Hilton Supra, Vice Chairman of the ztudium group and openbusinesscouncil.org, interviews Tobias Dengel, President of WillowTree, and the author of ‘The Sound of the Future’. Both leaders discuss how voice innovation will fundamentally change the way we work. The interview is live now on citiesabc & openbusinesscouncil YouTube channels.
As the world ushers into the Web 3.0 era with decentralised and immersive technologies taking over and integrating themselves with the conventional ways of functioning, the “Sound of the Future” provides a perspective for a more accessible and customizable way of voice-enabled world. Whether it’s experiencing interactive audio-driven simulations, enjoying personalized audio content tailored to individual preferences, or exploring virtual worlds with rich, spatialized soundscapes, these innovations are redefining how we perceive, create, and interact with audio in ways that were once purely science fiction.
Tobias told Hilton that emergent tech like Generative AI, powered by advanced machine learning algorithms, can take a transcribed set of words and transform it into rich, dynamic audio content. This capability enables the creation of lifelike voiceovers, narrations, or even entirely new audio experiences without the need for human voice actors or recording studios. It unlocks endless possibilities for personalized and scalable audio content, from audiobooks and podcasts to virtual assistants and interactive storytelling.
The two also discussed the benefits of the latest immersive technologies in content creation. In tandem with generative AI, immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are reshaping how we perceive and engage with sound. VR environments can transport users to immersive audio landscapes, making them feel like they are physically present within the audio narrative. AR, on the other hand, overlays digital audio elements onto the real world, enhancing our everyday experiences with context-aware audio cues. These technologies enable entirely new forms of audio storytelling, gaming, and communication, where sound becomes an integral part of our spatial awareness and interactive engagement.
About Tobias Dengel
Tobias Dengel is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience in Mobility, Digital Media, and Interactive Marketing. Currently serving as the CEO of WillowTree, Inc., he leads a prominent mobile strategy, design, and app development company catering to Fortune 500/5000 clients and major government agencies.
Dengel holds dual BSE degrees in Finance from Wharton and Systems Engineering and Finance from the University of Pennsylvania. He also serves as the Chair of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Board, responsible for overseeing Monticello, and sits on the WillowTree Board. Prior to his role at WillowTree in 2010, Dengel held positions such as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Web.com, with earlier roles at Leads.com, AOL, and AT Kearney.
Dengel’s influence extends to the tech and business community, as evidenced by his featured speaker role at the VOICE22 Conference. He has garnered recognition for his leadership, ranking as the #2 CEO among small and medium-sized business (SMB) CEOs in the United States on Glassdoor’s Top CEOs list in 2015.
Dengel’s consistent contributions have led to WillowTree’s consecutive appearances on the Inc 500 / 5000 List for four years, as recognized by Inc Magazine in 2015. He has also received the Smart CEO Future 50 Award, underlining his significant impact in the industry.
To know more about Tobias Dengel, visit https://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/wiki/tobias-dengel
About Hilton Supra
Hilton Supra is a business and financial industry veteran and thought leader. Hilton has more than 30 years of Finance, Investment, Banking, and Asset Management experience in international markets namely London, Europe, Africa, and Asia. This while having a passion for growing businesses, fashion, and new technologies, especially fintech and blockchain where he has been deeply involved since these technologies’ inception. Now, Hilton is co-leading the fashion directory fashionabc as well as technology startup Ztudium, a builder of 4IR platforms (using blockchain, AI and IoT data analytics).
From Quantitative Asset Management, Capital Markets, Trading software, Hedge Funds, and Private Equity, Hilton has worked for Morgan Grenfell, Deutsche Bank, AXA Investment Management, EIM Fund of Hedge Funds (responsible for $2.4bn of $13bn), and Cheyne Capital.
Hilton is a graduate in Engineering from Oxford Brookes University and a Master’s in Finance at London Business School. Hilton has always been on the leading edge of innovation and technology in banking, derivative trading, quantitative asset management, hedge funds, and since 2015 the application of FinTech, AI, and blockchain to enterprise solutions.
Hilton Supra is a partner and board member at ztudium, and the co-founder and one of the leading personalities driving techabc, openbusinesscouncil.org and fashionabc.org platforms.
Learn more about Hilton Supra on https://openbusinesscouncil.org/wiki/hilton-supra
Links & Resources
https://www.linkedin.com/in/woonsuk-lee-76b789191/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cocone-global/
https://twitter.com/Cocone_Universe
https://nfttallinn.com/speakers/woonsuk-lee/
https://reflectfest.com/speaker/woonsuk-lee/
About citiesabc.com
https://twitter.com/citiesabc_
https://www.instagram.com/citiesabc
About openbusinesscouncil.org
https://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/
https://twitter.com/openbusinesshq
About fashionabc.org
https://www.instagram.com/fashionabcorg/
About Dinis Guarda
https://twitter.com/dinisguarda
https://www.instagram.com/dinisguarda_/
https://openbusinesscouncil.org/wiki/dinis-guarda
With a driving passion to create a relatable content, Pallavi progressed from writing as a freelancer to full-time professional. Science, innovation, technology, economics are very few (but not limiting) fields she zealous about. Reading, writing, and teaching are the other activities she loves to get involved beyond content writing for intelligenthq.com, citiesabc.com, and openbusinesscouncil.org
