Fireside AI Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/fireside-ai AI is transforming our world - in science, healthcare, finance, and beyond. With rapid advancements in large language models, automation, and machine learning, companies are racing to build smarter, more efficient systems that shape the future. But how do you go from an AI idea to a scalable, impactful solution? Building and scaling AI isn’t just about the technology. It’s also about making the right strategic decisions. AI founders need to consider everything from data quality and model performance to regulation, ethical concerns, and the infrastructure that’s needed to support large-scale deployment. Funding, hiring, and go-to-market strategies are just as critical as the algorithms themselves. In each episode, we’ll bring you insights from AI founders, engineers and leaders who are building the next generation of technology companies. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, developer, or just fascinated by the future of AI, this podcast will bring you expert knowledge, industry trends, and practical strategies to turn AI ideas into reality. Check out the newsletter https://aixinsights.substack.com/ © 2025 Catherine Breslin 35cd0416-6c6d-57ac-b016-698dd0dade87 no en Sat, 26 Jul 2025 21:03:22 +0000 Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:01:28 +0000 https://www.kingfisherlabs.co.uk/podcast https://img.transistor.fm/aNHvqLXRbhDWsydMPd0i6cVFmLZPjZl_CYkOmO04kN4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82NDgz/ZTViMzMxYTU2NDlj/ODllZmVmMDhiMThj/NzQxMy5wbmc.jpg Fireside AI https://www.kingfisherlabs.co.uk/podcast episodic Catherine Breslin AI is transforming our world - in science, healthcare, finance, and beyond. With rapid advancements in large language models, automation, and machine learning, companies are racing to build smarter, more efficient systems that shape the future. But how do you go from an AI idea to a scalable, impactful solution? Building and scaling AI isn’t just about the technology. It’s also about making the right strategic decisions. AI founders need to consider everything from data quality and model performance to regulation, ethical concerns, and the infrastructure that’s needed to support large-scale deployment. Funding, hiring, and go-to-market strategies are just as critical as the algorithms themselves. In each episode, we’ll bring you insights from AI founders, engineers and leaders who are building the next generation of technology companies. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, developer, or just fascinated by the future of AI, this podcast will bring you expert knowledge, industry trends, and practical strategies to turn AI ideas into reality. Check out the newsletter https://aixinsights.substack.com/ AI is transforming our world - in science, healthcare, finance, and beyond. artificial intelligence, ai, technology Catherine Breslin No No Building Glasgow's tech ecosystem with STAC's Paul Wilson 7 7 Building Glasgow's tech ecosystem with STAC's Paul Wilson full aaeb0820-6c41-4a91-9dad-05b49b880606 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b1d6440a In this episode, we sit down with Paul Wilson, founder and CEO of STAC (SmartThings Accelerator Centre) in Glasgow, to explore how Scotland can build a competitive cluster of homegrown tech companies. Drawing from his 25+ years in international tech, Paul shares insights on creating sustainable tech ecosystems and supporting deep tech startups, and the mission to build the next generation of Scottish tech companies that everyone's talking about.

Learn about

  • STAC's mission to bring Silicon Valley tech thinking to Glasgow, and build a sustainable ecosystem
  • The challenge tech focused companies have in leading with a sales mindset, rather than a tech one
  • The support that STAC have built for their startups, across incubators, co-working space, academia & industry connections

Checkout STAC on LinkedIn.

]]> In this episode, we sit down with Paul Wilson, founder and CEO of STAC (SmartThings Accelerator Centre) in Glasgow, to explore how Scotland can build a competitive cluster of homegrown tech companies. Drawing from his 25+ years in international tech, Paul shares insights on creating sustainable tech ecosystems and supporting deep tech startups, and the mission to build the next generation of Scottish tech companies that everyone's talking about.

Learn about

  • STAC's mission to bring Silicon Valley tech thinking to Glasgow, and build a sustainable ecosystem
  • The challenge tech focused companies have in leading with a sales mindset, rather than a tech one
  • The support that STAC have built for their startups, across incubators, co-working space, academia & industry connections

Checkout STAC on LinkedIn.

