Shows
Impact at ScaleHard Truths About Building Climate Tech in Asia - Michael Gryseels Managing Partner Antares Ventures - EP 127In this episode of Impact at Scale, Zal Dastur speaks with Michael Gryseels, founder of Antares Ventures, a deep tech investment fund. Michael shares how a thesis-driven strategy helps identify and solve major challenges in Asia’s energy, healthcare, and water sectors. From transformers to renewables, Michael explores what it takes to make deep tech investments work and why commercial focus, research, and founder partnerships matter for scaling impactful solutions.
2025-06-2045 min
Insurtechs.ioEmbedded Insurance, Risk Carriers, and insurtech Innovation with Theresa Blissing & Michael WaitzeIn this episode of Insurtechs.io, host Jeff Shi is joined by Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze to unpack the dynamic evolution of embedded insurance, the strategic role of risk carriers, and what drives the next generation of insurtech innovation. The conversation dives deep into how customer-centricity is reshaping product development, the differences between U.S. and Asia-Pacific markets, and the broader implications of trust, distribution, and underwriting in modern insurance. Tony and Michael share their extensive industry perspectives—from the necessity of regulation to tech-driven disruption—and challenge listeners to think differently about how insurance can be more incl...
2025-05-211h 06
Building Tomorrow's InsurerEp. 20 | Building Tomorrow’s Insurer | Why the Insurance Industry is Missing the Point on Media, Tech, and Customer Connection with Michael WaitzeIs the insurance industry stuck in its old ways? In an era where digital media drives brand loyalty and tech reshapes customer expectations, insurance companies might be missing out on huge opportunities. Featured in Feedspot's Top 10 Insurance Podcasts, Kanopi’s Building Tomorrow’s Insurer brings you insights from leaders who are redefining insurance.
In this episode, host and Kanopi CEO Nigel Fellowes-Freeman speaks with Michael Waitze, the force behind Michael Waitze Media and Asia Tech Podcast. Michael’s decades of experience in global finance and media give him a unique—and sometimes provocative—perspective on why insurers need to ra...
2024-11-1147 min
Asia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – EP 65 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Mergers, Consolidation, and Strategic Market ExpansionWelcome back to the AIP News RoundUp co-hosted by Michael Waitze and Theresa Blissing. This episode focuses on key developments in the InsurTech sector for January 2024, highlighting significant trends and strategic movements within Asia’s insurance industry. Theresa and Michael discuss the notable acquisition of Singlife by Sumitomo Life, marking a significant move in mergers […]
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2024-02-0536 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 22 - We Just Need to Do and Show - Marianna Bonanome - Head of Education Outreach - SandboxAQInnovation Undercover enjoyed talking with Marianna Bonanone, Head of Education Outreach at SandboxAQ. SandboxAQ brings Quantum Tech and AI together to solve challenging problems impacting society.
Quantum computing is a revolutionary approach that speeds up solutions to complex and previously unsolvable problems faster and more accurately.. According to McKinsey & Company, industries like life sciences, chemicals, automotive, and financial services will potentially gain $1,3 trillion in value by 2023 with the help of quantum.
Renu and Michael dove into the fascinating futuristic world of quantum computing with Marianna, who succinctly summarises the three verticals at SandboxAQ a...
2023-06-0941 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 21 - Uniting People for Success - Dominique Reese - Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Plug and Play Tech Center & Laura Miller- VP of Customer Success & VoxelInnovation Undercover loved chatting with Dominique Reese, Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Plug and Play Tech Center & Laura Miller, VP of Customer Success at Voxel. Plug and Play Tech Center is one of the most prominent venture capitalists in Silicon Valley and the world’s largest innovation platform.
According to Pew Research Center, most of the ethnic workforce other than Asians are underrepresented in the STEM industries, except for Asians. The share of Black employees in tech industries was 9%, and Hispanics were at 8%. Gender inequality also persists even among white workers. White females annually earn $30 000 less...
2023-05-2240 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 20 - It Is Not a Claim, It Is a Crisis - Deborah Watkins - Founder & CEO - CareBridgeInnovation Undercover had a wonderful conversation with Deborah Watkins, Founder & CEO at Care Bridge International. Care Bridge International is a data analytics insurtech that drives the next-generation claim process by forecasting lifetime medical treatment and costs for claims.
In the US, healthcare expenses represent 17.6% of national GDP, which is $600 billion more than expected for a country of that size and wealth. According to McKinsey & Company, this number can be significantly reduced by $300 to $450 billion, only by implementing data intelligence.
Renu and Michael discussed with Deborah all the benefits and pitfalls of bringing data intelligence to th...
2023-04-2747 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 19 - Opportunity Should Be There for Everybody - James Sanders - Ecosystem Developer - Baloise GroupInnovation Undercover had a wonderful conversation with James Sanders, Ecosystem Developer at Baloise Group. Traditionally an insurance company, Baloise is now building a mobility ecosystem by investing in start-ups and has been deeply involved in innovation on this front.
According to the United Nations, 258 million children and youth were out of school because of poverty, discrimination, and lack of resources. Education and equality are one of the leverages and aspects of democracy. At the same time, equity is the primary tool for equality. It provides access to the same opportunities by distributing the resources to those who n...
2023-03-0735 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – EP 63 – Theresa Blissing, David Gritz and Michael Waitze – The Tourists in InsurTech Are GoneThe biggest news in InsurTech in February? The Asia InsurTech Podcast published its 200th episode! A lot has changed since Michael Waitze and Theresa Blissing started the Asia InsurTech Podcast in May 2019. The InsurTech landscape has matured and many Asian InsurTechs have become global players. InsurTech funding, however, has declined by 50% in 2022 […]
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2023-02-2836 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 18 - Empowering Female Voices in the Investment Revolution - Karen Wendt - President & Angel Investor - SwissFinTechLadiesInnovation UnderCover was joined by Karen Wendt, President & Angel Investor at SwissFinTechLadies. SwissFinTechLadies is a female FinTech Community that seeks to encourage and involve more women in the industry by boosting incubator/accelerator programs, mentoring, and theme events.
Globally, financial literacy is positively linked to income and wealth, and in Switzerland, while 62% of men could correctly answer finance-related questions, only 39% of women could do the same. Thus the importance of female education is evident as it significantly influences their long-term financial well-being.
Renu and Michael were happy to talk with Karen, who actively creates the fu...
2023-02-2731 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 17 - It’s All to Do With Co-creation - Ravina Mutha - Co-founder - Enterprise BotInnovation Undercover reached out to Ravina Mutha, Co-founder at Enterprise Bot. Enterprise Bot fuels the future of Hyperautomation by delivering AI-powered e-mail, chat, and voice bots that make customers happier and reduces operational cost by 40%.
“Omnichannel experience is a requirement for survival” - that is how McKinsey & Company states it. According to PWC, one in three customers will leave the brand after just one bad experience. That is where AI-powered bots are in handy, as they can significantly improve customer experience and reduce the chance of business failure.
Renu and Michael enjoyed talking to Ravina about...
2023-02-1340 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 16 - Innovation Will Always Be Reactive to a Certain Extent - Daniela Bar-Gera - Head of Basel Office - Plug and Play Tech CenterInnovation Undercover recorded an insightful conversation with Daniela Bar-Gera, Head of the Basel and Zurich Office at Plug and Play Tech Center. Plug and Play builds an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations to create an innovative future for the world. Over the past 15 years, they united over 35,000 startups, 500 leading corporations, ventures, and universities across 20 industries.
