Myles Harrison, Principal at Praktikai and founder of Machine Learning Toronto (MLTO) joins the show to cut through the hype and share a pragmatic playbook for real-world AI. We unpack why the “boring” stuff (clean data, operational BI, and simple automation) often delivers far more value than flashy agent demos, how to manage change in large organizations, and when voice AI actually makes sense.

In this episode you'll hear:
• Why a consulting mindset makes for a different kind of founder.
• Concrete, high-impact AI use cases for mid-market businesses.
• Change management: it’s people, not tech.
• Practical voice AI: transcription, admin automation, and guardrails.
• What to stop chasing and what to build next.

Links:

Myles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mylesharrison/

On this episode of The Deep Dive Lab I talk with Andy Sitison, CTO at Share More Stories, about one core question: how do we turn human stories and emotions into useful, trustworthy data?

We cover:

• How to prompt people so they actually tell meaningful stories (the “story journey”)
• The logic of breaking a story into expressions and scoring emotions (joy, anxiety, belonging, and more)
• A real project with Virginia Tourism: hearing Black travelers’ stories changed messaging, visitor experiences, and earned recognition
• Practical risks: model accuracy, human-in-the-loop validation, cultural sensitivity, and detecting fake/generative submissions

Why listen: if you create products, run marketing, or lead research, this episode will change how you think about “voice of the customer”, from checkboxes to human truth.

Guest links:

• Andy Sitison: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-sitison/
• https://www.virginia.org/plan-your-trip/black-travel/
• https://sharemorestories.com/

What if the key to solving some of tech's biggest problems has been overlooked because of outdated hiring practices?

My guest is Tara May, CEO of Aspiritech, a multi-million dollar tech services company with one incredible stat: her entire team is made up of 100% autistic talent.

We explore how autistic talent is solving big tech problems for clients like Bose and the TSA:

• Building Smarter AI: How her team annotated 280,000 luggage images to train the AI that secures our airports.
• Perfecting Products: The unique QA testing process that ensures Bose speakers work flawlessly.
• Securing Financial Tech: Making JP Morgan's digital platforms accessible and compliant for every user.

This is more than a story about inclusion. It’s a playbook for building a smarter, more adaptable, and more human company.

Tara May: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taranmay/

Aspiritech: https://aspiritech.org/

On this episode I speak with Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker, Research Director & Founder of the cyberintelligence.institute and serves on the Federal Parliament, about why we need to think beyond “cybersecurity” and build true digital resilience.

We cover:

• what digital resilience actually is and how it changes procurement and policy.
• why trustworthiness, software bills of materials (SBOMs) and supply-chain transparency matter.
• the risks in smart homes, AI-driven attacks, and the age of deepfakes
• three practical actions you can do today to be more resilient

Guest links (useful background & profiles)

• Dennis’s official site — Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker: https://denniskenjikipker.de/ Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker
• Cyber Intelligence Institute (CII): https://cyberintelligence.institute/ cyberintelligence.institute
• Dennis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-dennis-kenji-kipker-51867449/ LinkedIn
• Recent advisory news (Myra Security): https://www.myrasecurity.com/en/news/dennis-kenji-kipker-joins-myra-advisory-board/ myrasecurity.com

Jeff Lawy (Head of Deep Tech Commercialization, Ashera Health) joins me to explore how AI is transforming blood testing, from a handful of biomarkers to 10,000+ signals that actually help you act. We talk about turning complex lab data into clear, personalized guidance, building guardrails around LLMs, and why women’s health (fertility, perimenopause, menopause) is the smartest first focus. We also hit the practical stuff: at-home blood collection (FDA + Health Canada cleared via partner), MVP over perfection, pricing, and getting vendor-approved.

What we cover:

• Scaling from standard panels to 10k+ biomarkers (hormones, endocrine disruptors, “forever chemicals”)
• Personalization vs population averages, and a three-tier reporting model
• Human-in-the-loop AI: where automation ends and clinicians begin
• Launch plans in US & Canada, plus why costs fall over time
• Bonus: space tech, agritech, quantum, why sensor data and falling costs matter

• 
  

Links

Jeff Lawy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-lawy/

Stephen Sakach, CEO & founder of Zero company, >70k on his mailing list, coined BLISS: Build Love into Scalable Systems.

His idea: random acts of kindness —> predictable, repeatable systems that drive both customer loyalty and internal cohesion.

He believes businesses that lead with purpose and empathy are the ones that last.

Empathy isn’t just a nice-to-have*.* It’s a proven growth driver

• Emotionally connected customers = 306% ↑ lifetime value
• Empathetic leaders = 60% ↑ employee retention
• Purposeful brands win loyalty (think Dove, Chewy, Patagonia)

Example: Chewy sends flowers when customers’ pets pass away, a roofing company pays kids $1 per nail they find — turning potential negatives into positive engagement moments (full story on the show).

For my AI folks: We also obviously also talked about how AI can be a force multiplier in this

Links:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-sakach-3181aa28b/

I thought sustainability meant choosing between profit and “doing good for the planet”. My chat with Josh proved me WRONG.

“Stop selling sustainability. Start selling something BETTER that happens to be sustainable.”

A bit about Josh Dorfman:

CEO of Supercool, co-founded Plantd (a manufacturer of carbon-negative building materials) with ex-Tesla employees named Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies, launched and led multiple sustainable businesses (and many more - check his LinkedIn for more details too long couldn’t fit it all here).

also he also rode a folding bike onto the Martha Stewart Show in 2007 for Earth Day #iconic.

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorfmanjosh/