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More than a refresh: Conversations with the most interesting people you've never met

More than a refresh: Conversations with the most interesting people you've never met

By Joshua Drake

More than a Refresh is a new podcast dedicated to learning about data and the people behind it through lively conversation, diverse topics, and engaging guest speakers. We explore professional trends within the ecosystem including trouble spots, privacy, equity, democratization, and future directions. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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Episode 11: Robert Hodges, CEO at Altinity

More than a refresh: Conversations with the most interesting people you've never metOct 27, 2021

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01:14:17
Episode 46: Elizabeth McCormick, Former US ARMY Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot & Current Inspirational & Motivational Speaker Specializing in Leadership

Episode 46: Elizabeth McCormick, Former US ARMY Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot & Current Inspirational & Motivational Speaker Specializing in Leadership

Welcome to episode 46 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Elizabeth McCormick, Former US ARMY Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot & Current Inspirational & Motivational Speaker Specializing in Leadership. Listen in as they discuss dissatisfaction as a choice, the relationship between confidence and self-worth, and rhinestoned flack jackets.

Mar 29, 202401:18:50
Episode 45: Montana Low, Founder & CEO @ PostgresML

Episode 45: Montana Low, Founder & CEO @ PostgresML

Welcome to episode 45 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Montana Low, Founder and CEO @ PostgresML. Listen in as they discuss pragmatic perfectionism, why ML should happen in databases, and the difference between "hype beast" AI vs. "get shit done" AI.

Feb 20, 202401:05:28
Episode 44: Lindsey Simon, VP Engineering at Vercel

Episode 44: Lindsey Simon, VP Engineering at Vercel

Welcome to episode 43 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Lindsey Simon, VP Engineering at Vercel. Listen in as they differentiate between failure and opportunity, discuss the link between advertising and UX, and explain why "the long road" is actually just "the road." Plus, JD finally gets Rickrolled.

Feb 06, 202459:46
Episode 43: Leta Keane, Experienced Front End Engineering Instructor

Episode 43: Leta Keane, Experienced Front End Engineering Instructor

Welcome to episode 43 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Leta Keane, Experienced Front End Engineering Instructor. Listen in as they discuss investing in humans, not assets; having a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset; and why "luxury" isn't just another yacht - it's childcare.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/letakeane/

Jan 23, 202401:11:39
Episode 42: Hugh Forrest, Co-President & Chief Programming Officer @ SXSW

Episode 42: Hugh Forrest, Co-President & Chief Programming Officer @ SXSW

Welcome to episode 42 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Hugh Forrest, Co-President & Chief Programming Officer @ SXSW. Listen in as they discuss collaborative problem solving, how humans parse authenticity, and that time Barack Obama back-channeled to nab a speaking slot at SXSW.

Jan 09, 202401:03:14
Episode 41: Silona Bonewald, Founder & President @ Leadingbit Solutions

Episode 41: Silona Bonewald, Founder & President @ Leadingbit Solutions

Welcome to episode 41 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with jack of all trades (and master of many), Silona Bonewald, Founder & President @ Leadingbit Solutions. Listen in as they discuss production readiness, "Gutenberg moments," dude bros, and why the OSS community needs to get involved in standards.

Dec 14, 202301:27:41
Episode 40: Cooper Quintin, Senior Staff Technologist @ The EFF
Dec 08, 202301:10:46
Episode 39: Dave Stokes, Technology Evangelist @ Percona

Episode 39: Dave Stokes, Technology Evangelist @ Percona

Welcome to episode 39 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Dave Stokes, Technology Evangelist @ Percona. Listen in as they discuss Postgres vs. MySQL, maintaining "boring but vital" OSS projects, and how to save a piece of data for 100+ years.

Nov 16, 202301:03:34
Episode 38: The Enshitification of the Internet with Cooper Quintin, Senior Staff Technologist @ The EFF
Oct 11, 202301:23:59
Episode 37: Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative

Episode 37: Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative

Welcome to episode 37 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative and Horticultural Science Professor at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Listen in as they discuss the relationship between soil health and human health, why the food system is flawed, and why we should treat cannabis like any other plant.

