The Irish Tech News Podcast

We've all had enough of staring at screens and Cynthia Watson of Virtira decided to find out what impact this was having on the workforce.  We recently shared an press release on the data that has been acquired from Virtira and wanted to glean further information and insight so we invited to speak on this podcast.  Listen in on the conversation that Melanie Boylan and Cynthia Watson had. Cynthia Watson was never cut out to work in an office. She grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island in Canada, and while her business school classmates were finding jobs in downtown cubicles, she happily worked her way through university in the BC Parks Branch and on fishing boats. She wrote her master’s thesis on telecommuting while working with global tech companies. Upon the completion of her MBA in 1993, she vowed never to work in an office again –– and has kept that promise ever since. Having worked remotely for so many years, Cynthia knows how being in remote locations can affect virtual workers. And with 25 years of experience leading complex projects with countless virtual teams around the world, she found behaviors, habits, and communication patterns that hold teams back from achieving peak performance. Taking those patterns and behaviors into account Cynthia worked with leading project managers to develop proprietary online methodologies and put them into action. In 2011 she took over as the CEO of Virtira – a virtual company focused on helping virtual teams work more efficiently. Her consultants and team members are located globally, and while many of them work from very remote, rural areas, they are connecting and leading teams around the world. Living a somewhat nomadic and “bi-coastal” lifestyle, she, her husband, and their two small dogs commute between Canada’s west and east coasts. Her most enduring passion has been providing opportunities for rural residents to have meaningful careers without leaving their communities, as well as helping clients achieve less stress via the ever-elusive work-life balance.

Jamil catches up with Malcolm Wright for this interesting and topical conversation. Malcolm Wright is Chief Compliance Officer at 100x Group. He was previously Chief Compliance Officer for Diginex in Hong Kong, and prior to that Revolut in London. In his earlier career, Malcolm held senior several leadership roles within Thomson Reuters’ (now Refinitiv) anti-financial crime business, including overseeing the delivery of World-Check One, a leading risk intelligence platform to mitigate financial crime and sanctions risk. He also sat on the leadership team that brought the world’s first KYC Managed Service to market. Malcolm speaks internationally on a variety of topics in particular the FATF Recommendations for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). He also sits on international committees including chairing the Advisory Council and AML Working Group at Global Digital Finance (www.gdf.io), an industry-led initiative in setting codes of conduct and best practices for the virtual asset industry . In this respect, Malcolm has led industry and regulator conversations regarding FATF Recommendations for VASPs as well as developing an industry AML Code of Conduct. Most recently, Malcolm co-founded and co-led the Joint Working Group for interVASP Messaging Standards (intervasp.org) that developed the widely-adopted IVMS101 message data standard for FATF 'travel rule' compliance. Malcolm is an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute’s Centre for Financial Crime Studies in London (rusi.org). Jamil Hasan is a Generation X Author and experienced data intelligence technology builder with two decades of experience leading data-based teams at Fortune 100 companies, including AIG, Prudential Financial, and Ingersoll Rand. Jamil believes that skill and experience, not just age, is the most important factor required to build and lead corporate organizations. His unique story, as someone on the ground floor of the 2008 financial crisis and his role to help repay the $180 billion AIG bailout, enabled him to come face-to-face with many of the societal ills facing Generation X today and their causes. As the result of his experience, Jamil has developed a path forward for his fellow Gen Xers to restore his generation’s financial standing in society today and to rebuild the American Dream for Generation X.

We chat with Adedapo Adeshina, a third year Business student at MTU (Munster Technical University) who recently completed an internship with Irish Tech News. We discuss his experience, the importance of having a digital profile, and challenges and opportunities of interning remotely during a global pandemic and more. More about Adedapo Adeshina I am a Business development manager for Irish Tech News and a 3rd year business information systems student at C.I.T. Business and Technology are two things I have a key interest in and BIS is a course that combines these two things, Technology is a thing that is ever changing as each day goes by and I am very fascinated and interested in how far it grows. See more and contact him via his LinkedIn profile here  https://www.linkedin.com/in/adedapo-adeshina/

