AllThingsNew.Tech Podcast

We Are All Made of Stories

 

In our newest episode, ATN host Paul Taylor talks with Oliver Miao, CEO and co-founder of Pixelberry Studios. A seasoned entrepreneur in mobile gaming, Oliver pioneered story-based games that give players the opportunity to interact with a narrative and make choices. Paul and Oliver's conversation touches on fascinating ideas around storytelling, games, and theology. Join them as they discuss the power of story-based games to shape human experience, the value of games from a Christian perspective, and more.

 

OLIVER MIAO

Oliver Miao is the CEO of Pixelberry Studios, a Nexon studio. Their studio is the creator of Choices: Stories You Play, a Top 10 Grossing game on iOS. Their team pioneered story games on mobile and have been releasing episodic mobile content every week for the past 14 years. With Choices, they continue to innovate in the category of mobile fiction. Oliver has 17 years of mobile games experience, lead the launch of multiple Top Grossing games on iOS, and started two mobile gaming studios with friends. He loves that Pixelberry’s first game, High School Story, has taught millions of teens how to deal with serious topics, like cyberbullying and eating disorders. He enjoys coaching his kids’ basketball teams and volunteering with the Children’s Ministry at church.

I Stream, Therefore I Am?

 

We're excited to share this conversation with Tim Berglund, Director of Developer Relations at Confluent. Confluent has developed technology that processes data as event streams in real-time. In this episode, ATN host Paul Taylor and Tim explore how this revolutionary data paradigm affects our identity, both online and offline. Do we actually exist, or does stuff just happen to shape our existence? How do data change the way we perceive ourselves or want others to perceive us? If we don't have data recorded, does that mean we actually did anything? Listen in for these thought-provoking questions and more.

 

TIM BERGLUND

Tim serves the Lord Jesus Christ as a technology leader, father, husband, and church elder. He works as the director of the Developer Relations team at a Silicon Valley startup, where he is able to speak frequently at conferences, create developer-targeted training videos, and provide a place for the people on his team to grow in their own callings. He also serves as a Ruling Elder and occasional adult Sunday School teacher at Skyview Presbyterian Church in Centennial, CO. He tweets as @tlberglund, blogs very occasionally at http://timberglund.com, and lives in Littleton, CO with the wife of his youth, with whom he is grateful to have three adult children.

Real Technology to Remember Real Experiences

In episode 5, Paul Taylor from allthingsnew.tech speaks with Andrew Laffoon, CEO and Co-Founder of Mixbook. Their conversation spans several topics around the powerful theology of images, remembering, and memorials. Mixbook allows customers to create a real physical memento to capture, celebrate, and remember an experience. Paul and Andrew talk about how this desire to remember, not just as individuals, but in community has deep resonance through the Old Testament Scriptures. Images are powerful tools, but they can also be dangerous. Listen in on how technology can be used to activate the power of images while protecting against some of the danger. 

ANDREW LAFFOON

Prior to founding Mixbook, Andrew received a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California, Berkeley. He started coding at the age of 10 and started his first company at age 15. After hoping to disrupt the High School yearbook industry, he co-founded Mixbook to enable the collaborative creation of photo books online. Andrew has been recognized by Inc Magazine's "30 Under 30" list of entrepreneurs and Forbes Magazine's "America's Most Promising CEOs Under 35".

Does God Listen to Digital Prayers?

 

Our latest episode features Ian Hsu, Founder of Prayvine. Prayvine is a non-profit that provides an online space for people to pray more effectively for missionaries. While Ian aims to bring mission workers and their supporters closer together, his work brings up deeper questions about technology, human behavior, and relationships. Is praying online legitimate? How does technology impact our spiritual lives if we type our prayers on a screen? Can God actually use us when we pray on the internet? Join ATN host Paul Taylor and Ian as they explore these fascinating questions and more.

 

IAN HSU

Ian Hsu is founder and CEO of Prayvine, a faith + tech "startup" ministry that is working to spark a global prayer movement for missions. Prior to founding Prayvine, Ian led Stanford University's digital engagement strategy and was widely recognized as Stanford’s leading expert in digital communications. As a consultant and mentor, Ian coaches Fortune 100 companies, national governments, and entrepreneurial Stanford students on strategy, marketing, and leadership. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and M.S. in management science & engineering from Stanford University. After 20 years in Silicon Valley, Ian moved back to Orlando (where he grew up) and is happy to be home again.

Virtual Technology and the Glory of God

 

In episode 3, Paul Taylor speaks with Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMWare. They will talk about the difference between what is virtual and real and how technology can be used for the glory of God. Pat shares the various areas where technology can empower us as we look forward and they discuss what kinds of theological implications those technologies carry with them. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

 

PAT GELSINGER

Pat has served as the CEO of VMWAre since 2012. Prior to joining VMWare, he worked as President and COO at EMC. Pat has almost four decades of experience working in the technology industry. He began his career at Intel, and has the honor of the being the architect of the original 486 processor. Pat and his wife Linda have four children and live in the Bay Area. He regularly speaks about the intersection of faith and work. His book The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Faith, Work, and Family is a helpful guide to achieving the balance so many of us find elusive. 

How Technology Empowers Us

 

In episode 2, ATN host Paul Taylor talks with Mo Fong, Director of Google Technical Solutions. Mo's work at Google has spanned an impressive variety of fields, from improving diversity in tech to Google Search. Join their conversation about access to technology, data integrity, and empowerment to create and use technology well.

  

MO FONG

Mo has worked at Google for the past 12 years. She is currently the Director of Google Technical Solutions for Google Assistant and Search. Previously, she led Google's efforts in K-12 Education Outreach and served as Chief Compliance Officer for Google Wallet. Prior to Google, Mo worked at PayPal in risk management and served as the Executive Director of the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiatives. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and MA in Education from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Outside of work, Mo is busy trying to keep up with her two sons (8 and 10 years old). She is also passionate about equity issues in K-12 education, such as bringing more girls and underrepresented groups into STEM fields and making schools a better place to work for teachers.

Restoring Dignity in Unlikely Spaces

 

The All Things New podcast is finally here! We're excited to launch our first episode featuring Paul Lee, founder of Threadloom. The company's mission is to uncover the treasure trove of valuable information stored within internet forums. In this episode, ATN host Paul Taylor and Paul Lee talk about the dignity of people with real wisdom to share, determining truth in a world of profit and popularity, and the value of real relationships.

  

PAUL LEE

Paul is CEO and Co-founder of Threadloom, a startup working to fix how people get information on the Internet. Prior to founding Threadloom, Paul was a product manager at Google, and a consultant with Foundation Strategy Group and McKinsey. Outside of work, Paul has volunteered with the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative, World Relief, and International Justice Mission. Paul lives in Palo Alto with his wife and their two children.