Tycoon Diary Archives

Cloud Gaming – The New Medium Entertainment

Since its appearance in the 1960s and its progression with the rise of micro-computing, video games have regularly benefited from the advances of the digital world to become an art form in its own right and a globalized and intergenerational leisure activity.

As streaming (or Cloud Gaming) reshuffles the cards in the video game industry and 5G promises to accelerate its democratization, let’s take a closer look at its contributions in terms of convergence, uses and business models, and why we think it will be the video game medium of tomorrow.

Computers have never been able to do without video games. Proof of this is the 1960s and 1970s, which saw the appearance of the first so-called popular games such as Spacewar in 1962, Pong in 1972 (a very basic tennis game) and Space Invaders, which were often accessible primarily on desktop machines, the ancestors of our current microcomputers.

With the miniaturization of the computer will come the time of the consoles connected to the television set and which will propel the game in the domestic universe. The video games leave the closed framework of the game rooms to invite themselves in the heart of the living rooms and families.

Over the next 40 years, screens will have so invaded our daily lives that the use of games will now be based on a wide variety of media: televisions, computers, arcade terminals, smartphones, electronic tablets, Smart TVs… and of course consoles, the latest of which are in 3D.

The video games devices will also see many changes in the field of fixed consoles (e.g. PlayStation, Xbox, GameCube, Wii®) or transportable consoles (e.g. Game Boy, DS and PSP). In addition to wireless joysticks, there are gyroscopes that detect the position of players’ movements in space.

Futhermore, virtual reality is becoming more and more present (for example, immersive interactive simulation: visual, sound, haptic). In addition to technological advances and thanks to the emergence of social networks, the world of video games has become more social and cultural.

Pokémon GO and World of Warcraft have become social phenomena and confirm what everyone has already understood.

Video games have now become a key sector in the entertainment industry and a multi-billion dollar industry.

Indeed, the world of video games is populated by characters that have become famous such as Pokémon, Mario, Sonic, Pac-Man, Rayman or even Lara Croft, which will give rise to as many franchises and animated or cinematographic adaptations.

Cloud Gaming or the emergence of a medium

With the arrival of Cloud Gaming technologies, video games are on the verge of a third revolution marked by:

– Ultra availability: This is the possibility for everyone, everywhere and all the time to indulge in the joys and pleasures of video gaming. This promise is about to be fulfilled thanks to the deployment of 5G, among other things, but also to the ability of Cloud Gaming solutions to adapt to bandwidth constraints, particularly in emerging countries where economic barriers and low bandwidth have long restricted access to video games.

– Ultra pricing: It is characterized by a variety of business models: unit purchase, unlimited subscription, introduction of a digital currency NFT to obtain virtual objects, freemium, more or less immersive and personalized advertising spaces and which all correspond to as many user profiles. They will cautiously but surely relegate to the background the ecosystems associated with console-type media and the closed ecosystems symbolized by the Apple App Store.

– Ultra playability: Servers managing sophisticated games in agnostic mode, strong involvement of players from game creation to participation in metavers, disappearance of social, demographic and geographic boundaries.

– Ultra-convergence: Video games inspire and aspire other art forms and converge with other disciplines such as medicine, which have integrated them into the therapeutic field (neurology, autism, cancer…).

One of the most striking examples of this convergence, born during containment, is the development of virtual concerts. The most recent example of experimentation in this field is certainly the concert of the rapper Travis Scott which took place on Epic Games’ license: Fortnite. By launching a game, players were able to enjoy a creatively staged virtual concert, in which they could move freely around the star’s avatar in a performance realized through motion capture techniques.

In another turn of events, the video game world, after having plundered the musical heritage to provide soundtracks like the GTA franchise for Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Authority, sees this same publisher investing directly in the discovery and production of talent, with the objective of having original music directly available and appreciated by its community, while playing the game of distribution via music streaming platforms.

Generation Z had adopted YouTube as the single screen for their video explorations, overtaking their parents’ television and platforms like Twitch.

Generation Alpha will probably be the one of the Metaverse, a concept at the crossroads of virtual reality and social networks using video games and their uses.

Microsoft’s recent acquisition of the giant Activision-Blizzard for $68.7 billion will accelerate the growth in Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, PC, console and cloud and will provide building blocks for the metaverse”as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed.

Of course, the virtual world is not in its infancy. Gaming, in particular, has been investing it for several years. Second Life, a virtual world that created a buzz among some 30 million users in the early 2000s, is a good example. Since then, the gaming industry has been offering its own virtual worlds, with increasingly elaborate and interactive content, like the virtual mini-concerts of the game Fortnite and their 12 million spectators.

But these universes remain limited to their own game, whereas the metaverse intends to sign the advent of an interconnected virtual world and draw the contours of a future Web 3.0.

Everything will then be a question of the virtual experience’s quality. A few milliseconds too much delay in an interaction, the expression of a face (the metaverse promises to reach this level of detail) or worse, an interruption of service, and these new virtual offers will disappoint.

So, metavers and other virtual worlds will only take off, if they can rely on storage, connectivity and network infrastructures that are up to the challenges that Cloud Gaming is currently facing.

Cloud Gaming reinvents and democratizes the gaming experience

Cloud Gaming technologies, which are omnipresent among telecom operators, are now at the heart of the development strategies of console manufacturers and video game publishers, and are on the way to converting almost all gamers, thanks to an increasing improvement in performance in terms of accessibility, playability and graphic quality.

