Innovating Humanity podcast

36:31

Josh Winfield is Head of Talent Visa for Tech Nation. Josh works closely with the government and tech businesses to support the immigration of tech talent to drive growth in UK tech businesses. I know Josh from a few years ago when he coached me on the Natwest Entrepreneur Accelerator programme. Josh is smart, forward-thinking and innovative and he understands startups having run his own business in his early twenties and coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and startups too. Josh is a challenger so it’s good for me to be challenging him with the questions for a change! The growth of tech businesses continues to astonish me and it’s exciting to consider where it might go next. Tech is at the heart of every business and if we want to grow businesses, we need to consider how we use tech to create innovative solutions to human problems. Tech can be used as a force for good or we can allow it to control our lives. What problem are you currently experiencing and what innovative solution might tech provide? Other free resources: Take the Team Performance Scorecard and discover the 12 hidden dynamics of your team’s performance Join our monthly Team Performance webinars Download White papers Sign up to our Weekly Leadership Hints and Tips www.judejennison.com in partnership with Birmingham Tech…

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23: Jane Fallon on human centred design 32:02

3 years ago32:02

32:02

Jane Fallon is Head of Digital for the Midlands for a consultancy firm called Methods that creates human-centred design for the public and private sectors. She talks about the need to start with understanding the needs of the user in order to create digital services that work for humans. Our use of digital is growing exponentially so it’s great to hear how leaders like Jane influence the future of our humanity and ensure it is not overlooked in digital design. The role of technology is changing. As digital is a fundamental part of everything we do in life and work, I love Jane’s idea that bringing together technology, anthropology and sociology enables us to understand what it is to be a human being in a digital world and what the tech needs to do to enhance our humanity. Jane also recognises the critical need to treat employees with the same importance as the customers and use emotions to engage and inspire those employees to do their best work. Who in your team needs re-engaging and re-inspiring? Topics covered: Birmingham Tech Human-centred design Digital and technology Humility, creativity, collaboration, teamwork Combining research, design, technology and humanity Other free resources: Take the Team Performance Scorecard and discover the 12 hidden dynamics of your team’s performance Join our monthly Team Performance webinars Download White papers Sign up to our Weekly Leadership Hints and Tips www.judejennison.com in partnership with Birmingham Tech…

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22: Roland Emmans on the uncertainty of disruptive change 36:29

3 years ago36:29

36:29

Roland Emmans is the UK Tech Sector Head for HSBC. Roland talks about the uncertainty of disruptive change. He explains that humans are evolving and developing new skills to lead in a digital age, without being technologists themselves. Roland shares his three key skills for the future of leadership and explains the importance of being able to collaborate in a more distributed way of working where people are no longer in the office or at home but can work from anywhere. I’m sometimes guilty of believing we need to slow down because the pace of change is not sustainable. I love Roland’s idea that we can adapt to a fast pace of change as the norm, and that it will require us to operate at the higher level of our capabilities. For me, that sounds exciting. I’d be happy to do away with the distractions that I don’t want to get caught up in. What excites you about the future and how do you and your team need to evolve to lead the change? Topics covered: Birmingham Tech Skills for the future Leading disruptive change in a world of technology Pace of change The evolution of leadership Other free resources: Take the Team Performance Scorecard and discover the 12 hidden dynamics of your team’s performance Join our monthly Team Performance webinars Download White papers Sign up to our Weekly Leadership Hints and Tips www.judejennison.com in partnership with Birmingham Tech…

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21: Chris Blackwell on leadership, technology and the pace of change 38:11

3 years ago38:11

38:11

Chris Blackwell is the Founder and CEO of Purpose Led Performance, a consultancy business that works with medium-sized businesses on leadership, growth, performance and sustainability. He is also the co-lead for a tech accelerator, helping technology startups scale and grow as part of Birmingham Tech. Chris is honest about not being a tech native but he recognises that technology underpins everything we do in business. We discuss technology for non-techies, the pace of change, leadership, culture and much more. It's fascinating that every business used to be run by people. Now it’s run by both people and technology. If we want to survive and thrive in business, whether as a small, medium or large business or a rapidly growing one, we need to develop both people and technology and we need to enhance the link between the two. I’m totally on board with Chris’ view that we need to develop the skills to lead distributed networks of people with different skills in order to innovate and lead change. Where do you need to adapt and flex? How can you develop people better to adapt to the rapidly changing tech world we live in with the humanity and leadership skills to remain human in a world of tech? Topics covered: Birmingham Tech Technology business growth Tech for no techies Leadership culture The pace of change The importance of people in a technology business Other free resources: Take the Team Performance Scorecard and discover the 12 hidden dynamics of your team’s performance Join our monthly Team Performance webinars Download White papers Sign up for our Weekly Leadership Hints and Tips www.judejennison.com in partnership with Birmingham Tech…

