Influential Business Leaders of the Year- 2021 | November | Vol - 1

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EDITOR’S N O T E

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Editor

rom ‘Command & Conquer’ to ‘Collaborate & Grow’, leadership has shifted from an autocratic approach to a more democratic one, fostering learning, teamwork, productivity, innovation, and creativity.

Although the goal is to create an influence, leaders of the 21st century are more into self-improvement.

They invest in others’ abilities, helping them be more adaptable, committed to purpose, and progressive.

Such altruism has also helped in revamping the traditional corporate culture. The business world was stable in the early 2000s, and changes were more gradual. The Internet wasn’t as popular back then, and remote work wasn’t nearly as popular - as it is now. Managers and board members controlled entire corporate ecosystems with little or no input from employees. Cutting to the present, we are in a period of disruption and commercialisation.

Change and transformation are inevitable. That is why leaders are more mindful of the effect of technology on business and adaptability. Work no longer comes from above; instead, it is fuelled from within. The fundamental change has opened doors to innovation and creativity, allowing organisations to create a niche. It has also set the stage for a people-centred philosophy and the eternal value of kindness. This helps leaders introspect the distinct personalities of employees and brings the best out of them. Technology has also triggered a change in driving influence. For instance, with remote working, leaders entrust employees to achieve organisational goals without constant monitoring. The trend of empowering rather than constraining employees is critical to 21st-century leadership.

Scouting the efficacy of this new era of leadership, Business Talk Magazine is bringing forth a list of ‘Influential Business Leaders of The Year 2021.’

Our editorial team handpicked leaders with unique attributes - who are making an impact in their fields while also empowering their teams.

Sustainability has grown to become a crucial element in leadership influence. Technology and commercialisation are not likely to slow down soon; therefore, the principle of ethical leadership will continue to evolve. As a result, the concept of influential leadership will be centred on the development of future leaders. Young leaders with long-term goals will come up-front with employees having more authority and freedom to make decisions aligned with business’ goals and strategies.

EDITOR’S CORNER

ALTRUISM AND COLLABORATIONTHE FORTE OF 21ST CENTURY LEADERS

F

JEETENDRA THAKUR

PUBLISHER HIMANI PARASHAR Managing Editor Rashi Saral

Editorial Contributors

Jeetendra Thakur, Avishek Singh, Shivani Goyal, Harish Kateghar

Creative Head Rahul Kushwaha

Digital Marketing Manager Jatin Shrivastav

Business Head Shubham Mehra

Corporate Team

Shelly Goyal, Himanshi Sharma, Hemant Negi, Ayushi Taneja, Kiran Mishra

Research Analysts

Anmol Bhatia, Harry Dsena

Finance Head

Girdhar Kumar Thakur

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

CONTENTS

10

COLLEEN CALLANDER: FOUNDER OF CALLANDER & CO

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20

16

FIRDAUS NAGREE

ATTY. NILO T. DIVINA MANAGING PARTNER, DIVINALAW

DIRECTOR, FCI LONDON

28

24

SHEILA KLOEFKORN

AJ PERKINS

CEO/PRESIDENT, KEO MARKETING INC.

PRESIDENT, INSTANT ON, LLC

36

32 GRANT FURLANE

ANDY HSU

FOUNDER, CEO & MEMBER OF THE BOARD, LOCOMOBI WORLD INC.

40 PHIL GATTONE

FOUNDER & CEO, NEURISH NETWORKS

CEO, NEO SEMICONDUCTOR

46

10 BEST LEADERSHIP PODCASTS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW

48

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW?

50

10 BEST BUSINESS IDEAS FOR WOMEN IN 2021 November 2021 Business Talk | 7 |

INTERVIEW with Business Talk

CALLANDER & CO ------------------------------------10 DIVINALAW -------------------------------------------16 FCI LONDON -------------------------------------------20 INSTANT ON, LLC -------------------------------------24 | 8 | Business Talk November 2021

KEO MARKETING INC. -----------------------28 LOCOMOBI WORLD INC. ---------------------32 NEO SEMICONDUCTOR -----------------------36 NEURISH NETWORKS ------------------------40 November 2021 Business Talk | 9 |

S T O R Y C O V E R

COLLEEN CALLANDER: REDEFINING, REIMAGINING & REDESIGNING LEADERSHIP | 10 | Business Talk November 2021

“Leadership is not just a title; it’s an action and an example that inspires people to achieve the impossible.”

COLLEEN CALLANDER

FOUNDER OF CALLANDER & CO

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S

ince the 1st industrial revolution, the business community has witnessed seismic shifts. And it’s not limited to technology and infrastructure but mindset as well. It pushed women entrepreneurship, which was a fundamental change across the global landscape. But most important of all, it paved the way for design thinking. This helped in improving productivity and encouraged sustainability, allowing corporate leaders to be change agents. While these reforms are noteworthy, there is still a conundrum about leadership. Many people still assume leadership is about title, position, money, and fame. But, it’s actually quite the opposite.

The traditional settings of dominance and authority have been reshaped to collaboration and teamwork. Validating this notion, we are pleased to present Colleen Callander, a multi-dimensional leader with a proven track in growing many brands, winning cultures, and environments that inspire people to grow and flourish. She believes leadership starts from leading yourself as one life impacts another positively.

Her thought of leadership attracted our attention. She is a dynamic force in her native land, Australia. Recently, Business Talk Magazine engaged in a holistic conversation with her for their upcoming edition, ‘Influential Business Leaders of the Year 2021.’ The following cover story is a comprehensive discourse covering her journey from plinth to paramount.

DONNING THE HAT OF DESIGN LEADERSHIP Colleen was born and raised in Geelong and grew up in a business-oriented family. At a very young age, she began working in the family business and, at 16, got the first taste of retail.

Unbeknownst to her, this summer job was about to pave the way for a long and sustainable career in fashion retail. After 3 decades

in fashion and spending 13 years in-between, helming two of Australia’s iconic fashion brands, Colleen sought to write the next chapter of her life. Throughout her tenures, the way leaders interacted with people intrigued her. Even though she looked up to people with fancy titles, she realized power and authority don’t qualify as leadership. “Leadership starts with the person, not the position,” she avers. She believed that actions reflect the type of leader a person wants to be and the world they want to build.

However, she wanted people to embrace a ‘new era’ of leadership - that puts people first with a focus on sustainability. Taking a bold decision, she founded Callander & Co. to impact, influence, and inspire people to be their best version and create a much-needed change in the leadership setting. Her ‘new era’ of leadership is one of collaboration, integrity, authenticity, and kindness. These inherent values have not only helped her change the rules, but build a sustainable trajectory for many brands. She became an inspiration to women of various ethnicities. She encourages them to come forward, share their voice and find the leader within themselves. Colleen is passionate about creating a world where people feel more confident and inspired, and empowered to live each day with clarity and purpose, and where organisations thrive in the way they lead. She has shared her journey as a guest speaker at multiple conferences and events, including the Sportsgirl Fashion launches, Business Chicks Australia, Inside Retail, The Agency Leaders Symposium, National Retail Association, and Conversations With Thought Leaders.

CALLANDER & CO.: REINVENTING THE LEADERSHIP PARADIGM “The best leadership I have ever witnessed is where a person has a passion for a cause that is larger than themselves,” Colleen.

Colleen’s influential tenure and understanding of leadership

“The best leadership I have ever witnessed is where a person has a passion for a cause that is larger than themselves.” | 12 | Business Talk November 2021

have been the prime inspiration behind Callander & Co. Her desire to make a difference has sparked its growth beyond her wildest dreams and with several business streams to boot. In this new chapter, she can linchpin her thought process on a broader and deeper scale. And she is doing these through her Mentor Me Programs, Book, masterclasses, podcasts, coaching, and keynote speaking. Let’s understand these streams in a broader sense and how they inspire others to find and live their true purpose: Mentor Me Women: It’s a comprehensive program that equips women to be the leader they want to be. The program focuses on women of all generations from different walks of life, including executives, moms, students, young women starting in their careers, senior leaders, CEOs, and teachers.

Colleen nurtures them to lead confidently in their space, from conference rooms to home. “As a mentor, I guide and push them to step beyond the fence and build leadership abilities to set new landmarks in life,” asserts Colleen. She provides the right tools, actionable plans that allow them to navigate through leadership challenges - has a voice, steps up, lives with purpose and passion.

Leaders By Design (Be Empowered To Lead With Confidence In Business And In Life) – It’s a guide to unleashing people’s innate leadership abilities so that they become the leader others want to follow. Colleen describes her journey from her summer job to becoming one of Australia’s most inspiring CEOs and how she exhausted herself and nearly quit. Her story underlines her message, “Anything is possible if you are passionate, work hard and believe in yourself.” The book entails insights, guidance, and tools relevant to all generations - whether it’s someone climbing the corporate ladder, volunteer, teacher, etc. ‘Leader By Design’ also challenges leaders and organisations to embrace the ‘new era’ of leadership, guided by self-awareness, kindness, collaboration, trust, and authenticity in everything they do.

