Podcast Host Jazzmen J. Wilson interviews GIS (Geographic Information Systems) professionals who work in utility, conservation, mining, cartography, programming, design, project management, film, and so much more! GIS is a system that creates, manages, analyzes and maps all types of data. GIS is used broadly across many types of fields as noted above and has an impact on our daily lives. Jazzmen started conducting personal interviews with people within the GIS community to discover what they do in their roles. She decided that it would be great to share with others who are interested in gaining knowledge about GIS or those who are already in the world of GIS to learn different point of views on how others apply this application in their careers. This GIS Chat platform gives a chance to learn insight from the professionals who apply GIS in their careers but also a personal look on who these people are as individuals by keeping the conversation informal, informative, and honest.
Send us Fan Mail Ex-marine, Justin Marlowe, has experience in language analysis, spatial analysis, and imagery analysis. An autodidact, he taught himself ArcGIS Pro in two weeks along with other GIS skills to help him now as a GIS specialist for Cherokee Federal( a government contractor). In this episode we talk about how being a lifelong learner is a necessary skill for any career, why the PMP may or may not be worth it depending on where you are in life, a lot of talk on the relationship between AI and GIS, and lastly how I ran passed David Goggins. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
New Website Launch Announcement!
Send us Fan Mail Hey guys! I am launching my new website, the GIS Chat. Here you can listen to episodes, get a link to the new YouTube channel coming soon, and send in a request to book me for any speaking or facilitating roles at your next event. It could be speaking at a college, presenting at an event, facilitating other GIS professionals, or moderating at your next big conference. Listen in as I give you all my sincerest thanks for following and listening to the show for almost 3 years! Links to my Website and Patreon are below: Website: https://gis-chat.com/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/GISChatPodcast1?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Michelle Williams
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re joined by Michelle Williams, also known as the Survey123 Jedi. Michelle is a huge Star Wars fan behind the scenes (hence the name). Michelle holds an MSGIS from the University of Redlands and has built solutions across industries, including utilities, archaeology, pharmaceuticals, and emergency response. After a 2022 car accident, Michelle had to relearn GIS from the ground up ~ an experience that reshaped how she teaches today. She now trains teams around the world, helping them design field data collection systems with the deliverables built first. We also briefly discuss an upcoming project that Michelle is helping spearhead for battered and abused women. The table then gets flipped on me and I am asked how I started my podcast and my experience being a keynote speaker at the 2025 AGIC conference. Her motto is "Healing Survey123 trauma, one individual at a time." Check out the links for the academies below! Start Date: May the 4th ~ Beginner Path. Start Date: May 22 (Grogu Movie launch) Advanced Path Link to Academy: Survey123 Connect Academy Join here for Michelle's upcoming FREE workshops, to get you from zero to hero: https://survey123jedi.com/ OR email Michelle: michelle@survey123jedi.com Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Arnold Kedia is back!
