Enterprise Podcast Network EPN

Rob Safrata, a Canadian CEO of two climate-leading and social purpose companies: Novex Delivery Solutions and Coast to Coast Experiences joins the Green Business Podcast.

As a purpose-driven CEO, in 2007, he was recognized by the Globe and Mail stating, “You won’t find a greener chief executive officer than Robert Safrata.”

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Rob Safrata discuss the following:



* What evidence do you have that being sustainable is more profitable?

* What is the greatest determinant of success when “greening” your company?

* Beyond increased profits, what have you found to be some of the “unintended benefits” of embracing sustainability?

* You have been doing this for over 20 years. What would you say is different these days in sustainability?

* Where do you think we are on the path to cleaner companies?





Robert Safrata, a visionary CEO, is disrupting corporate leadership by seamlessly blending social purpose and climate responsibility. Recognized by the Globe and Mail as “One of Canada’s greenest CEOs”, Rob is a pioneer in sustainability.

Rob, as the owner of two transportation companies, is passionate about reducing air pollution. With aspirations of electrifying his entire fleet of Medium Heavy Duty vehicles, Rob is leading the adoption of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in Canada so that he, and others, can afford them.

He introduced Canada’s first V2G pilot project for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, demonstrating the very first bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in British Columbia. He also leads key conversations in sustainability at events, conferences, and podcasts. He is also the host of CEOs & Self Driving Cars, a podcast focused on adding visibility and fun in the green space by interviewing in a “self-driving” Tesla.

In the dynamic intersection of business, sustainability, and innovation, Rob is passionate about helping business leaders understand how profit is enhanced when the triple bottom line is maximized. Or at least get them thinking about it.

Beyond business,Robs actively shapes sustainability dialogues at events, conferences, and podcasts.



Websites: https://ctcexperiences.com | https://www.novex.ca

Social Media Links:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coast-to-coast-experiences

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/novex-delivery-solutions

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NovexDelivers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/novexdelivers



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Daniel Thomason, a fintech product expert and leads product for Google Wallet Payments joins Enterprise Radio. Daniel has worked in four countries on three continents in a variety of roles, from central bank economist, to escape room founder, to product manager.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Daniel Thomason discuss the following:



* You are a product manager and an economist. You don’t see that every day in combined expertise. Can you please tell us how those two professions work hand-in-hand to help each other in your day-to-day work?

* You made a big career pivot after leaving the central bank, I believe – you founded an escape room back in Australia! Can you tell us more about how that entrepreneurial experience has shaped your approach to product management in the tech world?

* Your primary focus is in the electronic payments space.  It has changed quite a bit, to say the least, over the past few years.  Can you discuss where you see it headed and why?

* What do you see the impact of AI on the electronic payments space and how will it impact the “everyday” person?  The corporate conglomerate?

* Technology is changing so quickly around us.  Could you tell us about how you think about technological change and how it will impact the world?



Tip: Find something you are really passionate about and find ways to integrate it into your work and home lives. That is the true meaning of success.



Daniel is a fintech product expert, with experience in regulation, growth, and building both zero-to-one products and at scale. A creative, analytical leader with a strong ownership mindset, he is passionate about solving hard problems that affect core parts of people’s day-to-day experience. That’s why he loves working on payments innovation!

Daniel works at Google, where he leads product for Google Wallet Payments. The team is focused on making it easy and safe for people all over the world to make payments using their Android phone or watch. The team’s ambitious goal is to dramatically reduce payments fraud, eliminate the need to produce plastic credit cards, and make life more convenient for users by allowing them to leave their physical wallets at home.

Before Daniel became a product manager, he founded an escape room company in Australia: Next Level Escape. The company is one of the most successful escape rooms in Sydney to this day. Daniel introduced innovations such as secondary and tertiary objectives (for groups so good they would otherwise have escaped too quickly!) and a branching puzzle structure so that larger groups could still have all the players engaged at all times. The company became profitable after just four months of operation, and has won multiple awards.

Daniel currently lives in San Francisco with his wife and family. He is an active community member, having joined the Cole Valley Improvement Association board and participating in the Cole Valley monthly cleanup. In his free time, Daniel can be found cooking and baking chocolate chip cookies, doing yoga, or playing board games.

Website: https://www.dthomason.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-thomason



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Deploying AI Requires Understanding What’s Both Possible and Practical

Sol Rashidi, listed as “one of nine brightest minds in AI” by Forbes and author of the new book The AI Survival Guide: Scraped Knees, Bruised Elbows, and Lessons from Real World AI Deployments joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Sol Rashidi discuss the following:



* What are the common obstacles that stand in the way of companies successfully implementing AI?

* What are some ways that AI is bringing a fundamental shift in the business ecosystem?

* Describe what you mean when you say that the real challenge in deploying AI isn’t a technology problem but a people problem.

* You advocate that organizations integrate AI into their operations using a “think big, start small, scale quickly” approach. Can you describe what that looks like?

* Are you concerned that any guardrails needed for ensuring Responsible AI are too little too late?





Sol Rashidi is an esteemed executive, leader, and influencer within the AI, data, and technology space, having helped IBM launch Watson back in 2011 and with her involvement in “hands on” AI deployments since. She’s been named Forbes AI Maverick & Visionary of the 21st Century, 50 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Top 100 Thought Leaders in AI, Global Data Power Women, and more. Her new book Your AI Survival Guide: Scraped Knees, Bruised Elbows, and Lessons from Real World AI Deployments (Wiley, April 30, 2024) was named among Best Books in AI by CEOWorld and made it to the bestseller list in less than one month.



Website: https://www.solrashidi.com



People also listened to this: CSU Pueblo, Vision 2028 and What It Takes To Lead By Example

Armando Valdez who has been appointed as the 16th president of Colorado State University Pueblo – the CSU System’s regionally serving campus located in Pueblo joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Armando Valdez discuss the following:



* Give us some details on CSU-Pueblo’s Vision 2028 and how it is to be achieved under your leadership to get things underway here today. 

* With a diversity score of 86/100, Pueblo is recognized as being one of the most diverse in the country – How does this fact reflect the overarching mission of one of the nation’s leading Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)?

* What are the challenges facing the region, and the institution in meeting Vision 2028 and how do you forecast that they can be overcome?.

* How important is talent recruitment and retention as a priority to CSU-Pueblo?

* Where do you envision the institution in five years’ time?





President Armando Valdez is the new President at leading Hispanic Serving Institution CSU-Pueblo, formerly state director for USDA-Rural Development in Colorado and also operated a family farm and ranch operation near Capulin, Colo., with his wife and children. A native of the San Luis Valley, Valdez is a 16th-generation American who can trace his roots back to northern New Mexico.



Website: https://www.csupueblo.edu

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoStateUniversityPueblo

Twitter: https://x.com/csupueblo



People also listened to this: Neurosnap and AI are accelerating scientific research, discovery and breakthroughs

Keaun Amani, the Founder and CEO of Neurosnap Inc., a biotech startup that aims to develop cutting-edge technologies that bridge the gap between biology and machine learning joins Enterprise Radio.
Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Keaun Amani discuss the following:

* Can you start by telling us about Neurosnap and the work you are doing?
* Can you provide some examples of how AI technology can help advance scientific discoveries while removing past barriers to world-class bioinformatics-driven breakthroughs?
* Neurosnap recently launched its 2nd Generation Biology Suite. Can you please tell us about this new suite and how it can help molecular biology researchers?
* What are the next big initiatives that Neurosnap is working on?
* Where do you see this industry, and in particular, Neurosnap, in 5 years?


Keaun Amani stands at the forefront of blending the intricate worlds of software engineering and molecular biology as the CEO & Founder of Neurosnap. With a profound passion that navigates the crossroads of these disciplines, Keaun leverages a unique amalgam of skills to spearhead innovative products that accelerate discovery in both realms. His journey in the tech landscape is marked by over nine years of intensive software engineering, underpinned by a vast coding expertise and a demonstrated prowess in integrating machine learning models into practical applications.
Beyond his technical acumen, Keaun is celebrated as a polymath in biology, with a command over molecular, plant, synthetic, and computational biology. This diverse expertise makes him one of the rare scientists who seamlessly transition between academia and industry, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and application in both biology and software.
Keaun’s trailblazing accomplishments have significantly advanced the field. Cementing a path toward legacy is the development of NeuroFold, an enzyme design model that dramatically outshines existing benchmarks, including those set by industry giants, by improving accuracy by over 40 times. This tool represents a quantum leap in the ability to understand and manipulate the building blocks of life at a molecular level.
One of Keaun’s most notable contributions is his instrumental role in designing a binder against a mutant form of Krasb, a target long deemed undruggable and a key driver in lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer. Through strategic collaboration with DesignedBiologics, he has broken new ground in drug design, potentially paving the way for treatments against some of the most challenging diseases facing humanity today.
Further proof of his polymath innovation is the successful engineered plants that exhibit bioluminescence akin to fireflies, a feat that not only demonstrates his innovative approach to synthetic biology but also hints at the vast potential of his work in creating sustainable and eco-friendly lighting solutions.
Keaun Amani’s journey is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary expertise and a deep-seated passion for exploration and innovation. Through Neurosnap, he continues to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible at the intersection of software engineering and molecular biology, promising a future where the complexities of life can be understood and manipulated with unprecedented precision and accessibility.
Website: https://neurosnap.ai
Linkedin:

Douglas Bell, Author and CEO of Bumbershoot Press, a publishing company for authors giving light to diverse characters joins Enterprise Radio.

This episode of Enterprise Radio is in association with the Author Channel.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Douglas Bell discuss the following:



* You are relatively new to the publishing industry. Tell us about your journey to becoming an author.

* So that leads me to my next question, why start your own publishing company? Did you have any experience with a publishing business?

* I understand you are coming out with your second book soon. Tell us about it.

* We have many listeners who have probably considered compiling their business wisdom into a book. What would be your advice for anyone looking to write their first book?

* What’s next for you? Will you continue writing? Continue publishing?





Douglas Bell is a fiction writer based in Houston, Texas. He draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including the teachings of Buddha and the Dalai Lama, as well as the powerful storytelling of James Baldwin.

He started his career in engineering and eventually pursued a degree in business to fuel his passion for entrepreneurship and creativity. Bell’s works explore themes of social justice, and as an African American writer, he strives to bring diverse perspectives to the forefront.

In the journey to complete his first book, Cake Walk, Bell found it difficult to find a publishing company interested in working with a non-traditional author with LGBTQ+ leading characters so he started his own publishing company, Bumbershoot Press. Now Bell is on the brink of releasing his second novel, Love Cake. He is also the host of a podcast that gives stage to other authors and leaders within the LGBTQ+ community.



Visit www.douglasbellbooks.com for more information about Douglas, his journey, and his latest works.

The views, ideas, thoughts and opinions expressed on any program are those of the persons appearing on the program and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Enterprise Podcast Network – EPN. 



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