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Leader By Design Masterclasses: Launched in 2021, it’s a congregation of 12 masterclasses for senior leaders, emerging leaders, teams, business owners, organisations, and networking groups. These masterclasses are based on the book of the same name and inspire people to forge beyond.

Business Leadership Coach and Keynote Speaker: Colleen is dedicated to inspiring and sustaining corporate success via cultural transformation, strategic direction, and brand uniqueness across generations. Through her keynotes, she inspires her audience to embrace leadership as a lifestyle. Because leadership begins with refining one’s edges, she assists them in recognising this and turning it into a competitive advantage in the face of a merciless and volatile market.

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Colleen’s differentiated thought and understanding have put many feathers on her cap. For her, leadership boils down to motivating people to go places they would never otherwise go. Her work towards her dedicated cause has most recently listed her amongst ‘The top 10 Influential Business Leaders Making a difference’ by World Leaders.

She got the ‘CEO of The Year’ Award from The CEO Magazine ANZ in 2014, for which she previously served as a judge in 2012. She also contributes an opinion piece to CEO WORLD Magazine. Her book ‘Leader

By Design’ has raved a lot of positive reviews, with being nominated as a finalist in the ‘2021 Australian Business Book’ awards. She is also no stranger to the media being appeared on Sky News, The CEO Institute, Ticker NEWS, and has been interviewed by the likes of The Weekend Australian, Money Magazine, The Australian, Business Women Media, GT Magazine, Women On Topp, and Thrive Global to name a few.

DAUNTLESS TO THE LETTER Every inspirational figure has a unique tale of overcoming adversity and turning it into an opportunity. In 2007, Colleen faced her most difficult struggle yet: juggling her roles as a general manager at Sportsgirl and a mother of three children. “To say I was ‘busy’ was an understatement.

With three children – Macey was just two, Trent nine, and Jake ten – an average day was barely contained chaos,” she says. She had a lot on her plate, from raising small children, running a house, interstate travel, to having days packed with meetings, appointments, and leadership decisions. This period, as she says, is a Formula 1 race car – not refueled and worn out in every way imaginable. “I was only 36 years old, but I was utterly burnt out. I just had nothing left in the tank,” Colleen comments.

However, she sought to see this through. She took a three-and-a-halfmonth break and completely fixed up her Formula 1 car - refueling, changing tires, and learning how to best take care of herself. She found a life coach and learned to say no without guilt and selfishness. She focused on establishing the structures and boundaries that shape her life. By focusing on self-care, she turned around her life as a mother, leader, friend, or wife. Colleen shares this burnout journey through her platforms to help others recognise their burnout signs, and through Callander & Co., she offers strategies to eliminate burnouts and live a life of purpose, success, joy, and fulfillment.

KINDNESS – AN INNOVATIVE ELEMENT IN LEADERSHIP Kindness is a prioritised element in Colleen’s new era of leadership.

It’s no epiphany that the corporate era rides on sales, margins, market share, shareholder return, revenue, performance, and profit, which are all essential for organisations to reinvest, innovate, and grow. Good leadership that begins with accepting people as assets and prioritising their needs and well-being has a significant impact on the success of the organisation and its bottom line. As a CEO, Colleen has always strived to create environments that connect people and make them feel valued, trusted, and empowered. This keeps her employees engaged and motivated to bring out their best and contribute to the organisation’s success.

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Based on that, Colleen aims to encourage leaders to lead with kindness – something she has been doing for a long time. Any successful organisation needs a clear vision, long-term strategy with accountability for accomplishing its goals. It needs innovation, a sense of urgency, and entrepreneurial thinking. Kindness, with honesty and integrity, acknowledges the ‘Power of people’ and keeps people within an environment inspired. Shifting the focus from profit to people, purpose, and passion empowers creative thinking. Colleen believes an ecosystem that encourages people to take risks, open their minds, think outside the square, test and learn, and failure is progression – creativity will come automatically. Putting it simply, “One life positively impacts another.” When leaders provide much-needed support and the right environment, people will embrace creativity in everything they do.

“A great culture starts with you.

If you are responsible for people, you are also responsible for the culture.”

REDEFINING CULTURE ‘WAY OF BEING’ Creating a great culture is difficult – but it is worth it. Colleen describes culture as a ‘way of being’ embedded in the ecosystem and associated with people and purpose. It encompasses beliefs, values, practices, attitudes, and behaviours that people share in everyday life. In an organisation, a strong culture propels work satisfaction, retention, relationships, performance, and progression. A strong culture fuelled by strong leadership attracts the best talent, retains them, and improves productivity and engagement. While Colleen trains these through various means, her organisation follows them to the note.

Callander & Co. is driven by positivity. Its culture empowers people’s happiness, commitment, job satisfaction, pushing them to collaborate and innovate. “When I think about culture, I describe it as what people do when no one is watching!”

She affirms culture as a major USP in an organisation that needs to be taught and learned. It keeps employees connected with the organisation and inspires them for a sustainable career. Through Callander & Co., she promotes the need for openness, empowerment, collaboration, trust, and cooperation in an organisation’s culture. “I believe it is the foundation of a thriving organisation,” says Colleen. She further adds, “A great culture starts with you. If you are responsible for people, you are also responsible for the culture.”

NOT ALONE IN THIS JOURNEY From winning awards, breaking through glass ceilings to breaking records, and becoming acknowledged, Colleen has had a roller coaster ride. But it wasn’t just her blood and sweat, but also of the incredible people who believed in her and were with her all

along. Their collaboration helped her create an alluring culture that nurtures and acknowledges success. “Here, people give their blood and sweat and tears and strive to see each other - and the organisation succeed,” says Colleen. Her criterion for success is having a good impact on society and individuals. She is here to disrupt the current quo, empower women, and encourage leaders to rise up and lead with kindness and sincerity.

STEPPING UP WITH OPPORTUNITIES Within 18 months of inception, Callander & Co. has established a niche for itself. In 2022, it’s planning to step up the game.

While 2020-21 was full of disruption, it has allowed leaders to challenge and change the status quo. Organisations are now becoming more adaptive, encouraging new thinking, investing in people, and embracing collaboration. Within its brief span, Callander & Co. has built its forte in every business stream and is set to make an impact of a larger magnitude. In a broad sense, Colleen and her venture aims to imbibe equality and diversity in global leadership and encourage them to lead with kindness and compassion, acknowledge the power of people - creating leaders of the future.

A THOUGHT PROVOKING NOTE

“Be a role model to people. As human beings, we’re inspired by others’ stories of adversity, accomplishments, fears, and failures. It is through them we connect, learn, and grow. That’s why it’s so important to have role models and career mentors in our lives, particularly as new leaders.” – Colleen Callander November 2021 Business Talk | 15 |

“We are not the traditional law firm, we are dynamic.

Our mindset is to always find ways and means, to explore uncharted territory and do everything necessary to deliver superior results to our clients and give them peace of mind, of course, all within the bounds of the law, ethics, and reason.” | 16 | Business Talk November 2021

ATTY. NILO T. DIVINA MANAGING PARTNER

NILO T. DIVINA:

THE AWARD-WINNING LEADER-LAWYER BEHIND DIVINALAW’S METEORIC RISE

“A leader can come from anywhere, but the wisest of them are lawyers.” This is no dogma or doctrine, but a fact we can all agree on. Leaders, coming from legal backgrounds, have shown multiple examples of dispensing ‘Practical Wisdom,’ making them ‘Practical Visionaries.’

They are not adjudged by where they advise but where they decide to make a change. Putting it in another way, they are driving the concept of ‘Lawyers as leaders.’ In this issue, “Influential Business Leaders of the Year 2021,” we proudly feature Atty. Nilo T. Divina, Managing partner of DivinaLaw. His zeal for law and extensive experience in various practice areas has led to his firm’s booming in a brief span, cultivating it as one of the Philippines’ leading law firms.

A CELEBRATED PERSONALITY Be it leadership or legal practice, Nilo T. Divina is a virtuoso of both. He is a seasoned corporate and banking lawyer with over 3 decades of experience. Nilo was the Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of one of the leading banks in the country. Nilo is equally engaged in various roles in academia. He is the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) since 2009 and teaches at the University of the Philippines College of Law. Nilo is also the former president and chairman of the Philippine Association of Law Schools. He has authored five books in Commercial Law that are primary resource material for law students and lawyers alike.

