AI That Empowers Humanity: Insights from Mark Heaps at Imagine AI Live 25 - E124

Imagine AI Podcast

In this episode of the Imagine AI Live Podcast, Chris Madden sits down with branding visionary Mark Heaps, formerly VP of Brand & Creative at Groq. Recorded live at the Imagine AI Live 25 event in Las Vegas, this conversation unpacks the critical role of storytelling, public iteration, and accessibility in the next phase of the AI boom. Mark shares insights from his journey building Groq’s brand from Series C to a million-developer cloud user base, and why he's now focused on amplifying companies that increase human potential. From real-time accent dilution tech (Sanas AI) to surgical precision models and inclusive interfaces, he gives a masterclass in how to turn innovation into influence. For AI founders, creators, and storytellers—this is a must-watch episode packed with takeaways on building in public, branding as infrastructure, and the power of clear narrative in high-velocity tech. (0:00) Welcome to Imagine AI Live & Intro to Mark Heaps (0:19) Mark's Role & Journey at Groq (1:11) What’s Next: Helping Companies with Impact (1:40) Accent Dilution Tech from Sanas AI (2:30) What “Amplifying Human Potential” Really Means (3:00) Real-Time Voice Tech & Language Interfaces (4:30) Accessibility, AI, and Coding with Voice (6:09) AI as an Extension of Human Capability (7:37) What Startups Must Do Today: Build in Public (8:30) Rapid Prototyping & Transparency in AI (9:32) The Role of Storytelling in Brand Growth (10:14) Brand as the New Umbrella (Not Just Marketing) (10:55) Why Storytelling Must Evolve With the Tech (11:25) Closing Thoughts