IBM Blockchain Pulse

The IBM Blockchain Pulse has had the privilege of hosting several returning guests this season but few have worked in industries as heavily impacted by COVID-19 as our guests today; Matt Zarracina and Ken Lesnik, the founders of True Tickets. While the live events business has been upended during the pandemic, True Tickets mission has remained totally unchanged. Their work to push clients and customers further into the realm of digital ticketing has never been more relevant. In their last episode together a year and a half ago, Matt and Ken shared how they transitioned from a B2C company to a B2B company. In this episode, in the midst of the COVID-era, they focus on how all the ways in which their own business has adapted and evolved — and, of course, how the larger blockchain business ecosystem has adapted and evolved as well. Don't miss out on this thoughtful and illuminating conversation! Key Takeaways: [:00] An excerpt from today's episode. [:44] About today's episode with Matt Zarracina and Ken Lesnik. [2:08] Matt welcomes Matt and Ken to the podcast. [2:59] How True Tickets has adapted accordingly to live events taking a massive hit due to the global pandemic. They also share about the exact moment in the spring that they realized that they needed to think quickly and adapt. [7:09] What is a 'test' and what is a 'sign' when it comes to your business? How do Matt and Ken define the difference? [9:18] Ken elaborates on the role that blockchain is playing in helping to create more equitable and fair digital mobile ticketing. [12:34] The biggest change agent for the live ticketing industry during this COVID era that allowed the 'middlemen' to recognize True Tickets as a business solution in a different way. [14:18] Why wasn't there earlier incentivization for making tickets digital? [15:44] How does True Tickets walk venue owners, managers, promoters, etc. through the concept of working with data and predictive digital analytics? [18:08] Would Matt and Ken see a part of True Tickets' responsibility as playing a key role in translating digital possibility for analog ownership, analog venue management, etc. as we move into this new digital age? [19:45] Matt highlights the differences and similarities they've seen in the COVID era between the different territories and markets they're operating in. [20:45] As they're closing deals, do they find clients care particularly about the blockchain angle as it pertains to security, trust, and transparency? Or is it just a nice addition? And how does the blockchain story come about in the story of their business solution? [22:05] Matt speaks about the nature of True Tickets' relationship with IBM Blockchain at present and what excites him most about it looking into 2021. [24:14] Matt speaks about the significance of what happened when Hamilton premiered on Disney+ this summer and what it means for the future of live performances. [27:20] Why haven't there been many live performances in digital form? Is it only becoming more prevalent due to the pandemic? [29:03] Ken shares his thoughts on how live performances have transformed since the pandemic. [32:00] How they're planning for the evolution of their business, what they think the ticketing space will look like in the two years, and how they think the relationship they've built with IBM Blockchain will impact their business going forward. [34:34] Matt thanks Mat and Ken for joining the podcast once again! [35:32] Matt closes out the podcast. Sources Mentioned: True Tickets IBM Blockchain Pulse Ep. 6: "How Blockchain is Shaking Up the Current Inefficient Ticketing Industry, with True Tickets Co-Founders" Matt's Medium post on Hamilton Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You Follow-up with Our Guests: Matt Zarracina's LinkedIn Ken Lesnik's LinkedIn Looking for More Episodes? Visit ibm.com/blockchain — and for news and updates, follow @IBMBlockchain on Twitter!

The IBM Blockchain Pulse has had a lot of extraordinary guests featured on the podcast so far. They’ve featured leaders in government and business, space tech executives and designers, as well as startup founders and seasoned executives alike. But, an artist is yet to make an appearance! In today’s episode, Matt is joined by a multidisciplinary artist, Erin Zhao, who leads the conversation to an area of Blockchain that IBM Blockchain Pulse has yet to delve into. Joining the...

Is now the time to adopt blockchain technology for supply chain? In this episode, Matt Hooper welcomes back Rachel Wolfson of Cointelegraph to get her journalistic perspective on why supply chains can benefit from adopting blockchain. Rachel has been writing about the tech industry for nearly 10 years and has been focusing specifically on blockchain and cryptocurrency for the past two. She is the host of the blockchain podcast, The Crypto Chick, a public speaker, and a journalist who...

