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Dong Jin Son: Helping Brands Grow, Innovate, and Transform

Based in Seoul, Korea, Krema Worldwide has created various award-winning ideas to help brands grow, innovate, and transform. With its wide range of strategic and creative talent, Krema derives optimal strategies and crafts globally competitive campaigns.

Having worked with global behemoths like LG Electronics, Samsung Mobiles, Lotte, and Disney Korea, the founder, and CEO, of Krema Worldwide, Dong Jin Son, brings more than two decades of experience with him. Majored in foreign literature, Son joined Korea’s number one advertising agency Cheil Worldwide, where he was assigned to the department of global marketing business. Soon, Son went on numerous business trips across the world and accumulated local marketing insights, and realized that advertising is not just a creative video that appears on the viewer’s screen but it is a solution that solves various concerns of the marketers. At this point of time, Son understood that his role was limited only to large organizations, so he voluntarily left Cheil Worldwide and moved to a three-person startup. Meanwhile, he completed his MBA from a University in Finland and received his doctorate in digital content, which helped him understand clients’ concerns in their broad business
activities. Later in May 2009, he founded his own company Krema Worldwide, focusing on providing specialized services for overseas marketing and clients who can utilize the organization’s capabilities while conducting global marketing.

Path Breaking Services

Since its foundation, Krema Worldwide has successfully established itself and proliferated in sales and size in a yearly manner. As a result, Krema received 17 awards in the last five years in various leading international festivals like Cannes, New York, and One Show. The organization was also ranked among the top 10 across multiple ad journals, including Ad Age and Campaign. “This is proof that our company has been recognized worldwide for creativity, which is the core of advertising. Since January 2019, we have also expanded the area of ad agencies to an e-commerce business that encompasses all participants in the marketing ecosystem.”- says Son. He explains the primary goal of his business is to provide A to Z solutions starting from overseas marketing to sales agents for various small and medium-sized companies that have competitive products but lack an international presence. Krema also has a roadmap to build a very competitive e-commerce platform by connecting clients, individual sellers, digital media owners, and financial & trade businesses.

Working as the backbone of the company, Krema’s planning professionals make the most timely, trendy, and accurate marketing results by learning fast trends. They are the strategists, communicators, and do-it-all creatives who deliver flawless project execution from concept to creation. Additionally, the firm uses current technologies like AI, data, and metaverse to internalize all the internal and external resources in the shortest time possible; depending on that; immediate service can be operated. With its agility and mobility, Krema’s business model is much ahead of other professional agencies.

The Asian Business Environment

Son feels growth in Asia will be much more noticeable in the future, especially in Indonesia, which has witnessed a rapid recovery of the advertising market since late 2020. The proportion of digital advertising costs in countries like India and Indonesia stands around the 20% range. However, with the rapid growth rate of 10%, they will soon become the pillars of the global advertising market. As a result, the traditional North American and Western European markets will start decreasing in the future.

He explains that Asian consumers are highly interested in social networks. They know the process of learning information quickly and communicate actively, even in non-face-to-face situations. Additionally, their huge interest in the latest technologies meant they were the first to embrace Metaverse and NFT to grow their businesses. So, marketers need to study diligently and move quickly because of these unique characteristics of Asian consumers. Ad-agency’s flagship products have also changed along with those trends. Even a decade ago, an advertising agency’s primary job was to plan and produce commercial advertisements for a market mainly focused on TVC and print. Now cut to 2022, most of the organization’s products are YouTube-based video advertising or a website for consumer awareness of corporate brands and content to communicate with consumers over various communities. At present, organizations are paying much more attention to AI, metaverse, and OTT platforms.

Future Roadmap

As the founder of his company, Son’s short-term goal is to successfully pivot from the world of digital content to the new area of media. He says, “Global advertising trend is shifting to non-face-to-face, virtual reality after endemic, enabling agencies to propose the most practical and efficient ad packages the clients need. To this end, the company’s professional staff are working hard on R&D every day and night and, at the same time, continue to challenge through constant internal collaboration. In the mid-long term, it is to properly demonstrate the synergy caused by M&A. It is to successfully combine marketing assets based on IPs of ads, movies, and dramas to develop service products for clients that have never existed before.”

Led by Son, Krema recently ran M&A with Asia’s one of the best new media content production companies Dexter Studio. He feels the synergy of M&A is of utmost importance in realizing Krema’s dreams. It’s also much easier to raise investment funds than it used to be. “I strongly believe skilled tech resources combined with our planning resources would greatly increase the chances of achieving business objectives. We’re not going to stop here, but we’re going to expand our reach further as a group specializing in global digital media and content.”– he says.

Few Thoughts

As an industry, advertising is well known for its cutthroat competition. Recently multiple cases of business failure have emerged due to the pandemic. Son says, “But in the meantime, someone is making money out of this red ocean, leading the market, generating demand. I try to keep Dexter Krema (changed company name after M&A last year) listed in that mainstream. Only diligent research and development, maintaining a young and fast organization, and constantly finding newness and collaborating with outside powers make this possible.” This year, Dexter Krema plans to lead the industry by introducing the latest marketing by combining various partners and technologies related to the 4th industrial revolution. “In addition, we will share the fruits of the fast-growing company with all our stakeholders, helping to create a successful future for each employee, not the fundamental goal of sales as mentioned earlier.”– he added.

Bizsu: Helping with Best Energy Savings Solutions

Founded in 2019, Singapore-based Bizsu helps companies save 25% on air conditioning consumption by using a very simple and patented net. Bizsu helps its clients by providing the easiest and one of the most energy-saving solutions on the market presently. It does not use high-tech solutions like others; instead, it uses a low-tech solution entirely made of natural ingredients.

Over a century ago, Willis Carter invented the air-conditioning machine, which is about the same type we use nowadays. Although very useful, we humans added this system everywhere possible, resulting in an enormous amount of pollution. So, now we need maximum energy efficiency to minimize its impact as soon as possible. Bizsu wants to help its clients reduce their carbon footprint and energy consumption. For example, the startup ran a pilot at CapitaLand, and the result showed that it has achieved up to 51% savings on their AHU in LogisTech, a certified Green Mark Platinum Super-Low Energy building and one of the most efficient buildings in Singapore.

