AI in NYC Show
by AI in NYC Team
AI In NYC interviews technical leaders, investors, and business executives about the impact AI is having on the greatest city in the world. If you are a New Yorker, or just love AI and are looking to understand how AI will impact your world, please subscribe.
Episodes
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EP41: You Can’t Market to an Algorithm: Marina Petrova | How AI Reads, Speaks, & Queries Your Brand
AI now sits between brands and their customers in nearly every channel, and if your brand isn’t structured for it, AI will shape your brand equity without you. In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob May and Lauren Slyman sit down with Marina Petrova, CEO and Co-Founder of Intentful, to talk about…
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EP40: Beyond Content: How AI Is Rewiring Marketing, with Marc Ferrentino of Quotient
What happens when AI moves beyond content creation and starts transforming how marketing actually works? In this episode of AI in NYC, we sit down with Marc Ferrentino from Quotient to explore how AI is reshaping the marketing industry, from automating repetitive tasks to helping teams work…
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EP38: Why AI Alone Won’t Give Investors an Edge | George Kailas of Prospero AI
In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob May and Lauren Slyman sit down with George Kailas, founder of Prospero AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming financial markets, algorithmic trading, and the way investors think about data. George shares his perspective on why data engineering...
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EP37: TECH EVENT NYC: Conversations with Founders, Investors & Builders @ Madison Sq. Park
What happens when you step into New York’s tech scene and start asking the people building the future about AI? In this episode, at the 5th annual NYC Tech Event @ in Madison Sq. Park (hosted by Charlie O'Donnell) Lauren and Rob meet entrepreneurs, founders, and investors from across NYC’s tech...
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EP36: The Jagged Frontier of Enterprise AI | Why AI Adoption Is Failing with Satish Viswanathan
Is AI moving faster than businesses can actually absorb it? In this episode of the AI NYC Show, Hosts Rob May, Lauren Slyman, and Anna Kirk sit down with Satish Viswanathan, author of The Weight of Intelligence, to discuss the “Jagged Frontier of Enterprise AI” and why better AI models don’t…
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Season 1 Wrap-Up: Behind the AI & NYC Podcast + What’s Next (Live Show, Top Comments & More)
Rob May (Neurometric) and Anna Kirk (Thread AI) close out Season 1 of the AI and NYC podcast with announcements: Ryan Eppley is stepping down as a regular host, Rob’s book on investing in AI releases in September, and producer Madi Donlan joins on camera to interview them as they take a month off...
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EP:35 Ex-Meta Engineer Turned Founder: Inside ScaleBuild Al with Ujwal Roy
In this episode of AI and NYC, Ryan and Anna sit down with Ujwal Roy, Founder & CEO of ScaleBuild AI and former engineer at Meta, Intel, and Micron, to discuss how AI is reshaping every industry. For more conversations on AI, startups, and the future of technology, subscribe to our newsletter @...
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EP 34: Rahul Kanodia CEO of Datamatics: What Real AI Transformation Looks Like Inside an Enterprise
AI transformation isn't just about using ChatGPT—it's about changing how businesses think, operate, and innovate. In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob May and Anna Kirk sit down with Rahul Kanodia, CEO of Datamatics, to discuss what it really takes to transform an enterprise with AI. From building…
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EP33: Refurbished GPUs, Real Infrastructure: Harris Edelman on Powering the Al Boom
AI isn't just about models like ChatGPT—it runs on an enormous hardware ecosystem that most people never see. In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob May sits down with Harris Edelman, Founder & CEO of Ombligo, to explore the booming world of refurbished data center equipment, AI GPUs, and the hidden...
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EP32: From Computational Chemistry to AI at Scale: Alexa Griffith on Building Real AI Infrastructure
In this episode, we sit down with Alexa Griffith, Senior Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat, to discuss what’s really happening behind the scenes of modern AI infrastructure. From her journey transitioning from computational chemistry to software engineering, to building AI systems at scale.…
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EP31: AI Security, Slack agents, & the Future of Work
In this episode, Boris Berenberg dives deep into the biggest challenges companies face when adopting AI—from security and compliance concerns to poor implementation strategies and organizational resistance. We discuss why nearly 90% of AI projects fail, how enterprise teams struggle with AI...
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EP30: AI Agents vs SaaS: The Future of Software with Kenneth Auchenberg
In this episode of AI and NYC, we dive into one of the biggest questions in tech today: Will AI agents replace traditional software? Joining us is Kenneth Auchenberg, Partner at Innovation Endeavors, where we unpack the future of software infrastructure, AI-powered workflows, and why the next...
