The Tech Aunties

The hype is fading, and that's a good thing. The Tech Aunties recap AI Infrastructure Field Day 4, where vendors like Forward Networks, Hammerspace, Solidigm, and Xsight Labs proved that enterprise AI is finally getting practical. Less "what if," more "here's how it runs in production." Gina and Marian break down the standout presentations, why governance is the word you can't escape, and why you shouldn't have to rip out your entire infrastructure to join the AI era.Plus: a passionate defense of Fort Worth, South by Southwest plans, and The Traitors finale.Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! You can find us here:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TechAuntiesPodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tech-aunties-podcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techauntiespodcast/LINKS:AI Infrastructure Field Day 4: https://techfieldday.com/event/aiifd4Forward Networks: https://www.forwardnetworks.comCisco: http://www.cisco.comFabrix.ai: https://fabrix.aiXsight: https://xsightlabs.comSolidigm: https://www.solidigm.comHammerspace: http://hammerspace.comFuturum Group: https://futurumgroup.comThe Traitors US: https://thetraitorsus.comIn this episode...00:00 Cold Open and Re-Record00:35 Ice Storm and Panther City01:25 What AI Field Day Covered02:30 Favorite Demos Forward and Storage03:38 Xsight Labs and Space Networks05:13 Governance Tangent and Back06:48 Aha Moments Cisco and Ethernet09:15 Infrastructure Careers and AI Pods10:49 Big Takeaways Governance and Momentum15:19 SXSW Plans and Military Tech19:02 Traitors Talk and Wrap UpZM7OitCoo8ge2GJ3MhnH

Who owns AI’s foundations — and who pays when governance lags? Don Sullivan of The Don Sullivan Show joins the Tech Aunties to unpack AI infrastructure power dynamics, medical and materials‑science breakthroughs driven by analytics, why customer service chatbots are an “abject failure,” and the data‑quality trust gap. Plus: Don’s personal health story and why nanoparticle tech gives him hope.We had technical issues with this episode, so there's no video this episode. Sorry about that y'all!Let's Chat!Tell us what you think: who should control AI infrastructure, and what should governance look like when systems operate at machine speed?Make sure to follow us on ⁠Instagram ⁠and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. We love to chat! Who do y'all want us to talk to next?S4E2DonSullivan - Chapter List with Descriptions1. Introduction - 0:10Marian introduces the episode's focus on AI infrastructure, exploring who controls it, who benefits from it, and whether it can be governed responsibly. Guest Don Sullivan joins to share his Silicon Valley expertise.2. AI Infrastructure & Governance - 0:35The conversation dives into fundamental questions about AI governance and control. Don discusses the aspirational potential for AI to benefit everyone versus dystopian futures, highlighting the contrast between failed customer service implementations and powerful analytics applications.3. Medical AI Applications - 2:59An in-depth discussion of AI's transformative impact on medicine, including advanced diagnostic capabilities analyzing trillions of images per second, nanoparticle technology, and the promising developments showcased at NVIDIA's GTC conference. The panel examines both the benefits and concerns around medical AI training and bias.4. Customer Service Challenges - 7:11The group explores the "object failure" of AI in customer service, from frustrating chatbot experiences to the value of human interaction. Don shares his United Airlines 1K example, illustrating why companies need to reconsider replacing human service with automated systems.5. Material Science & Analytics - 9:32Don explains how AI analytics are revolutionizing material science, battery technology, and geophysics. The discussion covers why focusing on analytics rather than employee replacement represents AI's true potential, and how quarterly revenue pressures drive poor implementation decisions.6. Data Quality & Trust - 18:10A critical examination of AI reliability, with the panel discussing how consumer AI tools are wrong up to 60% of the time yet are trusted implicitly. They explore the dangers of anthropomorphizing AI and the need for human oversight, skepticism, and validation.7. Don's Health Journey - 25:21Don opens up about his arachnoid web spinal condition and the hope that future nanoparticle technology could offer an alternative to invasive surgery. The conversation touches on resilience, adapting to physical limitations, and maintaining an active life despite health challenges.#AIinfrastructure #AIgovernance #trustworthyAI #healthcareanalytics #radiologyAI #customerservicechatbots #dataquality #AIreliability #humanoversight