Bizsu’s primary solution, named CONTINEWM®, is a Japanese patented net made out of a specific ceramic, saving 25% on air-conditioning consumption on average. Unlike any other energy-saving solutions, CONTINEWM® fits every kind of air conditioning system, making it accessible and compatible for all. This also uniformizes the temperature while purifying air, requires only a few minutes for installation, fits any air conditioning system, and lasts a lifetime.

As a startup, Bizsu has witnessed companies set up carbon reduction objectives without the knowledge to implement them effectively. So, the firm also provides sustainability workshops to educate employees regarding climate change, and then according to their company activities, BIZSU helps them define the initiatives they want to carry out in the short, mid, and long term.

Saving the Environment

Brice Degeyter, a serial entrepreneur, a human-centric person, and an environmental defensor, founded Bizsu in 2019. While working on his dream job in 2016, Brice was shocked by how we humans treated the environment and amazed by the solutions and opportunities available to us. Brice then decided to devote his time and energy to bringing sustainability solutions with maximum impact.

Experienced in sustainability initiatives for several big companies, Brice understands the importance of making customers loyal, suppliers happier, and employees prouder. Under his leadership, Bizsu works with some of the biggest companies, including CapitaLand, Keppel, JLL, Bollore Logistics, Food-Panda, etc.

Asian Market Trends

Brice believes that the Asian market has enormous potential, and he feels this is just the beginning. According to a poll by JLL in the Asia Pacific region, as much as 70% of organizations were willing to pay higher rents for green-certified buildings. So, an increasing number of employees and companies want to focus on sustainability and environmentalism. Also, the younger generation prefers to work for an organization that cares for the environment. Another research says, around 40% of millennials have selected a job due to the sustainability factor of the company, whereas 70% feel that their company’s good sustainability plan will encourage them to work there long term. So, working for the environment is essential to attracting and retaining talent. This showcases how all the stakeholders are ready to pay a premium for sustainability; hence, going green is definitely worth the company’s cost.

Changed Priorities

Once founded, Bizsu started offering different solutions. As many sustainable solutions exist, Brice wanted every company to know them and be able to buy and use them. However, it failed to meet the market need. Eventually, Brice realized air conditions represent 30% of Singapore’s CO2 emissions. With the massive number of air conditions across the country, Bizsu and its clients have a lot to gain by saving energy. So, step-by-step, the company focused entirely on air conditions and devoted time and energy towards bringing sustainability solutions to maximize effect and impact.

“Air conditioning represents an astronomical amount of Singapore’s CO2 emissions, roughly 30%, so we want to provide the region with our solution and help save one million tons of CO2 in Singapore by 2027.”– says Brice.

Mission and Vision

As an organization, Bizsu aspires to create fast ROI and easy-to-implement solutions to reduce energy consumption for real estate, hotels, warehouses, and schools. The firm wants to help clients reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible for as long as possible.

Sustainability for Bizsu means reducing the amount of CO2. So, as a business specializing in energy savings, Bizsu’s main priority is to help companies do that. It believes that the best strategy for companies to reach their objective is to focus on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.

“We should not have to compromise between business and sustainability. Both are compatible, and we prove it every day.“- states Brice.

Preparing for the Future

Bizsu believes that we are currently in the age of the sustainability revolution. Earlier it was the digital revolution of the 1990s and 2000s. Now a sustainability revolution is ready to start, indicating that if businesses fail to choose the proper course of action, they will struggle. We have already seen several companies, like Kodak, Blockbuster, etc., fail due to a lack of adoption. So, as we witnessed decades ago, if businesses are not evolving quickly enough, they will face serious consequences. In the coming years, just like the digital world is crucial to our daily lives now, businesses will have to focus on doing good for the environment.

Mary Radenkovic: Celebrating Feminity by Creating Iconic Styles

Meet Mary Radenkovic, the founder and designer of London-based women’s luxury brand Lavishly Appointed. Hailing from the Mediterranean, Mary’s connection to the sea and nature, coupled with her love for fashion, inspired her to create her own brand that celebrates femininity, style, and luxury with sustainable practices at the forefront of the process. The brand was created for like-minded women seeking unique and eye-catching dynamic pieces that can take them from day through night.

Launched in 2016 in London, Lavishly Appointed offers essential costumes, bikinis, loungewear, innovative body adornments, and dresses that are designed and developed by Mary.

Following its philosophy, ‘buy less, buy better,’ the luxury resort brand creates several unique, multifunctional, and timeless pieces with a razor-sharp focus on craftsmanship. Most of the products made by the brand are artisanally handmade by women for women.

It’s all About Sustainability

Mary says, “The company values are all about sustainability. The swimsuits are made out of recycled plastic. Resortwear is 90% handmade – in that way, we are helping artisan women.” The brand’s garments are made of exclusive, premium, sustainable materials. The brand doesn’t believe in only practicing sustainability. Instead, it strives to create a movement to spread awareness. In order to bring change and awareness, Lavishly Appointed has started the ‘Save the Fish campaign,’ encouraging its clientele to participate in the change. When clients buy any products bearing the brand’s Goldfish logo, 20% of the profit goes to several non-profit organizations working on ocean wildlife preservation and the reduction of plastic pollution.

However, when it comes to practicing sustainability, Lavishly Appointed’s manufacturing process uses solar energy to power its warehouse. Additionally, it is also fighting for equal pay for the workers. Mary and her team at the company want to show that they are not only selling fashion products but are also selling a lifestyle and a message.

In addition to its environmental awareness, Lavishly Appointed takes great pride in handling the production process. The human aspect is also cherished in every step of the production process, taking into account the human rights of every artisan by providing a nourishing environment for their creative process. As a firm supporter of women’s and children’s rights, Mary makes sure that Lavishly Appointed’s female employees have equal status with its male workforce.

The True Mentor

Although Mary is friends with many successful entrepreneurs willing to share their words of wisdom, she only considers her late grandfather as her true mentor. Also, a fashion designer, Mary’s late grandfather helped her develop a genuine passion for fashion at a very young age that has been with her.

Mary made sketches for her first collection at the age of 12 and started working in the fashion world at 15. Initially, she worked as a model for beachwear, make-up, and hair products and became a face for multiple European brands.

Suggestions for Younger Self

Mary suggests that entrepreneurs must love what they do. She says, “You can only be your own and enjoy your own success if you have fought for it, failed several times, and eventually achieved it yourself. I think it is when you turn behind and reflect on everything that happened, and you realize that despite all the difficulties, you managed to get your idea and your dream to come true.”

