Making Data Simple

IBM Big Data & Analytics Hub
  • 4.8 (10)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP of Technical Sales at IBM, Making Data Simple cuts through the hype to reveal how data and AI reshape the modern enterprise. Thought leaders, researchers, and innovators share firsthand lessons on leading teams, scaling analytics, and driving real-world impact—delivered in Al’s signature straightforward, witty style. Tune in to Making Data Simple today.  From data and AI breakthroughs to leadership hacks, top experts drop actionable gems that help businesses thrive in a data-driven world. #MakingDataSimple #AI #Leadership

  1. 17H AGO

    From Hollywood to High-Tech: Marco Rota’s, VP Strategic Technology Alliances at Lumen Technologies, Blueprint for Cultural Transformation {Replay}

    Send a text Welcome back to Making Data Simple, where we explore how data-driven strategies ignite innovation and transform businesses. In this exciting episode, we sit down with Marco Rota, VP of Strategic Technology Alliances at Lumen Technologies, whose incredible journey spans from the glitz of Hollywood to leading-edge telecommunications. Tune in as Marco reveals how embracing a vibrant culture, drawing on lessons from the entertainment industry, and championing new technologies can propel teams and organizations to new heights of success. Get ready for an inspiring, behind-the-scenes look at how “culture eats strategy for breakfast”—and why that’s a game-changer for your organization, too! 01:47 – Meet Marco Rota Marco shares his background and how his career path took him from the dynamic world of Hollywood to a leadership role at Lumen Technologies. He underscores his passion for storytelling, collaboration, and innovation—elements that continue to shape his work in tech.03:35 – Learnings from Hollywood Drawing on Hollywood’s fast-paced environment, Marco highlights the importance of creative thinking and adaptability. He explains how these traits help push organizations to stay ahead of disruption and continually evolve, just like the film industry does to meet audience demands.10:56 – Transitioning to Lumen Technologies Marco describes his shift from entertainment into the telecommunications and technology space. He emphasizes the parallels between Hollywood and tech—both thrive on communication, audience engagement, and cutting-edge production processes.15:55 – What IS Lumen Technologies Marco explains Lumen’s core mission: powering next-generation connectivity, cloud, edge computing, and security solutions. By marrying technology services with an innovative culture, Lumen seeks to help organizations accelerate data-driven transformation.18:29 – Culture versus Technology An organization’s culture can be its greatest asset—or its biggest hurdle. Culture “eats strategy for breakfast” because fostering collaboration, trust, and continuous learning is what truly drives successful technology initiatives forward.24:20 – The Management System Marco talks about the framework for leadership and team alignment at Lumen, which integrates vision, purpose, and measurable goals. This system ensures that cultural values and strategic objectives reinforce each other—resulting in cohesive, energized teams ready to tackle the biggest challenges in tech.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/marcorotapix Website: https://www.lumen.com/en-us/home.html Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.  #MakingDataSimple #CultureEatsStrategy #DataInnovation #DigitalTransformation #TechLeadership #PodcastEpisode #HollywoodToTech #LumenTechnologies #BusinessInsights #Inspiration Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    32 min

  2. FEB 11

    Taming the Messy Data Reality: Turning AI Training Chaos into an $80T IP Asset Class with Andrea Muttoni, President and CPO of Story

    Send a text Tackling the messy reality of data fueling artificial intelligence, Andrea Muttoni—President & CPO at Story—joins the show to unpack how Story is building an AI-native infrastructure for intellectual property and training data. We dig into making the $80T IP asset class programmable, traceable, and monetizable, and how Story aims to turn “mysterious training data blobs” into transparent rights and payments for creators and enterprises. 01:10 Meet Andrea Muttoni 06:49 Story's Core Mission 13:41 IP Monetization 21:08 Biggest Competitor 22:49 Compute, Models, & Data 27:46 What to IP, Where Not 31:16 Blockchain 34:54 Protecting Your IP 41:36 Reaching StoryAndrea explains how Story is building a blockchain-based IP and data layer so AI systems can train on licensed content while proving usage, enforcing licenses, and automating payments to rights holders. We talk about the practical challenges of cleaning and labeling real-world data, what “IP-safe” datasets look like in practice, and how developers and companies can plug into Story’s infrastructure. Andrea also shares where blockchain actually adds value (and where it doesn’t), why he thinks “AI can’t scale on legal ambiguity,” and concrete steps creators and founders can take today to protect and monetize their IP in the AI era. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/muttoni Website: https://www.story.foundation/ #AITrainingData, #IntellectualProperty, #IPEconomy, #StoryProtocol, #DataInfrastructure, #AIGovernance, #AILaw, #Web3, #Blockchain, #CreatorEconomy, #DataOwnership, #RightsManagement, #Licensing, #TechPodcast, #Developers, #MachineLearning, #AIEthics, #DataMonetization Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    43 min

