Best Leapfrog Technology Podcasts (2025)

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#48 - Christoph Ort: Sewers, Drugs and Rock n' Roll - from wastewater surveillance to saving lives in the pandemic 1:10:53

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7d ago1:10:53

1:10:53

Christoph Ort, Group Leader and Head of the Urban Water Maangement Department at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology dives into the world of wastewater surveillance or wastewater-based epidemiology, techniques, intricacies, use-cases and the broader societal implications. We trace his journey in leading a "band" of disciplines in supporting s…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #8: "Broken Telephone" - lost in translation between leapfrogging and Dunkelflaute (feat. Mashael Yazdanie) 1:16:08

13d ago1:16:08

1:16:08

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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Advancing digital inclusion in Africa 27:18

12d ago27:18

27:18

Host Landry Signé speaks with Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou, CEO of the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa, and former minister special advisor to the president of Niger, on the importance of expanding internet access in Africa and the potential of public-private partnerships to provide needed investments. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa …

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Predicting a brighter future for Africa 20:50

27d ago20:50

20:50

Host Landry Signé and fellow futurist Jakkie Cilliers, founder of the Institute for Security Studies and head of its African Futures Innovation Programme, discuss the importance of evidence-based forecasting for preparing for shaping a brighter future in and for Africa and how youth are key to achieving the best-case scenarios for African economies…

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#47 - Wei-Shan Chen: Valuing food waste and greening - the experience in delivering technology and tools to close the carbon and water cycles 1:17:00

1M ago1:17:00

1:17:00

Wei Shan Chen, also known as "Momo", Assistant Professor at Wageningen University shares his journey from Materials Engineering into the environment, from Taiwan to The Netherlands and from the Carbon Cycle to the Water Cycle. We discuss the issue of food waste and its broader implications among other approaches he has taken to recover carbon and c…

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Namibia’s foreign minister on the transformative impact of trade and foreign policy for Africa’s development 22:56

1M ago22:56

22:56

Host Landry Signé speaks with Hon. Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Namibia’s minister for international relations and trade, and seasoned career diplomat, on the need for African countries to think locally while acting continentally, and how agreements like the AfCFTA and a spirit of solidarity among African countries create opportunities for Africans and …

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From Legacy to Leapfrog: AI Innovation at Avnet with SVP & CIO Max Chan 28:32

2M ago28:32

28:32

On the 54th episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, hosts Evan Reiser (Abnormal AI) and Saam Motamedi (Greylock Partners) talk with Max Chan, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Avnet. Avnet is a $20 billion global technology distribution company that plays a critical role in the electronics supply chain, supporting the design, prod…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #7: The “Tablecloth Problem”, headwaters in focus and the pollution party (feat. Belinda Hatt) 1:08:42

2M ago1:08:42

1:08:42

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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Population dividend, technological leapfrogging, and high growth rates signal opportunities for African economies 28:22

2M ago28:22

28:22

Host Landry Signé speaks with Acha Leke, chairman of McKinsey & Company’s Africa Region and senior partner in their Johannesburg office, about Africa’s many advantages in human and natural resources. Leke explains how different actors, from family-owned businesses to national governments and international investors, can align themselves to benefit …

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#46 - Mark Swinnerton: Gravity vs. "giant hockey pucks" - what disused mines and renewable energy storage have in common 1:20:20

2M ago1:20:20

1:20:20

Mark Swinnerton, CEO of Green Gravity, shares his journey from metallurgy to mining operations and currently gravitational storage technology to support the energy transition. We get an in-depth look into how he is transforming the renewable energy storage industry and giving old mine shafts a new lease on life, an insight into the technology and l…

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The Future of AI-Powered Supply Chains with Prologis CTO Sineesh Keshav 30:25

2M ago30:25

30:25

On the 53rd episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, hosts Evan Reiser (Abnormal AI) and Saam Motamedi (Greylock Partners) talk with Sineesh Keshav, Chief Technology Officer at Prologis. With over 1.3 billion square feet under management and over 8 billion in revenue, Prologis is the world's largest logistics real estate company. In this conversation, …

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Democratic resilience in Africa (and Kenya) takes many forms 28:19

2M ago28:19

28:19

Foresight Africa host Landry Signé and Drs. Oscar Otele and Danielle Resnick examine the nuances of the state of democracy across Africa, providing insights into strategies for democratic resiliency moving forward. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, Af…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #6: These are neither the pollutants nor researcher you are looking for (feat. Lena Mutzner) 56:07

2M ago56:07

56:07

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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#45 - Lena Mutzner: “A list that keeps getting longer” - understanding pollutants of emerging concern for healthier aquatic environments 1:23:29

