Finding Genius Podcast

Georgios Depastas, co-founder and business lead of Kalepso (kalepso.com), imparts technology-based wisdom on the value of data security and his goal to keep private, sensitive data safe for all of us. Depastas holds a master's in electrical and computer engineering from Greece National Technology University of Athens, and a master's from Cambridge University. His experience in real-time data analytics at Barclays motivated him to launch his company, Kalepso. Kalepso offers the strongest dynamic encryption at rest, in motion, and in memory. Their platform utilizes machine learning to optimize queries execution, and differential privacy to perturb the query result size in order to avoid communication volume leakages. And their oblivious RAM re-encrypts database rows each time data is queried, to avoid access pattern leakages. Kalepso uses military-grade protocols, at the lowest level for individual records encryption. Depastas discusses their cloud database system, which allows companies to use their data as they always have, but with significantly more security. He provides information on how the Kalepso platform delivers protection against all attacks, even potential quantum attacks. Depastas outlines how Kalepso's protection is through dynamic encryption, and how each additional query triggers re-encryption, for maximum security and protection. By utilizing differential privacy and introducing 'noise' to the query results, so potential hackers or data thieves cannot infer sensitive information that needs to be critically secured. Depastas lists some of the most current encryption levels and the security variants with quantum computing. The data security expert gives his opinions on blockchain and its many uses, such as immutability, and how he expects blockchain's robust, tamper-proof qualities to be utilized in Kalepso's next line of technology and products. Depastas discusses the expense of storing volumes of information on the blockchain, and the fragility, in terms of blockchains that are not quantum resistant at current. And he mentions how authorization issues will be an area where blockchain can be of use for Kalepso. Depastas states that their current platform has been peer reviewed and undergone white hat hacker testing, and none of the hackers were able to find any vulnerability in the system or their core technology. Depastas discusses the alpha and beta versions of their Kalepso security products and their upcoming collaboration with the National Bank of Greece to roll out a new proof of concept. And as they expand they will be seeking to introduce more products to the market and continue their global outreach. Cybersecurity is a complex issue and there will always be challenges ahead as Depastas and his team innovate to meet the needs of individuals and businesses.

Sahil Gupta, co-founder and product lead of Soundskrit (soundskrit.ca), delivers an engrossing overview of the future of audio and microphone technology. Gupta received a B.S. and master's of engineering in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University. Gupta worked intensively in the MEMS lab on the DARPA N-ZERO program to develop important zero-power wireless sensors. His standout work received the highest honors in the advanced, elite program and is currently patent pending. DARPA is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It is an agency of the United States Department of Defense that is responsible for the development of new and emerging technologies for use by the military. And DARPA's N-ZERO program focuses on two primary areas—unattended sensors (that can monitor a physical environment continuously with near-zero power consumption) and radio receivers (that are always alert for radio transmissions, also with near-zero power consumption). Soundskrit's mission is to make audio important, so it will no longer be an afterthought. Gupta states that Soundskrit has developed a microphone that can zoom in on the essential sounds that you deem are most important, in a similar manner to how cameras can zoom in on images. Soundskrit's microphone separates sounds coming in from various, different directions and provides improved speech recognition in addition to more advanced, higher quality recordings. Their bio-inspired design directly measures particle velocity of sound as opposed to its pressure, and that makes a significant difference. Gupta discusses the scalability of this technology and how it relates to sound quality in terms of frequency. As he explains, it is often challenging to gather all the information in the lower frequency range, thus Soundskrit is perfecting ways to enhance the low end. Gupta details the fascinating auditory systems of insects such as spiders, crickets, and flies, and how they use sensors to monitor the air that passes across hair on their bodies, to detect approaching predators. It was this type of intricate insect ability that inspired Gupta to develop Soundskrit's primary audio technology. The audio tech expert discusses autonomous vehicles and other devices that could utilize the technology as it can literally zoom in on sounds to discover their exact source, which facilitates the efficiency of the process for repairing or preventing potential mechanical problems. And Gupta talks about some of the amazing concepts that we could see in the future, such as blended audio—audio that could allow, for example, someone who is walking with headphones to be more aware of incoming sounds that they should hear, such as sirens, etc., for their own safety. Gupta explains how the technology Soundskrit has developed could be used in many future applications and devices. From smartphone improvements to conference line and meeting room technology, smart home devices and more, Gupta expects to see sweeping changes that will dramatically improve audio and microphone usage.

