The Inc. Tank: Recent Episodes
Christina Elson
The Inc. Tank is a podcast that explores the impact of leading-edge technology on business and society. Hear from the front lines of disrupted industries as we talk to entrepreneurs, policy makers and researchers about technologies that could challenge existing revenue models and unlock fierce competition in the marketplace.
In this episode, Christina and David speak with Shannon Vallor, a professor at The University of Edinburgh who focuses her work at The Edinburgh Futures Institute. Dr. Vallor, a “Philosopher of Technology” speaks about how human character is being transformed by A.I., robotics, social media, and bio-medical technologies as well as the pursuit of truth in modern society. Guest: Shannon Vallor. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
We welcome Dr. Mirko Kovac, an internationally known leader in biologically-inspired aerial robotics. With his experience as the Director of the Aerial Robotics Laboratory at Imperial College London and the Head of the Materials and Technology Centre of Robotics at the Empa Material Science Institute in Switzerland, Dr. Kovac shares the excitement of the future of “physical AI”, its potential benefits to humanity, and what it will take to get there. Guest: Mirko Kovac. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
Weather affects production and consumption in every economic sector, and nearly a half-trillion dollars of annual U.S. economic activity is at risk due to variations in weather. Technology has allowed the weather data we collect to grow exponentially, so much that machine-learning tools are now necessary to analyze data to look for patterns. These patterns help businesses anticipate, respond to, and recover from weather-related events. How can businesses access this information to offset weather-related risks? Guest: Steve Bennett, Chief Product Officer, Demex Group. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
With Bitcoin reaching new heights, many investors would like to donate some of the wealth created by their investment to a favorite charity. Until recently, it was almost impossible to donate crypto currencies to a charity without first converting to US dollars, creating tax implications for the donor, instead of taking advantage of the tax-deductible status of a direct donation. Guests: Alex Wilson and Pat Duffy, Co-founders, The Giving Block. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
We welcome back our friend and space expert Dennis Woodfork who brings his experience with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA, the US Space Force, and the Air Force to bear on a wide-ranging discussion of the emerging space ecosystem including the role of government, private industry and the military in defining the term of engagement as we seriously start building, living, and doing business in space. Guest: Dennis Woodfork. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
The art market is hot and traditional and digital pieces are selling at auction for new records. Digital art on the blockchain is attracting a lot of attention. Is art a good place to invest? Instead of selling, some art owners seeking capital are borrowing using their art as collateral. This debt is made available to retail investors, allowing a much wider range of people to participate in wealth creation opportunities that were typically available only to institutional investors. Guest: Cynthia Sachs, CEO/CIO Athena & Managing Director Yieldstreet. Host: Christina Elson
The extreme administrative and regulatory costs of healthcare are impacting innovation and accessibility. Creating a new kind of market requires rethinking the ecosystem’s stakeholder models and rebuilding its infrastructure with converging technologies including AI and blockchain. Guests: Heather Flannery, Founder & CEO, and Sean Manion, Chief Scientific Officer, ConsenSys Health. Host: Christina Elson.
Applications for cryptocurrencies, built on incredibly flexible and open source blockchain platforms, are only limited by our imagination. How are new efforts planning to reshape everything from finance to media to the ability to monetize personal data? Guest: Jerry Brito, Executive Director, Coin Center. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
The physical and economic implications of high levels of diabetes and obesity Americans, already at crisis levels, have been exacerbated by COVID. Why has it so hard to get information on our metabolic health and how can that unlock better living for everyone? Guest: Dr. Casey Means, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Levels Health. Host: Christina Elson.
Your phone tracks where you are and who is around you. This information is becoming enormously valuable for business and government, creating new privacy concerns. What should you know about your geolocation data? Guest: Asif Khan, Founder & Chairman Location Based Marketing Association. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
Being a plural careerist may enrich your life and your work.
Having a second or even a third job has become increasingly common. How do multiple jobholders reshape the workforce and the economy? Guest: Sherry Moss, Benson Pruitt Professor in Business & Professor of Organizational Studies at Wake Forest University. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
"The earlier you find something, the better chance of having a successful treatment outcome."
Traumatic events, like the current global pandemic, can usher in increased rates of PTSD and depression. Can genome mapping better define mental health issues and potentially save lives? Guest: Tshaka Cunningham, Chief Scientific Officer of TruGenomix. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
"We shouldn't have to make a plan to vote, we should just vote." With growing worries about both mail-in and digital ballot technologies, voting seems fraught with uncertainty. In this episode, we discuss ways voting happens now, and how we can use technology to make it accessible and secure for all Americans. Guests: Ed Smith of Smartmatic and Larry Moore of the National Council of Independent Living. Hosts: Christina Elson and David Yang.