Israel, also called “The Startup Nation” is a global leader when it comes to tech startup companies per capita. 2000 start-ups were founded in the last decade and raised $4.8 billion from investors only in 2016. Flourishing venture capital markets and flexible, creative economy indu...
2023-02-0639 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 15 – Failure as Part of Company Culture Is Important – Jean-Luc Zehnder – Co-CEO & Founding Partner at VirtidoInnovation Undercover immensely enjoyed their episode with Jean-Luc Zehnder – Co-CEO & Founding Partner at Virtido. Virtido is a Swiss-based software and business process outsourcing company whose talent acquisition platform grants clients access to abundant IT talent in a cost-effective manner.
Near-shoring is a trend expected to dominate in talent acquisition in the upcoming years, as it gives clients the benefits of outsourcing, avoiding many of its compromises, according to this report by Forbes.
Renu and Michael talked with Jean-Luc about his transition from working at one of the big four consulting firms in Zurich to working fo...
2023-01-2029 min
Innovation UnderCoverEpisode 14 – Curiosity Driven Innovation – Dr. Donnacha Daly – Head of AI & Machine Learning Studies at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences & ArtsInnovation UnderCover had an invigorating chat with Dr.Donnacha Daly, Head of AI & Machine Learning Studies at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences & Arts. His program is a trailblazer for Europe, where the students finish their Bachelor's degree after a project with an assigned industry partner. In HSLU, there is a keen focus on nurturing and educating Switzerland´s young talents in the six central Swiss cantons in an applied and practical set up.
Throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks! Dr.Donnacha Daly, Head of AI & Machine Learning Studies at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences & A...
2023-01-1233 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – EP 61 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – InsurTech Has Grown Up, in a WayWhat an amazing year for InsurTech in Asia and globally. Michael and Theresa review for the last time in 2022 the InsurTech news in Asia and make some predictions for 2023. At the end of 2022, we see more InsurTech accelerators and funds launching. In Malaysia, FWD and Artem Ventures launched a RM45 million fund […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – EP 61 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – InsurTech Has Grown Up, in a Way appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2022-12-3026 min
Innovation UnderCover12 - Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - Tiana Schowe - Vice President & Marketing at TranSharpe SolutionsInnovation UnderCover had the pleasure to chat with Tiana Schowe, Founder & Coach at Curador Co & Vice President & Marketing at TranSharpe Solutions. The insurtech company brings technology and insurance together to create the most innovative solutions for the transportation industry.
The best way to learn is to ask questions. Tiana Schowe, Founder & Coach at Curador Co & Vice President & Marketing at TranSharpe Solutions, talks to Renu & Michael about her lifelong curiosity for new experiences and learnings.
She is a serial entrepreneur - starting at the age of 5, and now she juggles a key role in a transportation...
2022-12-2033 min
Efficiency Engineers Podcast by PaperboxEE E7 - Why Every Company Should Be A Media Company • Michael Waitze CEO Michael Waitze Media and Host of Asia InsurTech PodcastWith listeners in almost 200 countries around the world, Michael Waitze is a master at building communities of engaged audiences through the shows he hosts and the content he produces. In this episode, he explains why it is imperative for every company - no matter what industry you are in - to dominate your narrative and become your own media company. Michael also lends his wisdom on the right approach to growing in the space, which requires patience, consistency, and tenacity in order to succeed. Hey, it's Fred. Thanks for tuning in to our show. Let's connect on L...
2022-12-1550 min
Innovation UnderCover13 - Curiosity Is an Attitude to Life - Sanja Tomovska - Founder and CEO at Quant BiomarkersInnovationUndercover was joined by Sanja Tomovska, Founder and CEO at Quant Biomarkers. The company's primary mission is to advance biomarker technologies, predict risks for the onset of chronic diseases so that they can identify targets for personalized medical interventions.
Longevity-focused companies raised more than $1 billion in venture funding in 2020. The industry is in its infancy but grows fast yearly, raising greater interest worldwide considering people’s strong desire to find out how to improve their lives while living longer.
Renu and Michael talked with Sanja about the enormous opportunities of the longevity industry, its complexity, an...
2022-12-1235 min
Innovation UnderCover11 - Surrounded by the Power of Insurance - Kate Terry - Cofounder and Chief Operating Officer at Surround InsuranceInnovation UnderCover had a beautiful conversation with Kate Terry, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Surround Insurance. Aimed at satisfying the insurance needs of young adults, this company reinvents insurance through innovation and technology.
Applying advanced technologies opens a broad range of growth possibilities in insurance. For instance, by introducing mobile health services BIMA, Sweden's microinsurer, reached 20 million seekers in 15 countries whose citizens live on less than 10$ a day. That is why developing the insurtech sphere is very important, as it helps reach the people whose needs were unmet before.
Renu and Michael chatted with...
2022-12-0646 min
Innovation UnderCover10 - It Is Still Social Constructs -Yousra Sidqi - Senior Research Associate at HSLU Hochschule LuzernInnovation UnderCover had the pleasure of chatting with Yousra Sidqi, Senior Research Associate at HSLU Hochschule Luzern. In collaboration with various stakeholders, she conducts research in the energy field to apply that knowledge to real-world cases.
Switzerland aims to reduce its net gas emission to zero by 2050. This ambitious goal needs a lot of research to decide what is science fiction and what is possible to apply to reality with the most effective outcome.
Renu and Michael chatted with Yousra about the challenges and complications of CO2 reduction goals, especially the challenges in maintaining power...
2022-11-2929 min
Innovation UnderCover09 - It´s Nothing But Hustle – Bobbie Shrivastav – Co-founder & COO at BenekivaInnovation UnderCover had a great talk with Bobbie Shrivastav, Co-founder and COO at Benekiva. Benekiva´s SaaS technologies help insurance carriers digitize their claims and servicing operations so associates and beneficiaries can transact business anywhere, anytime, on any device.
It has been posited that discussions of entrepreneurship should include family entrepreneurship. Babson College´s Family Entrepreneurship Monitor report says that 75% of entrepreneurs and 81% of established business owners co-own and/or co-manage their businesses with family members.
Renu and Michael chatted with Bobbie where they talked about what coming from a family of entrepreneur immigrants, several ge...
2022-11-1535 min
Innovation UnderCover08 -It´s Just One Piece of a Large Puzzle - Kyle Babirad – President & Actuary at Canary ConsultingInnovation UnderCover had the pleasure of speaking with Kyle Babirad, President & Actuary at Canary Consulting. Canary is a lean insurance product development firm focused on bringing new, profitable Property & Casualty insurance products to market.
The war for talent is a reality not just for insurance, but several industries, especially in the post-pandemic world. A 2022 report authored by Price Waterhouse Coopers recommends that one of the ways for the industry to win this is to play offense and not defense when it comes to attracting and retaining the right talent.
Kyle Babirad is a trendsetter in t...
2022-11-0744 min
Innovation UnderCover07 - Thinking Big, Thinking Long Term, Thinking Innovation - Sabine VanderLinden - Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner at Alchemy CrewInnovation UnderCover was fascinated talking to Sabine VanderLinden, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner at Alchemy Crew. Alchemy Crew is a venture commercialization lab for the insurance sector and financial services institutions.
Innovation, according to Harvard Business School, is a necessary element that helps companies adapt and become resilient in overcoming current and future challenges.
Renu & Michael had the pleasure to talk with Sabine VanderLinden, who leads Alchemy Crew which de-risks corporate venturing for insurers. In this episode, you will also discover her experience of identifying companies that are more open to insurtechs, how data...
2022-09-0943 min
Innovation UnderCover06 - Emerging Markets Are Dragged Into The Future - Achille Sime - Founder & CEO at SL DRA, Chairman at SL FinancialInnovation UnderCover had a wonderful conversation with Achille Sime, Founder & CEO at SL DRA, Chairman at SL Financial, and Consulting Actuary at Pinnacle Actuarial Resources. SL DRA brings innovative insurance solutions to the emerging African market using data science tools, while SL Financial offers actuarial consulting services to public and private risk financing entities.
McKinsey & Company positioned the African region as the second-fastest-growing insurance market after Latin America. The region's growth was projected to be 7% between 2020 and 2025, exceeding that of North America and Asia.
Our special guest significantly contributes to the African insurance market by...
2022-09-0953 min
Innovation UnderCover05 - I Pulled a 600 Year Old Sled Out of a Two Year Tunnel - Paul Tyler - CMO at Nassau Financial GroupInnovation UnderCover was joined by Paul Tyler, CMO at Nassau Financial Group, a Hartford-based life insurer that offers reinsurance, retirement planning, asset management, life insurance, and annuity products.
Covid-19 has multi-dimensional societal impacts, one of them being a shift in how businesses are run, especially on the theme of communication. This is important to the life insurance industry, which relies on physical, interpersonal communication to sell policies.
Renu & Michael enjoyed a great conversation with Paul Tyler, Chief Marketing Officer at Nassau Financial Group. We discussed how essential it is to stay in touch with the...
2022-08-0452 min
Innovation UnderCover04 - We’ve Got to Find a Different Way - Rebecca Meldrum - Founder, Meldrum ConsultingInnovation UnderCover was joined by Rebecca Meldrum, Founder of Meldrum Consulting. Her service fosters innovation through sprint workshops on circularity and sustainability.
A 2018 report by McKinsey finds a direct correlation between profitability and diversity, and inclusion and diversity are seen as a source of competitive advantage and a key enabler of growth. However, companies are still struggling to use these characteristics for value-creation and growth.
This was a key topic that Renu and Michael discussed with Rebecca Meldrum, Founder of Meldrum Consulting, along with her journey from being an aerospace engineer to an Aviation startup...
2022-08-0448 min
Innovation UnderCover02 - Innovation Is a Good Way to Attract Talent - Stacey Brown - Head of Global Technology Innovation at AXA XL, Founder at Insurtech HartfordInnovation UnderCover was joined by Stacey Brown, Head of Global Technology Innovation at AXA XL and Founder at Insurtech Hartford. AXA XL is the P&C and specialty risk division of AXA, and Insurtech Hartford is a platform that brings Hartford's insurance giants together with passionate and creative minds and skills to drive change from within the industry.
The word “Insurtech” emerged only in 2010 and is usually used when mentioning AI, machine learning, big data, and other cutting-edge technologies to modernize and automate the insurance industry.
Our guest started to talk about Insurtech even earlier, so in t...
2022-08-0435 min
Innovation UnderCover01 - We’re Aiming for Faster, Fairer, and More Flexible - Megan Bingham-Walker - co-Founder & CEO at Anansi Technology"99% of goods-in-transit are currently uninsured against loss, delay or damage and as a result, small businesses lose money delivering damaged purchases."
Renu & Michael chatted with Megan Walker, the CEO and co-Founder at Anansi Technology. Anansi provides global eCommerce businesses with convenient and simple-to-use goods-in-transit, shippers' interest, and cargo insurance using a powerful, data-rich platform.
Some of the topics Megan covered:
Working in venture capital before "stumbling into the insurance industry"
The importance of having a co-Founder
The impact of being from an entrepreneurial family
What scaling with tech looks like in insurance
Investors who r...
2022-07-2839 minAsia InsurTech PodcastEP 174 – Michael Waitze and Theresa Blissing – Has It Been Three Years Already?Happy (belated) Birthday AIP! Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze have started the Asia InsurTech Podcast over three years ago and a lot has happened since then. Theresa and Michael discuss what has changed over the past three years, how InsurTech in Asia has grown up and became an inspiration for markets in the West and […]
The post EP 174 – Michael Waitze and Theresa Blissing – Has It Been Three Years Already? appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2022-06-2727 min
Impact at ScaleEP 23 - Anne-Marie Brook - co-Founder Human Rights Measurement Initiative - Building Human Rights LensesIn this episode of the Social Innovation Podcast, Michael Waitze was joined by the esteemed Anne-Marie Brook, a co-Founder of the Human Rights Measurement Initiative. Anne-Marie is a trained economist and holds a Masters Degree in Economics from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. She spent the better part of 20 years working as an economist including almost 6 years at the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and almost a decade between the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the New Zealand Treasury. Anne-Marie knows her stuff.
It was while she was in Paris working at...
2022-01-3028 min
Impact at ScaleEP 10 - Tara Dermott - IOM X - Engaging With Young People Was a PriorityMichael Waitze spoke to Tara Dermott about how IOM X is using media to support safe migration experiences and stop trafficking and the exploitation of the vulnerable.
Originally from the USA, Tara Dermott moved to Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer 14 years ago. Stationed in the Northeast of Thailand near the Cambodian border, Tara learned about issues related to migration, leading her to work at IOM X as the program leader.
IOMX is an off-shoot IOM (International Organisation for Migration), which is the UN’s migration agency dedicated to humane and orderly migration, providing services an...
2022-01-2740 min
Impact at ScaleEP 09 - Aung Thura - Myanmar’s Rapidly Changing Mobile Media LandscapeIn this episode, Michael Waitze and Daniel McFarlane talk to Aung Thura about Myanmar’s rapidly changing mobile media landscape. Aung is the Chief Strategist at Ignite Marketing Communications and, with a team of researchers around the country, he is in an ideal position to provide insight into the rapidly changing media landscape.
The pivotal year was 2013 when the telecommunications market was liberalized. In the past, SIM cards could cost a staggering $2000-$3000 USD, but with the liberalization of the market, SIM card prices dropped and mobile phone ownership rose. In 2014, Ooredoo from Qatar arrived and their sim cards...
2022-01-2731 min
Impact at ScaleEP 08 - Josh Woodard - FHI360 - Tech for Resilience and Resilient TechMichael Waitze and Daniel McFarlane visited FHI 360’s regional Bangkok office to talk with Josh Woodard, who is the organization’s Regional ICT & Digital Finance Advisor. In an insightful discussion covering many issues, Josh highlights the role of technology in creating resilient communities and the value of thoughtful planning.
Josh’s first experience with Thailand came as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Northeast of Thailand. He explains how it gave him “a sense of the world of international development” and insight into how technology can transform people’s lives. His experience in the Northeast led to a career foc...
2022-01-2743 min
Impact at ScaleEP 07 - Allison Sanders - Baan Dek Foundation - An Approach That is Collaborative and ProactiveIn this episode, Michael Waitze talks with Allison Sanders, the Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Baan Dek Foundation (BDF) about the Foundation’s work supporting the lives of vulnerable migrant children growing up in construction workers' campsites in Thailand.
The Baan Dek Foundation (BDF) was established in 2002 in Chiang Mai by Nicola Crosta, Magali du Parc, and Acha Sripaurya. After surveying vulnerable communities around Chiang Mai, they realized many of the most vulnerable in Chiang Mai were the children of migrant workers living at construction campsites around the city. They are at risk of neglect, abuse, ex...
2022-01-2739 min
Impact at ScaleEP 06 - Neil Gains - Tapestry Works - Researching Emotional Drivers Through Visual CardsWhat can a picture of eggs reveal about Indonesian beauty? What can an image of megaphone diplomacy tell you about family relationships?
