Starts at the Top Podcast

Episode 23 - Raj Burman and Nowar Rahmouni of Techfugees

How technology can support refugees

We speak to Raj Burman (CEO) and Nowar Rahmouni (social media community builder and writer) of Techfugees.

Every 10 seconds someone becomes a refugee. 82.4 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by the end of 2020. This is forecast to grow to 1 billion people due to climate change over the next 3 decades. So how can technology help?

During the recent refugee crisis in Afghanistan we came across Techfugees, a nonprofit who develop technology “for and with” displaced people. Raj Burman (CEO) and Nowar Rahmouni (social media community builder and writer) discuss how refugees have many skills, including resilience, entrepreneurship and the ability to adapt to change quickly. It’s those personal qualities which mean they have much to offer the world of digital. And if you’re wondering how your leadership style needs to evolve with so much around us all in flux, Techfugees’ decentralised model with ‘servant leadership’ at its heart indicates what the nonprofit of the future may look like.

Paul and Zoe discuss how their use of social media has changed in the light of more revelations about big tech and have a question for you about the environmental impact of hybrid working.

Notes and links -

We discussed:

• Facebook article from Charity Digital

• Guardian article on Facebook whistleblowing

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 Syren Studios

Image credit: Syren Studios

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

Episode 22 - Ursula Dolton, Chief Technology Officer at the British Heart Foundation

And we’re back! For the first episode of our new season we were delighted to talk to Ursula Dolton, Chief Technology Officer at the British Heart Foundation. We discussed a question that we’ve heard a lot from leaders: how can we make truly data-informed decisions? Ursula told us how she is driving the processes, culture change and new ways of leading needed to make this happen at her charity. And with so many organisations now dependent on technology, Ursula also shares her experiences on how to create strong partnerships with suppliers where you focus on achieving goals together, underpinned by shared values. 

Zoe and Paul round up the latest tech news, including how organisations are getting on with hybrid working, why the government want us all to head back to the office and what the whistleblowing story means for your relationship with Facebook. Spoiler: it’s complicated.

Notes and links -

We discussed:

• CITY AM article on what government are saying about working from home

• BBC article on hybrid working

• The Facebook whistleblowing story: key excerpts in The Guardian

• 5 experts on the future of Facebook (also in The Guardian)

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 Syren Studios and Paul Thomas

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

Episode 21 - R. Michael Hendrix, co-author of Two Beats Ahead

In our author special we meet R.Michael Hendrix, co-author of Two Beats Ahead.

For our season finale, Paul and Zoe discuss the books that will help you reset over the summer. Top of our list was Two Beats Ahead by Panos Panay and R. Michael Hendrix, a fascinating read about what we can learn from musicians, ranging from Beyonce to Pharrell Williams and David Bowie, about creativity and innovation. Yet it’s also a book about leadership and how to bring teams together to do incredible things. There is so much in this book that represents the modus operandi that leaders need to forge fresh ideas and embed new ways of working in volatile times. We’re giving away a copy of the book so listen out for the details of how to win in the episode!

Zoe and Paul also review what’s been on their summer reading list so far, including A World Without Email by Cal Newport, The Reset: Ideas to Change How We Work and Live by Elizabeth Uviebinene, How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy and Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

In addition, Zoe discusses what the findings from The Charity Digital Skills Report mean for the charity sector.

That’s it from us for Season 3. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you in the autumn for Season 4!

Episode 20 - Nicolas Bonard, CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival Media Ventures

This summer you may be heading to a music festival. It says a lot about the times we’re in now, that you are as likely to have that experience in a field full of strangers as you are watching performances from the comfort of your sofa with your family. But what does that mean for the business model of festivals? And what role should digital play in the festival goer’s experience?

Nicolas Bonard, CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival Media Ventures, was brought in to help answer those very questions. He tells us how he and his team are using digital to reinvent the festival experience, revisiting why they exist, what their proposition is and how to diversify their offering.

If you run any kind of annual event, or if your organisation needs to reach young people, or you’re planning to reinvent what you do, Nicolas has lots of great advice for you.

Zoe and Paul also share the latest tech news, including how the debate between working from home or the office is getting heated and why GPs may be prescribing data generated music playlists rather than pills in the future.

 

Notes and links -

Montreux Jazz Festival

How tech could help create music prescriptions- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-57328798

BBC article on how Bumble is mandating a paid week off to combat burnout https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57562230

No It Doesn’t Need to Be A Zoom (article from WIRED)

CITY AM article Deloitte tells start they can work from home forever

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 19 - Stuart Murphy, CEO of English National Opera

How a national institution took on digital disruption

When Stuart Murphy sent his team home as lockdown was announced in March 2020, he didn’t know what lay ahead. Yet he was determined to keep his colleagues connected at a time of crisis and to help ENO continue to do what makes it unique: creating groundbreaking work. Digital was vital to their survival.

What follows is the story of how a national institution began to reinvent itself by embracing digital. From changing the way his organisation communicated, to building his own peer support network and responding to Black Lives Matter, Stuart tells us how ENO not only survived but thrived during a year of change and upheaval. Stuart has an inspiring story to tell which will resonate with anyone struggling to reconcile the tension between tradition and innovation in their organisation.

Paul and Zoe also discuss the latest tech news, from whether banning out of hours email can help with wellbeing to how dating apps could help the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

 

Notes and links -

The ENO

The ENO’s reduced price ticket scheme for under 35s

Should employees have the right to disconnect?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57314814

Can dating apps support the vaccine rollout? Article from Wired

 

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 18 - Danny Attias, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Anthony Nolan

Digital turf wars: who should lead your digital transformation?

We’ve all seen the meme about COVID-19 leading your digital transformation. But who should really lead it- should it be your digital, IT, or finance lead, or even your CEO?

There couldn’t be a better person to answer this question than Danny Attias, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Anthony Nolan and No 1 CIO in the UK. Danny tells us who should- and shouldn’t- lead the charge on digital disruption. We also chat through how to create a fail-fast culture, Danny’s top tips on how to build a diverse tech team, and why trust is the secret ingredient of organisational change.

Zoe and Paul round up the latest tech news, including The Charity Digital Skills Report survey launch, why you shouldn’t troll your staff with the promise of a bonus (thanks West Midlands Trains), Twitter’s touted premium service and new research into the emotional nuance of emojis.

(Apologies for the audio issues in the intro and outro - the joys of recording over Zoom!)

 

Notes and links -

 

The 2021 Charity Digital Skills Report https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/charitydigital2021 

West Midland’s phishing email https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/11/west-midlands-trains-sends-staff-phishing-email-promising-bonus.html 

Twitter plots premium service https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/may/17/twitter-mulling-paid-service-called-twitter-blue-finds-researcher

The Alan Turing Institute research into emojis https://www.turing.ac.uk/blog/emoji-are-even-more-language-previously-thought

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 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".