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20: Mike Bristow on technology disrupting the property investment market 38:25

3 years ago38:25

38:25

Mike Bristow is CEO of Crowdproperty, a company using technology to disrupt the property investment market. Mike and his two co-founders were frustrated with how long it took to get investment for property development projects so they created a technology solution to resolve the problem. He explains how they are using technology to drive disruptive change in a market that was causing them considerable pain and he explains how and why they did it. At the heart of everything Mike said, he is finding innovative solutions to problems, whether that is using technology, or building the business in Birmingham because there is more available and diverse talent than in London. He’s yet another great example of a non-tech founder running a tech business that resolves business problems. It’s not the tech that solves the problem though, it’s Mike and his co-founders whose whole approach is to not be defeated by the challenges they faced. There’s always a solution if we look hard enough! What problems are you experiencing and how might you solve them in an innovative way that you’ve not previously considered? www.judejennison.com in partnership with birmingham.tech…

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19: Mansata Kurang on virtual reality in mental health 34:56

4 years ago34:56

34:56

Mansata Kurang is the founder of VR Revival, a company helping underrepresented Adults, particularly from the black and Caribbean communities, in mental health using Self-Compassion Virtual Reality technology, as well as Psychology and Story Telling. We discuss the stigma of mental health in black communities and how using technology can make it easier to start the conversation and educate people in self-compassion. Once again, I found myself drawn into the bigger purpose and mission behind what Mansata is doing. Her business uses technology to reach the black communities that might not otherwise engage in mental health but ultimately her business is about quality healthcare for underrepresented adults and her idea that we can be “good humans” as she puts it by developing self-compassion first, is both compelling, needed and grounded in academic rigour. The more I interview people on the intersection between technology and humanity, the more I realise that it’s down to us as human beings to consider how we use tech to solve the problems in the world. I think that’s exciting. What’s the problem you are solving in the world? How do you make your work purposeful and meaningful? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with https://birmingham.tech/ (https://birmingham.tech)…

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18: Paul McGillivray on automation software and purposeful work 34:22

4 years ago34:22

34:22

Paul McGillivray runs http://remote.online (remote.online), an automation software business. I’m excited to bring this interview to you because Paul is an advocate of using technology as a means to enhance the human experience. We discuss how software can increase productivity, the difference between being efficient and effective and the importance of having purpose in work so we make a difference in the world. Paul’s vision for the future is an exciting one – the rapid advancement of technology means we need to think differently about how we interact with it and use it to serve society. The more technology expands, the more I think we need to be purposeful in our use of it and purposeful in everything we do – in our personal and professional lives, as well as considering the legacy we want to leave in the world. Technology can help us enormously if we stop getting distracted by meaningless activities. How can you use technology as a force for good in your own life, and create a sense of purpose in the wider world? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with https://birmingham.tech/ (birmingham.tech)…

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17: Weipoint on using technology to diversify cultural heritage 36:02

4 years ago36:02

36:02

Dr Wei Wu and his team Harriet and Lottie run Weipoint, a technology business based in Birmingham providing cultural heritage information for people interested in the city of Birmingham. The team recognise the importance of using technology to preserve cultural stories as well as to reach a wider audience and have translated much of their information into several languages to make it more accessible. I was struck by the power of stories to delight and entertain us and how they bring culture and history alive and shape our future. I like the idea that technology can make history more interesting as well as accessible and that we are missing out when we don’t know about the rich cultural diversity of our local cities. How might you rethink the way you look at history and places based on a different cultural perspective? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with www.birmingham.tech…

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16: Kim Leary on using technology to underpin business and culture 35:06