In this episode, Michael Waitze and Daniel McFarlane talk with Neil Gains, who is the owner of TapestryWorks and helps clients decode people and culture to help them better connect with the emotions that drive behavior. He brings a breadth and depth of experience to the conversation after decades of work in research across the world including almost 20 years in Asia. He makes a valuable contribution to the podcast by providing an innovative visual approach...
2022-01-2733 min
Impact at ScaleEP 05 - Rithy Thul - Koompi - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is'Inspirational' is a good way to describe Rithy Thul, but it also captures what he wants Koompi to be for young Cambodians. Koompi is Cambodia's first locally designed laptop and Rithy Thul's latest venture. He discusses it, his company SmallWorld Cambodia and his dream for education in Cambodia with Michael Waitze on our first podcast on innovation in Cambodia.
An important part of Rithy's journey towards launching Koompi has been Bitcoin. He explains how it kept coming back to him, leading him to try to understand more about it by investing in Fortunately, he got in early...
2022-01-2730 min
Impact at ScaleEP 04 - Pinnapa Satitpatanapan - I Learned About PrioritizationJust before Pinnapa Satitpatanapan headed to Manila to take up a position at the Asia Development Bank, Michael Waitze caught up with her to discuss her experience studying at Yale, her passion for impact investing, and how to support the growth of impact investing in Thailand.
Pinnapa did a Bachelor of Business Administration at Thammasat Univesity before gaining experience in the investment banking unit of Bangkok Bank and as a Thai real estate developer. She then headed to the US for an MBA at the Yale School of Management.
While her BBA at Thammasat prepared...
2022-01-2728 min
Impact at ScaleEP 03 - Stephane Rousseau - Thammasat University - Boundary SpannerIn this episode, Michael Waitze and Daniel McFarlane, are fortunate to converse with Stéphane Rousseau, who is the Director of International Field Immersion Courses at the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University. He brings an enormous wealth of experience to the conversation after decades of humanitarian, human rights, and civil society work across Asia and the Pacific.
Over the years, his work has presented many ethical and moral challenges. It is not the uplifting work many people think it is, Stephane suggests. The people you could not help or the people left behind are the o...
2022-01-2742 min
Impact at ScaleEP 02 - Courtney Savie Lawrence - How Can This Be More InclusiveIn this episode of the Social Innovation podcast is an energizing conversation between Courtney Savie Lawrence and Michael Waitze. Courtney, originally from Nashville, Tennessee, arrived in Asia seven years ago with the perspective "the world is so much bigger than our own bubble.” After co-founding a social enterprise in the US, she was recruited to develop a Global Studies program at a university in Hiroshima. After a few years in Japan, Courtney followed her now-husband to Bangkok, where she teaches at the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University in Bangkok and facilities workshops and training on design thinking and...
2022-01-2738 min
Impact at ScaleEP 01 – Dipendra KC – Thammasat University – Yuwa the Hindi Word for YouthIn this episode of the Social Innovation Podcast Dipendra KC talks with Michael Waitze about his experience founding and running a youth organization in Nepal, and a new master's degree program of Social Innovation and Sustainability at the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University.
When Dipendra and his friends were seeking our work experience as young college students, they kept being asked if they had any experience. They didn’t have any so they went about building an organization through which they could experience. Its called Yuwa, which simply means youth in Nepali and has the ob...
2022-01-2731 min
eCommerce UnderCoverEP 29 - Philip Johnston, a co-Founder and the co-CEO of Opontia - A Digital House of BrandsMartin and Michael were thrilled to have Philip Johnston, a co-Founder and the co-CEO of Opontia on eCommerce UnderCover. With eCommerce aggregators all the rage, we wanted to learn more from the only team doing this in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Some of the topics that Philip covered:
Opontia’s recent capital raise
Marketplaces versus individual online shops
How Opontia leverages technology
How the team evaluates the companies it wants to acquire
The math applied to potential acquired companies
Does Opontia care if the original entrepreneurs stay on and how their opinion has ev...
2021-12-271h 04eCommerce UnderCoverEP 27 - Damien Kerneis - co-Founder Siam Car Deal - I Think We Were RightBack in the studio!
Martin and Michael were excited to be back in the studio and joined by Damien Kerneis, a co-Founder of Siam Car Deal. Siam Car Deal is the leading platform in Thailand to find the best deals on new car purchases.
Some of the topics Damien covered:
The health and status of the automobile market in Thailand
The accelerating pace of digital transformation for car dealers in Thailand
The impact of Carsome, Carro, and Cars24 on the new and used car markets in Southeast Asia
The vertical integration of these businesses a...
2021-12-0552 min
The WolfcastThe Wolfcast News RoundUp - EP 02 - Rene Papesch and Michael Waitze - The Global Internet Is Being Attacked by SharksRene Papesch and I got back together to discuss some recent news in the connectivity and technology resilience space.
We discussed:
Google's Cloud Outage (https://bit.ly/3xhw1ZJ)
Tesla's Owners Can Not Open Their Car Doors (https://bit.ly/3DNduH0)
A Mouse Crated an Internet Outage (https://bit.ly/3nHrahh)
Sharks (https://bit.ly/3p0dxt8)
2021-11-2309 min
The WolfcastThe Wolfcast News RoundUp - EP 01 - Rene Papesch and Michael Waitze - The Value of Connectivity Is Growing Over TimeWhy does there seem to be so much news about internet outages, connectivity issues, and online services being unavailable? Rene Papesch and Michael Waitze had a quick chat about three of those recent events.
We discussed:
KT Group's Decision to Pay 40BN Won as Compensation for Outage
Another Facebook Messenger Outage
Roblox Goes Down for Three Days
For more news and stories like this, check out The Wolfcast here.
2021-11-0510 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 23 - A Conversation on Product Information Management - Morten Naess - EVP Technology at BluestoneMartin and Michael learned a ton from Morten Naess, the EVP of Technology at Bluestone about Product Information Management (PIM) software and so much more. PIM is software that centralizes, manages, enriches and distributes product content in the most efficient way possible.
Some of the topics we covered with Morten:
How PIM can be used to support sales and marketing for both B2B and B2C companies
Who needs PIM and how it can be implemented
How PIM supports eCommerce companies at scale and across marketplaces
The benefits of PIM for omnichannel distribution
The technology b...
2021-10-1757 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 21 - Drop Shipping - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeThe team at eCommerce UnderCover wanted to dive deeper into what dropshipping really is. Simply speaking, dropshipping is a method of retail fulfillment in which the seller does not maintain his or her own stock.
Some of the topics that we covered:
What is dropshipping and why is it so prevalent?
Inventory management can be a real challenge for eCommerce sellers
How the supply chain actually works for sellers that employ drop shipping
What types of companies are involved and what role do they play
How dropshipping has evolved and become much more efficient
The role of...
2021-09-261h 00
eCommerce UnderCoverEP 20 - Whatever It Needs to Be, as Long as It's eCommerce - Riki Hooker - Global eCommerce ExpertsMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by Riki Hooker, the General Manager of Global E-commerce Experts. Global E-commerce Experts provides an end-to-end solution to enable product-based businesses to expand into foreign markets. Riki is super knowledgeable and was very generous with his time!
Some of the topics we discussed:
Many eCommerce sellers want to expand to other markets but do not know how to do it
Foreign market localization is more than simply translating a website
Tax issues alone can be a nightmare for any se...