Send us Fan Mail Guest alumni, Arnold Kedia is back! One of the first guests' of the show, Arnold updates us on his promotion at Cox Communications from designer to HFC (Hyrbid Fiber Coaxial) Engineer. Along with a promotion he also created a rock scale grid nationwide for Cox Communications to help cost analysis on where to dig equipment and how his background in geosciences helped him spearhead that project. Lastly, we venture on his upcoming accomplishments from teaching at ASU to eventually wanting to go back to Central West Africa to teach GIS to students there as well. Arnold has a lot going on since last we heard from him, listen in! Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Suzie Knauss
Send us Fan Mail Mary Susan (Suzie) Knauss has been pioneering the GIS industry through developing programs, engineering, network management, and making waves in the communication industry. Starting from analog to digital, the prounounced girl geek has defied societal standards by entering the STEM field in the early 80's and successfully creating developments to better enhance our communication systems. We discuss some of the discrimination she experienced, the change of technology in network management over the years, how data is used and the management of it in New York, her woman owned business, and being a past president of the NYSGIS Check out the NYSGIS Organization in the link Below NYS GIS Association | A Non Profit Organization for Geospatial Professionals in New York State! Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Paul Scipione
Send us Fan Mail GIS Supervisor for the City of Mesa, Paul leads a team in the energy resources department. Mainly gas and electric, however, Paul has done it all from IT, to developing, to designing, and more. Paul taught himself different skills so well that positions were created just for him. On this episode we learn what drove Paul to be self-taught in many expertise in the tech field and how it brought success in his career. Also, what the gas and electric industry are innovating in terms of moving more towards sustainability, and lastly, the life of being a GIS supervisor. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Matt Forrest
Send us Fan Mail Director of Customer Led Growth and Product Engineering at Whereabouts, Matt Forest knows first-hand how to deliver GIS products in the hands of customers in a digestible way. Matt has always had a knack for teaching, and he does this through his podcast and through his educational GIS community Spatial Labs. Check out this episode as we talk about what his job entails, advice for folks entering the field and old timers as well, and why he created the GIS educational community, Spatial Labs. Check out Matt's book! Spatial SQL: A Practical Approach to Modern GIS Using SQL: Forrest, Matthew, Mitchell, Tyler J, Mitchell, Keith: 9781738767564: Amazon.com: Books Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Dany Bouchard
Send us Fan Mail Dany Bouchard is the CEO of the GIS consulting business, CartoVista. He saw there was an opportunity to help markets reach their fullest potential by showing them their own data and producing high end results so that they can make better business decisions. CartoVista believes in the user experience and thrives to make the Graphical interface and ease of use manageable for their clients. Jump in this week's episode as we talk about how Dany started his business and why, the belief behind good management, and some exciting endeavors CartoVista is taking. Mapping Software Solutions | Cloud Based GIS | Cartovista Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Khaled Garadah
Send us Fan Mail Dentist now reformed GIS programmer/entrepenuer. Khaled's life changed when he decided to minor in GIS while pursuing is MBA. His pursuits helped him his passion towards helping companies become more eco-friendly by using solar and renewable energy. This prompted him to create his own company, Geoscope Analytics that has been recognized as a startup partner by Esri. Listen how he made all of this possible on this week's episode! Check out his company here: https://geoscopanalytics.com/ check out Khaled book here: https://www.amazon.com/Leveraging-ChatGPT-GIS-Analysis-Practical-ebook/dp/B0D3N9R2C8 Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Grant West
Send us Fan Mail Grant West from, Hampton, Virginia, pushes the envelope and wants to help others broaden their knowledge within the GIS field. Mainly involved in telecommunications, Grant uses his expertise in data analytics and surveying to help best analyze poles maintained out in field and the building of newly constructed poles for Timmons Group. Grant also gives us an in depth look at what makes a pole successful and a failure. And how the telecommunications industry could improve how they use GIS. We lastly, briefly, talk on the differences between receiving a degree and a certification. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Evan Applegate
Send us Fan Mail Evan Applegate, the man and maker of all things maps. Owner of the map consultancy and podcast host of VeryExpensiveMaps, Evan goes through how him working for Bloomberg to National Geographic lead him to now being a freelance mapper. Maps on blankets, neon maps, and any other map you need through his websites. We also touch on the struggles cartographers face and what makes a good map. https://evanapplegate.com/ https://columbiapressworks.com/collections Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Michael Ivison
