Podcast
Lead With AI
Hosted by Tamara Nall · EN
Join Dr. Tamara Nall for coffee-shop-style conversations that explore how AI is transforming our world today. With 25 years in data analytics and a doctorate in AI and machine learning, Dr. Nall creates a welcoming space where the doers, the builders, and the innovators share their stories.
Each episode cuts through technical jargon to showcase AI-powered solutions that are solving real problems across industries. You'll hear from the people who are actually creating these technologies—no fluff, no abstract ideas—just real technology, real impact, and real innovation that expands what we thought possible.
Lead with AI focuses on authentic stories and practical applications. Dr. Nall's conversations highlight the genuine impact of artificial intelligence without the hype. Whether you're an AI expert or simply curious about how this technology is changing our world, you'll walk away thinking: "Wow. I never thought this was possible."
Subscribe to discover how today's innovators are using AI to address challenges, create opportunities, and shape our future.
71episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Undergrad Founder's AI Personalizes Learning for 3 Different Learning Styles
Aug 26Summary readyWhat if education finally worked the way your brain actually learns? In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall interviews Affan Shaikhsurab, an undergraduate founder who's tackling the biggest problem in education: the gap between memorizing for tests and actually understanding concepts. His platform JourneyNext uses AI to create personalized learning experiences that adapt to whether you're a visual learner, need hands-on examples, or prefer audio content. Shaikhsurab reveals how 90% of online courses go unfinished because they force students into one-size-fits-all formats, and explains his solution that generates tailored 12-chapter courses based on your expertise level, learning goals, and preferred format. He shares the moment he realized education tests recall ability rather than true understanding, and how his collaborative features make learning enjoyable instead of a chore. For anyone frustrated with traditional learning methods or looking to master new skills, Shaikhsurab shows how AI can finally make education work for you instead of against you.
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This CEO’s AI Saves $10K Per Course and Builds Training in Just 6 Minutes
Aug 19Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, the conversation explores how traditional training methods are failing the 2.6 billion deskless workers who keep industries running daily. So-Young Kang, founder and CEO of GnowbeAI, reveals how her platform transforms the painful 3-6 month training creation process into a 3-6 minute mobile experience. Kang shares how her vision to "humanize the world through technology" led to building an AI agent trained in micro-learning, instructional design, and gamification that turns forgotten company documents into engaging multimedia training experiences. The breakthrough comes from meeting learners where they are: on their phones, not at desks. One client training 6,000 preschool teachers across 180 centers saved 80% of their productivity time while cutting costs from $10,000 per course to mere dollars. Kang demonstrates how GnowbeAI eliminates the need for instructional designers, developers, and graphics teams by creating complete training experiences from simple prompts or existing PDFs. The platform supports 70 languages and delivers training that works online, offline, synchronously, or asynchronously. Listeners can experience the transformation immediately by visiting gnowbe.ai to upload any document and watch AI create professional training in minutes.
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Norton Neo: The AI Browser That Thinks Before You Do
Aug 12, 2025Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall speaks with Howie Xu, Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Gen Digital, who reveals Norton Neo just 24 hours after its launch. Xu shares how their new AI-powered browser aims to disrupt the 30-year-old browsing paradigm by learning user behavior and staying ahead of their needs, like having "Superman sitting next to you" while you browse. With Gen Digital's 500 million users and world-class cybersecurity intelligence behind Norton and LifeLock, Xu explains how they're addressing the reality that only 39% of people trust AI by creating safe AI experiences. The conversation explores the challenges of innovating within large corporations, comparing how Google invented transformer models but OpenAI launched ChatGPT first. Xu envisions a future where AI will disrupt transportation, healthcare, and education within 5-10 years, predicting that AI scientists will eventually win Nobel Prizes in all remaining categories after winning physics and chemistry in 2024. For listeners wanting to experience this browser revolution first-hand, Norton Neo is available at neotoday.ai, though Xu warns the current activation process has limited availability. The episode concludes with Xu's bold assertion that AI is simultaneously both overhyped and under hyped, setting the stage for a future where knowledge work gets completely reimagined rather than simply automated.
SummaryPhD Student Builds AI That Turns Months of Research Into Minutes and Ranks Top 5 in ChatGPT Store
Aug 5, 2025Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall speaks with Damon Burrow, co-founder of Scholar AI and Duke PhD student, whose research assistant is transforming how scientists access knowledge. Scholar AI ranks among the top 5 GPTs in ChatGPT's store by solving a problem every researcher faces: drowning in data while starving for actionable insights. Burrow shares how his tool goes beyond simple keyword searches, extracting semantic meaning from papers, graphs, and tables to deliver higher-quality results in less time. The breakthrough moment came when Scholar AI instantly solved his own lab challenge - finding the right surfactant for a blood diagnostics chip designed for organ transplant patients - after traditional methods had failed for weeks. The platform now serves hundreds of thousands of researchers monthly, offering both a simple chat interface and an API for developers building specialized scientific tools. Burrow reveals his vision for AI that doesn't just answer questions but proactively identifies research gaps and drives scientific discovery. Listeners can experience Scholar AI immediately through ChatGPT's GPT store or visit scholarai.io to explore the standalone platform and API options.
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Tech Marketer's Wife Sparks AI Hair App That Could End $100+ Product Trial-and-Error Forever
Jul 29, 2025Summary readyWhat started as a husband's joke about alerting his wife to "hair night" just became the solution millions have been waiting for. In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall interviews Tori Elstrom, founder of SmartHair, who built an AI app that analyzes your hair's health, porosity, and density from a single selfie in under 60 seconds. After his wife followed an AI-generated routine for just one month, her hair had never looked healthier, sparking friends to beg for access and pushing Elstrom to turn his hackathon project into a real solution. Unlike other apps that bombard users with 45-minute questionnaires before pushing expensive products, SmartHair gives instant, personalized routines without affiliate link manipulation. Elstrom reveals how he tackled AI's racial bias problem in hair analysis and shares his vision for a mental health version that helps people who struggle to maintain basic self-care routines. For anyone tired of spending hundreds on products that don't work, this episode shows how one photo could transform your entire hair care approach.
