Jordan Meinster: Stretching and Kicking Basketball Franchise Performance into High Gear
They say there’s a time and place for everything – Jordan Meinster says the time to start a basketball franchise is right now. There are many things that mark PickUp USA Fitness out from other franchises, but Jordan starts with two. ‘First, we offer new franchisees a turn-key business complete in every detail, including training and mentorship programs. And second, our whole environment is based upon allocating substantial resources to our training programs, whether it’s complete training or 365 day/year support. We at Fortunes Crown got into conversation with Jordan Meinster, Founder & CEO, PickUp USA Fitness, to know more about the company and how it is helping the businesses as a whole. Below are the highlights of the interview: Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the franchise business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years? PickUp USA has awarded 43 franchises for our basketball-focused concept. We have a nationwide presence and are considered the industry leader in basketball facilities. We stay in tune with our customer preferences and continuously adjust our services to ensure we are providing a world-class basketball experience. Some recent examples include a members-only adult basketball tournament each week and a new Youth Development league for kids in grades 3rd – 8th. Could you please walk us through your educational/professional journey? What was the moment that triggered you to step into the franchise business? I went to college in Durango, CO and always played PickUp basketball at parks and rec centers there while I earned my Bachelor’s in Business Economics. I put myself through school managing a restaurant. When I wasn’t in school or working, I was playing basketball! I worked for several years in banking and finance and eventually enrolled in night classes at USC where I completed my MBA. I always dreamed of opening a basketball gym and one day I got the courage to quit my job and start PickUp USA! When was PickUp USA established? What are the prominent services/solutions offered by the company? The first PickUp USA was established in Irwindale, CA (just outside of Los Angeles) in June 2012. PickUp USA is a basketball paradise for youth and adults. We do group and private basketball training, PickUp basketball with referees, tournaments, Youth Basketball Leagues, and a lot more. All of our clubs also have full fitness centers with weights and cardio equipment. What measures do you incorporate to ensure motivation and productivity within the workspace? How do you respond to criticism and disagreements? I take a very hands-off approach with my team. We collectively determine goals and then I let them figure out how to get there. It is a very entrepreneurial workplace. We encourage risk-taking and making mistakes. That has helped us become one of the fastest-growing fitness franchises in the US. Criticism and disagreements are a natural and productive part of any business. Criticism provides great feedback and insight from customers, employees, and franchise owners. Disagreements show that everyone cares. Friction is a part of growth and we welcome it as long as everyone remains respectful and professional of all team members. What measures do you undertake to ensure optimum customer satisfaction? How much impact does the customer feedback have on the company’s strategies? Customer feedback is a huge part of how we shape our programs and services at PickUp USA. We continuously run member surveys and connect with our customers at our gyms. Our corporate team is consistently onsite at corporate-owned and franchised locations and we actively solicit feedback from customers so we can know how to best serve them. Our franchise owners also perform self-audits on their stores to ensure that we are living up to the high expectations that our members and guests have for our clubs. As a leader, how do you ensure hiring the ideal franchising candidate with the ideal qualities? How do you ensure providing effective training and mentorship to the team? When analyzing franchising candidates for PickUp USA, our development team completes a comprehensive discovery process to get to know the individuals looking to franchise our basketball concept. Our Franchise Development Manager sends e-Brochures and conducts initial phone calls to answer initial questions and determine if there is a fit. From there, she sends them an application to complete. Upon receiving the application, she determines if the candidate qualifies to start our discovery process. If qualified, our VP of Franchise Development conducts a series of interviews and webinars to build the candidates understanding of our program. After this process, the VP determines if we will award a franchise to the candidate. It’s a very thorough vetting process that ensures we have top-tier franchisees to deliver our services to the public. After signing on as franchisees, our training and mentorship programs are widely recognized as the best in the industry. We allocate substantial resources to our training programs and all franchisees complete a comprehensive curriculum through PickUp USA University. Franchisees work directly with our VP of Operations, our VP of Marketing, and our Franchise Support Associate to complete their training, and they are assigned dedicated reps at the corporate office for ongoing 365 day/year support. We also have a platform for franchisees to communicate with one another, either one-on-one or in a community forum. We all support one another. When one of us wins, we all win. How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact you and your company? What was your response to the unprecedented situation? COVID shut down all of our gyms for a brief period in 2020. We banded together as a company and weathered the storm. We quickly recovered and were back to pre-pandemic levels of business by Q3 of 2020. 2020 wound up being a record year for the company and 2021 far surpassed 2020’s numbers. Things have not slowed down in 2022. Q1 was our best quarter ever. COVID was scary, but we have an amazing group of franchise owners and a dedicated corporate office. We didn’t close a single location
Jeffery Arnold: The Face of RIGHTSURE, Assuring Ultimate Platform Blending Technology & Insurance.
Digital Version Known for its Famously Friendly Humans and its iconic tagline “we insure everything from pets to jets.” RIGHTSURE is witnessing a consumer push to its products and offerings in increasingly record-breaking numbers. The insurance industry is quite fragmented with several challenges that exist like talent shortages, managing the balance between tech and human, climate risk, and increased regulatory requirements. RIGHTSURE has effectively tackled the shortcomings of the industry and presented affordable and reliable insurance choices which are tailored according to consumer needs, oh yeah, and their Discount Discovery Technology is what consumers crave. Fundamental Building Blocks Behind The Establishment Since its establishment, the company has acquired several agencies and is also involved in joint ventures with public and privately held firms. Its expertise and persistence have helped the company secure millions of dollars in financing and executed reinsurance measuring with billion-dollar conglomerates. RIGHTSURE is a combination of an insurance agency, insurtech, and aggregator backed by powerful AI initiatives. The company gives the consumers, control of the insurance process. Unique and Beneficial Propositions Generally, over the years, consumers have been influenced to believe that all insurance is equal and the only difference is the price (or the premium paid). On the contrary, every single policy sold is a separate legal contract with the insurance company. And if the consumer is paying less, he is most likely getting much less coverage. RIGHTSURE addressed this gap by developing Discount Discovery Technology. RIGHTSURE policy comes with three very unique propositions, RIGHTSURE assists the consumer in finding quality insurance coverage while providing the best-in-class customer service with a high level of professionalism. The team of RIGHTSURE aims to develop long-term relationships with the customers. Their platform compares not only hundreds of different companies but layered against their discount discovery technology. They assure consumers get not only the very best rates and coverage from top insurance companies, so you can be sure you have the best possible. However, they do this process every single time the policy is up for renewal. A done-for-you service like no other and it’s transforming the entire insurance eco-system. Exceptional Client Service & Matchless Human Connection RIGHTSURE distinguishes itself in quantifying data. The team pays attention to the details and strives to render the best results for the consumers. RIGHTSURE has an unabashed, unmatched, and unapologetic focus on finding the right talent and honing their skills to keep the Famous Friendly Humans engaged and focused on helping the customers get excited about a topic and subject that is mundane for others. The efforts of the RIGHTSURE team have been recognized by several awards and accolades won over the year. These awards also stand as a testimonial to what the company has been able to achieve. In 2022 alone, the company won several awards for its culture and innovations like the Top Insurance Firms North America, 2021 Top Insurance Workspace, Most Outstanding Independent Insurance Agency, and winner of 5 Star Insurance Brokerage Winner. Jeff Arnold’s leadership was awarded as “Insurance Executive of the Year North America, 2021,” and “The Herald of A New Era in Insurance.” Jeff is also often regarded as the Global Ambassador of the insurance industry. He adds, “We are often reminded that people don’t buy from companies—they buy from people—and at RIGHTSURE our people are the company.” Despite the challenges of COVID, RIGHTSURE was able to sail through the tough tides and persevere towards success. The company’s elevated status is provided by its Famously Friendly Humans – as RIGHTSURE has become synonymous with an exceptional client experience and unmatched human connection. Offering Affordable and Reliable Service In the insurance industry, change is the only constant and the changes are thrown at you daily. To sustain in the market one has to adapt to the changes. From Weather Patterns to increased costs to fix cars and rebuilding home, along with the current environment of inflation mixed with Social Justice Settlement the industry is experiencing immense pressure on how to price insurance and how to deliver that messaging to the buyers. RIGHTSURE aim is to help consumers save money and ensure they are covered. To fulfill this, the company will continually invest in its unique propositions RATEGUARD, Discount Discovery Technology that will make all types of insurance affordable for the people. Alongside, develop, attract and retain its Famously Friendly Humans. A Power-Packed Future RIGHTSURE’s RATEGUARD platform is helping to put consumers in control of how much they pay for insurance and is changing the entire insurance ecosystem as it teaches consumers How to Beat Insurance Company Rate Increases. RIGHTSURE is currently in the middle of raising more capital to improve its platform and gain more market share. Founder Jeff Arnold states, As far as the most exciting part of what we do is: I truly am humbled by how our giving MODEL has grown at RIGHTSURE. A portion of every Single Policy dollar goes to: This is powerful as it creates an impact as the team is helping change lives for the better. A portion of every single policy at RIGHTSURE contributes to these great causes. A Leading Company Amongst All The Competition In The Industry Firstly, without a doubt – as stated previously – RIGHTSURE is known for its Famously Friendly Humans and how we fuse our Humans with Artificial Intelligence and layer it with our tech-forward ideology. This fusing together of Humans, Machines, and Technology continues to win us a record number of awards and more importantly, attracts customers by the thousands monthly. “RIGHTSURE will help you find quality insurance coverage while providing customer service with a high level of professionalism.” “We’ve helped countless people save money on their insurance while making sure they’re properly covered.” About The Leadership: Jeffery Arnold has been challenging the insurance status quo for over three decades. His skills and experience make him a distinguished leader in the insurance industry today. The leadership team is rounded out by a powerhouse of Female Led Executives, who in their own right are garnering much attention by leading the tech-forward firm
Ishveen Jolly: Bridging Athletes and Companies Through AI
Ishveen Jolly (Anand), Founder and CEO, OpenSponsorship, is using her wide-ranging experience and interactions in India and Europe to redefine the importance of connections between agents and athletes and companies. What sponsorships will look like— a reimagined investment playground accessed through untapped AI and data. By tapping into the potential of AI, Ishveen delivers a platform that has room for every player. She considers the way sports decorum achieves optimal success and the way that technology advancement is moving in today’s rapidly-evolving world. A Qualified Endeavour Ishveen started her career as a management consultant and then as a sports agent. For five years, she worked in the sports industry primarily focused on securing sponsorships for athletes, teams, leagues, and events in India and Europe. Along the way, however, she realized that it wasn’t always easy for agents and athletes to connect with companies and vice versa. And when they did, the results weren’t always what either party had envisioned. A hard-hitting test occurred during the pandemic when they had to set up the entire office remotely. This huge adjustment is being thoroughly embraced now with their team across the US and even in the UK. This has meant being more reliant on processes, KPIs and ensuring check-ins regularly to ensure team members are thriving and achieving. Defining Moments of OpenSponsorship As a startup, unique challenges are a part of the business. Currently, some of the company’s challenges come from growing as a start-up to becoming a bigger business. OpenSponsorship constantly has to make sure that they have all the correct processes in place for them to continue to scale up and continuously make sure everyone on the team is in sync with a clear definition of ‘where we want to excel as one’ with OpenSponsorship. They are also facing an influx of competition, especially