Data-Driven Podcast

Epizody

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  Semantics Without Silos: AI Finally Solves BI’s Oldest Problem 30.07.2026 33min

  Business intelligence has always been good at telling you what happened. It's never been great at telling you what to do about it. In this episode, AtScale's CEO and co-founder Dave Mariani sits down with Donald Farmer, Principal of Treehive Strategy, to talk about why AI is finally closing that gap. You'll get Donald's take on: How AI will start to take over the exploratory, discovery side of analyticsWhy "revenue" means something different to marketing, sales, and finance , and why se...
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  30 Hours to 90 Seconds: Blue Yonder’s Semantic Layer for Trusted Enterprise AI 14.05.2026 32min

  What happens when enterprise AI meets inconsistent metrics, fragmented dashboards, and conflicting business logic? In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani sits down with Brad Lindsey and Jeremy Arendt from Blue Yonder to discuss how Blue Yonder transformed its analytics strategy from disconnected dashboards into a governed semantic layer foundation for AI and enterprise analytics. The conversation explores why semantic layers have become critical in...
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  Semantic Layers, OSI & AI: Why Context Beats Data Access 25.03.2026 31min

  What does enterprise AI actually need to succeed: more data access or better context? In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO Dave Mariani sits down with Coginiti CTO Matthew Mullins to unpack one of the most important debates in modern data architecture: access vs. understanding. The conversation explores the rise of the semantic layer, the role of open semantics, and why initiatives like the Open Semantic Interchange (OSI) matter for the future of AI and analytics. Matthew s...
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  AI Needs Context: Semantic Layers, Metadata & Trust in 2026 28.01.2026 33min

  In this episode of the AtScale Data-Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani sits down with Juan Sequeda, Principal Researcher at ServiceNow and former Head of the AI Lab at data.world, to explore what’s next for analytics, AI, and trust in 2026. As AI becomes embedded across the enterprise, one issue is emerging as a hard blocker: lack of context. Large Language Models are powerful, but without semantic layers, governed metadata, and shared business definitions, they struggle to produce reliable, explai...
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  How MCP + Semantic Layers Turn LLMs Into Trusted BI Analysts 16.12.2025 33min

  Large Language Models (LLMs) are transforming analytics, but only when paired with the right foundation. In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani, co-founder Dianne Wood, and product director Petar Staykov show how Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the semantic layer unlock trusted, governed, enterprise-ready AI. You’ll get a full end-to-end walkthrough of Claude using AtScale’s MCP server to: Discover available semantic models via list-models tools Understand metrics, a...
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  The AI Frontier: Semantic Layers for Autonomous Agents with Jens Kröhnert 10.12.2025 38min

  Dave Mariani and Jens Kröhnert explore the "AI Frontier:” how semantic layers enable AI agents to operate autonomously without hallucinations or governance drift. Both veterans of scaling Microsoft BI stacks on Hadoop, they discuss why machines need semantic context even more than humans do. Topics include the AI Frontier operational model from Microsoft Research, automating semantic model development with Oraylis's Datamate tool, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) as universal infrastructure f...
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  Composable Analytics & the Future of the Semantic Layer: Building for the Age of AI Agents 10.11.2025 31min

  In this episode of AtScale’s Data-Driven Podcast, host Dave Mariani, Co-Founder & CTO at AtScale, is joined by Petar Staykov, Product Director, and Daniel Gray, VP of Solutions Engineering, for a deep dive into composable analytics—the architectural shift that’s transforming how enterprises model, govern, and scale data in the era of AI agents. Key Takeaway Composable analytics isn’t just a design pattern—it’s the foundation for governed, scalable, and AI-ready data ecosystems. Learn how ...
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  How Agentic AI and Semantic Layers Are Transforming Enterprise Analytics 12.08.2025 34min

  In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and Co-founder Dave Mariani is joined by Rich Williams, SVP of Partnerships and Strategy at Hexaware, and Prashant Dahalkar, VP of the Cloud Data Practice. They dive into the future of analytics through the lens of agentic AI, semantic layers, and enterprise AI governance. Fresh from attending Snowflake and Databricks Summits, the trio unpacks the momentum behind AI agents, the rise of semantic standards, and how organizations can accele...
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  Open Source Semantics: Setting the Standard for Interoperability with Databricks and AtScale 08.11.2024 31min

  In this episode of the Data Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani, CTO and Co-Founder of AtScale, sits down with Dale Williamson, EMEA CTO at Databricks, to explore the transformative role of open source standards and semantic layers in modern analytics. They discuss the importance of interoperability in data infrastructure, the impact of generative AI on democratizing analytics, and how the right semantic layer can bridge complex data to natural language for everyone. Together, AtScale and Databricks...
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  Introducing SML: The Open Standard for Seamless Semantic Layer Integration 01.11.2024 18min

