The Tesoro AI Podcast

As software development accelerates, it's becoming increasingly challenging for legal, security, and IT teams to track personal data flows. Manual workflows like forms and meetings can leave them in the dark, putting user and customer trust at risk. That's where Relyance AI comes in. Their machine learning technology builds a dynamic, real-time data inventory and map to monitor how personal data moves through code, applications, infrastructure, and third-party vendors.   On this episode, we're joined by Abhi Sharma, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Relyance AI, a company that leverages machine learning to track personal data flows in real-time. Abhi is a tech entrepreneur and machine learning expert with a passion for driving change and innovation in the industry. He shares his background and experience building and marketing products involving compilers, large-scale data processing, machine learning, and observability tools. Abhi also explains how he applied metamodeling and machine learning to tackle the problems at the intersection of different domains, leading to the creation of Relyance AI.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    Founder Bio:    Abhi is a 2X tech entrepreneur and machine learning expert. He spent most of his career building tech and go-to-market for products involving compilers, real-time/large-scale data processing, machine learning, and observability tools for continuous visibility into data flows. Given his work in compilers, Abhi became obsessed with simplifying the expressibility of data-processing intent while automatically synthesizing data types, computation intent, call graphs, and data flows in applications and machine learning models. In 2019, he started advising first-time founders on product/go-to-market and was a technologist-in-residence in venture capital. During this time, he was actively exploring how extreme domain specializations in various industries could slow down the speed of innovation, cross-pollination of ideas, and thus human progress overall.    Show Notes:   02:26 Applications and entrepreneurship background 05:25 Different applications of machine learning on previous startups 07:11 How Relyance founded a solution to a privacy problem 09:23 Exploring the challenges of privacy and data governance 11:25 Addressing the challenges of data privacy compliance 15:35 Regulatory penalties faced by tech companies 17:53 Discussion on the growing importance of data privacy regulation 21:01 Privacy regulatory enforcement and Relyance solution to assist customers 24:34 Challenges of building a privacy program 29:32 Benefits of machine learning for data protection compliance 32:46 Leveraging public data and machine learning to provide timely value 36:01 Relyance AI foundational modes and defensibility strategies 41:04 Attracting top talent in AI/ML and hiring for data science and machine learning projects 46:57 How to get in contact with the Relyance team   Resources: Company website: https://www.relyance.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relyanceai/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/relyanceai  

Many game studios and developers are aware of the toxicity and harassment happening in their games and have put what’s known as “reactive moderation” measures in place as a response. Built on advanced machine learning technology and designed with player safety and privacy in mind, ToxMod triages voice chat to flag bad behavior, analyzes the nuances of each conversation to determine toxicity, and enables moderators to respond quickly to each incident by supplying relevant and accurate context.   In this episode, we sit with Mike Pappas, CEO/Co-founder of Modulate. Mike shares his journey from studying physics and applied mathematics in college to working in the hedge fund industry, before eventually co-founding Modulate.    He discusses the importance of math in the development of artificial intelligence and the unique experience he had during his interview with Bridgewater Associates, emphasizing the significance of openness and transparency in the hiring process. Throughout the conversation, Darius and Mike dive into the potential risks and benefits of AI, its impact on various industries, and the importance of culture and diversity in the tech industry. They also touch on Mike's passions for group dynamics and video games, providing a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and human experience.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    Founder Bio:   Mike Pappas is the CEO/Co-founder of Modulate, which uses machine learning to help make online voice chat safe, inclusive, and more immersive. Mike’s work at Modulate ranges from developing new partnerships within the industry, monitoring trends and new opportunities for Modulate’s unique technology to have a positive impact, and reinforcing an internal and external culture of passion, respect, and personal growth. Mike graduated from MIT with a BS in Physics and Applied Mathematics in 2014. Before Modulate, Mike spent time at Bridgewater Associates working on cloud technology until joining Lola Travel as an early employee to learn more about building a startup from an experienced entrepreneur (CEO Paul English, who co-founded Kayak.com.) Outside of work, his passions include philosophizing about group cultures and dynamics, video games, and creating experimental cocktails.   Show Notes:   02:00 Mike Pappas background and career paths  04:12 Role of applied mathematics in AI development 05:37 The importance of math in ai startups 09:03 Possibilities of real-time voice changing in online games 14:07 Exploring voice moderation solutions for gaming platforms 18:55 Discussion on go-to-market strategies 21:33 Understanding the complexities of selling to businesses 24:02 Benefits of AI-powered voice moderation for game studios 28:17 The challenges of building an ML team 30:26 Exploring the value of AI in moderating online platforms 34:22 Transformative potential of AI-powered voice chat moderation 36:42 Analysis of speech attacks and moderation of online games 42:16 Modulate early hiring and funding journey 44:32 Challenges of raising funding for an AI SaaS company 48:00 How to get in contact with the Modulate team   Resources:   Company website: https://www.modulate.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modulate-ai/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/modulate_ai  

