Shows
Clocking Out with Raymond LeeJulia Skupchenko: Corporate Oil & Gas Liaison to Social Impact EntrepreneurIn this episode of Clocking Out, we meet Julia Skupchenko. An award-winning entrepreneur, sustainability leader, and co-founder of the global think tank AlterContacts. Recognized by the United Nations and the European Parliament for her work accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, Julia designs bold social-impact initiatives and teaches the next generation of changemakers. But her journey to this point began far from the global stage. She grew up in the Arctic, raised by a family of academics and learning responsibility from an early age.From her first dreams of becoming a detective to presenting at...
2025-08-131h 02
The Purpose Made PodcastLockdown EconomyIn this episode we chat to Julia Skupchenko, an award-winning entrepreneur and innovator. A bit of background about Julia. In 2019 she co-founded AlterContacts, a Think Tank for Sustainable Development, with two core missions: To Eradicate Ignorance and Empower Entrepreneurship. During the pandemic she had to find new ways to support entrepreneurs. This led Julia to launch the Lockdown Economy, a non-profit grassroots initiative aimed at helping small businesses overcome their challenges to the COVID-19 pandemic. In just a few short months, the Lockdown Economy reached thousands of entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries. This earned her the Gold A...
2021-05-3033 min
LIFE OF EMERALD Podcast StudioSOS: Empower your life EP 11 | Massimo MercuriHello world, Here's food for your soul.
In this episode of 4th Season 'SOS: Empower your life', we invite lifestyle experts in psychology, health care, spirituality, publishing, alternative medicine, and business. Our shared goal is to improve the quality of your lifestyle. Guests share their worldly perspectives for you to ponder.
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Episode 11 invites our sacred guest Massimo,
Massimo Mercuri was born in Italy, lived and studied in Mexico and the US. Returned to Europe around 2009, his family lives in seven countries. Started from scratch and moved up to executive three times durin...
2021-02-1533 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Cooking School with Jane BertchIn this interview, Jane Bertch, the Founder of La Cuisine Paris, shares the story of the lockdown in a company that works on the intersection of the restaurant, tourism, and events industries, that have been affected the most. As soon as the news started spreading in January the flow of clients decreased. Jane and her team of eight chefs applied ‘strategic procrastination’ instead of immediately reacting, they took a pause to reflect and see how the things would be developing. The part of the business model around building the community became very important. The team kept on sharing recipes and...
2020-07-0716 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in an Investment Fund with Aly MadhavjiIn this interview, we meet Aly Madhavji (Vancouver), the Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund which invests in and venture builds top-tier startups. He shares how the lockdown gave new opportunities to startups in the Health sector and the example of an affordable insurance solution for self-employed and freelancers in the US. At the same time, Aly mentions that some startup founders who experienced too much pressure had to part ways. He also talks about the initiative the fund started of connecting students with startups. In less than a month, there were over 600 matches done and the number continues...
2020-07-0621 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Digital Parenting Consulting with Elizabeth MilovidovIn this interview, Elizabeth Milovidov, a European eSafety consultant and the founder of Digital Parenting Consulting and Coach, shares how the lockdown and increased online interactions led many parents to seek her advice. More and more families had to understand how to use technology in a positive manner, how to set boundaries and engage with their children. During the lockdown, Elizabeth doubled her efforts in running the community of parents and fellow online protection experts. She had time to listen more to parents to create helpful resources that would give them the right amount of information at the right...
2020-07-0521 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Tech Startup with Alexander KozhevnikovIn this interview, we meet Alexander Kozhevnikov (Moscow), the co-founder of Voxi AI, the voice assistant for taxi services, and Daw Software, a contact-tracing solution developed during the pandemic. He shares that with the lockdown the number of taxi rides went down by 80% which reduced the demand for Voxi AI with their current clients. But it was balanced out by the inflow of taxi companies that had to arrange their call centres in a new digital way. With the Daw Software, Alexander and his business partner identified an opportunity for contact-tracing software back in January when the first news o...
2020-07-0417 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Business Development Agency with Bisila Bokoko“Being an entrepreneur is an act of service. No matter what happens, you have your gift.”
