Re:Think. Talks That Matter Re:Think Podcast

· It’s a new era for mental health at work: employers across the globe now recognize that protecting and supporting the mental health of employees is vital to the future of their business.
· If you want to be a progressive business leader, now is the time to invest in the emotional and mental health of your team, they are after all your most valuable resource.
· It takes courage to change, to speak, to be vulnerable, and to face the adversity that surrounds mental health.​
· In this episode, we present talks that matter about: How can a society be designed for well-being, The link between mental well-being and leadership, How leaders can prioritize employees’ well-being and mental health, Why leaders should care about mental health (including their own), Mental Health awareness as a leadership tool, Protecting well-being at work
About the guest:
· Scott Armstrong, mental health advocate with more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, editor, former editor-in-chief of Arabian Business magazine, and strategic communications consultant believes in the power of storytelling and content to reach and inspire people.
· Scott founded Mentl, with a mission to open up the conversation on mental health by being a trusted platform for leading content, expert resources, bespoke research, and progressive advocacy
Learn more: rethink-podcast.com
#mentalhealth #rethinkpodcast #talksthatmatter

☑️Topics: energy, clean tech, the role of digital technologies in supporting sustainable business model innovation, woman in energy, woman in blockchain, sustainable business principles, Ai, Blockchain technologies, ESG, impact investing

☑️A sustainable recovery from the COVID pandemic would have helped countries to build back better while driving economic growth and job creation. But the latest renewables reports paint a different picture: the transition the world had hoped for is simply not happening.

☑️COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) saw a number of important commitments, including the UAEs roadmap net zero by 2050, announced a few weeks prior to the conference. The Middle East is now at the heart of the energy transition conversation with COP27 taking place in Egypt this year and COP28 in the UAE next year.

GUEST: Damarys ZAMPINI, Global Advisor Europe / LATAM, Ignite FUND

☑️Damarys has held extensive roles in Energy, business dev, and commercialization of large-scale projects worldwide. As CEO of SUSTRATEGY, Damarys builds and implements strategic growth plans for clients, working with innovative leaders to maximize cash flow while realizing their global potential including SaaS, AI, Blockchain, and Cleantech. Enabling inclusion and inspiring diversity is deeply in her DNA, as she co-founded Women in Energy, Women in Blockchain, and The Future of Energy & Youth Education program.

☑️Ignite Impact Partners Fund builds capital stack plans and acts as the financial catalyst for Climate Impact through our proven team and syndicate partners, bringing together ROI and social ROI.

  ☑️ The new reality given by the existing global crisis has triggered a reconsideration of several beliefs in the business world. Sustainability has become more than a common term. Its integration in every business decision regarding the development of a company is now a global trend to which more and more leaders from all fields are trying to apply a new way of doing business.

☑️ Connecting impact investors with social enterprises is the episode opening Re:Think Podcast ’s second season, talks that matter about social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, woman entrepreneurs, social impact investing, ESG, woman empowerment, and microfinancing with Sheetal Mehta Walsh, Global Advisor, Ignite Impact Partners Fund.

☑️ Sheetal has 25+ years of experience in tech and global investments, having worked with over 1,000 global companies across multiple industries as a founder, investor, and board member. Her past responsibilities include the creation and global implementation of Microsoft’s first VC Relations business for Bill Gates; being appointed Deal Maker for the British Government to advise and secure funding of GBP 1 billion for 900 companies worldwide; and founding Shanti Life, an organisation that has impacted thousands of women, through financial inclusion, to become leaders themselves. Sheetal’s highly coveted skill set has also put her in the seat of Senior Advisor for the UoA’s innovation fund. Her wide and diverse network provides deep global reach to solve our planet’s biggest obstacles and scale businesses.

☑️Ignite Impact Partners Fund builds capital stack plans and acts as the financial catalyst for Climate Impact through our proven team and syndicate partners, bringing together ROI and social ROI.

☑️Re:Think podcast’s mission is to inspire action and accelerate transitions to sustainable business models, inspire companies to reduce their negative impacts while enhancing their positive contribution to the Sustainable Development Agenda, and integrate ESG principles in their business.

☑️ Find out more: rethink-podcast.com

#dubaibusiness #esg #middleeast #investiment #uaebusiness #dubai #sustanability #future #economy #rethinkpodcast #sustainability #impact #socialentrepreneuship #impactinvesting #IgniteFund #cleantech

In today’s business world, being responsible for the environment and society is no longer an optional extra. When it comes to the attributes we value in companies, sustainability is moving higher and higher. What lies at the heart of sustainably conscious companies? Why do Companies with Sustainable Business Practices Succeed?

