Expert Panel: The Rise of the Intelligent Data Layer: Semantic Layers, Catalogs, and Graphs
Webinar Speaker: Donald Farmer, Research Fellow
Date: Monday, March 30, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET
As organizations accelerate their adoption of AI, the need for an intelligent data layer has never been greater. Traditional data integration and access methods can’t keep up with the scale, speed, and complexity of modern data ecosystems. In TDWI research, many organizations report that they struggle to provide consistent meaning, context, and accessibility across distributed data, which can impact AI readiness.
In this expert panel webinar, we’ll explore how semantic layers, data catalogs, and knowledge graphs help to form an intelligent data layer that bridges business and technical users. Experts will discuss how these technologies deliver shared understanding, drive trust and governance, and empower AI systems to use enterprise knowledge. Topics include:
- How semantic layers unify metrics and business meaning
- The role of AI-augmented data catalogs in data discovery
- Knowledge graphs as the backbone for enterprise context and reasoning
- Integrating metadata, semantics, and relationships for intelligent access
- Emerging architectures for the intelligent data layer
Guest Speaker
Dave Mariani
Founder & Chief Technology Officer
AtScale
Dave is the founder of AtScale and is the chief technology officer. Prior to AtScale, he was VP of engineering at Klout and at Yahoo! where he managed some of the world’s biggest data and analytics challenges. Mariani is a big data visionary and serial entrepreneur.
Suresh Srinivas
Co-Founder & CEO
Collate
Suresh Srinivas is the CEO and Co-Founder of Collate and is passionate about improving data usability & experience. He is a committer for Apache Hadoop & OpenMetadata, a former co-founder of Hortonworks, and Chief Architect for data at Uber.
Jeff Hainsworth
Senior Product Marketing Manager
insightsoftware Data + Analytics
Jeff Hainsworth began his career as a software developer but quickly found a passion for business, IT, and networking. With over 20 years of experience in business intelligence and analytics, he has become a master of transforming data into actionable insights through intuitive dashboards and innovative visualizations. His journey spans from supporting software developers in building BI products to leading a top-tier presales technical team, implementing end-to-end solutions, and developing innovative product features.
Date: March 30, 2026
Time: 9:00 am PT
Donald Farmer