Alexis Smirnov, the co-founder and CTO of Dialogue (dialogue.co), discusses the changing times in regard to healthcare and how virtual healthcare options are becoming more commonplace. Dialogue is the top Canadian telehealth service and Smirnov is passionate about the future of healthcare. Smirnov has many years of experience in the design and development of social analytics systems, search engine technology, conversational mobile apps, and more. He has played an integral role in the building of products and services for various startups and Fortune 100 companies. Smirnov is continually intrigued by transformational technologies and the practical methods to bring them to market, and his passion for tech led him to his work as CTO at Dialogue. Smirnov discusses how technology is changing the way we receive healthcare. His company, Dialogue, was founded in 2016 by co-founders who saw an incredible need for access to better health care, and they set out to solve the problem via technology. Dialogue offers virtual healthcare solutions for employees, and impactful benefits for businesses and their platform provides forward-thinking, premium, affordable health care options for Canadian companies and individuals. The Dialogue team is comprised of many skilled entrepreneurs, developers, sales experts, designers, customer service specialists, engineers, and quality assurance experts who work collaboratively to devise the best strategies to tackle modern healthcare issues. And their medical team features some of the most highly respected healthcare professionals in Canada who practice virtual healthcare and seek to bring the best care to everyone. Smirnov describes the problems of traditional healthcare settings in regard to treating patients, and how a virtual care team can alleviate some of the burdens on the system, long waiting times, and more. He describes how many companies will choose to offer virtual healthcare as a corporate benefit, as many employees may find it helpful to have treatment and advice from qualified healthcare workers right on their smartphone… in an app. He discusses the use of photos in the treatment process, such as a skin issue, for example, in which a user could photograph their particular skin issue, send the photo via the app, and get a doctor or health care worker's advice on treatment right away. He states this method could sometimes allow care to come within minutes, as opposed to days or weeks in a traditional setting. And by cutting overhead through the use of technology, doctors can often reduce their time with paperwork and give more time to patients, which as Smirnov states, is what everyone wants. Smirnov details how many companies are seeing the benefits of offering this virtual healthcare option to their employees, and as such Dialogue is growing at an incredible rate. He expects that the transition from physical first to digital first healthcare will create a booming industry for virtual care providers. As doctors and hospital administrators learn more about the service, Smirnov mentions that they are always surprised that the system has not been put in place earlier, and they quickly gravitate toward the service as they see that the benefits are boundless.

Steve McCloskey, founder, and CEO of Nanome (nanome.ai) delivers an interesting overview of their virtual reality solutions for scientists and engineers—solutions that could potentially stimulate discovery of disease treatment and even cure. McCloskey studied nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego where his work was primarily focused on emerging technologies applied to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). While at UC San Diego, McCloskey worked with Ken Vecchio, the founding chair of the nanoengineering department, as they set the foundation for the Nanoengineering Materials Research Center. They were instrumental in the development of thermodynamic processing methods for iron-based superelastic alloys. McCloskey's passion for the field led him to launch Nanome as a vehicle to build virtual reality solutions for scientists and engineers working at the nanoscale. Specifically, Nanome's team spends a significant amount of time exploring protein engineering and small molecule drug development. McCloskey's company, Nanome, transforms our interaction with, and understanding of, science, by providing a virtual world where users can experiment, design, innovate and learn at the nanoscale. McCloskey explains that Nanome's vision is to create an immersive interface where people can see things intuitively, and better interact with science via virtual reality and other tools. McCloskey states that their current technology allows users to view at the atom level, but he is working to develop further, to achieve success at the subatomic level. Additionally, he discusses the energy minimization force field as it relates to forces that are being calculated between atoms as they push and pull apart. McCloskey discusses one of their top products that he is particularly excited about—CalcFlow. CalcFlow allows researchers to study and visualize vector calculus in an interactive environment. The platform enables mathematical modeling, manipulation of 3D graphs, as well as the editing of parameters while you work. He elaborates on the advantages that CalcFlow provides for research and experimentation, such as its ability to bring mechanical engineering design into the dynamic in an observable manner. And the process is exceptionally great for optimization and delivery into the 3D printing environment. The nanoengineering expert describes how the introduction of blockchain to their platform will allow more people to work globally toward solutions to many problems that humans face, from technology to medical and beyond. McCloskey details how the platform can provide an opportunity for a larger group of people to study and hopefully find solutions for tropical diseases, diseases that big pharmaceutical companies have no interest in, due to the fact that their ability to profit is lower. Through the use of open-source models and automated licensing, and even closed source, the use of blockchain truly is changing the rate of discovery, as the global community can be involved. As the technology is expanding, McCloskey expects that virus modeling will become easier, as entire viruses can be viewed with atomic detail, enabling study at the systems level of the biology. And by simulating cells at every level, the possibilities for discovery are enormous.

