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10 SMARTEST COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022
www.thechiefsdigest.com
MAY 2022
The Man Behind Limitless New AI Technology Dr. Andy Khawaja
Dr. Andy Khawaja,
CEO
EDITOR’S DESK
In the modern-day business world driven by
technology, probably we all are busy
envisioning a better tomorrow and future.
Companies today are focused on embracing emerging
technology and keeping up with the trends to stay
ahead of the curve. Besides, with globalization
contributing to bigger and more powerful competitors, the
business environment has turned more brutal and uncompromising than ever.
In this climate, only companies who have learned to work “smart” are going to
competitive advantage. Instead of reacting to crises when they occur, smart
organizations are ones that can anticipate them and plan way ahead of time.
For this issue, we engaged with some of the smart companies out there and managed
to get a ringside view into their work culture, management styles, and the role of their
key executives in leading the way to growth. We had a great deal of fun putting
together a handpicked collection of anecdotes and experiences for the benefit of our
readers and entrepreneurs looking to build a smart brand out of their business. And we
hope others too have the same fun reading their interviews and stories as a part of our
“10 Smartest Companies to Watch” special edition.
Best,
Daniel Shelby
Managing Editor
The Chief's Digest
editor@thechiefsdigest.com
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contact@thechiefsdigest.com
EDITORIAL
editor@thechiefsdigest.com
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Managing Editor : Daniel Shelby
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Publisher
Calvin Lloyd
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EDITORIAL TEAM
10. Artificial Intelligence
Defense Platform
CONTENTS
16. Altium
20. CIMtech Mfg. Inc.
24. Numedico
Technologies
28. Salt Creek
Partners, LLC
30. Transact
Campus, Inc.
34. VidIt
Artificial Intelligence
Defense Platform
Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform is building the AI
processing mind of the future – ISABELLA, a program that will
perform labor and even offer military functionality.
Altium
Altium is a global software company which is accelerating
the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual
inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB
designers and engineers choose Altium software to design
and realize electronics-based products.
CIMtech Mfg. Inc.
CIMtech's full turnkey solutions are paving the way for the
development and manufacturing of fuel cell and electric
vehicle components and assemblies, which are utilized by
global players for their hydrogen-powered forklift equipment
& hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric vehicles.
European Day
Spa of Fredericksburg
Carissa Ballard
Owner
European Day Spa of Fredericksburg uses holistic therapies
and treatments to provide a divine experience to individuals
that transforms their body, mind, and spirit.
MANAGEMENT COMPANY IN BRIEF
COMPANY NAME
VidIt
Vidit is working towards leveraging the enormous potential of
AR and democratize it so that more and more AR experiences
can be created for all digital landscapes.
Millenium Enterprise
Corporation
Minh Nguyen
CEO
Millennium Enterprise offers technical infrastructure
support at the enterprise level to the government and the
academic sectors – server virtualization, platform as a
service, networks, etc.
Unest
Ksenia Yudina
CEO
UNest offers iOS and Android apps and Investment Account
for kids that helps parents give their children a financial
head start.
10 Smartest Companies to Watch 2022
Numedico Technologies
Established in 2016, Numedico is a globally focused
safety medical devices manufacturer and distributor based
in Australia that provides high quality medical supplies to
hospitals, healthcare services, veterinarians, cosmetic
organizations, and consumers at home health care.
Salt Creek Partners
Salt Creek Partners is a boutique M&A advisory firm that
specifically focuses on clients looking to be acquired and
companies wanting to make an acquisition.
Transact Campus
Transact Campus offers personalized solutions that
simplifies and streamlines campus technology to
enhance the college experience on- & off-campus.
Dr. Andy Khawaja
CEO
Aram Mirkazemi
Chief Executive Officer
Paul Ghotra
Founder & CEO
Neville Calvert
Founder & CEO
Naoto Hall
Managing Director
& Head of Investment
Banking Division
Nancy Langer
CEO
Rene Rodriguez
Founder & CEO
Dr. Andy Khawaja,
CEO
C O V E R S T O R Y
| MAY 2022
10
The Man
Behind
Limitless
New AI
Technology
Dr. Andy
Khawaja
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 11
Artificial Intelligence Defense
Platform (AIDP) was an idea
that was forming for many
years, and it was officially realized in
2020. Spearheaded by Dr. Andy
Khawaja, AIDP is building a new
future and changing the way tasks will
be performed.
After stepping away from the payment
services industry after over a decade of
success and hundreds of awards, Andy
is now focused on leveraging new
technology that will transform the
world. He is working with his AIDP
team to create its pioneer program
using artificial intelligence technology
- “ISABELLA.”
ISABELLA: A Limitless Idea
AIDP's pioneer program is
ISABELLA, which is based on
artificial intelligence technology. The
open-source & Wi-Fi technology
within ISABELLA will connect it to
the internet and allow it to observe,
learn, and act.
The human mind can only process so
much. We can only endure a certain
amount of pressure and perform a finite
amount of labor before we must rest.
However, that's not the case with
ISABELLA. Its artificial intelligence
technology will have access to
unlimited information with the ability
to learn and process multi-lingual data
from the internet, encyclopedias, and
even intelligence resources. “We're
creating new technology and machines
that will use ISABELLA's processing
mind to perform labor and even offer
military functionality,” says Andy.
Innovation at AIDP
AIDP is working in an industry where
reaching goals translates into saving
lives. Hence, Andy is always
encouraging his team to think outside
Ever since AIDP was established,
innovation has never stopped. That's
how AIDP is staying ahead of the curve.
The firm is continually creating new
departments to innovate different aspects
of life and society, integrating new
technological advancements into every
industry. AIDP will continue to expand
and grow as an organization for the sake
of finding new ways to improve living
conditions for mankind.
AIDP is a Modern Smart Brand
AIDP is being recognized globally
because the product operates and thinks
1000 times faster than a human being
could. It doesn't make mistakes. Smart
the box to accomplish their common
goals. He is a strong believer in
innovation and feels that innovation
cannot proceed without creativity.
Creativity is celebrated and rewarded
at AIDP. The team strives to inspire
and be inspired. Andy says, “I believe
that great ideas can come from
anywhere, not just from me but from
anyone from the team. Hence, we
brainstorm and work together.” At
AIDP, everyone has a crucial role to
play, and everyone contributes to the
larger common goal of the
organization. “This is essential to our
culture”, adds Andy.
C O V E R S T O R Y
| MAY 2022
12
products and smart companies improve
the quality of life and remove the
hassle and error within the
functionality. AIDP revolves around AI
technology that will do this and change
the world.
As a smart and innovative brand, AIDP
is contributing to the global platform
by changing the world. Creating a
better future is the number one priority
for AIDP, and hence, they are pushing
for technological and societal
advancement at the global level. Andy
comments, “We're not only bringing
new ideas and products to the world,
but we are also heavily influencing
change and innovation. The world will
be a different place, a better place
because of AIDP.”
Foraying Into the Defense Space
Speaking of changing the world and
making it a better place, AIDP is trying
to achieve that by implementing
technology that will really make a
substantial difference. The firm aims at
creating a better quality of life for
future generations and maintaining
peace & order all over the world.
Therefore, AIDP's efforts are being
directed towards innovating for
defense – not to take lives but to save
them.
Artificial Intelligence Defense
Platform is working to use AI to
protect the innocent, and it is
innovating to protect communities
globally. “In my past, I've witnessed
war and violence, and I've seen
innocent casualties first-hand. It's
something that is hard to witness and
even harder to unsee. The world may
unfortunately always know war in
some capacity, and we will always
have to innovate for defense, but I want
to create AI technology for the defense
that will protect people and save the
innocent,” Andy said.
He continues to be a major contributor
to charitable organizations including
UNICEF, Wounded Warrior Project,
Eagle and Badge Foundation, After-
School All-Stars, Star Team for the
Children, Brent Shapiro Foundation,
ASACP, Action Innocence, From the
Heart Productions, LAPCA, United
Service Organizations, Hope for
Change International, Paralyzed
Veterans of America, and more.
Andy Khawaja is not only a successful
leader but a large contributor to global
societies. He's not only an innovator of
technology but a contributor to a better
environment for future generations.
Andy's Thoughts on The Future
“We have seen quite interesting times.
The Coronavirus Pandemic, or
COVID-19, has devastated global
economies and left global populations
to endure life without resources or
basic needs.
Imagine if you had a person or
machine that knew everything, never
slept, never needed to eat, and never
got sick… imagine what it could
accomplish?
The Coronavirus Pandemic will not be
our last global crisis. What if we were
faced with a virus ten times as
powerful in the future? The
Coronavirus has already put a halt on
economies and mankind – what would
we do if we will be forced to endure a
deadlier or longer-lasting pandemic?
This recent COVID-19 situation has
only reinforced what I sought to build
years ago. A year ago, I left the
payment services business and e-
commerce to focus my attention on the
Artificial Intelligence Defense
Platform. ISABELLA will be the AI
technology driving the future. Artificial
Intelligence personnel will be able to
drive, pick up waste, deliver
necessities, and do the work that
humans cannot.”
Knowing Dr. Andy Khawaja, A Born
Leader & Entrepreneur
Dr. Khawaja is a highly publicized
philanthropist and world-renowned
entrepreneur who has been featured in
over 100 publications for his
contributions to technology, society,
and economic growth. He's
participated in dozens of live
interviews with thought leaders such as
Larry King and received accolades for
his achievements from leaders,
politicians, and public figures globally.
“I firmly believe
that the
difference we can
make on this
earth while we
are here is all we
can leave behind
– the products,
solutions, and
innovations we
gift generations
with so that they
may live better
lives.”
10
to Watch 2022
COMPANIES
SMARTEST
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 13
Helping Design Premium PCB's since 1985
Altium
Printed circuits have been around
since the 1950's. Transcending
time, Printed Circuit Boards
(PCB's) have become the most
important component of electronics.
The immense integration of electronics
due to the IoT push will keep ushering
the PCB industry to further prosperity.
To fulfill the growing requirements
though, the industry will require PCB
design engineers and the PCB engineers
will need design software that will help
them create printed circuit boards that
are optimal in design. Altium has been
developing softwares to help design
high-quality PCB's for more than thirty
years now.
Founded in 1985 by Nick Martin,
Altium is an American, Australian-
domiciled public software company that
provides tools for electronics design for
the engineers. Altium was founded in
Hobart, Australia under the name Protel.
Altium was one of the first companies
that provided PCB design tools by
implementing the modern technologies.
With their annual sales being $100.4
million and $93.6 million in generated
revenues last year, they have eventually
become the market leaders in this space.
Premium Products
Altium Designer
Altium's flagship product Altium
Designer is the industry's leading design
software used to design PCB's all over
provides secure storage for data
generated from board design and helps
manage all other sets of data obtained
from the Design Area by running
specific release processes. The work
environments of the designers working
on a particular design can be controlled
via the Altium Vault.
TASKING
Altium's TASKING is a compiler
technology that is used all over the
world by leading organization 's to
meet the high demands of specialized
embedded software development.
TASKING tools have been deployed
for over 25 years now which is a
testament to its reliability and
effectiveness. TASKING tools can be
used for microprocessors like ARM,
Power Architecture, 68K, 8051,
Aurix/Tricore and many more.
TASKING tools give engineers the
capability to develop reliable, safe and
efficient embedded software.
Cross-Industrial Partnerships
Altium has forged great partnerships
over the years delivering its expertise
to a variety of industry leaders. The
company with its deep knowledge in
the Electronic Automation Industry has
partnered with the likes of BMW,
Boeing, Philips, Lenovo, HP, and
Siemens among so many other
enviable names. Its portfolio of
partnerships keeps growing each
the world by engineers. Altium
Designer is known for its excellent
native 3D Printed Circuit Board CAD.
