Starts at the Top Podcast

Episode 17 - Rob Young MBE, Chief Executive at Switch The Play Foundation

Mental health, transferable skills and tech

For Mental Health Awareness Week we wanted to speak to a leader about how to look after your mental health at a time of transition. Whether you’re changing your job or evaluating your life choices as we come out of the pandemic, this episode is for you.

 

Rob Young MBE, Chief Executive at Switch The Play Foundation shares with us what we can all learn from athletes (whether they play for local clubs or the Premier League) about how they navigate the big life event of leaving behind their sporting careers and plan for the future.

We also discussed how to apply the sporting mindset to digital, including seeking feedback and identifying areas for improvement.

We discuss how Switch the Play Foundation pivoted to online service delivery during the pandemic, reaching more than a thousand people as a result, and why we all need to identify our transferable skills in order to make the next leap in our careers.

Zoe and Paul ponder why Zoom fatigue is affecting some groups more than others, how to manage the stress caused by ‘always on’ screen time and what the football boycott of social media will achieve.

Notes and links -

Zoom fatigue https://techmonitor.ai/leadership/workforce/zoom-fatigue-dark-side-new-hybrid-model-of-work

BBC article on why screentime is at breaking point https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56838118

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

 

Episode 16 - Dr Wanda Wyporska - Leadership rebooted

We meet Dr Wanda Wyporska, Executive Director at The Equality Trust

How have you changed up your leadership style during the pandemic? When Dr Wanda Wyporska, Executive Director at The Equality Trust agreed to come on the podcast we were keen to find out about the journey she’s been on over the last year, and what she’s learned from it.

We chat to Wanda about how leaders can bring their whole self to work but hold onto a work-life balance, why the sector needs to make diversity a priority and how charities can take advantage of recruiting a greater geographical range of talent when working remotely.

We also talk about social media as Wanda is currently the top CEO in the Social CEOs awards. Wanda tells us why leaders need to listen to opinions outside their social media echo chamber, and how a sarcastic tweet led to her charity winning funding. Finally, she shares how she dealt with trolling after appearing on Question Time.

Zoe and Paul also discuss why the Super League plans feel like a failed digital transformation. Please note that this episode was recorded before UK clubs withdrew from the plan.

Notes and links -

Wired article on the Super League https://www.wired.co.uk/article/european-super-league-attention-economy

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

 

Episode 15 - Dana Kohava Segal - The post pandemic leadership playbook

The post pandemic leadership playbook

We chat to Dana Kohava Segal, international fundraising and management consultant.

 

What should leaders prioritise as they plan for the future? We were delighted to speak to Dana Kohava Segal, international fundraising and management consultant, whose breadth of work across the sector means that she has unique insights into what leaders’ blueprint for a post vaccine world looks like.

Dana discusses how charity leadership has changed during the pandemic, her hopes and fears for the sector on the road to recovery, the role that digital plays in this and why inclusion needs to be a major priority for leaders in the wake of #NotJustNCVO.

Zoe and Paul chew over Nick Clegg’s Medium essay, PwC’s new report findings (almost 40% of workers think their job will be obsolete within five years), Rio Ferdinand’s insights on leadership and how to make the perfect simnel cake.

Notes and links -

Nick Clegg’s Medium Essay

PwC’s new report Hopes and Fears 2021

Rio Ferdinand on The Diary of a CEO podcast

Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance

Shimrit Janes’ LinkedIn post about reflections on the future

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

Episode 14 - James Cusack, CEO of Autistica

Taking a neurodiverse approach to tech

We chat to James Cusack, CEO of Autistica.

Everyone’s talking about inclusion. But how can we make the way we work and our approach to tech inclusive for people who are neurodiverse? We were keen to find out more in this episode, which coincides with Autism Awareness Week.

 

We spoke to James Cusack, CEO of Autistica and the UK's first openly autistic charity CEO about how organisations should factor neurodiversity into their plans, why this ultimately makes workplaces better for everyone, and how the pandemic has made him think differently about digital.

Zoe and Paul also discuss what Chrissy Teigen’s exit means for Twitter and what we can learn from Citigroup’s plans to reset how they work and opt for "Zoom free Fridays".

Episode 13 - Maggie Philbin, CEO of TeenTech and broadcaster

Maggie Philbin, CEO of TeenTech, is one of our heroes. If you work in digital today you may well have been inspired to do so by her groundbreaking work on the BBC’s Tomorrow’s World.

We talked to Maggie about how TeenTech is inspiring a new generation of school children to engage with technology, how the education system needs to change to grow digital skills, and how schools have tackled remote learning. We also heard about Maggie’s journey as a pioneering woman in tech.