They still have to find the right balance between economic models and creativity, mass consumption and inclusiveness, openness and respect for ethical rules.

Author – Karen Seror CMO at Gamestream

Why do we need more digital leader in the insurance industry?

The insurance industry is working on digital process optimalisation. They are learning a lot: how can we develop new business models and special new service models, to support the needs of clients and to achieve the „heart of customers“.

For this purpose they use a design thinking approach, analyzing trends and using business model canvas. But they shouldn‘t learn only methods, but also how new technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, internet of things or predictive analytics work. This combination is very important to be „fit for the future“, to be a digital leader!

Because the digital leaders will be the winner and as you know „the winner takes it all“! I think, most of our challenges are coming from the complexity of digital transformation and the complexity of the insurance branche. How should we start? Should we start with processes, products, organization, clients or employees? Should we cooperate with a startup or should we be a startup, as digital insurer or should we found a venture and invest in startups? I realized, there are so many questions and also so many ideas developing step by step the digital insurance DNA for the next generation. As you know, today, to develop a digital approach, to change your legacy system, to develop your culture and organization, to „teach“ your clients to use your apps. It takes time to see the results and appropriate profits. If you invest into the future, you need enough resources (time, money, quality) to develop a long term perspective. The insurance industry is only on the starting point of this transformation journey.

I`ve prepared an „insurance landscape“ about the status of startups and insurance companies/corporate ventures from the perspective, whether they are cooperation or competition.

Our exponentional developing business life required a exponentional learning developing.

The insurance world was very closed world. From closed value chain from developing new insurance products, through sale the product and in case of damage regular the claims.

But the technology is supporting us to do our process more efficient, quick, to develop more customer convenience. Our InTa – Insury Talent Network supports young (re)insurance professionals & brokers to understand the new insurance innovation world and act like a “Champion“.

The insurance industry has the power to do the right things in the right direction with understanding the customers, education talents, develop the right vision, strategy and company culture, use the most important technology. If your „Innovation House“ ready is, you can do your job with passion and enthusiasm every day. Are you ready to understand and create a great insurance industry together?!

Author: Erika Krizsan | Managing Director | Insurance Factory Innovation Store /Austria

www.inta-network.com | www.insurance-factory.eu

Kaleem & Madeeha: They revolutionised the South Australian businesses

“Taking a deep dive into the numbers is a not-so-secret passion for Kaleem and Madeeha, while finding their real joy in creating opportunities for the migrants. They are not just Business Partners but a lifelong companion”

The fearless couple, who revolutionised the South Australian Industry. Meet Kaleem Ulah and Madeeha Usman, the young entrepreneurs of Adelaide. When Usman, was offered her first role as an external auditor in PWC, within 20 days of her arrival in Australia, she was mentoring students of her age. The job was a well sought position, overseeing the external audits for a global organisation. While Kaleem, a well-trained engineer, found his passion in numbers. Being recognised by the official Institute of Public Accountants for his extraordinary vigilance and passion for accounting. Kaleem is known to be the support system for many SMEs. They are taking the accounting industry by storm. And, if you are visiting Adelaide, you are sure to be recommended by many!

This is the story of two most enigmatic leaders, who share the same vision but believe in bringing a different approach to the table and giving back to the community.

Going into Business…

In April 2016, Mr Ulah and Mrs Usman decided to start their own accounting firm. Every night, they would sit in their garage and brainstorm. Kaleem was quite popularly known by his Australian friends as Kaleem ‘Kal’. And one night, when Usman was trying to scribble and brainstorm, she was struck by an idea – And it was The Kalculators.

The Kalculators in two short years was supporting variety of entities – factory workers to multimillion – dollar turnover businesses such as pharmacies, retail stores, construction companies and service providers.

“Many of my clients are high net worth individuals, which we define as anyone with over $5 million in liquid financial assets. These clients are often either retired or run successful businesses including franchises, and managing stock portfolios and estates

When asked Usman, about the vision she brings,

“Everything we do, and the success we have, is due to our root vision of treating customers with transparency and equality”

While, Kaleem’s home-made tax form, was hitting a speedy road to success. Madeeha’s business vision towards creating a sustainable firm became the backbone of the organisation.

“I remember back in the day a client asked me why I was using my own Word printout. Everyone else was using computers and there I was with my piece of paper. But clients liked my resourcefulness, and years later my very first clients are still with me,” reveals Mr Ulah.

Two short years later, Madeeha and Kaleem were managing 10 offices throughout Adelaide and over 10,000 clients.

The couple owes their success to the fellow migrants. And believe, a leader must give back to the society to create a stronger root for the generations to come.

Kaleem and Madeeha have helped countless newcomers adjust to life in Australia.

“Most of my clients have migrated from other countries. They don’t know any accountants and they don’t know enough about the local laws. So, they need someone who can teach them and who can speak their own language,” says Mr Ulah.

“My wife and I thought, ‘we have the resources, we have everything, so let’s go and offer international students the opportunity to learn how to do tax returns’,” he explains.

“International students spend a lot of money on their studies, but finding employment for them, is very hard. The reason is that students are learning the theory, but lacking the practical experience,” says Mr Ulah.

“we have hired a professional trainer who trains the international students on how to use software and how to execute tax returns in real time. They also observe our accountants while they are on the job. Slowly we bring them to a professional level.”

