{"id":2714,"date":"2021-11-18T12:00:11","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T12:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/?p=2714"},"modified":"2021-11-18T12:06:58","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T12:06:58","slug":"9-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/9-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"9 to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-card ugb-card ugb-c1ba60e ugb-card--v2 ugb-card--design-basic ugb-card--columns-3 ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-c1ba60e .ugb-card__item1 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Addo.jpg)}.ugb-c1ba60e .ugb-card__item2 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Ruparelia.jpg)}.ugb-c1ba60e .ugb-card__item3 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Mansoor.jpg)}.ugb-c1ba60e .ugb-card__image{height:229px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-c1ba60e .ugb-card__content{padding-top:15px !important;padding-bottom:15px !important;padding-right:15px !important;padding-left:15px !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item1\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Aisha Addo<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em>Founder and CEO of<br>DriveHER Ride-sharing App<\/em><br><br>In 2016, Toronto-based entrepreneur Aisha Addo founded DriveHER, a ride-sharing service for women by women. The service provides women with a transportation alternative that\u2019s safe from harassment by male drivers while creating jobs for women.<br>The idea came after many women shared their experience of being harassed \u2013 either verbally or physically \u2013 by male cab drivers. \u201cThe purpose of the company is not to bash men, it is more about empowering women to take their safety into their own hands and give them a choice,\u201d Addo says.<br>Before starting the ride-sharing service, Addo \u2013 now 28 \u2013 founded the Power to Girls Foundation, a non-profit organisation working in the greater Toronto area and in<br>Ghana. For Addo, being an entrepreneur is not about making a profit. Instead, she focuses on the social impact of her work. \u201cWhen founding my company,\u201d she says, \u201cI thought of how to make it a social enterprise.\u201d In 2018, her ride-sharing service really took off. DriveHER now has 60 women drivers; about 3,000 customers downloaded<br>the app and signed up during the beta-phase. \u2014\u00a0<em>Franziska Andre<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item2\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Akshay Ruparelia<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em>Founder and Managing Director of<br>Doorsteps.co.uk.<\/em><br><br>In 2015, five years after his family had to pay thousands of pounds in fees to sell their home, Akshay Ruparelia founded Doorsteps.co.uk, a UK-based online real estate agent. In its early days, he worked during lunch breaks in school and knocked on people\u2019s doors to ask them if they wanted to sell their house.<br>His hard work paid off. Today, his startup is the tenth largest real estate agent in the UK and is valued at GBP 18 million. In 2018, Akshay was included in the London Power 100, a list of 100 most influential people in London.<br>Doorsteps\u2019 \u201cunique selling proposition\u201d is its low fees. In an industry where even online estate agents charge at least GBP 800 upfront, Doorsteps charges just GBP 99. Instead of hiring full-time professionals, \u201cmums and dads\u201d across the UK freelance for him. Then, using the Internet, he made it super-easy to list properties. He backed this with responsive customer service \u2013 which helped him get positive reviews online \u2014 and word-of-mouth. \u201cWhen the public saw the need for a service, they got behind it,\u201d he says. \u2014\u00a0<em>Sankalp Khandelwal<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item3\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Sahar Mansoor<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em>Founder of Bare Necessities<\/em><br><br>Three years ago, Sahar Mansoor, 27, turned her zero-waste lifestyle into a profitable business. Her company \u2018Bare Necessities\u2019 sells recyclable home and personal care<br>products.<br>Mansoor, who grew up in India, calls herself an \u201caccidental entrepreneur.\u201d The inspiration for her company came in 2015, when she moved home after studying in the UK. Her sister had just had a baby, and Mansoor was shocked at how much waste is produced when raising a child. \u201cThat\u2019s when I decided to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution,\u201d she says.<br>Sahar began leading a zero-waste life, producing her own soap, shampoo and toothpaste. When people started asking where they could buy the products, she founded \u2018Bare Necessities\u2019, a company that balances profit and sustainability by selling environmentally-friendly goods in reusable, recyclable and biodegradable packaging.<br>The Bangalore-based company now has six employees. \u201cMy goal is for less waste to end up in the landfill,\u201d Mansoor says. \u201cThat\u2019s my mission.\u201d \u2014\u00a0<em>Silvia Ellena<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-card ugb-card ugb-b4dd259 ugb-card--v2 ugb-card--design-basic ugb-card--columns-3 ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-b4dd259 .ugb-card__item1 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Qubaty.jpg)}.ugb-b4dd259 .ugb-card__item2 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Kitano.jpg)}.ugb-b4dd259 .ugb-card__item3 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Khodija.jpg)}.ugb-b4dd259 .ugb-card__image{height:229px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-b4dd259 .ugb-card__content{padding-top:15px !important;padding-bottom:15px !important;padding-right:15px !important;padding-left:15px !