Life Is But A Stream

In a highly regulated industry where every millisecond matters, Swedbank is shifting its data strategy to move fast without breaking trust. In this episode, Rami Al Lolah, Lead Architect at Swedbank’s Integration Center of Excellence, shares how the bank built a future-proof foundation using Apache Kafka® with Confluent Cloud.From early investments in building reusable data products to shift left, , Swedbank’s strategy goes beyond infrastructure. It’s about enabling interoperability, eliminating data silos, and empowering teams to think differently about how data should flow across a modern financial institution.You’ll Learn:How Swedbank reduces risk by accelerating data availability across teamsWhy “shift left” is a cultural and architectural shift,not just a development patternWhy choose Confluent over other solutionsWhere Swedbank sees the biggest opportunities for AI and streaming in the futureWhether you're leading modernization for a financial institution or scaling real-time data for your organization, this episode offers a blueprint for transformation. About the Guest:Rami Al Lolah is a seasoned professional, technologist and domain expert for 25+ years within the application and systems integration domain. His expertise is in delivering, designing, writing major integration solutions from world leading integration technology providers, leading technical/services teams, and directing major integration technical implementations. Guest Highlight: “We need to embrace the [shift left] mindset and methodology, and try to move critical considerations, for example — compliance, security, governance, and data quality earlier in the development process. This means that when teams build something like a Kafka topic, or even an API or a file based integration, they are not just focusing on making it work technically. They are already thinking about who owns it, who owns the data, what the contract, what the schemas look like, who will access this data, and how the access will be managed.”Episode Timestamps: *(06:40) - Data Streaming Goodness*(33:15) -   The Runbook: Winning Strategies*(41:15) -    Data Streaming Street Cred*(47:40) - Quick Bytes*(54:30) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantRami’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ramiallolahLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io 

Strategic partnerships don’t work without trust. And in the data streaming world, trust begins with transparency.In this episode, Elena Cuevas, Sr. Manager of Cloud Partner Solutions Engineering at Confluent, joins Joseph Morais to unpack what it takes to collaborate with hyperscalers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. From managing competitive overlaps to future-proofing enterprise data architectures, Elena shares her battle-tested strategies for driving alignment across complex stakeholder ecosystems.You’ll learn:How to collaborate effectively across competitive cloud partnerships Why transparency builds trust and drives adoption in partner-led salesWhat  shift left unlocks for streaming data governanceHow Confluent supports GenAI use cases with real-time data Whether you're working with a cloud provider or building your own ecosystem, Elena’s playbook will change how you think about partnership, transparency, and long-term scale.About the Guest:Elena Cuevas currently leads the Cloud Partner Solutions Engineering team at Confluent, where she and her team focus on strengthening technical relationships with cloud providers.Prior to joining Confluent, Elena spent several years at Google, working directly with some of the company’s largest Google Cloud customers in both pre-sales and post-sales capacities.She is passionate about helping members of historically underrepresented communities see that a path in STEM is within reach if they choose to pursue it. Elena has served as an #IamRemarkable facilitator, an instructor for the Computer Science Summer Institute, and is a frequent speaker at universities and high schools.Guest Highlight: “Sometimes we talk about competing and about one or the other, but we do better things when it's ‘and’, and not an ‘or’.”Episode Timestamps: *(07:55) - Data Streaming in a World of Clouds *(14:25) -   The Playbook: Winning Strategies*(23:25) -    Voices from the World of Data Streaming*(28:30) - Quick Bytes*(31:15) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantElena’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ecuevascLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io

