Best Performing Business Leaders

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November 2020

TEAM

ARIIX

®

THE DRIVING FORCE OF A GLOBALLY ASCENDING ORGANIZATION

BEST PERFORMING

BUSINESS LEADERS TO WATCH

2020

EDITOR’S NOTE Discovering New Horizons

I

f you think it is the Covid-19 which brought about visible and perceptible changes in the world of entrepreneurship and business, think again. Most changes were already being contemplated about including work-from-home, movement of data to the cloud and the likes. It is just that the pandemic, having pushed humanity to the wall, brought to fore these and other initiatives.

Heraclitus of Ephesus once said ‘the only constant in life is change’ which fits rather well when it is about changes in the entrepreneurial world. In the normal order most changes come about so gradually that it does not register in our subconscious.

We tell you about some of the changes in the world of entrepreneurship post the Covid-19 pandemic which does seem of the latter kinds.

Work from home; a reality that may seem interesting initially but may affect mental health and job productivity later Companies like Google, Universal Music Group, Warner, Sony Music, Amazon, Viacom, and Scotia Bank to name some have made WFH conditionally i.e. it continues till their management thinks it isn’t conducive to come to a public office. There are others like Facebook, Twitter, Slack, Shopify, and Zillow which have sanctioned work-from-home forever. Yes, in the latter category, employees will not need to come to office at all. The office in their case would be their home with connectivity coming through cloudbased systems.

Are employees liking it? A study in Australia brought out some interesting details - 82% of respondents found that lesser or zero commute and lesser time spent on getting ready were godsends!

- 76% of respondents said cost saved by not traveling and buying lunch makes sense - Up to 50% said their work-related productivity had increased ever since they have been working from home - Close to 45% see the lines between home and office work blurring given their physical presence at home throughout the day - 25% found the switch from office to home to be a challenge

A similar survey half-way across the globe in Britain gave the following results: - 35% said they missed meeting colleagues - 32% missed office chit-chat - 6% said they missed birthday celebrations - It was found that remote working too has burnout when people overdo things just to keep their jobs and incomes

The era of specialists instead of hordes of generalists When the economy stalls, the first to take a hit are generalists. Also, with robotization and mechanization, their days are numbered. Postpandemic, when the job mills start to Specialists thus advocate that churn and hum, the need would be folks working from home should for specialists with the right do certain things to keep the CREDENTIALS (not necessarily show going including finding qualifications) who could either be permanent comfortable workplace, regular exercises, and employees or entrepreneurs sharing time between employers. The latter self-care, and most of all, short could be the norm and more so with breaks, and a stroll at regular start-ups that have tight budgets. intervals For workers, it could mean having Work from home could then be a many hats to wear and a head that is always covered! mixed bag with its own pluses and minuses!

Reskilling could be a great industry.

Mundane jobs were always the Evolution of a hybrid system with suburbs and smaller towns target of machines. Their days were numbered way early after the Covidgaining acceptance 19 pandemic. Reskilling in large Work from home may find many numbers, delayed as it was, could be avatars at the end of the the next great entrepreneurial pandemic. Some could use the activity whose time has truly come. hub-and-spokes model with a central (though small) location Content would become king in the being the hub including shared world of marketing with everspaces. Others could include lessening reliance on physical people actually shifting into approaches suburbs, distant towns and Patience is a virtue for the wellhinterlands which could give a provided. For others, there has to be fillip to the real-estate and crispy, classy and concise content be facilities in far-flung places. it on products, websites, blogs, Others to benefit could be commuter systems like Uber and social-media, white-papers and what have you. The pandemic may have meet-and-eat joints which could seen a general lull in the field of double up as meeting and digital marketing (or for that matter, working places.

every kind of marketing) making it imperative on manufacturers and marketers alike to create content that holds attention and gets the right message across in the shortest time. That of course goes without saying that costs too have to be competitive in the absence of which the whole argument fall flat!

Funding and loans would be fact based instead of hunch-based Venture funding once flowed like water till there was stuff in the reservoirs. The pandemic and its accompanying mayhem dried up most fund reservoirs or drained them. Banks failed because monies lent never came back. Equities tanked as demand for products tanked worldwide. With most monies in the market given under government-backed stimulus packages, the time now is to show results upfront, and not depend upon grand ideas leading to grander funding plans.

It’s times such as now that have made fund-providers more cautious, thoughtful and circumspect, and fund-takers more careful than ever, a direct contrast to times when ideas irrespective of use, got sky-high valuation and even larger funding.

Hereon, funding, be it bank-related, VC or even individual-based can be expected to be against rock-solid evidence of productivity and returns rather than tall talk and cronyism.

Abhishaj Sajeev abhishaj@ciolook.com

Cover Story

10

Team ARIIX The Driving Force of a Globally Ascending Organization

ARTICLE

46

Expert Speaks Greening the Economic Recovery

30 In Context How Quality Content Creation Helps Businesses Scale Efď€ ciently!

CONTENTS Christopher Deck A Strategic Leader in Innovative Solutions

Coral Puig Guiding Others to the Path of Building Trust and Relationships

34

26

Elena Kyria Finding Exceptional Talent

Joseph Chan An Exemplary Leader in the FinTech Revolution

40

42

Nin Desai An Avid Leader, Investor and Tech Geek

Frontage Laboratories A Drug Development Partner, Turning Services into Solutions

54

50

Souad Benkredda Inspiring Entrepreneur supporter

58

Stefan Kozak Creating Memories with Live Communication

62

Abhishaj Sajeev Editor-in-Chief

CONTENT

Senior Editor Alan Swann Executive Editors Rohit Chaturvedi Alex Spellman

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Visualizer Dave Bates Art & Design Director Sanket Zirpe Associate Designer Kushagra Gupta

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SALES

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November, 2020

Featuring

Company Name

Brief

Christopher Deck, Founder and CEO

Deck Commerce deckcommerce.com

Deck Commerce is the culmination of 15+ years of experience helping companies maximize their eCommerce potential.

Coral Puig Co-founder

TheLoveComes thelovecomes.com

TheLoveComes is in the business of using creativity, social innovation, neuromarketing and consumer psychology to help business to grow, expand, and develop

Elena Kyria Founder and CEO

EleMed elemed.eu

EleMed recruits exceptional people that solve regulatory and compliance problems, so patients all over the world can have access to safe, innovative and life-changing Medical Devices.

Joseph Chan CEO

AsiaPay asiapay.com

AsiaPay is a world-class electronic payment service, solution, technology provider, and merchant aggregator in Asia.

Nin Desai CEO

NIN Ventures LLC nin.vc

NIN Ventures (or NIN.VC) is a unique and first of its kind crowdfunded technology venture capital fund for accredited investors

Rochelle Parry CEO

Megabite Design megabite.com

Megabite Design is a trusted source for providing responsive web site solutions from start to finish.

Song Li Founder

Frontage Laboratories, Inc frontagelab.com

Frontage Laboratories, Inc. is a CRO that provides integrated, science-driven, product development services throughout the drug discovery and development process.

Souad Benkredda Head of Financial Markets

Standard Chartered Bank sc.com

Standard Chartered Bank is a leading international banking group, with a presence in more than 60 of the world’s most dynamic markets.

Stefan Kozak Fonder and Managing Director

CREATIVE PRO group creativepro.agency

CREATIVE PRO Group is a leading, award winning live communication agency in Central Eastern Europe.

Team ARIIX C-Level Executives

ARIIX ariix.com

ARIIX is an international opportunity company that creates superior, exclusively branded products marketed through independent representatives.

COVERSTORY

Team

ARIIX The Driving Force of a Globally Ascending Organization

T

he future is paved through hard work and innovation. This is especially true in the direct sales industry, where there is a multitude of reasons why people start and then quit.

its foundation. All have inspiringly grown their businesses with creativity and adaptability in a time when it is most needed.

Opportunity Is the Mother of Invention

Network marketing's unique platform gives independent representatives great freedom in how they choose to set up their business and sell the company's products. The possibilities that come with that freedom are nearly limitless.

But that freedom rears success only through dedication, self-motivation, and a true spirit for entrepreneurialism. That has never been more certain than now as we face, together as a global community, a pandemic that has changed the world in which we live.

Building Through Change ARIIX has always been a company about change. It was created on the principles of disrupting the network marketing industry to create a company that focused on its representatives in a way that had never been done before. The impetus of that design is to make success possible for the average person.

ARIIX's relationships with its representatives are the building blocks of the company. And fostering those relationships is essential for its overall health and continuing growth. ARIIX understands the importance of promoting and recognizing these relationships.

In these changing and uncertain times, it is both its long-time, devoted, and loyal representatives, coupled with those new faces who have gone forth with unprecedented energy and enthusiasm, who make up

The direct sales industry is a business that can transcend travel restrictions and other limitations.

Where more traditional sales related enterprises rely heavily on face-to-face interaction, ARIIX's unique network marketing design inherently allows for technology to help foster a broader, more global reach.

In the pages below, you will read about ARIIX's up and coming emerging new leaders and its steadfast veterans. Some have been with ARIIX for less than two years, and some are veteran members of the ARIIX Founders Club – where membership provides a position to serve as advocates in their markets, with the power to make critical decisions.

It is the combination of that wisdom and fresh insight that makes this company thrive. ARIIX General Managers from all across the globe have selected these representatives to highlight the inspiring waves they have created within the company. These are the hearts that have refused to succumb to doubt or fear in these changing times and, instead, have embraced it as an opportunity, spinning creative webs that have empowered others to join and cast their own net. With an insatiable desire to learn and an openness to challenges, these representatives are paving the path to success on the shifting sands of world around us.

Let us now delve into the journeys and success stories of these respresentatives.

AKIRA KAMINO Throughout his life, Akira Kamino has faced many challenges. He dedicated 11 years to a company that folded, and he had large sums of debt because he could not balance his income and expenses. Yet, he overcame these challenges by continuing to believe in himself.

Akira discovered ARIIX through a chance encounter with a work colleague. Intrigued by its unique opportunities and top-quality products, he enrolled as a representative. Holding ďŹ rm to his belief in himself, along with a willingness to continue despite rejection and other daily obstacles, he has quickly become an outstanding and budding leader within the company. For Akira, it is the challenges in life that make a person stronger.

“Never give up. Many things happen in this business, but they will only make you stronger.�

Having joined ARIIX in 2011 and now an ARIIX Founder's Club member, his style in direct sales is to enter all endeavors with sincerity and passion, but also with humor. He keeps his heart light and optimistic and encourages others to have faith and courage in their convictions to achieve success. Akira understands that this industry is built on relationships, and trust is the foundation of those interactions. He has also learned the value and importance of listening to other members and learning from their wisdom and experiences.

One of the many exciting factors about network marketing through ARIIX is its global reach and appeal. Since beginning his business, it was Akira's dream to give a speech on a stage where his words would broadcast and interpreted into multiple languages. This dream came true when Akira appeared on a stage at an ARIIX World Reunion in Hong Kong. Akira's hard work and determination have paid off and with ARIIX, he is truly living his dreams.

DR. ALBERTO PEÑA DEL MORAL As a physician, Dr. Peña was always motivated by health and prevention. However, being a full-time doctor left little occasion for family and friends and created conditions where he was largely unable to enjoy free time.

That all changed when he discovered direct sales with ARIIX. With its top-of-the-line products, he found the perfect vehicle to achieve success and time freedom all while continuing his love for educating people on health and wellness.

Having joined ARIIX only a few short months ago, and now a member of the ARIIX Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Peña has learned that focusing his energies on people who are motivated and hungry garners greater growth. He says he wants everyone to aspire for more but has come to accept that not everyone wants that. Dr. Peña says, “I am an idealist and a visionary. I visualize the potential in

“Success comes from solving problems.

It is a result and not a goal.” everyone. I try to listen more and talk less. Success in this industry is making the opportunity about them and not me.”

An interesting hurdle Dr. Peña has had to overcome in his business is people's assumption that the reason for his success is because he is a doctor. He would hear people say they did not believe they could not achieve his success because they did not possess his technical knowledge or that they felt unable to explain the products like he could as a physician. Dr. Peña has innovatively adapted to that situation by simplifying his explanations of the business and products so that it is relatable to anyone. He says, “Success comes from solving problems. It is a result and not a goal.”

Dr. Peña inspires others to work with him by illuminating their worth and placing their talents and potential under a spotlight. Dr. Peña says, “Many talented people contribute greatly but are not being fairly compensated. I show that them that with this vehicle they can achieve their true potential. That network marketing with ARIIX is not just the means to an end but the means to a dream.”

AMY NIE Amy Nie's motto is, “Only when a woman is financially independent can she become personally independent.”

This philosophy has motivated Amy throughout her 14-year career in the network marketing industry. Amy believes deeply in the platform of direct sales and was drawn to the outstanding products and opportunities available through ARIIX. Amy says her success in the network marketing field over the years, and today still, is to “believe, learn, act, and persist.” Amy continues that what is important is to, “Believe in yourself, keep learning, and continuously improve your business ability and market development ability. Continuous

“Believe, Learn, Act, and Persist.”

action is the guarantee of success, as time will prove your choice of career, and persistence will help achieve your dream.”

An ARIIX Founders Club member having been with the company since 2011, Amy finds her direct sales business to be both charming and exciting. It was those two factors that attracted her to the industry in the beginning. Her enthusiasm for her work has remained her constant companion over the years, and that joy grows greater each day on her journey with. Her success has allowed her all the things she dreamed of in life; passive income, time freedom, personal growth, and travel around the world.

Amy continues to find inspiration and motivation from working in an industry in which she helps countless people gain health, wealth, and beauty.

She considers this almost daily reality to be her greatest achievement.

HELEN BLESA MARTINEZ Like many others, Helen Blesa Martinez was looking for a way to earn extra income. Working eight hours a day, struggling to pay for her vehicle and other debts, and trying to support her family, she felt apprehensive about the future. More than that, she was uneasy. Then she discovered ARIIX, the company that's changing the landscape of direct selling in favor of the independent representative. It was at that moment she thought, “this is for me!”

Having been with ARIIX for just over a year, in an incredibly short period Helen has created and fostered a team of more than 5,000 and she wakes up every day inspired by them. She feels her purpose is to help as many people as possible live their full potential. Helen's

“If I have helped a person find hope, I have not lived in vain.” motto is, “If I have helped a person find hope, I have not lived in vain.” Her inspirational message is directly in tune with ARIIX's own mission of providing an opportunity for unlimited human potential through its wide array of quality wellness products.

