Tech'ed Up with Niki Christoff

Niki looks back at the last two years of Tech’ed Up and shares some of her favorite moments from the podcast. This episode highlights engaging clips from episodes featuring Bloomberg reporter Ashlee Vance, US presidential candidate and former Congressman Will Hurd, Washingtonian Tech Titan 2023 Amy Gilliland of GDIT, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation, and many more. Listen in as Niki and guests explore all things tech: covering emerging technology from AI to crypto, speculating about government regulation, and geeking out about the future of tech in general. YouTubeLinkedInSwitch & Board

Senior Director of Policy at Reddit, Jessica Ashooh, joins Niki remotely to talk about her non-traditional path to Silicon Valley - from earning a Ph.D. in International relations, to working in Abu Dhabi and at think tanks. They take a quick dive into how Reddit works, why its community is so passionate about governance, and, of course, talk cat subreddit threads. LinkedInmany https://www.reddit.com/r/blackcats/https://www.reddit.com/r/airplaneears/https://www.reddit.com/r/CatsStandingUp/https://www.reddit.com/r/catsofukraine/LinkedIn

CEO of Biofire, Kai Kloepfer, joins Niki remotely in the studio to talk smart guns. They explore the technology that helps make these guns a safer option for home protection, the unique challenges of developing deep tech hardware, and some sobering statistics that keep Kai and his team motivated to help with one small part of a major, uniquely American, public health epidemic. TwitterBiofireLinkedIn

Former U.S. Treasury spokesperson, current SVP of Public Affairs at Clyde Group, and crypto commentator John Rizzo joins Niki in the studio to talk about the state of play of crypto. Is there a future for crypto in America or will unelected bureaucrats successfully push the industry overseas? They discuss the broader regulatory climate and how other emerging technology, such as AI, could find itself in a similar deathmatch in Washington. TwitterSlowBoring SubstackClyde GroupCoinDeskLinkedIn

Axios reporter Ashley Gold joins Niki in the studio for a lighthearted conversation about what Big Tech should expect from Congress this year. They talk Federal Trade Commission dynamics, Ticketmaster drama, and foreign investments in the United States. Ashley shares her insights as the lead reporter for Axios’ Pro Tech Policy newsletter: Who’s interested and what’s what? And Niki cracks wise about Taylor Swift, Vrbo, and TikTok (of course). TwitterAxios ProLinkedIn

Former Department of Homeland Security official, Paul Rosenzweig, joins Niki in the studio to share his thoughts on AI, hacking, and national security. They dish some stories from the past and take a look to the future of big tech in China, talk AI hallucinations, and Paul shares his thoughts on what Congress should be doing to respond to the changing - and rapidly evolving - national security landscape. TwitterRed Branch ConsultingThe Federalist Society PodcastLinkedIn

NY Times best-selling author, reporter, and host of Hello World, Ashlee Vance joins Niki to talk about the wild and wonderful characters driving the new space race. He shares stories from his new book ‘When the Heavens Went on Sale’ and why he believes this new space gold rush will change life as we know it. TwitterHello WorldhereLinkedIn

Cyber defense expert, Matteo Tomasini, joins Niki on the podcast to shine a light into the deepest, darkest parts of the web. He explains the differences between the “Clearnet" aka the surface web, deep web, and the dark web. While they dive into the dangerous - and legitimate - motivations for anonymous web browsing, Matteo also provides helpful tips for protecting your own privacy online. TwitterPrescientDistrict4LabspodcastLinkedIn

CEO and co-founder of AudioShake, Jessica Powell, joins Niki remotely to talk AI and music. Her company created tech that has helped artists and fans alike since before we ever heard of a musical “deep fake.” In this episode, they chat karaoke, video game music, and Jessica breaks down what a stem is - as well as the creative impact AI will have on the music industry as we know it. TwitterAudioShakeplaylistLinkedIn

Washington-based litigator, Previn Warren, joins Niki in the studio to talk about his law firm’s multi-district litigation against social media giants Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. They discuss the growing epidemic of social media addiction among teens and tweens, and its impact on kids’ mental health, their developing brains, and bodies. **This episode contains some serious subject matter including mentions of suicide, eating disorders, and violent sexual social media content.** ad campaignLinkedInLinkedIn

Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Foundation, joins Niki in the studio to talk about the real world, right-now positive use cases blockchain technology is having on the underbanked. They explore the work the foundation is doing with the UNHCR and IRC in Ukraine, their partnership with MoneyGram, and why you should care. Denelle shares some sage advice for the industry on how to better communicate with regulators. Stellar FoundationTwitter ResearchLinkedIn

Head of Public Affairs for DeepMind, Dorothy Chou, is in Washington from London and joins Niki in the Tech’ed Up Studio to talk about the massive impact AI is already having on science, work, and the future of our economy. They cover the hard questions we all should be asking as this tech develops at breakneck speed, discuss the role of government in shaping this emerging tech, and highlight the importance of wrangling all kinds of people to shape the data and norms that underpin AI. DeepMind Podcast“Chat GPT is a Blurry JPEG of the Web”The Obsidian CollectionTwitter LinkedIn

Cybersecurity veteran and VP of Global Security at IBM Consulting, Debbie Taylor Moore, joins Niki in the studio for an eye-opening discussion on the future of cybersecurity threats, the need for cyber literacy, and practical advice on how to protect yourself, your data, and your home online in the event of a critical breach or outage. Debbie on LinkedInCES PanelNiki on Twitter

Block Party CEO & Founder, Tracy Chou, joins Niki remotely to talk about what her team is doing to make the internet a safer place and why she’s passionate about their mission. Her app puts control back in the hands of social media users using block lists, lock-out filters, and other tips and tricks to combat trolls. The conversation covers why the social media giants aren’t incentivized to do this work themselves, what action is needed for third-party app innovation to thrive, and what, as users (and people) our options are - and should be. ○ Follow Tracy on LinkedIn ○ Learn more about Block Party ○ Follow Block Party on Twitter ○ Follow Niki on Twitter

Bloomberg reporter Emily Birnbaum visits Niki in the Tech’ed Up studio for a rollicking conversation about online speech and the U.S. Supreme Court’s forthcoming opinion on Gonzalez v. Google. This conversation covers the Justices’ overall vibes, the limitations of Section 230, Niki’s observations from inside the courtroom, and Emily’s assessment of the stakes for tech companies. Emily on TwitterThe HillNiki on Twitter

Denise Zheng, Managing Director for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the CEO at Accenture, joins Niki in the studio to highlight ways the metaverse is already being put to work in business. She goes beyond the jargon of XR, AI, and web3 and explains what the metaverse is and why she thinks right now is a pivotal moment in the development of a tech that is sure to shape our future. LinkedInWebMeNiki on Twitter

Former Congressman and presidential candidate, John Delaney, joins Niki in the studio to discuss bipartisanship, practical policymaking, and answering the call to serve. From investing in de-carbonization projects to crafting AI policy, from banning gas stoves to TikTok, they cover it all in this wide-ranging conversation. TwitterForbright BankNiki on Twitter

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) joins Niki from Capitol Hill to take a deep dive into tech issues facing the 118th Congress. Specifically, Sen. Warner lays out the national security risks the United States faces from the Chinese Communist Party’s involvement in one of America’s favorite apps: TikTok. This conversation includes a look back at last year’s passage of the CHIPs Act and a look forward to his potential bipartisan social media legislation. Senator Warner on TwitterCHIPS ActNiki on Twitter

Taped live from the main stage at the CES conference in Las Vegas, CEO of Crypto Council for Innovation Sheila Warren and Niki chat about all things crypto. After the crypto earthquake of FTX and the beginning of another crypto winter, what aftershocks does the industry face? Sheila shares why she’s still a true believer in the blockchain. Sheila Warren on LinkedInCCICESNiki on Twitter

Security start-up Prescient's VP of Cyber, Stefanie Drysdale, joins Niki in the studio to talk insider threats, whistleblowers, and bug bounties. She gives a pulse check on developments inside and outside the security business, including her fears for the future of the cyber industry if we lose focus on who the bad guys are. LinkedInYouTubeNiki on Twitter