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ISSUE 2 | VOLUME 5 | AUTUMN ‘22

THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE TROORAMAGAZINE.COM

Lucid Motors Luxury mobility company reimagining what a car can be.

Innovative engineering, Design and Technology defining a new class of vehicle.

VICEROY HOTELS & RESORTS

With provocative design, intuitive service, and imaginative art encounters, each Viceroy hotel is a reflection of the local culture and a uniquely authentic experience.

viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

Instagram: @mabelchongjewelry Facebook: mabelchongjewelry Twitter: @mabelSF Pinterest: @mabelchongsf mabelchong.com

CRAFTED TO REFLECT THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF EACH FEATHER

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ORIGINAL Men’s OBSIDIAN Obsidian is crafted with solid black goose feathers that are inversely layered to create volume. Each pocket square measures 3.5” wide and 6.5” tall. Grosgrain fabric is used for the pocket square insert. Each feather used in production is all-natural and sustainably sourced. Feathers for each pocket square are hand-selected, giving each piece a unique coloring. Each pocket square is hand-crafted in Charleston, South Carolina.

STATEMENT NECKLACES - AMARNA Make a statement in this stunning peacock, pheasant, and turkey feather necklace. Crafted in deep burgundy hues with pops of gold, this piece is sure to turn heads whenever worn. No dyes are used, giving each necklace a unique coloring. Necklace pendant is 4” long and 3.75” wide at its widest point. Herringbone chain - 16” length with 2” extender. Each necklace is crafted with 24k gold plated, nickel free hardware.

CRAFTED TO REFLECT THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF EACH FEATHER

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The Art Of Wearing Ig @vicnateng

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celebrating us, the strong, resilient, and radiant women in our communities that inspire the world with our diversity and beauty

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The Fall Technology Issue Autumn ’22

o we really think tech, culinar y, ar t , travel, and fashion can’t mix or co-exist? The stark dichotomy begins to blur when what fashionistas love about fashion is jux taposed with what tech enthusiasts and fanatics love about technology and science.

From the first stone tools to the industrial revolution to what is now, in my opinion, the digital revolution, technology has changed ever y thing we encounter on a daily basis and in our ever yday lives. Some would say technology has come to dominate our lives. You are most likely reading these words on a screen, instead of in our meticulously curated and beautifully designed 100% PC W print edition (your loss). I think few of us Few of us would want to be without our phones , tablets , laptops , or broadband, Wi-Fi, Wikipedia, etc. I say it depends on the lens you choose to use to view your content and consume your media. On the sur face, fashion, culinar y, ar t , beaut y, and technology seem to have ver y little in common. Hemlines and coding live in different worlds. You can’t reboot your ar t , wardrobe, and accessories. Or can you? For those of us living in the leading cities of the world, we are spoiled by what the prominent industries have to offer. Some of us love the mix of heritage and traditions combined with state-of-the-ar t technology and are constantly searching for what the future will bring. Look , for instance, at some of the features we bring you in our Fall Technology Issue 2 2 . Star ting with our cover, we present The Fabricant ’s Fluid Collection designed for digi-sapiens to wear on their avatars on their platform, LEEL A. This month, in our Science and Innovations and technology sections , we introduce you to a diverse and inclusive group, whom we spotlight as ex traordinar y individuals who are breaking boundaries in their fields. Women in Africa breaking the mold in Technology as well as Inspirational stories in Ar t , Travel, and beaut y, keeping in our vision and mission to continue to inspire.

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Of course, all progress is only possible if it ’s anchored in a solid foundation. As a way to build a strong infrastructure and truly highlight our featured par tners , we hold our Fall Technology Issue Launch Event on Friday October 2 1st in San Francisco. We pride ourselves in providing a platform to give a voice and help with more visibilit y and brand awareness to their projects , products , and brands. Join us in celebrating TrooRa’s 4th anniversar y and 13th issue release. I hope our effor ts will keep those able to provide additional suppor t and resources to small businesses and minorit y entrepreneurs encouraged and inspired.

Tr ystanne Cunningham Editor-In-Chief Creative Director Founder

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WORLD'S FIRST SMART FRAGRANCE BOT TLE

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THROUGH A GLASS D A R K LY

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ART TO LAST G E N E R AT I O N S

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A DEEP DIVE INTO CHEF NICOLAI ELLITSGAARD AND U N D E R R E S TA U R A N T

134

Through A Glass Darkly

Created to Disappear K E L P A S A N E C O - F R I E N D LY P L A S T I C A LT E R N A T I V E

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R I K A R D Ö S T E R L U N D & Z A R A CARPENTER EACH EXPLORE THE PROCESS & POSSIBILITIES OF COMBINING TECHNOLOGIES, BOTH OLD AND NEW, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK O F T H E I R P H OTO G R A P H I C I M AG E RY.

JEWELS FOR YOUR TABLE vintage-inspired yet refined and modern colored glass collection that starts a revival of colored glass that is reminiscent of a past time

DECANTER-HERITAGE {EMERALD GREEN}

DECANTER- VOGUE {MIDNIGHT BLUE}

ESTELLE CAKE STAND {AMETHYST}

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Armenian brandy made from Armenian white grapes and spring water

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ARARAT E N COU R AG ES R ESPON SIB L E D R IN K IN G

162

WanderfullySo

L I LY M A K A L E N G C H A L L E N G E S U S T O R E I M A G I N E T R AV E L I N A F R I C A A N D T R U LY C O N N E C T WITH THE WONDERS OF AN AUTHENTIC LOCAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE CLICK OF A BUTTON.

Travel

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156 162 170 180

O L’ A U PA L A U W A N D E R F U L LY S O FREEDOM TO FORGE THE FUTURE OF H O S P I TA L I T Y I S G R E E N

Fashion & Accessories 194 202 208

I N S I D E T H E FA B R I C A N T R E F L E C T T H E B E S T O F YO U R S E L F CUTECIRCUIT

194

Inside The Fabricant I S D I G I TA L C L O T H I N G T H E NEXT BIG DISRUPTOR OF THE FA S H I O N I N D U S T R Y ?

220 BESPOKE BEAUTY 2 2 8 B U T TA H S K I N 23 8 K E E P YO U R C O S M E T I C S C O O L !

Health & Fitness 246 252 258 264 268

KEEPING FIT IN TECH VILLE E X E R C I S I N G I N T H E A G E O F T E C H N O LO GY E X P E R I E N C E T H E E N D E AV O R R X A B I G B R E AT H O F F R E S H A I R T H E V E R G E O F O B J E C T I V E CONCUSSION DIAGNOSIS

264

A Big Breath of Fresh Air A I R O F I T I S L E A D I N G T H E W AY IN THE THERAPEUTIC DEVICES I N D U ST RY.

TROORA TECHNOLOGY ISSUE 202 2

Beauty

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Sports

274 P I VOT I N G : F R O M B I G T I M E BASKETBALL TO BIG TECH

Special Interest 282 288 294 298 302 306 310

HEFORSHE PRESENCE LEARNING BREAKING THE BIAS IN A F R I C A’ S T E C H S PA C E H A R N E S S I N G T E C H C R E AT I V I T Y T O S O LV E F O R D E I J U S T I C E S E A M L E S S LY O U T S O U R C E D F O R SMOOTH SUCCESS W O M E N P I O N E E R S I N W E S T A F R I C A’ S T E C H S PA C E S H O P, W O R K , LO V E

Science & Innovation 316

320 324

ACCENTURE’S VRUSHALI GAUD O N O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y THE PERFECT SCENT W H AT W A S T H AT A G A I N ?

Technology TROORA MAGAZINE

330 COMPLETING THE CIRCUIT 3 3 4 YO U N G I N V E N TO R S P OT L I G H T 338 HOBBY TINKERING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Shop, Work, Love L E V E L’ S E - C O M M E R C E , C A R E E R , A N D D AT I N G S I T E

320

The Perfect Scent NINU—THE FIRST AIPOWERED PERFUME T H AT S U I T S Y O U R M O O D .

Completing the Circuit NEW APP HOLDS PROMISE TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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Hobby Tinkering to Entrepreneurship SHERDELLAH AND DARRYL ANUNCIADO’S ACTION DRONE

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S E A B R I G A N T I / LO L I WA R E SHANELLE REESE SHINY DIAMOND SHOP LEVEL SOUND ON SPORLAB SUSHIL GHIMIRE THE BRANDO RESORT T H E FA B R I C A N T T H E Z E T TA TOBIAS REICH

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HEFORSHE.ORG HIX ISLAND HOUSE H O S T H AVA S H2HOTEL IAN MACHARIA INVINTORY JEREMY BISHOP JIM DE RAMOS TJ K O L E S N I K JESHOOTS.COM K AT T Y L O P E Z D E G U L L KYLEFROMTHENORTH

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IN THIS ISSUE

VA L E R I A U S H A K O VA VRUSHALI GAUD WHITEPOD HOTEL ZARA CARPENTER

contributors IN THIS ISSUE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

T R Y S TA N N E CUNNINGHAM Editor-in-Chief

SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO Editorial Design Director AMANDA ORAHA Copy Editor

NIZIE LOKMAN Travel & Wellness Contributing Writer CARY WONG Culinar y Contributing Writer

MICHAEL DAKS Contributing Writer/ Photographer

CRISTINA DEPTULA Contributing Writer

78 11

NEHA SURADKAR Fashion and Beaut y Contributing writer

9 10 11 12 13

F I L I PA A R A ÚJ O Travel Contributing Writer STELLA P O LY Z O I D O U Fashion and Beaut y Contributing Writer

GEORGE DIKE Technology Contributing Writer

14 12

JESSE ADUMA Contributing Health and Fitness Writer KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY Spor ts Contributing Writer

ROBYN ALEXANDER Home Design/Decor Contributing Writer

STORY BEHIND THE COVER:

The Technology Issue Fall 22

The specially designed FLUID digital couture collection has been created specifically for the LEELA platform. P H OTO GR A P H E D B Y : FLUID COLLE C T I ON B Y T HE FAB R I CAN T

TROORA MAGAZINE

PHOTO CREDIT ‘FLUID COLLECTION, BY THE FABRICANT

T E X T B Y : T HE FAB R I CAN T

digital fashion house leading the fashion industr y toward a new sector of digital-only clothing.

As a company of creative technologists The Fabricant envisions a future where fashion transcends the physical body, and their digital identities permeate daily life to become the new realit y. The Fabricant will be a leader in the movement that uploads the human to the nex t level of existence. We are building a business that prepares for that eventualit y. The Fabricant is trialing a new digital platform, LEEL A , that allows users to

create a photo-real avatar to test out digital couture. Leela, which means ‘play ’ in Hindi, encourages users to experiment with bold digital garments for their avatars to wear, picking designs from FLUID – a specially created digital-only couture collection. Using 3D technology, the platform enables users to capture images of their digitally dressed avatar from multiple perspectives. Conceptualized as a “self-expression playground,” LEEL A has been created at a time when brands are exploring digital fashion and vir tual runways. With physical stores remaining closed due to Covid-19, digital solutions such as

LEEL A can fuel new business and marketing models for brands. ‘In LEEL A , people are not passive consumers but creative agents crafting their self-expression and curating their visual identity through digital clothing,’ explains Amber Jae Slooten, creative director at The Fabricant.

The specially designed FLUID digital couture collection has been created specifically for the LEEL A platform. It is presented with genderlessness in mind, and users are free to play with the various aesthetics however they choose. Digital sizing fits all. Regardless of body type, shape or gender, LEEL A users will find a look that perfectly fits. Second creation for FLUID, a digital couture collection that allows you to express your multiple selves. To be fluid is to be free, able to take on shape and meaning yet remaining open to endless possibility. The Collection was designed for digi-sapiens to wear on their avatars on our platform: LEEL A.

TROORA TECHNOLOGY ISSUE 202 2

PHOTO CREDIT ‘FLUID COLLECTION, BY THE FABRICANT

We waste nothing but data and exploit nothing but our imagination. Operating at the intersection of fashion and technology fabricating digital couture and fashion experiences.

Inspired by a love of vintage pieces, flowing feminine dresses, florals, and life by the sea. cobblerslane.com

CLONE CANDLE COLLECTION 100% NATURAL SOY WAX FREE OF DYES 7 SYNTHETIC FRANGRANCE PREMIUM BLEND OF FRAGRANCE OILS & ESSENTIAL OILS HAND-POURED IN SONOMA COUNTY, CA

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EACH CANDLE REPRESENTS 1 OF THE 4 VARIETALS GROWN IN OUR VINEYARDS

Designed and hand-produced stoneware ceramic table lamps from the Catskill Mountains of New York

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T H E

W O R L D ’ S

F I N E S T

kylebunting.com

H I D E

R U G S

home design HOME DESIGN

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74 82 92

C R E AT E D T O D I S A P P E A R BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Kelp as an Eco-Friendly Plastic Alternative.

FA R M F U S I O N BY ROBYN ALEXANDER

An old farmhouse near Cape Town is transformed into a unique country bolthole which playfully combines rustic charm with Victorian elegance. LIGHT TOUCH BY ROBYN ALEXANDER

A pair of serial renovators in Johannesburg brought a midcentury gem back to life with a sense of subtlety and fun.

Created to Disappear:

Sea Briganti and Loliware Kelp as an Eco-Friendly Plastic Alternative P H OTO CR E D I T : SE A B R I G AN T I/LOLIWAR E

TROORA MAGAZINE

WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

Befitting her name, Sea Briganti told me that she was the founder of Loliware, a company dedicated to fashioning plastic straws and utensils out of compostable kelp as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic. Headquar tered in New York and San Francisco, the team Briganti has woven together includes scientists, ar tists, writers, designers, and engineers. They believe their work has the potential to mitigate climate change to a substantive degree.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING BEHIND THE BLUE CARBON ST R AW S Loliware has developed a new material out of kelp and other aquatic plants known as “seaweed,” that they believe will tackle plastic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity collapse. Plastic pollution has become a major issue for our planet ’s and our own health. Plastic production and waste account for 15 percent of the world’s projected 2050 carbon budget , and by then, there will also be more pieces of plastic in the oceans than fish if current trends continue. Plastic contamination poses a serious problem: traces of microplastics have been found within the bodies of fish down to the deepest par ts of the ocean, and each person on the planet is estimated to unknowingly ingest a credit card’s wor th of microplastic per year. Seaweed, on the other hand, grows quickly, is self-sustaining, and requires no fresh water or fer tilizer to grow. It captures five to 20 times more carbon per acre than land-based forests and permanently stores some of the carbon on the seafloor. Seaweed absorbs carbon dioxide within the

TROORA TECHNOLOGY ISSUE 202 2

first met Loliware’s CEO, Sea Briganti, at San Francisco’s Women of Silicon Valley conference last May. She stood out in her colorful blue, green, and brown outfit in a landscape of conser vative, corporate solid colors (and a few pairs of jeans).

Founder, LaToya Tucciarone

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R E G E N E R AT I V E A N D J U S T .

zero-waste, fair fashion

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Farm Fusion An old farmhouse near Cape Town is transformed into a unique country bolthole which playfully combines rustic charm with Victorian elegance P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y : W A R R E N H E AT H WRIT TEN BY: ROBYN ALEXANDER

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“The work on this house was more of a resurrection than a renovation. We live in a throwaway culture where new and fashionable designer stuff is desirable. I wanted to do the opposite, without being confined by trends,”

reflects the homeowner of the 160-year-old house in the hamlet of Philadelphia, near Cape Town, Dapper De Wet. The house, par t of which was being operated as a general store, was bought on a whim five years ago. The pandemic propelled his plans to relocate from Singapore, presenting an oppor tunity to transform the building while living in it and plent y of time on his hands. First conver ting a tractor shed into a rustic, barn-like wing, Dapper drew out the house’s full potential, replacing and repairing heritage features and

The homeowner wanted to restore the face of the home to its Victorian splendour. He fixed the ornamental wrought-iron work (locally referred to as “broekie lace”) and installed a formal fountain. “It’s like an old lady putting on lipstick. Suddenly you can see what she looks like,” says Dapper. “It’s almost like the house is smiling at you know.”

infusing it with décor inspiration and pieces collected while traveling. The travel photographer and financier, raised in a remote village farm, hasn’t called South Africa home for decades. Relocating to Philadelphia (population 570), he faced the challenge of accommodating farm heirlooms that had been in storage for decades with furniture that had graced his apar tments from Moscow to Sri Lanka. “In some ways, I designed the house around ever y thing that came out of my storage crates,” laughs Dapper. “I’ve been collecting pieces that interested me for decades, and they finally all have a home under one roof. It felt like being

“My story is the typical one of ‘I knocked on a door of a Victorian house to ask if it was for sale’,” says Dapper de Wet. He says it was vital for him to respect the house, which guided his work on it.

