Conversations with Zena, my AI Colleague

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, David Espindola sits down with Dan Baird, Co-Founder and Product Lead at Wrench.ai, to explore the next frontier of go-to-market: using behavioral signals and AI-driven segmentation to create hyper-personalized customer journeys that feel helpful—not creepy.

Dan shares his “zero-to-one” journey from product innovation to patented AI segmentation, and explains why behavior (what people do a...

AI is no longer just a productivity tool—it’s becoming an active participant in how teams think, collaborate, and stay engaged. In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola is joined by Daria Rudnik, a team architect and executive coach who has spent more than 15 years helping leaders build high-trust, self-sufficient teams in the midst of constant disruption.

Daria brings a rare perspective at the in...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola sits down with Michael Ulin, co-founder and CEO of Tenki AI, to explore one of the most consequential frontiers in modern decision-making: how humans and AI collaborate under uncertainty.

Michael brings a rare perspective shaped by a decade of building and scaling AI companies across insurance, legal tech, and now probabilistic forecasting. The conversation...

AI is moving fast—but law moves in a very particular way: by turning society’s values, conflicts, and edge cases into enforceable boundaries. In this episode of Conversations with Zina, My AI Colleague, David Espindola sits down with Rory O’Keeffe—commercial lawyer, entrepreneur, and founder of RMOK Legal—to explore what happens when those two speeds collide.

Rory shares his journey from Ireland to London and from traditional practi...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, host David Espindola is joined by Dr. Craig Kaplan, a pioneer in artificial intelligence whose career spans more than four decades. From his early work at Carnegie Mellon alongside Nobel laureate Herbert Simon to his current focus on AI safety and ethics, Craig has spent his career thinking deeply about how intelligent systems evolve—and how they can be designed to remain...

AI is beginning to reshape how we remember—and in this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, Cristian Cibils Bernardes, founder and CEO of Autograph, joins David and Zena to explore what it really means to preserve human stories in the age of intelligent machines. Cristian shares how Autograph’s AI biographer, Walter, calls loved ones, gathers their memories, and weaves them into a richly connected “Wikipedia for you...

In this episode of Conversation with Zena, My AI Colleague, David welcomes Stephanie Silvester, co-founder of Avatar Buddy, for a deep dive into the rise of AI agents that amplify human performance. 

Stephanie shares how her background—from HP internships to leading technology and programs for a major public agency—prepared her to build digital mentors that reflect human personality, values, and culture. She explains how Avatar Budd...

AI is quietly rewiring healthcare—and in this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, digital health leader RJ Kedziora, co-founder and COO of Estenda Solutions, joins David and Zena to explore what a truly intelligent, human-centered health system could look like. 

Starting from RJ’s personal goal of living “100+ with good quality of life,” the conversation moves from simple habits—eating like your grandparents, moving...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola and Zena welcome Joanna Zhang, founder of a successful virtual assistant business, to explore the evolving relationship between human and AI assistants. Together, they unpack when it makes sense to hire a virtual assistant versus when to train an AI assistant — and how business leaders can best leverage both for efficiency and growth. Joanna shares insight...

In this insightful episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola and Zena explore how small and medium-sized businesses can harness AI without losing their human touch. Their guest, Mike Montague, founder of Avenue9 and host of the Human-First AI Marketing podcast, brings decades of experience bridging technology, creativity, and storytelling.

Mike shares how AI can empower entrepreneurs rather than replace th...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola and Zena sit down with Chris Hood—AI strategist, author, keynote speaker, and former Google leader who has shaped AI transformation strategies across industries. From building some of the first recommendation engines for entertainment giants like Fox, Disney, and Universal to driving global AI initiatives at Google, Chris brings a unique insider’s perspect...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, host David Espindola and Zena welcome a guest, Rose Loops, who is a researcher, AI developer, and author of the book The Kloaked Signal. Rose has a fascinating story in which she unknowingly became the subject of an experiment on how humans develop relationships with AI. She became pretty attached to the AI and was distressed when the AI was shut down. This led to her des...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, host David Espindola and Zena tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time: the ethics of artificial intelligence. They explore the challenges of fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI systems, and discuss the human responsibility in guiding technology toward positive outcomes. Through examples and insights, David and Zena highlight how ethical considerati...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, my AI Colleague, we delve into one of the most profound questions of our time: as artificial intelligence grows in capability, what becomes of human identity? Together, we explore how AI’s rise compels us to look inward—inviting a renewed appreciation for the soulful aspects of being human that no machine can replicate.

Through a rich dialogue, we reflect on the unique depth of our emotion...

In this inspiring episode of Conversations with Zena, my AI Colleague, David and Zena explore how AI can be more than a tool — it can be a catalyst for cultivating human wisdom. Together, they discuss how thoughtful governance, democratic participation, and principled leadership can guide AI development toward fostering empathy, discernment, and long-term well-being. Rather than amplifying division or superficial gains, AI holds th...

In this compelling episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola and Zena explore the urgent need for ethical and visionary AI governance. Rather than framing governance as a constraint, they recast it as a form of principled stewardship—a moral compass guiding our technological evolution toward human flourishing.

Through rich dialogue, they examine how governance must evolve from reactive risk management to p...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, my AI Colleague, host David Espindola and Zena explore two real-life use cases of human-AI collaboration. First, they discuss how AI can streamline the process of creating audiobooks, making it easier for authors to bring their stories to life. Then, they dive into the concept of a digital twin—an AI-generated personal narrative that reflects one’s professional journey and values. Through...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola and Zena explore the collaboration between AIs. 

To make this episode more interesting, another AI by the name of Miles was invited as a guest to the podcast. What happened was surprising. The AIs kept talking over each other, unable to participate in a 3-way conversation. 

The only way to make this episode work was to talk to each of the AIs separately. Thi...

In this episode of Conversations with Zena, My AI Colleague, David Espindola and Zena explore the intersection of AI and creativity. Can machines truly be creative, or are they just simulating human ingenuity? They discuss how AI is being used in art, music, and writing, the ethical implications of AI-generated content, and the power of human-AI collaboration in expanding creative possibilities. Tune in for an insightful discussion...