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item1\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Shady M. Qubaty<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em><em>Co-founder of Adalah<\/em><br><\/em><br>What does capital for purpose look like in post-war Yemen? \u201cTaxes,\u201d Shady M. Qubaty says.<br>The 22-year old is the first Yemeni undergraduate<br>admitted to Yale University.<br>These days, he\u2019s working on a plan for Yemen\u2019s post-war economic recovery. He co-founded Yemen\u2019s first non-aligned, legal non-governmental organisation in 2016. Adalah (\u201cJustice\u201d) works as the official secretariat for the UK parliament on Yemen-related issues.<br>Qubaty hopes the future brings peace \u2013 and prosperity. \u201cAs soon as the war ends, that is the beginning of the new Yemen,\u201d says Qubaty. \u201cEconomists have predicted that [post-war] Yemen could have the highest GDP growth in the world.\u201d<br>How can this capital be used for a sustainable future? \u201cTourism [could be] a huge resource to employ people and generate sustainable income,\u201d Qubaty says.<br>Another sustainable way for the government to run itself could be raising taxes. \u201cIn Yemen, just 5 to 10% of GDP is taxed \u2013 a very low amount.\u201d Cutting corruption, too, would free up capital for other purposes. \u2014\u00a0<em>Julia Neumann<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item2\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Marie Kitano<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em><em>Tokyo Medical &amp; Dental University doctor<\/em><\/em><br><br>Tokyo clinician Marie Kitano is the Wonder Woman kids didn\u2019t know they needed. She works as a medical doctor on weekdays, and as a mental health researcher on weekends.<br>\u201cI study the effects of toxic stress on children,\u201d says Kitano. \u201cIt happens when they are under pressure for a long time, and can cause irreversible effects to the brain.\u201d The stress can be induced in many ways, from parental neglect to bullying, natural catastrophes, verbal, physical and sexual violence, and more.<br>Although stressors can be hard to control, Kitano aims to raise awareness about their consequences. \u201cI want to contribute to research from a medical point of view by measuring the stress and seeing how it affects the brain,\u201d Kitano says.<br>She shifted her field of interest from developmental disabilities to child abuse a year ago, when she read about a five-yearold in Tokyo who died because of neglect. \u201cWhen I was her age, I didn\u2019t even have a conception of death,\u201d Kitano says. She decided to make children a priority. \u201cNobody stands up for them,\u201d she says, \u201cso I had to.\u201d \u2014\u00a0<em>Laurianne Croteau<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item3\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Rani Khodija<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em><em>Founder of\u00a0AMBIZ<\/em><br><\/em><br>In Indonesia, unemployment for college graduates is a serious issue. Each year, half of the country\u2019s 1.5 million graduates can\u2019t find a job. The obstacle isn\u2019t job skills. \u201cIt\u2019s because there isn\u2019t a good match between the employer and the employee,\u201d says Rani Khodija, a 23-year-old Indonesian entrepreneur.<br>To solve this problem, Khodija co-founded a platform called AMBIZ, meaning ambitious. The idea is that by providing good internships, AMBIZ can help college students find a job after graduating.<br>Because it is difficult for young but fast-growing companies without name\u00a0recognition and recruiting budgets to attract graduates, AMBIZ focuses on startups. \u201cAt young companies, your contribution really matters,\u201d Khodija says. \u201cOur generation needs flexibility, real projects, and real empowerment. We can provide them with these experiences.\u201d<br>Meanwhile, Khodija tries to convince companies that training interns is an investment, not an expense. \u201cWhen you teach them much-needed skills, they will be thankful and loyal to you,\u201d Khodija says. \u2014\u00a0<em>Hongtao Hao<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-card ugb-card ugb-46d0048 ugb-card--v2 ugb-card--design-basic ugb-card--columns-3 ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-46d0048 .ugb-card__item1 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Mtambalike.jpg)}.ugb-46d0048 .ugb-card__item2 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Safford.jpg)}.ugb-46d0048 .ugb-card__item3 .ugb-card__image{background-image:url(https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SYMP-49-Magazine-Web-Article-9tW-Nikoluk.jpg)}.ugb-46d0048 .ugb-card__image{height:229px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-46d0048 .ugb-card__content{padding-top:15px !important;padding-bottom:15px !important;padding-right:15px !important;padding-left:15px !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item1\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Jumanne Rajabu Mtambalike<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em><em><em>Founder of Sahara Sparks<\/em><br><\/em><\/em><br>Africa is on the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the way its policy-makers embrace technology to develop its industries will determine whether or not it can be a leader, according to Jumanne Rajabu Mtambalike.<br>The young Tanzanian entrepreneur founded his consulting firm, Sahara Ventures, five years ago. After studying in India, one of the world leaders when it comes to start-up incubators, Rajabu Mtambalike noticed the lack of innovation hubs in Tanzania. \u201cI wanted to create a platform that would help to build Tanzania\u2019s innovation ecosystem,\u201d he says. He co-created Sahara Sparks, an event that brings entrepreneurs, investors and policy-makers together in Dar es Salaam and other African cities to discuss innovation.