With the advent of online shopping, the supermarket industry is undergoing a major transformation. As more consumers shift to online grocery shopping, experts predict that it will make up 20% of all grocery shopping by 2026. In response, grocery stores are seeking innovative technologies to enhance the in-store experience and stay ahead of the competition.   Today, we speak with Henry Michelson, Co-Founder and CTO of Halla IO. Halla is using AI to revolutionize personalization in grocery shopping. Its unique technology predicts shopper intent and recommends items they may want to purchase, offering true one-to-one personalization.   Listen to this episode to learn more about the journey from idea to finished product, strategies for increasing profitability in online grocery shopping, and the benefits of enhanced shopping experiences. Henry also shares insights on building an AI product, hiring for data science teams, and starting a successful startup.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    Founder Bio:   Henry Michaelson, is the Co-Founder, President and CTO of Halla IO. He has a background in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Cognitive Science. Henry has worked on a variety of projects that include a machine learning algorithm to classify supernovae for the UC Berkeley Astrophysics department. He patented an algorithm that has distributed over $7M in awards to mobile gamers. Henry is a member of Forbes Technology Council and a regular guest in magazines and podcasts on AI and retail innovation. Henry’s day-to-day involves constantly improving Halla’s machine learning algorithm and leading internal technology operations.   Show Notes:    01:58 Background and how Halla was started   03:54 The journey from idea to finished product   07:00 A software company making taste intelligence solutions   08:54 Strategies to increase profitability in online grocery shopping   10:51 Consumer problems in grocery shopping experiences   13:00 Proprietary technology for grocery shopping recommendations   18:04 Benefits of enhanced grocery shopping experiences   20:00 Increasing profitability and acquiring data for knowledge graphs    25:49 Exploring grocery e-commerce innovations   31:29 Building an AI product: The process of architecting a ground-up project 36:09 Hiring seniority for data science teams 41:02 Exploring strategies for building a successful startup 42:31 How to get in contact with the Halla team     Resources   Company website: https://halla.io/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/halla-taste-intelligence/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/halla_io  

The use cases for AI are ever expanding, especially in sectors that typically wouldn’t have been known for using AI. For example, Canvass AI offers an Industrial AI platform that fast tracks operational efficiency, profitability, and sustainability goals for large scale oil and gas, chemical and manufacturing operations.   In this episode, I sit with Humera Malik the founder and CEO of Canvass AI to discuss the growth of AI in the industrial sector, how the application of big data analytics is critical for businesses and her company’s fundraising success.    Canvass is leveraging artificial intelligence to serve large scale oil and gas, chemical in manufacturing, operations.  Their product is enabling complex troubleshooting, operational disruptions, early event detection and predictive maintenance.      Founder Bio:    Humera Malik is CEO of Canvass AI, a software provider that empowers industrial companies with AI to make faster data-driven operational decisions. Internationally, Ms. Malik is one of the leading voices in Artificial Intelligence and how it can help industries accelerate growth, augment human expertise, and achieve net-zero sustainability goals.    Humera Malik is a recipient of the RBC Women of Influence Entrepreneur of the Year award and the Women of IoT/M2M award. She frequently speaks at industry conferences and has been featured in publications such as Bloomberg and Forbes.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.      Show Notes:   2:01 - How did Humera Malik become interested in Artificial Intelligence?   5:00 - What is Canvass and how does it serve the industrial engineering sector?   12:00 The early days of Canvass and the major use cases to drive impact for companies using this technology    16:55 - Where is Canvass today and how do customers interact with the software   21:22 - Building the team: the first employees, establishing a sound engineering organization    28:09 - Having the right mindset about building while being remote   30:42 - Working with the World Economic Forum's, global Innovators Community   34:35 - The fundraising process for Humera and Canvass   39:02 - The best way to get in contact with Humera Malik and Canvass     Contact Humera Malik _ https://www.linkedin.com/in/humera-malik/ Learn more about Canvass _ www.canvass.io

