Liftoff with Keith Newman

We’re racing to build AI, but who’s thinking about the why? Ashley Tarver, Microsoft’s Evangelist of Data and AI, explores the AI paradox: We expect AI to solve human problems, yet we don’t know what a perfect world looks like.Ashley shares:▫️ The AI paradox: why humans and AI don’t speak the same language▫️ How companies should approach ethics, bias, and safety in AI▫️ The role of Centers of Excellence in guiding AI strategy▫️ Why it’s too early to fully trust AI, but too important to ignore it▫️ The future of AI regulation and societal impactThis is the conversation that every company, and every citizen, needs to hear.Follow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com

What does it take to build a multi-million dollar AI startup from scratch, without raising a cent?In this episode of Liftoff, we sit down with Ricardo Ghekiere, the founder of BetterPic, the viral AI platform creating professional headshots in minutes. Bootstrapped from $0 to $4 million in just 15 months, Ricardo shares the real story behind BetterPic’s explosive growth from Belgium to the global stage.💡 Inside the episode:- How BetterPic outperformed better-funded competitors- The 7-month experiment to crack the most effective marketing channels- Why SEO became their secret weapon- The power of product-led growth in B2B- How Ricardo is evolving into a founder-CEO and raising a $1.5M pre-seed round- A sneak peek into Better Studio and the next AI frontier: fashion👉 Learn from a founder who’s redefining how humans and AI work together.🔗 Try BetterPic: https://www.betterpic.io/🔗 Connect with Ricardo: linkedin.com/in/ricardo-ghekiere Subscribe for more game-changing insights!Follow more of the Liftoff with Keith:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyADApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/LinkedIn: /liftoffwithkeith Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com

Robots are no longer science fiction. Sviat, Chief Strategy Officer at Bright Machines, reveals why the future of AI isn't just about text and images, but building the real world, brick by brick, chip by chip.Sviat explains:▫️ Why AI in robotics is the real AI revolution▫️ The challenges of powering and cooling next-gen data centers▫️ How supply chain shocks are fueling US manufacturing▫️ The trillion-dollar opportunity in reshoring▫️ Why simulation and robotics will reshape industries by 2030A must-watch for tech leaders, investors, and anyone curious about the future of AI in the physical world.Follow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com

What does it really take to build a SaaS powerhouse like BetterCloud from scratch? In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, serial entrepreneur David Politis shares his extraordinary journey, from learning business at his father’s side as a kid, to leading multiple successful companies, to building BetterCloud into a $100M ARR SaaS juggernaut.💡 In This Deep-Dive Interview, You'll Learn:- The scrappy growth hacking strategy that took BetterCloud from zero to $1M in ARR- Why doing things that don’t scale is essential for startup success- How AI is reshaping go-to-market strategies (and why you need a “Go-to-Market Engineer”)- Fundraising tips every founder should know, pitching, storytelling, and landing that seed round- David’s media journey: growing a podcast audience from zero to thousandsWhether you’re an entrepreneur, SaaS leader, or just love a good business story, this episode is packed with hard-earned insights you won’t hear anywhere else.📌 Don’t miss David’s top advice for scaling startups in the AI era!👋 Connect with David:- Not Another CEO Podcast (https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/)- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpolitis)Follow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more founder stories and startup insights!#SaaS #Entrepreneurship #AI #StartupTips #DavidPolitis #BetterCloud #FounderJourney #GrowthHacking #LiftoffPodcast

From the streets to the boardroom, Ken Miller’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. In this powerful interview, Ken shares how he transformed from a homeless, three-time felon battling addiction to a multi-business owner, author, and mentor making a difference in countless lives.In this episode:- Ken’s inspiring journey of overcoming addiction and incarceration- Life lessons from the penitentiary to the C-suite- The turning point that changed everything- Why AI is the ultimate equalizer, and how Ken built an AI company- His powerful mentoring model that’s transforming young men’s lives- The book Becoming Ken, and why it’s a must-readIf you’ve ever faced setbacks, questioned your worth, or wondered how to turn pain into purpose, this episode is for you.Follow more of Ken:- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kenmiller84- Website: KenMillerSpeaks.comFollow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring conversations!#Resilience #AI #Entrepreneurship #AddictionRecovery #LifeLessons #Mentorship #KenMiller #LiftoffPodcast

