Back by popular demand! After the massive success of our first AI-focused episode, the Data Stakes podcast is returning to the world of Artificial Intelligence—but this time, we’re peeling back the curtain on what actually makes these systems work. In this special roundtable episode, host Debbie sits down with three key members of the Datatelligent (DT) team: Founder and CEO Larry Blackburn, and Director of Product Development Robert Miller, who helped kick off our popular AI series earlier this year. We’ve all heard that AI is "intelligent," but without the right environment, it’s often just guessing. In this episode, titled "Context is the Real Intelligence: Why AI and Humans Both Depend on It," we explore why context is the bridge between a "hallucinating" chatbot and a trusted business tool. In this episode, we discuss:

• The Human Shorthand: How our shared experiences and "organizational knowledge" allow us to communicate efficiently, and why AI lacks this by default.
• Context Engineering vs. Prompt Engineering: Why the future of AI isn't just about asking better questions, but about designing better information environments.
• The Semantic Layer: A deep dive into how tools like Snowflake allow institutions to build a "map" that keeps AI accurate and grounded in reality.
• Security & PII: How to maintain strict data privacy and guardrails while still giving AI the access it needs to be useful.
• Building Trust: Why providing institutional definitions is the only way to move from AI skepticism to AI adoption in Higher Ed and beyond.

Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or "AI hesitant," this conversation will change how you think about the data you feed your systems. Because at the end of the day, meaning doesn't come from words alone—it comes from context.

In this episode of Data Stakes, host Debbie sits down with Peyton Snively (Director of Student Life at Cowley College) and Eric Burr (Hope Squad Advisor and retired Chief of Police) to explore the growing mental health challenges students face today. From the peer pressure of middle school to the unique struggles of international and non-traditional college students, the stressors are real and mounting. Discover how the peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, Hope Squad, is empowering students to recognize warning signs and support one another. We also dive into how Cowley College uses targeted surveys to track student well-being, the negative impact of anonymous social media apps, and how fostering a true sense of belonging is the key to driving student success.

Higher education is facing unprecedented shifts, from shifting enrollments to financial strain and job insecurity. How can institutional leaders stay calm and strategic when the pressure hits?

In this episode of Data Stakes, Debbie is joined by Dr. Telletha "Tee" Valenski, Campus Director at San Juan College West and the recent Kirtland Educator of the Year. Dr. Valenski shares her deeply personal journey—from a 26-year path to earning her doctorate to surviving a near-fatal battle with COVID-19—and explains how these life-altering experiences shaped her philosophy on financial preparation and leadership.

Together, Debbie and Tee discuss why preparation isn't pessimism, but rather a form of self-respect that allows leaders to pivot instead of panic.

In this episode, we cover:

• Proactive vs. Reactive Leadership: Why the best leadership is calm, strategic, and focused on foresight rather than fear.
• Financial Literacy as Professional Literacy: How understanding your finances gives you more confidence, control, and options in an unpredictable job market.
• Career Resilience: Navigating non-traditional career paths, staying coachable, and remembering that "titles are temporary, but skills are transferable."
• Creating Student Opportunities: Tee’s work in building community-driven pathways, including connecting community college students to summer internships at Harvard.
• Advancing Two-Year Colleges: A look at Tee’s new role on the executive committee for the Council to Advance Two-Year Colleges and the importance of evaluating institutional systems.