The shed was converted into the home’s primary living quarters, claiming the attic space for a mezzanine bedroom/bathroom. “I bought nothing new for the house. Everything in the shed has come from my childhood farm or my travels,” says Dapper.

The homeowner retained the original shed doors, which open onto a private courtyard with an informal dining space, and freeroaming chickens.

reunited with old friends. I star ted with the furniture and worked backwards.”

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The most pressing concern was to create a place to live while renovating. Dapper designated the garage for this, embracing the double barn doors, exposed brick and mud walls and corrugated iron roof. He transformed the attic into private mez zanine sleeping quar ters perched above a living room, linked by a wooden staircase featuring reclaimed iron road barriers. It now connects to the main house but retains it ’s own aesthetic, with farm tools, equipment and other memor yinfused pieces from his childhood.

“I wanted to respect the house,” says Dapper. “It felt appropriate to explore a rustic, farm feel with the shed. But a lot of my newer furniture, like the four-poster bed, had been picked up in Sri Lanka and has a Dutch Colonial feel,” he says. These pieces found a natural crossover with the house’s original footprint , with its beautifully car ved doors and high wooden ceilings.

The ever-resourceful homeowner used old window shutters for kitchen cabinets.

In the dining room, a milk separator and other vintage farmware are clustered on a wooden cabinet bought in Sri Lanka.

“The pieces in my home are an accumulation of experiences,” says Dapper. Pictured is a string of bells worn by a donkey on a riding trip in Bhutan, but in the shed, you stumble across stirrups he wore while crossing the Himalayas and numerous more storied pieces.

TROORA TECHNOLOGY ISSUE 202 2

The dining table, which came out of a monastery in Sri Lanka, is positioned in a central space in the house, open to one side. “I loved the way of living in Sri Lanka, where you are continuously connected to the outdoors,” explains Dapper. This lifestyle is celebrated in the room, where Indonesian and Eastern furniture are blended with collected pieces that give it a wonderful charm.

Hand Rolled Palo Santo Incense

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N O M A C O L L E C T I V E PA R T N E R S W I T H TA L E N T E D A R T I S A N S A C R O S S T H E G L O B E T O B R I N G Y O U C O N S C I O U S LY D E S I G N E D , E T H I C A L LY C U R AT E D , H O M E W A R E , T E X T I L E , A N D A C C E S S O R Y COLLECTIONS.

Light Touch A pair of serial renovators in Johannesburg brought a mid-century gem back to life with a sense of subtlety and fun PHOTOGRAPHED BY EL SA YOUNG

TROORA MAGAZINE

WRIT TEN BY ROBYN ALEXANDER

t takes a good eye to spot potential in a fixer-upper, par ticularly in a cit y like Johannesburg. There are some real gems – almost always under valued – but their qualities are often lost beneath the add-ons that barnacle their way onto houses over time.

Christo Vermeulen and Nico Venter are serial renovators. Inevitably, after a few years of living in a house, they find their eyes wandering. They most cer tainly do have a knack

The house spills out into the neat, structured garden via a tidy terrace. Nico and Christo recognised the intricate system of proportions at play in the design of the facade, and were careful to keep it in place, even giving it extra emphasis in their updates. The way in which the glass doors were broken down into three portions, for example, has been replicated in the new aluminium frames. The same proportions are reflected in the larger façade: the height of the planter is doubled in the section extending to the concrete sunshade, which is doubled again up to the soffit. Christo and Nico widened the door to match the width of the entrance hall and added the vertical strip of air bricks.

Christo is a former tex tile designer turned builder/renovator – with a side-line in manufacturing bespoke features, especially metalwork and ironmonger y – and Nico is an urban designer with a keen interest in the city ’s architectural histor y. Together, they make a formidable team: insightful and capable, with the perfect combination of vision and respect for the innate qualities of a good find. They recognized that they were looking at something special when they walked into this early 1940s double-stor y house in

the suburb of Greenside. The perfection of the sensuously cur ved, Ar tdeco inflected balustrade on the stairs was the first clue that highly skilled builders had been at work here. “ There’s not a nick on it ,” says Nico, adding that there were other details, par ticularly in the cast concrete, which were “impeccable.” He also recognized the fine workmanship of the rounded edges where the walls meet the ceiling.

Christo soon realized that there were timber floors – parquet upstairs – and terraz zo beneath the layers of carpeting and glue. There were other “beautiful features of the era,” as he puts it. They were both par ticularly pleased with the brass fittings sprinkled throughout and the long, narrow planters outside.

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for recognizing the signs that something special might be lurking beneath the surface a nondescript ex terior. Over the years, a few of the cit y ’s houses have benefitted from their transformations.

The kitchen was moved from its original position at the back to the front of the house, with easy access to the dining room on one side, the living room (so you aren’t excluded from conversation if you’re cooking) and the veranda, which Christo and Nico added. Nico loves the calming effect of ponds and water features, so there’s a sharp-edged fishpond right outside, which has the benefit of cooling the breeze coming into the house in summer when the doors are open.

The monochromatic kitchen with its sleek kitchen island is supported by a scullery, so it becomes a living area in its down right. All the furnishings have been designed and manufactured by Muse Designs, Christo and Nico’s design and company. Nico explains that the white cabinet with the coffee machine is a modern interpretation of his grandmother’s kitchen dresser, replicating its design in modern materials. He adds that it’s the hardest-working piece of furniture in the house, proof of the perfection of its design. The cylindrical extractor chimes with the ceiling lights, which have been used throughout the house.

rather than the more conventional teak – could be revived. They were less lucky with the terraz zo, which had been damaged beyond repair. They replaced it with terraz zo tiles, however, to update it with a nod to the original finish. They replaced the rickety old steel windows with modern aluminium frames, but Nico had noticed an intricate rhy thm of propor tions throughout the house. “All of the windows are broken down into three sections,” he explains. On the lower floor, there was a little por tion at the bottom, above it , another section double the height , and above that , the top section was double the middle one. A similar pattern was repeated on the upper level, but in reverse.

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The windows, in turn, become par t of a larger geometric game. The composition of the front façade follows the same propor tions: the height up to the flower box is doubled in the nex t section up to the sunshades and doubled again above it to the soffits.

He and Christo replicated it in the modern material, so the integrity of the overall design remained intact. Many of the alterations they ’ve made draw attention to original architectural features of the house. They ’ve widened doors, for

example, to improve the lines of sight between rooms. One between the living room and entrance hall now perfectly frames the staircase.

In the dining room, the glass-topped table was designed by Christo and Nico and manufactured Muse Designs, Christo and Nico’s design and company. Its transparent top not only allows you to appreciate the kiaat floors, but also the dining chairs from Dark Horse. The double-door cabinet is by The Iron Banister, a well-known local ironmonger/metalsmith. Christo and Nico picked up some of its brass detailing in their dining table design.

The beautiful curves of the solid concrete balustrade on the stairway were one of the first things Nico and Christo noticed when they first saw the house. Its fine workmanship alerted them to the overall quality of the house and the craftsmanship of its design. While the walls are dark, the balustrade is white. The contrast emphasises its elegance. Nico and Christo added a skylight to allow natural light into the stairwell from above. Their fluted cladding features prominently here, interacting beautifully with the light. The circular pendant lights are Artemide Egg Pendant Lights. The ceramic on the landing is from Sonia Scholtz of My Beautiful Mess.

They ’ve subtly distinguished the original features from the areas they ’ve altered, but it comes across as a feeling rather than an over t signal. Christo and Nico designed fluted wall paneling that runs up to waist height , which is restricted to the original areas. Where the kitchen, dining room, T V room and study have been switched around, the walls remain smooth. Similarly, Nico points out , that wherever they ’ve included new doors, they ’ve used reeded glass, which has a kind of vintage ‘ feeling,’ but also signals a change. (It also complements the fluted paneling beautifully!)

They ’ve picked up on other little details that belonged to the original house, such as the brass fittings – the door handles for example – and found ways to emphasise them. From the brass strip inlay in the terraz zo in the entrance hall and master bathroom to little brass details like nuts and bolts in the ironmonger y and furniture, there’s a glimmer of brass at play.

Christo and Nico have planted the courtyard between the dining room and Christo’s workshop with arums and phormium purple haze. A window in the dining room was opened up to create a connection between the workshop and the house, which mirror each other across the courtyard, so that there is a visual connection between the ‘working’ and the ‘living’ areas.

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The master bedroom has beautiful parquet floors, which were uncovered and restored. The bed is from La Grange interiors, and the cover is from local décor and design story Beck/Ernst.

A V E S S E L C O M PA N Y

TIMELESS AND UNIQUE VESSELS. MODERN M I N I M A L I S T I C C E R A M I C S A N D PA P E R M A C H É V ES S E L S H A N D M A D E TO F I L L YO U R H O M E .

A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “the finer things in life.”

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CULINARY

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PIONEERING REFINEMENT BY CARY WONG

The innovative mind of Chef Paul Liebrandt.

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BUILDING A MYSTERY BY CARY WONG

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INVINTORY: NEVER AGAIN LOSE A PRECIOUS BOTTLE BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

A deep dive into Chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard and Under Restaurant.

Guided by a team of sommeliers ,InVintory provides 3D inventory for your wine cellar.

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Pioneering Refinement

The innovative mind of Chef Paul Liebrandt WRITTEN BY: CARY WONG

rends impact what chefs and restaurants do to an unbelievable degree. From the early days of French haute cuisine came the nouvelle approach. In contemporar y times, we have seen fusion, molecular gastronomy, farm-to-table, fermentation, and more. These different themes dominated their respective periods—and fell off just as fast as they were proclaimed the nex t hot thing. Even the role of a chef has changed dramatically. Especially during the last ten to twenty years, the biggest of them have been elevated to rockstar status. And just like culinary trends, these stars move around more often than one would think.

“The thoughtfulness of food… the sensibility of how to join the dots with French food is a very, very, very interesting and very complex thing”

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A veteran in the game, Chef Paul Liebrandt has seen his share of rises and falls.

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Growing up near Gerrard Street , a main street in Chinatown of London, he saw roasted ducks hanging in restaurant windows and cooks making wonton. These images impressed his young mind. And that is the kind of multicultural influence one can live through in a big city.

Originally hailing from London, England, he started cooking at 15 there as well as in Paris at numerous Michelin-starred kitchens. Then he decided to go to the United States—specifically New York—in 2000. Starting at the tender age of 24, he was able to put his feet down and run a number of successful restaurants in the City That Never Sleeps, including Atlas, Papillon, Gilt , Corton, and The Elm. Along the way, he also garnered countless national and international awards. To him, the ethics, the mentality, and the sensibility of the culture of pushing ahead and being successful in New York Cit y are unlike anywhere else. However, one can see a parallel to his hometown.

Throughout his career, he has worked in many ex traordinar y restaurants that featured great chefs. However, his stint with Chef Pierre Gagnaire in Paris was especially impactful. “ The thoughtfulness of food… the sensibility of how to join the dots with French food is a ver y, ver y, ver y interesting and ver y complex thing,” he says. “I really thought what [Chef Gagnair] was doing was a cut above a lot of other chefs.”

In addition, at 21 years old and speaking nar y a word of French—while working in a city that is completely enamored with food—was an amazing experience. There were excellent bakeries and patisseries at ever y corner. His co-workers came from ever y countr y in the world and were all eager to learn. He realized that the most impor tant languages were that of food and of the work ethic that brought them all there. During his early days in America, he tried to establish himself in the city ’s challenging dining scene and broke new ground as he was filmed as the subject matter in a documentar y called “A Matter of Taste: Ser ving Up Paul Liebrandt.” Unlike the wave of food-focused documentaries that are now all the rage, his was shot over ten years, from 2001 until 2010. It was more a

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Chef Paul Liebrandt

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delight in the details of cooking

Building a Mystery A deep dive into Chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard and Under Restaurant

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WRITTEN BY: CARY WONG

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he underwater location feels more like a secret high-tech laborator y or a lair of a Bond villain. And if you guess the former, you would be half correct. This is Under, a restaurant and a science project of sor ts in Lindesnes, Norway, located exactly 5.5 meters under sea level. With a dining area of 495 square meters and a capacity of 40, it is the biggest underwater restaurant in the world.

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Chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard

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As an architectural mar vel, it was designed by the Norwegian architectural office called Snøhetta and took only 14 months to build. First , a big hollow concrete block was constructed. Then it was put in the ocean and dragged to the current location. To avoid floating, it was filled with water to make it sink down. During the final steps, 14 different spots of the seabed were locked-in. And after emptying all the water, ever y thing else inside was constructed—impor tant details like stairs and elevators, among others.

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The restaurant ’s ex terior features some peculiar things: seaweeds growing on the concrete. Snails, limpets, and blue mussels have also star ted to attach themselves to the outside of the restaurant and spawn organically. All these things live and die in a ver y natural rhy thm.

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The sense of surprise continues from the moment the diners enter the restaurant to the menu. As the guests step foot in Under, the restaurant ’s six-hour-long soundtrack is played in the background. They are then led to sit on low couches that par tly obscure the full view. The dramatic window that overlooks the ocean does not reveal itself

until the guests are fur ther along the dining experience. All of this happens while the guests are completely blind about the food—because the restaurant does not publish its menu online. “I think it is impor tant when you go out and dine… that you relax and not think about what 's coming or what 's not coming. You just have to enjoy the moment ,” Chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard says.

The guests will be ser ved what the team thinks is the best on that day. Not only is that an ar tistic statement , but it is also a practical consideration. The remote location is a one-and-a-half-hour drive to the closest city. If an ingredient is not of high enough qualit y, the team has to be able to replace it with something better that is available. To add to (or subtract from, depending on one’s view) the riddle, this town of 200 people is a healthy 5-hour drive south of Oslo, the Norwegian capital. In this setting, Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard is hard at work in more innovative ways than only food. And just so we are clear, there is no romantic backstor y here. “I was tired of school, and I needed something to do, and then my teacher said that maybe you should tr y to become a chef,” he says.

In the Danish school system, the students get two weeks in ninth and tenth grades to go and tr y to learn a par ticular skill— for example, a plumber or a carpenter. It was under this circumstance that he first stepped foot in a professional kitchen, and after the first week , “I just fell totally in love.” He did not have high expectations initially. It was just fun for him to cook . One day, the chef at his apprenticeship told him the way he worked was not good enough. That he had to think about what he wanted in life. Chef Ellitsgaard’s response? He wanted to have a Michelin star restaurant in the future. That was the turning point that pushed him to become the best that he could be. The restaurant concept is strictly about showcasing southern Norway and all its culinar y possibilities. So outside ingredients are prohibited. Foraging and locality became the two backbones of the menu, and these restrictions forced him to think differently. Olive oil, for example, could not be used. To overcome this, he tested wild plants from nearby forests in all their forms—from fresh to preser ved to fermented—that are stored in a two-and-a-half-ton fridge container the team 117

calls “ the bunker.” Chef Ellitsgaard discovered that new flavors are often found during the preser ving process. And he could replace olive oil with something new that only hints at olive oil without tasting exactly like it.

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One may also be surprised to see that in such a marine-focused environment , proteins like lamb make occasional appearances. These animals generally take care of themselves with minimal help from a farmer.

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However, most of the star ingredients come from the sea. In addition to common highend regional ingredients, littleunderstood-and-underused-gems and bycatches are also used ex tensively. One of the things Chef Ellitsgaard discovered was seaweed that tastes like truffles. It took a long time to assess the ingredient to find out what it was. Eventually, a breakthrough was reached, and it is now a regular feature on the menu.

However, Chef Ellitsgaard convinced one fisherman to take care of these crustaceans and then put them to use. As time passed, the species caught on—as some English and French restaurants star ted to feature them. These exciting developments prove that these items do, in fact , have value. As for the larger fishes, it is an obligation for those who work with Under to kill and store them using the Japanese Ikejime method that kills the fish instantaneously and drains them of their blood rapidly. When done correctly, it preser ves the flavor and tex ture and allows the flesh to develop a deeper savoriness when aged. It is ver y interesting when Chef Ellisgaard shows these unconventional techniques to his suppliers - who have done things the same way for fifty years or more - and they see the actual difference in the product quality. Since the restaurant also functions as a research center for marine life, it takes more than one person to manage ever y thing. Tom Ruffles, Under ’s Scientific Adviser, also drives various projects at the restaurant. One such under taking is investigating the relationship between the amount of fish in the sea and the water salinity/temperature.

