The Irish Tech News Podcast

As someone who has spent years running tier 1 big banks, Ashok Vaswani is no stranger to the pressure and demands for incumbent banks to evolve with the change of time. While there is always much talk about digital transformation in financial services and the need to update the tech stack with emerging technologies, one thing remains true: technology is an enabler — a means to an end. “What is the problem that you are trying to solve?”  In this episode of One Vision, we chat with Ashok Vaswani, President, Pagaya, on banking, innovation, and what the new year holds. As Ashok said so beautifully: “Fintech and big banks need to work together; the combination between the two is far more powerful than either one going alone.”

In today’s current climate, businesses have become increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, so storing data correctly and safely is paramount. Getvisibility is a Cork-based company that has developed an AI-powered platform which gives organisations visibility, control and understanding of their data. By using technologies to store data correctly, organisations can strengthen their defences, so they don’t fall victim to paying ransomware. Ronan talks to Mark Brosnan, the Co-founder and CEO of Getvisibility. Mark talks about his background, what Getvisibility does, AI, their recent partnership with SealPath and more. More about Getvisibility: Getvisibility discovers, categorises and classifies unstructured data (documents and emails) across an organisation. The platform does this using a two-pronged approach. Firstly, end users can manually classify documents on creation with the help of an AI agent. This classification is later checked and amended if needed by Getvisibility’s machine learning engine. Secondly, the software scans legacy documents and emails in the organisation’s environment. Getvisibility also provides risk and compliance assessments as well as enforcing protection on sensitive data.

Stefan Lindström  is Finland’s Ambassador to Technology and Digitization with a global mandate to address the issues that arise from the expansion of digital technology into the economy, society and government. Statesmanship today is not limited to trade and defense issues, it now includes cybersecurity and extraterritorial regulation of software platforms. Topics discussed in this episode: the tension between markets and public policy; the implications of the Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act and other EU regulations; the consequences of META’s $400+ million GDPR fine; the 40X increase in the number of lobbyists for the technology industry; tax avoidance by big tech; the USA’s inability to enact regulation of digital markets; the prospect of a global regulatory alliance; why data is the new plutonium; China’s looming demographic challenge; why the profit motive may be a fundamental flaw in globalized corporations; how converging planetary-scale issues are driving a philosophical shift for humanity. Subscribe and listen  to the Futurists Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Brett King is a world-renowned entrepreneur, futurist, speaker, international bestselling author, and media personality. China’s President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his 2018 national address; the same book that was listed as a Top 10 non-fiction book in North America. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia for that year. Robert Tercek is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and educator focused on the process of dematerialization and innovation. In his professional capacity, Mr. Tercek is a seasoned business executive with deep expertise in digital media and internet services. He is a prolific creator of interactive programs and products. He has designed and launched successful consumer experiences on every digital platform, including digital television, game consoles, broadband Internet, and mobile networks. In 2021, Mr. Tercek was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Media Excellence Awards for his leadership in designing and launching COVID SMART™, an interactive training program designed to keep workers safe on the job during the pandemic.

Trying to define the Metaverse is akin to trying to define the internet when the internet wasn’t there. While the technology components such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are not new, convergence of these technologies is novel and still evolving. In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat with Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld, Dean and Partner of the Metaverse Academy and Strategic Metaverse & Web3 Advisor, on the challenges and opportunities of this future vision of the internet. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Dr. Martha predict the unpredictable future. Hint: It’s all about the community.

Harry Massey is a Bioenergetic expert and speaker, founder of NES Health, CEO of Energy4Life, and Chairman of XPO Health (xpo.health). He has published multiple books and has directed several documentary films – including the award-winning film "The Living Matrix" – to educate and inspire the general public about bioenergetics and bio-informational approaches to health and well-being. Having overcome serious illness in his youth, Harry founded NES Health in 2002. The company is dedicated to fostering a 21st-century system of healthcare based on the integration of physics and biology. Harry has created several cutting-edge technologies including BioEnergetiX, the world’s first practical clinical system for reading and correcting the body’s energetic field. He continues to innovate cutting-edge technologies that have made him the world’s leader in bioenergetic medicine. Ronan talks to Harry about his interesting backstory, founding NES Health, how the pandemic impacted NES Health and its clients, his latest start-up https://www.energy4life.com/ and more. More about Harry Massey: Harry Massey is an entrepreneur with a very interesting backstory. He spent nearly 10 years suffering from severe chronic fatigue syndrome. His troubles began when he was 21-years-old and was ice climbing on Ben Nevis in Scotland. There he was a few hundred meters up, when he carefully placed his ice pick above himself, made his move and then the ice shattered. He fell backwards about 30 feet but somehowI managed to get his ice pick to bite into the steep slope, stopping him falling further. However he had landed on his back. Shaken and in pain, he staggered to his feet and as nothing seemed broken, he kept climbing. Harry later learn that he had fractured his spine. He was lucky to be alive, but instead of resting and recovering, he mismanaged his energy. He kept pushing until he had nothing left to give. This resulted in 7 long years been bedridden with severe chronic fatigue syndrome that no Western medical or alternative health practitioner could cure. Through his own research, he stumbled onto bioenergetics, the study of energy in living systems, and reached out to the late Peter Fraser, a visionary scientific thinker, researcher, and leading professor in the field. Professor Fraser had spent more than 20 years researching and developing remedies to detect and correct energy in the body. He quickly became Professor Fraser’s “guinea pig” testing protocols and treatments. It took two long years, but thanks to Professor Fraser’s work, he restored his energy and reclaimed his life. What started as a deeply personal journey to regain his energy for life quickly transformed into his life’s mission: to help people learn how to better manage their physical and emotional energy so they can regain their energy for life. After co-founding his first company, NES Health and starting and leading other companies, he launched Energy4Life.

This week on The Futurists our hosts interview Charlie Melcher, the founder of The Future of Storytelling.  Charlie recounts the many ways that the ancient practice of storytelling is evolving in an era of immersive and interactive media. He is also a book publisher who uses innovations in printing technology to reinvent the 5000-year-old medium for contemporary audiences and he speculates about the future evolution of the craft of meaning-making.  Web site: Www.thefutureofstorytelling.Org Subscribe and listen  to the Futurists Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Brett King is a world-renowned entrepreneur, futurist, speaker, international bestselling author, and media personality. China’s President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his 2018 national address; the same book that was listed as a Top 10 non-fiction book in North America. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia for that year. Robert Tercek is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and educator focused on the process of dematerialization and innovation. In his professional capacity, Mr. Tercek is a seasoned business executive with deep expertise in digital media and internet services. He is a prolific creator of interactive programs and products. He has designed and launched successful consumer experiences on every digital platform, including digital television, game consoles, broadband Internet, and mobile networks. In 2021, Mr. Tercek was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Media Excellence Awards for his leadership in designing and launching COVID SMART™, an interactive training program designed to keep workers safe on the job during the pandemic.

The futures is here and most agree that for the medium term it will include a mix of payment options. The Chairman of the Digital Euro Association. Dr. Jonas Gross shares perspectives on the current focus of the Digital Euro design which is under consideration (not development). Our discussion takes interesting twists and turns. Dr. Jonas Gross is Chairman of the Digital Euro Association (DEA) and Chief Operating Officer at etonec. Jonas holds a PhD in economics from the University of Bayreuth, Germany. His main fields of interest are central bank digital currencies, stablecoins, cryptocurrencies, and monetary policy. Further, Jonas is co-host of the German podcast "Bitcoin, Fiat, & Rock'n' Roll", external lecturer at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, and member of the expert panel of the European Blockchain Observatory and Forum. Website: www.jonasgross.info Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter.  Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal

In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat with Mike Dudas, a serial entrepreneur and investor, and the Founder & General Partner of 6MV. 2022 certainly has not been an easy year for the industry. From poor market performance and bankruptcy filings, to a string of hacks and exploits, and most recently, the FTX collapse, trust — along with millions of dollars — was lost in a catastrophic year. Token economy is challenging to figure out; but it also offers opportunities to do things differently if we can clear the roadblocks and learn from the past. Web3 and crypto, according to Mike, offer a model for greater direct participation, governance and ownership in the app layer of tomorrow’s internet. While we aren’t quite where we need to be yet, there is no better time to build than now.

Eliran Ouzan, CryptoHub At the start of our conversation, Eliran Ouzan makes two key observations. The first is that when he found Web3 he loved the sense of community, the real ability to be able to connect with a project and moreover react with it. “Supporters of Web3 projects can make a real difference to the project. Their voice is heard. They can communicate directly with the founders and in some cases vote directly on the direction of the project. This is not possible in Web2. For example, I might think Facebook is awesome but if I hold shares (unless I hold like a lot) I am not going to have any impact on the way the company is run.” The second observation is that while the technology is tremendous the marketing is not. “Web3 began as a technically inspired philosophy with the emphasis on the tech. Even after 13 years and the growing momentum, the marketing is still way behind traditional Web2 companies.”

Irish residents are currently facing a cost of living crisis and extremely high inflation. In fact, an Irish Examiner article has stated that 31% of those without a pension say they have delayed starting one due to ongoing inflation. In Ireland, the average household currently saves 20 percent of their income, most of which sits idly in bank accounts. So, how does Irish residents without a pension create a savings nest egg? Well, two months ago Trade Republic, the largest savings platform in Europe launched in Ireland to try and help solve this problem. Ronan talks to Hugo Suidgeest Trade Republic’s country manager for The Netherlands, Finland and Ireland. Hugo talks about his background, what Traderepublic does, where you put your money, diversifying risk and more More about Hugo Suidgeest : Hugo Suidgeest is Country manager at Trade Republic for The Netherlands, Finland and Ireland  Trade Republic’s ambition is to be the world's most customer centric investment platform. With more than a million users and 50% of whom never invested before. Hugo was at Uber for 5 years and was the Principal of UberEats Global Strategy before joining Trade Republic where he was responsible for products generating north of $2bn in annualised revenue.