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In episode 17, Frankie and Ian are joined by Tharusha and Asith from the sustainability division of Dialog Axiata PLC, the leading quad-play telecom provider in Sri Lanka. With a strong focus on sustainability, they have a portfolio of projects that aim to support the community and improve outcomes for people and the planet. With a focus on 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals, they have worked on projects related to education, disaster risk reduction and supporting individuals with hearing, sight, and speech difficulties. The company has a 12-member team dedicated to sustainability which works on social innovation and addresses the specific needs of unconnected communities prioritising affordability and accessibility in their projects.

Tharusha Wanigasekera is the unit manager for digital innovation and inclusion.
Asith De Silva is the senior manager of the social innovation and sustainability group.

Dialog Axiata PLC is Sri Lanka’s flagship telecommunications service provider, which operates Dialog Mobile– the country’s largest mobile network. A subsidiary of the Axiata Group Berhad (formerly TM International), Dialog is one of the largest listed companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange in terms of market capitalisation. Dialog holds the distinction of being the first and only company in Sri Lanka to achieve a market capitalisation of USD 1 billion.

Read the latest Dialog Axiata sustainability report here. 
Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact getintouch@digiteltalk.com.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com.

Podcast Credits
Host: Ian Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ginn/) Co-host: Frankie Spagnolo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-spagnolo-8534482a/) Editor: Rebecca Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ginn-86218414a/)

In episode 16, hosts Ian and Frankie are joined again by Mea Thompson, co-founder and CCO of unconnected.org. They discuss the organisation's mission to bridge the digital divide and provide meaningful connectivity to underserved communities. She highlights the importance of partnerships and funding from various industries to support their projects. Mea shares stories of the impact their work has had on individuals and communities, emphasising the need for affordable connectivity and the empowerment it brings. She also discusses the challenges faced and the plans to scale their impact and reduce the digital divide.

This is part 2 of a 2-part episode. Tune in to part 1 to hear more about Mea and what inspired her to start unconnected.org. 
Mea Thompson – Mea is a visionary leader dedicated to bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to education and opportunity for all. As the Co-Founder of unconnected.org, she is driving change in the lives of underserved communities around the world. She is also a dynamic leader in the tech industry, with a wealth of experience and expertise in connectivity with a focus on eSIM. Mea has been a driving force in the eSIM industry for years, helping to shape its direction and push the boundaries of what's possible. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Mea was named a finalist for Telecom Woman of the Year 2023. 

Unconnected.org - A passionate community dedicated to connecting 1 billion unconnected people to the internet. Their primary focus is on bridging the digital divide and enabling an inclusive ecosystem that reaches the 2.9 billion individuals who remain unconnected. They run a variety of projects on a global scale, making a tangible impact on people's lives. Their initiatives are designed to support vital aspects such as education, commerce, jobs, safety, and health.


Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact getintouch@digiteltalk.com.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com.

Podcast Credits
Host: Ian Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ginn/) Co-host: Frankie Spagnolo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-spagnolo-8534482a/) Editor: Rebecca Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ginn-86218414a/)

In episode 15, hosts Ian and Frankie are delighted to be joined by Mea Thompson, the CCO of unconnected.org. They discuss topics including Mea's philosophy in life, what she aspired to be as a teenager, her educational background, passions and hobbies, significant books and thoughts on AI. They also discuss her motivation for starting Unconnected after the passing of her father and her desire to make a positive impact with the work that she does. 

This is part 1 of a 2-part episode. Tune in to part 2 to hear more about unconnected.org and how their work is helping to connect 1 billion people to the internet. 
Mea Thompson – Mea is a visionary leader dedicated to bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to education and opportunity for all. As the Co-Founder of unconnected.org, she is driving change in the lives of underserved communities around the world. She is also a dynamic leader in the tech industry, with a wealth of experience and expertise in connectivity with a focus on eSIM. Mea has been a driving force in the eSIM industry for years, helping to shape its direction and push the boundaries of what's possible. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Mea was named a finalist for Telecom Woman of the Year 2023. 

Unconnected.org - A passionate community dedicated to connecting 1 billion unconnected people to the internet. Their primary focus is on bridging the digital divide and enabling an inclusive ecosystem that reaches the 2.9 billion individuals who remain unconnected. They run a variety of projects on a global scale, making a tangible impact on people's lives. Their initiatives are designed to support vital aspects such as education, commerce, jobs, safety, and health.

Links:
Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Sider
Doreen Bogdan-Martin - Secretary-General of ITU
Holobox


Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact getintouch@digiteltalk.com.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com.

Podcast Credits
Host: Ian Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ginn/) Co-host: Frankie Spagnolo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-spagnolo-8534482a/) Editor: Rebecca Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ginn-86218414a/)

In episode 14, Ian interviews Robert from Hello Tractor live at MWC24.
Hello Tractor is an award-winning diversified ag-tech company focused on improving food and income security throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Resource-poor farmers often face labour constraints that result in under-cultivation, late planting, and lost income. Hello Tractor facilitates convenient and affordable tractor services to these farmers while providing additional income by turning tractors into Smart Tractors. For tractor owners, the platform provides remote tracking of assets, preventing fraud and machine misuse, through virtual tractor monitoring.


Links:
Hello Tractor website
Hello Tractor LinkedIn
Robert Haidari


Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact getintouch@digiteltalk.com.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com.

Podcast Credits
Host: Ian Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ginn/) Co-host: Frankie Spagnolo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-spagnolo-8534482a/) Editor: Rebecca Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ginn-86218414a/)

In episode 13, Frankie interviews Mike and Evan from Inveniam live at MWC24.
Inveniam offers an AI solution which helps enhance Right First Time operations, improve operational efficiencies and eliminate costly rework. Inveniam AI can transform visual data into actionable insights, quickly detecting objects, patterns and anomalies faster than a traditional workforce ever could.  This enables CO2 emission reduction by reducing the amount of times field technicians have to go out and do work.

Links:
Inveniam website
Inveniam LinkedIn
Mike Greening
Evan Saunders


Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact getintouch@digiteltalk.com.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com.

Podcast Credits
Host: Ian Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ginn/) Co-host: Frankie Spagnolo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-spagnolo-8534482a/) Editor: Rebecca Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ginn-86218414a/)

In episode 12, Frankie interviews Bert Vanaken from WMW live at MWC24.
WMW is an IoT platform where they combine your operational data with information provided through sensors and people. Through different ways of transmitting data they can monitor your remote locations or assets. One of their largest use cases is in water management where they can identify where there are water leakages and where there is non-revenue water on the network.


Links:
WMW website
WMW LinkedIn
Bert Vanaken


Want to be a guest on the show or sponsor a podcast? For all enquires contact getintouch@digiteltalk.com.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a 5* review and rating, it really helps our channel.

You can find us on LinkedIn @digitel-talk or on our website www.digiteltalk.com.

Podcast Credits
Host: Ian Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ginn/) Co-host: Frankie Spagnolo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-spagnolo-8534482a/) Editor: Rebecca Ginn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ginn-86218414a/)