Bycatch is another elevated item at Under. The name conjures up images of organisms unfit for human consumption, let alone used by a high-end restaurant. In reality, however, it refers to crab or other crustaceans caught in a fish trap. Take the squat lobster—a small little langoustine that gets caught inside the trap for larger species. The fishermen normally just throw them overboard without using them.

During his personal time, he does not venture far from the ocean. He goes freediving once a month as a hobby but also to find out what nex t season’s seaweed looks like. During these dives, he also forages for ingredients for his personal use and gets new ideas for the menu. Additionally, he has recently become the father of a new child, which has become a priority in his life. With a busy personal and professional life, there is no shor tage of mysteries for Chef Ellitsgaard to solve! @UNDERLINDESNES @ELLITSGAARD_UNDER

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“ When it rains, the level of salt in the water will fall,” Chef Ellisgaard says—as the amount of fresh river water will rise during that time. The idea is to determine whether that change will impact the yield of what is caught. It is a ver y interesting study and one that may have a far-reaching impact.

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InVintory:

Never Again Lose a Precious Bottle Guided by a team of sommeliers, InVintory provides 3D inventory for your wine cellar PHOTO CREDIT: INVINTORY WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

says that the whole team enjoys wine.

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eff Daiter had planned to spend his retirement sipping wine and writing screenplays. However, he could never keep track of his wine collection or find his bottles.

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One night , he wanted to find a special bottle he’d set aside for a friend, but it was not where he expected it to be. Pulling shelf after shelf out of his fridge, he finally saw a bottle topple off the side and crash onto the floor—the one he’d wanted. Frustrated, he turned to his son, Josh, a software developer with a master ’s degree in AI, and asked for help. Josh built a quick app over the weekend for his dad’s personal use, but his friends soon wanted access, and they realized they had a business on their hands. Yule Schmidt , chief operating officer of InVintor y,

wine region of Niagara.”

“ We are all wine drinkers, yes! Jeff has lots of Napa Cab but these days tends more towards Brunello (Casanova di Neri is a favorite). Josh is an explorer but , of late, has been enjoying whites, like Loire Sauvignon Blanc. I’m ver y par tial to white Burgundy and Barolo, although I have a few favorite producers in my local

To Schmidt and others, the purpose of creating InVintor y was to solve a problem, which is the only reason they believe anyone should star t a business. “If you’re a wine collector, you’ll have hundreds or thousands of bottles. You may not need an app for your Bentleys, but you’ll need one for your Bordeaux .”

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A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “the finer things in life.”

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DISCOVER A COFFEE YOU WILL CRAVE No... seriously, you’ll drink it and crave it, but don’t worry... we can send it to your home or office monthly, so you’re good!

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art, music & film A R T, M U S I C & F I L M

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THROUGH A GLASS D A R K LY BY MICHAEL DAKS

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ART TO LAST G E N E R AT I O N S BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Rikard Österlund & Zara Carpenter each explore the process & possibilities of combining technologies, both old and new, within the framework of their photographic imagery.

Art that captures the sense of vastness and timelessness when on the ocean or in the mountains.

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Through A Glass Darkly Rikard Österlund & Zara Carpenter each explore the process & possibilities of combining technologies, both old and new, within the framework of their photographic imagery.

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Girl on the Rialto Bridge-From SelfPortraitsAndOtherScenes book

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y Z A R A C A R P E N T E R & R I K A R D Ö S T E R L U N D WRIT TEN BY MICHAEL DAKS

ara Carpenter stepped ner vously onto the catwalk for the ver y first time. What was she doing here? She was a poet , not a model! Her friend Fanny Kellerman had insisted, “I absolutely want you to. You’re perfect!” A few steps later, Zara spotted a handsome photographer at the end of the runway. Ner ves vanished, and the die was cast. She had seen her future husband. The year was 2005, and they have been together ever since. They married in Rochester, Kent in July 2013.

Rikard reminisced. “ We were finally introduced, and I invited you around for dinner after a few dates. I cooked you lots of things that you were allergic to….”

Bill was instrumental in getting her first poem published and then, a few years later, included her in an anthology with other Medway Poets, including Billy Childish (perhaps better known now as a painter, musician, and ex-boy friend of Tracy Emin). Billy and Bill later helped her publish her first book of poetr y, ‘Chatham Girl.’ The book sold out its initial print run almost immediately. There was a collaborative element to help illustrate the book where Zara worked with other ar tists and photographers. She was also doing her own abstract paintings at the time. “I did it because I loved it. I didn’t really think any thing of it. I was even commissioned to do a few paintings by an interior designer.”

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Rikard-and-Zara-Photobooth

ZaraCarpenter-Sissinghurst (top). ZaraCarpenter-Darrell Hawkins (center). ZaraCarpenter-Yukimi Akiba Collab 2 (bottom).

Zara was mostly writing poetr y at the time, a lot of which was autobiographical, and that is where Rikard’s interest lies in photography. She had published two books by then and had also been in several anthologies. When she was 15, Zara went to a youth club in Sittingbourne, where she was living at the time, and a youth worker there was Bill Lewis, one of the Medway Poets. “I eventually showed him some of my work , and he introduced me to the work of the Beat poets and showed me stuff that school never did!”

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Rikard politely interjected at this point , “if you saw her paintings, then there is a clear thread through to her Polaroids.” Rikard Osterlund was born in Norrköping, Sweden, and began his ar tistic journey at 14, creating videos with some friends on a giant VHS video recorder for a project on social studies. “ We did a documentar y about buying alcohol as a minor.” His brother Mikael is five years older, and Rikard remembers him having a darkroom in the bathroom that he was always fascinated by and a Minolta camera.

Artist DavidOMara-10x8tintype

“A few years later, that Minolta was mine!”

Stuart-Dirty glass plate-Ambrotype

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“At that point , I actually thought I could do photography as a living!” The two big courses at the art college were photography and fashion design, so it was not a surprise that Rikard found himself working with the design students to photograph their collections. During his last two years as a student , he was asked to photograph the end-of-year catalogs. The day he graduated, the head of the fashion course

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Rikard joined a media program to study photography, “ The darkroom was a key feature to how I got into photography, but I was ver y into music, which at that time was grunge, so it was that and also Edvard Munch.” Photography gradually became more impor tant to Rikard as he became interested in por traiture and shooting bands, so he went to a junior college to study media, photography, graphic design, video film-making, exhibition curation, and radio. He began spending most of his spare time in the darkroom. In 2001, Rikard moved to the UK to do a degree in Editorial and Adver tising photography at The Kent Institute of Ar t and Design (K .I.A.D.), now par t of UCA (University for the Creative Ar ts in Rochester). Sweden, at that time, only had two photography degree courses.

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offered him a job teaching design and photoshop as well as video editing. Within a couple of years, he also taught photography until he eventually became an acting course leader before leaving to pursue photography full-time in 2013. “My own work at this time leaned more towards fine ar t and autobiographical and conceptual projects, but at the same time, I was also doing a lot of commercial commissions.” When he was young, Rikard found a lot of the old photographic techniques quite boring and not par ticularly relevant. The main photographers that turned that around were Sally Mann and Julia Margaret Cameron. He went to see an exhibition of Mann’s work at The Photographers’ Galler y in London around 2011 that featured her large format por traits from her book ‘immediate family ’ and her wet plate collodion images. Wet plate collodion is one of the earliest photographic processes invented in the early 1850s by Frederic Scott Archer. It involves coating a piece of glass or metal with a collodion emulsion, sensitizing it in silver nitrate, and then making the picture immediately so it can be developed before the emulsion dries (i.e., while it is still wet , hence the name “wet plate”).

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They have a beautiful quality inherent in the craft behind each image, showing signs of the steadiness of your hands and the state of your chemicals. The emulsion is more sensitive to light in the blue (UV ) end of the spectrum Cradled Birch Tree-SaltPrint-stiched negative-May 2020 and renders colors and skin differently from a digital sensor or film. Photographs from the Crimean War (see Roger Fenton) and the American Civil War (Alexander Gardner) were made using this process as albumen prints from wet plate negatives. Most of the plates Rikard makes today are straight positives, meaning that each image is a one-off—like a Polaroid. Positives are called ambrot ypes if they are on glass or tintypes/ferrotypes if they ’re on metal (most modern practitioners use aluminum). Papaya-tintype-From SelfPortraitsAndOtherScenes book

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sculpture and site-specific installations elevating vernacular forms of knots inspiring awe and understanding

the journey of the line

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Art to Last Generations

Nathie Katzoff’s Huge Glass, Wood, and Bronze Installations P H O T O C R E D I T : N AT H I E K AT Z O F F A N D R A C H A E L C O D I N A WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

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Nathie Katzoff Mt Pilchuck

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lass ar tist Nathie Kat zoff says that his ar t captures the sense of vastness and timelessness that he experiences when on the ocean or in the mountains. He spends a lot of time hiking, surfing, and sailing on the Pacific Nor thwest coast and recently spent several months on a wilderness expedition in Patagonia. “ This embedded in me the impermanence of life and how precious each moment is. Maybe [in my ar t] I’m tr ying to capture an essence of ‘ freedom’ that can’ t be contained.”

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Hot Springs

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FREEDOM TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE Kat zoff perhaps gained that sense of freedom from his education. He attended Sudbur y Valley Elementar y in Massachusetts, a school run according to a radical philosophy of education. “ They treated a sixyear-old with the same independence and respect as an adult. We all hired and fired the staff with a democratic process, regardless of age, and had autonomy as to how we spent our days.” That experience allowed him the self-respect , self-confidence, and freedom to choose what he wanted to pursue in life, mostly music and the ar ts. “ Where others might spend years studying in a university, I sought out the mentors I admired to help me grow my skills and learn by experience.”

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Kat zoff has a background in fine woodworking and shipbuilding, which prepared him to design ar t that could be maintained and last for centuries. He prides himself on using natural materials and techniques that have been used for thousands of years— glass, hardwoods, and bronze.

Sequoia Heart

“No plastic here!” he says. His ar t tends to be large-scale. He loves to create images of whales because they are smar t and poetic and also because they are “ freaking huge and mesmerizing.”

Moss At Midnight

His work tends to be quite physical. He loves dramatic, highimpact pieces and often star ts with an initial concept but allows for the process to create the path to the final product. This is especially true with his abstract work , which he says is about flow, feeling, and color. “I work with heat and fire, with large saws, and also fine paint brushes in the quiet of the night. I love how this vast energy transforms a simple substance (e.g., sand) into a thing of complexity and beauty. I love turning something raw into something profound or thought-provoking. This could be with glasswork , woodwork , and metalsmith, or

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Cascadia

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P H OTO C R E D I T: M I C H A E L DA KS

Artist Dameon Priestly focuses on times and events of social and cultural change

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travel

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O L’ A U PA L A U : WELCOME TO THE FUTURE O F E C O T R AV E L I N G B Y F I L I PA A R A Ú J O

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W A N D E R F U L LY S O THE WONDERS OF AFRICA B Y F I L I PA A R A Ú J O

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T R AV E L

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Introducing you to the movement setting the standard for a new concept of tourism in countries all over the world. Ol’au Palau is more than just a tourism app. It’s an open invitation for family.

Lily Makaleng challenges us to reimagine travel in Africa and truly connect with the wonders of an authentic local experience with the click of a button.

FREEDOM TO FORGE BY NIZIE N LOKMAN, FCIM

Technopreneur & Co-Founder of FreeGuides takes glocal travel experiences to a phenomenal level.

THE FUTURE OF H O S P I TA L I T Y I S G R E E N B Y F I L I PA A R A Ú J O

Start packing your bags as we introduce you to the top 10 hotels championing sustainability in 2022.

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Photo by kylefromthenorth on Unsplash

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Ol’au Palau:

Welcome to the future of eco traveling I N T R O D U C I N G Y O U T O T H E M O V E M E N T S E T T I N G T H E S TA N D A R D F O R A NEW CONCEPT OF TOURISM IN COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. O L ’A U P A L A U I S M O R E T H A N J U S T A T O U R I S M A P P . I T ’ S A N O P E N I N V I T A T I O N F O R F A M I LY . W R I T T E N B Y : F I L I PA A R A ÚJ O P H O T O C R E D I T : H O S T H AVA S

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ow often do we consider our carbon footprint when we travel? How often do we stop to reflect on our impact on the places we visit and on the people we meet ?

Tourism is vital for many regions around the world, but as tourism grows, problems like pollution, exploitation of land, and destruction of the environment star t to arise.

T H E PA L A U P L E D G E The Palau Legacy project - Palau Pledge is a unique movement that is reinventing ecotourism as we know it. The Palau Legacy project was created to promote sustainable tourism and protect the environment and the wildlife in Palau, an island paradise in the western Pacific Ocean. The growth of tourism in Palau brought great economic benefits to the island but , unfor tunately, brought some

Together with the children of Palau, they developed the “Palau pledge,” a declaration that ever y visitor of the island must sign in the form of a passpor t stamp. In this declaration, the visitors must

“Throughout our traditional chants, our elders have passed on that we don’t inherit the land and the water from our ancestors, we borrow them from our children.” — C H I L D R E N O F PA L A U

commit to leaving nothing but footprints behind. Sustainable traveling, mindful use of resources, and non-destructive behavior are some things you must pledge to when entering this beautiful island. This is the only way to ensure that the beauty of this countr y stays untouched while preser ving the culture and ensuring that future generations will have a home. “Children of Palau, I take this pledge, as your guest , to preser ve and protect your beautiful and unique island home. I vouch to tread lightly, act kindly, and explore mindfully. I shall not take what is not given. I shall not harm what does not harm me. The only footprints that I shall leave are the ones that will wash away.” - The Palau Pledge

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challenges as well. With the intensification of climate change and the recurrence of ex treme weather events, the situation in Palau was a recipe for disaster. After seeing the negative impacts of tourism on the beautiful forests, beaches, and ecosystems of Palau, four women decided to take action and change the scenario. Nicolle Fagan, Jennifer Koskelin-Gibbons, Laura Clarke, and Nanae Singeo are the project ’s co-founders, and their initiative has amazed people worldwide. Working with the agency Host/Havas, they launched a campaign to raise awareness and create a global call to action.

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WanderfullySo The Wonders of Africa

Lily Makaleng challenges us to reimagine travel in Africa and truly connect with the wonders of an authentic local experience with the click of a button.

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orn from the desire to empower and change lives, WanderfullySo is the first pre-travel platform in Africa. This innovative tourism tech star tup aims to link travelers with unique local insights through vir tual encounters and create memorable, everlasting experiences while empowering local communities. They are redefining how we connect with our destination and helping us reimagine travel in Africa.

Photo by Lina Loos on Unsplash

P H O T O S B Y W A N D E R F U L LY S O W R I T T E N B Y : F I L I PA A R A ÚJ O

Lily Makaleng, founder and CEO of WanderfullySo and originally from South Africa, came up with the idea when she found herself at a pivotal moment of change. Feeling unfulfilled, Makaleng decided to create a concept that would combine her passion for travel with the desire to empower others. The pandemic helped to accelerate the transition from an idea to a reality, giving Makaleng the courage to take a leap and dive deep into the adventure of entrepreneurship.

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Lily Makaleng, founder and CEO of WanderfullySo

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All of this, combined with uplifting the local community, is a key par t of what drives the idea of WanderfullySo and one of the main pillars of the company. “ When I talk about empowering and elevating local businesses and communities, I believe it has to be through collaboration. It has to be through collaboration that allows locals to actively contribute to creating economic oppor tunities that will set them up to get long-term benefits through ownership,” says Makaleng.

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To take it a step fur ther, the team is currently working on launching an initiative called WanderfullySo Gap Oppor tunities Programme

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“I desired to build and grow a company that makes travel in Africa an enriching experience by changing how people travel, from beginning to end. Moreover, I desired to have a company that empowered the locals through earning oppor tunities. Travel was the best way for me to do that , and I’m happy to say star ting WanderfullySo was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.” E N J O Y, E N H A N C E , E L E VAT E WanderfullySo is not your traditional travel platform. The concept of this platform is set on three main pillars: Enjoy, Enhance, and Elevate. Making vir tual travel a realit y, allowing people to explore par ts of the African continent without the barriers of borders and transpor tation, and helping people daydream and get to know a countr y or city even before they step foot in their destination.