The product consolidates all the tools
that are required by the engineers into
a single unit that has a stress-free user
interface. This rapidly increases the
rate of the design success and reduces
the overall design time. Over the last
thirty years, Altium designer has
grown from being used at the
grassroots, to now the most widely
used PCB design tool in the market. It
provides a Truly Unified Design that
links all the features of the PCB
design process. Altium Designer helps
to migrate from competitors'
toolchains with the most potent
translation tools in the industry.
Altium Vault
Designing electronics is a long and
complex process that involves many
people and each of them needs access
to the design data all through the
development of the design. Altium
Vault is the automated solution for
managing the design and component
data during the process of the design.
It is capable of managing design data
directly from inside the design
environment and is built for the
electronics industry.
Altium Vault works in tandem with
the Altium Designer to manage design
data with great integrity. Altium Vault
10
to Watch 2022
COMPANIES
SMARTEST
| MAY 2022
16
passing year as it maintains its status-
quo as the leader in the industry for
designing PCB's.
Well positioned for future growth
With over 30 years of experience in
continuous Research & Development
in PCB design, Altium is positioned
very well for growth. Altium has
31,000 subscribers globally and its
flagship product Altium Designer adds
roughly 6,000 new users every year to
its count. Looking ahead, the software
provider wants to expand into systems
design after achieving its goal of
attaining market leadership in PCB
design by 2020. Considering at the
heart of all the intelligent systems are
electronics and PCB's, Altium is
bound to keep its growth margin of
30% which it touches every single
year.
ALTIUM's Chief!
Aram Mirkazemi, Chief Executive
Officer
Mr.Aram Mikazemi is a huge
presence at Altium. He was the
Director of Research and
Development from 1992-1999. He
was the member of the Altium Board
from 1992-2000. After a successful
IPO in 1999, Mr. Aram left the
company to pursue his interest in web-
based software systems. He founded
Morfik Technology in this pursuit.
Later, he returned to Altium as part of
Morfik Technology acquisition. He was
appointed the Head of Engineering and
then served Altium as the Chief
Technology Officer before starting his
tenure as the CEO of the company.
Mr.Aram Mirkazemi has a Bachelor's
of Engineering from the University of
Tasmania.
“Altium is led by a
passionate, highly
experienced team
with deep
knowledge and
expertise within the
Electronic Design
Automation
industry.”
Aram Mirkazemi,
Chief Executive Officer
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 17
Powering A Greener Future with Innovation,
Manufacturing & Engineering Expertise
CIMtech Mfg. Inc.
In this modern era of accelerating
change, growing energy demands
from the rising world population,
and the climate change arising out of it,
bringing a sustainable energy future
within reach is crucial. One of the steps
that could be taken to contribute
toward an environmentally beneficial
energy transformation is the use of fuel
cells. And the work that CIMtech Mfg.
is doing could be a vital piece of the
transformation efforts.
“Countries around the world are
setting net-zero targets and
accelerating the move towards clean
energy alternatives in vehicles and
equipment. We are proud to be
supporting these targets and this
expansion and investment in new,
advanced equipment will allow us to
continue being a key global supply
chain player in this space,” says Paul
Ghotra, CEO of CIMtech.
CIMtech Green Advanced
Manufacturing Facility Based on
Digital Manufacturing (Industry 4.0)
CIMtech has been nominated as the top
10 manufacturing company in Canada.
The services it offers range from proof-
of-concept prototypes to large-scale
manufacturing for the fuel cell
industry. With its engineering
expertise, CIMtech has shortened new
How would you define a “Smart
Company” in this modern business
world? And how do you incorporate
that within CIMtech?
CIMtech processes are managed by
our digital manufacturing
technologies, embracing INDUSTRY
4.0 smart manufacturing initiatives.
With many years of expertise in fuel
cell-related parts & assemblies, we
have an edge over our competitors to
provide full TURN KEY
SOLUTIONS from proof of concept to
large-scale manufacturing under one
roof.
Continuously upgrading our
manufacturing services with
technology, ongoing employee
training and a focus on providing an
exceptional client experience are all
examples of innovation that we direct
our attention to at CIMtech.
The following are the services that
CIMtech is focusing on for an
exceptional client experience:
• DFM (Design for Manufacturing):
DFM has saved our customers
millions of dollars to lower the
cost of manufacturing
• Zero Inventory Program: This
ensures that our customers never
run out of parts and always have a
100% delivery on time.
product introductions and saved
millions of dollars in manufacturing
costs.
CIMtech's full turnkey solutions are
paving the way for the development and
manufacturing of fuel cell and electric
vehicle components and assemblies,
which are utilized by global players
such as Walmart, Amazon, and Home
Depot for their hydrogen-powered
forklift equipment & hydrogen fuel-cell-
powered electric vehicles such as
HYVIA delivery vans in Europe
(Renault Group), FedEx airport tuggers
at Albany International Airport in New
York, and hydrogen fuel cell electric
vehicles.
In conversation with Paul Ghotra,
Founder and CEO of CIMtech Mfg.
What is the secret recipe for CIMtech
growth?
Green Energy Company (CIMtech) is a
Canada-based Hydrogen fuel cell
components & assemblies manufacturer.
We have recently doubled our footprint
in Vancouver, Canada through an
acquisition of a 10,000 sq. ft advanced
manufacturing facility. This expansion
will increase CIMtech Green Energy,
operational capabilities by 200% to
allow for increased service levels to our
global customers.
10
to Watch 2022
COMPANIES
SMARTEST
| MAY 2022
20
• Zero-Carbon Initiatives: We aim at
developing products with respect
for the planet.
How successful was your first
project? How have your priorities
been since then?
Our first fuel cell project was
developing a unit from conceptual
engineering design to a complete
working product for a large Fuel Cell
customer in the US. With CIMtech's
expertise in Manufacturing
Engineering & DFM program, we were
able to lower the cost of the product by
30%.
CIMtech Mfg. is committed to meeting
or exceeding customers' requirements
with a focus on customer satisfaction
through continual improvement of
processes. We use professionally
calibrated manufacturing equipment
with industry certifications to become a
value-added supplier.
What challenges did you face in your
initial years? What was the number
one motivating factor that kept you
moving forward?
One of the major obstacles in the way
of creating a breakthrough in fuel cell
technology was its relatively high
costs compared to well-established
fossil-based technologies. The
reasons for these high costs
predominantly lie in the use of
non-standardized components,
complex systems, and non-
automated production of fuel cells.
To become one of North America's
top Green Energy suppliers of
Hydrogen fuel cell assemblies and
parts, CIMtech has invested
heavily in new equipment and
processes to manufacture fuel cell
parts cost-effectively. What
motivates us to keep going is the
transformation that fuel cell
technology can promise in the
quality of life on a global scale. It
has the potential to empower
individuals with the ability to
generate clean electricity at home
instead of buying it from
commercial power plants.
“Whether you are an
entrepreneur with a
revolutionary
concept or a
company managing a
team of 50
engineers, CIMtech
Mfg. Inc's innovation
can make your
product a success.”
Paul Ghotra,
Founder & CEO
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 21
How have you established a smart
work culture within your
organization?
Our work culture at CIMtech Mfg. is
based on the following principles.
Economic Thinking: Making
decisions based on economic thinking
helps us to collaborate from a shared
objective viewpoint and compare
alternatives in terms of their costs and
benefits instead of using opinion and
authority.
Distributed Decision-Making: It is
the opposite of hierarchical decision-
making. Distributed Decision Making
requires three elements:
• Smart and confident employees
who can learn the principles and
apply them
• A shared understanding of direct,
indirect, and opportunity costs
• Sharing information about current
company revenue and
expenditures to make contextually
good decisions
Act Like You Own the Company: All
decisions must be rational and should
be based on the best information
available.
How does your company contribute
to the competitive global platform at
large?
Working with the world's largest global
players in the Hydrogen fuel cell
sector, a trillion-dollar industry,
CIMtech is paving the way to serve
customers to become a vital player in
the hydrogen fuel cell sector.
Where do you see your company a
few years from now?
CIMtech is going through exponential
business growth. Our company's
revenue grew 50% year over year for
last few years. We are anticipating that
this growth will continue as our major
customers are growing rapidly in the
green energy sector.
Knowing The Man Behind Cimtech
Mfg.
Paul Ghotra, Founder & CEO
Paul moved to Vancouver, Canada in
1988 and started his manufacturing
engineering career in one of the
leading hi-technology companies in
British Columbia, Canada. His work
experience in a company that had
witnessed a colossal growth from a 10-
employee start-up to a 5000-employee
firm in fifteen years greatly influenced
his passion to grow and push through
the obstacles in his business.
It's been two decades of starting
CIMtech Mfg. and since then, Paul has
been guiding engineers in high-
technology companies on DFM
processes and optimizing part designs
for manufacturing. Right from proof of
concept to scaled production, Paul has
a rich understanding of optimizing cost
reduction in manufacturing during the
initial stages of the design phase.
Leadership Without Management:
CIMtech avoids hiring managers. We
prefer leaders who share information
and are rewarded by their team for
being autonomous. In CIMtech,
everyone learns from their shared
mistakes and grows in scope and
expertise.
Commitment: Committing is not
about trust. It is a promise of delivery.
We trust each other to be honest and to
do the best of our ability within the
time and resources.
How do you stay relevant to the
consumer interests and needs in this
highly volatile market?
Developing new technologies to reduce
carbon footprint is vital for the planet
and the survival of the human race in
the long run. CIMtech is playing a key
role in the development of green
energy technologies to make planet
earth a safer place to live.
As consumers become more aware of
the effects of global warming by fossil
fuels, green energy products will be in
high demand.
| MAY 2022
22
Integrating Patient Safety & Core Healthcare Responsibility
with Innovative Medical Device Solutions
Numedico Technologies
Needlestick incidents can have
far-reaching and unpleasant
consequences for both patients
and workers in the hospital
environment. About six people suffer a
needlestick injury somewhere in the
world every hour of every day, and
three people die because of those
injuries. This doesn't need to happen.
Needlestick injuries can be reduced by
using ClickZip™ Needle Retractable
Safety Syringe. South Australia-
headquartered Numedico is the
proprietor, manufacturer, and
wholesaler of the Swiss-designed
ClickZip™ technology, a high-quality
manual retractable needle injectable
delivery system offering ultra-low dead
space. ClickZip™ is designed for reuse
prevention (RUP).
The Chief's Digest had the
opportunity to interact with Neville
Calvert, the Founder & CEO of
Numedico Technologies. Here's an
excerpt from the
interview.
In conversation with Neville Calvert
Tell us about Numedico and the idea
behind it.
Established in 2016, the company
behind ClickZip™ is Numedico
Technologies, a globally focused safety
medical devices manufacturer and
distributor. Every day, Numedico
strives to challenge the status quo.
How successful was your first
project? Do you think there has
been a change in your priorities
since then?
Numedico has historically focused
on the ClickZip retractable safety
syringe. This product aligns
perfectly with our strategic
priorities of safety and has afforded
many opportunities during COVID.
Although COVID has been a major
distraction to the company, we have
seen a silver lining with our
resources refocused on broadening
our sales channels, enabling more
control throughout the supply
chain, and diversifying and
growing our customer base. This
exercise has been invigorating.
How would you describe the
work culture within your
organization? How do you
differentiate between smart work
and hard work?
At Numedico, we pride ourselves
on the 5 C's.
• Common sense – How we
collaborate – firmly rooted in
reality and able to simplify
complex ideas
• Character – Who we are –
strong sense of integrity, ethics
and honesty
• Curiosity – How we behave –
always ask questions to build
knowledge
Numedico Technologies meets this
mission and purpose through an
ecosystem that enables the design and
procurement of utilitarian medical
products, functional, user-friendly, safe,
and affordable medical products, and
home healthcare solutions.
With a growing portfolio of innovative
medical devices and customer solutions,
Numedico is supplying to major
hospitals, health services, government
departments, distributors and suppliers,
health practices, veterinary practices,
and consumers needing home healthcare
solutions.
In this modern business world, what
exactly does a “Smart Company”
mean to you?
