Humanizing Learning

This episode of SmartUp's Humanizing Learning podcast features Christel Goh, the Founder of Grow Public Relations. In this episode, Christel talks about her journey into starting her own PR agency, what PR is, the misconceptions around PR, and why PR may not be right for every company, and more.   She also talked about recent incidents in Singapore and the PR responses to those, namely one that spiked Google search trends for the word "umbrage" and another involving the unauthorised use of a couple's wedding photo. We hope you enjoy it!   Christel's LinkedIn Page: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/christelgoh Grow Public Relations: https://growpublicrelations.com/   

This episode of Humanizing Learning contains part 2 of the conversation with Nandini Das Ghoshal, the Founder & Principal Learning Activist at Rhizome Learning, and the Executive Director of ION Consulting International. In this episode, we continue our conversation around change and transition, and Nandini talks about how we should approach transitions by building and practising new skills and finding a social system to support us during these transitions. She also talks about how we can improve our adaptability to change, and lastly whether there is such a thing as being too accepting of change. I hope you enjoy.

This episode of Humanizing Learning contains part one of a conversation with Nandini Das Ghoshal, the Founder & Principal Learning Activist at Rhizome Learning, and the Executive Director of ION Consulting International. The topic of conversation was handling changes and transitions in our lives and in this episode, Nandini shares some theories of transition, how our brains are wired for habit and not change, how to make a successful transition, and more.

This episode of Humanizing Learning features Kim Pong Lim, the Founder and CEO of StrengthAsia and Global Strategies Partner for SoundWave. Kim Pong talks about the importance of conversations and how they can shape our experiences and the experiences of those around us. He talks about how conversations affect culture, the different ways in which people typically engage in conversation, the importance of curiosity before decision-making in conversation, his two guiding principles when engaging in conversations, how to identify our personal voice using SoundWave, and more. To find out more about SoundWave, visit https://www.soundwave.global/ and to sign up for the SoundWave Brilliance 3, visit https://mysoundwave.app/signup.

This episode of Humanizing Learning contains part 2 of the Growing Through Uncertainty panel webinar. In this episode, our panellists Nandini Das Ghosal, Wendy Wong, and Kim Pong Lim discuss the final panel question on how to manage stressors in our lives. Additionally, they answer two questions from our audience, including how to juggle leading at work and in our personal lives, and also how to know whether or not what we today are the so-called right things for our futures.

To kick off Season 4, this episode of Humanizing Learning contains Part 1 of the Growing Through Uncertainty panel webinar SmartUp recently held with our panel of coaches, each with their own specialised areas of expertise. Our three panellists were Wendy Wong, the Managing Partner at PETADIRI Leadership Development & Advisory, Nandini Das Ghoshal, the Executive Director at ION Consulting International and Kim Pong Lim, the Founder and CEO of StrengthsAsia. In this episode, our panellists addressed two questions: The first question revolved around the common concerns business leaders have right now after a year of the pandemic and how to address these concerns. Next, the panel talked about how employee engagement and culture in companies can be maintained as flexible working arrangements and working from home become the norm.

On this episode of Humanizing Learning, we spoke to Bernard Ang, Founder and CEO at CARA Unmask, a community-based technology platform that aims to provide equal access to mental health. Bernard talks about how his personal journey inspired the founding of CARA Unmask, the importance of having a support system, how to look past the stigma of mental health, why companies need to create an environment for employees to speak freely about mental health, the role of culture in mental health, and more.

This episode of Humanizing Learning features Fabian Willi, Senior Cyber Solutions Manager at Swiss Re in Zurich. Fabian talks about how cybersecurity threats have changed over the years i.e. cyberbullying, why getting access to support is just as important as being compensated for losses in cybersecurity insurance, how to have good cyber hygiene, and more.

