In this episode, Amy hosts Simon McKenzie (Mac), CEO of Bridge Institute, who shares his journey in leading global societal initiatives. Discover Mac's purpose-driven leadership, cross-cultural insights, and resilience in tackling big challenges.

Key topics: 

• How Mac’s early ideas like city cycling in the sky spurred a purpose-driven career shift
• The influence of challenging experiences and being at the “wrong place at the wrong time”
• Building bridges between unlikely allies across cultures and sectors
• Developing leadership attributes for today’s complex challenges
• Lessons from mountaineering
• Strategic approaches to solving social issues

• Advice on building an impactful career

Website: https://www.bridge-institute.org/

In this engaging episode, Gustav Kulle (Gus), investment management strategy expert, co-founder of Infinity Branch, and co-host of UTD Podden, shares his multifaceted journey from Sweden to the UK, his career in Finance, his inspiring work in Nigeria as the start of a life-long commitment, and his passion for football and creative content generating. Discover how he navigates a diverse career, embraces cultural differences, and makes a meaningful impact across continents.

Key topics:

• Gus’ journey from Sweden to the UK and then Nigeria 
• Building Infinity Branch - how a car ride to a football game led to a school in Nigeria
• What the Amazon taught him about how similar we all are
• Why he started UTD Podden instead of quitting finance for journalism
• Balancing a career in investment management, education, and creative projects
• Advice on building a life and career far from home

Keywords: Portfolio Career, International Career, Finance Career, Podcast, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Impact, Infinity Branch, Manchester United, Education In Nigeria, Cross-cultural Experiences

Gus’ LinkedIn:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/gustavkulle

Websites:

www.LetsBuildSchools.org

https://utdpodden.podbean.com

Instagram:

@lets_build_schools

@utd_podden

In this episode, Julia Flynn, a partner at a U.S. law firm and an award-winning endurance athlete, shares her unique journey from Kazakhstan to the U.S. The conversation explores her cultural and academic transition, her entrepreneurial experience with Yooli Foods and how that equipped her to help her law practice clients, and what she learnt from sports about teamwork. 

Highlights are:

• Adjusting to the U.S. law training as an international student
• Using cultural differences as competitive advantage
• Co-founding Yooli Foods while practicing law
• Why compliance is preventative medicine for business
• 3 bar exams over 11 years
• How endurance cycling translates to legal practice
• Advice to her younger self and aspiring international lawyers

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliyaflynn/

Website: https://samekflynn.com/

Topics: International Lawyers, International Law Students, Entrepreneurship, Cultural Transition, International Market Entry, Endurance Sports

In this episode, Indu Govindan, Director at ABRA and co-founder of JEA, shares her unique journey as an international student from Dubai to Canada and back. Indu discusses her career in management consulting, her decision to return to Dubai to join her family business, and the challenges of navigating cultural identity and reverse culture shock. She emphasises the importance of networking, adapting to new work environments, and building credibility as a young leader. Indu also reflects on her entrepreneurial venture with JEA and offers valuable advice for international students and globally mobile talent who are contemplating their future.

Highlights are:

• What it really means to “move back home”  
• Why she felt more Canadian than anything else after 11 years away
• The reverse culture shock  
• Rebuilding professional network from scratch  
• Navigating family business dynamics: father as founder, brother as boss, and husband in senior role
• The difference between Canadian and Dubai work cultures  
• How “boredom” drives every major career move
• Co-founding JEA: from pitch call to actual business
• Her advice on “stay or go”: don't be too attached to the plan
• What she’d tell her younger self: have more fun 

If you’re wrestling with the “stay or go” question, we hope this conversation will inspire your thinking.

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indu-govindan/

Websites: https://jeadesign.com/, https://www.abravmsd.com/

Topics: Reverse Cultural Shock, Career Transitions, Family Business, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Dubai vs Canada Culture, Luxury Retail, International Students, Global Talent

In this episode, Takayuki Omori shares his journey as a global entrepreneur, discussing his experiences in building RootX, navigating the challenges of the Russia crisis, and establishing a startup in Paris. He emphasises the importance of cultural curiosity, networking, and resilience in the face of adversity. Taka also compares startup ecosystems across Japan, Russia, and France, offering insights into the unique challenges and opportunities in each region. His story serves as an inspiration for young entrepreneurs looking to build globally.

Taka shares:

• How travelling to Russia led to his global journey
• The moment security kicked him out of Facebook HQ and how he turned that into meeting Zuckerberg
• What it was like losing everything when war started  
• How he found motivation again through travel
• Rebuilding in Paris and proving to French banks he wasn't laundering money
• Patterns across successful startup ecosystems (Japan vs Russia vs France vs US)
• Why Japanese startups don’t tend to expand globally
• His event strategy that turns attendance into contracts
• His philosophy: “Enjoy the storm - nobody else can experience your specific storm”

If you're building internationally, this conversation shows what resilience and optimism really look like.

Six years at Deloitte. Sydney to Boston to New York. Then Tony Senanayake walked away from it all, after a dark moment forced him to question what he was doing with his life.

Today, Tony is CEO of Fortify Health, reaching 15.5 million beneficiaries monthly across India. He's a Mulago Fellow and Jacobs Foundation Fellow, and he's also pursuing Master of Public Health at UCL while scaling the organisation.

In this conversation, Tony shares:

• A dark moment that forced him to reflect on his own life
• How he tested his interest in social impact before leaving consulting
• Why he only applied to 3 business schools with laser focus on development economics
• Building credibility in public health without a traditional NGO background
• Why nonprofits should run like for-profit companies 
• Scaling from 20 to 100 people and 15.5 million beneficiaries
• The importance of self-reflection and honesty in becoming who you want to be
• Perspectives for those looking to transition into social impact careers

If you're in a corporate role wondering whether you could use those skills for social good, or if you're trying to become the person you actually want to be, this conversation will resonate deeply.

Tony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-senanayake/

Website of Fortify Health: https://www.fortifyhealth.global/

From journalist in Russia to teaching in China to VP of Marketing & Sustainability at SkyTeam, Evgenia Starkova's career is a masterclass of building a career across cultures with intention and authenticity.

This episode covers a variety of topics, from her career path being an exploration instead of climbing a ladder, to recognising and managing emotions in leadership; from adopting a growth mindset in cultural identity to rising above all identities. 

What we explore:

• Her journey from Russia to China to the Netherlands
• The leadership philosophy: genuine intent and solid execution
• Building trust in international teams
• Navigating cultural identity across three very different countries
• Finding a path when she doesn’t have a roadmap
• Why she tries to rise above all identities and see people as humans first

Evgenia's approach to leadership is refreshingly human. She leads with listening and empathy, but always delivers results through strategic execution.

If you're navigating international leadership or building a career across cultures, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical frameworks.

In this first episode, I share my personal journey as an international student and immigrant - from being rejected for a cleaning job in Sydney (because I didn't know words like "cobweb" and "skirting board") to leading finance teams across continents and earning my Executive MBA from Oxford.

I talk about the real struggles: barely passing courses, cultural adaptation, language barriers, learning to be funny in a different language, and the turning points that changed everything.

If you're an international student, an early-career immigrant, or globally mobile talent building a life far from home, this episode is for you.

Topics covered:

- The reality of being an international student

- Overcoming academic and language challenges

- Building a career across cultures

- Why I started AZ Dream Studio

- What's coming in future episodes

Connect with me on LinkedIn: Amy Zhu

Future episodes will feature international students and immigrants who've built remarkable careers. If you have a story to share or know someone who should be featured; if you'd like to mentor or coach international students and early-career global talent; or if you are looking to collaborate as a business partner, please reach out!