Spatial Stack with Matt Forrest

📩 Get every update from my newsletter ➡️ https://forrest.nyc ⬅️💨 Sign up for the Modern GIS Accelerator ➡️ https://forrest.nyc/accelerator ⬅️In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest challenges holding back GIS professionals today: the technician trap. Sparked by a real-world job posting from one of the world’s richest tech companies—offering just $20–$22 an hour for a GIS contract role—we explore what this means for the broader industry.Why are highly skilled spatial professionals being underpaid, and what separates a $45K contractor from a $300K geospatial data engineer? The answer lies in how you position yourself—and whether your work is seen as project-based execution or strategic value creation.We’ll unpack:The pay disparity across GIS roles and what it revealsHow entry-level positions can set the wrong trajectoryWhy spatial skills alone aren’t enough without systems thinkingThe mindset shift needed to break free from being "just a mapmaker"How to move from being a button-pusher to a strategic stakeholderWhether you're just entering the GIS field or feeling stuck in your current role, this episode offers a candid look at how to grow your career by aligning technical skills with business impact—and why it's time to expect more from GIS roles.🎧 Plus: Learn about the Modern GIS Accelerator, a program designed to help you scale your skills and reframe your career path.

📩 Get every update from my newsletter ➡️ https://forrest.nyc ⬅️💨 Sign up for the Modern GIS Accelerator ➡️ https://forrest.nyc/accelerator ⬅️Feeling stuck in your GIS career? You're not alone. In this episode, we dive deep into the common challenges GIS professionals face and how to break free from the "technician trap." Discover actionable strategies to transition from a support role to a strategic contributor, adding greater value to your organization.We'll explore how to shift your mindset from focusing solely on deliverables to emphasizing outcomes. Learn how to identify your technical passions, specialize effectively, and position yourself as a leader in your field. Whether you're aiming to build a standout portfolio, land a promotion, or pivot into a new GIS role, this episode offers practical insights to help you achieve your goals.Plus, hear real-world examples of how GIS professionals have transformed their careers by applying these principles. Tune in and start unlocking the next level in your GIS journey!

📩 Get every update from my newsletter ➡️ https://forrest.nyc ⬅️What if you could stop wrangling geospatial data, and just get to the good part?In this episode, I sit down with Rob Fletcher, Chief Science Officer at Seer AI, to talk about one of the biggest blockers in geospatial today: accessing and integrating the right data, at the right time, in the right format.Rob shares his journey from doing particle physics at CERN to pioneering spatial data infrastructure, and how Seer AI is building what he calls a “CDN for geospatial data.”We dive into:🌍 Why the biggest challenge in GIS isn’t analysis—it's finding and formatting data💡 The danger of agreeing to analytics projects without knowing what's possible🛠️ Why Seer AI chose graph technology to organize spatial data across sources⚡ How a "side project" dashboard became essential to real-time disaster response📊 Bridging the gap between GIS teams and business analystsWhether you're working in local government, disaster response, sustainability, or just tired of managing messy spatial data, this episode will change how you think about building modern GIS workflows.🔗 Learn more about Seer AI: https://seer.ai🎧 Subscribe for more episodes on the future of geospatial

In this episode, we sit down with David Price, GIS Project Manager for Wood County, Ohio, to explore the evolving landscape of modern GIS. David’s journey into geospatial wasn’t a traditional one—he started in data analytics before discovering GIS, a shift that completely changed his career trajectory.We dive into:🔹 Why GIS education is falling behind and how universities are missing the mark🔹 The critical skills GIS professionals need today (Hint: It’s more than just mapping)🔹 The debate: Do you really need to learn to code to stay competitive?🔹 Open-source vs. Esri: Why a hybrid approach is the future of GIS🔹 The power of real-time data, automation, and APIs in GIS workflowsDavid shares his experiences managing an enterprise GIS system, adapting to new geospatial technologies, and why he believes learning SQL and Python can future-proof your GIS career.If you’re a GIS professional, student, or just someone interested in the future of geospatial technology, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

Is there a future in GIS? How can you break past the salary ceilings and position yourself for long-term success? In this episode, we dive into the realities of GIS careers, salaries, and strategies to help you grow.🔹 Why GIS salaries often lag behind similar data roles 🔹 The Technician Trap—how GIS is often seen as a support role rather than a strategic function 🔹 Skills that matter—Python, SQL, and cloud-native GIS for career flexibility 🔹 How to position yourself as a problem-solver, not just an executor 🔹 Tangible steps to accelerate your career without switching jobsGIS is an exciting field, but to truly thrive, you need to think beyond maps and spatial analysis—you need to be strategic. Tune in to learn how to showcase your skills, position yourself for growth, and maximize your career growth.

