Forging the Future talks to Guneet Bedi, Senior VP and General Manager at Arduino, at Embedded World 2024 in Austin, Texas, in this week’s AI and electronics-focused episode. Arduino designs, manufactures, and supports electronic devices and software, allowing people around the world to easily access advanced technologies that interact with the physical world. Talking points include supporting Arduino’s 40 million global users, expanding into emerging geographical markets, and democratizing AI knowledge.

Artificial intelligence takes the mainstage at Embedded World 2024 and in this week’s episode with Pete Bernard, edge AI computing expert and Executive Director at tinyML Foundation. At tinyML, Pete helps nurture a community focused on low-power machine learning technologies at the very edge of the cloud with the most cutting-edge AI technologies, deep ties to academia, and investments in AI for Good and Responsible AI. Talking points include the rapid pace of technological change, the need for secure, responsible AI and the importance of user-friendly interfaces for AI adoption.

Forging the Future gets some legal help this week from Jeff Dodd, a Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth (current sponsor of Forging the Future). With over 900 lawyers in the United States and around the world, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP serves clients across a broad range of complex transactional, litigation and regulatory matters. Talking points include when startups should seek legal advice, how emerging technology like AI can add complexities to legal systems, and what protections and considerations should be on the mind of startup founders and business owners.

Can flowers bloom in space? Founder and CEO Federico Marques wants to make this happen by 2030. Federico’s company, Moonflower Farms, created the first indoor vertical farm in Texas and continues to innovate hydroponic growing through partnerships with local universities and NASA. In this week’s episode, talking points include the technology and challenges of hydroponic farming, the crisis of nutrition security in the US, and the role of bioregenerative technology in colonizing the moon.

Forging the Future takes it to the court in this week’s episode, featuring GRIND Founder and CEO Thomas Fields. GRIND is a consumer brand developing the world's first smart ecosystem of sports equipment products, starting with a portable basketball rebounding machine, and is focused on empowering athletes, trainers and coaches with affordable and innovative products. Talking points include experiencing Shark Tank as a first-time entrepreneur, helping the community at Houston’s annual GRIND Day event, and balancing hardware and software development as a founder to deliver on customer needs and meet demand.

Cryptocurrency expert John T. Perrone joins the pod to talk about the future of finance and technology, sharing insights from his experience as CEO and founder of BitWallet, a leading company in the digital currency space. With a unique twist on his entrepreneurial journey, John also owns BitWallet Bet, a sports book, and brings a fresh perspective to the conversation. Having successfully navigated the tech industry, John discusses innovative approaches to cryptocurrency, gaming, and more, offering a glimpse into the next generation of financial technology. Talking points include the evolution of digital currency, disruptions in the gaming industry, and John's vision for the future of finance and tech.

Kyle Judah, Executive Director of Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Lilie), joins the pod to talk about launching world-changing startups. With a background in fostering startup ecosystems, Kyle is passionate about offering career-altering opportunities for the Rice University campus community to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship. Talking points include the Liu Idea Lab origin story, higher education embracing entrepreneurship, and pitfalls to avoid as a first-time entrepreneur.

Host Chris Howard is joined by Tony Nash, CEO and Founder of pioneering AI-powered financial forecasting company Complete Intelligence. Originally started as a hypothesis, Complete Intelligence automates the financial forecasting process to limit time spent manually budgeting. Talking points include financial forecasting automations that save time and money, the biggest debates around corporate AI usage, and advice for entrepreneurs seeking success in the Texas Triangle.