  3. FEB 4

    This Episode is Deep into the Tech! From Graph DB Fundamentals to Grid Security: Engineering the Next-Gen Infrastructure

    Send us a text Prasad Calyam, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and Center Director at the University of Missouri, joins the show to explore how knowledge graphs, modern data platforms, and AI are reshaping power grids and cybersecurity. He breaks down graph database fundamentals, real-world research projects, and how industry can tap into cutting-edge university work—all in language that engineers, data folks, and developers can put to use. Timestamps  01:30 Meet Prasad Calyam 02:57 Why Higher Education? 05:22 Data Analytics 06:59 The Modern Power Grid 09:40 Graph DB Fundamentals 12:21 Cybersecurity via Graphs and RAG 13:45 Research Projects 14:38 Industry Leveraging University Research 16:07 Advice for Students 17:16 What's Fun for ProfessorsLinks LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/prasadcalyam Website: http://www.missouri.edu #KnowledgeGraphs #GraphDatabase #RAG #Cybersecurity #PowerGrid #DataEngineering #AI #MLOps #TechPodcast #Developers #ResearchToProduction #UniversityResearch Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    20 min

  4. JAN 28

    From Sovereign AI to Social Impact: The Big Shifts You Need to Watch with IBM VP and CTO of IBM Canada, Manav Gupta

    Send us a text Manav Gupta, Vice President & CTO at IBM Canada, returns to the podcast to unpack the fast-changing landscape of artificial intelligence. From keeping a technical edge to navigating the rise of sovereign AI, Manav shares insights on how emerging trends are shaping both industry and society. Timestamps  01:25 – Manav Gupta is back! 02:39 – Maintaining your technical edge 04:38 – Ship AI 05:58 – The state of AI 19:37 – Reason for concern? 30:35 – Does the U.S. lead the race? 41:30 – LLMs or SLMs? 44:22 – Sovereign AI 46:05 – The social impactPrevious episode: How to Choose, Use, and Trust AI Models with Manav Gupta Connect with Manav on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mgupta76 #SovereignAI #AISocialImpact #AITrends #FutureOfAI #EthicalAI #AIPodcast #TechPodcast #SpotifyPodcast #ApplePodcasts #TechLeaders. Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    49 min

  5. JAN 21

    Say What!? Bad ideas are the key to to better innovation? Dive in for this contrarian take and more on AI for organizational intelligence with Phanish Puranam, Professor of Strategy and Organizational Design {Replay}

    Send us a text This was a fantastic 2 part series on how to design intelligent organizations.  Check it out! Part 1 of 2 How do we make organizations not just run — but run intelligently? In this episode of Making Data Simple, we welcome Phanish Puranam, Professor of Strategy and Organizational Design at INSEAD, to explore the intersection of AI, organizational science, and intelligent design. From tools and teammates to blockchain and the metaverse, Phanish walks us through the evolving relationship between humans, algorithms, and the systems we build. We dive into real-world use cases, research-backed insights, and surprising pitfalls — plus a contrarian take on why bad ideas might be the key to better innovation. ⏱️ Chapters 01:50 – Meet Phanish Puranam03:36 – Organizational Design08:39 – Where is Org Design Today12:41 – A Research Example15:59 – Technologies as Tools & Teammates17:54 – A Real Use Case Example20:30 – The Metaverse, Eliminate Bad Ideas Fast21:28 – Pitfalls23:30 – Use Case Deep Dive30:06 – The Power Structure🔗 Connect with Phanish Puranam LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/phanishpuranamINSEAD Profile: insead.edu/faculty/phanish-puranam#OrganizationalDesign #ArtificialIntelligence #PhanishPuranam #FutureOfWork #AIinBusiness #AlgorithmicOrganizations #Leadership #INSEAD #MakingDataSimple #AIandWork #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation #OrgDesign Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    32 min

  6. JAN 14

    The End User Advantage: How Smart Software Asset Management Unlocks Performance and Savings with Agnelpoint's Ron Brill and Kris Johnson

