Today, I am joined by Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, the mastermind behind Profound Impact Corporation. Sherry founded the company as a heartfelt tribute to her late husband, Scott A. Vanstone, and she brings to the table a wealth of expertise in startups, technology, and systems security and a life devoted to philanthropy and leadership. They kick off the discussion with a look at the unique and emotional origin story of Profound Impact, an AI-based software company focused on driving meaningful change. The conversation naturally flows into Sherry's personal journey in the STEM fields, where she emphasizes the crucial role of mentorship and breaks down her experience of venturing into new areas. Her narrative serves as a practical guidebook, especially resonant for young women aspiring to make their mark in science, technology, research, and entrepreneurship. The dialogue also takes a significant turn towards diversity and inclusion, especially within the context of cybersecurity—a field where Sherry's extensive background in cryptography shines. Sherry stresses the latent power of diverse perspectives in meeting the burgeoning challenges in the sector. In a nuanced conversation about the interplay between philanthropy and startups, we explore the necessity of intentional and measurable philanthropic efforts. The need to align these efforts with a company's core strategy is laid bare, illustrating how goodwill isn't just an ethical need and a business imperative. This episode serves as a rich tapestry of wisdom, offering a 360-degree view of technology, diversity, and the human aspects that influence both. The talk is layered with strategic insights and emotional intelligence, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, society, and impactful leadership. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6r23Ag45M

Phil Schraeder is CEO of GumGum, the artificial intelligence company focused on computer vision and natural language processing. Since 2008, the company has applied its patented capabilities to serve a variety of industries from advertising to professional sports, with more to come. Essentially, the company unlocks the value of images and videos produced everyday across the web, social media, and broadcast television. They teach machines to solve hard problems across the media industry. The company serves contextual marketing in line with content users, helps marketers and right holders understand the media value of their sponsorship investments, and introduces the content safety analysis engine that finds what is relevant or what is dangerous. In February 2020, they raised $22 million from existing investors Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, NEA spinout NewView Capital, and Upfront Ventures – bring their total to nearly $60 million. In addition to a walk-through into their technology, Phil shares the new neuroscientific research that explains why contextual targeting is an effective digital advertising tactic. The findings come from a study GumGum conducted in partnership with neuro analytics company SPARK Neuro, which examined how an ad’s contextual relevance to content influences consumers. Ads with the most contextual relevance elicited 43% more neural engagement and 2.2 times better ad recall, the study found. It also revealed that contextually relevant ads inspired a statistically significant increase in purchase intent. I learn more about how GumGum is doing their part surrounding education around how to stop the spread of COVID-19. They have partnered with the Ad Council to support the #AloneTogether PSA initiative discussing the importance of social distancing. Additionally, this year, in partnership with the Ad Council, they began developing GumGum Smile, a unique platform experience aimed to amplify the Ad Council’s messaging initiatives. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i2-YZn8DFw