2021-09-1955 min
eCommerce UnderCoverEP 19 - Better Than TechCrunch - Trung Hoang Nguyen - co-Founder and CEO of LoshipMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media welcomed Trung Hoang Nguyen, a co-Founder and the CEO of Loship. Loship is Vietnam’s fastest-growing one-hour-delivery eCommerce startup.
Some of the topics Trung covered during our conversation:
Growing up in a small town in Vietnam
Having parents that worked super hard and built their own business
Winning a scholarship to study at a university in South Korea
Building a business that aims to have an impact
Feeling like he has the destiny to raise the living standard for all of Viet...
2021-09-101h 13eCommerce UnderCoverEP 18 - Media Buying Insights - Patri Ferreras - Lead Media Buyer at DimNiko AgencyMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by Patri Ferreras, a Lead Media Buyer at DimNiko Agency. DimNiko Agency is a team of Global marketers who have a passion for helping eCommerce brands grow.
Some of the topics we covered:
Why work with an agency?
Trends that Patri is seeing in the digital marketing space
Lessons learned from the physical world translated to the digital realm
Customer acquisition strategies
Are there regional differences in marketing strategies
Brand awareness and helping brands grow
Facebook, Google and the p...
2021-09-061h 07
eCommerce UnderCoverEP 17 - African eCommerce and Internet Penetration - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media dove into the internet landscape in Africa and its developing eCommerce space.
Some of the things that we discussed:
Internet penetration in Africa is high and growing
Africa has the youngest and second-largest population in the world
According to the United Nations, the median age in Kenya is 20.3 and Nigeria is 18.1!
Africa has over 50 countries and a population of approximately 1.2BN people
Kenya has an internet penetration of over 85%
Nigeria has a population of over 200MM people with 188MM mobile phone...
2021-08-251h 04
EP.IC - Edric Poon In CompanyEPIC043 - Podcasting and the Art of Conversation with Michael Waitze | Founder, Michael Waitze MediaThis week, Michael Waitze - the founder of Michael Waitze Media. Michael and I will be going into detail, to how we got started into podcasting, learnt the ropes and whether Corporates should get into podcasting! If you're looking to explore podcast production, this one's for you!
About Michael Waitze
He hosts & produces numerous podcasts such as the Asia Insurtech Podcast, Asiatechpodcast.com show, eCommerce undercover, Thailand Game Changer podcast and most recently - the Wolfcast. Michael’s productions has listeners in over 137 countries, with over 700 episodes that helped hone his craft! Check out the Asia...
2021-08-231h 21eCommerce UnderCoverEP 16 - Logistics and Delivery - Did Someone Say Hyperloop? - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media spent some time this episode discussing their thoughts on Logistics and Delivery in the eCommerce space.
Some of the things that we discussed:
Amazon predicted in 2013 that "the future of last-mile delivery lay in robots".
Do enough people really want drones delivering things to their homes or condos?
Amazon and other companies have shifted to sidewalk delivery robots
Sidewalk delivery robots may be cute, but does anybody really want this either?
How do sidewalk delivery robots work in suburbs or cities...
2021-08-1547 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 15 - Innovation and Investment Trends In eCommerce - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech recently gave a deep-dive presentation on innovation and investment trends in eCommerce in conjunction with Payoneer. In this episode, Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media, and Martin dove even deeper into three of the 10 topics that Martin and Payoneer covered.
Some of the things that came up during our deep-dive discussion:
Back-end eCommerce Operations
Logistics, speed, reliability, and the desire for 1-hour delivery
Speed drives conversion rates
The sheer size of investment in eCommerce innovation in just the first 6 months of 2021
Cybersecurity and Fraud
Offline to Online Equivalencies
...
2021-08-0859 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 14 - It's all About Choices - Radha Mesova - eCommerce EntrepreneurMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by Radha Mesova, an actor, singer and eCommerce entrepreneur. Radha has had an incredible journey into entrepreneurship. This is not your normal entrepreneur story about a well-off kid dropping out of Harvard, pretending to eat ramen noodles, and moving to California as a silicon valley darling. Radha was born in Ingushetia (Yes. You have never heard of it...), moved to Germany with her family, and then settled in Canada as a 12-year-old. You should listen to her story..
Some of the...
2021-08-0255 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 13 - My Thesis Was Different - Eugene Tham - co-Founder and CEO of ShopformMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by Eugene Tham, a co-Founder and the CEO of Shopform. Shopform is a social platform to review and shop digital native fashion brands. Shopform is creating a community of trust and users who share authentic reviews with each other. Every review helps people make more informed decisions, and helps to grow small businesses around the region.
Some of the topics that we discussed...and there were many:
The lack of innovation in eCommerce during the last 10 years (We agree!)
...
2021-07-251h 01eCommerce UnderCoverEP 12 - Augmented Reality and Commerce Conversions - Did We Change Our Minds? - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeThis week, Martin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media recorded remotely, just to be a little extra safe in the face of rising COVID cases in Thailand. Martin did some incredible work to get the recording to look awesome for our first remote recording!
Some of the topics we explored:
Augmented Reality and online commerce conversions
Is the technology really ready yet?
Even if the tech is ready, will anybody use it for commerce, and if so, how and for which categories?
Technology-enhanced glasses were very unpopular
Does...
2021-07-1859 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 11 - Direct To Consumer eCommerce - The Models We Want To See - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media took the studio on the road and recorded at Seven Peaks Software's amazing office at The Parq. We look forward to recording there more often!
Some of the angles we covered:
eCommerce's Direct To Consumer Model
What had to change to make Direct To Consumer possible
Besides cavemen, is now the greatest time in human history to create a new brand?
How access to production, capital, distribution, marketing, and logistics makes Direct To Consumer easier than ever.
What sectors are best s...
2021-07-111h 01eCommerce UnderCoverEP 10 - A Customized Shopping Experience and Consultancy - Andre Buerger - CP GroupMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by Andre Buerger, a senior executive at the CP Group, and one of the earliest employees at Lazada in Southeast Asia.
Some of the topics we discussed with Andre:
Shogun's recent capital raise and why it is significant
Marketplaces versus individual online brand shops
Food and grocery delivery
Is there a market for someone to build a better way for restaurants to sell online?
My online purchase experiences with El Mercado (amazing) and Millionhead (also great)
The online experience...
2021-07-041h 01eCommerce UnderCoverEP 09 - I Feel Like I'm the Only One that Knows the Secret - David Jou, Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by David Jou, a co-founder and the CEO of Pomelo Fashion, an eCommerce pioneer in Southeast Asia and a former co-founder of Lazada.
Some of the topics we discussed with David:
The impact of COVID on Fashion eCommerce
Data Science and the use of data in eCommerce
Omni-channel selling and how happy Pomelo customers were when the physical stores were opened
Physical stores create brand awareness, add to bottom-line growth, and a place where clients can try things on
...
2021-06-271h 03eCommerce UnderCoverEP 08 - Conversational Commerce - We Barely Scratched the Surface - Irzan Raditya, Martin Ronfort, and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media were joined by Irzan Raditya, a co-founder and the CEO of Kata.ai to talk to us about artificial intelligence and conversational commerce.
Some of the topics we discussed included:
Why Irzan went to German y to get his BSc in Computer Science
How he became fluent in German
Working for Rocket Internet and Zalando
Pitching Khailee Ng on a startup idea from Germany and getting funded
The history and growth of Kata.ai out of the original YesBoss
Augmenting humans...
2021-06-201h 06eCommerce UnderCoverEP 07 - Are eCommerce Marketplaces Poised To Die? - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media switched it up this week and moved the studio to a new location to talk about the viability of eCommerce marketplaces.
Some of the topics we covered:
Is buying growth the right idea?
