Explain to Shane AEI Podcasts

Outdated systems, sloppy code, and years of quick fixes have created a growing issue of "technical debt" in businesses. This unseen threat poses security risks, slows innovation, and leaves companies running on inefficient systems. Technical debt costs the US an estimated $2.41 trillion annually, with a whopping $1.52 trillion needed just to address the backlog. As businesses prioritize new features over fixing deep-rooted problems, the issues keep piling up, creating deeper vulnerabilities in legacy systems.
Joining me today on Explain to Shane is Ken Silva, a renowned industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in tech, cybersecurity, and telecommunications businesses. He is well known for the work he has done as a chief technology officer and as a chief security officer for multiple tech companies.
Tune in as we explore the hidden price of technical debt.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected economically, blockchain-based financial networks offer new solutions for facilitating seamless international trade, remittances, and humanitarian aid. What specific advantages do blockchain-based financial networks offer over traditional systems? As global economic interconnectivity increases, what role can blockchain technology play in developing a more robust and efficient infrastructure for cross-border payments?
Shane interviews Candace Kelly, Chief Legal Officer of the Stellar Development Foundation, on the latest episode of Explain to Shane. They discuss how blockchain-based payment networks like Stellar are poised to step in and facilitate cross-border transactions when traditional banking falters.

The proliferation of cyber threats has evolved into a crisis: Last year, there were 880 million cybercrime complaints resulting in over $12 billion in losses. Analysts suggest that cybercrime is now the third-largest economy globally after the United States and China. The most pressing challenges in today's cybersecurity landscape include staying ahead of sophisticated and constantly evolving threats. But what technological and cultural shifts are necessary for organizations to stay ahead of these growing dangers?
Stepping into the fray is Jason Hogg, an expert in the fight against cybercrime. Currently serving as the Executive-In-Residence at Great Hill Partners, Jason identifies and pursues investment opportunities in the financial technology, insurtech, cyber insurance, and software industries. For more than a decade, he was a senior lecturer and professor of innovation and technology at Cornell University.
Join us as we delve into the insights and strategies shaping the future of cybersecurity.

While internet access has spread rapidly across the globe during the past several decades, around three billion people still lack access. Some argue that the solution lies in fiber cable expansions, while others are innovating with satellites to meet users’ demands. Satellite connectivity supports network access for users in formerly unconnected geographies by leveraging existing global satellite coverage rather than the arduous process of building additional infrastructure.
Today’s guests are Brian Barritt and Michael Cheng of Aalyria, a space connectivity company. Brian Barrit, Aalyria's chief technology officer and cofounder, has spent his career developing innovative ways to address connectivity challenges. He’s worked as an engineer with NASA, CISCO, Google, and most recently, Meta’s innovation labs before starting Aalyria. Michael Cheng, chief product officer at Aalyria, is a lawyer and network engineer by training with deep experience steering technology companies. Before joining Aalyria, Michael served as associate general counsel for mergers and acquisitions at Meta as well as product manager and head of Open Source. He also serves as an adviser to several technology start-ups.
Tune in as Brian and Michael illuminate the connectivity problems that Aalyria is working to solve.

While the internet has improved monumentally since its early days of bandwidth restrictions and dial-up, customers are more demanding of the network and have little patience for latency on any of their devices. What causes these interruptions to our usually consistent high-speed streams? Latency, or lag.
On today’s episode of Explain to Shane, Comcast's Vice President for Technology Policy, Products, and Standards, Jason Livingood, dives into what is being done to solve this challenge. Jason has spent his career addressing the internet’s emerging challenges: he's been a pivotal figure in promoting ultra-low latency networking and directing R&D through the Comcast Innovation Fund. He’s also served twice on the FCC’s Technical Advisory Committee and has spent 16 years on the Member Advisory Board of the Internet Society.
Jason will shed light on why latency has become a critical factor for internet users and discuss the steps being taken by Comcast ahead of high-demand streaming events like this summer’s Paris Olympics.

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is an ambitious attempt to constrain the immense power of Big Tech. But in an interconnected world, regulations made in Europe ripple out to the US and beyond. What do stricter rules in Europe mean for the US’s tech sector? How will new regulations impact American data protection? Will the DMA hurt innovation?
Today, I am joined by James Lewis. James is the Senior Vice President, Pritzker Chair, and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’s Strategic Technologies Program where he writes on international innovation and digitalization. In his previous role as a diplomat and member of the Senior Executive Service, he developed policies on cybersecurity, encryption, spectrum management, and global tech issues.
Tune in to explore the implications of regulating rapidly changing technologies in our globalized world.