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EP29: Reclaiming the Internet: Ben Guo on Personal AI, Techno-Feudalism, and Building Zo Computer
Ben Guo is a former early Stripe engineer, Brooklyn musician, and now the co-founder and CEO of Zo Computer. In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob May sits down with Ben to explore a refreshing vision for personal AI: how managed cloud computers and autonomous AI agents can give regular, everyday...
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EP28: Thick Skin Required: Fundraising, Failure & Comedy with Noah Obstfeld @PitchRoastLive
Noah Obstfeld from Pitch Roast runs a venture capital and entrepreneur pitch session where professional comedians roast you while you pitch your startup. In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob May and guest co-host Stephen Messer dive into the brutal, vulnerable, and hilarious world of fundraising. We...
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EP 27: The Next AI Battle Isn't Technology—It's Trust | Guy Mounier (Boon AI)
Guy Mounier is a four-time founder, investor, and the CEO of Boon AI. In this episode of AI in NYC, we explore one of the biggest questions facing technology today: how do we build trust in an AI-powered world? Our conversation spans entrepreneurship, AI, business, society, and the ideas behind...
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EP 26: Building the Next Generation of AI Leaders with Dr. Taniya Mishra
Dr. Taniya Mishra shares her remarkable journey from early machine learning research and accessibility-focused AI projects to building SureStart, a company dedicated to bringing AI fluency to students around the world. Together, they explore what it means to prepare the next generation for an...
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EP25: The Future of AI Storytelling, AGI & Creative Worlds with Hilary Mason
In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob and Ryan are joined by Hilary Mason for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolution of AI in New York — from the early data science era to today’s generative AI landscape. The discussion dives into the early days of data science in New York, the rise of AGI hype...
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EP 24: Cerebras IPO, Dead Internet & the AI Backlash with Rob May, Ryan Eppley
In this episode of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May (Co-Founder & CEO, Neurometric) and Ryan Eppley (Co-Founder & CEO, RootAccess) go deep on the biggest AI hardware and infrastructure stories of the week — no guest needed, just two hardware-obsessed founders breaking it all down. First up: the Cerebras...
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EP 23: Your AI Is Broken Because Your Data Is with Gabi Steele, Preql
In Episode 23 of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May, Anna Kirk, and Ryan Eppley sit down with Gabi Steele, co-founder and CEO of Preql AI, to tackle one of the most overlooked problems in the AI gold rush: your data foundation is probably broken, and that's why your AI agents aren't working. Gabi brings a...
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EP 22: Edge AI, Privacy & Japan's Different Approach ft. David Justus, VP of Applied AI @ Panasonic
Sponsor: BePresent - https://www.bepresentapp.com/ In this episode of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May, Ryan Eppley, and Anna Kirk sit down with David Justus, VP of Applied AI at Panasonic, to explore one of the most underappreciated frontiers in artificial intelligence: edge AI. David breaks down how...
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EP 21: Cloud Coding Agents & the Mythos Model Panic with Matthew Mirman, Chat.Dev
In Episode 21 of AI in NYC, Rob and Ryan sit down with Matthew Mirman, founder of Chat.Dev — a cloud hosting platform for coding agents that he describes as 'Heroku for Claude Code.' Matt walks us through how he went from building legal tech AI tools for personal injury lawyers to launching a...
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EP 20: What VCs Won't Tell You About Getting Funded with Charlie O'Donnell
In Episode 20 of AI in NYC, we welcome back our original guest — Charlie O'Donnell — to talk about his upcoming book 'Founder Unfriendly: What Investors Won't Tell You About Getting Funded.' Charlie has spent years in the NYC venture ecosystem helping founders navigate the opaque, often…
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EP 19: Rebuilding the Internet for the AI Era with Zachary Smith, Datum
In this episode of AI in NYC, Rob and Ryan sit down with Zachary Smith, co-founder of Datum, to explore why the foundational infrastructure of the internet needs a radical overhaul for the AI era. Zach — a lifelong New Yorker who traded a classical music career at Juilliard for the wild world of...
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EP 18: Can AI Read Your Mind? Neurotech & Privacy with Kristen Mathews, Cooley LLP
What happens when AI meets your brain data? In Episode 18 of AI in NYC, Rob May and Anna Kirk sit down with Kristen Mathews, cyber/data/privacy partner at Cooley LLP with nearly 30 years of experience, who has carved out a fascinating niche at the intersection of privacy law and neurotechnology....
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EP 17: Governing AI for Real - With Alayna Kennedy, MasterCard
n Episode 17 of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May, Ryan Eppley, and Anna Kirk sit down with Alayna Kennedy — Director of AI Governance at MasterCard — to talk about what it actually looks like to turn high-minded AI principles into real, operational governance inside one of the world's largest financial...