Tech Aunties: Reflecting on 2025 and Predictions for 2026Season 4, Episode 1The Tech Aunties are back! Marian and Gina discuss their experiences in 2025, including challenges in the job market and governance issues in tech. They share their plans for 2026, such as creating a zine on AI and prioritizing community engagement. They delve into the complexities and misconceptions around AI, emphasizing the need for governance and the significant impact of AI on jobs and business processes. They close with their predictions for 2026, including the rise of community as a trusted source of information and the importance of proving trust in AI.Do you want to chat with the Tech Aunties? You can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. We'd love to talk with you!00:00 Welcome Back: Tech Aunties 202601:20 Reflecting on 2025: Challenges and Triumphs03:10 AI in 2026: Plans and Predictions05:26 AI Misconceptions and Realities14:45 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Governance19:40 Tech Aunties' AI Project20:58 Setting Up AI Infrastructure21:41 Security Concerns in AI Deployment22:47 Legacy Systems and AI Integration24:48 Trust and Governance in AI27:42 Predictions for AI in 202628:27 AI in Community and Trust32:38 AI Boyfriends and Ethical Concerns33:32 New Year Resolutions and Community Support37:12 Closing Remarks and Future PlansLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tech-aunties-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/techauntiespodcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TechAuntiesPodcast

We're back!

In this episode of the Tech Aunties podcast, co-host Gina Rosenthal brings you exclusive insights from the VMware Explore 2024 conference. We dive into VMware's dramatic transformation following its recent acquisition, exploring the impact on its community, evolving company culture, and shifting customer dynamics. Discover how VMware has transitioned from a vibrant, dynamic environment to a quieter atmosphere — and what this means for employee morale, customer loyalty, and future events and conferences.We also examine the broader impact on VMware's competitive position in the tech industry, revealing key takeaways for other companies facing similar challenges. We also discuss VMware's leadership strategies for navigating this transition, strategy, and balancing legacy values with innovation.Join us for a deep dive into the highlights from VMware Explore 2024, featuring insights from key stakeholders, and learn how VMware is forging a path forward in this new era. Take advantage of this must-listen episode for anyone interested in tech industry shifts, corporate culture, and leadership during times of change!HyjLxuLpOHhBuGaV9fdI

This episode of the Tech Aunties Podcast was recorded at the SHARE conference in Kansas City. SHARE is the oldest enterprise user group in the world, and it allowed Gina and Marian a chance to dive into the world of mainframes. Marian realized there is hope for the mainframe because mainframes are a big part of modern infrastructure. The Aunties talked about the need to teach younger techies how to program in Assemble and COBOL—yeah, that programming language created by Grace Hopper. They even toss around a marketing idea featuring none other than Megan Thee Stallion as the face of COBOL, thanks to the hilarious connection between her tunes and the COBOL requirement of ending statements with a period. What better way to attract young people to the world of mainframes? The conversation takes a turn to highlight the upcoming SHARE conference in Washington, D.C., which is celebrating its 70th anniversary as a user group in the Enterprise space. Mainframes are a fantastic opportunity for anyone, especially those impacted by layoffs, to explore the mainframe field and tap into a treasure trove of educational resources offered by SHARE. And hey, don’t forget! The hosts really want to connect with you on social media for all the latest content and updates. Tune in, and let’s keep the conversation going!

In this episode of Tech Aunties, we sit down with the remarkable Andrea Kalmans, a pioneering investor and entrepreneur based in Austin. Andrea takes us on a journey from her corporate past to her present as an influential 'auntie' investor, sharing candid insights on navigating the male-dominated VC landscape. She delves into the rapid evolution of AI technology, making a compelling case for its transformative power akin to the personal computer and internet revolutions. Andrea's current investment interests are at the forefront of innovation, focusing on enterprise security, social impact, and space manufacturing. Join us as she discusses the importance of keeping Austin affordable for essential workers and her inspiring future goals of impactful investing through public-private partnerships. Andrea's story is a testament to the power of authenticity and determination in the investment world.

