Tech Talks Daily

What if the smartest climate technology strategy isn't about inventing something new, but rethinking the buildings we already spend 90% of our lives in?
In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Ben Stapleton, Executive Director of US Green Building Council California, to talk about why buildings sit at the center of sustainability, resilience, and community well-being. From energy use and air quality to wildfire resilience and climate justice, Ben makes a compelling case that the built environment may be one of the most practical places to create real change.
Ben leads the California Building Performance Hub, a platform designed to help building owners, operators, and policymakers understand how to improve building performance through policy guidance, technical resources, rebates, and even an AI-powered assistant trained on building codes and compliance pathways. We discuss how this platform is helping accelerate California's move toward healthier, lower-energy, high-performance buildings and why AI is becoming a useful sidekick rather than a replacement for human expertise.
Our conversation also moves beyond technology and into something far more human: community. Ben shares how sustainability only works when people feel they have both awareness and agency. From helping low-income communities understand electrification and indoor air quality, to taking a "Build Smart Trailer" filled with real building materials into neighborhoods so people can touch and understand the future of their homes, this episode is a reminder that climate progress starts with education and trust.
We also talk about wildfire resilience in California, where simple low-cost building decisions can dramatically reduce fire risk while also improving energy efficiency and health outcomes. Ben explains why many of the solutions already exist, and why the challenge is often less about invention and more about implementation, policy, and long-term thinking.
For business leaders, public sector teams, and anyone thinking about the future of cities, this episode offers a fresh perspective on sustainability as both a financial and human opportunity. Healthier buildings create healthier people, and healthier people create stronger businesses.
Is the future of climate action already built around us, and are we finally ready to look up and see it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Useful Links
Connect with Ben on LinkedIn
CA Building Hub
USGBC
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How is AI really changing professional services work today, beyond the demos, predictions, and LinkedIn hype?
In today's episode, I'm joined by DJ Paoni, CEO of Certinia, and Jay Laabs, CEO of Spaulding Ridge, to discuss how AI is already being used inside services organizations to improve project delivery, resource planning, workforce optimization, and client outcomes.
DJ shares what a hybrid workforce of people and AI agents looks like in practice. Rather than thinking of AI as a search bar, he explains why services firms should think of agents as specialized colleagues that can handle repeatable tasks, draft project blueprints, support configuration work, and help teams deliver faster without losing the human judgment clients still rely on.
Jay brings the adoption reality from the consulting front line. He explains why the biggest barrier is rarely the technology itself, but the processes, incentives, data models, and cultural habits wrapped around it. The most successful firms are moving away from broad experimentation and focusing on specific business problems where AI can deliver clear ROI.
We also discuss the risks of rushing in without a plan. From disconnected AI agents creating a "spaghetti web" across the enterprise to teams automating broken workflows, DJ and Jay share practical warnings for leaders who want AI to create value without adding another layer of complexity.
This episode offers a clear look at what is working, what is failing, and what needs to change as professional services firms rethink billable hours, project economics, and the role of human expertise in an AI-enabled workplace.
Are services firms ready to measure success by outcomes rather than hours, and what will that mean for the future of consulting?

How much revenue is lost because the systems behind pricing, quoting, billing, and finance still do not talk to each other properly?
In today's episode, I'm joined by Tina Kung, CTO and Co-Founder of Nue, the quote-to-revenue platform helping AI and SaaS companies rethink how they sell, bill, and grow. Tina brings more than two decades of experience across enterprise software, CPQ, billing, and revenue operations, with previous roles at Oracle, Zuora, SteelBrick, and Salesforce.
Tina shares the story behind Nue and why she saw a growing gap between the systems that handle selling and the systems that manage revenue. As SaaS companies move from traditional subscriptions into usage-based pricing, credit burn-down models, product-led growth, partner channels, and enterprise sales, the old way of stitching together tools with manual work and spreadsheets starts to break down.
We discuss how AI is changing go-to-market operations and why transaction-level intelligence matters. Tina explains how Nue connects quoting, billing, usage, and revenue data into a single system, then applies AI so teams can understand what is happening, spot opportunities, and take action faster.
One of the standout stories is OpenAI, which rolled out Nue in just eight weeks to support the rapid growth of its ChatGPT Enterprise business. Tina shares what that process revealed about the speed of modern AI companies and why flexible revenue infrastructure is now a serious advantage.
We also talk about the rise of agentic AI in revenue operations, from creating quotes and orders to handling subscription changes and surfacing upsell opportunities. As the SaaS model comes under pressure from AI, Tina offers a practical view of what needs to change behind the scenes for companies to stay competitive.
If SaaS is entering a new chapter, are your revenue systems ready for how customers now buy, use, and pay for software?