within the college space since the new NIL rule is in play. However, they are committed to constantly upgrading their technology to make sure it is sufficient, while still being simple for both athletes and brands to use. Women Determined to Rising Women can often change the atmosphere of any challenge. Any time you can bring diversity into the boardroom and into decision-making, it is better for all. Women are the primary purchaser of goods, which is a huge part of GDP. Understanding the patterns of how and why women purchase, is a major key. People have seen a huge part of big companies, delivering on women’s needs, ranging from personal care, health care, and furthermore. Ishveen feels like understanding women is most important. Women bringing their different perspectives is really important as well, especially when speaking about tech and AI. Ishveen thinks business and politics go hand and hand. You can not have one without the other, it is just how the world operates. There are so many business decisions that ride on policies. For example, in the world of sports, politically speaking sports betting is legal in the U.S and that brings tons of business and money into the company. Plus tons of businesses are opening up in terms of legality like CBD, which leads to business directly. All of these new categories often come with questions that are not clear yet the policies come into play. Policies often change, one of which people are currently dealing with is maternity leave, they present the leave that gives women the opportunity to go back into the workforce and that obviously transforms business. A huge cross-section between both fields. Women Hold More Potential to Excel Economically Obviously, sports and technology both have independently been male-dominated industries. But from DNA to genetics, both are different. Both are wired differently and those differences are what makes women tick. They see the world through different eyes. In terms of women, speaking of minorities, people with unique voices, are the ones who will make the world a better place for living because they are going to be more inclusive. Building diversity is what will be the recipe for success. It will help us build products, businesses, and policies that are inclusive for any and everyone. OpenSponsorship does have male team members on the team who are able to be more sympathetic and empathetic. But having a woman in the room can make people more sensitive and also create awareness in terms of being inclusive themselves. As a woman, you may use different language or be more considerate of others’ points of view. Female leadership can be more humane, as they often are more considerate. It often holds true a lot of time, but not always. Roles and Responsibilities Ishveen’s primary role as Founder & CEO is to constantly break new barriers, and think about new solutions to grow OpenSponsorship. Growing the team, revenue, and reaching new milestones really gets her excited for the future. She is constantly engaged in all aspects of the business. For her, it is important that she understands how the company flows from the inside to the outside. OpenSponsorship platform is the core of what it does. About a year back they released their mobile app and they are seeing an uptick in that from users – Mobile is becoming core to their product. They love the use of AI and data for their platform, from matching to suggesting the right campaigns for brands. They are always figuring out ways to plug in other technological solutions to theirs, like transitioning all their payments to athletes through Tipalti, using Stripe to collect payments from brands just to make it easier and quicker. They also use Intercom so that people can message us in real-time through the app. They are constantly leveraging technology to make their process quicker and more seamless. They differ from their competitors because they don’t want sponsorship to be a chance, based on who they know, or whether or not they got lucky. So they are determined to make sure that there is access for everyone and that it’s meritocratic, just like how finding a
Ingmar Hogoy: Using Food Waste to Produce New Food
Why is waste management of concern, especially food waste? Food waste is now a global issue. If not properly dealt with, it poses a threat to public health and the environment. It is a growing issue linked directly to the way society produces and consumes. We need to find new and more sustainable solutions adapted to our urban lifestyle where we can upcycle the recourses in food leftovers to feed. Ingmar Hogoy, CEO and Co-Founder at Greentech Innovators AS, has the vision to produce more food to help people fight the food crisis. As an entrepreneur, he discovered a gap in waste management that triggered him to utilize waste from fisheries and aquaculture and develop new products such as feed, special feed, and proteins for human consumption. We at Fortunes Crown got into an interview to know more about Mr. Hogoy and his impact on food waste management. Let’s have a look! Please tell us about your educational/professional background. Who inspired you to become a business leader? Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey? I have had a passion for fisheries and aquaculture since I was a kid ad when I was 12, I started experimenting with microalgae in an aquarium using fertilizer for growth. I made a small pond and was catching wild trout fry for farming. When I was 15 years old, I started fish farming with rainbow trout in a homemade fish cage. My goal has never been to be a business leader as such, but my vision was to contribute to producing more food for a growing population and the answer to more food production is in the ocean. My inspiration has been the scientist Dr. Norman Borlaug who got the Nobel Price in 1970 and the book “The man who fed the world” describes the “Green revolution” and how it was possible to increase food production through modern and scientific agriculture methods. Aquaculture has the same potential for the “Blue revolution” and increasing food production from the ocean. My passion for aquaculture has led to several projects and positions in the whole aquaculture value chain through research, product development, processing, and sales. In the early stage of the Norwegian salmon industry, I was working in a salmon processing plant when I realized that there was no waste management solution for processed by-products like viscera and bones. This became an environmental problem. I found that the rest raw material from processing was a valuable resource containing high-quality protein and oil – left unutilized. I was hired at a pioneering company and built up a factory for processing the rest raw materials from the salmon industry into fish protein and oil as feed. Ever since, I have been dedicated to the circular economy, utilizing waste from fisheries and aquaculture by developing new products such as feed, special feed, and proteins for human consumption. The utilization of the rest raw materials from fisheries and aquaculture is now a large and profitable industry in Norway. When was Greentech Innovators AS established? What are the prominent services/solutions offered by the company? On my daily travel from home to work I met the trucks loaded with food waste going for incineration and the only result was GHG emission and pollution from the chimney. Through my experience with aquaculture and by solving the challenges of by-products from aquaculture and fisheries, I realized that we still have environmental challenges with food waste. In 2018, we established Greentech Innovators and the subsidiary Algaepro. The idea was to find more sustainable solutions to organic waste like food waste. The environmental challenges with today’s waste management solutions became more and more obvious. Please tell us about the services/products your company is offering? How are they different from your competitors’ offerings? Headquartered in Bergen, Norway, Greentech Innovators uses biotechnology for converting food waste into growth media for microbes and microalgae for the production of omega-3 and protein as sustainable feed for the aquaculture industry. We are upcycling food waste to feed. And our customers are waste management companies that need more sustainable solutions according to new regulations. We can offer feed producers more sustainable omega-3 and protein. Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years? During the last decade, it has become more and more obvious that we need to find more environmentally friendly ways of living. This includes the development of new and more sustainable waste management as all the commonly used solutions like landfills, incineration, composting, and biogas production are contributing to greenhouse gases and pollution of water and air. Political, social, and regulatory pressure to reduce greenhouse gases and go for more circular solutions is a driving force for our solution. It is also a global demand for new feed for the growing aquaculture industry. To continue growing, new and sustainable feed sources substituting fish meal and oil and soy in aquaculture feed must be developed. It is not sustainable to use 30% of global fish sources that can be used for direct food consumption as feed. Our solution uses something that we have too much of, food waste, to produce something in global demand like omega-3 and protein. What are the unique challenges your company is currently facing? How have they affected your company? Like many early-stage companies, we were also affected by the covid situations. Equipment that was normally no problem to get was in demand, and the whole process took more time and the education of employees was delayed because of restrictions. The largest challenge, however, was that investors became more risk reluctant, and it was hard to get equity for expansion and scaling of our innovative solution producing more food and at the same time reducing GHG emissions and pollution of water and air. What measures do you incorporate to ensure motivation and productivity within the workspace? How do you respond to criticism and disagreements? Internally within the team we are open-minded and
Harrisburg University of Science And Technology: STEM University Caters Degree Programs That Lead To Great Careers
Digital Version Building block for Dr. Eric Darr to get into STEM It’s not the technology that changed the world, but the dreams behind it. People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. Along similar lines, Dr. Eric Darr’s fascination with science and technology and how the world works led him to enter STEM education. Therefore he involves in teaching other people about how the world works and new technologies that change the world. Evolution Of The Education Sector Leading Toward The Development Of The Programs The significant transformation that’s happened recently, as a response to COVID, is the moving of education into a virtual world using technology to connect instructors to students, and students to each other. Dr. Darr thinks that technology transformed the way education is delivered, and the possibilities for merging time and space. STEM Education has taken advantage of technologies to reach students around the world, and therefore the development of their programs is not limited by geography. With faculty who dwell all over the globe HU’s programs extend across the world. So, geographical limitations, from the teacher and student side, are something that doesn’t have to be considered in the development of their programs. They can develop and design programs that reach anywhere and are taught by people who live anywhere. And Harrisburg University just tries to find the best. So, he thinks that’s a tremendous boon in how one should think about and formulate their programs. The Essence Behind Establishing Harrisburg University Of Science And Technology Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a private research university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is a STEM-focused institution with branches in Philadelphia and Panama. It was established in 2001 to provide STEM-focused certificate and degree programs. Harrisburg University has been granted Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation. Harrisburg University has over 7,000 students, including over 3,754 international students. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology offers 28 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, as well as doctoral and certificate programs. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology’s vision is to provide undergraduate and graduate academic programs for a diverse range of learners, utilizing student-centered, technologically advanced, and experiential learning designs that emphasize student success, with a strong emphasis on specific interdisciplinary competencies and strong links to career development. The desired outcome is the emergence of highly qualified, technically proficient graduates with knowledge of applied science and technology-related fields. The University has achieved this goal up to a point. However, meeting the needs of the workforce, assisting entrepreneurs, and establishing new businesses is a never-ending goal. So, while they have done a lot to develop a workforce and produce graduates who frequently do great things and assist new businesses, there is always more to be done. Occurrence And The Impact Associated With STEM Dr. Darr’s first sophisticated STEM experience occurred when he was an undergrad and was assigned to work on a glider as part of a NASA project. He would have been bored just learning mechanical engineering theories and formulas if he hadn’t been able to work on this glider, so it all became more real and enjoyable. As a result, that experience is why Harrisburg University does what it does in providing students with hands-on experience. That is what gives it substance. That is what drives people. It also alters perceptions of how science and technology work. Skill Set Engraved In The Students While Studying At STEM STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) is becoming an increasingly important term in education and the global economy. This is because future careers will almost certainly revolve around STEM fields while also requiring 21st-Century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, cultural awareness, collaboration, and problem-solving. According to Dr. Darr, no great scientific discovery or new technology is ever created by a single person. It’s almost always a collaborative effort. People who live thousands of miles apart can collaborate. The University’s students work in teams, whether they are all together in a classroom or distributed across the United States. Along with information literacy, critical thinking, and decision-making, this is an excellent skill for students to learn. These are life skills, not just skills for working in science and technology. STEM Acting as an Instrument in Changing the Present Society STEM education extends beyond the classroom. It provides a skill set that governs how we think and act. STEM education, which combines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, assists us in addressing the world’s current challenges. Let’s look at what STEM means in a global context and how it affects our society’s development. STEM education has already changed the world. Whether it’s different ways of banking, self-driving autonomous cars, or the way we listen to music or participate in entertainment, we must be adept at adapting to technology and being life-long learners. It has already altered our society in numerous ways. The rate of change has accelerated and is likely to accelerate further. We are living longer lives, curing diseases that we could never cure before, and changing the way we travel around the world and interact with others. All of this is likely to change dramatically over the next ten years. It’s incredible what we’re on the verge of. Women Considering STEM Careers There is a critical need for as many smart, talented people as possible in STEM fields. Women, according to Dr. Darr, will find great role models and opportunities. There has never been a better time to be fascinated by science and technology. Role models and mentors are critical for young women trying to advance in their careers. Women, according to Dr. Darr, will find great role models and opportunities in STEM fields. That is significant! The Way the University Emphasizes the Ideals Required to Establish a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace Diversity and inclusion are extremely important to the university and are even part of its mission statement. Businesses all over the world recognize the value of workplace diversity and inclusion.
