what I was trying to do for my son, I saw other parents trying to do the same thing. Trying to understand the machines, trying to understand those numbers, trying to understand the language, trying to access the information so that you could ask for second opinions, because the situation was too serious to not ask for a second or third opinion.”With a background at the intersection of technology, research, and healthcare, Sam and her husband launched doc.ai in 2016 in an effort to accelerate digital transformation in the healthcare space. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sam details some of the issues within the healthcare space when it comes to utilizing data to produce actionable learning models, how neural nets are impacting data collection and the future of edge A.I. in healthcare.Main TakeawaysA Better Way: The biggest issue with how data is recorded and distributed within the healthcare industry is that all data is siloed and fragmented, meaning that instead of data being easily available to help with learning models and predictive science, the opposite is true, making digital tasks difficult for third party companies.Neural Nets for the Win: By utilizing neural nets, data collection has become as easy as taking a picture. Neural nets are a machine learning technique that gathers data and insights based on previous training data. Doc.ai uses these techniques to record information such as height, weight, and age and then uploads that information to the cloud in an effort to make that data accessible in real-time.iDoctor: The future of the healthcare industry hinges on technologies such as A.I. and federated learning. Doctors and healthcare professionals should be embracing automation techniques in order to not get bogged down by rudimentary tasks that take time away from them and their patients.

The speed of search has altered our expectations when it comes to conducting research. We can search peer reviews for just about anything, but not enterprise software, not distributed working models, and definitely can’t easily research and search peer reviews on custom implementations, how to best work with a CEO, impacts of work from home initiatives, and other CIO and CTO interests.Meet Pulse Q&A is looking to change that. Pulse QA is the research platform designed and dedicated to helping CIOs and technology leaders make smarter decisions through the power of crowdsourced data, and it starts with building a massive powerful community of the top CIOs and CTOs in the industry.“The best way to describe Pulse is what Google is to search, Pulse is to research. People have gotten really used to being able to do a search and come up with fast, accurate, and free result. Informed decisions and research on the other hand is extremely hard where you have to set up an account, become a master in how to do surveys, figure out how to contact the right people, especially on the B2B side this is even more challenging.” Mayank Meht, Founder and CEO of Pulse Q&A, wants to close the gap between search and the latency of crowdsourced data. The goal: Get back real results, in real-time to help leadership executives make better and more informed decisions. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Mayank discusses the platform and all of its benefits, and he gives some insight into some of the top conversations CIOs are having today.Main TakeawaysDo You Have Two Forms of ID? By sourcing and authenticating real CIOs, members of the C-Suite are able to confidently ask their peers questions, while gaining insights and information about struggles and solutions that other members have experienced. And this is all data that is not available or difficult to source on other platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Data and Real-time Responses: By limiting the people allowed in these communities to CIOs, Pulse Q&A has the ability to collect valuable insights while turning around real-time responses in order to give the question asker, actionable insights at the speed of search.The Three Big Issues: There are three main challenges that CIOs are facing today. The first is how businesses will effectively return to normal after the pandemic subsides. The second is digital transformations and how businesses can get actionable ROI from their technology stacks. And lastly, how to source through the endless amount of vendors in the space today.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

You’ll rarely hear anyone say that you’re over-communicating. But what you will hear is that with the influx of communication platforms, especially when it comes to messaging and email services, there are more ways to communicate than ever before, and that causes some trickle-down effects. With so much data and messages coming and going through a system, and emails clogging out your in an outbox, finding a way to sift through each of those messages, decipher it, and identify what is meaningful is becoming increasingly more difficult.“Email has over 3 billion active users today and is rapidly growing, It will be over five and a half billion by 2025. That intuitively makes sense. Everyone with a smartphone has an email address, everyone with internet access at all, has an email address. And it's this repository of not only all your personal activity, but it's absolutely the database of how you run your business and do a lot of interaction from there across your calendar, across your address book, across your email, it handles a lot of information going in and out of it as a natural jumping-off point.” Gleb Polyakov is the CEO and co-founder of Nylas, where he leads strategy, operations and product innovation for the company’s communication API platform. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Gleb details how he led Nylas through a pivot moment three years ago when the product shifted from a consumer-facing software to a backend API. Plus, Gleb details how your first idea is never your best one.Main TakeawaysIf It’s Not Right, Fix It: Even if you have a company that is showing signs of growth and the metrics are positive but the peripheral numbers are not saying what you think they should be saying, don’t be scared to pivot and head in a different direction. The first idea for any company is not always going to be the most successful one. Keep iterating and keep building to find out what works best for your company.An Unstructured Mess: Finding a way to sort through data when it comes to communication platforms remains one of the most challenging and reliable obstacles for developers. The reason? Understanding how to decipher emails and text messages, and understanding various forms of language is difficult to pick apart.A Tipping Point: The communication sector remains at a tipping point. As more and more software services provide chat and messaging services, finding a way to properly decipher and break down the data in those messages is growing in importance with few providers that can properly and reliably source that data.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform  

With much of the workforce in 2020 operating from the friendly confines of their own homes, nothing became more clear than this: tech skills are no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Leveling-up those skills, though, is a team effort, and it’s incumbent on employers to make sure they are providing their employees with the proper opportunities to expand their knowledge, and, in effect, their career potential. Joe Atkinson is the Vice Chair and Chief Products and Technology Officer at PwC, one of the largest professional services firms in the country, and a company that is setting a precedent when it comes to upskilling its workforce.“Everybody should have an opportunity to grow their skills. It doesn't matter where you are in the organization If you have a desire and an inclination, then we believe that employers have a degree of obligation, almost like an employee benefit. It's the new 401k to make those assets of learning technical skills available.”On this episode of IT Visionaries, Joe details why PwC places such an emphasis on upskilling, the importance of growth throughout an employee’s career journey, and how the employee experience is shifting how PwC conducts its business.Main TakeawaysLeveled Up: In order for your business to continue to evolve, so must your employees and their skills. Corporations need to start putting an emphasis on upskilling their employees, and that includes everyone from entry-level warehouse employees to those in upper management. If you don’t invest in your employees throughout their career life cycle, your business practices can stall and your workforce won’t be as agile.Bob the Builder: While it’s important to work with third-party vendors to fill your product needs, it is equally as important to continue to innovate and build your own products. By building your own products, you have an opportunity to fill in the gaps within the marketplace while providing your clients with products that are unique to them and fits their needs.Death of Billable Hours: The billable-hours approach is no longer a viable way of conducting business. By placing an emphasis on activity, the consequence is that you tend to overwork your employees, which eventually leads to diminishing returns and employee burnout.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform  

The image of a hooded individual illuminated by the glare of a computer screen hacking into a company’s network is the classic picture of what a cyber attack looks like. The reality, though, is these attackers are almost never a one-man band, but rather a sophisticated team armed with the same technology companies often deploy against them. But what makes these threats from these attackers so devious is not the technology they use, but rather that they never use the same approach twice.“Cyber is big business and unfortunately it's causing a tremendous amount of business disruption. They continue to increase in sophistication and they have new and novel approaches. There are constantly unknown threats and new threat actors and that's part of the reason it gets very challenging. In some ways, a lot of the focus is people love to hear about all these cool techniques they use, but it's the fact that they're constantly evolving and changing the techniques that make it so difficult for security teams and for what I think of as static security tools to stay current against this range of threats.”Nicole Eagan is the Chief A.I. Officer at Darktrace, a leader in autonomous cybersecurity A.I. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Nicole dives into why A.I. is a good tool, but not one powerful enough to prevalent today’s cybercriminals. Plus, she explains how security systems must constantly be learning, the impact IoT devices have had on security threats,  and why algorithms are at a war with one another.Main TakeawaysUpdate Available: Companies are utilizing A.I. to predict and prevent attacks, but there is one major issue: the data sets they are using to prevent attackers from entering their networks are often filled with old datasets. By using old data, your artificial intelligence cannot understand how to protect you from new attacks.The War of Algorithms: Future cyber attacks are no longer going to simply come from hackers infiltrating a network. Instead, these attackers are becoming more sophisticated and will use machine learning techniques to understand the type of behaviors the user is using in order to build a sophisticated attack. The only way to combat these types of attacks, is to use real-time self-learning A.I. systems that can detect abnormalities within a system.Stop Acting in Silos: Security prevention needs to stop operating in silos when it comes to preventing attacks. Cyber criminals are no long attacking users through email or through loca networks, so security teams need to stop focusing on a niche area. Instead, develop an all encompassing self-learning platform that is constantly monitoring all aspects of your business and your employees.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform  

Mark Thiele has spent his entire life in and around IT infrastructure, even building his own fair share of data centers. But if there is one thing about the entire process that he finds vexing, it’s the wasted time between when companies start negotiating contracts for data centers to when it actually launches.. So after a 27-year career working with other companies, he set out on his own and started Edgevana with a simple goal: to help companies get to the edge faster.“Getting to the edge may seem hard for some, but it's not for lack of capability,” he said. The problem for most is not that stuff isn't available, but how do I find it? And how do I make quick determinations about what combination of services or capabilities or partners do I need in order to solve the problem or create the opportunity that I'm pursuing for my business?”Mark joined IT Visionaries to discuss why streamlining the buying and implementation process is the key to moving quickly to the edge. Plus, Mark touches on why edge computing continues to be on the rise and what IT leaders should be looking for in edge technology.Main TakeawaysWhat To Solve For: At the end of the day, the main goal of edge computing is to solve two things: t latency, and how data is going to be used.Hit the Easy Button: The negotiation process and implementation of new data centers in the past has been a grueling and time-consuming process. Edgevana is simplifying that process by allowing companies to quickly negotiate contracts and string together equipment at various locations in partnership with other Edgevana users. By doing this, Edgevanaa is giving more users access to the market at a quicker pace.Data Centers Still Exist?: Even with cloud infrastructure, data centers will continue to thrive well into the future because they serve two main purposes: first, companies continue to use them as a more reliable source for some of their aging technologies. Second, even if most companies were to convert their old technology stacks over to the cloud, most of those technologies would still be running from the physical data centers, so enterprises would then be paying to store this data in two different spaces.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The imagery has been etched in our minds for decades. Thieves and vandals riding into town on the back of their horses with one mission in mind: robbing a bank to steal your cash. This is the bad actor archetype, and it has stayed much the same for years. But the problem is, Hollywood’s depiction of those events are no longer accurate in today’s digital world. Nobody is physically robbing banks anymore, because they don’t have to. “If you're a bad guy, you rob a bank and you're going to get caught immediately. And that person is definitely getting caught. But if you look at what cyber attackers are doing now, they're looking for ways to digitally impersonate someone or get to your employees. From there, they can get to your network, or your data. So then they can hold you hostage without really physically harming you, and you could lose tons of money.”  Fleming Shi, the CTO of Barracuda Networks, a security software platform that is designed to prevent those robbers from accessing your accounts or your business. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Fleming discusses the evolution of cyber attacks and how botnets are infiltrating your system much like a virus finds its way into your body, and why fighting off those attacks is the biggest challenge facing cybersecurity teams today.Main TakeawaysBuilt with a Security Mindset: As cybersecurity threats become more advanced and personalized, the onus to protect the user should no longer fall solely on security teams. Instead, application developers must start building their cloud applications with security in mind. If they don’t, the bad actors will continue to find vulnerabilities within systems based on the way they are built. Not All Bots Are Good Bots: Bad bot personas are bots that are identified as malicious based on their pattern of behavior. These bots often disguise themselves as user-agent bots, which search sites in order to rank them, then infiltrate your network and mine for your data. How to Spot A Thief: One of the most effective ways to spot  “bad bots” is to follow their behavior patterns. Typical bot activity peaks during the early morning and late at night, which may indicate if that bot is a safe bot or a cybercriminal.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every day, millions of truckers grab their keys, hop in their semis, start their engines, and head out on the open road to pick-up and deliver billions of products to millions of stores across the U.S. The trucking industry is an integral piece of what fuels America’s economy. And businesses around the country rely on these trucks to pick-up and receive orders on time, especially as the need for on-demand products and delivery has risen in conjunction with the rise of online shopping and mobile technology. So why then has the shipping industry been so slow to change and adopt new technologies? Grant Goodale, is a former Amazon employee and now the CTO of Convoy. When he learned that 40% of trucks you see on the road are often carrying empty loads because of a poor booking process, he and his partners asked themselves a simple question: how do they disrupt the trucking industry with software that optimizes the user experience and eliminates this inefficiency?“We built what was probably the smartest pricing engine in the industry to help us understand all of those variables, all of those inputs as to what a trucking job should cost so that we can get the best pricing from shippers for a given job, and then help carriers get the right price for the work that they're doing.” On this episode of IT Visionaries, Grant discusses how Convoy has optimized the booking experience for shippers and drivers with its software, and how that new process has helped not just the bottom line, but the environment as a whole. Plus, Grant explains why the trucking industry has been slow to adopt new technologies, and some tips for early-stage start-ups on how to extend your runway.Main TakeawaysLost in Time: Most trucking companies employ less than six trucks, which means these small businesses often don’t have staffing for sales, marketing, or a website. Because of the structure of these businesses, most drivers were booking and negotiating jobs on Load Boards, which meant companies had to physically post jobs, drivers had to call to negotiate rates and book gigs themselves, all assuming the physical postings were up-to-date. It is a system in clear need for optimization.Better for the Environment: 40% of the trucks you see on the road are empty trucks shuttling between jobs. Because a majority of drivers don’t book their next job until one delivery is completed, their routes are not optimized, which means more time on the road and more time between jobs. If drivers can cut back just 1% from that 40%, they can eliminate nearly 380 million gallons of diesel gas used each year.Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: As a start-up, every new job you take on chips away at your supply. Make sure you are as cautious about your supply fragmentation as much as possible to make sure you aren’t overextending yourself or your business’s capabilities.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

It’s true what they say, “finding a job is a full-time job.” After all, as the hiring process becomes more global and recruiters are constantly inundated with an influx of applications, on the other end of that equation are the candidates submitting those applications, who grow weary as the days go by with no response.As with most things, processes change over time, but, with some technical exceptions, the hiring process has mostly remained the same. Until now. Vivek Ravisankar felt called to address the pain points of hiring after speaking with a recruiter. a“I remember walking up to a recruiter one day and asking, ‘Hey, can you tell me how this whole recruiting process works?’ He pulled out his Macbook and he had two folders: pass and fail. He would look at a resume for 10-15 seconds and determine which folder [the resume] was actually going to go into. I was thinking, ‘Man, you have way too much power in your hands.’ But I can also understand and empathize with them because if you're Amazon, you don’t have a better way to do it either. So that was a trigger point. This needs to be fixed.”The fix came in the form of HackerRank, a platform that helps developers put skills over pedigree. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Vivek explains what that means, and how it helps developers stand out from the crowd. Plus he explains  the dangers of utilizing A.I. throughout the hiring process and why distributed workforces are great for company diversity.Main TakeawaysSupply and Demand: As companies continue to trend towards software companies, developers currently remain one of the most sought after candidates. However, that trend is drastically changing as the number of companies that employ developers rise.A.I. Is Not A Magic Pill: When it comes to the hiring process, A.I. should be used as a way to streamline your workflow, but not as an indicator of if a person is fit for a particular job or an identifier of their hard skills. Instead, use the technology to identify if candidates have similar skills to past hires and then sort them into individual piles to accelerate the process.Whatcha Going to Do With all That...Data: Data is what fuels HackerRank’s platform insights. In order to build a comprehensive candidate profile, the company conducts hundreds of thousands of challenges and assessments a day. The data that is then gathered, sorted and distributed to help construct a candidate profile, but is also used as a learning tool for each applicant to better understand where they rank amongst their peers.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When Netskope CEO and founder Sanjay Beri left his role with well-known Juniper Networks, he knew the internet and the way that we protected ourselves virtually was changing. The issue is that while Sanjay knew companies needed to leave their old security tactics behind, convincing members of the C-Suite that they needed to invest in new security measures is a very difficult task. So he showed them why.“Without them telling us anything, we basically uncovered all their shadow IT, all their data that was being filtered not by malicious people, but by their own employees who just didn't know better,” he said. “It's so apparent that people don't know where their data is and by showing them where their data is they realize how exposed they really are.”Sanjay is working to make security more proactive, less reactive, and more educational via his new venture with Netskope. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sanjay discusses how companies can uplevel their security techniques, why SaaS applications are leaving your data unprotected and exposed in areas you might not realize, and why it’s time security companies start educating their peers on best practices.Main TakeawaysLost in Translation: Every 10 to 15 years, the language of the internet changes. As that happens, your SaaS application must change with it. Software that is 15 years old, is unable to understand the new intricacies of the internet, which leaves companies and users vulnerable to various threats.Living on the Edge: Your security needs to live where your employees reside — which recently is at the edge — so that no matter where employees work, your system is there to protect them. With so many employees working remotely in 2021, most of a company’s data and documents are living in the cloud, even if your company is not cloud-native, so necessary security needs to be put in place to protect it.Here to Educate and Protect: Security teams have a responsibility to not only protect their end-users, but they also must be educating the end-users on why and how they are putting themselves at risk. The purpose of this educational philosophy is so that users can understand the risks once they have been briefed, and you can then take action to minimize risk.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Have you ever wondered about how your favorite newsletter ended up in your inbox? Who sent it? Why was that email scheduled for that particular time? What is being tracked when you click that open button? Most likely, those questions haven’t crossed your mind, but that doesn’t change the fact that the digital trail a simple email creates can have a lasting impact on your online persona. Welcome to the world of email marketing, specifically the Mailchimp universe, which includes an all-in one marketing platform that delivers more emails daily than the average consumer can fathom.“We didn't send two billion emails on Black Friday, we delivered two billion emails. What's really interesting for Mailchimp as a platform is that delivery is hard and it's a big part of it but that's really where the story begins. At least when it comes to the email side of things, because delivering it starts it, and then they open it, which gets tracked. They click it. And then when they click it, and they go out to do a thing, they now land on a Mailchimp property. All of those activities the user is taking is going to drive their marketing properly.”Eric Muntz is the CTO of Mailchimp, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he dives into the ins-and-outs of how the email delivery giant has expanded its offerings in an effort to democratize marketing tools. Eric also touches on why email delivery is just the beginning of any marketing journey and how Mailchimp effectively scaled from a few thousand users to millions of users.TakeawaysJust the Beginning: Email delivery is just the beginning when it comes to the world of email marketing. When you open up an email, that email collects various forms of data and multiple user touchpoints. From the link a user clicks on to determine if the email is secure, to the potential landing page where a person winds up, it all creates multiple responses within the Mailchimp platform, which will then trigger follow-up emails, promo codes, etc. Thundering Herd: Thundering Herd in technology circles refers to the amount of stress that is placed on servers that have traditionally been passive but are now being asked to carry high-traffic loads in a short amount of time. Think of ecommerce sites that get bombarded the second a highly anticipated product goes up for order. In order to avoid crashes and stresses on your infrastructure, you have to constantly be backing up and batching your servers. Started From the Bottom Now We Here: When you’re rising through the ranks of your organization, one of the most important skills to learn is how you go from working on a product to understanding how you can give your team the tools to effectively do their jobs. Likewise, when hiring a staff, it’s important to really focus on the applicants that are just as excited about the project and product as you were when you joined the company.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