3M ago1:23:29

1:23:29

Lena Mutzner, Group Leader in the Urban Water Management Department at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology discusses the intricacies of stormwater quality monitoring. We learn a bit about how water quality is sampled, different pollutant types that she has focussed on and the ongoing challenge around contaminants of emerging…

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Modernizing a 100-Year-Old Institution: AI at TIAA with Chief Operating, Information & Digital Officer Sastry Durvasula 30:58

3M ago30:58

30:58

On the 52nd episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, host Evan Reiser (Abnormal AI) talks with Sastry Durvasula, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating, Information, and Digital Officer at TIAA. Serving the investment and retirement needs of over 5 million customers, TIAA is a Fortune 500 financial services company with $40 billion in reve…

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Partnerships elevate Africa’s development successes 30:41

3M ago30:41

30:41

On this episode of Foresight Africa, hosted by Landry Signé, Gargee Ghosh, president of Global Policy and Advocacy at the Gates Foundation, explains why collaborative, context-specific, and innovative solutions elevate development success across Africa. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Sub…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #5: Plot Twist! Figure 3 says more than a thousand words and a third of the hot dogs (feat. Yannick Back) 1:02:27

3M ago1:02:27

1:02:27

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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Meet African girls’ educational needs by listening to their experiences 36:15

3M ago36:15

36:15

Adefunke Ekine and Mary Otieno, university educators from Nigeria and Kenya respectively, and alumnae of the Echidna Scholars Program at Brookings, talk with Foresight Africa host Landry Signé on why innovation and listening to girls’ stories are crucial to advancing girls’ education across Africa. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast…

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#44 - Jarrod Luxton: What does a best-practice sustainability strategy look like? Discussing nature, valuation, Nordic and Aussie contrasts 1:20:00

4M ago1:20:00

1:20:00

Jarrod Luxton, Senior Lead at the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra), Board Member of Finland's Sustainable Investment Forum (finsif) and Founder of First Arrow discusses what a best-practice sustainability strategy looks like in 2025! The key player? Nature! We delve into the topic of valuing nature-based solutions and compare and contrast between Au…

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From Automation to Agentic AI with Nextdoor CIO Shyam Bhojwani 39:38

4M ago39:38

39:38

On the 51st episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, host Evan Reiser (Abnormal AI) talks with Shyam Bhojwani, Chief Information Officer at Nextdoor. With millions of users across the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, Nextdoor is one of the largest neighborhood-based platforms in the world, connecting communities with real-time information, local recommendat…

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How the World Bank is advancing shared prosperity and jobs in Africa amid global economic uncertainty 27:02

4M ago27:02

27:02

During the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., Foresight Africa host Landry Signé caught up with Axel van Trotsenburg, senior managing director of the World Bank, who spoke about how to mobilize the private sector to help create more jobs for African youth in the coming years, while also addressing the debt distress crisis many Afri…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #4: Jalapeños as part of the urban form and a lesson in Dutch (feat. Martijn Kuller) 1:00:23

4M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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On site with leaders at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings 2025 34:57

4M ago34:57

34:57

During the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in April 2025, Foresight Africa podcast host Landry Signé interviewed leaders in the global finance and development space to glean their key takeaways from the meetings and how they might shape policy decisions and deliver tangible results across Africa. In this special episode, you will hear highlights fro…

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#43 - Tom Young: Answers to sustainability are in the links between green roofs, beer, mushrooms, golf, water, cowboys and community 1:22:50

4M ago1:22:50

1:22:50

Thomas Young, Associate and Blue-Green Infrastructure Specialist at The Environment Partnership (TEP) in the UK shows us his journey from the technical side of green roofs to the more holistic broader planning of sustainability and blue-green infrastructure. His incredible journey is supported by many seemingly unrelated topics, travels and passion…

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To reduce inequality in Nigeria, focus on jobs, laws, and cash 28:57

4M ago28:57

28:57

Host Landry Signé and Belinda Archibong, a fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings, discuss inequalities that hinder development across Africa and policy choices that can overcome them. These include increasing job opportunities for women and youth, passing laws against gender and youth discrimination, and providing access to financia…

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#42 - Mashael Yazdanie: "Doing the right things the right way" - how to holistically plan for sufficiency and renewable energy 1:34:21

4M ago1:34:21

1:34:21

Mashael Yazdanie, Group Leader, Scientist and Lecturer at the Urban Energy Systems Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Materials Science & Technology (Empa) traces her journey across the renewable energies towards more holistic thinking around energy, sustainability, society and sufficiency. We cover her projects in both the global north and sout…

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Rethinking South-North cooperation across the Atlantic in a shifting global economy 31:12