4 years ago35:06

35:06

Kim Leary is the owner of https://squibble.design (Squibble), a web design agency and Chair of https://birmingham.tech/ (Birmingham Tech week). We discuss the acceleration of technology to regenerate business growth after the pandemic, the way tech underpins every business, collaboration, the ecosystem needed to support tech businesses and maintain the presence in the West Midlands as well as the skills needed for the future as technology grows and the culture of businesses to ensure that we don’t lose sight of who we are as human beings in a virtual world. I was surprised to think of Dominos as a tech company. It shows that technology is critical for all of us in how we live and work. I was also inspired by Kim being a fashion designer at heart and using those skills to set up a technology business. She is a great role model for other women and an inspiration to encourage us to see technology differently, at the heart and forefront of every business. Kim is clearly creating a legacy for women, for technology, for business and for Birmingham. What’s the legacy you are creating in the world and how does technology support that legacy? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with https://birmingham.tech/ (birmingham.tech)…

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15: David Glenwright on using social media consciously 42:24

4 years ago42:24

42:24

David Glenwright is Head of Training and Special Projects at https://www.jcsocialmedia.com (JC Social Media), a social media and digital marketing agency. We discuss how history repeats itself on social media, and how social media magnifies how we show up as human beings offline. We discuss polarisation, the fundamentals of human behaviour, the importance of authenticity, the vulnerability of posting and the ability to use social media to form valuable connections with likeminded people. I’m struck by the balance that we need to have in how we use social media. At its core, it is about building personal relationships and provides an opportunity to create conversation with new and existing people. It can empower the consumer to make decisions, as long as we don’t use it in a manipulative way. It can inspire us as long as we don’t fall into the trap of trying to be “perfect”. I’m left wondering how we educate ourselves and younger people to use technology for the greater good. How do you use social media for greater good in the world? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with https://birmingham.tech/ (birmingham.tech)…

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14: Ria Blagburn on smart buildings, emotions and mental health 33:13

4 years ago33:13

33:13

Ria Blagburn from Vanti talks about using technology in smart buildings in a way that makes life easier and enhances the human experience of the workplace. We discuss how remote working has been possible due to the available technology, and how we’ve recognised the importance of the face-to-face human interaction in the absence of it. Ria is pragmatic about the future needing to be more in balance. Ria also talks about the importance of understanding the emotional state of everyone in the team to guide how you work together. Vanti have created a culture of transparency around emotions and mental health. It so important to be honest about differences of opinion and I love the way Vanti provide an opportunity for people to share how they feel after a difficult meeting. I agree with Ria that it makes business sense to care for the people in the team but Vanti seem to have gone beyond the words and put it into action. The level of honesty and openness about how people feel is refreshing in a world of fast-paced technological change. The business case for clarity and openness is clear, how can you create more clarity and openness in your team? What might be different if you had a quick check in and check out of meetings? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with https://birmingham.tech/ (https://birmingham.tech)…

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13: Oyinkansola Adebayo from Niyo Enterprise on empowering black women through technology 30:57

4 years ago30:57

30:57

Oyinkansola Adebayo is the Founder of Niyo Enterprise. Her businesses include upskilling black women out of poverty so they can be more empowered in the career and life choices. She talks about the demand for black women to be part of the solution, the importance of including cultural context in education and the need for support from all organisations to make workplaces more inclusive. I was struck by the need to make education and training culturally relevant so that black women feel they can belong. Oyin is making technology interesting for black women all over the world and this diversity is crucial to the future for all of us so that we include different voices and culture in how we shape technology. I was blown away by the power of one black woman to shape the future. If you’ve been inspired by her, please reach out to her and start the conversation for your organisation about how black women can be empowered, included and heard. How can technology level the playing field in your business? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

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12: Amardeep Gil from Trowers and Hamlins on the impact of technology on leadership and law 36:16

4 years ago36:16

36:16

Amardeep Gill is a Partner at https://www.trowers.com/ (Trowers & Hamlins) law firm. He specialises in commercial law in the tech sector. He talks about the ethical issues of technology and law, the need to be forward-thinking and flexible in our approach to how we use technology to support our human experience. We discuss the ethical, moral and social issues of technology and how we apply it and what that means both for lawyers and for us as human beings in a world of technology. I’m struck once again by the need for us as consumers and businesses to take responsibility for how we use technology. I’m not convinced we’ve realised that we have that responsibility. I have personally always assumed that the designers of technology have that responsibility but if you look at how we use many tech products and services, they have gone in different directions, often driven by the consumer. I think we need to start considering the moral, ethical and social issues of how we both individually and collectively use technology. What do you think? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

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11: Bjoern Hirtenjohann from Microsoft on technology and culture 31:48