In this episode of the Tech Aunties podcast, join us for an insightful discussion with Jamie Dean, founder of MarketDean LLC, as we explore the transformative power of AI in modern marketing. Discover how to harness AI's potential to streamline your strategies, personalize customer experiences, and drive growth, all while upholding ethical standards and maintaining genuine human connections. We'll delve into navigating ethical considerations, maximizing AI's effectiveness, and preserving the human touch in your campaigns. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting, tune in to learn how to create impactful, ethical, and empathetic campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive meaningful results. Hit play now and start shaping the future of your marketing today! o Jaime Dean LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieldean/ o Market Dean LI Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketdeanllc/ o Website: http://www.marketdean.biz

Is AI in healthcare all hype, or can it truly shine a light on better patient care? In this episode of The Tech Aunties Podcast, we cut through the buzzwords with Ganesh Padmanabhan, founder of Autonomize AI and an SXSW 2024 Pitch Finalist. Ganesh helps us see how AI offers real solutions in healthcare, not just promises. We will explore how it eases burdens like prior authorizations and gives clinicians more time for what matters most. Ready to see AI's true potential in healthcare? Do not miss this eye-opening conversation with Ganesh Padmanabhan on Tech Aunties! Learn how it is moving beyond the buzzwords to improve patient outcomes genuinely. Subscribe, listen, and share your thoughts using #TheTechAuntiesPodcast. Key Takeaways: • AI in Action: Discover how Autonomize AI streamlines prior authorizations, freeing up clinicians' time to focus on what matters most: patient care. • Democratizing Innovation: Ganesh discusses how advancements in AI are making it easier than ever for entrepreneurs to create powerful healthcare technology solutions. • Human + AI = Better Outcomes: Learn why human-machine collaboration is the key to ethical, high-quality healthcare powered by AI. • The Future is Bright: Get Ganesh's insights into how AI will continue to reshape healthcare, empowering providers with holistic patient insights for exceptional care. Social Links: o Ganesh Padmanabhan LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/padmanabhan/ o Autonomize AI Company LI Page: linkedin.com/company/autonomizeai o X: https://twitter.com/autonomizeAI o Website: Autonomize.ai o The Tech Aunties Podcast LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tech-aunties-podcast o The Tech Aunties Podcast YouTube: TechAuntiesPodcast o Gina Rosenthal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gminks/ o Digital Sunshine Solutions: https://digitalsunshinesolutions.com/ o Marian Newsome: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannewsome/

Is AI pure hype? Or will it truly create a brighter digital future? In this episode, recorded live at SXSW, data privacy architect Swati Popuri sheds light on AI's incredible potential and unintended consequences. Swati provides expert insights on navigating AI's impact, from its power to streamline our lives to the risks of deepfakes and bias. Don't miss the lively Q&A! Don’t miss the Tech Aunties Podcast – Subscribe now to stay updated on all things related to technology, responsible AI, and product marketing. Expert insights like those from Swati Popuri will help guide you through the constantly evolving world of technology and its impact on our lives. Follow Swati Popuri on LinkedIn for more valuable information and connect with The Tech Aunties Podcast Key Takeaways: Practical insights that will empower you: AI's Double-Edged Sword: AI can revolutionize our lives, but awareness of its unintended consequences is vital. The Bias Factor: Training datasets used in AI can harbor existing prejudices. Swati Popuri shares how to critically evaluate AI models for fairness, echoing insights from Arvind Narayanan's work. Deepfakes: Fact vs. Fiction? Swati discusses the dangers of AI-powered deepfakes and misinformation, highlighting concerns raised by Dr. Joy Buolamwini in "Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines." Navigating the Information Deluge: In the age of AI-generated information, Swati reminds us of Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon's wise words: carefully discern the information we consume. Social Links: o Swati Popuri LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swatipopuri/ o The Tech Aunties Podcast LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tech-aunties-podcast o The Tech Aunties Podcast YouTube: @TheTechAunties o Gina Rosenthal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gminks/ o Digital Sunshine Solutions: https://digitalsunshinesolutions.com/ o Marian Newsome: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannewsome/ o Ethical Tech Matters: https://ethicaltechmatters.com/