]]> Sat, 26 Jul 2025 21:03:22 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1449 In this episode, we sit down with Paul Wilson, founder and CEO of STAC (SmartThings Accelerator Centre) in Glasgow, to explore how Scotland can build a competitive cluster of homegrown tech companies. Drawing from his 25+ years in international tech, Paul shares insights on creating sustainable tech ecosystems and supporting deep tech startups, and the mission to build the next generation of Scottish tech companies that everyone's talking about.

Learn about

  • STAC's mission to bring Silicon Valley tech thinking to Glasgow, and build a sustainable ecosystem
  • The challenge tech focused companies have in leading with a sales mindset, rather than a tech one
  • The support that STAC have built for their startups, across incubators, co-working space, academia & industry connections

Checkout STAC on LinkedIn.

]]> artificial intelligence, ai, technology No Data Literacy and Career Empowerment with Bhagya Reddy 6 6 Data Literacy and Career Empowerment with Bhagya Reddy full 0daf2852-b38a-40d6-99b9-2373d19020e2 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d7b23473 In this episode, we sit down with Bhagya Reddy, a data professional with over 20 years of experience, to discuss the critical importance of data literacy across organisations and how data skills can empower career transitions. Bhagya shares her journey of building a comprehensive data university at Virgin Media, training over 10,000 employees, and her passion project helping women and men return to work through data education.


What You'll Learn

  1. How to scale data literacy across an entire organization - Bhagya shares her approach for training 10,000+ employees at Virgin Media, from initial resistance to widespread adoption and the impact it had
  2. Why data skills are perfect for career transitions - Discover how data education can empower women and men returning to work, and why data literacy skills are so important
  3. The secret to making data education stick - Learn the teaching techniques that actually work, from using everyday examples to creating engaging, self-service learning experiences


Resources & Links - connect with Bhagya:

Guest Bio

Bhagya Reddy is a seasoned data professional with 20+ years of experience currently working at Virgin Media. She's a passionate advocate for data democratisation and sustainability, and the founder of Training in Data, an organisation dedicated to helping people transition back into careers through data education. 

]]> In this episode, we sit down with Bhagya Reddy, a data professional with over 20 years of experience, to discuss the critical importance of data literacy across organisations and how data skills can empower career transitions. Bhagya shares her journey of building a comprehensive data university at Virgin Media, training over 10,000 employees, and her passion project helping women and men return to work through data education.


What You'll Learn

  1. How to scale data literacy across an entire organization - Bhagya shares her approach for training 10,000+ employees at Virgin Media, from initial resistance to widespread adoption and the impact it had
  2. Why data skills are perfect for career transitions - Discover how data education can empower women and men returning to work, and why data literacy skills are so important
  3. The secret to making data education stick - Learn the teaching techniques that actually work, from using everyday examples to creating engaging, self-service learning experiences


Resources & Links - connect with Bhagya:

Guest Bio

Bhagya Reddy is a seasoned data professional with 20+ years of experience currently working at Virgin Media. She's a passionate advocate for data democratisation and sustainability, and the founder of Training in Data, an organisation dedicated to helping people transition back into careers through data education. 

]]> Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:10:33 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1227 In this episode, we sit down with Bhagya Reddy, a data professional with over 20 years of experience, to discuss the critical importance of data literacy across organisations and how data skills can empower career transitions. Bhagya shares her journey of building a comprehensive data university at Virgin Media, training over 10,000 employees, and her passion project helping women and men return to work through data education.


What You'll Learn

  1. How to scale data literacy across an entire organization - Bhagya shares her approach for training 10,000+ employees at Virgin Media, from initial resistance to widespread adoption and the impact it had
  2. Why data skills are perfect for career transitions - Discover how data education can empower women and men returning to work, and why data literacy skills are so important
  3. The secret to making data education stick - Learn the teaching techniques that actually work, from using everyday examples to creating engaging, self-service learning experiences


Resources & Links - connect with Bhagya:

Guest Bio

Bhagya Reddy is a seasoned data professional with 20+ years of experience currently working at Virgin Media. She's a passionate advocate for data democratisation and sustainability, and the founder of Training in Data, an organisation dedicated to helping people transition back into careers through data education. 

