Bringing you a very special edition of the Data Powered Innovation Jam podcast, recorded live during a tech road trip through San Francisco and Silicon Valley. This episode blends the city’s musical heritage with cutting-edge innovation, exploring how creativity and technology intersect. Hosts Robert Engels, together with our ‘tech guy’ Alex Bulat dive into conversations with pioneers shaping the future. From AI-driven space situational awareness at Aerospace Corporation to infrastructure-as-code improvization with Pulumi, and groundbreaking health-tech like LogMeal’s nutrition tracking and Uganda’s AI-powered malaria diagnostics at MariTest. Along the way, we uncover trends from TechCrunch Disrupt, GitHub Universe, and Google Cloud AI, highlighting the shift from AI hype to realism, the rise of physical AI, and the global push for purpose-driven AI for Good.

Packed with insights on generative AI, edge computing, and sustainability, this episode is a jam session of ideas where data meets rhythm, and innovation meets impact. Turn the volume up!

Time Stamps:

[ 00:34 ] - Introducing the special start up edition with some San Francisco music talks and swinging to startups

[ 04:15 ] - Starting with orbital altitude with Sean Sloan from the Aerospace Corporation

[ 14:11 ] - Miles Davis meets git commit, the future of coding - meeting James Connell from Pulumi

[ 21:13 ] - tracking food waste with AI - meeting Marc Bolanos from Log Meal

[ 29:26 ] - low cost malaria test devices - meeting Hakim Kakooza from MariTest (https://www.maritestafrica.com)

[ 36:37] - Post TechCrunch Therapy Session - wrapping up the Startup Roadtrip with Alex Bulat

[ 52:10 ] - Concluding the Jam San Fancisco

In this genre-blending episode of Data Powered Innovation Jam, hosts Ron Tolido, Robert Engels, and Arne Rossman welcome Stephen Brobst, CTO of Ab Initio and former CTO of Terradata, for a deep dive into the art of mixing data, AI, and music. From punk rock roots and stage-diving legends to the reinvention of enterprise data platforms, Stephen shares insights on metadata-driven architectures, generative AI, and the future of data mesh. The conversation flows through analog double basses, digital beats, and the soul of sound—drawing parallels between musical creativity and data engineering. Whether you're a data architect, AI enthusiast, or music lover, this episode hits all the right notes.

Tune in for a jam-packed session on mastering data, building resilient platforms, and embracing reinvention in tech and tune.

Timestamps

00:00:00 – 01:11 - Blooper Beats & Introductions

01:11 – 01:54 Introducing our guest Stephen Brobst, CTO of Ab Initio, and teasing the themes of mixing, mastering, and data.

01:54 – 16:02 - Reimagining GenAI as an Operating System

16:02 – 23:05 - Talking about Data Mesh and Metadata

23:05 – 28:45 - Metadata and the importance of context (for AI)

28:45 – 39:10 - look into the future of Architecture, Data Engineering and Ab Initio

50:38 – 51:57 - Closing Reflections: Final thoughts, and a punk-inspired send-off—“If the music’s too loud, you’re too old.”

Welcome to the latest episode of the Data Powered Innovation Jam, where data meets disco and AI grooves with funk. After a long summer break, our hosts return with fresh stories, musical nostalgia, and cutting-edge insights into the world of supply chain superintelligence. In this vibrant and eclectic episode, we’re joined by Guillaume Waline, Senior Manager of Alliances at Prewave, a company pioneering AI-driven supply chain transparency and resilience.

From reminiscing about summer holidays and funk band glory days to exploring how Diana Ross’s “Chain Reaction” might secretly be about logistics, the episode blends humor, music, and serious tech talk. Guillaume shares how Prewave uses AI to monitor global supply chain risks in real time—scanning the web in over 400 languages to detect disruptions, compliance issues, and ESG concerns. We dive into the challenges of predicting unseen risks, the evolution of AI from manual tagging to custom LLMs, and the importance of human accountability in AI systems.

The conversation also highlights our partnership with Capgemini Ventures, the role of data integration across ERP systems, and the future of sourcing intelligence. Whether you're a data enthusiast, supply chain strategist, or just here for the Bee Gees impressions, this episode promises insight, innovation, and a touch of groove.

Your hosts Ron Tolido, Weiwei Feng, and Robert Engels riff on:

· The metaphor of Diana Ross’s song “Chain Reaction” as a segue into the complexities and interconnectedness of global supply chains.

· From Risk Detection to Action: Turning Intelligence into Resilience

· The Human Behind the AI: Prewave’s Origin Story and AI in Action: Language, Semantics, and Real-Time Risk Monitoring across 200 types of supply chain risks.

· Predictive Analytics and the Wisdom of Ancient Chinese Medicine

· Accountability in AI: Humans, Agents, and Ethical Decision-Making

· Capgemini Ventures and the Power of Partnership

· Beyond ERP: Integrating External Intelligence for Holistic Supply Chain Insight

· Myth Busting: Accountability, Punishment, and Systemic Improvement

So tune in, jam with us, and discover how AI is turning supply chains upside down—in the best way possible.

Timestamps:

[ 08:14] - introduction of our guest and Prewave

[ 15:35 ] - how to find and classify risk types?

[ 23:07 ] - how to sell something that prevents

[ 28:20 ] - Prewave as a startup

[ 36:11 ] - looking ahead the roadmap of Prewave

[ 41:27 ] - Myth-busting with Weiwei

Connect with our guest Guillaume Waline and our hosts Ron Tolido, Robert Engels, and Weiwei Feng on LinkedIn.