Zoe and Paul discuss the latest digital news and their book recommendations.

Notes and links -

TeenTech is running a series of online events to help grow STEM skills.

The Digital 2021 report from We Are Social and Hootsuite can be found here - https://wearesocial.com/digital-2021

Brunswick Group's report on Connected Leadership can be found here - https://www.brunswickgroup.com/perspectives/connected-leadership/

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

 

Episode 12 - Shelly Bell, Founder at Black Girl Ventures

We were delighted to speak to Shelly Bell, Founder at Black Girl Ventures, a social enterprise that creates access to social and financial capital for black and brown women founders. Shelly is also an inspirational speaker and serial entrepreneur. She was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Business by Entrepreneur Magazine, Entrepreneur of the Year by Technically DC and acknowledged as A Rising Brand Star by Adweek.

 

We talked to Shelly about how female entrepreneurs have been hit by the pandemic, about Black Girl Ventures’ pioneering approach to crowdfunding female entrepreneurs and why inclusion is key to progression in tech.

Zoe and Paul discuss the rise of digital fitness and what this means for data privacy.

 

Notes and links -

Black Girl Ventures

https://www.blackgirlventures.org/

The rise of digital fitness

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55318822

Google’s Fitbit deal

https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/17/22158271/googles-fitbit-deal-eu-regulator-approval

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

Episode 11 - Dama Sathianathan, Partner at Bethnal Green Ventures

We were thrilled to speak to Dama Sathianathan, a partner at Bethnal Green Ventures, Europe’s leading early-stage tech for good VC. Dama discusses how Bethnal Green Ventures is pioneering new tech for good projects to solve social and environmental challenges, how we can create more collaboration in digital and why diversity is vital for better decision making and innovation.

 

Zoe and Paul discuss emerging news stories about big tech from the UK and US. Could Facebook be facing a potential breakup?

 

Notes and links -

Bethnal Green Ventures

https://bethnalgreenventures.com/

WorkerTech partnership

https://bethnalgreenventures.com/partners/resolution-trust/

Digital Markets Unit story from The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/27/digital-markets-unit-powers-new-uk-tech-regulator

Potential Facebook break up story from The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/11/us-government-break-up-facebook-long-overdue

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

Episode 10 - Paul de Gregorio, Founder at Rally - Digital trends for 2021

In a special live festive recording, we were thrilled to chat to Paul de Gregorio, digital legend and Founder at Rally.

Paul shared his thoughts on what the big digital changes of 2020 mean for charities, including the US election and developments in the UK sector and why digital mobilisation, online organising and fundraising need to be a key part of your strategy. He, Zoe and Paul Thomas also discussed the big tech trends for 2021 and how to start planning for them.

Sign up for Paul’s excellent newsletter here.

 

Notes and links -

ONS data on increase in digital retail sales

https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/timeseries/j4mc/drsi

International Broadcasting Trust’s report on fake news

https://ibt.org.uk/reports/faking-it/

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

Episode 9 - Professor Carl Gombrich, London Interdisciplinary School

Preparing young people for the tech disruption of tomorrow

Growing digital skills will be vital in helping young people and the economy thrive in the future. How can schools and universities prepare the citizens of tomorrow for the challenges they’ll face?

We were excited to speak to Professor Carl Gombrich of The London Interdisciplinary School, a new university in London which aims to give students the knowledge and skills to solve social and global problems in an increasingly interconnected world.

Carl discusses where academia requires disruption, the need for an interdisciplinary skill set and what that means for the workplace of the future. We also discussed the shift to online learning and how leaders can help nurture digital skills in their organisations.

 

Notes and links -

The London Interdisciplinary School

https://www.londoninterdisciplinaryschool.org/

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

 

Episode 8 - Liz Williams MBE, CEO of FutureDotNow - Navigating the digital skills gap

In this episode we were delighted to chat to Liz Williams MBE, CEO of FutureDotNow.

Liz discusses why organisations across every sector need to close the digital skills gap, and how to do it. We also talked about why digital inclusion has become an urgent social justice issue during COVID-19, why leaders need to be ambitious about improving digital capabilities and how the key to this is to keep learning.

Zoe and Paul take a look at the latest tech news, including whether gaming really can improve wellbeing and Joe Biden’s online harassment taskforce. Could this be a step change for social media?

 

Notes and links -

Gaming report from Oxford University

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/nov/16/video-gaming-can-benefit-mental-health-find-oxford-academics

Joe Biden’s Online Harassment Taskforce plans

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/11/10163218/biden-harris-task-force-online-harassment-abuse-plan-details

Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1

Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com

And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music