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This episode of our podcast brings together Wolfgang Fengler and Shamina Singh for a powerful conversation on inclusion, data, and the rapidly changing digital-to-AI economy. Shamina shares the origin story of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the shift from the analog world to a data-driven one, and why networks and access determine economic opportunity. Together, they explore the rising “data divide,” the role of AI in shaping the next decade, and how organizations can ensure technology serves people, not leaves them behind. The discussion spans financial inclusion, privacy, regulation, human-centered innovation, and the global middle-class transformation, all framed through real-world impact and shared values. It’s a thoughtful, energizing episode that captures the spirit of building a more inclusive and connected world.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.

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Data Talks: Measuring Peace with Steve Killelea

In this episode of Data Talks, World Data Lab CEO Wolfgang Fengler speaks with Steve Killelea, respected entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of the Global Peace Index.

Steve shares his journey from building successful tech companies to dedicating his life to understanding and measuring peace. Together, they explore how data can quantify something as complex as peacefulness, what the Global Peace Index reveals about today’s conflicts, and how shifting global power, inequality, and technology will shape the future.

An engaging discussion about the data behind peace, and what it tells us about the world we’re building next.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.

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In this episode of Data Talks, Wolfgang Fengler sits down with Michael Joseph, the legendary CEO who built Safaricom into one of Africa’s most successful companies and helped pioneer mobile money and digital inclusion across the continent.

From being “sent to fail” in a challenging market to creating a multi-billion-dollar enterprise that redefined how people connect, Michael shares candid insights into leadership, risk-taking, and why trusting your instincts can sometimes outperform data itself.

They explore the early days of Kenya’s mobile revolution, the power of serving consumers at the base of the economic pyramid, and why “never underestimate Africa” remains his lasting message.

Tune in for a conversation that blends business wisdom, digital foresight, and the story of a leader who helped shape an entire nation’s technological destiny.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.

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Host Wolfgang Fengler speaks with Jesús Crespo Cuaresma, Head of the Department of Economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and a long-time collaborator of World Data Lab (WDL). They discuss Crespo’s journey into economics, the art and science of forecasting, and the future of socioeconomic modelling in an uncertain world.

The episode captures the essence of why data matters: using rigorous yet humble science to make sense of the future, balancing complexity with clarity, and optimism with realism.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.

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In this episode of Data Talks, Wolfgang Fengler speaks with Marta Bowles, Chief Communications Officer at NIQ, about how high-quality data, and the AI built on top of it, is reshaping decisions for brands and retailers. Marta traces her path from CPG and direct selling to leading communications at a global consumer-intelligence company, reflecting on what’s changed (and what hasn’t) in the marriage of marketing, data, and technology.

They dive into why Gen X is an under-served growth engine (and how much spending brands may be leaving on the table), how younger generations expect personalization by default, and why granularity, down to panels, SKUs, and omnichannel behaviors, matters more than ever. Marta also shares NIQ’s platform shift, the role of human judgment alongside AI, and practical ways companies can use data to move faster and smarter.

Topics: generational spending (Gen X vs Gen Z), data quality as AI’s fuel, omni data and panels, IPO-era transformation, and career advice for the next generation entering insights.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.

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In this special edition of Data Talks, Wolfgang Fengler sits down with his long-time friend and World Data Lab co-founder, Homi Kharas. Homi reflects on his 26 years at the World Bank, his role in shaping the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and the origins of the “data revolution.” Together, Wolfgang and Homi revisit the dinner-table conversations that sparked the creation of World Data Lab, explore why making everyone count matters, and unpack Homi’s influential research on the global middle class. Looking ahead, they discuss the megatrends of demography and technology, and how AI could transform development worldwide.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.

Join Data Talks

L’Oréal’s Chief Marketing & Digital Officer Asmita Dubey joins Wolfgang Fengler on Data Talks to unpack the “math & magic” of modern marketing, blending creativity and technology, the rise of beauty tech, and what Gen Z and Gen X really want.

🔗 Learn more at worlddatalab.com
Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.