Tech'ed Up

Akoya CEO Paul LaRusso and National Bankers Association President Nicole Elam join Niki in the studio to break down the API revolution in banking. They explore why, after decades of traditional banking, there’s been a growing demand for so-called “open banking,” what the CFPB's new rule means for consumers and financial institutions, and how organizations are navigating this tech transition. Plus, Niki shares why screen scraping makes her nervous, Nicole predicts that the future of banking means being both high-tech and high-touch, and Paul makes the case for consumer control of their banking data. “As a consumer, I should be able to choose what application I want to use, what data I want to use, and with who and for how long. And we're trying to empower that consumer to do that.” -Paul LaRusso “Fintechs were thought of as disruptors and now they're not seen as disruptors. Now they're a necessary partner that you've got to have at the table to help you serve your customers.” - Nicole Elam LinkedInLinkedInAkoyaNational Bankers Associationwww.techedup.comYouTubeLinkedIn

President of the Software Information Industry Association, Chris Mohr, joins Niki in the studio to break down two major tech cases at the Supreme Court involving Meta and NVIDIA, discuss what's next for Section 230 regulation, and share insights from his career transition from private practice to tech policy advocacy. Chris talks about how the courts are increasingly being used to shape tech policy as Congress remains gridlocked on major issues and Niki offers some free advice on deprecation policies. “...power doesn't like vacuums, right? So, where does that power go? If Congress isn't passing laws, then the courts have to interpret the old ones to new cases.” -Chris Mohr LinkedInSIIALearned HandAmeekus v Amikuswww.techedup.comYouTubeLinkedIn

CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, Gary Shapiro, joins Niki in the studio for an informal chat about his new book Pivot or Die. They discuss pivotal moments in his career, leading the influential trade association fighting for tech and innovation, and looking to the future of tech in America. “We have to recognize that technology and innovation are actually our secret sauce in this country that allows us to do all these amazing things, and have a strong economy, and grow our way into the future.” -Gary Shapiro XCTACESherewww.techedup.comYouTubeLinkedIn

Twitter's former Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy for the US and Canada, Lauren Culbertson Grieco, joins Niki in the studio to talk about her career - from tweeting for senators to navigating Elon Musk's Twitter takeover. Currently President of The Ledyard Group, she shares leadership lessons from the transition days at X, and she and Niki swaptech policy stories. They also share a prediction about what will dominate legislators’ tech agenda in the next Congress. “Most of the people who worked at Twitter and some of the ones who still work there have a very strong sense of mission for what the platform means in the world.” -Lauren Culbertson hereThe Ledyard GroupThe Blue Owl GroupLinkedInwww.techedup.comYouTubeLinkedIn

Sr. VP of Policy at Digital Currency Group, Julie Stitzel, sits down with Niki in the D.C. studio to talk about their shared path from Midwestern upbringings to helping shape crypto policy in the nation’s capital. Julie shares her admiration for Hill staffers and why she remains optimistic for the future of crypto in the U.S. They also do a little arm-chair quarterbacking on the 2024 presidential campaign. “...when I think about innovation, I think the U.S. should be the place where people come. These innovators, these builders should feel free and excited about building in the U.S. and it's been the opposite experience for builders in the digital asset space.” -Julie Stitzel TwitterDCGwww.techedup.comYouTubeLinkedIn

New York Times reporter, Sheera Frenkel, joins Niki remotely to talk about the AI 2024 campaign season that wasn’t. She shares insights from her reporting on tech, shedding light on the reluctance to use AI by US campaigns compared to other countries, the rush by foreign adversaries to capitalize on AI’s capability to enhance disinformation campaigns, and lays out what has led Facebook to step back from political coverage. “While our candidates are not excited about using AI…There are nation-states all over the world who are super excited about the possibilities of AI and how it lets them reach Americans in unprecedented ways.” -Sheera Frenkel New York Times“An Ugly Truth”Character Limitwww.techedup.comYouTubeLinkedIn

This week host Niki Christoff appears as a guest on the Royally Obsessed podcast to talk about what she does in her day job: crisis communications. From Prince Andrew and the Oprah interview to Queen Elizabeth’s commitment to “never complain, never explain,” Niki breaks down the press strategy. https://apple.co/3uskWE2

In today’s episode, host Niki Christoff makes some observations about the state of play for virtual currency in Washington, D.C. techeduppodcast@gmail.comDeFi Education Fund pollNiki's NFTNiki on Twitter

Happy Thanksgiving from Tech’ed Up! Niki is popping into your feeds to thank you for tuning in and supporting the show since our launch just two months ago. We’ll be back in the studio next week with tech reporter Emily Birnbaum to unpack the metaverse.

What’s happening right now on the frontlines of tech? Join host Niki Christoff for a zippy conversation about trending technology. From the C-Suite and Capitol Hill, to crypto and Gen Z TikTok, Niki breaks it all down. Guests include experts and enthusiasts, regulators and policymakers, CEOs and reporters. This show is for anyone who wants to get smarter about technology. New episodes come out on Thursdays. You can watch video content on YouTube and follow Niki on Twitter @nikichristoff. www.techedup.comInstagramYouTubeLinkedIn