Photo by Ian Macharia on Unsplash (above). Photo by Gavin poh on Unsplash (below).

Providing a unique insider ’s view, the platform makes travelers feel like locals. Whether you want to explore that safari you never had the chance to from the comfor t of your couch, learn about different African cultures, or find the best restaurant to get a traditional bunny chow in Cape Town, the team at WanderfullySo has got you covered!

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Photo by kylefromthenorth on Unsplash (below). Photo by naeim jafari on Unsplash (above).

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Photo by Alexandre Chambon in Unsplash

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Freedom to Forge Technopreneur & Co-Founder of FreeGuides takes glocal travel experiences to a phenomenal level WRIT TEN BY: NIZIE N LOKMAN, FCIM @NIZIEXPRESS

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aniel Wasilewsky, the Founder and Chief E xplorer Officer (CEO) of FreeGuides, is a 26-yearold technopreneur from Sydney, Australia. Amazingly, a young seasoned globetrotter turned technopreneur took action on his business star t-up idea with his brother, Cameron Wasilewsky in 2019. Within three years, he astonishingly scaled it into a global business with a mobile app that travelers can’ t live without— FreeGuides.With this app, travel explorers like you and I can create, manage, and monetize our own self-guided experience with free walking tours around the world. Intrigued by the bubbly and cheerful Daniel and his achievements, TrooRa Magazine decides to dig deeper into how he unear ths his great idea, spreads his influences, and empowers his people that now mark FreeGuides as a global travel brand.

The leaders of FreeGuides

F R O M T R AV E L E R T O TECHNOPRENEUR Daniel has forged his footsteps forward in traveling since he was a child with his parents. Throughout the years, his never-ending journeys across the world just grew. He would find ever y oppor tunity to travel in between semesters while in University. Ever y footstep brought him to many cities, destinations, and terrains and grew to be more than just a hobby. Travel became an undeniable passion in his inner world. The more he traveled, the more he enjoyed being outdoors, appreciating the outside world. While exploring New York City in one of his travels, he discovered what was missing in the travel niche. Never did he imagine that 2019 would be a new dawn as a groundbreaking technopreneur drawing a niche in the global tourism industr y beyond Australian markets within three years.

Other than travel, Daniel has always been interested in entrepreneurship. From the tender age of 10, he star ted a business selling cookies. He even hired someone to help him and managed to sell 100 cookies a day in school. Later on in University, he star ted building a few technology apps. It ’s hard to believe that the bubbly and cheerful technopreneur Daniel Wasilewsky, who we met vir tually, mentioned, “ To describe me, I would say that I am a collection of my failures, of the hurdles that I’ve overcome, of the race I have run.” After some unsuccessful attempts to create mobile apps from self-mediating noise levels and games to parking spot

sharing, he learned that when the hurdles star t getting bigger, you need to jump higher. Daniel, who is a fast learner, had a reflection. “ You only truly fail when you learn nothing from your past mistakes, and ever y lesson I learned in the development of these apps was put into FreeGuides,” which was Daniel’s fifth star t-up in the consumer space. His passion for technology entrepreneurship snowballed as an intern at Tank Stream Labs. Tank Stream is a technology-focused coworking space known as the center for star t-ups in Sydney. While the learning cur ve was steep within the firm, Daniel was able to connect the whole host of star tups, scale-ups, and businesses that grew in Tank Stream. Daniel was Head of Operations and Business Development at Tank Stream Labs for several years. It ’s amazing with his vast work

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experience in technology, coupled with his journey traveling the world, he quickly found a sweet spot from what was missing to how to fill in the gaps by incorporating walking tours with travel experiences.

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Daniel recalled his previous travels to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Japan. He would look for the cheapest and most effective way to get to know the cities. “ The first thing I would do is look up a free walking tour.” He fell in love with the idea of being taken on an adventure by a real local. “I love this idea because you have an opportunity to meet someone in a certain location where they walk you through the city, and at the end, you choose how much you want to pay, according to your budget.” It somehow sparked curiosity in Daniel. “Who was behind these people who created these travel guides, and can anyone create it in their own way?”

Daniel was also curious about the power of data and information. He knew that there was no way he could capture all the travel content around the world by himself or his team. Realizing that technology has the ability and capacity to move the needle in a big way, an app could be an answer to empower travelers as the best exper ts in their local destination to share their content and be par t of the global travel community. Travelers have access to create content through their individuality of self-expressions and get paid to create it. It will enrich their experience by being themselves on their journeys. Initially, he designed the business model as a guided travel experiences marketplace where the locals of a par ticular place, city, or destination will guide travelers in a specific area. Then, COVID hit the world unannounced. As a technology company, Daniel and his team

had to face big challenges such as the disruption of local and international travel, getting the right people, and the unpredictable launch time due to many lockdowns. Daniel said, “ the plan was to go live in April 2020, but I realized it was not the best time to launch a travel app, during a global pandemic. For tunately, there was enough time to reflect and change our business model and build up the technology development.” With his co-founder brother, Cameron, Daniel repositioned FreeGuides as a platform that allows anyone to create, manage and monetize their own self-guided experiences. There, the FreeGuides app took off, making a strong presence in Australia in early 2021, New Zealand in August 2021, and by October 2021 the travel app was launched globally.

CHALLENGING THE S TAT U S Q U O It is undeniable that COVID has changed how we travel now. Before the global pandemic, Daniel had relied on Google search to navigate his way through and manually search for interesting places of the location in his travels. He would open up FreeGuides and see cool places on the walking tour in Central Park , New York . He noticed the oldest monument structure in New York from Egypt , which he had passed so many times before and did not realize. “ I had no idea it existed and probably would have walked past it without FreeGuides. These experiences were created by local New Yorkers who know Central Park in and out , compared to a traveler who visits New York for the first time,”

Daniel explained. Essentially, FreeGuides helps to solve the problem through navigation for travelers. Amazingly, it has created true innovativeness, expression, and influence in societies and communities. “I don’t go on tours anymore, just @freeguides,” celebrity Justin Bieber shared his post on Instagram, while Kim Kardashian is another global celebrity using FreeGuides in her walking tours. There are more than 1,500 unique travel experiences in different categories, live on the platform FreeGuides app, with more than 900 guides from multiple categories. Today, there are Guides in ever y countr y around the world. The success of this app is due to its algorithm, personalization,

and mass customization to create based on travelers’ locations, profiles, and interests, similar to social media app TikTok . Daniel explained, “if you are a traveler and you state your interest in FreeGuides l as female friendly, or halal, you will be shown curated content based on these interests for you. It points to where you are located, who you are, and the topic of interest.” In other words, different people will receive different content from the platform. For example, if you are nex t to a person who opens up FreeGuides on their mobile devices, the curated content may be different than yours. The beauty is that anyone on board the platform can easily do this by creating their journeys through their mobile devices of Apple and Android applications.

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Inis Meáin Restaurant & Suites —

An elemental travel experience in the Aran Islands, Ireland Nadúr fiáin an Atlantaigh

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffett

The future of hospitality is green Start packing your bags as we introduce you to the top 10 hotels championing sustainability in 2022. W R I T T E N B Y : F I L I PA A R A ÚJ O

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T H E Z E T TA , U S A

We kick off our list with an eclectic hub making waves in San Francisco, the Zetta Hotel. Par t of the Viceroy Hotel Group, this urban boutique hotel is set right in the hear t of the hip neighborhood of SoMa. With its pledge to take care of guests and the planet , the Viceroy Group has designed a range of interesting sustainabilit y programs, showing us that eco-consciousness doesn’t mean boring. And the ar t at The Zetta reflects just that. It adds a couple of ex tra R ’s to “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” bringing us the concept of “Redefine and Recreate.” Let your inspiration flow with this hotel’s play ful yet sophisticated aesthetic. With a collection of reclaimed and repurposed materials turned into unique ar t pieces that reflect the hotel’s personality—from chandeliers made out of broken glass or specs, to scrap metal sculptures—The Zetta will spark your creativit y and turn your stay into an exquisite cultural experience.

AREIAS DE SEIXO, PORTUGAL

This rustic-chic hideaway, perfectly located overlooking the ocean on the beautiful silver coast of Por tugal, is a true wonder for all the senses. From their farm-to-table concept to their commitment to sustainable practices, this space is one with nature, weaved together in beautiful harmony. The use of local natural resources like cork and geothermal energy regulates temperature and demonstrates the perfect alliance between architecture, technology, and sustainabilit y, creating a space where nature rules and luxur y is king.

On the pristine island of Tetiaroa, you can find the exclusive remote resor t nesting between swaying coconut trees. The translucent water and infinite stretches of white sand beaches are not the only things that will blow your mind. Their innovative Sea Water Air Conditioning system harnesses cold water from the deep ocean to cool off the buildings, creating a sustainable way to respond to the island’s high temperatures. As par t of their pledge to protect and preser ve ecosystems, The Brando also created an Ecostation, a hub for scientists from all over the world to gather and lead sustainability research. This upscale resor t has all the ingredients for a perfect remote getaway.

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WHITEPOD, SWITZERLAND E xperience sleeping in a coz y cocoon in the beautiful alps of Swit zerland, surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and dense forest. The pods are transformed from snowy white in the winter to murky green in the summer, effor tlessly blending in with the surroundings. The eco-resor t is built in a way that the geometric shape of the pods allows for energy efficiency and a low impact on nature. You can play an active S I X S E N S E S B O TA N I Q U E , B R A Z I L role in their ecological mission while enjoying Earner of multiple sustainability awards, The Six Senses hotel group breathtaking views aims to give more to nature than it takes. The Six Senses Botanique in Brazil is in a setting that is the perfect hideaway for those who want to combine elegance with mountain completely out of the serenit y and a lot of love for the environment. Blessed with seven natural ordinar y. springs on the

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proper ty, they have installed a water treatment station where they can return clean water to nature. Using locally sourced materials in their construction, such as natural stone slate and jacaradá, they manage to stay true to the landscape and make us feel like we are a par t of it.

C A M P I YA K A N Z I , K E N YA

FOGO ISLAND INN, CANADA

A unique building in a unique location on one of the world’s four corners. With its bold contemporar y design, carefully thought out as a way to minimize the impact on the soil, this hidden gem sits right at the edge of the wild Nor th Atlantic. Built to last 100 years and with

nature’s best interest at hear t , it has the cuttingedge feature of heat recover y ventilators. A smar t system that captures and ex tracts warmth in the air to warm the building in the winter or cool it in the summer. This incredible hotel allows you to sit back , relax , and enjoy the vast wildlife of Fogo Island without leaving a footprint behind.

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Located in the vast “green hills of Africa,” this eco-lodge sits on the Maasai-owned reser ve, surrounded by miles and miles of untouched wilderness. Based on an eco-tourism model and completely carbonneutral, their effor ts toward sustainability are at the forefront of eco-responsible lodging without compromising a luxur y experience. An homage to the preser vation of nature, wilderness, and culture, a stay in this fascinating safari lodge will surely create everlasting memories and provide an unforgettable experience.

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Sourced small batches of materials, with the idea that scarcity is the ultimate luxury.

Each piece of clothing brand is designed and made for women who want comfort and cool in equal dosage.

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The new Apoteca collection “Elements” is like the universe – black inside, but full of life and colors outside. It’s abstract, but at the same time clear and understandable. It is wild inside, but feminine and fragile outside. Every ELEMENT in collection is essential like air and water.

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Hand Crafted Jewelry & Accessories Sustainable Materials Environmental Responsibility

Instagram: @stellafluorescent Pinterest: @stellasfsf

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fashion & accessories T R AV E L

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I N S I D E T H E FA B R I C A N T B Y S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U

At the intersection of Haute couture and high technology, the Fabricant studio in Amsterdam reshapes fashion, culture, and identity.

REFLECT THE B E S T O F YO U R S E L F BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Image Consultant Katty Lopez de Gull says, “Don’t Just Dress to Fit In”.

C U T E C I R C U I T: T H E BRAND’S INTERACTIVE GARMENTS ARE CHANGING T H E FA S H I O N G A M E B Y S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U

At the intersection of fashion and technology, CuteCircuit reconceptualizes wearable technology, offering a new perspective on the modern world.

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PHOTO CREDIT ‘FLUID COLLECTION, BY THE FABRICANT

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Inside The Fabricant: Is digital clothing the next big disruptor of the fashion industry?

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At the intersection of Haute couture and high technology, the Fabricant studio in Amsterdam reshapes fashion, culture, and identity through a digital platform where anybody can create, wear, and monetize their unique fashion.

n the 21st centur y, the digitization of fashion is truly changing the industr y ’s status quo, going towards a digital revolution known as Industr y 4.0. This revolution introduces new technologies, enterprises, and approaches that are transforming creativity, development , and consumption. Since digitization has increased the demand for customization and exclusivity, new emerging realities have popped out in the fashion world. These revolutions have changed not only fashion but also how people perceive it. In the midst of this revolution, the Fabricant steps in, offering new monetization oppor tunities and creating outstanding visualizations. Wouldn’t it be incredible to download a new outfit that is not only ex traordinar y but also sustainable from anywhere in the world? The Fabricant is changing how the fashion industr y operates. Pioneers in entering the digital vir tual showroom space, the studio has adopted a slow fashion mindset in a fast fashion world, which should be more ethical and less polluting. Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the digital haute couture fashion house is leading the fashion industr y towards a new sector of digital-only clothing. The brand’s motto, ‘’Always digital and never physical’,’ encloses the idea of creating a new medium of self-expression because of the environmental crisis.

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PHOTO CREDIT ‘FLUID COLLECTION, BY THE FABRICANT

“It’s not about the functionality; it’s about identity.”

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Sustainable jewellery made out of recycled and eco-friendly materials ayrtan.com

NEW LUXE LEATHER TOTE BAGS VEGETABLE-TANNED VACHETTA LEATHER NATURAL, NON-TOXIC CHEMICALS

Reflect the Best of Yourself:

Image Consultant Katty Lopez de Gull Don’t Just Dress to Fit In: Style as Your Personal Brand P H O T O C R E D I T : K AT T Y L O P E Z D E G U L L WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

“I had years of training in leadership, conflict resolution, and negotiation, customer ser vice and sales experience, and two college degrees in Marketing and Human Resources, but I still felt like a fraud coming into the office ever y morning.” Image consultant Katt y Lopez de Gull had built a successful career in human resources yet struggled with self-confidence as a woman and as a Venezuelan immigrant.

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“Did I have any thing to contribute? Was I showing up the right way to advance my career and reach my fullest potential? Were my ideas and experience as a professional being taken seriously ? What impression did my coworkers and bosses have of me?”

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“Suddenly, I was being taken more seriously. My opinion was consulted more than ever before. I was heard and seen.”

PERSONAL IMAGE DEVELOPMENT

Lopez de Gull had always dressed to fit in at her mostly male workplaces. However, when she discovered that image and style consulting existed, she had an epiphany that she could dress to reflect how she saw herself, how she wanted to present herself in the office. She crafted outfits as a way to show up authentically, illustrate her exper tise, and be par t of the personal brand she created for herself. She currently enjoys bright colors, especially purple, and blouses and pants and classy shoes.

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Ethically Handmade and Sustainable Jewelry Made in Spain

lolamohe.com

CuteCircuit: the brand’s interactive garments are changing the fashion game At the intersection of fashion and technology, CuteCircuit reconceptualizes wearable technology, offering a new perspective on the modern world.

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PHOTO CREDIT: CUTECIRCUIT/ FR ANCESCA ROSELL A W R I T T E N B Y : S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U

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nce, the business of creating clothes lay on nothing more than fabric, buttons, zips, and needles. However, with technology becoming an integral par t of our lives, fashion is turning increasingly to the possibilities offered by technological innovation. High-tech fashion may at times appear absurd and pretty unwearable, but often it ’s as much about conveying messages as it is about clothing.

Francesca Rosella Founder Cute Circuit

Over the last years, technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, and a perfect example of this is CuteCircuit , the first company in the field of wearable technology. The dynamic duo behind this

enterprise is Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz , who together co-founded the Londonbased brand in 2004.

In 2001, Rosella and Genz met at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea in Italy and star ted their entrepreneurial journey together. Soon, they realized they could explore the body ’s senses through technology and came up with inspiring ideas such as t-shir ts that hug you and clothing that connects people. The initial idea was based on their common belief that the new media tools of the digital age could make fashion more exciting.