Today, I sat with Adam Gibson, the founder of Konduit, who is building the tooling for AI development and model deployment.  Konduit is on a mission to help run AI models where developers want them to run -  whether that be in the cloud on premise, the edge, or mobile. Adam explains the new projects they are working on and the importance of the acceleration of AI adoption.       Founder Bio:   Adam Gibson is the creator of Deeplearning4j and Konduit serving. He has been focused on building open source AI infrastructure complimenting production deployments since 2013. Adam is a multi book author publishing for O’Reilly Media and Impress Japan. He is based in Japan and focuses on helping companies to strengthen their production deployments.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    Timestamps:   2:03 - How Adam got started   6:46 - In what ways are people deploying models for use cases    10:20 - The process of customizing a pre-built model    15:30 -  Why the volume and quality of data impact the model   19:45 - What they are working on today Konduit Survey and Eclipse Deeplearning4j   23:37 - The challenges of deploying a model in various environments    27:58 - How is the adoption of AI being used globally to create a competitive advantage   33:09 - The importance of creating a talent pool that can accelerate the adoption of AI   37:30 - If you give people the ability to automatically generate models they will have tools  without the discipline and instructions on how to use them and that is a problem   40:29 - How to find Adam Gibson     Resources:   Company website: https://www.konduit.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/konduitkk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/konduitai/ Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/KonduitAi

In this episode we sit with Bibhrajit Halder, Founder and CEO of SafeAI. SafeAI is leveraging artificial intelligence to enable the transition to autonomous mining in construction. They're retrofitting heavy vehicles in site operations with autonomous technology  to enable a safer and more productive worksite.    Bibhrajit is a seasoned operator and technologist in the AI space. He has led and supported AI initiatives at some of the world's largest companies, including Apple, Ford, and Caterpillar with a focus on autonomous solutions. He shares with us his deep understanding of AI technology, team building, and fundraising.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    1:50 - Bibhrajit’s early career in autonomous vehicle technology 3:11 - Aspects of the mining industry that made it prime for autonomous vehicle technology  5:02  - History of AI technology and its development over the past 30 years  6:07 - Comparing and contrasting building AI technology within a corporation vs a startup  7:45 - Bibhrajit’s catalyst for starting the company and explaining the SafeAI product  13:00 - Understanding how safety precautions and accuracy rates are considered when building the product 17:47- The role that data plays in AI technology development and how they gathered the relevant data for their product 20:40 - Bibhrajit’s approach to team building and the importance of investing in young talent  24:20 - Understanding how they’ve approached international data regulations as they’ve scaled the product  26:41- How they work with customers to continuously improve the product  28:50 - Why enterprise’s turn to SafeAI vs trying to build similar products in house 32:02 - How users interact with the SafeAI product  34:50 - Bibhrajit’s fundraising process and growing investor interest in the AI space  40:00 - Skill sets and background of the founding SafeAI team  42:50 - What’s next for the SafeAI and how you can connect with the team

In this episode we sit with Anu Shukla, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Botco.ai. Botco.ai is a conversational marketing platform, enabling meaningful and intelligent conversations between businesses and their customers. Leveraging conversational AI, its platform, optimizes marketing performance by enabling businesses to create personalized experiences.    Anu is a serial entrepreneur with 20 years of high-tech industry experience with multiple exits under her belt. She also founded Rubric, a software company that pioneered the enterprise marketing automation systems innovation that empowered teams to collaborate, plan, execute, manage, and measure marketing campaigns.    She shares with us her approach to building solutions around specific problems, how to utilize customer relationships and public information to build foundational data sets for AI companies, and experience building multiple types of software and AI0-based companies.    If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    01:07 -  Anu’s entrepreneurial career before starting Botco.ai and how she became one of the pioneers of marketing automation  06:53 - How Anu thinks about building a business that can be acquired vs building a team to solve a distinct problem  08:56 - How Anu approached the marketing automation problem and their solution 17:00 - Breaking down the interaction between user and the Botco.ai product  21:13 - How Botco.ai is differentiated from other conversational AI tools 25:21 - Understanding how Botco.ai’s customer relationships helped build the data behind their product  27:11 - Anu’s advice on how early stage companies can work with companies for valuable data sets or find solid alternatives 29:53 - Understanding the metrics enterprises wanted to see to drive the sale 36:12 - The differences between building a traditional software company vs an “AI company”  38:25 - Fundraising for a software company vs an AI company 39:10 - How to get in contact with Anu and the Botco.ai team