With desire and boundless energy, Helen's leadership skills are exemplary. As a steadfast guide for others, she explains the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset and believes the best way of demonstrating that is to lead by example. Helen strongly subscribes to the philosophy that you must be the energy you wish to attract. And she has manifested and proven this by creating a team of incredible, professional leaders, all motivated and united to achieve their full potential.

Helen says one of the greatest things about building her business with ARIIX is that she has primarily been able to do so without ever having to leave home. Effectively marketing her business online through social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, this freedom in the workplace has given her generous and precious time with her daughter.

SHUYUAN LIN ARIIX's “disruptive by design” approach to network marketing, coupled with its high-quality products and unique business model is what inspired Shuyuan to get into this business. Shuyuan continues to be motivated by her belief in ARIIX, which is reflected in her accomplishments and efforts that continue to make her a distinguished leader in the company.

Since joining ARIIX in 2014, Shuyuan has achieved the highest title possible within the ARIIX organization and has set records from the very start. A member of the ARIIX Wellness Council and the ARIIX Founders Club, Shuyuan helps shape the future of her market and is an invaluable leadership resource. Shuyuan also holds the record of being the No. 1 Power Ranker two years in a row!

“Attraction is far more important than persuasion. I inspire others to think and make choices by telling my own stories.”

Shuyuan provides incredible inspiration for women entrepreneurs everywhere, and her responsible nature helps her create and focus on clear goals that yield powerful results. She understands that to succeed, and continue with that success, you need to be what she describes as “a mover and an improver,” and not just a thinker. Shuyuan knows the importance of action and follow through.

Continually setting new goals and seeking out ways to improve is also part of Shuyuan formula for success.

She feels compelled to be in a constant pattern of conquering herself and surpassing herself. It is this drive that has helped her reach multiple milestones with ARIIX. Her outgoing, enthusiastic, and sincere attributes are what attract others and continue to help her thrive in this business. Shuyuan says, “Attraction is far more important than persuasion. I inspire others to think and make choices by telling my own stories.”

Shuyuan greatest achievements continue to be her witness to and participation in the transformation and success of others. It is those relationships and success stories that keep her passionately engaged in her business.

LUZ EVANGELISTA Focus and consistency have been a foundation in Luz Evangelista's life. Luz saw great success at a young age but moved away from the demands of that work after having her daughter. Luz did not want to give up her dreams or ambitions but wanted a better way to feel productive and to generate income without sacrificing time with her daughter. That is when ARIIX entered the picture!

Luz loved the idea of operating her own business through the direct sales of ARIIX's excellent and innovative wellness products.

Using her innate focus and consistency, she took her business seriously and went forth as though she had invested her entire wealth, as though her success depended on it. Her tenacity and approach have paid off handsomely, not only with

“I always strive to be attentive and listen to the needs of those who trust me.” financial security but in obtaining personal happiness by loving what she does and having a passion for the products. What is more, since joining in 2011, Luz has become an influential and outstanding leader and ARIIX Founders Club member.

Luz also credits her love of working with people for her success. She says it is not just the idea of her own achievements, but the growth and betterment of others, that keeps her motivated.

She inspires others to work with her by listening carefully and providing examples of how working together can help them reach their goals. She lets others know she will accompany and stand with them in the process. Luz says, “This business is not for everyone. Not everyone stays. It takes passion and discipline, and everyone has their own pace, but I always strive to be attentive and listen to the needs of those who trust me.”

MIRIAM GIULIA CASU Miriam Giulia Casu does everything with her heart.

And her heart is full of passion, desire, determination, and a genuine love for helping others. With ARIIX and its unique products and entrepreneurial opportunities, Miriam has realized her heart's full potential. Having joined just over a year ago, with hard work and dedication, she has achieved extraordinary personal and professional success!

Since she was a child, Miriam felt she always had to settle for less. She used to spend 14 hours a day tirelessly working a cleaning job and feeling she had no future. When ARIIX presented itself to her, that feeling changed. At that moment, she felt a significant opportunity to make her dreams come true.

“You must fall in love deeply with your chosen ambition. It must be your priority!”

So, she dug in. She committed herself. She kept going and believed in herself, despite the daily challenges. She let go of her fears about what others would think. She concentrated her energy toward constant and consistent action. And she did it with passion. She pursued opportunities to study new techniques and grow her team. And her results have been amazing. In just a short time, she has a team of over 1,000 collaborators and is an emerging leader in ARIIX. Miriam says, “You must fall in love deeply with your chosen ambition. It must be your priority!”

By marketing herself through various social networks, Miriam talks about her daily life to people all over the world. Through her own personal stories, Miriam shows others how her direct sales business with ARIIX “changed her life.”

Helping others make their dreams come true continues to be what motivates Miriam most. It is seeing the success of others she has helped along the way that truly fills her with joy.

SIMONA MORETTI For Simona Moretti, the seed of her rebirth came from her despair and what she can only describe as a “a sharp, pounding need to change.” At that time, her world was encircled with the darkness of a divorce, the pain of loneliness, the loss of time with her three-year old child, and financial difficulty.

That need for change led her to open herself to new channels and that is when she discovered ARIIX. It is that relationship, and her leap of faith into an unknown business venture, that has proven her most significant life-changing event.

Simona says, “If you want to take the leap, you need to trust yourself and have a high self-esteem regarding your own potential. Potential that you will learn to develop and that you will need to succeed during the difficulties life presents to you.”

“If you want to take the leap, you need to trust yourself and have a high self-esteem regarding your own potential.”

When she began with ARIIX in 2019, Simona knew nothing about direct sales. But she had an insatiable desire to learn. That desire, coupled with her willingness to transform, has led, in just a short time, to great heights within ARIIX, and she has emerged as a standout leader.

Simona has built her new business on a foundation of empathy and connection. Because of her own life experiences, she approaches her trade with a remarkable humility that is absent judgment and preconceived notions of others.

Excited about life and the opportunities she has through ARIIX, she wakes up each morning with a willing spirit and an understanding that every day is a new lesson. Simona says, “When you become an opportunity for others and you witness their blossoming of aroused self-esteem, then every moment becomes precious time.”

STEVE SWARTZ Steve Swartz is a truly remarkable human. A former US Army Captain and manager of a top-ten American corporation, he started in the network marketing field part-time. But, as with everything he does in life, Steve offered his best effort and within a few years was earning six-figures. Five years into his business with ARIIX, he earned over a million dollars and was the first Multi-Markets Founders Club Member in the USA and Europe.

Steve's example and leadership within ARIIX are immeasurable. And his accomplishments in the company are legendary. Steve says it is fear that deters and makes people unsuccessful in this business. In the beginning, it was overcoming his own fears, particularly about what others thought, that pushed him past the rocky ledge of giving up.

“Be a winner not a whiner. Take personal responsibility for your life. No one is coming to save you. You have to save yourself.”

Steve says, “I was so worried about what other people thought that I almost quit. It went really slow at first. As soon as I stopped focusing on what others thought, my business went much faster.”

From that point, he went forth as a soldier, arming himself with a no excuses, stay positive attitude, and a get-it-done work ethic. He rounds this out with a great sense of humor. Steve says, “Be a winner not a whiner. Take personal responsibility for your life. No one is coming to save you. You have to save yourself.”