SummaryThe Compliance Lawyer Who Built an AI That Does Risk Assessments in Minutes (Not Days)
Jul 22, 2025Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall interviews Samuel Solberg, Co-founder & CEO of Hoggo, who reveals how his AI platform is transforming the tedious world of vendor compliance from a business blocker into a competitive advantage. Solberg shares the "holy smokes" moment when a seasoned lawyer's face lit up seeing Hoggo instantly generate detailed risk profiles that would typically require days of manual document collection, contract reviews, and back-and-forth vendor emails. The conversation takes an interesting turn when Solberg explains how Hoggo scrapes public data from nearly 1,000 vendors to automatically flag risks like third-party processors in specific countries, complete with mitigation steps and transfer mechanism alerts. Tech companies at platforms like HR services and fintech firms have started relying on Hoggo's automated assessments to streamline their compliance workflows, freeing legal teams to focus on strategic work rather than repetitive questionnaire chasing. Solberg makes a thought-provoking prediction that while AI will eliminate manual work, it creates a training gap for junior professionals who traditionally learn through those same repetitive tasks. For listeners curious to experience this technology firsthand, Hoggo offers a seven-day free trial at hoggo.io, with both self-serve options for introverts and demo calls for those who prefer human interaction.
SummaryThe AI That's Already Taking Your Drive-Thru Order (And You Don't Even Know It)
Jul 15, 2025Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall interviews Krishna Gupta, co-founder of Presto, who reveals how AI is already serving millions of customers at drive-thrus across America - and most people can't even tell the difference. Gupta explains his "neuro-symbolic" approach that combines large language models with human oversight to prevent the kind of hallucinations that could turn "burger without onions" into "burger with only onions." The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Gupta describes how voice AI can now identify customer demographics in real-time, allowing restaurants to test new products and personalize offers without collecting personal data. Restaurant employees at chains like Taco John's and Carl's Jr. have started treating the AI as a genuine team member, freeing them to focus on food quality and customer connection rather than repetitive order-taking. Gupta makes a striking prediction that AI boyfriends and girlfriends will become far more common than most people expect, while sharing his philosophy that the best AI companies keep humans at the center of their mission. For listeners curious to experience this technology firsthand, Presto is already deployed at drive-thrus nationwide, with TikTok users documenting their interactions and more restaurant chains rolling out the system every month.
Summary"I Predicted 15 Movies Within $20,000 Each": How AI is Revolutionizing Film Production
Jul 8, 2025Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Nicholas Capone, owner of Mixed Slate Productions, who built an AI system that predicts movie revenues with stunning accuracy across all distribution channels and territories. Capone shares the moment when his AI correctly forecasted box office numbers, streaming revenues, and international sales for 15 different films within $20,000 of their actual performance, transforming what used to be a $10,000, three-week process into a five-minute analysis. From automatically generating screenplay coverage reports to identifying optimal actors within budget constraints, his AI handles every stage of production from pre-development to delivery. The system even detected Adult Swim layoffs before Capone heard about them, leading him to hire top-tier directors at the perfect moment. A former homeless individual turned successful producer, Capone reveals how his technology is forcing the entire film industry to adopt better business practices while reducing production costs from $150,000 monthly to just $200. He envisions a future where movies become more targeted and theaters make a comeback, supported by revolutionary technologies that let audiences experience 360-degree views during screenings.
SummarySEO Content That Ranks Before You Even Hit Publish With 80% Less Research Time
Jul 1, 2025Summary readyIn this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Tom Winter, co-founder and CGO at SEOwind, who's cracked the code on AI-driven content that dominates search rankings. Winter reveals how his platform goes beyond basic AI writing by conducting the research humans typically spend 4-5 hours on, pulling competitor data, case studies, and trending topics to create content that reads like it was written by someone who lived the experience. One travel agency client was stunned when SEOwind produced content about a country that felt like it came from a local expert, complete with authentic quotes and insider knowledge. Winter shares his "80% research, 20% writing" philosophy and explains how SEOwind's agent-driven workflow makes decisions at each step, building user profiles that get smarter with every interaction. The platform recently helped one customer generate over $1,000 monthly revenue from just 15 minutes of content optimization work. Winter challenges listeners to start with updating existing content using SEOwind's free trial, turning a tedious 5-hour process into an automated workflow that consistently moves content up Google's rankings.
SummaryFormer Child Star's AI Breaks 3-Year Career Sabotage Cycle in Just 14 Days
Jun 24, 2025Summary readyWhat if Hollywood-level storytelling could rewrite the script of your life? In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Caryn Ward Ross, founder of RE:FRAME Studios AI, who transforms personal identity using the same cinematic techniques that create blockbusters. A former child actor from Fame and The Bernie Mac Show, Ward Ross discovered that playing other people's roles left her unable to play herself authentically. Now she's developed an AI platform that helps people "spot the lie" in their life stories and rewrite limiting narratives unconsciously directing their choices. Ward Ross shares how one client shifted from "I get close, but never win" to "I was born to break generational cycles," landing a partnership he'd pursued for years within two weeks. For listeners ready to step into the lead role of their own story, Ward Ross challenges you to identify the automatic scripts running your relationships, career, and financial decisions.
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