Topics: sustainable companies, sustainable business practices, ESG data.

Guest: Joanna Pydo, Investor Relations, and ESG Strategist, trusted Advisor to Board Members and Owners with 15 years capital markets experience in the following sectors: technology (software – SaaS, TSL, IoT, Blockchain, Fintech, Gaming), ICT distribution, energy/utilities (RES, energy distribution), wood-based panel industry and building materials, minerals and mining, healthcare (Medtech and Healthcare Services), real-estate (residentials), Private Equity and Private Debt. She has management experience with international multi-entity structures, and she has engaged in the numerous IPO, SPO, M&A, debt issuance, and refinancing transactions.

Degrees in Finance and Banking from the University of Economics in Poznan, Poland, and Master of Arts in Global Political Economy at the University in Kassel, Germany. She participated in executive training such as ‘Strategy implementation, Business development, Business Design, and Innovation management by the TUM School of Management and ‘Private Equity and Venture Capital by the SDA Bocconi School of Management.

Since 2019, Mentor to technology startups at the MIT Enterprise Forum CEE – program affiliated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a voluntary expert at the Social Impact Alliance for CEE.

Since 2021, an Expert at the Climate Leadership powered by UN Environment - programme organized by the UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre.

In August 2017, after a decade working as an inhouse IR Officer, I decided start my own boutique advisory and integrate ESG into investor relations.

She successfully develops comprehensive global investor relations programs by taking a company strategy, corporate governance, and ESG factors, and turning it into a persuasive investment case in line with local and international regulations and best practices.

Since then, I’ve been advising companies on Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies, ESG reporting, and ESG storytelling to capital markets. I educate and bring awareness about ESG to C-Suite Executives, IR Officers, and Corporate Communications Department through strategic and operational ESG training and advice about increasing shareholders' activism in the environmental, and social area, and issue management (crisis communications).

Last year started with two other co-founders, a technology startup to build the best analytical tool to support business and management decisions in the ESG landscape and to transform environmental and social-economic data into a competitive advantage for business strategy and value creation for stakeholders – we are in the stealth mode and happy to talk how technology been changing ESG landscape and how ESG data is critical for corporates, private market, and financial analysts in unlocking long-term value and opportunity to grow the economy in new and diverse ways.

Privately, last 20 years vegan, passionate about longevity, and love activities such as sailing.

Topics: mental health, companies’ culture, communication, leadership, sustainability knowledge and competence within the company, the book ”Employee Engagement, What Else?”

Guest: Inge van Belle is the co-author of the book: “Employee Engagement, What Else?” published in 2021 at Die Keure (Belgium, Bruges). Written in Dutch. English translation available end 2022.

Inge van Belle is the Co-founder of Herculean Alliance, the Belgium and UAE based organisation that specializes in employee engagement.

Inge has been active in 10 countries advising organisations to tackle the challenge of disengaged employees. Her team’s approach is based on consulting, events and an HR tech platform. During the Corona crisis, Inge’s company has started the Employee Engagement Awards initiative. Together with partners like Nespresso, Microsoft and ISS, they encourage companies, small and big, to submit their extraordinary stories of employees going the extra mile during these challenging times. Inge’s tagline is: “We rise by lifting others.”

As the founder of Pink Ladies Games and Herculix Foundation, she is a strong advocate of social entrepreneurship. She actively supports and promotes the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, more specifically SDG 3 (Good health and Well-being) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Edurne Gil De San Vicente, Programs Director, WaterAlliance. Edurne has been an advocate for sustainable practices and responsible consumption for 20 years. She has been promoting a systems shift pivoting toward Sustainability, working with different stakeholders in public, private, and non-profit sectors. Driven by impact, Edurne has developed programs, engaged in policy-making, and played advocacy roles across Europe and the UAE. She now focuses on youth empowerment through her work at Water Alliance, a Dubai-based NGO. Enabling and mentoring the next generation of water stewards, Edurne encourages youth to take action and become change agents in their communities for a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.

Water Alliance is a non-profit organization that started in 2014 that aims to bring together all sectors of society in the UAE to give water a voice. Working to ensure that the UN Sustainable Development Goals are achieved by 2030, with efforts to educate individuals on their water behavior starts with primary school students, through to universities and the corporate sector.