Tech Can't Save Us

Literal Humans
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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. Helping underinvested entrepreneurs build equitable communities with Shawna Young, CEO of Camelback Ventures

    SEP 2

    Helping underinvested entrepreneurs build equitable communities with Shawna Young, CEO of Camelback Ventures

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Shawna Young, CEO of Camelback Ventures, a New Orleans-based organization that invests in entrepreneurs of color and women building social impact ventures. They discuss how Camelback is tackling one of entrepreneurship's biggest challenges: while genius is equally distributed, opportunity definitely isn't. Since 2015, the organization has invested over $9 million in more than 200 entrepreneurs, primarily from under-resourced communities, providing not just capital but executive coaching and access to mission-driven networks through their Fellowship program. With applications now open for their 2026 Fellowship, Shawna explains how they're evolving their 16-week hybrid program to meet entrepreneurs where they are in today's challenging funding environment. The conversation also covers the concrete barriers that underinvested entrepreneurs face, from starting ventures on credit card debt to competing against better-funded competitors, and how Camelback's approach differs from traditional accelerators. Learn more about Camelback Ventures and the 2026 Fellowship application process here: https://www.camelbackventures.org/  Follow Shawna Young here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/youngshawna/

    42 min
  2. Connecting content to revenue with Tom Rudnai, Founder & CEO of Demand-Genius

    AUG 20

    Connecting content to revenue with Tom Rudnai, Founder & CEO of Demand-Genius

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Tom Rudnai, Founder and CEO of Demand-Genius. Tom discusses why 75% of buyers are now avoiding sales reps and how most top-of-funnel content has started reading like a sales pitch. They explore the biggest misconceptions content teams make when trying to prove their value, and how the shift toward AI overviews in search has pushed companies to focus on bottom-of-funnel terms. The conversation covers how Demand-Genius tracks exactly how sales teams use content and its influence on pipeline and revenue.  Find more about Demand-Genius here: https://www.demand-genius.com/ Follow Tom Rudnai here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-rudnai-0539b6151/

    31 min
  3. Reinventing travel through home exchange with Justine Palefsky, Co-founder and CEO of Kindred

    AUG 11

    Reinventing travel through home exchange with Justine Palefsky, Co-founder and CEO of Kindred

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Justine Palefsky, co-founder and CEO of Kindred, a members-only home exchange community that's transforming how we think about travel and accommodation. They discuss how Kindred has grown to include over 130,000 homes across more than 100 cities since launching in 2021, and why home swapping is experiencing a renaissance in our post-pandemic world.  The conversation covers the evolution of home exchange programs, how Kindred builds trust between strangers swapping homes, and the role technology plays in scaling their vetting process. Find more about Kindred here: https://livekindred.com/ Follow Justine Palefsky here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justine-palefsky

    42 min
  4. Turning plastic waste into building blocks with Heidi Kujawa, Founder & CEO of ByFusion

    JUL 27

    Turning plastic waste into building blocks with Heidi Kujawa, Founder & CEO of ByFusion

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Heidi Kujawa, Founder and CEO of ByFusion, a manufacturing company that's turning plastic waste into high-performing building materials called ByBlocks. They discuss the staggering scale of the plastic waste crisis, with less than 9% of plastic getting recycled annually, and how traditional recycling methods have failed to address this growing problem. Heidi walks through the process of converting mixed plastic waste into durable building blocks and covers how ByBlocks compares to traditional materials like concrete in terms of performance and environmental impact.  Find more about ByFusion here: https://www.byfusion.com/  Follow Heidi Kujawa here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidikujawa/

    21 min
  5. Making identity verification inclusive with Chloe Coleman, Co-Founder & CEO of Vouchsafe

    JUL 8

    Making identity verification inclusive with Chloe Coleman, Co-Founder & CEO of Vouchsafe

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Chloe Coleman, Co-Founder & CEO of Vouchsafe, an inclusive identity verification platform tackling the global challenge of ID poverty through innovative approaches like biometric vouching. They discuss the staggering reality that 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to proper identification, including 11 million people in the UK who don't have a passport or driving licence. Chloe explains how this creates barriers to essential services like banking, healthcare, and housing, and why the increasing digitisation of services has made the problem even more acute. Find more about Vouchsafe here: https://www.vouchsafe.id/  Follow Chloe Coleman here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-coleman/

    42 min
  6. Empowering educators through AI with Amanda Bickerstaff, Founder and CEO of AI for Education

    JUN 20

    Empowering educators through AI with Amanda Bickerstaff, Founder and CEO of AI for Education

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Amanda Bickerstaff, Founder and CEO of AI for Education.  They discuss how Amanda is helping bridge the growing divide between schools that are embracing AI and those that are restricting it entirely. Amanda, a former high school biology teacher, shares her journey from the classroom to founding a company that has partnered with more than 150 academic institutions since April 2023. The conversation explores common misconceptions about AI in education and Amanda's hands-on approach to AI literacy training. They also cover Amanda's ambitious goal of supporting 1 million educators and the challenges of scaling from a first workshop to training thousands weekly. Find more about AI for Education here: https://www.aiforeducation.io/  Follow Amanda Bickerstaff here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-bickerstaff-edu/

    38 min
  7. Building the open social web with Matej Svancer, Founder & CEO of Openvibe

    JUN 5

    Building the open social web with Matej Svancer, Founder & CEO of Openvibe

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Matej Svancer, Founder & CEO of Openvibe, a platform that's bringing together the fragmented world of decentralised social media into one unified experience. They discuss how Openvibe connects platforms like Mastodon, BlueSky, Threads, and Nostr, allowing users to manage all their social networks from a single app. Matej explains why decentralisation is becoming crucial as people wake up to the risks of centralised platforms, from algorithm manipulation to content suppression. The conversation covers Openvibe's impressive growth to 80,000 downloads, the challenges of making complex decentralised tech accessible to everyday users, and how the company is using its recent $800,000 funding round to expand.  Find more about Openvibe here: https://openvibe.social/  Follow Matej here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matej-svancer-399b2012b/

    23 min
  8. Cultural listening for brands with Michael Howard, Founder and CEO of Nichefire

    JUN 2

    Cultural listening for brands with Michael Howard, Founder and CEO of Nichefire

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Michael Howard, founder and CEO of Nichefire, an AI-powered cultural intelligence platform that helps major brands like Walmart, Kraft Heinz, and Nestle identify and predict emerging cultural trends before they hit the mainstream.  They discuss how cultural intelligence has evolved far beyond traditional social listening, allowing businesses to spot micro-trends that start in small online communities and behavioural shifts that companies have historically missed. The conversation covers Nichefire's recent $2.6 million funding round, how the AI technology actually works to process data from multiple online sources, and Michael's journey from traditional marketing roles to founding a company that predicts cultural movements.  Find more about Nichefire here: https://nichefire.com/  Follow Michael Howard here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahmike7/

    37 min
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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 - 2025
  • Episodes
    167
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Literal Humans
  • Show Website
    Tech Can't Save Us

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