This week, join us as we delve into the importance of empathy in the workplace with author Katherine Manning. We explore how empathy can transform your workplace, improve well-being, and navigate the challenges of layoffs and AI. Katherine, with her book "The Empathetic Workplace," guides us on creating compassionate responses to trauma. Key Takeaways from this episode: Workplace Trauma: This is a complex issue with various causes. Explain its impact on employees. Recognizing the Signs: Describe symptoms that indicate a person may be experiencing workplace trauma. Where to Find Help: Offer resources like specialized therapists and employee assistance programs. The Role of Employers: What can organizations do to prevent workplace trauma and create supportive environments? Building Trust in the Workplace: Katherine discusses the 3 C's of Trust and how they create healthier work relationships. Transcript: [0:00] Music. [0:09] I'm Gina Rosenthal, CEO of Digital Sunshine Solutions. We're a fractional product marketing agency. And I'm Marian Newsome. I'm the founder of Ethical Tech Matters, and I'm an ethical technologist. And here's our guest today. This is Catherine Manning. Would you want to introduce yourself? Sure. It's such a pleasure to be here with the tech aunties. So my name is Catherine Manning. I am an author of the book, The Empathetic Workplace, Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job. I'm also a consultant and trainer, and I specialize in helping to build workplaces that are more human-centered and trauma-informed. And this is why we wanted to talk to you, because we are the Tech Aunties, but we're also, we are very technical. We are. And that's why we have the podcast, is to talk about all sorts of things that face people in IT, and that we have faced ourselves. Yes. And I know we've got a lot of good questions for you. Yeah. And this topic is really relevant right now with all the disruption in tech, with the workforce, even the return to office policy and the impact on the workplace. How did you get passionate about this topic and really translating that to the workplace? So my background is that I'm a lawyer, but a lawyer who for my entire career has worked with victims of crime. So I started off back in college doing hotline work, domestic violence, rape crisis work. [1:36] After law school, I went to the Justice Department, the U.S. Department of Justice, and what I did there was I was a senior attorney advisor on victims' rights, and that meant that it was my job to guide the department through its response to victims of crime, whether it be like a terrorism case, like the Boston Marathon, huge fraud like Bernie Madoff, just trying to make sure that the department knew how to support victims in each of those cases. And a few things started to become clear to me. One was that people didn't need different things based on what they were a victim of. It wasn't like the way you would support a victim of fraud was all that different than the way you would treat a victim of human trafficking. Everybody needed to feel heard and acknowledged. [2:17] Everybody needed a little help to get on their feet again. And then I realized it wasn't just the victims in our cases who needed those things. It was my colleagues too. Sometimes for reasons that were work-related, like they were dealing with a really really hard matter or dealing with a really difficult person, sometimes for reasons just because they were human. And humans sometimes are going to have experiences going through divorce or lots of a loved one. And I just realized that these ways that we support each other at work through hard times has such a tremendous impact. It affects individual healing and well-being. Like, are you able to recover from what you're going through? It affects trust between us. Because Because if I know that you supported me when I needed it, I'm going to be there for you forever. And ultimately, are we able to meet our organizational mission? Because if people are healthier and have better trust, we're going to be a lot more successful on everything we do. [3:12] And so are you finding the commonalities between like the workplace and corporate policies and the impact on employees as we go through these life events? It's very similar to the work you've done previously. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I guess let me just give you a quick example to kind of flesh out how it shows up. So there was a time when I was at DOJ where one of my colleagues, another lawyer, he had been in one of these giant government meetings where you have like 30 people sitting around a conference table, right? And his boss in the middle of the meeting belittled him, like made him feel really, really dumb and ashamed. And he comes out of the meeting and he comes storming into my office and he's just pacing back and forth and back and forth in front of my desk. desk. And I realized the way that I was talking to him was the exact same way I would have talked to a domestic violence victim on a hotline call 15 years earlier. He needed active listening. He needed acknowledgement. And because I was able to do that, because I had those skills, within like five minutes, he had calmed down. He could go back to work. I could go back to work. He didn't do something really dumb like go storm into his boss's office and yell at her or fire off an email or something. And I just realized that these issues show up all the time, you know, in big ways and small ways at work. And if we can get better at handling them, we are going to be so much more successful on every level. [4:36] So a lot of the companies, the attendees here at the Capital Factor are startups. And so what advice would you give them as they start to really form their companies and get their mission and vision? How should they look at actually building building empathetic workplaces? I really feel like when it comes down to building an empathetic workplace or being an empathetic leader, I always say there's three pillars of an empathetic workplace. The first is acknowledgement. That means that I will be heard here. If I say something, does anybody actually hear it? Do they just gloss over what I said? If I'm saying there's a problem here, do people try to talk me out of it or do they actually hear what I'm saying? Part of that is also like, do you ever say thank you? I spoke with a woman once who was at a startup and she, what she said to me was, this was like my dream. She said, I was so all in on this startup. I believed in the mission. I thought I was going to die there. Like that was, I was, you know, nights, weekends, round the clock, I believe so strongly in this startup. And she said, and then I would, after seven years, I, I suddenly realized that in the entire seven years, the two founders had never said thank you to me. Wow. Not once. And she said, once I had that realization, I started sending out a few resumes and in a month I had a job for twice the salary. Wow. [5:56] And probably the story those founders tell themselves is, oh, well, we couldn't have matched that salary. But the thing is, if they had said thank you, she never would have looked in the first place. Exactly. So that first one is acknowledgement. Just do people feel seen and valued? The second one is support. So can I get help when I need it? What kind of policies do you have that are supporting mental health, flexible work? The things that people need in those difficult times, do you have those policies? And do people know about them? So you've got to talk about them frequently. What I like to advise is actually noisy self-care. So making sure that people know that you, too, are taking steps to protect your mental health. Like it's one thing to say, hey, we've got phenomenal mental health resources. Reach out if you need them. It's very different to say we've got phenomenal mental health resources and they really helped me when I needed them. I hope you reach out if you need them. And then the third one is trust. And this is all about, do people feel like the workplace is fair? Do they feel like people have an equal voice in this environment? So to me, that comes down to how are we building trust in the first place? I think that the way you build trust in any relationship is the three Cs, clarity, consistency, and choice. choice. So are you clear, transparent about your expectations, timelines, your needs? Are you applying rules consistently? Are you saying everybody has to be in by nine, but you yourself roll in at 945? [7:22] You know, like the rules have to apply the same for everybody. And then finally, choice. Are you giving as much flexibility as possible so that people can have autonomy over the decisions that affect their lives? And then that final piece on trust also includes making sure that we're living our values. [7:41] So if, for instance, you say you value creativity and inclusion and psychological safety, and you are ignoring the screamer down the hall, those aren't your values. Everybody knows it. We have to be willing to have difficult conversations, sometimes take really uncomfortable action in order to live our values or they're not worth very much in the first place. Yeah, it's so true. You know, I'm listening to all of this and it sounds like the ideal place to work. But, you know, if we talk in reality, the tech industry, I think, especially right now, there are so many layoffs. And the layoffs many times are, are they at least appear to be financially motivated. And so they are random, can be entire units, can be two people out of every organization, but it's just out of the blue. That person might be the core person you need there and they're gone because of whatever reason. How can trust exist or how can people nurture themselves in an area if they're stuck in a place that. [8:47] May not be the ideal place you described. Well, I