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In 2006, he ideated DivinaLaw to give his experience and expertise a lucrative shape. Initially, he envisaged it as a boutique law firm, practising in select areas of law and would supplement his income. But one thing led to another, and opportunities arose one after the other, and DivinaLaw morphed into a full-service law firm before he realised it. Over 15 years, his firm has evolved into one of the Philippines’ top law firms. This year, he was included in the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Philippines Client Choice Lawyers’ first list of “10 highly recommended lawyers.”

Since 2018, the Asia Business Law Journal has continually ranked him among the Top 100 Lawyers in the Philippines. In a virtual ceremony in November 2021, he was honoured ‘Managing Partner of the Year 2021’ during the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Philippine Law Awards. His leadership, professional triumphs, community development initiatives, and contribution to the firm, the Bench and Bar, and the public were recognized in the award.

Nilo asserts, “We are not the traditional law firm, we are dynamic. Our mindset is to always find ways and means, to explore uncharted territory and do everything necessary to deliver superior results to our clients and give them peace of mind, of course, all within the bounds of the law, ethics, and reason.”

AN OVERVIEW OF DIVINALAW DivinaLaw is a full-service legal practice known for proactive and results-oriented services tailored to customer satisfaction.

Its expertise is a testament to its resources and accumulated experience backed by professional and collaborative work ethic. Founded by a multifaceted lawyer, DivinaLaw’s expertise encompasses the practice areas of Litigation, Corporate & Special Projects, Labor, Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Tax and Estate Planning, Intellectual Property, Immigration and Naturalization, E-Commerce & Technology, Risk & Crisis Management, Legal Education, and Legislative Advocacy & Policy Reform.

DivinaLaw has two offices - one in Metro Manila and one in Metro Cebu. It is the sole Philippine member of Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW), a consortium of 100 independent law firms from over 50 countries. The firm is also the sole Philippine member of Legalink, a global network of independent legal firms.

It has strong partnerships with 11 local law firms in key locations of the Philippines to further enhance its corporate, commercial and arbitration services.

AN AWARD-WINNING CULTURE Starting merely as a small venture, DivinaLaw today is more than just a law firm. In the founder’s words, it’s a battle-ready army for protecting clients’ interests, but also a family with genuine affection and concern for everyone aboard. As mentioned above, DivinaLaw has an extremely robust culture and motivated employees. And while everyone is adaptive to circumstantial adjustments, its leaders prioritize employees’ welfare. “This fosters unity and solidarity between management and staff, which enables us to weather challenges no matter how daunting they may be,” explains Nilo. In honour of their collaborative ethos and efforts, Asian Legal Business magazine has honoured them as ‘Employer of Choice’ for 2018, 2019 and 2021. | 18 | Business Talk November 2021

HONOURED WITH MANY PRESTIGIOUS LAURELS DivinaLaw has set benchmarks in legal practice in the fields of Banking and Finance, Corporate and Commercial, Litigation, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Restructuring and Insolvency which is recognized by Asian Business Law Journal. It has won the ‘Labor and Employment Law Firm of the Year in 2016’ and ‘Immigration Law Firm of the Year in 2018’ in the Asian Legal Business Philippine Law Awards. DivinaLaw was the finalist of the ‘SE Asia Law Firm of the Year,’ category of Southeast Asia Law Awards, in 2018 and 2019. It was also a finalist for ‘Regional Litigation Law Firm of the Year’ in 2018 and 2019 and ‘Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year’ in 2019.

DivinaLaw has also won Data Privacy Law Firm — Silver Award in the 2019 Datos Privados Awards of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines. Last but not least, it has housed the Silver Anvil from the 54th Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines.

ALWAYS READY FOR NEW ENDEAVOURS Sitting upon the results of combined hard work, DivinaLaw is striving to innovate and continue glowing and growing as a business. The firm has a lot in the pipeline that will be uncovered over time. Recently, it has established a financial advisory firm.

It’s willing to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to take advantage of the prospects that the Financial Institution Strategic Transfer (FIST) law will almost certainly offer. This law allows banks and financial institutions to dispose of their bad loans and assets to an SPV, usually for a large discount.

Besides these, the firm is investing in technology and constantly working on new and trailblazing ideas. “We hope we continue to dream and gather friends, clients, and hopefully, more accolades along the way. The moment you stop dreaming, you stop growing,” concludes Nilo enthusiastically.

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FIRDAUS NAGREE DIRECTOR

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FIRDAUS NAGREE:

SETTING THE BENCHMARK FOR LUXURY FURNITURE AND INTERIORS

In 1985, a company called Furniture Craft was set up by a couple who had emigrated from India to the UK. Their son, who had previously worked as a strategy consultant for Accenture, decided to join the family business as he saw an opportunity to grow the small boutique firm into a big retail brand. In time, he was presented with the chance to buy commercial real estate near his parents’ store. This is how one of the biggest brands in the UK luxury furniture and interiors market was born. We are talking about FCI London and the person behind the brand - Founder and CEO, Firdaus Nagree.

Our entrancing edition, “Influential Business Leaders of the Year 2021,” is covering many established and rising high flyers who have created an indivisible impact.

Speaking of Firdaus, he is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and business leader with a proven track record of growing successful companies. And over the past 2 decades, his outstanding leadership has helped FCI London win phenomenal recognition from customers and the industry.

FCI LONDON: FROM PLINTH TO PARAMOUNT At the outset, Firdaus was interested in the high-end luxury corner of the furniture market. The niche focus helped him build his clientele around HNIs. Working with the elites, FCI London grew into a respected luxury brand with deep roots in furniture design, manufacturing, and interiors. In the last 2 decades, Firdaus has grown the company from a 5000 Sq. ft. showroom to one of the largest and most successful furniture and interior brands in the UK. FCI has over 700 brands under a single roof in their North London Showroom.

They offer the most exclusive contemporary furniture from the world’s most renowned designers.

“This is a place that people want to work at – there are so many opportunities to learn new things, to try something without fear of failure – because that’s a big thing for me.”

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In his conquest to make FCI London a paradigm of excellence, Firdaus also introduced exclusive interior designing services for residential and corporate projects. The brand works with an in-house team of designers and architects to provide complete project assistance, from product sourcing to technical drawings to delivery and installation. They also work with a close network of interior designers, for whom they have developed a set of trade services aimed at alleviating the stress of design projects.

FCI London understands the challenges interior designers face and they aim to be their go-to helping hand for all projects.

FCI’s ethos embraces exceptional customer service with a commitment to providing the best in luxury furniture. Their commitment to quality reflects Firdaus’s tenaciousness and hard work. He started in property development at the age of 21, and since then his dynamism has been the anchor for the brand’s growth throughout the years. He is also an executive board member/investor to many companies across Digital Hospitality, F&H, Construction, Interior Design, Retail, Bridge Finance, Proptech, Education, Aggregated Logistics, Property, On-Demand Food Delivery and Insurance. His vast experience has helped FCI London grow in the B2C segment with a growing focus on B2B side as well. FCI’s clients are HNIs, corporates as well as general public.

A CUT ABOVE OTHERS The UK furniture market has an abundance of players working in the luxury segment. So, how does FCI London create its niche?

Through an end-to-end transparent customer service of the highest quality. Along with eye-catching furniture, it’s what gives them an edge over their peers. “From the installers, the fitters, the delivery vans, the warehousing, and the admin – it’s all in house, none of it is sub-contracted,” explains Firdaus. The brand goes the extra mile to ensure that every sale becomes a relationship, making them a sought-after partner in the premium business. But staying competitive is a challenge and it takes all hands on deck to ensure the edges are always polished.

Putting together a multi-disciplinary team is a task in and of itself. Understanding each individual’s motivations and aligning their thinking and beliefs with the company’s culture is initially tough to build, but it’s what keeps them on top. The team holds brainstorming meetings to identify and address strengths and weaknesses. The collaboration also fuels learning, be it technical or not, and helps them deal with challenges as a team.

A STRONG YET HARMONIC CULTURE Forming the team and a culture they can align with were the two most daunting challenges for Firdaus. However, realising their importance, the CEO steered the company in this direction, encouraging each person to evolve in an environment where they support each other. Everyone is encouraged to take a dive into their ingenious mind and present their ideas. In this way, Firdaus has created a tribe of like-minded people whose energy and goals align. Many team members work remotely and stay connected through digital channels. “While technology keeps us connected, our core values are the glue that binds it all together,” says Firdaus. He further continues, “This is a place that people want to work at – there are so many opportunities to learn new things, to try something without fear of failure – because that’s a big thing for me.” He believes there are no wrong answers, and he encourages the philosophy that if something doesn’t work, they should learn from it and try something else.