Every day, Steve celebrates his emancipation from a corporate job that meant no freedom, to living a life where he can spend time enjoying his three teenaged children. He utilizes a broad scope of avenues in sales to attract others to this business and his optimism and humor are captivating. He looks forward to taking his business with ARIIX to new heights and to change the way network marketing is done globally.

LANXIN SUN & ZIXIAN DAI Lanxin Sun and Zixian Dai understand the value of network marketing. A 10-year direct sales veteran, Lanxin considers it a “sunrise industry.”

She became inspired by the platform of the business and was motivated by its remarkable features of low cost, high efficiency, and high yield. In Lanxin's own words, “Network marketing is the inevitable product of the development of science and technology.”

Its unique and pioneering comingling of science and technology is what attracted Lanxin to ARIIX. Having joined in 2012 and a member of the ARIIX Founders Club, Lanxin has become an inspiring leader by doing what she does best as a master network marketer; obtaining a deep understanding of and respect for the products, breathing passion into her work, and having that innate instinct that allows her to recognize and seize opportunities.

“Network marketing is the inevitable product of the development of science and technology.”

Commitment and teamwork are Lanxin's two trademark attributes in her business. Sun understands the importance of obtaining the customer's recognition. To achieve this goal, she knows she must garner their trust and help them realize, not only the value she can provide, but their own value as part of the network. Lanxin stresses that this is achieved only by acutely and accurately understanding and explaining the products, and persevering with the customer, never giving up too easily.

For Lanxin, the reward for the achievement of meeting her goals in direct sales is financial independence and free time. She advocates these values to others when inspiring them to invest in themselves and work with her. She further emphasizes that enjoying happiness alone is not nearly as sweet as sharing it.

Lanxin says, “I try to remain full of passion and to share all things with sincerity.”

ASAKO & TASUKU HASHIMOTO Asako and Tasuku Hashimoto are partners in the adventure of life and in the adventure of their business with ARIIX. Tasuku was a professional baseball player and Asako has always lived a philosophy based upon love and wellness. When they discovered ARIIX and learned about its incredible health food and wellness products, they immediately knew it was the right business for them.

The couple quickly began making an impact with others and in just three short years, have grown their business at a rate that demands recognition and reward. Tasuku and Asako are not only emerging leaders but role models in this business.

“When I meet people, I always have my love and I try to convey it, not just through words but through deeds.”

Asako's philosophy and approach to business is to keep an open mind and to do all things with love. She carries what she calls a “for you” spirit in her heart. In making connections and growing her network, Asako is willing and happy to go an extra 100 miles for each person and let them know that each is uniquely special.

Asako says, “Any connection you make with others is priceless. I am still learning new lessons every day.

When I meet people, I always have my love and I try to convey it, not just through words but through deeds.”

Asako's and Tasuku's positive and open spirits are the catalysts for inspiring others to invest in themselves and work with them. Asako says, “I believe there is a power in being genuine and sincere. In turn, I strive to spread my love and joy and excitement about this amazing business through my genuine and sincere actions.”

Their light continues to shine as they rise as bright stars within ARIIX.

TORU TOYODA Patience and perseverance have been the key for Toru Toyoda. When he first ventured into the world of network marketing, he went several years with little income. But he truly believed it was his path. He continued to give his time and what little he had to others to try and build his business. His dedication and commitment have led to just rewards. Since joining ARIIX in 2017, Toru has come to the forefront as a charismatic and significant new leader.

Toru believes the key to achieving your goals in this business is to keep trying until you make it. Toru says, “This is not a business where you can see success overnight. You need to decide what kind of lifestyle you want and, more importantly, you need to know what kind of person you want to be.”

Toru unselfishly invests in the human capital that makes up his business. He understands that trust and connection with others is the backbone of his profession. More than that, he cherishes those people around him, and he willingly invests in others

“Let's aim higher together!” without expecting any return on those investments.

Toru states, “I am always willing to invest my time, money, and effort into someone uncertain about this business because I believe in this business.”

That sense of community pours out of Toru and brings him immense personal and professional gratification. Toru says his greatest achievements are seeing those he introduced to ARIIX transform into successful, radiant business entrepreneurs of their own.

Toru continues to stay on the cutting edge of network marketing by doing things with his business that no one has done before. This innovation pairs harmoniously with ARIIX's continued evolution in the industry. He says, “Let's aim higher together!”

One can only imagine the impact these leaders are making through their diligence, commitment, and compassion. ARIIX will continue to take pride in these leaders and their contribution towards the success and growth of the organization.

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How quality

CONTENT CREATION

helps businesses scale efficiently!

I

Gives visitors additional touchpoints to come back to marketers!

n an apple to apple comparison, who do you think would win, a marketer with average products that are backed by the great information in the right format at the right time or a great product backed by less-than average information? From all indication, it shall be the former which may win hands down and keep doing so for quite some time, unless competition improves the quality of its content.

These are interesting days for a marketer given the number of fora and platforms on which a product or service can be sold. Practically every day a new system/ platform is reported with user-friendly features which if used the right way with the right content, can help marketers get additional touchpoints. For instance, a marketer with a website, and social-media presence can use the latter to lead visitors to the website. Where the content is informative and inviting enough, the engagement shall surely result in a conversion!

Why, you may ask, is content important when it comes to increasing business and visibility? In one sentence, it is important because what gets sold is what can be seen. More the visibility, more the confidence and hence, more the sale!

Lets a marketer do no-strings attached marketing which gets higher yield!

To elaborate further, quality content creation helps businesses scale efficiently for the following reasons:

There was once a time when marketers first concentrated on getting the required clients on board. Once they did, the rest of the time was spent serving them…and them ONLY! Competition put paid to this idea with loyalty being a virtue available to only those who bring forth quality, both in their products (and services) and the content of their marketing efforts and campaigns. The idea today has shifted to putting forth quality content to the world without strings attached with the expectation that it appeals to the audience in general and brings forth easy conversions.

Gets you the right audience and hopefully the right reasons to scale up things!

Where the right audience get the right product and accompanying content, there is just about no reason why things will not look good and result in desired action, including sales and eventual scaling-up. That precisely is the effect of great content. It gets you your desired audience, and they either give you business or take you to those who can. Either ways, it is a win-win.

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In Context

Brings the beneďŹ t of SEO and a larger audience which can help scale a business

Brings recognition on the right forums leading to increase in leads and conversions

Search engines these days are led by AI and advanced algorithms which can decipher the difference between great content and its opposite.

For this reason, quality content with the right keywords and ideas can get a marketer the beneďŹ t of higher ranking which shows the value of one's content, and can get more leads, conversions and engagements. Scaling up business thus need the support of quality content.

What can be seen can be sold being the adage, frequent and inspiring content across forums, media, sites and platforms can give a visitor the reassurance that the brand/ business is there for a purpose and a cause, and can be trusted with the latter's time, money, patience and perseverance. Once the connect is, and provided the marketer keeps putting across quality and interesting content, the relation could last for a long, long time and bring fruits in the form of further business that customer(s) themselves might refer.

Quality content in blogs and white papers can get you repeat audience all the time.

Quality content, and a solid, identiďŹ able audiencebase leads to authority and a sense of competency!

