In this genre-blending episode of Data Powered Innovation Jam, hosts Ron Toledo, Robert Engels, and Arne Rossman welcome Stephen Brobst, CTO of Ab Initio and former CTO of Terradata, for a deep dive into the art of mixing data, AI, and music. From punk rock roots and stage-diving legends to the reinvention of enterprise data platforms, Stephen shares insights on metadata-driven architectures, generative AI, and the future of data mesh. The conversation flows through analog double basses, digital beats, and the soul of sound—drawing parallels between musical creativity and data engineering. Whether you're a data architect, AI enthusiast, or music lover, this episode hits all the right notes.

Tune in for a jam-packed session on mastering data, building resilient platforms, and embracing reinvention in tech and tune.

Timestamps

00:00:00 – 01:11 - Blooper Beats & Introductions

01:11 – 01:54 Introducing our guest Stephen Brobst, CTO of Ab Initio, and teasing the themes of mixing, mastering, and data.

01:54 – 16:02 - Reimagining GenAI as an Operating System

16:02 – 23:05 - Talking about Data Mesh and Metadata

23:05 – 28:45 - Metadata and the importance of context (for AI)

28:45 – 39:10 - look into the future of Architecture, Data Engineering and Ab Initio

50:38 – 51:57 - Closing Reflections: Final thoughts, and a punk-inspired send-off—“If the music’s too loud, you’re too old.”