In this episode of How to be the Difference, we invited renowned social entrepreneur Catalina Escobar, the Founder and President of Juanfe Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is committed to improving the lives of children and adolescents living in extreme poverty in Latinamerica and tackling one of the core problems that perpetuate poverty in the world: teenage pregnancy. We talk to Catalina about the personal story behind Juanfe Foundation, How the tragedy of her 18th month's old son falling from an 8th-floor balcony made her switch her successful career in the private sector to set up a nonprofit sector, and the importance of measuring impact.

Outline of this episode:
[0:28] - St. Patrick’s Day during lockdown
[1:55] - How to break into NGOs
[3:44] - Catalina Escobar, Fundación Juanfe
[5:12] - Juanfe’s backstory
[13:52] - A career in the non-profit sector
[17:29] - Is personal passion a requirement?
[19:42] - Living a life with purpose
[22:54] - Habits for success
[25:02] - Advice to other women

Resources & people mentioned:
Catalina Escobar
Juanfe Foundation
Esther Duflo
Raj Sisodia
Johanna Molina
Paul Lynskey
The Intern Group

In this episode of How to be the Difference we invited Erik Stettler, a data scientist, venture capitalist, and Chief Economist at Toptal, a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams on demand. We talk to Erik about what it takes to thrive in the field of data science and why– contrary to popular belief– it is not limited to one single profile. Erik also does a deep dive into the opportunities as well as dangers of the conclusions that can be drawn from data.

Outline of this episode:
[0:32] - What comes to mind when you hear data science?
[3:45] - Data science in our daily lives
[4:29] - Erik Stettler, Toptal
[6:26] - Choosing a career in data science
[8:20] - Why data is like oil
[11:11] - Breaking into data science
[15:00] - The dark side of data science
[19:16] - What would you change about the industry?
[20:50] - How to thrive in this field
[23:22] - Myths surrounding data science
[25:13] - Skills to succeed in the 21st century
[28:00] - Building good habits
[32:37] - Best advice Erik has received
[34:20] - Who do you admire?
[36:06] - Democratizing access to opportunities

Resources & people mentioned:
Erik Stettler
Toptal
Programming languages: Python, R
Books: The Signal and the Noise, Atomic Habits
Codeacademy
Johanna Molina
Paul Lynskey
The Intern Group

In this episode of How to be the Difference, we invited Jane Asscher, the founding partner and CEO of 23red, a purpose-driven creative agency that is developing strategies, campaigns, and brands that change behavior for the better. We talk to Jane about why she chose a career in marketing and some of the most common myths about the industry. Jane also shares her insights on dealing with fake news during the pandemic through socially conscious marketing.

Outline of this episode:
[0:27] - What’s the craic?
[1:32] - Marketing in today’s day and age
[6:45] - Changes in consumer habits during the pandemic
[8:13] - The moral dilemmas with marketing
[9:58] - Differences in perception
[11:18] - Jane Asscher, 23red
[12:43] - Choosing a career in marketing
[14:06] - Debunking myths
[14:57] - Best advice Jane has received
[16:50] - Career advice for other women
[17:50] - Lessons learned from internships
[18:54] - Who would you drop everything and make a coffee for?
[20:08] - On fake news during COVID-19

Resources & people mentioned:
Jane Asscher
23red
Tequila
Documentary: The Social Dilemma
Johanna Molina
Paul Lynskey
The Intern Group

How to break into Mechanical Engineering

In this episode of How to be the Difference, we caught up with Mauricio Toro, CEO and co-founder of TECHFIT Digital Surgery, a full service platform that makes patient-specific treatments for bone reconstruction. During the onset of the pandemic, Mauricio decided to design open-source ventilators to save thousands –if not millions– of lives.

We sit down with Mauricio to talk about his fascinating career in mechanical engineering and his passion for streamlining innovation processes, as well as how he is able to use his motor sport mentality to develop life saving medical devices.

Outline of this episode:
[0:28] - On Formula One cars
[3:50] - Introducing Mauricio Toro
[5:20] - From Medellin to Florida
[9:32] - Being a maker at heart
[11:46] - Building an open source ventilator
[19:10] - Transforming an idea into reality
[22:34] - Skills to succeed in engineering
[24:58] - Mauricio’s experience with internships
[30:47] - Advice for university students
[33:00] - Resources that inspire
[34:29] - What’s next for Mauricio?
[36:56] - Habits for fostering creativity

Resources & people mentioned:

Mauricio Toro
TECHFIT
Singularity University
Professor Scott Galloway
Johanna Molina
Paul Lynskey
The Intern Group