Shows
The Data Culture PodcastSemantic Patches: the Inmon/Kimball Debate of the LLM EraData management purity and pragmatism built opposed camps starting in the 1990s, and echoes of those tenants present themselves today in Generative AI. Ontology purists and vector-based engineers appear at opposite ends, but how might we reframe so everyone's in the same picture? Tracy Talbot is a consummate data practitioner and has seen it all—from mainframes to machine learning. In this episode, she sits down with Sid Atkinson to reveal how the age-old Kimball vs. Inman debates mirror today’s AI struggles—and why her concept of “semantic patches” could be the key to keeping generative AI grounded in reality
2025-11-1355 min
The Data Culture PodcastFrom Team of One to Data Trust: Turning Government 'No's into 'Yes'sBuilding a data program isn't all about the tech—it's about getting people to actually work together. Carlos Rivero shares what it was really like starting as Virginia's first Chief Data Officer with no team, no budget, and a lot of skeptical agencies. He talks about how he learned to be more of a "people wrangler" than a data expert, turning critics into allies and figuring out that most of the job was just getting everyone on the same page.
2025-07-0355 min
The Data Culture PodcastFind Your GoldfishEver wonder why so many promising tech pilots never make it past the starting line? In this episode, Sid chats with Jonathan Alexander about breaking free from “pilot purgatory” and actually scaling innovation. From cavemen pushing carts with square wheels to global rollouts of cutting-edge solutions, Jonathan brings stories, strategy, and wisdom about how to get things done in a giant enterprise. They dive into building business cases that don’t flop, why change management beats the perfect tech stack, and how to avoid getting stuck with great ideas that go nowhere.
2025-05-0145 min
The Data Culture PodcastFrom I To WeLeading complex IT systems in a major city demands more than technical know-how—it requires a shift from individual success to team achievement. Summer Xiao, Deputy CIO of Houston, shares her journey from "I" to "we," discussing the crucial transition from "doer" to "facilitator," the importance of shared ownership in large projects, and how team performance reflects directly on leadership.
2025-02-1948 min
The Data Culture PodcastNDUS: Using AI to quickly track pertinent Legislation State University Systems are frequently impacted by state legislation- from funding to rules, policies, and everything in between. Universities typically operate with streamlined (slim) budgets, busy staff, and with lots of focus on serving students and research. Legislators are similarly busy and concerned with many things across the state, not just the university system. Proposals and draft legislation impact the universities, but lots of content, lots of drafts, and a short legislative cycle make it very time consuming for the university to find all the legislative content that impacts them, and then decide how to best to collaborate. Ryan...
2025-01-2941 min
The Data Culture PodcastNorth Dakota's AI AmbitionsNorth Dakota is well known for energy and food production, but less known is the states roots in technology. Rep. Josh Christy discusses North Dakota's ambitions in AI, what they mean, and how North Dakota is taking a holistic approach to safety and innovation.
2025-01-0830 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuilding AI Teams to Build AISuccessful AI projects/ideas have many necessary ingredients, one of the most important being the people you identify and choose to be part of the project. How to you decide and how to you build culture? Ron Green is a successful entrepreneur, listen in as he discusses his most current company (almost seven successful years now!) as he walks us through finding the right folks to add to the team, how they build their culture of discovery and delivery at KungFu, and how they deliver projects to their clients.
2024-12-2043 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuilding Responsible and Secure AI ProgramsThe first Federal Chief AI Officer, Oki Mek, runs through three key components in building responsible and secure AI programs, something desperately needed in today's organizations.
2024-11-2245 min
The Data Culture PodcastGiddy-Up in the Same DirectionHow do you get all the cowfolk to giddy-up in the same direction? Smart people are notorious for having opinions; combine intelligence with the independent streak in North Dakota folks and it makes for a lot of work in driving change. Kim Weis has some insightful tips in lessons learned in trying change, failing, learning, and trying again.