Global College Malta: Developing People To Their True Potential For Over A Decade
Digital Version When universities were set up about a century ago, scholars established the primary purpose of these institutions was to teach wisdom and enlightenment to the students. At the time exclusively for a select group of the elite and wealthy. As we hop onto the time train and reach modern times, that primary purpose has several sub-purposes branched out. Today, an institution’s primary purpose is to provide wisdom and education; but also to shape a canvas of a clear mind into something magical. To provide a diverse, warm, and welcoming environment where a student can be nurtured into utmost growth. Two of the most essential purposes of higher education are students’ character development and their preparation for real-life demands. One could argue that they should already be established before enrolling in college. Still, the education systems at pre-university levels need to provide students with the chance to learn about themselves and experience continuous character development. Headquartered in Malta, Global College Malta is one of the most prominent and cutting-edge private institutions in the Mediterranean region. The institution is famous for providing outstanding, post-graduate, and undergraduate programs. The goal of comprehensive, top-notch education and cross-disciplinary curricula is to get students ready for a fulfilling and highly gratifying job. Strength At The Core Established in 2012, Global College Malta aspires to give its students the knowledge and abilities they need to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Whatever course one decides to take, the institution wishes success and a wonderful, fulfilling educational experience. All through these years, Global College Malta has established healthy connections with several universities in Europe, North America, and Asia to ensure that their students receive global education in its purest form. Global College Malta offers specifically created, top-notch business and management courses, all of which are geared to improve employability. Specifically, in the areas of Business Management, Accounting, Finance, Health & Social Care Events & Tourism Management. The institution believes that its core strength lies in the recognized expertise and teaching abilities of its reputable academics from all over the world. A faculty that provides a wealth of comprehensive and cutting-edge teaching, business, and industry. The school is very proud to welcome new students. They interact with students through a distinctive learning experience and work with them to help shape a bright future because they see every student as the next generation of industry leaders. The actions and decisions made by the college line up perfectly with its motto “Developing People To Their True Potential.” This mission is the cornerstone owned and protected by the college which is reflected in every step taken at the Study World Global College Malta. A remarkable group of people who are dedicated to making a meaningful difference make up the institution. It has always taken great pleasure in its commitment to providing motivating and excellent student teaching and learning thanks to its highly certified and experienced teachers. Not from their backgrounds or prior experiences, but our students will benefit from the intellectual challenge and the chance to grow as individuals because of how it is taught and how it is approached. “At GCM, we believe in shaping & creating business leaders, entrepreneurs and so We support and welcome business ideas from the students. We provide expert guidance, comprehensive business plan formulation support, connections to alumni in related areas of the proposed business, introduction to investors and venture capitalists thus creating a perfect launching pad for budding entrepreneurs at our college.” Leading With Leadership For an institution responsible for making future innovative business leaders, the institution needs its innovative leader to lead the way. Dr. Vidhya Vinod is currently the President and Group CEO and is in charge of leading and managing the Study World Group as a whole. She has led from the front and developed a devoted, enthusiastic, and execution-focused team that has been crucial to the success of the collaboration with Heriot-Watt University. Being one of the youngest women CEOs in the region, Dr. Vidhya Vinod is the proud founder of the Study World Group and has the vision of enhancing lives through international education for all. Dr. Vidhya, after completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and a Master’s in Computer Application, started her academic career as a lecturer in UAE. She played a key role in setting up the first foreign University- Heriot-Watt University, in Dubai. Over the last 10 years, the college has enjoyed immense success and growth. Dr. Vidhya has added real academic and professional value to the lives of several students and professionals. “At this time, the World desperately needs the skills, knowledge, and ability to work and live together that you have acquired during your time with Global College Malta.” Dr. Vidhya works to inspire the entire GCM with her innovative management skills. She has the vision to establish the college as the largest higher education institution in her region. Aiming towards making reputed and commercially viable international education available to students from different parts of the world. A Walk Through The Campus Global College Malta being true to the “global” in their name, has students from all over. Making the campus a vibrant rainbow of ethnicities, backgrounds, attitudes, and approaches. The College is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all people feel supported and valued, enabling them not only to succeed but also thrive. For its international students, numerous celebrations rejoice. For various regional festivals and other events that hold importance to the students from their respective roots. This creates perfect cohesion among students as well as provides glimpses of cultural diversity. A student is faced with numerous challenges as they embark on their college or uni journey. Students must devote their complete attention to university life. The students should always review the course syllabus, maintain their confidence, and examine the various assignment forms. On top of that, adjusting themselves to the campus and between their peers puts even more pressure on these minds. What they need during such
Gagan Arora: From Transforming the Industry to Building an Empire
Gagan, is a first-generation software entrepreneur, a tenacious leader, and a tech evangelist who has successfully built himself as a well-known brand name in the industry. He is Boston University Certified and the seven-time recipient of the BEST CEO award. He is the Chairman of the Foreign Investors Council’s Delhi Chapter and the Director-Global Education for the Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce, servicing 52 countries. Mr. Gagan Arora, founder and CEO of Vertex Group, is a pioneer in providing aided sales and marketing services to BPOs, BPMs, IT solution providers, and financial and accountancy firms. What’s the inspiration behind Vertex Group? Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey? I have spearheaded Vertex Group‘s expansion into six countries in just five years, earning numerous honors including “World’s Greatest Leaders 2021-22”, 40 UNDER 40, and Asia’s Youngest Entrepreneur by Asia One, which was highlighted on CNBC and ET Now. I have also been named as one of India’s Top 100 Influencers by GMI and Forbes two times in a row. I am usually inspired when the utterly impossible becomes possible by embracing the challenge with a never-say-die mindset, no matter how difficult things grow. My desire to prove myself has driven me to build the best work environment possible, expand, and spread our message around the world. If I hear a story from someone who has overcome the odds, worked hard, focused, fulfilled on their word, and has been relentless in changing the world to make it a better place, I feel unbelievably inspired and uplifted. Three words that describe my entrepreneurial journey are Upward, Learning, and Evolving. Since the inception of my journey as an entrepreneur, I have been upward with the challenges coming my way considering my setbacks and failures as new learnings that allowed me to evolve and create a bigger picture of my vision. Deprived of any financial or psychological support, although my circumstances were homeless my vision was not. I had a crystal-clear vision of setting a trend of innovation and technology by using the best of my day-to-day business knowledge. To give wings to my passion I took a leap of faith and left my job, sacrificed the comfort of a monthly salary and perks, and invested money to achieve one true dream. Success to me came in the form of waves that had highs and lows but my keen determination to not settle for anything less kept me going despite a few initial failures. With a strong vision and the will to transform the industry, I laid the pillars of my dream in a small garage in Florida with a team of two, and have since, expanded my footprints across seven countries with a powerful workforce of over 1500+ people. Now, as a President of the Group and a leader, I have taken all of my experience and learnings to make a huge impact, growing my current company from 2 employees to more than 1500, with international offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Philippines, Nepal, Middle East, and Africa. Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years? With the increasing demand for technology, India’s IT solutions sector has the potential to become the world’s next space center. Advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and others have shrunk the distance between the virtual and real worlds, resulting in an interoperable platform between Information Technology (IT) and actual physical activities. Over and above past human-machine interactions, machine-machine real-time communication is now conceivable. With the rise in processing capability of the chips, visualization and simulation tools have advanced significantly. A wide range of complicated, customized, and modular goods can be designed and immediately conveyed to the machines that will follow. Thus, embedded systems, factories, and workers link via the Internet of Things to collaborate in a cyber-physical environment. Society is rapidly moving from analog processes to digitalized technologies which have opened new ways for businesses to improve and evolve together with their customers. Also, it offers the possibility to link the worldwide economy and build a network in which every business can find its place. Your smartphone is a perfect example of digital transformation. It allows you to use different digital services like social media, which are yet an example of digital transformation because they have changed our way of communicating with each other. Big data or machine learning are other examples that are especially relevant for businesses that want to learn more about their customers. They offer completely new perspectives on your customers’ behavior that you can use to grow your business. With digital transformation businesses are taking an important step toward getting to know customers better. Pen and paper are outdated. Today you can collect important information via smart applications that offer endless possibilities. Customers’ expectations have changed, thus traditional marketing channels like PR and distribution are starting to lose their impact. Social media is critical for both marketing your items and communicating with your customers. Customer care is now available not only by phone and email but also through social media. As a result, customers have come to expect significantly faster responses to their inquiries. It would not be inaccurate to argue that digital transformation serves as a vehicle for taking your company to the next level. What are the unique challenges your company is currently facing? How have they affected your company? With the changing business environment, no industry is immune to unknown difficulties. The Covid-19 pandemic has built a new reality that is complex, ambiguous, and full of possibilities. Uncertainty regarding the future is one of the most pressing issues we face today. The unprecedented waves of Covid-19 have had a negative impact on employees’ physical and emotional well-being, as they are constantly threatened by the loss that pandemic uncertainties could have on them and their families, thereby hurting employee productivity. The work-from-home culture necessitated that corporate culture is built in such a
Esther Riveroll: Transforming Data Management in the Digital Age
About the Author A sports lover, trained for a cross country marathon of 45Kms, and passionate about mathematics to keep challenging her brain, Esther at a very young age realized that she was born to be a leader. After graduating high school, she cracked a position at IBM where her path in technology began. She sees failure as learning and an opportunity to do things differently, “it is just that you are preparing yourself to grow,” she says. Big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning are transforming economies and innovation on a revolutionary scale. They have great economic potential. Indeed, some have already hailed data as “the new oil.” This may be an imperfect analogy, but it does capture the excitement and high expectations surrounding the data-driven economy. The prospect of extracting lucrative insights from rapidly growing pools of data is galvanizing entrepreneurs and investors in all sectors of industry. Esther Riveroll, Founder and CEO at Alldatum Business, brings a sophisticated capacity to collect, organize, control, and commercialize stores of data and intellectual property to help businesses with data governance. She accompanies them on their path to a successful digital transformation getting value on their data, as well as responding to the challenges presented by the digital economy and data management initiatives. Please tell us about your educational/professional background. Who inspired you to become a business leader? Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey? When I was 18, I studied at the “Colegio de Bachilleres”, a high school in Mexico that gives you a technical specialty and mine was accounting. This school did not have a direct pass to the government universities and my parents did not have the money to pay me for a private university, so I took the exam at UNAM Public school and I was not selected. There were students from another high school who had a direct pass and the career I had chosen which was “Applied Mathematics and Computing” was fashionable, I was not fortunate enough to be chosen. I had to work in the meantime in the Collective Transport System (Metro) for a year. There I realized that I did not want to be an administrative assistant, that I wanted to be a leader of something, and also with everything I saw, I realized that I wanted to help create a better world. After that year I took the exam again and now I was accepted. I taught aerobics classes daily (3 hours) to help my family. I loved sports, I trained for a Mexico – Cuernavaca cross country marathon (45 KMS) and that was my passion. I loved exercise so much that my friend from college was upset with me because I was always doing homework at the last moment. At that time, I wanted to put in a gym and I loved to make people happy through exercise and music which is also my passion. In this