Blockchain may be decentralized, but reliable access to its data is anything but simple. In this episode, Ethan Chan, Co-Founder & CEO of Allium, shares how his team transforms blockchain firehoses into clean, queryable, real-time data feeds.From the pitfalls of hosting your own data streaming infrastructure to the business advantages of Confluent Cloud, Ethan reveals the strategic decisions that helped Allium scale from 3 to nearly 100 blockchains, without burning out their engineering team.You’ll learn:Why Allium opted for Confluent Cloud from day one How data streaming supports mission-critical blockchain use casesWhat makes stream sharing a force multiplier for customer successHow Confluent connectors accelerated their integrations with Snowflake, BigQuery, and DatabricksWhether you’re building real-time monitoring tools or reconciling petabytes of cross-chain data, this episode offers a blueprint for scaling with Apache Kafka® and Confluent.About the Guest:Ethan Chan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Allium. With over six years of experience in the AI and natural language processing space, Ethan has come to believe that high-quality data is the key constraint in building the best-performing models. This insight drives Allium’s mission: to provide the highest-quality blockchain data infrastructure for crypto analytics and engineering teams at institutions and funds. Allium focuses on delivering clean, reliable data in a simple, accessible format—data served on a silver platter.Before founding Allium, Ethan was the Director of Engineering at Primer, where he founded and led the Primer Command product and team, and re-architected the core machine learning pipelines powering Primer Analyze. Earlier in his career, he lectured at Stanford University and conducted research at the Stanford Intelligent Systems Lab as a graduate student.Guest Highlight: “We definitely always wanted to go for a managed service from the get-go… If you break [streaming], every other engineering company is going to complain and you become infamous—for no reason.”Episode Timestamps: *(01:10) - Allium’s Data Streaming Strategy*(05:20) - Data Streaming Goodness*(26:50) -   The Runbook: Tools & Tactics*(29:55) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Improve Data Streaming Adoption *(32:10) - Quick Bytes*(36:40) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Ep 8 - How Airy Powers Real-Time AI Agents with Data Streaming and ConfluentConnect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantEthan’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ethanyschanLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

For enterprises managing sprawling systems and frequent M&A activity, data latency isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a blocker to business value. In this episode, Joe Pardi, Senior Director of Global Data Engineering at Covetrus, explains how his team replaced fragile data pipelines with a robust real-time data streaming architecture that enables instant decisions  across the entire enterprise.The Covetrus team started with open source Apache Kafka® and then shifted to Confluent Cloud for scalability and data governance.  Joe shares the adoption has drastically reduced operational overhead, strengthened data governance, and supercharged innovation. He also emphasizes the strategic importance of data integration in post-merger scenarios and how real-time data streaming helps uncover and address data quality issues early on.You’ll learn:Why Covetrus moved from self-managed Kafka to Confluent CloudHow real-time data streaming helps detect data quality issues fasterWhat are the requirements for scaling a data architecture across hundreds of engineersHow data streaming supports M&A integration and value creationWhether you’re centralizing data across silos or enabling downstream systems with real-time feeds, this conversation offers a blueprint for building data streaming platforms that scale.About the Guest:Joe Pardi is the Senior Director of Global Data Engineering at Covetrus, a leading provider in the veterinary services industry. Based in Portland, Maine, he has held this role since January 2021, where he leads data engineering initiatives to support Covetrus' global operations.Guest Highlight: “The whole key with that acquisition strategy is to unlock the value. It's easy to make an acquisition go from 1+1=2, but you're really trying to make 1+1=3… If you're going to do an M&A, you have to get really good at integrating data.”Episode Timestamps: *(05:10) - Covetrus’ Data Streaming Strategy*(06:40) - Data Challenges: Latency and Quality*(26:05) -   The Runbook: Tools & Tactics*(31:15) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Improve Data Streaming Adoption *(38:25) - Quick Bytes*(42:15) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantJoe’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joepardiLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

Agentic AI is transforming how modern systems interact with data, and Airy is at the forefront with its real-time approach.In this episode, Steffen Hoellinger, Co-founder and CEO of Airy, discusses the transformative impact of agentic AI for enterprises and why real-time data streaming is a crucial component. From Apache Flink® and Apache Kafka® to the importance of focusing on core business challenges, Steffen breaks down how Airy builds intelligent systems that react to data as it happens.You’ll learn:How Airy’s team uses Confluent to simplify their data infrastructureWhat agentic AI means beyond the buzzwords and why it’s a leap past basic natural language processing (NLP)Why real-time interaction is essential for creating next-generation software experiencesHow business users can create and test AI-driven patterns without writing any codeIf you’re building AI-powered apps—or planning to—this one’s for you.About the Guest:Steffen Hoellinger is the Co-founder and CEO of Airy, where he leads the development of open-source data infrastructure that connects real-time event streaming technologies like Apache Kafka® and Apache Flink® with large language models. Airy helps enterprises build AI agents and data copilots for both technical and business users across streaming and batch data. Steffen is also an active early-stage investor focusing on data infrastructure, AI, and deep technology.Guest Highlight: “Real-time is getting more and more important. Once you understand all the fancy ways people in the market are trying to solve a real-time data problem, you come to the realization that [data streaming] is the best way of doing things. It became natural to adopt it early on in our journey.”Episode Timestamps: *(05:10) - Overview of Airy’s AI Solutions*(37:20) -   The Runbook: Tools & Tactics*(44:00) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Improve Data Streaming Adoption *(47:50) - Quick Bytes*(50:25) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantSteffen’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hoellingerLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

