Tech Brains Talk

This week, Flavilla is joined by Bianca Rangecroft, Founder and CEO of Whering. They discuss Whering's exciting future, the app startup growth journey and Bianca's experience of being on Dragons Den. 

Bianca is fluent in five European languages and holds a first-class Bachelor’s degree in History and Politics from SOAS & LSE, with a special focus on Africa and the Middle East, as well as a Master’s degree in Management (Merit) from Imperial College Business School. She spent the first 4.5 years of her career in Banking, first at Barclays Investment Management and then in Goldman Sachs’ consumer division in London (working on fashiontech IPOs like Stichfix & Farfetch). She is a board member of Imperial College’s Alumni Advisory board, the London Chapter President for Unite2030, an UNLEASH 2019 and 2020 Global Talent and a committee member of Ubuntu, a South African charity and Textiles2030 signatory. She was a finalist in the Pitch UK, Elle x Bossbabe, shortlisted for WOTC award, We Are Tech Women’s award and winner of the Most Disruptive Tech award at UNLEASH 2019, EUTOP50 founders 2021 award and a frequent podcast and TV guest (BBC’s Dragon’s Den).

[00:11] Episode summary
[00:54] Introducing Bianca
[04:13] Bianca's entrepreneurial journey with Whering
[08:03] The lessons learned from developing Whering
[14:02] Successful strategies for user growth
[18:53] Learnings from scaling a tech business
[24:19] The experience of appearing on Dragons Den
[29:17] Keeping resilient throughout the startup journey
[34:13] Bianca's vision for Whering's Future
[36:10] How would Bianca like to be remembered?

To connect with Bianca, CLICK HERE
To visit Whering's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

In this week's episode, Flavilla hands over hosting duties so she can talk about all things marketing and branding and give some great advice for any tech startups currently developing their brand.

She discusses the most common mistakes she sees tech startups make, the difference between marketing and branding and how to build the foundations of a successful brand.
 
Flavilla Fongang is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, and an international and multilingual keynote speaker. She is a neuroscience brand expert covering strategy, design, marketing and customer experience.
 
Flavilla is a recognised leader in marketing as she created the D.A.C. system and The Beyond Marketing Approach which has helped so many brands successfully grow their business.

[00:10] Introducing Flavilla
[03:06] What are the most common mistakes that tech startups make in their branding and marketing?
[06:43] What are the unique opportunities and challenges in marketing tech companies? 
[09:21] What is the difference between branding and marketing?
[13:12] Brand marketing vs product marketing
[18:32] Planting the seeds for brand success
[23:09] Giving opportunities to younger generations
[27:11] How does Flavilla want to be remembered?

To connect with Flavilla, CLICK HERE
To visit 3 Colours Rule's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Matthew Nelson. They discuss ESG reporting, Net-Zero and how to use your ESG data to improve business performance.

Matthew is an engaging, versatile, and innovative financial services professional with 20+ years of experience in investment banking, investment management, asset management, technology, consulting, and corporate sectors.

Matthew founded Arivu, the blockchain-powered ESG platform, after recognising a market opportunity to improve how companies manage and report their sustainability information.  Arivu combines a powerful set of data aggregation and change-alerting tools with blockchain/distributed ledger technology and helps companies around the world as they transition to Net-Zero.

[00:11] Episode summary
[00:50] Introducing Matthew Nelson
[04:14] Net-Zero and the path to reducing global emissions
[05:20] What is ESG?
[08:15] Chain reporting in Arivu's platform
[13:23] Utilising technology to solve ESG issues
[18:16] Identifying business opportunities through ESG data
[22:02] Changing behaviours to improve ESG performance
[26:07] Tackling 'greenwashing'
[29:50] How Arivu integrates tokenisation and blockchain into its ESG reporting platform
[32:40] How does Matthew want to be remembered?

To connect with Matthew, CLICK HERE
To visit Arivu's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Simba Mamboininga. They discuss integrating technology into investment management, how to lay the groundwork for future success and market trends in the technology space.

