Made For Us

• Be My Eyes: the app powering a global volunteer movement for accessibility | Hans Jørgen Wiberg

  Get the free Made For Us newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and exclusive interviews: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/---When Danish furniture craftsman Hans Jørgen Wiberg launched Be My Eyes, an app connecting blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers, he had no idea it would grow into a global movement. But ten years after its launch, the app now boasts 800,000 blind users and over 8.5 million volunteers, more than the population of his country. In this episode, Hans, who is blind himself, tells the origin story of the app, how it “spread like wildfire” and Be My Eyes’ partnerships with companies like Microsoft and OpenAI.The conversation covers:The diverse and innovative ways people use the Be My Eyes appWhy microvolunteering - helping out for just a few minutes - has become such a powerful force for goodThe rapid growth of Be My AI, a new AI-powered feature providing users with quick visual assistance for everyday tasksThe challenges Be My Eyes faces in reaching underserved communitiesMissed last week's episode? Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech---About Hans Jørgen WibergHans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of Be My Eyes, a groundbreaking app that connects blind and visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers for real-time assistance via video calls. Born in Denmark and visually impaired himself, Hans created Be My Eyes in to address everyday challenges faced by blind and low-vision people. Under his leadership, the app has grown into a global community with 800,000 users and over 8 million volunteers in 150+ countries.---Learn more about Be My Eyes : https://www.bemyeyes.com/ Follow Be My Eyes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bemyeyesapp/?hl=en Follow Hans Jørgen Wiberg on LinkedIn: https://dk.linkedin.com/in/hans-j%C3%B8rgen-wiberg-8a16b915 ---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

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• Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech, with TB Bardlavens - listener Q&A edition

  Get the free Made For Us newsletter to access exclusive content and learn about future listener Q&As: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/---TB Bardlavens, Director of Product Equity at Adobe, joins us for this special edition featuring questions from Made For Us listeners. We discuss what it really means to build technology that works for everyone and how the Product Equity team tackles this challenge across all 137 of Adobe’s products. TB also shares how his team shaped Firefly, Adobe’s suite of generative AI tools, ensuring that its outputs truly reflect human diversity. Along the way, TB answers listeners' questions on the impact of DEI rollbacks in the US and Adobe’s approach to building inclusive global products that respect cultural nuances.Other topics we explore:Why traditional product development often fails to meet human needsHow Adobe is embedding equity and accessibility across its entire product ecosystemThe human case and the business case for product equityThe role of AI in creativity and Adobe’s mission to empower, not replace, creativesMissed last week’s episode? AI vs the gender feedback gap---About TB BardlavensTB Bardlavens is chaotic good in its purest form. He is a Gay, Black man from the Carolinas, a highly regarded social intrapreneur, and an advocate for equity in technology and design. He is a Product Executive, Cultural Strategist, Diversity, Equity, and Justice expert, Co-Founder, Writer, and International Speaker and Facilitator.For more than a decade, TB has dedicated his career to dismantling systemic barriers, building and scaling teams, and launching innovative digital products for companies like Microsoft, Meta and Adobe. Learn more about TB Bardlavens: https://www.bardlavens.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bardlavens Instagram: https://instagram.com/bardlavens --- Connect with Made for Us on LinkedIn and Instagram.Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

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• AI vs the feedback gap: making workplace feedback fairer, with Textio's Mykel Rangel

  Join the Made For Us community by signing up for our free newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/---How does bias show up in workplace feedback, and can AI help fix it?In this episode, we speak with Mykel Rangel, VP of Engineering at Textio, a company that has built AI-driven tools that are reshaping the way managers give feedback and how recruiters craft job ads. We explore the hidden biases in performance reviews, how feedback impacts employee retention and pay, and what leaders can do to create more equitable workplaces.We also cover:Textio’s research on workplace feedback and what language can reveal about a company’s cultureWhy women tend to get more personality-based feedback than menHow AI can help managers close the feedback gapStrategies for evaluating AI tools for bias mitigationEnjoyed what you heard? Pass it on to a friend - or tell the world with a 5-star review.Missed last week's episode? Subtitles for real life? There's a pair of glasses for that---About Mykel Rangel Mykel Rangel is the Vice President of Engineering at Textio, a company using artificial intelligence to help organisations create more inclusive, effective, and engaging written communication. Starting off as a tech writer, Mykel transitioned into software before joining Textio. Learn more about Textio: https://textio.comFollow Mykel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykel-rangel-18963322/Read the report on bias in performance feedback: https://textio.com/feedback-bias-2024 ---Connect with Made for UsNewsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

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• Subtitles for real life? There's a pair of glasses for that, with XRAI CEO Dan Scarfe

  Transcripts for this episode are available here: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/---What if you could subtitle everyday life? That question sparked the creation of XRAI, a company developing augmented reality glasses that display real-time subtitles right before your eyes. In this episode, XRAI CEO and founder Dan Scarfe joins us to share how AI and augmented reality (AR) are making conversations more accessible - for the 1.5 billion people worldwide with hearing loss, but also for anyone who’s ever struggled to hear in a noisy café, missed a detail in a conversation, or needed instant translation.In this episode, we cover:The highs and lows of building inclusive techHow XRAI’s earliest users (and Dan’s granddad) helped refine the productThe different use cases for the technology - benefits for the deaf and neurodivergent communities as well as global businessesThe future of AI-driven assistive technology and what’s next for XRAIEnjoyed the conversation? Tell a friend - or tell the world with a 5-star review. Missed last week's episode? Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/2af77d---About Dan Scarfe:Dan Scarfe is the CEO and founder of XRAI, a company using AI and augmented reality to improve accessibility. Inspired by his grandfather’s hearing loss, he developed XRAI Glass, smart glasses that provide real-time subtitles. Under his leadership, XRAI is expanding into live translation and workplace integration, aiming to make communication more inclusive worldwide.Learn more about XRAI: https://xrai.glass/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xraiglass/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xraiglass/---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

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• How to innovate responsibly, with McKinsey's Rikki Singh

  Why aren’t more tech companies prioritising inclusion in product development?Research by McKinsey & Company found that only 17% of product managers ranked inclusion among their top priorities. Yet, it can be a powerful strategic advantage.In this episode, we speak with Rikki Singh, a partner at McKinsey and founder of the McKinsey Product Academy, about the critical role of product management in fostering responsible and inclusive innovation.The conversation explores:Real-world examples of companies innovating to serve underserved marketsHow generative AI is exposing biases in tech while also unlocking the ability to create a more level playing fieldActionable tips for enterprises and startups to prioritise inclusion in product developmentLove what you heard? Leave us a 5 star review - it helps more people find us, and helps us bring you more great guests.Missed last week’s episode? Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/2ad6a1---About Rikki Singh Rikki Singh leads McKinsey’s software product-management work, helping the world’s largest software and fast-growing SaaS companies with product development and business building. She also founded the McKinsey Product Academy.Learn more: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/rikki-singh Follow Rikki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritikasingh24/Read the report on responsible product management: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/responsible-product-management-the-critical-tech-challenge---Connect with Made for UsShow notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/

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