As the Senior Vice President of Product for Conga, Eric Carrasquilla knows two things: No. 1 products can fundamentally change the workflow of any business. And No. 2, more times than not, customers will tell you what they need, even if they don’t necessarily know how to describe it.“We keep going back to this Apple example, the famous one related to the iPod… No one asked for your entire music catalog in a deck of cards. They asked for a bunch of other stuff. But Steve Jobs, being able to come back and say, ‘I understand the problem you're trying to solve.’ You don't want to lug all this stuff around and it's difficult to go through and do, so what about this?’ And having people go, ‘Oh, yes, it's what I need. And didn't know what to ask for.’” That's the challenge faced by anyone in the business of product development: to deliver revolutionary products and services, without having to be asked to do so. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Eric details how his team goes about meeting that challenge by developing services with the customer experience at the forefront. Plus, he explains the importance of working hand-in-hand with your developers.Main TakeawaysMight Not Be the Product they Want, But it’s the Product They Need: One of the defining features of any company is how it listens and gathers information from its clients. When it comes to product development, this is key. Your clients might not always be able to convey to you the exact problem they need to be solved, but through discovery, research, and multiple conversations, similar themes will begin to emerge that will help your product team understand what needs should be addressed.This isn’t Monopoly: As a product team, it’s important to understand that your department does not have a monopoly on good ideas. Remember, ideas can come from all departments — clients, R&D, product, etc.. Don’t back yourself into a corner and think that only your team knows how to solve problems. Siloed and structured approaches rarely succeed.Acquired Remotely: When you are going through an acquisition, the first thing you need to ask yourself is how do our products complement each other? What areas of the acquiring company are useful and how can we integrate those into our network? When you are doing this in a remote environment, communication is of the utmost importance. You should be constantly over-communicating with your teams to make sure you are achieving the best result, but also making the transition as easy as possible.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Let's be frank. Security and the steps we take to protect ourselves are never top-of-mind. In fact, most users tend to operate under the mindset that bad things happen to other people and companies, never hitting too close to home. Until it does… Maybe it’s an email you click on, or a message that contains sensitive information you pass along to a coworker that ends up in an unsecured inbox. Regardless of the method or point of entry,, bad actors, or hackers will eventually attack if and when they can.“More and more people go into it with the same logic as when people are buying burglar alarms for [their] home. It usually sells greatly when a home in your neighborhood gets broken into. You hear about it and then say, ‘Maybe I should actually protect myself.’ Whenever something like that happens, then those circles start to resonate with it just unfortunately, they need to get burned in order to learn about it.”Alan Duric isn’t one of those kinds of people though. Alan is the CTO and COO of Wire, and he lives with three key terms always top of mind: Security, end-to-end encryption and prevention. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Alan discusses some of the leading trends happening in the security space — including addressing the age-old issue of how users should be more proactive and less reactive. Plus, Alan details why email continues to be the most troubling form of communication.Main TakeawaysYou are The Weakest Link, Goodbye!: Despite all the forms of cybersecurity, email attacks still remain the weakest link because it is tough to regulate and prevent outside actors from infiltrating a system. Instead, passing sensitive information back and forth through email, consider using encryption-protected messaging services.A Little Proactive and Less Reactive: The time is now for companies to take a hard look at how they are protecting themselves and evaluate all options. With various forms of security, including zero trust, encryption, etc. One of the biggest problems when it comes to security understanding the risk vs reward factor. So, Can you Hack this? One of the leading benefits of full end-to-end encryption is the ability to protect every message and every video conference — sending or receiving — from being attacked. When each individual form of communication is encrypted with its own unique key, it’s as if that message is being protected inside its own individual fortress.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The idea of virtual reality has captivated humans for the longest time. After all, the ability to live a second life, free of the physical obstacles that the real world presents is a dream worth falling into. But what if there was a bridge between the powers of virtual reality and its ability to impact the real world? That’s the mission that Ammad Khan, the CEO and Co-founder of IrisVision, set out to make possible.“I have always believed that technology has the tremendous potential of really changing the way we do things every day. And it's become really evident, since the launch of the smartphones in our lives and using the platform capability on the smartphone that so many of the things that we previously could not even think of have become possible.”One way the impossible is becoming reality is through the work of IrisVision, which uses the powers of virtual reality tools to enable people who have been declared legally blind the ability to see again. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ammad discusses the power of the IrisVision software and provides case studies on how the product is working in the real world. Plus, he details the company’s go-to-market strategy and why it was integral to develop multiple prototypes before making the product widely available. Main TakeawaysBut First, Science: Founded in 2016, IrisVision is based on Dr. Frank Werblin’s research around retinal functions. Werblin and Khan, who possessed a background in mobile technology, worked together to find a software solution for helping individuals with low-vision see again. Virtual reality, combined with the increasing use of technology, allows the eyes to put together pixels, in order to make blurred vision more clear. Test, Test, Test: Before you send any product to market, you need to make sure you have a sound basis for how the product works and perform multiple use cases. Rushing a product to market without understanding how it performs under varying variables could be disastrous. Make sure you take the proper time to prototype your device so when it hits shelves, you’re off and running---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The United States Patent and Trademark Office wants to modernize its technology stack, but to accomplish its ambitious goal, Jamie Holcombe, the CIO for USPTO has two main objectives: snapping out of a spell that binds people to age-old projects, and scaling its current way of doing things.“What I saw was the ability to actually outsource a lot of our infrastructure, and that means not actually having the data center that we currently do in Alexandria, although it's very efficient. What we need to do is have resiliency. And so what I'd like to do is create the ability for our applications to work in the cloud on the internet, instead of having to come to the USPTO data center. And so that's what we're doing right now. We've stabilized our core applications to the point where in COVID-19 we've been able actually to increase our productivity metrics. It's unbelievable how great we're doing in this limited environment.”On this episode of IT Visionaries, Jamie details how his office is bringing its technology stack into the 21st century and how they are expediting the time it takes for a patent to get approved through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.Main TakeawaysYou Better Check Yourself: The discovery process is integral when you are looking to deploy any kind of artificial intelligence or machine learning techniques. Before deploying these algorithms, you need to make sure that you are creating the necessary feedback loops and understand what the data is telling you and where your deficiencies are in your algorithms.Clean-Up Your Room: Before you embark on any digital transformation that affects your customer, you have to make sure that your house is in order first. This can mean updating your network’s infrastructure and finding new ways to manage your data. Same Old Song and Dance: Just because your department or office has been around for hundreds of years, does not mean your processes are perfect. When you have employees that stick around, that’s great! But make sure you are continuously challenging your team to think about new ways and processes to streamline your approach.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The old saying, “look good, feel good,'' fits Stitch Fix perfectly. The direct-to-consumer, online personal styling service has boomed due to its ability to not only match consumers with trendy and comfortable clothes, but to make it a personalized experience for each buyer.“At the end of the day, we want to be rooted in personalization. First and foremost, it's important for us that [consumers] not only come to Stitch Fix to complete a transaction, but that you really think about us as your partner style.”From curating stylish experiences, to matching each individual with their own personal stylist, Stitch Fix and taken eCommerce and the subscription model to the next level. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Tatsiana Maskalevich, the Director of Data Science at Stitch Fix, takes listeners into the algorithms that help curate those experiences and the science behind it all.Main TakeawaysKnow Your Data: With so many avenues to collect data on the internet, the collection process is not the difficult part. The hardest part is how you turn your data into actionable insights that can benefit your customers’ experience. In order to manage your data appropriately, you must be constantly creating feedback loops so you can best understand what is working and what is not working.It’s a Preference Thing: The customer experience is the number one pillar for any successful company. When you are creating curated experiences for your customers, you need to constantly be listening to what works for them and what does not work. Create a great experience by constantly giving your customers reasons to engage with your platform through quizzes and games or other interactive features.Rooted in Data:  One of the keys to building a successful data-centric platform is through the individuals constructing it. The algorithm you construct has to accomplish two things: It needs to continuously be learning about the person inputting that data, and it needs to continuously be relaying information back to the source. Focus on the foundation and infrastructure of your algorithm first, then experience second.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

What if there was a software that could take the guesswork out of finding a career or an employee? And what if that software could not only analyze your technical skills, but also those that could lead you to leadership positions down the road? That would be great news for the hiring managers and everyday Americans who struggle with and feel anxious about the complexities of completing a job search. Lucky for them then, that Eightfold.ai is working to make those worries a thing of the past through artificial intelligence.“What we are doing is using the latest advances in deep learning and machine learning to really understand, not what people have done, but what they are capable of being next. What is their learning ability for a certain skill? If you know statistics and signal processing, you can learn machine learning very quickly. If you are good in programming, you can learn Python quickly. So really trying to understand the learning ability of each individual and using that to assess and understand who can be a great fit in what enterprise, in which function.” With more than 100 customers, including AT&T, Cisco and Liberty Mutual, Eightfold.ai is using the power of data to solve the complexities that come with hiring thousands of employees. On this episode, Ashutosh Garg, discusses how A.I. can be used to identify which candidates are an ideal fit for an organization, and he gives an inside look at their process and the variables they look at to identify that perfect candidate.Main TakeawaysIt’s a Problem Rooted in Data: When you’re building any application that’s rooted in A.I., the number one priority needs to be data collection. The more data you have, the more inferences you are able to make. When Eightfold.ai launched its platform, it only worked with companies that hired more than 10,000 employees over a few years. The idea is that for every 10,000 employees hired, more than 1 million people were called, screened, etc., thus making the data sets they are able to pull from very large.It’s About Fit: Finding the right employee should never be based solely on a candidate's skills. Instead, when you are going through the hiring process, think about how this particular person fits within a role and within your organization as a whole. Just because someone works at Google, does not mean they will fit at Facebook. Instead, evaluate an individual on all the variables a job requires, cultural fit included.The Art of Possibility: Artificial intelligence is unlocking the possibility of not only creating a more diverse workplace, but providing opportunities to people who might not have the traditional background, but who have still found success. The technology unlocks for them the ability to find and pursue many more opportunities.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For years, marketers and technologists have envisioned a world where technology would be advanced enough and smart enough, that they could reach consumers on a deeper and more emotional level. Turns out, through the power of automation, that world may now exist.“I'm really talking about designing your digital channels so that they are cognitive. So you're reacting to what a customer might be feeling or thinking, being compassionate. So you're responding to the customer situation with a genuine effort to help. So we talk about implementing bots. It's not just about trying to impersonate a real-life human being. You really shouldn't try to do that, but we're about creating these solutions around automation that's very much attuned to the customer's emotions, their motivations, their challenges that they're facing.”Robots in the workplace are not new, but automation as a driver of empathy and not a way to accomplish repetitive tasks is a game-changing advancement. Virgil Wong, who you just heard from, is the Chief Digital Officer for HGS Digital, a company focused on making empathy a driving force behind the customer experience. Virgil joins IT Visionaries to discuss how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and intelligent automation are more than just buzzwords. In fact, they are actionable pieces of technology that can drive brand loyalty and create the optimal customer experience.Main TakeawaysLet’s Be a Bit More Empathetic: Whether your customer is interacting with you on a website, mobile app, or via chatbot, the experience they have with your technology must be based on empathy. When customers are working with bots, that automation needs to be able to identify that customers' pain points, and then react in a compassionate manner.Walk Before You Run: When it comes to implementing sweeping customer experience changes, it’s important to start slow and discover what the pain points are, the processes involved, and how the technology can better serve the customer. Time to Upgrade: Your data sets should be driving your roadmap and how you interact with your customers. When you have millions of conversations, take time to digest the themes of those calls and where some of your customers’ common pain points are. Then use that data to drive a better, more empathetic experience.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

If there is one thing 2020 made abundantly clear, it’s that the way in which workers operate will never be the same. As employees rushed to set up monitors and home offices in their new environments, businesses across the world were recognizing an inevitable reality:: that this new lifestyle was here to stay.“As this progresses, the next normal is going to be about mobility and flexibility. We've got a taste of this working from home thing that [we’ve] never had before, and they're going to want to do both, which is going to bring on new challenges.”Welcome to the “Next Normal,” where new remote working demands are establishing a host of lifestyle changes for employees, and concurrently creating a larger list of challenges for their employers. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Kim Huffman, the VP of Global IT at Elastic, opens up about distributed workforces and why Elastic believes strongly in them. But she is honest about the obstacles that work from anywhere creates when it comes to managing the endpoints of your fleet, and she discusses how IT leaders can handle the transition.Main TakeawaysKnow Your Fleet: For distributed teams, having an understanding of your endpoints is critically important. You need to always be thinking about where you are most vulnerable at those endpoints, and the points of attack they may be opening themselves up to to understand how they can be as secure as possible. Managing your endpointDrink Your Own Champagne: One of the more important operating principals  at Elastic is its ability and willingness to test its own products in-house. When you beta test your apps with your own team, it affords you the opportunity to fix bugs or breakdowns within the system prior to that product ever reaching the customer.Is This Secure? Just because you are operating on a VPN network, does not necessarily mean your network is secure. Even when you are on VPN, the user is still subjected to various forms of cyberattacks. As IT leaders, it’s important to constantly be evaluating the incoming information from your devices and managing them at their endpoints.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

It is only fitting that Sylvie Veilleux’s current adventure finds her wandering the backroads of the continental United States, cruising across America’s highways in search of her next stop. It’s an odyssey that’s reminiscent of her career path: From a start-up, to Apple, with a pitstop in financial services in between, before finally landing at the powerhouse that is Dropbox as its CIO, Sylvie’s career has been anything but linear.“As an individual, I can get pretty bored easily. And if there was ever a moment that I felt bored, that's when opportunities came to me. I love adventure. I love being challenged. I love being busy. And if I can combine all those things together, then why not? It's been quite fun. This last experience, where I've been working virtually in an RV, is just another place that I've done something so new and different that's kept me going.”While Dropbox is known for its file-sharing prowess, the company, like Sylvie, has expanded its horizons and its footprint in order to aid distributed workforces. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sylvie discusses her personal journey, the work she’s doing now at Dropbox, and why Dropbox is proving that remote work is here to stay.Main TakeawaysA Remote Worker, Living in A Virtual World: The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed companies to be more agile with their workforces. Just because your team is distributed, doesn’t mean simple company values like culture and team building don’t matter. Time to Unplug: Remote workers shouldn’t be accessible 24/7. Sure, an employee has the ability to be connected to their device at all times, but that does not mean the company should exploit that. When utilizing a remote workforce, find ways to allow employees to disconnect from the company on their days off so they don’t feel required to check things such as emails, or answer calls.Ready, Player One: The ways employees and teams meet in the future will change from the way they are meeting today. CIO’s and technology leaders need to constantly be evaluating the technology they use amongst their teams. This includes taking a hard look at it if it makes the overall experience better for the employee and if it’s not, finding a better solution.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When you’re labeled by Forbes as a “Billion Dollar Start-Up,” the expectations are set pretty high. But for Truepill President and Co-Founder Sid Viswanathan, the goal was never about earning accolades, it was about re-energizing and modernizing an aging healthcare system. “As consumers, we live in a world that's driven by [the fact that] you can order something on your phone and it shows up in that same hour, or that following day. Behind the scenes, that's been really hard to do in healthcare because of all the different interconnected dependencies, and all the complexities of our healthcare system in America. For us, it was really important to simplify that because at the end of the day, the consumer cares about getting their medication on time or getting that lab test in their home. So it was critical for us to make sure that we built our entire infrastructure with that consumer in mind.” The journey from the idea of simplifying the healthcare system to established start-up doing that and more wasn’t an easy one — but Sid knew it wouldn’t be. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sid discusses how his first entrepreneurial adventure helped pave the way for Truepill, and he explains why the healthcare industry has been slow to implement new technologies. Plus he reveals that oftentimes you might not know your company’s true mission until a few years down the road. Main TakeawaysAdopt and Adapt: In healthcare, the adoption of new technologies has been extremely slow. While the industry as a whole has implemented new measures and techniques, the underlying issue for the lack of adoption centers on the fact that there is no real incentive for pharmacies to change their practices.If You Build it, They Will Come: When you’re first launching a platform, start with the mindset of doing the entire project yourself - no contractors, no DevOps personnel, or software engineers. When you develop the platform yourself it sets your team up to have a longer runway to success and allows you to build longer because you are not taking on the front-end cost of development.Customer Centric: One of the biggest challenges the healthcare industry has faced is the process has not been designed with the customer experience in mind. Regardless of which industry you are in, when you begin to build your products and services with the customer experience in mind, it provides you with the ability to streamline processes that dampen the overall experience.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

What if instead of saying, “There’s an app for that,” the saying was, “There’s a bot for that?” And what if, instead of spending hours of your day performing repetitive tasks, a bot beneath the surface of your screen was doing the work for you?“With RPA, you're able to make the lives of people at work much, much easier. It improves their own lives, and improves the end customer's life. It improves their business. It improves the value prop they provide. So that is the way I think about it. when you bring [RPA] together and say, I won't sell you A.I., or I won't sell you a cloud-native product. What I will sell you is an experience that allows you to do the things that you want to do in a way that makes sense to you and will be a delight for you to use and your end-user.”That’s Prince Kohli, the CTO of Automation Anywhere, a global enterprise RPA solution  platform that brings robotic process automation to industries worldwide. On this episode of  IT Visionaries, Prince discusses how RPA is changing the game when it comes to office efficiency. Plus, he details the future of RPA and whether we’ll see a future where everyone eventually will have a digital assistant.Main TakeawaysiRobot: Robotics Process Automation is not about physical robots completing tasks. Instead, RPA is automated software that builds off a set of rules in order to complete repetitive tasks, such as invoicing. The software works in the background on computers, allowing employees to be more productive and creative with their time.Discovery and Auditing: There are two core functions the Automation Anywhere teams follow when they begin working with a client. The first is the discovery process, when they go in and observe what processes could be automated. The second is through auditing, when they gather insights and data in order to build a secure botThere’s a Bot for That: In the future, most employees will have a digital assistant in some capacity, whether that is for filling out calendars or answering emails the technology is already there. It’s adoption that is the issue.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Since the early days of dial-up internet, messenger services have been connecting people around the globe. What started as simple instant messenger text conversations have evolved into an entirely new language filled with emojis, gifs, and videos. Without question, the internet has forever changed the norms around how people communicate.“I was at Facebook at the time, loving Facebook, and the Facebook [ I was at] was unrecognizable from Facebook today. This is back in 2013. The reason I joined when I was at Facebook, I was working on social products and at the time Facebook was seeing explosive growth as people were starting to use the messenger and go talking to their friends on the platform. So we're seeing these new changes in how society communicates because of these new technologies, like Facebook, Twitter, et cetera.That’s Paul Adams, the Senior Vice President of Product at Intercom, a company that took those same ideas and implemented them with the goal of making communication between customers and businesses a two-way street. Paul joined IT Visionaries to discuss why Intercom views its product as a relationship-based platform and what that means for businesses in today’s world. Plus he talks about recognizing the need to pivot when necessary, and the evolution of the chatbot.Main TakeawaysMore than a Bot: In order to engage with your customers in a way that is both effective and scalable, you have to deploy a strategy that is three things: proactive, automated, and human. Proactive in the sense that you are thinking about ways to reach customers, automated in that your system utilizes some form of a chatbot, and human so when the conversation needs more attention, someone is there to assist.Competition Breeds Success: Never look at competition within your space as a negative. Instead, use your competitors as a source of validation that your product is on the right track. Then use that same inspiration to find ways to ideate your platform.Building Relationships: A conversation platform must focus on building relationships — not just with clients, but also with customers. Messaging platforms should integrate ways that users can have a personal and intimate relationship with the end-user, which will ultimately help to drive their engagement.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We can all agree with Ben Hood when he said this about electricity: “Electricity hopefully should be like an Apple product. It just works and you don't have to think about it.”The problem, though, is millions of Americans do have to worry about their electricity. From high energy bills, to understanding the complexity of  switching to solar and wind power, consumers around the world are struggling with the burden of not knowing the best and or cheapest alternatives to their current electricity providers. Ben is hoping to bring some answers to the table for those folks. Hood is the co-founder and CTO of WattBuy, a platform that helps people take charge of their electricity, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he explains why deregulation is helping to solve some of the problems consumers have faced for quite some time.  Plus, Ben talks about why the data WattBuy is gathering now will benefit consumers in the future.Main TakeawaysRegulate This: When it comes to electricity, there are a few states within the U.S. that do not regulate electricity. This means that consumers have the option to choose their provider. WattBuy works to streamline this process by providing consumers with estimates on what electricity providers are best for them.The Answer Lies Within the Data: When you are trying to solve complicated problems, such as estimating the cost of electricity, the more data you have, the easier it is to solve your problem. Utilize as many third-party vendors as possible in order to gather the best information possible.1.21 Gigawatts? What the Heck is Gigawatt?: You must always be educating yourself and your consumer. If your goal is to help consumers save as much money as possible, you have to educate them on why the prices are the way that they are.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Never before have product teams been forced to absorb the pain points of their users first-hand like they are today. As companies deploy distributed workforces around the globe, the teams that are tasked with developing and implementing new products are now often utilizing products the same way their consumers are.“Everybody talks about digital transformation, but the COVID-19 situation rapidly accelerated and expanded that. Now you have businesses like a fitness center or restaurant that have gone like completely digital. All their classes are via zoom and they're doing contactless delivery, ordering and payments. These businesses that maybe never thought of the term digital transformation are now completely digital. And the team that I work with every day is helping enable that — whether it's by deploying wifi platforms or making sure that the broadband network has the right type of bandwidth products. And so it's a really great position to be in, to be able to help people get through all this.”That’s Christian Nascimento, the Vice President of Product Management and Strategy for Comcast Business. Christian joined IT Visionaries to discuss how Comcast was able to adjust its infrastructure to account for the mass influx of employees working from home, and he gives some insight into the products they’ve developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to ease the employee experience. Plus, he lets us know why the silver lining to times like these is the ability to gather high-value feedback.Main TakeawaysMeeting A Demand: The ability to scale and meet the growing needs of your customers has never been more important than it is today. When Comcast Business was met with an influx of customers working from home, the company had to make sure that its infrastructure could not only meet the demand of new customers, but also manage the large influx of traffic.Can you Validate This?: When you are developing products and services, make sure the products you’re producing satisfy a need and not just a want. Before you start producing something, gather feedback from your users to make sure that it’s solving a problem for them.Office Space: Distributed workforces now mean workers are no longer forced to work within the confines of an office building. One of the things that has made remote work more readily available is the development of cloud-based applications.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Many of us know that familiar chime. It’s the sound you hear when someone messages you inside a channel on Slack, the business world’s leading communications platform. It’s a sound that has become synonymous with the company, which, as a matter of fact was never supposed to be the platform it has become.  Cal Henderson, the co-founder and CTO of Slack, will tell you that the platform that has helped transform the way distributed workforces operate, was actually originally designed as a simple tool his team used to work on a game they hoped to launch. And when that video game failed to take-off and the team was looking for a way to salvage all of the work they did, they saw a light at the end of the tunnel.“We knew we wanted to keep working together and we realized that the way we had been collaborating and working together while working on this game, the set of tools that we'd built, we realized we always wanted to keep working together in that way. We wanted to use a set of tools like that. And if we did, maybe other small development companies like us would, and so we turned that into the product and that became Slack.”On this episode of IT Visionaries, Cal discusses Slack’s journey. He dives into its initial struggle as a video game developer, and details the pivot they made to turn it into one of the premiere platforms for distributed workforces used around the world. Main TakeawaysPivot! Pivot!: During its infancy, the Slack team was focused on developing a video game. But once they realized the product-market fit wasn’t there, they quickly realized that the tools they were using to communicate were great for collaborating, which led to a complete pivot in the business model. Tweet Tweet: When you’re developing a platform that is built around the user experience, one of the easiest and fastest ways to build a feedback loop is through social media. When Slack wants to get an idea of what issues customers are having in real-time, they look at what users are saying to them on social media. Then, once they have an idea of those pain points, they work with them to rectify those issues.The Office: While more and more employees begin working from home, distributed workforces are only growing. However, that doesn’t mean the physical office is going away. Teams will still use office spaces for collaborating and ideating. The use of platforms such as Slack, serve as tools to amplify those creative sessions.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For years, cybersecurity teams have worked at length to solve one common problem: email attacks. But how do you prevent bad actors from infiltrating an employee’s inbox? And how do you prevent that same employee from opening a malicious email that doesn’t look or feel suspicious? Eyal Benishti is the CEO of Ironscales, a self-learning email security platform that is attempting to answer those simple questions.On this episode of IT Visionaries, Eyal discusses how the Ironscales platform uses self-learning technology to help provide a safe email experience for all, and why the pathway to this safer internet is through a decentralized solution.Main TakeawaysBad Actors: Phishing attacks are becoming much more sophisticated. One way you can help prevent malicious emails entering an employees inbox, is to have a better understanding of the types of emails that person receives on a day-to-day basis. If your platform is personalizing your security based on the individual, you have a better chance of noticing which emails are not supposed to be there.Humans are the Solution, Not the Problem: For years there was an idea that humans could not detect bad actors, or prevent phishing attacks. Instead, there was an over reliance on technology. If you simply rely on technology, your system will fall behind very quickly. Instead, deploy an active and passive platform that is continually learning while also gaining insights from its user.Decentralized: Centralized solutions are dependent on data points and research from one specific source. In order to have a system that can detect and prevent multiple types of bad actors, you need a decentralized approach that can gather research from multiple sources.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Never before have companies adopted digital transformations at such a rapid pace. But as the speed of those digital agendas are accelerated, should engineers and software developers around the globe be the ones responsible for protecting your data?Cillian Kieran, CEO and Co-founder of Ethyca, a company focused on helping enterprises with managing their privacy concerns by automating the process. Cillian joined IT Visionaries to discuss a host of topics including how companies can protect their users through simple design functions, the confusion between security and privacy, and why an autonomous digital presence may never exist again.Main TakeawaysYou Gotta Comply: As governments get a better handle on how information gathering needs to be regulated, companies can no longer rely on manually updated data maps. It’s important to have a clear and concise understanding of where your data is coming from, who has access to your data, and how that data is being used.Designed with You in Mind: Software has v become part of the central infrastructure for society over the last 30 years. Software engineers can no longer be cavalier about how they collect their data. Instead, they need to understand that the fundamental way that systems are built and designed has to be with privacy in mind. If engineers don’t make this shift themselves, they’ll be forced to make the change by regulations.Right Tool for the Job: In order for engineers to keep up with regulations surrounding privacy, they need to be empowered with the proper tool for the job. An ecosystem of designed software built with privacy in mind that maps data appropriately will help organizations keep up with the changing environment.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