    Send us a text We're joined by Ron Brill, President and Chairman of the Board, and Kris Johnson, Chief Product Officer of Anglepoint, a global leader in software asset management. From their startup origins to tackling massive compliance challenges, we'll dive into the world of SAM, licensing, and what the future holds for optimizing IT assets – a conversation essential for anyone in this space. ⏱️ Timestamps: 01:38 Meet Ron Brill and Kris Johnson05:32 Deciding on Startup Roles07:32 The Ah-Ha Founding of Anglepoint12:03 Largest Challenges13:03 One Word to Encapsulate Anglepoint16:23 Anglepoint's Differentiation21:03 Gartner's Leadership Quadrant23:50 Licensing Skills25:17 Difficult Licensing Scenarios28:11 Clients Biggest Compliance Issues31:12 Unique Technology33:19 The Infamous Audit37:26 Trends in SAM41:40 Systems-based Token Consumption43:17 SAM Advice47:03 Anglepoint in 3 to 5 Years48:38 For Fun49:53 Right TalentConnect with our guests: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronbrillLinkedin.com/in/johnsonkristianWebsite: https://www.anglepoint.com/Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    53 min

  7. JAN 7

    AI Power Plays: How IBM’s Clarity Levels Up Every Customer Conversation with Paul Zikopoulos, Matt Bateson, and Kyle Sava

    Send us a text Unpack a groundbreaking application of IBM’s AI technology designed to revolutionize training and learning. This episode delves into how IBM’s AI-powered partner – built around IBM training – can sharpen technical knowledge, boost confidence, and help teams master every interaction, from pipeline development to closing critical deals. 02:12 Meet Paul Zikopoulos, Matt Bateson, and Kyle Sava09:17 Best Methods to Learn 17:57 AI and Training 23:05 The Learning Punch Up! 25:42 IBM Clarity, Now watsonx Workshop! 30:40 The Art of the Possible Use Cases 35:42 Favorite Features 41:32 Architecture 45:55 Cost 46:37 Tips of the WeekLinkedIn: Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-zikopoulos-4323607Al's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/~ksMatt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbateson IBM AI Solutions Website: https://www.ibm.com/solutions/artificial-intelligence ​ Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    53 min

  8. 12/31/2025

    Fresh off a high-profile appearance on CNBC! Jure Leskovec, Chief Scientist at Kumo and a Stanford Professor who's fundamentally reshaped how we understand networks {Replay}

    Send us a text Fresh off a high-profile appearance on CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange discussing how AI will move beyond chatbots to autonomous agents that reshape jobs and productivity! Replay this episode where Jure digs into why structured data is still lagging behind the AI revolution and what comes next for predictive AI on relational data. Data’s everywhere, but so often it feels… stuck. Joining us today is Jure Leskovec, Chief Scientist at Kumo and a Stanford Professor who's fundamentally reshaped how we understand networks—from Pinterest's recommendations to tracking the spread of disease. Jure was just on CNBC, and now he’s back on the show to dive even deeper into how structured data is lagging behind the AI revolution. We’ll explore how techniques like Graph Neural Networks are finally unlocking its potential, and how this all plays out in real-world applications. 00:57 Meet Jure Leskovec 02:31 Knowing When to Move On 04:01 Academia versus Industry 07:30 Learnings from Pinterest 10:28 The Kumo Pitch 17:57 The Secret Sauce 25:51 Monetization 27:12 Only the Enterprise? 29:49 The Sandbox to Try Before Buy 31:42 The Best Use Cases 35:00 Summarizing 37:38 Predicting AI 40:15 What's True and No One Agrees 41:19 LearningLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leskovec/ Website: https://kumo.ai/ CNBC appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G98bFN4HE1w  Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

    43 min
See All (386)

4.8
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP of Technical Sales at IBM, Making Data Simple cuts through the hype to reveal how data and AI reshape the modern enterprise. Thought leaders, researchers, and innovators share firsthand lessons on leading teams, scaling analytics, and driving real-world impact—delivered in Al’s signature straightforward, witty style. Tune in to Making Data Simple today.  From data and AI breakthroughs to leadership hacks, top experts drop actionable gems that help businesses thrive in a data-driven world. #MakingDataSimple #AI #Leadership

Information

  • Creator
    IBM Big Data & Analytics Hub
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    386
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Making Data Simple
  • Show Website
    Making Data Simple