technology Archives - Page 4 of 5

Ellen Broad – Her Surprising Path to Big Data…

November 3, 2020November 13, 2020
by Claire

Brought to you by Microsoft’s The New Next

This week’s episode features a woman who never dreamt she’d end up working in a high tech environment. In fact, Ellen Broad imagined she would be a lawyer or librarian when she was younger.

However this tech exec and academic is now a Senior Fellow at the 3A Institute at the Australian National University. The Institute is a multi-disciplinary department created to help humans prepare for, and navigate, a world that will be forever altered by AI-powered ‘cyber-physical systems’.

A little bit more about Ellen, she trained as a lawyer (more about that in our conversation) and she’s worked in data-related roles in the Hague and in the UK, including being an expert adviser to the UK Secretary of State on Data, and head of Policy for the UK’s Open Data Institute.

Not only that, but Ellen has also written an award winning book on AI and its impact on humans called ‘Made By Humans’.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How Ellen navigated moving countries, and finding work, without having any network in her new home-base
How she’s found her voice to speak up against gender bias
What it’s like working in a truly diverse team – hint it’s not always easy
Why she’s using social media a lot less these days, and
Where she thinks technology will go in the next five years.

Enjoy this episode with the unassuming and very smart Ellen Broad.

Links

3A Institute website

Ellen Broad’s website

Ellen’s Book – Made by Humans

Griffith Review Article – Computer Says No

Resources Recommended by Ellen

Coded Bias Documentary

Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble

Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil

PAIR Program with Google

The Coding Train – Daniel Shiffman

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Managing Imposter Syndrome

September 1, 2020September 1, 2020
by Claire

This week’s ‘Future Proof Me’ mini episode shares fantastic advice on how to overcome Imposter Syndrome. We were really struck by the great advice one of our very earliest guests shared with us on this topic.

Courtney Hohne has a box seat to some of the most incredible innovations in the world as chief Storyteller at X: the Moonshot Factory, Alphabet’s (i.e. Google) – innovation and R&D company. Think self driving cars, internet balloons and drone deliveries amongst many other innovations in the works.

At X, Courtney is surrounded by some of the world’s brightest, quickest and sharpest minds, an environment where even the most confident of executives could be forgiven for feeling a tad intimidated or for feeling like an imposter at the meeting table!

In fact, as she so refreshingly shares with us, this is something Courtney has to face into every day and her great advice on overcoming that imposter feeling is well worth heeding.

Check it out now we’re sure you’ll be glad you did! Enjoy.

Useful Links

Link to Courtney’s original episode

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – How an Innovator Stays Creative

July 7, 2020
by Claire

Welcome to this week’s mini Future Proof Me episode all about how to stay creative in a busy world.

We loved the advice that serial Canadian entrepreneur and founder, Vicki Saunders shared with us when we spoke to her last year.

Vicki is CEO and Founder of SheEO. SheEO is an international network of women who support, finance and celebrate female innovators who run ventures solving important world problems.

As a serial entrepreneur and true original thinker, Vicki has learnt she needs to create space for ideas to flow. As you’ll hear in this episode, she’s very conscious of ensuring she has a routine and practices that give her that space and stimulus despite facing, as we all do, the demands of a hectic busy work life and all the usual stresses we all experience.

You’ll hear how Vicki carves out time in her schedule to consume a wide variety of different topics in order to fuel her creative thinking, and you’ll hear how she’s found meditating makes a big difference.

If you’re struggling to have fresh ideas or see old problems from new perspectives, then this mini episode is just what you need!

Links of interest

Our full interview with Vicki

SheEO website

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Advice on Getting Out of…

June 23, 2020June 23, 2020
by Claire

Our latest Future Proof me mini-episode this week shares invaluable lessons from an entrepreneur who’s truly experienced the highs and lows of building a global business.

For this week’s mini episode, we return the spotlight to Jodie Fox, the Co-Founder of the iconic online retail brand Shoes of Prey.

Jodie and her co-founders went on an incredible journey over a decade building Shoes of Prey to be a global brand, only to be forced to close it all down in 2018.

The advice Jodie shares here isn’t just relevant for a budding entrepreneur; it’s actually about how to navigate your way through your chosen career and not short change yourself by holding yourself back or getting in your own way of progress.

