Finding Genius Podcast

We've all been there, pouring over the unvetted, nonsense job listings on numerous, over-saturated online job boards. Or perhaps as the hiring manager, peeling through unqualified resume, after even more unqualified resume. Nowhere is this more felt, perhaps, than the fintech world. Industry leaders can all agree, it's no secret finding solid applicants is a particularly grueling task in this competitive space. Today we sit down with Ed Donner, CEO, and Cofounder of New York, tech start-up, untapt. Untapt is making job-hunting and hiring in tech as easy and streamlined as it should as possible. They are using built-in artificial intelligence to match talent with job openings. Untapt uses AI and algorithms to go through thousands of resumes at a time, to predict how certain applicants would do in a particular position. This is not only saving precious time but also saves on costly recruiter fees and commissions. Tune in to find out how untapt is changing the way we hire and search for jobs in the ever-growing field of fintech jobs.

Dimitri Titov, a scientist at the European Space Agency, delivers a fascinating account of the groundbreaking discovery of the Mars Express mission. Titov received his PhD and then pushed his career forward as a senior researcher at the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He then brought his talents to the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, a research institute in astronomy and astrophysics that is located in Göttingen, Germany. Titov is internationally known for his important work on the atmospheres of terrestrial planets. Titov discusses the successful mission of the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, of which he is very involved as project scientist. Decades of speculation about the existence of liquid water on the red planet were brought to a conclusion as the project discovered a 12-mile wide lake beneath an ice cap on Mars's southern pole. While the Mars Express faced many difficult analytical issues throughout its mission, the discovery was considered a breakthrough in planetary science and our general understanding of the evolution of the planet and its potential for habitability. Titov discusses the process of using cratering records in an expansive geological survey of the red planet that provides information on the ages of different geological units, and with the use of spectrometers water can be seen in Mars's atmosphere. Additionally, scientists can use particle plasma instruments to note water escaping the planet, which changes its atmospheric condition. But the discovery of this liquid water trapped beneath a Mars ice cap solidifies theories that many scientists have posed. The planetary scientist explains that while science has not yet discovered why the atmosphere changed so dramatically over time on Mars, theories abound that propose it may be due to its smaller size and thus inability to maintain consistency of atmosphere effectively. By measuring the escape of atmosphere on the planet, Titov and the scientific community hope to understand the reasons for the change and how it came to happen. He discusses the use of subsurface penetrating radar that can send electromagnetic pulses to the surface of the planet, which can then allow researchers to listen to the echo as it penetrates several kilometers below surface. And through analyzation of the time delays on the echo, researchers can get an estimation of relative thickness of layers to better understand the composition, etc. Bright reflections in the radar signals indicated to scientists that the presence of water did exist, for as Titov explains, only liquid water could produce this in the signals. The science expert details how a comparative analysis of gravity, magnetic fields, and various other factors on the different terrestrial planets can provide information about the complicated behavior of these complex systems. Titov provides analysis on some of the theories as to why liquid water exists below the ice cap surface. He explains that as water on Mars moves directly from the solid state to the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state altogether, that the subsurface water indicates that the pressure is perhaps higher subsurface than on surface. Additionally the chemical content of the water probably differs as well, and all those factors help scientists to understand the possibilities of life below Mars's surface. As the research expands, and new information comes forward, the fifteen-year-old Mars Express mission continues to bring new discoveries. Link: - Mars Express - https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express - Discovery of water on Mars - http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Mars_Express_detects_liquid_water_hidden_under_planet_s_south_pole - Image of dust storms on Mars - https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Highlights/A_storm_rolls_in - Image "detecting buried water with radar" - http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2018/07/Detecting_buried_water_with_radar Here you can find an image of Dmitri, if needed - http://sci.esa.int/solar-system/48602-esa-scientists-honoured-by-the-egu-in-vienna/

Hannah Sutter, CEO and founder of Natural Ketosis (naturalketosis.co.uk), delivers an overview of the healthy benefits of ketosis. Ketones are produced when we eat few carbohydrates and sufficient amounts of protein. Carbohydrates are the main source of blood sugar and excess protein is converted to blood sugar. Fat is converted in the liver to ketones, and these ketones enter the blood stream and are then utilized as a fuel source by cells within the body, just as glucose would be. And as the brain cannot be directly fueled by fat, ketones can benefit brain function as well. Most people get much of their energy from carbohydrates, but when the body begins to fuel itself on ketones, a higher level of energy can be achieved. And tapping into ketones can often provide people with a boosted level of mental clarity as well. Sutter explains how her interest in ketosis drove her to dig deeper into foods that were available for the ketosis-minded, and unfortunately, what she found was that there were few choices on the market without artificial sweeteners and artificial ingredients. Sutter set out to change that. Sutter's company, Natural Ketosis, provides portion-controlled, fat burning food delivered right to your door. She discusses the natural foods and ingredients of the snacks, meals, and full dinner options they deliver, including the many benefits of prebiotics as well. Prebiotics are high-fiber foods that can act as a food for human microflora, and they are often used to improve the balance of these types of microorganisms. Interestingly, this can add a slight sweetened taste to some foods as well, and as sugar intake is lowered in one's diet, it only takes a small amount of sweetener for as the body adjusts our perceptions are changed. The process of being in ketosis provides so many healthy benefits such as weight loss; a reduction in stored body fat; an increase in energy levels; stabilization of blood sugars; improvement in hair, skin and nail quality; and a more substantial feeling of being full after a meal with reduced sugar cravings overall. The nutrition expert explains how many people can benefit from a ketogenic diet, from those who struggle to lose weight, to fitness enthusiasts, to diabetics and people who suffer from seizures, and really anyone who wants to have a healthier diet and renewed energy. She explains that it may seem difficult for some people to make the switch to the healthier diet, but she advises for people to view it as a lifestyle rather than just a diet. For if people see it as a way of living, they will probably stick to it longer, and the longer they maintain it, the better effects it can have on their overall health and energy.

George Frankel, founder of Eternal Reefs, delivers a thought-provoking overview of his company's mission to preserve and protect the reef environment for future generations through the use of memorialization. Frankel's company works with families that have chosen cremation to create an artificial reef known as a reef ball that includes their loved one's cremated remains. The reef ball will be adorned with a plaque listing their dearly departed's name and is then placed on the sea floor in a permanent location to create new habitats for fish and other sea life. Frankel discusses his feelings on the "real magic," as he refers to it, that happens when family members take part in the creation of the reef. Traditional funerals really only allow family members to make a few early decisions, cut a check, and then wait, making the families feel powerless and unneeded in the process. Eternal Reefs' process involves the family members, which gives them a sense of purpose, and a feeling that they have some control. Frankel explains the good feeling that he sees families exhibit after they truly see that their loved one's reef ball is contributing to the environment and supporting sea life. It gives them a good feeling and an internal warmness to know that their family member is part of that, eternally. Frankel refers to the ocean as a "nutrient rich desert," in that there are literally millions of microorganisms floating and seeking a place to land, to establish a base. The textured outer surface of the environmentally safe, cast concrete reef ball is designed specifically to create an ideal home for these living sea entities. And as the concrete is ph neutral, it works perfectly for living creatures, allowing aquatic life to flourish in and around it. Eternal Reefs offers multiple sizes for families on varying budgets, from their smaller 750-pound reef ball that is two feet high and three feet wide to their largest which is 3800 pounds and is five feet high and six feet wide. From South Padre Island, Texas to Atlantic City, New Jersey, Frankel's company services the needs of caring families who want to make a difference and give back to the environment. Frankel explains how sea temperatures and various other factors impact the types of aquatic life that inhabit their reef balls. And as he explains, within a year, most reef balls are so alive with life and natural-made structures that the reef balls begin to look like real, living reef systems. Over time, these reef balls morph into a complete reef environment that is practically indistinguishable from organically grown actual sea reefs. Frankel details how the placement locations of their reef balls are heavily regulated and that they only place reefs in approved areas that have been selected for new reef creation. Thus, family members can feel confident that their departed loved ones will be contributing to a need. Frankel discusses how many families feel that the reef ball creation process is an opportunity to introduce children to the concepts of loss and the circle of life, a teaching opportunity that creates a learning experience for young minds to grasp important ideas about how their world works. And as many people are now seeking more environmentally conscious means to deal with the burial of loved ones, Eternal Reefs offers a solution that makes sense from a conservation angle.

Technical skills alone aren't enough anymore. In this talk geared toward engineers, technologists, and founders, Wes reveals the top mistakes technical leaders make when describing their ideas–and shares frameworks to help better market your product. Headliners will learn: Why product features don't matter as much as you think How to confidently talk about yourself and the impact of your work When to simplify technical topics when telling your story Wes is a marketing consultant with 10+ years of in-house experience at Fortune 500 brands and venture-funded startups. Prior to consulting, she led digital marketing and brand management at Flite (acquired by Snapchat), Bare Escentuals, L'Oreal, and Gap Inc. Wes also serves as a mentor for Backstage and WeWork Labs.

Over the past decade, workforce demographics have changed significantly, and for the first time ever in the US, more females over the age of 30 are having children than those who are under the age of 30. Furthermore, 33% of all Americans have either directly experienced a fertility treatment or know someone who has. Tammy Sun is the CEO of Carrot Fertility, a company that recognizes these changes and is working to meet the demands they bring by helping leading technology and finance companies deliver customizable, affordable fertility benefits to their employees. "We believe that in a short amount of time--fewer than five years--millennials will come to work expecting fertility coverage...and we are working with Coinbase to deliver on this," says Sun, who is joined by Nathalie McGrath, Head of Corporate Partnerships and People at Coinbase. McGrath can already testify to the need for and healthful benefits of providing employees with fertility coverage, which includes everything from basic evaluations, fertility preservation, and IVF, to more complex processes such as surrogacy. Tune in for the full discussion and visit carrotfertility.com to learn more.

"One of the biggest issues we face is that often when people think of scrap or recyclables, they think of waste, and scrap and waste are two very different things," says Robin Wiener, President of the Washington DC-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Wiener goes on to explain that while waste is material that has reached the end of its useful life and will end up in a landfill, scrap material gets recycled into commodity-grade products. In fact, more than 40% of the raw material needs of global manufacturing is met through scrap products. As an annual purchaser of over $5.6 billion worth of US-based scrap materials, China has played an integral part as a major consumer of US-based recyclable goods. But in the face of a massive environmental crisis, China is implementing serious change, including increased restrictions on the import of goods. Weiner discusses the cause and effect of these restrictions and the way in which the US is responding. As part of the effort to mitigate these changes, ISRI is working closely with US-based manufacturers to increase the use of recyclable materials in their manufacturing processes, identifying the challenges that prevent certain goods and products from being recycled, and exploring solutions to those challenges. Also discussed is the US Department of Energy REMADE Institute, whose efforts in enabling early-stage applied R&D to reduce embodied energy and carbon emissions are closely tied to recycling. Wiener addresses a range of interesting and informative topics--all of which implicate the future of the US and the world at large. To learn more, visit www.isri.org.

Online shopping these days is more popular than ever, with many people relying on content sites for product reviews and recommendations before deciding to make purchases. But with Google Search and Amazon having a monopoly over the direction of product links within publisher articles, along with an over-reliance on banner ads leading consumers to install ad blockers, the publishers who provide consumers with valuable content reviews are losing revenue. This is where Narrativ steps in, a company that's utilizing AI to allow multiple advertisers to bid to get connected with publisher content, freeing publishers from the burden of making deals with advertisers themselves or worrying about which retailer actually carries the product. This is also providing consumers with a wider range of websites that are selling the product they're interested in. By identifying more websites and retailers that are willing to pay to have their name injected into a content article, Narrativ is ensuring that consumers will be directed to websites that have products in stock, and locating retailers with the best rates--ultimately increasing revenue for content publishers. Since using Narrativ's links for the majority of the products they review, New York Magazine's content commerce site, The Strategist, has seen a significant increase in revenue. Tune in for the full conversation, and visit narrativ.com to learn more.

Jason Sosa, founder and CEO of Blackbox AI (blackboxai.com), delivers an overview of his company's visionary approach to improving the way we work and connect. Blackbox AI's mission is to help corporate and industrial teams better understand and enact advancing technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Blockchain, Computer Vision and other technologies to solve challenging business problems. As Sosa explains, Blackbox AI is a decentralized talent platform that allows entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best by providing a means for them to modify their skills from anywhere in the world. With talent comprised of PhDs, executives, and technologists, Blackbox AI strives to bring leaders and business minds together by using machine learning to optimize information and match teams and projects to those who are best suited for the tasks, regardless of where they are physically located in the world. This is the backbone, Sosa states, for creating smart contracts. Regarding payment, Blackbox AI utilizes a token system that creates a trust transaction for people in the network who are working together. Blackbox AI looked to cryptocurrency to solve their problem of building a brand new economic model that they refer to as 'boosted capitalism,' a system in which workers find a deeper meaning in the work they do. Essentially, Blackbox AI seeks to enable people to open up their network, work on the projects they choose, from anywhere they exist. The groundbreaking vision of Blackbox AI empowers people to have a third alternative regarding work. As opposed to just working for corporate as many do, or working for yourself (which comes with a whole host of issues such as the need for marketing and legal, and so on), Blackbox AI offers a solution that capitalizes on the best parts of both systems. By decentralizing the traditional work platform, connections are extended deeper creating an optimum situation in which team members and project operators, managers, entrepreneurs, executives, and technologists can come together. The technology-based alternative work expert discusses how his company protects against fluctuations in the economy by holding client revenues in reserve to be available for liquidity into the AI ecosystem. Blackbox AI's platform is helping to solve the feast or famine problem that freelancers often face as they go from lean periods to periods of excessive incoming work. Sosa refers to his platform and network as a type of co-op with guard rails that embodies a level of higher trust amongst respected, intelligent individuals seeking to accomplish their goals and commit to projects that interest them.

Dan Baird, CEO of Wrench.AI (wrench.ai), embarks on an intricate analysis of the future of marketing strategies and consumer data as AI opens the secret door to better client and consumer profiles. Dan Baird's entrepreneurial spirit as a self-described launch strategist has driven him to create and launch multiple startups in a wide variety of sectors. From oversized beanbags to fundraising entities, when it comes to launching businesses, Baird has always been curious about the journey as well as the destination. His company, Wrench.AI collaborates with entrepreneurs to help simplify their product launches and thus build a better gateway to success. Through the use of AI-powered software, Wrench.AI is a tool that combines aggregate data and information about existing customer and client bases to provide a deeper understanding of how they think, and what type of products may interest them. Wrench.AI is the clever combination of a marketing agency that specializes in equity crowdfunding and a software company focused on delivering simple, accurate code. Their primary goal is to provide a simplified process in which companies can utilize the incredible power of their data to automate manual processes and maximize their marketing efforts via AI and machine learning. Wrench.AI seeks to create data-driven solutions that push business marketing, sales, and efficiencies forward while reducing the exorbitant costs of acquiring capital. Wrench.AI is engaged with many types of B2B organizations such as commercial real estate firms, funds, merchant and online lenders, credit unions, cash advance companies, mezzanine financiers, packaged goods companies, and many more. The entrepreneurial strategist states that through the combination of digital marketing strategies and existing public data, Wrench.AI offers a more precise and detailed look at where the true potential lies within potential investor and client lists. As Baird explains, the AI provides a wealth of information that gives incredible insight into groups and individuals to understand how informed they are about product lines or services, and as such provides an indisputable inside edge with marketing. As Baird states, every company on the planet has a marketing and sales division and Wrench.AI's platform enables them to nail their goals more efficiently. Baird remarks how the AI can, amazingly, reverse engineer specific personality types based on words and language to provide a keen insight into who your target demographic or potential lead, or customer actually is at the core. Utilizing this information and data offers an opportunity to go forward into a point of contact or engagement with a potential customer or client armed with knowledge of their specific grasp of a particular product, line, or service, as well as their potential for buying. Also, by pairing individuals with similar personality traits, Wrench.AI allows for conversations and engagement points to be streamlined, which creates a greater opportunity for success, and most assuredly a decreased stress interaction. Baird muses that as the AI develops, the question companies will pose is, how can we do bigger, better, and fewer innovation strategies in the future and Wrench.AI is poised to be there for companies to help them push their marketing forward to the next level.