Talking Innovation

talkingcloud

Talking Innovation is a conversation about what comes next, hosted by Grant Asplund, a four-decade technology veteran who has spent his career arriving in categories before they had names. Each episode brings together the builders, founders, and operators shaping where technology is headed, with candid conversations about the ideas, bets, and hard-won lessons behind real innovation. This isn't a show about hype cycles. It's about the people doing the work: how they see around corners, how they turn conviction into product, and what it actually takes to be early and right. From cybersecurity to AI to whatever category is forming next, Talking Innovation goes past the headlines to the thinking underneath. New conversations on a regular cadence. Pull up a chair.

  1. Sep 27 ·  Video

    115-Talking Innovation with Ben Wilcox, CTO & CISO @ProArch

    AI is no longer just a productivity tool - it is becoming an operational risk, a security layer, and a new kind of business identity. Ben Wilcox, CISO and CTO at ProArc, explains why the old rules for governance, auditing, and trust are breaking fast, and what leaders need to do before agents start making real decisions on their own. Ben and I unpack the shift from clicks to prompts, from deterministic software to probabilistic behavior, and from human-only workflows to environments where machine identities may outnumber people. If you are responsible for security, data, cloud costs, or AI strategy, this conversation shows why visibility and guardrails matter more than ever. You’ll discover: Why data governance has suddenly become a board-level priority How agent behavior changes the way security, logging, and audit trails must work Why “every click is a waste” is reshaping product design and user experience The hidden cost of AI usage, token spend, and why sticker shock is coming Why some AI use cases should be scaled back, not expanded How to choose the right business use case before you pilot anything at scale Ben shares practical guidance for getting ahead of AI sprawl, including how to identify what AI is already in your environment, how to assign both business and technical ownership to an agent, and how to define the right boundaries before something breaks in production. He also breaks down why security has to enter the conversation earlier, or it becomes friction instead of an enabler. The bigger message: AI adoption is moving too fast for guesswork. If your organization wants to move quickly without creating chaos, you need standards, observability, and a clear model for trust before you scale. Essential listening for CISOs, CTOs, IT leaders, and anyone trying to turn AI from hype into durable business value. I hope you enjoy it!

  2. Sep 13 ·  Video

    114-Talking Innovation with Faryam (Frayyam) Asif, Chief Technology Officer at Shufti

    In this episode I sit down with Faryam Asif, CTO at Shufti, to unpack how identity verification is evolving as agents, deepfakes, and AI-driven attacks accelerate. The conversation focuses on how Shufti verifies individuals, businesses, and transactions, and why layered security is becoming essential in regulated industries. Faryam also explains how the company is adapting to new use cases like agent verification, age estimation, and audit trail requirements. Faryam explains how Shufti verifies individuals, businesses, and transactions across industries including financial services, healthcare, retail, gambling, social media, and crypto. We discuss document verification, facial biometrics, live selfie and video checks, address verification, NFC-based passport verification, KYB, and AML workflows. I raise the growing challenge of AI agents and asks how identity verification adapts when an automated agent, not just a human, is completing a workflow. Faryam introduces the emerging concept of KYA, know your agent, and explains why the industry is shifting toward verifying the person behind the action. We discuss how deepfakes and synthetic documents have lowered the cost and speed of fraud, making scalable attacks much easier than before. Faryam shares how Shufti is responding with layered verification, combining document checks, facial likeness, device intelligence, behavior analysis, risk scoring, media integrity, and database checks. The conversation explores how behavioral signals are becoming important as attackers learn to mimic human pauses and interaction patterns. We dig into compliance, auditability, and why regulated industries now need proof of how verification happened, not just who was verified. Faryam explains Shufti’s own technology stack, including proprietary facial liveness, document verification, OCR, transaction monitoring, KYB, AI, and ML systems. We cover deployment options and integrations, including on-premises hosting, cloud APIs, SDKs, and plugins for platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Okta. Faryam also discusses Shufti’s global footprint, compliance posture, and use cases such as facial age estimation for social media and adult-content restrictions. I hope you enjoy it!