In this episode, we spoke to Jerald De La Rosa, the Management Systems Lead Auditor at TÜV SÜD PSB. Jerald talks about data protection considerations in an Open Insurance ecosystem, how data security should be assessed holistically instead of just from a tech perspective, the advantages of obtaining the Data Protection Trustmark, what consumers should look out for when assessing a company's data policies, and more.

In this episode of Humanizing Learning, we spoke with Cheng Xun Chua, Co-Founder at Gigacover. Prior to Gigacover, Cheng Xun was the Managing Director of ZALORA Hong Kong.Cheng Xun talks about the difficulties faced by freelancers and gig economy workers when it comes to securing insurance, why it may not make sense for big insurers to offer coverage to this group, how to price coverage for a new segment of coverage, and more.

This episode of Humanizing Learning features Ivanka Williams, who is the Head of Life and Health Division and the PMO Lead at Entsia.Ivanka talks about the origins and evolution of telehealth, how it can lead to more fruitful diagnoses for patients compared to traditional scheduled meetings, the natural synergy between telehealth and insurance, and more.

This episode of Humanizing Learning features Isaiah Chng, Founder and Director at ProAge, a social enterprise aimed at empowering individuals to have their best quality of life, regardless of age.Isaiah talks about the shifting perceptions towards the elderly in Singapore, the importance of building functional strength throughout the lifespan, the advantages of having more senior colleagues in the workplace, how chronic stress is detrimental in the long run, and more.

This episode features Jonathan Chan, Digital Strategy & Innovation Advisor APAC, at Cargill and former Head of Innovation at AXA Singapore.Jonathan shares his thoughts on what innovation means, why not innovating first might not necessarily be bad, the importance of investing in your people, and more.

In this episode, we spoke to You Ning Sun, Founding Partner at Endowus.You Ning talks to us about why people should consider investing using a digital platform, the downsides of traditional investment methods, how people should (and should not) use their CPF, the importance of insurance before investment, and more.

In this episode, we sat down with Zia Zaman. Zia is known for his roles in innovation, strategy, and marketing in well-known companies like MetLife and Singtel. Currently, Zia is the managing partner at Beaver Lake Capital.Zia talks about change in the insurance industry according to three different horizons, the need for customer-centric products, the increasing interplay between technology and insurance, the types of innovative coverage we could see in future and more.

In this episode, we speak to Sabine VanderLinden. Sabine is one of the pioneers in InsurTech, and has been extensively involved in the InsurTech scene throughout the course of her career. Sabine talks to us about how InsurTech began, its evolution into what it looks like today, and what insurers and InsurTech startups should look out for moving forward.

In this episode, Raymond Lim, founder and CEO of Servelen, a ratings platform that matches financial advisors with prospects, talks about the importance of finding a financial advisor that suits you best, the kind of research you should be doing, and how high sales numbers do not always reflect good financial advice.

In this episode, Young Yang, General Manager, Southeast Asia Market at ZhongAn Tech Global talks about the ABCD of how ZhongAn approaches technology in insurance, the importance of serving the underinsured and how technology addresses the issue, and more.

Firras Sabbah is the founder of Go! Insurance, a digital insurance broker in Thailand. In this episode, Firras talks to us about why Thailand was chosen for the launch of Go! Insurance, why creating a hassle-free experience for customers is so important, the power of transparency in insurance and more.

Raunak Mehta, Chief Commercial of Igloo (formerly Axinan), talks to us about Smart Insurance, creating products that resonate more with customers, the upcoming disruptions he’s excited about in the insurance industry, and more.

In this episode, we spoke to Laurence Smith, a Digital Transformation Thought Leader with previous roles in companies such as DBS, LG Electronics, McKinsey, and more. Laurence talks on how leaders should be adopting a digital mindset to prepare the challenges of the future, the importance of data, the inevitability of artificial intelligence in the workplace and more.

In this episode, Richard Bordenave, CEO APAC of BVA Nudge Unit, talks to us about behavioural science. Richard talks about how the field originated and what it looks like in 2020. He also shares some examples of how behavioural science can be used to improve the customer journey, internal hiring processes, improve adherence to regulations and more. 

