All episodes

"In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we meet Patricia Ferreiro from Databricks, whose background brings together engineering, data science and philosophy.

Together, we explore what it means to build and use technology that helps us live better lives:

- Why AI’s promise of instant answers appeals to our discomfort with uncertainty
- How protecting time without technology helps us develop our own thinking
- Why friction, physical presence and human connection are essential parts of learning
- How narratives like “human in the loop” shape our understanding of agency and responsibility
- And what ancient philosophical traditions...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we kick off Season 2 with Stephan Heuel, co-founder and CTO of Resilens, a startup building decision support systems for climate adaptation, and Helen Droz, climate risk researcher at MSCI.

Together, we explore what it really takes to help cities and companies adapt to a changing climate:

- Why we've moved from predicting climate risks to urgently needing to act on them
- How decision support tools can help climate adaptation managers choose the right measures with limited budgets
- Why technology alone is not enough — and why cross-functional, interdisciplinary...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Dana Ritzmann, who has a background in journalism and is the Head of Public Relations & Press Spokesperson at GeoSN, the State Authority for Geoinformation and Surveying of Saxony, Germany.

Together, we explore how communication and journalistic principles can make complex technologies like digital twins and geospatial data accessible to everyone:

- Why communication is essential for successful public participation and digital transformation
- How journalists can help translate technical topics into stories people understand
- How digital twins support real-world decisions, from renewable energies to infrastructure projects...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Professor Dr. Debra Hevenstone, Professor of Social Policy at the Bern University of Applied Sciences and co-organizer of Hack4SocialGood.

Together, we explore how hackathons can become powerful environments for innovation, inclusion, and collaboration:

- Why diverse teams do not form naturally, and whether they create more innovative solutions, based on research
- How matching algorithms can help build stronger, more balanced teams, and where are the pitfalls
- Why hackathons are about much more than coding and which skills are most in need
- How AI could make...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Youssef Demitri, VP Engineering & Product at Wingtra, a Zurich-based robotics scale-up building autonomous drones and digital mapping solutions used around the world.

Together, we explore the intersection of hardware, software, robotics, AI, and leadership:

- Why hardware is becoming exciting again in the age of AI
- What it takes to build and scale physical products in the real world
- Why product, design, and engineering roles are starting to converge
- How leaders can create cultures of trust, experimentation, and continuous learning
- And why purpose...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Alessia Paccagnella, Software Engineer and Co-Founder of VibeFlow, a Y Combinator-backed AI tech startup.

Together, we explore her journey from Italy to Switzerland to Silicon Valley:

- How she went from the corporate world to building a tech startup
- Why understanding users matters more than writing code when building products
- What she learned from living and building between Zurich and San Francisco
- How AI is changing software development and lowering the barriers to creation
- And what it takes to build confidence, resilience, and conviction...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Romano Roth, Group Chief AI Officer at Zühlke, long-time software engineering leader, and co-organizer of DevOpsDays Zurich.

Together, we explore what happens when AI accelerates software development:

- Why the biggest bottlenecks in software delivery are often not in engineering, but before development even begins
- How DevOps helps organizations improve value flow, quality, and time to market
- Why teams with strong engineering practices are benefiting most from AI
- How software engineering roles are evolving as AI becomes part of everyday work
- And why systems...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Britta Hummel, former engineering leader at Meta, who worked on products like Meta Quest and the early foundations of the Microsoft HoloLens.

Together, we explore virtual and mixed reality beyond the hype:

- Why the biggest technical challenges in VR are largely solved
- Why the business side of the metaverse is struggling despite massive investments
- What it was like to build immersive technologies inside Big Tech
- How power dynamics and leadership culture shaped Britta’s experience at Meta
- Why she ultimately decided to leave the...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Aaron Seigo, long-time open source contributor and passionate software developer/architect.

Together, we explore how the open source movement evolved over the last decades:
- How Aaron discovered open source software in the early days of Linux
- Why open source was originally both a technical and political movement
- How small open source communities helped build technologies that shaped today’s internet
- And what developers and organizations can learn from the culture and philosophy behind open collaboration

From discovering Linux through a book with a CD-ROM in the...

In this episode of the Hello 50:50 World Podcast, we speak with Vardon Hamdiu, co-founder of Sparkable, and Sofiia Kaminska, behavioral researcher and creator of the Option Control project.

Together, we explore how social media platforms are architected:

- Why many of today’s platforms are optimized for attention and what that does to users
- How engagement-based algorithms amplify polarization, outrage, and addictive behavior
- Why awareness alone is not enough to change how we use technology
- And what it takes to design social media that supports healthier interactions

From working in political communication and with refugee communities to...