Season 2 is now live

Learn from the people using data to see things nobody else can.
This is a show for leaders in data and technology. Join us to hear cutting-edge insights about data-driven decision making and creating a data culture.
Marketing by
Season 2 is now live

Learn from the people who use data to see things nobody else can.
This is a show for leaders in data and technology. Join us to hear cutting-edge insights about data-driven decision making and creating a data culture.
Marketing by
Season 2 is now live

Learn from the people who use data to see things nobody else can.
This is a show for leaders in data and technology. Join us to hear cutting-edge insights about data-driven decision making and creating a data culture.
Marketing by

Season 2 Trailer

Season 1 Highlights Reel

Episodes

Start with Story, End with Data

Ashish Thusoo, Founder of Qubole and Creator of Apache Hive

Season 2 Episode 9

Ashish Thusoo has been on the leading edge of a data culture, whether it’s as a founder of a data lake startup, developing the Hive data warehouse at Facebook, or in his role as GM of AI/AML at Amazon Web Services. This discussion traces the evolution of data innovation, from big data to data science to generative AI.
Ashish Thusoo Ashish Thusoo

The Bazaar in the Cathedral

Matei Zaharia, Co-founder and CTO of Databricks

Season 2 Episode 8

How can a software engineer create the next big thing? According to Matei Zaharia, creator of Apache Spark and co-founder of Databricks, it demands a single architect to build the cathedral – and an open bazaar to empower the masses. In this conversation, Matei shares his startup philosophy and reveals exciting advancements with Databricks Unity Catalog and Dolly 2.0, an LLM for enterprise.
Matei Zaharia Matei Zaharia

From the Outskirts to the Center

Jitendra Putcha, EVP & Global Head of Data Analytics and AI, LTIMindtree

Season 2 Episode 7

As EVP and global head of data analytics and AI at LTIMindtree, one of India’s Super Six tech giants, Jitendra Putcha serves today’s clients and mentors tomorrow’s tech leaders with his past experience as well as a seer’s eye on the future. In this conversation, Putcha shares his insights on cloud computing, and AI, or the evolution of the Indian workforce.
Jitendra Putcha Jitendra Putcha

Get Out of the Building!

Tricia Wang, Co-founder, Sudden Compass

Season 2 Episode 6

To fully understand quantitative "big" data, you need qualitative "thick" data that reveals human emotions, stories, and world views. Tricia Wang, thick data expert, helps organizations decipher the qualitative, human meanings lurking in quantitative data to fuel meaningful innovation.
Tricia Wang Tricia Wang

The Scientific Integrity Crisis

Dr. Elisabeth Bik, Microbiologist, science integrity consultant

Season 2 Episode 5

Seeing is believing — or is it? Today, Photoshop and AI make it easy to falsify images that can find their way into scientific research. Science integrity consultant Dr. Elisabeth Bik, an expert at spotting fishy images, addresses the murky world of research, the impact of “publish or perish”, and how to restore trust in science through reproducibility.
Dr. Elisabeth Bik Dr. Elisabeth Bik

Data Governance: Any “Dummy” Can Do It!

Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Author and Founder, Human Future

Season 2 Episode 4

Data governance is the smart thing to do — but you don’t have to be a Data Einstein to do it. Data Governance for Dummies author Jonathan Reichental, PhD, breaks down a seemingly intimidating subject to illustrate how governance boils down to managing data well, and explains how good governance leads to innovation and growth.
Dr. Jonathan Reichental Dr. Jonathan Reichental

Humanizing AI: Authentic Storytelling

Jepson (Ben) Taylor, Chief AI Strategist, Dataiku

Season 2 Episode 3

“Vulnerability” is not a word you hear often in tech, but it forms the foundation of success for AI expert Jepson (Ben) Taylor, Dataiku’s chief AI strategist. In this conversation, Jepson reveals the passions — and struggles — of launching (and working for) a startup, how to embrace “failing fast,” and the role of human connection even in the realm of “artificial” intelligence.
Jepson (Ben) Taylor Jepson (Ben) Taylor

Your RFP is Useless

Paul Leonardi, Duca Family Professor of Technology Management, UCSB

Season 2 Episode 2

How do you find the right technology for your business? You embrace the 80% rule, which dictates that just 1 of 5 people will use your new tech tool for its stated purpose. In this interview, Paul Leonardi, digital transformation expert, reveals how leaders can pick the best tech for their teams while promoting a digital mindset.
Paul Leonardi Paul Leonardi