5M ago31:12

31:12

Host Landry Signé and Dr. Karim El Aynaoui, executive president of the Policy Center for the New South, discuss the rapid shift toward transactional relationships between countries in the South and North that may prove difficult for less stable countries in the New South to navigate. Macroeconomic stability and independent monetary policy are funda…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #3: Multi-tasking superheroes and going meta on AI (feat. Veljko Prodanovic) 58:32

5M ago58:32

58:32

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #2: Playing "Urban Tetris" and "Heat Detectives" with Blue Green Systems (feat. João P. Leitão) 55:40

5M ago55:40

55:40

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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Why do some African countries perform better for their citizens than others? 27:25

5M ago27:25

27:25

Foresight Africa host Landry Signé discusses the findings of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s newest governance index with Nathalie Delapalme, the Foundation’s CEO. Countries that have continued to make progress, she says, have done so by putting equal emphasis on all four dimensions of governance: human development, sustainable economic opportunity, se…

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#41 - Don Weatherbee: "Catalyzing" change beyond the mine - scaling up metals regeneration to enable the future circular economy 1:04:35

5M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

Don Weatherbee, CEO of Regenx Tech Corp in Alberta, Canada shows us how you can scale up metals recycling (or regeneration as he calls it) sustainably. We discuss his journey from studying accounting to joining the mining and resources industry and how he is now leveraging opportunities to close the loop and create the circular economy around criti…

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The African Continental Free Trade Area is a game changer for both African and global economies 22:52

6M ago22:52

22:52

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) provides a blueprint for the continent to overcome development challenges through intra-African trade that is economically and environmentally sustainable. On this episode of Foresight Africa, host Landry Signé talks with AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, who shares his vision of how the wo…

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The NotebookLM Mini Series #1: Cooling establishment time, it's like baking a cake (feat. Lucas Gobatti) 1:02:42

6M ago1:02:42

1:02:42

Welcome to this Mini-Series on The Grand Challengers Podcast! The topic of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been in all our minds over the past few years and is gaining even more momentum with rapid advancements in text, audio and video. Google recently released NotebookLM, a powerful research-support AI that can generate not only summar…

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#40 - João P. Leitão: Studying the extremes - "when it rains, it floods", and "just add water" when "the heat is on" 1:09:13

6M ago1:09:13

1:09:13

João P. Leitão, Senior Researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag), Professor at ETH Zurich and the first guest of this podcast returns for a Part 2 to reflect on the podcast 40 episodes later, more fun topics about Portugal and major research topics that we did not cover on the first episode including urban dr…

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Nobel laureate in economics explains why African societies are ready for rapid economic development 22:54

6M ago22:54

22:54

Foresight Africa podcast host Landry Signé speaks with James Robinson, 2024 Nobel Laureate in economics and University Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, about the critical importance of societal institutions in driving economic prosperity in Africa and the imperative of homegrown solutions in unlocking the con…

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How Western Digital Balances AI, Automation, and 24/7 Operations with SVP and CISO Sesh Tirumala 21:03

6M ago21:03

21:03

On the 50th episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, hosts Evan Reiser (Abnormal Security) and Saam Motamedi (Greylock Partners) talk with Sesh Tirumala, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Western Digital. Western Digital is one of the world's largest data storage manufacturers, with over 51,000 employees, 13,000 patents, and $13 bi…

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National Geographic Explorers discuss African filmmakers’ role in conservation, economic development, and storytelling for Africa 46:09

7M ago46:09

46:09

Landry Signé speaks with National Geographic Explorers Noel Kok and Pragna Parsotam-Kok about their work to create a network of African conservation filmmakers to highlight African voices and engage African audiences. Kok and Parsotam-Kok are co-founders and executive directors of Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF). Show notes and tra…

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#39 - Lucas Gobatti: Spinoza, science, spirituality - confronting ‘displacements’ in planning urban nature, climate and heat 1:26:48

7M ago1:26:48

1:26:48

Lucas Gobatti, PhD research at ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) goes deep into how Albert Einstein, Benedictus de Spinoza and Karl Marx have shaped his worldview and connection to cities and nature. As a trained architect, civil engineer and urban planner, we discuss how he balances science and sp…

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New AGI Director Pierre Nguimkeu calls for a true African perspective in research and policy advice about Africa 17:57

7M ago17:57

17:57

In episode one of the fourth season of Foresight Africa podcast, host Landry Signe talks with the new director of the Africa Growth Initiative, Pierre Nguimkeu, who talks about his research priorities for AGI in the coming year. Show notes and transcript Foresight Africa podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Appl…

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Breaking News in AI with The Washington Post Chief Technology Officer Vineet Khosla 32:13