Is Etsy buying Depop a sign of strength or weakness (Hint: We thought it was a sign of weakness.)
Is Etsy even really about crafts anymore?
Are boutiques and bespoke brands the future of eCommerce?
Are marketplaces and their aggregated traffic really worth it?
Is there too much...
2021-06-191h 05eCommerce UnderCoverEP 06 - Social Commerce - Connecting Brands & Customers - Martin Ronfort and Michael WaitzeMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media continued a discussion on Social Commerce.
Some of the topics we covered:
Social Commerce is not the same as eCommerce
Social Commerce is not new...Facebook and Instagram (and others) tried this years ago
We decided pretty early in the conversation that people do not go to Facebook or Instagram to shop
Brands that tried this may have been damaged by trying to sell without friction on Facebook
Sellers DO use Facebook and Instagram but simply to drive buyers to their...
2021-06-071h 02Asia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – EP 42 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Hopefully, We Are Getting Into a More Normal WorldAnother month, another regional expansion for bolttech in Southeast Asia. In May, bolttech announced its partnership with Vietnam’s e-commerce platform Tiki to offer device protection plans. The Asia InsurTech Podcast has been following the trend of alternative distribution channels for a while and bolttech is certainly one of the major ecosystem players in the region. […]
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2021-06-0128 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 05 - Martin Ronfort, Michael Waitze and Florian Tep - It's So Easy To Expose Product Ideas To the MarketMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media welcomed Florian Tep an eCommerce expert who is originally from Paris, France, and is currently living in Bali, Indonesia.
Some of the topics we discussed:
There is a large cohort of online shop owners that sell a lot but no one has ever heard of them
eCommerce under the radar
Florian's original attempt to sell dance classes online
How Florian promised his mother that if he could not grow his eCommerce business in 3 months, that he would look for a job
How...
2021-05-301h 09eCommerce UnderCoverEP 04 - Martin Ronfort and Michael Waitze - To Go Live Or Not To Go Live, That Is the QuestionMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media had a cool discussion about 'Live Commerce' after doing some decent follow-up on last week's topic, buying and selling eCommerce brands.
Some of the topics we covered:
Una Brands' strategy is not novel...even in Southeast Asia
factory14 raised $200MM in Europe and acquired 'Pro Bike Tool'
Rainforest raises $36.5MM to compete with and do the same business as Una Brands
One of the founders of Rainforest was also a founder of Carousell (pretty early for a founder to have left)
The...
2021-05-301h 01eCommerce UnderCoverEP 03 - Martin Ronfort and Michael Waitze - Is Buying and Selling eCommerce Sites the New El Dorado?Martin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media discussed whether buying and selling growing eCommerce brands is a thing. If it is, what are some of the key questions and some of the potential answers?
Some of the issues we covered:
The founding of Una Brands in December 2020 and its experienced executive team
A seed funding round of $40MM of equity and debt
Some eCommerce company builders prefer early-stage building as opposed to scaling to size
We postulated about the Una Brands edge
Is this really a thing and do...
2021-05-3055 min
Data DrivenEP 03 - Karen Nelson-Field, PhD - Founder and CEO of Amplified Intelligence - When a Pattern Generalizes, It's RealThe Data Driven Podcast had a really enjoyable and inspiring conversation with Karen Nelson-Field, Ph.D., the Founder, and CEO of Amplified Intelligence. Karen is a globally acclaimed researcher in media science and her work has been noted in the New York Times, Bloomberg Business, CNBC, Forbes, and the Australian Financial Review, among others. Karen is also the author of, "The Attention Economy and How Media Works" - a must-read for anyone in the advertising and media space.
On top of all of that, it was simply a joy to talk to Karen...we laughed a lot....
2021-05-1445 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 02 - Martin Ronfort and Michael Waitze - eCommerce Is Not Solved YetMartin Ronfort, the founder of DrTech, and Michael Waitze, the founder of Michael Waitze Media, came back into the studio to talk about how eCommerce is simply not solved yet. The eCommerce UnderCover team wanted to try to understand why marketplaces still dominated online retail and why it feels like there have been no exceptional customer-facing innovations since Amazon invented (?) and was granted a patent for 1-Click in 1999.
Some of the topics we discussed:
What other customer-facing, technology-based innovations have there been?
Boston Dynamics and similar companies' warehouse automation - Stretch and Handle
Online shopping remains v...
2021-05-0856 mineCommerce UnderCoverEP 01 - Martin Ronfort and Michael Waitze - Introduction To eCommerce UnderCoverMartin Ronfort and Michael Waitze sat down for a free-wheeling conversation about the status of eCommerce in Southeast Asia and the rest of the globe.
Some of the topics we discussed included:
The evolution of offline commerce from local shopping streets to large department stores
The fact that these departments stores got so unwieldy that boutiques came back into fashion
The dominance of eCommerce marketplaces now and will they evolve in a similar way to offline
The hegemony of Amazon
The benefits of having your own eCommerce shop
The difficulty and downside of competing in a...
2021-05-0754 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – EP 41 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – It Just Doesn’t Stop, Does It?No slowing down in InsurTech in Asia. Despite the ongoing pandemic we see new funding rounds every month. This time, Hong Kong-based InsurTech Ignatica secured US$7 million in a pre-series A. Listen to our episode with CEO Manuel San Miguel here. In Malaysia, Bolttech continues its expansion across Asia and announced another partnership with Samsung. […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – EP 41 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – It Just Doesn’t Stop, Does It? appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-05-0227 min
Data DrivenEP 02 - Ben Emson - CTO of Topolytics - We Do See That There Is a Lot of Value In The DataThe Data Driven Podcast was joined by Ben Emson, the Chief Technical Officer of Topolytics. Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world's waste Visible, Verifiable, and Valuable. Topolytics' customers use its WasteMap to help them gain visibility and control of environmental data immediately or over time, turning complex and varied metrics into useful information for management teams, regulators, customers, and communities making it engaging, sensible and actionable.
Some of the topics that Ben and I discussed:
Ben's introduction to computers was a Commodore PET
His first owned computer was a Sinclair ZX Sp...
2021-05-0136 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – EP 40 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – I Do Believe We Will See Some ConsolidationWe are in the second quarter of 2021 with more exciting InsurTech news. ZA Tech has announced the opening of its Asia Fintech Center (AFC) in Singapore. The Hong Kong-based company said the AFC is dedicated to exploring financial services innovation and helping industry partners in the region to build new products that will accelerate […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – EP 40 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – I Do Believe We Will See Some Consolidation appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-04-1724 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 39 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Whoever Owns the Ecosystem Owns the WorldThe first quarter of 2021 ends with more major InsurTech news. Zhong An Online, China’s first online insurer and InsurTech unicorn, has announced its results for 2020. The insurer ranked 9th for P&C insurers in China and passed breakeven with a reported USD 85MM in profit. FWD has launched an InsurTech and Takafultech accelerator programme […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 39 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Whoever Owns the Ecosystem Owns the World appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-04-0130 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 38 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Financial Literacy Remains ImportantMarch starts with news from Symbo. The InsurTech secured another funding round and collected $9.4M to expand across India and Southeast Asia. In China, Xiaobangguihua has raised new funding as well. The startup focuses on online insurance sonultation and offer online courses to increase financial literacy. In Hong Kong, OneDegree es expanding beyong pet insurance. […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 38 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Financial Literacy Remains Important appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-03-1421 min
Data DrivenEP 01 - Krishna Kumar Ramanujam - Abzooba - It Should Not Be Called Data Science, It Should Be Called Data ArtThe Data Driven Podcast had an insightful conversation with Krishna Kumar Ramanujam, the Chief Architect, EVP, and India Country Head for Abzooba. KK is a Solutions Architect with more than 20 years of experience in architecture, design, and development of high-performance software products across domains. He is a specialist in the design of frameworks to enable non-technical end-users to create business applications. He earned a Bachelors's and a Master's degree from the prestigious India Institute of Technology, Bombay in Electrical Engineering.