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FIRDAUS NAGREE: A LEADER & MENTOR Firdaus’s efforts in growing FCI London are also reflected in his growth as a leader. He is a member of the EO (Entrepreneur Organisation) Global Network, which aims to help entrepreneurs learn and grow and find peer support. It has around 14,000 members who seek collaborative growth and a safe place to speak honestly about their ideas as well as their failures and successes. As a leader, Firdaus believes seeking guidance helps in shared learning, which is humbling and empowering. EO has helped him grow as a leader and a mentor for others.

This has helped him identify and develop his team’s strengths and guide them in all quarters of their growth. For instance, the financial crisis of 2007-08 brought a wave of challenges to his business. To survive, he had to reinvent and shut many of his brand’s showrooms, which was a huge blow. But, in that despair, he realized the importance of overcoming setbacks, including the value of building a really strong team. He believes a great leader is always nurturing, supportive and an effective coach.

His and his team’s efforts have garnered many accolades, including ‘Best Showroom,’ ‘Best Interiors,’ and others. But the real fruits of labour are the customer reviews. Rather than categorizing reviews as beneficial or negative, they concentrate on what they can learn from them and use the compliments to gauge success.

RESHAPING ACCESSIBILITY TO DESIGNS Over 3 decades, FCI London has attained new heights, but the journey is far from over. Now is an era of spontaneous transformations, and the brand aims to change with it. The brand has set goals in two areas: doubling their team and developing a platform that will change the way customers access interior designs, allowing them to optimise their living spaces.

FCI will create a space that is visually appealing to customers’ personalities and will contribute to their overall satisfaction.

There is so much more yet to come.

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With the increasing urbanization and globalization, it’s no epiphany there is a constant increase in the global carbon footprint. The way we produce, distribute, and consume energy is identical to how it was a century ago. And it has several negative effects on the environment and climate. But the tide is changing; people are focusing on renewable energy and responsible energy consumption, both on the field and in boardrooms. Microgrid technology is triggering a fundamental change since it can function without being connected to the main grid. It also allows for integrating renewable energy sources such as solar, delivering efficient, low-cost, clean energy while improving the operation and stability of the regional electric grid.

AJ Perkins, a subject matter expert in microgrid energy solutions and integrations, is using this as an opportunity to shape a future powered by renewable energy. The following story focuses on his journey through the industrial space, finally finding his calling in microgrid integration and how he is taking it to new heights.

“We learn to analyze everything we do and continuously improve it”

AJ PERKINS

PRESIDENT, INSTANT ON, LLC

AJ PERKINS: AN INFLUENTIAL EPITOME SHAPING A RENEWABLE FUTURE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

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AN UNRIVALLED INDUSTRIAL GEM Mr. Perkins is one of the rare people destined to be an innovator/ entrepreneur from an early age. Born and raised in Hawaii, as the eldest of 3 boys and a high-performing student-athlete, his leadership skills came naturally. Since his sophomore, he ran a mobile disco being a DJ for parties around the island. Growing up, he built multiple businesses across different industries, from real estate and computers to private label wines and a chocolate factory. In 2014, he moved to California and got offered to co-run an LED Company; and he got the bug to pursue energy efficiency and sustainability. He began selling energy efficiency products in homes and became one of the top sellers in the country. He kept foraying into the C&I space, developing and combining HVAC and LED technology and was successful in attracting C&I clients for a utility rebate program. He met members of Lockheed Martin Energy at an industry conference, and they offered him a contract to secure C&I clients. With this contract, he and his partner landed more clients than Lockheed Martin’s 27 contractors combined.

In 2019, Jigar Shah introduced him to microgrids. He instructed him to win microgrid contracts, which his firm, Generate Capital, would fund. This was the first step towards unveiling grand prospects. From there, he grew as a subject matter expert, combining 3 decades of experience in growing businesses. He is a sought-after growth CEO, public speaker and has published white papers, articles, and op-eds for the sector. His most recent work, Nanogrids: A New Opportunity for the Solar Industry, was the #1 downloaded white paper on Microgrid Knowledge in 2020. He is a regular speaker and contributor to some of the biggest solar and energy conferences and conventions in North America and is being sought after internationally with his work on islands in the Pacific. His ability to understand and navigate the market has led to partnerships with many innovative technology companies looking to create and implement their US deployment strategies.

Recently, his company Instant On has partnered with a leading OEM in the presale and distribution of their new fuel cell coming to the US in 2024.

A CLOSER LOOK AT INSTANT ON Founded in 2020, Instant On is a microgrid technology integrator, developer and distributor, providing solutions based on customer requirements, industry knowledge, and evolving scenarios. It provides customized solutions for commercial, residential and industrial, along with utility-scale needs. It’s manufacturer and technology agnostic. Instant On serves all verticals of the microgrid market using multiple forms of energy generation, such as solar, CHP, fuel cells, wind and turbines. Within a year of its inception, the company has won a series of prestigious accolades, which set the stage for many globally recognized projects. Instant On has been recognized as the ‘Top 50 Most Innovative Companies to Watch,’ ‘Most Outstanding Microgrid Integrator,’ and ‘Top Energy Storage Solution Provider 2020.’ The company is partnered with Schneider Electric Green Struxure (GSX) for their Energy as a Service (EaaS) offering in the C&I segment. Recently, it secured a city-wide microgrid project for the 3rd largest city in the state of California, California City and is working with a coop in NE Ohio for Infrastructure as a Service supplying energy, telecom and water resiliency.

A LEADER GROWING THROUGH CHALLENGES At the outset of Instant On, Mr. Perkins met the most unprecedented challenges of his life that hindered its growth. On the one hand, wildfires, hurricanes, and heat waves swept across North America - the harsh weather forced residents to deal with power outages.

On the other hand, COVID-19 plagued the continent. However, | 26 | Business Talk November 2021

Instant On stayed afloat by focusing on challenges while eliminating its expenses. The Company dug into R&D to innovate new ways to improve the existing microgrid model. It identified the deficiencies in traditional solar, including storage, and ‘keep the power on,’ bringing them to integrate fuel cells. Instant On’s mission is to protect families, communities, and businesses. To do so, it broadened its ability to partner with more companies to deliver a more comprehensive Infrastructure as a Service.

It began integrating microgrids with multiple energy sources, storage and controllability options. “We also began integrating telecom and AWGs producing water from the air. This means our microgrid provides not only energy resiliency and reliable fibre connection, but clean drinking water too,” states Mr. Perkins. Starting in the energy efficiency industry without a strong engineering background has, of course, made it a roller coaster ride. The founder started from the ground up, knocking on doors, talking to experts in the field, hoping to learn the best way to bring solutions to solve big problems. The hard work bore fruits. In the following month of inception, it won the project to build nanogrids for 1 million homes for US Veterans across the country. The next month, March, it partnered with a Hawaii solar veteran to distribute batteries and controls to over 5,000 homes in the islands.

IMBIBED WITH NATIVE ETHOS Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀ� ina i ka Pono is Hawaii’s state motto meaning: “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”.

The Hawaiian language doesn’t have a word for “sustainability”.

Why? It’s because to them, it is life. This is where culture and destiny meet. Mr. Perkins has worked to ingrain this ethos into Instant On’s mission as they work with others. The team follows ‘Cooper-tition’ (combination of cooperation and competition) over competition, on sharing knowledge, resources and uphold relationships that explain their enthusiasm. Their teamwork achieves the best results with available resources. Ultimately, it enables inclusion and abundance. They also focus on learning, monitoring creativity, and ensuring that negative factors or failures don’t affect intrinsic creativity and innovation. “We learn to analyze everything we do and continuously improve it,” says the founder.

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

“Leadership isn’t a position or title, it’s an action and example. I am grateful to all those who went before me as those are the giants whose shoulders I stand on.

The path that I take is the one not taken and it is our responsibility to leave a trail.” - AJ Perkins, Founder and President, Instant On.

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SHEILA KLOEFKORN:

B2B MARKETING EXPERT AND FRACTIONAL CMO DRIVES BUSINESS RESULTS FOR MID-MARKET COMPANIES

The philosophy of marketing has dramatically changed since the 19th-century Great Industrial Revolution. The shift was fueled principally by technology, which has resulted in an exponential number of marketing breakthroughs. Technology has made the marketing process faster, more scalable, and more personalized.

While the paradigm shift is has been facilitated by technology, It is crucial to remember that every innovation has a mastermind behind it.

For our current edition, “Influential Business Leaders of the Year 2021,” we focus on the business leaders who are setting the benchmarks for success or driving innovative transformations in their respective segments. That is how we connected with Sheila Kloefkorn, a B2B marketing specialist, fractional CMO to mid-market companies, and CEO of KEO Marketing. Her passion for making a meaningful difference in the community and her clients has pushed KEO Marketing to offer custom and scalable marketing solutions to businesses of all sizes.

MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF DRIVING RESULTS Sheila is a business growth specialist with nearly 30 years of expertise, assisting businesses in generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and leads. In 2000, she recognized the emerging opportunities in online marketing and how they could support organizational growth. She founded KEO Marketing, setting the stage for it to become a leader in B2B marketing. KEO Marketing is now a full-service B2B marketing agency specializing in marketing strategy, messaging, digital infrastructure, execution, and analytics. For more than two decades, it has set success benchmarks in quality and innovative marketing across the global business landscape. The Agency is based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, and offers proven marketing programs that generate qualified leads to fill sales pipelines and help mid-market companies scale. | 28 | Business Talk November 2021

Looking at the portfolio of offerings at KEO Marketing, it is apparent the Agency’s offerings have evolved with changing clients’ needs. Sheila started this firm to uncover the exciting opportunities in online marketing, like SEO, and the offerings have expanded over the years.

Digital marketing has advanced to the point where it now requires specialized experts across many disciplines. KEO Marketing offers a team of dynamic content marketing, website development, email marketing, digital advertising, conversion rate optimization, and other experts who provide effective strategies. They know how to adjust when new data security laws come online, or Google’s algorithm changes. The KEO Marketing Team concentrates on evolving approaches to assist clients in connecting with their prospective and current customers. They constantly test out their implementation strategies to ensure they still drive leads and engagement.

Sheila is also a part-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for companies between $5M and $50M in revenue. Sheila is a trusted leader supported by in-house marketers and her team of specialists for clients who need a seasoned marketer to serve on their executive team. Sheila a fractional CMO, and her Agency team works as an extension of its clients’ executive marketing team. This unique relationship allows cost-conscious companies to scale much faster.

Sheila and her team at KEO Marketing consistently bring home awards for their marketing strategy, execution, and results.

Sheila was recently named Phoenix Business Journal’s “Top 10 Business Leaders of the Year” and “Top 25 Dynamic Women in Business.” The CEO Magazine featured her as a “Top 20 CEO”.

She was named one of “15 Arizonans to watch” by the Arizona Republic. She has received many Stevie® American Business Awards, including “Marketing Campaign of the Year”

“We cover for each other so each person can take vacations and travel as much as they like,” SHEILA KLOEFKORN

CEO/PRESIDENT OF KEO MARKETING INC. AND FRACTIONAL CMO TO MID MARKET COMPANIES

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and “Worldwide Women in Business Award,” in Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations. In 2021, she was named one of MARsum’s “Top 100 Marketing and Advertising Leaders.”

Sheila has also served on the boards of directors of various marketing, technology, and civic groups. She is a qualified business coach and a frequent lecturer on different marketing, business, and diversity themes, both nationally and locally.

LEADING TRANSFORMATION WITH TECHNOLOGY Technology has fundamentally changed the way B2B marketing communication happens. It has changed how companies communicate with clients, provide services and sustain relationships. KEO Marketing’s success always pushes it to stay ahead of the curve with technology. From CRM, SEO, and Marketing Automation, KEO Marketing offers a complete suite of marketing programs to personalize communications with prospects and customers. Sheila shared, “These platforms constantly improve and give us opportunities to elevate our results on behalf of our clients.” Innovation is part of KEO Marketing’s DNA. The Agency assesses its clients’ performance every month and constantly looks for new ways to boost growth.

KEO Marketing is competitive and always moving clients forward with new ideas.

SPECIALISTS ON BOARD While technology is the game-changer, KEO Marketing is nothing without the team that goes above and beyond to keep clients’ results improving month in and month out. Each team member is a specialist with years of digital and traditional marketing experience. The team works collaboratively to drive innovative thinking, creativity, and results. The team is distributed around the US and abroad, with some members based in India, Europe, and Asia. They maintain a flexible environment and connect daily.

“We cover for each other so each person can take vacations and travel as much as they like,” adjoins Sheila.

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But what keeps them engaged and enthusiastic? A shared sense of purpose, commitment, and well-planned rhythm to their weekly schedule. Monday is a day of reflection and preparation, with time allocated across the team to review clients’ results individually. Then the team gathers on Tuesdays to collaborate.

After that preparation is complete, they meet with clients each day, the rest of the week, with a bi-weekly cadence, to show progress and get approval for strategic changes. The team implements these shared strategies and tracks results. From brainstorming across disciplines, building the right concepts, and driving creative thinking and technological innovation, KEO Marketing team members work together with a singular focus on driving results.

DEDICATED TO A PURPOSE Sheila began this journey in 2000 focused on leveraging the internet to advance marketing results. Despite market changes and uncertainties, it is her mindset and determination that ensured the company’s success. She always works to be more positive, confident, and creative to lead her team to deliver the best work. Her commitment to this purpose has rewarded her company with sustainable growth. Many of their clients stay with KEO Marketing for more than a decade, which is rare in the marketing space.

On the road ahead, Sheila plans to continue to capitalize on the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is now present in nearly every marketing technology platform. AI allows marketing to scale with personalization and automation. Sheila and her team are constantly testing new technology to help their clients deliver more value to their customers and prospects.

PARTING WITH A THOUGHTFUL NOTE

“Show your curiosity and see what you can do. Focus on the results, learn, and don’t be afraid to fail.” – Sheila Kloefkorn

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GRANT A LEADER BEYOND CONVENTIONAL BOUNDS

G ra nt Fu r la n e Founder, CEO & member of the board

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FURLANE: They say, “Leaders are made, not born.” Much like empires, companies come and go, but the deeds of their leaders last a lifetime. Looking back over the last ten years, the business community has become more welcoming. And it was the efforts of business veterans, which transformed the business landscape, paving the way for others.

They’ve led companies in innovation, helped people see and believe in a goal, and set an example for their employees. Since digitization, leaders have focused more on refining their business. In fact, keeping technology in the centre, they are redefining the principles of business and leadership. And examples of such idols range from Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Jeff Weiner, etc. While some leaders are wellknown, other technocrats or leaders, despite their global significance, deserve greater recognition.

Business Talk Magazine, in this edition, “Influential Business Leaders of the Year 2021,” aims to set the stage for such prolific leaders. This brings us to Grant Furlane, CEO of LocoMobi World Inc. Mr. Furlane is a technocrat and a multi-disciplinary leader whose passion for innovations has set several benchmarks in the industrial circuit.

The following read is his story and insight to his company, LocoMobi World Inc., a technology firm defining the smart city vision.

GRANT FURLANE: A TRUE VISIONARY A former President of the Canadian Parking Association, Mr. Furlane is a highly regarded figure in the smart city paradigm. He has over 40 years of experience with specialization in Smart City Transportation, Network Security, Cloud Computing, Loyalty programs and Parking, Transit and Tolling industries. He has worked on technology projects of over $600 Million investments and has led several initiatives for IT magnates. Mr. Furlane has served as the Co-Chairman of the first World Symposium on Intelligent Transportation System. He was a guest contributor of infrastructure at the United Nations congress.

Mr. Furlane has also served as Chairman to the Neurological Hospitals Centers for Disability and the Board of Governors of Ontario Junior Hockey. And has investments in the entertainment and sports industries. Moreover, he has strong business ties and investments in China with channels in both import and export.

“It can be a tough route as we do not have the support mechanisms we all turn to when we hit roadblocks, but we learn.”

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Parallelly, he is a serial entrepreneur who invests and assists startups to rollout successful executions. He is the brilliant brain behind three transportation technology companies standing at the forefront of vehicle tracking and monitoring. His technology expertise and international scope have enabled his companies to develop integrated control systems for major airports, hospitals, and parking lot management companies. He’s also an expert in Threat Prevention Automation, which combines Artificial Intelligence and Machine Vision.

LOCOMOBI: A DYNAMIC SMART CITY INNOVATOR After an avid period of empowering startups, Mr. Furlane co-founded LocoMobi with two partners. He envisioned a congestion-free world, where people could travel more efficiently and without distress. And his vision turned LocoMobi into an innovative endeavour. The Company specializes in creating disruptive solutions through innovative hardware and cloud-based technology to address emerging Smart city needs.

Its offerings are tailored to parking, tolling, transit, storage, asset tracking and threat management sectors. By simultaneously focusing on multiple synergistic industries, LocoMobi is better able to realize its vision of creating fully connected cities globally.

OVERCOMING THE HURDLES Mr. Furlane and his innovative venture tasted the fruits of success through simultaneous endeavours. Putting together a team with the same level of enthusiasm and quality to carry out his vision was difficult at first. Another concern was rolling out products and services in a timely and professional manner. But adapting to a style that addresses the needs of clients and the team itself helped in moving. Mr. Furlane believes that to build a like-minded team, all it needs is listening, a clear understanding of meeting deadlines and the required support to do so. “We like to share our journey, and the keystone has been a skilled listener,” says Mr. Furlane. With a goal-oriented team, it is easier to sell products and services; and the resultant outcome helps in raising capital, cash-flow and further improves execution/delivery plan to overcome bottlenecks and unneeded setbacks.