A smart company is ultimately about
Innovation and collaboration. This is
something that perhaps every business
has had to turn to since the onset of the
pandemic. it has been a necessity for
success in every industry. At Numedico
Technologies, innovation is part of the
Company's DNA.
Innovation is the key within our
company as well as our foundation. We
constantly innovate
to meet the needs of our communities.
The team within our Innovation division
handles all aspects from product design,
engineering, IP acquisition &
management – right through to
commercialization.
10
to Watch 2022
COMPANIES
SMARTEST
| MAY 2022
24
• Creativity – How we deliver our
products – think outside the box
and stay open-minded
• Consideration – How we service
our customers – respectful,
solution focused and fast
These values attract loyal staff who are
truly motivated with our mission.
What are the factors that make your
brand one of the SMARTEST and
why?
We work on solving the problem
before we create a new product. This is
critical to ensuring customers and
stakeholders actually want our
products. An example of this is the
global problem we're solving relating
to residual wasted medication leftover
in syringes and needles. Our team has
been working with a global
organization to solve this problem. Our
invention expels nearly 100% of all
medication in a syringe and needle
which would save the patient tens of
billions of dollars annually.
Numedico's Innovation division is
working on projects that solve real
world problems for pharmaceutical
companies and healthcare services. The
projects have applications in the areas
of connectivity and bio-tech.
The company is currently in the final
stages of designing and prototyping a
new and superior version of
ClickZipTM. While the elements that
have been redesigned may go unnoticed,
the device's efficiency will vastly exceed
the functionality of the current version.
How does your company contribute to
the competitive global platform at
large?
Numedico does much more than
innovate, manufacture, and supply
trusted medical products. The company
provides services to pharmaceutical
companies and stakeholders in the
medical industry. One of our service
offerings is its access to life-science
research in space. Numedico has
partnered with SpaceTech start-up
ResearchSat to provide life-science
research services to pharmaceutical,
vitamin, and food science companies.
The SpaceTech market is a multi-
billion-dollar industry that provides a
“A key priority for
Numedico is safety
and sustainability.
We push ourselves
to be
better today than
we were yesterday,
building business
through best
practices and
collaborative
partnerships.”
Neville Calvert,
Founder & CEO
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 25
unique environment with extreme
environmental variables enabling the
acceleration of life-science research.
What's your take on the
involvement of companies in social
welfare/ CSR activities? Does it
make a positive contribution to the
business?
A key priority for Numedico is safety
and sustainability. Numedico works
with our manufacturers to ensure
sustainable raw materials are used at
all times during the production
process.
Our logistics team finds innovative
ways to offset our carbon footprint.
The team manages carbon abatement
initiatives that render our supply
chain a sustainable operation.
Additionally, we are working to build
manufacturing facilities in regional
locations around the world to avoid
carbon-heavy freight from Asia. We
expect to save hundreds of thousands
of tons of CO2 with this initiative.
The Leadership Team
Neville Calvert, Founder & CEO
Neville is a lifelong entrepreneur with
extensive strategic experience. For
more than 30 years, Neville has
worked in a diverse range of roles,
including Company Chairman, Partner
of Big Four business advisory firm
KPMG, Public Company Director and
CEO, and Private Company Director.
As Founder & CEO, Neville is
responsible for Numedico's direction,
vision, and steering the company
towards success. He is an exceptional
leader and professional coach, and he
has built an outstanding team around
him to support the business.
Max Toovey, Executive Director
Max Toovey is an active venture
capital investor with international
investments in MedTech and other
industries. Max has built an extensive
career identifying and partnering with
best-in-class founders to create value
within their business. Max's experience
spans private equity where he
previously managed $1 billion in funds
under management and led the
successful execution of fundraising,
asset sourcing, due diligence,
acquisitions, and exits (IPO and Trade
Sales). He has international
transactional experience and served on
boards of operating companies in
Australia, Asia, Africa, and the
Caribbean.
Where do you see your company a
few years from now?
Numedico recently launched a
subsidiary company in the US,
Numedico Tech Inc. This strategic
expansion will enhance Numedico's
presence in the USA to allow its
products to be offered to the consumers
in the country. Our future focus is
driven by a desire to improve
healthcare and to find the best and
safest solutions to suit our customer's
needs today and tomorrow. We are
always exploring what's possible,
continuously innovating, and seeking
new solutions to suit evolving industry
and consumer needs.
In a few years, we will have
commercialized multiple novel drug
delivery devices that will solve
fundamental problems for the
healthcare industry. Our business will
continue to innovate and solve real
problems for society.
| MAY 2022
26
Guiding Business Leaders with Mergers & Acquisitions
In The Emerging Growth And Middle Markets
Salt Creek Partners, LLC
S
CP was established to fill a
void for business leaders in the
emerging growth and middle
markets. From a firsthand experience,
the firm realized that companies are
underserved when it comes to a full-
service Investment Banking provider.
Now, Salt Creek Partners is
committed to changing that reality.
SCP's advisory capabilities are
designed to teach clients how to
build, grow, and improve their
companies and enterprise value to
achieve varying exits and other
strategic goals.
The Chief's Digest had the pleasure
of interacting with Naoto Hall, the
Managing Director of Salt Creek
Partners. Below is an edited excerpt.
In this modern business world,
what exactly does a “Smart
Company” mean to you?
Smart companies know that earning
and keeping your clients' trust is
required at every stage of a
partnership, and there is no better
way to do that than demonstrating it
through the quality of your service.
The business environment is
constantly changing and the best way
to serve the interests of your clients is
to be willing to challenge the status
quo, reject complacency, and learn
from a diverse range of individuals
and experiences. Consistently
challenging the team to bring
creativity and innovation in
approaching client solutions while
refining processes and workflows
results in better outcomes.
the current climate and workflows of
private equity and corporate buyers. Our
success can be attributed to executing a
custom M&A process tailored to each
client in which each engagement is an
intellectual exercise requiring creativity
and innovation.
The traditional view focuses solely on
transaction certainty resulting in a lower
overall outcome for our clients, but we
focus on competitive tension through a
market-driven process. An effective deal
process also involves enhanced
preparation while retaining the flexibility
to streamline the intensive marketing and
due diligence phases without
compromising quality. This allows our
firm to meet the exact needs of each of
our clients and deliver a better outcome
of events.
As a question on adaptability, how do
you stay relevant to the consumer
interests and needs in this highly
volatile market?
SCP maintains long-standing
relationships and partners with many
CXOs/Owners across Forbes 100 Fastest
Growing Companies, Top 40 Private
Equity Groups, and Fortune 1000
Industry Leaders, whom we speak with
on a weekly or monthly basis.
Our team is also a mix of generalists and
specialists that works across a diverse
range of sectors with proven track
records managing complex financial
transactions, providing investment
banking services, performing market
research and analysis, guiding companies
from concept through hyper-growth, and
How successful was your first project
roll? Do you think there has been a
change in your priorities since then?
Our first project was successfully executed
and served as the foundation for the
company's future. It was a fairly
bootstrapped engagement, but we could
get the desired outcome by leaning on our
previous experience and putting forth the
work ethic required. The project gave us
the validation and credentials to know we
could successfully serve our clients'
mandates while helping us identify where
we need to invest internally to increase
desirable outcomes.
Our priorities then are the same as now –
we believe in the alignment of finances,
values, and objectives, and we are
committed to being the premium quality
investment bank for the emerging and
middle markets.
How would you describe the work
culture within your organization? How
do you differentiate between smart work
and hard work?
Our culture starts with our team – the
employees we hire come from a mix of
conventional and non-conventional
backgrounds such as private equity, buy-
side investment banking, and management
consulting, which naturally builds a pool
of creative and diverse perspectives. As
leaders, we emphasize a highly
collaborative process both internally in
servicing our clients and externally in
collaborating with our clients.
Unlike traditional investment banks, we
have innovated our processes to adapt to
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building companies towards varying
exits.
How does your company contribute to
the competitive global platform at
large?
SCP is on its way to becoming the first
emerging and middle-market full-service
investment bank. Our increasing
capabilities and reputation have
expanded our reach. We started with sell-
side advisory and have since expanded
into buy-side advisory, strategy
consulting, valuation, and other services.
Our first clients originated out of the
Southeast U.S., but as we've grown and
expanded our services, so has our
geographic footprint. We now service
clients across North America and have
expanded into Asia as well.
What have you enjoyed the most while
sailing through the ups and downs of
your business?
It's been an exceptional experience
watching the company grow. The two
most enjoyable parts are around our
clients and our employees. Helping an
owner find the right long-term partner to
continue their company's legacy,
knowing that the owner can achieve a
desirable outcome and peace of mind,
brings satisfaction day in and day out. On
a personal note, mentoring our
employees as they grow into their roles
has been highly rewarding.
Where do you see your company a few
years from now?
We're continuing to grow and competing
against the top banks in the industry. In
the next few years, Salt Creek Partners
will be known as the premium service
provider and the go-to partner in the
emerging and middle markets.
The Thought Leadership
Naoto Hall, Managing Director and
Head of Investment Banking Division
Naoto has led over 70 transactions and
acquisitions and has significant experience
with market research, deal sourcing,
financial valuations, and modeling, the
due diligence process, negotiation of
terms, and post-closing integration.
“In addition to the strength and diversity
of our team, the innovation and creativity
of our processes, and our industry-leading
insights, SCP aligns our economic
interests with our clients. We believe in the
alignment of finances, values, and
objectives with our clients and share the
risks as necessary.”
“We have seen
firsthand that the
growing and middle
market companies
are underserved
and we are
committed to
changing that
reality.”
Naoto Hall,
Managing Director & Head of
Investment Banking Division
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 29
Led by CEO Nancy Langer, Transact Campus Paves the
Way for Simplifying Campus Operations and the Student Experience
Making An Impact in the FinTech Space
“It was important to bring an
extensive network to the enterprise.
Transact was not well known, and
the product wasn't well understood.
It was important to change that
quickly. I needed to get out there and
let people know who we are.”
- Nancy Langer, CEO of Transact
Campus, Inc.
Being a smart company means
staying ahead of the curve by keeping
an eye on client needs and consumer
trends and responding quickly to
changes in the market. “We stay in the
lead by partnering with our clients to
create solutions that get them to
where they need to go right now,”
says Langer. “The Transact team
embraces change. They thrive in this
environment that capitalizes on their
nimble, client-focused work
approach.”
“Transact Campus is a mobile-centric
campus technology that integrates
institutional payments, campus ID,
and campus commerce. With its user-
focused solutions, our technology can
streamline campus life to enhance the
college experience for students and
their families, and for the colleges,
Just as important is the team here at
Transact. This team is passionate
about the business and that mindset
creates an exciting environment that
fuels creative thinking. To answer
your question, it was a combination of
coming to a space where there is a lot
of innovation and disruption and
being able to be central to that
transformation. To be a part of a
business with untapped potential for
growth and part of a team that brings
energy and commitment to the
business? That is an obvious choice to
make.
What was your priority at Transact
initially, and do you think there has
been a change in your priorities
since then?
I brought an extensive network to the
enterprise. Transact was not well
known and the product wasn't well
understood. It was important to
change that perception quickly. I
needed to get out there and let people
know who we are. I talked to
investors, colleagues, and peers, and
asked them what they think we do and
why they think what we provide is
important. I was able to connect with
and engage some key influencers and
that fosters student retention and post-
graduate connections and loyalty.”
In our interview with Nancy Langer,
she shared her enthusiasm about the
progress she's made at Transact
Campus and the plans she has for
scaling the business to new heights.
Here's an edited excerpt from the
interview.
What was your inspiration behind
joining Transact?
There were a couple of things. For
one, Transact has huge potential and
tremendous opportunities for growth.
And the market we serve is smart,
fast-moving, and future-oriented.
Look at where we sit. Transact helps
college students navigate through
their on-campus experience. Our
technology and innovations make an
important difference in how
universities serve and interact with
students who are much more digitally
connected and mobile-centric than
ever before. Students are always
looking for the next big thing. It's
incredibly energizing to be in the
middle of this.