Some of the topics we discussed on the podcast include:
Working at IBM and KK's introduction to...
2021-03-1330 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 37 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – We Tried Clubhouse, Have You?For a while now, we have been looking for a way to make the AIP News RoundUp more interactive. That’s why we have joined Clubhouse! On Clubhouse we will discuss the latest news with InsurTech peers live and on the podcast we will still publish the summary of the news. Feel free to join us […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 37 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – We Tried Clubhouse, Have You? appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-03-0122 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 36 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – The Nature of Work Is Changing and the Nature of Insurance Is Changing With ItAnother awesome month for InsurTech in Asia! Congratulations to PasarPolis for raising US$5M from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), which focuses on accelerating financial inclusion and literacy in developing countries. It is IFC’s first investment in an Indonesian startup and demonstrates the belief that InsurTechs like PasarPolis can help increase insurance penetration in […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 36 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – The Nature of Work Is Changing and the Nature of Insurance Is Changing With It appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-02-1624 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 35 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – It Doesn’t Mean You Get the Journey RightIt is only the first month of the New Year and we already have Asia’s first InsurTech unicorn of 2021. Certainly a promising start! Indian InsurTech and licensed general insurer Digit achieved a valuation of US$1.9 billion. The company was only founded in 2017 by industry veteran Kamesh Goyal, who previously worked for insurance incumbent […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 35 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – It Doesn’t Mean You Get the Journey Right appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-02-0124 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 34 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Is Bitcoin Bad for Blockchain?Happy New Year! Asia InsurTech Podcast is back with more exciting news kicking off 2021! Grab Financial Group (GFG) starts the year with a bang, securing over US$300 million in their series A funding round. According to Grab, GFG increased its total revenue by over 40% in 2020 vs 2019. Its insurance distribution reached over […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 34 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Is Bitcoin Bad for Blockchain? appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2021-01-1727 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 32 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Hopefully, 2021 Will Be Less CrazyDecember started with some major FinTech news. Grab-Singtel received the digital full-bank licenses issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Only two digital full-bank licenses and two digital wholesale were awarded to four of the 21 applicants. The AIP Team is wondering if a (re)insurance license will follow next! Other major news is the […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 32 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Hopefully, 2021 Will Be Less Crazy appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2020-12-1632 minAsia InsurTech PodcastAIP News RoundUp – Episode 31 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Why Does So Much Money Keep Flowing Into InsurTech?November ends with more news from Singlife. The newly formed holding company Aviva Singlife issues S$550m subordinated notes to be listed on the Singapore Exchange. The money collected will be used for funding the purchase of Aviva Singapore operations and the capital requirements. In India, InsurTech startup Turtlemint raises $30 million. Turtlemint works with insurance […]
The post AIP News RoundUp – Episode 31 – Theresa Blissing and Michael Waitze – Why Does So Much Money Keep Flowing Into InsurTech? appeared first on Asia InsurTech Podcast.
2020-12-0132 min
The Design Life ShowTDLS - Episode 88: Keep Pushing Forward w/ Michael Waitze“Just keep moving forward. Because, the entire market is gonna try to push you back and everyones’ gonna tell you that you’re wrong. Listen to the signal obviously that the market is giving you, but just keep pushing forward.”
In episode 88 of #TDLS, I sat down with Michael Waitze. Michael worked in Global Finance for more than 20 years, employed by firms like Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, primarily in Tokyo.
Michael is also a leader in the digital media space, having pioneered the concept of a podcast network in Asia while building the biggest and fastest-growing listener base in the r...
2020-09-2234 min
Fitness Business Asia PodcastFitness Technology and Developing Our BASELINE Tech In-House, with Jack Thomas interviewed by Michael WaitzeJack talks to Michael Waitze about how fitness technology has developed over the last 10 years, and how "to really thrive and survive in fitness, you need some elements of technology woven into your concept and operations". This podcast was originally recorded for the Ignite Podcast by Morphosis Capital Partners. Interviewer was Michael Waitze. GUEST RESOURCES Ignite Podcast Episode Morphosis Capital Partners Michael Waitze on LinkedIn SHOW RESOURCES Jack Thomas on LinkedIn Fitness Business Asia Website Fitness Business As...
2020-09-1434 min
Build Your BaseBASELINE® and How Technology is Shaping the Fitness Industry - BASE Founder Jack Thomas interviewed by Michael Waitze for Morphosis Capital PartnersJack Thomas is interviewed by Michael Waitze about our BASELINE® Technology and how the fitness industry has incorporated more technology over the last 10 years.
Jack talks about his personal story and offers insights into how technology plays such an important role in running a gym and creating a differentiated concept, as well as what we can expect next from BASELINE and BASE.
GUEST / EPISODE RESOURCES
Original Podcast - Morphosis Capital
What is BASELINE Technology?
BASE RESOURCES
CONTACT US info@basebangkok.com
BASE WEBSITE basebangkok.com
2020-08-3136 min
globeChang(e)globeChang(e) – Episode 15 – Chie Kameyama, University of Exeter – It Takes Time to Find Your PeopleAfter 4 countries and multiple school transfers, Chie Kameyama thought she would be an expert at moving by now. From Japan to Singapore, where she attended several international schools without first knowing any english, and Singapore to Thailand, where she completed her bilingual IB Diploma at NIST International School in 2018, Chie’s learned many lessons about transitioning and adapting over the years. Yet, starting her first year at the University of Exeter last fall, she now realizes that each new environment comes with a new set of challenges.
The main hurdles she faced in moving were...
2019-03-0629 min
globeChang(e)GLOBECHANG(E) – EPISODE 14 – PAUL KEEN – QUO – SO DYNAMIC, SO FORWARD THINKING, SO PROGRESSIVEPaul Keen, a recent graduate of the International School of Amsterdam, spent the better part of last year working, discovering himself, and developing a passion for public policy. Later this year, he will be heading to the London School of Economics to read Policy and Politics.
His circumstances and formative years are marked by remarkable coincidences. His mother and father, from New York and London respectively, met at a wedding in Alabama. Ten years later, the couple married and moved to Thailand, with Paul’s father starting a creative agency. Paul was able to see...
2019-02-2435 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 13 – LEELA SAENG, ROYAL HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON – I AM SO HAPPY WHERE I AM TODAYLeela Saeng is currently studying Digital Media Culture and Technology at Royal Holloway, University of London . This was not always the plan. When Leela was a 15 year old student at Bangkok Patana School, she decided that she wanted to pursue musical theatre.
After a conversation with her supportive parents, she enrolled at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. As time passed, she started to realize that she wanted to continue with a more traditional university degree. At a place where everyone was preparing for their performing arts future, Leela now needed to nav...
2019-02-2437 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 12 – GIGI CHANGCHAROENKIJ, UC BERKELEY – IT WAS STILL SHOCKING TO ME HOW DIFFERENT IT WASGigi Changcharoenkij’s most important lesson in college was learning to ask for what she needs to succeed. Currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley, Gigi is majoring in Economics and Psychology, complemented by her interests in communications, finance and student government.
