The Digital Executive

• Billy Huang: Financing the Future of Creators | Ep1169

  In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Billy Huang, co-founder of CreatorFi and longtime innovator in data, identity, and digital revenue infrastructure. Billy shares how enterprise-scale data systems he built for brands like Coca-Cola and Under Armour now power CreatorFi’s AI-driven underwriting engine—unlocking fair, scalable credit access for creators, music catalogs, and gaming studios.He explains how CreatorFi fills a major market gap by predicting future creator earnings, enabling non-dilutive financing, and supporting cross-industry monetization from YouTube content to Roblox game worlds. Billy also discusses the emerging landscape of creator IP, the rise of AI-powered production tools, and why the next era of the creator economy will be defined by accessibility, ownership, and financial independence.A must-listen for creators, founders, and anyone building at the intersection of technology, finance, and digital culture.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Esra Ozturk: Building Privacy-First Fan Identity | Ep 1168

  In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas interviews Esra Ozturk, Head of Product at Luffa, about how the company is transforming from a secure messaging platform into a decentralized loyalty and rewards network for creators, brands, and fans.Drawing from her experience at Meta, Uber, Zillow, and Instacart, Esra shares the core product principles that have remained constant in her career—starting with the human, designing for multi-sided ecosystems, and establishing clear success metrics. She explains how Luffa is redefining loyalty by making rewards portable, privacy-preserving, and embedded directly within encrypted conversations.Esra introduces the idea of a “fan passport,” a user-owned identity that travels across creator and brand ecosystems, enabling fans to be recognized for participation, advocacy, and engagement—not just spending. She also outlines the major technological shifts ahead: messaging becoming the primary OS for digital experiences, identity fading seamlessly into the background, and AI powering intelligent, respectful fan-brand interactions.Looking to the future, she predicts fans will expect to be treated as partners rather than audiences, and creators will need to own their relationships instead of renting reach on major platforms. Luffa, she emphasizes, is building the encrypted, portable, and interoperable foundation to power this next era of decentralized communication and fan loyalty.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Brad Carson on the Future of Frontier AI: Guardrails & National Security | Ep 1167

  In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas speaks with Brad Carson, President of Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) and former President of the University of Tulsa, to explore how frontier technologies like AI and synthetic biology are reshaping national security, public policy, and society.Drawing on his experience as Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Brad explains why AI is a powerful—yet potentially dangerous—force within the military and beyond. He shares what motivated him to launch ARI and highlights the urgent need for transparent testing, safety standards, and guardrails to prevent harms ranging from misinformation and terrorism risks to harm to children.Brad also outlines the policy innovations needed to keep pace, including government’s ability to hire top-tier technical talent and more agile regulatory approaches that leverage both public and private sector capabilities.Looking ahead, he warns that AI capable of automating most cognitive work could upend the social contract, challenge democracy, and redefine what it means to be human. ARI’s mission, he emphasizes, is to help society navigate toward the brighter future—one where frontier technology lifts humanity rather than destabilizes it.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Frank Palermo on Making AI Invisible and Essential, in the Modern Enterprise | Ep 1166

  In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Frank Palermo, Chief Operating Officer of New Rocket, to discuss how AI, digital workflows, and enterprise transformation are converging to reshape business operations. With a career rooted in software engineering, enterprise platforms, cloud, and data, Frank shares how his bilingual fluency in technology and business helps organizations ground emerging tech in real business value.Frank explains why executives don’t buy AI—they buy outcomes—and how reframing tech initiatives around measurable results like faster revenue, lower cost, and better customer experience is critical. He highlights the common gaps enterprises face, including fragmented processes and poor data foundations, and emphasizes that modernization starts with workflow understanding, not platforms.Looking ahead, Frank describes a future where AI becomes “invisible,” seamlessly orchestrating workflows, enhancing employee productivity, and enabling human–AI co-creation. High-performing enterprises, he argues, will be those that move quickly but responsibly—governing data, investing in skills, and treating AI transformation as an ongoing operational mindset.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Volodymyr Panchenko: Fixing Miscommunication with AI | Ep 1165

  In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas sits down with Volodymyr Panchenko, visionary founder behind Suntechsoft, Skins.cash, DMarket, and now Portal.ai, to explore how trust, communication, and emotional intelligence shape every relationship—personal and professional.From pioneering digital asset marketplaces to building an AI engine that strengthens human connection, Panchenko shares his journey, his philosophy, and the life experiences that inspired Portal AI’s mission: helping people truly understand one another before the first conversation.He opens up about the emotional toll of fundraising, the breakthroughs that came from improving communication clarity, and how early users are experiencing deeper, more meaningful interactions. Panchenko also discusses the future of AI in human relationships—arguing that, like electricity, AI’s impact depends entirely on how we choose to use it.This episode is a compelling look at how technology can solve one of humanity’s oldest problems: miscommunication.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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