High Performance Computing is here for the masses!

Enterprises are bleeding budget in the public cloud, shackled to legacy on-prem systems, and wrestling with HPC workflows so complex they require armies of admins just to keep them running. In this episode, I talk to Matthew Shaxted, Founder & CEO of Parallel Works, about how their ACTIVATE platform is breaking that lock-in, unifying HPC, AI, and hybrid cloud computing into one seamless control plane.

Think democratized supercomputing — where scientists, researchers, engineers, and AI teams get instant, intuitive access to powerful compute resources without becoming system admins. ACTIVATE abstracts away the messy plumbing of schedulers, chipsets, and hybrid environments, enabling workloads to run seamlessly across on-prem, multi-cloud, and GPU clusters. From high-security IL5/CUI/ITAR deployments to real-time cost control and AI-driven physics model replacement, Parallel Works is lowering the complexity barrier and unlocking HPC for the AI era.

Parallel Works was founded in 2014 in Chicago, Illinois

Technology & Topics Mentioned:

HPC, AI Orchestration, Hybrid Cloud, OpenStack, Kubernetes, GPU Clusters, Multi-GPU Nodes, IL5 Security, CUI/ITAR Compliance, Workflow Automation, Cost Governance, Scientific Computing, Predictive Modelling, Scheduler Abstraction, HPCwire Top Cloud Platform, Cloud Repatriation, NOAA, Biomedical Research, Space Weather Modelling, ML-based Physics Replacement

Great Things with Great Tech Podcast: https://gtwgt.comGTwGT

Playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTwGTPodcastListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Y1Fgl4DgGpFd5Z4dHulVX

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/great-things-with-great-tech-podcast/id1519439787

EPISODE LINKS

• Parallel Works Website: https://www.parallelworks.com

• Parallel Works on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parallel-works

• Matthew Shaxted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewshaxted

• 
  

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Your data platform is broken — and here’s the fix!

90% of enterprise storage systems collapse under ransomware and buckle at petabyte scale. In this episode, guide & CTO Jason Lohrey reveals how Mediaflux — built from first principles — rewrote the rules. Think hundreds of PB, real-time rollback, built-in malware defense, and unified management of both structured and unstructured data. This conversation blends cold physics with creative flair — and hits the frontier of data engineering.

In this episode, I talk to Jason Lohrey, Founder & CTO of Arcitecta, and the quantum physicist behind Mediaflux — a first-principles data platform that manages structured + unstructured data, scales to hundreds of PBs, and delivers real-time ransomware rollback.

We dive into:

• The story of deleting 80,000 words — and what it sparked

• Why backup can't keep up with scale

• Data as energy, and the physical limits of storage

• Why Mediaflux was built from scratch — database, protocols, and all

• • Where quantum computing might take us (and what it threatens)

  Arcitecta was founded in 1998, based in Melbourne, Australia.☑️ Support the Channel by buying a coffee? - https://ko-fi.com/gtwgt☑️ Technology and Topics Mentioned:Mediaflux, XODB, NFS, SMB, SFTP, DICOM, S3, Real-Time File Streaming, Data Orchestration, Structured & Unstructured Data, Cyber Resilience, Ransomware Rollback, Metadata-Driven File Systems, Backup at Petabyte Scale, Data Gravity, Post-Quantum Cryptography, Multi-Protocol Access, Time-Series Data, First Principles Engineering, Innovation in Storage, Glass & DNA Storage, Distributed File Systems

  Great Things with Great Tech Podcast: https://gtwgt.comGTwGT

  Playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTwGTPodcastListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Y1Fgl4DgGpFd5Z4dHulVX

  Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/great-things-with-great-tech-podcast/id1519439787

  EPISODE LINKS

  Arcitecta Website: https://www.arcitecta.com

  Arcitecta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arcitecta-pty-ltd

  Jason Lohrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlohrey

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APIs power the modern internet—but they're still a pain to work with. In this episode, I sit down with Simon Yu, Co-founder of Speakeasy, to explore how they're transforming API development. From automated SDKs and Terraform providers to agent-ready MCP servers, Speakeasy is redefining how APIs are built, shared, and consumed. We also delve into how AI fits into the future of developer tooling and agentic workflows.

🔍 In This Episode:

• The persistent challenges in API development
• Simon Yu's journey from consulting to co-founding Speakeasy
• The evolution of Speakeasy's vision and mission
• How Speakeasy automates SDKs and infrastructure provisioning
• The role of AI in modern API ecosystems
• Preparing APIs for agentic workflows and MCP servers
• Real-world examples and lessons from industry leaders like Stripe and Flexport
• Speakeasy's roadmap and what's next for the platform

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Speakeasy Website
• Simon Yu on LinkedIn
• Speakeasy on LinkedIn

• 
  

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• Official Website
• YouTube Playlist
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts

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• Support the Channel
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Take any device anywhere on Earth and connect it to any other device on a common shared network! Basically treat the entire planet like one data center!

