Humans of Telecom

Humans of Telecom
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A podcast that goes beyond our work lives to bring us closer to some of the brightest and most influential members of the telecom community!

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 86: Giovanni Benini, Co-Founder at Global Telco Consult (GTC)

    "Founding GTC with Jose Garcia was the best professional decision of my life! Every client gives me a new lens through which to see this industry!" — Giovanni Benini, Co-Founder at GTC, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From dreaming of becoming the next Einstein in Bologna... to building SIP prototypes at Siemens in the year 2000... to co-founding one of the most respected consulting firms in the global telecom ecosystem... Giovanni's journey is one of curiosity, reinvention, and remarkable depth! And then - right in the middle of this podcast - he did something nobody saw coming. He proposed to his wife. Live. On air. After 27 years! Only on Humans of Telecom! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Giovanni opens up about: 🔭 The physics student who wanted to be Einstein - until he realised research meant spending a lifetime on something only three people in the world cared about 🚀 The father-son rocket project that won a national competition at the National Physical Laboratories in the UK - three years of perfecting, one year of winning 🌍 Five countries, one identity - in Italy he's the German, in Germany he's the Italian. He calls himself simply European ⛪ The odd one out in the family - both his brothers became Catholic priests, which at least explains why his parents have grandchildren 👨‍💻 A son who has just founded helmit.org - an AI-powered platform protecting children from cyber bullying on social media - and a father who couldn't be more proud 🌱 Gardening between Zoom calls, rollerblading through Munich on Monday nights with 10,000 others, and table tennis three times a week - Giovanni's antidotes to the telecom grind 💍 And the moment that made this episode truly unforgettable - a live, heartfelt, long overdue proposal to his wife Connie, 27 years in the making, right here on this podcast! From Bologna to Boston to London to Munich - Giovanni is proof that the best careers are built on genuine curiosity, the best partnerships on mutual trust, and the best love stories - well, sometimes they just need a little more time! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 86: Giovanni Benini, Co-Founder at Global Telco Consult (GTC)

  2. Aug 4

    Episode 85: Anna Potapova, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at AB Handshake

    "I bring a little bit of that wildness into my meetings and my conferences! Our industry needs it!" — Anna Potapova, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at AB Handshake, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From a mountain hostel in the middle of nowhere… sitting on the floor with a laptop on her pillow… choosing between her dream FMCG company and a telecom startup she had known for just one month — Anna didn't hesitate for even an hour. She chose the mission. And she never looked back! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Anna opens up about: 🌍 How she turned down Procter & Gamble to join a telecom startup — because purpose always mattered more than prestige 🛡️ Why fighting telecom fraud isn't just about protecting operators — it's about protecting real people, families, and their finances 🏄 The corporate powerhouse who disappears into Morocco with a backpack, a surfboard, and ten strangers in a hostel — and loves every second of it! 🧘 A certified yoga teacher who practices almost every day — not to teach others, but to stay grounded, recharged, and truly herself 🐘 Toto — the baby elephant she adopted in Kenya through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, because giving back is never just about the big gestures 💍 A wedding this summer in the most personal of announcements — on this very podcast — to a wonderful man from Mallorca who made Spain feel like home! 🌺 A mother who ran her own business and never once limited her daughter's imagination — and whose entrepreneurial spirit lives on in everything Anna does ❤️ And her definition of being human — love. Not just the romantic kind, but love as a philosophy, a compass, and the most powerful force in a world full of conflict! From Valencia to Washington DC to Morocco to Kenya — Anna is proof that the boldest careers are built not on the safest choices, but on the ones that make your heart say yes without hesitation! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 85: Anna Potapova, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at AB Handshake

  3. Jul 21

    Episode 84: Brian Moon, CEO at Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC)

    "PTC has been around for over four decades, and most people in the local community had no idea what we were doing... That was my first big lesson!" — Brian Moon, CEO at Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC), in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From the island of Guam to the world's biggest tech event stage... from leading biz dev at CES to leading a nearly 50-year-old telecom council in Honolulu... from blank stares at the words "submarine cable" to cheers at the mention of YouTube and Roblox - Brian's journey is one of curiosity, connection, and coming full circle! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Brian opens up about: 🌊 How moving to Honolulu to lead PTC wasn't just a career move - it was a deeply personal full-circle moment rooted in his Pacific identity 🎪 Over 15 years at the Consumer Technology Association leading biz dev at CES - and what running the world's most influential tech event taught him about leading a global industry council 🏫 The career day at an elementary school where blank stares at "submarine cable" turned into cheers for YouTube and Roblox - and why that moment captures everything about our industry's communication challenge 👟 The confession that surprised everyone - over 300 pairs of shoes and a very understanding wife 🌏 30 plus countries visited and counting - because in this industry, the world is both very big and very small 🤝 His family and friends test - if the people closest to you are asking about something your industry is doing, that means you are finally breaking through 🌺 The cultural education of arriving in Hawaii and realising that a 40-year-old organisation still had to earn its place in the local community 👧 Speaking with young women from Pacific Island nations who are hungry for the same opportunities as everyone else - and why that fuels everything he does ❤️ And his quiet but deeply moving definition of legacy - no words needed, just a pause and a smile From Guam to Rochester to Washington DC to Honolulu - Brian is proof that the most unconventional paths often lead to the most meaningful destinations! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 84: Brian Moon, CEO at Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC)