process, I had a car accident that stopped for a while the opportunity to continue teaching classes and that was where I received the message that my mission was not teaching aerobics, that I had to start to focus more on my professional career and that was when I tried harder in the University. I love mathematics, to challenge my brain to solve problems, the more difficult I like it and that also I was passionate about. When I was finishing school I wanted to work in a company that was the IT biggest Company, where I could learn more and be challenged. That’s where I found out back then that it was IBM and a friend’s sister took my resume to IBM. I went on a scholarship and that’s where my path in technology began. Since I was at school I always had the opportunity to be a leader. I was a group leader in secondary school for the 3 years in a row, and I loved it because I have the firm conviction that being a leader you can train and help people, and create high-potential teams. My first position as a manager was when I thought I was ready, I asked my manager at IBM what do I have to do to become a manager and he assigned me goals that I met and they gave me a management position. I learned that if you want something you need to ask for it. There is a lot of responsibility in being a leader because you become an example and inspiration for others, but if you do it well, you can create opportunities and a better world. When was Alldatum Business established? What are the prominent services/solutions offered by the company? Alldatum Business is a proudly Mexican company created in 2016. Our passion is to deliver and help customers derive value from their information and collaborate with them on their data strategy. Headquartered in Mexico City, Alldatum brings value to customers by being a business partner that accompanies them on their path to a successful digital transformation getting value on their data, as well as responding to the challenges presented by the digital economy and data management initiatives. We help companies to obtain the best information from their systems, and the vision of the data they don’t have today but need for future growth. create value with this data and thus share this data to the lines of business and the analytical area to make better decisions. We transform the data into wisdom for the companies. Data projects are not only technological projects. Many customers need help to understand all about the data and the best strategy to get value from it. Sometimes their first pain is on the silos and integration of their information, sometimes they do not have the data they need, sometimes they had internal political situations that are difficult to manage, and the owners do not want to share the data, the data is poor on quality, and many other situations.
Ellen Voie: Driving The Women Workforce With Positive Work Culture
Today, people’s idea of success is driven by personal ambition. However, it turns out to be a foolish way of doing business. Ellen Voie, CEO & Founder of Women In Trucking Association, Inc. has another way of achieving success without being fired by ambition. She is concerned about everything around that helps her to not hold anything back and do naturally her best. This is a woman’s way of operating an organization, and this is becoming the best way to operate the world. Women & Softer Economics In 2007, Ellen founded Women In Trucking Association as a nonprofit trade/professional organization. She explains, at that time women comprised about three percent of the driver population and had very little representation in board rooms or the C-Suite. The sentiment at that time was that the industry was just being gender-neutral and hired the best candidates. However, it was apparent that there was not a level playing field. There was unconscious bias in the hiring and promotion of female executives, and for female commercial drivers, the playing field was anything but level. Showers were communal for men, restrooms for women were scarce, trucks were designed for men and there were no women’s uniforms. The most critical area was the lack of data. Since women were considered “statistically insignificant” in trucking, it was difficult to break the information down by gender. Over the years, the Women In Trucking Association has worked with universities and private entities to look at the differences between men and women in transportation careers. Now, it is known that women take fewer risks, both in the boardroom and in the cab of a truck. Women make decisions differently, and women have different values when it comes to working for a trucking company. Women are more collaborative and better at team building. These are all positive attributes that weren’t noted in the past. Different But Inspiring Unlike other girls, Elle has been interested in less traditional activities, such as woodworking, auto mechanics, drafting, and welding. After graduating from school, she was hired at a steel fabricating plant to draw material handling equipment. Working efficiently, she was offered a promotion to move into the traffic (shipping) department and advanced to Traffic Manager. There, she earned a diploma in Traffic & Transportation Management which gave her a great deal of insight into how the supply chain works. Along with family responsibilities, she used her skills as a consultant to motor carriers in central Wisconsin. During that time she earned her bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Communication. ‘Women with both human skills as well as the language skills which are fundamental to any business rise faster.’ This principle helped her hired to lead the Trucker Buddy program, a nonprofit organization that matches professional drivers with elementary classrooms. After six years, she was recruited by a large carrier in the Midwest as the Manager of Retention and Recruiting Programs. Her job was to initiate corporate-level programs to attract and retain nontraditional groups, which included women. What the innovation space needs, ‘understanding the gap in any workforce.’ Keeping the mantra in her mind she spent a great deal of time trying to understand what women are looking for in a carrier and what makes them leave the industry. While earning her private pilot’s license, she belonged to a women’s aviation group that prompted her to start the Women In Trucking Association. Reinventing Against Disparity Although women make up 50% or more of the human population, women business owner statistics do not match up. Women entrepreneurs who are entering the workspace still need to negotiate levels of male-dominated industries to bring their ideas to life. Women In Trucking has over 6,000 members in ten countries where about fifteen percent of them are men and they support the mission. They provide insight through surveys, research, and partnering with other organizations that want people to better understand gender diversity in transportation careers. The goal is to be a resource for the industry and for the government. As a trade/professional organization, Women In Trucking Association is here to serve its members. Involved in the transportation environment, connectivity is empowering them to build better businesses. They believe in transparency and are responsive to feedback. If a client does not feel they can provide value to their company or career advancement, they won’t renew their membership, so feedback is crucial. They are constantly asking their members what issues are important to them and how they can better represent them. Most importantly, they use their insight to make changes in the industry by quantifying their experiences which gives them measurable goals. Overcoming The Uncertainties Despite such devotion, Ellen admits that she has seen a difficult time responding to criticisms. She cannot help but often take these criticisms