What motivates them the most to design new products is the feedback they receive from people. Moreover, the founders draw inspiration from futuristic museum Models at the catwalk on the runway show collections, Autumn/Winter 2014/15 sci-fi movies, space travels, and ever y plausible future scenario. They love watching events such as the Crew Dragon spacecraft docking to the International Space Station or looking back to a retro-futuristic past of Pierre Cardin’s amazing space-age fashion designs from the 1960s. From conceiving an idea to bringing it into life, a significant gap in the creative process needs to be bridged. Behind the creation of a CuteCircuit garment , the software runs on the intel power tablet that sends messages to the garment , constructed entirely out of smar t tex tiles and conductive films. Star ting as a typical fashion design process, first , they create the garment and then integrate the technology seamlessly into it. Through the tablets monitoring your body or environment , ever yone can interact and get strong emotional connections with people far away.

“Through innovative digital technology, CuteCircuit brings a revolution in fashion.”

Although they come from different backgrounds— Rosella has a strong background in fashion design,

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CuteCircuit has found the sweet spot between fashion and high tech, creating experiences that didn’t exist before. Through innovative digital technology, CuteCircuit brings a revolution in fashion. The brand’s mindset is to bring magic to ever yday life by integrating microelectronics and smart textiles into cutting-edge fashion designs and creating intelligent garments with magical properties. Thus, people wearing them obtain abilities beyond traditional fashion, such as telecommunicating over distance or even feeling the music on your skin!

while Genz in Interaction Design and Anthropology— they share common values and visions, one of which was to create truly magical and mesmerizing garments using new technologies.

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Passion for travel and exquisite apparels. « People come, live and go ». And we are here to celebrate the diversity of the world.

alledjo.com

Breathing New Life Into Antique Fabrics A Sustainable Take On Luxury

reclaimsl.com

swim and lounge wear sustainable and inclusive designed for fit, comfort, and versatility

boldswim.com

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BEAUT Y

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BESPOKE BEAUTY BY NEHA SURADKAR

Beauty takes a leap forward with technology.

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B U T TA H S K I N B Y DORION RENAUD: B Y S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U

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K E E P YO U R C O S M E T I C S COOL! BY CONTRIBUTOR NAME

A Black-owned company founded by Dorion Renaud and based in LA promises radiant, smooth butterlike skin.

Compact, Intelligent, and Eco-Friendy Refrigerator for Cosmetics from Beautiglo.

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Bespoke Beauty Beauty takes a leap forward with technology PHOTOGRAPHED BY: SOUND ON, MART PRODUCTION, A N K U S H D A W A R , S H I N Y D I A M O N D , C O T T O N B R O , E K AT E R I N A B O L O V T S O VA

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WRITTEN BY: NEHA SURADKAR @NEHASURADKAR

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eaut y comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The beauty industr y in the past aimed to bring out all-in-one products that ever yone could use for their multiple needs. But , in the last few years, personalization has become the buz zword in the beauty industr y. The industr y now views the consumer as an individual with unique requirements and is tr ying to offer solutions by customizing and personalizing the products. Technology plays a significant role here, as it does in all other areas of our life—banking, shopping, or food. The beauty industr y is now using Ar tificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) to give its customers a tailormade experience.

Selecting a beauty product has become easier, thanks to AI & AR, which provide users with a more personalized approach to beauty. Most beauty and makeup mobile apps integrate AI and AR to offer an unforgettable experience to the users. Technology has been incorporated into beauty in multiple ways, and the industr y is offering the customers various benefits such as: 1. Bespoke Products and Routine: Technology has helped provide customers with customized colors in Foundations and Lipsticks, where it is essential to use the right shade according to the skin tone. Also, skincare and hair care routines can be tailor-made, and products can be recommended based on the concerns. For example, Lancôme, a Luxur y division of the French multinational L’Oreal, has a custom foundation machine named Le Teint Particulier ( The Par ticular Tint). The beauty consultants use a colorimeter, a digital scanner, to identif y a customer ’s skin tone. Data is then fed into a proprietar y algorithm to match

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Some of the ver y well-known names in the beauty industr y, like L’Oreal, Estée Lauder, Shiseido, and P&G , are offering their customers a personalized experience through the use of technology. They are becoming the “BeautyTech” companies by embedding digitalization and technology in the core of curating, manufacturing, and distributing beauty products to enhance customer experience.

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Clean Conscious Skin Care Cruelty Free, Vegan, Organic, Inclusive for all Skin Types Get Your Glow On

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A holistic healing collective founded on the principles of Chinese and Functional medicine. A blend of modern health principles and ancient wisdom, to curate a personalized, multi-disciplinary healing experience.

www.magnoliawellnessoc.com

Buttah Skin by Dorion Renaud: Glowing melanin-rich skin at its finest A Black-owned company founded by Dorion Renaud and based in LA promises radiant, smooth butter-like skin. Buttah Skin is more than the average skincare brand; it’s an inspiration. W R I T T E N B Y : S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U P H O T O C R E D I T : B U T TA H S K I N P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y : O B I D I G B O N Z E R I B E / D I E G O V O U R A K I S / E Y E A T T R A C T I 0 N

had a lovely time sitting down with founder Dorion Renaud via Zoom call and talking about his entrepreneurial success, how he incorporates innovative melanin-rich skin technology into his products and what ’s coming nex t for Buttah Skin.

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Dorion Renaud bir thed out the L A-based brand, specializing in skincare products formulated with hi-technology specifically for melanin-rich skin tones. The purpose of the brand is to offer high-quality skincare products that not only nur ture the skin but also bring up to the surface the beauty that lies within. Renaud’s motto is “ from my hear t to your face; my brand is working for all races, genders, sizes, skin types, and my hear t is as well.”

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The founder Dorion Renaud holding the tinted mineral sunscreen photographed by Obidigbo Nzeribe.

In the early 1900s, it was common for black skin care companies to sell sur vival through bleaching products that would lighten the skin. It wasn’t until the 1960s, with the creation of the Black Power Movement , that instilled a sense of pride in one’s dark complexion. The evolution resulted in products empowering AfricanAmericans and melanin-rich skin’s beauty. However, it has proven tricky for Black women and men to find their skin tone in the spectrum of limited colors offered. Today, black skincare

companies aim to make a difference in the beauty industr y, as does Dorion Renaud with Buttah Skin since 2018. Due to a lack of representation of Black people and quality skincare options available in his local neighborhoods, the idea of Buttah Skin was born. “It ’s impor tant to represent all shades and all different t ypes of people. I was inspired to star t Buttah because I wanted to be the voice for Black people in beauty. I felt African-Americans and people of color were overlooked when it came to quality skin care. I wanted to feel included, and the same for my people as well,” Renaud recalls.

Teaming up with Natalie Manuel Lee for a new digital series called Beyond the Surface, Renaud dives into the stories of Black ar tists, actors, musicians, and entrepreneurs that have shaped their lives and careers. “ We inter view people about what makes them resilient and who they really are beyond their surface when their labels fall off while tr ying to keep people interested in our brand. I loved to enter tain and learned so much while on set ; I think Buttah skin and music go hand in hand.”

“The community drives me and inspires me the most.”

He first entered the ar t scene as a model, actor, and enter tainer, and his relationship with his skin became complex . “I grew up in Beaumont , Texas, struggling with problematic skin, dealing with acne and hyperpigmentation, and I couldn’t find products that suited me,” Renaud adds. In an attempt to solve his skin problems, Renaud chose to enter the world of skincare, “I knew nothing about the skincare world outside of the fact that I had struggled with my skin for a long time. For that reason, I want to share the simple solutions I’ve found that worked for my skin.” What keeps him inspired creatively is the people, his audience, and all the feedback he receives from them. “ The community drives me and inspires me the most! I’m inspired by people and all the Buttah lovers that use these products.”

When asked if he faced any challenges during his entrepreneurial

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For Renaud, diving into the beauty industr y and going from actor and model to product maker and entrepreneur was a dream come true. What truly makes the brand special is Renaud’s mindset to merge the world of enter tainment with skincare. “I’ve been in front of the camera since I was young, so being in the enter tainment industr y helped me to establish my image. I learned stories from being a model, an actor, a host , a musician, and an enter tainer, so it was only right to provide skincare products and good campaigns that people could relate to.”

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ho would have ever thought that our cosmetics need a separate refrigerator ? We are all used to keeping our cosmetics in the kitchen refrigerator, and then we are either too laz y to go back to the kitchen and procure the product or simply forget about the product. This often results in the non-usabilit y of that cosmetic product and loss of our hard-earned money. Apar t from being impractical, the kitchen refrigerator can contaminate cosmetics with food odors and bacteria. In addition, the low temperature can change the tex ture or cr ystallization of cosmetic products. In 2017, Clara Lizier and Florian Ménard established Beautigloo. Inspired by innovation, the duo decided to work together and create

cosmetics and salon experiences for the future. Beautigloo knows how to innovate while emphasizing perfection because of its dedicated and driven crew. This French star t-up is an active par ticipant in France’s reindustrialization. And in the field of electro-beauty, Beautigloo is a French company with exper tise. Beautigloo has entered the L’Oréal and LVMH accelerators at Station F with the suppor t of the luxur y and beauty ecosystems. Refrigerated Beauty Box was the first product from Beautigloo, made especially for cosmetics. This unique patented cosmetic refrigerator was created with the help of specialists to preser ve the cosmetics and boost their effectiveness while being ecologically friendly. The Refrigerated Beauty Box provides the most effective and fresh beauty experience. The Refrigerated Beauty Box is the ideal storage space for cosmetics as

“ We have created a product with a patented cooling system and an intelligent temperature control software that guarantees a perfect efficiency and a reduction in energy consumption,” explains Florian Ménard, Co-Founder of Beautigloo.

The Beauty Refrigerator can store cosmetic products like nail paints, perfumes, eye care products, lipsticks, creams, serums, face masks, micellar water, sunscreen, face and body mists, and lip pencils. Storing cosmetics and skin care products at the right temperature has multiple benefits. First , applying fresh cosmetics on the skin refreshes and decongests the skin, resulting in a radiant complexion. The cold products lead to vasoconstriction and vasodilation. The blood vessels constrict and revitalize blood circulation and promote venous return. By stimulating blood circulation in the dermis, the application of cold products increases the firmness and tone of the skin. It is an excellent natural remedy to fight against skin slackening. The tightening effect of the cold tightens enlarged pores and reduces sebum production, making the skin firm and less slack . The Beauty Refrigerator Box is the need of the hour, especially with increasing temperatures worldwide. This compact , smar t , silent Box can easily be installed and used by individuals and professionals. Beautigloo works with its goal to maintain attractiveness by developing a variety of cutting-edge solutions that maximize the efficacy of cosmetics. @BE AUTIGLOO @NEHASURADKAR @THEST YLEFILES.IN

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it is equipped with optimal temperature, a patented thermal system, and vented cooling technology. The cosmetics will last longer and retain their active ingredients’ potency. The Box is powerful, silent , and can be installed comfor tably in the bathroom or bedroom. It includes a touch screen and an internal light , among its many functions. Both a day mode and a night option are available. With a small volume of 5L and detachable shelves, the beauty fridge adapts to all skincare and beaut y regimens. Its sophisticated temperature regulating software ensures optimal performance while lowering energy use. Also, there are no harmful refrigerants in this refrigerator.

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H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

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health & fitness

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KEEPING FIT IN TECH VILLE BY JESSE ADUMA

Deriving maximum fitness benefits from your daily routine by limiting technological influence when possible.

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EXERCISING IN THE AG E O F T E C H N O LO GY BY JESSE ADUMA

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EXPERIENCE THE E N D E AV O R R X BY NIZIE N LOKMAN, FCIM

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A B I G B R E AT H O F FRESH AIR BY JESSE ADUMA

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THE VERGE OF OBJECTIVE CONCUSSION DIAGNOSIS BY KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

The role technology plays in aiding fitness goals with regards to fitness app monitors.

The first FDA-approved video game app to treat ADHD in kids aged 8-12 was scientifically proven to increase attention control in focus and multitasking

Airofit , a sports tech company out of Denmark, has taken respiratory exercises to a new level with “the world’s first smart breathing trainer.”.

Leveraging artificial intelligence, Neurolytixs is able to diagnose concussions within 48 hours.

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PHOTO CREDIT WARREN HEATH

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Keeping Fit in Tech Ville MUSCLE OVER IRON

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Deriving maximum fitness benefits from your daily routine by limiting technological influence when possible

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TE XT BY: JESSE ADUMA PHOTOGRAPHED BY: MARTEN BJORK/ TJ K O L E S N I K / J E S H O O T S . C O M / M A D D L E WRITTEN BY: JESSE ADUMA

As such, while taking advantage of the various luxuries advancement in technology provides, making a conscious effor t to “get off one’s arse” should be encouraged. Workout exercises should be incorporated into daily routines, however atypical it may seem. For example, rather than driving or catching the train or bus to work ever y day, introducing a more strenuous mode of transpor t—such as biking or walking—allowing you to exer t yourself could be you doing your par t to burn your daily dose of calories without having to set aside time from an already busy schedule, thus crushing two nuts in one swing.

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fficiency is all the rage in this age of technology. Getting tasks done quickly and with the least possible effor t seems to be the goal of ever y activity. However, while technology has brought about huge progress in various aspects of life, becoming to civilization what the muscles are to the body, it has also introduced a cer tain tendency for apathy toward keeping the body active. This unintended consequence has become a blight on the physical health of many. From the “nine to five” daily commuters to the introver ted “couch potatoes,” we could all use a break once in a while.

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Exercising in the Age of Technology The role technology plays in aiding fitness goals with regards to fitness app monitors.

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or most of us, finding the will is the most challenging aspect of working out. Consciously or not , we tend to make excuses as to why we can’ t or shouldn’ t—some more reasonable than most. ‘It ’s too early,’ ‘I can’ t find time to go to the gym,’ ‘my daily schedule already keeps me active,’ ‘oops, I woke up late, maybe tomorrow,’ ‘I don’t know what exercises to do,’ ‘I’ve been working out , and there have been no changes.’ We can always come up with a hundred different reasons to justif y a lapse in commitment ; for tunately, this is yet another aspect of life in which recent technology has been quite helpful.

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With the use of workout apps, we can now personally monitor and track our progress, thereby optimizing our workout sessions. These apps come with features that not only help in tracking development but also recommend workout times, workout exercises tailored to meet individualistic needs, and motivational quotes to give you that much-needed moral suppor t. Below are the top four most used fitness apps in 2022 , according to Forbes Health.

TE XT BY: JESSE ADUMA P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y : O N U R B I N AY, M I K A B A U M E I S T E R , A N A S TA S E M A R A G O S , L U K E A G U A I TA , S P O R L A B , J E R E M Y B I S H O P, C AT H Y P H A M , S U S H I L G H I M I R E WRITTEN BY: JESSE ADUMA

FREELETICS According to Forbes Health, this fitness app is what ’s popping in 2022 . The Freeletics fitness app boasts a series of high-intensity workouts that prove super-efficient and get you sweating in no time. An added bonus is that exercises on Freeletics mainly make use of body weight with little or no equipment. This means that users can efficiently work out from home without visiting the gym. High-intensit y workouts incorporated by Freeletics include squats, sit-up variations, upper body workouts (pushups), burpees, etc.

MAP MY RUN Reading the name from my notes, my little cousin asked if I run around and draw maps, to which I answered yes while shoving him aside play fully. My cousin was right about the running aspect , though. As the name suggests, Map My Run is a fitness app specifically for runners. The app offers a variet y of features that help individuals get the most from their runs. Benefiting from cool features like accurate GPS tracking, audio coaching, accurate hear t rate monitor, etc., the app’s fan base has continued to expand. As a result , there is little wonder the app continues to rank highly. Other features of Map My Run include a bank of over 70 million running routes, accurate tracking and recording of pace, distance covered, calories burned, functioning and accurate GPS tracking, and audio coaching. Also, the app allows you to create/map out a route ahead of time using its online interface. Would you look at that ? My cousin was right after all!

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The Freeletics fitness app also boasts an advanced AI coach, which uses information from an individual’s physique and workout progress to help track their fitness journey and prepare workout regimens specifically tailored to individualistic needs. Its audio feature provides moral suppor t with audio coaching and ser ves to motivate you through each exercise.

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S T R AVA Much like Map My Run, the Strava app mainly focuses on cardiovascular exercises like running, swimming, biking, etc. One prominent difference, however, is the element of competition in the Strava app, which is a for tunate consequence of its social feature.