Dr. Brian Lenzkes, founder of Low Carb Advisor (lowcarbadvisor.com), details the many advantages of a ketogenic diet and lifestyle. From weight loss, alertness, more energy, and a feeling of general well being, Dr. Lenzkes lays out the undeniable benefits and the science behind the diet that Americans are turning to for good health. As an internal medicine doctor in San Diego, Lenzkes has long been interested in clinical nutrition. His physician group has been in operation since 2004, and when he is not practicing medicine he can often be seen at speaking engagements around the country, discussing modern health. Lenzkes received a BS in Biology at UC Irvine. After attending USC Medical School, Lenzkes completed his residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego and was named Chief Resident there before launching his private practice at Internal Medicine Associates. Lenzkes discusses his personal struggle with weight gain in spite of following standard medical advice for weight loss. As a physician, Lenzkes was determined to find ways to reduce his patients' reliance on drug companies by working with them on nutrition and a healthier lifestyle in general. Working from personal experience, Dr. Lenzkes was, and is, strongly motivated to bring the ketogenic lifestyle to his own patients who are seeking nutritional advice, as well as to the general public. Lenzkes provides an overview of the connection between fasting and good health. He talks about the many medical problems that he sees regularly as an internal medicine physician, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatigue, hypertension and weight gain, and their connection to insulin resistance. He discusses the advantages of cutting out sugars and processed foods and returning to real, wholesome natural foods. The nutritional expert and respected physician describe the innumerable benefits of the ketogenic diet and lifestyle. The diet offers safe and healthy weight loss, control of blood glucose levels, improved brain function, and the potential to literally reverse many chronic health conditions. The keto diet transitions the body into a fat-burning metabolic state called nutritional ketosis. In nutritional ketosis, the body uses few carbohydrates for energy—it begins using ketones that are produced by the liver from the breakdown of fats. It's the process of burning body fat for energy by eating the proper foods. He describes the cycle of hunger and eating, and how it is quite often directly related to higher triglyceride levels. A triglyceride is an ester that is derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. He explains that a ketogenic diet will drop triglyceride levels nearly in half in a surprisingly short amount of time, which will lower hunger and even allow for fasting to be tolerated easier. Lenzkes delivers an analysis of the effects of carbohydrate loading on the body. He talks about the benefits of higher fat, higher protein diets and how they can actually decrease hunger. Additionally, he expounds upon the growing medical problem with the fatty liver, how the body stores fat, and the carbohydrate connection, as well as what medical experts can do to advise patients on nutrition, to combat the problem. He talks about the paradigm shift in medicine that is coming, in regard to nutrition. Lenzkes gives an overview of his ketogenic program and the many options from fasting to carb cutting and beyond. He discusses the challenges people face when they take on a ketogenic lifestyle, and how variations within the diet may be necessary for people to find the best way to their true success. Lenzkes states that experimentation is key, as different foods and plans work better for some than others, but the nutritional benefits will be incredibly rewarding once someone finds the plan that works best for them. He discusses how carbs break down into sugar, and the hidden carbs in many foods that people know to be healthy foods even. He talks about how the key to health and fitness is often unnecessarily overcomplicated when the basic tenets of controlling sugar and carb intake are easier to grasp and adopt than many people realize. He details how a drop in insulin level will, in most cases, immediately begin to improve fatigue, mood, cognition, depression, and so much more. Ultimately, as Dr. Lenzkes states, the power exists within us all to change our nutrition habits and reverse potentially dangerous medical issues and conditions, and it is his personal goal to help everyone take steps toward achieving their best health possible.

During the past decade, the human microbiome has slowly come to be recognized as an integral factor of human health, one that's been misunderstood for far too long. Whether it's an autoimmune disorder, diabetes, habitual overeating, a central nervous system disorder, or irritable bowel syndrome, Dale Pfost believes there's a connection to be found with the microorganisms that live inside each and every one of us. With active research being conducted on this topic, his opinion is backed by evidence and shared by many. Pfost now serves as the CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics, a company founded nine years ago with the goal of bolstering the health of the microbiome in order to bolster the health of people. So, what's the main contributor to the health of the microbiome, and what do we need to do in order to address it? Pfost believes the number one problem is our diet, something which has changed dramatically over the past several decades; we're overeating, yet we're simultaneously underfeeding the microorganisms that enable us to live healthy lives. What's the solution? The team at Microbiome Therapeutics has just launched BiomeBliss, a perfectly formulated blend of prebiotics designed to feed microorganisms the nutrients they need but often don't receive in sufficient amounts (if at all). Based on the most recent double-blind, randomized clinical studies, BiomeBliss has produced three results: satiety (absence of hunger), increased GI health, and lower glycemic indexes. Tune in to learn more about this fascinating new area of research and what BiomeBliss can offer you, and reach out with questions via the website at mbiome.com.

Over 100 million people in the US are now living with diabetes or prediabetes, a disease that causes poor quality of life for most. Eduardo Jorgensen set out to address this problem by establishing MedicSen, a company that's developing a predictive algorithm capable of alerting patients up to an hour in advance of a hypoglycemic event. The MedicSen software receives information from wearable devices such as glucose monitors and is able to predict a patient's future glucose levels based on certain parameters, such as food intake, activity level, and levels of insulin versus glucose in the body. By alerting the patient without any input aside from food intake documentation, this technology will provide patients with relief from the constant stress and worry that accompanies diabetes. Furthermore, it's an interactive system, which means that patients can ask it certain questions, such as whether or not it would be safe for them to consume a soda or go for a hike. But that's not all: currently in the works is a needle-free drug delivery device in the form of a patch. Tune in for all the details, visit medicsen.com to learn more, and reach out to Jorgensen at eduardo@medicsen.com.

Over the past several decades, advancements in space technology have led to an unprecedented number of satellites being put into orbit, which has led to a number of exciting new insights and findings. However, it's come at a cost: with a few thousand tons of space debris from old and nonfunctional satellites orbiting the earth at a rate of about seven kilometers per second, each individual piece of debris poses the threat of colliding with another, or with a new satellite. This is a problem that must be addressed in order to continue using satellites safely. Professor Guglielmo is the director of the Surrey Space Center at the University of Surrey in England, and he joins the podcast today to discuss this problem and the ways in which he's trying to solve it. He explains that when large particles of debris collide with one another, a cascade effect of collisions ensues, worsening the problem. And of course, if a large piece of debris were to collide with a new satellite, the satellite would be destroyed. According to Guglielmo, then, the largest threat is none other than the largest pieces of debris. Tune in for all the details about the work that's being done at Surrey to develop a solution, and the biggest challenge facing the development of that solution. Learn more at www.surrey.ac.uk/surrey-space-centre.