2024-11-1442 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuilding real traction for AI InitiativesDo you want some AI with that? It's everywhere, though thankfully not IN our coffee (yet). So if AI conversations are ubiquitous, how do we sort value from folly? Keatra Nesbitt is a practiced strategy leader and data scientist, listen in as she shares her thoughts on how she navigates these complex conversations with her clients.
2024-10-3039 min
The Data Culture PodcastInnovating and Testing on Gen AIUtilizing Gen AI towards your organization's specific needs presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Opportunity to take advantage of massive investments by large tech firms; challenges in that it can be difficult to know what is correct and usable at scale out of these projects. Sabre's Laura Palomino discusses novel approaches they've used towards that have helped her team, and others at Sabre, pursue innovation and change, and be more efficient in testing, and more proactive in resolving potential issues before users find them.
2024-09-2532 min
The Data Culture PodcastAI Ready Data and Decentralized GovernanceWhat does it mean to have AI ready data? And once I know that, what do I do about it? Ian Stahl is Director of Product Management @ Informatica and has seen many data centric applications come and go. He provides insights into what's happening in the market today and how we all may work better together to make data highly useable and fit for purpose.
2024-09-1840 min
The Data Culture PodcastGaps in ML Ops' Current StateWe have come a long way since the publication of "Hidden Technical Debt in Machine Learning Systems" was published almost a decade ago. ML Ops has transformed how data science work is delivered, managed, and monitored. Great? Maybe. In this discussion we cover what is still one of the most glaring gaps in the AI/ML field. Disagreement is accepted and encouraged.
2024-08-2832 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuilding AI Capable Organizations [Previously Live Panel Disc]Audio from our LinkedIn Live Event!Organizational structure, team, and culture are critical components to repeatedly and consistently delivering innovation, business results, and absorbing innovative techniques from outside the org walls. AI is rightfully getting the lion’s share of attention, but to make purposed and impactful use, and to have it generate value, many teams across many people and many business units need to align on a baseline operating model. Without this, work efforts, collaboration, and implementations will continue to have marginal gains, if any.And the future will be left to the companies that have or...
2024-07-3156 min
The Data Culture PodcastStop Building Toy Boxes and Solve Real ProblemsEngineers are famous for building the amazing, and for wasting time on pet projects, dead ends, and losing track of the customer and real problems. How do you balance creativity and solving real problems? Jodi Blomberg, VP of Data Science at Cox Automotive, has sound, entertaining, and insightful advice!
2024-07-1740 min
The Data Culture PodcastReframing Digital Transformation in the Age of AIDigital transformation has been around for a while, but have we succeeded at it? AI, for better and worse, is pushing change in organizations. One of the positives is that AI is creating urgency for organizations to do the things they have deprioritized for a long time: data management, governance, or in this case, digital transformation. Now that this is come back into focus, what are the foundations of effective change?
2024-06-1840 min
The Data Culture PodcastFirst to Forecast: the Chesterfield County PioneersAt the end of a spectacular achievement, the journey there can sometimes seem obvious, but we all know clarity at the start is frequently missing. Nancy Tickle was at the center of Chesterfield County's pioneering transformation in using data to forecast micro-level growth, achieving something no other city or county had done before. In this episode, Nancy offers a detailed account on how Chesterfield achieved remarkable results.
2024-06-1141 min
The Data Culture PodcastLearning & Growth in the AI AgeSoftware is eating the world (or used to, that was soooo 2011). AI is eating the world now at a blistering pace, and while a lot of it feels like hyperbole, and in some cases faked gains (Devin), many initiatives in AI & data are very real, and organizations are adopting and adapting their cultures to include these gains and take advantage of what they enable. Within this astounding pace of change, we have lots of anxiety on learning and adapting. How do I stay current? Is RAG even going to be a thing a year from...