“Once they complete it, we offer the dedicated ones a job in one of my offices,” he says.

So, eager to grow with their community, the couple allows international students to develop practical experience with the aim of easing their integration into the Australian workforce.

Madeeha, who is known to be the philanthropist by some, mentors for many, and Tax Lady by her team. Mentors students at the Oxford University, who are working towards their PHD dr.

Being recognised as one of the most powerful women in the accounting industry, Madeeha was honoured as an Ausmumpreneur in 2021. Usman encourages and supports young mothers to create a life of their own dreams.

Madeeha’s mentoring was a compelling one, she always conveyed the inspirational thought

– “If you fail don’t lose hope because as the wise saying goes, we can’t change the direction of the wind but we can certainly adjust the sales”

Yet being one of the most influential women in business, you can’t just dismiss Madeeha as an accountant. She is also the author of her recently launched book, “The Women Changing The World” – A story of her life and other powerful women, who choose to lead life the harder way – to set an example for women, who are still doubting their abilities to build themselves.

As per Madeeha, “This book is not only for women, but to inspire daughters, and sons, for the generations to come”

“Getting to the top at the expense of another woman is not a sustainable way to get ahead, and, most importantly, doesn’t help our case. The only way that women will be seen as equal in business is by making sure that there are more women accomplishing what they deserve in the workforce, and that takes encouragement”

“This book is not just stories, but real life journeys, relatable role models – where women in Australia are changing the world through entrepreneurialism, education, conscious living, advocacy and innovation”.

“Game Changers”

Madeeha and Kaleem both used their positions to encourage the young migrants to pursue their dream. As a result, The Kalculators earned recognition for “Diversity Inclusion” in 2021.

Employing over 100 young individuals from various cultural backgrounds. They believed opportunity is inclusive to all.

Also, being recognised as a finalist by Xero, a multimillion cloud accounting organisation. The Kalculators was recently recognised for its “Consulting service” and as a “Boutique firm” of 2021.

Creating ability through disability

Working with the clients in disability, they realised the provided service level suffered for the vulnerable. Even with the proper funding, many individuals with disabilities were unable to create an independent lives for themselves.

This is when, Care Assure was born…

Madeeha and Kaleem founded Care Assure – a disability housing and support provider in South Australia.

As the directors of Care Assure, we are not about making money; the role requires empathy and value creation. And working towards value creation is not easy, it is about constant quality assurance, to ensure your clients are being treated with care and respect.

Providing disability accommodations all over South Australia, Care Assure is recognised for the seamless service experience it provides.

Wielding Soft Power

As directors, it’s about more than the sales you do or the money you create; your clients are your centric value. In the current times of uncertainity, as organisations we must be sustainable, realistic and exercise quality control. The day you start working through hierarchy and consider yourself as a boss! You start to lose your ground as a leader.

Management should value transparency and respect. Not just profits or expenditures! Provide your team with the right resources and respect them for their own individuality. You will end up having a team of passionate individuals exceeding expectations.

Witness Shubha Rawal, changing the Customary way of Businesses

Meet Shubha Rawal, a proficient, focus-driven, and decisive leader acting as Head-Sourcing at IG International Pvt. Ltd. She has been associated with the company for the past 12 years. During her tenure, she has attended many professional development programs from premier institutions; Executive Education Program, Artificial Intelligence from Indian School of Business Hyderabad, Digital and Social Media Marketing Strategies from IIM Bangalore, Organizational Excellence Through Leadership from Delhi University, and many more to be updated and well-versed in the industry. She has opted to be a practical businesswoman and has developed absolute clarity for what she does. This has helped her professionally in achieving many milestones in her pathway.

Additionally, she manages Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Relationship Management with international business associates; manages end-to-end promotions for global brands in the fresh produce industry, among many others. Also, she is the running Head of IG Wrapple Street, the company’s newly launched retail venture.

Exemplary Offerings by IG

For more than 50 years, IG International has been a prominent leader in supplying fresh fruits all over India; making it the largest importer in the country. “We import premium fresh fruits, from established and leading growers all over the world, to a tune of more than 1,20,000 Metric Tons annually from around 22 countries,” she adds. The company equips a plethora of infrastructure of temperature-controlled warehousing spread across the country, a large cold-chain logistics of more than a hundred reefer trucks, and an organization aptly developed to support its business. In the central state of India, Madhya Pradesh, the company cultivates premium blueberries, licensed by Australia’s Mountain Blue for domestic market and exports. It also owns farms and orchards in states like Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Telangana to grow apples, kiwis, and other fruits. Moreover, its orchard-based fruit growing is spread across the globe, specifically cultivating cherries and apples in Czech Republic. It is also indulged in a logistics venture named IG Logistics providing third-party logistics in India.

Shubha Rawal and her team, recently, have offered a brand-new concept in the culinary world—IG Wrapple Street and Fruitisserie. It is a concept-eatery and a takeaway, first opened at Bandra, Mumbai. Like there are patisseries—Fruitisserie is about the unique assortment of gourmet desserts and delicacies with fruit as the core ingredient. The specialty of the place is its innovative Apple Wrapples. “Both IG Fruits and IG Wrapple Street have a robust online presence with fully developed e-commerce and eco-system,” she asserts with pride.