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educate them about the power of the
Transact technology.
By leveraging my network and
considering their input, we gained
some important insight to apply to
defining a strategy for growth that
everyone could support and align
with. Then we were able to create the
tactics needed to execute against that
strategy.
Of course, it's also essential to have
strong teams in place. One of the
crucial early steps was to match
existing talent to the key roles and
give them the ownership and
authority they need to execute their
own success. We have a very capable
workforce and when we reorganized
to position them in the right roles, we
realized we only had to hire for a few
new positions.
With the team and the strategic
direction in place we were ready to
grow, to quickly respond to user
needs and be prepared to move the
needle on opportunities when they
appear. That's our priority now. For
example, there are straightforward
payment services that we can provide,
and they're important for our users,
but we can't be satisfied with the low-
hanging fruit of basic product
features. We need to be nimble, and
now it's a part of the culture to
prioritize growth and put our focus on
the areas where we know we can
make an impact. The strength of the
Transact products is really a collective
success story.
How would you describe the work
culture within your organization?
How do you differentiate between
smart work and hard work?
We have a culture of innovation,
accountability, and customer focus.
Transact is a great example of where
hard work and smart work intersect.
Earning a college degree or an
advanced degree is hard work. There
aren't many shortcuts in the process.
The Transact technology lets our
hard-working student users work
smart.
“We're leading our
market and pulling
ahead with our
innovations with
mobile. Everyone is
excited about what
we're doing now and
where we are
taking Transact,
and we have
the team to do it.”
Nancy Langer,
CEO
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 31
Everything we do is focused on
helping students work smarter. On
campus, Transact solutions simplify
administrative steps by streamlining
operations with campus IDs, campus
payments, and commerce. In short, it
gives our users smart tools that let
them save time and energy for what
they came to college to do — work
hard. With one connected campus
experience, Transact works smart to
deliver precious time for the hard
work of college success.
What are the factors that make
Transact a smart brand and why?
With our focus on mobile-first
technology, we are serving the current
as well as the next generation of
students. We are pleased and excited
to be able to say that we were the first
on campus with a mobile credential
fully integrated to the Apple Wallet
and Google Pay. We thought our
campus base, our students, would
love it – and they do – but they also
said, “It's about time!” It is this
dynamic with the students that keeps
us on our toes.
Our approach is very comprehensive.
We can serve multiple user segments
from the students to their parents and
grandparents. For the users of our
systems, we are a single-source
solution to meet multiple needs across
the entire campus experience.
We have great partnerships with
companies that today's Gen Z students
identify with, like Apple, Google,
Microsoft, and GrubHub. These key
partners resonate with students in our
customer base. But we are mindful of
all the demographics we serve. On the
payments side, tuition payment plans
are extremely important to parents
paying for their kids' college tuition,
have incorporated new initiatives on
the issues of DEI that we hope will
reverberate through the enterprise. We
have hired a leader of our DEI efforts,
Mechelle King, to help us create a
thoughtful, intentional culture of
diversity and inclusion; it's the right
thing to do and it invites our people to
bring their best selves to their work,
which ultimately makes us a better
company.
Where do you see the company a
few years from now?
It will be a much larger organization,
not only from the perspective of
organic growth but through
acquisitions. We'll be expanding what
we deliver in higher education to
other markets like K-12, international
locations, and corporate and medical
campuses in closed-loop city-style
environments. And, of course, there
will be opportunities that will come
with technologies and needs that
aren't even on the table yet. It's a
tremendously exciting position to be
in.
Knowing the CEO
Nancy Langer
As the CEO of Transact Campus, Inc.,
Nancy oversees the company's vast
ecosystem of payments, campus ID
solutions, and campus commerce
technology.
and the flexible plans allow us to
provide more payment options to
students and their families to match
their financial needs. The way we
partner with schools, and the
programs we can offer, gives
innovation a place to happen on
campus. And that is working
SMART.
What's your take on the
involvement of companies in
social welfare/CSR activities?
Does it make a positive
contribution to the business?
Absolutely. The social issues that
dominate the daily headlines are
top of mind and create sometimes
urgent needs for our college
audience. And internally, for our
team, we've seen that the diversity
we embrace in our Transact
workplace contributes a fresh way
of thinking about the design and
delivery of the products and
services that we offer to our users.
Inherent in our strategic approach
of listening carefully to users, is
the ability to spot opportunities to
customize our product offerings; to
be responsive to many different
needs, including social diversity
and equity. The complexity of
campus systems can be
bewildering for families who are
inexperienced with financial aid
and payments systems.
Streamlining the process makes
campus life more accessible for
new arrivals to the college
experience.
The best and the brightest want to
work in an environment that values
diversity and inclusion, but they
don't care much about the talk, they
want the company to act, and we
| MAY 2022
32
It Appears the Sky's The Limit for VidIt
Building A New Immersive World
Humankind is not new to the
transformational impacts of
technology. We are well aware of
how innovation in the technological space
is reshaping the world faster than ever
before. And there is enough anecdotal and
visual evidence to support the statement.
For instance, we can consider the proof in
our pockets; we have a small mobile
device capable of offering information
that's close to the entire sum of knowledge
humanity has gained so far.
Speaking of the technological wonders we
are surrounded with, what could be the
next big advancement? Well, we have
already experienced it through some apps
and filters. Yes, we are talking about
Augmented Reality. It has the potential of
bringing forward the possibilities that are
hard to achieve with the existing
technologies we have. AR will surely alter
the way individuals view the world and
begin a new chapter in human behavior.
As we speak of transformational
technology, there's one company that is
already on its way to tapping into the
enormous potential of AR and
democratizing it so that everyone on the
planet can become an evangelist of this
new behavior. Today we, at The Chief's
Digest, are thrilled to introduce to
VidIt
our readers.
In an exclusive interview with The
Chief's Digest, CEO Rene Rodriguez
shared valuable insights on how the
future will be with AR and his visions to
support the transformation. Below is an
edited excerpt.
And in the second phase, we will be
pushing hard on the ability to create
adoption for free users and our platform.
And once we get there for the users, we
will successfully create a full world of
augmented reality. So, it's kind of like the
metaverse but in augmented reality.
In this modern business world, what
exactly does a “Smart Company” mean
to you?
For me, a smart company would be one
that is street-savvy, one with common
sense. Today, technology is evolving so
rapidly that anyone who's not moving
ahead with the new technologies can
easily run out of business.
Let's consider the last fifty years for
example. We saw how the internet and
social media completely revolutionized
the way how people and companies do
business. It wasn't something that people
chose to accept or reject. Businesses that
didn't accept it or move towards it
literally died. Similarly, augmented
reality is going to be the next big thing.
So, you need to head in the direction
where new technologies are moving. And
in the next five to ten years, we believe
there won't be a company on the planet
that will be in a position to reject or not
use augmented reality. If they don't accept
augmented reality, they will be at
disadvantage and could potentially run
out of business. That's how simple it is.
So, a smart company is always willing to
adapt to new changes, is open to start
testing the waters, and always learning &
moving towards the new future.
Why was the company set up? What
inspired you to develop the idea or
concept of VidIt?
The answer to that question is simple.
I have been an entrepreneur all my life.
However, the idea behind VidIt didn't
conceptualize until 2007, when a friend
of mine introduced me to the movie,
“Back to the Future”. It was my favorite
movie back then. I saw the technology of
augmented reality for the first time, and I
could instantly find a connection with
the movie as well as the technology.
I could literally see a new world full of
interactive content. I still remember
when Michael J. Fox was standing in the
corner of the plaza, and suddenly, a big
hologram shark snaps at him. In my
head, I thought that was so incredibly
cool. I knew the technology was going to
get big in the future, and I thought I want
to be a part of this. I didn't know how
long it would take, but it inspired me to
envision that the whole world will
become an interactive world, and that's
when I started working on it.
So, I have been working on VidIt for the
past twelve years, and finally, we have a
platform that's ready to go.
When I saw the vision, and we put the
concept together, we realized that this
will have to be deployed in phases. So,
right now, we do have phase number one
in which we provide services where we
can monetize the platform to websites,
videos, NFTS, and other solutions.
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What challenges did you face in your
initial years? What was the number
one motivating factor that kept you
moving forward?
I would say Timing! Way too early in the
vision!!!! So convincing people of the
future was tough, especially investors in
which I am extremely grateful for them
of course, but it's been some tough early
years for sure, of not giving up on
something that we knew it was coming!
I can recall people telling me that my
idea was the stupidest of all they had
ever heard. They would tell who will be
looking for things through that phone or
looking for any of this stuff at all. But all
of that was just fascinating to me
because to understand the difference
between Pioneers and Settlers.
I took every challenge that came our
way sportively, be it raising money,
keeping things alive, or building the
team. I was ready to take a deep dive and
go into the trenches with the team. We
understood the deep roots of the problem
and then the process thoroughly.
Eventually, we built a team of warriors,
and that's how we knew we were making
progress. Of course, we didn't let go of
outside technologies to get us there.
Every time our vision advanced even a
little, our steps got more solid and we
got more motivated. Now, we are so
close to letting the world experience
something so incredible. We are excited
to be a part of the future.
How would you describe the work
culture within your organization? How
do you differentiate between smart
work and hard work?
I believe you need to do a bit of both hard
work and smart work combined.
However, there's one element that should
be added to the mix which is the attitude –
a relentless attitude towards finding a
solution, learning, and thinking out of the
box. And once you have people with the
right attitude, it's not hard to find people
who work hard. When you have
combined all the three, you can feed them
with the right vision, and then it's like a
rocket.
As a question on adaptability, how do
you stay relevant to the consumer
interests and needs in this highly
volatile market?
When you introduce a new technology,
people usually don't entirely understand
the capacity of the technology. Right now,
“People would like to
have the ability to
see their favorite
museums, places,
parks, or let's say,
the Eiffel Tower.
With VidIt's
augmented reality
technology, we want
to bring all that to
them.”
Rene Rodriguez,
Founder & CEO
THECHIEFSDIGEST | 35
augmented reality technology is being
introduced to the world as just simple
tools and filters, and people are yet to
fully comprehend how powerful
augmented reality could be.
Today, people are somewhat aware of
augmented reality through their
Snapchat & Instagram filters, and some
tools that you can see here and there
from apps like Nike. But in reality, this
is new behavior and everybody's
participation will contribute to evolving
this behavior. Over the next ten years,
this is going to be massive and will
change the way technology is used
forever. The contribution from multiple
companies and users will be crucial
because it's impossible for one entity to
change everything.
What are the factors that make your
brand one of the SMARTEST and
why?
Experience, expertise, and know-how
are definitely key elements that have
allowed us to understand the industry
very deeply, in addition to our model and
market approach. We think of VidIt as
YouTube, Tik Tok, or even Facebook -
we have created a platform in which
people have the freedom to create
augmented reality experiences and share
them across any social platform in the
world, be it Facebook, Instagram, or
Snapchat. We want to be the platform
that enables people to bring forward
their own content.
VidIt is like an ecosystem, where
individuals and organizations can bring
content, share content, or create content
for different purposes, say for education
or marketing. We want to allow people
to populate the world with AR
experiences across geographical or
product locations, websites, videos, etc.
As I had mentioned before, phase one
offers a solution for businesses that want
to have an interactive website with
augmented reality technology. And with
VidIt's augmented reality solution, I
think we have a smart play with this.
phone and eventually, a wearable device.
And it would change the way how
people look at the information. For
instance, we can grab pieces of art from
the most famous artists and we can bring
them to any country or location on earth,
and people can have a virtual tour. It
could be like a virtual museum where
people can learn about art from their
own location, and that won't cost
anything.
What have you enjoyed the most while
sailing through the ups and downs of
your business?