Jamil catches up with J.D. Salbego, Founder, CEO, and Art Director of AnRKey X to learn more about a variety of projects he is working on. J.D. Salbego, Founder, CEO, and Art Director of AnRKey X, a cutting edge DeFi based gaming and NFT platform protocol, is a global leader in DeFi and crypto, market influencer, speaker, published author, and internationally-recognized subject matter expert. J.D. is a featured contributor on Cointelegraph.com, frequently gives media interviews, has been quoted by leading blockchain and crypto news sites, and regularly speaks at leading conferences around the world like World Economic Forum, and many more.. His work has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Yahoo Finance etc., including being linked to boosting Japan’s economy with blockchain. His links: https://twitter.com/JDSalbego https://www.jdsalbego.com/ For more AnRKey X updates, please follow us on our Twitter, Telegram Community, Telegram News, Medium, Discord, and LinkedIn. Jamil Hasan is a Generation X Author and experienced data intelligence technology builder with two decades of experience leading data-based teams at Fortune 100 companies, including AIG, Prudential Financial, and Ingersoll Rand. Jamil believes that skill and experience, not just age, is the most important factor required to build and lead corporate organizations. His unique story, as someone on the ground floor of the 2008 financial crisis and his role to help repay the $180 billion AIG bailout, enabled him to come face-to-face with many of the societal ills facing Generation X today and their causes. As the result of his experience, Jamil has developed a path forward for his fellow Gen Xers to restore his generation’s financial standing in society today and to rebuild the American Dream for Generation X.

Interesting conversation with Michael Mann who has been Special Envoy for Arctic matters since April 1, 2020. Prior to that, he spent two and a half years as the EU’s Ambassador to Iceland. Between 2011 and 2017, he was head of Strategic Communications at the European External Action Service, doubling up as Chief Spokesperson to High Representative/Vice President Catherine Ashton from 2011 to 2014. Mr Mann worked as a European Commission Spokesperson between 2002 and 2011, covering a wide range of portfolios. He began his career in Brussels as a journalist, working for the Financial Times, Reuters and Bloomberg News, among other media. Michael Mann has been very active in public outreach via webinars and press interviews during the lockdown. A recent, major interview with him can be found here: https://geopolitique.eu/en/2021/01/18/exclusive-interview-with-michael-mann-eus-ambassador-at-large-for-the-arctic-special-envoy-for-arctic-matters/ Regarding the EU Arctic policy as per March 2021: The EU Arctic Policy is primarily expressed in the Joint Communication on An Integrated European Union for the Arctic (published in April 2016 by the High Representative and the Commission): https://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/arctic_region/docs/160427_joint-communication-an-integrated-european-union-policy-for-the-arctic_en.pdf A summary of the recent public consultation on the EU Arctic Policy can be found here: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/497bfd35-5f8a-11eb-b487-01aa75ed71a1 HRVP Borrell addressed the Arctic Frontiers conference on 2 February 2021. Important messages for general understanding of our current thinking. https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/92475/arctic-speech-high-representativevice-president-josep-borrell-arctic-frontiers-conference_en

Jamil speaks with Lindsey Mallon to learn more about the initiatives she is aiming to roll out Empowering Women, Consciousness in Luxury, and Creation of Fair Labor to Help Create Mass Crypto Adoption Along the Fashion Supply Chain, with Lindsey Mallon Lindsey Mallon is a RISD graduate with over a decade of experience in retail, from brand conception through supply chain and sales. Her career is focused on sustainable commerce with an emphasis on labor standards and humanizing the business landscape. She launched Nadjarina, a conscious luxury brand focused on setting better labor standards in the apparel industry. From there, she helped formally launch Splyt, a brand that crosses bridges between existing infrastructures and progressive practices and mindsets to push commerce forward into the future. Lindsey brings a thorough understanding of the solutions Splyt resolves and how to carry the vision forward as the next era of e-commerce. Utilizing her network in luxury, Maison Du will be the first marketplace to build on top of the Splyt protocol, focused on streamlining the luxury market and universalizing the eNFT in what is the most influential marketplace. Lindsey is a woman to watch in the blockchain and crypto space, building bridges between the community and global e-commerce marketplace to revolutionize the future of business. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseymallon/ https://twitter.com/lindsey__mallon https://www.instagram.com/_lindseymallon/ Jamil Hasan is a Generation X Author and experienced data intelligence technology builder with two decades of experience leading data-based teams at Fortune 100 companies, including AIG, Prudential Financial, and Ingersoll Rand. Jamil believes that skill and experience, not just age, is the most important factor required to build and lead corporate organizations. His unique story, as someone on the ground floor of the 2008 financial crisis and his role to help repay the $180 billion AIG bailout, enabled him to come face-to-face with many of the societal ills facing Generation X today and their causes. As the result of his experience, Jamil has developed a path forward for his fellow Gen Xers to restore his generation’s financial standing in society today and to rebuild the American Dream for Generation X.