2024-05-2342 min
The Data Culture PodcastPeggy TsAI on AI Strategy for CDOsWant some AI with your coffee? It seems anywhere you turn, AI is infused into every interaction, decision, and experience, so it makes sense that your organization should upgrade (or create) your AO strategy. But how? CDO Peggy Tsai offers incredibly practical advice on AI Strategy for today's Chief Data Officers.
2024-05-0153 min
The Data Culture PodcastOn the Importance of Naming Things"What's in a name?" Shakespeare's romantic notion that naming something is irrelevant may work in purposes of his plays, but for the data world, naming, and conformance on the meaning of names, is critical. Amit Pahwa has spent a good portion of his career dedicated to making our data lives easier, all by focusing on that most basic of tasks: naming things.
2024-04-1652 min
The Data Culture PodcastIntuitive Decision MakingWhat is most useful for making decisions? Leaders and business owners face decisions almost every moment of the day. We aspire to be an entirely data driven world, so where does this leave 'gut' or intuition? Seyi Fabode helps us explore these questions; be prepared for some philosophical and practical insights.
2024-04-0545 min
The Data Culture PodcastDriving Acquisition Opportunities and Post Merger Alignment Mergers and acquisitions have a high failure rate in terms of hitting the envisioned objectives. There are many root causes, but lack of alignment on operating models is definitely on the list. Jeremy Kingry discusses how Argano quickly analyses a target acquiree using data and enforces aligned operating models, using data!
2024-03-2748 min
The Data Culture PodcastData Strategy is an AI StrategyA data strategy is an AI strategy. Subroto has 20+ years in data, innovation, and creating companies; he walks us through several topics that everyone should pay attention to in assembling their AI and data strategy.
2024-03-1847 min
The Data Culture PodcastCIO Laura McCanlies on Cross-Cultural Understanding and TransformationWe have worked across the globe for a while, but not everyone succeeds at it. Laura of IFC, a division of the World Bank, provides expert advice and guidance on how you might better understand your colleagues across the globe, gain understanding, and succeed together.
2024-03-0437 min
The Data Culture PodcastEmerging Leaders: Where do Millennials get Leadership Guidance?Emerging Leaders Series: Where do millennials get their leadership advice? There is a bias in the market to perceive that what big tech and other large progressive companies are publishing and discussing around open, collaborative, and supportive models for growing, supporting, and mentoring the next generation of talent and leaders IS the pervasive model in the market. But there are many orgs across the US and the world, with many different cultures, and many different models in how they grow and support the next generation. Stephanie Rennie shares her experiences in coming to data via the Army to her...
2024-02-2341 min
The Data Culture PodcastCollaborating on Insights with External PartnersCollaborating smoothly using data with our colleagues can be a challenge, but what about with external partners? Properly sharing insights and analytics is a challenge even today. Solomon has worked in some of the largest data environments wherein sharing and collaborating with external partners was critical to success, and has some useful insights on collaboration challenge history and what we do about it.
2024-02-1548 min
The Data Culture PodcastDBAs, DevOps, and the Data Delivery FlywheelHow can you influence change? In the minds of developers, data infrastructure, and those that manage it, can be seen as slow, stodgy, and resistant to moving quickly. Steve Jones, Advocate at Red Gate software, has lived both sides of the fence and offers his thoughts on how we may influence change that lasts.
2024-02-0945 min
The Data Culture PodcastIn the Loop: AI Product Management from a Human's ViewpointProduct management has always been an interesting intersection in looking at human desires, intents, and behaviors, the value of the system, and how to make everything smoothly interact. Throw in AI and now you have variability in both the inputs and outputs that vastly complicate the product manager's job. Reza Shirazi of Procore discusses successful ways to adapt and adopt the canon of product management methods to AI/ML focused products and their increasingly variable end user interactions.1
2024-01-2551 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuild and Operate Lean and Agile Data PlatformsBuy versus build and everywhere in between - thinking through what and how you should manage your data estate can be tricky. Storable's Jerry Gregoire walks us through how he and the team break down planning and investments in their data stack so that they are lean, close to business value, and operate smoothly.
