Tech Can't Save Us

Literal Humans
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Every week, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby sit down with founders, CEOs, and innovators at mission-driven tech companies to discuss how tech can help solve the most pressing issues of our time— and how to avoid losing sight of the humans it affects.

  1. AI Agents for the Next Generation of Channel Partnerships with Leo Crowe, CEO of Souk

    6D AGO

    AI Agents for the Next Generation of Channel Partnerships with Leo Crowe, CEO of Souk

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Leo Crowe, the co-founder and CEO of Souk, a newly launched AI platform transforming how companies build and scale channel partnerships. Selected for Antler’s 2025 London cohort from over 150,000 applicants, Leo brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at Deel and Papaya Global to solve the age-old inefficiencies of partnership management. They discuss the rising importance of partner-led growth, noting that giants like Salesforce and HubSpot now derive over 50% of their revenue from partnerships. Leo explains why these relationships often fail, citing that historically, 9 out of 10 partners never refer a single lead due to friction in finding, activating, and paying them. Find more about Souk here: joinSouk.comFollow Leo Crowe here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-crowe-457815121/

    33 min
  2. Bringing Modern EdTech to Underserved Schools with Robby Cobbs & Kyle Sumrow of Tech My School

    MAR 19

    Bringing Modern EdTech to Underserved Schools with Robby Cobbs & Kyle Sumrow of Tech My School

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Robert "Robby" Cobbs, CEO and founder, and Kyle Sumrow, director of development at TechMySchool. As the Caribbean’s leading EdTech consulting nonprofit, TechMySchool serves over 40 schools across Puerto Rico, the U.S., and internationally, helping them modernize systems and create student-centered learning environments. They discuss the fundamental disconnect in modern education, where schools often have more technology than ever but feel overwhelmed and underprepared to use it effectively. Robert and Kyle explain how educator hesitation and a "retreat from technology" driven by parental concerns about screen time are shaping the current landscape. Key conversation points include: Individualized Tech Plans (ITPs): How TechMySchool uses a non-judgmental, data-driven approach to diagnose school needs across educational systems, adult learning capacity, and student empowerment. The "Flock Leader" Program: A sustainable model that pays stipends to teachers to step into leadership roles, ensuring schools build long-term internal savvy rather than relying on one-off workshops. The Puerto Rico Context: The unique challenges facing students in Puerto Rico, who often lack access to basic infrastructure like public libraries and enter the continental U.S. workforce several grade levels behind their peers. Leading Through Curiosity: Why the most successful school transformations happen when leadership prioritizes a growth mindset and models a love of learning for their students. Robert and Kyle also share insights from their international careers—spanning from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland—and explain why their "terrible business model" of trying to work themselves out of a job is the most ethical way to support schools. Find more about TechMySchool here: https://techmyschool.orgRobert Cobbs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcobbs/Kyle Sumrow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-sumrow-869516183/

    39 min
  3. How Lori is Building the AI Operating System for Patient Stories with Asmaa Bencherif, Founder of Lori

    MAR 12

    How Lori is Building the AI Operating System for Patient Stories with Asmaa Bencherif, Founder of Lori

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Asmaa Bencherif, founder of Lori. Lori is an AI operating system designed to make real-world patient stories and outcomes usable at scale, helping individuals find health products that genuinely work in a crowded and often untrustworthy market. Asmaa shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and the difficulty of navigating vague online reviews and unverified forums while trying to manage her health outside the doctor's office. They discuss how Lori addresses these challenges by asking the right questions at the right time to generate structured, contextualized feedback from verified buyers. The conversation covers: The Power of Storytelling: How Lori turns personal health narratives into searchable data assets and short-form content for brands. Trust as Currency: Partnering with science-backed companies in sectors like Neurotech, SleepTech, and FemTech to ensure a high standard of proof. Ethical AI & Compliance: Navigating strict regulations to ensure patient testimonials are safe and do not make unsubstantiated medical claims. Intentional Growth: Asmaa’s philosophy on "growing slow" to maintain data integrity and protect the customer relationship during her current £600,000 pre-seed fundraising round. Asmaa also highlights the shift toward direct-to-consumer medical devices and why a trusted filter is necessary to reduce the "trial and error" often experienced by those living with chronic conditions. Find out more about Lori here: https://lori.healthFollow Asmaa Bencherif here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asmaa-bencherif

