

GraphGeeks Podcast
Amy Hodler
Graphs are the data model for connected data. Graph technology enables us to capture and compute over interdependent relationships. Join us to hear from experts and practitioners as we chat about the latest innovations and research.Visit GraphGeeks.org to learn more about our community.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 24, 2025 • 31min
Exploring GraphRAG with Neo4j's Tomaz Bratanic
Join us for an insightful discussion with Tomaz Bratanic, Graph ML and GenAI Research expert at Neo4j, as we dive deep into the world of GraphRAG and his newly released book "Essential GraphRAG – a practical guide to combining Knowledge Graphs with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)" (Manning Publications, co-authored with Oskar Hane).We explore how GraphRAG enhances LLM accuracy by combining the power of knowledge graphs with retrieval-augmented generation, covering everything from vector similarity search to agentic RAG systems. Tomaz also shares his unconventional journey from professional poker player to graph researcher.Key Topics Covered:The importance of incorporating more than just unstructured textAdvanced retrieval strategies and Text2Cypher generationBuilding knowledge graphs with LLMs and Microsoft's GraphRAG approachResources:📘 Free eBook from Neo4j: https://neo4j.com/essential-graphrag/

Jul 23, 2025 • 42min
Graph-Wide Scanning for Cybersecurity
Join Amy Hodler, David Haglin (Rocketgraph), and David Hughes (Enterprise Knowledge) as they explore graph-wide scanning and its role in revolutionizing cybersecurity. Discover how graphs are eliminating blind spots, detecting advanced persistent threats, and transforming how analysts find crucial insights in massive datasets. Learn why traditional methods fall short and how AI integration is key to navigating the colossal scale of cyber data for unprecedented clarity and threat detection.Want to take Rocketgraph for a spin? https://rocketgraph.com/free-trial/

Jun 26, 2025 • 19min
Building a Word Game with Graph Pathfinding
Founder and game designer Michael Douma discusses "In Other Words," a daily word puzzle that uses pathfinding through connected concepts instead of the typical spelling approaches. Players navigate from one word to another through semantic relationships, with millions of possible solutions that tap into how we naturally think about linked ideas.Graph practitioners and ontologists will love this:Real-world application of graph traversal and pathfinding that's fun!Demonstrates how semantic networks can create engaging user experiences beyond traditional data applicationsExplores how people naturally navigate multidimensional concept spaces and associate ideas

May 26, 2025 • 18min
Moving from Academia to Commercial Graphs
In this GraphGeeks podcast, Amy Hodler chats with Janet Six, a product manager at Tom Sawyer Software who made the leap from academia to industry in the graph world.Janet relates how she fell in love with what she calls the "beautiful combination of mathematics and art" in laying out graph structures. After pursuing a PhD, she was determined to bring academic research into real-world applications. Despite being warned against studying AI in the 1990s, she followed her passion anyway, and now, thirty years later, we're seeing incredible connections between graphs and AI through LLMs and agentic workflows.We also get to hear how Janet, as a former competitive roller skater, sees her current product management work as "choreography" - dancing between customer needs, business requirements, and technology constraints while working within deadlines and real-world limitations.

Apr 24, 2025 • 30min
Simplifying Graph Database Adoption with G.V()
In this episode of Graph Geeks in Discussion, host Amy Hodler sits down with Arthur Bigeard, founder of G.V(), to explore how his quest for a user-friendly graph database client led to creating a more universal graph experience tool. Arthur shares his journey from graph database novice to tool creator, explaining how G.V() bridges the gap between technical complexity and practical usability across multiple graph database technologies. G.V() website: https://gdotv.com/KGC Conference referenced: https://events.knowledgegraph.tech/

Mar 3, 2025 • 37min
Graphs & GPUs: RAPIDS and cuGraph with NVIDIA's Joe Eaton
This podcast episode features host Amy Hodler in conversation with Joe Eaton, NVIDIA Distinguished System Engineer, discussing graph analytics acceleration technologies. This discussion covered:How RAPIDS and cuGraph are changing graph analytics through GPU accelerationTheir innovative approach to scaling NetworkX on GPUs without requiring code modificationsAn exploration of GNNs, graph embeddings, and vector search applicationsWe also looked at current trends in graph technology and their real-world implications. Joe provided pointers to resources (below) for people just getting started as well as his picks for exciting graph-related talk at the upcoming NVIDIA GTC conference.Getting Started with RAPIDS and cuGraphhttps://rapids.ai/Graph Talks at GTChttps://nvda.ws/4bofZ4e

Feb 19, 2025 • 42min
A Journey from Neo4j to Dgraph
In this fun episode of GraphGeeks in Discussion, host Amy Hodler sits down with William Lyon, who is currently heading developer experience at Hypermode and a respected figure in the graph database community. Drawing from his rich experience at Neo4j and Dgraph, Will offers unique insights into the evolving landscape of graph technologies. As a veteran in the graph space, Will shares his personal journey through different graph database architectures and insights on using property graphs and triples for data management. Additional information: https://dgraph.io/ https://hypermode.com/ https://github.com/hypermodeinc/modus Recipes on https://github.com/hypermodeinc/modus-recipes The "the Kleinberg Book" mentioned on Networks, Crowds, and Markets: https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/kleinber/networks-book/

Jan 28, 2025 • 22min
Capturing Elusive Customer Knowledge
Today's conversation with Claudia Natasia, CEO of Riley, takes us into the fascinating intersection of graph technology and customer behavior. As a data scientist turned product leader, Claudia discovered that the key to unlocking revenue growth was hidden in the complex web of customer data. That insight led her to found a company that's revolutionizing how businesses understand their customers using the power of graph technology. Join us as we explore her journey from data-driven problem solver to innovative tech founder, and learn how companies are uncovering elusive customer insights.

Sep 29, 2024 • 39min
Graph and AI Powered Search for Earth Data
Listen to Amy Hodler interview Jesse Kallman, Founder & CEO at Danti, and Anthony Hylick, their Head of Machine Learning. Learn why Earth-Data is increasingly important today and how Danti uses graphs and AI to power its search engine. https://danti.ai/ Hear how this context-rich search goes beyond geospatial to enable users—from government agencies to private enterprises—to find the precise data they need from the vast, ever-growing datasets collected by satellites, drones, and other sources around the globe.

Aug 30, 2024 • 44min
Streaming Graphs for Cybersecurity
Listen to this GraphGeeks podcast to learn about Streaming Graphs for Cybersecurity. Our graph practitioners will appreciate hearing about graph event stream processing, and our cybersecurity listeners will learn how graphs are used to detect complex patterns and advanced persistent threats. Our guests include Paige Roberts, who’s had various roles in her 25 years in software and is currently the Director of Product Innovation for thatDot. Paige has also co-authored and contributed to several O’Reilly books, including “97 Things Every Data Engineer Should Know” and “Accelerate Machine Learning with a Unified Analytics Architecture.”We also have our cybersecurity expert, John Cloonan, who has 25 years of experience deploying security controls, combating network attacks, and bringing new cyber solutions to market. John is now the VP of Product at thatDot.Resources discussed on this podcast:Open source streaming graph quine.io/ The blog on scaling - www.thatdot.com/resource-post/scaling-quine-streaming-graph-to-process-1-million-events-second/The SANS Institute for Cybersecurity Training and Certification - www.sans.org/