Working as a team, LocoMobi is constantly looking for new business opportunities to keep investors and strengthen itself by applying new technologies, such as AI, ML, and more. LocoMobi will evolve to serve multiple industries as the global landscape changes, switching from one market to the next. Its ability to adapt has been its biggest companion. It helps in executing strategies and attracting investors by adapting market trends and a robust set of hardware and software - fully integrated into the cloud.

WHAT POWERS HIS FORTE Using passion - to build a community, which can welcome more like-minded individuals has been the founder’s greatest achievement. His journey hasn’t been lean, but struggles and sacrifices have helped him stay on track. He believes in teamwork and has welcomed the right financial partners who support and value his vision. For starting a business, it’s common for good ideas to go unnoticed by giant corporations. Mr. Furlane had to chase his dreams and make tough decisions that he had to bear with the consequences of. “It can be a tough route as we do not have the support mechanisms we all turn to when we hit roadblocks, but we learn,” he explains. At an early stage, he used to set goals, reach them and then set new goals. The process | 34 | Business Talk November 2021

motivated him, and as he got older, he looked at solving personal goals with the same approach. He believes personal goals hinder business goals, and solving them will help in managing the rest.

He further applied the same approach with his team, balancing their personal and financial needs to meet the ultimate goals.

Mr. Furlane sees each team member as his source of motivation.

Through LocoMobi, He offers them a path to grow and encourages them–never to stop or give up, just like himself. He also puts effort into instilling creative thinking, giving insight into performance.

His company has its own psychologists/ performance coaches, and he sits with them and encourages expression and things they are passionate about.

AN OPEN HEART TOWARDS LIFE “Work is fun, so I think I am always working in my mind.” Stating this, the founder still keeps a welcoming attitude towards life and its opportunities. He loves boating, working out, spending quality time with his family, and most importantly, his Dogs. He also loves helping the less privileged and has chaired many charities and foundations, such as Have a Heart for Down Syndrome and the Children’s Center for Disability.

MESSAGE TO ASPIRERS

Be a great listener and then lead with decisions that make sense. Second, you must read. You need to be aware of the work as the world is shrinking with the internet and social media, including how to lead. Information is king. And, of course, get involved in charities and help people as it teaches so much about people and leadership.”– Mr. Grant Furlane

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ANDY HSU

CEO, NEO SEMICONDUCTOR

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ANDY HSU:

THE IDEATOR OF THE FASTEST FLASH MEMORY ARCHITECHTURE

“Everyone’s knowledge and expertise are limited, so we strongly encourage open conversation.

During the exchange of knowledge, many brilliant ideas emerge.”

In the 1980s, the world was introduced to flash-based SSD or solid-state drives, which became a major landmark in storage technology. Since then, technology has advanced - and the focus in SSD development has been scaling and fitting more data into the same storage space. For many years, the fact - that NAND Memory was planar limited further development, making 2D NAND flash the only option. Thankfully, introducing 3D NAND flash technology changed all of that. The technology allows cells to be stacked instead of shrunk to improve storage capacity. Because the cells are stacked, each cell can be larger, resulting in increased storage and reliability. It’s also faster, lasts longer, and uses less energy. The technology also presented the opportunity for breakthroughs within its architecture.

Seizing this opportunity, Mr. Andy Hsu, an award-winning technologist, is creating enormous waves in 3D NAND Flash Memory Technology. Under his stewardship, his tech firm, NEO Semiconductor, is pushing the limits of traditional NAND technology, with a rousing success across the globe.

THE FLASH MEMORY INNOVATOR Andy is a technology maestro with over 25 years of extensive background in the Semiconductor industry. He spent over a decade heading R&D and engineering teams in startups and developed over 60 products in NOR flash, EEPROM, and NVSRAM. He’s also a non-volatile memory innovator, having over 100 awarded US patents. During his graduate school, he conducted research and wrote a thesis on Artificial Neural Networks. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical, Computer, and System Engineering (ECSE) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and a Bachelor’s degree from Taiwan’s National Cheng-Kung University.

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Being entirely encased in the technology circuit, Andy grew a keen interest in the evolving challenges within the industry. Even though technologies are continuously unfolding opportunities, companies often lack proper direction. Speaking of which, 3D NAND Flash Memory Technology was about to set new trends in storage technology. And it was lining up opportunities for an innovator to create breakthroughs. Understanding the prospects, Andy founded NEO Semiconductor. He followed his passion for pursuing technology breakthroughs and created the world’s fastest 3D NAND Flash Memory Architecture. His passion and dedication have spawned many breakthroughs over the last decade, and he aspires to shepherd the world into a new and evolved future.

Andy also looks up to leaders who have made a remarkable breakthrough in their careers. And amongst many, he had the best advice from Bob Duggan, former CEO of Pharmacyclics. He advised him to develop innovative technologies to benefit the world instead of focusing on profit, and great success would follow.

And judging from his company’s growth, Andy has followed every word to the letter.

NEO SEMICONDUCTOR: CREATING PATH-BREAKING SOLUTIONS Headquartered in San Jose, California, NEO Semiconductor R&D focused design house developing innovative solutions on 3D NAND Flash Technology, embedded flash technology (IoT), and other emerging memories. Over the last 8 years, it has earned over 20 patents in memory design architecture and cell structures.

In 2018, the company made its big breakthrough launching the ‘X-NAND’, a revolutionary design architecture that can achieve SLC’s speed with TLC and QLC densities. It’s mainly based on the existing mainstream 3D NAND flash memory technology.

NEO Semiconductor re-designed the architecture of the memory array and circuit to increase the speed without increasing the cost of the memory chip. This solves the slow speed problem of the traditional NAND flash memory. This is a critical innovation for today’s booming 5G, AI and IoT applications. X-NAND can drastically increase the speed of NAND flash memory by 3 times for random read and write, 15 times for sequential write, and 30 times for sequential read.

GROWING AND BUILDING ON CHALLENGES Creating an impactful change through 3D NAND Flash Technology hasn’t been easy for Andy and his team. Although they sought to resolve prevailing challenges, it required a lot of R&D to find the right direction. “We felt like explorers on the front lines of a foreign territory. We couldn’t even guarantee that we’d find any answers,” he explains. For many years, they operated in stealth mode, developing R&D projects until 2020. They took part in the Flash Memory Summit conference to debut the X-NAND innovation as a keynote speaker. And that was the light bulb moment. The project gained huge positive traction, and they earned the epithet of ‘Most Innovative Flash Memory Startup–FMS 2020’. Although it wasn’t easy, Andy believes it was the dedication of the team members, investors and other stakeholders that helped NEO Semiconductor attain new heights. Their courage and belief in taking challenges navigated the company even through the COVID-19 and ultimately achieve the desired goal.

NEO Semiconductor’s meteoric rise reflects its inherent creativity, passion, and persistence. And its people who believe and share a common goal fuel these qualities. Andy believes these qualities are critical to R&D. They fuel the burning desire to keep moving despite intricacies and challenges.

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LEADING WITH A CREATIVE DRIVE Employees, be it in an established enterprise or startup, are its greatest assets. It’s their determination that sets a company apart. NEO Semiconductor was born from a vision to develop innovations that can foster a better future. This vision stimulates its people to work tirelessly and strive forth. However, building and sustaining this talented and passionate team requires a visionary, such as Andy himself. He has always favoured passionate people, and working with a bunch of dream-chasers has proved fruitful. Andy also loves mentoring people, aligning self-growth with the organization. Open discussions and brainstorming sessions are conducted to discuss and generate creative ideas. “Everyone’s knowledge and expertise are limited, so we strongly encourage open conversation. During the exchange of knowledge, many brilliant ideas emerge,” asserts Andy.

He also pushes them to be persistent in driving creative ideas, especially engineers, to scour for better ideas, even if it’s an old project or a new one. The consistency eventually creates breakthroughs, and that is how Andy and his team keep the company’s wheels turning.

PARTING WORDS OF THE LEADER

“Startup is a risky and challenging path, especially if it’s in the high-tech field. Hence, staying positive and optimistic is very important. Find strong partners, get support, be motivated, be ready for unforeseen challenges and even failure, and enjoy the journey. You will learn a lot and enrich your life.”

www.rankkeepers.com

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“We turn our challenges into motivation because we’re on a mission, and we’re not stopping until we succeed.”

PHIL GATTONE FOUNDER & CEO

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PHIL GATTONE: A VISIONARY WITH AN IMPACTFUL INNOVATION There is a famous saying, “A person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” A strong purpose sets a person on a trajectory to create something innovative and impactful. Speaking of which, the purpose of every entrepreneur is to become an influencer in their respective field. Individuals with calling and unbending motivation set directions for others. Their leadership, reputation and credibility directly translate to business success.