In this interview, we meet Bisila Bokoko, CEO of BBES International, a New York-based business development agency that has been on the market since 2012 helping companies to go international and grow. She shares her journey from “What is my business now?” to “How I can be of service to my clients and the wider community of entrepreneurs?” Being in a people-facing business, Bisila used to travel to her client-companies personally to learn about them in-depth, she now found herself confined to a single loc...
2020-07-0318 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Business Consultancy with Victor CamaraIn this interview, we meet Victor Camara, a business consultant who helped to start over 70 new companies in Mexico in the last ten years. His practice was done in-person and due to the lockdown, he had to cancel most appointments. At the same time, Victor saw an even higher need in advising people on how to start their business, especially now that many were forced to create their own jobs. He decided to produce a series of training for beginning entrepreneurs in Spanish and launched a youtube channel with tips. Victor mentions that before the lockdown, people in Mexico...
2020-07-0220 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in an Ecosystem Builder with Valentina PrimoIn this interview, we meet Valentina Primo, the founder of Startups Without Borders, a social enterprise with a mission to change the perception of refugees and migrants in the world. She shares how the idea of an ecosystem builder was born in 2018 and how with the lockdown, Valentina and her team had to find the new way forward. To do so she asked her community with over 2000 entrepreneurs worldwide about what they need. That is how she launched an interview series about building a startup. The big question was still about this year’s summit. After last year's success wh...
2020-06-2915 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Corporate Transformation Consultancy with Nils SchmelingIn this interview, we meet Nils Schmeling, the managing partner at NECXT, an international boutique consultancy based in the Netherlands. Before the lockdown, Nils and his team of seasoned experts prepared inspirational tours across the world for corporate leaders to give them “aha” moments or “mind clicks” which are essential to bringing the cultural change into their companies. With the lockdown, it became practically impossible. Just like their clients, they felt a sense of urgency to make the change. Within two weeks there was the first virtual inspiration tour. Nils shares that it helped him that his clients did not want...
2020-06-2814 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a European Opportunities Consultancy with Angele GiulianoIn this interview, we meet Angele Giuliano, business angel, mentor and the founder of AcrossLimits, a Malta-based company with 19 years on the market, that guides businesses and organizations through different opportunities related to EU funding. She tells how the lockdown has driven many more entities to seek their advice, especially related to new health funding. Angele shares that the big change was in the lack of travelling and physical presence when the initial introduction with clients happens. The whole team of 25 employees was working remotely. Angele notices that people were more productive, they could save time on travel and...
2020-06-2816 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Strategy Consultancy with Fabrizio FaracoIn this interview, we meet Fabrizio Faraco, the founder of In Sprint, an Italian based facilitation business, that helps companies achieve success and autonomy. From the start at the beginning of 2019, it has been highly in demand, and Fabrizio was travelling from client to client delivering workshops. The lockdown caught him during the international workshop and suddenly all of the work booked for the next quarter was cancelled. Fabrizio shares that the very next week he had to be with a client in Dubai which allowed him time to reflect, away from the panic of Italy. He and his...
2020-06-2720 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Travel Business with Dr. Monique Y. WellsIn this interview, we meet Monique Y. Wells, the co-owner of Entrée to Black Paris, a travel business that has provided services tailored for the African-American travel market since 1999. With the lockdown, international tourism in France has been interrupted. Her clients, the majority of whom come from the US, cannot enter the country. Consequently, all pre-booked activities have been cancelled. Until US travellers can come to Paris again, Monique and her business partner are looking at offering some Entrée to Black Paris services online and extending their client base to include French and other Schengen zone travellers. Mon...
2020-06-2716 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Creativity Consultancy with Dannie-Lu CarrIn this interview, Dannie-Lu Carr, a UK-based coach, consultant, speaker, author and founder of Creative Wavelengths, shares how the unknown has pushed her to be even more creative. The lockdown arrived suddenly just in the middle of the workshop when everyone was asked to leave immediately. She tells how seeing the agenda emptying and all events being “indefinitely postponed” put her on an emotional rollercoaster. Nevertheless, she kept in touch with her clients. Dannie channelled her energy into creating new online programs. One of them, 28 Days of Defiance, was meant to help people overcome the feeling of confusion by offe...