Sep 13, 202301:15:34
Episode 36: Dr. Lauran Star, Workforce DE&I Psychologist, Strategist, & Speaker

Episode 36: Dr. Lauran Star, Workforce DE&I Psychologist, Strategist, & Speaker

Welcome to Episode 36 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Dr. Lauran Star, Workforce DE&I Psychologist, Strategist, & Speaker. Listen in as they discuss being diverse "enough," white privilege vs. class privilege, and why evidence-based research should guide us into a new phase of IDE.

Aug 23, 202301:16:28
Episode 35: Michael Meskes, Senior Director of Cloud Products @ NetApp

Episode 35: Michael Meskes, Senior Director of Cloud Products @ NetApp

Welcome to Episode 35 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with his old friend, Michael Meskes, Senior Director of Cloud Products @ NetApp. Listen in as they discuss what private companies "owe" Open Source Software, monetizing distribution, and creating a culture of work that's good for employees - and the environment.

Aug 10, 202301:30:03
Episode 34: Phillip Merrick, CEO @ pgEdge, Serial Entrepreneur, Technologist

Episode 34: Phillip Merrick, CEO @ pgEdge, Serial Entrepreneur, Technologist

Welcome to Episode 34 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Phillip Merrick, CEO @ pgEdge, Serial Entrepreneur, and Technologist. Listen in as they discuss the relationship between latency across geographies and node placement, the role of AI in Postgres deployments, and simplifying vs. "dumbing down" processes.

Jul 26, 202301:04:29
Episode 33: Ry Walker, Founder at Tembo

Episode 33: Ry Walker, Founder at Tembo

Welcome to Episode 33 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Ry Walker, Founder at Tembo. Listen in as they discuss the benefits of asynchronous work, the under-celebration of Postgres extensions, and why your Open Source competition is actually one of your greatest partners in development.

Jul 13, 202301:16:03
Episode 32: Kris Jenkins, Developer Advocate, Podcast Host, Hacker, Speaker, Geek

Episode 32: Kris Jenkins, Developer Advocate, Podcast Host, Hacker, Speaker, Geek

Welcome to Episode 32 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Kris Jenkins, Developer Advocate, Podcast Host, Hacker, Speaker, Geek. Listen in as they discuss change management, why you need to understand your end user, and making the London Underground sing with Kafka.

Jun 28, 202301:25:20
More than a Refresh Presents: Digital Privacy

More than a Refresh Presents: Digital Privacy

The landscape of digital privacy is changing. While cloud adoption and ethical hacking create new opportunities for all, data leaks and proposed legislation introduce new levels of threat to everyone from CTOs to laypeople. But what are these threats and what danger do they pose? Fully understanding the factors that influence digital privacy is about to be vital in protecting yourself, while continuing to benefit from living in a digital age.


Join More than a Refresh host, Joshua “JD” Drake, for a roundtable with Jon Callas, Director of Public Interest Technology @ Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Dan Frechtling, CEO @ Boltive, to discuss the state of digital privacy in the US and beyond.

Jun 13, 202301:07:29
Episode 31: Bobbie Carlton, Founder @ Innovation Women + Founder @ Carlton PR & Marketing

Episode 31: Bobbie Carlton, Founder @ Innovation Women + Founder @ Carlton PR & Marketing

Welcome to Episode 31 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with mega multi-hyphenate, Bobbie Carlton, Founder @ Innovation Women + Founder @ Carlton PR & Marketing. Listen in as they discuss day, night, and dream jobs; the reality of technical heckling; and when to rethink panel organization.


For more information on Innovation Women, to search for speakers, or to add yourself to the Innovation Women database, please visit their website at https://innovationwomen.com/.

Jun 01, 202301:02:53
Episode 30: Glenda Sims, Chief Information Accessibility Officer @ Deque Systems, Inc
May 18, 202301:17:24
Episode 29: Paul Kochanski, Founder, President, and Keyboardist @ Foreigners Journey

Episode 29: Paul Kochanski, Founder, President, and Keyboardist @ Foreigners Journey

Welcome to Episode 29 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Paul Kochanski, Founder, President, and Keyboardist @ Foreigners Journey. Listen in as they discuss how a career in channel sales set up our guest to succeed in the music industry, advice on how to pivot your career, and the striking similarities between software sales and running a band.



