Just in time for sweeping new privacy regulations going into effect in Europe, we chatted with Kirsten McMullen, chief privacy officer of mobile ad firm 4Info, about the distinctions between the way government in Europe and the US treat privacy. In Europe, says McMullen, "I liken it to freedom of speech in the US; it's just a core value." Listen to this Credentialed BonusCast now!

Kirsten McMullen has a tough job. As chief privacy officer and VP of compliance at mobile ad tech firm 4Info, she serves as an internal watchdog, helping to steer her company, one operating in the cut-throat, fast-paced and increasingly sophisticated world of consumer data, toward the best data privacy practices possible. To do that, she relies on what she refers to as her own "core ethic," one that compels her to want to educate people about how her company uses consumer data. In a business environment where opacity and obfuscation is more the norm, it's no easy task. "I want to get out the word that your location data is being used more for just telling you what the weather is in your city or where you jog, so pay attention to who you're choosing to share that with and make the choices accordingly," said McMullen on this episode of The Credentialed.

"How much better would the world be if there were many more women running companies?" asks Veda Hlubinka-Cook, founder of open information platform Factful. On this Credentialed Podcast BonusCast, she explains how her gender transition improved her cognition and management style, and discusses why the top down, command and control, 20th-century military style approach to management "is clearly outdated." She opines, "Particularly in startups when I see it, it's just maddening – all these sporty guys doing their, sort of, best Jack Welch at mini-scale, but some of the most successful companies are the ones that are much more consensus-driven."

On this Credentialed Podcast BonusCast, Veda Hlubinka-Cook, founder of open information platform Factful, suggests that the counter-cultural, queer legacy of the San Francisco Bay area, still present when she moved there in the '90s, has "been steamrollered over in large part because of the technology industry." Hear why Hlubinka-Cook believes that while, a lot of people in tech "mean really well…they don't have a very nuanced understanding of what [impact] their actions have on the world."

"Openness is a counterweight to the secrecy that powerful people use to subjugate us…. We have to pool our resources together, get the right team and go after it." Veda Hlubinka-Cook does not mince words. An early pioneer of digital information infrastructure and trans technologist, Hlubinka-Cook co-founded Metaweb, a firm that developed an open, shared database of knowledge called Freebase which was eventually acquired by Google in 2005. Today, she is back at it – building Factful, a collaborative platform for investigative journalism aimed at exposing corruption.

There's more from Brian Brackeen, CEO of facial recognition tech firm Kairos, when he shares on The Credentialed his enthusiasm for Miami as an ideal place for tech entrepreneurs-of-color to launch startups and generate funding, as well as foster great work-life balance. "It's infinitely fairer to say" that Miami is a better place for entrepreneurs-of-color to generate fundraising than places like New York and San Francisco, he agreed, referring to the high number of minority investors and entrepreneurs in Miami compared to other places. Brian also mentions a couple other inclusive cities he ranks highly as supportive places for entrepreneurs of color.

We've been hearing more and more about facial recognition and biometric identification technology lately, and this week's guest on The Credentialed is on the cutting edge of this emerging realm. Brian Brackeen is CEO and founder of Kairos, a six-year-old facial recognition and "human analytics" firm based in Miami which serves clients such as Disney and Walmart. An outspoken proponent of algorithmic data diversity, facial recognition privacy standards and Miami as an under-appreciated hub of tech innovation, Brackeen stands out. He talked on the show about how an algorithm is like a human mind, limited to what it's been exposed to: "If you teach the young algorithm that this is the world, and you don't show it anything else -- you don't show it any other races, any other ages, any other genders -- that's all it will be able to see. It will actually be literally blind to the rest of the world," he said during his chat on The Credentialed, where he and host Kate Kaye discussed the movement supporting the inclusion of data representing under-represented minority groups often forgotten when training AI systems and algorithms. Brackeen also shared his personal story, which he likened to the Iron Man Marvel comics tale in which scientist and inventor Howard Stark inspires his son to take up engineering. It's no coincidence that Brackeen's own father worked on some of the first artificial intelligence systems during his career at the Philadelphia Electric Company.

Want more from our chat with Jasmin Hume, director of food chemistry at Just? You've got it. In this bonus segment, we discuss how Jasmin and her team use data automation, predictive modeling and machine learning to  query large volumes of data and screen plants for functional proteins.