📩 Get every update from my newsletter ➡️ https://forrest.nyc ⬅️Wildfires are getting more intense, yet many people in Los Angeles had no idea the fire was near them—until they saw the smoke. Despite all our advancements in geospatial technology, disaster response still struggles with timely alerts, real-time data access, and predictive modeling.In this episode, I sit down with Mina Nada, a remote sensing specialist, to explore what went wrong during the recent LA wildfires and how geospatial tools like satellite imagery, fire modeling, and risk mapping can improve future disaster response. We break down why current wildfire alerts are failing, what GIS professionals can do to fix it, and how earth observation data plays a critical role in mitigating fire disasters.If you’re in GIS, remote sensing, emergency management, or just curious about the future of fire detection, this conversation is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.🔥 Topics Covered:✔️ Why wildfire alerts failed during the LA fires✔️ How satellite imagery tracks wildfires in real-time✔️ The role of GIS in predicting and responding to fires✔️ Challenges in making wildfire data more accessible✔️ What we need to do to prevent future wildfire disasters

For years, geospatial professionals have been forced to download massive datasets—only to discard most of the data. It’s an outdated, inefficient process that slows down analysis and limits scalability. But a major shift is happening. Cloud-native geospatial is transforming how we store, access, and process spatial data, making it faster, more efficient, and accessible to everyone.In this episode, I sit down with Jed Sundewald, Executive Director of Radiant Earth, to explore how the Cloud-Native Geospatial Forum is shaping the future of GIS, the evolution of cloud-optimized formats like COGs and STAC, and what this means for GIS professionals, developers, and decision-makers.Whether you're new to cloud-native geospatial or looking to optimize your data workflows, this conversation will give you a front-row seat to the future of geospatial technology.📩 Get every update from my newsletter ➡️ https://forrest.nyc ⬅️🏔️ Attend the Cloud Native Geospatial Forum in April ➡️ https://2025-ut.cloudnativegeo.org/ ⬅️🔑 Topics Covered:✔️ Why traditional geospatial workflows are inefficient✔️ The rise of cloud-native geospatial formats (COGs, STAC, and more)✔️ How cloud-native GIS benefits both small and large-scale users✔️ The role of the Cloud-Native Geospatial Forum and upcoming events✔️ How to integrate cloud-native principles into your geospatial stack

📩 Get every update from my newsletter ➡️https://forrest.nyc ⬅️🔑 Sign up for Placekey here:https://placekey.ioMerging and cleaning location data is one of the biggest headaches in GIS, real estate, and business intelligence. Duplicate addresses, inconsistent formats, and messy datasets can derail even the most sophisticated analysis. But what if there was a universal identifier that made all of those problems disappear?In this episode, I sit down with Hayden Mortimer, President of PlaceKey, to uncover why traditional addresses aren’t enough and how PlaceKey is revolutionizing the way we connect place-based data. We dive into the challenges of entity resolution, the pitfalls of fuzzy matching, and how a simple, open-source identifier is making spatial joins seamless.Whether you work in GIS, data science, or any field that relies on location data, this conversation will change how you think about addressing and spatial relationships. Don’t miss it!✔️ Why addresses alone aren’t reliable for data integration✔️ The hidden challenges of matching places across datasets✔️ How PlaceKey works and why it’s different from other solutions✔️ Real-world use cases for small businesses and enterprise-level applications✔️ The future of location data and entity resolution🎧 Listen now and learn how to fix your messy location data for good!

Matt returns to discuss the future of Spatial Stack—what it is, where it’s headed, and how it will evolve into a go-to platform for exploring the intersection of geospatial technology and real-world impact. From its origins as a live-stream experiment to a full-fledged video-first podcast, this episode lays out the vision for breaking the geospatial echo chamber, identifying new opportunities, and working together to expand the field. Expect a mix of solo deep dives, expert conversations, and practical discussions on geospatial trends, Earth observation, and the growing role of spatial data across industries. Whether you're a seasoned GIS professional or just curious about geospatial’s future, this episode sets the stage for what’s to come.

Join Will Lyon, a developer relations expert at Wherobots, and Ryan Avery, a machine learning engineer specializing in AI for geospatial imagery, as they dive into the realm of spatial analytics. They explore the breakthroughs in Apache Sedona’s visualization and data engineering capabilities. Discover how AI is revolutionizing electric vehicle charging infrastructure through spatial data analysis. They also tackle the challenges of managing large-scale geospatial data and discuss the latest features of Wherobots, including innovative tools for enhanced imagery analysis.