Irrespective of product type, marketers who post quality content frequently including articles, blogs, success stories, social-media posts and the likes are sure to have repeat audience who may come to the site just to catch up on the latest, and with luck the same could convert into a sale. As opposed to this, marketers who do not post frequently or post uninteresting things may miss out on account of this one great point.

Quality content curated and created with the intention of informing a large customer base speaks of the writer/ marketer's position as an authority on the subject. An important point to be remembered while on the way to being acknowledged an authority is to write frequently and on trending topics. One-off articles do not get any traction beyond a point as people move on to those who post

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quality content frequently. To get people's attention, the writer/ marketer while holding authority over the subject, should have a list of subjects to write and present on. What it calls for is originality along with the use of keywords for easily location by search engines.

Leads to conversion of clients' clients and leads!

Conviction leads to conversions, and the most convinced convert helps with more conversions! One of the best ways to generate conviction on one's goods and services is by the use of quality content across mediums! A satisfied client they say is the best salesperson. In fact, not only is such a person a great sales-tool but also a great motivator for others to follow his/ her/ their patch and try out the products of the marketer! All this takes place for a start with great content!

Once done, and with the leads coming in, subsequent work becomes cheaper If quality content seems expensive, do remember that it pays for itself initially by bringing in more conversions, and with the systems falling in place, only incremental work needs to be done. In the end, with the kind of leads and conversions it brings, in most cases good content turns out to be one of the most cost-effective ways of marketing. And besides, the kind of name, fame and following it brings is something nothing else can ever match.

Helps in making a content creator an influencer It is only an authority who can influence! And an authority is one who creates the best, most contemporary, and authentic of content around a business and its products. Be it a great content creator who gets the position of an influencer or the influencer who has come up the hard way with great content, what's primary is great content, every time.

In the end, it is content which is king. To be there right on top, there is no alternative to great, self-curated and customized content across languages and cultures which excites people and gets them to act decisively, not once, not twice but always!

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Coral Puig Co-Founder TheLoveComes and Coralpuig.com

Coral Puig Guiding Others to the Path of Building Trust and Relationships

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W

hen learning new things, there are always moments of clarity where all the variables in the equation present a clear picture of what is in front of us.

After that there are only two situations that arise from the new found knowledge; either to exploit it for personal gains or help the world understand it the same way that you did.

The latter is exactly what happened with Coral Puig, Co-Founder of TheLoveComes and Coralpuig.com.

And this moment came into her life after observing Simon Sinek' TED talk “Start with why”. This epiphany of sorts where there is no mention of the functionally or technical details when it comes to create “lovemarks”, helped Coral realize that an effective marketing strategy is all about just being simple, humane, and genuine; which leads to efficient, relatable/trustable and memorable marketing.

Things such as Apple not talking about facts and features stuck in her mind igniting the question of how this type of marketing works without boasting about the features of a product. Intrigued by the question, Coral went back to school to study what governs our existence, our decisions, our actions, i.e. the brain.

As a closet geek who devours learning, Coral reskilled at 42 years of age and connected the dots to the success of marketing. She learned that our emotions control 80 percent of our daily decisions. Hence, she realized why telling customers about rational rating does not work, where emotions are the controlling factor.

Quote: “I have learned that intentions don't drive behaviors, the pursuit of unmet psychological needs does. Fixing the climate crisis, for example, is difficult because it's not necessarily fulfilling a psychological human need. But this problem can be re-framed, in a way that becomes like the veganism movement” In 2014, she established a business 'couch' boutique consultancy firm to support business founders and senior managers to build trust and loyalty by understanding consumers' fear, psychological needs, insights, and emotions.

Connecting People Coral applies cultural anthropology, neuro-marketing, and consumer psychology for brands and consumers to understand where they were let down and how to fall in love again. She leverages universal psychological triggers and behavior to help companies adjust their strategy to be more effective and create a better impact in their communities.

“I believe trust is what creates brand equity, business growth, and ultimately “love brands”.

And there is a lot of research on how to build trust in psychology that can be transferred for businesses. And human trust is built through vulnerability, consistency, transparency, experience, sharing… essentially, brands and companies can build trust with their communities in the same way people build trust with each other. The interactions are remarkably similar,” she asserts.

Therefore, she and her consultancy add value to marketing departments, communications, and PR departments, start-ups, and founders by helping them

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“

“Marketeers should evolve the traditional strategy “target and optimize” to “target, educate, inspire and entertain”, in order to build communities with the same life values, while delivering performing products and services. Exactly what we do when we are in love; I am a business and consumers couch. Not a coach”

understand how to build trust and love from the consumer psychology perspective and to understand what comes first: to have a purpose or to build trust.

answers for effective brand architecture and healthy business growth. Moreover, she is quite confident about her uniquely positioned place to approach things from a completely different perspective than most marketing professionals.

She comments, “You cannot have a purpose-led strategy without building trust first. A lot of businesses are jumping into endless workshops and seminars 'to find their purpose' to fine-tune their branding strategies and then nothing happens. In my experience, the best business tools to rely on during these unpredictable times, during a global crisis, like a financial crisis or covid19 pandemic, are trust, performance, consistency, delivery, authenticity… and anything that has been proven to work to comfort people and release stress, things we have been learning for decades from human behavioral sciences research.”

She asserts, “I'm fortunate to be able to combine my two decades of work experience, with the tools provided by my formal education with my ongoing learning to deliver a very different approach to any project or job. Additionally, I have a very personal passion and commitment to providing the best insights and viewpoints I can for my clients. There is nothing more rewarding than working well with one client that leads to referrals to another. I practice what I preach by building trust with my clients and that can only come from a place of genuine authenticity.”

Further, highlighting the modern evolving world and its demanding challenges, Coral highlights the fact that we need to be on the move continuously. Hence, she depends most on the human universal psychological needs and social anthropology. She also emphasizes the reliance on practices that have been deemed dependable before and be vigilant to shift, adapt, and predict things on the run.

Coral is also a fan of Singularity University webinars and TED talks. She stays curious, open-minded, and fully aware that no one can be an expert in all the domains. Hence, for personal curiosity, she keeps tabs on everything she can and for the professional side, she focuses on her area of expertise.

Future Lookout

Expertise at Hand Coral cites her future plans to be as simple as the fundamentals of marketing. For the forthcoming years, she wants to help companies and brands to realize the big opportunities that building trust can bring to their business and how that is indeed the best 'purpose-led strategy' they can think of. She concluded the interview with a powerful statement, “A purpose, a mission, a set of values, do not mean anything if they are not sustained by trust, transparency, and authenticity.”

Twenty years of corporate marketing strategy and innovation experience, social anthropology, and consumer psychology studies, and passion for social innovation, shaped Coral to come out as a brands' and consumers' 'couple therapist.'

She mentions American professor, Doctor Brené Brown's The Power of Vulnerability to discover the

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JOSEPH CHAN An Exemplary Leader in the FinTech Revolution

M

oney is dear to everyone be it the receiver or payer. Any technology that helps quicken the process of monetary transactions while keeping things absolutely safe and secure at both the ends is a service everyone wants, be they individuals or businesses, irrespective of what they do.

which come with multi-currency payment features that accepts cross-border payments as well.