You've probably seen Just's vegan mayo on grocery store shelves, or maybe you've had their plant-based cookie dough concoction as a late night snack. Perhaps you've seen the open letters the company's CEO Josh Tetrick has splashed across full page ads in the New York Times -- like the one he addressed to presidential candidates in 2015 challenging them to help solve our outdated food system. Following a name change from Hampton Creek, the company remains dedicated to its original mission: to produce healthy, sustainable, affordable and delicious food. This is no quick fix – locating plant components and experimenting until they are proven to be viable ingredients involves a year's long process – and our guest on the latest episode of The Credentialed, director of food chemistry at Hampton Creek, Jasmin Hume, is guiding that path towards what could be on our plates tomorrow. On this episode of The Credentialed, we'll learn about the science behind turning plant proteins into food people want to eat, about how even healthy food can be processed, and why people still can get a little weirded out by too much science on their plate.  We'll even indulge in a chat about a personal love of Hume's -- Swedish baked goods.

We laughed! We cried! We learned about blockchain! Yes, indeed, we've come a long way in just ten episodes here at The Credentialed, the show that amplifies the diverse voices of tech and innovation. That's right, we've got ten episodes under our belts, and that's a good a reason as any to take a step back and remind our listeners – and ourselves – just what it is we're doing here. We're calling this re-cap episode of our first ten shows our Tenth Episode-i-versary. (Humor us, won't you?) Since The Credentialed launched in October, we've featured data wonks, IoT and blockchain innovators, chatbot and mobile technology founders, ecommerce experts and digital media entrepreneurs. We've featured women, African-American, Asian, Haitian-American, LatinX and LGBTQ guests. People not just from New York City and San Francisco, but from Reno, Miami, Kansas City, Pasadena and Washington, DC. People whose business lives collide with personal passions like basketball, improv comedy -- and did we mention Star Wars? On the show, you'll hear the most fascinating, fun, touching and inspiring moments from the first ten episodes of The Credentialed. Give a listen!

Pam Dixon of World Privacy Forum shares her tips for taking action to safeguard personal data privacy.

This is the last generation in the U.S. who will have what Pam Dixon, this week's guest on The Credentialed, calls "privacy by obscurity." Founder and executive director of World Privacy Forum, Dixon believes there is a short window of time left during which any of us living here in the United States, not to mention most places on earth, will have the ability to go "off the grid" - obscure our travels, interactions, personal connections, transactions and interests from corporations and governments. Pam joined The Credentialed in-person in the studio for a fascinating discussion about an array of issues that will have an increasingly significant impact on our lives – from biometric identification to precision medicine to the dire need to upgrade our flawed social security system.          

When we think tech, we often think of gadgets, software, computers, pixels and bots. But on this episode of The Credentialed, we're getting down to basics. We're talking about clean, safe water and a simple innovation that's designed to make it more plentiful, accessible and affordable across the globe. Theresa Dankovich, Ph.D. is cofounder and Chief Technology Officer of Folia Water, an unlikely 500 Startups alumn that manufactures low-cost paper water filters intended for use by low-income people who today spend too much of their money on bottled water or soda. Dankovich chats about how the company aims to get its technology into the hands of the people, what sets Folia Water apart from other tech startups -- and why even in Silicon Valley, not every startup is only about generating ROI for investors.

Blockchain. Bitcoin. Cryptocurrency. You've heard about these things, but, well, if you're like a lot of people, you aren't totally clear on what they are. On this episode of The Credentialed, we have a full-fledged blockchain expert explainer on the show, Portia Burton. Burton explains how blockchain works in everyday language, talks about blockchain mining in Venezuela and China, and suggests that blockchain nerds really could use a psychologist. Burton also shares her secrets for being successful at whatever she puts her mind to. Hint: failure is allowed.

In this encore of the very first episode of The Credentialed, we talk to Rachel Law, CEO of chatbot and collaborative shopping technology Kip, to discuss the company, learn how it can help niche communities – from crochet enthusiasts to Japanese immigrants, chat about the Internet as a place for personal development, and even get some tips for startup fundraising. It's not often that we hear about technologies being developed for niche immigrant communities, and that is another way in which innovators like Law are helping us expand the definition of tech.