May 12, 202301:21:13
Episode 28: Dr. Lauran Star, Workforce DE&I Psychologist, Strategist, & Speaker
Apr 27, 202301:11:37
Episode 27: Ravi Murthy, Senior Director of Engineering at Google

Episode 27: Ravi Murthy, Senior Director of Engineering at Google

Welcome to Episode 27 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Ravi Murthy, Senior Director of Engineering at Google. Listen in as they discuss products vs. projects, the responsibility of cloud providers, and why Google is betting on Postgres.

Apr 04, 202301:05:07
Episode 26: Laura DiBenedetto, Chief Executive Officer @ Sovereign Ammo

Episode 26: Laura DiBenedetto, Chief Executive Officer @ Sovereign Ammo

Welcome to episode 26 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Laura DiBenedetto, Chief Executive Officer @ Sovereign Ammo. Listen in as they discuss why sovereignty  is freedom + responsibility, what happy people have in common, and the problem with treating the symptom instead of the root cause.


Editor's Note

The opinions expressed in this episode by out guest are those of the individual. They do not purport to reflect the opinions of More than a Refresh, our host, or our producer. 

For more information on COVID-19, the vaccine, or the the anti-viral, please visit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at CDC.Gov.

Feb 23, 202359:05
Episode 25: Ajay Kulkarni, Co-Founder and CEO @ Timescale

Episode 25: Ajay Kulkarni, Co-Founder and CEO @ Timescale

Welcome to episode 25 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Ajay Kulkarni, Co-Founder and CEO @ Timescale. Listen in as they discuss the intersection of cutting edge technology and the marketplace, open source vs. open standards, and the cloud as the reinvention of the wheel.

Dec 14, 202201:05:21
Episode 24: Peter Zaitsev, Founder @ Percona

Episode 24: Peter Zaitsev, Founder @ Percona

Welcome to episode 24 of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Peter Zaitsev, Founder @ Percona. Listen in as they discuss the value of long-term partnership, data automation & legacy planning, and why OSS is the best

Dec 07, 202201:02:13
Episode 23: Divya Bhargov, Senior Director Of Engineering, Greenplum R&D, VMware

Episode 23: Divya Bhargov, Senior Director Of Engineering, Greenplum R&D, VMware

Welcome to episode 23 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Divya Bhargov, Senior Director Of Engineering, Greenplum R&D, VMware. Listen in as they discuss finding a tribe, maintaining company culture in the face of M&A, and the Goldilocks Rule of communication.

Nov 29, 202201:12:11
Episode 22: Nikolay Samokhvalov, Founder @ Postgres.ai – Database Lab

Episode 22: Nikolay Samokhvalov, Founder @ Postgres.ai – Database Lab

Welcome to episode 22 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Nikolay Samokhvalov, Founder @ Postgres.ai – Database Lab. Listen in as they discuss ethical Open Source licenses, being "addicted" to Postgres, and maintaining a community in the face of war.

Oct 26, 202259:59
Episode 21: Dan Frechtling, CEO @ Boltive

Episode 21: Dan Frechtling, CEO @ Boltive

Welcome to episode 21 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Dan Frechtling, CEO @ Boltive. Listen in as they discuss dark signals, AdTech as a tool for counterespionage, and the humble origins - and eventual exploitation - of the internet cookie.

Oct 12, 202201:25:50
Episode 20: Jon Callas, Director of Public Interest Technology at Electronic Frontier Foundation
Sep 21, 202201:20:57
Episode 19: Dr. Michael Meskes, Senior Director Cloud Products @ credativ, GmbH

Episode 19: Dr. Michael Meskes, Senior Director Cloud Products @ credativ, GmbH

Welcome to episode 19 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with old friend and Senior Director Cloud Products @ credativ, Dr. Michael Meskes. Listen in as they discuss Debian, why competition yields better software, the difference between free and open source, and how to attract the next generation of developers to Postgres.