Send us Fan Mail *Sorry for my audio in this episode. However, Michael sounds great, and you will be able to pick up what we are putting down (Recorded May 4th, 2024) Michael Ivison is joining us from Japan. He is a jack of all trades, but he mainly works freelance, and content creates GIS tutorials on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@MikeIvisonGIS . In this episode we talk about how freelance work in Japan has been both a blessing and a curse, the identity crisis within the GIS community, how AI may not be as great as we think, and how important mental health is to Michael. Oh, he also hiked Mount Fuji. Give this episode a listen. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Olivia Ildefonso and Charles Grosperrin
Send us Fan Mail Owners and founders of North Arrow, Charles and Olivia strive to help the underprivileged community and expose environmental injustices through visualization and storytelling. With the combined backgrounds of marketing/business and activism, North arrow was born. They not only feel like they need to expose injustices and shed light to NGO's that are working to dissolve them, but they also feel it is necessary for the public to know about these injustices as well. A lot of non-profits are doing great work, but do not have the marketing necessary to voice their presence in the world. Thats where North Arrow comes in. Listen in the podcast's first ever duo interview: Olivia and Charles. Check out their website in the link below! www.north-arrow.org Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Sam Hashemi
Send us Fan Mail *Disclaimer: I apologize for my audio. I had to cut out most of my parts in this episode for the sake of making sure this week's guest, Sam Hashemi, could shine! Give it up for the GIS Chat Podcast first solo guest episode! Sam Hashemi, Founder and creator of the GIS Stack software, Felt, is passionate about design and innovation. Previously worked for NASA and founded the company, Remix, amongst other companies, Sam gives us a brief yet in-depth description of the latest news coming in for Felt and what customers can expect if they allow Felt be their new GIS guru. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Mihir Aranala
Send us Fan Mail Mihir is a recent graduate of ASU majored in Urban Planning. His love of buildings and architecture steered him towards a career that he felt would help the public. Coming from India to pursue a degree in Arizona was not a tough transition for Mihir as he easily adjusted. Along with how transitioning from an internship to a full-time job at Aecom, we also talk about why public transit is so important to Mihir, and how his time in India helped influence his drive towards building a better transit system for Arizona. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Jason San Souci
Send us Fan Mail Jason is the drone guy, or more professionally known as, a drone architect. His passion for drones has led him to podcasting, starting a nonprofit, a YouTube channel and working for Cognizant as a drone architect. Funny enough, the object that almost killed him in flight is the very object he dedicated his life learning and teaching others about. Listen in on this rambunctious conversation as Jason and I talk all things drones. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Frank Romo
Send us Fan Mail CEO of RomoGIS, Frank Romo's GIS background and upbringing inspired him to focus mainly on helping underrepresented communities across the nation. Frank saw the communities that were most vulnerable to injustices, and created RomoGIS to help train young adults in coding, mapping, consulting, etc. to help those particular groups in various ways. Along those lines, we talk about how hard it can be to find those datasets because of barriers and glass ceilings, but that never stopped RomoGIS. Listen in, as we hear Franks inspiring message about bringing community together and why that is so important to him. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Michael Mirobelli
Send us Fan Mail Michael Mirobelli is an enterprise architect and IT strategist for Esri. His role carries many hats to ensure his clients have a business structure that will help grow their business in many facets. The vision is the foundation that Michael then branches to create a business design (architect) that helps it come to fruition. Come along and listen to how Michael started working for Esri, what an enterprise architect/It strategist does, and how he was able to go back to school and complete his graduate program at Penn State while juggling life and family. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
Andries Heyns
Send us Fan Mail Andries Heyns is an advocate for advancing accessibility data for people who endure limited travel and healthcare resources. How he does this is through his work with NGOs like Doctors without Borders. A global organization utilizing GIS to help underprivileged civilians gain access to healthcare, education, accessibility, and much more through the use of GIS data. Andries has also worked with the World Bank to help with this initiative. Join us in South Africa as we learn more about Doctors without Borders and their work with accessibility modeling, plus, Andries paw-tners and crimes make a small appearance towards the end! Check out the accessibility modeling mentioned in this episode here! https://github.com/worldbank/Accessibility_Index Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
David Grafton
Send us Fan Mail Bad Elf Geospatial Lead, David Grafton, geeks out on GPS and GNSS. We discuss what products and solutions Bad Elf provides their customers. Along, with a new product released by Bad Elf recently. Dabbling into the good and bad of GPS with a suggestion of what product people should consider when going out on their next GPS adventure. Support the show Supporters - Michael Mascetti
