GIS Chat Podcast
34 episodes Last Updated: Apr 25, 25
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.
Episodes
Apr 25, 2025
Grant West
Send us a textGrant 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. www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Apr 15, 2025
Evan Applegate
Send us a textEvan 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 www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Feb 25, 2025
Michael Ivison
Send us a text*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. www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Feb 04, 2025
Olivia Ildefonso and Charles Grosperrin
Send us a textOwners 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 www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Nov 22, 2024
Sam Hashemi
Send us a text*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.
Nov 06, 2024
Mihir Aranala
Send us a textMihir 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.
Oct 04, 2024
Jason San Souci
Send us a textJason 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. www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Sep 13, 2024
Frank Romo
Send us a textCEO 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. www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Aug 02, 2024
Michael Mirobelli
Send us a textMichael 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. www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635
Jul 19, 2024
Andries Heyns
Send us a textAndries 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 www.spatialstack.ai/spatial-labOr Sign up: https://spatial-lab.circle.so/checkout/spatial-lab-member?affiliate_code=926635