personally. She faces a hard time when people try to attack them for something they dislike instead of engaging in a conversation to resolve issues. The world is at a stage where gender equality is becoming the major aspect of every industry. Women In Trucking Association is on a mission to provide jobs and aware women that they can play a very important part in softening economic activity. They are still working virtually with great efficiency even amid the pandemic, especially hiring self-motivated people. They are not bound to have set work hours, or even vacation schedules, as everyone is expected to complete their duties without the need for oversight. Millions of business owners across the world faced at least some level of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women In Trucking Association was moved too to take unwanted decisions. For instance, they had to cancel their in-person event in 2020 and switched to a virtual conference. They had over 600 enthusiastic registered attendees, which fueled them to continue to provide a virtual option. Similarly, in 2021, they had over 800 at their in-person event in Dallas and hundreds more who participated in all or parts of the virtual conference. From Ellen’s Seat Having a laid strong foundation, Women
David Goldberg: A Man on a Mission to Heal and Help the Community
Digital Version The healthcare industry was at the middle of everything during the pandemic. It experienced a seismic change, transforming all aspects of the healthcare system. It has been widening in an unprecedented fashion. With the positive changes, the industry has faced challenges. However, despite multiple challenges, the industry has staunchly served people. The industry continues to alleviate human suffering, whilst maintaining an overall healthy community. David Goldberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mon Health System, strongly believes in community health and customer feedback that drives development for both the patient and provider. David has served the healthcare industry for a considerable period, a truly passionate entrepreneur in the business. The following cover story paints the picture of this entrepreneur’s success story – how he became one of the finest leaders of the healthcare industry with a rich experience. About David Goldberg David Goldberg serves as Mon Health System’s President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as Executive Vice President of Vandalia Health. David has nearly 20 years of senior healthcare leadership experience. He previously served as Senior Vice President with Highmark Health’s Allegheny Health Network (AHN), ran two hospitals as interim-CEO and former interim-President of Highmark Home and Community Services (HMHCS) in Pittsburgh, PA. David’s extensive healthcare administrative background includes serving as President of two hospitals and Service Line Executive for Cardiovascular and Behavioral Health Services at Tenet Health’s Baptist Health System in San Antonio, TX. He also served in various senior roles ending as System Pediatric Vice President and Administrator with Inova Health System at Inova Children’s Hospital in Falls Church, VA. David earned his master’s degree in health systems management from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from West Virginia University. A recipient of several professional awards, he remained active in healthcare, professionally and in community activities throughout his career. More recently, David has become the Fairmont State University Vice Chair, serves on the WV Hospital Association Board, Chair for Hazel House of Hope, Highmark Caring Place Board, Advisory Board member for West Virginia University School of Public Health and Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Board of Directors for Morgantown Area Partnership, and a member of the Board for the Marion County Chamber of Commerce. David and his wife Noel, also a WVU graduate, have two daughters, Reagan and Ryan. Source of Inspiration David is a former Shriners’ patient, which eventually makes healthcare personal to him. He draws inspiration from his college years and professional opportunities that helped him to work and make things better. His parents have instilled a helping and improvement-driven mindset and that is how he supports others in their journey and mission. On Current Business Scenario Healthcare is a much-needed industry. Not only that, it is an immensely under pressure industry. The mission to bolster the opportunity to heal, help, and foster wellness is impracticable without the right alignment between patient and provider. With the shift from volume to value-based care and the growing focus on population health, the hard work should be fastened on to improve outcomes and community wellness whilst the business model pays on a “sick care” base. In due course, this evolution can bring about cost reduction, also ensuring proper utilization of services while enhancing overall outcomes. Challenges Company is Facing There are slew of challenges our company is confronting – the post-pandemic world, the “great resignation”, the stress caregivers feel delivering care, and economic head winds – all these factors are playing in and impacting the pillars of stability and sustainability. Narrowing the focus on service and quality brings about revenue, and we have never been more energized about what the future will bring for improved cost of care, workforce development, and community health. Company’s Establishment Mon Health System was formed in 1982 to aid in strategic planning and to manage all its affiliated entities under one common philosophy. On Motivation and Productivity in Workspace It is important to reflect upon customer feedback; hence, we always review what our customers say and feel. We have colleagues, patients, providers, family members, and community neighbors that we gauge our progress through. Buildings do not treat people, people treat people, so we need to be focused on our patients and colleagues to maintain a positive environment to help and heal. Criticism or disagreement are vital feedback to learn from. You cannot fix an issue if you do not know there is one and we must ensure that we listen and pay attention to all our stakeholders. A just culture is vital to ensure balance and access for all points of view to improve the experience for the patient, colleague, and community. Customer Satisfaction and the Impact of Customer Feedback on the Company’s Strategy We survey patients as they use inpatient or outpatient services throughout the healthcare journey. We also have patient family advisory councils to ensure the patient perspective is always in the center of what we do. The customers feedback and insights are always vital. We cannot do what we do without ensuring we hear the positives and opportunities our patients experience. Healthcare is a core necessity and mission driven. A healthy community is defined by socio-economic, health status, and positive infrastructure so we need to stay focused on our patients’ well-being. Products and Services Mon Health System, part of Vandalia Health, is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals in North Central West Virginia that works together to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to the communities it serves. It includes six hospitals – its flagship, Mon Health Medical Center in Morgantown; Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital in Kingwood; Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital in Weston; Mon Health Marion Neighborhood Hospital in White Hall; affiliate, Grafton City Hospital in Grafton; affiliate, Highland-Clarksburg Hospital in Harrison County; Mon Health – DASCO Home Medical Equipment in Morgantown and Weston; and The Village at Heritage Point. Mon Health System is also part of many Joint Ventures such as Acuity Hospital of