Gigi attended the Thai-Chinese International School in Bangkok, which she characterized as a small, warm, and encouraging community. At TCIS, Gigi was actively involved in extra-curricular activities, including the band and theatre club in addition to acting as class president. Its strong Chinese programs also allowed her to be fluently trilingual, switching between Thai, E...
2019-02-2432 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 11 – CARLOS ROMERO JANTACOMMA, YALE UNIVERSITY – I TOOK A CLASS CALLED ‘DEATH’“I didn’t know what I wanted to do.” Moreover, we agreed that it is difficult for any pre-college teenager to know what they want to do. That thought led Carlos Romero Jantacomma to Yale University, a pretty great place to figure out what one does want to do. Now a sophomore at Yale, he is studying Ethics, Politics, and Economics.
Carlos was part of Shrewsbury International School’s inaugural class, taking both his IGCSEs and A-Levels there. When applying to colleges, he didn’t want to lock himself into a field of study as the UK woul...
2019-02-2430 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 10 – JAJA RATTANAJAN, UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA – I’M NOT MEANT FOR A 9 TO 5 JOBJaja Rattanajan is a sophomore studying media at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus. She was destined for involvement in the media business from birth — having a reporter mother and starring in TV shows as a young girl will do that to you. Yet, her love for marketing and media has taken on new forms as she discovers her true passions in college.
The transition from ISB to college was eye-opening in many ways. Jaja cites ISB’s diversity and rigorous IB Program as having made the academic and social transition painless. At UBC, she has been...
2019-02-2431 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 09 – KALIL MAGTOTO, UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO – THE FISH THAT HAVEN’T BEEN CAUGHT YETKalil Magtoto is back for another episode! He’s here to expand more on what he’s currently doing at the University of Waterloo and how he has effectively become a ‘student professional’ in the digital arts.
This semester, Kalil is taking a highly interdisciplinary course load with ranging from Computer Science to French. More than that, he’s juggling his role as co-chairman of StarterHacks and host of the podcast, “What’s Up, Waterloo?”. His active, passionate involvement in content production truly cements his identity as the ‘student professional’.
Kalil also talks about being a creative content pro...
2019-02-2435 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 08 – NICHANUN (NAT) PUAPATTANAKAJORN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA – I AM THE TIGER MOM TO MYSELFWere there only twelve students in your high school graduating class? What about representing your own country twice at the highest level of high school debate? These are only a few bits of what makes Nichanun (Nat) Puapattanakajorn‘s experience so captivating.
It goes without saying that she is highly accomplished, having won awards for both her academics and debate skills. Nat says the pressure to perform is mostly from herself. “I’m my own tiger mom,” she says. Yet this spirit is what drives her to perform better, to create a reputation that Thailand’s future debaters ca...
2019-02-2432 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 07 – PANUVAT CHUTICHETPONG, HARVARD UNIVERSITY – I’VE NEVER SEEN SNOW BEFOREPanuvat (Todd) Chutichetpong invents at the intersection of disciplines. On this episode of globeChang(e), he shares his path as a researcher and inventor, and the freshman experience at Harvard University.
Todd describes himself as, “a changed person with every new project”. One of his early inventions while a freshman at Ruamrudee International School was an ironing board that recycles waste heat into electricity. Afterwards, he moved on to biotechnology, successfully researching a low-cost test for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Now, he’s jumping into Data Science and the intersection of technology with liberal arts.
He chose Harvard...
2019-02-2426 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 06 – TAWAN BOONSITANON, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY – I HAVE A VERY LONG PLANTawan (Chittawan) Boonsitanon is a freshman studying Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University. He shares a few thoughts about his life story, his transition to college, and some well-structured ideas about the future of supply chain management and how new technologies will impact it.
His parents insisted that with life, he was to “make the most of it”. Tawan reflects on how these words, along with their commitment to providing for the best education possible, has shaped who he has become. In eighth grade, he decided to transfer to Concordian International School for the better opportunities avail...
2019-02-2424 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 05 – KIRA BERNHARD, ROLLINS COLLEGE – I DEFINITELY FEEL MORE INDEPENDENTKira Bernhard’s relationship with food is a vitalizing, enriching one. It has also been tumultuous at times. In this episode, she shares a few life stories about her work with food, social media, and future aspirations.
Her blog, Spoonful Delight started off as a way to reconnect with her love for food. Back in high school, Kira recalls how she would stress at the mere sight of food, leading to an eating disorder. She now finds fulfillment in sharing healthy, wholesome food with over 20,000 followers on her blog and Instagrampage.
Kira talks about how aut...
2019-02-2430 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 04 – KEN LOHATEPANONT, UC BERKELEY – POLITICS IS HISTORY IN ACTIONKen Lohatepanont’s passion for politics has drawn the attention of major news outlets and even Thailand’s constitution drafting committee. Now, he’s studying political science at the University of California, Berkeley, while continually refining his views. Amidst a volatile political landscape, he and Michael Waitze chat about transitions, writing, and democracy.
After receiving college acceptances, Ken decided that Berkeley fit him best, “It’s the epicenter of public policy research…wanted to experience it for myself.” Initially, he was shocked by the size. Berkeley’s 800-person lectures completely dwarfed KIS International School’s30-strong graduating class. But by “car...
2019-02-2430 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 03 – VARISA LIMPIJANKIT, TUFTS UNIVERSITY – IT WAS DEFINITELY OVERWHELMINGSophomore Varisa Limpijankitreflects on her college application experience and transition to Tufts University. Michael Waitze recalls a few stories of his own. The two sit down together to share common, yet unique experiences.
The college application process brought Varisa’s whole class together. At the International School of Bangkok, those who never talked before helped revise essays and provide emotional support in times of need. She reflects, “we really depended on each other.” Michael shares a small anecdote about his own bumpy SAT day story.
Varisa offers a bit of advice for current applicants: put your he...
2019-02-2431 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 02 – MADISON FRYE, BROWN UNIVERSITY – GIVE EVERYTHING A GO AT LEAST ONCEFor Madison Frye, “moving is the norm”. She spends a cool half-hour with Michael Waitze discussing her global life journey. Madison has lived in four cities: Montreal, Kobe, Tokyo and Bangkok, where she attended Bangkok Patana School. She is currently studying Biomedical Engineering at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She finds that when you are always expecting change, the adjustment process becomes easier.
At Brown, with its open curriculum, Madison is able to pursue her many academic interests. She is currently looking to study Biomedical Engineering. Having not taken Physics or Higher Level Math in high school...
2019-02-2424 minglobeChang(e)EPISODE 01 – KALIL MAGTOTO, UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO – I WAS STRUGGLING ALONEAs the fall semester begins, University of Waterloo second-year Kalil Magtoto and Michael Waitze sit down to reflect on what it means to move high schools, study in the IB program, and define yourself…
Moving to NIST International School in 2015, “I came in with all that huff-and-puff pride.” Kalil suddenly joins a new community of talented future world-changers, learning more about himself in the process. He finds trouble with academics, and struggles between his dwindling passion for mathematics and growing interest in the arts. For a while, he felt like he was struggling alone.
However, change l...
2019-02-2436 min
Analyse PodcastEpisode 209: The Thailand Startup Ecosystem with Michael Waitze - Analyse Asia with Bernard LeongMichael Waitze, founding partner of Metaliq & host of Asia Tech Podcast joined us in a conversation to discuss the Thailand startup ecosystem. We discussed the interesting startups, incubators, accelerators and investors in Thailand and explore how the nascent ecosystem is evolving in the past few years. Last but not least, we discussed how the The post Episode 209: The Thailand Startup Ecosystem with Michael Waitze appeared first on Analyse Asia.
2017-10-0442 min