  3. Aug 30 ·  Video

    113-Talking Innovation with Tom Dager, CISO at ADM

    AI is moving faster than most organizations can govern it, and Tom Dagger, CISO at ADM, explains why that speed is now a cybersecurity, compliance, and business risk problem all at once. If you care about AI in the enterprise, exposure management, or what happens when innovation outruns control, this conversation is essential listening. Tom and I get brutally honest about the reality behind AI adoption at a global enterprise. ADM is already using tools like ADM Chat, Microsoft Copilot, and AI-powered SaaS, but Tom makes the case that the real challenge is not whether to use AI - it is how to manage the constant churn of models, harnesses, data sharing, and operational risk without breaking the business.You’ll hear Tom break down the three buckets of AI usage every security leader needs to think about: personal productivity tools like chatbots and copilots, AI embedded inside third-party SaaS platforms, and enterprise-built AI use cases that create real operational value. We also dig into why “tokenomics,” model switching, and continuous patching are now board-level concerns, especially in regulated industries where a simple software change can mean downtime, lost productivity, or regulatory scrutiny. They unpack why vulnerability ops and exposure management are replacing old-school patch Tuesday thinking, and why security teams can no longer treat AI like just another software upgrade.The conversation gets even sharper when they turn to data governance and accountability. Tom warns that the biggest blind spot may not be model performance - it is the data being handed over to third parties, the hallucinations that can slip into workflows, and the dangerous myth that AI removes human responsibility. From fake legal citations to discriminatory automated decisions, the stakes are real, and the accountability still lands on the organization.They also look ahead at what AI and quantum could mean for transportation, manufacturing, food production, and even the future of entry-level jobs. As AI takes over more routine work, what happens to the ladder people traditionally climb to build experience? We go on to explore the long-term impact on talent pipelines, human judgment, and the roles that will still need a person in the loop. Essential listening for CISOs, security leaders, tech executives, and anyone trying to figure out how to adopt AI without surrendering control. This is a candid, practical conversation about where enterprise AI is headed, what can go wrong, and how leaders need to think now if they want to stay ahead. In this episode we bring cybersecurity, AI strategy, and real-world enterprise operations into one timely conversation. I hope you enjoy it!

  4. Aug 16 ·  Video

    112-Talking Innovation with Walter Haydock, Founder and CEO, StackAware

    In this episode of Talking Innovation, I sit down with Walter Haydock, founder and CEO of Stack Aware, to explore the fast-evolving world of AI governance, cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance. Walter shares how his background in Marine Corps intelligence, counterterrorism, and government risk management shaped his approach to building a more quantitative, actionable way to assess and manage enterprise risk. The conversation covers why so many organizations still rely on outdated, “heat map” style risk assessments, how AI introduces new accountability challenges through its probabilistic nature, and why logging, monitoring, and human oversight matter more than ever. Walter also explains how Stack Aware helps AI-powered companies—especially in regulated industries—prepare for ISO 42001 certification, perform technical assessments, and build practical governance programs that close the gap between policy and reality. We also discuss the realities of AI adoption inside enterprises, the rise of employee-led tool usage, the tension between innovation and regulation, and what businesses need to do to stay competitive in a world where AI is no longer optional. It’s a wide-ranging, thoughtful discussion about risk, responsibility, and what it takes to govern AI well in the real world. I hope you enjoy it!

  5. Aug 2 ·  Video

    111-Talking Innovation with Jon Oltsik, Cybersecurity community activist, consultant, board member.

    In this episode of Talking Innovation, I sit down with cybersecurity veteran Jon Oltsik for a wide-ranging conversation about the rapid rise of AI in security operations, the future of automation, and how work itself is being reshaped. Jon shares his perspective on the AI SOC, exposure management, agentic AI, and why human judgment will remain critical even as more tasks become automated. The discussion goes beyond cybersecurity into the broader impact of AI on business, healthcare, education, research, and everyday life. From smarter diagnostics and personalized learning to new career paths and simulation-based training, Jon and I explore how AI is already changing the way we work and learn... and what that means for the next generation of professionals. They also dig into the risks: data centralization, surveillance, cyber warfare, and the widening gap between organizations that are ready for this shift and those that are not. It’s a thoughtful, grounded, and future-facing conversation about opportunity, disruption, and the importance of staying adaptable in a fast-moving world. I hope you enjoy it!