What does real transformation look like when the stakes are high? Todd Smitala, Technology Solutions Architect at the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), shares how his journey of modernizing data system support 27,000 union members.With the legacy infrastructure crumbling under peak traffic during a high-volume union vote, Todd’s team turned to cloud-based real-time streaming with Apache Kafka® on Confluent Cloud. The result? A more reliable, scalable system that delivered immediate impact, ensuring every vote counted. In this episode, Todd walks through the technical decisions and leadership alignment that made it possible.You’ll learn:How real-time infrastructure solved a high-stakes voting challengeWhat it took to modernize under pressure and bring leadership on boardHow to frame cost, reliability, and system ownership to drive successful changeIf you're leading a data streaming initiative and need a blueprint for impact, this episode is for you.About the Guest:As a Technology Solutions Architect at APFA, Todd Smitala brings over 10 years of experience as a flight attendant and 20 years in IT, allowing Todd to bridge the gap between technology and the needs of flight attendants. He’s passionate about leveraging technology to create meaningful change, support union members, and enforce contractual legalities. This combination of industry insight and technical expertise empowers Todd to deliver innovations that make a real difference. Outside of work, Todd enjoys scuba diving, adventure travel, hiking, playing music, and dancing at Carnaval in Brazil.Guest Highlight: “We all agreed that Confluent Cloud would be the way we want to go because of how it does host. It does really handle all of the background stuff. I'm not a Java developer… We didn't have the time to invest in all of that so Confluent Cloud is actually perfect for this type of thing.”Episode Timestamps: *(01:22) - How APFA Is Using Data Streaming to Empower Members *(20:39) -   The Runbook: Tools & Tactics*(26:45) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Improve Data Streaming Adoption *(28:30) - Quick Bytes*(33:36) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantTodd’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tsmitalaLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

Whether you're an executive setting the strategy or an architect building the backbone, alignment is the key to turning transformation from a buzzword into results. Rick Hernandez, principal technical architect at EY, shares how to unlock shared vision and turn it into enterprise-wide data streaming success. In this episode, Rick joins Joseph to explore how organizations can connect leadership ambition with technical execution. Exploring how top-down buy-in, clearly defined objectives, and strategic alignment with  the right technology can give your organization “wings to a tiger.”You’ll learn:How to directly map business pain points to streaming-first solutionsHow real-time infrastructure enables faster decisions and a competitive edgeWhat happens when stakeholders discover their challenges are already solvable through streamingIf you're leading modernization efforts or championing real-time data, this episode is your guide for building momentum across teams.About the Guest:Rick Hernandez is a Principal Technical Architect at EY, specializing in enterprise architecture and digital transformation. He helps organizations implement innovative solutions and optimize IT strategies. Rick’s expertise includes architecture and development in middleware technologies, cloud integration work, business process management, enterprise application integration, and more. Guest Highlight:“Technology transformation is not for one area of a company. The overall company needs to actually change to do something better, differently, and more efficiently.”Episode Timestamps: *(01:00) - EY’s Data Streaming Strategy*(05:30) -  Data Streaming Goodness: Having a Shared Vision*(22:00) -   The Runbook: Tools & Tactics*(26:45) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Improve Data Streaming Adoption *(31:10) - Quick Bytes*(33:45) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantRick’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rick-hernandez-3298574Learn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