Jodie has really thought deeply about how we can hold ourselves back and how we like to keep ourselves safe and has some great advice to share.

She also shares her views on how we all think too judgmentally about failure – both when it comes to ourselves as well as others.

Don’t forget, if you love this taste of Jodie’s invaluable lessons then we encourage you to listen to our full interview with Jodie here and check out Jodie’s book called ReBoot – More Than You Ever Probably Wanted to Know About Starting a Global Business.

Enjoy this mini episode and be sure to practise getting out of your own way! 🙂

Interview

Mitra Azizirad – How Resilience and Persistence Can Make…

June 16, 2020June 17, 2020
by Claire

This week’s episode features a trailblazing woman in tech who’s had an extraordinary 28 year career at Microsoft.

Mitra Azizirad is Corporate Vice President of AI and Innovation Marketing at Microsoft based in Seattle.

As you’ll discover, Mitra’s heard it all, including a senior Defence executive telling her he had shoes older than she was! This indomitable woman has also got used to hearing plenty of ‘No’s’ at work but has repeatedly found ways to prove the naysayers wrong.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How it’s almost an accident Mitra got into tech in the first place, given she studied and wanted to work in International Relations
What it was like being Chief of Staff to the CEO of Microsoft and why she turned the job down several times in the first place
Why she’s never taken anyone’s advice
And the secrets of innovation she’s learnt from working on the cutting edge of technology.

We spoke with Mitra in Seattle during the coronavirus shutdown but before the Black Lives Matter protests.

Without further ado enjoy this episode with the forward thinking and very persistent Mitra Azizirad.

Links of interest

Mitra on LinkedIn – see her speeches here too! Well worth a look!

Microsoft Innovation – Mitra’s team

Microsoft AI – also Mitra’s team

Microsoft’s AI Business School – Free Course

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Where Will You Develop Mastery?

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020
by Claire

Welcome to another of our short and sweet, Future Proof Me episodes where we focus on the most valuable insights, gems of advice and ideas from our incredible guests, all focusing on the theme of future proofing ourselves and our careers.

This week’s Future Proof Me guest is Que Dallara, who is President and CEO of Honeywell’s Connected Enterprise division. She works at the cutting edge leading a new software business with several thousand employees.

Que is one of the most deep and smart thinkers we know and her thoughts on career planning and success are so insightful. In this mini episode we shine the spotlight on the three key strategies Que says she’s used in her career and that have clearly served her so well.

We think her third point about the importance of developing Mastery in something you do is particularly important for each of us to reflect on.

Enjoy this career wisdom from the impressive and humble Que Dallara …

Interview

Jacqueline Novogratz – Revolutionary For a Better World

May 19, 2020May 20, 2020
by Claire

We have a real treat in store for you today with a truly remarkable changemaker and NY Times bestselling author as our guest.

Acumen Founder and CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz, has been named one of the 25 Smartest People of the Decade by the Daily Beast, and one of the world’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds by Forbes, amongst numerous other honours.

Jacqueline pioneered the notion of ‘patient capital’, investing in social entrepreneurs around the world. Acumen supports them to establish sustainable businesses that serve some of the world’s poorest people.

What makes this episode a particularly fascinating one is that all this work with entrepreneurs has taught Jacqueline and her team so much about what it takes to succeed when trying to create change. And now she’s also just released a new book sharing what it takes to be a changemaker. It’s called Manifesto for a Moral Revolution (and there’s a free course too if you buy the book).

In this episode you’ll hear:

How her early attempts at social change in Africa seriously failed to impress the locals;
What she learnt about humanity when she became one of the first people to visit in jail someone she’d known well who’d gone on to become a major perpetrator in the Rwandan Genocide;
How Jacqueline sees investment as a means to solving problems rather than making profit as the primary goal; and ….
How she’s seeing women entrepreneurs successfully breaking the rules particularly now during the coronavirus crisis.