Aug 31, 202201:13:29
AgData: Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative

AgData: Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative

Welcome to the second episode in our AgData series of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down for a second time with Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative and Horticultural Science Professor at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Listen in as they discuss industrial hemp in all its glories: legislation and economics, how hemp could save the US water system, and why it's always important to have a fire extinguisher on your combine.

Aug 02, 202201:21:10
Episode 17: Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative

Episode 17: Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative

Welcome to episode 17 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Tom Michaels, Co-Founder @ Open Source Seed Initiative and Horticultural Science Professor at University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. Listen in as they discuss copyleft, the hallmarks of healthy open-source communities, the value of diversity, and DNA as source code. 


May 25, 202201:15:54
Episode 16: Jeff Mains, CEO @ Intelligent Contacts & CEO @ Champion Leadership Group

Episode 16: Jeff Mains, CEO @ Intelligent Contacts & CEO @ Champion Leadership Group

Welcome to episode 16 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Jeff Mains, five-time founder and current CEO @ Intelligent Contacts and CEO @ Champion Leadership Group. Listen in as they discuss solving real problems for real people, idea validation, succession planning, and why ideas without passion will lead to failure.

Apr 20, 202201:09:25
Bonus Episode: Andrés Arrieta, Director Consumer Privacy Engineering @ Electronic Frontier Foundation

Bonus Episode: Andrés Arrieta, Director Consumer Privacy Engineering @ Electronic Frontier Foundation

Welcome to a bonus episode of More than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Andrés Arrieta, Director Consumer Privacy Engineering @ EFF. Listen in as they pick up where they left off in their last conversation, chatting about the price of convenience, the complexities of  children being online, and the inherent dangers of passing legislation without understanding the technology behind the laws.

Apr 05, 202201:12:25
Episode 15: Jacque Istok, Vice President, Data at VMware

Episode 15: Jacque Istok, Vice President, Data at VMware

Welcome to episode 15 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Jacque Istok, Vice President, Data at VMware. Listen in as they discuss closed source giants, why Postgres is the Linux of databases, and the politics of the rental housing market.

Mar 18, 202201:24:47
Episode 14: Ned Lilly, President & CEO of xTuple

Episode 14: Ned Lilly, President & CEO of xTuple

Welcome to episode 14 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Ned Lilly, President & CEO of xTuple. Listen in as they discuss ERPs, innovation vs. acquisition as growth strategy, and why there's more to xTuple's name than you may realize.

Mar 04, 202201:04:58
Episode 13: Andrés Arrieta, Director of Consumer Privacy Engineering at Electronic Frontier Foundation

Episode 13: Andrés Arrieta, Director of Consumer Privacy Engineering at Electronic Frontier Foundation

Welcome to episode 13 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Andrés Arrieta, Director of Consumer Privacy Engineering at Electronic Frontier Foundation. Listen in as they discuss the role of anti-trust policy in mitigating threats, finding a healthy balance with technology in contemporary society, and why Facebook isn't actually free.

Feb 16, 202201:23:50
Episode 12: Geoffrey Gill, President at Shimmer Americas

Episode 12: Geoffrey Gill, President at Shimmer Americas

Welcome to episode 12 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Geoffrey Gill, President, Shimmer Americas and Co-Founder at The Open Wearables Initiative (OWEAR). Listen in as they discuss proactive health management, the line between user privacy and effective wearables, magic vs. math in neuromarketing, and the necessity of peer review.


Nov 10, 202101:11:21
Episode 11: Robert Hodges, CEO at Altinity

Episode 11: Robert Hodges, CEO at Altinity

Welcome to episode 11 of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Altinity CEO, Robert Hodges. Listen in as they discuss user friendliness vs. engineering correctness, high speed compression, and why any organization's greatest asset is its people.

Oct 27, 202101:14:17
Episode Ten: Jim Mlodgenski, Principal Engineer at Amazon Web Services

Episode Ten: Jim Mlodgenski, Principal Engineer at Amazon Web Services

Welcome to episode ten of More Than a Refresh, where JD sits down with Jim Mlodgenski, Principal Engineer at Amazon Web Services. Listen in as these two old friends discuss the ins and outs of VC funding, why databases must evolve to meet the needs of more complex data, and why community is vital to the Open Source ecosystem.