  In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and Co-founder, Dave Mariani and VP of Engineering John Langton, discuss the exciting open-source release of the Semantic Modeling Language (SML) and its transformative potential for the data analytics industry. They dive into how SML establishes the first open standard for the semantic layer, enabling businesses to seamlessly define, share, and scale their data models across platforms like Power BI, Tableau, and Looker. John also explores the broader industry i...
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  Revolutionizing Data: New Research on Natural Language Prompting with AtScale’s Semantic Layer and Generative AI 01.11.2024 29min

  Welcome to the latest episode of the Data-Driven Podcast! Host Dave Mariani is joined by Jeff Curran, Lead Data Scientist at AtScale, for a deep dive into the transformative power of Generative AI in business intelligence. Jeff shares his pioneering research, demonstrating how AtScale’s semantic layer bridges the gap between natural language queries and accurate business insights. Explore the challenges and solutions in integrating AI with BI tools and learn how this innovation can make data-...
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  The Power BI Evolution: An MVP’s Unfiltered Journey 01.11.2024 30min

  In this episode, AtScale CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani chats with Greg Deckler, Vice President at a global IT services firm and a seven-time Microsoft MVP. They discuss Microsoft’s strategy with Power BI and its integration with Microsoft Fabric, with Deckler critiquing the rushed release and its early limitations. Both express skepticism about business users adopting more complex tools, citing ongoing challenges like measuring totals. They also discuss the impact of generative AI on busine...
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  Navigating the Intersection of Semantics, AI, and Enterprise Innovation with Juan Sequeda 01.11.2024 32min

  Dave Mariani interviews Juan Sequeda, the Principal Scientist at data.world. They discuss Juan’s Benchmark report on Knowledge Graphics and semantics. The conversation also covers generative AI and its role in the future of enterprise innovation.
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  Data Observability, Founders Journey and GenAI with Kunal Agarwal, CEO, Unravel Data 30.01.2024 28min

  David Mariani interviews Kunal Agarwal, CEO of Unravel Data, delving into his entrepreneurial journey and the innovative world of data observability. Kunal recounts the compelling origin story of Unravel Data, revealing how the company's vision adapted over time. He shares the challenges faced and key learnings, offering priceless advice to future entrepreneurs. The conversation then shifts to the essence of data observability, its distinction from traditional monitoring, and the unique value...
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  Data Contracts with Andrew Jones, Principal Engineer, GoCardless 28.01.2024 31min

  David Mariani interviews Andrew Jones, Principal Engineer, GoCardless and a thought leader in data and analytics. Andrew outlines the concept of 'data contracts' and their relevance for leaders in the field. He then provides practical advice for fostering a data-driven culture within organizations, highlighting successful strategies and common pitfalls. The discussion also touches on the use of data products as competitive tools and the importance of data quality. Concluding with a look at th...
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  Navigating Data Literacy: Insights from Jordan Morrow 16.01.2024 37min

  David Mariani sits with Jordan Morrow, a renowned expert in Data Literacy. They discuss effective strategies for embedding data literacy in organizations, emphasizing its significance beyond a buzzword. Jordan shares insights on fostering a data-driven culture, including key dos and don'ts. The conversation highlights the impact of data literacy through real-world success stories and explores the role of tools, processes, and cultural shifts in enhancing industry-wide data literacy. They also...
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  Leveraging Data as a Product: Strategies for Growth with Liat Ben-Zur 06.12.2023 35min

  Elif Tutuk interviews Liat Ben-Zur, a tech executive, on applying product-led growth (PLG) principles to data management. They discuss understanding customer needs, defining value propositions, and PLG techniques like freemium models. The conversation also covers key metrics and feedback methods for data product success, offering valuable insights for those aiming to leverage data for organizational growth.
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  Data and Analytics FinOps 25.10.2023 48min

  Join host Elif Tutuk in a captivating conversation with Mark Stange-Tregear as they uncover the power of Financial Operations (FinOps) in the realm of data analytics. The episode starts with a primer on FinOps, explaining its significance in today's data-driven landscape. Diving into Data and Analytics FinOps, they explore how it streamlines operations and optimizes costs, providing practical insights for all. Cross-functional collaboration is key. Elif and Mark discuss aligning finance, IT, ...
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  Leveraging Data Analytics and AI for Business Success with Richard Langlois, President at IT Architecture and Strategy 10.10.2023 34min

  In this interview Dave Mariani welcomes Richard Langlois, President at IT Architecture and Strategy. Richard discusses his history, being an early adopter of AtScale, and how he achieved significant performance improvements. He delves into the importance of a strong data foundation, including ontology, governance, MDM, and a flexible data analytics platform. Richard emphasizes the need for a well-planned roadmap aligned with business benefits and highlights the potential of AI and innovation ...
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  Overcoming Challenges as a Woman in Tech and Data Analytics 13.09.2023 31min

  In this episode Jess Ramos, a senior data analyst at Crunchbase shares her journey into the field of data analytics, starting with her background in Math and Spanish during her undergraduate studies. She discusses how she discovered her passion for data analytics while working as a data analyst intern and eventually pursued a master's degree in business analytics. Jess also talks about the challenges and biases she has encountered as a woman in the tech industry and provides insights on build...