San Francisco, New York, Boston, Austin… Atlanta? Atlanta Mayor Dickens joins the podcast to discuss his vision for transforming Atlanta – already known for being the “Technology City of the South” – into a top-5 American tech hub. This episode will appeal not only to those interested in the future of Atlanta, but to listeners wondering what it means to be a tech city in 2024. Prepare to learn about strategies for building tech cities and how their development can benefit and create new...

Picture this: the power grid, not just an engineering marvel, but the lifeblood of our digital and eco-conscious era. With the AI revolution ramping up data center demands and green energy's rise pushing us towards a brighter, cleaner future, our trusty grid is facing a Herculean task. Can it keep the lights on and our planet cool as we plug into an ever-expanding digital world and strive for sustainability? Barbara thinks so, and she's leading the charge right at the frontier where...

You’ve probably heard many perspectives on AI since the rise of ChatGPT, but this one is different. In this Optimistic Insights, Barbara shares how Industrial AI is allowing Siemens to redefine what's possible for humans.  The modern factory has always produced more data than human capacity for analysis and application can handle. Suddenly, AI is transforming this massive output of data from mere stored information into a goldmine of actionable insights. Barbara explains how this remarkable...

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, ranks among the most promising developments in the effort to revitalize American manufacturing and localize supply chains. But what are the technologies that can help upstart additive companies to scale operations and industrialize 3D printing? And how can this make U.S. supply chains more resilient? In this episode, Barbara gets answers to these questions from Brian Neff, CEO, Sintavia, a leading additive manufacturing firm supplying vital...

Can the future of manufacturing be almost like playing a video game? In this Optimistic Insights episode, Barbara looks back to CES in January and presents Siemens’ vision for the Industrial Metaverse, breaking down Siemens AG CEO Roland Busch’s keynote speech. Prepare to learn about the key building blocks for making the industrial metaverse a reality, including digital twins, and the world-changing potential for combining the real and virtual worlds in industry, infrastructure,  and...

Digital innovation is no longer limited to Silicon Valley. Some of the most exciting, and potentially world-changing, developments are happening in manufacturing plants across America as industrial automation systems interact with software and AI. What is the vision for applying tools that first emerged in consumer sectors in American industry? And what could the benefits be beyond forging an even more competitive, stronger U.S. manufacturing sector? To learn more, Barbara sits down with Del...

For decades, American manufacturing shifted to other countries. Now, it’s growing again in the United States. To launch a new “Optimistic Insights” series, Barbara outlines the trends such as emerging technologies and what she calls “glocalization” that are driving American manufacturing’s resurgence. This episode will help listeners to understand the convergence between the tech economy and American industry. Explore the bright future ahead for workers eager to help American manufacturing...

Older generations have often misunderstood younger generations. And yet, as the U.S. workforce ages, the value of multigenerational teams will continue to grow. In this episode, Barbara talks with university recruiter Sophie Nicholas and intern Adrian Vasquez. You will learn about the workplace culture that Gen Z is shaping and what they hope to learn as the youngest of the five generations now in the workforce.   Show notes: Jobs at Siemens: https://www.siemens.com/us/en/company/jobs.html

Successfully addressing the climate crisis requires significant progress by 2030. Will we get there? Christiana Figueres, a former UN climate leader who led the process securing the Paris Climate Agreement, offers expert perspective, defining the current state of the problem and how we can grow our ability to rapidly put solutions into action. Prepare to be uplifted about what’s possible and to learn about critical climate priorities slated for the UN climate conference COP28. Christiana is a...

Imagine self-healing concrete or traffic lights with “eyes” that save lives in crosswalks. Technology startup leaders join Barbara to discuss breakthrough innovations that could be accelerated by the launch of a new White House initiative: Advanced Research Projects Agency – Infrastructure (ARPA-I). Listen for inspiring, detailed insights from Ginger Krieg Dosier, Founder and Board Member, Biomason, and Angus Pacala, CEO, Ouster, as they discuss the power of applying emerging technologies and...

With American healthcare representing 10% of U.S. carbon emissions, decarbonizing hospitals and healthcare systems promises to deliver meaningful climate action. In this episode, Barbara brings listeners inside an innovative project reducing energy usage in imaging at University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The solutions will not only help to support decarbonization but yield immediate operational savings for hospitals and healthcare systems recovering financially from the pandemic....

Effective partnerships between large companies and startups can accelerate net-zero strategies and even produce cost savings that strengthen the business case. Recording from the TED Countdown Summit, Barbara talks to Maisie Devine, Executive Director of Sustainable Innovation at AB InBev and Founder of the award-winning 100+ Accelerator program, which is building an ecosystem of partners delivering breakthrough advancements in supply chain decarbonization. They share takeaways from the...

Barbara shares her keynote speech from May’s Automate conference in Detroit. Show notes: Siemens and FREYR: https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/freyr-scale-battery-cell-gigafactory-production-siemens-xcelerator  Advanced Manufacturing: https://www.siemens.com/us/en/company/topic-areas/advanced-manufacturing.html Optimizing Battery Production: https://www.siemens.com/us/en/company/topic-areas/advanced-manufacturing/large-battery-manufacturing.html

Barbara reflects on how her ideas about leadership changed during the pandemic by sharing an audio version of her recent leadership essay, The Greatest Gift We Can Give Our Organizations. Show Notes: Comment on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/greatest-gift-we-can-give-our-organizations-barbara-humpton/ Art of Leading Interview: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/key-role-leaders-help-people-understand-what-good-looks-adam-bryant/?trackingId=gXb6mof6ZeWLcKVC6p4P1w%3D%3D Barbara’s 2021...

Siemens CEO Roland Busch joins Barbara to discuss “glocalization” and how to scale technologies shaping a better tomorrow as industry and infrastructure become more productive and sustainable.  Show notes:   Roland on glocalization: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/globalization-isn-t-working-but-glocalization-can-davos2023/  Siemens Xcelerator and Industrial Metaverse: https://new.siemens.com/global/en/company/insights.html  Roland’s annual shareholders meeting speech:...

The U.S. power grid has been called both the “greatest machine ever built” and the “great enabler” of our greatest innovations. But can we successfully reinvent it? In this decade of action, with technology companies stepping up and new federal climate and infrastructure laws moving forward that each focus on power grid modernization, Barbara is joined by Karen Wayland, CEO, Gridwise Alliance. Karen is a recognized expert in national energy and environmental policy who has served in...

Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director, National League of Cities, joins the podcast to provide a local perspective on the deployment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With many communities directly accessing federal infrastructure funds for the first time, Anthony outlines priorities for cities, towns, and villages nationwide.       Show Notes:    NLC Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources: https://www.nlc.org/initiative/ready-to-rebuild/  Siemens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law...

For the last episode of 2022, Barbara is joined by Dr. Connie Hadley, an organizational psychologist and founder of the Institute for Life at Work, to discuss how to build stronger, more innovative teams. Building on the show’s core theme of optimism and last year’s episode on growth mindset, this conversation unpacks how work cultures rooted in trust and psychological safety foster individual resilience and wellbeing. The outcome? Work environments more conducive to healthy risk taking that...

Barbara visits a groundbreaking microgrid project in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville. Features interviews with ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones and Paul Pabst, who leads ComEd’s Smart Grid department. SHOW NOTES:  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecvUf5sdOJs&list=PLF415F6CFBF8D6A91&index=2 Microgrids opportunities in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: https://new.siemens.com/us/en/company/bipartisan-infrastructure.html