In this episode we sit with Kirk Marple, Founder and CEO of Unstruk Data. Unstruk Data is enabling its customers to utilize information stored in video image, 3D and industrial files with its knowledge hub, which is designed specifically for spatial and unstructured data. Its technology unlocks the information stored in these data files so that you can easily search, visualize, analyze, and integrate them into existing data workflows.    Kirk is a serial entrepreneur, operator, and technologist. He started his career in media management and entertainment at Microsoft and his own media transcription company, which was acquired by ESPN. He shares with us entrepreneurial, approach to collaborating with customers on product development, and his approach to fundraising.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.    1:47 - Kirk’s background and the experiences that led to starting Unstruk Data 3:52 - The pros and cons of building a private equity backed company vs bootstrapped company  8:21 - Managing ethical decisions in building AI products  9:28 - Understanding the catalyst behind Unstruk  11:51 - Breaking down the Unstruk product  16:21 - Industries that are becoming more comfortable with utilizing AI tools like Unstruk  19:04 - How enterprise customers interact with the Unstruk product  25:16 - How Kirk approached building the founding team  26:58 - Utilizing the MVP stage to get vital feedback from customers  28:41 - How to manage customer feedback and internal strategy for product development   31:46 - How they’ve approached the fundraising process  34:33 - Investor knowledge on the AI space  38:38  - How to get in contact with Kirk and the Unstruk team

In this episode, we sit with Hila Goldman Aslan, Co-Founder and CEO of DIA analysis. DIA analysis leverages artificial intelligence to analyze ultrasound images.  Historically, this been a complex, manual process requiring trained professionals.  With the help of AI/automation, Hila and her team are enabling fast and accurate analysis with users of various levels of experience.   Hila is a former lawyer who has spent several years advising startups. She's quickly becoming a leader in AI health tech and is leveraging her business acumen to help DiA Analysis grow its base of commercial partnerships.   If your company is looking to scale it’s AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com) – experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.   Timestamps: 2:04  Hila’s background as a lawyer and her transition to DiA Analysis and data science 5:31  What is DiA Analysis? 6:11  Discovering a use case for automation and AI in ultrasounds 11:32  Simplifying ultrasound analysis via automation 13:30  Gathering the quantity and quality of data needed to build an AI solution 15:25  Identifying data partners, label automation tools and talent 18:16  Prediction accuracy and winning the trust of physicians 21:00  The importance of setting customer expectations to drive product engagement 24:30  Go to Market | Leveraging channel partners to break into the market 31:08  How COVID accelerated the adoption and increased demand for AI 33:50  The fundraising journey of DIA analysis | Rasing $25mm 36:30  New product and features coming out for DIA analysis

In this episode we sit with ZeZe Peters, Founder of Beam City, a unified advertising automation platform that uses AI to help businesses. Beam City plans and optimizes ads across all top ad channels. ZeZe and I discuss several topics related to building and launching an AI product, building effective teams, how the pandemic shifted the conversation around adtech, and much much more  If your company is looking to scale it’s AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com) – experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development. Timestamps: 1:57 Background is in aerospace engineering at Cornell University 2:48 Before launching Beam City | A product engineering expert for Fortune 1000 4:58 Discovering pain points and the value of automation in advertising 6:26 How the Beam City platform works 7:45 How Beam City is applying AI ad automation 9:40 The impact of Covid on the AdTech market and how Beam City is positioned 14:02 Go-to-market strategy | Finding early traction with businesses that understand adtech 15:29 How ZeZe approached building the first version of Beam City 19:30 How ZeZe’s previous experience in product development helped hire the right initial team 22:20 Determining what accuracy rate makes the most sense for their AI predictions 27:12 Building a startup as a solo Founder + the importance of experienced mentors 32:32  How to keep up with ZeZe and his journey with Beam City