Picture of the Future

Mary’s goal is to go back to the days of handmade production, just to bring back individuality and uniqueness. So, every design from Lavishly Appointed is entirely handmade by some of the finest artisans in the business.

When it comes to the future, the brand is hoping to have its own fashion show at the Miami Fashion Week. Mary states, “Opening our first branch store would be the next challenge and the next step, but we have not yet decided on the details.”

Rajiv Malik: Revolutionizing the Digital Ink Experience

Established in 1983 in Japan, Wacom is a global leader in the pen display and tablet market for creative users across the planet. The brand Wacom is derived from the word ‘Wa,’ which means Harmony in Japanese. Wacom products are widely used by the creative communities, including; illustrators, animators, graphic designers, editors, fashion designers, and industrial design professionals.

“Led by its current Sr. Director, Rajiv Malik, Wacom India also provides digital ink solutions for its wide range of partners at the global level Wacom is providing Ink solutions to various partners using and producing tablets and smartphones. However, Wacom India is focussed on developing Creative, Education, and Digital Signature solution markets only.”

Journey of the Leader

Rajiv started his professional career with an exciting opportunity to promote Professional Recording Media products in Film and Television Studios, News and Entertainment Channels, Independent Documentaries, and Film Makers.

He says, “As I networked with the industry, and made many good industry friends while interacting with some of the amazing and highly successful Creative Directors, Artists, and Technical Heads, I felt the need to go deeper to understand how technological advancements are helping the industry to unleash the creativity.”

This was the crucial time of transition for the industry from analog to digital. It eventually enabled Rajiv to switch to the core industry of A/V professionals, where core broadcast and digital imaging products have been an integral part of all film and broadcast studios. With Electronics Engineering as a base qualification, Rajiv has always been very passionate about working closely with the Creative Community and Technologists. He has also pursued a master’s degree in Business Administration at a later stage.

Not a Typical IT Company

“What I learned while joining Wacom is that it’s not a typical IT trading company.”– Says Rajiv. Creativity flows in Wacom’s DNA. It designs products with a strong intention of supporting creative professionals. He adds, “Diversified culture, strong leadership, values, and ethics, with creativity at the core, were reasons enough for me to join this amazing company. This very well resonated with my previous work background.”

Rajiv’s most ambitious project is transforming traditional Wacom office set-ups into Creative Experience Centers. He plans to redesign these spaces to reverberate with creative minds, not just for aspiring artists but also for internal team members. He feels Wacom’s customers must get the feel of its products by simulating an artistic environment. Along with the metro cities, Rajiv also plans to expand Wacom India’s presence in smaller cities and towns to provide the best experience to the widely spread creative communities with diverse backgrounds.

Tackling the Pandemic

Rajiv says, “Though the Pandemic was unfortunate for all, however on the brighter side, our business saw exponential growth.”

The pandemic increased the practical usage of pen tablets in the education sector. During the lockdown period, academicians discovered how digital pen tablets and displays play a critical role in remote teaching and learning. It helped people realize the power of digital tools, helping professionals and students communicate much more effectively without missing the natural flow of knowledge transfer.

Soon distance education became much less cumbersome. With more accessible and effective education, many of the ed-tech groups came forward and established themselves very quickly. Rajiv further adds, “The Media and Entertainment industry saw a big shift towards OTT. Access to Creative as well as Academic Education, and WFH for the Corporate sector gave a big boost to our business.”

Current Market

Rajiv feels the market is changing rapidly, even faster than it ever did in the past. With the ever-changing situation, most institutions that have already experienced the advantage of digital tools are constantly working on setting up Hybrid set-ups/classrooms for a long-term perspective. He believes the market has evolved to a large extent and will continue to evolve in segments like education, film, and television production in the coming years. Also, content creation for cinemas is bouncing back to its earlier levels after two consecutive years of slowdown.

Picture of the Future

Wacom plans to further develop and introduce its state-of-the-art products and cutting-edge technologies to support artists express their creativity safely. Rajiv says, “Supporting communities by introducing easier-to-use, highly accurate devices to support creative expressions will remain at the core. There’s a growing need to secure the precious content created by artists, which is being made possible with the help of blockchain technologies.” The company wants to further expand its presence and strengthen close two-way communication with its clients via various platforms. By demonstrating its latest products, solutions, and the best hands-on experience to budding professionals, Wacom’s direct presence as a legal entity in India makes a lot of difference.

Rohan karnataki: Revolutionizing the Indian Tech-Industry

Hindavi Technologies, led by its founder Mr. Rohan Karnataki, is a US-based IT Services & Product Development company. Over the last 14 years, Hindavi Technologies has been at the forefront of providing IT solutions and has completed over 1000 projects for more than 300 clients globally.

Since its foundation in 2009, the organization has ventured into Product Development in 2015 with its flagship product Xporience, an Event Technology Platform for various exhibitions and conferences. It is now one of the most sought-after products for global event organizers spread across Dubai, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Till date, Xporience has worked with many coveted clients, including Dubai Expo 2020, MCI(Switzerland), and dmg::events, amongst others.

After the overwhelming success of its flagship product, Hindavi Technologies has launched its second Product – CareerFirst Edutech, which is India’s first 360° degree Career Design Platform for upskilling and making India Employable.

Rohan and Hindavi Technologies has been recognized with awards like “Top 10 Mobility Companies in India – 2018”, “Best Product Development Company – 2019”, and the “Best Entrepreneur Award – 2021”, “Best Companies to Work for – 2022.”

The organization leverages its massive domain and technology experience to provide various services like IT Services (UI/UX, Mobility, IoT, Cloud Computing, and Digital Marketing), IT Solutions (Application Development, Product Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Testing, Startup MVP, IT Consulting, and Enterprise Product Development), Cyber-Security Consulting (Assessments & Audits, Compliance, Infrastructure Security, Vendor Assessment, Cybersec Awareness), Remote Staffing(Staff Augmentation, Offshore Staffing, IT Outsourcing, RPO Services, and Contract Staffing).

The Steadfast Leader

As the founder of Hindavi Technologies, Mr. Rohan Karnataki realized pretty early that India is one of the youngest countries, with over 62% of the population in the working age group and 54% of the population below 25 years of age. He feels the present era of technological innovation provides an excellent opportunity to leverage intellectual capital and positively impact Indian society.