AsiaPay on its part, also runs a multi-channel digital payment management platform which allows convenient payment transactions from any webconnected devices. With a wide range of products, AsiaPay is today a leading and trusted payment gateway entity for businesses across Asia with local operations flourishing in 15 country operations.

ASIAN VISIONARY PLAYERS The Asia Pay Group of Hong Kong which came about at the turn of the millennium, aims to be in this space while being acknowledged as one of the world's most prolific providers of secure and speedy digital payment solutions in Asia.

Staying Ahead We have built an enthusiastic team of developers, product managers and fintech professionals to accomplish vision and mission ,with payment technologies designed to bring newer revolutions faster than the blink of an eye, Joseph does not expect competition—intense as it is in this part of the world—to remain far. Joseph keeps his mind on the innovation and his flocks in line to provide his evergrowing list of clients, the best there is that technology can provide.

Joseph Chan, the founder and CEO, started out by providing third-party quality digital payment, mobile payment solutions and related technology-support.

A self-confessed lifelong learner who believes in staying positive and innovative all at once, he read the writing on the wall, of the world going cashless and digitization disrupting things in unprecedented ways. He rightly gauged that the ways to stay relevant would include:

He says, to stay ahead in such competitive times and in a field as competitive as payment technologies, innovation remains the cornerstone, followed by a very high level of autonomy to his team to keep important projects going at the right pace.

Adhering to known industry and technology trends Ÿ Innovating & developing customer-centric products and services to remain part of the trend - if not the leader, and Ÿ Creating brand awareness and bringing it in line with customer needs to enhance the latter's experiences while using one's products. Ÿ

Innovation, he reasons, is the single-most important of abilities to envision every creative and viable opportunity and then championing towards bringing it to life in a realistic and practical manner. With two decades of experience behind him, he adjudges the ability to provide strong business leadership as also being crucial to the growth of enterprise where the leader himself has the ability to identify and fix

His views have held him remain in good stead in the present, with AsiaPay providing multi-payment options ranging from credit and debit cards, eBanking, QR payments, and smart POS across Asia

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“In this highly competitive and

-On Risk control & monitoring, they offer advanced anti-fraud processing & reporting tools to merchant bundled in their payment service FREE and have been used every day by banks and merchant clients in 12 countries in Asia since 2005.

fast-changing business environment, the ability to make more effective use of

-On a high degree of internal controls matching international standards, it is their adherence to an annual SOC audit that ensures such quality standards.

data will set a business apart from other players in the same

Delivering Quality

industry.”

Talented people make excellent products. And Good people ought to be part of one's team. Joseph, the quintessential team player reasons that a leader, how-so-ever effective and deft, can never be ahead of the team.

problems in the organization and its business models. Doing so at an early stage, he says, plugs gaps and leaks which power the business for a long run.

To know the pulse of his organization, it's USPs, the direction it is headed is and it's needs, Joseph has developed a second line of leaders among his employees who remain high on confidence, positivity and outlook, and who can be expected to go forth and create the right environment in the organization that encourages internal co-operations leading to the building of effective teams which deliver more than they promise.

AsiaPay under Joseph has gained immensely. Among its product-based USPs the following are worth noting: -On data security, they remain PCIDSS level 1compliant since 2006, one of the earliest PSPs in Asia to achieve such high standards.

The best of one's products is no match for the worst of destiny's handiwork. The Covid-19 pandemic and certain geopolitical posturing has left businesses worldwide feeling unsure and insecure about their very existence.

-To help merchant minimizing PCI work and investment, they offer features like Direct Client Post, Customized payment page, member tokenization etc. Their newly launched SDK is sure to facilitate secure interface from merchants' mobile app to their gateway.

For this, his remedy remains quite unique. A diet! He surmises that if a person undergoing a diet comes back feeling healthy, why not a business? Continuing with his human analogy, businesses he says, need to stay agile and aggressive in order to survive while keeping their eyes peeled for opportunities brought about by changes in technology.

-On payment Authentication, they remain one of the very few advanced 3D Secure certified vendors in Asia who are compliant with 6 card brands - Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover/Diners, JCB and CUP for both issuing side and acquiring banks since 2003.

-They are also one of the very few certified vendors who support the latest card tokenization standards of Visa (VTS) and MasterCard (MDES)

With Data continuing to be the new “crude oil” that shall power industry worldwide, its effective use is an essential for organizational survival. To this end,

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for effective strategy building and execution, he newly launches the Merchant Dashboard for merchants and advises the use of the latest in technology including big-data and AI to predict business and market trends and unlocking hidden business ideas and revenue streams. It is for this reason that his take on the future of AsiaPay's business outlook strongly include globalization of business reach, use of intelligent systems and personalization of products and services to keep customers hooked for more.

Joseph 's vision of the future takes him back to his own beginnings. 'Acknowledge Your Client as an Individual' says he while also aiming to productively support start-ups to expand and scale up the payment and digital eco-system.

Tying these disparate ends, he says is sure to keep an organization aoat in the worst of storms and squalls!

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Greening the

ECONOMIC RECOVERY

2

020 was set to be a big year in the drive towards zero carbon and sustainable business.

ESG Investment Government-led green initiatives are clearly important, not least in providing financial incentives, but there are other issues to consider – not least a company's reputation.

Offshore wind farm developments were proposed, as were funding boosts for carbon capture and storage (CCS). Electric vehicles (EVs) and nuclear projects were announced in the March 2020 budget, as was a manifesto commitment to create two million jobs in clean energy within the next decade.

While global stock markets plummeted, sustainable investment – which requires asset managers to consider the way companies address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues - gained increasing prominence.

What happens now? With the world facing the worst recession for decades, are sustainability goals to be side-lined? Or is this a chance to make a fundamental and essential change?

In global equities, ESG leaders outperformed companies with poor ESG ratings by almost 7 percentage points during the first two months of the pandemic crisis.

Attitudes towards business are changing. We're seeing this in the way companies have reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic – in June, more than 200 UK businesses and investors called on the government to deliver a COVID-19 recovery plan that prioritises the environment.

The UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has spoken about “greening” the recovery after pandemic, including actively exploring routes to achieving the target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to “net-zero” by 2050.

Reports suggest plans for a “green industrial revolution” to support job creation, as well as an investment in clean energy as part of an economic stimulus package.

Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests that green recovery could deliver significant benefits.

Researchers at the University of Leeds believe that for every £1 of public investment in such projects, close to £2 would be generated from a higher tax take.

As Jessica Alsford, global head of sustainability research at Morgan Stanley stated in a recent article, “With both COVID-19 and carbon there are two elements to consider. The first is the impact on the operational performance of the company. The approach taken in the transition to a low-carbon economy will have a bearing on costs and revenues.

Management of the COVID-19 crisis could influence customer behaviours and the recruitment and retention of talent.

The outcome, they suggest, is that government action towards a greener economy could provide a £800bn boost to GDP by 2030 and 850,000 jobs in the next decade.

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Expert Speaks

Carmen Ene CEO 3 Step IT

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effective monitoring to flag potential issues before they occur, for example, can also extend a device's life and efficiency.

“The second part is corporate ability to generate both profit and purpose. A growing number of investors are looking to allocate capital to companies that can fulfil both criteria.”

With tough economic times ahead, combining sustainable strategies that appeal to stakeholders with more efficient, long-lasting digital assets offers a commercial win-win.