]]> data literacy, artificial intelligence, technology, return to work, careers No Building Voice Tech for Education with Mauro Nicolao at Soapbox Labs 5 5 Building Voice Tech for Education with Mauro Nicolao at Soapbox Labs full 49964e9d-742a-48ec-a5c7-3ea81291e077 https://share.transistor.fm/s/506edda4 In this conversation, I sit down with Mauro Nicolao, Director of Data Science at Soapbox Labs - a trailblazing company building voice technology designed specifically for children. Recently acquired by Curriculum Associates, Soapbox Labs is now bringing their specialised speech recognition technology to over 13 million students across the US.

From his roots in academia to leading cutting-edge AI products, Mauro shares the story behind his journey and the mission driving Soapbox’s work. Listen to hear:

- Mauro's journey from academia to Soapbox Labs
- How AI tools can support teachers rather than replace them
- What it was like to go through an acquisition, and how Soapbox Labs benefited
- The unique challenges of building ethical and robust AI technology for children
- Real-world lessons from building AI for education

As schools adopt AI tools, understanding how to implement voice technology that works for ALL students has never been more crucial. Mauro's insights are valuable for anyone working at the intersection of AI, voice technology, and education.

Find Mauro on LinkedIn, and learn more about Soapbox Labs and Curriculum Associates.

]]> In this conversation, I sit down with Mauro Nicolao, Director of Data Science at Soapbox Labs - a trailblazing company building voice technology designed specifically for children. Recently acquired by Curriculum Associates, Soapbox Labs is now bringing their specialised speech recognition technology to over 13 million students across the US.

From his roots in academia to leading cutting-edge AI products, Mauro shares the story behind his journey and the mission driving Soapbox’s work. Listen to hear:

- Mauro's journey from academia to Soapbox Labs
- How AI tools can support teachers rather than replace them
- What it was like to go through an acquisition, and how Soapbox Labs benefited
- The unique challenges of building ethical and robust AI technology for children
- Real-world lessons from building AI for education

As schools adopt AI tools, understanding how to implement voice technology that works for ALL students has never been more crucial. Mauro's insights are valuable for anyone working at the intersection of AI, voice technology, and education.

Find Mauro on LinkedIn, and learn more about Soapbox Labs and Curriculum Associates.

]]> Tue, 06 May 2025 10:45:04 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1342 In this conversation, I sit down with Mauro Nicolao, Director of Data Science at Soapbox Labs - a trailblazing company building voice technology designed specifically for children. Recently acquired by Curriculum Associates, Soapbox Labs is now bringing their specialised speech recognition technology to over 13 million students across the US.

From his roots in academia to leading cutting-edge AI products, Mauro shares the story behind his journey and the mission driving Soapbox’s work. Listen to hear:

- Mauro's journey from academia to Soapbox Labs
- How AI tools can support teachers rather than replace them
- What it was like to go through an acquisition, and how Soapbox Labs benefited
- The unique challenges of building ethical and robust AI technology for children
- Real-world lessons from building AI for education

As schools adopt AI tools, understanding how to implement voice technology that works for ALL students has never been more crucial. Mauro's insights are valuable for anyone working at the intersection of AI, voice technology, and education.

Find Mauro on LinkedIn, and learn more about Soapbox Labs and Curriculum Associates.

]]> artificial intelligence, ai, technology No Scaling to Series C with Shawn Wen, CTO at PolyAI 4 4 Scaling to Series C with Shawn Wen, CTO at PolyAI full 7fab1d09-bf55-47e3-9075-7755afca3ed8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/af13408e In this conversation, Shawn Wen, co-founder and CTO of PolyAI, shares insights into the journey of building PolyAI into a successful series C AI startup focused on automating phone calls for contact centres. He discusses the early days of PolyAI, the challenges faced in scaling the team, the importance of company culture, and the evolving role of a CTO in a growing organisation. Shawn also reflects on the impact of industry changes in AI and the lessons learned throughout the startup journey. Listen to hear:

- How Shawn thought about his CTO role as PolyAI evolved
- How PolyAI's culture got set on the right path in its earliest days
- The challenges of hiring new roles into PolyAI
- Why keeping up with the AI firehose sometimes means throwing away what you've built

Follow PolyAI on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date. 