It’s no secret that for year’s CIO and CTO’s have stressed about the idea of undergoing digital transformations. After all, the adoption and implementation of new technologies can be stressful, but the timeline to complete this roadmap is often littered with obstacles and delays. Jay Jamison knows this all too well. It was during his time at Hewlett Packard Enterprises that he began wondering if there was a better, more efficient route. Turns out, there was.“I don't want to go to a CIO and say [their digital transformations] are going to take three years, when it really is going to be five,” Jamison said. “I want to be able to go to a CIO and say ‘We're going to get you a solution in place that's going to create value for your business in this quarter.’”The solution Jay is referring to is the growing use of low-code application platforms. Today, Jay serves as the Chief Product and Technology Officer at QuickBase, a low-code solution that is being deployed by Fortune 500 companies such as Southwest Airlines, Columbia and SiriusXM Satellite radio. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Jay takes us into what that low-code solution looks like, and why it might be the remedy to the stress of digital transformations.Main TakeawaysMind the Gap: One of the biggest advantages low-code provides is the ability to help companies deploy and iterate applications at a rapid pace. Low-code also helps democratize DevOps, which is allowing non-developers to work on deploying software.Operation Agility: When your customers have the ability to be deeply involved in the research and development of applications that they are going to use, it leads to a process known as operational agility. When that happens, your customers will adopt and deploy the application at a quicker pace.The Road Less Traveled: Companies often stress about their digital transformation roadmaps — which can take years to implement. Instead, focus on a dual-track solution. Work on changing over your bedrock technologies and allow low-code software to handle your smaller issues. This way you can still pivot and scale applications as needed.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The information superhighway was a term coined in the 90s, but it’s still a useful term in 2020. Never before has the internet been more accessible — or more needed — than it is today. But even with technological advancements such as connected devices in most homes and accessible network connections in many cities and towns, there still remains almost a third of households in the United States that don’t have access to the internet. Morgan Kurk is the CTO of Commscope, a company you’ve probably never heard of, but one that more than likely powers the internet lines that run to your home. Morgan joined IT Visionaries to discuss the growing digital divide across the country, how the information superhighway actually works, and why some types of data lines that power your internet connection are on their way out.Main TakeawaysThere’s a Lag: Currently one of the biggest issues surrounding communication networks is that of latency. While the lag experienced in Zoom calls and movie buffering is annoying, the bigger issue actually revolves around software. Most internet-based software is designed to operate at the highest capacity and if networks can’t keep up, consumers are going to experience vexing results.A Growing Divide: Currently a third of the continental United States is without access to broadband internet. But there are two ways companies are working to close this gap: the first is through a subsidized government internet, and the second is through a series of satellites that will help provide access to more rural areas.Converging Network: Currently, a lot of internet infrastructures are going through a convergence. Whether it’s a network like 5G, a coax or fiber line, many of the networks these sources operate on are converging to operate more efficiently with one another.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Irina Krechmer has been the CTO of Blue Apron for a little more than a year. When she was hired, her objective was to help guide the company through the process of upgrading its technology stack. While that remains one of her primary responsibilities to date, but certain world events have shifted priorities in ways neither she nor anyone else could have expected. So what happens when your company goes from an important business to an essential one? And how do you properly pivot to make sure your technology stack is scalable when called upon? Irina joined IT Visionaries to discuss how Blue Apron made those changes and she explains the role food delivery services will play moving forward.Main TakeawaysScale, Scale, Scale: Having scalable technology is more important than ever. When Blue Apron was hit with an influx of orders overnight, its main priority was to make sure its technology stack could handle those orders without delay. Design your stack with the mindset that it might need to change overnight and design it with the idea that you will need  to make changes at a moments.Don’t Stop Innovating: Never be satisfied with the status quo. Just because Blue Apron suddenly had an influx of new customers didn’t mean the company could sit back on its laurels. It needed to continue to satisfy customer needs in new and different ways. This meant continuing to come up with new ideas —, like implementing the ability to order multiple boxes a week — to figure out how to meet customers’ needsThe Beauty of Collaboration: Listen to your teammates and trust in their abilities. Never before has collaboration across teams been as important as it is in today’s work environment.---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce  Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There’s no bigger buzzword in technology than the term digital transformation. Stressed with the burden of fading legacy technologies, for years companies have viewed the process of upgrading their technology stack as a luxury rather than a necessity. Now, as more employees abide by work from home orders, that directive has shifted and those transformations are at the forefront of companies' needs. Christopher Rigg is the COO of EKI Digital, a company with the  mission of simplifying the daunting task of upgrading technology stacks through quantitative analysis. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Christopher discusses the growing need for putting the employee experience first, the war to accumulate and retain talent and why low-code offerings are helping organizations around the world operate efficiently.Main TakeawaysAnalysis by Paralysis: By taking a quantitative approach when looking at your tech stack, you can have a better understanding of the steps you need to take in order to successfully manage your digital transformation. Look past your legacy technologies and focus on the hard numbers so you can tell where you can spend money, what software you can eliminate, and focus on the areas of need.Retain Talent: In order to retain talent, you must deploy an employee experience that is seamless and efficient, but also one that is appealing. Focus on software that enables your employees to do their job where they are, and focus on the pieces of technology that make working remotely more appealing.No-Code, Low-Code: Low-code offerings are enabling organizations to operate at a much more efficient level. While engineering is a competitive field, by offering low-code opportunities, organizations can operate at a more efficient pace while deploying coders who might not be as skilled but have a better understanding of the organization---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

All good things must come to an end and on this episode of IT Visionaries,  after more than 200 episodes, countless conversations and numerous trips to the top of the Apple charts,  Ian Faison is stepping down as host of the show and passing the baton to  Albert Chou. Albert joins Ian to give some background on who he is and his background in tech and entrepreneurship, and then the two chat about the evolution of the show during its first two years, and the trends in the IT industry that are setting the stage for the future. Key TakeawaysYour Host For The Evening Is: After more than 220 episodes, Ian Faison is stepping down as host of IT Visionaries. In his place, Albert Chou will assume the role of host. Accelerating the Digital Agenda: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations were forced to accelerate their digital agendas. With more employees working remotely, along with more C-level executives feeling those same pains, employee experience has been put at the forefront of company needs. Digital transformations have moved from being a wish-list item to being a priority.Owning It: The employee experience takeover has quickly risen as a hot-button issue among the C-suite. But who should be taking ownership of a digital employee renaissance and what role does the CTO and CIO play in managing it?---IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

If you ask most CIOs and CTOs what their biggest concern is, a majority of those leaders might respond with one simple question: How do we manage risk in a way that is effective and cost-efficient? Jon Siegler is the Chief Product Officer at LogicGate, a company that’s working to solve that very question with its platform. In this episode of IT Visionaries, Jon discusses how the platform is revolutionizing the risk-management industry, while putting its  customers at the center of attention. Main Takeaways Experience Matters: When deploying software, the customer experience and user interface has to be at the forefront of your thinking. As more and more CEOs become familiar with applications in the cloud, your software must adopt that same design thinking. Software has to be easily accessible and easily understandable. Feedback Loop: When launching products, it’s important to maintain some kind of feedback loop with customers. When LogicGate launches new products, they are tested time and time again before they are ever deployed. In order to keep these feedback loops open, deploy focus groups and continually send out surveys to constantly funnel in those insights. Budget Matters: Implementing security costs money, and, unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges companies face when it comes to governing risk is simply a lack of budget. Many risk and security departments lack the necessary funding in order to upscale their technology stack, which is a problem that needs to be solved with cooperation with other members of the C-Suite. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When you ask Ted Elliott what gets him excited the answer is a simple one: DevOps. As the CEO of Copado, Ted is helping companies around the world realize how DevOps can assist their organizations, even if they don’t understand how to code. Ted joined IT Visionaries to discuss exactly how Copado is helping to democratize DevOps. Plus, Ted details how his platform, in assistance with Salesforce, is aiding in the fight against COVID-19 through contact tracing.  Main Takeaways Code for Coders: Historically, DevOps has been for coders using complex tools that only coders could understand. Copado’s software helps to eliminate that gap by allowing a whole new set of users into the equation. By setting up guidelines and processes, Copado is empowering basic end-users the ability to push code. Ideating Innovation: The leading benefit for Copado’s Salesforce integration is its ability to allow the end-user to iterate once the product has been delivered. Instead of forcing companies to plan for a release date and only that particular date, now the platform can constantly be updating. No More Silos: One of the biggest challenges surrounding DevOps today is that far too many developers operate in silos. When you operate in isolation, your ability to innovate is limited. Instead, work with multiple teams to develop solutions that benefit the platform and the client. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When you’re six years old and your dad says, ‘Take these discs and reformat the hard drive to this computer,’ you know you’re destined for a career in technology. Those were the words Joe Lennon heard in his youth, and today, Joe is the co-founder and CTO of Workvivo, a company that is helping employees communicate with their peers, while staying actively engaged with their employer. Joe joined IT Visionaries to discuss how the platform assisted companies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he explains why employee retention is a fight companies didn’t see coming and how it affects the future of work. Main Takeaways Time to Engage: One of the big challenges facing companies is how they can get employees to engage. If employees have the opportunity to communicate with their peers in ways they are familiar with outside of work, the chances for engagement rise dramatically, so facilitating that communication is worth investing in.  Employee Retention: As job-seeking becomes easier and more employees feel empowered to find new opportunities, companies must shift their focus to how they can align their core values with their employees. If employees don’t feel as if the company they work for is making an impact in their life and in society, they are less likely to stay with the company. Future of Work: When more companies empower employees with the ability to work remotely, fewer companies will be able to deploy traditional office environments. Instead, focus on giving your employees the tools they need to do their job from anywhere and at any time. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When you’re a multi-time CTO, like Ryan Donovan, your objective is a simple one: find the next challenge that coincides with a mission that excites you. As the Chief Technology Officer at Hootsuite, the world leader in social media management, Ryan believes he has found that challenge. Ryan joined IT Visionaries for a discussion centered around how he manages a global staff from the comfort of his home. Plus he explains the difference between being a first-time CTO to an experienced C-suite executive, and the struggles of managing scale. Main Takeaways Share the Pain: When you manage a global team, make sure you are not just catering to one time zone or one set of employees. If one employee is remote, your entire team is remote. Make sure your meetings and get-togethers reflect that.  Don’t Stop Communicating: When managing through a crisis, make sure your communication increases. When Hootsuite had to deploy work from home orders, they were in constant contact with their employees, deploying new policies and then updating employees on those policies. So, You’re New Here?: When you take over as CTO and you have your sights set on changing things, make that change an impactful one. Find solutions that can make the experience better for you employees and consumers.

If you ask Sasha Siddhartha, there are three core barriers that have prevented consumers from living a healthier lifestyle: price, geography, and information. Now, as the co-founder and CTO of Thrive Market, Sasha is working to eliminate those barriers in order to provide consumers with healthier options, all at the click of a mouse. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sasha discusses the role Thrive Market plays in assisting consumers on their personal health journey and why the grocery industry is making big strides in eCommerce. Main Takeaways Think Big, But Also Small: Big companies offer tremendous opportunity to learn how to build for scale, high commitment to quality, and rigorous repeatable processes, which are all things that can be undervalued with start-ups. Take advantage of the knowledge available to you about what made those companies successful and then tweak it to fit your business. It’s In the Details...Kind of: When you are building a company from the ground up, you can’t be focused on one particular function. Instead, focus on the big picture. Don’t get bogged down with minute details. You have to constantly be thinking about what is on the horizon. We’re The Three Best Friends: Finding the right business partner is key to any company's success. When you’re scouting individuals to go to work with, make sure they know the industry well and make sure they are someone you want to battle with through the good times and the bad times.  --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Sean McDermott likes to say that his claim to fame is that he sent the very first email at the US Department of Justice. And while he enjoys being a part of that footnote in IT history, Sean — now the Founder and CEO of Windward Consulting Group — admits that the tech industry has come a long way since then, and it continues to evolve. Right now, the industry finds itself at an intersection — the government and the private sector have never needed IT more than they do today, and it’s a CIOs job to bring tech where it’s needed most. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sean discusses the role his company plays in assisting large organizations at scale, solve their IT issues. Plus he explains what CIOs are looking for in today's climate and the future of technology in the workspace. Main Takeaways   You Gotta Spend Money To Make Money: One of the key struggles most CIOs are encountering is the rising cost of IT departments. While the demand for new technology and people to implement this technology continues to grow, the allocated budgets don’t always reflect the demand. Is the Perimeter Secure?: The number one thing that remains top of mind for all technology leaders is the need to have a safe and secure network. As companies have gone remote, the need for IT operations departments to maintain a safe and secure network has never been more important.   So, How About Some Change?: While IT departments are at the forefront of innovation, they still fulfill a lot of the same rudimentary requests — solving ticket requests, security concerns, and employee setup. Artificial intelligence, once fully integrated into IT workflows, will have a greater impact on the rate of evolution within the IT space. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Intro Through the first half of 2020, the United States has reported nearly 30,000 gun violence deaths to date. And if you ask Rob Huberty, that number is 30,000 too many. As a former Navy SEAL turned entrepreneur, the rising levels of gun violence each year frustrates him, but now as the Chief Operating Officer of ZeroEyes, Rob is doing something about those numbers. Rob says, “When you see something you think you need, you go create it.” So he did. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Rob discusses how he’s helping to prevent shootings at first sight, rather than first shot. And he also details his journey from a NAVY SEAL to the private sector and the challenges of running a business. Key Takeaways Learning on the Fly: When you embark on the start-up journey, you have to be prepared for anything and willing to do the unglamorous jobs in order to move the business forward.  Be Diligent, Be Patient: When developing datasets for A.I., you have to be both diligent and patient. It’s going to take time to develop the system and teach the algorithm what it needs to look for. Be prepared to put in long hours to ensure your training the system effectively. A Little Less Reactive, A Little More Proactive: Security systems are important, but very reactive. If you’re just deploying basic security systems, you are not preventing a problem — you’re just capturing it. It’s important to be proactive. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Digital transformation is a buzzword that’s fun to say hard to grasp. As more and more organizations embark on these technological journeys, are they really being led by the proper steward?  Rich Penkoski, the CEO of Markets for Deloitte Consulting, believes that in order for companies to have a smooth transition,you have to think of it as  a process that involves two key members of the C-Suite. On this episode of IT Visionaries Rich discusses why the CIO and CFO need to play an important role in any digital journey, and how the relationship between those roles continues to evolve. Plus, he digs into the acceleration of the digital agenda brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Main Takeaways A Growing Bond: The relationship between the CIO and CFO continues to grow in importance, especially when it comes to finding creative solutions to manage ROI while finding agile solutions Roads? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads: The pace at which companies are being forced to implement digital transformations has been expedited. Because the process has been sped up, there is a tremendous burden being put on access to capital. Apple Easy, Google Fast:  IT professionals must now perform their work under the assumption that software must be easy and fast. Because of this new mindset, IT professionals must have a broader understanding of the profession, while being able to freely move across technologies. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When Alex Krug was an executive at Behance, he noticed that quite a few tools had been developed to help encourage signups and onboard customers, but once they were working with the product, there was very little help offered. This was a problem he thought he could help solve, which is why he founded Baton. Today, as the founder and CEO of Baton, Alex is helping people streamline their actual workflow with automation and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he explains exactly what that looks like. Plus, he dives into his entrepreneurial journey and what it means to grow a company. Like so many startups, the idea for Baton stemmed from a pain point that founder and CEO Alex Krug experienced first-hand. During his days as an executive with Behance, which was later sold and acquired by creative giant Adobe, workflow.   Main Takeaways   Ouch! That Hurts!: When you’re looking to help companies scale, you need to identify their pain points. Understand the problems that are preventing them from growing. Don’t just throw more people at a problem in order fix-it. Think it through and fully understand the solution. Once you understand those problems, you can help that company grow.   Post-game: A lot of platforms are built to onboard clients and geared toward customer retention. Baton is designed to streamline the post-sale process to help companies automate and streamline their workflows. The A-Team: When attempting to grow a company, employee retention is of the utmost most important. If you can keep a team together long enough to see your original mission through, you’re on a pathway to success. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Every company has a breaking point. A moment when an organization realizes it is overwhelmed by an avalanche of inbound calls and emails that bombard personnel with the same rudimentary questions over -and over again. It’s a vexing problem that resembles a scene from Groundhog Day, where team members feel as if they are constantly reliving the same day. But what if there was an easy data-powered solution to this problem? David Karandish is the CEO of Capacity, a company on a mission to solve those pain points through the power of A.I. On this episode of IT Visionaries, David details how the Capacity platform is eliminating common issues by using conversational intelligence and he explains why not all chatbots are serviceable.  Key Takeaways Does Not Compute: Not enough companies are using full-fledged platforms for their A.I. needs. When companies rely on single-use chatbots, those services are not able to escalate conversations to the next level. Instead, there is forced human interaction that otherwise is not needed with conversational intelligence. Build vs. Buy: When embarking on a digital transformation, the first question should always be if you should build your own software or simply buy an out-of-the-box solution If the software is not core to your business, don’t invest resources into it. Evolution of A.I.: The next step for A.I. is to become less reactive and more proactive. As more companies begin to utilize A.I. technologies, the wealth of data produced will continue to grow. Over the next few years, A.I. can go from simply answering questions, to being able to solve tasks for users. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

What happens when you combine A.I. with human intelligence? One answer is that you get Unbabel, a machine translation service on a mission to solve one of humanity’s most vexing challenges: language barriers. At Unbabel, the ultimate goal is to be able  to communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world regardless of their native language. But to achieve that lofty goal we need data, we need translators and we need them to work together. João Graca is the Co-founder and CTO of Unbabel and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses how his company is working to bring those two sides together to get closer to a future when we can rely on machine translation. Key Takeaways A Long Way to Go: While there has been a lot of progress with machine translation, there still is a long way to go. Translation services, like Google Translate, have the ability to comprehend words and sentences, but understanding full phrases and rare words remains a struggle. Unbabel works in real-time with machine translation and in-house translators to efficiently translate emails and marketing materials We Need Data and Need it Now: One of the biggest challenges when it comes to machine translation is the lack of data, especially in uncommon languages. Data from popular languages are used to help decipher sentences and phrases. When we don’t constantly have an influx of data, that challenge becomes greater. You Just Don’t Understand: if we don’t utilize both data and translators to grow machine translation, the intelligence will continue to be stagnant. The biggest issue right now is companies hiring in-house translators, which is not efficient, doesn’t increase the amount of open source data, and is incredibly expensive for companies. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Jeff Ton is honest and direct when he says nobody grows up wanting to be a CIO. If you ask Jeff, he’ll say he thought he’d be a rockstar, touring the backroads of the country in a van, playing gigs on weeknights. That was always the plan...until an impulse purchase of a Commodore 64 changed Jeff’s path forever. Jeff is now a multi-time CIO, currently serving as an IT Strategy Advisor at InterVision and the Founder of Ton Enterprises and he joined IT Visionaries to take us through his journey. On this episode, Jeff provides insights into the role of the CIO and divulges some of the key questions current CIOs are trying to find answers to, including those surrounding diversity.  Key Takeaways Embed Yourself in the Business: In order for IT professionals to advance their careers, they need to begin taking on a larger role within the organization. That includes having a better understanding of how the business operates and how technology is deployed across all departments. Go Where the Talent is: In order to diversify your teams, you need to go where diverse candidates are. It’s important to familiarize yourself with alternate avenues to pursue candidates that are outside the traditional recruiting grounds, and it’s even more important to know how to connect with those candidates. Once you find those team members, the next step is to make sure they feel empowered in their workspace. A Man with a Plan: If you’re a new CIO, you need to have a 60- to 90-day plan, but understand that plan will change. During those first few months, you are going to do a lot of learning on the job. Have honest conversations with your team members and stakeholders and understand how they can help you succeed in your new role. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Ryan Graciano remembers the early days of Credit Karma like they just happened. Born in the midst of a financial crisis, Credit Karma’s rise to significance didn’t seem certain, and Ryan remembers thinking to himself numerous times, “Are we going to make it?” Today, Credit Karma serves more than 100 million users, and provides consumers with tools that empower them to take the biggest financial steps in their lives. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ryan discusses the early turbulence the company endured, how he leads through trying times, and how Credit Karma is helping in more ways than just by providing credit scores. Key Takeaways Confidence Breeds Success: Be confident in your product. If you aren’t confident and passionate about the product you are bringing to market, the trying times will be much more difficult. Ryan details how Credit Karma, born in the midst of the financial crisis, overcame their trials and tribulations For the Long Haul: As a CTO and company leader, you have to constantly be thinking about what comes next. When obstacles arise, you need to have already discussed with your leadership team about possible alternatives. If you are not actively thinking about how things will fail, your company will fail. Teamwork Makes the Dream work: The most important thing for any co-founder is having a solid support system. When Credit Karma started, Ryan was a one-man crew. Once the company began to expand, he focused on people that could magnify his skills while also expanding the product. Invest in good people and listen to your team and have faith in your decisions --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Derek Weeks has spent his entire career teaching, educating, and fostering relationships. From his first job with Atari teaching people how to use its consoles, to his role today as a Vice President and DevOps advocate at Sonatype, Derek works to educate others. Derek joined IT Visionaries for a conversation centered on the growth of the DevOps industry and how he is helping to grow that community through All Day DevOps, an online 24-hour conference featuring more than 100 speakers. Key Takeaways   A Growing Industry: Five years ago if 1,000 people attended a developer’s conference it was considered a success. Now, more than 40,000 developers routinely attend All Day DevOps conferences. More Widely-Adopted, But Not Flawless: The use of open-source code continues to rise in popularity due to its velocity and efficiency, but it’s not without vulnerabilities, downloads that included encrypted code, or malware  Seeking Clarity: Many companies still fail to understand exactly what DevOps is, where DevOps can be used, and the benefits of the DevOps industry. Therefore, a lot of education still needs to happen internally as well as externally.  --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