2024-01-1745 min
The Data Culture PodcastPractical Data Quality's author Rob Hawker on (surprise!) Data QualityThe rise in practical uses of Gen AI and AI/ML is underlining an oft forgot and but necessary step in using data: data quality and governing of data quality. DW and analytics practitioners have trumpeted quality for ages, but practical and cost effective methods haven't always been widely known or taught. Rob Hawker thankfully has published a wonderful and practical book, covering real world examples and easily applied methods. Well worth a read! Listen in as he discusses the reasons for writing, and some of the stories behind the story.
2023-12-2246 min
The Data Culture PodcastFacilitating Idea Creation, Innovation, and ... Data Governance?!?Talking about data governance is (typically) not the topic that gets people jumping for joy. Rather, governances invoke "here comes the process monster" type responses. Yet this topic is critical, and considering Gen AI and advanced analytics, becoming more rewarding and, dare say it, fun?!? to undertake. Mathias Vercauteren has been bringing forward an enlightening and engaging way to kick start data governance efforts. In this episode, we explore Mathias’ journey towards creative and empowering workshops and collaboration methods, as well as the bumps along the road.
2023-12-1341 min
The Data Culture PodcastDr. Alikhachkina on Data Product ThinkingWhat is data product management and the associated concepts? How should we frame and think of this so we care successful? Dr. Elena Alikhachkina has been working in this area for a while, before we had recognized naming for data product thinking. She provides some amazing perspectives that will help you and your org adopt successful mindsets and patterns.
2023-12-0838 min
The Data Culture PodcastAI for Better, and More Human, Sales ManagementCoaching/mentoring has seemed more art than science. Data is everywhere to guide leaders and their teams, but not always accessible. And in today's remote and hybrid world, we have lost much of in the way human observations, one of the largest tools used by leaders to guide the next generation. In this episode, Colum discusses these challenges and how AI/ML can positively impact our ability to be better and more human leaders.
2023-12-0142 min
The Data Culture PodcastEmerging Leader Matt McGuinness's Career PathEmerging Leaders Series: We have a new sub-thread to our show wherein we talk with emerging thought, tech, or business leaders in data. Discover how they got to where they are, what's next, and who to watch out for! This first episode features Matt McGuinness of Buckland.
2023-11-2239 min
The Data Culture PodcastResearching what comes next in Gen AIWe talk with Eckerson Group's VP of Research Kevin Petrie on the research he is conducting on LLMs and Gen AI, and what he sees coming up that organizations should pay attention to in the coming months.
2023-11-1446 min
The Data Culture PodcastEvolving Your Data Capabilities with Data4Real's Julia BardmesserHow do we better frame our data management challenges so IT and business can better align and pursue value? Data4Real CEO Julia Bardmesser walks us through practical advice based on real world data challenges and transformations.
2023-11-0746 min
The Data Culture PodcastAI and a Beneficial and Prosperous TomorrowHow might we imagine and make a better future? Gen AI and other advances are rapidly impacting how we view, see, and interact with the world, but instead of taking a dystopian view, Jake Hirsch-Allen challenges us all to picture the positive and move accordingly.
2023-10-2758 min
The Data Culture PodcastData Quality Camp's Chad Sanderson on Data ProductsThere is so much talk on data quality, yet are we actually progressing? Do we have a good definition on data quality and how big or small the problem is? Chad Sanderson walks through his thinking on the topic and how he arrived at his focus on data product thinking as a path forward for the industry.
2023-10-1736 min
The Data Culture PodcastCaptain Obvious and Why the Pursuit of Value is still a TopicListen in as I talk with Malcom Hawker of Profisee as we dive into a Captain Obvious question, but a question that still lacks an appropriate and consistent response: why are we still having to talk about business value? Why do organizations still need prompting to align efforts to the right outcomes? And what can we do about this perpetual wheel we are all on?
