Promise

This week I host Laura Johnson, founder of Strivin. Strivin is a community and platform out to make self-development easier, whether that means through career progression or transition.

Unlike our usual format we first speak about the big transitions in Laura’s life, how such changes shape us as humans, before diving into how Strivin helps others with these changes.

A shoutout to Jo McCatty, friend of the show and founding member of Strivin, for the introduction to Laura.

You can listen in to the Strivin and Thrivin podcast here, follow on Instagram here, and check out their Youtube channel with previous webinars here.

If you enjoyed this, subscribe for free to receive new episodes right to your inbox

Otherwise, you can find Promise on your favorite podcast platforms:

* Spotify

* Apple Podcasts

* Google Podcasts

Dr. Chris Ferrie is Associate Professor of quantum theory at the University of Technology Sydney, and co-founder of Eigensystems. Eigensystems is democratizing access to quantum computing by producing affordable, personal quantum computing devices called Quokkas.

We cover topics like “hype-based” tech versus “real” tech, why quantum literacy is necessary for our future, and instilling an appreciation for education in people.

Two special shout outs to friends of the show:

* Emily Mason, founder of Kniight, for assistance with questions in this episode; and

* Matt Geleta, host of the Paradigm Podcast, that tackles the deeper philosophies and epistemology of science, with experts like Dr Chris Ferrie.

If you enjoyed this, subscribe for free to receive new episodes right to your inbox

Otherwise, you can find Promise on your favorite podcast platforms:

* Spotify

* Apple Podcasts

* Google Podcasts

This week we get onto the hot button topic of artificial intelligence. I sit down with Thor Berg, co-founder of askFelix. askFelix is an AI-powered platform aiming to make simple sense of all the data people have at hand.

We chat about democratizing access to the oil of our age, building AI on top of AI, what studying entrepreneurship does and does not teach you, finding a niche in an ocean of startup competition, and sharing optimism for an AI-powered future.

If you enjoyed this, subscribe for free to receive new episodes right to your inbox

Otherwise, you can find Promise on your favorite podcast platforms:

* Spotify

* Apple Podcasts

* Google Podcasts

On this week’s episode is Erin Moy, co-founder of Woom. Erin and Woom are on a mission to destigmatize menstruation. They’re doing this through workplace subscriptions of period care packages, in order to maximize accessibility to care products.

We chat about current attitudes to menstruation, why investors should care about this movement and these types of products, leveraging the power of storytelling and branding, taking inspiration from Who Gives A Crap, giving back to crisis accommodation, and using simplicity to change the world.

You can order Woom products now via their website and follow their Instagram page here. The initiative that Woom supports can be found here if you’d like to consider donations.

Also check out Woom and Erin being featured on Broadsheet recently here.

Show notes

[00:01:38] - [First question] – Quick introduction to Woom and Erin’s background

[00:03:09] - The challenge in a nutshell for people without lived experience of it

[00:04:39] - Why the space has been overlooked to date

[00:05:12] - The stigma associated to menstruation

[00:06:15] - Why investors should take note of the space

[00:07:31] - The lightbulb moments with cofounder Tessa

[00:09:54] - Shifting full-time into Woom

[00:10:38] - Leveraging the power of branding and storytelling

[00:11:52] - Developing the Woom brand

[00:13:22] - What’s in the box?

[00:14:24] - The logistics behind the products

[00:15:25] - Having conversations to get offices on board

[00:18:28] - Following and learning from Who Gives A Crap

[00:19:28] - How Woom is giving back to the community

[00:21:30] - Menstrual hygiene day and the positive response so far

[00:23:20] - Growing Woom and setting sights on partners

[00:26:15] - Erin’s dream of the future

[00:27:06] - Keeping things simple

[00:27:57] - Socials and contact info

We open Season 3 by chatting with Dr Emerson Keenan, co-founder of Kali Healthcare. Kali Healthcare is out to transform the way we monitor pregnancy, an apt subject as Emerson and I have been working to tee up this conversation for about 9 months!

We chat about the poor and complex current state of pregnancy monitoring, how risky pregnancy can be, Emerson’s PhD research that led to Kali, the challenges of translating research into commercial opportunities, before wrapping up with a vision to create better human connections.

If you are interested in the intersection of engineering and healthcare, I highly recommend listening to former guest Cameron Higgins as well.

Show notes

[00:01:40] - [First question] – What Emerson is trying to do

[00:02:13] - Pregnancy monitoring for beginners

[00:03:48] - What could go wrong without adequate monitoring

[00:04:38] - Who is most at risk?

[00:05:50] - Emerson’s combined engineering and healthcare background

[00:06:53] - Emerson’s PhD research simulations and their relevance to Kali

[00:09:11] - Practical testing of Kali prototypes

[00:10:53] - “Aha” moments transitioning from research into a startup

[00:11:38] - Thinking about business models and commercialization

[00:12:55] - How a Kali product might be used day-to-day

[00:13:38] - Value accural between end users versus actual customers

[00:14:31] - Expanding out of the hospital they conducted research in

[00:15:20] - Kali’s value proposition in Emerson’s own words

[00:16:45] - Life as a startup founder and negotiating regulatory processes

[00:18:20] - Advice for other medtech founders

[00:19:46] - Product development over the next 12 months

[00:20:41] - The desire to work with other researchers

[00:21:40] - Additional expertise needed

[00:22:27] - Emerson’s vision of the future

[00:22:53] - A committment to keep listening

[00:23:51] - Socials and contact info

Check out the lineup of spaces we’ll be covering in Season 3!