  4. Jul 7

    Episode 83: Nancy Aboushakra, Head of Messaging & Digital Sales at Bayobab

    "Once you overcome one challenge, you know you can face the next one. That's when I stopped being afraid!" — Nancy Aboushakra, Head of Messaging & Digital Sales at Bayobab, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From a ten-year-old girl in Lebanon who heard that engineering is for men… to building messaging businesses from scratch across three companies… to closing landmark deals with the world's biggest hyperscalers — Nancy's journey is one of defiance, determination, and dazzling impact! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Nancy opens up about: ⚙️ How an internship at Monty Mobile turned into a full-time offer — because she took every task more seriously than anyone expected 📈 The accidental pivot from engineering to sales — and how she grew the wholesale business by 20-30% before anyone even gave her the title 🏆 Winning the Capacity Award for Best Innovative Deals with Hyperscalers — and what it felt like when all the hard work finally came together in one room 🎯 Breaking an arrow with her throat at the Millionaire Mind Intensive — because limits, as she discovered, only exist in the mind! 🏨 Seven years of living in serviced apartments in Dubai — because why not give Nancy the lifestyle she deserves? 📚 Why Surrounded by Idiots is the book that changed how she reads people — and how she applies it every single day at work 👠 The girl who could have gone into fashion — and still brings that same eye for excellence into everything she does ❤️ Her powerful LinkedIn voice — speaking up for women in STEM, salary equality, and the self-doubt that quietly holds so many back 💡 And her core belief — do good to people when no one is watching, don't hurt others to climb the ladder, and never judge what you don't fully understand! From Beirut to Dubai, from engineering school to the boardroom — Nancy is proof that when a young girl decides to break barriers, the industry had better pay attention! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 83: Nancy Aboushakra, Head of Messaging & Digital Sales at Bayobab

  5. Jun 23

    Episode 82: Wade & Koddi Dunn, Co-Founders of Love Mobile

    "We didn't start a company and decide to give back. We decided to give back – and so we started a company!" – Wade & Koddi Dunn, Co-Founders of Love Mobile, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal A single mom. A single dad. A nine-hour online conversation that lasted until sunrise Eighteen years of marriage, seven children, two companies, and one powerful idea – What if your monthly phone bill could change the world? That's the story of Wade and Koddi Dunn! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Wade and Koddi open up about: 💕 How they met online before DMs were even a thing – and talked through the night until the sun came up 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Building a blended family of seven children spanning two decades – and why their favourite destination is the family group chat 📱 Love Mobile – the cell phone company built entirely on the belief that every phone bill should give back to the community 🏫 Four pillars of giving: education, the environment, community services, and pet adoption – hyper local, hyper meaningful 🌊 A first date at the aquarium – because when you've talked online for weeks across 600 miles, you make the first meeting count 🎬 A national TV appearance on House Hunters on Vacation – six kids, matching outfits across three days of filming, and memories they still laugh about today 🚗 Wonder trips – no destination, just a full tank of gas, an open road, and a conversation that solves the world's problems before they get back home 📺 Koddi's secret passion – international dramas watched only in their native language, subtitles and all, with their nine-year-old locked in right beside her ❤️ And their shared philosophy – don't just build a business, build a legacy that your children can point to and say, my parents saw a problem and tackled it head on! From a kitchen table conversation about the state of the world… to a telecom company that turns every subscriber's bill into an act of love – Wade and Koddi are proof that the most powerful businesses are built not on strategy, but on purpose, partnership, and an unshakeable belief that people come first! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 82: Wade & Koddi Dunn, Co-Founders of Love Mobile