While there are no clear paths to becoming an influential figure, connecting and engaging with others around a shared goal is a fine idea. A fine example of this notion is Phil Gattone, founder and CEO of Neurish Networks. An electrical and computer engineer, Phil bags over 15 years of experience in software development. He is one of the few leaders in the community who shaped his childhood challenge to aid others. The following piece is his journey to becoming a self-made entrepreneur and how his creation has become a vital component of society.

AN IMPACTFUL & INSPIRING BEGINING Phil had epilepsy since he was a child and had terrible seizures throughout school. His first seizure happened in the middle of a night, which frightened not only him but his parents too. “They thought I was dying,” says Phil. Doctors thought it was just a single occurrence. But, he had multiple seizures; at one point, he was having 300 seizures a day. The disorder had the worse social impact on his childhood. He struggled with things that were normal to his age. He required special aid, and the other kids, not knowing what epilepsy was, made him feel isolated. However, Phil found hope in the embrace of his family (Parents, brothers and sister).

Their invaluable support even helped him graduate high school with honours and finish college as well. After graduating in 2009, he moved to the east coast and started developing software for defence contractors and Govt. Organizations.

Growing up with this seizure disorder, Phil met thousands of people like him, and very few had the same support as him. Having strong technology background, he found this ambiguity an incredible opportunity for an integrated network to help people with epilepsy.

And that is how Neurish Networks came to being. While he had a good share of challenges in bringing his creation to its full potential, Neurish is now on a progressive trajectory and endorsed by many stakeholders, including users and the community at large.

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Neurish Network: A SOCIAL REMEDY FOR EPILEPSY PATIENTS Headquartered in Washington, DC, Neurish provides applications, tools, and software to improve the lives of epilepsy-affected patients, caregivers, friends, and families. It has developed two applications: FriendsWithEpilepsy.com: A social network for epilepsy-affected patients, caregivers, friends, and family. After joining, users can create profiles and connect with other people locally or globally.

They can share their experiences and have open discussions with questions and answers from the community.

EpilepsyDocs.com: This application allows users to search, rate, and review epilepsy specialists across the country. It has a customized map with locations of epileptologists across the country. All patients can get a second opinion or share their experience in the app.

Neurish ultimately aims to build a community where people with this seizure disorder can meet and help each other. The tools provide affected people with the opportunity to find genuine information, find quality care and learn how to thrive. This eventually creates a strong and nurturing support network that can help people with epilepsy live the best version of themselves.

NOT WITHERED BY HURDLES Starting in 2015, Phil and his brainchild had to face its share of hurdles. First was marketing their products and building a user base. Being boot-strapped, it became difficult to invest heavily in marketing and build a firm presence. The second and biggest challenge has been finding a good investor. Neurish initially began through a startup accelerator and pitched their idea to multiple investors in Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco. By now, Phil formed a team, and they were developing products for Neurish. In 2016, they found a sponsor, a pharmaceutical magnate, who helped them complete their prototype. However, the beta version had too many features, so they redesigned Neurish into an integrated platform for multiple applications. “This gave us much more flexibility and opened further opportunities to expand to other medical conditions,” adjoins Phil.

In 2020, they applied for another accelerator, New Chip, which gave them useful insights into start-up funding, refined their pitch deck and connected with dozens of investors. After graduating from New Chip, Phil and his team have been focusing on raising their seed round of funding. Working with the accelerators, they have created a strong network of stakeholders, including financials, partnerships, clients with a growing user base, which significantly helps in marketing and reaching the audience. Although they are yet to find an investor for the rapid ascent, it doesn’t stop them from growing - on their own. As Phil says proudly, “We turn our challenges into motivation because we’re on a mission, and we’re not stopping until we succeed.”

A CLOSER LOOK AT PHIL GATTONE Phil’s endeavour in mushrooming his brainchild is quite incorrigible. As an entrepreneur and leader, it took great effort to communicate his vision of Neurish. But now, with mentors and advisors on board, he is communicating his vision with a large base. Phil is also very passionate about life. He loves working out and spending quality time with family and friends. The social enthusiasm helps him drive creativity within his company. At Neurish, everyone loves experimenting with ideas from every perspective. They do brainstorming to curate new ideas that can create creative solutions.

IMPACTFUL AND POTENTIALLY COMPETITIVE Besides being impactful, Neurish is a highly competitive platform.

Epilepsy is something that affects people and their surrounding community. Although physicians can offer medical treatment, the affected needs to connect socially for complete recovery. This is where Neurish is creating its niche. It connects people and adds significant value to their life and deep impact on the world as well.

“I think deep down we all want to leave a mark, which motivates us to keep going; and that, I believe, is what every entrepreneur and investor wants,” explains Phil. He and his team are well researched on the growing digital acquisitions in healthcare and believe this is the best time for Neurish’s growth.

A PARTING NOTE BY THE FOUNDER “Be open to learning and don’t compare yourself to other leaders. Be yourself and develop your own vision while also being open to other’s views and opinions. Finally, make others want to be like you.”

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Recently, he got married, and his wife is a major support in growing Neurish. They share a similar vision about the company, and while Phil spends hours on his passion, his wife supports him diligently. In his words, he says, “She has always encouraged me to work hard and is there for me when I am frustrated. She really keeps me going.” He is focused on raising the seed round of funding and looking for investors willing to align with their vision.

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10 BEST LEADERSHIP PODCASTS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW?

LEADER S HIP & IDEA S 50

10 BEST BUSINESS IDEAS FOR WOMEN IN 2021

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10 BEST

LEADERSHIP PODCASTS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW | 46 | Business Talk November 2021

For successfully running a business, you need strong guidance from the people who are at the helm.

Therefore, the best way to get guidance is by listening to podcasts from the most renowned business leaders in the world. In this article, we’ll discuss the top ten leadership podcasts you must subscribe to.

Top 10 leadership podcasts are: 1. The Tim Ferriss Show It is one of the most popular leadership podcasts in the world, and it’s simple to see (or hear) why. For every episode, Ferriss questions a guest who’s at the field top and breaks down the techniques and routines they’ve managed to climb there.

Ferriss draws from every field for his guests and in an hour and a half, he dives deep into what pushes each of them to excellence.

2. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders podcasts are extremely helpful. Each episode focuses on a new speaker who has walked on the path to business success. Some of the questions involve how to sustain during startup grind, what you can discover from ‘unicorns’, and how to thrive as a woman in tech.

3. How I Built This In this podcast, Guy Raz talks to founders and innovators and discusses why and how their businesses came to be. Raz concentrates particularly on ideas that lead to new startups. Every episode concentrates on a diverse business and the people who made it possible.

4. Behind the Brilliance Lisa Nicole Bell calls herself an entrepreneur, artist, and snacks lover. Her episodes feature writers tend to be particularly appealing, and when she’s not carrying out interviews, she responds to listeners’ questions during in-depth solo recordings.

5. HBR IdeaCast The Harvard Business Review is a magazine delivered by the university’s subsidiary. It’s a notable publication that covers all kinds of topics including management, finance, strategy, and more. IdeaCast is one of the leadership podcasts that come under the HBR. It focuses on interviewing business leaders, and every episode focuses on a distinct aspect of what makes that guest a success.

6. The Nice Guys on Business Nice Guys talk to startup founders, entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, or other successful, self-made figures. Every guest on their roster is awesome, but even more so is the fact that they issue five new episodes every week.

Every episode concentrates on a distinct aspect of business or management that you can improve, which should make The Nice Guys on Business a central fixture in your library.

7. Eat Sleep Work Repeat This leadership podcast concentrates on how you can make use of your time spent on the job and balance it with your life. Host Bruce Daisley interviews several interesting guests, involving entrepreneurs, psychologists, and ‘workplace experts’. They include a range of topics from how to promote meetings to the gig economy.

It’s fantastic to listen if you’re an employee, but even more relevant if you’re a business owner. Studying how others have built their business practices better and further how to boost your leadership skills.

8. StartUp The startUp is one of the rare leadership podcasts.

Instead of talking about founders and businessmen, it follows more of a documentary approach. The podcast looks back through history to some of the most exciting periods in the business world.

In between documentary episodes, the hosts also get the time to talk to celebrities, famous athletes, and the occasional CEO. If you’re involved in podcasts with fun formats, StartUp is probably the right one for you.

9. Business Wars Every company competes with another. Some of those conflicts are legendary, and Business Wars is all about chronicling the most vicious fights in the arena.

Business Wars produce episodes on famous rivalries like Boeing vs Airbus, Facebook vs Snapchat, Ford vs Chevrolet, and many other names. Instead of dedicating a particular episode to each rivalry, they usually create three-to-six-part series.

One common critique of this podcast is its dramatizations of historical events. However, it depends upon your personal preferences, Business Wars could make for an excellent listen if you want to discover how to win over your competition.

10. Masters of Scale Masters of Scale is a leadership podcast that talks about the journey, from startup to dominating in your field. The most notable names on the podcast involve Marissa Mayer, Ariana Huffington, and Brian Chesky – all, in their right, leaders of business empires.

If you want high-level advice about leading your team to success, Masters of Scale is a masterclass.

Conclusion There are several moving parts to consider while operating a successful business. It’s your responsibility to improve your knowledge so you can promote your brand and its employees. Leadership podcasts present you with an opportunity to listen to some of the best entrepreneurial brains in the world, even when you’re on the go.

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WHAT MAKES A GOOD

LEADER EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ?

The current world moves at a breakneck pace and is driven by technology. So, strong leadership is more essential than ever. But what actually makes a leader suitable? And what makes a good leader influence the workplace? Some of the answers can help you avoid popularity contests and advance your education using a degree in management program, which can surprise you.

1. Keep your communication strategies clear Handling a group of people in a workplace starts foremost as what makes a good leader with good communication. Whether it is providing face-to-face feedback and an e-mail, good leaders speak out about what they mean and are accurate with what they say. These leaders are not passive-aggressive, and also they do not shy away from addressing significant challenges directly.

2. Keep your passion for your work high Good leaders absolutely love what they do, and they are not very afraid to express that opinion. Of course, you can keep being a good leader even if your personal and professional interests do

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not fall into a perfect match. You should think about what works the most in your work environment and develop your enthusiasm around that aspect. You may even find yourself managing things into a greater workplace satisfaction overall.

3. You should not care about being popular If your first apprehension is whether everyone likes you, you will come out less effective. Whether it is giving brutal criticism or searching for a practice that you think is unethical. You should learn what makes a good leader and get comfortable saying or doing things that are most effective to you and your organization, even if it makes you unlikeable on a temporary scale.

4. Keep your mind open when approaching employees Another characteristic what makes a good leader is being receptive to new ideas. Instead of resisting a change, good leaders and highly adaptable and flexible. These leaders are also very approachable and allow different ideas that do not match their domain.

5. You should work for your employees Managers can answer higher-ups, but great leaders also recognize their real mission is to ensure that the employees have adequate resources to work efficiently and effectively while providing the direct support they require to excel in the environment.

6. You keep things positive and encourage your employees Good leaders try to uplift their group, and they praise their employees when they do their job well. Taking a little time to train and coach your employees can significantly reduce any mistakes in performance. In good and bad times, great leaders help bring out the best performance from their employees by encouraging the very best behaviors.

7. You should respect the decisions of others From peer-to-peer clients and high-up reports, good leaders treat everyone like they prefer being treated. Strong managers do not feel threatened by the statement of others. They do not guard their territory and constantly try building bridges with others. A reliable leader realizes the value of beneficial relationships that are mutual and actively seeks these people out.

8. You should try building reliable relationships The ability to form productive connections is the fundamental quality of a good leader. Strong managers do not feel threatened

by others. They do not guide their territory but constantly build lasting bridges with others. A good leader realizes the value of beneficial relationship on a mutual scale and actively seek them out.

9. Try leading by example The best managers realize that what makes a good leader is setting good examples. You can put a few more hours into a significant project but treat others with kindness and respect. If you are a respectable leader, you should be willing and ready to do anything your employees ask.

10. You should never stop learning The most essential characteristic of a good leader is being a consistent learner. You should put knowledge before anything else and try building your skills informal learning like management degree programs. Your willingness to know more should always be the foremost thing you look for when diving into any project’s world.

These ten tips for what makes a good leader can be as valuable for you as you let them be. Although you should remember that change does not take place in a single day. Every thought and action are parts of a habit and can help you do better things with almost no effort.

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IDEAS 10 BUSINESS Women BEST

for

in 2021

F

or the past few years, the world has witnessed a significant rise in the number of successful women entrepreneurs. In most sectors, women are no less when it comes to making their presence felt. However, determining the right business for them sometimes becomes challenging.

Nowadays, women entrepreneurs are dominating various fields that men once dominated. We all have heard about Oprah Winfrey, Sara Blakely, and Martha Stewart. Do you know what they have in common? Their passion and dedication made them successful entrepreneurs. They all profitable businesses, though they all started out poor. Don’t worry even if you do not have much money to invest, as all it takes is an ingenious idea to change your life. Therefore to help you out, we will be discussing 10 business ideas for women so that you can pick any as per your comfort.

10 Business Ideas For Women Are 1. Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing is one of the profitable business ideas for women. To make it a success, all you need is a website that will enable you to send your traffic to someone else’s site so that they can purchase their products or services. For every transaction initiated by a link from your website, you will get a percentage of the sales commission. It is one of the most successful online business ideas for women globally.

However, to make a really good profit from affiliate marketing, having a blog is necessary. You can sell different products from your blog, writing articles and reviews about your own experience and the benefits.

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2. Freelance Writing Freelance writing can be a lucrative business idea for any woman looking for a side income by working from home. The demand for freelance writing is huge, and it is one of the best self-rewarding business ideas for women.

It is worth mentioning that you have to learn the trade tricks to become a highly paid and successful freelance writer. Even you succeed in getting many clients; you can also hire other writers.

3. Graphic Design Service Any woman can start a graphic design service if they have expertise in graphic designing. It’s up to you to work as an individual business or start as an organization by hiring experts. Remember, in graphic designing services, technical knowledge along with a creative mind is important. If you have brand expertise, then no one can stop you from being successful.

4. Creche/ Babysitting/Daycare Every year there is a rise in women’s jobber, working ladies.

These numbers are growing rapidly and creating a convenient business opportunity. Babysitting is one of the extremely profitable business ideas for women.

5. Alteration Service Alteration services have huge demand nowadays. However, this business requires sewing skills and knowledge. If you have a domestic sewing machine, you can start an alteration service business from home. Moreover, this business provides you with a part-time operation also. With this business, you can earn handsome money by helping others to dress in perfect outfits.

6. Jewelry Making If you have a craze about jewelry and passionate to handle crafts materials like beads, charms, etc., you can start your own jewelry-making business. You can start it after getting some training in jewelry making. It is one of the low investment business ideas for women.

There are lots of jewelry-making businesses that have great money-making potential. For example, one can sell jewelry items in your local community, gift stores, or online sites or stores like Etsy.

7. Cookie Gift Baskets Gifting someone a cookies basket is common today.

And a basket of homemade cookies is one of the most profitable yet exciting cooking business ideas any woman can begin with a lowcost investment. Nowadays, people search for innovative gift ideas, especially homemade specialty items. You can offer special and creative cookie gift baskets for special occasions.

8. SEO Consulting SEO expert assists the industry as an internet marketing expert. Many people searching for specifics in search engines, websites that appear and come on the first few pages are the sites that usually pull maximum traffics. SEO is a process that helps websites to rank higher in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo Every day, there is a number of websites launched, and the maximum fails to persist because of the lack of knowledge about internet marketing. SEO consulting is one of the successful business ideas for tech-savvy women entrepreneurs.

9. Wedding Planning A wedding consulting business is in trend now as people are creative. But if you are someone who is organized and concentrates on details, then it comes up naturally. For the past few years, the demand for professional wedding consultants has grown exponentially.

Moreover, people are often too occupied juggling the demands of their professional and private lives to manage the details required to plan the wedding of their dreams. That has generated an enormous opportunity for a woman start-up entrepreneur to start the wedding consulting business.

10. Greetings Card Making Greetings card-making business idea is ideal for those women who love creativity and desire to turn their creative minds into a thriving venture.

But to make it successful like any other business, this business needs precise execution, requires dedication, careful planning, and a willingness to succeed. Take a decision and go ahead.

Bottom Line Lastly, it is important to mention that you don’t require to be restricted to the ideas mentioned above. There is no gender prejudice in the business ecosystem. Suppose you feel that you can opt for any of these business ideas for women, then go ahead. We wish you luck.

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The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers libertycompany.com info@libertycompany.com

Promoting

“

We have created a truly special culture that is focused on the wellbeing of our staff and as a result, we have experienced tremendous growth and prosperity over the past few years.

The experience has been deeply gratifying.

– Bill Johnson

Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Liberty Company

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BUILDING A UNIQUE CULTURE THAT PERSUADES EXCELLENCE Liberty has established offices across the country by partnering with leaders who fit our culture and are driven by our mission of Promoting Peace of Mind with Great Care and our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Caring, Kindness, Fairness, Teamwork, Good Feelings and Fun! Liberty aims to create value for all stakeholders by managing their risks with great care and providing industry best practices and counsel. As a company, we embrace change and welcome new voices as the best way to thrive and grow.

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