Welcome back to season 5 of the Data Democratization Podcast - and our first-ever live studio recording.

In this episode, Alexandra Ebert sits down with Faris Haddad, AWS' Global AI Technical Strategy Lead. Together, they delve into the transformative role of synthetic data in modern enterprises.

Faris shares his journey into the world of synthetic data, highlighting its evolution from a niche solution to a cornerstone of enterprise data strategy. He discusses the challenges organizations face with data silos, legacy systems, and privacy concerns, and how synthetic data offers a pathway to overcome these hurdles.

Whether you're grappling with data accessibility issues or exploring innovative ways to leverage your organization's data assets, this episode offers valuable perspectives on integrating synthetic data into your enterprise data strategy.

AI democratization sounds great in theory, but why do so many enterprises struggle to make it work? In this episode, Ari Kaplan, Head of Tech Evangelism at Databricks, breaks down the biggest roadblocks to scaling AI—and what’s needed to overcome them. From data intelligence and synthetic data to why leading enterprises rely on unified data and analytics Platforms to cut costs, reduce governance complexity, and streamline AI adoption—we explore how organizations can move beyond AI pilot purgatory and use AI to drive tangible impact at scale.

Ari dives into the hard truths about AI implementation, including why companies still face governance hurdles, siloed data, and inefficient infrastructure. Ari and I discuss how organizations can get more value from their data, deploy AI responsibly, and use synthetic data to scale securely.

Plus, Ari shares his personal approach to balancing a global career, thought leadership, and content creation—including how he manages to make time for writing books while advising enterprises worldwide. We also discuss his take on social media strategy, the skills he’s encouraging his kids to develop for an AI-driven world, and the future of work in an era of intelligent automation.

If you care about AI democratization, enterprise AI strategy, and staying ahead of the curve, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

For the 50th episode of the Data Democratization Podcast, I sat down with Anna Lishchenko, Data & Analytics for Business Platform Lead at Erste Group. As a true champion of data democratization, Anna shares invaluable insights into how to make data widely accessible, actionable, and impactful across a large, decentralized organization.

💡 What you'll learn:

• The essential elements of building a data-driven culture, including data literacy, governance, and community building.
• Laying the foundation for success: How to align data and AI initiatives with business goals and secure buy-in from key stakeholders.
• Breaking barriers to experimentation: Using synthetic data to democratize access and accelerate innovation.
• Bridging silos: Connecting business and technical teams to drive collaboration and create real impact.
• Scaling AI and data initiatives: Turning one-off projects into sustainable enterprise-wide strategies.

Whether you're just starting on your AI journey or scaling data initiatives, this episode is packed with actionable insights and practical advice. Don’t miss this engaging conversation about the status-quo and the future of data democratization!