Kicking off season 4 of the IBM Blockchain Pulse podcast, Matt Hooper is welcoming on his first guest, Harold Hughes! A lot has changed since season 3 of IBM Blockchain Pulse. We are now in a time of tremendous uncertainty, moving into a future that will look vastly different than anything we’ve previously imagined. And in the midst of so much change, hope can sometimes feel scarce — which is why Matt Hooper is thrilled to present today’s conversation with Harold Hughes, founder and CEO...

This episode of IBM Blockchain Pulse marks another first for Matt Hooper! He is welcoming back his first return guest, Maribel Lopez, the founder and Principal Analyst of Lopez Research! Last time Maribel was on the show, she and Matt dove into blockchain and transformation and discussed whether or not blockchain hype had peaked. Today, they’re shifting gears and taking a look at how companies can get started with blockchain. They discuss how companies can move from pilot phase to...

Today’s episode of the ​IBM Blockchain Pulse ​podcast features a great conversation with Rick Torres, the CEO and President of National Student Clearinghouse. This is a first for the podcast, as Matt Hooper has yet to have a leader in the field of education on the show! Rick has dedicated his life to solving problems in the space of education and his current work with the National Student Clearinghouse is no exception. The National Student Clearinghouse’s goal is to “help education go...

Our latest guest is Chelsey Delaney, Global Design Lead for Blockchain Services at IBM, who brings a unique and personal view to the blockchain discussion. Namely, a design-centric view — it’s in her job title after all! Coming away from this interview, our host Matt Hooper felt inspired anew about the practical implementations of blockchain technology and particularly about the key distinctions Chelsey has made in her own work. As systems are improved all built all together, what seems...

We live in a connected world. You know how many episodes of this show refer to a global supply chain and how blockchain can transform said supply chain? Well, that’s because that’s how goods and services travel globally. And any company looking to do business has to think globally, which doesn’t always come easily. Enter Maribel Lopez, the founder and principal analyst at Lopez Research, whose job is to help the most ambitious of business leaders. This sort of work requires a...

Have you ever met someone who truly loved their job so much that you found yourself grinning ear-to-ear as you listened to them explain how they spend their days? Well, Matt Hooper sure has! His guest today, Bill Stark, is the President of IBM Business Partner Cognition Foundry. The passion with which Bill describes his job in today’s episode will leave you inspired and thinking about the many opportunities emerging technologies are bringing about for startups and society. At Cognition...

While your host, Matt Hooper, has only been passionate about all things decentralization for 5 years, his guest today, Dr. Sean Stein Smith, was an early champion of our blockchain future. Dr. Smith is a Professor at Lehman College, a member of Wall Street Blockchain Alliance’s Advisory Board, a member of Gilded Finance’s Advisory Board, an author at IBM Blockchain, and an award winner of the NJCPA ‘19 Ovation Award. He is a widely quoted expert at the intersection of blockchain,...

In the 50 years since the moon landing, human beings have yet to go beyond the moon. And, if you would’ve asked our host Matt Hooper a few weeks ago, he would’ve said with a heavy heart that we look poised to stay that way too. But, luckily enough for him, he’s gotten the chance to speak with Naeem Altaf, IBM Distinguished Engineer and CTO for Space Tech! The incredible work Naeem is doing shows not only the possibility of commercial space travel — but the arrival of it. And the most...

James Patchett on how the NYEDC is driving future innovation Welcome back to the IBM Blockchain Pulse podcast! With the first episode back into the new year, our host Matt Hooper takes time to reflect on the progress made by the tech community in New York City where innovative technology is widely celebrated. It’s also where you’ll likely find a more thriving startup ecosystem than any other place in the country. And speaking of New York, Matt couldn’t be happier to be joined by his...

