Tech Connect Podcast by SoCal Tech Forum

AI's impact on product design with Andy Oliva

In this TechConnect episode, Andy Oliva, Founder of Lucky Day Labs, breaks down what product design looks like when AI becomes a core interface. The conversation covers why businesses need to design for agents as well as humans, how prompt-driven workflows are changing software expectations, and why voice and text experiences may become central to customer engagement. Andy also discusses the pressure on SaaS companies, the importance of rapid experimentation, and how leaders can create a culture that embraces AI without losing sight of user value.

Rethinking AI Leadership and Scale with Ben Schreiner

In this episode of the TechConnect Podcast, Chris Daden speaks with Ben Schreiner, Head of AI and Modern Data BD at AWS, about what it takes to compete in the AI era. The discussion covers AI adoption, data readiness, intelligent organizations, evolving workforce skills, leadership, and why the companies that think bigger while enabling safe experimentation will be best positioned to scale.

The Future of Embedded Systems and Real-Time Computing with Andy Gryc

In this episode, Andy Gryc from QNX joins the SoCal Tech Forum to explore the future of embedded systems and real-time computing. Andy breaks down what embedded systems really are, why determinism and reliability matter in mission-critical environments, and how QNX’s microkernel architecture helps power everything from vehicles and robotics to medical and industrial systems.  The conversation also dives into the growing demand for embedded developers, the rise of AI at the edge, and how the QNX Everywhere initiative is opening the door for students, hobbyists, and professional developers to get hands-on with the same platform used in production environments.

IT Infrastructure as a Business Strategy with Alex Esterly

In this episode of TechConnect, Alex Esterly from iT1 shares how modern infrastructure is changing in a world shaped by cloud, AI, and rising cybersecurity risk. Drawing on more than 30 years in IT leadership, Alex explains why infrastructure can no longer be treated as a cost center, and why technology leaders need to think of it as a business strategy that drives resilience, efficiency, and growth. The conversation also explores how organizations can modernize incrementally, design for failure, strengthen cyber resilience, and prepare for the real-world pressures of AI, from smarter security operations to the growing demands on data center power and cooling.

Physical AI and Distributed Manufacturing

Footwear has always been personal, but mass production forces everyone into averages. In this episode, Eugene Wang, Co-founder and CEO of Fitasy, explains why he believes shoes are the next big “precision engineering” category for spatial, 3D-first AI, and how a digital workflow can replace rigid, slow-moving manufacturing cycles. He shares his path from mechanical engineering and computation to building an AI-driven system that turns individual foot morphology into manufacturable designs, not just a better size chart. You’ll also hear how additive manufacturing enables comfort tuning at the structure level, why single-material 3D-printed shoes can simplify recyclability, and what “printing locally” could mean for inventory, waste, and CO2. The conversation closes with a look at how shopping might change as production becomes distributed, plus the emerging questions around IP and design files in a world where products start as shareable digital assets.