In the US Navy, Benjamin Kohlmann flew combat missions, made more than 360 aircraft carrier landings--and he started a revolutionary Rapid Innovation Cell in the Pentagon to transform the world's largest bureaucracy. Today he consults for the leaders of the world's top transportation companies and more, driving organizational change and increasing employee performance. We talk about how to promote innovation within your team: "Make time for creative nonstructured conversation and ideation," Kohlmann says.

The Lviv Lab, a start-up born of the coronavirus quarantine, is building a new digital and human ecosystem of sustainable media that enriches our lives.

Follow Ben Kohlmann on LinkedIn

Check out Ben’s podcast, A Random Walk with Ben Kohlmann, here.

Stay tuned: In our next episode we’ll hear some practical tips from Ben on how to cultivate your creative leadership instincts.

Visit us at lvivlab.com.

A Global Nomad in a Time of Quarantine Lviv Lab Podcast Episode No. 5

Hosts: Joe Lindsley and Denys Boeichko 

Friday 10 July 2020

In March 2019, Ryan Patterson quit his tech job in Silicon Valley set off to circumnavigate the world. But he had a special challenge: to traverse the globe without airplanes. Little did he know that a year later no one would be using airplanes. Here's the story of a global nomad--now stuck in Siberia, after a year of adventures in cargo ships, trains, a Turkish vineyard, a 6 month pause in Georgia the Country, and more! Visit our website at lvivlab.com for more stories

Lockdown has been the reality for most of the world the past months of pandemic.  Now, after a few weeks of opening up, some places are closing down again. But a few nations, like Taiwan and Sweden, have chosen to keep their societies open. What’s the right approach? Yinon Weiss, a tech entrepreneur, special forces veteran, and bioengineer in California’s Bay Area, began to investigate whether lockdowns have truly been effective. The “free speech” platform Medium censored and removed his ideas, but Elon Musk tweeted Weiss’s work to his 35 million Twitter followers. It’s a contentious debate. Fears and passions are strong. We talked with Weiss and some friends from Ukraine, Sweden, and the USA to begin to get a better understanding of the best way to respond to this global threat.

Hosts: Joe Lindsley and Denys Boeichko 

The cities of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Lviv, Ukraine, have some things in common: They've both got historic city centres with cobbled streets and sidewalk cafes. They're both considered cultural capitals of their respective nations, and the calendar in both places is filled with frequent festivals of all sorts. For these reasons, both rely heavily on tourism for economic vitality. Obviously in quarantine these cities have taken a hit. We talk with Meryl Zimmerman, a New Orleans jazz singer offering classes on Zoom, and with her husband, Trey Rintala, a French Quarter pastry chef who is now providing free meals for out-of-work cooks and musicians. We'll also hear from Taras Grabovyi, owner of a new cocktail bar in Lviv, and from Timmy Harris, a New Orleans cook who is saying sayonara to the service industry.

2014 Euromaidan revolution inspires Hong Kongs in clash with Beijing

In a seeming violation of its 1997 deal with the United Kingdom, Beijing moved to restrict protest rights in the self-governing territory of Hong Kong last week. In light of this development, we are posting more of our interview with Arthur Kharytonov, the Ukrainian founder of the Free Hong Kong Center. Arthur spoke to us about how Ukraine's 2014 Euromaidan Revolution inspired the people of Hong Kong to take to the streets starting last year as authorities began to encroach on their liberties. And he suggested that Hong Kong can in turn re-inspire the people of Ukraine. Saying it's "not enough to win democracy," Arthur spoke of the value of a "mental Maidan"—a revolution of the heart that continues long after democracy is achieved.

Guest: Arthur Kharytonov

Hosts: Joe Lindsley, Denys Boyechko

Several years ago, Ukrainian Arthur Kharytonov was writing a novel set in Hong Kong so we he went to visit the city. Captivated by its spirit, he started the Free Hong Kong Center, part of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine. In this and other ways, the spirit of Ukraine's 2014 Euromaidan Revolution has inspired many of the protesters in Hong Kong, who are concerned about growing Chinese control. "China is the most dangerous authoritarian country in the world," Arthur says. And right now, as China eclipses Russia as Ukraine's major trading partner, "Ukraine has very weak political will with China," he adds. In this time of coronavirus, we discuss Ukraine's relationship with China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan with someone who has been observing the situation for a few years.