The journey has been the enjoyment the
whole time - the journey of building one
more company, the lessons I have
learned, the people I had the opportunity
to associate with, and enjoying every bit
of it thoroughly. The process of building
VidIt hasn't been easy at all, but it's been
very fulfilling because I can help so
many people which I already do actually.
Just the fact of being an asset to others
and not asking anything in return is
phenomenal.
Where do you see your company a few
years from now?
If all this starts lining up with what we
are doing, we will be a worldwide brand
that would entirely change the way
people obtain information. If you think
of it, imagine being in a park full of
dinosaurs sponsored by Nike for
example. Then there's another park on
the other side of the city that has all the
characters from Disney and Marvel. You
can interact with them, take pictures,
record videos, or do whatever you want.
How does your company contribute to
the competitive global platform at
large?
We are driving a free model right now.
We want to offer this tool to every
school, university, country, and every kid
on the planet. We want everyone to have
access to the tools to help them create
experiences in augmented reality and
then promote it through their talent. We
are sure that eventually, companies will
be seeing that and the need for that will
emerge.
It's going to be as big as the internet. If
we look at the early days of the internet,
everybody wanted a website, and there
was a need for people who can create
one. Similarly, when YouTube started,
the initial idea was to allow common
people to enjoy sharing their home
videos, but later it grew into a huge
video platform where both individuals
and organizations wanted to post and
manage their videos.
Going forward, there will be a demand
for the services for augmented reality in
the same way how the creation of
websites, videos, or designs has grown
in demand today. And we on the
platform will allow the whole world to
interact in a free model with all the tools
and services.
What's your take on the involvement
of companies in social welfare/ CSR
activities? Does it make a positive
contribution to the business?
Absolutely. We have developed our
platform to give the power and ability to
people to use it in a way that benefits
them. For example, our platform can be
used to take education to a whole
different level. We can make high-
quality education accessible to people
from different countries, places, or
organizations so that they can learn in
ways they have never done before.
With VidIt, you wouldn't need any
special software, elements, or
equipment. You can start with just your
| MAY 2022
36
TO
SUBSCRIBE
WITH
THE CHIEF'S DIGEST
VISIT
www.thechiefsdigest.com
OR EMAIL US
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10 Smartest Companies To Watch 2022 - The Chief Digest

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10 Smartest Companies To Watch 2022 - The Chief Digest

  • 1. 10 SMARTEST COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022 www.thechiefsdigest.com MAY 2022 The Man Behind Limitless New AI Technology Dr. Andy Khawaja Dr. Andy Khawaja, CEO
  • 2.
  • 3.
  • 4. EDITOR’S DESK In the modern-day business world driven by technology, probably we all are busy envisioning a better tomorrow and future. Companies today are focused on embracing emerging technology and keeping up with the trends to stay ahead of the curve. Besides, with globalization contributing to bigger and more powerful competitors, the business environment has turned more brutal and uncompromising than ever. In this climate, only companies who have learned to work “smart” are going to competitive advantage. Instead of reacting to crises when they occur, smart organizations are ones that can anticipate them and plan way ahead of time. For this issue, we engaged with some of the smart companies out there and managed to get a ringside view into their work culture, management styles, and the role of their key executives in leading the way to growth. We had a great deal of fun putting together a handpicked collection of anecdotes and experiences for the benefit of our readers and entrepreneurs looking to build a smart brand out of their business. And we hope others too have the same fun reading their interviews and stories as a part of our “10 Smartest Companies to Watch” special edition. Best, Daniel Shelby Managing Editor The Chief's Digest editor@thechiefsdigest.com
  • 5. QUERIES contact@thechiefsdigest.com EDITORIAL editor@thechiefsdigest.com Editor-in-Chief : Christina Todd Managing Editor : Daniel Shelby Art Director-visualizers Charles Richard Sales & Marketing Jonathan Henry Business Development Executives Racheal Williams Jennifer Morris Roman Parker Relationship Manager Joseph Edward Advertising Business Head George Hagen Publisher Calvin Lloyd GET IN TOUCH Corporate Office: The Chief's Digest 2234 North Federal Hwy PMB 3051 Boca Raton, FL 33431 USA P: (+1) 561 453-0532 EDITORIAL TEAM
  • 7. CONTENTS 16. Altium 20. CIMtech Mfg. Inc. 24. Numedico Technologies 28. Salt Creek Partners, LLC 30. Transact Campus, Inc. 34. VidIt
  • 8.
  • 9. Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform is building the AI processing mind of the future – ISABELLA, a program that will perform labor and even offer military functionality. Altium Altium is a global software company which is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products. CIMtech Mfg. Inc. CIMtech's full turnkey solutions are paving the way for the development and manufacturing of fuel cell and electric vehicle components and assemblies, which are utilized by global players for their hydrogen-powered forklift equipment & hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric vehicles. European Day Spa of Fredericksburg Carissa Ballard Owner European Day Spa of Fredericksburg uses holistic therapies and treatments to provide a divine experience to individuals that transforms their body, mind, and spirit. MANAGEMENT COMPANY IN BRIEF COMPANY NAME VidIt Vidit is working towards leveraging the enormous potential of AR and democratize it so that more and more AR experiences can be created for all digital landscapes. Millenium Enterprise Corporation Minh Nguyen CEO Millennium Enterprise offers technical infrastructure support at the enterprise level to the government and the academic sectors – server virtualization, platform as a service, networks, etc. Unest Ksenia Yudina CEO UNest offers iOS and Android apps and Investment Account for kids that helps parents give their children a financial head start. 10 Smartest Companies to Watch 2022 Numedico Technologies Established in 2016, Numedico is a globally focused safety medical devices manufacturer and distributor based in Australia that provides high quality medical supplies to hospitals, healthcare services, veterinarians, cosmetic organizations, and consumers at home health care. Salt Creek Partners Salt Creek Partners is a boutique M&A advisory firm that specifically focuses on clients looking to be acquired and companies wanting to make an acquisition. Transact Campus Transact Campus offers personalized solutions that simplifies and streamlines campus technology to enhance the college experience on- & off-campus. Dr. Andy Khawaja CEO Aram Mirkazemi Chief Executive Officer Paul Ghotra Founder & CEO Neville Calvert Founder & CEO Naoto Hall Managing Director & Head of Investment Banking Division Nancy Langer CEO Rene Rodriguez Founder & CEO
  • 10. Dr. Andy Khawaja, CEO C O V E R S T O R Y | MAY 2022 10
  • 11. The Man Behind Limitless New AI Technology Dr. Andy Khawaja THECHIEFSDIGEST | 11
  • 12. Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform (AIDP) was an idea that was forming for many years, and it was officially realized in 2020. Spearheaded by Dr. Andy Khawaja, AIDP is building a new future and changing the way tasks will be performed. After stepping away from the payment services industry after over a decade of success and hundreds of awards, Andy is now focused on leveraging new technology that will transform the world. He is working with his AIDP team to create its pioneer program using artificial intelligence technology - “ISABELLA.” ISABELLA: A Limitless Idea AIDP's pioneer program is ISABELLA, which is based on artificial intelligence technology. The open-source & Wi-Fi technology within ISABELLA will connect it to the internet and allow it to observe, learn, and act. The human mind can only process so much. We can only endure a certain amount of pressure and perform a finite amount of labor before we must rest. However, that's not the case with ISABELLA. Its artificial intelligence technology will have access to unlimited information with the ability to learn and process multi-lingual data from the internet, encyclopedias, and even intelligence resources. “We're creating new technology and machines that will use ISABELLA's processing mind to perform labor and even offer military functionality,” says Andy. Innovation at AIDP AIDP is working in an industry where reaching goals translates into saving lives. Hence, Andy is always encouraging his team to think outside Ever since AIDP was established, innovation has never stopped. That's how AIDP is staying ahead of the curve. The firm is continually creating new departments to innovate different aspects of life and society, integrating new technological advancements into every industry. AIDP will continue to expand and grow as an organization for the sake of finding new ways to improve living conditions for mankind. AIDP is a Modern Smart Brand AIDP is being recognized globally because the product operates and thinks 1000 times faster than a human being could. It doesn't make mistakes. Smart the box to accomplish their common goals. He is a strong believer in innovation and feels that innovation cannot proceed without creativity. Creativity is celebrated and rewarded at AIDP. The team strives to inspire and be inspired. Andy says, “I believe that great ideas can come from anywhere, not just from me but from anyone from the team. Hence, we brainstorm and work together.” At AIDP, everyone has a crucial role to play, and everyone contributes to the larger common goal of the organization. “This is essential to our culture”, adds Andy. C O V E R S T O R Y | MAY 2022 12
  • 13. products and smart companies improve the quality of life and remove the hassle and error within the functionality. AIDP revolves around AI technology that will do this and change the world. As a smart and innovative brand, AIDP is contributing to the global platform by changing the world. Creating a better future is the number one priority for AIDP, and hence, they are pushing for technological and societal advancement at the global level. Andy comments, “We're not only bringing new ideas and products to the world, but we are also heavily influencing change and innovation. The world will be a different place, a better place because of AIDP.” Foraying Into the Defense Space Speaking of changing the world and making it a better place, AIDP is trying to achieve that by implementing technology that will really make a substantial difference. The firm aims at creating a better quality of life for future generations and maintaining peace & order all over the world. Therefore, AIDP's efforts are being directed towards innovating for defense – not to take lives but to save them. Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform is working to use AI to protect the innocent, and it is innovating to protect communities globally. “In my past, I've witnessed war and violence, and I've seen innocent casualties first-hand. It's something that is hard to witness and even harder to unsee. The world may unfortunately always know war in some capacity, and we will always have to innovate for defense, but I want to create AI technology for the defense that will protect people and save the innocent,” Andy said. He continues to be a major contributor to charitable organizations including UNICEF, Wounded Warrior Project, Eagle and Badge Foundation, After- School All-Stars, Star Team for the Children, Brent Shapiro Foundation, ASACP, Action Innocence, From the Heart Productions, LAPCA, United Service Organizations, Hope for Change International, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and more. Andy Khawaja is not only a successful leader but a large contributor to global societies. He's not only an innovator of technology but a contributor to a better environment for future generations. Andy's Thoughts on The Future “We have seen quite interesting times. The Coronavirus Pandemic, or COVID-19, has devastated global economies and left global populations to endure life without resources or basic needs. Imagine if you had a person or machine that knew everything, never slept, never needed to eat, and never got sick… imagine what it could accomplish? The Coronavirus Pandemic will not be our last global crisis. What if we were faced with a virus ten times as powerful in the future? The Coronavirus has already put a halt on economies and mankind – what would we do if we will be forced to endure a deadlier or longer-lasting pandemic? This recent COVID-19 situation has only reinforced what I sought to build years ago. A year ago, I left the payment services business and e- commerce to focus my attention on the Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform. ISABELLA will be the AI technology driving the future. Artificial Intelligence personnel will be able to drive, pick up waste, deliver necessities, and do the work that humans cannot.” Knowing Dr. Andy Khawaja, A Born Leader & Entrepreneur Dr. Khawaja is a highly publicized philanthropist and world-renowned entrepreneur who has been featured in over 100 publications for his contributions to technology, society, and economic growth. He's participated in dozens of live interviews with thought leaders such as Larry King and received accolades for his achievements from leaders, politicians, and public figures globally. “I firmly believe that the difference we can make on this earth while we are here is all we can leave behind – the products, solutions, and innovations we gift generations with so that they may live better lives.” 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST THECHIEFSDIGEST | 13