4 years ago31:48

31:48

Bjoern Hirtenjohann is the Public Sector CTO for https://www.microsoft.com/ (Microsoft). He explains how Microsoft have accelerated the move to the cloud computing for clients as a result of Covid. He also puts to rest the nervousness that people have around technology taking over our lives or security issues with the cloud, and explains what Microsoft are doing to enhance the way we live and work. He explains how technology can improve workplace culture, giving more freedom to colleagues to change processes. Bjoern has made me think more about how we use technology and specifically, how we make time to work out how we use it wisely. We hear so much scaremongering around AI and social media, yet Microsoft are pushing boundaries of how we can use it to enhance the way we live and work and solve social and business problems. I’m determined to put aside time each week to explore how I use technology to improve the way I work. How do you make time to maximise the use of technology? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

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10: Birmingham Enterprise Community on building communities and creating connection 31:17

4 years ago31:17

31:17

Daniel Evans and Omran Aqbal from https://www.birminghamenterprisecommunity.co.uk/ (Birmingham Enterprise Community) talk about how technology can connect young entrepreneurs with support for starting and scaling up a business. They explain how every business is both technology-driven and people-driven. They are interested in how we use technology to solve social problems and share their thoughts on how technology can bring people together with shared values and ideas so we can build global communities with a greater understanding of difference. I’m struck by Daniel and Omran’s desire to use technology in a way that enhances the lives of human beings and to fix global social issues. The future of humanity and technology comes down to how we use it consciously and ethically. It’s on all of us to consider how we do that, both as consumers and in business. I share Daniel’s final words that technology has made things faster and easier. Now it’s time to make sure we use it to relate to each other better. How can you use technology better to relate to others? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with www.birminghamtechweek.com…

Innovating Humanity

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9: Chris Blackwell from Purpose Led Performance on technology, purpose and performance 38:52

4 years ago38:52

38:52

Chris Blackwell from Purpose Led Performance specialises in helping business growth by getting clarity on their purpose to drive performance. He explains the importance of finding the balance between investment in technology and investment in people - specifically purpose, ambition, culture and talent. He explains how the traditional approach of cost-cutting in a recession is counter-productive and a focus on purpose-led performance can innovate a company for future growth. Chris really demonstrates that technology is there for a purpose and that it’s the human beings who make the decisions about that purpose. Having a purpose is about being clear where you are going and ensuring that there is clarity for everyone to align around. Chris demonstrates with his own experience that technology can help us find people who are aligned with our purpose and we are stronger when we collaborate together around it. What’s the purpose in your organisation? How can you use technology to create a shared purpose and alignment? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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8: Sian Gaskell from Cuban Eight on technology, PR and communication 31:42

4 years ago31:42

31:42

Sian Gaskell is the MD of Cuban Eight, a PR and communications agency specialising in B2B and technology. Sian works with fast-growing tech businesses and therefore has a broad view on how the market is shifting. She explains how remote working has caused organisations to make empathy and wellbeing a higher priority and how important it is to use technology to keep people engaged. It’s ironic, but perhaps not surprising that it takes remote working on a global scale for us to recognise the importance of human connection. Sian touches on the importance of wellbeing. I’m particularly struck by Unilever as well as Sian’s own company taking a day off to disconnect as a way of creating more human connection. Technological connection can create emotional connection but it’s up to us to use it wisely. How do you ensure that you stay emotionally connected as well as technologically connected? How you know if your online connections are having the impact you want? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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7: Jill Palmer from Click Travel on collaboration, customer service and technology 32:10

4 years ago32:10

32:10

Jill Palmer is the CEO of Click Travel, an award-winning organisation providing online booking for business travel. Jill explains how collaboration is at the heart of her business, both externally with clients to include their feedback in how and what they deliver, as well as internally with her engineers and customer service advisors to ensure that technology, humanity and customer service interface seamlessly. Covid 19 was a major setback for the travel industry but Jill has picked up her business and her team remarkably. Jill’s enthusiasm for moving forward despite a major setback with her business is an inspiration for us all. She demonstrates the importance of balancing crisis management with a sense of purpose, as well as thinking strategically in parallel. She has steered her leadership team to adapt to a rapidly changing business context and I particularly loved the idea that engineers were encouraged to fail in their first week – encouraging innovation, creativity and a culture of fail quick and try again. How do you collaborate with your customers to enhance the service you provide? What can you learn from failing quickly and recovering quicker? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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6: Alex Arundale from Advance on technology and culture 39:42