2023-10-0338 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuy versus Build Your Data PlatformBuy or build? What goes into designing, developing, and managing a successful data estate if you choose to build from scratch? Listen to Peloton's Arun Vasudevan as he covers critical components that support amazing outcomes (whether you buy or build!).
2023-09-2156 min
The Data Culture PodcastMicrosoft's Christina Tillbrook on Centers of Excellence and TrainingMicrosoft's Christina Tillbrook walks through her observations on innovation and creating Centers of Excellence to support exploration, collaboration, and growth inside an organization.
2023-09-1235 min
The Data Culture PodcastHypergiant's Michael Roberts on AI, LLMs, and where we go nextHypergiant's Michael Roberts has spent considerable time in the AI and data field, having collected many enviable experiences and ideas. In this episode, we pick his brain on the current state of the art and what an ex-NASA engineer thinks of current approaches.
2023-08-3036 min
The Data Culture PodcastResponsibility and Ethics in AIResponsibility and Ethics discussions are thankfully coming more to the forefront when it comes to AI discussions and implementations. Even with the recent awakening, there is still much to do. Dr. Julia Stoyanovich joins us in this episode to discuss the importance in bringing AI and ethics topics to the center , inseparable from the systems being designed, implemented, or dreamed.
2023-08-2143 min
The Data Culture PodcastEcology of Data Systems and Writing a BookJoin us for Episode 15 as US Data and AI Practice Director Daren Child of Kyndryl and ex-Microsoft Principal Solution Architect discusses the ecology of data systems, how they've formed, and his insights in how companies transform at scale. Daren has had the opportunity to work on both large scale and highly impactful solutions, and his insights have inspired him to write a book. Listen in!
2023-08-1039 min
The Data Culture PodcastPerspectives From Early Career Data ScientistsWe often hear from senior leaders, but how do people entering the data science field feel about it? In this episode, we learn from three people in the first year of their data science careers - Man Vu, Shamelle Chotoki, and Lee Matias - about how they entered the field, what their experiences so far have been, and what their hopes are for the future of the field.
2023-07-2637 min
The Data Culture PodcastData Culture Self-FitnessThe eternal paradox of the consultant: implement masterfully for your client, and remain jealous of all the beautiful things they have that you do not. Slalom's Karl Méhu walks us through how Slalom started their own insights and analytics transformation.Some of my favorite quotes:> Stepping over a dollar to pick up a nickel,> We've recognized that .. basically, it's was an inhibitor to our own growth> making sure also that we're not also orchestrating in a way just to accommodate legacy.That last point is critical! Karl and team made sure to look to what was needed today, a...
2023-07-1436 min
The Data Culture PodcastInnovate securely with LLMs and Generative AI with Add Value Machine's John ShawChatGPT, LLMs, and Generative AI have set the world on fire; without control and consideration, that fire can quickly move from creative to destructive. How can we innovate and have controls and compliance? How can new ideas be tested and moved quickly to value and with governance in mind? AVM's John Shaw asked similar questions and will share his thoughts and where we've been, where we're going, and how ways we can better do more with these groundbreaking new tools.
2023-06-2641 min
The Data Culture PodcastNYU's Julia Lane on the importance of Data LiteracyHow do you create successful and lasting change? How can organizations learn and integrate into their cultural ethos better, informed, and responsible use of data? NYU's Julia Lane walks us through key learnings she has had over the course of her career in working on and solving very large and impactful programs across the globe and provide her perspective on how to create change that sticks.
2023-06-1447 min
The Data Culture PodcastJenny Lemieux on the importance of empathy in entrepreneurshipVivid Machines' Jenny Lemieux talks through the importance of empathy and curiosity in building a compelling product, delighting customers, and building strong and high performing teams, Jenny's path towards high-tech AI enabled agriculture is unique, and affords her perspectives worth hearing more about!