  6. Jun 9

    Episode 81: Veni Folta, Chief Happiness Officer at The Inspired Action Group

    “Life is an Adventure. Jump out of a Plane. Live your Ikigai. Find your Happy Place!” — Veni Folta, Chief Happiness Officer at The Inspired Action Group, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From Portuguese Macau to British Hong Kong to the United States… from a Category 5 hurricane that wiped out her dream job in a single day… to nearly three decades in telecom, two of them in international roaming… to becoming the Chief Happiness Officer helping leaders reclaim their lives — Veni's journey is unlike anything you've heard on this show before! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Veni opens up about: 🌏 A life that began in Macau, moved through Hong Kong, and eventually landed in Seattle — shaped by colonial history, cultural richness, and remarkable resilience 📖 Her bestselling book "I QUIT: How To Lose Your Job and Find Your Dream Career" — and why losing your job might just be the best thing that ever happens to you! 🧠 How a decade of studying neuroscience and cognitive positive psychology became her second calling — and ultimately her life's purpose ✈️ The pandemic that stopped all roaming traffic — and paradoxically launched the most meaningful chapter of her career 🪂 Skydiving at 14,000 feet over a coral reef in Saipan at sunset — as a team building exercise — because why not? 🌊 Snorkeling between two tectonic plates in freezing Icelandic waters — and accidentally meeting the former president of Iceland, who had quietly become a park ranger 🚶 Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Kumano Kodo in Japan — because some journeys are meant for the soul, not the schedule 💔 The health crises — cancer, depression, a brain bleed from a concussion — that taught her the most important lesson of all: you cannot serve others from an empty cup ❤️ And her life's mission — helping people break old patterns, rewire their brains, reclaim their power, and finally come alive From roaming partnerships to the science of happiness — Veni is proof that sometimes the most extraordinary career pivots begin not with a plan, but with a crisis, a curiosity, and the courage to begin again! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 81: Veni Folta, Chief Happiness Officer at The Inspired Action Group

  7. May 26

    Episode 80: Mike Mills, Managing Director (Service Providers) at Gamma

    "I would tell my younger self – stop playing it safe. Be braver. Be bolder. And believe, really believe, that you are capable of more than you think!" – Mike Mills, Managing Director (Service Providers) at Gamma, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From handing out free internet CDs at a PC World store in the north of England… to discovering the company that built all the infrastructure behind those very CDs… to joining them and building a career that has spanned 25 extraordinary years – Mike's journey into telecom is fascinatingly brilliant! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Mike opens up about: 💻 How a single day spent at an internet company during university changed the entire direction of his life 📈 Inheriting a declining, unloved division at Gamma – and growing it from £12M to £96M almost entirely through organic growth 🏆 Three consecutive wins at the Global Comms Awards for Best Sales Team – a feat that very few teams anywhere in the world can claim! 👯 The world of 'twincidents' – life with an identical twin brother Steve, who also works at Gamma, and the endless cases of mistaken identity that keep the industry on its toes! 🐕 Three Hungarian Vizslas who have made countryside walks a non-negotiable part of his daily life – and he wouldn't have it any other way 🏃 The 13-year-old who cleared over five metres in long jump and represented his county – until fate had other plans at 14 💪 Six Tough Mudders completed, electrocution and all – before finally drawing a very firm line in the mud ⚽ A lifelong Newcastle United fan – more heartbreak than glory, but last season gave him just enough reason to keep believing ❤️ And his quiet but powerful north star – be a good person, treat people with kindness, and invest genuinely in the success of others! From Newcastle to Surrey, from dial-up internet to UCaaS and beyond – Mike is living proof that staying curious, staying loyal, and daring to be bold can take you further than any shortcut ever will! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit! #HumansOfTelecom #Podcast #Telecom #HumanStories

    Episode 80: Mike Mills, Managing Director (Service Providers) at Gamma

  8. May 12

    Episode 79: Stephanie Lashley, VP Messaging at Bandwidth

    "I have never once walked into a room and thought — I wonder if I belong here. And I want every woman in this industry to feel exactly the same way!" — Stephanie Lashley, VP Messaging Strategic Alliances & Infrastructure at Bandwidth, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal From a mother who came home and talked about telecom at the dinner table… to a young girl who grew up fascinated by the industry… to someone who has spent over two decades helping shape how the world messages — Stephanie's story is one of roots, reinvention, and remarkable impact! In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Stephanie opens up about: 📱 Working on RCS back in 2012 — over a decade before the world caught up — and what it feels like to finally see it come to fruition 📈 Joining Bandwidth when messaging was barely a side project — and helping build it into a full-blown AI-powered RCS platform over seven years 🏠 Her lifelong love for interior design — from repainting walls on a whim to refinishing hardwood floors with nothing but determination and YouTube 🦋 A little garden that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds — because some of the best recharging happens close to the earth 🗺️ Visiting all 50 US states — with just three left to go — and a travelogue that the world is waiting to read 🧬 98% Sicilian DNA, ancestry traced back to the 14th century, and a salt mine in Trapani named after her family ✍️ A book written in the fifth grade that won recognition at the Young Authors Convention — the first chapter of a lifelong love for writing 👩‍👩‍👧 And the Women in Messaging initiative — born as a dinner for five, now growing to 50 and beyond — because every woman deserves a seat at the table From Kansas City to Palermo to the global messaging stage — Stephanie is proof that when you lead with inclusion, show up with empathy, and never stop creating, the industry takes notice! 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

    Episode 79: Stephanie Lashley, VP Messaging at Bandwidth
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About

A podcast that goes beyond our work lives to bring us closer to some of the brightest and most influential members of the telecom community!

Information

  • Creator
    Humans of Telecom
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Humans of Telecom
  • Show Website
    Humans of Telecom