Enjoy this episode with the incredibly inspiring Jacqueline Novogratz…

Links of Interest

Acumen Website

Jacqueline’s Books:

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution – Practices to Build a Better World – her latest book. If you buy a copy you can sign up for free to her 11 week course ‘The Path of Moral Leadership’ (usually it’s US$195)

The Blue Sweater

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Navigating Tech When You’re Not…

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020
by Claire

Welcome to our second Future Proof Me mini episode. These mini episodes will be uploaded in the weeks between our usual, longer interview and ‘How To’ episodes. They are designed to snappily share nuggets of ideas or insights to help us all thrive in future.

This week’s nugget is all about engaging with emerging technologies even when we are not ‘techie people’.

First you’ll hear from Martha Lane Fox, one of the UK’s most respected technology leaders and entrepreneurs. These days she has an illustrious board career, sits in the House of Lords, and she campaigns for responsible technology through her foundation, Doteveryone.

Martha shares great advice on positioning yourself in your career and how important it is to be curious about technology. She then goes on to talk about how, with the quickening pace of change, we need to be prepared to have multiple different careers.

Then we hear from the Artificial Intelligence expert, Kriti Sharma. She builds really practically on Martha’s point about learning about tech, and specifically talks about how we can all get more informed and familiar with the important topic of AI.

A humble request from us…if you are getting value out of what we’re sharing here at Don’t Stop Us Now! then why not be sure you don’t ever miss out and sign up here for our weekly email where we share advice, tips and, of course, info on our latest episode.

Enjoy this mini episode with Martha Lane Fox and Kriti Sharma.

Check Out the Full Interviews:

Martha Lane Fox – A Powerful Voice Where Few Women Are Heard

Kriti Sharma – Robots, AI and the Future

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Other Resources of Interest

Dot Everyone Digital Understanding Resources

Elements of AI Course from the Finnish Government

Recognising Fake News Game

Digital Unite – Technology Guides

MIT Media Lab

Google’s AI Education Hub

Interview

Audrey Tang – Taiwan’s Digital Minister and Her Vital…

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020
by Claire

We have a fascinating episode this week with our guest, Taiwan’s remarkable Digital Minister, Audrey Tang.

Audrey became the youngest Government Minister ever in Taiwan when she was appointed a few years ago at the age of 35. She is also the world’s first ever Transgender government Minister.

Audrey’s childhood was anything but conventional, in her early years she was something of a child prodigy who also had a serious heart condition. She dropped out of school at the age of 14 to manage her own education and at the age of 16 started her first successful software business.

Fast forward in time, and after some years working in Silicon Valley and further success, Audrey found herself moving from being a Government activist in her home country to a Government Minister!

In this episode you’ll hear:

How Audrey’s quick involvement in creating a valuable app has played a key role in Taiwan’s extraordinarily successful management of Covid-19, with the country never having to stop working
How her heart condition as a child means that to this day Audrey does not experience anger or upset or extreme joy
How in Taiwan, thanks to calling software coders Programme Designers vs Software Engineers, there are significantly more women than men working in the field
And her unique ways of seeing arguments from both sides

Enjoy this discussion with the remarkable Audrey Tang.

Useful Links

Audrey on Twitter

Taiwan Can Help Us – a COVID-19 initiative from Taiwan to help other countries

CoHack – a hackathon led by Audrey to use open data and technology to help fight the coronavirus pandemic across the world

G0V – a decentralised civic tech community from Taiwan

Interview

Mandy Birch – On Being Yourself (in a Man’s…

February 25, 2020
by Claire

Our guest this week is former military leader and now Quantum Computing pioneer, Mandy Birch.

Born and bred in the USA, Mandy is super qualified . . . she has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT; another Masters in in Military Operational Art & Science, and a third Masters in International Relations!

Mandy’s entire career has been in male dominated industries. She spent 16 years climbing to senior ranks in the United States Air Force and now she’s working on Quantum Computing with a company called Rigetti. Rigetti is one of four companies (Sept 2019) to have a fully operational quantum computer.

During our conversation, we were fascinated to hear how Mandy only truly thrived in her career in the military when she learnt to be herself. She talks about how important it has been to her career to feel comfortable in her own skin, even when she was different to nearly everyone else in the room.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How to summarise Quantum Computing in a single sentence
How being under-estimated became a positive and shaped Mandy’s leadership style
Why she believes over-planning your career can be a problem
And why getting used to being different and seeing the value in that made all the difference.

Enjoy this episode with the passionate and mission-driven Mandy Birch.