How often does Matt Hooper get the chance to interview another podcast host?! Well — not ever — until now! Rachel Wolfson, host of The Crypto Chick is joining the podcast! And not only is Rachel a blockchain podcast host, but she’s also a public speaker and journalist who contributes to a multitude of publications. She has been writing about the tech industry for nearly 10 years and has been focusing specifically on blockchain and cryptocurrency for the past two. As a journalist, Rachel...

The deeper our host Matt Hooper dives into blockchain on this show, the more he is surprised by remembrances of the internet’s past. When the idea of connecting billions of people felt new and exciting, when we were all eager to be participants in a constellation of data, and when we all felt we had more control over our digital lives. Today’s first guest is an innovator whose career helped place him front and center of both the first internet revolution and our newer blockchain era —...

Today on the podcast, your host, Matt Hooper, is joined by one of his favorite people in the New York City start-up ecosystem, Mr. Wilson Lin! Wilson Lin is the Vice President at NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC) and is the Head of the initiative, Cyber NYC. In his role at EDC, Wilson is leading NYC initiatives to strengthen the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by partnering with leading VCs, entrepreneurs, major corporations, and academic institutions. They’ve invested $100...

In today's episode, your host, Matt Hooper, is speaking with Alison McCauley! Alison is the founder and CEO of Unblocked Future as well as an author, speaker, and consultant. Her bestselling book, Unblocked: How Blockchains Will Change Your Business (and What to Do About It), answers the question: 'Why do I need to get on board with this whole blockchain thing?' and is helping non-technical executives all around the world to better understand how this technology will trigger change! Growing up in a family of engineers, Alison 'rebelled' by becoming a social scientist. She was completely enraptured by what changes our behaviors as humans, what changes our minds — and overall: how our brains work. After she graduated, she became deeply fascinated by technology, our relationship with it, and how human behavior and emerging technologies interact. In the midst of studying this, she caught the 'blockchain brain virus,' and now works with organizations in adopting and leveraging new tech to drive forward a better digital future. In this episode, Matt and Alison really dive in and take a look at how this promise of a decentralized future with blockchain is different than all previous promises, why it is a value generation system and not a value extraction system, and perhaps most notably: why and how organizations and companies need to adopt this technology! She also touches on all the work that she does in the space, how the research of her incredible book took shape, key insights from her book, and how listeners — of all different levels of familiarity with the space — can become more blockchain literate. Key Takeaways: [:01] About today's fantastic guest, Alison McCauley! [3:16] Alison speaks about her form of rebellion: becoming a social scientist, and how she ended up becoming involved in technology. [5:20] When did Alison first catch the "blockchain brain virus?" [8:20] What were the pools of digital discontent that this engineer (who first introduced Alison to blockchain) was describing? What was the exact moment in which her skepticism in it begin to recede? [11:30] Alison has written that the backlash of the big tech companies "happening amidst a backdrop of global discontent." How, in Alison's estimation, did we arrive here? And what role have the big tech firms played in leading to this discontent? [15:37] How are blockchains disruptive? And what does this mean? [17:30] Alison elaborates on what John Henry Clippinger has said about blockchain and further explains the incredible benefits and value generation of blockchain for an organization. [23:21] About the IBM Garage and how it can help you begin your blockchain journey. [24:04] Where is the proof that the blockchain ecosystem needs more established players (like banks or governments) to get involved? Historically, hasn't there been just as much success letting developers and entrepreneurs play in the ecosystem for a longer time first before more established players jump in? Or is it so different now with blockchain because of cultural circumstances or technological differences (that have to do with blockchain itself)? [28:22] How would the solution to this great backlash (AKA this discontent for tech), who's driving force is decentralization, be different? How will decentralization ensure that there will not be any one blockchain firm that will overtake the internet in the same way that the four or five big tech firms over the last ten years have? [31:00] Alison further elaborates on a quote from her book about the security opportunities for blockchain adoption within organizations. [31:58] Alison speaks more on the topic protecting the democratization of blockchain and making it hard for any one firm to centralize control. [33:35] Alison elaborates on keeping blockchain decentralized, as well as her advocacy for blockchain literacy. [34:46] How can one learn about blockchain literacy? (Beyond reading Alison's book, Unblocked, of...