In this milestone 100th episode of Great Things with Great Tech, Anthony Spiteri is joined by ZeroTier’s founder Adam Ierymenko and new CEO Andrew Gault. Together, they unravel the story of ZeroTier: a peer-to-peer networking platform rewriting the rules of global connectivity for a cloud-driven, edge-connected world.

Andrew brings a seasoned operator’s lens, revealing why the company’s mission resonates with him and how ZeroTier is quietly becoming the connective fabric for everything from gaming rigs to drones, oil wells, and the future internet of things.Adam dives into his early years programming on a Commodore 64, the pain points of working at NOAA, and why he set out to build a “virtual smart switch the size of the Earth.” Andrew shares what drew him to ZeroTier as a user and why he believes packaging, simplicity, and reliability will take the company mainstream.In This Episode, We Cover:

• Adam’s journey from coding on a Commodore 64 to building ZeroTier out of open-source roots.
• Why enterprise networking is stuck in the past—and how ZeroTier is rewriting the rules
• The birth of cryptographic addressing and what it means for privacy, security, and autonomy.
• How ZeroTier’s peer-to-peer platform turns the whole planet into one giant virtual network switch.
• Andrew’s story: from the European Space Agency, Gaikai, Oculus, and Magic Pony to ZeroTier CEO.
• The secrets behind ZeroTier’s viral growth and global adoption—from gamers to oil rigs and drones
• Why simplicity and security are the magic combo that wins over both engineers and enterprises.
• Use cases you didn’t expect: industrial automation, edge computing, IoT, and even self-hosted, airgapped deployments.
• How ZeroTier is getting ready for a world with billions of connected devices—including robots, cars, and the next internet of things.
• The ZeroTier elevator pitch: “like making a Slack channel for machines”—and what’s next for the company.

• 
  

ZeroTier is a U.S.-based technology company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Irvine, California.ZeroTier specializes in software-defined networking, offering a platform that enables secure, peer-to-peer virtual networks for devices anywhere in the world. The company’s approach combines the best of VPN, SD-WAN, and SDN technologies, allowing users to create production-ready, scalable networks across cloud, edge, and on-premises environments. With open-source roots and a focus on simplicity and security, ZeroTier eliminates networking complexity—empowering organizations to connect devices instantly and securely, without hardware or manual configuration.

PODCAST LINKS

Great Things with Great Tech Podcast: https://gtwgt.comGTwGT Playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTwGTPodcastListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Y1Fgl4DgGpFd5Z4dHulVXListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/great-things-with-great-tech-podcast/id1519439787

EPISODE LINKS

Zero Tier Web: https://www.zerotier.comAdam Ierymenko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamierymenkoAndrew Gault on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewgaultZero Tier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zerotier

GTwGT LINKS

Support the Channel: https://ko-fi.com/gtwgtBe on #GTwGT: Contact via Twitter/X @GTwGTPodcast or visit https://www.gtwgt.comSubscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTwGTPodcast?sub_confirmation=1Great Things with Great Tech Podcast Website: https://gtwgt.com

SOCIAL LINKS

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We all talk about #AI, but what good is it if your models are powered by stale, outdated data?In Episode 99 of Great Things with Great Tech, Deepti Srivastava, founder and CEO of Snow Leopard, and former founding PM of Google Spanner, calls out the broken state of enterprise AI. With decades of experience in distributed systems and data infrastructure, Deepti unveils how Snow Leopard is redefining how AI applications are built, by tapping into live, real-time data from SQL and APIs without the need for ETL or pipelines.Instead of relying on static snapshots or disconnected data lakes, Snow Leopard’s #agentic platform queries native sources like PostgreSQL, Snowflake, and Salesforce on-demand, empowering AI to live directly in the critical decision path.In This Episode, We Cover:

• Deepti’s journey from building Spanner at Google to founding Snow Leopard AI.
• Why most enterprise AI fails due to reliance on stale data and outdated pipelines.
• How Snow Leopard federates live data across SQL and APIs with zero ETL.
• The limitations of vector databases in structured, real-time business use cases.
• Why putting AI in the critical path of business decisions unlocks real value.

Snow Leopard is a U.S.-based technology company founded in 2023 by and is Headquartered in San Francisco, CaliforniaSnow Leopard specializes in building a platform that enables the development of production-ready AI applications by leveraging live business data. The company's approach focuses on real-time data retrieval directly from sources like SQL databases and APIs, eliminating the need for traditional ETL processes and data pipelines. This innovation allows for more accurate and timely AI-driven business decision.PODCAST LINKSGreat Things with Great Tech Podcast: https://gtwgt.comGTwGT Playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTwGTPodcastListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Y1Fgl4DgGpFd5Z4dHulVXListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/great-things-with-great-tech-podcast/id1519439787EPISODE LINKSSnow Leopard Web: https://www.snowleopard.ai/Deepti Srivastava on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedeepti/Snow Leopard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snow-leopard-ai/GTwGT LINKSSupport the Channel: https://ko-fi.com/gtwgtBe on #GTwGT: Contact via Twitter/X @GTwGTPodcast or visit https://www.gtwgt.comSubscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTwGTPodcast?sub_confirmation=1Great Things with Great Tech Podcast Website: https://gtwgt.comSOCIAL LINKSFollow GTwGT on Social Media:Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/GTwGTPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/GTwGTPodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@GTwGTPodcast🎵 Music by BenSound: https://www.bensound.com☑️ Support the Channel: https://ko-fi.com/gtwgt

