Remote-First Podcast

Soraya explores the new normal as businesses start reopening in the UK and she gets a chance to meet her new business partners in person for the first time since the creation of Venn Media. Listen to her insights on how the industries will be changing the way they conduct business and all the new ways of doing work by being Remote-First. 

Soraya has worked in the events industry since 2006 at Montgomery, the UK's market-leading specialist exhibition organiser in the food, drink & hospitality sectors. She has successfully delivered hundreds of events, including IFE, IFE Manufacturing Solutions, Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC), ScotHot and IFEX.

She is a regular judge for some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including Great Taste Awards, Q Awards, Academy of Chocolate Awards and World Beverage Innovation Awards.

Sitting on the AEO Development Board and a Founding Member and President of Women In Exhibitions Network UK, Soraya is one of the most influential and well-regarded people in the industry.

A leader in the event marketing industry. With 15+ years of experience, his influence has been showcased in diverse industries, ranging from Marketing to High Tech, Digital, Design, Healthcare, and Travel. His work includes the launch of digital products for experiential marketing agencies in both the US and UK and most recently the launch of Venn Media and Remote-First brand experience. 

Adrian’s experience as a true global leader includes working with top Fortune500 brands to the likes of Google, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Ericsson, Samsung, and Tik Tok. This has empowered his strategic approach on brand activations with digital experiences, created to connect people in meaningful ways.

A leader in the event marketing industry. With 15+ years of experience, his influence has been showcased in diverse industries, ranging from Marketing to High Tech, Digital, Design, Healthcare, and Travel. His work includes the launch of digital products for experiential marketing agencies in both the US and UK and most recently the launch of Venn Media and Remote-First brand experience. 

Adrian’s experience as a true global leader includes working with top Fortune500 brands to the likes of Google, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Ericsson, Samsung, and Tik Tok. This has empowered his strategic approach on brand activations with digital experiences, created to connect people in meaningful ways.

Gary Ware is a creative yet strategic Play Consultant that was brought here to make your life even better than it already is. By day, Gary helps companies and professionals level up their skills, and by night he is an improv comedian. In between all of Gary’s passions, his most desired one is helping people become the best versions of themselves through fun and entertainment. Now that you know that Gary is—indeed—a real person let’s hear more about why he created Breakthrough Play.

Gary Ware is a creative yet strategic Play Consultant that was brought here to make your life even better than it already is. By day, Gary helps companies and professionals level up their skills, and by night he is an improv comedian. In between all of Gary’s passions, his most desired one is helping people become the best versions of themselves through fun and entertainment. Now that you know that Gary is—indeed—a real person let’s hear more about why he created Breakthrough Play.

Joe Rivers stems from an unconventional background.  Growing up in a small town of Spencerport NY and attending Buffalo State College in Buffalo NY, a sense of wanderlust was always ingrained.  My sense of experiencing life and traveling brought me to: Experiential Marketing. This is a niche of marketing that puts the product in the consumers hands and/or gives consumers an experience with the brand to incite purchase. 

Traveling. I’m always pushing myself to grow as a person by stepping out of my comfort zone. My passion for traveling has created extremely rewarding experiences. I've visited 35 states and 23 countries and, as a result, I’ve learned to adapt to different cultures and customs

Joe Rivers stems from an unconventional background.  Growing up in a small town of Spencerport NY and attending Buffalo State College in Buffalo NY, a sense of wanderlust was always ingrained.  My sense of experiencing life and traveling brought me to: Experiential Marketing. This is a niche of marketing that puts the product in the consumers hands and/or gives consumers an experience with the brand to incite purchase. 

Traveling. I’m always pushing myself to grow as a person by stepping out of my comfort zone. My passion for traveling has created extremely rewarding experiences. I've visited 35 states and 23 countries and, as a result, I’ve learned to adapt to different cultures and customs

Mide Kraja is a Managing Director of Global Learn and Development team, an experienced professional leadership coach, team performance coach, facilitator, organization effectiveness, and co-designer of immersive learning strategies to enhance highly collaborative culture, productivity, innovation, and promote wellbeing. 

 She has worked for over 16 years in a high-growth company.  She has fulfilled a number of leadership roles, most recently as a business leader of global coaching, responsible for building leadership capabilities and evolving healthy high performing teams while delivering incredible business results.

Mide’s professional passion is focused on unleashing human potential every day so that they regain access to their unique qualities that they only embody.

Mide holds a B.A. Psychology from San Jose State University of California and M.S., Existential, Humanistic, and Psychology specialization from Saybrook University, in progress, 2021-2023.

Mide Kraja is a Managing Director of Global Learn and Development team, an experienced professional leadership coach, team performance coach, facilitator, organization effectiveness, and co-designer of immersive learning strategies to enhance highly collaborative culture, productivity, innovation, and promote wellbeing. 

 She has worked for over 16 years in a high-growth company.  She has fulfilled a number of leadership roles, most recently as a business leader of global coaching, responsible for building leadership capabilities and evolving healthy high performing teams while delivering incredible business results.

Mide’s professional passion is focused on unleashing human potential every day so that they regain access to their unique qualities that they only embody.

Mide holds a B.A. Psychology from San Jose State University of California and M.S., Existential, Humanistic, and Psychology specialization from Saybrook University, in progress, 2021-2023.

Nancy Vitale is a senior HR executive with 25+ years of experience driving culture transformation, organization change, and profitability for industry leaders, including Genentech/Roche, Procter & Gamble, CIGNA, and Deloitte Consulting. Through people, culture, and strategy, she has delivered business growth and transformation while building recognized great places to work.

Nancy is now Co-Founder and Managing Partner for Partners for Wellbeing, a boutique HR consulting firm, and she is also a board director for Voyager Therapeutics, a gene therapy company focused on treating patients with neurological diseases. Nancy holds a BBA from the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.