# Building Trust in AI: A Conversation with AxonIQ CEO Jessica Reeves

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-beat-austin-tech-startup-podcast/building-trust-in-ai-a-conversation-with-axoniq-ceo-jessica-reeves
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-beat-austin-tech-startup-podcast/building-trust-in-ai-a-conversation-with-axoniq-ceo-jessica-reeves.md
Podcast: [The Beat: Austin's tech and startup podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-beat-austin-tech-startup-podcast)
Published: 2025-12-23T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461715/episodes/18401740-building-trust-in-ai-a-conversation-with-axoniq-ceo-jessica-reeves.mp3
Audio file: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461715/episodes/18401740-building-trust-in-ai-a-conversation-with-axoniq-ceo-jessica-reeves.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2105

## Resource

AxonIQ CEO Jessica Reeves discusses the critical need for explainability and 'showing your work' in AI to build trust in regulated industries. She shares her transition from HR to tech leadership and how event-based architecture provides the necessary context for reliable AI decision-making.

## Highlights
- Main idea: AI must provide a lineage of events—the 'why' behind a decision—to be viable in high-stakes sectors like finance and medicine
- Practical takeaway: Focus on communicating the value and benefits of your technology rather than getting bogged down in implementation details
- Failure mode: Relying on AI outputs without a verifiable source of truth leads to unearned confidence and potential errors in critical workflows
- Leadership lesson: Approach business interactions by treating executives as individuals with shared problems rather than intimidating titles
- Technical insight: Event sourcing and event-based architecture serve as a foundation for creating a single, auditable source of truth

## Topics

Artificial Intelligence, AI Explainability, Austin Tech, Startup Leadership, Event Sourcing, Data Governance, Software Architecture, Tech Entrepreneurship

## Chapters
- 1:00 — Austin Startup Awards: A roundup of the recent FIRE Awards winners in the Austin tech ecosystem, including Anaconda and Overhaul.
- 3:45 — From HR to AI CEO: Jessica Reeves discusses her non-traditional career path and the importance of balance in leadership.
- 8:55 — Scaling in Small Teams: The benefits of gaining broad exposure to all company components when working in sub-100 person startups.
- 14:15 — The Necessity of Explainability: Why AI must 'show its work' to be trusted in regulated industries like finance and healthcare.
- 19:40 — Value-Driven Communication: Shifting the conversation from technical implementation details to the actual value and context provided by the platform.
- 32:20 — The Risk of AI Hallucinations: The danger of AI's confident tone when presenting incorrect information and the need for verifiable sources.

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## Transcript

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