More than likely you have uttered the phrase, “Yeah, I’ll just Dropbox that to you.” The turn of phrase has become so popular thanks to the capabilities Dropbox has offered to the masses. People around the world can share and store documents, pictures and information simply by dragging a file into a folder. But how does that file get stored, and how do those precious items live in a space that seems almost endless? Andrew Fong is the Vice President of Infrastructure at Dropbox, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, Andrew dives into the nitty-gritty of how he helps keep those mementos accessible anywhere. Plus he describes how a small task force formed in 2013 shaped the future of Dropbox forever and the importance of scale. Key Takeaways Keep Your Data Close and Your Servers Closer: By building its own data servers, Dropbox was able to eliminate its reliance on third-party servers like AWS. When you control your servers, you’re able to manage the amount of data you intake and, in return, how you use that data.  Core Strength: Think about the items that are core to the foundation of your business and then invest in those things. For Dropbox, one of those core functions is the need for its system to be reliable and durable. If you don’t understand what the core principles of your business are you can’t invest in the right things Time to Reload: Once a project is up and running, you need to make sure your team remains invested and energized. Don’t wait too long to switch things up. If team members are excited about other opportunities, give them those chances. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Alistair Fulton has always considered himself a mechanic. After all, his job as the Vice President and General Manager of Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Business is to utilize the tools provided to him in his toolbox and give customers the appropriate solution. The only difference is his toolkit helps millions of people across the world stay connected through a variety of different technologies. Fulton joins IT Visionaries to provide a referendum on the state of the IoT, and he discusses why the biggest challenges facing his community are themselves, and why LoRa (or Long-Range wireless solutions) and 5G are no longer seen as competitors, but allies. Key Takeaways Handy Dandy Toolkit: One of the most common mistakes made collectively by the IoT community is that they don’t fully appreciate that each tool — or form of technology — is another part of the toolkit  Tough Choice: One major issue surrounding IoT is the number of vendors that offer end-to-end solutions that don’t operate under a single ecosystem. According to Fulton, the IoT space is littered with failed use cases where companies can’t work together because the systems are not compatible. Same Team: There is a misconception that LoRa and 5G can’t work together, but in reality the two systems commonly work together to achieve different goals. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Venture capital funding for clean energy technology companies has declined in recent years, but one new fund is looking to buck that trend. Dan Goldman is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of Clean Energy Ventures, and he is trying to be a catalyst, and change the narrative by providing those companies with the resources they need to make long-lasting positive impacts. Dan joined IT Visionaries to discuss the process Clean Energy Ventures goes through when selecting new companies. And he explains what differentiates Clean Energy Ventures from other VCs and looks into his crystal ball at the future of the clean energy industry. Key Takeaways Lack of Funding: There are not enough companies funding clean energy technologies. If you want to advance climate change solutions, successful and profitable companies need to begin investing in the space. Dan dives into the strategies his company is utilizing to fund these ventures A Proven Formula: There is less risk to investing in clean energy than people think. In the past it has been proven that clean energy technology companies that are well-supported perform better and actually produce highly-scalable technologies. Demystify the ROI: If an investor does not understand how he or she will see a return on investment, there is no chance that they will put money into a venture. To secure funding, especially in the clean energy space, it’s critical to explain clearly how those funds will be turned into goods, service, or impact that will lead to a return. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Business incubators or accelerators have helped launch some of the greatest companies of our time and one is hoping to fund the next unicorn looking to save our world. Dawn Lippert is the CEO of Elemental Excelerator, a company investing big money in the hopes of a better tomorrow. Dawn joined IT Visionaries to discuss the work her company is doing in places like Hawaii, California and Asia.And she underscores the importance of investing in communities and why we cannot afford to stop funding a solution for climate change. Key Takeaways Move the needle: In order to push the needle forward with climate change, you have to work across three key areas — technology, policy and communities where you can succeed and grow  All in the Community: Focus on the communities you are investing in. In order to have a full understanding of what technologies are needed and how they can best be utilized and scaled, you have to build relationships with those communities Keep the Momentum Going: The climate change industry cannot afford to take a year off when it comes to funding. There is a strong need to continue to invest in these companies in order to prevent the stunting of technology growth --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Dan Blum is an internationally recognized expert in security and privacy, he is also the author of the book Rational Cybersecurity for Business. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Dan has an honest and thoughtful conversation on why the role of the Chief Information Security Officer is often buried within IT departments, the importance of buy-in among leadership and why zero-trust is often not the best answer in every use case. Key Takeaways The role of the Chief Information Security Officer is often buried within IT departments and therefore isn’t receiving the resources that they may need. Dan explains how the role can be elevated It’s common for zero-trust philosophies to be implemented, but they are often not the best path to take in every scenario There is no streamlined one-size-fits-all approach to risk management — you need to understand your technology, company and the risks associated with each and make the best decision possible --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For many, the idea of walking into a store and finding new clothes that actually fit is non-existent. The designs are either too bulky, or the lengths of the sleeves and pants are too long. Frustrated, many leave and do their shopping online instead. Except the experience isn’t much better there. Savitude co-founders Nick Clayton and Camilla Olson are on a mission to help turn the situation around. The idea behind the company is a radical one: to recreate a designer’s brain by using code. Nick and Camilla joined IT Visionaries to discuss what that means and how they are using A.I. and machine learning to find clothes for everybody. 3 Key Takeaways Too many clothes are made for body types that aren’t realistic because designers typically only design for one or two body types Thanks to a backlog of data and through the use of A.I., Savitude utilizes nine different body types, and predicts how clothes will fit for customers One-in-six online clothing purchasing ends up being returned due to fit, which means there is a huge opportunity to offer a better, more frictionless experience using technology --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For years, customers have been frustrated with the sales process due to the breakdown in communication that happens when multiple people are involved. But what if that process was streamlined? Imagine a world where a sales representative, regardless of experience with an account, could pick-up where the previous person left off? That’s the world Jim Benton and Chorus.ai are working to create. Jim joined IT Visionaries to discuss the problem, the solution and why technology-empowered reps are the future of the sales industry. 3 Key Takeaways Sales should not be technology-enabled, technology needs to enable the representative Conversational intelligence is closing the gaps in the sales process to prevent breakdowns in the conversation, while also enabling best practices Due to the pandemic, more coaching and teaching is happening than ever before --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In the midst of a global pandemic, when social interactions are limited and many of us only have access to basic necessities that are deemed essential, more and more individuals are pivoting to online therapy to deal with anxiety, depression, and overall strife. Roni Frank, the Co-founder of Talkspace, joined IT Visionaries to discuss how their app is filling an important gap in the healthcare industry and how technology is providing people the help they need at scale. Key Takeaways:   There are three key barriers preventing people from receiving healthcare services: cost, convenience and stigma Machine learning and A.I. are revolutionizing the healthcare industry to deliver better care at scale Text messages and quick, efficient conversations are more effective than video conferences --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform    

As more-and-more of people work from home and restrict their trips out of the home, eCommerce companies continue to be the ones reaping the benefits. One of those companies is The  RealReal, a consignment giant with a focus on bringing luxury brands to everyone. Josh Schlanger, the Head of DevOps and Product Support at The RealReal, joined IT Visionaries to discuss how eCommerce sites operate, how The RealReal is working to sift out fake products, and why he thinks jobs will make a more permanent shift toward remote work moving forward. Key Takeaways Real or fake? Historically, the authentication of consigned products has mostly been done by humans. That’s changing, and Josh explains exactly how. To go remote, or not to go remote. Until COVID-19 hit, The RealReal managed a hybrid model of part-remote, part-in-office. Josh shares the pros and cons of that model, and his recommendations to managers. (Pro tip: Don’t forget to set personal and professional boundaries.) Is your infrastructure ready to weather the storm? The RealReal operates exclusively on the cloud, infrastructure that Josh and his engineering team are constantly improving. He touches on some of the things your systems should be prepared to handle, including why it’s so important to have a team able to make short-notice pivots. --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,  companies around the world were asking the same question: How do I mobilize my workforce and give them the tools and skills they need to work from home? GitHub employs more than 1,000 employees, all of whom work remotely. So we invited their CTO, Jason Warner, back to the program to discuss how he advised companies on adapting to their new normal. And he gave some best practices he’s learned about leading through a crisis, and explained why GitHub is one step closer to achieving its mission. Key Takeaways In many cases, once a company and its leaders became comfortable with remote environments, they begin to embrace it It’s important to be transparent and honest with your employees during a crisis — they are struggling and need to be given the truth of the situation in order to realistically set expectations GitHub’s mission is to make sure every developer has access to its software, and as the company continues to expand its reach, it is getting closer and closer to achieving that goal --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The process of buying and selling a home is one of the most strenuous and frustrating out there. Imagine this: You find a home and make an offer, but that home already has multiple bids so, after a long bidding war, you finally get the home of your dreams. But now after a clean inspection, the appraisal falls through and you ask yourself, ‘Why is this so frustrating? Ian Wong and Opendoor asked that same question. And on this episode of IT Visionaries, Ian discusses how his team built one of the biggest disruptors to the real estate market, and he gives some of the secret sauce to the science behind the Opendoor technology. 3 Key Takeaways Opendoor uses both structured and unstructured data to help price their homes The home buying process is stressful and Opendoor is streamlining the process The real estate industry has not been disrupted because of the lack of frequency in the home-buying process --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The role of the CTO is one of the most important positions within any organization. It’s also one of the most rapidly-evolving jobs in the C-suite. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Kalyan Kumar, the CTO and Corporate Vice President of HCL Technologies, discusses the way he’s seen the role of the CTO change. Plus he explains why companies are now shifting their focus to how technology can create opportunities and the importance of a streamlined workflow. 3 Key Takeaways Collaboration technologies are shifting to the cloud, empowering fluidized workflow Technology companies are shifting focus toward how they can create more opportunities The role of the CTO is no longer just to be a manager. It now intersects with business and technology and achieving larger business goals --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We take hundreds of thousands of pictures a year. On our phone, on our tablets, and on our cameras. And while those moments in time are often meaningful parts of our past, rarely do we feel a need to back those memories up. Why is that? Danny Allan is the CTO of Veeam and for years, he’s been asking that same question. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Danny discusses why it is time to take backup solutions more seriously and why the cloud is not actually a one-size-fits-all solution. 3 Key Takeaways If solutions are simple and not complex, the user will have a better experience Backing up data is critical, but companies rarely do this right, which leaves them vulnerable Hybrid clouds are not right for every company, make sure it works for your company before investing --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We’ve all been there before. We hop in our cars to head downtown for the big show, but there’s a problem. We’re running late, and along with thousands of other people, we are hunting for the perfect spot. You know... the one that’s close enough to walk, but not too far and still safe. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just reserve a spot and not think twice about the hassle? Luckily, Jon Ziglar, the CEO of ParkMobile, is here to solve that vexing issue. And on this episode of IT Visionaries, Jon talks how ParkMobile is innovating to make parking a bit more effortless. 3 Key Takeaways Users can use ParkMobile to quickly reserve and pay for spots 35 cities and 100 universities use ParkMobile, making it easy to use across the country ParkMobile works with its customers to navigate and ease traffic patterns --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There’s an adage that goes “the bigger the risk, the greater the reward.” But there is also an idea that taking risks can backfire and prevent people or companies from achieving their greatest success. For Leo Budin, the CIO of Cascade Financial Services, the risk-reward relationship has always fueled his passions. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Leo discusses how he implements lessons he learned during his days on Wall Street into his current job in the mortgage industry. Plus he explains the growing divide between programmers and the way the industry is evolving right before our eyes. 3 Key Takeaways Technology is not always welcome in the manufactured home industry Fearless Programming is a vital effort that happens when programmers operate without worrying about failing There is a big divide between older and younger programmers in the efficiency and confidence in their skills --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Much like a child experiencing the wonder of life for the first time, there is still so much to discover when it comes to artificial intelligence. The technology is still in its infancy and those in the industry are trying to work out constraints to allow A.I. to constantly learn and gather information but give it boundaries or rules to keep it honest. Casimir Wierzynski is the Senior Director of A.I. Products for Intel and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses some of the ways companies are working together to grow the technology, how encrypted data is leading them down new paths and the importance of an open-source ecosystem. 3 Key Takeaways Federated learning and homomorphic encryption are two techniques used for encrypted data sharing A.I. ecosystems are allowing companies to share large data sets, build models and then distribute them to the private sector Open-source data is critical to the evolution of artificial intelligence --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For as long as Jen Miller-Osborn can remember, she’s been infatuated with puzzles. The thought-process behind mining for an isolated piece and finding its greater purpose has always been fuel for her ambition. For Jen, she connects her love of puzzling to her responsibilities as the Deputy Director of Threat Intelligence for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks. With the company, she is tasked with identifying, preventing and addressing some of the internet's most dangerous attackers. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Jen details everything that goes into the job, and what her biggest security concerns are these days. 3 Key Takeaways The knowledge you get from data is not what keeps your networks safe. It’s the ability to understand that data and apply defenses against it IT departments have evolved from managers and administrators to defense protection and cybersecurity The downside to publishing threat intel is it allows attackers to adapt strategies --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We’ve all heard the term digital transformation. But do any of us really know what it means? According to Tony Saldanha, the President of Transformant, most people within the IT universe don’t, and the confusion is causing a major issue for companies looking to embark on the process. Tony joined IT Visionaries to help bring clarity to the situation. He also discusses his book, Why Digital Transformations Fail, and the five-step process your company should follow when it embarks on its digital transformation odyssey. Key Takeaways:   Digital transformations fail due to lack of discipline and language  70% of Digital Transformations fail because the term is nebulous leadership does not have a clear definition of the term Digital transformation cannot be delegated to the lower levels, it must be handled by the leadership team   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Mark Settle is a seven-time CIO and one of the most respected and experienced IT leaders in the industry. He is also the author of the book From the Valley: A Practical Primer on the Future of IT Management. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Mark sits down to discuss his latest book and identifies some of the key characteristics that separate Silicon Valley start-ups from their peers. 3 Key Takeaways Brand management will become important from an IT recruiting point of view Business leaders need to be looking for more areas the integrate in order to create a more efficient company Security precautions are often overlooked in IT departments and leaders must establish security cultures --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The first 100 days for any executive are a whirlwind. You’re learning a new job and wrapping your head around your new responsibilities. Now, imagine those first three months when you’re the CIO of Wipro, a company with a net worth of $8.5 billion and more than 180,000 employees. The urgency hits a little quicker. That’s Rohit Adlakha’s story and on this episode of IT Visionaries, Rohit details what those early days as CIO were like and the protocols his team put in place to be successful. 3 Key Takeaways Your first day as a CIO, you become a veteran. You’re constantly learning on the job The role of the CIO is only limited by the boundaries you set for yourself You never have a better opportunity to change things than your first 100 days --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Mary Beth Westmoreland always knew she’d land a job in technology— her love for math and science inspired her too much for her not to end up in the field. What she didn’t know is that she’d become one of the most influential and passionate leaders in the technology space. Mary Beth is the CTO Blackbaud and she joined IT Visionaries to discuss how she is helping to drive change and innovation in the technology space and why working with social good organizations to provide them with the proper technology excites her every day. 3 Key Takeaways Nonprofits deserve to be treated the same as any Fortune 500 company Diverse groups and teams deliver better and more efficient solutions Employees who understand the customers' issues and sympathize with that issue can solve their solutions more efficiently --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For years, technology developers have focused on streamlining best practices for sales and marketing departments across the country, but the same cannot be said about their legal counterparts. After all, no two contracts are the same, right? On this episode of IT Visionaries hosted by producer Hilary Giorgi, Cai GoGwilt, the Co-founder and CTO of Ironclad talks about how his company is helping legal departments across the country operate more cohesively with their business brethren, why he is an advocate of work-life balance, and why recruiting and training the right people makes all the difference. 3 Key Takeaways Ironclad is a platform designed to help legal departments automate and speed up their workflow Contracting is more than a legal problem, it’s a collaboration issue Building a team is about finding the right people that fit with the company’s mission --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For as long as Sanjay Poonen can remember, he’s been infatuated with teams. Whether it was the late Koby Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers or Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, the idea of team success has consistently guided him from one point in life to the next. Today, Sanjay serves as the Chief Operating Officer of VMware, a company that employs more than 30,000 employees and is helping people unlock new opportunities through technology. On this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses his love of teams as well as the importance of continual learning and how you can unlock your own opportunities within your company. 3 Key Takeaways There are many problems that can be solved with tech Great organizations are built off great team performance, not individual success It’s important to experience different roles within the company --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Eliminating the back row in education is not just a metaphor for James Kenigsberg, it's his personal mission. When James, the founding CTO of 2U inc., immigrated to America from the Soviet Union, he discovered technology could not only be a pathway to a career, but it could also be a conduit to scale anything that piqued his interests. On this episode of IT Visionaries, James discusses the journey that led him to 2U and the challenges of changing the online learning experience. 3 Key Takeaways 2U is an education platform that produces high-quality content in conjunction with Universities Online degrees had a bad perception and failed to replicate the educational experience Partnering with universities is a necessity to give credibility to classes and programs --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The Pace of Change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again. As technology continues its meteoric rise in the workplace, the workforce around it must adapt and embrace it. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ravi Kumar, President of Infosys, discusses the importance of how we can reshape our education system by adopting life-long learning techniques and how the hiring process will shift in the future. 3 Key Takeaways The future of work is moving from private human capital toward a private+public+machines model Becoming a lifelong learner will be necessary to have success in the future Hiring talent on the potential for learnability is the approach you need to take in order to create a pool of employees that will serve you well in the future --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Over the last few years, how we see and use storage has gone through a major transformation. We no longer carry around bulky hard drives and we’re less concerned about running out of space. Instead, we simply upload everything to the cloud. It’s an invisible, broad infrastructure that feels neverending and sometimes appears too good to be true. It’s a dream come true … for most people. But for someone like John Davis, the Vice President of Public Sector at Palo Alto Networks, the cloud isn’t this amazing, perfect thing. Quite the opposite, in fact. Instead, John sees a technology littered with unknowns and filled with potential threats. On this episode of IT Visionaries, John returns for his second appearance and he updates us on his new role, what some of the best practices are for preventing data breaches, and he tells us why zero-trust isn’t just a buzzword. 3 Key Takeaways There’s beginning to be a shift away from the traditional legacy approaches Cloud security is a two-way relationship & communication between provider and consumer is key Zero Trust is gaining popularity and is the art of securing your most valuable assets from the inside out --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Hey Google, can you tell me the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series?... Digital assistants, we’ve all used them for varying things. Maybe it was scheduling an alarm or checking the weather, the uses of these assistants continue to evolve. And while they reside on our desktops, within our phones, and in the speaker that sits on our countertops and as this digital workforce sits ready in the wings, why are consumers refusing to adopt it at the rate of other technologies? Luckily, Ram Palaniappan of TEKsystems is here to answer those questions. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ram discusses how he and his team are modernizing the digital workforce with an eye on humanization, and why unstructured data sets are unlocking more doors for today’s companies. 3 Key Takeaways The main concern with the digital workspace is not about automation, it’s about adoption Voice assistants are just starting to scratch the surface of their capabilities Companies like Uber and Airbnb have changed the structure of how businesses now operate --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For much of his life, Allen Shaheen had no desire for a career in the technology industry. But as time passed — and thanks to some helpful nudges from his parents — much like peanut butter and jelly, Allen and technology naturally gravitated toward one another. Today Allen serves as the Executive Vice President of Digital Engineering at Cognizant, a company he has been with for almost 15 years. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Allen talks about his evolving relationship with technology, how companies are adapting to and embracing technology more than ever, and why reinvesting in STEM programs is the only way to ensure a prosperous future. 3 Key Takeaways Companies that don’t have a digital footprint, need to change their business model STEM programs are a necessity to continue to fuel technology advancements Products do not need to be perfect before it gets to the user. Speed and dynamic feedback are what matters --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For Yugabyte CEO and Co-founder, Karthik Ranganathan, his love for technology started like most: with a video game. Those days of sitting in front of a device button-mashing ignited a fire within him that only grew until he asked himself an obvious question: How do these things work? That question and an innate curiosity around technology carried him to stops at Microsoft and Facebook, ultimately leading him to Yugabyte Db. On today’s episode of IT Visionaries, Karthik speaks about the evolution of the cloud, our growing need for our data to be closer to us, and how open-source databases are becoming industry standard, meaning those that refuse to adapt are being left behind. 3 Key Takeaways The biggest shift in the industry has been to cloud Data needs to be as close to the user as possible Open-source databases are now industry standard and companies that refuse to adapt are falling behind --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The intersection of technology and consumers is more prevalent today than it has ever been before. And while many of us continue to utilize the benefits of predictive technology, we’re still slightly uncomfortable with how seeps into our lives. This growing dichotomy often leaves us asking one important question: Can I trust this technology? Luckily, Michael Biltz, the Managing Director at Accenture Labs, is here to answer that question and ease some of our concerns. On this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses Accenture’s Technology Vision 2020 report, the brewing technology clash between consumer and trust, and how the robot renaissance is upon us. 3 Key Takeaways It’s important to strike a balance between value and values The relationship between the consumer and technology is strained and trust needs to be reestablished We are just at the starting line of everyday use of robots in the workplace --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In an industry filled with computer science and engineering degrees, Eric Berridge is a believer that those with an arts and humanities focus can succeed. He’s an entrepreneur, a techy and literary believer all wrapped in one. In December of 2000, Eric helped start and build a consultancy firm known as Bluewolf. Today, that same company has been acquired by IBM and is a leading consultancy firm, known for producing its yearly report, The State of Salesforce. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Eric tells us why he values those with humanity degrees, the initial pushback he received about the State of Salesforce reports, and why the cloud has created a passion for successful IT all over the world. Key Takeaways Companies were in a denial phase with the cloud, which helped Bluewolf get off the ground and establish themselves as a power in the professional-services space Bluewolf’s process of hiring people with humanities degrees allowed them to grow and interact with people they couldn’t otherwise State of Salesforce is a very honest report Bluewolf publishes every year, which details where customers are having success within Salesforce, and where they are struggling --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When you spend more than 20 years at a company, you get to see all the ways things change over the years. You may even play a part in revolutionizing a company and sometimes an entire industry. That was the experience Norm Fjeldheim had while he was working at Qualcomm, and today he’s helping to bring about a new kind of revolution. Currently, Norm is the Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer and Head of Global Facilities at Illumina, a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of life science tools and integrated systems for large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function. Companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com rely on Illumina to do DNA sequencing, and scientists and doctors all over are using Illumina technology in game-changing research. Norm explains how all of this is happening and what it means to be working on such important technology on this episode of IT Visionaries.  Key Takeaways: You don’t realize how revolutionary the work you are doing is until you look back on it years later When you diversify the work you do and the people you work with, you build your own knowledge and create a beneficial relationship between your company, your customers, partners and peers In order to enable important, potentially life-changing work in the medical field, building trust in the software and ensuring privacy is a key job --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

There are countless ways that we can make an impact when it comes to addressing the climate crisis. Some of the steps we can take are small, but others have the potential to really make a dent in the goals set by climate leaders. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we wanted to dive into some of those large-scale, hugely impactful projects, so we brought back Patrick Flynn, the Vice President of Sustainability at Salesforce, and welcomed Scott Tew, the Executive Director at the Center for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability at Trane Technologies. One of the major areas both men are looking at to make a difference is in data centers, which, if retrofitted to become more efficient, would eliminate massive amounts of emissions from being pumped into the atmosphere. They explain more about that topic, as well as other ways individuals and businesses can get involved in the fight against climate change, in this discussion. Key Takeaways It’s easy to get distracted by the “big shiny objects” when it comes to climate action, but the first and most important step to take is to ensure that you are operating as efficiently as possible Technology has a huge role to play in creating more efficient systems, processes and buildings There are countless ways to get involved, but companies that truly want to make an impact need to put forth real plans and take action right now --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Take climate action with a pre-built carbon accounting solution and gain insights into your greenhouse gas emissions.  Learn more at Salesforce.com/solutions/sustainability.