]]> In this conversation, Shawn Wen, co-founder and CTO of PolyAI, shares insights into the journey of building PolyAI into a successful series C AI startup focused on automating phone calls for contact centres. He discusses the early days of PolyAI, the challenges faced in scaling the team, the importance of company culture, and the evolving role of a CTO in a growing organisation. Shawn also reflects on the impact of industry changes in AI and the lessons learned throughout the startup journey. Listen to hear:

- How Shawn thought about his CTO role as PolyAI evolved
- How PolyAI's culture got set on the right path in its earliest days
- The challenges of hiring new roles into PolyAI
- Why keeping up with the AI firehose sometimes means throwing away what you've built

Follow PolyAI on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date. 

]]> Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:19:18 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1690 In this conversation, Shawn Wen, co-founder and CTO of PolyAI, shares insights into the journey of building PolyAI into a successful series C AI startup focused on automating phone calls for contact centres. He discusses the early days of PolyAI, the challenges faced in scaling the team, the importance of company culture, and the evolving role of a CTO in a growing organisation. Shawn also reflects on the impact of industry changes in AI and the lessons learned throughout the startup journey. Listen to hear:

- How Shawn thought about his CTO role as PolyAI evolved
- How PolyAI's culture got set on the right path in its earliest days
- The challenges of hiring new roles into PolyAI
- Why keeping up with the AI firehose sometimes means throwing away what you've built

Follow PolyAI on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date. 

]]> PolyAI, AI, startup, company culture, CTO, remote work, hiring, conversational systems, technology, growth No Empowering Data and AI teams with Chris Pedder from Obrizum 3 3 Empowering Data and AI teams with Chris Pedder from Obrizum full 5c7a4bb1-af48-4185-80da-d33106c329d5 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c693085c Find Chris on LinkedIn, and learn about Obrizum.

I talk with Chris Pedder from Obrizum. Chris started his career as a Physicist, before moving into AI and Data. He is now Chief Data and AI Officer at Obrizum, who use AI to deliver adaptive learning. 

In this episode we talk about the behaviours that Chris intentionally fosters in his team, including: 

  • Empowering your team to own and deliver the whole AI/ML stack
  • Fostering ownership and growth in teams, along with a culture of learning
  • Chris' experience using ideas from Team Topologies to organise Obrizum's teams
  • The importance of friction in learning, and why you don't want AI to remove all the friction
  • Being mindful of the ethical considerations in the Education domain
  • Chris' lessons learned
]]> Find Chris on LinkedIn, and learn about Obrizum.

I talk with Chris Pedder from Obrizum. Chris started his career as a Physicist, before moving into AI and Data. He is now Chief Data and AI Officer at Obrizum, who use AI to deliver adaptive learning. 

In this episode we talk about the behaviours that Chris intentionally fosters in his team, including: 

  • Empowering your team to own and deliver the whole AI/ML stack
  • Fostering ownership and growth in teams, along with a culture of learning
  • Chris' experience using ideas from Team Topologies to organise Obrizum's teams
  • The importance of friction in learning, and why you don't want AI to remove all the friction
  • Being mindful of the ethical considerations in the Education domain
  • Chris' lessons learned
]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1241 Find Chris on LinkedIn, and learn about Obrizum.

I talk with Chris Pedder from Obrizum. Chris started his career as a Physicist, before moving into AI and Data. He is now Chief Data and AI Officer at Obrizum, who use AI to deliver adaptive learning. 

In this episode we talk about the behaviours that Chris intentionally fosters in his team, including: 

  • Empowering your team to own and deliver the whole AI/ML stack
  • Fostering ownership and growth in teams, along with a culture of learning
  • Chris' experience using ideas from Team Topologies to organise Obrizum's teams
  • The importance of friction in learning, and why you don't want AI to remove all the friction
  • Being mindful of the ethical considerations in the Education domain
  • Chris' lessons learned
]]> machine learning, AI, education, team dynamics, ethical AI, startup culture, data science, ownership, learning measurement, team structures No Conversational AI for Authentic Connections with Sarah Coward 2 2 Conversational AI for Authentic Connections with Sarah Coward full 75cffd47-4ae8-41d1-9c73-a45e06f6b15e https://share.transistor.fm/s/8e2b54ec Find Sarah on LinkedIn, and learn about In The Room by visiting intheroom.global

Today we're talking with Sarah Coward from In The Room - who use conversational AI technology to enable organisations to make their best expert available to their audiences 24/7, 365 days a year.  