The promise of IG BRAND is the bond that holds its customers. IG’s commitment to bring them the best fruit of the world, farm fresh at their doorstep, anywhere and everywhere in India—is what ensures their patronage. “The quality and the taste they find in our fruits holds them with us for a very long time. It is something like—once an IG customer, always an IG customer,” she highlights.

A Glimpse into the Future

“Going by our brand tagline, I would say our future is Fresh & Sweet, Always! That’s because the imported fruits category is growing its popularity in India, especially among the youth,” she mentions. “Even in smaller cities and towns, our fruits sell.” The health and nutrition aspect has increased the demand for health products propagating IG’s business. Imported fruits have become trail-blaze in India as these fruits are not only good to look at but also highly nutritious. Though the pandemic has hit almost every business in the market, it has miraculously boosted the demand as people’s choice of healthy options became a lifestyle aspiration. This may secure the targeted market but, securing market share is more essential. She optimistically feels in aiming to capitalize on this market opportunity for the company.

Moreover, she and her team are excited about IG Wrapple Street, as this venture will be a trendsetter in the Fruitisserie business. It is futuristic, youthful and healthy, and meant for today’s consumer, and people like it. “We had an encouraging start with our first café and we have clear blueprints of our expansion in near future,” she says. Hopefully, the business will be available across the places in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and other metro cities. Whereas, the company is already available on eCommerce and blooming robustly as the demand increases. “Health is going to stay and so is the demand,” she says.

Note-worthy bits of Advice

Shubha Rawal recommends that, first and foremost, the companies should lean towards the merit of meritocracy by defying any discrimination, especially gender’s, whatsoever. They must realize that man or woman can do any work with equal efficiency. It is this belief that forms the core of gender equality at the workplace. She desires that every company should change its mindset to eradicate any sort of gender discrimination. “From the top person to the most bottom level, gender sensitivity and gender equality must be promoted throughout,” she emphasizes. She further utters, women employees should be given equal opportunities to work breaking the gender barrier and supports teamwork in the organization. She also comprehends prioritizing safety of women employees in enterprises by taking appropriate measures like adequate surveillance and security within and around the office premises. Also, strict compliance of prevention, prohibition and redressal of harassment of women at workplace and companies should assure the women workers of its commitment to adherence to zero tolerance policies.

She understands the obstacles a businesswoman might face while building the success path for herself. Amidst such instances, Shubha Rawal advises one to be authentic and not try to force-fit oneself in any kind of mold. “Always remember, you are who you are. Be your own voice. You don’t need to prove yourself every time.” She recommends one to march confidently and grasp every opportunity put forth. “During these times, it’s important to remember why you started to begin with. Focus, prioritize and things will fall in places. After all, it’s not that difficult,” she concludes.

Quote: “Enjoy the sweet fruit of your work every day and don’t store it for future use. It’ll just rot.”

The New Era of Business – What’s More to it? By Prerna Sinha

Covid – 19 was a shock to mankind, but a grace to Mother Earth. Humanity collapsed, and nature rose…Mankind was forced to stay indoors after going through decades of globalisation, commercialisation and more. The shock and the fear resulting from the pandemic shook the earth, unprecedented in the history of mankind. Yet the ‘Phoenix’ was preparing to rise…

Businesses collapsed, industries shut and millions lost their jobs. In the middle of all this, the e-commerce sector rose like a ‘Phoenix’. The pandemic created a huge demand in the market, that was being catered to by the e-commerce sector. According to a study, the Indian e-commerce sector is set to grow at least 80% in the next 4 years, the impact brought on by Covid-19.

E-commerce sector was flourishing even before the pandemic, however there is a need to relook at the business strategies for the sector after covid-19. The tectonic shift in this sector has also called for some major changes in the way businesses operate. Some of the strategies, that are in line with sustainability that need to be adopted are mentioned below:

Sustainability the big way – There is a need to ‘introduce ‘sustainability’ as a business strategy by all firms irrespective of their industry. E-commerce firms definitely need to focus on ‘sustainable’ products. Any product/service that is in alignment with nature would be the need of the hour. Sustainability, in all forms – business models to packaging products has become increasingly important after the pandemic has hit almost every family living on earth. Promoting and selling ecological products will nourish Mother Earth and go a long way! Consumers’ approach towards health and wellness will lead to them preferring sustainable products over others.
Leaders as ‘Compassionate Mothers’ – Taking cues from Mother Earth who always nurtures its people, leaders also need to reshape their personalities, and play the role of compassionate mothers in the lives of their teams/ people. The leaders must create a ‘trusting & transparent’ environment, ensuring there is trust amongst teams. Trust, during these times can be one of the ‘winning’ strategies. In times of uncertainty it’s very obvious for ‘people’ to feel lost and unmotivated. Along with this, if the organisation doesn’t trust them their mental health and immunity can be compromised.
Empathy as a strategy – 90% of those who are working from home are doing it for the first time. While the leaders/ bosses may get insecure about their ‘people’ it is not the right time to display such insecurity. They are struggling with the ‘perfect’ phone/ internet connection (*pun intended). Or they may be trying to help their mothers/ wives in wrapping up a household which has mounted a double fold in the absence of the household help or they may be trying to soothe a restless child who is frustrated being home. Organisations need to ensure an ‘empathetic’ view towards the employees. The more empathy that’s shown towards ‘people’ at this stage will ensure they stay performing in these times. Isn’t ‘performance’ that one thing the organisation is expecting from its people?
Dynamic & Sturdy Logistics – While e-commerce is progressing at the speed of lightning, those cardboard boxes and plastic packaging are creating tons of waste that end up in landfills worldwide annually. The e-commerce firms need to revamp their logistics system, making it dynamic, sturdy and eco-friendly. Organisations need to give their packaging a complete makeover, and source sustainable and ecological packaging materials.
Eco-friendly approaches in the supply chain – Organisations need to adopt eco-friendly approaches in all areas of business, including supply chain. Using materials that are recyclable, implementing processes that are sustainable will help the organisations contribute to a happy and healthy planet.
Make shipping environment friendly – Developing an environment friendly shipping solution for transporting goods will help the firms stand for ‘environment’. Firms must educate and convince the consumers to even pay extra for environment friendly shipping cost.
Optimisation of Waste Management – E-commerce firms need to optimise their waste management, and eliminate the packaging waste. ‘ Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ mantra needs to be followed by one and all.