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  • 16. Helping Design Premium PCB's since 1985 Altium Printed circuits have been around since the 1950's. Transcending time, Printed Circuit Boards (PCB's) have become the most important component of electronics. The immense integration of electronics due to the IoT push will keep ushering the PCB industry to further prosperity. To fulfill the growing requirements though, the industry will require PCB design engineers and the PCB engineers will need design software that will help them create printed circuit boards that are optimal in design. Altium has been developing softwares to help design high-quality PCB's for more than thirty years now. Founded in 1985 by Nick Martin, Altium is an American, Australian- domiciled public software company that provides tools for electronics design for the engineers. Altium was founded in Hobart, Australia under the name Protel. Altium was one of the first companies that provided PCB design tools by implementing the modern technologies. With their annual sales being $100.4 million and $93.6 million in generated revenues last year, they have eventually become the market leaders in this space. Premium Products Altium Designer Altium's flagship product Altium Designer is the industry's leading design software used to design PCB's all over provides secure storage for data generated from board design and helps manage all other sets of data obtained from the Design Area by running specific release processes. The work environments of the designers working on a particular design can be controlled via the Altium Vault. TASKING Altium's TASKING is a compiler technology that is used all over the world by leading organization 's to meet the high demands of specialized embedded software development. TASKING tools have been deployed for over 25 years now which is a testament to its reliability and effectiveness. TASKING tools can be used for microprocessors like ARM, Power Architecture, 68K, 8051, Aurix/Tricore and many more. TASKING tools give engineers the capability to develop reliable, safe and efficient embedded software. Cross-Industrial Partnerships Altium has forged great partnerships over the years delivering its expertise to a variety of industry leaders. The company with its deep knowledge in the Electronic Automation Industry has partnered with the likes of BMW, Boeing, Philips, Lenovo, HP, and Siemens among so many other enviable names. Its portfolio of partnerships keeps growing each the world by engineers. Altium Designer is known for its excellent native 3D Printed Circuit Board CAD. The product consolidates all the tools that are required by the engineers into a single unit that has a stress-free user interface. This rapidly increases the rate of the design success and reduces the overall design time. Over the last thirty years, Altium designer has grown from being used at the grassroots, to now the most widely used PCB design tool in the market. It provides a Truly Unified Design that links all the features of the PCB design process. Altium Designer helps to migrate from competitors' toolchains with the most potent translation tools in the industry. Altium Vault Designing electronics is a long and complex process that involves many people and each of them needs access to the design data all through the development of the design. Altium Vault is the automated solution for managing the design and component data during the process of the design. It is capable of managing design data directly from inside the design environment and is built for the electronics industry. Altium Vault works in tandem with the Altium Designer to manage design data with great integrity. Altium Vault 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST | MAY 2022 16
  • 17. passing year as it maintains its status- quo as the leader in the industry for designing PCB's. Well positioned for future growth With over 30 years of experience in continuous Research & Development in PCB design, Altium is positioned very well for growth. Altium has 31,000 subscribers globally and its flagship product Altium Designer adds roughly 6,000 new users every year to its count. Looking ahead, the software provider wants to expand into systems design after achieving its goal of attaining market leadership in PCB design by 2020. Considering at the heart of all the intelligent systems are electronics and PCB's, Altium is bound to keep its growth margin of 30% which it touches every single year. ALTIUM's Chief! Aram Mirkazemi, Chief Executive Officer Mr.Aram Mikazemi is a huge presence at Altium. He was the Director of Research and Development from 1992-1999. He was the member of the Altium Board from 1992-2000. After a successful IPO in 1999, Mr. Aram left the company to pursue his interest in web- based software systems. He founded Morfik Technology in this pursuit. Later, he returned to Altium as part of Morfik Technology acquisition. He was appointed the Head of Engineering and then served Altium as the Chief Technology Officer before starting his tenure as the CEO of the company. Mr.Aram Mirkazemi has a Bachelor's of Engineering from the University of Tasmania. “Altium is led by a passionate, highly experienced team with deep knowledge and expertise within the Electronic Design Automation industry.” Aram Mirkazemi, Chief Executive Officer THECHIEFSDIGEST | 17
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  • 20. Powering A Greener Future with Innovation, Manufacturing & Engineering Expertise CIMtech Mfg. Inc. In this modern era of accelerating change, growing energy demands from the rising world population, and the climate change arising out of it, bringing a sustainable energy future within reach is crucial. One of the steps that could be taken to contribute toward an environmentally beneficial energy transformation is the use of fuel cells. And the work that CIMtech Mfg. is doing could be a vital piece of the transformation efforts. “Countries around the world are setting net-zero targets and accelerating the move towards clean energy alternatives in vehicles and equipment. We are proud to be supporting these targets and this expansion and investment in new, advanced equipment will allow us to continue being a key global supply chain player in this space,” says Paul Ghotra, CEO of CIMtech. CIMtech Green Advanced Manufacturing Facility Based on Digital Manufacturing (Industry 4.0) CIMtech has been nominated as the top 10 manufacturing company in Canada. The services it offers range from proof- of-concept prototypes to large-scale manufacturing for the fuel cell industry. With its engineering expertise, CIMtech has shortened new How would you define a “Smart Company” in this modern business world? And how do you incorporate that within CIMtech? CIMtech processes are managed by our digital manufacturing technologies, embracing INDUSTRY 4.0 smart manufacturing initiatives. With many years of expertise in fuel cell-related parts & assemblies, we have an edge over our competitors to provide full TURN KEY SOLUTIONS from proof of concept to large-scale manufacturing under one roof. Continuously upgrading our manufacturing services with technology, ongoing employee training and a focus on providing an exceptional client experience are all examples of innovation that we direct our attention to at CIMtech. The following are the services that CIMtech is focusing on for an exceptional client experience: • DFM (Design for Manufacturing): DFM has saved our customers millions of dollars to lower the cost of manufacturing • Zero Inventory Program: This ensures that our customers never run out of parts and always have a 100% delivery on time. product introductions and saved millions of dollars in manufacturing costs. CIMtech's full turnkey solutions are paving the way for the development and manufacturing of fuel cell and electric vehicle components and assemblies, which are utilized by global players such as Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot for their hydrogen-powered forklift equipment & hydrogen fuel-cell- powered electric vehicles such as HYVIA delivery vans in Europe (Renault Group), FedEx airport tuggers at Albany International Airport in New York, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. In conversation with Paul Ghotra, Founder and CEO of CIMtech Mfg. What is the secret recipe for CIMtech growth? Green Energy Company (CIMtech) is a Canada-based Hydrogen fuel cell components & assemblies manufacturer. We have recently doubled our footprint in Vancouver, Canada through an acquisition of a 10,000 sq. ft advanced manufacturing facility. This expansion will increase CIMtech Green Energy, operational capabilities by 200% to allow for increased service levels to our global customers. 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST | MAY 2022 20
  • 21. • Zero-Carbon Initiatives: We aim at developing products with respect for the planet. How successful was your first project? How have your priorities been since then? Our first fuel cell project was developing a unit from conceptual engineering design to a complete working product for a large Fuel Cell customer in the US. With CIMtech's expertise in Manufacturing Engineering & DFM program, we were able to lower the cost of the product by 30%. CIMtech Mfg. is committed to meeting or exceeding customers' requirements with a focus on customer satisfaction through continual improvement of processes. We use professionally calibrated manufacturing equipment with industry certifications to become a value-added supplier. What challenges did you face in your initial years? What was the number one motivating factor that kept you moving forward? One of the major obstacles in the way of creating a breakthrough in fuel cell technology was its relatively high costs compared to well-established fossil-based technologies. The reasons for these high costs predominantly lie in the use of non-standardized components, complex systems, and non- automated production of fuel cells. To become one of North America's top Green Energy suppliers of Hydrogen fuel cell assemblies and parts, CIMtech has invested heavily in new equipment and processes to manufacture fuel cell parts cost-effectively. What motivates us to keep going is the transformation that fuel cell technology can promise in the quality of life on a global scale. It has the potential to empower individuals with the ability to generate clean electricity at home instead of buying it from commercial power plants. “Whether you are an entrepreneur with a revolutionary concept or a company managing a team of 50 engineers, CIMtech Mfg. Inc's innovation can make your product a success.” Paul Ghotra, Founder & CEO THECHIEFSDIGEST | 21
  • 22. How have you established a smart work culture within your organization? Our work culture at CIMtech Mfg. is based on the following principles. Economic Thinking: Making decisions based on economic thinking helps us to collaborate from a shared objective viewpoint and compare alternatives in terms of their costs and benefits instead of using opinion and authority. Distributed Decision-Making: It is the opposite of hierarchical decision- making. Distributed Decision Making requires three elements: • Smart and confident employees who can learn the principles and apply them • A shared understanding of direct, indirect, and opportunity costs • Sharing information about current company revenue and expenditures to make contextually good decisions Act Like You Own the Company: All decisions must be rational and should be based on the best information available. How does your company contribute to the competitive global platform at large? Working with the world's largest global players in the Hydrogen fuel cell sector, a trillion-dollar industry, CIMtech is paving the way to serve customers to become a vital player in the hydrogen fuel cell sector. Where do you see your company a few years from now? CIMtech is going through exponential business growth. Our company's revenue grew 50% year over year for last few years. We are anticipating that this growth will continue as our major customers are growing rapidly in the green energy sector. Knowing The Man Behind Cimtech Mfg. Paul Ghotra, Founder & CEO Paul moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1988 and started his manufacturing engineering career in one of the leading hi-technology companies in British Columbia, Canada. His work experience in a company that had witnessed a colossal growth from a 10- employee start-up to a 5000-employee firm in fifteen years greatly influenced his passion to grow and push through the obstacles in his business. It's been two decades of starting CIMtech Mfg. and since then, Paul has been guiding engineers in high- technology companies on DFM processes and optimizing part designs for manufacturing. Right from proof of concept to scaled production, Paul has a rich understanding of optimizing cost reduction in manufacturing during the initial stages of the design phase. Leadership Without Management: CIMtech avoids hiring managers. We prefer leaders who share information and are rewarded by their team for being autonomous. In CIMtech, everyone learns from their shared mistakes and grows in scope and expertise. Commitment: Committing is not about trust. It is a promise of delivery. We trust each other to be honest and to do the best of our ability within the time and resources. How do you stay relevant to the consumer interests and needs in this highly volatile market? Developing new technologies to reduce carbon footprint is vital for the planet and the survival of the human race in the long run. CIMtech is playing a key role in the development of green energy technologies to make planet earth a safer place to live. As consumers become more aware of the effects of global warming by fossil fuels, green energy products will be in high demand. | MAY 2022 22
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  • 24. Integrating Patient Safety & Core Healthcare Responsibility with Innovative Medical Device Solutions Numedico Technologies Needlestick incidents can have far-reaching and unpleasant consequences for both patients and workers in the hospital environment. About six people suffer a needlestick injury somewhere in the world every hour of every day, and three people die because of those injuries. This doesn't need to happen. Needlestick injuries can be reduced by using ClickZip™ Needle Retractable Safety Syringe. South Australia- headquartered Numedico is the proprietor, manufacturer, and wholesaler of the Swiss-designed ClickZip™ technology, a high-quality manual retractable needle injectable delivery system offering ultra-low dead space. ClickZip™ is designed for reuse prevention (RUP). The Chief's Digest had the opportunity to interact with Neville Calvert, the Founder & CEO of Numedico Technologies. Here's an excerpt from the interview. In conversation with Neville Calvert Tell us about Numedico and the idea behind it. Established in 2016, the company behind ClickZip™ is Numedico Technologies, a globally focused safety medical devices manufacturer and distributor. Every day, Numedico strives to challenge the status quo. How successful was your first project? Do you think there has been a change in your priorities since then? Numedico has historically focused on the ClickZip retractable safety syringe. This product aligns perfectly with our strategic priorities of safety and has afforded many opportunities during COVID. Although COVID has been a major distraction to the company, we have seen a silver lining with our resources refocused on broadening our sales channels, enabling more control throughout the supply chain, and diversifying and growing our customer base. This exercise has been invigorating. How would you describe the work culture within your organization? How do you differentiate between smart work and hard work? At Numedico, we pride ourselves on the 5 C's. • Common sense – How we collaborate – firmly rooted in reality and able to simplify complex ideas • Character – Who we are – strong sense of integrity, ethics and honesty • Curiosity – How we behave – always ask questions to build knowledge Numedico Technologies meets this mission and purpose through an ecosystem that enables the design and procurement of utilitarian medical products, functional, user-friendly, safe, and affordable medical products, and home healthcare solutions. With a growing portfolio of innovative medical devices and customer solutions, Numedico is supplying to major hospitals, health services, government departments, distributors and suppliers, health practices, veterinary practices, and consumers needing home healthcare solutions. In this modern business world, what exactly does a “Smart Company” mean to you? A smart company is ultimately about Innovation and collaboration. This is something that perhaps every business has had to turn to since the onset of the pandemic. it has been a necessity for success in every industry. At Numedico Technologies, innovation is part of the Company's DNA. Innovation is the key within our company as well as our foundation. We constantly innovate to meet the needs of our communities. The team within our Innovation division handles all aspects from product design, engineering, IP acquisition & management – right through to commercialization. 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST | MAY 2022 24