Simba is a co-founder of Devlin Mambo, the investment management consultancy. He leads the firm’s Transformation advisory and implementation practice, and he sees great opportunity for the investment management industry to really embrace technology so they can be slicker and more engaging. He also leads the firm’s research on how the recent focus on sustainability has impacted the investment process, and has published numerous thought leadership articles on this topic too.

[00:11] Episode summary
[00:55] Introducing Simba and Simba's entrepreneurial journey 
[04:16] Integrating technology into investment management
[08:54] Laying the groundwork for future success
[12:15] Making the most out of your data. 
[16:23] Choosing strategic partnerships to increase your value proposition
[19:09] Market trends to watch
[26:20] How does Simba want to be remembered? 

To connect with Simba, CLICK HERE
To visit Diversily's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Marissa Ellis. They discuss the value of diversity in the tech industry and the importance of 'purpose' in business.

Marissa Ellis is an advisor, speaker and best selling author. She is the founder of www.diversily.com and a thought leader in ‘inclusive intelligence’ with over 20 years of experience in the tech sector. Diversily helps organisations unlock collective brilliance by taking a more human-centred, purpose-led, collaborative approach to business. They transform leadership, strategy and culture - all with an inclusive lens. Marissa is hugely passionate about creating a fairer, more equitable future for us all, where technology can help us solve, not create, some of the world’s greatest challenges.

[00:11] Episode summary
[00:45] Introducing Marissa 
[02:17] Marissa's entrepreneurial journey with Diversily 
[07:01] Moving business and leadership from exclusive to inclusive 
[16:09] The importance of diversity in tech 
[17:59] Preventing diversity from being a 'tick-box exercise' 
[21:12] The importance of 'purpose' in business
[29:45] Influencing change from the bottom-up
[35:37] What does Marissa wish she knew sooner
[36:27] How does Marissa want to be remembered 

To connect with Marissa, CLICK HERE
To visit Diversily's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Bolaji Sofoluwe. They discuss market expansion and business internationalisation.

Bolaji is an internationalisation and market expansion expert with over twenty years of experience in general consulting, strategy and banking. Her role as Managing Director of the Enterprise Trade and Knowledge Group, UK has involved providing companies and businesses with the right representation and knowledge to enter and expand across African markets. She has personally supervised the execution of projects in over 32 African countries.

[00:11] Episode summary
[01:00] Introducing Bolaji
[03:08] Bolaji's entrepreneurial journey
[05:11] What opportunities does Africa have for businesses?
[06:54] What are the most common barriers for businesses looking to expand into new markets?
[11:32] ETK Group's role in business internationalisation and technology
[18:24] When is the best time to expand?
[22:50] The difference between traditional and tech entrepreneurship
[26:51] The benefits of being on civil advisory boards
[30:07] What does Bolaji wish she knew sooner?
[33:19] Bolaji's advice for speculative investors
[34:59] How does Bolaji want to be remembered


To connect with Bolaji, CLICK HERE
To visit ETK Group's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Fungai Ndemera. They discuss CheckUp Health and how Fungai is pioneering digital transformation in the health space.

With more than 20 years of experience in business leadership, Fungai is a Nurse and a  Great British entrepreneur award winner, a STEM ambassador and an Angel Investor. Through this experience, she has learnt to be resilient, strong and realised that the best business lessons are learnt through failures. That's how her passion for technology and creative solutions were born. 

 Her most recent venture won an opportunity to be funded by Innovate UK. Realising the challenges faced with shortages of doctors and the impact of COVID 19 on chronic patients, especially the racially diverse group. This helped marginalised patients receive free health monitoring devices and clinical service through CheckUp Health, a tele-health platform and app.

[00:11] Episode summary
[01:00] Introducing Fungai
[02:30] Fungai's entrepreneurial journey with CheckUp Health
[12:19] Digital transformation in the health space
[24:03] CheckUp Health's achievements (so far)
[28:12] How did Fungai's background influence her entrepreneurial journey?
[29:25] What's next for CheckUp Health
[30:25] What have Fungai's learnings been?
[32:53] How does Fungai want to be remembered?

To connect with Fungai, CLICK HERE
To visit CheckUp Health's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Esther O'Callaghan. They discuss utilising Web3 to tackle youth unemployment. 