New episodes will be up soon. I Promise.

I wrap up Season 2 with a long-awaited discussion: this week I host Raj Bagri, founder of Kapture. Fresh off the Summer 23 Startmate Accelerator, Raj and Kapture are on a mission to decarbonize the diesel emissions of the world. Why focus on diesel in a landscape dominated by increasing renewable energy? I ask Raj that very question, with enlightening answers.

We also chat about breaking into the STEM field from the outside, the challenges in innovating deep tech, and being an inspiration for all women.

Raj is looking to hire someone with commercial expertise as well as a junior engineer, and is new to twitter with the handle @rajkapture.

Applications are also open for the next cohort of the Startmate Accelerator, if you believe you have what it takes be sure to get involved!

If Raj’s comments about struggling to deal with the academic-led innovation process resonate with you, I highly recommend also checking out my episode with Samuel Wines of Co Labs.

Show notes

[00:01:35] - [First question] – Raj’s mission to decarbonize the world

[00:02:55] - Being a deeptech inspiration

[00:04:36] - The wild ride through the Startmate Accelerator

[00:07:03] - Why even focus on diesel fuel?

[00:09:07] - Raj’s journey to founding Kapture

[00:10:53] - Getting into infant milk formula and focusing on climate tech

[00:12:36] - Focusing on carbon capture specifically

[00:13:55] - Breaking into STEM from the outside

[00:15:35] - How the Kapture filter works as well as its benefits

[00:17:55] - Comparisons with AdBlue

[00:19:13] - Who would customers be and why?

[00:20:53] - Potential influence on regulations

[00:21:53] - Pilot projects currently in train and dream partnerships

[00:23:19] - The team’s current expertise and future growth

[00:24:40] - The bushfire analogy

[00:25:58] - A climate call to action

[00:27:09] - Socials and contact info

This week, I speak with Ella Nguyen. After completing the Startmate First Believer’s program, Ella is taking her first steps on her angel investment journey alongside a career in tech sales.

In a wide ranging and at times deeply personal conversation, we speak about Ella’s motivations to support founders, what being an angel investor means, navigating a changing global economy, impostor syndrome, the life journey to get this far, and finally wrapping up with the joy and gratefulness of going through hardship.

For any founders interested in working with Ella, you can get in touch via LinkedIn

Show notes

[00:01:37] - [First question] – What Ella is doing right now

[00:02:50] - Feeling the infectious enthusiasm from founders

[00:04:25] - The complexity in finding the right people

[00:05:45] - What the startup ecosystem *feels* like

[00:07:01] - Overcoming limiting beliefs in oneself

[00:08:34] - Making a list of superpowers

[00:09:59] - Other avenues to support founders besides capital

[00:11:21] - What founders are looking for in investors

[00:12:32] - How AirBnB’s fortunes were changed with a small check

[00:14:21] - Focusing on the future of work and the data that generates

[00:18:53] - Balancing personal interest, a vision of the future, and financial returns

[00:21:18] - The ethical challenges around the future of work

[00:22:22] - An optimistic view of our economic future

[00:24:04] - OpenAI and why Ella wished she could have put her money into it

[00:26:47] - What the future might look like for OpenAI

[00:29:38] - Migrating to Australia at a young age and having mom as a role model

[00:30:57] - Everything is an opportunity

[00:31:38] - Shadowing an entrepreneurial powerhouse

[00:32:45] - The first steps into entrepreneurship

[00:35:25] - Fortune tellers and superstitious parents

[00:36:37] - Weighing up entrepreneurship as a long-term path

[00:38:57] - How this life journey has shaped Ella’s investment thesis

[00:40:00] - Lessons about keeping an open mind

[00:42:06] - The joy and gratefulness of struggle and transition

[00:43:50] - Using tech to lift people off the bottom

[00:44:15] - The power of education in solving all the world’s problems

[00:45:14] - A future based on compassion and community

[00:46:09] - Being a connector

[00:47:11] - Actively listening and understanding to build that vision of the future

[00:48:25] - Socials and contact info

This week I complete the conversation with Brianna MacDonald, founder of The Care Co. The Care Co is building a SaaS solution for young people and their educators, to build mental health literacy, strategies, and resilience at an early age.

In Part 2, we chat about developing go-to-market strategies in this space, what adoption of the product could look like, the next steps for the company, dream partners at a global scale, values alignment within the team, and the multi-generational impacts if Brianna’s hypotheses turn out to be true.

You can find Part 1 of our conversation here.