  6. Jul 19 ·  Video

    110-Talking Innovation with Dr. Atif Farid Mohammad PhD, Chief AI Office/CISO at Cyquent, Inc.

    Unlock the future where quantum computing, AI, and human intelligence collide—discover why the critical skill of emotional quotient (EQ) may soon trump IQ in this fast-evolving landscape. In this captivating episode, Dr. Atif Farid Mohammed, chief AI officer at CyQuint and author of Least Intelligence, takes us on a journey through the depths of quantum physics, AI’s limitations, and the profound impact of energy and consciousness on our existence. You’ll discover how quantum mechanics reshapes our understanding of reality, the true potential of large language models versus sentient AI, and why learning — in all its forms — remains the ultimate driver of human evolution. We break down complex concepts like decoherence, space folding, and the nature of energy, translating these into practical insights for navigating tomorrow’s technological challenges. If you’re curious about the mysteries of the universe, the future of AI, or how to harness emotional intelligence in an AI-driven world, this episode is essential listening. Dr. Mohammed’s expertise in quantum computing, cybersecurity, and AI ethics provides a rare perspective on the forces shaping our future. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a futurist, or simply intrigued by the big questions of existence, this episode will leave you inspired and enlightened. Get ready to rethink what you thought you knew about intelligence, consciousness, and the endless possibilities of the quantum era. Tap in now - your leap into the future starts here. I hope you enjoy it!

  7. Jul 5 ·  Video

    109-Talking Innovation with Todd Beebe, Fortune 500' CISO

    Most organizations are fighting an uphill battle to prevent breaches—yet many still ignore the real costs demanded by vulnerable software. In this episode, cybersecurity veteran Todd Beebe explains why the pace of cyber threats is forcing teams to move from reactive patching to proactive security. You’ll hear why old perimeter defenses are no longer enough, how AI is helping attackers find weaknesses faster, and why modern attacks are becoming quicker and more aggressive. Todd also breaks down the hidden risk of insecure software, the importance of vulnerability checks during acquisitions, and why human behavior still plays a huge role in security outcomes. Perfect for CISOs, IT leaders, procurement teams, and security practitioners, this conversation offers a practical look at how to stay ahead in a threat landscape that changes by the hour.

  8. Jun 21 ·  Video

    108-Talking Innovation with John Graham, Author, Executive Director, The Giraffe Heroes Project

    Most conversations about AI focus on doom and gloom, but what if the real risks come from ignoring its enormous potential for good? In this episode, John Graham, a seasoned diplomat and author, challenges us to rethink how we view technological innovation and global risks. Graham shares gripping stories from his adventurous life, from near-death mountain climbs to intense diplomatic battles, illustrating how a life of pushing boundaries can lead to a deeper understanding of purpose and responsibility. You'll discover how Graham’s journey underscores a vital truth: true meaning often comes through service and solving public problems. This episode reveals the profound connection between courage, compassion, and leadership in navigating our most pressing challenges. I hope you enjoy it!

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Talking Innovation is a conversation about what comes next, hosted by Grant Asplund, a four-decade technology veteran who has spent his career arriving in categories before they had names. Each episode brings together the builders, founders, and operators shaping where technology is headed, with candid conversations about the ideas, bets, and hard-won lessons behind real innovation. This isn't a show about hype cycles. It's about the people doing the work: how they see around corners, how they turn conviction into product, and what it actually takes to be early and right. From cybersecurity to AI to whatever category is forming next, Talking Innovation goes past the headlines to the thinking underneath. New conversations on a regular cadence. Pull up a chair.

Information

  • Creator
    talkingcloud
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Talking Innovation

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