We cover:

  • The Origin Story of In the Room
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Technology
  • Building trust in Conversational AI
  • Trust in Technology: Video vs. Text Interactions
  • Lessons Learned in Conversational AI Development



]]> Find Sarah on LinkedIn, and learn about In The Room by visiting intheroom.global

Today we're talking with Sarah Coward from In The Room - who use conversational AI technology to enable organisations to make their best expert available to their audiences 24/7, 365 days a year.  

We cover:

  • The Origin Story of In the Room
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Technology
  • Building trust in Conversational AI
  • Trust in Technology: Video vs. Text Interactions
  • Lessons Learned in Conversational AI Development



]]> Mon, 17 Mar 2025 09:26:55 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1206 Find Sarah on LinkedIn, and learn about In The Room by visiting intheroom.global

Today we're talking with Sarah Coward from In The Room - who use conversational AI technology to enable organisations to make their best expert available to their audiences 24/7, 365 days a year.  

We cover:

  • The Origin Story of In the Room
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Technology
  • Building trust in Conversational AI
  • Trust in Technology: Video vs. Text Interactions
  • Lessons Learned in Conversational AI Development



]]> Conversational AI, authenticity, human connection, trust, technology, emotional connection, ethical considerations, interactive experiences, voice AI, storytelling No ML Platform teams with Prassanna Ravishankar from Papercup 1 1 ML Platform teams with Prassanna Ravishankar from Papercup full c095e314-1a98-4c39-bf15-25653e0ba7c8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/830b2d1e Find Prass on LinkedIn, and find his Feed Forward podcast on Spotify & YouTube. 

In this first episode, I talk with Prassanna Ravishankar from Papercup. Prass started his career as a computer vision researcher, before moving into Engineering & MLOps. He now leads the ML platform initiative at Papercup, which is a London-based startup providing AI dubbing solutions. 

We cover 

  • Prass' view of platforms and MLOps
  • Skills an ML Platform team needs
  • Keeping up with the fast-paced world of AI and MLOps
  • Engaging stakeholders in platform development
  • The impact that a platform team can have on an AI business
  • When startups should think about investing in dedicated MLOps capability
  • Lessons learned in the journey building Papercup's ML Platform
]]> Find Prass on LinkedIn, and find his Feed Forward podcast on Spotify & YouTube. 

In this first episode, I talk with Prassanna Ravishankar from Papercup. Prass started his career as a computer vision researcher, before moving into Engineering & MLOps. He now leads the ML platform initiative at Papercup, which is a London-based startup providing AI dubbing solutions. 

We cover 

  • Prass' view of platforms and MLOps
  • Skills an ML Platform team needs
  • Keeping up with the fast-paced world of AI and MLOps
  • Engaging stakeholders in platform development
  • The impact that a platform team can have on an AI business
  • When startups should think about investing in dedicated MLOps capability
  • Lessons learned in the journey building Papercup's ML Platform
]]> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 09:24:29 +0000 Catherine Breslin Catherine Breslin 1406 Find Prass on LinkedIn, and find his Feed Forward podcast on Spotify & YouTube. 

In this first episode, I talk with Prassanna Ravishankar from Papercup. Prass started his career as a computer vision researcher, before moving into Engineering & MLOps. He now leads the ML platform initiative at Papercup, which is a London-based startup providing AI dubbing solutions. 

We cover 

  • Prass' view of platforms and MLOps
  • Skills an ML Platform team needs
  • Keeping up with the fast-paced world of AI and MLOps
  • Engaging stakeholders in platform development
  • The impact that a platform team can have on an AI business
  • When startups should think about investing in dedicated MLOps capability
  • Lessons learned in the journey building Papercup's ML Platform
]]> MLOps, machine learning, platform teams, AI, engineering, collaboration, skills, startups, technology, innovation No