Brains Byte Back Sam Brake Guia

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Dan Berges, Managing Director & Founder of Berges Institute, an online Spanish language school for adults headquartered in New York City.

In this conversation, Dan shares how, before the pandemic, the institute mostly comprised of in-person teaching, and had begun to dabble in online teaching in 2019, with a total of 1200 students and a large school in Chicago. 

However, since the pandemic, the institute has transitioned to work 100% online, with students in the US, the UK, Canada, and beyond. 

The school uses the Graf method, which is their self-developed style of teaching Spanish. It is a highly deductive method, meaning that they first teach the rules and then practice them, instead of an inductive method where students are expected to infer the rules from the examples.

Dan also shares the origin story of the company, stating that it first began in 2013 with a small studio on the upper side of New York City. They developed the Graf method themselves and it quickly became very popular. 

Additionally, Dan discusses the benefits of learning a new language, claiming that most research shows that it improves cognitive ability, memory, and concentration. 

He advocates that brain scans show an increase in the density of gray matter and white matter when learning another language. Alongside this, research has shown that learning a new language also can significantly delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

And finally, Dan shares how the institute is recruiting the use of AI in order to implement new Spanish language chatbot features for their students in order to help them learn.



Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Dan Berges here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-berges

Find out more about Berges Institute (website, Twitter + Contact page) -

https://www.bergesinstitutespanish.com/

https://twitter.com/bergesinstitute?lang=en

https://www.bergesinstitutespanish.com/contact-us



Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY



Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Venkatesh Sundar, Founder & CMO at Indusface, a company offering web app security, WAF and SSL Certificates to keep businesses safe.

In the conversation, Sundar shares tips to help listeners defend their businesses from hackers. He starts off by stressing the importance of ensuring that all software and systems are kept up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Doing this can help to shut down any known vulnerabilities that hackers may look to exploit.

Additionally, he underlines that it's important to make use of strong access controls and authentication measures to ensure that only authorized users are able to access sensitive data or systems. This consists of measures such as two-factor authentication, strong password policies, and limiting access to only those who require it.

Sundar adds that regular security assessments and penetration testing can be effective when it comes to identifying vulnerabilities before hackers can take advantage of them. This can entail simulating real-world attacks and attempting to exploit weaknesses in the system,to find potential areas where improvement is necessary.

Alongside the above, Sundar highlights specific tactics that listeners can use to defend against ransomware attacks, such as ensuring that data backups are regularly performed and stored securely. This can help to reduce the impact of a ransomware attack by allowing businesses to restore their systems and data from a previous backup.

And finally, Sundar covers why it is important to educate employees about the risks of phishing attacks and other social engineering tactics that hackers frequently use to gain access to sensitive data or systems. 

He encourages business owners to provide regular security awareness training to make sure that employees are more knowledgeable and fully aware of the latest threats and how to avoid falling victim to them.



Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Venkatesh Sundar here (LinkedIn) -

https://in.linkedin.com/in/venkateshsundar

Find out more about Indusface (website) -

https://www.indusface.com/



Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY



Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Bryan Janeczko, Co-Founder and CEO of Nunbelievable, a mission-based baked goods company striving to combat hunger in America; “one cookie at a time”.

Long-term listeners of Brains Byte Back will remember Janeczko from our episode back in 2020 titled “How Anyone Can Turn an Idea Into a Startup.” Janeczko kicks off the show by sharing what has been keeping him busy since we last spoke, and talks about his work with Nunbelievable. 

He talks about how the company has a one-for-one giving model. While he admits the one-for-one giving model is no longer unique, Janeczko argues that Nunbelievable sets itself apart as a for-purpose business that combines the best of running a for-profit business and supporting a cause that people care about. 

Janeczko goes on to add that their mission, to end hunger in America, is a major issue that everyone can get behind, regardless of their background or political affiliation.

To date, Nunbelievable's one-for-one model has provided over a million meals to those in need. Janeczko also goes into detail about the company's partnership with Feeding America, an organization that aims to eliminate poverty and reduce hunger, particularly in densely populated urban areas and communities of color.

And finally, we talk about the importance of conscious consumerism, and Janeczko shares why he believes it is important to be impact-focused and sustainable when it comes to business practices. 


Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Bryan Janeczko here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjaneczko

Find out more about Nunbelievable (website) -

https://nunbelievable.com/



Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY



Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Adam Lawrence, Co-Founder and CEO of Boom & Bucket, a trusted digital dealer for buying and selling used heavy equipment. 