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The Strava fitness app boasts a vibrant and social fan base community where users may enjoy and par ticipate in friendly competitions while swimming, running, or biking. Like any other social app, Strava users may interact with each other via the platform, follow friends’ fitness activities, planning exercises, workout challenges, and/or sharing pre/post workout photos with one another.

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Besides its enticing social element , Strava also boasts some other basic stellar features such as tracking and recording speed, distance, and endurance, and customizable training plans with live feedback . In a nutshell, the Strava fitness app is “social media for people who want to be active”—as cleverly put by users.

JEFIT Like ever y other app listed above, the JEFIT platform runs two domains, functioning as both a free and a paid app. However, a major advantage of this app is that users may gain access to a host of features and workouts on the free version without having to subscribe. The JEFIT fitness app is another highly ranked in the field of strength training, with a variety of workout exercises and variations, numbering over 1,300. The app not only avails the user with a series of effective exercises but also provides a bank of variations for users to draw from, reducing the risk of boredom and maintaining levels of enthusiasm, allowing for optimal results. Some notable features include a log that helps users keep track of their development. It also boasts a vibrant web presence, allowing users more freedom and efficiency as they can access, track , and plan workouts on their computer.

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No one needs to be reminded of the impor tance of exercise, especially in this day and age. The choice to put in effor t should be just as impor tant as knowing what exactly you want for your body, which is another way that these apps have proved useful, helping individuals identif y their body specifications before embarking on any such workout regimen. This is a ver y impor tant step as it will ser ve to help draw a roadmap before you begin your race, as my cousin said.

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Experience the EndeavorRx The first FDA-approved video game app to treat ADHD in kids aged 8-12 was scientifically proven to increase attention control in focus and multitasking.

WRIT TEN BY: NIZIE N LOKMAN, FCIM

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ndeavorRx broke the mold in June 2020. There is a new way to help kids with ADHD; they become superheroes chasing alien worlds and saving lives from ex tinction using the EndeavorRx video game app. Inspired by Akili Interactive, the company that created the first game-based digital line of therapeutics, kids with ADHD have a new mental health treatment. Akili Interactive’s team incorporates exper ts in technology, psychology, and medicine.

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CONNECTING WITH SUBJECT M AT T E R EXPERTS Going the distance from a different angle was the beginning of the breakthrough idea by

the co-founders of Akili Interactive. The company ’s thought leaders in their exper tise, Adam Gaz zaley, Matt Omernick , and Eddie Mar tucci, are the company ’s Chief Scientific Officer, Chief Creative Officer, and CEO, respectively. They were looking for a different way to bring it all together for the greater good in the medical care ecosystem.

In his research, he connected with Omernick , who discovered a trend in the tech sector exploring gaming for good, as well as interest in using video games to help improve generic cognition and attention. Being experienced in the gaming world and having experience in big gaming houses on the west coast , including EA and Lucas, he saw this oppor tunity to work with Omernick . This concept attracted Eddie Mar tucci, a trained biologist from the venture capitalist side of Boston. The integration of their specialization, knowledge, wisdom, and experiences saw the bir th of an idea that breaks down video games’ negative reputation for “rotting kids’ brains.”

C R E AT I N G V I D E O G A M E S A S A NEW MEDICAL DEVICE According to Motherly, EndeavorRx debunks that common my th. It doesn’t mean that all video games are good for children. To put it into perspective, the average American spends over 10,000 hours playing video games before age 21. Even ‘brain games’ that claim to boost your brainpower are not that good for you. A 2017 study found that these games, whether they were digital puz zles or word games, did not improve people’s mental abilities or cognition. More and more research and a pilot study were conducted to prove the potential of the technology app, and some meaningful insights were achieved. Gameplay that emphasized multitasking was widely accepted by children with ADHD and led to higher engagement than conventional educational treatment. Comparatively to educational programs, gameplay improves the focus on relevant information for a specific goal. Another result showed that 33% of children were no longer considered to have inattention, with improvements lasting for about nine months.

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According to the Medical Maker, it all began when Gaz zaley, a neurologist from UC San Francisco, at the university ’s translational neuroscience center, Neuroscape, had written books about the cognition crisis. Gaz zaley wanted to find ways to assess the intrinsic and ex trinsic mechanisms of cognition and improve it. Gaz zaley said, “Cognitive training does exist , but the tasks are usually delivered humanly, on a one-to-one basis, and you cannot deliver multiple tasks simultaneously. I wanted to find ways to deliver different cognitive tasks together, but the only way to do this is to make it digital.”

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WRIT TEN BY: KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

reathing exercises have gone mainstream and become one of the top wellness trends in 2022 . And while the wellness brigade touts its effect on psychological and physical health, there’s also the science to back it up and companies looking to capitalize.

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Airofit , a spor ts tech company out of Denmark , has taken respirator y exercises to a new level with “ the world’s first smar t breathing trainer.” The device and app were designed for athletes, singers, and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonar y disease (COPD) patients to strengthen their lungs and improve breathing effectively.

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Danish company Ambu originally developed the device to increase lung capacit y for people with chronic breathing conditions. But after Christian Tullberg Poulsen discovered the device’s potential to help singers improve their performance, he decided to purchase the rights to the device from Ambu and market it to classical singers. It was years before Poulsen realized the breathing device’s potential to help athletes. This discover y happened after his 15-year-old son used the device to

improve his swimming performance. After qualif ying for the Nordic Swimming Championships and training with the device for three months, his son returned with eight gold medals. Poulsen knew he had something special on his hands. Poulsen hired three high-end engineers to help him design and develop what is now the Airofit smar t breathing trainer and application. By training lung capacity, lung muscles, and anaerobic tolerance, the Airofit is expected to help amateur and professional athletes and anyone else who wants to enhance their quality of life. In the medical field, this type of breath training is called inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST ). That means any device that adds resistance to breathing muscles when you inhale or exhale. Airofit describes this as “taking your breathing muscles to the gym.” The device makes your diaphragm and intercostal muscles work harder during exercise. The company claims you can strengthen your diaphragm by using the device for just 5-10 minutes a day with the Airofit. Training your diaphragm allows you to breathe deeper, decrease your breathing rate, and slow your hear t rate as your lungs have more room to expand.

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The Airofit is not only beneficial to athletes. The training device can also help with stress, sleep, mental health, and depression.

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The Verge of Objective Concussion Diagnosis

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This finger prick blood test is the first of its kind to leverage AI to help diagnose concussions.

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Leveraging artificial intelligence, Neurolytixs is able to diagnose concussions within 48 hours. PHOTOGRAPHED BY: PE XEL S/ ARTEM P O D R E Z & O L E K S A N D R P I D VA L N Y I WRIT TEN BY: KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

5 out of 10 concussions go unnoticed in youth sports, but the Neurolytixs test can help diagnose concussions within 48 hours.

Founded by Dr. Douglas Fraser, Peter George, and Adrian Uthay, Neuroly tixs works by identif ying a number of biomarkers to accurately identif y brain injur y among amateur athletes, active duty members, and others. Dr. Fraser developed this first-of-its-kind technology to yield accurate results with just a prick of the finger blood test. Using dried plasma spot and metabolite measurements, a mass spectrometer can accurately diagnose mild traumatic brain injur y with rapid results. “ This product has been six years in the making, and amongst field exper ts, it is considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of traumatic brain injur y research,” says Dr. Fraser, a Clinician Scientist at the London Health Sciences Center, Professor in the Depar tments of Pediatrics, Physiology and Pharmacology, and Clinical Neurological Sciences at Western University, and member of the Office of Militar y Academic Medicine.

This is big news in the concussion diagnosis field which relies heavily on behavioral, physical, and cognitive methodologies. Clinical obser vation and testing are often susceptible to error, while symptoms of concussions can be nonspecific and subjective. When these concussions go misdiagnosed and untreated, depending on the severity, a person can experience an increased risk of memor y loss, Alzheimer ’s, trouble reasoning, and communication issues. Research shows that more than 10% of young athletes experience a concussion each year, with 50% of those going undiagnosed. That ’s why Dr. Fraser and his team have specifically tailored their blood test to adolescents aged 13 to 17. He says that because this age group has years of their life to live, they need to be treated properly so that their concussions can be recognized. But it ’s not just amateur athletes that concussions threaten; children and military personnel also experience long-term brain health. In Canada alone, 452 people each day experience a traumatic brain injury, also known as an mTBI. Of the military personnel sent to Afghanistan and Iraq, 20% experienced an mTBI, and many continue to experience long-term symptoms.

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s there finally an objective way to diagnose concussions in spor ts and active dut y ? Neuroly tixs, a Canadian R&D company, has licensed and patented a novel blood test technology that uses ar tificial intelligence to help diagnose concussions within just 48 hours.

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PIVOTING: FROM BIG TIME BASKETBALL TO BIG TECH BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Osborn-Jones encourages others who seek to pivot from one industry to another to lean into their fear and uncertainty rather than letting it paralyze them.

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Pivoting: From Big Time Basketball to Big Tech Alexandra Osborn-Jones, Director of Growth at AppLovin PH OTO CR E DI T: ALE X ANDR A O SB ORN-J ONE S

WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

l exandra Osborn-Jones played in many varsity basketball games in her 2010-14 Yale career, star ting in many of them. She made a good number of shots during the games, from the field and from the three-point range, and provided solid defense by blocking and stealing.

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All of this skilled gameplay took place while she worked towards a degree in the histor y of medicine, although hoping to become a pro basketball star.

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“In basketball, you have to immediately star t working as a team, the same as in any business. And in an industr y where things change as rapidly as in tech, you have to pay attention to ever y thing in the moment , just as you do in spor ts,” she said. She found star tups a better fit for someone new to tech than larger tech firms because they cared more about personality traits and mindset than hard skills and they appreciated her willingness to learn. “If you don’t know something you need to know for your job, go learn it , go figure it out! Being able to do that is a valuable skill,” she says.

However, the cumulative physical and mental effects of injuries she experienced on the cour t caused her to seek a different career rather than playing ball professionally. Unsure what to pursue with a humanities degree, she scanned job boards after graduation, applying for and landing a consulting position with a private equit y company.

Ultimately, Osborn-Jones discovered technology firm AppLovin and worked her way up over several years to become their director of growth. In her role, she is responsible for driving company, customer, and revenue growth.

“I read over the job description and saw that they didn’t require a par ticular kind of background, so I figured I could go for it ,” Osborn-Jones said.

Osborn-Jones encourages others who seek to pivot from one industr y to another to lean into their fear and uncer tainty rather than letting it paralyze them.

O S B O R N-J O N E S ’ P I VOT While the connections between basketball and technology might not be immediately obvious, Osborn-Jones insists that her spor ts background prepared her for a career in tech.

ADVICE FOR OTHER CAREER CHANGERS

“Most career moves are reversible,” she says. “If your new direction truly doesn’t work , you can always go back to what you know.” However, a few failures are not the end of the

suggests raising your hand and volunteering for ex tra projects at work . This will build your skillset as well as your resume.

Osborn-Jones also advises would-be career changers to think over their skills and what sor t of work would be possible or realistic.

She also offers up one final point of advice. “Remember to give yourself the benefit of your own doubt! Many managers want to give new hires the benefit of the doubt and act as if they will succeed in their new roles. So, shouldn’t you do the same for yourself ?”

“Draw connections between what you’re doing now and what you’d like to be doing. And don’t underestimate soft skills! Attitudes and people skills are vital to any industr y and will help you pivot.” While you’re still in your current role, Osborn-Jones

Even though Osborn-Jones isn’t the WNBA star she hoped she’d become, she feels she has scored, personally and professionally, and wishes the same for anyone else in her position.

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world. “Failing is learning! Also, tr y the ‘count up’ trick : will this mistake or setback matter in a year ? In five years? That will help put it in perspective.”

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SPECIAL INTEREST

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HEFORSHE B Y F I L I PA A R A Ú J O

Joining forces in a powerful fight to close the gender equality gap.

HARNESSING TECH C R E A T I V I T Y T O S O LV E FOR DEI JUSTICE BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Her background and professional experience inspired her to make diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) a high workplace priority.

WOMEN PIONEERS IN W E S T A F R I C A’ S T E C H S PA C E BY GEORGE DIKE

Spotlight on The Top Seven Female Tech CEOs in Africa’s Largest Economy.

S H O P, W O R K , LOV E BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Suitability goes further and involves a person or job situation which inspires you, helps you “level up,” and become a better version of yourself.

HeForShe Joining forces in a powerful fight to close the gender equality gap

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W R I T T E N B Y : F I L I PA A R A ÚJ O PHOTO CREDIT: HEFORSHE .ORG

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Emma Watson

hether it is women fighting for their seat at the table, or men being trapped in gender stereotypes, everyone loses in the battle of inequality. Gender inequality is a global issue.

When faced with gender-based issues, regardless of gender, we often think , what can I do to make sure this doesn’t happen? In what way can I suppor t and empower the women in my circles and deconstruct toxic male stereotypes? How can I be an agent of change?

HeForShe comes as a response to the gender equality gap. An alliance that aims to “accelerate progress towards gender equality.” The movement star ted in 2014 and was created by UN Women, an entity of the United Nations that focuses on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The idea was to build a movement with powerful leaders from different backgrounds: government , business, non-profit organizations, and academics. The leaders, known as HeForShe Champions, pledge to act on all fronts, achieving economic justice, empowering future female leaders, promoting new cultural norms, and ending genderbased violence. The goal is to tr y and test different solutions within their organization to solve a specific gender-based problem. Throughout time, women and men have been put in boxes. Boxes often define and shape the way we perceive the world, the way we adopt social roles, and the way we act toward others and ourselves. After being confined to a box for so long, it can be difficult to imagine a world outside of that box . So it ’s impor tant to create space to empower women and men, whose voices have been suppressed by the influence of gender stereotypes. In a speech given by Emma Watson, a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, during the movement ’s launch event , she stated the power of stepping out of gender confinement : “If we stop defining each other by what we are not and star t defining ourselves by what we are—we can all be freer, and this is what HeForShe is about. It ’s about freedom. I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters, and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too—reclaim those par ts of themselves they abandoned and, in doing so, be a more true and complete version of themselves.”

ACTION KITS FOR CHANGE To make these solutions accessible to ever yone and use technology to their advantage, HeForShe creates digital action kits for individuals and organizations. These action kits are essentially step-bystep guides to implementing change in our teams, our communities, our schools, and our homes. In a way, how to empower women 101. These action kits use successful projects as examples, providing instructions on how to implement changes. They also provide resources and contacts to help others achieve the same results. All of this information can be downloaded from their website: heforshe.org. This leads us to the question, could a solution developed in Finland have the same results in the US? Or in South Africa? How can we consider cultural differences and access to resources?

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HeForShe is a global movement that invites people of all genders to suppor t gender equalit y and call world leaders to action.

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A great Blazer can only go so far...

To uplift, inspire, and empower women all over the world, playing any variety of roles, and at all ages through clothing and community that helps you feel like your best self and reach your highest potential.

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Presence Learning: Remote Flexible Therapy for Children with Learning Differences Wisdom from Shanelle Reese, Chief People Officer at Presence Learning PHOTO CREDIT: SHANELLE REESE WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

resence Learning’s Chief People Officer, Shanelle Reese, was a huge fan of remote work before Covid-19 brought ever yone’s offices into their living rooms.

“It suppor ts work/life balance. About 97% of our clinical workforce are women, of which the vast majorit y are primar y caregivers,” Reese says. Presence Learning is a site connecting educational therapists to children around the countr y with learning differences. Their goal is to make therapies available to more children and to assist therapists in building their client bases and careers. As head of human resources, or “Chief People Officer,” as Presence Learning calls her role, Reese says that the flexible schedules and location independence of remote work attract therapists to the platform.

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EXPERIENCED HR PROFESSIONAL INSPIRED BY HER SON

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Reese’s own son needed speech therapy when he was two. Although the family lived in an urban area, it still took them a while to find a speech therapist with available appointments. . “I remember wondering at the time: ‘How do parents in rural areas deal with the inability to access ser vices for their children?’” She says her experience was par t of the reason she took a position with Presence Learning. And she appreciates how the team at Presence, which includes cer tified special education professionals, is committed to something beyond themselves, to work that helps children and families.