Our planet needs our attention and care, since today’s world is dominated by businesses they can be the change makers! Changing the way business operates, the way employees are treated, the way nature is preserved. E-commerce, the Phoenix, has disrupted the way people shop, eat, travel and live. Am sure, it can also change the way our planet feels 🙂

Author: Prerna Sinha, Founder of Urbane Essence.

Pandemic greatly Affecting Women in Business

Throughout the country, businesses suffered supply chain interruptions, demand for their products and services declined, and shortages occurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Meanwhile, the federal government launched programs designed to keep workers on payrolls. This Spotlight-on-Statistics looks at the pandemic’s impact on businesses and workers in the private sector. That said, we can undoubtedly state the challenges a leader has to face during such times, especially women. Women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. However, you may not have realised the magnitude of this dilemma. It’s enormously significant—a colossal toll. Women’s domestic experiences, health, employment, and economic well-being have all suffered. And the pandemic has not only hampered women in the present, but it has also harmed their prospects in the future. Due to historical challenges women have faced concerning access to finance and gender roles, women entrepreneurs have continued to struggle during the pandemic in spite of the coronavirus limitations.

A pandemic-related economic hardship has forced people to adjust their priorities because of the shock caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. In those sectors that have been affected by the pandemic, women-led enterprises have been more likely to thrive. Retail and wholesale trade, areas in which women-led firms thrive, have been adversely affected by dwindling demand for services. Because of measures taken to prevent the spread of infections, including lockdowns, businesses have less opportunity to make sales when shoppers go in person.

The coronavirus has made life even more challenging for women whose work-life balance is challenging. Globally, women, both at home and on the job, are bearing the brunt of the pandemic, according to a recent study. People worldwide were forced to change how they worked, lived, and learned because of this Covid. While taking care of routine household duties, women are often expected to facilitate children’s online learning. Due to the pandemic, women are also feeling pressured to work more, which leads to burnout and exhaustion. Women should continue to bestow their creative ability and provide clients with value. They provide long-term growth for your business depends on finding opportunities for sustainability. They recognize that the pandemic has posed challenges for all businesses and consider new revenue streams while remaining engaged with their current customers.

Many international thinkers and groups are promoting the advancement of women entrepreneurs worldwide. Female entrepreneurs have access to a variety of programs, small business grants, and numerous resources through these organizations. Many organizations advocate for gender equality and empowerment of women. They include United Nations Women, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the International Women’s Think Tank, the International Center for Research on Women, the Guttmacher Institute, and more.

Being a woman, if you are looking for a change to propagate in business, you must first change your perspective and acknowledge that no one is perfect when it comes to work-life balance. One must establish clear boundaries and learn to divide the workload. Moreover, make time for flexibility and self-care; it is been believed that personal connections are even more important than communication skills. Maybe a colleague or a friend that can help you with your new venture; maybe you know someone who can put you in touch with investors. You never know who can help you in business, which is why networking is so important. Make connections and put them to good use.

For Female/Women in Business: How to attain success?

It is likely to state that women business personalities face comparatively more obstacles than men. This has unfortunately made difficult for aspiring women to achieve a sustainable success. Women encounter higher difficulties in acquiring business capital. They manage houses, births, maternity leaves, and other concerns while also maintaining a company. Even in affluent nations like the United States, women-owned companies outweigh men-owned firms. Women entrepreneurs must take use of various women-specific initiatives, methods, and techniques if they want to be successful. All of these topics, as well as business finance through small company grants for women, will be covered in this article.

Small Businesses

Several types of government subsidies are available to assist women in breaking down barriers and overcoming gender inequities that prevent them from operating successful enterprises like male entrepreneurs. These awards help women launch new enterprises or improve the operations of existing ones. The Girlboss Foundation Grant, Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant, Cartier Women’s Initiative Award, The Amber Grant, and others are among them. Each of these awards has its own set of qualifications as well as a specified amount that successful candidates will receive. Before applying for any of them, make sure to read over their prerequisites.

Look for Support

Whether confronted with a task that we don’t know how to finish, there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete, or we just can’t do it, learning to ask for help may reveal our strengths, not our weaknesses. We squander time and effort when we refuse to ask for assistance, especially in business. If you, as a female entrepreneur, must learn to believe in themselves by not seeking approval or acceptance from others. Women entrepreneurs who believe in themselves become confident and, as previously said, devoted to overcoming setbacks or adversities. You may start to overcome your limiting beliefs after you’ve identified them; start challenging and questioning those beliefs. Make a list of as many reasons as you can for why a belief is false, and then follow it up with one of those reasons every time it occurs to you.