From being the first female DJ/producer to own a specialist vinyl store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and producing major international festivals and events to now running a fast-growing Web3 careers platform and being part of the first all-female De-Fi delegation to the European Parliament (with some waitressing, window cleaning and IronMan training in between), it’s been an incredibly unique journey. With over 20+ years of experience across UK Govt, Local Authority, NDPB's, CSR, ESG, ED&I, the arts, culture, music, and third sectors, Esther has dedicated her life to tackling youth unemployment, resulting in hundreds of thousands of children and young people supported nationally and worldwide.

[00:11] Episode summary
[01:26] Introducing Esther
[03:56] Creating the fastest-growing Web3 carrier platform to tackle youth unemployment
[10:22] What is the Metaverse and Web3?
[12:09] What are the benefits of Web3 for recruitment
[18:17] What is the value in hiring younger individuals
[24:32] The role of government in tackling youth unemployment
[29:21] Where does entrepreneurship come from?
[32:22] Learning from your failures
[34:28] Giving a voice to younger generations
[36:13] What is the future of hundo?
[37:08] How does Esther want to be remembered?

To connect with Esther, CLICK HERE
To visit hundo.careers' website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Naomi Timperley. They discuss how you can put people at the centre of your growth strategy.  

Naomi is the co-founder of Tech North Advocates and GSI. Proud to be in the top 50 Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK IT 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Naomi is an experienced growth and innovation consultant with established relationships across the UK. She has extensive experience working with start-ups and growth businesses particularly in the tech, digital and creative sectors.  Naomi has been a mentor for 8 years and mentored several hundred businesses. She is an Honorary Industry Fellow at the University of Salford Business School and chair of the Industry Advisory Board. Naomi also sits on the board of charity Digital Inc and social Enterprise PIE. She was previously Chair of Future Everything and Capital Pilot.

[00:11] Episode summary
[00:56] Introducing Naomi
[02:50] Naomi's business journey
[10:14] Do tech companies need to be in London?
[12:45] What prevents tech startups from growing
[16:27] Strategies for tech business growth
[17:28] Putting people first in organisations
[22:46] Attracting young talent through education
[28:27] Morality in business
[34:50] How does Naomi want to be remembered


To connect with Naomi, CLICK HERE
To visit Tech North Advocate's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE

This week, Flavilla is joined by Cynthia Davis. They discuss Cynthia's journey from consultancy to successfully scaling a tech business led on brand purpose

Cynthia Davis is the CEO/Founder of BAME Recruitment and Co-founder of Diversifying.io. 

As a multi-award-winning CEO, motivational speaker and diversity and inclusion specialist, Cynthia is passionate about improving equal opportunities for people from all walks of life by encouraging and motivating the next generation of leaders. 

Cynthia is a mentor to young adults via the Stephen Lawrence Trust Mentorship Programme and a fellow of St Georges College Leadership Fellowship in Windsor. She is also Chair of the Board for Pop Up, a social enterprise working in collaboration with educational, literary and cultural organisations to enable children, empower teachers and engage families from all walks of life to read more widely and creatively. 

Cynthia founded BAME Recruitment in 2015, and later co-founded Diversifying.io in 2019. She remains committed to delivering inclusive recruitment, consultancy and event services and helping businesses reach more qualified candidates from diverse communities and other underrepresented groups. Cynthia is dedicated to aligning candidates to the right organisations with inclusive cultures that help them to flourish and enhance the businesses they are working for.

[00:11] Episode summary
[00:55] Introducing Cynthia
[02:46] Cynthia's journey to creating Diversifying.io
[05:58] The value of diversity in the workplace
[10:42] What has driven Diversifying.io to achieve so much success
[14:47] Attracting top talent in tech
[21:48] What impact is Diversifying.io having?
[25:49] Cynthia's failures and successes
[29:22] What was Cynthia's journey to getting funding for her businesses?
[37:12] How would Cynthia like to be remembered



To connect with Cynthia, CLICK HERE
To visit Bame Recruitment's website, CLICK HERE
To join the Tech Brains Talk mailing list for more perks, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the 3 Colours Rule Agency, CLICK HERE