In this episode of How I Met Your Data, Anjali and Junaid sit down with Tony Shaw, Founder & CEO of DATAVERSITY - the force behind Enterprise Data World (EDW) and DGIQ. Tony traces the early origins of a “metadata conference” that became a global learning platform, then gets candid about what actually moves the data profession forward: cycles, culture, and community.

We dig into how conference content evolves (remember when data modeling was the headliner?), why governance remains a business function first, and how AI is reshaping both programming and the attendee experience; think smarter discovery of talks, better content matching, and, perhaps someday, intentional networking that beats hallway serendipity. Tony also shares the story behind DATAVERSITY’s Women in Data focus and why younger, more global audiences are changing the room—for the better.

• The origin story: buying a tiny “metadata” event and building DATAVERSITY into a global education platform

• Surviving economic cycles: training, travel, sponsorship, and how digital finally scaled during COVID

• What’s changed (and what hasn’t): the rise, fall, and return of semantics; AI’s pull on modeling and governance

• Governance as a business sport: why DGIQ draws nearly 50% of non-IT leaders

• Global signals: banks in Uruguay winning best-practice awards; Saudi Arabia’s push on data & AI capability

• AI at conferences: from content discovery to future attendee matchmaking (and the privacy guardrails we’ll need)

• Women in Data: mentorship, career design, and programming that’s open to everyone, but designed to meet real gaps

You lead data/AI programs, run governance in the messy middle, or care about how our field learns—together. Also useful if you’re deciding whether to bring your non-data peers to a data conference (short answer: yes).

In this episode of How I Met Your Data Today, hosts Anjali and Junaid sit down with financial services industry veteran Julia Bardmesser about the significance of political capital in data leadership.

Julia shares insights from her 25-year career, working across major institutions such as Bloomberg, Citi, Deutsche Bank, and Voya Financial, before founding her strategic advisory firm. She clarifies what political capital is (and isn't) and how it affects the ability to drive data and AI initiatives within organizations.

The discussion covers identifying key relationships, managing obstructionists, the importance of high EQ, and tactical advice on when and how to spend political capital effectively. Julia emphasizes that delivering real value to the organization is the cornerstone of building lasting political capital. The conversation is filled with real-life examples and lessons learned, making it a must-listen for data professionals and leaders navigating corporate landscapes.

In this episode of The Prompt, hosts Anjali and Karen dive into the latest headlines about AI adoption and ROI, unpacking why 95% of AI pilots are reportedly failing while a select 5% succeed.

Drawing parallels to the dot-com era, they explore the real reasons behind AI project failures, the importance of vendor partnerships, and the pitfalls of unrealistic expectations in proof-of-concept initiatives.

The conversation highlights the need for clear business objectives, data governance, and a pragmatic approach to technology adoption. Tune in for candid insights, lessons learned, and a fresh perspective on what it really takes to drive value with AI in today’s organizations.