Ready for your Hour of (Data) Power with some Radioactive and Electric Feel thrown in? Ok, so hang tight, get your coffee or lemonade (depending on how your summer looks like!), as we bring you a double whammy from your newest Data-powered Innovation Jam to celebrate the anniversary launch of the 10th edition of the Data Powered Innovation Review. This jam packs in the "power" of music, as always. But this time drawing connections to what “power” really means - from John Lennon's "Power to the People" to Robert Palmer banding up with Duran Duran’s John Taylor (bass) and Andy Taylor (guitar) for Power Station and heavy metal crews like Power Trip. This eclectic musical journey serves as a metaphor for the unexpected and powerful combinations that arise when diverse elements mix, a theme that underpins the episode's core discussions.

Your hosts Ron Tolido and Robert Engels drum to the beats of two special pieces from the latest Data Powered Innovation Review 10: "The Serendipity Engine" and "Nature Engineered" with Neerav Vyas, VP Customer First, Insights and Data, Capgemini discovering rock music in a video store by accident and Franziska Wolf, Head of Quantum Chemistry for Capgemini Engineering playing the trombone in a band. While Neerav explains the "post-personalization world" where the goal is to achieve serendipity at scale – moving beyond mere recommendations based on known desires to surprising customers with things they didn't even know they wanted, Franziska talks of metallo-enzymes and how AI and quantum computing combined can help us understand nature better and create full stack simulation environment for biology.

The episode sets the stage for a deep dive into how AI and data are enabling unexpected discoveries and innovations, much like the serendipitous musical journeys shared by the hosts and guests. So do tune in and enjoy!

Timestamps:

00:00 - 02:29 – Ron takes a "Power" trip flexing the 10th edition of the Data-powered Innovation Review

02:29 - 06:25 – Ron and Dr. Bob explores their individual take on "Power" Through Music

06:25 - 07:44 – Introduction to the Data-powered Innovation Review and two of its authors from Edition 10

10:41 - 25:37 – Neerav takes us back to a serendipitous musical journey in 1995 and subsequent revelations

25:58 - 41:58 - Franziska Wolf dives into "Nature Engineered" with Quantum and AI

42:58 - Weiwei busts her last myth before the summer break.

Connect with our guests Neerav Vyas and Franziska Wolff and our hosts Ron Tolido, Robert Engels, and Weiwei Feng on LinkedIn.

From punk rock to process automation, from Blondie to BSON — it’s a genre-defying episode of the Data-Powered Innovation Jam where we grab a virtual bench in Central Park with Andrew Davidson, SVP of Products at MongoDB, and let the data conversation run wild. What follows is an improvisational jam session on the evolution of data, the art of distributed architectures, and why NoSQL was the punk rebellion against the symphonic pomp of relational databases. But wait, that was then. Now, MongoDB is no longer the scrappy garage band. With MongoDB Atlas, best-in-class vector search, and AI-native memory architectures, it’s headlining the main stage of general-purpose data platforms in the GenAI era.

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

• Why document models might just be the new lingua franca of AI
• How vector search is redefining “relationship status”
• What vibe coding really means (yes, that’s a thing now)
• And how social science might hold the key to truly intelligent systems

Oh, and there’s Sting, and Talking Heads, and a band called Kobus Gaat Naar Appelscha. Because this is still a jam. In a world of LLMs and memory-centric platforms, “every doc you take” is part of something bigger.

Tune in. This one’s electric.

Timestamps:

07:55 – Introduction to MongoDB and guest Andrew Davidson

14:01 – Exploring social sciences, graph databases, and database storage choices

21:39 – Strategies for identifying optimal relationships within documents

29:23 – With natural language interfaces, is SQL still necessary?

34:31 – The concept of “vibe coding” and understanding programming fundamentals

38:01 – Weiwei debunks myths about diversity, inclusion, and data

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

Ready for the remix? You might have already listened to one of the most recent episodes of the Cloud Realities podcast, where six dynamic voices from two podcast teams came together to unpack Capgemini’s TechnoVision 2025. From infrastructure and applications to collaboration, user experience, automation, and — naturally — a heavy dose of data and AI, it was an episode packed to the brim. Think you’ve heard it all? Think again.

But why stop at one listen? This time, we’re bringing it back with a data-powered twist — sharper, deeper, and just as bold. Discover what “Silent Letter Day” really means, vibe with “vibe coding,” explore alternate cloud realities, rethink RPA vs. Agents, and maybe even stumble into a Dutch punk band or two along the way.