2020-06-2618 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Healing Practice with Tessa van KeekenIn this interview, we meet Tessa van Keeken, the founder of Lift Your Spirit, a holistic transformation coaching practice that started in Ireland and now is based in the Netherlands. At the beginning of the lockdown, she had to stop her practice face-to-face. At the same time, clients were not ready to have their treatments online. Tessa tells how when the business stopped, she focused on partnerships to prepare podcasts and new programs. In the meantime, a lot of her clients had such a hard time dealing with the uncertainty of the lockdown, that slowly they joined her online...
2020-06-2515 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Gamified-Training Consultancy with Nadia BenedettiIn this interview, we meet Nadia Benedetti, a Game Thinking Facilitator and the founder of PlaynBe in Paris. Once the lockdown was announced she had to change focus of her activity from in-person to remote sessions. It took her a month to re-design the workshop's flow to adapt it to virtual collaboration. Her experience where Nadia had managed teams at distance for the last five years came in handy. Unlike many other facilitators whose clients cancelled everything, Nadia delivered about three workshops per week. She noticed that her clients which were international companies had less resistance and an easier...
2020-06-2417 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Vocal Studio with Joep HeggerIn this interview, Joep Hegger, the founder of The Vocal Coach, a voice coaching studio for public speaking and singing in Amsterdam and Berlin, shares how he had to quickly adapt his practice to be available online. The physical studio was shut down as soon as the lockdown was announced and the trips to Berlin were out of the question. Singing classes were no longer possible because of the sound delay. Joep continued to do one-on-one online sessions for public speaking. He was surprised to find a new stream of clients looking to learn about vocal health. For many...
2020-06-2319 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Vegan Sushi Restaurant with Claudia DekenIn this interview, we meet Claudia Deken, the owner of Plant Based Sushi, the first vegan sushi restaurant in the Netherlands, that opened in January 2020. She shares how confronting it was to close the restaurant because of the lockdown when things were going just picking up and the team was formed. But it motivated them to go into deliveries, which was done overnight. At first through third-party delivery companies, which was very costly and unpredictable. But very shortly they set up their own delivery service that allowed people to pre-order which helped the sales and made the customers feel...
2020-06-2219 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in an Organic Coffee Webshop with Juan Ramón Rangel SilvaIn this interview, we meet Juan Ramon, the Managing Founder of REE, the company of single-origin coffee brands based in Belgium importing from sustainable coffee cooperatives of Mexico. He shares how the sales went down immediately as the restaurants and bars that used to order the coffee closed for the lockdown. But the coffee did not stop growing and the farmers did not stop harvesting. So the business had to continue. That pushed Juan Ramon to move from selling coffee as a commodity to a finished product and to improve the webshop which connects original producers to the individual...
2020-06-2118 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in Coffee on Wheels with Dave van der Aar“Keep it small, keep it simple, be personal and then you can do what you love most.”
In this interview, Dave van der Aar, the owner and head barista of a mobile espresso catering business in the Netherlands, Coffee on Wheels, talks about how the lockdown affected a company that depends on the events industry. As soon as the lockdown was announced, all orders, events and appointments were cancelled. But there was an advantage in being a small company of two partners, as it was easy to cut costs immediately and take decisions on what to do next...
2020-06-2017 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Life Coach Practice with Bernadett Nagy“It is difficult to commit to something when you don’t know what is going to happen.”
In this interview, Bernadett Nagy, who has become a life coach three years ago, shares how she helps men to uncover their real selves and how the lockdown affected her and her clients. Bernadett is based in Barcelona and her practice is fully online. During the lockdown, she lost a few clients, because their attention diverted from inner search to their businesses and financial stability. Despite the slowdown, she used the time to start a video channel to keep awareness about...
2020-06-1915 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Transformation Consultancy with Poom Narudee Kristhanin“We start with our facilitation mindset to see what we can do for society.”
In this interview, we meet Poom Narudee Kristhanin, the CEO and Founder of Eureka Global, a transformation consultancy based in Thailand that has been active in the Asian market since 2006. She shares how the lockdown became a good moment to revisit the company's purpose and what true value it brings to the clients. It gave Poom and her team a chance to focus on the collective strengths each of them has. Despite the majority of the work being postponed to “better times”, they continue...
2020-06-1817 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Global Scaleup with Rishi Kapal"Has the lockdown pushed us to upscale and re-skill faster than we expected?"