Can AI really remove emotion from investing, or does human judgment still matter most when money is on the line?
In today's episode, I'm joined by Jack Fu, Founder and CEO of Draco Evolution, a company using AI, quantitative models, and decades of market experience to help investors make smarter and more disciplined decisions.
Jack's journey began during the 2008 financial crisis while working as a financial advisor at Union Bank of California, where watching investors lose life-changing amounts of money completely reshaped how he thought about risk, discipline, and long-term wealth creation.
That experience led him to focus on one simple principle: avoiding big losses matters just as much as chasing returns. From managing assets for family offices and institutional clients to leading major investment operations across the Asia-Pacific region, Jack built his career around protecting capital first and helping investors stay in the market long enough to benefit from long-term growth.
We explore how Draco Evolution is bringing institutional-level investment tools to everyday investors through AI-powered ETFs and a more dynamic approach to portfolio management. Jack explains how ETFs actually work, why they have become such a popular choice for investors, and the important difference between investing in AI companies and using AI itself to manage investment decisions.
We also discuss the future of robo-advisors and why the next generation will move far beyond static questionnaires and occasional portfolio rebalancing. Jack shares why he believes the future lies in systems that adapt continuously to market conditions and investor behavior, creating something far more personal and responsive.
From algorithmic trading and AlphaGo to today's world of agentic AI, Jack offers a practical perspective on how technology is changing finance without replacing human oversight. He also shares why investors should treat AI as an enhancement tool rather than blindly trusting every recommendation.
If you've ever wondered how AI is changing investing, what makes AI-driven ETFs different, or how to stay disciplined in unpredictable markets, this conversation offers plenty of insight. How much would you trust AI to help manage your financial future, and where would you still want a human in the loop?

What does it actually take to move from AI experiments and pilot projects to real business outcomes that customers can feel?
At Adobe Summit in Las Vegas, I sat down with Neil Letchford, Vice President of Digital Engineering at Virgin Atlantic, to talk about how the airline is doing exactly that. While many organizations are still debating ROI, governance, and where agentic AI fits into the customer journey, Virgin Atlantic has already launched an AI concierge that is actively helping customers book holidays, find answers faster, and create a smoother travel experience from the first search to stepping onboard the aircraft.
Neil shared how a proof of concept built in just two months evolved into a live multi-agent system that now helps customers plan trips, book holidays, and move seamlessly between digital channels and human support when needed. We talked about the importance of "knowledge over data," why observability and model evaluation matter when deploying AI at scale, and how the team built trust internally by focusing on real customer pain points rather than chasing shiny technology trends.
What stood out most was how Virgin Atlantic has kept its famously human customer experience at the center of every decision. This is not automation for the sake of efficiency. It is about using AI to strengthen relationships, preserve brand personality, and create better outcomes for both customers and the business. From personalized holiday planning to agent-to-agent interactions that may soon redefine travel booking, this conversation offers a practical look at what happens when AI moves beyond theory and starts delivering value today.
If you want to understand what agentic AI looks like in the real world, and why the companies moving early may gain a serious advantage, this is an episode you do not want to miss. What would AI need to do in your business before you would trust it to take the lead?
Useful LInks
Connect with Neil Letchford
Learn more about Adobe Brand Concierge
Check out Virgin AI Concierge
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