  • 25. • Creativity – How we deliver our products – think outside the box and stay open-minded • Consideration – How we service our customers – respectful, solution focused and fast These values attract loyal staff who are truly motivated with our mission. What are the factors that make your brand one of the SMARTEST and why? We work on solving the problem before we create a new product. This is critical to ensuring customers and stakeholders actually want our products. An example of this is the global problem we're solving relating to residual wasted medication leftover in syringes and needles. Our team has been working with a global organization to solve this problem. Our invention expels nearly 100% of all medication in a syringe and needle which would save the patient tens of billions of dollars annually. Numedico's Innovation division is working on projects that solve real world problems for pharmaceutical companies and healthcare services. The projects have applications in the areas of connectivity and bio-tech. The company is currently in the final stages of designing and prototyping a new and superior version of ClickZipTM. While the elements that have been redesigned may go unnoticed, the device's efficiency will vastly exceed the functionality of the current version. How does your company contribute to the competitive global platform at large? Numedico does much more than innovate, manufacture, and supply trusted medical products. The company provides services to pharmaceutical companies and stakeholders in the medical industry. One of our service offerings is its access to life-science research in space. Numedico has partnered with SpaceTech start-up ResearchSat to provide life-science research services to pharmaceutical, vitamin, and food science companies. The SpaceTech market is a multi- billion-dollar industry that provides a “A key priority for Numedico is safety and sustainability. We push ourselves to be better today than we were yesterday, building business through best practices and collaborative partnerships.” Neville Calvert, Founder & CEO THECHIEFSDIGEST | 25
  • 26. unique environment with extreme environmental variables enabling the acceleration of life-science research. What's your take on the involvement of companies in social welfare/ CSR activities? Does it make a positive contribution to the business? A key priority for Numedico is safety and sustainability. Numedico works with our manufacturers to ensure sustainable raw materials are used at all times during the production process. Our logistics team finds innovative ways to offset our carbon footprint. The team manages carbon abatement initiatives that render our supply chain a sustainable operation. Additionally, we are working to build manufacturing facilities in regional locations around the world to avoid carbon-heavy freight from Asia. We expect to save hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2 with this initiative. The Leadership Team Neville Calvert, Founder & CEO Neville is a lifelong entrepreneur with extensive strategic experience. For more than 30 years, Neville has worked in a diverse range of roles, including Company Chairman, Partner of Big Four business advisory firm KPMG, Public Company Director and CEO, and Private Company Director. As Founder & CEO, Neville is responsible for Numedico's direction, vision, and steering the company towards success. He is an exceptional leader and professional coach, and he has built an outstanding team around him to support the business. Max Toovey, Executive Director Max Toovey is an active venture capital investor with international investments in MedTech and other industries. Max has built an extensive career identifying and partnering with best-in-class founders to create value within their business. Max's experience spans private equity where he previously managed $1 billion in funds under management and led the successful execution of fundraising, asset sourcing, due diligence, acquisitions, and exits (IPO and Trade Sales). He has international transactional experience and served on boards of operating companies in Australia, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Where do you see your company a few years from now? Numedico recently launched a subsidiary company in the US, Numedico Tech Inc. This strategic expansion will enhance Numedico's presence in the USA to allow its products to be offered to the consumers in the country. Our future focus is driven by a desire to improve healthcare and to find the best and safest solutions to suit our customer's needs today and tomorrow. We are always exploring what's possible, continuously innovating, and seeking new solutions to suit evolving industry and consumer needs. In a few years, we will have commercialized multiple novel drug delivery devices that will solve fundamental problems for the healthcare industry. Our business will continue to innovate and solve real problems for society. | MAY 2022 26
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  • 28. Guiding Business Leaders with Mergers & Acquisitions In The Emerging Growth And Middle Markets Salt Creek Partners, LLC S CP was established to fill a void for business leaders in the emerging growth and middle markets. From a firsthand experience, the firm realized that companies are underserved when it comes to a full- service Investment Banking provider. Now, Salt Creek Partners is committed to changing that reality. SCP's advisory capabilities are designed to teach clients how to build, grow, and improve their companies and enterprise value to achieve varying exits and other strategic goals. The Chief's Digest had the pleasure of interacting with Naoto Hall, the Managing Director of Salt Creek Partners. Below is an edited excerpt. In this modern business world, what exactly does a “Smart Company” mean to you? Smart companies know that earning and keeping your clients' trust is required at every stage of a partnership, and there is no better way to do that than demonstrating it through the quality of your service. The business environment is constantly changing and the best way to serve the interests of your clients is to be willing to challenge the status quo, reject complacency, and learn from a diverse range of individuals and experiences. Consistently challenging the team to bring creativity and innovation in approaching client solutions while refining processes and workflows results in better outcomes. the current climate and workflows of private equity and corporate buyers. Our success can be attributed to executing a custom M&A process tailored to each client in which each engagement is an intellectual exercise requiring creativity and innovation. The traditional view focuses solely on transaction certainty resulting in a lower overall outcome for our clients, but we focus on competitive tension through a market-driven process. An effective deal process also involves enhanced preparation while retaining the flexibility to streamline the intensive marketing and due diligence phases without compromising quality. This allows our firm to meet the exact needs of each of our clients and deliver a better outcome of events. As a question on adaptability, how do you stay relevant to the consumer interests and needs in this highly volatile market? SCP maintains long-standing relationships and partners with many CXOs/Owners across Forbes 100 Fastest Growing Companies, Top 40 Private Equity Groups, and Fortune 1000 Industry Leaders, whom we speak with on a weekly or monthly basis. Our team is also a mix of generalists and specialists that works across a diverse range of sectors with proven track records managing complex financial transactions, providing investment banking services, performing market research and analysis, guiding companies from concept through hyper-growth, and How successful was your first project roll? Do you think there has been a change in your priorities since then? Our first project was successfully executed and served as the foundation for the company's future. It was a fairly bootstrapped engagement, but we could get the desired outcome by leaning on our previous experience and putting forth the work ethic required. The project gave us the validation and credentials to know we could successfully serve our clients' mandates while helping us identify where we need to invest internally to increase desirable outcomes. Our priorities then are the same as now – we believe in the alignment of finances, values, and objectives, and we are committed to being the premium quality investment bank for the emerging and middle markets. How would you describe the work culture within your organization? How do you differentiate between smart work and hard work? Our culture starts with our team – the employees we hire come from a mix of conventional and non-conventional backgrounds such as private equity, buy- side investment banking, and management consulting, which naturally builds a pool of creative and diverse perspectives. As leaders, we emphasize a highly collaborative process both internally in servicing our clients and externally in collaborating with our clients. Unlike traditional investment banks, we have innovated our processes to adapt to 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST | MAY 2022 28
  • 29. building companies towards varying exits. How does your company contribute to the competitive global platform at large? SCP is on its way to becoming the first emerging and middle-market full-service investment bank. Our increasing capabilities and reputation have expanded our reach. We started with sell- side advisory and have since expanded into buy-side advisory, strategy consulting, valuation, and other services. Our first clients originated out of the Southeast U.S., but as we've grown and expanded our services, so has our geographic footprint. We now service clients across North America and have expanded into Asia as well. What have you enjoyed the most while sailing through the ups and downs of your business? It's been an exceptional experience watching the company grow. The two most enjoyable parts are around our clients and our employees. Helping an owner find the right long-term partner to continue their company's legacy, knowing that the owner can achieve a desirable outcome and peace of mind, brings satisfaction day in and day out. On a personal note, mentoring our employees as they grow into their roles has been highly rewarding. Where do you see your company a few years from now? We're continuing to grow and competing against the top banks in the industry. In the next few years, Salt Creek Partners will be known as the premium service provider and the go-to partner in the emerging and middle markets. The Thought Leadership Naoto Hall, Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking Division Naoto has led over 70 transactions and acquisitions and has significant experience with market research, deal sourcing, financial valuations, and modeling, the due diligence process, negotiation of terms, and post-closing integration. “In addition to the strength and diversity of our team, the innovation and creativity of our processes, and our industry-leading insights, SCP aligns our economic interests with our clients. We believe in the alignment of finances, values, and objectives with our clients and share the risks as necessary.” “We have seen firsthand that the growing and middle market companies are underserved and we are committed to changing that reality.” Naoto Hall, Managing Director & Head of Investment Banking Division THECHIEFSDIGEST | 29
  • 30. Led by CEO Nancy Langer, Transact Campus Paves the Way for Simplifying Campus Operations and the Student Experience Making An Impact in the FinTech Space “It was important to bring an extensive network to the enterprise. Transact was not well known, and the product wasn't well understood. It was important to change that quickly. I needed to get out there and let people know who we are.” - Nancy Langer, CEO of Transact Campus, Inc. Being a smart company means staying ahead of the curve by keeping an eye on client needs and consumer trends and responding quickly to changes in the market. “We stay in the lead by partnering with our clients to create solutions that get them to where they need to go right now,” says Langer. “The Transact team embraces change. They thrive in this environment that capitalizes on their nimble, client-focused work approach.” “Transact Campus is a mobile-centric campus technology that integrates institutional payments, campus ID, and campus commerce. With its user- focused solutions, our technology can streamline campus life to enhance the college experience for students and their families, and for the colleges, Just as important is the team here at Transact. This team is passionate about the business and that mindset creates an exciting environment that fuels creative thinking. To answer your question, it was a combination of coming to a space where there is a lot of innovation and disruption and being able to be central to that transformation. To be a part of a business with untapped potential for growth and part of a team that brings energy and commitment to the business? That is an obvious choice to make. What was your priority at Transact initially, and do you think there has been a change in your priorities since then? I brought an extensive network to the enterprise. Transact was not well known and the product wasn't well understood. It was important to change that perception quickly. I needed to get out there and let people know who we are. I talked to investors, colleagues, and peers, and asked them what they think we do and why they think what we provide is important. I was able to connect with and engage some key influencers and that fosters student retention and post- graduate connections and loyalty.” In our interview with Nancy Langer, she shared her enthusiasm about the progress she's made at Transact Campus and the plans she has for scaling the business to new heights. Here's an edited excerpt from the interview. What was your inspiration behind joining Transact? There were a couple of things. For one, Transact has huge potential and tremendous opportunities for growth. And the market we serve is smart, fast-moving, and future-oriented. Look at where we sit. Transact helps college students navigate through their on-campus experience. Our technology and innovations make an important difference in how universities serve and interact with students who are much more digitally connected and mobile-centric than ever before. Students are always looking for the next big thing. It's incredibly energizing to be in the middle of this. 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST | MAY 2022 30
  • 31. educate them about the power of the Transact technology. By leveraging my network and considering their input, we gained some important insight to apply to defining a strategy for growth that everyone could support and align with. Then we were able to create the tactics needed to execute against that strategy. Of course, it's also essential to have strong teams in place. One of the crucial early steps was to match existing talent to the key roles and give them the ownership and authority they need to execute their own success. We have a very capable workforce and when we reorganized to position them in the right roles, we realized we only had to hire for a few new positions. With the team and the strategic direction in place we were ready to grow, to quickly respond to user needs and be prepared to move the needle on opportunities when they appear. That's our priority now. For example, there are straightforward payment services that we can provide, and they're important for our users, but we can't be satisfied with the low- hanging fruit of basic product features. We need to be nimble, and now it's a part of the culture to prioritize growth and put our focus on the areas where we know we can make an impact. The strength of the Transact products is really a collective success story. How would you describe the work culture within your organization? How do you differentiate between smart work and hard work? We have a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer focus. Transact is a great example of where hard work and smart work intersect. Earning a college degree or an advanced degree is hard work. There aren't many shortcuts in the process. The Transact technology lets our hard-working student users work smart. “We're leading our market and pulling ahead with our innovations with mobile. Everyone is excited about what we're doing now and where we are taking Transact, and we have the team to do it.” Nancy Langer, CEO THECHIEFSDIGEST | 31