Premature Enumeration

Tim Harford, Host of Cautionary Tales and Author of The Undercover Economist

Season 2 Episode 1

According to Malcolm Gladwell, the “undercover economist” Tim Harford is a “genius at telling stories that illuminate our world.” In this episode, Tim discusses how “undercover” refers not to anonymity but rather his ability to surface data insights that entertain, enlighten, and even save lives.
Tim Harford Tim Harford

Data Governance 101: All You Need to Know (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Bob Seiner, Jennifer Belissent, Paola Saibene, Michelle Hoiseth, Francesco Marzoni & Wendy Turner-Williams, Data Governance Experts

Season 1 Episode 28

How do you make your data governance program successful? Learn top tips in this supercut episode, which compiles the best governance advice from season 1. Featuring Bob Seiner of KIK Consulting, Jennifer Belissent, Principal Data Strategist at Snowflake, Francesco Marzoni, CDO of Inkga Group, and more!
Bob Seiner, Jennifer Belissent, Paola Saibene, Michelle Hoiseth, Francesco Marzoni & Wendy Turner-Williams Bob Seiner, Jennifer Belissent, Paola Saibene, Michelle Hoiseth, Francesco Marzoni & Wendy Turner-Williams

How Extreme Focus Launched the Modern Data Stack

George Fraser and Taylor Brown, Co-founders, Fivetran

Season 1 Episode 27

Success comes from following the insights of your data — especially when you’re trying to launch a data company. Fivetran co-founders George Fraser and Taylor Brown discuss how the ability to pivot on the fly was just as important as their solution’s secret sauce to the success of their startup.
George Fraser and Taylor Brown George Fraser and Taylor Brown

DataOps & The Data Catalog

Michele Goetz, VP, Principal Analyst, Forrester

Season 1 Episode 26

What’s the deal with DataOps? Guest speaker and Forrester Research analyst Michele Goetz says it comes down to democratizing data and enabling self-service. In this interview, learn how DataOps can support collaboration and coordination between the business and IT – and what the future has in store.
Michele Goetz Michele Goetz

Turning Data Librarians Into Supercomputers

Deb Seys, Senior Director of Learning & Communities, Alation

Season 1 Episode 25

During the eras of papyrus, parchment, and paper — as well as our current "paperless" age — librarians have been among the gatekeepers of information. In this episode, Alation's senior director of learning and communities, Deb Seys, brings a librarian's perspective to how data (and cataloging it) can tell stories and deliver unbiased metrics.
Deb Seys Deb Seys

From Data Strategy to Execution

Steve Pimblett, CDO, The Very Group

Season 1 Episode 24

The chief data officer’s title should be “chief data value officer.” After all, it’s the outcomes from data insights that determine success in the eyes of the C-suite. In this episode, CDO Steve Pimblett of The Very Group describes the four pillars of extracting value from data and shares how he’s built a successful B2C data team.
Steve Pimblett Steve Pimblett

Multiple Sources of Truth:
Decentralization and the Data Mesh

Zhamak Dehghani, Creator of the Data Mesh

Season 1 Episode 23

Centralizing data was supposed to produce a single source of truth. Why did it fail? Zhamak Dehghani shares why she created the data mesh, and reveals how this socio-technical approach Decentralizes data ownership to address growing complexity at large organizations.
Zhamak Dehghani Zhamak Dehghani

Truth, Data, and FAIRness

Francesco Marzoni, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Ingka Group

Season 1 Episode 22

Want your data to be a competitive asset? Make it FAIR — findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable — and you’ll reduce the silos and improve efficiency. Francesco Marzoni explains how to apply the data management principles of FAIR at your organization to empower more people to derive the most value from your data.
Francesco Marzoni Francesco Marzoni

Using Data to Fight for Human Rights

Tarak Shah, Data Scientist, HRDAG

Season 1 Episode 21

How can data experts hold the guilty accountable? Tarak Shah is a data scientist working at the intersection of social justice and data analysis. Learn how his work has helped to convict a dictator of war crimes and corrupt police of brutality.
Tarak Shah Tarak Shah