“My main motivation to start a business venture is to work with such bright young minds and create innovative products in the field of education, healthcare, and core technology.” – he says.

A first-generation techpreneur with more than a decade’s experience in the IT industry, Rohan is a Computer Science graduate and holds a management degree from Australian National University, Canberra.

A serial entrepreneur at heart, Rohan started his first business at the age of 8 by selling popsicles at a local bus depot, which helped him learn the value and meaning of time, money, and an honest day’s work. Later while studying in college, he ran a successful facility management service, employing seasonal farmers who were out of work during the off-season. He also curated an entirely commission-free marketplace for farmers to sell their products directly online, eliminating middlemen and increasing farmers’ profits.

Later in 2011, Rohan Co-founded Colortronic Studios Pvt Ltd, a Pune-based creative agency encompassing strategy, design, technology, and media. He launched 100 Days of Walking in 2020, a global health and fitness movement aimed to motivate people and inculcate walking as a part of their lifestyle. Rohan is also the Founder of CareerFirst Edutech, India’s premier Ed-tech 360° Career Design Platform.

Implementing New Ideas

Rohan kickstarted an Intrapreneur Program in the organization, where employees come up with their product ideas, and the company encourages them to work on their ideas by giving them the necessary creative independence to work on a minimum viable product (MVP). Rohan is also making giant strides in upskilling these intrapreneurs to help them understand various aspects of business and become successful.

Additionally, Rohan’s new edtech startup CareerFirst Edutech assists students and employees in identifying their best career roadmap and pursuing the proper education and skill-sets to get their dream jobs or start a business, depending on their aspirations, values, and interests. CareerFirst provides technology training and upskilling to graduate students and also provides full scholarships to deserving students.

Tackling the Pandemic

The 2020 pandemic affected most industries to a great extent. However, Rohan recognized this as an opportunity and created a roadmap to enhance the employee skill sets, create various new future-ready products, and a post-pandemic growth roadmap.

He helped employees to get trained in the latest technologies, and was also allowed to publish white papers related to the IT sector and other domains related to various products of Hindavi Technologies.

In order to upgrade the employability skill sets, Hindavi technologies also conducted various non-technical workshops within the organization. Also, regular brainstorming sessions helped its teams to discuss new product feature ideas, and employees were also rewarded for their valuable contributions.

As a result of these activities, the organization started an entirely online Event Technology Platform for Event organizers, which empowers online exhibitions and conferences and seamlessly integrates with their existing product offerings. Led by its founder Rohan Karnataki, Hindavi Technologies also ventured into its second product CareerFirst, an ed-tech platform addressing the employability gap in India.

Exciting Times Ahead

Rohan feels this is the most exciting time in the technology industry. Innovation is being made in various fields, including AI, ML, Robotics Process Automation(RPA), Quantum Computing, VR, AR, IoT, Blockchain, and Cyber Security.

He says, “There is a huge gap for Product and Service Providers in this trillion-dollar economy. Considering the current startup eco-systems and govt. policies, I believe that the current market scenario opens up a huge business opportunity for the millennial generation.”

When it comes to the future, Rohan aspires to be at the forefront of technological innovation as a technology evangelist. On the other hand, Hindavi Technologies also plans to create various value-based products in the healthcare and education sector by using technologies like AI/ML, AR/VR, and Blockchain.

To achieve this, the firm has an R&D team that works in tandem with educational institutions, industry mentors, and innovators. Hindavi Technologies also has strong connections with the investing and startup community to kickstart various new projects and create the new unicorns in India.

Packiyanath Sivathanu: Enabling Clients To Accelerate Their Digital Transformation Story

An engineer by heart, Packiyanath Sivathanu (Packy), the CEO and co-founder of VueData India, started his journey in the software industry more than two decades ago, just after graduating as a computer science engineer. He was always inspired by the startup culture and was drawn by firms that wanted to do things differently in terms of providing technology solutions to address customer problems.

Initially, Packy worked for several startups in India, which provided him with enough opportunities to learn, do something challenging, and wear many hats while performing different roles. With his eagerness to work more closely with clients, Packy relocated to the U.S. and worked with organizations like Microsoft, TMobile, Amazon, Sequent, etc.

After nearly a decade of working in the U.S., a personal situation forced Packy to return back to India. Along with Muru Ganesan who is Director, and CEO, of the firm’s Seattle office they founded VueData headquartered in Seattle, WA., with offices in Chennai and Bangalore, India. VueData provides end-to-end IT services to some of the fortune 500 companies globally, focusing on Retail, Media, and enterprise markets to achieve business
transformation by leveraging industry insight and technological expertise. The organization helps its clients by using the latest technologies and solving complex problems. Outside of its service offerings, VueData has also a suite of products, ‘Tentkotta,’ an OTT platform specifically made for South Indian films, DB-DAAS, an end-to-end Database Release automation tool, and go-boss.com which is a one-stop solution to create your own white labeled streaming platform/service.

The Motivation to Create VueData

Packy feels that even though people talk a lot about innovation and leadership but when it comes to giving employees the needed room to innovate and grow, there is always a hush-hush and pushback. Often this fear of failure gets ingested, which in turn stops the proper thought process of some of the brightest minds in the business.

“At VueData, it’s always employee first. we give them the freedom to be heard. We do our best to ensure that part of our culture at VueData is reflected in everything we do.”– says Packy.

“It is imperative that not just the leadership but everyone in the organization understands why and how we do what we do. We preach and follow that top-down throughout the organization in anything that we do at work and outside.”- he added further.

Tackling the Pandemic

Even with so much negativity, the pandemic did bring in some very positive aspects for the organization. Challenged with a steep learning curve, it was during these challenging times that employees understood the importance of proactive communication not only with the clients but also within their teams to stay up-to-date. Eventually, this proactive communication led to increased trust between team members and leaders regarding how they work together and who has their back during critical times. Above all, this increased the overall empathy toward colleagues by quite a few notches.

All these together have increased VueData’s overall IT operations efficiency by up to 30 percent. However, the most challenging part for companies was retaining talent during the Great Resignation period. Packy believes that VueData failed on a few strategies, but the HR team quickly learned from the mistakes, realigned themselves, and hit the ground running to adjust to the new norms.