Prior to Presence Learning, Reese led HR Operations at Amerit Fleet Solutions before transitioning to an HR Project Manager role at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital of Oakland. E X PA N D I N G T H E P O O L O F THERAPISTS Reese is committed to encouraging more people to pursue special education and speech and language therapy as a career. The Presence Learning platform intends to reduce the national shor tage of therapists by promoting the field and making it easier for clients and therapists to find each other. “Presence Learning’s clinical network spans the countr y and is a growing resource of 1,500+ providers who ser ve a range of needs and connect with students through live, online sessions on the Presence Learning platform. We are working to continue to grow that network and help grow the pipeline for provider positions more broadly.”

She’s proud of how Presence suppor ts the working moms among their educational provider community. Providers are able to choose the number of days they work and to work remotely, and they say this flexibility is a factor in keeping them working in education. Reese says special education presents many meaningful career paths that offer solid salaries, professional mentoring, and the chance to help children. “ We need to fully suppor t the young people who want to enter this field.”

HOW TELETHERAPY CAN HELP SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN Online special education therapy also has the potential to greatly benefit children, as Reese explains. “ Teletherapy is revolutionizing our ability as a countr y to address the needs of the nex t

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“ That is the secret sauce of our company,” she says.

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Photographer: Elias Gurrola instagram.com/eliasgurrola twitter.com/Elias_Gurrola facebook.com/eliasgurroladesign pinterest.com/eliasgurrola/_created eliasgurrola.com

Breaking The Bias In Africa’s Tech Space How Women Are Rising Above Stereotypes To Become Industry Leaders in Africas Tech Space and Leading The New Generation of Female Tech-prenuers.

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Photo by: Christina Morillo

WRITTEN BY: GEORGE DIKE

n recent years, Africa’s tech scene has witnessed a boom with a dramatic increase in innovators and tech entrepreneurs. These ‘ techpreneurs,’ as they are popularly referred to, use technology to provide simple and accessible solutions to ever yday problems.

Acros s Africa, tech hub s have sprou ted in place s such as K enya, Egypt , and Sou th Africa, with Nigeria, Africa’s most populous countr y, leading the pack . From payment ser vice s to applications that help people increase their savings and make it easier for Africans to par tic ipate in the global cr ypto rush, Africa’s tech scene is livelier than e ver.

An estimated 30% of businesses in Africa are owned by women. Compared to these record rates of women’s entrepreneurship, women’s par ticipation in the tech industr y is woefully behind. Women are underrepresented and marginalized as tech entrepreneurs in the digital economy, albeit it is one of the most promising and fastest growing sectors in many countries.

A R E W O M E N T R U LY U N D E R REPRESENTED IN AFRICAS T E C H S PA C E ? Globally, leading tech hubs like Silicon Valley have focused on gendered discrimination. Yet , the par ticipation of women in tech sectors remains low. To have a clear understanding of women’s underrepresentation in tech, let us see the statistics:

Most African women in the labor market continue to engage in low-wage, laborintensive professions such as agriculture, which lack value-addition and growth prospects and contribute to the pover ty of many women. Nonetheless, African women continue to lead the world as entrepreneurs and company owners.

W H AT S T E P S R E B E I N G TA K E N T O I M P R O V E T H E S TAT I S T I C S ? The lack of women in tech can not be underlooked. Even as it grows to new heights, women’s involvement in the tech sector is not where it should be. Only 10% of West African firms that raised $1 million over the last decade had at least one female co-founder.

According to the World Bank, women’s labor-force participation in Africa has been projected to be about 60% in previous years. This number, however, only conveys part of the tale.

According to the World Bank, women’s labor-force participation in Africa has been projected to be about 60% in previous years. This number, however, only conveys part of the tale. Research by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that women account for just 30% of technology professionals in SubSaharan Africa. McKinsey estimated in 2016 that women occupied just one-third of leadership positions in telecoms, media, and technology. It is evident that women are unequal producers and consumers of technology in Africa. Although many tech entrepreneurs claim their objective is to ‘offer inclusive or accessible solutions to common issues,’ it is impossible to do so effectively when men produce the majorit y of applications and

Today, women have risen to checkmate systems that have constantly withheld them from breaking the bias and actualizing their true potential. With a focus on innovation, accessibility, and purpose, here are some key projects helping shape the nex t generation of women in Tech.

MY FIRST CHECK AFRICA My First Check Africa was founded to provide a pipeline that identifies women early on, before they become frustrated by the fundraising process, and provides them with funds to construct a minimum viable product so they may go on to secure seedstage funding. It was co-founded by Odunayo Eweniyi and Eloho Oman.

LADIESDOTECH (WEB3LADIES) LadiesDoTech is a community that aims to build the ideal African tech ladies. Founded by Oluchi Enebeli, the community seeks to bridge the gap between tech aspirants and

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Venture Capital for Africa’s 2016 showed that only 9% of African tech star tups were led by women.

ser vices, and women’s par ticipation in their creation is limited.

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Harnessing Tech Creativity to Solve for DEI Justice Roku’s Human Resources Manager Ericka Tate P H O T O C R E D I T : E R I C K A TAT E / R O K U WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

he first in her family to graduate from college, Ericka Tate accepted the first job offer she received on graduation: a sales job. “I was the first woman that company had hired for that role,” she remembers. “So, boy, do I have stories!”

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While in sales, Tate was asked to help grow the team and ended up ser ving as a recruiter, a position with which she fell in love.

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Tate now manages human resources for Roku and ser ves as their Global People Business Par tner. “I was in recruiting for many years and then organically transitioned into HR. HR is a perfect fit for who I am at my core. No two days are the same; really, no two hours are the same! I wear 100 hats and help people and companies grow. What more could you ask for!” Her background and professional experience

inspired her to make diversit y, equit y, and inclusion (DEI) a high workplace priority. D E I AT R O K U Tate says DEI effor ts at Roku have taken off and expanded in recent years, and she’s been proud to be a par t of the process. She also highlights that this work isn’t just about recruiting a diverse pool of candidates or employees but also about suppor ting and retaining existing diverse talent. “ We now have a team of folks focused on making Roku a more inclusive and diverse place to work , attracting and retaining diverse talent , and educating us all on how we can work better together. We have speakers who are exper ts in DE&I, employee resource groups (ERGs), workshops, and are being bold by continuing to have conversations that help us all learn and grow. We find it impor tant to not only focus on recruiting new diverse talent but to suppor t our current workforce.”

Technology companies are leaders, innovative, willing to tr y new things, risk takers, and tr ying to improve their clients day to day. That is exactly what makes a great DE&I program. Think about the changes you would like to see and tackle it in a similar way you would a business problem.”

“One thing they could do is acknowledge how impor tant it is. Saying hey, we know we need to work on these areas, and we are, join us in this work . Help us be better. Sending an invite to their employees and even customer base is key. Second, you have to think outside the box and hire exper ts to help you get there. If you are looking for diverse candidates using the same sources you always have, most likely, you will continue to get the same results. You have to tr y new things, spend money, time, and energy to get real results.” Tate affirms that the technology industr y has creativity that could be harnessed toward creating equitable and affirming DEI resources and programs. “I think those in the technology field have a real advantage over other industries.

Tate’s own Roku device is one of her favorite pieces of technology, along with the Uber Eats app. She’s thrilled to be able to stream a variety of shows on Netflix and her favorite, the Hallmark channel. She loves working with Roku as well and finds the company culture exciting. “ The oppor tunity at Roku [is] about building something great. They have these really great products and are in an incredibly fast-growing industr y, and that combo was music to my ears. I love being par t of a fast-growing team and riding the waves of trial and error, and seeing all of that hard work pay off. And if you can do all of that while having a good time, that is success!”

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She urges companies of all sizes to fully invest in DEI, which includes taking the initiative to hire and learn from exper ts who can show them how to do the work .

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Seamlessly Outsourced for Smooth Success Peta-Gaye Willis and exceptional ADMIN P H O T O C R E D I T : P E TA G AY E - E X C E P T I O N A L A D M I N

WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

eta-Gaye Willis’ vir tual assistant company, exceptionalADMIN, helped many firms sur vive the pandemic.

“[Covid-19] triggered a massive influx of new customers that were looking to pivot from brick and mor tar bases to e-commerce. My company ended up helping a lot of businesses continue to operate despite having their store locations being shut down due to changing government requirements.” In their early days, exceptionalADMIN focused on raising awareness of what virtual assistants did and how someone in that role could help an operation. But when Covid-19 hit, companies started looking to outsource their social media and recruitment activities to find the best people and the best deals, as everyone was working from home anyway. Word of mouth referrals from satisfied customers have grown the business over time.

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Willis describes in depth how the company has grown and adapted to the needs of its increasing client base.

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“ We have expanded our ser vices to include payroll and HR compliance ser vices. We also now offer VIP Days to work with clients where they get exper tly guided, organized, and suppor ted to get to the hear t of the stumbling blocks, bottlenecks, and find fresh tools and ideas to get more done in their business—that translates to an easy way to move forward at lightning speed. We also offer training workshops to mentor new and upcoming Vir tual Assistants in par tnership with the Toronto YWCA.”

PA S S I O N F O R E D U C AT I O N , INCLUSION, AND TECHNOLOGY Willis appreciates the role of technology in speeding up and smoothing out business operations. “So I am up to date on all of the emerging tech and tools that increase business productivity. I am fascinated and passionate about adult education and always take courses to develop my exper tise and suppor t ongoing development which adds value for my clients.” She says one of the first things you will notice is that they implement a lot of automations and streamline existing technology and processes. Since they already work with companies from a range of industries, they see upcoming trends, provide a level of stability and consistency, and can recommend solutions that improve business.

Willis’ corporate background gave her insight into the needs and challenge s of busine s s owners . “I wanted to [star t exceptionalADMIN] because I was taking HR and marketing courses at the time and saw the immediate value that the skills I was learning would add to business owners. I was working remotely in a corporate role previously and had experience using online tools and technology to increase productivity and efficiency. I came across the idea and did my research to see if this would be a viable business, and it was!” Her corporate experience includes training, event planning and coordination, and team building, and she has suppor ted lawyers, directors, and a company president through roles including executive assistance. She’s also cer tified in Microsoft with an Office Assistant Diploma and as a digital marketer and brand ambassador for the Digital Marketing Academy of Canada.

Yet , exceptionalADMIN never loses sight of the human aspect of their work . They believe in meshing well into teams or individual clients, getting along, and matching others’ work styles for seamless integration. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is also a core value in their operations as well as in the training and mentoring workshops they provide for students. “exceptionalADMIN is owned and operated by a black woman, so diverse and inclusive representation is at the core of everything we do.”

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EXPERIENCED C O R P O R AT E EMPLOYEE TURNS ENTREPRENEUR

Her personal favorite technology is Canva, as she loves the graphic design software’s intuitive interface and capabilities.

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The world’s first highly sustainable and environmentally friendly organic material made of Nopal cactus, also known as the prickly pear.

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Women Pioneers In West Africa’s Tech Space Spotlight on The Top Seven Female Tech CEOs in Africa’s Largest Economy WRITTEN BY: GEORGE DIKE

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In Sub-Saharan Africa, women constitute only 30% of professionals in the tech industr y. These statistics shed light on the significant gap between women and men in exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

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Despite not having a fair percentage in the Tech Industr y, Nigerian women have had a significant global impact. Nigerian women in the tech industr y have secured lucrative deals wor th hundreds of millions of dollars, launched star t-ups, and advocated for gender equalit y. In acknowledgment of their many exploits, here are our top seven female tech leaders in the Nigerian Tech space. These women are shattering the proverbial glass ceiling and making their marks in technology and innovation.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

BILIKISS ADEBIYIABIOLA FOUNDER, WECYCLERS Adebiyi-Abiola is a former IBM software engineer who created social networking software for For tune 500 organizations. She returned to Nigeria to launch WeCyclers, a firm that provides garbage collection and recycling ser vices to residents of Lagos. WeCyclers provides incentives to low-income people through SMS points for ever y kilogram of garbage recycled. Rewards, which include essential food products, are sponsored in par tnership with major corporations such as Coca-Cola and GlaxoSmithKline. O D U N AY O EWENIYI CO-FOUNDER/ COO, PIGGYVEST Eweniyi is the CoFounder and Chief Operations Officer of PiggyVest , a West African online savings platform for personal savings and investing. Similarly, she cofounded FirstCheck Africa, an angel fund for female entrepreneurs, and PushCV. Photo Credit: Global Citizen

lobally, the Tech Industr y has experienced a high influx of women breaking grounds and leveraging financial technology (Fintech). Still, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that only 30 percent of professionals in the tech sector are women. Their research also revealed that only 12 percent of global Fintech founders and co-founders were women.

Odunayo Eweniyi, Somto Ifezue, and Joshua Chibueze established Piggyvest in 2016 to make loans available to as many Nigerians as possible. Odunayo and her team led Piggyvest in raising $1.1 million in 2018 for license acquisition, product development , and increased marketing investment.

Photo Credit: Bamboo

YA N M O O M O R O G B E CO-FOUNDER/COO, BAMBOO

Photo Credit: MainOne

As Bamboo’s co-founder and COO, Yanmo Omorogbe handles Bamboo’s growth and operations. Bamboo is a digital investing platform that allows Nigerians to purchase, sell, or hold assets traded on the US stock exchange via their mobile phones or computers in real-time. The idea is to allow investment across Africa by making it simple for Africans in the diaspora to invest back home. Omorogbe is committed to aiding the longterm success of the organizations she has found herself. Photo Credit: A New Touch of Africa

FUNKE OPEKE FOUNDER, MAINSTREET TECHNOLOGIES Opeke is the founder of MainStreet Technologies, the creators of MainOne, a major provider of telecommunications services and network solutions in West Africa. Opeke spent almost twenty years with Verizon Communications in the United States before returning to Nigeria in 2005 as the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria Communications (MTN).

OLUCHI ENEBELI C O - F O U N D E R / C T O , C R E VATA L Enebeli is the co-founder/CTO of Crevatal, a Blockchain user experience design and development company. To encourage the next generation of female entrepreneurs, she launched LadiesDoTech, a network dedicated to creating the ideal African tech ladies. She also works as a Blockchain Engineer at Bundle Africa.

Oluchi enhances crypto interactions across products by utilizing scalable blockchain services. She has experience with technologies such as Binance Smart Chain, Tron, Multichain, Solidity, Node.js, and ExpressJs. She has worked for companies such as Crenet TechLabs and Sterling Bank Plc.

Photo by Vanguard Nigeria

Interim CEO of Thrive Agric and nonexecutive director of Hover Developer Services, Sowho has established herself as a problem solver in Nigeria’s business, technology, and media sectors. With a background in mobile content development, technology, and financial services, she is now focused on improving Nigeria’s digital culture and motivating more young women to join the industry. NKEM OKOCHA FOUNDER, MAMAMONI

Former banker, Nkem Okocha, founded Mamamoni, a social enterprise and Fintech firm that provides women with microloans and free financial and vocational skills training. The enterprise has influenced the lives of around 5,000 low-income women in rural areas across Lagos, Nigeria. Nkem is a Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme and Young African Leaders Initiative alumni and a 2016 LEAP Africa Social Innovator.

Nigerian women are impacting every aspect of life in their country, continent, and globally. They are laying lasting foundations in varying industries, from politics, commerce, entrepreneurship, academics, and tech. The women of Africa’s most populous nation have geared up, identifying societal problems ranging from education, health, finance, and climate change and are providing innovative solutions using tech. No doubt, these extraordinary female tech leaders have excelled in their fields. They have grown beyond start-up phases and have built their brands to international standards. We celebrate these women as they show their prowess amid the many challenges they have been through.

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ADIA SOWHO CEO, THRIVE AGRIC

Photo by Adia Sowho

W H AT D O E S T H E FUTURE HOLD?

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LOVE THE WAY YOU LOOK LOVE THE WAY YOU FEEL. loveiguehi.com

Shop, Work, Love Level’s e-commerce, career, and dating site PHOTO CREDIT: SHOP LEVEL WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

hat if you could be matched with employers and job oppor tunities the same way dating apps match you with potential dates? And catch up on shopping while that ’s happening?

Level is a new site set up to make it all possible in the same place. According to spokesperson Laura James, “Level is the perfect platform for those who are ready to take their career and love life to the nex t level.” James intends for Level to save users’ time as well as connect them with optimal matches in life’s different categories. “ You can say goodbye to hours wasted scouring the internet for job postings or trawling through dating apps. Instead, simply create a profile and let Level do the hard work for you. We’ll match you with potential employers or dates based on your preferences and skillset. So whether you’re looking for your dream job or your soulmate, Level is here to help,” says James. BENEFITS OF LEVEL

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When people use Level to seek work , they can search for job oppor tunities and create a profile with their interests and a resume. The site uses that information to match people with job oppor tunities.

