The Alldus Podcast - AI in Action

• E556 'Unlocking AI's Potential in Group Communication' with Continua's David Petrou

  Today's guest is David Petrou, Founder & CEO at Continua AI. Founded in 2023, Continua has brought the power of LLMs to group chat. Most AI tools today operate in “single-player” mode, but we’re social creatures, inspired and motivated through group conversation. So Continua asked: what if AI could be a quiet, helpful member of the group? That question led to Social AI - technology that fades into the background, acting not as a demanding interface but as a shared layer of intelligence that strengthens human connection.David and his team are building AI that helps people feel more connected, not less. He believes technology should strengthen empathy and relationships, not compete for attention. Previously, David was a Distinguished Software Engineer (L9) at Google, where he helped create Google Goggles and Google Glass, and led efforts to bring machine intelligence to Pixel and Android. His career centers on exploring how technology can understand context and quietly enhance meaningful human connection.In this episode, David talks about:0:00 His journey from Google veteran to AI entrepreneur founding Continua AI2:20 How AI has evolved from single-user tools to collaborative group intelligence5:58 How Continua adds socially intelligent AI to everyday group chats10:23 Expanding from group chat AI to real-time group collaboration13:10 Simplifying coordination and strengthens real-world social connections15:51 Building complex group-AI tech through strong, collaborative teamwork18:41 How Continua pursues social AI toward AGI, with strong team and hiring

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• Women in ServiceNow E12: 'Driving ServiceNow Transformation in Banking' with MidWestOne Bank's Annette Muldowney

  Today's guest is Annette Muldowney, Vice President - ServiceNow Manager at MidWestOne Bank. Founded in 1934, MidWestOne Bank is a relationship-driven community bank that provides comprehensive financial solutions, including personal and business banking, lending, trust services and wealth management. Guided by values of integrity, teamwork and impact, MidWestOne Bank aims to generate meaningful outcomes for both their customers and communities.Annette is a resourceful and innovative leader with over 20 years of technical management, project implementation and customer experience expertise across private, public and Fortune 500 sectors. As a ServiceNow Platform Owner, Annette oversees roadmap creation, governance and adoption strategies to ensure seamless user experiences and measurable results. She is recognized for a collaborative leadership style, commitment to excellence and ability to deliver impactful, technology-driven organizational change.In the episode, Annette talks about:0:00 Driving financial innovation with ServiceNow for efficiency, transparency3:06 Her role driving service management transformation at MidWestOne3:52 Focusing on FSO, CSM, and emerging GRC initiatives5:32 How her team is leveraging partners to manage ServiceNow implementation8:02 Driving a phased ServiceNow implementation using crawl, walk, run approach10:56 How Executive support and right vendor critical for ServiceNow success13:12 Why building personal connection with vendors, fit and vision matter most14:35 Advice to lead by example, stay fact-based, and measure what matters18:03 The need to deeply understand the business to drive long-term platform success

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• ServiceNow Series E208: 'Revolutionizing Healthcare Outcomes with ServiceNow' with enGen's Scott Livingston

  Today's guest is Scott Livingston, Director, IT Service Strategy, Transition and Improvement at enGen. Founded in 2014, enGen - a subsidiary of Highmark Health - transforms healthcare through technology-driven operations. Serving over 11 million members, it integrates people, processes and systems via its TechOps approach. Its platforms, including the EHS administrative system, Predictal™ care management and Providius provider tools, enhance efficiency, improve outcomes and simplify the healthcare experience.Scott is an accomplished IT executive leading a 115-person international Platform and Service Management organization with a ~$14M annual budget. He drives strategic initiatives across Service Management, including generative AI adoption, ServiceNow ITSM/ITOM implementation and ITSM analytics. Known for building strong stakeholder relationships, Scott delivers operational efficiency, cost savings and measurable business value by aligning technology, strategy and high-performing teams to organizational objectives.In the episode, Scott discusses:0:00 His journey as an IT leader blending service management with healthcare technology4:27 Choosing ServiceNow for innovation, scalability, and future readiness8:28 Pursuing zero service desk and zero incident vision11:23 Their rapid ServiceNow adoption, now advancing with generative AI17:43 Balancing self-implementation with a strong partner collaboration for growth21: 23 Investing in AI-driven automation to transform healthcare efficiency and outcomes

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• E555 'How AI is Reshaping Vendor Management' with Stackpack's Sara Wyman

  Today's guest is Sara Wyman, Founder & CEO at Stackpack. Founded in 2023, Stackpack is an AI-powered platform built for Finance, Operations and IT teams that streamlines spend, vendor and contract management. It delivers fast visibility into where money is going, automates contract renewals and approvals, centralizes vendor data and helps reduce waste - all without a heavy implementation burden. Their mission is to connect the world’s companies with the right partners, at the right time, on the right terms.Inspired by her experience at high-growth companies where vendor and contract chaos slowed teams down, Sara founded Stackpack to create a true system of record for third-party relationships. Under her leadership, Stackpack has raised significant funding, including a $6.3M seed round, to accelerate its growth. Before launching Stackpack, Sara served as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Enterprise Sales at Affirm, and held senior sales leadership roles at Etsy.In this episode, Sara talks about:0:00 Her journey from finance to tech, building marketplaces and founding Stackpack2:13 Stackpack’s AI-native platform turning vendor data into cost-saving insights4:06 Streamlining vendor discovery, management, contracts and renewals7:24 Delivering rapid cost savings, visibility and risk reduction10:14 Their small, remote-first team with big-company experience and culture12:19 Advancing their AI assistant by unifying UX and expanding vendor discovery14:59 Hiring in engineering, customer support and go-to-market roles

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• ServiceNow Series E207: 'SkillBridge & the Future of Veterans in Tech' with ServiceNow's Matthew Smenos

  Today's guest is Matthew Smenos, Principal Programs Manager, Global Veterans Skillbridge at ServiceNow. Matthew focuses on program development and strategy, leading the design and implementation of the Global Veterans Skillbridge program to ensure it reaches diverse veteran communities worldwide. He develops strategies to scale the program globally, identify opportunities for innovation, and continuously enhance its effectiveness and impact.Collaboration is central to Matthew’s work. He partners with internal teams - including HR, Talent Acquisition, and Diversity & Inclusion - to align the program with ServiceNow’s broader workforce initiatives. He also cultivates relationships with external organizations such as veteran advocacy groups, government agencies and educational institutions to amplify the program’s reach and influence.In the episode, Matthew discusses:0:00 His background as military veteran, educator, consultant & program manager dedicated to service08:39 Building veteran career paths through ServiceNow's RiseUp program12:25 Their free 16-week ServiceNow training preparing veterans for tech careers15:02 Success measured by veteran job placement and certifications earned17:25 The story of Josh who became a certified ServiceNow architect23:44 Expanding SkillBridge with AI, scaling veteran training opportunities

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