Current Market Situation

Packy feels the IT industry has successfully sustained the uncertainty that the pandemic bought alongside. However, despite rapid growth in digital transformation and technological innovation, there are also signs of a slowdown in business initiatives. In a broader sense, this could be seen as a measured approach adopted by the organizations to keep their eyes on the market, which has a high chance of plunging into recession.

“Positively, this might be seen as a market correction post-uncertainty adjustment rather than a market collapse. It’s a wait-and-watch game while being conservative and planning to sustain, at this point, I guess.”– he added.

Picture of the Future

As a part of its technology focus, VueData is heavily focused on enabling a few of its clients to move towards the Metaverse coupled with blockchain technology. At present, some members of the organization’s advanced technology team are focusing on creating revolutionary products to help some of its clients transition smoothly into a virtual 3D world. Packy explains that moving into a virtual world may seem fancy, but that opens up new concerns about data privacy and security, which VueData is currently focusing on to grow its practices and solutions even further. Additionally, the firm has plans to expand its team in South America and various other countries in Asia. Within India, the company has seen a lot of success in hiring talented individuals from tier II and tier III cities.

Caroline Zimmer: Creating Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives

Surely each of us has already noticed it in ourselves: We eat differently than a few years ago. Plant-based nutrition is becoming increasingly popular, for very different reasons. The focus is on health, variety, and sustainability, aspects that people associate with plant-based products. Nevertheless, hardly anyone wants to do
without one thing: delicious cheese. And that’s exactly what no one needs to do without anymore, because delicious plant-based alternatives to cheese are available from E.V.A. GmbH, a young company from the Allgäu region of Germany.

The organization is a market leader in its segment and develops, produces, and markets purely plant-based cheese alternatives. Currently, the company offers various alternatives to cream cheese, sliced cheese, grated cheese, parmesan, shepherd’s cheese, brand new grill cheese, and curd cheese.

Even though E.V.A. GmbH is a part of the Hochland group, it consciously got separated from its parent company to allow the development of new products, some of which were unusual for a dairy company.

Curious about new things

E.V.A. GmbH is currently led by Managing Director Caroline Zimmer, an ambitious woman who loves challenges and is always curious about new things. Originally from Northern Germany, Caroline has been at home in Allgäu for decades. She has loved cheese and all other dairy products since her childhood. Even at that point in time, she was fascinated by the fact that a cow eats grass and then turns it into something as good as milk. Caroline states, “Since I’m also interested in natural sciences and find topics like microbiology and process technology exciting, the decision to become a dairy engineer was the right one.”

After graduating from college, Caroline wanted to start an apprenticeship. However, companies at that point of time were not interested in hiring women because of the huge and heavy milk cans that one needed to carry.

Caroline says, “I’m still enthusiastic about this craft, which has such a long tradition and to which we owe such wonderful products.”

In addition to her degrees as a dairy and industrial engineer, Caroline is a trained alternative practitioner, Qigong teacher, and a devoted follower of Daoism. Her education and training in traditional Chinese medicine have shaped her way of thinking.

Serving Clients

Regarding the customers, Caroline and her team focus on two directions; E.V.A. GmbH’s primary customers are those retailers who keep the product on their refrigerated shelves. However, the organization makes its products for end customers, so the team convinces both retailers and end customers to buy their products. And for all these, the taste of a product plays a critical role because people only buy a food product when it tastes good.

As the leader of the organization, Caroline takes everyone’s needs into account and ensures that E.V.A. introduces products that consumers love and have the potential to perform successfully in the trade. The organization prefers to focus on the class instead of mass.

Creating the Perfect Substitute of Cheese

Caroline says, “To get ahead, you undoubtedly need your own drive, and you have to be convinced of what you are doing. But the environment is also very important.” In professional terms, she was in very good hands at the parent company of E.V.A. GmbH, Hochland, first in marketing and then as the Head of Business Development/Innovation Management. In this role, her team established an entirely new innovation process based on her holistic approach to thinking and identifying opportunities in various segments, which eventually translated into concrete products. Simply V is one such product; everyone at Hochland recognized its potential very early and gave Caroline and her team the confidence to turn it into something huge.

Tackling Challenges

Developing a cheese alternative that is barely different from cheese was a challenging task. The list of the ingredients had to be manageable. However, the primary criteria were the taste. Simply V was supposed to taste far better than any cheese alternatives available.

On the other hand, the technology for manufacturing the product was another challenge. The team at E.V.A. developed their first product, a spreadable cheese by Simply V. After the team was finally satisfied with the recipe, it had to create a new manufacturing process to produce the product on a large scale.

Initially, distribution was also a challenge. Caroline and her team weren’t just making Simply V for vegans but for the growing number of flexitarians. To do that, products had to be on the refrigerated shelves of regular grocery stores. It was a very ambitious goal, as 7 years ago, finding a shelf with vegan and vegetarian products in the supermarket was very hard.

Since its inception in 2015, Simply V has won at least one award every year. Last year Simply V Genießerscheiben Herzhaft Nussig received the Vegan Food Award 2021 and the Best Seller of the Year 2021 by the trade magazine Rundschau für den Lebensmittelhandel. Also, the new Simply V Grill & Pfannengenuss Tomato Oregano have recently won the Vegan Food Award 2022 from PETA.

On the other hand, The Simply V Hirtengenuss received the Superior Taste Award 2022 with two stars. While the Simply V Streichgenuss Gurke & Knoblauch Ty Tzatziki and the Simply V Grill & Pfannengenuss Mediterrane Kräuter was recognized by the Superior Taste Award 2022, with one star.

Picture of the Future

Caroline states, “We are the market leader in Germany and want to remain so. At the same time, we know that cheese alternatives are a growth market that has awakened many desires.”

Currently, the market is witnessing a lot of movement, but E.V.A. GmbH is confident that it offers retailers an attractive portfolio of products that consumers love. “We are currently working on further product innovations, which I am already very much looking forward to launching.”- states Caroline, without revealing anything more.

“Additionally, the organization hopes to grow not only in Germany but also in Europe. Currently, E.V.A. GmbH’s products are available in seven European nations intending to expand this further.”