Oct 11, 202101:17:44
Bonus Episode: Mark Porter, CTO at MongoDB

Bonus Episode: Mark Porter, CTO at MongoDB

Welcome to our second bonus episode of More Than a Refresh, where we revisit the topic of engineering culture with Mark Porter, CTO at MongoDB. Listen in as he and JD discuss the foundations of building a strong organization, management vs. leadership, and the value of leaving your ego at the door.

Aug 23, 202159:12
Episode Nine: Mark Porter, CTO at MongoDB

Episode Nine: Mark Porter, CTO at MongoDB

Welcome to episode nine of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he and Mark Porter discuss the importance of persistence software, the beauty of the ah ha moment, and why organizations need to be built according to Dunbar's Number and Conway's Law.

Aug 05, 202159:58
Episode Eight: Jordan Lewis, Director of Engineering, SQL at Cockroach Labs

Episode Eight: Jordan Lewis, Director of Engineering, SQL at Cockroach Labs

Welcome to episode eight of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he and Jordan Lewis, Director of Engineering, SQL at Cockroach Labs, discuss what drives a successful OSS project, writing a database in Go, and what to eat when you're in New York City.

Jul 12, 202101:14:30
Episode Seven: Hicham Oudghiri, Co-Founder & CEO at Enigma

Episode Seven: Hicham Oudghiri, Co-Founder & CEO at Enigma

Welcome to episode seven of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he and Hicham Oudghiri, Co-Founder & CEO at Enigma, chat about soundscapes, breakdown why small business is vital to the economy, and discuss the necessity of democratizing access to credit.

Jun 15, 202158:48
Bonus Episode: Karinn Chambers, Breast Cancer Oncologist and Surgeon
May 19, 202101:01:23
Episode Six: Stephanie Kirmer, Senior Data Scientist at Saturn Cloud

Episode Six: Stephanie Kirmer, Senior Data Scientist at Saturn Cloud

Welcome to episode six of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he and Stephanie Kirmer, Senior Data Scientist at Saturn Cloud, discuss why human beings are always at the center of data, questioning "could" vs. "should," and why requiring a data scientist to have a PhD is "bananas."



May 05, 202101:25:09
Episode Five: Erik Brandsberg, Founder and Chief Architect of Heimdall Data

Episode Five: Erik Brandsberg, Founder and Chief Architect of Heimdall Data

Welcome to episode five of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he and Heimdall Data Founder, Erik Brandsberg, discuss demonstrating value to potential clients, visiting 40 countries in 40 years, and how automated caching and read/write split are really one in the same.

Apr 21, 202101:07:27
Episode Four: Daniele Varrazzo, Creator of Python Driver Psycopg3

Episode Four: Daniele Varrazzo, Creator of Python Driver Psycopg3

Welcome to episode four of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he discusses Open Source licensing, "humble" drivers, photography, and the nature of adapt or die with Daniele Varrazzo, Creator of Python Driver Psycopg3.

Mar 16, 202101:16:32
Episode Three: Karinn Chambers, Breast Cancer Oncologist and Surgeon

Episode Three: Karinn Chambers, Breast Cancer Oncologist and Surgeon

Welcome to episode three of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he chats with Karinn Chambers, Breast Cancer Oncologist and Surgeon, about how data complexities affect patient care in our healthcare system.

Mar 04, 202149:05
Episode Two: Ben Rogojan, The Seattle Data Guy

Episode Two: Ben Rogojan, The Seattle Data Guy

Welcome to episode two of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he chats with Ben Rogojan, better known as the Seattle Data Guy, about being a digital nomad, how small businesses can manage their data, Wall Street Bets, and his path from chef to data consultant.

Feb 17, 202149:09
Episode One: Karthik Ranganathan, Founder & CTO at YugaByte

Episode One: Karthik Ranganathan, Founder & CTO at YugaByte

Welcome to episode one of More than a Refresh, with Joshua "JD" Drake. Listen in as he has an honest discussion with Karthik Ranganathan about Yugabyte, PostgreSQL, Open Source, and the best surf movie ever made.

Feb 02, 202155:13