This week's guest on Humanizing Learning is Nicholas Patrick. In this episode, Nicholas shares with us what he has learned throughout his journey of improving his mental health and how he was inspired to start his own podcast Ekho Academy. Nicholas talks about his approach to maintaining personal relationships, the importance of learning how to learn and more.

In this episode, Tim Perkins, Co-Founder and Director at Nudge, talks about the importance of financial literacy, why employers should consider offering financial literacy advice as an employee benefit and more.

Shwetank Verma, Co-founder at Leo Capital, shares his thoughts on how Covid-19 has impacted the insurance industry and the opportunities for insurers moving forward. In particular, he shares the three time horizons insurers should be looking at and how a customer-centric approach is always going to work.

Seth Peller, Chief Client Officer of Marsh North Asia, talks about how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected various aspects of the insurance industry, the increasing need for investing in digital, the advantages of working with an insurance broker and the importance of focusing not just on the current big event but also the next one.

In this episode of Humanizing Learning, we talk to George Kesselman, who is the co-founder and CEO of Anapi, president and founder of the Insurtech Asia Association, and a co-founding member of the Global Insurtech Alliance. George talks to us about what considerations startups should take into account when it comes to buying insurance, from when to start buying and the key types to begin with.

This week on Humanizing Learning, we speak to Minh Tran, founder and managing partner of Odysseus Partners. Minh shares what VCs look for when it comes to startups, how to spot disruptive tech, the challenges and rewards involved in investing in companies to make a social and environmental impact, and much more.

Alexander Nicolaus has spent many years in some of Singapore's most recognisable startup names. He's passionate about talent, people development, and how they all come together to create culture within an organisation. In this episode, Alex shares why startup founders should start thinking about culture from the beginning and what's driven him to write a book about startup culture.

In this episode, we interview CEO of WAH Foundation, Philip Kitcher, on what it takes to set up and run a not-for-profit and how is it different from a social enterprise.

An inspiring interview with James Murphy CEO of TechVets, a UK not-for-profit that is helping veterans pick up digital skills to help them find careers in the new economy. Tune in to hear how TechVets is working with partners and trainers to give essential digital educations for free.

This week's guest on Humanizing Learning is Dr Esther Joosa. Esther is the founder of Arts of the Earth, an international arts education consultancy, and is also the consultant Director of Pedagogy with Playeum. Her work as an arts practitioner, researcher and curator has touched and connected many different communities and across borders. In this episode, Esther talks about what it means to have a safe space regardless of how old you are, why it is important, and how to implement it.

Every few episodes, we interview a member of the SmartUp team so you can get a better idea of the people powering the platform. This week, we put CEO Deborah Tan-Pink in the hot-seat where she talks about her views on Ageism and the importance of leaders changing their views on ageing employees.

Helen Clare Rozario is the Founder of Nirvana Mind and also the Chief Maverick and Director of The Soulscape Experience. In this episode, she talks about the many benefits of Mindfulness, which range from cognitive improvement to alleviation of chronic pain. Additionally, Helen shares some basic tips on how to get started on Mindfulness.

This week, we sit down with Sumitra Pasupathy, co-founder of Playeum, an award-winning social impact organization centered on using Play to improve agency in children. She also has a leadership role in Ashoka, an international organization focused on driving social change.In this episode, Sumitra talks about how play is not just for children, and can even help adults solve problems in an increasingly tech-focused world.

Carolyn Chin-Parry is PwC's Digital Accelerator Leader and the winner of Women In Tech Asia's "Woman of the Year" 2019. In this episode, she talks to us about her passion in humanising technology and digital upskilling to create a more inclusive workforce, how leaders can make learning more about the employees and less about the company, and her one simple tip to becoming more committed towards learning.

Every few episodes, we interview a member of the SmartUp team so you can get a better idea of the people powering the platform. This week, we put content producer Mark Lim in the hot-seat and learn more about how his degree in Psychology has come in useful for his work at SmartUp.