You can follow The Care Co on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Links

* More about the ACE score from the CDC (Fact sheet)

* An example of the mental health literacy component of a PDHPE curriculum from the NSW state government

* Multiple global studies on the comparative decline of young persons’ mental health

* Finally, another reminder of how and where Australians can access mental health resources should you need them.

Show notes

[00:02:14] - [First question] – A breakdown of school structures and where key decision makers lie

[00:04:14] - Using Sydney Catholic Schools network as an example

[00:04:56] - Using the state of California’s school districts as an example

[00:06:36] - Australian curriculums and points of leverage for entry into classrooms

[00:07:16] - Why Brianna anticipates adoption makes sense for educators

[00:08:58] - The next steps in product development

[00:09:48] - Why this has taken longer than other tech startups

[00:11:18] - Talking through The Care Co’s beta testing program

[00:13:05] - How the beta testing strategy matters in the long run

[00:13:52] - Walking the walk in terms of mental health

[00:14:54] - Trying to straddle the education industry and tech startup divide

[00:16:29] - The next hires for The Care Co

[00:17:10] - Why a Client Success role matters so much

[00:18:26] - Understanding personal strengths and weaknesses as a leader

[00:19:14] - Surrounding the business with good people

[00:20:22] - Dream partners internationally

[00:23:28] - What success looks like for the business

[00:25:29] - What a mentally healthy world looks like if The Care Co is successful

[00:29:03] - Setting a healthy example to get there

[00:32:03] - Being cognizant of poor health habits in the tech industry

[00:33:07] - Socials and contact info

My next guest is Brianna MacDonald, founder of The Care Co. The Care Co is building a SaaS solution for young people and their educators, to build mental health literacy, strategies, and resilience at an early age.

Owing to the complexities and sensitivities of unpacking such a topic, we’ve split this over 2 parts. Stay tuned next week for the second half of the conversation.

In Part 1 we chat about the compounding effects of mental health, Brianna’s background intersecting on this exact space, how world events have made the need and possibility of a solution align, and strategies to help educators take up these difficult conversations.

For more on mental health, check out my interview with Cameron Higgins from Resonait here. Cameron will be showcasing progress at the Startmate Demo Day in a couple of weeks.

For more on software doing the heavy lifting of research for practioners, check out my interview with Brock Ford of MetaData here. Brock was most recently representing Australia and Australian startups at the Entrepreneurship World Cup.

Links

* More about the ACE score from the CDC (Fact sheet)

* ABC reporting on the sentencing of Terence Kelly in Western Australia, taking into account early childhood trauma (Article | 5 mins)

* An example of the mental health literacy component of a PDHPE curriculum from the NSW state government

* Multiple global studies on the comparative decline of young persons’ mental health

* Finally, another reminder of how and where Australians can access mental health resources should you need them.

Show notes

[00:01:27] - [First question] – Brianna as a person, and The Care Co’s purpose

[00:02:24] - Brianna’s definition of mental health

[00:04:42] - Comparisons between mental and physical health

[00:05:27] - Compounding effects that lead to mental health breakdown

[00:06:51] - Discussing the highly timely case of Terence Kelly as one example of how early childhood trauma can compound negatively

[00:07:46] - A rundown of the ACE score

[00:08:55] - Examples of adverse experiences included and excluded in the ACE tool

[00:10:17] - Adverse health impacts in adulthood being traced to early childhood, and the development of the ACE tool

[00:12:32] - Brianna’s background in business and health, and underlying interest in this space

[00:14:24] - Early forays into entrepreneurship and contract work

[00:15:33] - Taking on a short contract in the education space that turned into a long-term commitment

[00:16:18] - Understanding the trauma-informed network and connecting all the dots

[00:18:19] - Recognizing that some solutions are not scalable, and using tech to enable scale

[00:19:40] - Brianna’s hypotheses around the effect The Care Co could have

[00:20:52] - The hope that tech can be leveraged for good

[00:22:28] - Breaking down the need for this specific kind of product

[00:23:40] - How Covid has brought both the need and ability to solve the issue to the forefront

[00:24:53] - The widespread evidence and anecdotes recognizing poor mental health in young people

[00:25:15] - Recognizing a problem versus tackling a problem

[00:26:00] - The slow rate of change in schools and teaching methods, and the impacts that has downstream

[00:26:55] - Validating customer “want” for The Care Co’s product

[00:28:09] - Creating a curriculum versus giving educatorsreal tools to deliver it

[00:29:54] - The journey to creating The Care Co from initial conception in Jan 2019

[00:30:56] - Designing a product for both children and educators, starting with children most at risk

[00:32:22] - Recognizing that children from trauma-informed backgrounds learn differently

[00:33:50] - Leveraging digital-first teaching in a post-Covid world

[00:34:36] - Building better mental health resilience with spaced repetition

[00:36:28] - Valuing the influence educators have on young persons

[00:37:24] - Making mental health hygiene a regular part of lessons rather than an annual compliance check

[00:38:09] - How The Care Co does the mental health heavy lifting for educators

[00:40:36] - What The Care Co does NOT replace

[00:41:43] - Part 1 wrap-up