Want your real-time data streaming initiative to stick? Success hinges on more than pipelines—it’s about people, governance, and business impacts. Jeffrey Johnathon Jennings (J3), managing principal at signalRoom, shares how to bring it all together.In this episode, J3 shares how he’s used impactful proofs of concepts to demonstrate value early, then scaled effectively through shift left with governance and stronger cross-team collaboration.You’ll learn about:Why proofs of concept are key to securing buy-in and demonstrating ROI earlyHow data governance as a shared language create consistency across teamsStrategies for establishing a data streaming center of excellenceThe role of business outcomes in guiding streaming data adoption strategiesIf you’re building or scaling a data streaming practice, this episode goes beyond the technology, showing you how to drive real impact.About the Guest:Jeffrey Johnathan Jennings is the managing principal of signalRoom, a dedicated father, avid traveler, and EDM enthusiast whose creativity and energy shape both his personal and professional life. As a cloud-native data streaming expert, he specializes in integrating ML/AI technologies to drive transformative change and improve business outcomes. With a focus on innovation, he designs scalable data architectures that enable real-time insights and smarter decision-making. Committed to continuous learning, Jeffrey stays ahead of technological advancements to help businesses navigate the evolving digital landscape and achieve lasting growth.Guest Highlight:“We need to speak the same language. The only way to speak the same language is to have a Schema Registry.  I don't think there's an option. You just have to do this. We share a common language and therefore we build common libraries.”Episode Timestamps: *(01:13) - J3’s Data Streaming Journey*(07:07) -  Data Streaming Goodness: Strategies to Demonstrate Value*(26:38) -   The Runbook: Data Streaming Center of Excellence *(37:00) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Improve Data Streaming Adoption *(42:35) - Quick Bytes*(45:00) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysDive Deeper into Data Streaming:EP1—Stream On: Unleashing Innovation with Data Streaming | Life Is But A StreamEP2—Processing Without Pause: Continuous Stream Processing and Apache Flink® | Life Is But A StreamEP3—The Connective Tissue: Shift Left to turn Data Chaos to Clarity | Life Is But A StreamLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantJ3’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffreyjonathanjennings/J3’s GitHub: github.com/j3-signalroom“Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution” by Uri Levine“Ask Your Developer” by Jeff LawsonLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

Despite its value, legacy data can feel like a roadblock in a fast-paced digital world—Henry Schein One is clearing the path forward with real-time data streaming.In this episode, Chris Kapp, Software Architect at Henry Schein One (HS1), shares how his team modernizes data management to stay competitive and unlock real-time insights.You’ll learn about:How tagging strategy, immutable audit log, and governance keep data secure and reliableThe challenges (and wins) of getting leadership buy-in for data modernizationHS1’s approach to decentralized data ownership, domain-driven design, and the importance of stream processing for scalingThe role of GenAI in the future of real-time stream processingGet ready to future-proof your data strategy with this must-listen episode for technology leaders facing scalability, governance, or integration challenges. About the Guest:Chris Kapp is a Software Architect at Henry Schein One specializing in domain-driven design and event-driven patterns. He has 34 years of experience in the software industry including Target and Henry Schein One. He is passionate about teaching patterns for scalable data architectures. He’s currently focused on the One-Platform initiative to allow Henry Schein applications to work together as a single suite of products.Guest Highlight:“It's important to collect the data, try to eliminate our biases and go towards what is delivering quickly. The key is to start small, agile, iterative, and build something small with the people that are excited and willing to learn new things. If it doesn't work, then be agile, adjust, and find the thing that does work."Episode Timestamps: *(01:18) - Chris’ Data Streaming Journey*(03:35) -   Data Streaming Goodness: AI-Driven Reporting & Data Streaming*(21:08) -   The Playbook: Data Revitalization & Event-Driven Architecture*(31:55) -   Data Streaming Street Cred: Executive Alignment & Engineering Collaboration*(32:03) - Quick Bytes*(40:14) - Joseph’s Top 3 TakeawaysLinks & Resources:Connect with Joseph: @thedatagiantJoseph’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thedatagiantChris’ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chris-kapp-87868a4Designing Event-Driven Systems eBookDesigning Data-Intensive Applications eBookCurrent 2025—The Data Streaming EventLearn more at Confluent.ioOur Sponsor:  Your data shouldn’t be a problem to manage. It should be your superpower. The Confluent data streaming platform transforms organizations with trustworthy, real-time data that seamlessly spans your entire environment and powers innovation across every use case. Create smarter, deploy faster, and maximize efficiency with a true data streaming platform from the pioneers in data streaming. Learn more at confluent.io.

In this insightful discussion, Mike Agnich, General Manager and VP of Product at Confluent, and David Araujo, Director of Product Management, tackle the complexities of data governance and integration. They emphasize the advantages of real-time ETL over traditional methods and the critical role that data connectors play in streamlining operations. The guests also highlight the importance of schemas for data quality and how integrating governance early can save time and enhance compliance. Tune in to explore how these concepts apply across various industries!