mean, one, I just want to acknowledge that layoffs are incredibly destabilizing and traumatic. Like it is something that you carry with you for a long time and builds in this layer of fear in you as an individual and in the whole team. So it takes a while to come back from that. And so for anybody who has to go through that on the leadership side, I would just advise making sure that you are being as clear and upfront with with people remember clarity, consistency, choice, trying to give people as much information as possible, providing support to them through the process. Just try to avoid, I know it's uncomfortable, but you just, you have to be upfront about the difficult choices that you're making because that's how you build trust is people will understand, listen, the numbers are what they are. But if they feel like you're hiding the ball, or if you're calling in, you know, you're saying one thing, but actually something else is going on, [9:43] that's going to exacerbate the the trust issues. And then on the self-care piece, like what you can do to take care of yourself. [9:52] So one is I do want to just say that everybody has a role in creating the workplace culture. So it's not just like the director of, the vice president of, who's the leader in that place. Everybody has a role in that. Like that noisy self-care I was just talking about, if you walk in and you say, well, gosh, you know, I have to turn off my phone at at nine at night, or I'm never going to get to sleep that night. Or if you say, gosh, you know, I'm back in therapy this year. It's made such a big difference for me. Those things are creating the workplace culture that supports mental health. So you don't have to be in leadership to help create the culture, but then just how you are feeding yourself. [10:32] You know, what I generally advise is, so burnout, right? We've talked, everybody's familiar with the term burnout, right? We know this. Yeah. So the thing about burnout is it is sneaky, like it will sneak up on you. It's not a light switch. Right. It is something that builds slowly over time. So one, we have to get better at recognizing our warning signs. I remember talking to this woman who was the head of a team. She's also an Asian-American woman. And we were speaking right after the shootings in Atlanta that targeted the Asian-American community there. [11:10] And she said, I think I got to get better at recognizing my warning signs. She had just heard me give a talk. And she said, you know, I like I thought I was doing fine. I was reading the news. I knew what was going on, but I thought I was handling it. And then I was on a call with my team and I just I just lost it. I just started screaming at them. Wow. And she was like, I've never spoken to anybody that way, let alone at work. Wow. Mm hmm. Have you ever heard that expression, right? The universe whispers first before it shouts. I'm willing to bet there were a few whispers that she missed before the shouting started. So get better at recognizing those warning signs, like things like a shorter temper, sharper edge to your sarcasm. another common one is when things that are normally fun start to feel like a burden. Like if I have to go out to dinner with my friends and all I can think is, I have to leave the house. I'm going to have to put shoes on. What a pain. You know, that's probably a sign. I see that a lot. I'm waiting for shoes. I know, maybe, maybe. Oh, no. She needs better shoes. Maybe, maybe. [12:15] I also recommend having a like a proactive plan to preserve your mental health. Right. So like every day you are doi

We're back to discuss AI ethics, data privacy, and the impact of emerging tech on society. We emphasize the importance of human creativity alongside AI capabilities. We also delve into data privacy concerns, the societal effects of data sharing, and the role of AI in personal identification. The episode ends with an announcement of the podcast's reboot, focusing on AI topics, and an invitation for live discussions at the Capitol Factory House during South by Southwest.

Join the Tech Aunties at South by Southwest 2024 at the Capital Factory House @ SXSW® 2024 at 9:30 am March 8 - 12.

The Tech Aunties Coming to South by Southwest at the Capital Factory House @ SXSW® 2024 at 9:30 am March 8 - 12.

Are you overwhelmed by constant tech disruptions? Join the Tech Aunties, Gina Rosenthal (Founder/CEO, Digital Sunshine Solutions & Fractional Product Marketing Consultant) and Marian Newsome (Ethical Technologist, AI Strategy & Governance, IEEE Certified), for a dose of reality with a side of humor. As industry veterans, we've seen it all and aren't afraid to spill the tea! We'll tackle your questions about AI, job security, and the ever-changing tech landscape. Need a hype-check or a fresh perspective? We're your Aunties. Got a topic or guest suggestion? Send it our way! Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tech-aunties-podcast