Join Esmee van de Giessen, Dave Chapman, Rob Kernahan, Weiwei Feng, Robert Engels, and Ron Tolido spin the turntables of technology.

Tune in. Remix on.

Timestamps:

11:23 – Rob kicked things off with the ‘Invisible Infostructure’ container

18:59 – Ron reflected on his early work and shared insights on the ‘Applications Unleashed’ container

33:01 – Dr. Bob kept the energy high with ‘Thriving on Data’

42:45 – Weiwei delivered a dynamic overview of ‘Process on the Fly’

55:33 – Dave offered a thoughtful introduction to the ‘We Collaborate’ container

01:05:25 – Esmee wrapped up with the final container: ‘You Experience’

What happens when Professor Erik Proper of the Technical University of Vienna teams up with the ever-inquisitive ‘Dr. Bob’ Robert Engels – modestly supported by co-hosts Weiwei Feng and Ron Tolido - to discuss AI, models, semantics, ontologies, and context? A true PhD Fest? Or a practical exploration of the synergies between the academic and business words? Well, how about a bit of both.

Our latest episode ‘Models on the Dancefloor’ dives deep into core topics around models and their renewed urgency and importance in a world that rapidly seems to hand over control to breakthrough, yet often poorly understood AI technologies. Models provide context and a common language between AI and humans, maybe not in a perfect or unambiguous way, but certainly paving the way for more reliable and trustworthy outcomes. It’s about collaborating engineering, enabled by a variety of ‘thinklets’ that urge to think about what type of intelligence is need at what step of decision-making.

Other key issues are addressed as well, as you would expect from this podcast, such as could ChatGPT have come up with Einstein’s relativity theory, will LLMs invent time travel and how did Robert make money while pogoing on punk rock, back in the days? Talking about a dancefloor filler: you don’t want to miss this one.

Hit play. You’ll never look at AI models – or dancefloors – the same way again.

Timestamps:

06:29 – Erik delves into the major conversations shaping academia today

11:05 – How AI is transforming the craft of architecture, modeling—and nearly everything else

15:25 – Why semantics matter: modeling, meaning, and the roots of bias

21:07 – Unpacking the dynamic between academia and industry

28:25 – The crucial role of high-complexity work in an AI-driven landscape

34:57 – Myth busted! Weiwei challenges a widely held belief in the data world

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

Much like a hammer sees every problem as a nail, data experts tend to see opportunity in every single data field. Collaboration on data is still one of the best ways to bring data to life and build business value on top of it.

Sharing data across organizations is one of the most powerful ways to spark innovation. But when data needs to stay private, sovereign, and secure—from competitors, unauthorized users, or cyber threats—the challenge multiplies.

Enter Roseman Labs: a deep-tech startup turning heads with its encrypted data collaboration platform. Built for speed, usability, and zero trust, and endorsed by the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre, they bring quite some credentials to the data & AI table, backed up by no less than 8 cryptography PhDs in their team, all focused on making secure data collaboration not just possible, but practical.

In this episode of Data-powered Innovation Jam, hosts Weiwei, Robert, and Ron are joined by Ian Wachter, Senior Commercial Advisor at Roseman Labs and an advisory board member of several other startups, to unpack how secure collaboration is reshaping the data landscape. From platform design to real-world use cases, they explore what’s next for organizations that need to collaborate—without compromise.

And because no innovation jam is complete without a big-picture take, the exec perspective is on the table too.

All of this, and more, in our brand-new podcast episode named “You Can’t Touch This (Data)”. Tune in, if only to find out why MC Hammer is an Internet mogul and an early adapter of social media.

Stop, Hammer Time: you don’t want to miss this one!

Timestamps:

05:23 – Ian shares the origin story of Roseman Labs and how it’s redefining secure data collaboration

13:35 – The hurdles deep learning still faces—especially when data privacy enters the picture

16:43 – Gaia-X data spaces vs. Roseman Labs: where they align, and where they diverge

20:23 – Why data collaboration isn’t just a tool—it’s a mindset shift

30:31 – Myth busted! Weiwei takes down a common misconception in the data world

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

Ever thought AI practitioners could win a Noble prize? Well, they already have. Not for predicting your next favourite movie or generating poetry, but for groundbreaking advancements in Life Sciences. And it won’t be the last time.