    34 min
  4. Rethinking the Future of the Internet with Galen Wolfe-Pauly, Co-Founder of Tlon

    MAR 5

    Rethinking the Future of the Internet with Galen Wolfe-Pauly, Co-Founder of Tlon

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Galen Wolfe-Pauly, co-founder of Tlon. Tlon is a company radically reimagining the internet's foundation to create a simpler, more personal computing experience. They discuss the structural flaws of the modern internet, where users rely on centralized identifiers and servers they do not own, leading to issues with privacy, data mining, and a lack of digital permanence. Galen explains how Tlon addresses these failures through a peer-to-peer network of nodes, where every individual owns their own cryptographic identity and "virtual machine". The conversation covers: Digital Sovereignty: Why owning your entire computing stack is essential for building products that truly serve people. Architecture & Longevity: How Galen’s background in architecture influences his vision for digital tools that can last for decades or even centuries. The Tlon Messenger: A look at their current product—a highly customizable, extensible "super app" that allows communities to run their own servers. Craftsmanship in Software: Why the next "battle" on the internet is shifting from mediocre, ad-driven platforms to high-quality, carefully crafted digital environments. Galen also shares the immense technical challenges of building a new programming language and operating environment from scratch and why Tlon’s mission to create software that outlives its creators provides a deeper sense of purpose. Find more about Tlon here:https://tlon.io/ Follow Galen Wolfe-Pauly here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/galenwolfepauly/

    28 min
  5. Reinventing Urban Delivery Through AI Route Optimization with Richard Savoie, CEO of Adiona

    FEB 26

    Reinventing Urban Delivery Through AI Route Optimization with Richard Savoie, CEO of Adiona

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Richard Savoie, Founding CEO of Adiona, an award-winning AI-powered delivery optimization platform that is reinventing how cities move goods. As urban populations grow and delivery volumes explode, the "last mile" has become the most expensive, complex, and emissions-intensive part of the supply chain. They discuss the "cracks" in modern logistics, where the loss of batching efficiency makes individual home deliveries incredibly costly for retailers. Rich explains how Adiona’s AI engine helps fleets deliver up to 87% faster and 50% cheaper by automating complex dispatch decisions that were traditionally handled manually with paper maps and spreadsheets. The conversation covers: The Sustainability Challenge: Why transport is predicted to be the highest single emitting industry by 2030 and the specific difficulties of electrifying commercial fleets at scale. Digital Twins and Simulations: How Adiona uses historical data to help retailers predict driver needs for peak seasons like Black Friday. The "Knowledge" of AI: Moving beyond human limitations to dynamically prioritize deliveries based on revenue and profit margin during disruptions like snowstorms. Growth and Financing: Rich’s journey from failing to raise VC funds for a commuting app to finding success with a mission-driven, debt-financed model for logistics. Rich also shares insights on the psychological barriers to automation in large enterprises and why he believes the convergence of AI, robotics, and quantum computing offers a path toward a better world for the most vulnerable. Find more about Adiona here:https://www.adionatech.com/ Follow Rich Savoie here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richsavoie/

    35 min
  6. Tackling the Screen Time Epidemic with Connor Mason and Glenn Stephenson, Co-founders of Fluid Focus

    FEB 19

    Tackling the Screen Time Epidemic with Connor Mason and Glenn Stephenson, Co-founders of Fluid Focus

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Connor Mason and Glenn Stephenson, co-founders of Fluid Focus, a Belfast-based company rethinking our relationship with technology. With research showing the average adult spends nearly a third of their waking hours—and Gen Z over six hours a day—on their smartphones, Fluid Focus aims to flip the dynamic from tech consuming our lives to tech enhancing them. They discuss the alarming "attention economy" where products are designed to monetize human focus, leading to fractured productivity, increased anxiety, and a "loneliness epidemic" as physical socialization declines. Connor and Glenn share how their background in big tech and corporate consulting revealed a shared struggle: the inability to focus for more than a few minutes without compulsively reaching for a phone. The conversation covers the Fluid Focus app’s innovative approach, which combines: Deep Work Tools: One-click focus sessions that block distracting apps and utilize curated "focus music" from global leader Mindstream to keep users on task. Gamification and Incentives: A system where users earn "Fluid Coins" for focus sessions, which can be used to enter wellness raffles or provide days of education for children through the charity Mary’s Meals. Data-Driven Habits: Passive blocking rules (like "no social media until 10,000 steps") and tracking tools for mood and productivity. Glenn and Connor discuss their strategic move to partner with academic institutions and workplaces rather than competing in the crowded consumer market, aiming to create a "focus operating system" for the modern world.Find more about Fluid Focus here: https://www.fluidfocus.app/Connor Mason:https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-mason-2b347b128/ Glenn Stephenson:https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-stephenson-1297849a/