How does a top AI company scale massive clusters and build AI for the enterprise? In this episode of The Liftoff with Keith, we talk to Ted Shelton, COO of Inflection AI, from the AI Infra Summit 2025. Ted shares how their team pivoted from consumers to enterprise after their Microsoft deal, why seamless infrastructure is key, and what it takes to build AI models that run on NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel.Learn why “getting to the no” is the smartest move for founders, how enterprises can embrace sovereign AI, and how Inflection’s approach to model customization unlocks massive business value.👉 Don’t miss this deep dive into the future of AI with Keith Newman.Subscribe for more game-changing insights!Follow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com

Rishad is the author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data and “Rethinking Work” both published by HarperCollins. He was the Global Strategist and Chief Growth Officer of the 100,000+ person marketing and business transformation Publicis Groupe and has been named by BusinessWeek as one of the top business leaders for his pioneering innovation and TIME magazine dubbed him one of five “Marketing Innovators.” Rishad is one of only 300 people selected to the Advertising Hall of Fame in 75 years.Rishad joins the Liftoff podcast and shares with us his thoughts on super founders, smarter leadership, and the future of work.Follow Rishad:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadtobaccowala- https://rishadtobaccowala.com/Follow the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/

In the Age of AI-American Idol -Spotify-TikTok and all things music, we decided to check in on that happenings in the music industry and what we should do with our turntable and vinyl collection  - so we dialed up Grammy Award winning A&R and Talent Management exec @Tom Sarig, who shares his views and also updates us on his exciting new business >  https://www.antifragilemusic.com/Tom Sarig is the President of AntiFragile Music, a curator label and distributor for select, culturally distinguished independent music artists. With over two decades of experience in the music business, Tom has nurtured and helped several acclaimed artists achieve breakthrough success and sell millions of records, either as their manager or in a label/A&R capacity, and in genres ranging from electronic to rock, pop to hip hop.Tom is also the founder of Esther Creative Group, a talent management and entertainment consulting firm that has managed the careers of icons such as Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Violent Femmes, CAKE, and Bebel Gilberto. Tom has produced feature films, served as a Grammy-winning senior A&R executive at major labels working closely with artists including Erykah Badu, The Roots, Nine Inch Nails, and Blink-182; and founded SarigSongs, a music publishing company. Tom's mission is to champion and evangelize for great cultural brands, and to collaborate and empower independent music artists in today's music landscape.

In this episode of The Look Back, we sit down with Tim O’Reilly, CEO and Chairman of O’Reilly Media and a partner at O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures. Tim has been a pioneer in the world of media, content, and technology—from training and learning to books and events. Now, he’s at the forefront of the AI revolution.We discuss:✅ The evolution of technology from PCs to the Internet to AI✅ How AI is transforming creators, coders, and businesses✅ The role of media and education in the AI era✅ What the future holds for tech innovationDon’t miss this wide-ranging conversation with one of the OGs of tech thought leadership.👍 Like & Share if you enjoyed the episode!💬 Comment below with your thoughts on AI’s impact on content and coding.#TimOReilly #ArtificialIntelligence #TechFuture #AIRevolution #TheLookBackPodcast

Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, shares his expertise on fundraising and venture capital alongside Bobby Napiltonia, Managing Partner at The GTM Firm. They discuss the evolving landscape of fundraising, emphasizing the importance of data analysis and the rise of AI startups. The duo highlights the shift towards fractional roles in startups for increased flexibility, and how team dynamics now outweigh traditional metrics in funding decisions. They humorously explore how AI can innovate traditional businesses and reflect on the importance of learning from failures in the startup ecosystem.