In this episode, hosts Ron Tolido, Robert Engels, and Weiwei Feng find themselves venturing into unexpected territory with Dael Williamson, EMEA CTO at Databricks—and let’s just say, this isn’t your typical podcast episode about data platforms.

After a quick dive into Databricks’ open-source roots and some game-changing use cases, Dael takes us into his world. And rightfully so, given his master’s degree in biotechnology, molecular modelling, structural biochemistry/bioinformatics and predictive drug design, he unpacks how AI is already compressing R&D timelines in Life Sciences at an unprecedented pace. The secret? Applying multiple AI components, each with a specific purpose, rather than relying on one generic biological ‘foundry’ model.

And that’s just the beginning. When the ‘telemetry’ data between inputs and outputs of R&D clinical trials can be captured and turned into increasingly smart models, big steps can be made forward – including towards the ‘unknown unknowns’ of not only Life Science, but also towards areas such as software engineering.

Truly sounds like an AI Nirvana, right? And come to think of that, it’s no longer surprising that some favourite grunge bands are discussed, and the title of the podcast – ‘Smells like gene spirit’ suddenly makes a lot of sense.

Timestamps:

08:08 - Dael shares the origins of Databricks and its future direction
11:43 - Exploring the intersection of Biotechnology, Data, and Analytics
23:14 - The role of Quantum Computing in the Pharma Industry
29:34 - Process knowledge meets Large Language Models
39:15 - Weiwei debunks a myth

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

In for a new venture? This episode of the Data-powered Innovation Jam has you covered. Our hosts Weiwei, Robert, and Ron welcome Brett Clark, Director, Global Business Development at blackshark.ai—a company with the modest mission of creating a digital twin of the entire planet using satellite data. It all started with Microsoft Flight Simulator, but that was only the beginning. Now, as part of Capgemini Ventures’ investment portfolio, blackshark.ai is making waves with its new no-code platform, allowing anyone to identify objects on the Earth’s surface with unprecedented ease and precision—no data science degree required.

But wait—why stop at the Earth’s surface? Oceans, forests, or even Lego constructions? Four words: Bring your own Pixels. And that’s just scratching the surface. The conversation dives into synthetic data, minimized models, and the fascinating world of ‘geo-typical’ insights.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a jam without music. Ever wondered how surf rock and rockabilly are making a comeback? Or where that unmistakable podcast tune comes from? Tune in and find out!

Timestamps:

08:12 – Introducing blackshark.ai
19:32 – blackshark.ai’s partnership with Capgemini Ventures
28:35 – Digital Twin, virtual twins, and the role of historic & synthetic data
37:09 – The landscape of (world) AI models & innovation
39:57 – Myth-busting with Weiwei

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

It’s the ultimate new hit album for generative AI: intelligent automation, autonomous systems, and—of course—agents. But while ServiceNow has been a pioneering force in this space for a long time, it still seems to fly under the radar for many data and AI experts. Time to change that. Time to bridge the worlds of Planet Process and Planet Data!

For this, our hosts Weiwei, Robert, and Ron couldn’t have wished for a better guest than Toby Isaacson. As a Senior Advisory Solution Architect at ServiceNow, Toby brings sharp insights into automation platforms, AI guardrails, supervised and unsupervised autonomous systems, data fabrics for central and decentral data and – naturally – agents. Who would have thought that IT ticketing would provide the ticket to ride for enterprise process automation?

But that’s not all. Toby is also a stand-up comedian, and his sense of humour shines through in unexpected moments. And despite his British roots, he lays claim to some Viking heritage—fitting for an episode that turns into a true ‘ScandiDutch’ happening. Expect deep dives into world-class DJs from the Netherlands and Scandinavia, all balanced by a tribute to UK legend Fatboy Slim.

Eat, Sleep, Automate, Repeat: this podcast episode has an irresistible beat!

Timestamps:

07:18 – Discover ServiceNow.
16:06 – Unpacking the NOW platform.
22:49 – AI agents, data accessibility, and guardrails.
30:05 – The biggest AI advantage in digital processes.
35:23 – Are industry-specific processes the next frontier?
38:34 – Myth-busting with Weiwei.

Connect with our guest Toby Isaacson and our hosts Ron Tolido, Robert Engels, and Weiwei Feng on LinkedIn