    39 min
  7. Reinventing How We Pay Off Mortgages with Jinesh Vohra, CEO of Sprive

    FEB 11

    Reinventing How We Pay Off Mortgages with Jinesh Vohra, CEO of Sprive

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Jinesh Vohra, founder and CEO of Sprive, a UK-based fintech on a mission to help homeowners pay off their mortgages years earlier and save thousands in interest. The conversation dives deep into the structural flaws of the UK mortgage system, where high property prices relative to salaries have forced many into 30 or 40-year mortgage terms. Jinesh highlights the sobering reality that millions of people are now on track to carry mortgage debt well past the age of retirement. He shares his personal journey of frustration with traditional banking—ranging from the manual slog of tracking overpayments on Excel spreadsheets to the "nightmare" nine-month process of actually moving into a home in the UK. This personal friction, combined with a 14-year career at Goldman Sachs, inspired him to build a consumer-centric solution that empowers homeowners to take back control. Jinesh explains how Sprive differentiates itself by making mortgage reduction a seamless part of daily life through its "Shop Away Your Mortgage" feature. By partnering with major brands like Amazon, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s, the app allows users to earn rewards on everyday purchases that are instantly pushed toward their mortgage balance. These small, frequent contributions benefit from compound interest, often saving the homeowner triple the original reward amount over the life of the loan. The platform further optimizes financial health by using open banking to analyze spending patterns, automatically setting aside spare cash for overpayments only when the user can afford it. The episode also explores the challenges of disrupting an industry dominated by an oligopoly of lenders who lack the motivation to innovate or simplify the customer experience. Jinesh discusses the rigor required to build a trusted fintech brand, including raising £4.5 million in funding and passing strict regulatory checks to ensure zero fraud. He concludes by painting a picture of the life-changing freedom that comes with being mortgage-free, which can unlock new hobbies, career shifts, and the ability to build generational wealth. Find more about Sprive here: https://sprive.com/ Follow Jinesh Vohra here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinesh-vohra/

    34 min
  8. Solving the Data and AI Literacy Crisis with Greg Freeman, CEO of Data Literacy Academy

    FEB 4

    Solving the Data and AI Literacy Crisis with Greg Freeman, CEO of Data Literacy Academy

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Greg Freeman, founder and CEO of Data Literacy Academy, an organization dedicated to building data-confident cultures within the world’s top companies. They discuss the staggering reality that up to 83% of the workforce is data illiterate, leaving businesses unable to effectively monetize or act upon the billions of dollars they invest in AI platforms and data infrastructure. Greg explains why technology alone cannot solve business problems if the people using it lack the confidence and mindset to make data-led decisions. The conversation covers the critical role of leadership in driving change, the concept of "taught fear" in education, and how Data Literacy Academy uses live learning to transform anxious employees into confident data thinkers. Greg also shares insights on moving industry measurements from inputs and outputs to meaningful outcomes, treating data literacy as a multi-year cultural change rather than a one-off training session and the "champagne problem" of a data-literate workforce surfacing more business use cases than a data office can handle.Find more about Data Literacy Academy here: www.dl-academy.com Follow Greg Freeman here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdata/

    40 min
See All (192)

Trailer

About

Every week, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby sit down with founders, CEOs, and innovators at mission-driven tech companies to discuss how tech can help solve the most pressing issues of our time— and how to avoid losing sight of the humans it affects.

Information

  • Creator
    Literal Humans
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    192
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Literal Humans
  • Show Website
    Tech Can't Save Us

You Might Also Like