The Data Behind Dating

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Author of Don’t Trust Your Gut

Season 1 Episode 20

Forget surveys — study Google searches! Bestselling author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz leverages the accuracy of Google Trends to maintain an unbiased, data-driven mindset — and offers ways to unearth honest insights to power your business decisions.
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

The Beginning of Business Intelligence

Bernard Liautaud, Founder, Business Objects & Managing Partner, Balderton Capital

Season 1 Episode 19

In the world of business intelligence, there are few businesses like BusinessObjects. Founder Bernard Liautaud discusses how startup success was fueled by more than just a great product — it took a culture (both data culture and workplace culture) and leadership by example.
Bernard Liautaud Bernard Liautaud

Knowledge Graphs 101

Kendall Clark, Founder & CEO, Stardog

Season 1 Episode 18

Enterprise Knowledge Graphs are having a moment. Learn how Kendall Clark’s unconventional path from philosophy PhD to data scientist prepared him to found Stardog, which creates a semantic layer for your data fabric and today counts NASA as a customer.
Kendall Clark Kendall Clark

Radical Data Politics

Wendy Turner-Williams, CDO at Tableau

Season 1 Episode 17

How do you change culture? First, speak softly and carry great data. Second, master tips from Tableau’s CDO on how to be a data changemaker and people influencer, with a steady eye to your org chart.
Wendy Turner-Williams Wendy Turner-Williams

Data is a Weapon

Stan McChrystal, Retired US Army General

Season 1 Episode 16

Think changing the data culture at your organization is hard? Try doing it in the U.S. military. Stan McChrystal shares his experiences on improving how data is gathered, shared, and leveraged —drawing on his time as a four-star general leading U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Stan McChrystal Stan McChrystal

The Data on the Chief of Data

Randy Bean, Founder & CEO, NewVantage Partners

Season 1 Episode 15

The “D” in “CDO” stands for “data.” But it could also stand for the dexterity needed to get boots-on-the-ground buy-in across the organization. NewVantage Partners founder and CEO Randy Bean shares his insights on how to set up the modern CDO for success.
Randy Bean Randy Bean

The Death and Rebirth of Data Privacy

Michelle Finneran Dennedy, #1 CPO and CEO of PrivacyCode

Season 1 Episode 14

To a data scientist, data privacy is anathema. Yet to the next generation, it’s a foundational right. How can we adapt? Michelle Finneran Dennedy was one of the first to bring privacy to the C-suite, and in this talk she shares how the role has evolved with advice to future CPOs.
Michelle Finneran Dennedy Michelle Finneran Dennedy

Data Quality Is a Risky Business

Kyle Kirwan, Co-Founder and CEO of BigEye

Season 1 Episode 13

Growth in any industry usually requires innovation. But when you challenge the status quo, you encounter different levels of risk. Bigeye CEO and former Uber data scientist Kyle Kirwan details his experiences on finding the balance between innovation and risk.
Kyle Kirwan Kyle Kirwan

The Science Behind Quitting

Christie Aschwanden, Former Lead Science Writer at FiveThirtyEight

Season 1 Episode 12

Christie Aschwanden is an award-winning science writer, who was the first to report on key issues in reproducibility in sports science. In this episode, Satyen and Christie discuss the problems in science today (and how we can fix them!).
Christie Aschwanden Christie Aschwanden

Your Path to CDO Superstardom

Peter Jackson, Co-Founder & Director, Carruthers and Jackson

Season 1 Episode 11

Fools rush into the wrong CDO role. How can future CDOs flip the script, and identify opportunities to which they’re well matched? Peter Jackson, seasoned CDO, shares tips on how to pick the right company and role to launch your CDO career.
Peter Jackson Peter Jackson

Super Chickens & the Productivity Pecking Order

Dr. Margaret Heffernan, 5-time CEO and Author of Willful Blindness

Season 1 Episode 10

Facts don’t always speak for themselves — and the truth won’t always set us free. In this episode, Satyen and Margaret discuss whistleblowers, how to convince people of tough truths with data, and why a team of “super chickens” can undermine productivity.
Dr. Margaret Heffernan Dr. Margaret Heffernan