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EP 16: From Classroom to AI Lab: Albert Chun + OpenClaw, Anthropic vs. the Pentagon
Albert Chun, founder of AI Circle, joins Rob, Ryan, and Anna to talk about building one of AI's most intentionally small communities — and why turning away a thousand applicants is a feature, not a bug. Albert shares how his background as an educator (he started schools in the Bay Area and South...
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EP. 15: From "Her" to Reality: How AI is Changing Sex and Dating in 2026
In this episode of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May (Neurometric) and Ryan Eppley (Root Access) dive deep into the intersection of human intimacy and artificial intelligence. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, they explore the startling statistic that 33% of Gen Z has engaged in romantic…
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From x.ai to ChatGPT Ads: Dennis Mortensen on AI Scheduling, Bubbles & Apple's Mistake | AI in NYC
Dennis Mortensen, 20-year NYC entrepreneur and founder of x.ai (the AI scheduling assistant), joins Rob May and Ryan Eppley to share war stories from building one of the first real AI agents—years before LLMs existed. We dive into: → The insane complexity of AI scheduling (what does "soon"…
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AI in NYC - Episode 13: AI in Healthcare, Grok's Deepfake Scandal & Yann LeCun Leaves Meta w Carrie Hodge
Caroline (Carrie) Hodge, CEO & Co-founder of Dimer Health, joins us to talk about building an AI-powered healthcare company that bridges the gap between hospital discharge and follow-up care. We dig into patient trust in AI, the launch of ChatGPT Health, why AI can't make clinical decisions…
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AI In NYC EP. 12: 6 New York AI Startups You Need to Know (2025 Year-End Showcase)
We're closing out 2025 by showcasing 6 incredible AI startups building right here in New York City — the applied AI capital of the world. Rob May and Ryan Eppley sit down with founders solving real problems across legal tech, elder safety, AI security, compliance automation, manufacturing...
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AI In NYC EP. 11: 2025 Year End Wrap-Up Episode with Jason Hiner (The Deep View)
Jason Hiner, Editor-in-Chief of The Deep View, joins AI In NYC hosts Rob May and Ryan Eppley to break down the biggest AI stories of 2025; from DeepSeek's January shockwave to Google's stunning November comeback with Gemini 3. MAJOR MOMENTS WE COVER: DeepSeek's China Breakthrough - How they…
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AI in NYC Ep. 10: Nvidia vs AMD & the AI Power Crunch — Doug O’Laughlin, SemiAnalysis
In Episode 10, we sit down with Doug O’Laughlin, President of SemiAnalysis and author of Fabricated Knowledge, to break down the truth behind GPUs, the semiconductor supply chain, and the massive power demands coming with AI’s next phase. From the behind-the-scenes AMD exposé that forced a...
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AI in NYC Episode 9: Inside the AI Deepfake War with RealityDefender’s Ben Coleman
In this episode: Rob May and Anna Kirk sit down with Ben Coleman, founder & CEO of RealityDefender, to talk about the future of deepfakes, misinformation, detection tech, and why New York might actually be the best place to build applied AI. We cover the moment Ben realized deepfakes were going…
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AI in NYC Episode 8: Why Nonprofits Need AI — With Jenni Warren & Jake Porway of Decoded Futures
Why Nonprofits Need AI Now — With Jenni Warren & Jake Porway of Decoded Futures In Episode 8 of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May (CEO & Co-founder, Neurometric) and Ryan Eppley (CEO & Co-founder, Root Access) sit down with Jenni Warren and Jake Porway from Decoded Futures — a Tech:NYC Foundation…
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Episode 7: The Future of AI Hardware with Waleed Atallah (Mako CEO)
Welcome to AI in NYC! In Episode 7, hosts Ryan Eppley (Root Access) and Anna Kirk (Thread AI) sit down with Waleed Atallah, CEO of Mako, to dive deep into the world of AI hardware, GPUs, and the future of computing. In this episode: Waleed’s journey from Intel to founding Mako Why GPUs are taking...
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AI in NYC Ep. 6: How Sam Koch from FeedbackNow is Using Real-World AI to Transform Private Equity
FeedbackNow VP of AI, Sam Koch, joins the show to share how he’s actually using AI, not just talking about it. From automating real workflows to bringing hardware back into tech, Sam breaks down what works (and what doesn’t) when scaling automation in Private Equity. Why watch: Real examples of…
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AI in NYC Ep. 5: Do Resumes Still Matter? AI, Job Hunting & the Future of Work | W/ Joe Perrotta - CEO of SimpleApply
Discover SimpleApply — the smarter way to land your next job! Visit: https://simpleapply.ai Hosts: Rob May — CEO & Co-founder, NeuroMetric AI Anna Kirk — Chief of Staff, Nadia Partners In this episode of AI in NYC, hosts Rob May (CEO & Co-founder, NeuroMetric) and Anna Kirk (Chief of Staff, Nadia...