Running a startup during the pandemic can be no mean feat. especially when it’s a startup that was destined to go places. One such startup, TripClip, the ultimate smart travel accessory was launched by Joe Shortt in 2019. Joe went on the New Frontiers program with it and then reached the high of getting Ryanair as a client followed by the low of the travel industry been hit by the global pandemic. Ronan met Joe on Clubhouse and after hearing his story, decided that it needed to be told to a wider audience. Joe is resilient and is sure to inspire other startup founders out there as he tells his story to Ronan. Ronan talks to Joe about his background, what TripClip does, and how TripClip started. Joe also talks about how the global pandemic impacted TripClip and the deal he had with Ryanair, how he pivoted, why you have to remain positive, and the future plans for TripClip. More about Joe Shortt: Prior to setting up TripClip Joe was the founder and CEO of its fabulous.com, an  E-commerce fragrance & cosmetics company. Joe also used to be the head chef in AOL, Coca-Cola, and Oracle.

While few would disagree that financial inclusion is an inequality in our modern day society that still needs to be resolved, and that improving economic prosperity of everyday people is an attainable goal that we should all aspire to - we might not always agree on the path to get there. If we have learned anything from the fintech boom, it’s that having access by itself isn’t enough. Perhaps part of the puzzle piece lies with the movement of money, and how we can best leverage technology to automate our decision making. In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Chris Hutchins, Head of Autonomous Financial Planning at Wealthfront, on self-driving money, and what’s next for democratization of financial services.

Turning Food Waste into Fashion Dyes & The Exciting Pinks Of Avocadoes In this episode of Irish Tech News Sangeeta Waldron speaks with Jessica Arkin, founder of waYst, an ethical and sustainable fashion brand with a twist. Jessica is a young entrepreneur with a real drive and determination. She discovered the toxic cost of synthetic dyes on the environment and decided to launch waYst, producing her own natural dyes from everyday disposable materials such as seasonal fruits and vegetables. Everything at waYst is well thought through with regards to its impact on nature, from fabric sourcing to the dyeing process, to the making and selling of the end products. Jessica takes us on a journey into food waste and how avocadoes produce exciting pinks, onions create greens and how we should be rethinking synthetic dyes. Jessica is creating a community through WaYst, where she and her followers are redefining their relationship with fashion. She talks to us about the cost of a simple T-shirt and why that UK fashion brands and designers should be doing more for the planet. Connect with Jessica Arkin on Instagram where you can find out more about WaYst. Connect with Sangeeta Waldron, Founder, Serendipity PR & Media and Author of Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations on Twitter. Sangeeta Waldron is a multi-award winning Public Relations professional with over three decades’ worth of publicity, branding, communications, crisis management, marketing, media and social media experience. Sangeeta is a published author; her first business book, The PR Knowledge Book is published by Business Expert Press and received high acclaim by international business leaders. She is a guest lecturer at Coventry University, teaching PR and global journalism. Sangeeta is also a writer specializing in sustainability and corporate social responsibility, where her work has been published by the United Nations and other leading news platforms. Sangeeta started out her career writing speeches for a previous UK Prime Minister and Ministers, and has worked at the top level with big, powerful global brands, which includes - being global communications director for the Economist Group; working for The Times Education Supplement; the Mayor of London; Cass Business School; and charities such as Breast Cancer Campaign.

In this podcast Melanie Boylan sits down with Professor Sally Eaves and learns more about her Aspirational Future. Sally strongly believes in technology as an enabler for social good and has founded Aspirational Futures to help guide, empower and support our next generation of interdisciplinary talent. See more on twitter here https://twitter.com/AspiredFutures & her own account https://twitter.com/sallyeaves https://www.facebook.com/AspirationalFutures/ Sally combines a depth of experience as a Chief Technology Officer, Practising Professor of Blockchain, Founder and Global Strategic Advisor, specialising in the application of emergent technologies for both business and societal benefit Prof. Sally Eaves has been described as the ‘torchbearer for ethical tech’. She is an international advocate for opening access to opportunity and has founded Aspirational Futures to help skill, empower and support the generation of interdisciplinary talent into careers yet to be conceived, alongside scaling the application of emergent technology as an enabler for business transformation and social good. Sally is also Social Impact lead for the Hult Prize and contributes to parliamentary policy thought leadership. She was an inaugural recipient of the Frontier Technology and Social Impact award, presented at the United Nations in 2018 and is now leading major initiatives in this area, including presenting at Davos and leading events worldwide. Sally also brings a depth of experience from both Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles, as a Professor in Advanced Technologies and as a Global Strategic Advisor. She specialises in the application and integration of Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and associated emergent technologies for business and societal benefit. Sally works globally with bleeding-edge disruptors, governments, academia and leading corporate institutions to apply her expertise for achieving sustainable competitive advantage alongside purpose-driven change. A member of the Forbes Technology Council, Sally is an award winning international keynote speaker, author and influencer with globally leading rankings across all advanced technology disciplines, digital transformation, future of work and social innovation aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. She has recently been ranked 8th in the World in Blockchain impact and is continually ranked in the top 10 for digital disruption and across frontier technology subjects by leading bodies such as Onalytica.