We all know that virtual machines have dominated IT infrastructure for 25 years... but is that era really at an end?In Episode 98 of Great Things with Great Tech, Lucas Gentele, CEO of Loft Labs, shares how Loft is reshaping infrastructure by eliminating the need for virtual machines. Starting from early entrepreneurial roots and open-source projects like DevSpace, Lucas explains how Loft Labs tackled Kubernetes inefficiencies by building multi-tenant solutions like vCluster and vNode. Their innovations enable Kubernetes clusters to run more securely, efficiently, and cost-effectively without traditional VM overhead. As companies seek alternatives to legacy virtualization, Loft Labs mission is to bring lightweight, scalable, and open-source virtual clusters into more environments, making Kubernetes accessible for both development and production workloads

Key Takeaways:

• The journey from DevSpace to founding Loft Labs and the rise of Kubernetes multi-tenancy.
• Why the traditional VM-based model is becoming obsolete — and what’s replacing it.
• How Loft’s vCluster and vNode are revolutionizing Kubernetes cluster management.
• The impact of Broadcom’s VMware acquisition on cloud infrastructure strategies.
• The future of cloud-native infrastructure: virtual clusters, no VMs, better scalability.

Links & Resources:

Loft Labs: https://www.loft.shLukas Gentele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genteleLoft Labs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/loftlabs

☑️ Support the Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/gtwgt⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/darknet-diaries-with-jack-rhysider-episode-83/id1519439787?i=1000654665731⁠⁠⁠

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Did you know every time you order food, book a ride, or even check who viewed your profile, real-time analytics is powering your experience behind the scenes?

In this episode of Great Things with Great Tech, we dive deep into the power of real-time analytics with Kishore Gopalakrishna, CEO and Co-founder of StarTree. StarTree leverages Apache Pinot, a high-performance real-time analytics database, revolutionizing how leading companies like Uber, LinkedIn, Walmart, and Etsy provide instant insights and personalized experiences at massive scale.

Kishore shares his journey from a gaming enthusiast fascinated by distributed systems to building mission-critical platforms at Yahoo and LinkedIn, eventually creating Apache Pinot. Discover how StarTree is powering billions of real-time queries per week, enabling businesses to enhance customer interactions, optimize operational decisions, and supercharge modern AI and observability.

Key Takeaways:

• How real-time analytics transform industries, enabling instantaneous insights and rapid decision-making.
• The evolution from traditional databases to highly efficient columnar, real-time analytics systems.
• Real-world applications of Apache Pinot, from consumer apps to enterprise observability and operational excellence.
• How real-time data is accelerating innovations in AI, specifically through Real-Time Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
• The future of analytics: seamless data ingestion, enhanced concurrency, and the growing demand for sub-second response times.

Links & Resources:

Web StarTree: https://startree.ai

Kishore Gopalakrishna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kgopalak/

Apache Pinot: https://pinot.apache.org

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Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/2l9aZpvwhWcdmL0lErpUHC?si=x3YOQw_4Sp-vtdjyroMk3Q⁠⁠

Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/darknet-diaries-with-jack-rhysider-episode-83/id1519439787?i=1000654665731⁠⁠

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Would you stop in your tracks if you saw $2,000 thrown on the floor at a tech trade show?

In this episode of Great Things with Great Tech, we dive into the world of event infotainment and engagement with Anders Boulanger, CEO and Founder of Engagify. With a unique blend of magic, psychology, and strategic messaging, Engagify transforms traditional trade shows into captivating, high-impact experiences that drive real business outcomes.

We discuss how Engagify leverages magic, influencer strategies, and crowd psychology to attract, engage, and convert attendees at technology trade shows and corporate events. Anders shares his journey from performing magic as a child, to mastering crowd psychology, and revolutionizing how businesses connect with their audience at events.

Discover how Engagify’s approach to infotainment creates memorable ‘aha’ moments, significantly boosting audience interaction, lead generation, and sales conversions.

Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ How infotainment effectively captures attention at trade shows using magic and psychological triggers.

2️⃣ Why mastering crowd psychology and engagement techniques drives tangible business outcomes at events.

3️⃣ The science behind creating unforgettable “aha” moments that directly tie audience emotion to a company’s core message.

4️⃣ The future of trade shows: digital integration, crowd analytics, and data-driven event strategies.

5️⃣ Practical strategies for overcoming stage anxiety and delivering powerful, persuasive presentations.

🔗 Links & Resources:

🌐 Engagify: https://engagify.ai

💼 Anders Boulanger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersboulanger

☑️ Support the Channel: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/gtwgt⁠⁠

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Check out the full episode on our platforms:

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/2l9aZpvwhWcdmL0lErpUHC?si=x3YOQw_4Sp-vtdjyroMk3Q⁠

Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/darknet-diaries-with-jack-rhysider-episode-83/id1519439787?i=1000654665731⁠

Follow Us:

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