Corporate Unplugged

When Roberto Verganti first appeared on Corporate Unplugged, his episode quickly became one of the most listened to interviews on the show. Two years on, Roberto, Professor of Leadership and Innovation at Politecnico di Milano, currently founder and Director of The Garden-Center for Design and Leadership at Stockholm School of Economics, joins Vesna for another illuminating conversation, this time about meaning, purpose, innovation and real leadership. Why a reappearance? Because the subjects Roberto has been researching and writing about for the last couple of decades are more interesting and relevant today than ever before, and his ideas, insights and work need to be shared with an even wider audience. If companies and leaders want to make an impact, they need to provide meaning to their customers through their products and services. Companies should be thinking: ‘If they don't need what we do, it's our problem. It's not their problem.’ And the best leaders are the ones who have learned to sa

What makes a really listenable podcast? Is it a great production value? A plethora of interesting guests? A personable host? Whatever it is, Kristoffer Triumf, host of popular Swedish podcast Värvet, has figured the podcast magic out. Kristoffer is a popular podcaster and host of Värvet, Sweden's favourite podcast. What makes the podcast so incredibly relatable is that he has very deep dialogues with a very diverse crowd of people - from filmmakers to artists to business leaders, Kristoffer has interviewed over 400 people so far, and counting. He originally set out to chat particularly with comedians, but has since broadened his horizons to a much wider audience, and he’s been richly rewarded for his diversification in guests - Värvet has had around 90 million downloads to date. Besides having a voice that you can’t help but be drawn to, he has also developed the art of really listening to what his guests are saying. He leaves time for them to truly reflect on his question before answering, mea

Do you often find yourself wishing you were more persuasive? Would you love to know the secret to making great decisions? Do you want to do more good and work for a business that does good in the world? Then you want to listen to Zoë Chance, the persuasion expert. Zoë studies and teaches behavioral science to help great people become more influential. At Yale School of Management, she works with executives and has developed a popular MBA elective called Mastering Influence and Persuasion, aka "Doing Uncomfortable Things That Make You a Better Person." Her course ‘How To Make Behaviour Addictive’ is also heavily in demand.“The key insight that I’ve learned… is that the primary drivers of all of our decisions and all of our behaviours are unconscious.... we can't just reflect on those. We only perceive the conscious, rational processes of decision making. It's our gut first reactions that are actually very hard to change. And then, consciously, we look for reasons to be able to do those things that we alre

The idea that the smallest innovation can cause the biggest disruption doesn’t just apply to products and things, it applies to people too, says Whitney Johnson, the world renowned expert on disruptive innovation and personal disruption. This is a person with 1.7 million LinkedIn followers, the one who was selected as a Top Voice in 2018, so she knows a thing or two about disruptive innovation. But Whitney hasn’t always been so influential. The best selling author and frequent lecturer for Harvard Business School’s Corporate Education began her career working on Wall Street as a secretary. Quickly realising she wasn’t going to make the money she needed, she began to take night courses and was able to transition from being a secretary to an investment banker. “For people who worked on Wall Street, like that just does not happen, that divide is so wide. And so for me, that was kind of a disruptive moment.”Today, Whitney is recognised as being one of the world's most influential management thinker

What would you do if you were misdiagnosed with an autoimmune disease as a teenager, subsequently spending 10 years undergoing major surgeries, having 3 organs removed and over 40 hospitalisations, and then once in remission find yourself sabotaged, sexually abused and harassed early in your career in Silicon Valley? Some people might shy away from the spotlight after all this, but Robin Farmanfarmaian is not most people. Far from it. Robin is a professional speaker, entrepreneur and angel investor working with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence software, device and pharma companies poised to impact 100 million patients. She’s currently the CEO and co-founder of ArO, a dynamic vision correction company. In her role as keynote speaker she covers multiple topics and has written and published two books - “The Patient as CEO: How Technology Empowers the Healthcare Consumer” and "The Thought Leader Formula: Strategically Leverage Your Expertise to Drive Business & Career Goals".Why has she cho