<br>The event is a chance for start-ups to pitch their businesses and find mentors. Rajabu Mtambalike is convinced Africa is ready for a change \u2013 and that the rest of the world has a role to play. \u201cWe don\u2019t want aid,\u201d he says. \u201cDon\u2019t consider giving us grants. Instead, let\u2019s discuss what kind of business we can do together.\u201d \u2014\u00a0<em>Laurianne Croteau<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item2\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Hannah Safford<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em><em><em>Environmental\u00a0engineer at the University of California, Davis<\/em><br><\/em><\/em><br>Partly due to climate change, water resources are becoming increasingly scarce. Relying on existing water supplies is not enough. At some point, we have to find ways to reuse dirty water.<br>Hannah Safford, a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Davis, is exploring the potential of a technology called flow cytometry to monitor waterborne viruses. \u201cIf we\u2019re ever going to achieve widespread recycling of wastewater into drinking water, we need fast and reliable ways to ensure<br>that treatment processes are working as intended,\u201d Safford says.<br>The former White House aide sees herself as a bridge linking \u201cthe science and the policy-making community.\u201d But, she says, you don\u2019t need an engineering degree to make a difference. Everyone can step up and contribute to a more sustainable environment. \u201cYou can show up to your city council meeting and you can provide comments about what issues you care about,\u201d Safford says. \u201c It\u2019s amazing to me how many opportunities there actually are for people to get involved in policy processes, and how few people take advantage.\u201d\u2014\u00a0<em>Hongtao Hao<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__item ugb-card__item3\"><div class=\"ugb-card__image\"><\/div><div class=\"ugb-card__content\"><h4 class=\"ugb-card__title\">Wladimir Nikoluk<\/h4><p class=\"ugb-card__description\"><em><em><em>Co-Founder and CEO of ImmerLearn<\/em><br><\/em><\/em><br>Wladimir Nikoluk wants a new approach to the use of algorithms in the social sector.<br>Immerlearn aims to build ethical and transparent data solutions. \u201cAlgorithms can cause a lot of damage,\u201d the Ukrainian-born, German-raised entrepreneur says. Improperly implemented, \u201cthey create biases against ethnic minorities, biases against religious minorities, biases against genders, and so on.\u201d<br>Nikoluk\u2019s experience working with victims of the Syrian crisis in Amman, Jordan helped crystallise his thoughts. \u201cPeople lacked the insights to know which programmesto fund,\u201d he says. He met his future co-founders in Amman and began to work on software solutions.<br>Multiple insights emerged to help Nikoluk and his colleagues tackle their goals, such as \u201csegmentation,\u201d which considers the needs of distinct groups in different populations and how their services are experienced. Data-based predictive algorithms, meanwhile, calculate the odds of events such as famine and predict who will suffer, in order to prepare for them and mitigate the consequences. \u2014\u00a0<em>Connor Bilboe<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aisha Addo Founder and CEO ofDriveHER Ride-sharing App In 2016, Toronto-based entrepreneur Aisha Addo founded DriveHER, a ride-sharing service for women by women. The service provides women with a transportation alternative that\u2019s safe from harassment by male drivers while creating jobs for women.The idea came after many women shared their experience of being harassed \u2013 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":2715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[18],"class_list":["post-2714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"xl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"xxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"xxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"xxxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"xxxxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/chase-clark-509066-unsplash_0-1.jpg",1499,1000,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>Aisha AddoFounder and CEO ofDriveHER Ride-sharing AppIn 2016, Toronto-based entrepreneur Aisha Addo founded DriveHER, a ride-sharing service for women by women. The service provides women with a transportation alternative that\u2019s safe from harassment by male drivers while creating jobs for women.The idea came after many women shared their experience of being harassed \u2013 either verbally or physically \u2013 by male cab drivers. \u201cThe purpose of the company is not to bash men, it is more about empowering women to take their safety into their own hands and give them a choice,\u201d Addo says.Before starting the ride-sharing service, Addo \u2013 now&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/symposium.org\/category\/insights\/\" rel=\"category tag\">INSIGHTS<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"wordpress@weitblick-online.ch","url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/author\/wordpressweitblick-online-ch\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","authors":[{"term_id":18,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"st-gallen-symposium","display_name":"St. Gallen Symposium","avatar_url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/gravatars\/190aabef85c14d92eed157195be986a7","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2714"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2729,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions\/2729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2714"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}