EPISODE
Harley Finkelstein, John J. Giamatteo, Jeremy Allaire, Mackenzie Burnett
00:01:00 Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, discusses the company’s strong growth and how AI-driven agentic commerce is helping shoppers discover niche products from independent merchants. He also explains how Shopify’s AI tools, including Sidekick and Autopilot, help merchants launch, optimize, and automate their businesses more effectively.
00:02:00 John Giamatteo discusses his leadership as CEO of BlackBerry and the company’s transformation from smartphones to secure embedded software. He highlights BlackBerry’s automotive operating systems, cautious use of AI, partnerships, industrial robotics growth, and enduring focus on security, trust, and innovation.
00:03:00 Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO of financial technology company Circle, discusses stablecoins’ integration into the traditional financial system, USDC’s growing role in global payments, and blockchain infrastructure’s evolution. He also highlights AI agents as a new form of digital labor, alongside the heightened cybersecurity and regulatory challenges created by powerful AI models.
00:06:00 Mackenzie Burnett discusses Ambrook’s $30 million Series B and its growth from 2,500 to more than 8,000 businesses across agriculture, trucking, construction, and other industries. He explains how Ambrook uses AI-powered, mobile-friendly accounting tools to serve complex small businesses without finance teams, while expanding through targeted marketing, partnerships, customer stories, and word of mouth.