Advice for Young Female Entrepreneurs

As the Managing Director of E.V.A. GmbH, Caroline states, “You should believe in yourself and be convinced of what you are doing. You need courage, stamina, and healthy self-confidence because it’s not always easy to assert yourself in a world still dominated by men. But it’s worth it. Be a team player and also rely on the skills of others.”

Mariam Shaikh: Helping Students Fulfill their Academic and Career Goals

Meet Dr. Mariam Shaikh, an eminent professional in the education field based in the UAE with more than three decades of experience and continued success. As a strong, resilient, and futuristic leader, Dr. Mariam’s deep expertise covers Student Recruitment, Academic and Career Counseling, Marketing, Strategic Development, Student Experience, and International Relations. She has held multiple key positions in various reputed and prominent universities in the UAE and has worked religiously to attract aspiring students looking to pursue higher education from all over the world to the UAE.

Her professional journey in the world of education began during the early 80s when she owned a Nursery School, which was inspired by her children. At a later stage, she went on to head a prominent school as a Principal, where she played an instrumental role in the school’s growth.

Following that, she joined the Higher Education sector to help students fulfill their academic and career aspirations. Later in a pioneering move, she sponsored a foreign campus for The University of New Brunswick at Knowledge Village, which eventually encouraged many foreign universities to set up their campuses in UAE. Dr. Mariam has actively contributed to the successful development
of these foreign branch campuses. She has held several key positions with The Canadian University of Dubai, Heriot-Watt University, and Amity University in Dubai.

As a lifelong advocate of education, Dr. Mariam works closely with the UNHCR to provide scholarships for displaced students. She firmly believes that regardless of place, children must go to school. She says, “For Boys and girls forced to flee violence and persecution, an opportunity to study will provide them hope to define their future and realize their potential.”

Recently, Harvard Affiliate Mother Theresa University honored Dr. Mariam with an Honorary Doctorate in Transformational Educational Leadership for her study paper on International Education opportunities for students from all over the world aspiring to develop their career goals from the best the world has to offer.

In 2020, Dr. Mariam founded MS Education Consultants with a vision to support students, Education Institutions, and Innovative Learning Programs to meet the demands of the fast-paced world.

“We are a bespoke Education Services Consulting company with Student Success at the core of all our partnerships. I am delighted to share that MS Education Consultants is the official Middle Strategist for the prestigious University of Guelph, located in Ontario, Canada, to assist students in the Middle East with their admission into the University.”– she says. The University of Guelph is a leading Higher Education Institution in Canada with three majors ranked top 20 in the world, in combination with Student Satisfaction which is consistently top-ranked in Canada. The University of Guelph is one of Canada’s top comprehensive and research-intensive universities. They are known as Canada’s Food University. Established in 1964, the University enjoys a reputation for innovation and excellence
dating back more than 150 years to its founding colleges: Ontario Veterinary College, Ontario Agricultural College, and Macdonald Institute.

The University of Guelph’s commitment to internationalization is reflected in collaboration with Dr. Mariam Shaikh as U of G’s Middle East Strategist. “We are extremely excited about having Dr. Mariam Shaikh onboard to assist us with our student recruitment efforts in the MENA region. We want students to have direct access to our staff members globally, and this is a move in that direction,” says U of G’s Regional Operations Manager for the Middle East and South Asia, Jimmi Hemmenbach.

As an example of its innovative academics, this year, U of G is presenting a new One Health undergraduate major as a response to the ongoing pandemic. Dr. Scott Wease, pathobiology professor at U of G, states that “This pandemic has shown how we need this broad intersection approach to infectious diseases. It cannot just be medicine and veterinary medicine, and it cannot just be science, it [also] has to be social science, it is behavior.”

Known for its beautiful, safe campuses and welcoming, supportive culture, U of G blends historical and modern architecture with cutting-edge technology. Student engagement is fundamental to learning and research at U of G. By focusing on the “whole student,” the University of Guelph gives graduates the tools and skills to make a difference in our ever-changing world.

Helping Students to Achieve Their Dreams

Led by Dr. Mariam, MS Education Consultants presently offer services in University Admissions, Student Recruitment, New Campus Set-up Consultancy, Online Training Programs, and Student Cultural Exchange Programs.

● University Admissions: With its extensive experience with Undergraduate and Graduate applications, MS Education assists students in pursuing higher education in more than 400 Universities spread across UAE, UK, Canada, US, Europe, and Australia.

● Education Consultancy: The firm promotes UAE as an education hub and encourages the growth of various educational institutions in new markets by advising and consulting on New Campus startups and developing student recruitment plans and outreach strategies locally and internationally. It also helps with effective marketing budget utilization and planning, growth and retention solutions, government accreditation, training, and the development of student recruitment teams to create positive student experiences.

● Online Training Programs: By utilizing its valuable partnerships, MS Education Consultants facilitates various training courses by industry officials to boost the interest, knowledge, and skills of students.

● Student Cultural Exchange Programs: Now, students can reap the benefits of MS Education’s Cultural Exchange Program by visiting the state-of-the-art International Campuses in UAE to experience the learning environment and the available Program & Degree options.

Mission and Vision

Dr. Mariam’s primary mission is to develop worldwide educational affiliations, which can help students achieve their dreams with the GPS that will be provided by her own company in Dubai named ‘MS Education Consultants.’ Since its inception, the organization has developed a Student Cultural Exchange Program, which helps students from Europe, the US, Canada, Africa, China, and India to spend their time in Dubai, experiencing a day in top international universities of the region along with visits to Expo City Dubai, Museum of the Future and other cultural attractions in UAE.

The primary vision of MS Education Consultants is to assist global students in meeting their academic and career goals. The firm facilitates the establishment and growth of educational institutions and seeks important partnerships with various new innovative learning programs, specialized initiatives in line with the Government’s vision, and corporate collaborations to arm students with the skills needed in this era of innovation and change.

Future Roadmap

When it comes to the future, Dr. Mariam plans to continue mentoring and empowering students of different backgrounds and nationalities, helping them with their career choices, and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. Under her leadership, MS Education Consultants plans to launch internship opportunities and an innovative learning program for students and teachers.

Dr. Mariam explains, “I am pleased to share our upcoming launches with your readers, such as the Student Cultural and Higher Education Experience Program, for students across the globe to experience UAE culture and heritage and the multinational Higher Education options provided by the leading University Campuses from all over the world based here in Dubai International Academic City. We have already seen very successful visits with student groups from the USA, Europe, and China and look forward to welcoming students from India, Africa, Malaysia and other parts of the world for the cultural exchange visit!”