In this episode, Lawrence kicks off by sharing how Boom & Bucket is the largest website for buying and selling used construction equipment online, ranging from tractors to bulldozers to cranes. 



He then details how the company got started, when the two co-founders, Aaron and Samir, sold a company to Caterpillar in 2017 and stayed on to help with Cat Digital Labs, the innovation department of Caterpillar. 



During this time, Lawrence was running a large payments business which he left in 2020. Lawrence and Samir met, and with Lawrence's desire to stay in e-commerce, and Samir's insights on using data to better understand the quality of the equipment being sold, the founding team started working on Boom & Bucket.



Despite the company having only been around for two years, Lawrence shares that they have achieved a lot in this short space of time. He highlights this by pointing out that they have raised a venture round in 2021 and built a team that includes a head of operations and a head of engineering. Boom & Bucket officially launched in February 2022 and since then has become one of the fastest-growing companies of its type.



Lawrence also shares the backstory behind the name "Boom & Bucket," which Lawrence advocates was chosen from a list of 50 names. The alliteration, as well as the fact that both a boom and a bucket are components of the construction equipment being sold, made it a winning name. 



Lawrence claims that they set out to build an iconic logo and brand around the name, with a red, white, and blue color scheme and a simple line drawing of an excavator that evokes movement. He explains that the goal was to build an Americana brand that would still resonate 50 years from now.



Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Adam Lawrence here (LinkedIn + Twitter) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aslawrence

https://twitter.com/im_asl?lang=en

Find out more about Boom & Bucket (website) -

https://www.boomandbucket.com/

Watch the “Gorge Video” Adam references here - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8z7f7a2Pk



Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY



Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Mateo Zimmermann, Investment Manager at CEMEX Ventures, a company that invests in innovative construction startups aiming to foster the construction revolution.


Zimmermann shares how the company started in 2016 with the idea of partnering with top minds and entrepreneurial spirits to bring innovation to the construction industry, which is lagging behind other industries. They also aimed to capture most of that innovation and change the productivity gap in the industry.

During the conversation, Zimmermann discusses the challenges faced by young people in finding affordable housing. He notes that in many countries, including Spain where he is from, the culture is to buy a home rather than rent, and young people are struggling to afford even renting a place due to the high costs. This leads to uncertainty for the future and delays in pursuing careers and personal lives.

Zimmermann advocates that the solution is more housing, but he also notes that the problem goes deeper, with the construction industry contributing to almost 30% of CO2 emissions, making climate action and sustainability a critical issue for the industry to address.

Mateo discusses the various ways that CEMEX is tackling this issue, including focusing on new construction materials with a lower carbon footprint. He draw on an example from one of their portfolio companies which uses plastic waste in concrete to create a sustainable landfill where the waste is buried into the structure of buildings or different elements of the construction. 

Another focus is on carbon capture utilization and storage, which involves capturing CO2 emissions and finding ways to process, store, or utilize them. 

And finally, Zimmermann speaks about the future of the construction industry, where he talks about how they are exploring the use of automation and robotics in construction, which could increase productivity and reduce labor costs.

Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Mateo Zimmermann here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateozg/?locale=en_US

Find out more about CEMEX Ventures (website) -

https://www.cemexventures.com/



Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY



Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Walter Paliska, Walter Paliska, Vice President of Marketing at dotData, a company that democratizes the use of AI and Machine Learning by making it simple for organizations to leverage the power of their data through fast, unique, and easy-to-use tools.



In this episode, we discuss the company's origin story, its target customers, and the solutions it offers. We also explore predictive data mining and how it helps businesses leverage historical data to make accurate predictions about future events.



Additionally, Paliska shares how dotData was founded as a spin-off from NEC Corporation in Japan in 2018, after the company's CEO and founder, Ryohei Fujimaki, noticed that his team of data scientists would spend an inordinate amount of time on the feature engineering process. Since this was the most time-consuming and manual part of the data science process, Fujimaki turned to automation to solve this problem, giving birth to dotData.



Links 🔗

Our Guest🙋:

Find out more about Walter Paliska here (LinkedIn) -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterpaliska/

Find out more about dotData (website) -

https://dotdata.com/



Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️:

Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu

Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY



Our Sponsor 💻☎️:

Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB