Data-Driven Podcast
The Data-Driven AtScale Podcast explores how organizations can make smarter data-driven decisions at scale. Hosted by AtScale, it features conversations with leading Data, AI, and BI thought leaders and top technologists. Episodes cover practical advice, technology trends, lessons learned, and organizational transformation experiences. Listeners also hear about real-world use cases, career advice, and candid discussions with industry innovators. The show is aimed at anyone looking to get more value from their data and analytics investments.
Episodes
Semantics Without Silos: AI Finally Solves BI’s Oldest Problem
Business intelligence has always been good at telling you what happened. It's never been great at telling you what to do about it. In this episode, AtScale's CEO and co-founder Dave Mariani sits down with Donald Farmer, Principal of Treehive Strategy, to talk about why AI is finally closing that gap.You'll get Donald's take on:How AI will start to take over the exploratory, dis
30 Hours to 90 Seconds: Blue Yonder’s Semantic Layer for Trusted Enterprise AI
What happens when enterprise AI meets inconsistent metrics, fragmented dashboards, and conflicting business logic?In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani sits down with Brad Lindsey and Jeremy Arendt from Blue Yonder to discuss how Blue Yonder transformed its analytics strategy from disconnected dashboards into a governed semantic layer foundation for AI
Semantic Layers, OSI & AI: Why Context Beats Data Access
What does enterprise AI actually need to succeed: more data access or better context?In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO Dave Mariani sits down with Coginiti CTO Matthew Mullins to unpack one of the most important debates in modern data architecture: access vs. understanding. The conversation explores the rise of the semantic layer, the role of open semantics, and why initiativ
AI Needs Context: Semantic Layers, Metadata & Trust in 2026
In this episode of the AtScale Data-Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani sits down with Juan Sequeda, Principal Researcher at ServiceNow and former Head of the AI Lab at data.world, to explore what’s next for analytics, AI, and trust in 2026.As AI becomes embedded across the enterprise, one issue is emerging as a hard blocker: lack of context. Large Language Models are powerful, but without semantic layer
How MCP + Semantic Layers Turn LLMs Into Trusted BI Analysts
Large Language Models (LLMs) are transforming analytics, but only when paired with the right foundation. In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani, co-founder Dianne Wood, and product director Petar Staykov show how Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the semantic layer unlock trusted, governed, enterprise-ready AI.You’ll get a full end-to-end walkthrough of Claude using AtScale’s MC
The AI Frontier: Semantic Layers for Autonomous Agents with Jens Kröhnert
Dave Mariani and Jens Kröhnert explore the "AI Frontier:” how semantic layers enable AI agents to operate autonomously without hallucinations or governance drift. Both veterans of scaling Microsoft BI stacks on Hadoop, they discuss why machines need semantic context even more than humans do.Topics include the AI Frontier operational model from Microsoft Research, automating semantic model dev
Composable Analytics & the Future of the Semantic Layer: Building for the Age of AI Agents
In this episode of AtScale’s Data-Driven Podcast, host Dave Mariani, Co-Founder & CTO at AtScale, is joined by Petar Staykov, Product Director, and Daniel Gray, VP of Solutions Engineering, for a deep dive into composable analytics—the architectural shift that’s transforming how enterprises model, govern, and scale data in the era of AI agents.Key TakeawayComposable analytics isn’t just a desi
How Agentic AI and Semantic Layers Are Transforming Enterprise Analytics
In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and Co-founder Dave Mariani is joined by Rich Williams, SVP of Partnerships and Strategy at Hexaware, and Prashant Dahalkar, VP of the Cloud Data Practice. They dive into the future of analytics through the lens of agentic AI, semantic layers, and enterprise AI governance.Fresh from attending Snowflake and Databricks Summits, the trio unpacks
Open Source Semantics: Setting the Standard for Interoperability with Databricks and AtScale
In this episode of the Data Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani, CTO and Co-Founder of AtScale, sits down with Dale Williamson, EMEA CTO at Databricks, to explore the transformative role of open source standards and semantic layers in modern analytics. They discuss the importance of interoperability in data infrastructure, the impact of generative AI on democratizing analytics, and how the right semantic
Introducing SML: The Open Standard for Seamless Semantic Layer Integration
In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and Co-founder, Dave Mariani and VP of Engineering John Langton, discuss the exciting open-source release of the Semantic Modeling Language (SML) and its transformative potential for the data analytics industry. They dive into how SML establishes the first open standard for the semantic layer, enabling businesses to seamlessly define, share, and scale their data mode
Revolutionizing Data: New Research on Natural Language Prompting with AtScale’s Semantic Layer and Generative AI
Welcome to the latest episode of the Data-Driven Podcast! Host Dave Mariani is joined by Jeff Curran, Lead Data Scientist at AtScale, for a deep dive into the transformative power of Generative AI in business intelligence. Jeff shares his pioneering research, demonstrating how AtScale’s semantic layer bridges the gap between natural language queries and accurate business insights.Explore the chall
The Power BI Evolution: An MVP’s Unfiltered Journey
In this episode, AtScale CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani chats with Greg Deckler, Vice President at a global IT services firm and a seven-time Microsoft MVP. They discuss Microsoft’s strategy with Power BI and its integration with Microsoft Fabric, with Deckler critiquing the rushed release and its early limitations. Both express skepticism about business users adopting more complex tools, citing
Navigating the Intersection of Semantics, AI, and Enterprise Innovation with Juan Sequeda
Dave Mariani interviews Juan Sequeda, the Principal Scientist at data.world. They discuss Juan’s Benchmark report on Knowledge Graphics and semantics. The conversation also covers generative AI and its role in the future of enterprise innovation.
Data Observability, Founders Journey and GenAI with Kunal Agarwal, CEO, Unravel Data
David Mariani interviews Kunal Agarwal, CEO of Unravel Data, delving into his entrepreneurial journey and the innovative world of data observability. Kunal recounts the compelling origin story of Unravel Data, revealing how the company's vision adapted over time. He shares the challenges faced and key learnings, offering priceless advice to future entrepreneurs. The conversation then shifts t
Data Contracts with Andrew Jones, Principal Engineer, GoCardless
David Mariani interviews Andrew Jones, Principal Engineer, GoCardless and a thought leader in data and analytics. Andrew outlines the concept of 'data contracts' and their relevance for leaders in the field. He then provides practical advice for fostering a data-driven culture within organizations, highlighting successful strategies and common pitfalls. The discussion also touches on the
Navigating Data Literacy: Insights from Jordan Morrow
David Mariani sits with Jordan Morrow, a renowned expert in Data Literacy. They discuss effective strategies for embedding data literacy in organizations, emphasizing its significance beyond a buzzword. Jordan shares insights on fostering a data-driven culture, including key dos and don'ts. The conversation highlights the impact of data literacy through real-world success stories and explores
Leveraging Data as a Product: Strategies for Growth with Liat Ben-Zur
Elif Tutuk interviews Liat Ben-Zur, a tech executive, on applying product-led growth (PLG) principles to data management. They discuss understanding customer needs, defining value propositions, and PLG techniques like freemium models. The conversation also covers key metrics and feedback methods for data product success, offering valuable insights for those aiming to leverage data for organization
Data and Analytics FinOps
Join host Elif Tutuk in a captivating conversation with Mark Stange-Tregear as they uncover the power of Financial Operations (FinOps) in the realm of data analytics. The episode starts with a primer on FinOps, explaining its significance in today's data-driven landscape.Diving into Data and Analytics FinOps, they explore how it streamlines operations and optimizes costs, providing practical
Leveraging Data Analytics and AI for Business Success with Richard Langlois, President at IT Architecture and Strategy
In this interview Dave Mariani welcomes Richard Langlois, President at IT Architecture and Strategy. Richard discusses his history, being an early adopter of AtScale, and how he achieved significant performance improvements. He delves into the importance of a strong data foundation, including ontology, governance, MDM, and a flexible data analytics platform. Richard emphasizes the need for a well-
Overcoming Challenges as a Woman in Tech and Data Analytics
In this episode Jess Ramos, a senior data analyst at Crunchbase shares her journey into the field of data analytics, starting with her background in Math and Spanish during her undergraduate studies. She discusses how she discovered her passion for data analytics while working as a data analyst intern and eventually pursued a master's degree in business analytics. Jess also talks about the ch
The Evolution of Data Lakes and the Entrepreneurial Journey with Justin Borgman
In this episode of the Data-Driven podcast, host David Mariani sits down with Justin Borgman, the CEO and founder of Starburst. The two seasoned entrepreneurs discuss the evolution of big data analytics, sharing their own journeys from the early days of Hadoop to the current landscape of data lakes and cloud-based solutions. Justin delves into the founding of Starburst, the challenges and opportun
Journey of Zenlytic, Semantic Layer, LLMs and the Future of Data-driven Insights
In this interview, Dave Mariani interviews Ryan Janssen, the CEO and founder of Zenlytic, and Paul Blankly, the CTO and founder of Zenlytic. They discussed the importance of Generative AI, Natural Language Query, and analytics in the data industry. The conversation delves into the role of analysts in the evolving landscape and the potential of LLMs and the semantic layer to revolutionize data cons
Semantic Layer, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence with David Jayatillake, Co-Founder & CEO at Delphi Labs
In this interview, Dave and David J will discuss the value of the semantic layer in data management. They explored two different perspectives on delivering this value and shared insights about their respective paths that led them to co-found and start companies. The conversation will revolve around data analytics, the role of the semantic layer, and their experiences in the field of data managemen
The Inflection Point of Generative AI, Analytics role in AI and AtScale <> Dataiku with 🦾Jepson Taylor
Listen to 🦾Jepson Taylor and discover the transformative power of generative AI and its impact on the future of artificial intelligence. Gain insights into the role of analytics leaders in driving AI adoption and overcoming challenges in legacy systems and data modernization. Explore strategies for success and understand the benefits of integrating platforms like Dataiku and AtScale in acceleratin
Learn about Business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing, along with evolution of Power BI with Christopher Wagner
Listen to Christopher Wagner discuss paths into analytics, bridging the gap between technical and business aspects, and his experience working with business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing technologies such as Oracle and Microsoft Power BI. You also get to learn more about the evolution of Power BI and its interconnectivity. Chris also talks about the importance of enjoying what you do and
Gaming Industry, Machine Learning, and ChatGPT with Carly Taylor, Machine Learning, at Call of Duty, Activision
Listen to Carly Taylor, an expert in gaming and machine learning. She shared insights on the rise of mobile gaming, player engagement, and how machine learning improves gaming experiences. We also discussed Carly’s experience with ChatGPT, finding it engaging and informative. The episode provides a look at how gaming and machine learning intersect, and the potential for chatbots like ChatGPT in va
Data Mesh, Data Ownership, self-service data infrastructure with Sharon Richardson, Data+AI Strategist, Databricks
Listen to Sharon Richardson, Databricks talks about the data mesh concept and how Databricks enables organizations to implement it. Elif and Sharon also discussed the four principles of data mesh, which include domain-oriented data ownership, managing data like a product, having a common self-service data infrastructure as a platform, and governance through federated computational governance. They
Data Strategy, Data Monetization, and more with Vin Vashishta
Listen to Vin Vashishta sharing about his experience in the data industry for over 20 years, helping organizations make data-driven decisions and achieve their business goals through effective data management and analysis. Vin spoke about data strategy, data monetization, and the future of data, and has worked with a diverse range of clients across industries.
Semantic Layer, Data Observability and more with Sanjeev Mohan, SanjMo Ex VP Gartner
Trends in AI & ML, Feature Stores and more with Miles Adkins, Snowflake
Actionable Data Intelligence with Peggy Tsai, CDO, BigID
Data & Analytics with Elif Tutuk, Global Head of Product
Data Engineering and Modern Data Analytics
Listen to Deepak Prasad share his thoughts on embracing automation and why the semantic layer is on the rise due to the big persistent problem of inconsistent BI reporting impacting Enterprises’ across the board.
Data Mesh - Data Teams & Tiers with Ben Stancil, Chief Analytics Officer + Founder
Modern Data Stack with Chad Sanderson
Why is Data Quality important with Tom Redman
Benefits of AI & BI in Business
Listen to this discussion with Bill Sandblom on using AI to improve business outcomes at his PetroChemical where he is the CIO. He discusses tips for getting more of your team’s time focused on actual AI and Analytics work vs data prep and wrangling. He also shares advice for how to identify the right areas of the business to make a real impact on profits with machine learning & AI.
Building High-performing Analytics Teams with John Thompson
Listen to this discussion on building high-performing analytics teams, the evolution of the enterprise data warehouse, and what’s in store for the future of analytical technologies.
Data Literacy Programs with Mariska Veenhof-Bulten at bol.com
Data Strategy with Brian Prascak at Wawa
Data Literacy Programs with Megan Brown at Starbucks
We discussed why is Data Literacy important for every organisation today with Megan C. Brown, Ph.D. at length#data #dataliteracy #datascience #datadrivenpodcast
Data Lakehouse with Bill Inmon,"Father of the Data Warehouse"
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