Blockchain and the importance of a toolset Karl Muth is a teacher, strategist, speaker and investor. He has spent his career advising, investing in, and starting new companies and wears many hats on both the professional and academic side. Professionally, Karl is the CEO of a blockchain startup called FRST. FRST is an enterprise-grade blockchain and data analytics solution. Academically, Karl is a Professor across several disciplines at Northwestern University; Economics, Organizational...

Do you trust the food you eat? These days, more weight is being placed on conscious consumerism and people are beginning to really care about where they’re getting their food. Blockchain, like so much technology, is generally agnostic. Its ultimate function is to make our lives easier, fuller, and richer. Food is also designed to make our lives easier, fuller, and richer — and trusting the food we eat is serious! People’s health is so often linked to the food they have access to, and...

This week, your host, Matt Hooper, is exploring the current inefficient ticketing industry and how blockchain is really shaking things up! He will be speaking with two of the people behind the hot, new, and exciting ticketing start-up: True Tickets. They’re an early-stage funded start-up providing digital customizable rights management for digital tickets to the ticketing issuer. Through blockchain, they are providing a scalable and secure digital ticketing experience while integrating with...

This week your host, Matt Hooper, is exploring some of the most innovative and exciting trends in supply chain that he's come across! Joining him is an expert in the space — Daniel Wilson. Daniel is the Director of Strategy and Operations at Maersk for the TradeLens project — an open and neutral platform underpinned by blockchain technology and supported by major industry players! Through TradeLens, over 10 million events are processed every week. The platform promotes a more efficient, predictable and secure exchange of information through the power of blockchain. In this episode, Matt and Daniel discuss Maersk and TradeLens in-depth. They talk about what shipping and innovation look like today, give their predictions about what the industry may look like 10+ years from now, how TradeLens came to fruition, and how blockchain records all the shipping data. Daniel also talks about his TradeLens roadmap, Maersk's ecosystem strategy, and how he originally became interested in blockchain! Key Takeaways: [:01] About today's episode and guest! [2:48] Daniel Wilson introduces himself and gives some background at his role at Maersk. [3:56] What shipping and innovation look like today vs. what Daniel thinks it will look like 10-30 years from now. [7:15] What originally drew Daniel to the industry. [9:05] Was there an IBM/Maersk relationship prior to TradeLens? How was Maersk working with major technology companies before the birth of this new partnership? [11:30] What was going on from a shipping perspective when there was an increase in global trade long before anyone was doing anything digitally? [13:23] When and how the TradeLens deal came to fruition. [16:40] Daniel speaks about his personal introduction to blockchain. [17:20] Where to learn all about the basics of blockchain through "Blockchain for Dummies!" [18:08] Before TradeLens came to be, how did Daniel come to understand blockchain and see an application for it in the industry? [21:17] How is shipping data accounted for now? And what will blockchain do to record that data? [24:04] Daniel explains the layers of TradeLens. [28:07] Who's endorsing the TradeLens project in Maersk? [31:24] What was the executive buy-in like for this new blockchain project? How did Daniel get everyone excited for TradeLens? [33:00] What is TradeLens going to be up to five years from now? [34:53] What is Maersk's ecosystem strategy? And what does Daniel mean when he refers to an open ecosystem? [36:36] Is it part of the plan to turn Maersk into a technology company? [38:18] Daniel provides examples of the terms of the TradeLens partnership (visible, secure, and flexible). [42:00] Matt asks: what is the comfort level from a business standpoint with owning so little of a major part of your next decade's strategy output? [45:45] Daniel speaks to the companies that are dubious or skeptical of blockchain adoption. [47:32] Matt thanks Daniel for joining him, and closes out this week's episode! Sources Mentioned: Maersk TradeLens IBM.Biz/PodcastLearnBlockchain Follow-up with Our Guest: Daniel Wilson's LinkedIn Looking for More Episodes? Visit ibm.com/blockchain — and for news and updates, follow @IBMBlockchain on Twitter!