There are countless ways that humans and technology interact. And those interactions are becoming more and more prevalent in every aspect of daily life. But not everyone likes to use technology in the same way. So when you’re dealing with every single type of person imaginable, like Scott Strickland does as the EVP & Chief Information Officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, you have to really understand and offer every kind of digital experience. It’s a massive job, which takes creativity, coordination, and skill. On this episode of IT visionaries, Scott explains how he manages the job, the role new technologies like A.I. and RPA play in the process, and the other challenges he faces as a CIO.  Key Takeaways The IT experience is much more front-and-center than ever before in all parts of the business operations and customer journey The hospitality industry has been disrupted in good ways, but there are still areas where technology is lacking or not up to par After you digitally transform, you evolve and must keep evolving --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Throughout the years, the idea of sustainability has changed and the metrics by which we measure how sustainable we are have shifted. So where are we on the sustainability timeline? And what should we be focusing on to become more sustainable in business and in life? To answer those questions is Science journalist Wade Roush, and Patrick Flynn, the Vice President of Sustainability at Salesforce. On this episode of IT Visionaries, they discuss the current state of the sustainability efforts, as well as the lessons they’ve learned from the past and how to prepare for and evolve in the future.   Key Takeaways: Corporate sustainability programs need to start in the places that are most relevant to the company as a whole Prioritizing your efforts is important so that you do not get overwhelmed by the scope of the problem Creating simple, repeatable frameworks that other companies can implement will be a difference-maker in the fight against climate change --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Take climate action with a pre-built carbon accounting solution and gain insights into your greenhouse gas emissions.  Learn more at Salesforce.com/solutions/sustainability.

As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in businesses, leaders in the C-suite are trying to figure out when and how to deploy the technology. Many questions will come up within organizations when they are focusing on A.I. deployment, and, luckily, Daniel Faggella is here to help answer them. Daniel is the CEO and Head of Research at Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research, where he and his team map the capabilities of A.I. and hone in on where to deploy A.I.to get the greatest ROI. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Daniel explains the work that goes into making those kinds of projections and he discusses how the A.I field is still growing and changing.  Key Takeaways: Understanding where and how to deploy A.I. is critical, and will be even more important in the next year or two Emerj thinks about  AI advantage across two spectrums; Critical capabilities and data dominance One of the big hurdles in A.I. is educating people on the difference between A.I. and It. To combat this Emerj has identified three main points they use to help them educate clients they work with on the differences --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When you were in fourth grade, how'd you pass the time? Maybe playing with Legos, building forts, or playing tag. What you probably weren't doing is developing the foundation of an organization that would make a global impact. And that brings us to Felix Finkbeiner, the thoughtful kid who was doing just that. Today, Felix is the founder of Plant for the Planet, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he explains his mission, how technology is helping to connect organizations all over the world, and why the One Trillion Trees project is something he is hoping can positively impact the planet in huge ways.  Key Takeaways: We might not be able to replace all of the trees that have been cut down, but we can plant enough to make a significant positive impact Technology like the Plant For The Planet app is helping connect and build transparency amongst the many partners and organizations working on the One Million Trees Initiative The initial challenge of the organization was getting people to care, but now that people do care, the challenge is scaling and building an infrastructure capable of doing the things you want to do --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Take climate action with a pre-built carbon accounting solution and gain insights into your greenhouse gas emissions.  Learn more at Salesforce.com/solutions/sustainability.

James Watters is currently the CTO of Modern Application Platforms at VMware, but he has truly done it all. Whether it was working with large corporate companies or helping startups establish themselves in the private sector, James has been there. On this episode of IT Visionaries, James sits down to discuss some of the things he’s learned along the way, including why he believes it’s imperative for research and development teams to work side-by-side with clients, what forced some of the changes we see in enterprise applications today and how these unprecedented times will shape technology moving forward. Key Takeaways The Connection between research and development and working with clients is imperative, especially when it comes to shaping the end-user experience The evolution of the cloud forced enterprises to alter their applications to a more simplified and streamlined approach. One of the most important things moving forward will be figuring out how to give a 100% digital customer experience --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

On IT Visionaries, we talk to many different CIOs, but for this episode, the CIO we’re chatting with is different than what you’re probably expecting. Today, we’re excited to welcome Suzanne DiBianca, the Chief Impact Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations at Salesforce. Suzanne has been with Salesforce for 20 years and helped the company build up its philanthropic arms, including pioneering the 1-1-1 model so many organizations now adopt. In this discussion, Suzanne takes us through her history with the organization and talks about how to build a culture of sustainability. She also explains some of the climate initiatives that Salesforce has been spearheading and why a project like One Trillion Trees is so important right now in this decade of action.  Key Takeaways:   Creating a culture of sustainability is about achieving buy-in throughout the organizaition You need to meet people where they are in order to get them to commit to implementing new programs or  We are in a decade of action and One Trillion Trees is an initiative that has the potential to make a difference   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Take climate action with a pre-built carbon accounting solution and gain insights into your greenhouse gas emissions.  Learn more at Salesforce.com/solutions/sustainability.

The world has changed drastically in the last 10 years. From the rise of the smartphone to the move to the cloud to new uses of A.I., how technology is being used keeps evolving. And it’s not slowing down. Jason Hoffman is the Chair Of The Board Of Directors and President & CEO of MobiledgeX, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he explains why everyone is asking the question, what’s next? And he explains the role edge computing will play in the answer. Key Takeaways:   Technically and architecturally, there is no difference between the cloud and the edge  The advancement in technology and the demand for more collaborative or interactive experiences means compute speed needs to increase The biggest question facing the industry is what is coming next?   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Imagine you’re an environmentalist fresh out of school and you’ve just landed your first opportunity in the corporate world. You’re excited and eager to take on the challenges ahead of you. The only problem is, instead of saving the world and finding new ways to make a difference, you’re looking at spreadsheets...for hours. Welcome to the world of greenhouse gas accounting, or at least the old world. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we brought in two industry leaders who are making a difference. Ari Alexander, GM of Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, and Shengyuan Su, Program Manager, Sustainability at Salesforce, join the show to discuss how Salesforce’s Sustainability Cloud is changing the way environmentalists report emissions, why companies voluntarily report their carbon emissions and how the private sector is being asked to lead the charge for governments around the world. Key Takeaways:   Movement in the industry is happening and a lot of that movement is based on peer pressure and the fear of bad publicity Governments are asking private sector companies to carry the torch when it comes to carbon accounting because they believe companies are further along in the process The vast majority of Fortune 1000 companies were using spreadsheets to do their annual greenhouse gas inventory. The Sustainability Cloud was designed to help companies better understand their carbon footprint and more efficiently report it --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Take climate action with a pre-built carbon accounting solution and gain insights into your greenhouse gas emissions.  Learn more at Salesforce.com/solutions/sustainability.

Do you know the current state of the edge? If you do, it’s most likely because of the work that Matthew Trifiro has done in recent years. Matthew is the CMO at Vapor IO and Co-Chair at State of the Edge and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he tells us about how and why he wanted to create the State of the Edge report. Plus, he explains what is going on in the world of edge computing and what might come next. Key Takeaways The State of the Edge report is an authority on what is really going on in the world of edge computing Moving to edge computing is going to be a necessary part of the re-architecture of the internet The speed with which we need to analyze data is increasing, which means we need to use edge computing to analyze in real-time --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In the last few months, we have seen quite a shift in our world. Our day-to-day lives are vastly different, and the way many of us live and work has changed. Companies around the globe are adjusting to this new normal and trying to navigate how to not only manage their workforces and provide the necessary technology and productivity tools but, more importantly, how to ensure their employees’ wellbeing. On this special episode of IT Visionaries, we brought in two tech leaders, Julie Cullivan, the Chief People, and Technology Officer at ForeScout Technologies, and Sarah Franklin, the EVP & GM Platform, Trailhead & Developers at Salesforce, to discuss how they are navigating through these unprecedented times. Things are hard, there’s no doubt about it, but as both women say, when you put the human element first, have empathy for others, and keep a positive attitude, we can all make it through this together.  Key Takeaways: The human element and how people are managing on a human level must always come first New work environments pose unique challenges, from how to provide productivity tools to how to encourage employees to maintain a separation between work and home When we get through this, we will be living in a new normal, and it might actually include changes for the better --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

In the IT world, and throughout life in general, there are always going to be jobs that no one else wants to do. They’re hard, time-consuming, and starting them might only lead to more problems and questions. But according to Jim Fowler, those are the jobs you always want to take. Jim is the CTO of Nationwide, and he says that by taking on those tough jobs, he was able to build skills to become a technology leader. He explains that, and discusses all the technology and innovation going on behind the scenes at Nationwide, on this episode of IT Visionaries.  Key Takeaways Doing jobs nobody wants is a smart career move The term “digital transformation” is both overused and misunderstood Technology is a bridge to help you connect with and keep your promises to customers --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

United Way is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the world, and it has more than 120 years of history and a tradition of good work that guides everyone associated with the organization. But if you think back 120 years ago, the way things were done look alien to how things work today. This is a digital world and that carries over into the way the people give back. In order to keep up with the times, United Way has recently been in the process of a major digital transformation and in order to accomplish their digital goals, the folks in charge are relying on the Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud to help make an impact. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we spoke with Ann Edmonds, the Program Lead for Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud at United Way, and William Browning, the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer for United Way, and they discussed everything involved in the transformation, why Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud has been a great partner, and what the future might hold. Key Takeaways:   The demands of the younger generation have created an environment of digital transformation in every industry, including philanthropy  Creating unique experiences will go a long way in building strong, lasting relationships with users You can’t wait for the perfect solution — you have to iterate constantly   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Prakash Kota is the CIO at Autodesk, a company he has been with for 15 years. Obviously, things have changed at the company and in the world since that first day, and Prakash has seen it all and adjusted to all the changes along the way. On this episode of IT Visionaries, he tells us about his journey and he breaks down what is going on at Autodesk today, including the types of internal innovation they are focused on and the new technology and bots they are using every day.  Key Takeaways:   Digitizing is about removing friction and creating value Automation is important in digital transformations, but it should be used selectively and intentionally As a CIO, you have to have a mindset where you are always looking to enable your customers and employees to have a better experience and be more productive all the time   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

As a journalist during the dot-com boom and throughout more than a decade as the Editor In Chief of the MIT Technology Review, Jason Pontin has seen technology of all kinds emerge from its earliest stages to become the world-shifting technology we and use today. After watching that evolution happen for so long, Jason decided he wanted in on the action. Today. He is a Senior Advisor for Flagship Pioneering, where he is focused on how technology can be used to make a larger impact on the world. On this episode, he talks about some of the projects and companies he’s involved with, and he explains why he believes A.I. and deep learning will be huge forces in shaping the world moving forward.  Key Takeaways:   Certain technologies — like A.I. and gene editing — will have a greater impact than we currently understand Using computers and A.I. to do things that humans can’t will, hopefully, lead to more breakthroughs New technology can lead to new and better jobs, but it takes time   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

From studying neuroscience to becoming a ski bum to finding a home at Panasonic, Kellen Pucher’s journey has been a one with many twists and turns. But today, Kellen is pretty settled in as a Director of Strategic Initiatives at Panasonic North America. Right now Panasonic is working on deploying the world's first connected vehicle ecosystem and Kellen is helping lead the team that’s building the technology necessary to make it work. He explains all the intricacies of the task and the larger goal of the program on this episode of IT Visionaries. Key Takeaways:   There are hidden costs of transportation If you connect all vehicles and other elements of transportation like traffic lights and road signals, the amount of data being generated will need an entirely new operating system to populate through Privacy and security are built into all vehicle technology   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

If your roof is leaking or your sink is clogged what do you do? Who would you call? If you don’t know any roofers or plumbers, you might find yourself Googling your problem then crossing your fingers. The problem of finding the right person for the job at hand is one every person faces, and it’s a problem that Thumbtack is solving thanks to technology. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we’re joined by Raghavendra Prabhu, the CTO of Thumbtack, who explains what kind of tech is working behind the scenes to create personalized searches and how innovation at the company could lead to a whole new world of finding the right fit for every job you have. Key Takeaways You need hyper-personalized technology to solve the problem of finding someone to hire Data is important, but listening to the customers can lead to just as many insights When you encourage innovation, don’t limit participation just to engineers. Support every employee who wants to try something new --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Your finances are one of the most personal aspects of your life, so the idea of trusting a robot or some technology to guide you on your financial journey might make you uncomfortable. Neesha Hathi is the CDO of Charles Schwab, and she knows exactly how you feel. At Schwab, everything comes down to creating the best possible client experience, and for Neesha, that means finding a way to make the digital experience personal, comfortable and intuitive, yet still joined with the real-life advisors and experts working for the company. It’s a tough job, but one that very much is focused on a future that is more technical than ever. Neesha discusses all of that and more on this episode.  Key Takeaways Thinking about the client experience means creating excellent, value-added experiences You have to be able to combine the digital experience with the experience of working one-on-one with experts Being a CDO is about building a more agile company with a future-focused mindset --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

You hear it all the time, especially on this show — a kid who grew up loving technology makes his way into the IT field. That was the story for Karl Mosgofian, the CIO at Gainsight, but his path has led him on a road that has still been unexpected. The world of IT has changed so much since Karl first entered the field, and as a CIO, he’s learned that there are some things you have to constantly adjust to, and others that will always remain the same. He explains all of the intricacies of the role, as well as the exciting work being done at Gainsight, on this episode of IT Visionaries.  Key Takeaways Creating customer success has to be an ongoing process about creating overall value CIOs are playing a larger role in the overall business of their companies and they need to be able to work across teams and integrate in a collaborative way The role of IT ebbs and flows throughout time and we will continue to see CIOs playing key roles in the overall business --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

After recently joining Wikimedia Foundation, Grant Ingersoll, the foundation’s CTO, is learning on the job each and every day. As the leader of a 120-person team, his opportunities to gain new knowledge from those around him are never-ending. Grant shares what he has found out so far and how that has helped him grow into his role. Plus, he gives us some insights about what projects he and his team are working on and why he has a deep love for data.  Key Takeaways   Understanding Wikimedia’s knowledge infrastructure  Wikidata’s innovative way of using data CTO responsibilities of the Wikimedia Foundation   --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

From the time she was a little girl competing in science fairs in Chicago, Alexa Dembek has been drawn to the world of science and technology. Today, Alexa is the Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer at DuPont, where she believes she has found the perfect place to use science to make an impact on the world. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Alexa shared with us her role as a champion for growth at the company, and she discussed the way they use failure as a spark for innovation and as a way to propel ideas and people forward. And those ideas are being brought into the world as products designed to create a more sustainable environment for all.    Key Takeaways: Failure is a great opportunity to learn and advance projects When taking on a project, you need to know what you need to learn, rather than only focusing on what you already know Innovation is to be encouraged if you want to stay ahead of the curve --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

On this episode of IT Visionaries, we’re excited to welcome back Jason Warner, the CTO at GitHub. In his second appearance on the pod, Jason was excited to discuss how there has never been a better time to be a developer or an engineer looking to climb the ranks in the industry. Plus, he took us through some of the trends he’s been seeing in the technology world, including how people are working in the cloud and what ways those in the field are effecting change. Key Takeaways: There has never been a better time to be a developer As a leader, you have to optimize for the entire team, not just individuals Creating more developers and improving their skills is a top priority --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Emmanuel Schalit thinks that when it comes to security, convenience is the biggest factor in the choices people make. That’s why, as the co-founder and CEO of Dashlane, he has made building an easy security solution his mission. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Emmanuel explains why he believes the UX of the internet has been the biggest problem when it comes to security and how Dashlane is helping companies overcome that issue. Key Takeaways: The UX of the internet makes security harder  People tend to do what’s easiest, even if that makes them less secure The traditional perimeter companies used to protect is gone — with more data and resources in the cloud, security has to move there as well --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

When Farah Papaioannou was first getting into the tech world, she was a bit apprehensive simply due to the fact that there were so many more men in the field than women. But she stuck to her path and in 2019 Farah was named the Edge Woman of the year for the work she has been doing as the Co-Founder and President at Edgeworx, Inc. On this episode, recorded live at Edge Computing World, where Farah accepted her honor, we dove into her journey and the innovative projects she’s been helping to build at Edgeworx. Key Takeaways: Despite how far the industry has come, women still face unfair questions and discrimination The market is ripe for edge computing because more and more companies realize the need to be analyzing and acting on data in real-time Creating the edge infrastructure will be similar to how the cloud infrastructure was created — by putting many pieces together IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Matt Kraning has always been interested in understanding powerful systems that unified many ideas and then figuring out a way to have those systems grounded in the real world in ways that would actually deliver value for people. As the CTO and co-founder of Expanse, that’s exactly what he is doing today. Expanse is helping to solve huge security and operations problems and build a system of record to track all your IT across the internet. If it sounds complicated that’s because it is, but it’s also important work, and Matt was happy to share what it all means on this episode.  Key Takeaways: By creating a management platform that can find and control all the IT across the internet, Expanse has created a system of record for all customer IT Maintaining secure networks and proper control of all of your IT is a massive problem that, until recently, most companies could not fully comprehend Having a governance strategy isn’t enough. You need a full operational strategy --- IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

For a guy who got into tech accidentally, Bob Worrall has had a ton of success throughout his career. Bob cut his teeth working at Sun Microsystems, and today he serves as the SVP and Chief Information Officer at Juniper Networks. With Juniper, Bob helped lead a shift to a cloud-only system and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses the ups and downs of that seven-year process. Plus, he talks about the role of innovation at Juniper and the way in which the industry has changed throughout his career.  Key Takeaways: When moving to the cloud, many companies get stuck on obstacles and wind up with a hybrid-cloud system Working in a cloud-only system allows for more innovation The changing landscape of how IT is handled has created a more energized workforce   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

What keeps you up at night? For Jon Green, it’s making sure that his company’s network is secure because that, in turn, is keeping you secure, too. Jon serves as VP and Chief Technologist for Security at Aruba and in that role, he is responsible for building out secure networks for enterprise companies, federal governments, militaries and more. On this episode of IT Visionaries, he explains what all that means and the challenges he faces to keep bad actors out and our data secure. Key Takeaways: There are two main questions you must always ask when securing your network The idea that everything has to be connected is a mistake Working with federal agencies as very similar to working with enterprise companies   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

John Roese is the Global Chief Technology Officer of Products and Operations at Dell Technologies and he’s helping guide the company on its journey as one of the largest and most influential in the tech world. From hyperconnectivity to 5G to computing on the edge, John says that Dell Technologies has a hand in all of it, and each of those innovations will eventually change the internet and the world as a whole. He explains all of that on this episode.  Key Takeaways: Being a CTO is about properly calculating and executing business initiatives The future of the internet will be dictated by hyperconnectivity, 5G and edge computing Digital transformation is a never-ending journey IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Not many CIOs are walking around with Emmys. But when you’ve had a career as broad as Sean Wechter, the fact that he and his teams have become Emmy-Award-winners is not all that surprising. From Dell to Comcast, to USA Today to now, as the CIO of Qlik, Sean has seen and done it all. On this episode of IT Visionaries, he walks us through some of his experiences, and he explains the current state of data and what CIOs should be focusing on in their organizations.  Key Takeaways: Working in media teaches you the importance of countermeasures Consolidation and a search function are coming next in the world of streaming Data literacy is the ability to explore data   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Asana’s Head of Product, Alex Hood explains all things Asana, best practices for teams, the future of A.I. and ML, and advice on any first-time head of products. Key Takeaways: Asana’s changing work management The future of A.I. and ML Advice to a first-time head of product IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Sri Shivananda is PayPal’s SVP and CTO, which is a long way away from his original dream of being a pilot in the Indian Air Force. But being the SVP and CTO of a payment company that in 2018 did $578B in total payment volume and 9.9B transactions in 200 different markets in about a hundred different currencies is still a pretty big deal. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sri takes us through his journey and explains all the ways that PayPal has made an impact on the way people make payments in the digital age.  Key Takeaways: Payments are becoming more ambient Cryptocurrencies are more of an asset than a currency PayPal innovates in three main ways IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

What makes a start-up a start-up? And when do you move on from that definition? Marc Murphy, the CEO of Atlatl, is currently trying to answer that question. Atlatl is changing the sales process with AR and VR and the company is selling to top tier enterprise companies looking to transform digitally. On this episode, Marc explains how he’s grown as a CEO and used the lessons he’s learned to bring Atlatl to the point it’s at now.   Key Takeaways: Building Atlatl What Marc learned as a CEO Finding the right alignment when you’re selling The importance of integrations IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Rachana Kumar  is currently the Senior Director Of Engineering at Etsy, the e-commerce platform made for unique buyers, sellers and creatives. But Etsy isn’t like a normal e-commerce site with traditional vendors and inventory, the tech behind the platform is just as unique as the people using it. Rachana explains it all on this episode of IT Visionaries. Plus, she dives into the importance of creating a diverse workforce and doing mission-driven work.  Key Takeaways: How Etsy handles the billion-plus data points generated daily Using machine learning to improve customer experience What it means to be mission-driven Creating for mobile versus creating for desktop IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Computing at the edge is only really starting to come into fashion now. But Tyler McMullen has known the merits of working at the edge for a long time. As the CTO of Fastly, he’s been advocating for the edge and helping companies such as The New York Times and others realize that through Fastly and edge computing, you can create a whole new and better experience for your users. He explains all of that and so much more — including his unexpected love of raccoons — on this episode of IT Visionaries.  Explaining the benefit of working at the edge How being open source is mutually beneficial to the developer community and Fastly What is the current state of the edge and who will be the main users in the future? IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

John Kucera the VP of Product Management at Salesforce and Taksina Eammano, VP, AI & Automation, Service Cloud at Salesforce, work together on a mission to bring automation into the hands of customers. On this episode of IT Visionaries, they explain what they focus on when thinking about automation, and they discuss the role automation and RPA will play in the future of work and life. Key Takeaways: Automation can create better customer experiences When looking at RPA, you have to understand your process before you automate Automation can and will be used to solve really big problems IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The best way to learn about a subject is to study it in depth. Jeanne Ross knows that better than most. As the Principal Research Scientist at MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research, she spends her time really digging into how to get the most out of information technology. One of the subjects she’s looked at closely is the topic of digital transformation — in fact, she recently published a book on the subject titled Designed for Digital. On this episode of IT Visionaries, she tells us about the building blocks of digital transformation and takes us through use cases from Apple to Lego to illustrate how the shift to digital plays out.   Key Takeaways: Jeanne’s work at MIT and how research is done The building blocks of digital transformation Digital transformation use cases How to create a good employee experience when implementing digital change IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Wade Wegner has been focused on building developer tools and platforms for most of his career. Today, he is the SVP of Product for Platform at Salesforce and responsible products that are used by countless customers around the world. What Wade and his team focus on most is helping customers get more done faster so that they can put more of their energy into moving their business forward. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Wade explains how that’s possible with the Salesforce Customer 360 platform, and he shares what we can be excited about coming out of the Salesforce product team soon. Key Takeaways: The world of app development is focused on creating app factories Putting together different developers will lead to better results in app dev Constant delivery of product should be one of your main focuses   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