Chip Conley, founder and CEO of the Modern Elder Academy, talks with hosts Christina Elson and David Yang about the new world of long-life learning,the concept of the radical sabbatical, and the wisdom that midlife can offer.
Capital Entrepreneurs Jordan Halvorsen and Lukas Naugle speak with host Christina Elson about the opportunities for Venture Capitalists to fund innovative and diverse founders using more data and less bureaucracy.
Amy Liu of Brookings speaks with host David Yang about the potential shifts in the urban economy due to COVID and in response to widespread social unrest.
Nick Nilan of Verizon speaks with host David Yang about the future of 5g technology. 5g has the potential to change our lives from faster cell and streaming speeds to autonomous vehicles and real-time virtual reality. But will it bridge the digital divide?
Mike Heslin of Lyft and host Christina Elson explore how technology is redefining mobility. Electric, autonomous and shared transportation are already changing the way people get around.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Christina Elson talks with Shelli Brunswick, COO of the Space Foundation, about how the growing space industry is creating wide-ranging opportunities for entrepreneurs.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Dr. David Bray of Singularity University discusses how human input into AI and data science has a profound effect on the role these technologies play in society.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Jennifer Gordon, the Deputy Director of the Global Energy Center talks with Christina Elson about our growing carbon footprint and how nuclear energy could be a viable and safe solution to fuel the planet over the next 30 years.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, host Christina Elson speaks with Dr. Hon Pak, Chief Medical Officer at 3M Health Information Systems. They discuss how emerging technologies are enabling the widespread adoption of value-based health care.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, host Christina Elson speaks with Jack Bobo, the CEO of Futurity, a food industry consulting firm. They discuss global trends in agriculture, consumer perception of synthetic biology, and innovating trends that could be the key to feeding the planet.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Christina Elson talks with recent college graduates working in tech. Sade Ayinde, Victor Jones and Alston Clark share their insights about thriving in a world where constant learning is necessary and job opportunities are fluid.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Christina Elson talks with Daniel Forrester about the intersection of culture and technology and what it means for business strategy. Daniel Forrester is the founder and CEO of THRUUE, Inc., a consultancy with a unique expertise in blending culture and strategy.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Christina Elson talks with Dr. Taylor Wallace about how the Biotech Revolution is bringing about a new level of personalized nutrition and how it could have a profound effect on the global food supply.
Dr. Taylor Wallace is the CEO of the Think Healthy Group which utilizes research to create a healthier generation of consumers around the globe.
On this edition of the Inc. Tank, host Christina Elson talks with Brian Green about the impact of fast-moving technology on the workforce. What can firms and individuals do to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution? What is the role of academia and government? Brian Green is a Senior Vice President at Learning Tree International and works across industries to support lifelong learning goals.
On this episode of The Inc. Tank, host Christina Elson talks with guest Dennis Woodfork about new opportunities that are emerging for the private sector in the space industry. Dennis Woodfork is an expert in the space industry, and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
On this episode of The Inc. Tank, host Christina Elson talks with Robbie Barbero about the future of biotechnology and the startup industry. With the impressive biotech innovations likely to occur in the next decade, how will policy keep up with the scale of discovery?
Robbie Barbero is the Chief Business Officer at Ceres Nanosciences and the former Assistant Director of Biological Innovation in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The Inc. Tank is hosted by The Ed Snider Center at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
On this episode, Sean Manion, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Science Distributed, discusses blockchain’s potential effects on scientific research and the business associated with it.
On this episode, Katherine Noall, the CEO of Sphere Identity, discusses personal privacy in the age of the internet and social media.
On this edition, Neil Chilson, Senior Research Fellow for Technology and Innovation at the Charles Koch Institute, discusses why blockchain technology can help markets work faster and more efficiently but can’t eliminate fraud or the need for governmental oversight.
On this episode, Brian Iselin, founder of the non-profit SlaveFreeTrade, discusses how blockchain could help build supply chains untainted by slave labor.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Christina Elson talks with Ron Quaranta, Chairman of The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, about blockchain's potential to transform the financial industry, especially in the areas of fraud reduction, smart contracts and trading platforms.
On this edition of The Inc. Tank, Christina Elson talks with Mark Walsh about the extent to which artificial intelligence can predict an individual’s behavior. Mark Walsh, is an activist, a businessman, and a founder of FactSquared, a real time transparency engine.
Yaya Fanusie, Director of Analysis at the Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance in the Foundation for defense of Democracies, discusses the role of government in safeguarding financial transactions, and the role of educators in ensuring students can be at the forefront of evolving business practices.
On this episode, Joshua Gans, the co-author of “Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence,” discusses how AI could help business professionals make better decisions.
Eric Alston, Scholar in Residence at the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado-Boulder, discusses blockchain’s potential abilities and limitations to resolve information asymmetries in policy and governance, and create and settle contracts.