Karina Cuello, a professional and personal coach, explains in this episode what coaches do, what coaching is all about, and why you might want to enlist the help of a coach to help you achieve some breakthroughs at work and in life.

We all know that continually learning is important, but how do we improve our ability to learn?In this week's Humanizing Learning, we are joined by Vanda North, who is the CEO of The Change Maker Group. In this episode, Vanda shares her thoughts on the importance of lifelong learning, and also shares some useful tips on How to learn.

Starting this month, "Humanizing Learning" will be accepting requests from our listeners who want to learn something, ANYTHING, from an expert in their field. To get things going, we will start with Dr. Paul Condylis, CTO of Jewel PaymentTech, explaining what FinTech is all about and why the fuss about it in recent years. Got a topic you want a speedy intro to? Drop us a note at hello@smartup.io today.

Elena Chow is the founder of ConnectOne, a talent solutions company specializing in partnering high-growth tech startups in building and developing teams. In this episode of Humanizing Learning, Elena sheds some insights on how startups hire, on the right questions to ask candidates, and the hottest skills - both hard and soft - that are in demand right now.

Stephen Bailey, founder and CEO of ExecOnline, joins us in this episode of Humanizing Learning and talks to us about how leaders are developed, why companies expect their leaders to be always learning, and why data and resilience are some of the key factors to making a great leader.

Every few episodes, we interview a member of the SmartUp team so you can get a better idea of the people powering the platform. This week, we put junior frontend developer Alexandra Baranova in the hot-seat and learn more about her career change from public relations to tech.

The second season of our series starts with Michael Jenkins, CEO of The Human Capital Leadership Institute. Here, Jenkins talks about how organizations can promote learning and development as an experience, and in what ways some companies are still making it so difficult for their people to embrace learning.

Michelle Sun is the founder of First Code Academy, a leading coding and STEM education institute for kids from 4 to 18 years old and author of Amazon Best Seller First Time Coders. She is also an advisor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL). In this episode, she talks about how easy it is for anyone, be it a child or an adult, to learn how to code.

Founder and Strategic Advisor of the ASEAN Human Organization Bob Aubrey shares in this inspiring episode why it's so important for us to respect our dreams and take concrete steps into making them a reality. Not only is this important from a personal development point of view, it is also crucial for companies to help their employees reach their dreams.

Michelle Katics, CEO and founder of PortfolioQuest and BankersLab, runs a company that provides simulation training for bankers. In this episode, Michelle talks about why it is time bankers should start getting uncomfortable with their current job situations, what actually happens during a simulation training, and how it can sometimes make bankers emotional.

Every few episodes, we interview a member of the SmartUp team so you can get a better idea of the people powering the platform. This week, we put co-founder Frank Meehan in the hot-seat and learn more about the tech that's inspired him the most, where learning is moving towards, and the TV show character he most identifies with.

With a focus on startups and ventures that use vocational technology (voctech) to drive productivity, Richard Male of Ufi Ventures from the UK believes that vocational skills should be celebrated by all, and it's an engine upon which the economy is built. In this episode, he talks to us about the importance of democratizing learning and why the success of a business is truly tied to how well Learning & Development is accepted within it.

Millennials now make up the largest portion of any workforce so, what should employers be doing to maximize their learning experience at work? Kartik Krishnamurthy, Managing Director, Asia, of Cornerstone OnDemand, shares with us some ways L&D and HR managers should be using their learning management systems to drive employee engagement and, thereby, improve retention. Psst ... we also have an announcement to make in this episode.

Businesses of every size are talking about "innovation" and "disruption", and some are even splashing out lots of money for coaches and consultants. In this episode, Daniel Seal, CEO and co-founder of Unbound, shares his insights and experiences delivering innovation to both private and public organizations, and how sometimes, the true drivers of innovation are sitting right there on our payroll.