From joining when there were 7,000 employees to, in just four years, scaling the IT behind Uber’s current 43,000 employees, Shobhana Ahluwalia, the head of IT at Uber, was faced with the ultimate challenge. Some IT leaders dream of helping to scale their company’s IT at the rate Uber did, others may fear it. Shobhana confronted this challenge head on and now is responsible for Uber’s IT across 650 offices in 70 different countries around the globe. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Shobhana shares her insights on scaling IT at Uber, the journey automation optimization has taken over the past decades, and how leaders should think about failure. Key Takeaways: IT’s rate of change is directly correlated with the increase of data Scaling Uber to 43,000 employees Advice on how Uber views failure   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The usage of mobile phones has been sky-rocketing since 2007 and continues to play a major role in our personal and work lives. In the future, will our usage continue to grow? The answer to that question is still unknown. But we do know how and why mobile is so important in the present day. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we chatted with Victor Oliveros, the Senior Director of Product Management at Salesforce, who focuses on leading a product team that works specifically on the Salesforce mobile app. Victor touches on many things including, how to launch a B2B app, the implementations that go into mobile voice technology, and the importance of the CIO in tech companies.  Key Takeaways: Mobile apps require the least amount of clicks to complete tasks Voice is challenging to implement, but the future of voice is bright CIOs have one of the most difficult jobs in tech   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Phil Tee would tell you he is a math and physics nerd. But his LinkedIn tells a different story, one about a multi-time founder who currently serves as the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Moogsoft. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Phil explains how he went from studying theoretical physics to finding a place in the tech industry and then taking off from there. He dives into the big operational problems Moogsoft is trying to solve with A.I, and he shares all the lessons he has learned through founding multiple companies. Key Takeaways: How Moogsoft is solving operational problems with A.I. Lessons learned as a multi-time founder The benefits of building a company in Silicon Valley   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

The way that technology has expanded throughout the last decade has been impressive. And that expansion is set to continue. As we move into the future, we can expect that technology will be used in more ways than ever before, including for things like image-recognition. Zineb Laraki, the Deep Learning Senior Product Manager at Salesforce, is helping to build out that technology and more, which she says could change the way people work. She explains on this episode of IT Visionaries. Key Takeaways: The tech behind image-recognition Why understanding the scope of a project is important The ethics of image capture and the future of image-recognition technology   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Throughout the last twenty-plus years, Jim Ryan has seen his company, Flexera, change and grow in exciting ways. And he’s been able to grow with the company along the way. Today, Jim is the CEO of Flexera, and he joins IT Visionaries to discuss his journey. Plus he dives into how members of the C-suite can find ways to be more efficient, cost-effective, and build out long-lasting companies. Key Takeaways: How CIOs have evolved Working with the C-suite and identifying ways they can improve business What it means to partner with members of the C-suite   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Blockchain is a technology that can change the way people work, how supply chains run, and, as we learned on this episode of IT Visionaries, how students can take control of their education. We talked to Lev Gonick and Adam Caplan, the CIO of Arizona State University and the SVP, Emerging Technology at Salesforce, respectively, about how the two organizations have joined together to bring blockchain into the world of education.   Key Takeaways: Bringing blockchain to ASU What makes Salesforce the right blockchain partner Use cases that support blockchain   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Cole Crawford says that it’s no longer a matter of if we will move to edge computing, it’s a matter of when, and how soon? Cole is the CEO of Vapor IO, which is utilizing colocation facilities and interconnection services in order to bring cloud-like services to the edge of the wireless network. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Cole talks about what that all means, why it makes sense to invest in the edge ecosystem, and what the future of the edge looks like.  Key Takeaways: How Vapor IO came to be Reasons people are investing in edge technology and infrastructure Where the edge ecosystem is headed   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Digital transformation is hard. Especially when all of your data is spread across hundreds or thousands of systems. How do you connect them all and work faster and more effectively across the business? Lindsey Irvine, the Senior Vice President and CMO of MuleSoft, joined us on this episode of IT Visionaries to explain the answer: APIs and broad integration. Key Takeaways:   What are APIs and why do we need them Some API use cases The challenges of integration     IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

We are living in a digital world. But what does the term “digital” actually mean? Paul Roehrig is currently the head of strategy at Cognizant, and he joined IT Visionaries to dive deep into that question. Plus, he discusses what the future of work looks like, and why we should not fear automation and robots.  Key Takeaways: Redefining the word “digital” The day-to-day responsibilities of the head of strategy What does the future of work look like? Why we should fear not the bot IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Patrick Stokes, the Executive Vice President of Platform Shared Services at Salesforce, first got into technology the same way many other leaders first get into technology: through video games. Games such as Quake and Doom have a special place in Patrick’s heart not only because of how fun they are, but also because they are open-source. The open-source aspect is what sparked Patrick’s interest in technology and has kept him rising through the industry. Today Patrick is continuing to utilize his passion and drive his interest toward all of the innovative things he and his team are working on at Salesforce. He discusses that and more on this episode. Key Takeaways: Salesforce has a focus on not only external innovation but also internal innovation  Privacy is on the minds of all tech leaders Patrick’s Dreamforce product launches and how they are changing the data game IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

Data’s evolutionary journey started out like all journeys, nonexistent. However, the evolution of data has been exponential since the dawn of the internet and the birth of the companies that followed. Fast-forward a couple of decades to today, and you may notice that data is everywhere.  Raffael Marty, VP of Research and Intelligence at Forcepoint talks about this evolution, his own journey into tech, the serial-founder experience, and much more on this episode of IT Visionaries.  Key Takeaways: Big data’s evolution The underbelly of being a serial-founder Data’s visualization’s current state Human behavior and hacking IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

“Hey do you want to go paramotoring?” This may not be the typical way an IT conversation starts, but it just might be the way you begin an interaction with Richard Socher. Especially if you’re near a beautiful vista or in any gorgeous outdoor setting. But paramotoring is only Richard’s hobby, his job is Chief Scientist for Salesforce. As the Chief Scientist, Richard wears a couple of different hats. He and his team focus on publishing new research data, doing applied research, incubating, and working on the capabilities of Salesforce’s platform. The type of work Richard and his team do extends across many fields, but lately, they have been narrowing in on A.I. and all things Salesforce Einstein Voice Assistant. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Richard talks about his origins, including the work he did as the founder, CEO and CTO of MetaMind, the current and future state of affairs of A.I. and voice, and yes, his love of paramotoring. Key Takeaways: How A.I. can have a positive impact What is the future of voice technology? What out-of-the-box features are available   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/pla

Igor Jablokov has made a name for himself in the world of voice recognition technology. His former company, Yap, was acquired by Amazon and his technology was used to build Alexa. And before that, Igor was on the team that built IBM’s Watson.  Now, Igor is the CEO of a new company leading the way on a new frontier: augmented and artificial intelligence. His company, Pryon is helping to change the way people work through augmented technology, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, Igor explains how. Plus, he gives insights into his past, where he thinks the tech industry is headed in the future, and why he thinks the world of augmented intelligence can have an impact on our work and personal lives. Key Takeaways: What Pryon brings to the table Uses for augmented and artificial intelligence The marketplace for Pryon’s technology Why Pryon’s business model is not based on ads IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

On this episode of IT Visionaries, Sarah Joyce Franklin, EVP & GM Platform, Trailhead & Developers at Salesforce discusses digital transformation, Salesforce’s Customer 360 Platform, and what the role of CIO will look like in the future.  Key Takeaways: Salesforce’s Customer 360 Platform has everything a company will need all in one The role of the CIO is changing overnight Digital transformation affects the more than the customer and employees   IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform

On this episode of IT Visionaries, we sit down with Ankit Kumar, CTO of Ubiquity6, whose mission is to unlock new ways for people to connect in physical spaces. Ankit and host Ian Faison take a deep dive into everything currently going on in the computer vision industry, specifically, augmented and virtual reality. Ankit discusses building AR technology and the complexity that goes into it, as well as businesses that can benefit from this type of technology. Key Takeaways:   How Ankit got into AR and some use cases The future of deep learning How to stay up-to-date in a rapidly-changing field     Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Sanjna Parulekar, Salesforce’s Senior Product Marketing Manager for Salesforce Einstein has lived in and around tech her whole life. As both of Sanjna’s parents had careers in tech, Sanjna felt she was destined to follow a similar career path. Fast forward to today when destiny has become reality. Sanjna is currently working with Salesforce Einstein helping to bring to life the influence it has on A.I., CRM, and the world. It comes without surprise that Sanjna is most excited for the future of voice technology, especially considering everything Salesforce is doing with its innovative Einstein Voice Assistant. Sanjna describes the jaw-dropping intricacies of the Einstein Voice Assistant and how it’s going to change the way people do business, view sales, and close deals through the power of A.I. and A.I. personalization. Key Takeaways:   Salesforce Einstein and its influence on CRM and A.I.  Thinking about your customer’s customer  A.I. personalization’s impact   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Blak Hall is the CEO and founder of ID.me, which is solving the problem of verifying your identity online. To be sure, as more and more of our commerce and day-to-day- activities move online, it becomes even more important to keep your identity secure and verified. But we all know how annoying it is to fill out all the same information on form after form on website after website. Why can’t we just verify our identity once and take it with us through all our internet activities? That’s what Blake and his team at ID.me are allowing their customers to do, and it is already making an impact. On this episode, Blake explains the origins of ID.me, which trace back to his time as an Army Ranger, and takes us through some use cases that prove the success of ID.me’s technology.      Key Takeaways: Going from Army Ranger to tech founder The value of verified identity Determining your business model   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

On this episode of IT Visionaries, we sat down with Paul Scott Murphy, VP of Product Management, Big Data/Cloud at WANdisco, a provider of enterprise-ready, non-stop software solutions that enable globally-distributed organizations to meet today's data challenges of secure storage, scalability, and availability.  Throughout his career, Paul has focused on leadership, strategy, consulting, and product development for major Australian and international organizations. Today, Paul digs deeper into the principals of cloud technology, customer experience, and business strategies. Key Takeaways: The impact of the cloud WANdisco’s approach to working with customers The role tables stakes plays in business Moving into the IoT and onto the edge   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

From tinkering with his first 486 SX computer in his early teens to becoming a senior solutions architect at AHEAD, Brantley Richbourg is continuing to eat, sleep, and breath computers. Like all fellow computer nerds, curiosity is his driving force. At an early age, Brantley was stringing pieces of yarn all across his childhood home. Strand by strand, Brantley’s curiosity of connecting things slowly trickled into technology as he grew up. And as a senior solutions architect, Brantley continues to find himself connecting AHEAD’s clients to the cloud. In this episode of IT Visionaries, Brantley delves into the current state of digital transformations into the cloud, the importance of edge computing, and how Brantley handles pushback. Key Takeaways: Details on digital transformations for enterprise companies The future of edge computing and 5G Advice on overcoming pushback    Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Navigating the healthcare landscape as a patient or caregiver has never been more challenging. Ali Diab, co-founder, and CEO of Collective Health, has experienced this first hand and it was those challenges that motivated him to improve the quality and cost of company-sponsored health care. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ali discusses his personal journey through the healthcare system, and how he built Collective Health to help avoid pitfalls in the healthcare industry. Plus he touches on how advancement in technology is making a difference in healthcare, what he is doing to make a difference, and much more.  Key Takeaways: The need to disrupt the healthcare industry What role technology can and will play in disruption Where does A.I. fit in?   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Craig Walker was our guest on the first-ever episode of IT Visionaries. We’re so excited to welcome him back for a second interview in which he dives into everything from his origin story to what it means to be a leader. And he should know. Craig is the VP and CIO of Shell Downstream at Shell International Petroleum Company, and he has spent the majority of his career with the company. His journey in tech has taken him all over the world and he’s been forced to learn on the fly and make mistakes. But those mistakes have been the most important learning experiences of his life, and now he’s encouraging his employees to explore and fail and learn in similar ways. Craig shares all of that and more on this episode. We hope you enjoy his insights.     Key Takeaways:   Progressing your career with one company Lessons learned from unique experiences and failure How to inspire innovation and create an exceptional employee experience The future of data and how to leverage it in new ways     Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

While in high school, Wendy Pfeiffer won a contest and was brought on to do a research project at NASA. It was the first time she was exposed to computers and she fell in love with the technology. From there, Wendy slowly grew into a career in tech and now serves as the CIO of Nutanix. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Wendy explains what her role entails, how she works with peers in the industry to make business more efficient through the use of hybrid cloud, and the highs and lows of working with a net promoter score.  Key Takeaways: How being the Nutanix CIO leads to close work with other CIOs The benefits of a hybrid cloud How customers become more efficient thanks to Nutanix Using a net promoter score to move the business forward   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

There’s no doubt that when Jason Warner joined the team at Github he would have a lot of questions to answer. Github was trying to find its footing in a development industry dominated by the Googles of the world, and as the SVP of Technology, Jason was the man looking to rebuild trust and vision within the company. Jason succeeded and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he explains how. Plus, he dives into what a good employee experience looks like, how developers will evolve over the next decade, and why having a distributed team is the way to go in today’s world.  Key Takeaways: Mapping success during the early days at Github The future of the industry and developers The merits of having a distributed team   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Rahul Pathak’s experience in the tech industry dates back to the early days of the internet boom and he’s been riding the wave, monitoring trends ever since. The journey has allowed Rahul to be on the cutting edge of all kinds of new technology, including what he’s doing now with big data and block chain. Rahul currently serves as the GM of Big Data, Data Lakes, Blockchain at Amazon Web Services and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses why those technologies are the future. Key Takeaways: What the blockchain offers  Who are the stakeholders utilizing these technologies A crash course in data lakes Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Most people in technology agree that cyberthreats will be one of the biggest dangers we face in the coming years. In our increasingly-connected world, we’re more vulnerable than ever before and the threat of one bad actor taking out an entire power grid or critical network system is real. Retired Army Major General John Davis knows this better than most. While leading a task force responsible for directing the operations and defense of the DOD networks, the U.S. was hit with a cyberattack that infected a number of critical networks. John had to lead the charge against the malicious code, and he believes the event was a key factor in the creation of U.S. Cyber Command, which John served as a director of.  Today, John is the Chief Security officer for the Federal Sector of Palo Alto Networks, and he spends his time telling the story of that attack to illustrate the need for enhanced cybersecurity everywhere. On this episode of IT Visionaries, John discusses how he dealt with the attack, the ways cybersecurity has changed, and why the way forward is with a prevention mindset.  Key Takeaways: The security landscape today  Building transparency and clarity John’s first-hand experience stopping cyber attacks against America Advice on how to improve your security Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience Palo Alto Networks Federal Ignite 2019, a security conference for the future, brings together leading cybersecurity professionals and government officials for panels and keynotes on Next-Generation security priorities along with hands-on training, best practices and new innovations on Thursday, October 10, and Friday, October 11, in Washington, D.C. Register at ignitefed.paloaltonetworks.com.

Sami Hassanyeh is the chief digital officer for AARP and throughout the last 18 years with the company, he’s helped lead a vast digital transformation. From the launch of an app to getting into voice technology, AARP has moved leaps and bounds forward when it comes to technology. But there are a ton of challenges when you are working with a customer population that uses every kind of channel imaginable. Whether its a laptop, desktop, mobile app, in person or talking through the voice app or using automation tools, AARP has to deliver a seamless experience and answer customer questions quickly and efficiently every time. But how? Sami explains on this episode of IT Visionaries.  Key Takeaways: How technology adds to AARP’s value proposition Launching new technology including apps and voice recognition software Creating a customer feedback loop How employee experience feeds customer experience AR, VR, automation and more emerging technology to be excited about   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

You know all those hacks and data breaches you read about in the newspaper? Do you understand them? It’s fine if you don’t, most people can’t figure out exactly what all that noise means. But Haiyan Song does, and it’s a good thing because as the SVP and GM of Security Markets at Splunk, she is in charge of monitoring all of that nefarious activity and protecting you and your data. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Haiyan sat down with Mission CEO Chad Grills to dig into the world of cybersecurity and how A.I. and automation can change the game. Plus, she explains how Splunk was already able to move leaps and bounds ahead of others in terms of security.    Key Takeaways: The state of the security landscape What is the future of automation? Advice for securing your operation   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

As the Head of Data and Insights at Splunk, Archana Ganapathi is responsible for accelerating data-driven outcomes for customers. On this special episode of IT Visionaries hosted by Mission CEO Chad Grills, Archana explains what that process looks like, and how Splunk’s focus on solving customer problems has led to personal and professional success. Key Takeaways: Why join Splunk What is dark data? Should you trust data?   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Susan Standiford says she was born to be in technology. And if you look at her resume, the proof that she lived out her life mission is right there in black and white. From a stint as VP of Technology at Disney Interactive to leading the tech team at Travelocity to her current role as CTO of IKEA Group, Susan has been on the front lines of every kind of digital transformation.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Susan discusses how she’s been able to build an employee experience centered around innovation, and she explains what it means to be an inspirational leader. Key Takeaways:   Defining the role of CTO at IKEA Where will AR and VR fit in? How to build an employee experience around innovation Mentorship in the start-up world   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Mental health awareness has become more and more important in today’s world. And that’s great. But there isn’t one right method of monitoring mental health. Different approaches work for different people. One exciting new approach is through the use of A.I. and apps to keep an eye on your mental health and moods. The technology is new, and still being iterated on, but it’s exciting nonetheless. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we sit down with Thiago Marafon CTO of Youper, an emotional help assistance app that is aimed at helping you feel like the best version of yourself. Thiago and Ian dig deeper into the importance of mental health, Thiago’s secret to success in the A.I. industry, and how that technology can help people in new ways. Key Takeaways:   How Thiago got into A.I.  The ways Youper is improving lives What does the future of A.I. look like?     Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Blockchain will improve security, increase efficiency, and lead to new business models for enterprises. Nate McKervey believes that deeply. Nate is the head of blockchain and DLT at Splunk, and he spends his time helping enterprises gain insights and success when adopting this new technology. His work helps Splunk customers have even more trust in the data that they’re using. But that’s just the beginning of the blockchain story. On this special episode of IT Visionaries hosted by Mission CEO Chad Grills, Nate explains how our lives will change thanks to blockchain and cryptocurrency. Whether it’s creating a ledger system that transforms a food recall process from one that takes days to one that takes seconds, or moving to the tokenization of objects, which could increase world GDP by huge orders of magnitude, there are exciting innovations happening, and Nate has the details on them all. Key Takeaways: Building trust in data Where you can deploy blockchain The future of blockchain and cryptocurrencies Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Inspiration comes from all over. For Tim Tully, the CTO of Splunk, much of the inspiration for his work can be found in science fiction, TV shows and even the world of superheroes. Tim sees himself as a sort of Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) because he’s helping build the tech of the future. In fact, he’s been building forward-looking tech since the early days of the Internet. On this episode of IT Visionaries hosted by Mission CEO Chad Grills, Tim discusses how you can be aspirational in your design while still delivering exceptional usability. And he touches on the future of technology, including with mobile and where we’re going with AR and VR. Key Takeaways: How Tim got his start Learning to be a CTO Recruiting talent Why mobile is the future   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

It’s a fact of today’s world that everyone is spending more and more time looking at screens. Especially kids. But that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, especially if looking at that screen is unlocking creativity and new skills. Roblox is making that possible. Adam Miller is the Vice President of Engineering, Technology at Roblox, which is building a streaming platform architecture for the gaming world. Roblox puts the tools of creating games into the hands of its more than two million users, and they have taken that freedom and run with it.  On this episode, Adam and Ian discuss how Roblox has helped bring more creativity into the lives of kids, and the challenges of building a gaming platform that is as easy to use and seamless as any traditional streaming platform.   Key Takeaways: What is Roblox and how are people using it? Technology under the hood The impact Roblox has on the younger generation The future of Roblox and gaming   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Kasturi Rangan, has been a gamer his entire life. But for him, gaming is more than a passion, it’s a calling. Rangan has devoted his professional career to building up the gaming community and helping gamers around the world connect and advance the movement. Today, he is the president of Pole to Win and manages around 2,500 people throughout the world dedicated to that same mission. And they’re succeeding. Pole to Win has worked on some of the biggest games on the market and the clients they partner with are so happy with the experience, Pole to Win has a 98% client retention rate.  But what does it mean to build a gaming community? How do you actually make sure that the gamer’s experience is not just good, but exceptional? What was the secret sauce that Pole To Win brought to the table to help launch eight of the last 10 games of the year? Rangan answers those questions and more on this episode of IT Visionaries.    Key Takeaways:   The main focus of Pole To Win. A day in the life of a QA Analyst The future of gaming The secret to client retention     Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Often in business, you have to change your ways or risk becoming extinct. At least, that’s what Tony DeLima says. As the Head of Digital Transformation and Global CTO for NEORIS, Tony has had a front-row seat for all of the changes in industries from financial services to healthcare and everything in between. Tony has helped companies of all shapes and sizes take giant leaps forward by transforming the way they operate from top to bottom, and that always includes bringing in new and advanced technology.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Tony explains how these types of digital transformations happen and why they're important. Plus, he dives deep into the role A.I. will play in the future.     Key Takeaways: What is NEORIS Discussing digital transformations Best practices for driving innovation The future and where A.I. fits in Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

When you picture a robot, what images come to your mind? Is it R2-D2 or C3PO? Maybe a Roomba or the Terminator? That’s not unusual, but mostly that is not real life. In today’s world, we have robots, automation, and A.I. everywhere, just not in the way people think. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ian chats with Guy Kirkwood, the chief evangelist at UiPath, and Jordan Collard, the CEO and co-founder of Jolt Advantage Group about the robots they’re working on in the RPA industry. RPA stands for Robotic Process Automation and it is working its way into Fortune 500 companies at a rapid pace as everyone tries to find more ways to work more quickly and efficiently. Together, the trio explores how RPA is implemented and go through use cases that prove you can go from a task taking 16 days, to it being done within four hours. Plus, they discuss the future of the industry and how to get more people interested and invested in the technology.     Key Takeaways: What exactly is RPA? Who will be using RPA in the future and how will it be implemented? How to build an ecosystem of customers who are excited and invested. To learn more about RPA and how to build a robot of your own, look for upcoming events with Jolt here: https://www.joltag.com/webinars-events?utm_source=mission Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

When you look at technology today, you can be scared, depressed, excited and impatient all at once. That’s how Paul Ford feels. Paul is the CEO of Postlight, as well as a writer and frequent contributor to publications such as Wired and The New York Times. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Paul dives into what he loves about the tech industry, as well as what scares him. And he discusses building his company, the culture within it, and the exciting projects they’ve worked on for everyone from Vice to The Players’ Tribune to the Obama Foundation.   Best Advice: “You’re going to find your limits and you shouldn’t pretend you can get past them, you have to work with them.” Key Takeaways: How Paul got his start and his background in writing How Postlight works and who they work with Creating a culture of innovation Looking toward the future   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

We are living in a rapidly changing world, one in which technology is creeping into every area of our lives. When it comes to business, that’s mostly a good thing, especially when we’re talking about voice technology. For instance, imagine you’re a sales rep making a call to a potential client. You’re probably worried about how to pitch, what to say and making sure the notes you’re taking about the call are accurate and helpful after the fact. Now imagine that you didn’t have to do any of that. Instead, you could have a call powered by A.I. that’s able to prep you before the call, give you real-time coaching during the call, and provide a transcript and insights that are automatically logged into your system after the call.  That’s the reality Craig Walker is creating at Dialpad. Craig is the founder and CEO of Dialpad, and he joins IT Visionaries to dive deep into how they are weaponizing voice to create a revolution in the business world.  Key Takeaways: How Craig went from lawyer to tech founder. The ways Dialpad is changing how business is done over the phone. Reasons to sell B2B What is the future of voice technology? Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

In today’s world, there is no telling exactly who is in charge of a company’s IT Department. Is it the CTO? Sometimes. But what about the CIO? Yep, they often are the IT czars, too. But at Checkr, it’s neither. Instead, the IT Department falls under the jurisdiction of Cory Louie, Checkr’s Chief Trust and Security Officer.  Cory’s path to technology was definitely not straight, but no matter what his job was there was always a common theme. From Law enforcement to the Secret Service to working at Google, Dropbox and even in the White House, everywhere Cory went, he pursued a higher purpose.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Cory takes us through his life and career and gets deep in the weeds about how technology is changing how security is done across industries. Key Takeaways: The importance of choosing your title and understanding your role. The challenges of being the CISO at the White House. What does the future of security look like? Why Cory always looks for a higher purpose in his work. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

This special episode of IT Visionaries was recorded live at MuleSoft CONNECT in San Francisco where guest host Vidya Peters, CMO of MuleSoft, connected with Frank Liberio, the former CIO of McDonald's. Together they talk about the process of bringing McDonald’s through a complete digital transformation, the importance of APIs, and much more.  Key Takeaways: Learn what digital transformation means to a company as large as McDonald’s. Methods for prioritizing projects, and when to bring in new tools or third parties. How to build a roadmap of APIs. Best practices when dealing with legacy systems This podcast is sponsored by The Salesforcce Platform, the low-code app development platform that empowers anyone to easily build, publish and manage AI-powered mobile-ready apps for employees and for customers. In this mini series on all things integration, we are excited to partner with MuleSoft, the #1 platform for APIs and integration. With Salesforce and MuleSoft, every business can unlock new connected experiences and drive digital transformation by connecting any app, data or device! Learn more at mulesoft.com/about and salesforce.com/buildmobileapps Articulating the business impact of IT can be challenging. However, successful digital transformation today requires a tight alignment between business and IT leaders. To explore ways that you can structure, calculate and articulate the business value of your IT initiatives, check out MuleSoft’s new whitepaper: How to articulate the value of integration.

