From Concept to Capability: Making AI Actually Useful with Whippy’s Jack Kennedy
In this episode of The AI Forecast, we’re joined by Jack Kennedy, CTO and co-founder of Whippy. From SMS to email to voice, Whippy helps unify fragmented communication channels—boosting efficiency with real-time AI tools.
Jack joins host Paul Muller for a wide-ranging conversation covering the evolution of Whippy from a scrappy consulting operation to a fully productized platform, the surprising advantages of building with niche programming languages, and why speed—not just scale—is a critical differentiator in enterprise AI.
You’ll hear Jack’s reflections on working with large language models before ChatGPT changed the game, how he evaluates AI tooling amid a rapidly evolving ecosystem, and what it takes to separate hype from substance when applying AI to business problems. He also shares pragmatic advice on how leaders can responsibly introduce AI to their teams—by starting small and focusing on useful outcomes.
Stay in touch with Jack:
Jack Kennedy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackbkennedy/
Whippy: https://www.whippy.ai/
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Leading with Joy in the Age of AI with Kevin Surace
In this episode of The AI Forecast, host Paul Muller is joined by Kevin Surace—Chair & CEO of Appvance.ai, Chair of Token Ring, and a pioneering force behind the first human-like AI virtual assistant—for a deeply human conversation about what it means to lead through disruption.
From building billion-dollar companies to holding 94 worldwide patents in AI, automation, and sustainability, Kevin brings unmatched insights into how technology and leadership must evolve together. He introduces his “Joy Success Cycle” philosophy, exploring why joy, creativity, and emotional resilience are essential for sustainable innovation in the AI era.
Kevin shares his vision for navigating the AI revolution, not just as professionals, but as people. You’ll hear why he believes leaders must choose joy in the face of rapid change, and how cultivating a culture of experimentation (without fear of failure) could be the secret to long-term success.
Stay in touch with Kevin:
Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksurace/
Kevin’s Website: https://www.kevinsurace.com/
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Like and subscribe to The AI Forecast to stay up to date on the latest episodes. You can watch the video version of this episode on The AI Forecast.
About The AI Forecast: Data and AI in the Cloud Era
The introduction of the first computer. The boom of the dotcom renaissance. Now, the dawn of AI. The throughline across each of these momentous inflections in our digital lives has been data. But the presence of data doesn’t mean immediate insights and results. It’s the architectures and systems in place that determine the true value—and trust—of data. In this podcast by Cloudera, The AI Forecast: Data and AI in the Cloud Era explores the past, present, and future of enterprise AI with today’s leading companies and industry experts. You don’t want to miss this.
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