2023-06-0235 min
The Data Culture PodcastData Strategist and Former Texas CDO Ed Kelly on building ProgramsEd Kelly, Data Strategist and Texas’ first Chief Data Officer, discusses the journey Texas took in building out data programs, cultures, and capabilities. He runs through some of the key attributes of a successful CDO as well as how to win people over in building a shared vision. The path wasn’t easy, but the story is very interesting and promises some key insights into how one of the largest states moved towards a more robust data-centered culture. Favorite quotes:> CDOs today have to have a balance of understanding> [Data] It is a hardcore thing. You just gotta be able...
2023-05-1854 min
The Data Culture PodcastBuilding and Branding Data Culture with ex Microsoft's Amy Nichol CEO of OpenBlock and ex Microsofter Amy Nichol walks us through building and branding a data culture program to help customers, experience gained in her role as Director of the Cloud Architect team focused on States and larger cities and counties in the United States.> "You just have to start walking. You have to get to a point where you have some kind of momentum."> "The work will be the byproduct of your capability to do the work."> "We just have to have modern data culture at every turn in our operations."
2023-05-0836 min
The Data Culture PodcastMicrosoft's Eve Machol on listening and focusing on OutcomesWe talk with Microsoft’s Eve Machol in this session on the importance of always being a student and the art of listening. And then consulting. She discusses the importance of stakeholder identification and alignment, and never forgetting that outcomes matter most – to use her catch phrase, “put the business back into old school business intelligence.”
2023-04-2736 min
The Data Culture PodcastStrategy Leader and Former North Dakota CDO Dorman BazzellOur executive perspective’s episode this week features Dorman Bazzell, former CDO of North Dakota and North American Data Strategy Practice Lead at Capgemini. Listen in to our conversation as Dorman shares insightful visionary and leadership level perspectives on trust, culture, and building strategy that sticks. Trust is a key component, and Dorman layers observations and thoughts on trust throughout the conversation.
2023-04-1243 min
The Data Culture PodcastData Cultures Across the GlobeData Culture's span the globe and have both similar and divergent ways in which they tackle data and the pursuit of insights. Microsoft's Aarshiya Gupta has worked in different continents. In her role as a Customer Success Account Manager at Microsoft in India, she walks us through global perspectives on data cultures.
2023-04-0133 min
The Data Culture PodcastData in Service to Domestic Violence Survivors Data holds two sharp edges in the domestic violence and abuse support space; reporting and analytics are critical to defining programs that help survivors and craft new ways to support them. These stories can at times be at odds with what's needed by government and funders. Listen in to Katie Hughes walk through her story to this field and how we all may better understand data and it's impact.
2023-03-1737 min
The Data Culture PodcastLiberal Arts to Data Science: A Long Unexpected JourneyData Science is still nascent and paths to being a data scientist are as varied as the people in those positions. And yet, it is a prevailing assumption that successful senior data scientists have PhDs, Masters or similar advanced degrees. Market perceptions are thankfully changing, in part due to early entrants like Andrew Kraemer. Andrew walked (sprinted) to a successful and experienced data scientist, having delivered award winning client projects, from a liberal arts degree from a small Midwestern university. His story provides salient details on a journey and a potential path for anyone wondering how one might navigate...
2023-03-1039 min
The Data Culture PodcastData and Innovation in Government - Workforce CommissionWe talk with Adam Leonard, Chief Analytic Officer at the Texas Workforce Commission, about the importance of data in decision making. Adam has a long journey in serving Texas citizens and in bringing data to the table to make better and more informed decisions. His story is interesting for many people, whether you are brand new or an experienced leader.
2023-03-0859 min
The Data Culture PodcastWhy Talk About Data Culture?Why talk about data culture? Why is it so hard to be good at using data? In this episode, Sid and Lee lead listeners through the key reasons this conversation is necessary for organizations to be successful.
2023-03-0732 min