Giving it Back to the Society

Dr. Mariam feels pleased to support and be affiliated with Ladies in Business Global Community Group, International Women Entrepreneurs Group, Indian Women in Dubai, the UAE Africa Education Initiative, and World Education Community. Additionally, she has also joined IIT E-Cell Mumbai as the Youth Empowerment Mentor and the Youth United Council of India as an International Advisor. She supports UNHCR in providing scholarships for their displaced students. Dr. Mariam also runs and operates an orphanage in Mumbai, India.

Mohammad A. Baker: Discovering New Ways to Serve the Community

Meet Mohammad A Baker, the Deputy Chairman and CEO of GMG, a global well-being company retailing, distributing, and manufacturing an extensive portfolio of leading homegrown and international brands across the health, sports and food sectors.

Having started as a single butcher’s shop in 1977, GMG is now considered one of the leading family-owned conglomerates in the Middle East. With its rapidly growing global presence, GMG now has more than 7,000 employees in 12 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.

In many ways, GMG’s success mirrors that of Dubai. Just as Dubai has transformed from a humble trading outpost to a global commercial and tourism hub over the last four decades, GMG has also undergone sweeping changes since its inception.

When Baker became the CEO, he had a vision of transforming the company and making it future-ready Under his helm, significant milestones happened, such as expanding into Asia through the acquisition of popular Asian retailer Royal Sporting House and Géant, a chain of supermarkets and hypermarkets in the UAE, part of Groupe Casino, a French retailing giant.

Although born into a family that owns a successful and growing business like GMG, Baker explored multiple careers before joining his family business. After completing his education, Mohammad A. Baker served the banking industry for a brief period of time and later built his own business, which was one of the free-standing gyms in Dubai. However, in 2010, Baker joined GMG and spent his first six years immersing himself in every aspect of the business. In 2016, Baker took over as the CEO of GMG.

Diversifying Offerings

Since its inception in 1977, GMG has worked round the clock to become the most trusted partner for growth and innovation across its target markets. “From our modest beginnings in Dubai, our ambition and vision were to become global,” asserts Mohammad A. Baker.

In line with the ambition, the management team redesigned GMG’s business to reiterate the mission of promoting a healthier and more active lifestyle through four primary business verticals; GMG Sports, GMG Food, GMG Health, and GMG Consumer Goods.

At GMG Sports, the firm inspires and empowers the entire community through high-quality and authentic sports gear from the world’s leading brands. It also manufactures food products through its food division, which helps the organization add value to the UAE’s economy by producing locally and supplying consumers with fresh and nutritious foods. GMG distributes various popular homegrown food brands through its Consumer Goods division and oversees its Géant operations in the UAE. Additionally, the acquisition of Géant from Urban Foods has expanded the firm’s capabilities across the food value chain, covering food manufacturing, distribution, and retail.

On the other hand, GMG’s Health Division delivers a holistic approach to supporting consumer well-being through nutrition, pharma care, vitamins, supplements, etc.

“Across all of these businesses, we are daring ourselves and others to develop better products and experiences that change lives,” says Baker.

Handling Challenges

Baker has always believed that failures act as stepping stones to success. He says, “One of our values at GMG is to keep evolving. We must constantly challenge ourselves to meet ever-changing consumer demands and beyond. To do so, we must be the change we wish to see and inspire our partners and communities to do the same.“

He feels it is very important to understand the market’s pulse and be prepared to challenge the status quo. A business leader must be prepared to evolve and adapt to quickly changing situations.

The Greatest Accomplishment

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Baker and the team decided to launch a purpose-centric vision that could drive them to win globally, not just in GMG’s home market and GCC. This decision eventually led to GMG’s acquisition of Royal Sporting House, Asia’s leading multi-brand sports retailer, which opened the Asian market for the organization.

Entering the Asian market during the pandemic was a bold move as the business sentiments were low and markets were down. Still, the organization got an opportunity and went after it.

Baker adds, “This coupled with the extraordinary resilience shown by our people, our partners, and the community overall in rebounding from this challenge is an achievement I am extremely proud of.”

Implementing New Ideas

Baker and his team’s revitalized corporate vision and values set a clear direction for GMG’s next chapter of sustainable growth. They are focused on improving people’s lives through active living, nutritious food, and good health. Baker hopes to continue acquiring new international brands, developing homegrown concepts, entering new markets, and growing GMG’s existing partnerships in 2022.

As a business, GMG will also reap the benefits of the recent internal restructuring, including the newly established vertical divisions and reporting lines that optimize performance and explores new synergies.

Future Roadmap

As a growth company, GMG’s ambition is reflected by its ongoing journey to expand its portfolio and double its global workforce by 2025.

Baker says, “We see potential in delivering health and well-being across every market we operate in. A renewed focus on personal well-being is a trend we are witnessing across all geographies globally. In line with this trend and our wider ambitions, we have made some strategic partnerships and acquisitions.”

Last year Baker and his team expanded GMG’s Nike partnership to Iraq and Egypt, increased the investment in KSA, and scaled up some of the verticals.

In March 2022, GMG announced its partnership with an international lifestyle brand named New Era and became its official distributor across the GCC, Iraq, and Egypt. Later in April, it acquired Nike-only stores from SUTL Corporation’s sports retailing arm in Singapore and Malaysia. In the same month, GMG entered the food retail industry by acquiring Géant operations in the UAE. The organization also holds exclusive rights to expand these operations further in the Middle East.

“Our major retail partners have been with us for decades because they realize that we are never complacent despite our success. We will continue to focus on expansion, acquiring new international brands, developing homegrown concepts, entering new markets, and growing existing partnerships,” asserts Baker.

Kelly Bagla: An Award-Winning Attorney Simplifying Business Law

Meet Kelly Bagla, Esq. an international award-winning business attorney based in San Diego, California. Kelly was born and raised in England and emigrated to the U.S. after completing her graduation from the United Kingdom. Upon her arrival in the United States, all her childhood dream of practicing law became a reality. Soon after completing her law school in California, Kelly started working for the largest international law firm in the world, Baker McKenzie LLP, where she advised her domestic and international clients on corporate and securities matters. Working for the “Boss Man” was not Kelly’s dream so after some time, she decided to walk away from her secured salaried role to start her own law firm.