Learning Never Stops

Learning new things is the basic trait every female entrepreneur and business owner. Continual learning, whether it’s honing an existing skill or acquiring a new one, creates opportunities for improvement, new ideas, and opportunities. Surrounding yourself with people who succeed at something you don’t is one of the best methods to learn from others. Finding a mentor, joining a mastermind group, or forming a board of directors before starting a new business or initiative are all worthwhile options.

You may use a strong personal brand to increase the exposure of your firm. Even the greatest visionary Steve Jobs controlled Apple, yet his personal brand aided in the promotion of the company. By establishing a strong personal brand, you enable others to see you as a thought leader and, as a result, trust your business.

Believe in yourself

When you spend too much time attempting to impress others, you lose sight of yourself, which can lead to you doubting your own ideas and derailing your business objectives. One of the most difficult aspects of being a successful woman in any field is living in a world that does not value success. Women who are driven and accomplished are frequently looked down upon, and their achievements are minimised. In a society when women have few seats at key tables, it’s crucial to take a seat. Enduring such instances is one of the most difficult and yet crucial skills a woman in any job can acquire, but being approachable is as important.

To Conclude

All of the elements stated above will give women the boost they need to become successful businesswomen. Whether you’re a woman, do some further research to see if there are any small business grants for women or other perks available in your area or location. Thankfully, the internet connects individuals from all over the world, so you can take use of most of them regardless of where you are.

Nilo T. Divina: Leading the Legal Industry with Exemplary Insights

A distinguished personality, Nilo T. Divina is a seasoned Corporate and Banking Lawyer with rich experience from more than three decades in the industry. He founded DivinaLaw in 2006 and worked meticulously towards the growth and development of the firm. With his determination and competency, DivinaLaw stands today as one of the biggest law firms in the Philippines.

Before he entered private law practice, Nilo was the former Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of a leading Philippine bank. Nilo is equally active with his roles in the academic forefront, serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Law of the University of Santo Tomas from 2009 to the present. He also teaches at the University of the Philippines College of Law. He was formerly president and chairman of the Philippine Association of Law Schools.

Nilo is the author of five Commercial Law books which serve as primary resource material for law students and lawyers alike. Recognized for his exceptional work, Nilo became one of the top 10 highly recommended lawyers in the inaugural list of Asian Legal Business (ALB) Philippines Client Choice Lawyers 2021. He has also consistently been named among the Top 100 Lawyers in the Philippines by the Asia Business Law Journal since 2018.

With sheer dedication and excellent performance, he was recently recognized as Managing Partner of the Year in the 2021 Asian Legal Business (ALB) Philippine Law Awards in a virtual ceremony held last November 19, 2021. Asian Legal Business magazine, a leading legal publication owned by Thomson Reuters, received more than 270 entries for the competition which was evaluated by a panel of judges from the legal academia, in-house lawyers, firms, and legal associations in the region.

Nilo received this award in recognition of his leadership, professional accomplishments, community development initiatives, and his contribution to the firm, the Bench and Bar, and the general public.

Turning a Childhood Dream into a Lifelong Reality

Nilo wanted to be a lawyer as early as the age of six. There was no other profession for him except to be a lawyer. Nilo’s source of motivation was his dad. His dad told him that being a lawyer was an ideal profession for him as he loves to talk, discuss, be in front of crowds, and more. His dad told him, ‘perhaps you are meant to be a lawyer’.

“Of course, we do not know what life would present along the way. So many opportunities presented themselves along the way but what is clear to me is that at the very outset, I knew what I wanted in life, I wanted to become a lawyer,” said Nilo.

“My vision is that I want to be the best lawyer that I can be, not necessarily the best lawyer in the Philippines, but the best lawyer I can be, given the talent and the skills that God has given me.”

A Journey to the Forefront

When he established the firm in 2006, Nilo never expected that within 15 years, it will become one of the biggest law firms in the country. All he envisioned was to establish a boutique law firm that would focus on select areas of practice and make enough money to live a comfortable life.

However, opportunities came one after the other and before he knew it, the boutique law firm metamorphosed into a full-service law firm.

About DivinaLaw

It is a full-service law firm in the Philippines that provides prompt, proactive, and results-oriented service to ensure client satisfaction. The firm offers depth and range in experience and resources while fostering a professional and collaborative work ethic.

The firm’s 10 major practice areas are Litigation, Corporate & Special Projects, Labor, Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Tax, and Estate Planning, Intellectual Property, Immigration and Naturalization, E-Commerce & Technology, Risk & Crisis Management, and Legal Education, Legislative Advocacy & Policy Reform.

A Top-Notch Client Base

DivinaLaw clients belong to the top echelon – business leaders and titans. These industry experts refer DivinaLaw to their peers, which is why the firm’s clients are conglomerates, top corporations, and high net worth individuals.

The firm has a wide range of clients, including leading corporates in banking and finance, manufacturing, retail, power, oil and gas, education, health care and insurance, realty and property development, technology, construction, hospitality, mining, transportation, shipping, and media.