Attacking Data Literacy

Cindy Howson, Chief Data Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot

Season 1 Episode 9

Cindi Howson is an expert in business intelligence with more than 20 years experience. In this episode, Cindi and Satyen discuss the value of data literacy, the evolution of Business Intelligence, and how enterprises can undertake their own data transformation.
Cindy Howson Cindy Howson

Your Guide to Corporate Controversies

Amir Efrati, Co-Founder and Executive Editor, The Information

Season 1 Episode 8

In this episode, Amir discusses the Facebook Papers, controversies around self-driving cars, and the relationship between data-driven decisions and transparency. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, and you won’t want to miss it.
Amir Efrati Amir Efrati

Making Big Data an Asset in Medicine

Michelle Hoiseth, CDO, Parexel

Season 1 Episode 7

Michelle Hoiseth is the Chief Data Officer at Parexel, a $2.5B global provider of biopharmaceutical services. In this episode, Michelle uncovers the top data problems in the pharmaceturical industry, and shares her advice for promoting a data culture at scale.
Michelle Hoiseth Michelle Hoiseth

How to be a Data Cheerleader

Caroline Carruthers, Co-Author of The Chief Data Officer’s Playbook

Season 1 Episode 6

Caroline Carruthers, author of The Chief Data Officer’s Playbook, is a seasoned CDO and data cheerleader. In this episode, learn her tips for seizing success as a CDO, and how to promote data literacy at a large organization.
Caroline Carruthers Caroline Carruthers

The Reign of Specialists is Over

David Epstein, Bestselling Author of Range

Season 1 Episode 5

This episode features David Epstein, #1 New York Times bestseller of the books Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and The Sports Gene. In this episode, David and Satyen discuss the value of a generalized education, the explore/exploit tradeoff, and why managers should encourage exploration in their organizations.
David Epstein David Epstein

Emerging from the Data Dark Ages

Jennifer Belissent, Principal Data Strategist at Snowflake

Season 1 Episode 4

This episode features Jennifer Belissent, expert data strategist and former research analyst at Forrester. Jennifer is a leading voice on data literacy, data management, and data strategy. In this episode, Satyen and Jennifer discuss the value of data literacy, the three pillars of data governance, and how CDOs can build a data culture.
Jennifer Belissent Jennifer Belissent

Forging a Culture of Data Governance

Bob Seiner, President & Principal, KIK Consulting

Season 1 Episode 3

This episode features Bob Seiner, data governance expert and author of Non-Invasive Data Governance: The Path of Least Resistance and Greatest Success. In this episode, Bob and Satyen discuss how to communicate about data, how to improve data governance at your company, and how to integrate these lessons to create a data culture.
Bob Seiner Bob Seiner

The Secret to Data Storytelling

Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Founder & CEO, Storytelling with Data

Season 1 Episode 2

This episode features Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, founder & CEO of Storytelling with Data, and author of two best-selling books, “Storytelling with Data: Let’s Practice! and Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals,” which have helped tens of thousands of students tell powerful data stories.
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

Data Governance: It’s the Final Frontier

Paola Saibene, Principal at Teknion Data Solutions

Season 1 Episode 1

This episode features Paola Saibene, principal at Teknion Data Solutions and former CTO of the State of Hawaii. Paola is a seasoned data executive, having served as a CIO, CSO and Global Privacy Officer and VP at multi-billion dollar organizations around the world.
Paola Saibene Paola Saibene

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About The Data Radicals Podcast

Some people can see things that nobody else can. They seem to be able to peer around corners and into the future. These seemingly supernatural powers come from being able to synthesize the data all around us. They approach problems with a curious and rational mind. They think differently and encourage others to embrace data culture.

We call them “data radicals” because they transform themselves and the world around them.

In this podcast, we talk to these data radicals to understand what makes their approach so unique, and how it can be replicated.

Satyen Sangani, founder and CEO of Alation
About the host:

Satyen Sangani
Co-founder & CEO of Alation

 

Who wants to empower a curious and rational world? Satyen does. He’s the founder and CEO of Alation, on a mission to fundamentally improve the way data consumers, creators, and stewards find, understand, and trust data.

Satyen Sangani, founder and CEO of Alation
About the host:

Satyen Sangani
Founder & CEO of Alation

Who wants to empower a curious and rational world? Satyen does. He’s the founder and CEO of Alation, on a mission to fundamentally improve the way data consumers, creators, and stewards find, understand, and trust data.

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