What if you knew that mastering the art of public speaking was easy? That you could transform your business, your career and your life by getting to grips with this one skill? That you could find yourself a member of a global community with a hub (and a welcoming home) in every city around the world?Well, that’s just what Eric Edmeades is on a mission to do. Eric is an author, serial entrepreneur and international business speaker. He has logged thousands of hours on stage, even sharing it with the likes of Tony Robbins, Richard Branson and Bill Clinton. Eric’s been involved in a variety of businesses ranging from mobile computing to Hollywood special effects, and now he has turned his attention to his latest project, creating a global movement called Speaker Nation.“One of the greatest gifts that I ever gave myself was overcoming both my fear and my lack of confidence around communication. I changed my life by overcoming my nervousness and working to cultivate skills and learning how to engage an audience an

Reynir Indahl isn’t just a man who talks the talk, he is a man who walks the walk. Having had a wobble as he turned 40, questioning what he was doing and what impact he was having on the world, Reynir, much to his family and friends confusion, turned his back on his successful career in finance in order to focus on being a solution to the world’s most significant challenges. Drawing on his Harvard education, Reynir founded Summa Equity in 2016, a purpose-driven, Nordic private equity firm managing €1.4 billion, to invest in companies looking to solve global challenges.“The world is developing rapidly. This poses new social and environmental challenges. By investing in companies that actively work to solve these challenges, creating a prosperous society for everyone, Summa is part of the solution.”This isn’t Reynir’s first time on Corporate Unplugged, he originally sat down with Vesna in 2018 to discuss Summa Equity and the work it was doing, and now feels like the right time to catch up with Reynir

Jan Broman, along with his brother, founded Fotografiska as a meeting place to inspire a more conscious world, using photography - portrait, fashion, nature and documentary photography, for example, to initiate conversations. Not just conversations about the here and now, but what the photos represent and the world around us. The renovated former Customs House, built in 1906 in the heart of Stockholm, is home to Fotografiska, now considered one of Scandinavia’s most important and powerful artistic magnets. Since opening almost ten years ago, Fotografiska has hosted some of the biggest names in photography from Annie Leibovitz to Gus Van Sant to Martin Parr. But Fotografiska is anything but a regular museum or art gallery. At its core it is a dedicated hub of human interaction, a creative space that nurtures thoughts and discussion and encourages the exchanging of ideas. As Jan says, “What we have become is more like a place where conversation can take place. And it can be inspired by what we do

If, like us, you are captivated by the inspiring actions of a select few individuals who are devoted to save the planet, then you want to listen to this podcast with Ulf Stenerhag, the Swedish entrepreneur who doesn’t believe passion is driving him in his quest to bring about change for the future generations, but a sense of compassion and responsibility.Because that is the kind of man Ulf is: understated, not a self publicist. In fact, for his latest venture, Wayout, they haven’t actually launched it yet publicly, because they’re too busy just getting on with, well, getting on with it. “We are, let's say hard, hard working people, working more on deploying, rather than to shout about it. And there is also a reason for that, we want to make sure that everything works out fine before we go very, very public.”But Ulf shouldn’t fear failure. This is a guy who is the CEO of Thurne Teknik, a Nordic Tech Trade company with many years of experience in leading international and industrial sales organisation. A m

If we want to change the world, instead of fighting against the system from the outside, how about taking a leaf out of Maria Cristina Papetti’s life book, and try to change the world from the inside?“Being an activist, that is not easy, because you need a lot of energy, a lot of passion. But from the outside, always fighting all the time against something, that is easy. It’s what you can do when you are inside the system, that some would say, is more challenging.”And Maria Cristina embodies the passionate purpose that the company she works for, exists to fulfill. Enel, a global Italian utility company believes that ‘sustainability will not develop without continuous innovation and for us innovation is meaningless unless it is oriented towards sustainability.’Enel couldn’t have chosen a better person to be their Head of Sustainability Projects and Practice Sharing, because Maria Cristina is not just dedicated to her work - what she does is so much more than just a job, you see, Maria Cristina’s desire to chan