Abhi Yadav is the founder and CTO of Zylotech, a company focused on A.I.-driven analytics that businesses can use to help efficiently retain customers and reduce churn. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Abhi explains what all of that means, and he dives into how the field of machine learning will continue to grow.   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Bryan Helmig (LinkedIn), co-founded Zapier with a couple of friends back in 2010 and since then, they’ve been dominating the world of automation. As CTO, Bryan is responsible for all the technology behind Zapier and making sure that all your Zaps are working the way they need to so that you and your company can be as efficient as possible.    On this episode of IT Visionaries, Bryan discusses how he does all that, plus, he touches on the pros and cons of having a completely distributed team, and what the future of automation looks like.   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Very few people are more plugged in to the world of A.I. than Rob May (LinkedIn), the CEO of Talla, which is an automation platform designed to completely change the way customer support is done. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Rob and Ian take a deep dive into everything currently going on in the A.I. industry, what should worry people and what they should be excited about. Plus, if you’re interested in learning more about the industry, Rob lists all the resources he uses to stay up to date, and gives some tips to executives who are looking to bring A.I. into their own organizations. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Autonomous cars aren’t the future, they are the present. And as more and more companies invest in the world of autonomous transportation, a market for a very specific kind of tech has grown bigger as well. Jun Pei (LinkedIn) is the CEO of Cepton, which makes Lidar systems. Lidar is an essential piece of technology that measures distance at a rate that is accurate down tot he millimeter. So, if your autonomous car is driving along and an object flies in front of you, the Lidar system can not only detect it but also measure how far away it is and the rate at which you are moving toward each other.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Jun explains all of that and more, and he dives into how Lidar will become even more necessary in the near future. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

On a very special episode of IT Visionaries, three women who are leading the way in the tech world join Mission co-founder and COO Stephanie Postles and IT Visionaries Producer, Hilary Giorgi for a discussion about all things leadership, tech and building a community of women in IT.  At the table was Alvina Antar (LinkedIn), the CIO of Zuora, Julie Cullivan (LinkedIn), the Chief People and Technology Officer of Forescout, and Praniti Lakhwara (LinkedIn), CIO of Apttus. They each brought with them a wealth of knowledge and experience from decades in the world of IT, and their energy and drive to keep innovating was contagious.   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

On this episode of IT Visionaries, a couple of members of the ICIX team gathered around the table for a discussion about how they are helping to bring blockchain to the enterprise. Joining the discussion are Matt Cromar (LinkedIn), Vice President of Product and Elliott Yama (LinkedIn), Vice President of Marketing, both of whom have long histories in the tech industry and have been working with Salesforce to create a blockchain platform that is built for the enterprise. They discuss some of the challenges and advantages of moving to the blockchain, and they also get into what other exciting things are happening at ICIX. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Welcome to our third CIO Roundtable. Joining us at the table this time are Brian Lillie (LinkedIn), who won CIO of the Year for Silicon Valley in 2014 while he was in the role for Equinix, and Kumud Kalia (LinkedIn), a multiple-time CIO who most recently held the title at Cylance. Together with Ian they discuss having a sounding board of other CIOs to talk to, leveraging your network to get things done internally, work-life balance, and how to be both a good CIO and a good person, and so much more.   If you’d like to check out our previous CIO Roundtables click here and here or any of our other episodes check out Mission.org/ITVisionaries. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperiencece

Imagine accepting the CIO job at Facebook right as the social media network was about to take off. Now imagine that your first task is to fix a complex calendar system that is causing headaches throughout the company and, oh by the way, if you can’t do it you’re fired. That was the scenario Tim Campos (LinkedIn | Twitter) found himself in but don’t worry because, spoiler alert, he was able to figure it out.  On this special two-part episode of IT Visionaries, Tim joins us to share that story and so much more, including how he lept from Facebook into his own start-up, Woven, what it means to be a CIO, the importance of integration and mentorship, and even a few stories about Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg.  This is part two of Tim’s interview. To listen to part one, click here. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper This podcast is sponsored by Salesforce. Did you know Salesforce isn't just for Sales? Using Salesforce as an Employee Experience Platform helps make every employee across your organization more productive thanks to a common, mobile-first platform for getting work done faster. Find out more at salesforce.com/EmployeeExperience

Imagine accepting the CIO job at Facebook right as the social media network was about to take off. Now imagine that your first task is to fix a complex calendar system that is causing headaches throughout the company and, oh by the way, if you can’t do it you’re fired. That was the scenario Tim Campos (LinkedIn) found himself in but don’t worry because, spoiler alert, he was able to figure it out.  On this special two-part episode of IT Visionaries, Tim joins us to share that story and so much more, including how he lept from Facebook into his own start-up, Woven, what it means to be a CIO, the importance of integration and mentorship, and even a few stories about Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg.  This is part one of Tim’s interview. Stay tuned for part two next week. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.  

Fred Santarpia, former Chief Digital Officer for Conde Nast, had a huge job helping bring all of the Conde Nast brands like Vogue, The New Yorker, Wired and GQ from the print world to the digital realm. On this episode of IT Visionaries, he discusses the challenges of the role and how to build digital experiences and brands that keep you relevant in an increasingly crowded landscape. Plus, he and Ian examine the rise of the Chief Digital Officer and what that role means to different organizations.   Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Good communication is one of the most important aspects of any organization. But the communication process gets exponentially harder the more your company grows. From various apps and tools and email chains, employees are constantly communicating in different ways. It’s a process that can be frustrating, and that’s why Laurent Perrin (LinkedIn) co-founded Front. Front is an application that simplifies the communication process and puts everything you need all in one place.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Laurent talks about how he helped build Front with his co-founder, the growing pains they went through, the importance of integration and partnership and so much more.  Best advice: “Don’t overcomplicate things. One trend I notice is that people want to solve an intellectually satisfying problem and in doing so they overcomplicate it. Since they severely over-estimated the problem, they end up not being able to solve it.” Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Gavin Sherry (LinkedIn) got his start in technology when he pulled a computer out of a dumpster and taught himself how to code. Now he is the CEO of Autonomic, which was acquired by Ford and is helping to connect the transportation industry to the digital world.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Gavin talks about the future of transportation and how his team is building ways for mobility and applications to become a larger part of the transportation industry.  Best Advice: “Find people you respect, who you can talk to about how hard the job is.” Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

From an initial dream of being a doctor to interning with NASA to eventually landing in the C-Suite at Intuit, Atticus Tysen (LinkedIn) has traveled a long and winding road. As the CIO of Intuit, which makes products such as QuickBooks and TurboTax, and brings in more than $5 billion per year in revenue, Atticus has a lot of responsibilities on his plate. IT, he says, is the Achilles heel of an organization and being in charge of IT for a company as large as Intuit means there are many challenges but just as many exciting innovations and success stories.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Atticus discusses all of that and more, and he digs deep into how the processes and products Intuit creates ultimately always comes down to what is best for the customer.  Best Advice: “Really be curious about the business your company is in and deeply understand that.” Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Articulating the business impact of IT can be challenging. However, successful digital transformation today requires a tight alignment between business and IT leaders. To explore ways that you can structure, calculate and articulate the business value of your IT initiatives, check out MuleSoft’s new whitepaper: How to articulate the value of integration.

Brett Wingeier (LinkedIn) always dreamed of building things that could change the world. Those dreams led him to biomedical engineering and, eventually, to co-founding Halo Neuroscience, which is creating products that are breaking new ground in stimulating the brain to become more productive or high performing.  On this episode of IT Visionaries, Brett talks about all the science, research and development that goes into creating wearable hardware, plus he details everything Halo has been working on and what he’s most excited about for the future. Best advice: “While keeping the dream alive, be ...stuff doesn’t always turn out the way you expect it will, but if you’re prepared for it, you’ll make it out okay.” Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Articulating the business impact of IT can be challenging. However, successful digital transformation today requires a tight alignment between business and IT leaders. To explore ways that you can structure, calculate and articulate the business value of your IT initiatives, check out MuleSoft’s new whitepaper: How to articulate the value of integration.

Mike Rodgers (LinkedIn) is the chief strategy and information officer for Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America. Mike is responsible for the enterprise technology and digital transformation that is making the Pilot Flying J app one of the most useful on the market for customers. Whether it’s automating fuel payments or making shower reservations simple and quick, Pilot Flying J’s app has been making the lives of truck drivers more efficient than ever before. He talks about that and more on this special episode of IT Visionaries that was recorded live at MuleSoftCONNECT Atlanta with guest host Vidya Peters, the CMO of MuleSoft. This podcast is sponsored by The Salesforcce Platform, the low-code app development platform that empowers anyone to easily build, publish and manage AI-powered mobile-ready apps for employees and for customers. In this mini series on all things integration, we are excited to partner with MuleSoft, the #1 platform for APIs and integration. With Salesforce and MuleSoft, every business can unlock new connected experiences and drive digital transformation by connecting any app, data or device! Learn more at mulesoft.com/about and salesforce.com/buildmobileapps Articulating the business impact of IT can be challenging. However, successful digital transformation today requires a tight alignment between business and IT leaders. To explore ways that you can structure, calculate and articulate the business value of your IT initiatives, check out MuleSoft’s new whitepaper: How to articulate the value of integration.

Now in her second year as Salesforce’s CIO, Jo-ann Olsovsky (LinkedIn) has been hard at work leading the digital transformation of the company while it continues to grow globally. She returns to this special episode of IT Visionaries co-hosted by Vidya Peters, the CMO of MuleSoft, to discuss how things have been going. Plus, Jo-ann gives a broad overview of what it means to be a CIO and be a part of the day-to-day business strategy, and what she’s most excited about when it comes to technology of the future.   This podcast is sponsored by The Salesforcce Platform, the low-code app development platform that empowers anyone to easily build, publish and manage AI-powered mobile-ready apps for employees and for customers. In this mini series on all things integration, we are excited to partner with MuleSoft, the #1 platform for APIs and integration. With Salesforce and MuleSoft, every business can unlock new connected experiences and drive digital transformation by connecting any app, data or device! Learn more at mulesoft.com/about and salesforce.com/buildmobileapps Articulating the business impact of IT can be challenging. However, successful digital transformation today requires a tight alignment between business and IT leaders. To explore ways that you can structure, calculate and articulate the business value of your IT initiatives, check out MuleSoft’s new whitepaper: How to articulate the value of integration.

When he became the CIO of Comcast, Rick Rioboli (LinkedIn) was amazed by just how broad his role had become. Moving from product engineering to having a hand in just about every aspect of the business was a big change for Rick, but one he enjoyed. He discusses that journey on this episode of IT Visionaries, and he also goes into how Comcast views the customer experience, the way he is leading innovation at the company, and what the future of tech, connectivity and IT talent looks like. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Everyone knows that drones are cool, but did you also know that drone technology is being used across industries to make work easier, safer and more efficient? Nicholas Pilkington (LinkedIn, Twitter) is one of the people help make that possible thanks to his company, Drone Deploy. Using Drone Deploy, anyone can send out a drone to map an area and then receive detailed imagery and data that can help with oversight, problem-solving, and even disaster relief. Currently, Drone Deploy is used on around 600,000 job sites around the world in more than 180 different countries and has mapped more than 60 million acres of ground. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Nick talks about how he got into the drone business, the ways he thinks the industry will continue to grow, and what he’s doing to use drone technology to give back to the world. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Throughout his career, Arijit Mukherji (LinkedIn, Twitter) has been able to learn, innovate and lead. As the CTO of SignalFx, he gets to do all those things at once. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Arijit details his rise through the tech industry, including a number of years at Facebook in the midst of its massive growth. Plus, he explains why he wanted to take a risk and join SignalFx, and what it was like rising from Employee No. 1 to the role of CTO. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

After more than 20 years with Panasonic, Magnus McDermid (LinkedIn) has learned a lot about what it means to truly partner with a customer, and the types of innovations and advancements that can be born out of those relationships. Magnus holds a number of positions within Panasonic, including SVP of Panasonic North America and Panasonic Canada, President of Heartland Customer Solutions, SVP Mobility Solutions USA and VP Enterprise Solutions Canada. But regardless of what title he holds, Magnus explains that his success, and the success of the company as a whole, all comes down to the relationship with the customer. It is through those relationships that some of Panasonic’s most popular and important products have been created, and the partnership between company and consumer continues to be a well of innovation. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Magnus talks about all of that and more, plus he gives his advice on how to stick with and grow a company for decades. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Steve Comstock  (LinkedIn, Twitter) went from simply wanting to be an “uber-engineer” to the role of CIO of CBS Interactive, where he managed the media conglomerate’s entire digital enterprise. After more than eight years with CBS, Steve recently left the company to pursue new opportunities. On this special two-part episode of IT Visionaries, Steve generously shares all of his experiences working his way up the IT ladder, including how he first got into technology, what it’s like to be in charge of streaming multiple Super Bowls and other major events, the challenges of the role of CIO, the future of digital media and much more. For Part One, click here. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Steve Comstock  (LinkedIn, Twitter) went from simply wanting to be an “uber-engineer” to the role of CIO of CBS Interactive, where he managed the media conglomerate’s entire digital enterprise. After more than eight years with CBS, Steve recently left the company to pursue new opportunities. On this special two-part episode of IT Visionaries, Steve generously shares all of his experiences working his way up the IT ladder, including how he first got into technology, what it’s like to be in charge of streaming multiple Super Bowls and other major events, the challenges of the role of CIO, the future of digital media and much more.   IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Few people know disruption as well as Alex Mashinsky (LinkedIn, Twitter). Alex was one of the inventors of voice over IP, a technology that many people use every single day without a second thought to a time before when making calls was difficult, expensive and worked only inconsistently. With that experience in his back pocket — as well as many years and investments in a number of successful start-ups — Alex is at it again, and this time he’s hoping to disrupt the banking industry. His new company, Celsius Network, works on the blockchain and helps users grow their wealth with cryptocurrency. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Alex and Ian dive into how Celsius is working to build a world without banks, what advantages there are working on the blockchain, and how the future might look different thanks to this technology. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

Nitin Gaur (LinkedIn, Twitter) has been with IBM for more than 20 years and currently serves as the director of IBM’s Digital Asset Labs. But, prior to that role, Nitin was instrumental in developing and running IBM’s Blockchain Labs. In this episode, he and Ian discuss all things blockchain, the challenges, and opportunities of the technology, and what blockchain means to enterprises everywhere. Best Advice for a first-time C-level exec: “Build a good team first. Have a human connection for the people and have empathy, and I think everything will fall into place.” IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Salesforce just introduced Salesforce Blockchain, the industry's first truly declarative blockchain platform, integrated into your CRM. Learn more at https://sforce.co/2wl7IeO.

From Cisco Systems to SAP to GE Transportation, Wesley Mukai (LinkedIn)  has been building, selling and integrating new products and systems for huge companies and customers for a long time. He recently left GE Transportation after more than three years with the company to take some well-earned time off, and he was kind enough to spend some time with us at IT Visionaries. In this episode, Wesley discusses how he came up in the world of technology, what it means to find the right product at the right price at the right time, and all the challenges he overcame and innovations he helped lead as CTO of GE Transportation. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Graeme Thompson (LinkedIn, Twitter) grew up and first started his career in Scotland. When he moved to the U.S., he noticed a lot of differences in the mindset when it came to IT, but he also found a way to blend the practicality of those in the UK with the entrepreneurial spirit of American workers. Now, as the SVP and CIO of Informatica, he is using all of his knowledge and skills to bring real-time tech solutions to customers around the globe.   In this episode, he discusses what IT looks like at Informatica —including how IT has changed and where it’s going — plus he breaks down the need for real-time hybrid data management and some of the problems and solutions Informatica is seeing in that area of IT. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Uli K. Chettipally, MD, MPH, (LinkedIn, Twitter) is a physician, an author, a speaker, and an innovator, and on this episode of IT Visionaries, he joins Ian to discuss the role of A.I. and technology in the world of healthcare. Uli has worked in a number of high-level roles both as a medical doctor and a chief innovator at hospitals as well as medical centers and institutions such as Kaiser Permanente and the University of California, San Francisco. He has led a number of initiatives to bring technology into the medical field and he is on a mission now to inform and empower people with artificial intelligence. He and Ian discuss all that and more in this episode. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Phil Keslin (LinkedIn) first became interested in technology in the eighth grade and saw computers as a “great escape with interesting challenges.” He never lost that passion and today he is the CTO of Niantic, the lab behind the game that broke the internet — Pokemon Go. In this interview, Phil and Ian go through the painful launch of Pokemon Go and discuss how Niantic was able to scale its system when the game was massively more popular than anyone anticipated. Plus, Phil details what he loves most about AR, which is its ability to open up new avenues of discovery in the real world by getting people up, active and engaged in what is happening around them. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Jocelyn Goldfein (LinkedIn, Twitter) is a true IT Visionary. Having worked at VMware and Facebook in the early days of both, and now as Managing Director at Zetta Venture Partners, Jocelyn has been involved in the formative years of the internet and technological innovations. In part two of their interview, Jocelyn and Ian discuss whether A.I. is an industry in and of itself, what companies are worth investing in, how collaboration works between enterprises and start-ups, and much more. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Jocelyn Goldfein (LinkedIn, Twitter)  is a true IT Visionary. Having worked at VMware and Facebook in the early days of both, and now as Managing Director at Zetta Venture Partners, Jocelyn has been involved in the formative years of the internet and technological innovations. In part one of their interview, Jocelyn and Ian discuss everything from the rise of the computer sciences industry, how to look at investing in start-ups, to the role artificial intelligence will play in businesses moving forward, how the rise of cloud technology could be a precursor to the rise of A.I. and much more. Plus, Jocelyn dives into her years of experience at Facebook working closely with Mark Zuckerberg as well as what it was like riding the VMware rocket ship right as it caught fire. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Dr. Topol (Website | Twitter) is a geneticist, medical researcher, and author of Deep Medicine. He has written over 1100 peer-reviewed articles and is one of the top most-cited medical researchers in the world. In this episode, Mission CEO Chad  Grills sits down with Dr. Topol to talk about how A.I. and machine learning are putting the patient experience back at the forefront of healthcare. Dr. Topol also explains why you don’t actually own your own medical data and what steps we need to take to get it back. Topics Discussed: Machine learning, healthcare, data, AI. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

On this special mixdown episode of IT Visionaries we are focusing on artificial intelligence. In the first 65 episodes of IT Visionaries, we’ve had on countless experts who are working with some of the most advanced A.I. technology in the industry, and they spilled all the cool details to us. So on this episode, you’ll hear from Ali Bouhouch of Sephora, who talks about the ways A.I. will continue to enhance customer experience, we’ll listen to Marene Allison of Johnson & Johnson discuss where A.I. is on the maturity curve, and how far it still needs to come to be trusted in certain industries. Eric Tan of Coupa explains how AI and machine learning will better use the mass amounts of data being collected, Julien Sauvage, who works on the Salesforce Einstein team breaks down some A.I. use cases, Vijay Doradla of Sparkcognition reveals the way AI will become part of everyday life, and Andrea Brugger of United Rentals speaks from a sales perspective about the way A.I. is impacting the construction industry. Topics discussed: A.I., machine learning, apps, data IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Kumud Kalia (LinkedIn) is the Chief Information & Technology Officer at Cylance, responsible for the strategy, implementation, and management of the infrastructure and applications that support Cylance’s business processes. On this episode, he and Ian talk all things AI, including how Cylance is using AI to protect everything under the sun, and the challenge of finding the right way to use technology to achieve business outcomes. Topics Discussed: Cybersecurity, AI, machine learning, CIOs, relationship building, business outcomes. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Rajesh Raman (Twitter, LinkedIn) is the Chief Architect for SignalFx. What does that mean? In this episode, Rajesh and Ian dive into his role and how he focuses on not just the implementation of systems and processes at SignalFx, but also the best strategies and practices that will be needed months down the line. They also go into Rajesh’s history at Google and Facebook, and discuss cloud technology and the future of the industry. Topics Discussed: Cloud platforms, app development, innovation, coding, monitoring, observability, microservices. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Just because you work in the blue-collar world doesn’t mean you have no need for tech and artificial intelligence. In fact, Gabe Batstone (LinkedIn, Twitter), the CEO of contextere, believes that blue-collar workers can benefit from AI more than most. In this episode, Gabe and Ian dive into the ways that contextere is delivering relevant information right into the hands of the men and women working on job sites around the world. They discuss how AI and AR will continue to grow and change, and the ways that both will continue to make job sites and the employees on them safer and more efficient than ever before.    Topics Discussed: Blue-collar work, AI, AR, technology, innovation, mobile IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