In this interview, we meet Rishi Kapal, an India based author of Kites in a Hurricane and four more books, a Transitions and Entrepreneurship Specialist as the Managing Partner of Global Scaleup. He shares a story of a lockdown where the workload increased a lot. With regards to the startup ecosystem, companies in the E-health, Education, Energy, E-commerce, Entertainment and Cybersecurity started to get more attention. So the key milestones had to be achieved much faster than planned. He shares his view on the...
2020-06-1720 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in an Entrepreneurial Community with María Lucía Bermúdez Oviedo“If you see an opportunity when so many things are moving, then it’s the right time to be.”
In this interview, María Lucía, the co-founder of the company 7days2go and the movement Here2Start, talks about the importance of the community, being there for each other, having the support of fellow entrepreneurs and the right tools when dealing with the crisis. She adds that when it comes to dealing with uncertainty it’s all about your personality, mindset and attitude. Her flight from Columbia to the Netherlands got cancelled due to the lockdown so she had...
2020-06-1617 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Change Management Consultancy with Gloria de León“First thing we did was to stop everything, observe, and look for new opportunities”
In this interview, we meet Gloria de Leon, the founder of boutique consultancy Ad Hoc that helps leaders to manage change and has been active on the Latin American market since 2007. While the online world was filling up with many “how-to” offers, Gloria and her business partners paused their activity to observe the market. A big advantage was to hear how people from around the world reacted to the crisis and what they were concerned with. That allowed Gloria together with the think tank Alt...
2020-06-1416 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Personal Growth Practice with Amir Carmel“How do you connect to the unspoken part of the conversation online?”
In this interview, Amir Carmel, the co-founder of the Inner Workout where people from all over the world can train their skills of listening and compassion, talks about how he and his partners had to rebuild a brand new business, started in January 2020, from the physical to online space. They used the momentum to gather a community around it and hosted over thirty free sessions internationally, in Hebrew, Dutch and English. An unexpected outcome was that participants volunteered to pay. The end of the lockdown brin...
2020-06-1215 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Sustainable Fashion Brand with Shayonti Chatterji“It was the time to show your business ethics, social responsibility and prove yourself to be of relevance.”
In this interview, we meet Shayonti Chatterji, the founder of Urban Medley, a Sustainable Fashion Brand that supports the Indian handicrafts and artisans by bringing it to conscious consumers of the global market. She shares what it was like to have started a business on the eve of the lockdown when neither the launch plan nor the marketing plan was prepared for the pandemic. In times when the suppliers from developing countries stopped being able to ship their products, and...
2020-06-0718 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Lifestyle Marketing Business with Joost Boers"People’s desire to lead a healthy lifestyle will remain beyond the lockdown."
In this interview with Joost Boers, the owner of Feeling-healthy.net, an international lifestyle marketing business, we find out how the increased consumers' attention to products related to health, and especially to preventive measures, brought Feeling-healthy.net new customers. In turn, Joost and his team were able to provide new business opportunities for entrepreneurs who lost their source of income -- cafe and small shop owners, hairdressers and personal trainers, event organizers. Feeling-healthy.net helped them re-skill and equipped them with the knowledge required to...
2020-06-0516 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Sustainability Consultancy with Pascal BouwmanIn this interview, Pascal Bouwman, the co-owner of Zinnige Zaken, a Dutch-based sustainability consulting company with twenty years on the market, shares how the lockdown has strengthened the relationships with the customers. Despite the fact that the clients are holding back on starting new projects, the lockdown has become a great opportunity to involve them in creating new ideas and getting an early reality-check. Besides, Zinnige Zaken continues to move ahead and has used this time to digitalize of a lot of its products on sustainability. Watch the video to find out more.
#LockdownEconomy #SustainableDevelopementGoals #AlterContacts #SDGaction35868
2020-06-0117 min
Lockdown EconomyLockdown in a Global Think Tank with Massimo Mercuri“The time is coming when it is important to do something tangible.” In this interview, Massimo Mercuri, the co-founder of Global Think Tank for Sustainable Development AlterContacts.org, uncovers what a think tank actually does and how its experts transformed what they were doing in-person into the online service to keep visibility, keep producing, and keep the momentum. He shares the journey of a one-year-old non-profit from the moment “What do we do now?” to building collaboration with international organizations and universities. He also talks about the importance of a shorter transaction and keeping the long view in mind while tak...
2020-05-3115 min