In this podcast:Changing cultural perceptions of parenthood and workDesigning a learning experience around parenthood Riccarda’s dream for Ma’am is that they become useless with no more clientsWhy Riccarda is passionate about making sense and maintaining consistencyWhat makes a business work today is what will hinder its growth in the futureWhy the current thinking on retirement needs to be re-examinedThe link between power and responsibilityWhy the world really needs more care at this timeLinks:https://www.maam.life/en/http://www.opesfund.eu/What if businesses looked at parenthood as a training model and were empowered to do good in the world with an ethics-first approach? Learn how Riccarda Zezza, founder of MAAM, is aiming to do just that. Based in Milano, Italy, MAAM is the world's first and only digital training program turning parenthood into a masters in key skills for business.MAAM delivers a powerful digital and life-based program that builds employees’ soft skills by up to 35% in a very engagin

Harish Hande is founder and chairman of Selco Foundation, a social enterprise seeking to inspire and implement socially, financially and environmentally inclusive solutions, by improving access to sustainable energy. Selco have made under-served communities the central focus of their thoughts, words and actions. Harish has a doctorate in energy engineering from the University of Massachusetts and he serves on the boards of many organisations, both national and international.In this podcast:What Selco is and who it’s servingThe impact Selco has in India and what they hope to doHow Harish defines his passion for leveling the playing field of opportunity for the poor, no matter where people come fromWhat social enterprise is, and what it should beWhy Harish would like to innovate the education systemWhy Harish hopes to see Selco kill itselfLinks:http://www.selcofoundation.org/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nivi Sharma is COO of BRCK, a company connecting Africa to the internet. BRCK is at the cutting edge of frontier market technology needs for connectivity, whether that’s for people or things.Nivi is involved because she has dedicated her career to creating digital access for children, youth, and adults. Nivi is passionate about the potential impact the internet can have on the economic and social development for the 800 million Africans who are currently not connected, although they all have devices designed for a digital world.In 2011, Nivi co-founded eLimu, the first company to digitize the Kenyan Primary School curriculum for revision and literacy. Nivi’s other passion is creating children’s playgrounds and enabling connectivity in an analogue way. In this podcast:Why Nivi is passionate about connectivityNivi’s dreams for BRCK and overcoming barriers to connectivityWhy we need to connect in a more meaningful wayThe transformational points in Nivi’s life that have influenced her so farWhy Nivi wan

The Future of Education With A Techno OptimistRaya Bidshahri is a serial entrepreneur, writer, educator, futurist and keynote speaker. She has been described as a techno optimist, a communicator of popular science, and an advocate of curiosity, critical thinking, wonder, and awe. Raya is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Awecademy, a future-focussed educational organization that is disrupting traditional high school curricula and inspiring students to bring about civilization-level change.In this podcast:Why traditional education models, systems and curriculum are outdatedWhy almost all global challenges, man-made ones especially, boil down to human limitationsHow parents can look to challenge the traditional education experienceHow exponential technologies can be used to tackle global and existential challenges facing our worldWho Raya thinks we actually are (from a cosmic perspective)Raya’s passion—the one that she is willing to suffer forWhat the transformational points in Raya’s life have be