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AI in NYC Episode 4: Joe Dormani from Thompson Reuters Ventures
Hosts: Rob May — CEO & Co-founder, NeuroMetric Anna Kirk — Chief of Staff, Nadia Partners Ryan Eppley — Co-founder & CEO, Root Access Guest: Joe Dormani — Partner, Thomson Reuters Ventures Episode Overview: This week we sit down with Joe Dormani for a deep dive into AI investing, legal tech, and...
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AI IN NYC Episode 3: Eric Litman from Aescape on Robotic Massage
In this episode Rob and Ryan interview Eric Litman, CEO of Aescape, which builds a robotic massage table. Eric talks about how robotics has exploded in NYC in the last few years, and how it compares to building his first company in mobile tech in the mid 2000s. The crew also discusses an article...
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AI In NYC Episode 2: Stephen Messer of Collectivei
In this episode Rob, Anna, and Ryan talk to Collectivei co-founder Stephen Messer and discuss his background as an early NYC tech entrepreneur, and building AI in New York before it was cool. The crew also discusses an article from The Atlantic about whether or not there is an AI bubble, and…
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AI In NYC Episode 1: Charlie O'Donnell
Listen to Rob, Anna, and Ryan discuss the New York tech scene and recent AI articles with Charlie O'Donnell. Charlie is a life long New Yorker and long time venture capitalist. He discusses his experience working for Josh Kopelman and Fred Wilson, two of the most successful venture capitalists of...
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The Secret Sauce of Accurate AI Forecasting with Dan Schwarz of FutureSearch
Welcome to exhilarating episode of AI Innovators with Rob May! In this episode, Rob is joined by Dan Schwarz, founder of FutureSearch, for an in-depth conversation about the future of artificial intelligence and the pivotal role forecasting plays in understanding where AI is headed. Unlike any...
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AI's Role in Building Brand Affinity and Loyalty with Noah Brier and Catherine Perloff
Welcome to exhilarating episode of AI Innovators with Rob May! In this episode, we explore the transformative power of AI in marketing and branding with our distinguished guests: Catherine Perloff, a journalist focused on the advertising business of big tech platforms, and Noah Brier, an...
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Lending a Hand: AI’s Impact on Credit Solutions with Scott Weller of EnFi
Welcome to another exciting episode of AI Innovators with Rob May! In this episode, we dive deep into the intersection of artificial intelligence and risk analysis with Scott Weller, co-founder of Enfi AI. The AI Innovators Podcast is sponsored by Half Court Ventures and the Investing in AI...
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Breaking Down AI’s Zero-Sum Game with Karen Hao
Welcome to another episode of AI Innovators with Rob May, where we explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on various industries. In this episode, we're joined by the insightful Karen Hao, a freelance journalist known for her expertise in AI and technology reporting. The AI...
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Future-Proofing Video Editing with Joseph Jorgensen of Capsule
Welcome to another episode of the AI Innovators Podcast! I'm your host, Rob May, and in today's episode, In today's episode, our distinguished guest is Joseph Jorgensen, the founder of Capsule Video. Join us as Joseph shares the story behind Capsule, a ground-breaking AI-powered video editing...
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Predicting AI Innovations and Key Players in 2025 with Half Court Ventures Team
Welcome to another episode of the AI Innovators Podcast! I'm your host, Rob May, and in today's episode, we're wrapping up the year with a bang by looking ahead to AI in 2025. I've gathered a panel of AI experts from Half Court Ventures to discuss the current landscape, future trends, and the...
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Finding the Next Big AI Success with Kevin Novak
Welcome to another exciting episode of the AI Innovators Podcast! I'm your host, Rob May, and today we have a truly special guest joining us: Kevin Novak. Kevin is a former data scientist at Uber and now a venture capitalist with Rackhouse VC. In this episode, we dive deep into fascinating topics...
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Boosting Underwriter Productivity with Alex Schmelkin of Sixfold AI
Welcome to another exciting episode of the AI Innovators Podcast! I'm your host, Rob May, and today we're diving into a truly unique domain as we explore the intersection of AI and the insurance industry. Our guest is Alex Schmelkin, CEO of Sixfold AI, a company that's revolutionizing how…
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About this show
AI In NYC interviews technical leaders, investors, and business executives about the impact AI is having on the greatest city in the world. If you are a New Yorker, or just love AI and are looking to understand how AI will impact your world, please subscribe.
Hosted by
AI in NYC Team
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