4 years ago39:42

39:42

Alex Arundale is the Chief People Officer for https://www.oneadvanced.com/ (Advanced). She explains how at Advanced, they are interested in hiring people based on their behaviour and encourages people to consider a role in the tech industry because ultimately it’s about working with people. She believes that technology is an enabler for humanity and the emotional connection of human beings is the driving force for developing tech and culture. I love Alex’s enthusiasm for both people and technology. She repeatedly talked about technology being an enabler for humanity, that it can enable conversations that might not have happened like black lives matter. And that the data enables us to make decisions about unconscious bias and mental health and that ultimately it enables us to care for people better. How can you use technology as an enabler in your business to care for people? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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5: Dr Asha Patel from Innovating Minds on technology and mental health 35:25

5 years ago35:25

35:25

Dr Asha Patel is the CEO of Innovating Minds, mental health children. She talks about how technology can expand the reach of mental health services and reduce isolation which can lead to depression, as well as considering how we use technology, so it doesn’t have a detrimental effect on our wellbeing. I’m left thinking that it’s about choice. How we use technology determines our experience of it. It can be addictive and compelling, and we need to be more conscious about the choices we make in how we use it, as well as more conscious in choosing to step away from it and seek face to face emotional connection. How do you ensure that you stay emotionally connected as well as technologically connected? How do you use technology to improve your mental health? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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4: Jof Walters from Million Labs on revolutionising entrepreneurial business with no code technology 32:20

5 years ago32:20

32:20

Jof Walters is Co-Founder of Million Labs, a business using pioneering no-code technology to launch new businesses quickly, effectively and successfully. One million of them in 10 years – that’s their mission. What Jof and Million Labs are doing to enable entrepreneurs to launch tech business with little or no cash blew my mind. I’m sure it will yours too. But this isn’t just about the tech. It’s about business being a force for good in the world and human beings taking advantage of tech so we can be more human. Wow, Jof has really blown me away. I’m a non-techie who previously work in a technology company so I’ve always avoided anything to do with tech, believing it was beyond me. Now I find myself drawn into seeing that technology is not just for geeks. It’s for all of us and the sooner we take advantage of it, the quicker we can level the playing field. I genuinely believe that Million Labs are revolutionising startups, technology and humanity and I’m excited for the future. How can technology level the playing field in your business? How can you be more human and let the tech do the hard work? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with www.birminghamtechweek.com…

Innovating Humanity

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3: Perdie Alder and Margaret Anne Coyle from Spice Startups on leadership for entrepreneurs 38:47

5 years ago38:47

38:47

Perdie Alder and Margaret Anne Coyle are the co-founders of Spice Startups, a business giving tech startups and scaleups that #secretspice to grow, scale and reach new heights. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience of what it takes to be successful as a startup in the tech sector and explain why leadership is often seen as “fluffy” by tech founders. Despite this, they share some great examples of businesses who have succeeded as a result of outstanding leadership. I loved Perdie’s example of https://www.getthursday.com/mission (Thursday) – the online dating app that can only be accessed on a Thursday. It’s such a great example of how technology can drive our behaviour for positive benefit, as opposed to dating apps that can drive compulsive, additive behaviour. I’m left wondering how we ensure technology is a force for good in the world if investors want a quick return and founders think that leadership is fluffy? Is it all down to us as the consumers? What do you think? What decisions can you make that are a force for good in the world? How might your leadership be impacting the world without you realising it? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birminghamtechweek.com/ (www.birminghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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2: Avin Rabheru from Housekeep on customer experience and human needs 35:55

5 years ago35:55

35:55

Avin Rabheru is the CEO of Housekeep, the UK market-leading business for house and office cleaning. Avin explains how he took a structured approach to starting a business, the challenges of balancing human needs with technology and the need to define the culture retrospectively to put the heart into the business. He took a collaborative approach so the business can grow without relying on him. I’m struck by the careful consideration that Avin has given every step of the way with his business. Unlike many founders, he’s never lost sight of what he is trying to achieve and recognises the ethical dilemma of using technology to fulfil a human need whilst making a profit. It’s a delicate balance and Avin seems to have hit the sweet spot. Perhaps that’s part of the secret of his success. What human need does technology fill in your business? Where is the balance – on humans or on the tech? and what might need to change? http://www.judejennison.com/ (www.judejennison.com) in partnership with http://www.birmimghamtechweek.com/ (www.birmimghamtechweek.com)…

Innovating Humanity

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1: Jude Jennison introduces Innovating Humanity - the official Birmingham Tech podcast 5:44

5 years ago5:44