Nicklas Bergman has spent the past 25 years working as an entrepreneur and a technology investor, mostly focusing on investments and business development in emerging markets. A couple of years ago he embarked on a journey to understand where technology is taking us and if we are ready for the upcoming tech storm. Today Nicklas talks about accepting uncertainty, being curious but skeptical, his book “Navigating the Tech Storm,” a three-way process for innovation in technology, tech trends he finds interesting right now, and why the world needs to get better at listening to different opinions.On today’s podcast:Accepting uncertaintyBeing curious but skepticalNavigating the Tech StormA three-way process for innovation in technology Interesting tech trendsListening to different opinionsLinks:Navigating the Tech StormNicklasBergman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today’s guest is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Copia Global, Tracey Turner. Passionate about social businesses, social investing and international development, Tracey talks to us about using capitalism to end global poverty.  Inspired by a class she took in her first semester at Dartmouth called “The Politics of Starvation,” and by her travels to Africa, Asia and Latin America, Tracey has seen first-hand that people in the developing world are incredibly talented, hardworking and intelligent. What they lack is opportunity. And having worked in microfinance before founding Copia Global, Tracey is a firm believer that capital constraints keep people trapped in poverty. In fact, in America alone, 98% of venture capital goes to white men and the remaining 2% to white women and minorities. According to Tracey, if minorities and low-income people had access to venture capital, the world would be a dramatically different place.On today’s podcast:How using capitalism can end global povertyThe a

What if you knew exactly what you wanted, and went after it without a doubt? Today, TEDx keynote speaker Chris Baldwin talks about the importance of gaining clarity through curiosity, action-taking, and adventure, why your success is measured by your impact on others,  the difference between happiness and fulfillment, and how storytelling is the cornerstone of creating a connection with your audience.On today’s podcast:How do you get to clarity, and what do you do with it.The most beautiful gift you can give is to have the courage and tenacity to be yourself, and helping others do the same.Effective communication is the foundation of all growth, success, and happiness in life.If you can speak effectively to children, you can speak effectively to adults.Happiness is acquired by getting things. Fulfillment is found by giving back. Having a story and a giving mentality are key to long term business success.Links:https://www.chrisbaldwin.nl/https://www.10xspeaker.com/  See acast.com/privacy fo

Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us wake up inspired, feel safe at work, and return home fulfilled at the end of the day. Simon Sinek and his team commit to finding and building the leaders who will work to make this vision a reality. Today Simon talks about playing the infinite game with a finite mindset, why companies have to believe in their purpose, how trust is essential to play in the infinite game, rivalry versus competition, the courage it takes to go against the status quo, and that the world needs love and connection the most right now..On today’s podcast:Playing the infinite game with a finite mindsetFor companies to have purpose, they first have to believe in that purposeTrust is essential to play in the infinite gameRivalry versus competitionIt takes courage to go against the status quoWhat the world needs most right now is love and connectionLinks:SimonSinek.comSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Acast  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out infor

Sahar Hashemi is a keynote speaker, author, entrepreneur, and powerful authority on innovation. She is the co-founder of Coffee Republic, the first UK coffee bar chain, and she created Skinny Candy, the guilt-free confectionery brand. Today Sahar talks about her new book “Startup Forever,” abandoning institutionalized corporate culture, bringing 100% of yourself to your work, transformational points in her life, a company’s purpose, how bureaucracy is holding companies back, and daring as a leader.On today’s podcast:Sahar’s new book “Startup Forever”Abandoning institutionalized corporate cultureBringing 100% of yourself to your workTransformational points in Sahar’s lifeA company’s purposeBureaucracy is holding companies backDaring as a leaderLinks:SaharHashemi.comFull show notes at: http://corporateunplugged.com/podcast/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marco Bertini is professor of marketing at ESADE Business School, Barcelona. He is a co-founder of the school’s Institute for Data-Driven Decisions, and previously served as department chair. He completed his doctoral studies at Harvard Business School and was previously on the faculty of the London Business School. Today Marco talks about the shift from selling products to selling value, why companies are generally bad at turning a competitive advantage into revenue, his passion for behavioral economics, a four-step framework for monetizing anything, and why few organizations take customer orientation all the way to its logical end.On today’s podcast:The shift from selling products to selling valueCompanies are generally bad at pricing strategiesMarco’s passion for behavioral economicsFour-step framework for revenue strategyCustomer orientation is a ongoing, cyclical processThe slow erosion of differentiationLinks:MarcoBertini.comFull show notes at: http://corporateunplugged.com/podcast/  See acast