  • 32. Everything we do is focused on helping students work smarter. On campus, Transact solutions simplify administrative steps by streamlining operations with campus IDs, campus payments, and commerce. In short, it gives our users smart tools that let them save time and energy for what they came to college to do — work hard. With one connected campus experience, Transact works smart to deliver precious time for the hard work of college success. What are the factors that make Transact a smart brand and why? With our focus on mobile-first technology, we are serving the current as well as the next generation of students. We are pleased and excited to be able to say that we were the first on campus with a mobile credential fully integrated to the Apple Wallet and Google Pay. We thought our campus base, our students, would love it – and they do – but they also said, “It's about time!” It is this dynamic with the students that keeps us on our toes. Our approach is very comprehensive. We can serve multiple user segments from the students to their parents and grandparents. For the users of our systems, we are a single-source solution to meet multiple needs across the entire campus experience. We have great partnerships with companies that today's Gen Z students identify with, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and GrubHub. These key partners resonate with students in our customer base. But we are mindful of all the demographics we serve. On the payments side, tuition payment plans are extremely important to parents paying for their kids' college tuition, have incorporated new initiatives on the issues of DEI that we hope will reverberate through the enterprise. We have hired a leader of our DEI efforts, Mechelle King, to help us create a thoughtful, intentional culture of diversity and inclusion; it's the right thing to do and it invites our people to bring their best selves to their work, which ultimately makes us a better company. Where do you see the company a few years from now? It will be a much larger organization, not only from the perspective of organic growth but through acquisitions. We'll be expanding what we deliver in higher education to other markets like K-12, international locations, and corporate and medical campuses in closed-loop city-style environments. And, of course, there will be opportunities that will come with technologies and needs that aren't even on the table yet. It's a tremendously exciting position to be in. Knowing the CEO Nancy Langer As the CEO of Transact Campus, Inc., Nancy oversees the company's vast ecosystem of payments, campus ID solutions, and campus commerce technology. and the flexible plans allow us to provide more payment options to students and their families to match their financial needs. The way we partner with schools, and the programs we can offer, gives innovation a place to happen on campus. And that is working SMART. What's your take on the involvement of companies in social welfare/CSR activities? Does it make a positive contribution to the business? Absolutely. The social issues that dominate the daily headlines are top of mind and create sometimes urgent needs for our college audience. And internally, for our team, we've seen that the diversity we embrace in our Transact workplace contributes a fresh way of thinking about the design and delivery of the products and services that we offer to our users. Inherent in our strategic approach of listening carefully to users, is the ability to spot opportunities to customize our product offerings; to be responsive to many different needs, including social diversity and equity. The complexity of campus systems can be bewildering for families who are inexperienced with financial aid and payments systems. Streamlining the process makes campus life more accessible for new arrivals to the college experience. The best and the brightest want to work in an environment that values diversity and inclusion, but they don't care much about the talk, they want the company to act, and we | MAY 2022 32
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  • 34. It Appears the Sky's The Limit for VidIt Building A New Immersive World Humankind is not new to the transformational impacts of technology. We are well aware of how innovation in the technological space is reshaping the world faster than ever before. And there is enough anecdotal and visual evidence to support the statement. For instance, we can consider the proof in our pockets; we have a small mobile device capable of offering information that's close to the entire sum of knowledge humanity has gained so far. Speaking of the technological wonders we are surrounded with, what could be the next big advancement? Well, we have already experienced it through some apps and filters. Yes, we are talking about Augmented Reality. It has the potential of bringing forward the possibilities that are hard to achieve with the existing technologies we have. AR will surely alter the way individuals view the world and begin a new chapter in human behavior. As we speak of transformational technology, there's one company that is already on its way to tapping into the enormous potential of AR and democratizing it so that everyone on the planet can become an evangelist of this new behavior. Today we, at The Chief's Digest, are thrilled to introduce to VidIt our readers. In an exclusive interview with The Chief's Digest, CEO Rene Rodriguez shared valuable insights on how the future will be with AR and his visions to support the transformation. Below is an edited excerpt. And in the second phase, we will be pushing hard on the ability to create adoption for free users and our platform. And once we get there for the users, we will successfully create a full world of augmented reality. So, it's kind of like the metaverse but in augmented reality. In this modern business world, what exactly does a “Smart Company” mean to you? For me, a smart company would be one that is street-savvy, one with common sense. Today, technology is evolving so rapidly that anyone who's not moving ahead with the new technologies can easily run out of business. Let's consider the last fifty years for example. We saw how the internet and social media completely revolutionized the way how people and companies do business. It wasn't something that people chose to accept or reject. Businesses that didn't accept it or move towards it literally died. Similarly, augmented reality is going to be the next big thing. So, you need to head in the direction where new technologies are moving. And in the next five to ten years, we believe there won't be a company on the planet that will be in a position to reject or not use augmented reality. If they don't accept augmented reality, they will be at disadvantage and could potentially run out of business. That's how simple it is. So, a smart company is always willing to adapt to new changes, is open to start testing the waters, and always learning & moving towards the new future. Why was the company set up? What inspired you to develop the idea or concept of VidIt? The answer to that question is simple. I have been an entrepreneur all my life. However, the idea behind VidIt didn't conceptualize until 2007, when a friend of mine introduced me to the movie, “Back to the Future”. It was my favorite movie back then. I saw the technology of augmented reality for the first time, and I could instantly find a connection with the movie as well as the technology. I could literally see a new world full of interactive content. I still remember when Michael J. Fox was standing in the corner of the plaza, and suddenly, a big hologram shark snaps at him. In my head, I thought that was so incredibly cool. I knew the technology was going to get big in the future, and I thought I want to be a part of this. I didn't know how long it would take, but it inspired me to envision that the whole world will become an interactive world, and that's when I started working on it. So, I have been working on VidIt for the past twelve years, and finally, we have a platform that's ready to go. When I saw the vision, and we put the concept together, we realized that this will have to be deployed in phases. So, right now, we do have phase number one in which we provide services where we can monetize the platform to websites, videos, NFTS, and other solutions. 10 to Watch 2022 COMPANIES SMARTEST | MAY 2022 34
  • 35. What challenges did you face in your initial years? What was the number one motivating factor that kept you moving forward? I would say Timing! Way too early in the vision!!!! So convincing people of the future was tough, especially investors in which I am extremely grateful for them of course, but it's been some tough early years for sure, of not giving up on something that we knew it was coming! I can recall people telling me that my idea was the stupidest of all they had ever heard. They would tell who will be looking for things through that phone or looking for any of this stuff at all. But all of that was just fascinating to me because to understand the difference between Pioneers and Settlers. I took every challenge that came our way sportively, be it raising money, keeping things alive, or building the team. I was ready to take a deep dive and go into the trenches with the team. We understood the deep roots of the problem and then the process thoroughly. Eventually, we built a team of warriors, and that's how we knew we were making progress. Of course, we didn't let go of outside technologies to get us there. Every time our vision advanced even a little, our steps got more solid and we got more motivated. Now, we are so close to letting the world experience something so incredible. We are excited to be a part of the future. How would you describe the work culture within your organization? How do you differentiate between smart work and hard work? I believe you need to do a bit of both hard work and smart work combined. However, there's one element that should be added to the mix which is the attitude – a relentless attitude towards finding a solution, learning, and thinking out of the box. And once you have people with the right attitude, it's not hard to find people who work hard. When you have combined all the three, you can feed them with the right vision, and then it's like a rocket. As a question on adaptability, how do you stay relevant to the consumer interests and needs in this highly volatile market? When you introduce a new technology, people usually don't entirely understand the capacity of the technology. Right now, “People would like to have the ability to see their favorite museums, places, parks, or let's say, the Eiffel Tower. With VidIt's augmented reality technology, we want to bring all that to them.” Rene Rodriguez, Founder & CEO THECHIEFSDIGEST | 35
  • 36. augmented reality technology is being introduced to the world as just simple tools and filters, and people are yet to fully comprehend how powerful augmented reality could be. Today, people are somewhat aware of augmented reality through their Snapchat & Instagram filters, and some tools that you can see here and there from apps like Nike. But in reality, this is new behavior and everybody's participation will contribute to evolving this behavior. Over the next ten years, this is going to be massive and will change the way technology is used forever. The contribution from multiple companies and users will be crucial because it's impossible for one entity to change everything. What are the factors that make your brand one of the SMARTEST and why? Experience, expertise, and know-how are definitely key elements that have allowed us to understand the industry very deeply, in addition to our model and market approach. We think of VidIt as YouTube, Tik Tok, or even Facebook - we have created a platform in which people have the freedom to create augmented reality experiences and share them across any social platform in the world, be it Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. We want to be the platform that enables people to bring forward their own content. VidIt is like an ecosystem, where individuals and organizations can bring content, share content, or create content for different purposes, say for education or marketing. We want to allow people to populate the world with AR experiences across geographical or product locations, websites, videos, etc. As I had mentioned before, phase one offers a solution for businesses that want to have an interactive website with augmented reality technology. And with VidIt's augmented reality solution, I think we have a smart play with this. phone and eventually, a wearable device. And it would change the way how people look at the information. For instance, we can grab pieces of art from the most famous artists and we can bring them to any country or location on earth, and people can have a virtual tour. It could be like a virtual museum where people can learn about art from their own location, and that won't cost anything. What have you enjoyed the most while sailing through the ups and downs of your business? The journey has been the enjoyment the whole time - the journey of building one more company, the lessons I have learned, the people I had the opportunity to associate with, and enjoying every bit of it thoroughly. The process of building VidIt hasn't been easy at all, but it's been very fulfilling because I can help so many people which I already do actually. Just the fact of being an asset to others and not asking anything in return is phenomenal. Where do you see your company a few years from now? If all this starts lining up with what we are doing, we will be a worldwide brand that would entirely change the way people obtain information. If you think of it, imagine being in a park full of dinosaurs sponsored by Nike for example. Then there's another park on the other side of the city that has all the characters from Disney and Marvel. You can interact with them, take pictures, record videos, or do whatever you want. How does your company contribute to the competitive global platform at large? We are driving a free model right now. We want to offer this tool to every school, university, country, and every kid on the planet. We want everyone to have access to the tools to help them create experiences in augmented reality and then promote it through their talent. We are sure that eventually, companies will be seeing that and the need for that will emerge. It's going to be as big as the internet. If we look at the early days of the internet, everybody wanted a website, and there was a need for people who can create one. Similarly, when YouTube started, the initial idea was to allow common people to enjoy sharing their home videos, but later it grew into a huge video platform where both individuals and organizations wanted to post and manage their videos. Going forward, there will be a demand for the services for augmented reality in the same way how the creation of websites, videos, or designs has grown in demand today. And we on the platform will allow the whole world to interact in a free model with all the tools and services. What's your take on the involvement of companies in social welfare/ CSR activities? Does it make a positive contribution to the business? Absolutely. We have developed our platform to give the power and ability to people to use it in a way that benefits them. For example, our platform can be used to take education to a whole different level. We can make high- quality education accessible to people from different countries, places, or organizations so that they can learn in ways they have never done before. With VidIt, you wouldn't need any special software, elements, or equipment. You can start with just your | MAY 2022 36
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