Prasanna Singaraju, engineering chief and CTO of Qentelli (qentelli.com), provides an overview of how Qentelli's solutions are delivering a new standard in quality engineering and DevOps for Continuous Delivery. Continuous Delivery is a DevOps software development practice in which code changes are built, tested, and prepared for release into production. Singaraju states that Qentelli helps companies re-engineer their applications that are built upon existing, older technology stacks. He discusses how they utilize DevOpps (a software engineering practice that seeks to unify software development and software operation) and automated testing. Singaraju has a wealth of experience in radio-frequency engineering and infrastructure, data, communications, quality assurance, and project management. As CTO, he brings a passionate interest in sustainable innovation, application engineering, and value-driven solutions to Qentelli. Singaraju has an illustrious background in his industry and has a strong reputation as an integrator and world leader in IT, product and program management, as well as customer support. Qentelli's focus is on the nexus of quality engineering and intelligence, and Singaraju leads their innovations group with an active approach to the design and implementation of the various solutions and products they deliver. The company seeks to offer high-end software development and quality assurance to bring higher level applications to businesses. Singaraju discusses Qentelli's goal of assisting companies, with higher speed delivery of applications for their operations. From banking to retail, airlines to restaurants, Qentelli's solutions are practical and usable for many industries. He provides details of their successful transformations for businesses, and how they are able to improve feedback and increase the quality of applications. Starting with ecommerce all the way through to back-of-store, point of sale systems, to payment, Qentelli delivers end-to-end solutions for business application success. Singaraju describes many of the problems that businesses face in this space, and how Qentelli's solutions apply. He states that any business that utilizes applications to serve their customers is a business that they can help improve. Singaraju outlines their multi-level approach, which includes examination of a company's overall processes, technology, and methods of implementation. And Singaraju details the specifics of bringing real-time, absolute visibility into the quality assessment as a means to achieve predictable outcomes in the overall application lifecycle.

Jessica Chang, co-founder, and CEO of Wee Care (weecare.com), delivers an informative overview of the current state of childcare and how quality day care services are desperately in demand. Chang's Wee Care Preschool has established a successful early childhood program for children 3 months to 6 years of age. Their comprehensive curriculum provides strong academics, creative play, as well as physical activities, all within a warm, safe, and nurturing environment. Their stimulating, structured program ensures quality interaction between the children and their teachers, as well as child to child. Children can learn valuable social skills as they interact with one another. Chang states that Wee Care helps parents find quality, affordable, convenient care. Additionally, they assist preschool teachers, caregivers, and stay-at-home moms who seek to start their own licensed home daycare center, as Wee Care's online technology platform provides the structure they need to succeed. Chang discusses the rising cost of day care for parents, and also the low pay caregivers often receive, and her concern for all parties involved. Chang's desire is to solve the problems on both sides. Chang's, Wee Care, offers best practices advice and support, and assists with setting up the foundation for new daycare center operators. Wee Care can provide structural support to newly formed daycares and thus decrease the administrative time for operators. This allows many who choose to work with Wee Care in this manner to operate their daycare and still have another career. The Wee Care Preschool environment offers many opportunities for learning new skills during various activities. Group activities, circle time, play time in designated play areas, science centers, and individual teacher/student skill building are all part of the program. Wee Care focuses on pre-math and reading readiness throughout the day at each of the classroom levels. Also, climber time and outdoor play activities provide physical movement and important motor skill development. Chang gives an overview of the trends in daycare, and she details how more and more women are starting their own businesses. She discusses how technology and the desire to control your own time has motivated many people to seek employment that works for them, on their schedule, by their own rules. Thus, Wee Care is experiencing tremendous growth as individuals are enthusiastically taking on new challenges and opening home businesses. The daycare and child development expert provides information on licensing and the standards that new daycare operators must meet in order to be approved. She underscores the advantages of working with Wee Care, as caregivers can focus on what they love, which is working with children and teaching them, while Wee Care handles the administrative obstacles that may seem daunting to some new business owners. She states the importance of curriculum, and how Wee Care takes the stress out of this by providing the curriculum in advance so caregivers and teachers can simply implement it. Finally, Chang outlines the importance of cultural diversity and languages, and how they enrich the learning experience for children overall.