After a career in app development and with experience as a CTO, Josh Knell (LinkedIn, Twitter) joined Lambda School to help change the way students think about coding, school, and learning. As the director of instruction, Josh is constantly innovating and adjusting the Lambda curriculum in order to make sure that his students are as prepared as possible when they graduate from the program and enter the real world. In this episode, Josh and Ian discuss the challenges associated with creating and maintaining an online coding boot camp designed to change the face of education. Plus they dive into what it means to have a community of well-trained graduates and how Josh’s past experience as a CTO helps him excel in his role today. Topics Discussed: CSS, innovation, growth, development, education, technology, CTO, coding, HTML, app development. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper

Marene Allison (LinkedIn) has seen a lot in her career and her life. She was one of the first women to graduate from West Point and then went on to a role at the FBI bringing down some of the largest drug rings on the East Coast. Eventually, she moved on to the private sector to head up security for A&P Foods and today, she is the  Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer for Johnson & Johnson. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Marene discusses her entire journey, as well as everything she’s learned, what it means to lead IT and security for a worldwide organization, what the future of AI and consumer privacy looks like, and much more. Topics Discussed: Intelligence, security, AI, machine learning, data, West Point, military, women in tech, leadership, FBI, tech, digital threats, cybersecurity IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

At SparkCognition, Vijay Doradla (LinkedIn) is part of the team that is trying to solve the world’s most challenging problems by using artificial intelligence. As the Chief Business Officer, Vijay brings his experience in engineering, technology, research and investing to catapulting SparkCognition to new and exciting industries and innovations. In this episode, Vijay and Ian discuss everything from how and why to invest, and the exciting projects SparkCognition is working on including autonomous everything from planes to powerplants and more. Topics Discussed: AI, investing, market strategy, autonomous vehicles, innovation IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Michael Machado (LinkedIn), senior director of product for Einstein deep learning solutions, Ceverly Strand (LinkedIn), product marketer for Einstein, and Julien Sauvage (LinkedIn), head of tech and product marketing for Einstein all stopped by Mission HQ for this special episode of IT Visionaries. This Salesforce crew is part of the team that is bringing Einstein and voice technology to customers everywhere, and they took some time away from the labs to discuss with Ian all the ways Salesforce is doing innovative work in this exciting field, what is going on in the AI marketplace, explain what deep learning technology actually is, and look into the future and talk about what technology of the future has them most excited. Topics Discussed: Voice technology, deep learning, AI, IT, unstructured data. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Eric Tan (LinkedIn,) has been on both sides of the IT coin as a consultant and now in an operations role as the VP of Business Services and IT at Coupa. In this episode of IT Visionaries, Eric discusses how he grew up destined to be in IT, despite a segue as a CPA, what it means to join and lead a company that has doubled in size twice since he joined the organization and the challenges growth presents, and the excitement that comes when innovation happens in every part of the organization. Topics Discussed: Cloud technology, AI, machine learning, UI, CIO, growth, innovation. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

There is no question the IT security is becoming one of the most important areas of focus for companies large and small. As more and more data is being collected and shared, it also needs to be more protected. At Forescout, Julie Cullivan (Twitter, LinkedIn) serves as the Chief People and Technology Officer and works to make sure that businesses around the world are prepared with the most advanced tech possible to keep them safe.   In this episode of IT Visionaries, Julie discusses with Ian how she found her way into the world of IT and the role of CIO, what it means to be responsible for the IT security of a company, and what the future holds for the industry as a whole.   Topics Discussed: Security, cybersecurity, technology, IT, OT, diversity, inclusion, women in tech, AI, machine learning, big data.   IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ali Bouhouch (LinkedIn) has more than 20 years of experience in the tech industry and he currently serves as the CTO & VP of Enterprise Architecture at SEPHORA. It may seem odd that a makeup company has such an intense focus on tech, but when you dig a little deeper, it’s clear that technology is a key driver in the retail industry and a large part of how Sephora will grow in the future.   In this episode, Ali and Ian discuss applications that allow customers to virtually try on Sephora products, how the company is using AI and big data and so much more.   Topics Discussed: Innovation, AI, retail, VR, technology, customer experience, machine learning, applications.   IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

On this special episode IT Visionaries producers Aaron Gerlitz and Hilary Giorgi interview Louise Charles who head up communications for Climeworks (Twitter, LinkedIn), a carbon-capturing company based in Switzerland. Louise discusses the origins of Climeworks, how they are using technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere and some of the biggest technical challenges facing their company, and the environmental IT industry as a whole. Topics Discussed: Carbon capture, innovation, scaling, renewable energy IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Anthony Pompliano (Twitter, LinkedIn) is a Founder & Partner at Morgan Creek Digital and a crypto influencer. What that means is that Anthony is deeply involved and invested in how cryptocurrency will continue to evolve. Anthony believes crypto and other digital currencies are the way of the future because of their ability to be both secure and transparent. In this episode, he and Ian discuss the ways in which crypto has become more popular even in its infancy, and the path it will take as it matures into a widely-used method of payment and asset management. Topics Discussed: Cryptocurrency, bitcoin, blockchain, digital assets IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

As the CIO of Rubrik, Avon Puri is leading a team that is creating the infrastructure that makes it possible to work across multiple clouds easily and efficiently, all while keeping your data secure. Topics Discussed: AI, cloud computing, cloud management systems IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Alan Amici (LinkedIn) is the Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Transportation Solutions for TE Connectivity. Which, in layman's terms means that he is responsible for making our cars and vehicles more high tech and connected than ever before. Alan grew up in Detroit, Michigan, so his love of cars runs deep. He turned that love into a 30-year career at Chrysler and now doing incredible things with TE Connectivity. Throughout his decades in the industry, Alan has not just seen the transformation of cars from simple machines that get us from point A to Point B to highly intelligent vehicles that can drive themselves, he’s been a part of making it a reality. In this episode of IT Visionaries, Alan and Ian discuss everything from how Formula-E Racing informs consumer car technology, to the future of autonomous driving and more. Topics Discussed: Autonomous vehicles, driverless cars, 5G, transportation, connectivity, electric vehicles, innovation, IoT, wireless technology. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

In this episode of IT Visionaries, Aaron Gerlitz (Twitter, LinkedIn) returns to discuss with Ian the CIO Roundtable No. 2 Episode. Aaron breaks down for the listeners exactly what it means to be a vendor versus a partner, he details his favorite vendor story and then reveals how the voice of the customer is one of the most important feedback loops for a company to keep an eye on. Topics Discussed: Vendors, voice of the customer, IT, CIO. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Marcus Carey (Twitter, LinkedIn), the founder and CEO of Threatcare, actually grew up in Texas with very little access to technology. But that changed when he joined the Navy and went into cryptology. While serving the country, Marcus worked with the most advanced tech in the world. And, when his service time was finished, he stayed in the field working in various government agencies for a number of years. At Threatcare, Marcus applies the lessons he’s learned along the way to help his customers secure their data and test their cybersecurity. In this interview, he and Ian talk about what it means to be a white-hat hacker versus a black-hat hacker, creating automated technology, and finding your superpower. Topics Discussed: Technology, cryptography, white-hat hacking, black-hat hacking, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, leadership. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

In his second appearance on the podcast, Juan Perez, the Chief Information and Engineering Officer for UPS, discusses creating a diverse workforce. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Gary Scholten is the EVP and CIO of Principal Financial Group. But that’s not all. He recently took on the role of Chief Digital Officer and in this interview, he discusses what that means and how he’s leading both digital and business strategies. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

As the CTO of Stitch Fix, Cathy Polinsky is using everything from mobile apps to internal software to completely disrupt the world of online shopping. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Three leading CIOs, Alvina Antar (Zuora), Paul Chapman (Box), and Mark Settle (Okta), join Ian for a lively discussion about what it means to be a CIO today. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Learn what it takes to be a leader in the tech field from IT Visionaries, Paul Chapman, Juan Perez, Mark Settle, Susie Wee, and Mark Rackley. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.  

Andrea Brugger, Director of Salesforce Effectiveness for United Rentals, joins Ian to discuss the ways she has helped implement technology and mobile apps to make the construction industry more efficient. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

David Neely joins Ian to discuss how Transamerica has created a culture of innovation and the steps he’s taken to make citizen development a bigger part of what they do. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

IT Visionaries producer Aaron Gerlitz joins the podcast to discuss the most interesting lessons he’s learned from the first 40 episodes of IT Visionaries. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

David Chou, who has had executive level positions throughout the healthcare field, joins Ian to discuss how technology has changed the entire face of healthcare. From moving from paper to digital forms to allowing patients to connect with doctors from mobile devices, David has helped usher in sweeping technological changes that have revolutionized how healthcare is provided. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Vala Afshar joins Ian for a discussion about how technology is impacting businesses and business leaders everywhere. They talk about how to engage with citizen developers, what the impact of AI and machine learning will be, and how CIOs must be where the buck stops when it comes to building trust with consumers. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

In this compilation episode, we pulled together some of the most interesting things past guest have said about what is going on in the mobile space. Guests such as Leyla Seka, Dion Hinchcliffe and more discuss everything from how they use mobile, to trends they're excited about to best practices. 1:00- Jo-Ann Olsovsky 3:05- Dion Hinchcliffe 6:02- Vala Afshar 7:21- Tony Bradley 10:53- Leyla Seka IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Marissa Mayer (Twitter: @marissamayer | IG:@marissamayer) is a co-founder of Lumi Labs and formerly served as the president and chief executive officer of Yahoo! She also was a long-time executive and key spokeswoman for Google. In this exclusive interview, Chad and Marissa discussed the early days of Silicon Valley, the lessons Marissa learned from Google and Yahoo!, and her best lessons for time management and productivity. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ken Gonzalez is the managing director at NightDragon Security. In this episode, Ian and Ken discuss the current state of cybersecurity and what we can expect in the near future. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Lisa Davis is a top 100 CIO award winner and currently works at Intel as the VP & GM, Digital Transformation & Scale Solutions, Enterprise & Government, Data Center Group. In this episode, Ian and Lisa discuss the future of IT, data centers and what’s coming for 5G networks. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Tony Bradley is a regular contributor for Forbes and Editor in Chief for Techspective. In this episode, Ian and Tony discuss the balance of developing applications for desktop and mobile and how building an app for your employees is different than designing for customers. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian sat down with Mike Fitzmaurice, Chief Technology Officer of Skybow. Mike shares with us his thoughts on low code development, citizen development and what the future holds for these two trends. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian sat down with Dion Hinchcliffe, VP and Principal Analyst at Constellation Research. Together they discussed the value of low-code tools, how to lead digital transformation and the best tips to building your IT team. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian and Chad welcome back author, podcast host, and thought leader Dr. Jonathan Reichental. Dr. Jonathan Reichental shares his thoughts on the 4th Industrial Revolution and what you can expect as it approaches. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Arvind KC is the CIO of Palantir. In part two of this interview, KC discusses what defines a good leader and the seven qualities of a successful engineering leader. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Arvind KC is the CIO of Palantir Technologies, a company that builds software that connects data, technologies, humans, and environments. In this episode, Arvind shares his thoughts about the idea of augmented intelligence, how to fight mediocrity and keep resisting it, and the meaning of encouraging employees to “taste the soup.” If you like this episode, be sure to check out part two! IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

We host our first ever CIO Roundtable with Paul Chapman of Box and Mark Settle of Okta joining us in the studio. In this conversation, Ian, Mark, and Paul talk about how not to get fired in 2019, the difference between Marketecture and Architecture, and how to utilize metrics to your advantage. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian sat down with Leyla Seka, Executive Vice President of Mobile for Salesforce. Leyla shares how she got her start with Salesforce, the way brands will win in the coming years and mobile as the fourth industrial revolution. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian sat down with Earl Newsome, Vice President and CIO of Praxair. Earl shares how he got into IT, the lessons he learned from the military, and his seven habits for effective IT leadership. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian sat down with Susie Wee, Senior Vice President and CTO of Cisco DevNet. Susie shares the story of how DevNet began, the essential skills that future IT leaders will need, and her advice for anyone wants to become a CEO, CIO, or CTO. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian reviews the best moments from season one and previews what’s in store for season two. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Season 1 of IT Visionaries brought terrific guests and their takes on citizen development. In this episode of IT Visionaries, here is the best of citizen development from this past season featuring takes on encouraging new developers to the benefits of implementing it. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

In this special episode of IT Visionaries, Jamie Smith, Chief Information Officer of the University of Phoenix, shares his thoughts on citizen development, retaining top talent, and why it’s important to understand that all applications have a life cycle. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Juan Perez is the Chief Information and Engineering Officer of UPS. Juan has been a driving force in UPS’s evolution into advanced analytics, and in this conversation, he shares how UPS is optimizing delivery routes to improve service and efficiencies. He also shares lessons he’s learned while dealing with technical aspects for a logistics-heavy company and how to instigate change in large businesses. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ian sits down with Paul Chapman, the Chief Information Officer at Box. Paul shares with us how to build an ecosystem of innovation, the future of work and how to become a better CIO. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian sat down with Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Chief Information Officer for the City of Palo Alto. He is an award-winning technology leader, and in 2017, he was named one of the top 100 CIOs in the world. In this conversation, Dr. Reichental shared his thoughts on the future of blockchain and how cities are the perfect platform for innovation. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe.

Ian Faison sat down with Brian Hoyt, Chief Information Officer of Unity Technologies. Together they talked about how research and development drive Unity’s business model, why the best innovations aren’t noticeable at first glance, and why you should be looking outside the traditional recruiting areas for IT talent. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe

On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ian sits down with Sophia Cui, Chief Technology Officer of Jobscan. Jobscan gives job seekers an instant analysis of how well their resume is tailored for a particular job and how to better optimize their resume. In this conversation, they talk about start-up mentality, how to attract the best and brightest talent, and how GDPR is influencing the future of cybersecurity. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM.Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe

On this episode of IT Visionaries, we welcome Zach Gray, Chief Technical Officer of MS Companies, an organization that provides workforce solutions to manufacturing companies to help increase their efficiency.  Zach shares with us how he scaled innovation and application development at MS Companies through Citizen Development, and what the future looks like where everyone, not just IT, builds apps.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization!  Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM Read AI meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Thank you for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to IT Visionaries and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.  The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds and thousands at themission.co/subscribe

In this episode, we sat down with Chief Information Officer of Okta, Mark Settle. Mark is a seven-time CIO and shares his playbook for how he approached taking the role of CIO.  He gives tactical tips for new CIOs and explores the new wave of authentication software on the horizon. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps  Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Thank you for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to IT Visionaries and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe  

On this episode of IT Visionaries, Ian sat down with David Kung, former Disney Imagineer and Vice President of Product Strategy at Oblong. David shares with us the future of collaboration, how art intersects with technology, and how Oblong is taking the cutting edge of science fiction into the business world. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps.Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Thank you for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to IT Visionaries and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe  

In this episode, Ian sat down with Sudheer Sura at Dreamforce 2018 to discuss SaaS, solution architecture and software development. Sudheer is the IT Director at BMC and has been in the IT field for more than 20 years. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper Thank you for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to IT Visionaries and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning. Join our community of hundreds of thousands at themission.co/subscribe

In this episode, Ian sat down with Kamran Ziaee and Cindy Breshears to discuss the changing role of IT in the business world. Kamran leads the global IT team at Centurylink. Cindy Breshears is the Chief Transformation Officer at Bluewolf, an IBM Company, where she provides advisory digital transformation thought leadership for IBM and Bluewolf. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ

On today's episode of IT Visionaries, we are joined by Frédéric Chanfrau, the CIO of Citizens Bank. With extensive CIO and executive experience at companies like Schneider and Ernst and Young, Fredric now heads IT and drives digital initiatives at Citizens Bank. His new charter is to innovate the core IT at Citizens and lead them through the massive fintech disruptions that the industry is currently experiencing. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

Alpna Doshi is the CIO of Philips. Philips is a major player in healthcare, with an audacious goal to improve the lives of 3.5 billion people by 2025. As CIO, Alpna has driven transformational initiatives like transitioning to cloud-based IT. She has a laser focus on aligning IT with business to drive groundbreaking innovations around things like mobile, internet of things, and Robotics. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ

In this episode, Ian sits down with Amber Baldet, the CEO and co-founder of Clovyr, a start-up that helps new companies break into blockchain development. Before founding Clovyr, Amber led JP Morgan Chase's blockchain department. Together, they're going to talk about blockchain, bitcoin and what Amber believes the future holds for information sharing technologies. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

On today’s episode of IT Visionaries, we are joined by Japjit Tulsi, the CTO of Carta. In his 20 year career, Japjit has led engineering teams at Google, Microsoft, and eBay. He’s helped build products like Google Analytics and, most recently, ShopBot, eBay’s AI tool which combines artificial intelligence and commerce to create a highly personalized shopping experience. In this episode, we discuss the future of AI, Japjit's favorite chatbots, how cloud computing is becoming a commodity, and what Carta is doing to change cap table management. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

On today’s episode, we are joined by not one, but two guests from JP Morgan Chase - Munish Kumar and Sandra Nudelman. Munish is Vice President of Technology and Sandra is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer. In this episode, Munish and Sandra share insights about the relationship between data, customers, privacy, legacy systems, and agile innovation. They also discuss the impacts of GDPR and CCPA, and share a few predictions for the future of technology and how it will impact businesses. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and Harvard Business Review recently teamed up to create a study showing how you can use the latest technologies and leadership practices to close the customer experience gap in your business. Read: How IT and Business Can Work Together to Close the Customer Experience Gap The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

Jo-Ann Olsovsky has been involved with technology since she first stepped out of school and into the working world. At age 19, she worked at AT&T as a technician repairing network gear and modems. She progressed through the ranks becoming an engineer, project manager, and then a manager. After that, she became Director of Enterprise Network Services and Technology Support Services at GTE Verizon before moving to Telecom where she continued her track record of achievement. First as Assistant Vice President, then becoming VP and CIO, and finally SVP. By this point in time, the energy of the Salesforce community was becoming contagious, so Jo-Ann left Telecom to become the Executive Vice President and CIO of Salesforce. Jo-Ann joins us today to discuss aligning business strategy with IT strategy, empowering citizen developers, and how to select new technologies for your business. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. Salesforce and Harvard Business Review recently teamed up to create a study showing how you can use the latest technologies and leadership practices to close the customer experience gap in your business. Read: How IT and Business Can Work Together to Close the Customer Experience Gap The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: www.TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

Dr. Nersi Nazari is the CEO of Vital Connect. He is a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in medical device technology and venture funding.  Prior to VitalConnect, Nersi served as CEO of Teranetics which was later acquired by PLX Technology. On this episode, Nersi joins us to discuss innovations in healthcare. We talk about the impact biosensors have on the patient experience and opportunities for other industries to pursue ‘miniaturization.’ IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

In this episode, we are joined by Alex Wright-Gladstein, CEO and co-founder of Ayar Labs. Ayar Labs has developed new electronic-photonic integrated circuits that move data using light instead of electricity. Alex shares exciting insights around the future of computing with light, and how the technology she’s building at Ayar labs is revolutionizing data transfer. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

Neil Kumar is the CTO at Karat. As one of the first 12 employees at Yelp, Neil grew the engineering team from himself as an individual contributor to over 200 engineers. In this episode, we discuss best practices for how both tech and non-tech companies can hire technical talent, including how to speed up the hiring process, eliminate bias, and improve the candidate experience. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ

Cindy Breshears is the Chief Transformational Officer (CTO) at Bluewolf, an IBM Company. In this role, Cindy is responsible for providing digital transformation leadership for Bluewolf and IBM strategic accounts. She has been a CIO for multiple organizations over the last 16 years and recently sat down with us on IT Visionaries to discuss one trend, in particular, that is taking over the IT landscape: customer experience. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ

Alvina Antar is the CIO of Zuora and known as ‘The Subscription Economy CIO.’ She previously spent 17 years at Dell focused on Digital Transformation, Global Delivery, and Mergers and Acquisitions. We had Alvina on IT Visionaries to discuss her road to becoming CIO, the challenges that CIOs face as they transition to this subscription economy, the changing role of IT, and how CIOs need to be visionary. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ  

If a company hopes to last in today’s quick-paced, data-driven world, then the CIO and IT department must function at the forefront of innovation. On this episode of IT Visionaries, we have Craig Walker, VP and Global CIO of Shell, join us to discuss how established companies can encourage innovation, incorporate new tech, and utilize the massive amounts of data they are privy to. IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildmobileapps. Salesforce and MIT recently teamed up to create a whitepaper exploring what happens when AI meets CRM. Read: AI Meets CRM: An MIT Tech Review Whitepaper You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ

Welcome to IT Visionaries, your #1 source for actionable insights, lessons learned, and exclusive interviews with trailblazing IT leaders. When you subscribe to IT Visionaries, you’ll get two weekly episodes. Each is packed with value, stories, and trends - all directly from leaders on the frontlines of technological innovation. William Gibson famously said that, “The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.” IT Visionaries is on a mission to discover the technological future at the frontiers of every industry, and then bring that information to you in a way that’s easy to implement. Whether our guest is a Fortune 50 CEO/CTO/CIO, or a founder of a venture-backed technical startup.. you’ll hear stories that you won’t find anywhere else... You’ll also learn how these leaders are driving innovation inside their own organization, and how you can implement similar strategies… all from the brightest visionaries in the world. We’re honored to have you join us on this adventure. Now sit back - subscribe to IT Visionaries - and prepare to start living in the future.   IT Visionaries is brought to you by The Lightning Platform by Salesforce. The Lightning Platform is a leading cloud platform that makes building AI-powered apps faster and easier. With Salesforce, now everyone is empowered to build apps for their organization! Learn more at salesforce.com/buildapps. The Mission publishes the #1 newsletter for accelerated learning each day on Monday through Friday. Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers at: TheMission.co/subscribe You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @TheMissionHQ