In 2009 Kelly founded Bagla Law Firm, APC, which became one of the most trusted names in business law within a decade. Kelly has also established GoLegalYourself.com, an online company helping entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses with proper legal documentation, particularly for entrepreneurs who bootstrap their startups.

Kelly is an author of four books (Go Legal Yourself, First Edition, Go Own Yourself, Doing Business In the United States, and Go Legal Yourself, Second Edition), and also contributes to Homeland Magazine and San Diego Veterans Magazine on a monthly basis. Kelly is working on her fifth book which will be available in November 2022 from Amazon called Legal Pearls, Pearls Of Wisdom For Avoiding Business Litigation.

Kelly takes her personal life as seriously as her work. She was named ‘Ms. Southern California’ in the 2010 natural bodybuilding competition, and she still holds her professional bodybuilding card. Kelly still wakes up early to start her day, which also allows her to meet the needs of her overseas clients hailing from different time zones.

Helping Entrepreneurs with Legal Solutions

Each of Kelly’s enterprises is fully committed to informing, equipping, and inspiring entrepreneurs to recognize opportunities to run, start, and grow their own businesses. Starting a new business or entering an entirely new market is not easy. In the United States, starting a business needs good planning, making critical financial decisions, and completing a lot of legal activities, which can get very confusing for foreign-based companies.

Bagla Law Firm offers a unique suite of services, including but not limited to; Business Formation, Asset Protection for Real Estate Investors, Assisting Foreign based businesses, Mergers and Acquisitions, Trademarking, and Offshore Asset Protection. Bagla Law Firm serves a wide range of clientele in and outside of the United States.

Kelly loves helping international entrepreneurs establish their presence in the U.S. She works with entrepreneurs to set up their legal entities in the United States. Kelly says, “Whether they are launching a new business or expand their existing business in the USA, I can help. The laws in this country are complex, and those who want to establish businesses here must do it properly. United States is a highly litigious country, and attracting a lawsuit is relatively easy if individuals or businesses fail to protect themselves adequately.”

Most of Kelly’s clients are domestic and international entrepreneurs, business leaders, CEOs, and investors in the early stages of establishing their companies.

Her global clients are mainly entrepreneurs who come from a wide range of industries, ranging from digital entertainment to healthcare products to cyber security.

Kelly says, “My international clients, in particular, trust Bagla Law Firm because I’m an immigrant myself. I came to the U.S. for many of the same reasons international entrepreneurs want to come here. The possibilities for business owners are endless.”

“In launching my own firm, I experienced the unique challenges of setting up a U.S.-based business, which can be complicated. This first-hand experience puts me on the same footing as my international clients who know that I’ve personally done this myself for multiple businesses I own. It takes an entrepreneur to recognize the needs of another entrepreneur”– She added further.

The Journey

While growing up as the youngest of seven children, Kelly witnessed her father’s struggle and accomplishments. He worked in a factory for years, saving and planning the entire time. Eventually, he was able to buy the same factory he worked in and became his own boss and the first business owner in his family.

Kelly saw the amount of hard work her father put in and the sense of pride he had after owing the business. Remembering that incident, Kelly says, “I knew I not only wanted to do the same, but I wanted to help others experience that sense of accomplishment and independence.”

Kelly’s primary motivating factor is her desire to protect and aid those who are brave enough to dream big. Whether it’s through her work as a legal advisor to new companies, when she is writing a book to educate people on how to protect themselves while setting up new ventures, or when she is hosting a podcast (Go Legal Yourself Podcast – get the APP, it’s FREE) to educate future entrepreneurs, Kelly has done everything to help others achieve their dreams.

Awards and Accolades

Kelly has been recognized for innovating the legal industry and making a positive impact on entrepreneurs. Kelly has an impressive list of awards and accolades: L.A. Dreams Magazine recognized Kelly as one of the Top Women Entrepreneurs.

She was nominated as one of the Business Women of the Year by San Diego Business Journal and selected as one of the Top Lawyers by Marquis Who’s Who, Attorney of the Month by San Diego Attorney Journal, Top 20 Businesswomen to Watch in 2020 by Insights Success Magazine, Top Transformational Woman Leader by Industry Wired Magazine.

She is also a winner of 2020 and 2021 Lawyers of Distinction, Best of 2020 Oceanside Business Services Award, 2020 Legal Awards for Best International M&A Law Firm USA, Corporate Attorney of the Year, California, by Acquisition International, Business Legal Professional of the Year USA by Corporate Live Wire.

Additionally, Kelly has been featured in several Cover Stories, including; the Most Recommended Law Firms to Watch in 2021 by The Business Fame Magazine, Top Law Firms to Watch in 2021 by Tycoon Success Magazine, Top Law Firms to Watch in 2022 by Mirror Review Magazine, and 10 Best International Law Firms to Watch in 2022 by the Inc Magazine. Kelly is also a Podcast host of Go Legal Yourself- top 20 business law podcasts, Judge on Everyday Edisons Emmy award-winning T.V. show, and a well-known T.V. personality and Speaker.

When Learning is Key

Even with such a busy schedule, Kelly never misses an opportunity to learn from successful business owners who came before her.

“I listen to a lot of audible books while I’m working out or walking my dogs. I am always looking for inspiration and looking for ways to improve,” Kelly says.

She credits books like Secret of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar and Grant Cardone’s Secrets of Selling for helping to establish and grow her business.

Suggestions for Younger Self

As the Queen of Business Law® Kelly suggests to young female entrepreneurs that the business landscape has changed massively over the past years, and it is now more accessible for people looking to become their own boss. She says, looking to become their own boss. She says, “Women, in particular, must believe in themselves and stay true to who they are, and never compromise on ethics and values. Confidence is the key to mastering business and life, and the only accessory anyone needs.”

Picture of the Future

When asked about the future, Kelly says, “In early January 2023, I’ll be launching a new business coaching company called Pitbulls ‘n Pearls – The Coaching Company for people who Love Life and Mean Business! Pitbulls ‘n Pearls offers a comprehensive program that teaches people not only how to start their dream business, but our team of successful business experts takes people step by step through all of the personal growth skill sets and positive mindset training necessary for building confidence and mastering personal life and business.”