Owning Sustainability Are businesses ready to respond to this greener commitment? A report published just before the enforced lockdown revealed that just one quarter of UK businesses consider IT sustainability a top priority, beyond mandatory reporting and regulatory requirements.

Conclusion Rebuilding businesses and reinvigorating economies will require a concerted effort from both the public and private sector. The Government commitment to greening the recovery will be a good start, but companies need also to explore their own opportunities.

Yet one third of managers believe IT departments have a greater impact on improving sustainability than any other department; while almost half of respondents (48 percent) said they could do a lot more if they had more money and time, as well as greater support from the board.

Understanding and managing the entire IT lifecycle.

Questioning the way devices are acquired, managed and disposed. Extracting value from end-of-life devices through refurbishment. Challenging assumptions that devices are obsolete. Considering whether some tasks could be managed with reliable second-life equipment. This should become the default approach of all IT equipment management.

There are significant opportunities for businesses to drive their own change and move towards zero carbon, while also gaining a financial benefit. Such change requires a significant expansion of current thinking, which today ranges from tracking the energy consumption of IT equipment to simply throwing end-of-life devices in landfill.

Making the change will be easier in some businesses than others. But whether you opt to push the financial benefits, the ESG investment and reputational value, or simply leverage any government incentives that arise, every business should be committed to greening the recovery.

Addressing a company's approach to electronic waste (e-waste) should be a significant element of any sustainable or green strategy. With an insatiable appetite for new devices, the mountain of e-waste is growing exponentially - 44.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste are generated each year according to the UN Global E-Waste Monitor (2017).

Our own survey reveals that half of businesses dumped equipment in landfill or destroyed devices – yet 98% of the end-of-lease devices returned to us are refurbished, resold, and given a second life.

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Rather than destroying the asset, embracing renewal and refurbishment can deliver a range of financial and productivity benefits to businesses. Better management of the entire lifecycle, through

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I

nvestment is often an art rather just a business facet. The market is filled with lots of opportunities thus, many budding companies with exceptional potential striving in the industry.

Realizing this potential requires a keen understanding and strong tactical sense of doubling the investments. Such qualities can be seen in Nin.

Below are the highlights on Nin’s journey, in their own words: The 2008 Financial Meltdown led to liquidity crises for entrepreneurs, companies, LPs, & VCs. Fewer IPOs in the market mean no exits for VCs, no returns for LPs, and as a result venture funds were on a decline. No new funds mean less startup funding, low employment, and slow economic growth. Thus on April 5, 2012, The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the JOBS Act) was introduced, which enables crowdfunding for all Americans and that’s how NIN.VC came into existence.

Meet Ms. Nin Desai, President and CEO of NIN Ventures, an experienced fund manager and a technology geek. She specializes in investing in disruptive technologies. She seeks some exceptional disruptive technologies that changes an existing industry and also helps create a new market and value network, displacing an earlier technology or a way of doing business. Her company, NIN Ventures (or NIN.VC), a venture capital firm offers financing to early stage emerging companies with high growth potential in exchange for equity / an ownership stake.

NIN.VC is a unique and first of its kind crowdfunded technology venture capital fund for accredited investors who can invest in the NIN Ventures Technology (QP) Fund with a minimum amount of $100,000 using multiple investment options like selfdirected IRAs, Defined benefit plan, or a regular checking/savings account. NIN Ventures invests in early / growth stage 3D printing, the 4th industrial revolution, cloud computing, virtual reality, financial services, education software, and other disruptive technology companies.

The risks VCs take investing in disruptive technologies or business models yield higher returns their limited partners (or investors) require. Since the beginning of the 20th century, venture capital has been the domain of wealthy individuals and families. A typical LP base in a venture fund would be institutions, pension funds, endowments, family offices, etc.

Ms. Nin Desai is the President and CEO at NIN Ventures. As of 2017, only 6% of the venture capitalists were women, and 2.7% of women-owned businesses received venture capital funding. Ms. Desai is among the handful of VCs we have around

CIO Look admire such organization and appreciates Nin contribution in its special edition.

Nin Desai An Avid Leader, Investor and Tech Geek 50

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here. Her experience spans all facets of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance including public offerings and private placements from private equity to investment banking and investment management.

“Funding potential organizations for

Until now Venture Capital was the domain of the super-wealthy and institutions, like pension funds, endowments. NIN.VC is a unique and first of its kind crowdfunded technology venture capital fund for accredited investors. While there are restrictions on who can invest in NIN Ventures Technology (QP) Fund, it is never too late to start investing in venture capital. One must be an accredited investor and

the greater good.”

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verify themselves as an accredited investor to invest in the NIN Ventures Technology (QP) Fund.

However, note that Venture capital is a long term investment and the life of the fund ranges from ten to sometimes twelve years with returns coming in as and when exits occur in the form of an IPO or M&A, which could be five or seven years into the life of the fund.

The top three criteria any investor should look for in a venture fund is team, experience, and honesty/transparency. As far as returns are concerned, Technology focused funds generally tend to outperform USVC (United States Venture Capital) Index. Historically, USVC Index tends to outperform both USPE (United States Private Equity) Index and the S&P 500. Also, unlike popular belief, first-time funds tend to outperform Non-First-Time funds and All Venture Capital funds.

Most people are familiar and have a threedimensional portfolio (i.e. stocks, bonds, and mutual funds), but if you look at Harvard and Yale’s portfolio, they take a long-term approach and invest in alternatives like venture capital. E.g. Yale is currently the best performing endowment fund in the United States and its venture investment returns exceed all other asset classes. From 2008 to 2019, Yale has increased its asset allocation in Private Equity / Venture Capital from 20.2% to 37%, out of which 21.1% is venture capital, compared to 13.7% in 2014 and just 10% in 2013. Yale’s target venture capital allocation for 2020 was 21.5%, w. Yale’s venture capital portfolio is expected to generate real returns of 12.3% with risk of 37.8%. Over the past twenty years, its venture capital program has earned an outstanding 241.3% per annum. NIN.VC is your gateway to this asset class – Venture Capital. As a female CEO in the venture world, Ms. Desai hopes to set an example for businesswomen worldwide by educating people about venture capital and explore the potential of women in the investment world.

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“Our commitment to investing in highly trained and experienced scientists, stateof-the-art facilities and instrumentations, and a strong commitment to operational excellence will allow us to deliver results that meet or exceed our customers’ needs.”

— Song Li

Song Li, PhD

Frontage Laboratories, Inc

Frontage Laboratories A Drug Development Partner, Turning Services into Solutions

CRO (Contract Research Organization) is an essential partner for the biotech, pharmaceutical and MedTech companies in order to support their customers' attempt of developing, testing, refining and marketing the improvised medical and pharmaceutical related products.

In order to enhance the full-service capabilities of organizations, CRO marketplace has become quite competitive. Though markets are filled with many such CROs yet merely few have experienced the taste of success. Among various such CROs, Exton, Pennsylvania-based organization, Frontage Laboratories stands tall in this ever-evolving sector. It is a unique platform which provides its comprehensive services for the development of the relative industry.

In an interview with CIO Look, Dr. Song Li, the Founder of Frontage Laboratories has shed a light on the interesting facts about the platform, and also provided a detailed information about the cutting-edge solutions which the company offers.

Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between Dr. Song Li and CIOLOOK: Give a brief overview of your company, its uniqueness and its vision.

Frontage Laboratories, Inc. is a CRO that provides integrated, science-driven, product development services throughout the drug discovery and development process to enable pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to achieve their development goals. Comprehensive services include drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, analytical testing and formulation development, preclinical and clinical trial material manufacturing, bioanalysis, preclinical safety and toxicology assessment, and early phase clinical studies. Frontage has enabled many biotechnology companies and leading pharmaceutical companies of varying sizes to advance a myriad of molecules through development and file regulatory submissions in the United States, China and other countries.

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Describe your company's cutting edge solutions, which address all the needs of your customers.

We benefit greatly from having operations in both the United States and China (the two largest markets for CRO services in the world), and are well placed to capture growth opportunities in both markets. Our "Two Countries, One System" approach is integral to our commitment to maintain high quality standards.

This approach assures our customers the same quality standards, operating procedures and systems in both China and the United States, whilst also providing our customers with a detailed and highly experienced understanding of the regulations and requirements for drug discovery and development in both countries. This approach enables us to be a partner of choice for companies with multinational requirements or companies that need support for parallel submissions with the US FDA and China FDA.

wide array of pharma projects, they are technically challenging. In order to successfully take on these drug development projects, CROs require a broad array of highly-trained specialized scientists and new technologies and instrumentation.

What technologies are you leveraging to make your solutions resourceful and bringing advancement in the industry?

Leveraging its strong scientific and management expertise, the company is committed to provide the highest quality for each project. Over 70 percent of the company's scientific staff have advanced degrees. The team provides the required knowledge on utilizing novel pharma tools in the most creative way to its clients in order to help companies deal with complex challenges such as issues in drug formulation, bioanalysis and data interpretation. The company's focus on technical and scientific excellence helps them to form strong, long-term relationships and partnerships with the customers.

Give a detailed description of the featured person's influence over the company and the industry.

Dr. Song Li founded Frontage Laboratories in 2001 with the ambition of building a client-focused organization to help solve the most complex drug development challenges. Prior to Frontage, Dr. Li held management positions at Great Valley Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth.

During this time, he led numerous projects related to the development of pharmaceutical products.

Dr. Li has authored more than 15 scientific publications spanning a wide range of topics, including chiral separations, drug-protein interactions, pharmacokinetics, and analytical chemistry.

Importantly, Dr. Li has been the recipient of numerous awards, most recently Healthcare CEO award from Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 'Realizing the American Dream' award from the Pennsylvania Welcoming Society, and the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award from the AABDC. Dr. Li earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in analytical chemistry from McGill University and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Zhengzhou University in China.

Describe the experiences, achievements or lessons learned that have shaped the journey of the company.

Frontage Laboratories' varied services include Discovery services such as Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK), PK/PD and Lead Characterization, Safety and Toxicology Assessment, Bioanalytical Services, Pharmaceutical Development Services such as Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC), and Clinical Phase 1 studies. Frontage applies the same rigorous quality system across its business units in North America and China to ensure consistency in quality standards, operating procedures, setup, and systems.

What are your company's future aspirations? What strategies are you undertaking to achieve those goals?

Frontage Laboratories will continue to grow its capacity and capabilities both organically and through mergers and acquisitions as appropriate. In just the last six months, the company has expanded its footprint in both North America and China, acquiring a majority share position of a CMC group in China and setting up new labs in both China and North America to accommodate growth in the CMC and Bioanalytical areas. Along the same lines, Frontage Laboratories will continue to look for opportunities that will enhance its end-to-end discovery and drug development services.

How does your services differ from the other companies' offerings?

New developments in immunotherapies, gene and cell therapies, and antibody-drug conjugates are continuously contributing toward the growth of biologics. With the ever-expanding biologics market, CROs not only need to support standard pharma and biotech drug platforms for projects like small molecule and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, but also novel therapies using novel platforms for gene and cell therapy as well. While these novel platforms support a

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Inspiring Entrepreneur Supporter

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“Nothing is older than yesterday's success.”

Stefan Founder & Managing Director at CREATIVE PRO

Kozak

Creating Memories with Live Communication

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E

Live communication is an extremely important part of marketing. It has huge impact on internal as well as external communication of the brand. The company cooperates mostly with marketing and HR departments, but the impact of its work has been observed throughout the event management industry.

“In these COVID times we came up with new solutions how to connect people and how to deliver required message,” explains Stefan. His quick decision-making and ability to act quickly came out as a major differentiator in the market. He managed to build a virtual studio and offered solutions through various virtual events and hybrid events to the clients.

very business leader needs to be as much of a practitioner as a facilitator. If you want to remain a leader, it's crucial that you keep a finger on the pulse of what's happening, and stay on top of relevant facts, figures, and best practices. Other than that, the ability to come up with new and innovative ideas that propel your business forward is what allows leaders to stay around for quite a while.

“I think, one of the most important characteristics of a business leader is self-awareness,” says Stefan Kozak – Founder & Managing Director at CREATIVE PRO. “You should know your strengths and weaknesses while understanding the fact that sometimes you are up and sometimes you are down,” he adds. Through years of practice he has learned that it is crucial to make decision quickly, and not to hesitate while taking any action. Stefan strongly believes that it is necessary to lead people with passion and enthusiasm. It is an unbreakable force.

With professional attitude and unique know-how for all types of live and virtual events, Stefan and his team can create unique concepts, build up dramaturgy with natural flow and deliver smooth execution without technical issues.

Future Course of Action Due to coronavirus, corporate businesses were shaken as well. “What I can recommend to counter this is to not wait, but act. Take an action and find new solutions how to deliver message to your audience even though there are restrictions for live events,” Stefan advices. Virtual events or hybrid events have no limits and can beautifully cover all your needs, so this suggestion is actually very helpful if considered.

A Distinct Journey In his early days of education, Stefan was able to successfully connect with creative people and enable unforgettable experiences for his clients. At University of Performing Arts, he was surrounded by actors, set designers, and architects who inspired and helped him in curating unique concept set design, dramaturgy for really outstanding live events. He always had a clear vision and stayed focused on bringing innovative solutions and measurable results.

Stefan is attending several conferences a year (as a speaker and as a visitor) to keep himself updated with the latest trends. He also had the honor to meet and network with many inspiring people. The thing that enabled the company with an overview of live communication in Europe was its extremely enriching membership in 27Names network.

In addition to the daily management of CREATIVE PRO Group, he is also active in BTL Association – BTLka. He oversees the development of foreign relations and cooperation between organizations.

CREATIVE PRO Group always remains open-minded and thanks to the international knowledge gained and imparted by Stefan, its team is able to come up with bold and fresh ideas. The company's strategy is to be a leader and influencer in the live communication industry.

Stefan wishes to continue to explore new opportunities that the technology is bringing in every day, focusing on pushing the boundaries of live marketing industry. “We are entering a new era of virtual and hybrid events and we are excited to lead the innovations together with our clients,” he concludes.

Dynamics of Live Communication Live communication offers a wide range of services.

From conferences, creative team buildings, festivals or gala events to brand activation, retail events and much more. It is always creating unique solutions that will absolutely fit the needs of its clients, helping them to reach their KPIs.

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| November 2020 |