In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, John Wark, founder and CEO of Nashville Software School, talks with Charlie Apigian, a well-known figure in Nashville's tech community with a significant academic background. Charlie discusses his journey from academia to consulting, the importance of bridging the gap between education and real-world application, and how his company, Data Inspire, integrates eager new coders into meaningful projects. The episode dives into the evolving roles in tech, particularly data engineering, and the impact of generative AI. Charlie also emphasizes the importance of teamwork, community building, and continuous learning in the fast-paced tech world.

00:00 Introduction to Stories from the Hackery
01:51 Meet Charlie Apigian: From Detroit to Data Science
04:13 The Value of Skills
05:39 NSS Success Story: From Musician to Developer
11:22 The Role of AI in Accelerating Projects
23:52 The Importance of Data Engineering
27:57 Evolution of Data Roles
29:11 Challenges in Data Engineering
29:37 Importance of Reliable Data
31:24 Complex Data Architectures
34:30 Learning and Adapting in Tech
37:33 Teamwork and Project Management
43:20 Community and Future of AI
46:01 Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

Links from the show:

Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com
Data Inspire: https://datainspire.co/
Data Science Nashville Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/data-science-nashville/

LBMC: https://www.lbmc.com/
Belmont University: https://belmont.edu
Middle Tennessee State University: https://datascience.mtsu.edu/
Nashville Technology Council: https://technologycouncil.com/