Standing out amongst the Peers

Dynamic Lawyering encapsulates the philosophy of the firm. DivinaLaw will do everything necessary within the bounds of ethics to deliver outstanding results to its clients, to make them happy, smiling, and victorious. So, the firm focuses on innovating, thinking out of the box, and exploring uncharted territory. The firm believes in finding ways, opening doors, seeking solutions, and more. Client satisfaction is the burning passion of the organization.

“Back in 2006, this was fairly novel because many law firms were into, and I suppose they still are, the traditional approach. Lawyers should tell you what the law is. We will tell you what the law is, and how we can use the law to suit your objectives consistent with the law. We find solutions for the clients. We don’t just tell the clients what the law is, but we tell them there’s a legal and ethical way of finding solutions.”

Moments of Triumph

Inspired by the quote, “Work as if everything depends on work, but also pray as if everything depends on prayer.”

DivinaLaw started with 80 cases and four clients in 2006. Today, it is handling almost 3,000 cases and has hundreds of clients. From having only five lawyers (including Atty. Divina), today the firm has 80 lawyers. Over the years, it has received recognition for its exceptional work in law. Here are a few of them:

The Asia Business Law Journal has recognized DivinaLaw as an award-winning firm in the categories of Banking and Finance, Corporate and Commercial, Litigation, Private Equity and Venture Capital, and Restructuring and Insolvency in 2020
Immigration Law Firm of the Year in 2018 in the Asian Legal Business Philippine Law Awards
Recognized as the Labor and Employment Law Firm of the Year in 2016 by ALB
The firm is ranked among the best in the region, honored as a finalist for the SE Asia Law Firm of the Year category of Asian Legal Business Southeast Asia Law Awards in 2018 and 2019
It was also a finalist for Regional Litigation Law Firm of the Year in 2018 and 2019, and Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year in 2019
Employer of Choice for 2018, 2019 & 2021 from Asian Legal Business magazine
Data Privacy Law Firm — Silver Award in the 2019 Datos Privados Awards of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines
Silver Anvil, 54th Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines

The Path to Cover Ahead

DivinaLaw continues to innovate. It has recently organized a financial advisory company. The firm intends to create a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that the Financial Institution Strategic Transfer (FIST) law is likely to bring. This law allows banks and financial institutions to dispose of their bad loans and assets to an SPV for a large-scale discount. It is investing in technology and has many more projects in the pipeline. With an active presence and aiming towards a bright future, the firm does not intend to run out of trailblazing initiatives.

Zack Blakeney: Capitalizing Expertise and Passion To Help Leaders Maximize their Potential at Invincible Intelligence

In 2019, a visionary took the entrepreneurial plunge with Invincible Intelligence LLC, a unique and innovative blend of science-based methodology, consciousness, and accountability that quickly shifts your limiting perceptions and rapidly accelerates the development of your emotional intelligence and authentic habitual alignment.

Among the few pioneers to bring innovation in the industry, Zack Blakeney has been graciously awarded as one of the best influences on the Austin, Texas health community by Austin Fit Magazine. He has also been recognized by Fox, NBC, and CBS for his work with business leaders and founders.

He is the CEO of Invincible Intelligence and works as a peak performance and consciousness coach, published author and accomplished public speaker. His mission is to help raise the collective consciousness of the world by guiding business leaders, founders, and businesses to develop emotional intelligence to master their emotions and navigate through change efficiently and effectively.

Empowering Entrepreneurs & Businesses

There are two verticals that they serve in both B2C and B2B.

For B2C, Zack Blakeney works 1-on-1 with the support of his team to guide leaders and founders to maximize their potential and create sustainable balance with their Freedom 4 Framework: Physical, Emotional, Relational, and Financial. They provide one of the most in-depth analyses of their client’s current state using their proprietary Invincible Intelligence© Assessment, hormone, cell, and metabolic testing, and gut intelligence testing. We use this data to create one of the most in-depth and truly personalized programs that unlock their peak performance and maximum potential.

For B2B, they package their Invincible Intelligence© Assessment and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) coursework for HR Departments to optimize their hiring process for the best candidate selection, team EQ discovery, and team workshops to foster emotional intelligence development.

What Influenced Your Decision to be an Author?

“Writing stimulates my version of the flow state. It allows me to express myself fully and truthfully and unlocks new understandings of myself and my teachings. I also enjoy the challenge of creating consumable analogies for complex concepts and offering perceptions that can create instantaneous understandings and, in some cases, healing”, said Mr Blakeney.

Clientele & Unbreakable Faith

The visionary works 1-on-1 with business leaders and founders and he finds it both challenging and fulfilling. He creates the opportunity for his clients to achieve an invincible self-belief from his own certainty while showing up for them consistently with love, truth, and my intention to serve them to the best of his ability. His passion for emotional intelligence and personal development drives him to continuously learn, teach new relevant concepts, and stay ahead of the game.

Major Hurdles & The Driving Force

The biggest challenge was overcoming Zack’s own pride and trusting his team to do the tasks he no longer needed to do. He told them when he brought them on he only wanted to create content, coach, and do deals and they have stepped up to the plate to make that happen for him. He is so incredibly grateful for his life because he gets to wake up every day doing what he loves, with the people he loves.

For Zack Blakeney, it’s been a journey to discover his authentic self, as it is for all. It was filled with a string of painful experiences stimulating from addiction to substances and porn that ultimately led to a divorce. He learned so much from the emotional intensity of these experiences that granted him the vision to know what he wants, and who he wants alongside him. He has had many mentors in his life across business, mindset, and spirituality that have given him the guidance and permission to be the man he is today.