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When it comes to dating, Level uses smar t technology to enable deeper and more authentic matches by helping people meet others who have similar interests or are working within the same industr y. As for shopping, Level’s AI identifies customer interests and introduces them to brands that they might appreciate. “ We use brand-new proprietar y shopping technology designed to help you discover and purchase products from world-renowned brands,” the site explains.

S U I TA B I L I T Y I S THE ANSWER Level’s social media provides various tips for mind shifts to help people enhance their lives. The primar y one is to seek suitability, in a job, a par tner, or ar twork and accessories for your home. Suitability is explained as different from compatibility and an even better way to make choices. Compatibility simply means you get along with dates or coworkers, share interests, and function reasonably well without major conflict. Suitability involves a person or job situation which inspires you, helps you “level up,” and become a better version of yourself. A suitable match, job, or even piece of furniture is “right ” or appropriate for a par ticular person, purpose, or situation. “ While compatibilit y is definitely impor tant , it ’s not the be-all and end-all of a successful relationship. In fact , the most successful relationships are between people who are not necessarily compatible [in all ways] but who are suitable for each other.” This applies to the job market as well. Level encourages job seekers not just to apply to positions for which they can perform all the required responsibilities but to find the most suitable roles. Employment candidates can do this by researching employers’ cultures and values and making sure they are aligned with the organization’s ideals and style. Leveling up your qualifications can help you fit roles with employers who match your values, and Level encourages constant self-development.

Level encourages users to date co-workers because of the shared trust , interests, and respect and because they will understand each other ’s busy schedules and commitment to career growth.

F I N D I N G S U I TA B L E ENVIRONMENTS Level also encourages remote work as a suitable option for many people. Working remotely can improve work-life balance for people by allowing them to avoid spending time commuting or dealing with office politics. Also, cer tain roles and cer tain workplaces highlight and make the most of different personality types. Level offers six basic “personalities” for which you can find suitable work on their site: Realistic, Investigative, Ar tistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Realistic environments are task-oriented and hands-on (custodial work , landscaping, piloting), while Investigative environments involve data and analysis. Ar tistic workplaces foster creativity and expression, while Social workplaces thrive on interaction among people. Finally, Enterprising venues are inspirational and entrepreneurial, while Conventional places are organized and detailoriented. Level’s founders have seen over time that matching users to jobs and employers based on that criteria goes fur ther to help them find suitable work than simply matching listed skills and experience. They seek to fine-tune matching in three seemingly different areas of life, shopping, seeking work , and dating, to bring more people to a life that ’s levels of magnitude more suitable for them.

One way someone can find suitabilit y in love and career is to date a co-worker at their dream job! F A C E B O O K . C O M / L E V E L H I R E M AT C H T WIT TER.COM/LEVELHM I N S T A G R A M . C O M / L E V E L _ H I R E _ M AT C H T I K T O K . C O M / @ L E V E L H I R E M AT C H

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They also connect shoppers to products from ar tisans around the world and upand-coming and small businesses.

Suitability goes further and involves a person or job situation which inspires you, helps you “level up,” and become a better version of yourself.

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skincare + soul care

skinamity.com

science & innovation

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ACCENTURE’S VRUSHALI G A U D O N O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Amplifying Your Voice for Sustainability.

THE PERFECT SCENT B Y S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U

NINU—the first AI-powered perfume that suits your mood.

W H AT W A S T H AT A G A I N ? A N O T E - TA K E R I N T H E DOCTOR’S OFFICE BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Dr. Jacqueline Darna describes new Intellidoc software that helps patients remember and order doctors’ over-the-counter recommendations.

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PHOTO CREDIT KENDALL RUTH IN UNSPLASH

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Accenture’s

Vrushali Gaud

on Organizational Sustainability Amplifying Your Voice for Sustainability Within a Large Organization PHOTO CREDIT: VRUSHALI GAUD/ACCENTURE

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Vrushali Gaud

rushali Gaud, managing director at Accenture, was always blazing a trail for a more inclusive and purpose driven workplace. As an engineer, she was one of the few women to pursue mechanical engineering and work on the automotive shopfloor at Tata Motors, India. Subsequently she moved to the US to pursue a master ’s degree and had the oppor tunity to work at the then newly launched Emissions Solutions business at Cummins Inc. “My experience with Tata Motors shaped my understanding that businesses thrive when the communities in which they operate thrive; and Cummins initiated the journey towards building businesses that

These early experiences working in the automotive sector got her thinking about carbon emissions, environmental regulation, climate change and the ways corporations can embrace a more purpose driven agenda to address the world’s biggest challenges, including sustainability. She continued to champion environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, through engaging with multi-stakeholder bodies, corporates, regulators and policy makers that scaled adoption of integrated sustainability repor ting and transparency in disclosures across South Asia. Currently a leader in Accenture’s Sustainability Ser vices practice, she helps companies transform towards more sustainable and resilient businesses that create positive value and impact for all stakeholders.

Just as the digital revolution transformed how people live and work , so too will sustainability, driving new value and growth and permeating ever y thing that we do,” she says. Sustainability encompasses a more interconnected view that spans environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, from transitioning to a net-zero economy to protecting human rights to advancing inclusion and diversity. This is because of humanitarian and environmental concerns, in par ticular, the urgency of addressing climate change. She points out that since the 1980s the rate of increase in global temperatures has more than doubled, increasing our risk of storms, droughts, heat-exacerbated diseases, and other calamities.

Gaud believes that sustainabilit y is a priority issue for all companies, as they look to understand future risks, build long term resiliency, drive inclusive growth and thrive in the new socio-economic environment.

Also, because busine s se s and their customers need a healthy and func tional world in order to operate. Natural disasters and soc ial unre st disrupt suppl y chains , shake consumer conf idence , and constrain the suppl y of re source s . Moving towards sustainabilit y can bring potential new economic oppor tunitie s . Gaud say s that Accenture ’s re search shows 72 percent of global consumers say ex ternal fac tors such as climate change , soc ial movement s and others are impac ting their live s more than in the past .

“ We believe ever y business must be a sustainable business. Infusing sustainability into how companies operate will not be optional – they must embed it into ever y thing they do.

Ninety percent of a company ’s value today resides in intangible assets – and yet the vast majority of business models, investment decisions, strategy is centred purely around

W H Y S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y ?

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address the world’s most pressing challenges. Sustainability became a business imperative and key to long term value creation,” Gaud says.

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The Perfect Scent

NINU—the first AI-powered perfume that suits your mood. PHOTO CREDIT: NINU

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W R I T T E N B Y : S T E L L A P O LY Z O I D O U

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ith one sprit z , you can change how you feel by changing how you smell. Tired of having a different perfume for each occasion? How about one por table device that not only changes according to your mood but also allows you to mix your own fragrance? NINU is an innovative company based in Romania that forges ahead in the beauty tech industr y. For those who want a fragrance to match their

mood daily, NINU’s clever gadget allows you to have hundreds of scents in just one revolutionar y bottle. A fusion of beauty and technology, the fragrance device stands out for its timeless Italian design and innovative engineering. It ’s no secret that scent and behavior are tightly linked, meaning that the formulation of perfume triggers a positive reaction and is, after all, what attracts us to someone. However, finding the right scent for you may prove tricky, but with AI technology, creating a custom fragrance for ever y occasion is a fantasy fulfilled.

NINU evolved out of the desire to solve a problem—to eliminate the need for multiple perfumes to suit all moods and occasions. The vision of founders Marko Matijević and Simon Mohorovič was to bring something truly ingenious and not yet seen to the traditional fragrance market. “Instead of having dozens of different fragrances, you can get 100 scents in one bottle,” claims Matijević. The reason for NINU’s success lies in the founders’ shared common values and expectations. “ Values that we have in common are honest y, a passion, an innovation-driven mindset , braver y, for titude, respect towards others, and the persistence never to give up,” declares Matijević. The inspiration was sparked by an idea to continue the legacy of the greatest Slovenian inventor Peter Florjančič, who made a great invention in perfumery some 70 years ago.“ We wanted to create modern fragrances for

our customers that would be simple to use while keeping the traditional values and quality that premium fragrances offer,” Matijević denotes. The result is an advanced perfume mixing device that can personalize fragrance on the go. By mixing different perfume bases in different ratios— from numerous blossoms and other raw materials— users can adapt the scent according to their preferences through a smar tphone app. The brand teamed up with the most capable engineers and professional perfumers, designing the app as functional as possible and making suggestions inside the app based on the mood and occasion.“Our perfume exper ts created the core fragrances that blend well together and really offer The perfume bottle pairs with a smartphone where the NINU app functions as a sort of perfumery.

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“Instead of having dozens of different fragrances, you can get 100 scents in one bottle.”

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What Was That Again? A Note-Taker in the Doctor’s Office

Dr. Jacqueline Darna describes new Intellidoc software that helps patients remember and order doctors’ over-the-counter recommendations PHOTO CREDIT: INTELLIDOC/DR. JACQUELINE DARNA

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s a physician, Intellidoc’s Dr. Jacqueline Darna is a ver y busy working mother. One day she remembers using voice-activated telemedicine to seek help for her son’s allergies. The doctor gave her various over-the-counter recommendations, but since she was driving at the time, she couldn’ t write them

down to remember them. She said out loud, “I wish there was a listening device that made a shopping car t with all the over-the-counter suggestions that the doctor made, so I can just push ‘buy now ’ to either pick them up at my local pharmacy along with the prescription medication or have them sent directly to my door.”

She’s received substantial investment and interest in the product and is a finalist in a competition through a major American tech conference.

HOW INTELLIDOC WORKS Intellidoc creates a shopping list for you by listening to your doctor during your telehealth session and writing down all the non-prescription suggestions. It shows you where to buy each of them, at a local pharmacy or online. She gives the example of a pregnant patient whose doctor recommends NoMo Nausea bands, ginger candy, and tea for morning sickness. Intellidoc will activate and show the patient the products, and its AI will pick up that the patient is pregnant and include pregnancy-related information in its product descriptions.

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Now, Darna has created the device she wanted, the patent-pending Intellidoc. It ’s the first overthe-counter fulfillment system for telemedicine, offering comparison shopping, consumer choice, and oneclick fulfillment.

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COMPLETING THE CIRCUIT BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

New app holds promise to revolutionize the construction industry

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YO U N G I N V E N TO R S P OT L I G H T: M A R K A N D T H E PILI SEAL BY KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

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HOBBY TINKERING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

This young Filipino inventor is shaking things up in the aviation industry with his sustainable aircraft parts sealant.

Sherdellah and Darryl Anunciado’s Action Drone.

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Completing the Circuit New app holds promise to revolutionize the construction industry PHOTOGRAPHED BY: CHARLES SCHOENBERGER WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

fixes, such as switching out fuses in many appliances. Even though I didn’t own a tool kit , a standard bread knife became my screwdriver, and my teeth became my wire strippers.” He also learned to replace bulb holders and wall plugs and developed a work ethic from afternoons and summers as a par t-time helper at his grandparents’ fish and chip shop. As he puts it , “a few shocks later,” he was done with school. His mother encouraged him to choose a career, whether or not it required higher education, and he decided to pursue electrical work .

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Michael Cunningham

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s a little boy in Dundrum, a small coastal town in Nor thern Ireland, Michael Cunningham loved to deconstruct his toys and bikes. “My parents always had a need for electrical ser vices around the house. I helped them with minor

After f ive years of working in Ireland, he went to San Franc isco with his older sister and then stayed after she returned. After se veral years with prominent elec trical contrac tors around the Bay Area, he pursued his elec trical contrac tors ’ license and star ted his own busine s s , MC2 Elec tric Inc . His 17 years of hands-on experience in his firm has prepared him to quickly handle ordinar y repairs and provide cost-effective sustainability solutions for customers looking to protect the environment.

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Young Inventor Spotlight:

Mark and the Pili Seal

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This young Filipino inventor is shaking things up in the aviation industry with his sustainable aircraft parts sealant.

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PRODUCED BY: MARK KENNEDY E. BANTUGON PHOTOGRAPHED BY: MARK KENNEDY E . BANTUGON WRIT TEN BY: KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

When asked about this young, ambitious engineer ’s inspiration for the Pili Seal, Mark credits his father, a local farmer in the Philippines, for exposing him to different trees, plants, animals, and waste materials growing up. “It also allowed me to establish a good and strong foundation in education, par ticularly in experimental-based research which is aligned on agriculture and sustainability,” he said.

Pili Seal was named after the resin waste of Pili Tree, which is the base ingredient in Bantugon’s aircraft integral fuel tank sealant meant to stop fuel leakage. What makes this product different from commercial sealants on the market is that it ’s safe and non-toxic to the user ’s health.

In the Philippines, Mark says the Pili Tree is known to the locals for its delicious nuts and fragrant essential oils used in the perfume industry by companies like Gucci and Chanel. To extract the oils used for perfumes, these companies have the resin separated from the essential oils and then discard the spent resin waste.

In addition to the integral fuel tank , the Pili Seal is also applicable to other specific aircraft par ts that are subject to the contact of fuels, oils, lubricants, water, and weathering. It works as a two-component sealant , meaning the base and the hardener material need to mix to create a reaction that works and functions.

Mark had a different idea. He wondered if it was possible to come up with a way to use the resin waste material as a source ingredient for the sealant formulation. It requires a sticky material to fill gaps and join two surface materials. Mark said this idea helped him “show that Pili Tree

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eet Mark Kennedy E. Bantugon, the Philippines National Winner and International Top 20 Winner of the 2021 James D yson Award for his invention of the Pili Seal. The James D yson Award is given each year to current and recent design engineer students to encourage and inspire the nex t generation.

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Hobby Tinkering to Entrepreneurship: Sherdellah and Darryl Anunciado’s Action Drone

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PHOTO CREDIT: ACTION DRONE WRIT TEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTUL A

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rooRa Magazine’s editorial design director Sherdellah Anunciado and her husband Darr yl launched their technology company, Action Drone, by accident.

As Darr yl explains, “One day, I realized I was bored at my day job doing real estate and proper t y management , and I wanted to pick up a new hobby. So I asked Sherdellah if I could buy either a piano or a remote control airplane. Unfor tunately, the piano was too expensive, so she chose the RC airplane instead. What she didn’ t know was that the RC airplane choice would end up costing more money because I got addicted to building more airplanes, making each one better.”

Wind Turbine Inspection

Darr yl wondered if he could photograph sunsets from the RC airplane but thought the footage was too shaky. After researching on online forums, he star ted sketching ideas for more stable platforms and finally succeeded. “After a year of tinkering and developing, we were able to build a flying platform that completely stabilized the GoPro while flying over 70 mph. We didn’t know it was called a drone at that time until someone online pointed it out.” He posted some prototypes on Facebook , and they sold within hours. “ That ’s how we knew we needed to star t a company!” he explains. Soon they were selling drones for twice their cost.

Sherdellah Anunciado

Darryl Anunciado

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In 2013, Darr yl and Sherdellah registered for a business license for Action Drone and set up a free website using Wix . Eventually, the U.S. Navy discovered them, and the drones began to take off !

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TrooRa’s Sustainability Efforts Tro oR a is c o m m i tte d to bui l d i ng a sus ta ina b le b us i nes s mode l p romotin g a nd pro te c tin g th e env iron ment . O ur d ig i ta l p latfo r m on troora.c om o ffe r s a c o ns c io us a ppro ac h, c reat i ng a n im m e r s i ve s p ac e . W i t h yo u r h e l p i n bui l d i ng a robus t o n l in e su p p o r t , TrooR a w i l l pr i nt fe we r magaz in es to e nsure we re ma i n a l eade r in t h e in d us tr y. Ho we ve r, whe n TrooR a p ro d u c es p r int i s sues , we w i l l uphol d t he h ig h es t q u a l i t y i n sus ta i na bl e s ta nda rds . Th e magaz in e you a re read i ng i s: p r inte d on ful l y re c yc l e d p a pe r ; p r inte d w i t h v e ge ta bl e -b as e d i n k a n d b iode g rada bl e la m i nates ;

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p r inte d i n c l o s e prox i m i t y to our ma r ke t s i n a n e ffor t to re duc e d is tr i b u t i on e m i s s i ons .

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The Technology Issue Autumn '22