Tech Can't Save Us

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, Paul welcomes Sanchit Thakur, the founder and CEO of Illuminz, a creative consultancy based in Mohali, India. 

Sanchit is no stranger to the podcasting world, as he also hosts the Bright Talks podcast, where he chats with industry leaders about creative strategies and the latest tech trends.

In their conversation, Sanchit shares what makes Illuminz stand out in a crowded field of creative agencies. He dives into the inspiration behind founding the company in 2009 and discusses how the creative landscape in India has evolved over the years.

Find out more about Illuminz here: https://www.illuminz.com/

Follow Sanchit here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanchitthakur/

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, Paul is joined by Dr. Chang Liu, CEO of Extend Robotics. Chang’s company uses VR technology to help people control robots remotely, making operations safer, more intuitive, and accessible. From manufacturing to agriculture, Extend Robotics is transforming automation in industries that need human oversight in hazardous environments.

Chang shares the story behind the company’s founding, how it’s grown since 2019, and the potential for VR-powered robotics to address global labor shortages and revolutionize industries.

Find out more about Extend Robotics here: https://www.extendrobotics.com

Follow Chang Liu here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechangliu/

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby are joined by James Townsend, co-founder and CEO of Mobilise, an online platform providing expert support and tailored advice to its community of 90,000 unpaid carers across the UK.

James shares his personal experience of caregiving, and why it inspired him to create an online community for other unpaid carers. The discussion also touches on the future ambitions of Mobilise, the demographics of its users, and the ongoing challenge of identifying caregivers who may not recognise themself as such.

James emphasises the need for scalable systems to support the growing number of careers, the importance of data in shaping policy, and the need to reframe the perception of carers as valuable assets in society.

Find more about Mobilise here: https://www.mobiliseonline.co.uk/

Follow James Townsend here: https://www.linkedin.com/in./jamestownsenduk

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby are joined by Manjul Rathee, co-founder and CEO at BFB Labs. BFB Labs provides digital therapy for children through an app based video game called Lumi Nova which has been funded and commissioned by the NHS.

The conversation delves into the challenges of mental health support for young people, the importance of user engagement and game design, and the role of exposure therapy in building resilience. 

Manjul emphasises the need for co-designing solutions with young people to ensure effectiveness and accessibility in mental health interventions.


Find more about BfB Labs here: https://www.bfb-labs.com/

Follow Manjul here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manjulrathee

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby are joined by Kat James, Director of New Projects at Consultant Connect.   They discuss how Consultant Connect helps reduce waiting times and improve patient outcomes by connecting community-based clinicians with specialists for immediate advice. 

The conversation centres around how Consultant Connect has helped over 400,000 patients avoid hospital trips, including the little learning curb it has for hospital staff and GPs. The key to a successful healthtech roll out in the NHS, Kat advises, is identifying “champions” early on to build clinical trust in the technology.

Kat also debunks myths about the NHS, discusses the disproportionate effect that waiting lists have on women, and outlines the promise that international telemedicine initiatives hold for a more equitable, global healthcare system.

Find more about Consultant Connect here: https://www.consultantconnect.org.uk/

Follow Kat here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrin-kat-james/

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Maya Dharampal-Hornby and Paul David speak to Nana Parry, co-founder of Cluso, a voice survey and engagement platform aimed at increasing public participation in local government.

Nana was inspired to start Cluso when he saw the decline in response rates to traditional surveys: household surveys had a 48% response rate a decade ago; in 2023 it was at 14%. If it continues at the same rate it’ll be down to 4% by 2033. 

Nana shares the benefits of voice responses, especially for qualitative surveying, the current state of survey analysis, and Cluso's growth strategy, including understanding local nuances and innovative approaches to engage young people. Nana emphasizes the importance of making people's voices heard in local governance and the potential for technology to enhance democracy.

Find out more about Nana here :https://www.linkedin.com/in/nana-parry

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Maya Dharampal-Hornby and Paul David are joined by Jo-Jo Hubbard, co-founder and CEO at Electron.

Currently, the energy system is diverse and decentralised. Amidst this, flexible market platforms, like Electron’s, are emerging as the solution to help energy network operators to launch and coordinate multiple markets at scale. 

On this podcast, Jo-Jo discusses the importance of engaging DERs in the market, how Electron is growing on the other side of the pond, and why ‘net zero’ might be a counter-productive phrase.

Find more about Electron here: https://electron.net/

Find more about Jo-Jo here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-jo-hubbard

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Maya Dharampal-Hornby and Savena Surana are joined by Andrew O Neill, Headteacher at All Saints Catholic College and CEO at Lighthouse Data.

All Saints is a school like no other; it has trialled a mobile phone ban, an 11-hour school day, and flexible working for teachers. On the podcast, Andrew discusses his reasons for these innovative approaches to education – including the impact of social media on students' mental health and academic performance, the importance of fostering community connections, and the significance of investing in teachers' well-being – and how he has found the media attention that they have attracted. 

He also explains how data-driven insights, offered for free by Lighthouse Data, can transform a school’s performance. 

Find more about Lighthouse Data here: https://www.lighthousedata.org/

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Maya Dharampal-Hornby and Savena Surana are joined by Erika Anderson, co-founder and CCO at Storytell.ai and author of Building Humane Tech substack. 

They discuss what humane technology means for Storytell.ai and how the team implements responsible design principles in the technology that they develop. 

The episode also touches on the need for storytelling in business, the four different stages of people’s relationship with AI, and the growing dangers of AI companion bots.

Find more about Storytell.ai here: https://storytell.ai/

Follow Erika here (X): https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikamanderson/

Reading Building Humane Tech here: https://humanetech.substack.com/

And some other recommendations from Erika:
Read Erika’s draft Humane Tech product principles: https://humanetech.substack.com/p/draft-humane-product-principles
Watch Storytell’s webinar on building AI with integrity: https://web.storytell.ai/webinars/storytell-webinar-building-ai-with-integrity
Complete Storytell’s company workshop on algorithmic bias: https://web.storytell.ai/webinars/from-theory-to-practice-how-to-address-algorithmic-bias
Check out the Clean Communication framework here: https://www.clean-communication.com/
And listen to Undivided Attention episodes on Character.ai: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ksKxpSW9fMPNgUqHFcTLG?si=W6h6V1DDRwOp9uybStz9iw&nd=1&dlsi=e8c90a9ff3034ba9
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ahOQ34R03iUuEacQ62Vve?si=dfG4FnZhTjOyNwK6CPXL5g&nd=1&dlsi=bca81a06b79c4cc4

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby are joined by Odun Eweniyi, co-founder and COO at PiggyVest. By providing easy-to-use tools for digital saving and micro-investing, PiggyVest has helped 5 million people grow their savings.

Odun shares her journey from tech journalism into fintech and the insights from the PiggyVest Savings Report 2024. Recognising social media as a tool to engage younger audiences and promote financial literacy, Odun explains the extent of her hands-on approach to PiggyVest’s accounts.

The episode also touches on other ways Odun is making inclusive platforms that empower individuals and communities - particularly women - in Nigeria. Odun co-founded The Feminist Coalition, which propelled the #EndSARS movement, and First Check Africa, a female-led angel fund that invests in women African tech at an early stage. More recently, she’s ventured into the world of podcasting with the Carousel Network, a podcast production company in Nigeria that amplifies female voices. Odun explains the obstacles feminists face in Nigeria, while reflecting on the progress the movement has made over the last decade.

Find more about Piggyvest here: https://www.piggyvest.com/

Follow Odun here (X): https://x.com/OdunEweniyi

And here (LI): https://www.linkedin.com/in/odunayoeweniyi