7M ago32:13

32:13

On the 49th episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, hosts Evan Reiser (Abnormal Security) and Saam Motamedi (Greylock Partners) talk with Vineet Khosla, Chief Technology Officer of The Washington Post. The Washington Post is the third-largest newspaper in the United States, with 135,000 print subscribers and 2 and half million digital subscribers. In …

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#38 - Patricia Cuervo Uría: The human side of planning and flood risk in London - the challenge of embedding history into policy 1:21:53

7M ago1:21:53

1:21:53

Patricia Cuervo Uría, Regional Delivery Manager at Binnies in the UK, Chartered Planner and fellow member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) discusses her experience in planning for flood risk and discussing the impending challenge of mental health in relation to climate change. With over 18 years of experien…

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Introducing Season 4 of Foresight Africa podcast 3:31

7M ago3:31

3:31

With 2030 on the horizon—the looming deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals, now is a critical time to assess the progress, gaps, and road ahead for the top policy and development priorities for Africa, U.S.-Africa relations, and the continent’s broader global partnerships. In season four of Foresight Africa podcast, host Landry Signé, seni…

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#37 - Brett Ferrin: "Safeguarding the ordinary" - achieving traffic safety planning and management in a data-rich, AI-powered world 1:15:43

8M ago1:15:43

1:15:43

Brett Ferrin, Vice President of Sales North America at Traffic Logix discusses the evolving and more complex nature of traffic safety management and gives insight into the many ways we can ensure safety on our roads for vehicle operators and other users. We discuss the implications of rapidly exploding amounts of data and the potential of artificia…

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The Future of AI Banking with Ally Chief Information, Data, & Digital Officer Sathish Muthukrishnane 22:36

9M ago22:36

22:36

On the 48th episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, hosts Evan Reiser (Abnormal Security) and Saam Motamedi (Greylock Partners) talk with Sathish Muthukrishnan, Chief Information, Data, and Digital Officer of Ally Financial. Ally is an American bank holding company, with over $8 billion in annual revenue and over 11,000 employees. The company provides…

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#36 - Tables Turned: Part 1 - Guests ask me questions on the podcast origin story, life choices and more 1:03:29

9M ago1:03:29

1:03:29

To finish off 2024 and reflect on the 35 episodes of The Grand Challengers Podcast so far, here is a very special episode. Guests from across the show got to ask me a question of their choosing and I have compiled them into a special episode titled "Tables Turned". In this episode, we look into 22 questions relating to the origin story and plans fo…

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Innovation at the Edge: How AI Transforms the Enterprise with Bain Global CIO & CTO Ramesh Razdan 30:10

10M ago30:10

30:10

On the 47th episode of Enterprise Software Innovators, hosts Evan Reiser (Abnormal Security) and Saam Motamedi (Greylock Partners) talk with Ramesh Razdan, Global CIO & CTO of Bain & Company. Bain & Company is a “Big Three” management consulting firm with 65 global offices, 19,000 employees, and over $8 billion in annual revenue. Bain helps Fortune…

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#35 - Yannick Back: The answers are beyond the "clouds" - the water-energy link for climate adaptation in a world of data ubiquity 1:22:55

10M ago1:22:55

1:22:55

Yannick Back, Research Fellow at the Unit of Environmental Engineering, Innsbruck University shares an alternative way of looking at planning for urban heat mitigation, which is the intrinsic link between water and energy fluxes. We discuss how Yannick has harnessed the power of remote sensing (both aerial and satellite data sets) and geographic in…

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#34 - Denise Mitrano: A world of plastics from macro and micro to nano - should zero plastics be the long-term goal? 1:10:59

10M ago1:10:59

1:10:59

Denise Mitrano, Assistant Professor in the Environmental System Science Department at ETH Zurich sheds some light into the topic of plastics pollution, from macro and micro to nano. Trained as an analytical chemist, we hear how Denise is using her skills to better understand how we can quantify, replace and reduce the sources for better environment…

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Inside TransUnion's AI Evolution with CIO Munir Hafez 27:22

11M ago27:22

27:22

On the 46th episode of Enterprise Software Innovators, host Evan Reiser (Abnormal Security) talks with Munir Hafez, CIO of TransUnion. TransUnion specializes in credit reporting, fraud detection, and data analytics. With over 19,000 employees and over $3.6 billion in annual revenue, the company impacts more than a billion people worldwide. In this …

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Advancing tech, innovation, and AI governance in Africa 29:15

11M ago29:15

29:15

Rwanda has made impressive progress in driving inclusive digitalization across its economy. By harnessing data-driven insights, the country has empowered evidence-based policymaking, fostered innovation, and catalyzed digital transformation of Rwandan society. In this episode, host Landry Signé speaks with Crystal Rugege, managing director of Rwand…