Creating a Balanced and Equal Industry

The leading man does not believe the industries should be balanced and equal because it’s not about the industries, it’s about the people in them. It is his belief that there is more than enough for all to succeed. Infinite resources are available to anyone wanting to live their purpose and passion, but many do not recognise this. Instead, they allow fear, uncertainty, and doubt to imprison them into limiting beliefs that contribute to the imbalance industries. In order to create balance in the industries, they must create balance within themselves first.

A Day in Zack Blakeney’s Life

He wakes up at 5:30 am every morning and immediately drinks 16 oz of ice-cold water to wake up, then he takes his two dogs out and enjoys some fresh air. After he comes in and starts his meditation with morning devotion to the Creator, practice singleness of thought, set his intentions for his day, and give gratitude for his life. Then he hits the gym for a little over an hour, eats breakfast, and begins looking over his schedule to create priorities and affirm his intentions. Most of Zack’s workday is filled with communicating with his team, coaching clients, creating content, and creating strategic connections and partnerships. He ends his day by reviewing his tasks and looking ahead to the next day and week to ensure he knows his priorities and direction for the next day.

Favourite Book

Zack’s go-to book for his clients because of the sustainable impact it made on his life is Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Road Ahead

“We find ourselves in a market with emotional intelligence that is an immediate need and desire by businesses, but sorely under-resourced. I believe we are in the next phase of business evolution that has come from the technology and internet integration of the late ’90s and early 2000s. This integration has created a need for greater empathy, compassion, and trust in both company cultures and with customers. We are most excited about developing our proprietary technology that will house our Invincible Intelligence© Assessment and EQ position-specific courses to support emotional intelligence development in organizations, specifically for non-supervisory roles”, Zack Blakeney further apprised.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

Do not sacrifice your feminine energy to conform to the predominantly masculine marketplace. Your intuition and empathy are superpowers needed now more than ever to create sustainable change that fosters a new standard of business excellence with trust and transparency leading the way.

Favourite Quote

“Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.” – Thucydides

Dare to Win: Industry digitization enabled by unique actionable insights from a tech startup for improved operational efficiency

By Mika Tienhaara

Over the recent years we have seen industry moving towards digitization and automation, in order to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. This is also supporting ESG measures and enabling the reduction of the overall carbon footprint.

However, a key area of improvement potential in process industries and manufacturing, is linked to operating conditions where unwanted matter such as solid deposits and unwanted emulsions, a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Such harsh process conditions are cause for sensors and measuring devices failures, which in turn leads to faulty process signals ruining monitoring and control. What can happen is sudden process shutdowns, with high costs for maintenance, loss of production. Also, various reports and research shows that very high pollution and emission levels occur.

At ROCSOLE, we are commercializing academia research, utilizing electrical tomography paired with AI and machine learning, which has led us to being able to provide unique actionable insights from own sensor data. Our focus is on the harsh conditions which are cause for major upsets, shutdowns, cost and emissions. Our solutions have brought us to work with major international corporates globally.

Many entrepreneurs and startups stall at the objective of scaling up – a scary phase with so many unknowns with time of the essence and constant troubleshooting. Every startup should however attempt to scale-up, there is so much learning and competence gathered in this phase, and the result might be very rewarding. Dare to win – go for the scale-up.

Of course, there are several elements that needs to be in right shape and size. What is your most important asset? People – your team. If you have the right diverse core team, you will have the capabilities to execute your plans. For the implementation you will need funding to have a sufficient cash runway to get to your next major milestones. Ensure to have the right finance people in your team to ensure you have good control. Marketing and sales need to ensure that you are providing something valuable to the right customers. The users’ feedback will also be highly relevant, as the assessment of this, can help you to pivot and improve your offerings. You might detect some unserved niches and allow you to enter and dominate this area. Additionally, you need the product, service or technology, that is part of your core and unique identity.

Bringing these above aspects together and you will have the right implementation capabilities. Always remember that the scale-up course needs constant supervision with a strong hands-on mentality. Don’t love your product – love your business, meaning that you need to have an agile mindset and be ready to improve and pivot, again and again. At the end you might become the master of the universe!

At ROCSOLE we started commercializing in the oil and gas with the “worst first” approach. The oil and gas operations have a variety of operational inefficiencies that we are tackling with our data. The target is to integrate our type of insights into our clients’ business solutions, this way you can get scale and portfolio-wide improvements. We are also seeing the ripple effects, as a variety of industries have the similar challenges with deposits and solids. Our mission is to make industry safer and better, that also is good for our planet.

Most recently ROCSOLE closed the Series A fund raising round successfully, indicating the relevance, potential and traction we have in the market space. Our next chapter as a company is surely going to be the most exciting one.

As a CEO, I try to learn something new every day, at the same time using my capacity as a leader for my team, guide them and challenge them to climb the next peak. Clear communication is key, be genuine and passionate. Have a big idea and ensure that your stakeholders are onboard. Even if life can be stressful and chaotic in the whirlwind of the scale-up, I try to assess constantly the effectiveness and parity of the key factors people, funding, sales, marketing and execution strategy. The solution is in constant motion, ensure to have your team with you, as the scaling-up you cannot do alone as a one-man-show. Being a serial entrepreneur, I love to see how the team is building confidence, grit and the winner mentality. Learning from mistakes we build the success formula. Dare to win!