Top 10 Influential Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022 March2022.pdf

Post-pandemic Leadership
The Changing Dynamics of
Leadership in the Post-covid World
Corporate Ethos
Reasons Why 2022 is the
Year of Workplace Culture
Vol.03
Issue 23
2022
Top
1
Influential
Influential
Business Leaders
Making
Makinga Difference2022
(Volume 2).
Mike Griffin
CEO

usinesses are reforming themselves swiftly
Bthese days. New solutions to old problems are
emerging, which are helping consumers
simplify their lives. In order to come up with a newer
or innovative product or service solution, it takes the
mind of a leader who has wisely observed the gaps in
the markets and has decided to do something about
them, to fix them once and for all. Those who
successfully fix it are identified as inspiring change
influencers for millions.
You may say that nowadays, anyone can come up
with new innovations, and what's so special about it?
And yes, you could be right in saying so. But business
is not all about innovation. One can have a
groundbreaking idea to reshape the way things are
done. Bringing it into the market bravely and
promoting it with complete conviction, on the other
hand, requires the minds of business-savvy leaders.
A leader gets to know the consumer segment better
through years of his or her accumulated experience or
observations. Over the years, they identify the gaps in
the market, which drives them to make a difference in
people's lives with newly developed solutions.
Improving the customer experience no longer means
that you have a famous product or service to offer.
Marking Your Presence in the
Digital World
Vol.03
Issue 23
2022
Mike Griffin
CEO

Consumers these days are widely preferring companies that
are enriching their overall product and/or service
experience. The sooner the leaders understand that, the
quicker they start focusing on the customer-first approach.
So, can we say the leaders' task ends there? The simple
answer is no. To be a change-making leader, one must have
a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the
st
business. The third decade of the 21 -century demands
leaders to be on their toes all the time, ready to face
anything and everything that comes in their way.
The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a great test for
leaders around the world. Leaders had to manage their
workforce, consumer demands, technology integration,
marketing, and sales figures. This is just an eagle-eye view
of what leaders across the world do in their everyday lives.
The closer you get to it, the more real and complex it will
get for people to understand how these people are managing
their responsibilities so well day-in and day-out. It can
certainly leave you amazed.
In this edition, Top 10 Influential Business Leaders
Making a Difference 2022, we have identified a list of
business leaders who are thriving in their respective
industries with their innovations, ideas, ways of doing
business, and most importantly, making a difference in the
lives of every stakeholder in their companies. These leaders'
journeys will influence you to better yourself and your
leadership skills.
Lastly, do read the well-researched exclusive articles
written by our in-house editorial team on trends forming in
today's business leadership space.
Happy Reading!
- Vishal Golekar

08
ARTICLES
Crypto Trends to Watch
Out For in 2022
Future Finance
20
30
How Cryptocurrency is
Transforming the
Future of Business
Digital Currency

C
O
N
T
E
N
T
Ahmed De a
An Extraordinary Leader
Working for Humanity
Crypto Exchange
Dr Chad Audi
An Eminent Leader
Serving Humanity
Ne a Jenkins
Adding Depth to Diversity
and Inclusion with Dipper
Alexandra Gerritsen
An Empowering Leader
Crea ng a Healthy
Work Culture
Ma hew Brown
Enhancing modern
Digital Marke n
through Strategic Planning
Yaniv Shachar
Crea ng Cyberworld Safer
through Discipline,
Innova on, and Educa on
16
26
40
22
34
44

sales@insightssuccess.com
March, 2022
Circulation Manager Tanaji
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Anish Miller
Senior Editor
Kelly, David
Business Development Executives
Managing Editor
Sherin Rodricks
Business Development Manager
Abhishaj Sajeev
Art & Design Head
Art & Design Assistant
Visualiser David King
Co-designer
Rohil Shinganapurkar
Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head
SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
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Sales Executives Mark, Alice
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Featuring Brief
Company Name
Artemis Institute for
Clinical Research
artemis-research.com
Dr. Chad Audi
President and CEO
Jeanniey Walden
Chief Innovation and
Marketing Officer
Ahmed Detta
CEO and Founder
Barbara Paldus
CEO
Alexandra Gerritsen
President and COO
Enviroo is committed to recycling plastic to a regulatory standard
that encompasses every strand of the circular economy recycling
model.
Artemis Institute for Clinical Research was established in 2008
by a group of colleagues with extensive clinical research
experience, who shared a commitment to developing a more
thoughtful and professional approach to conducting clinical
trials.
Codex Beauty Labs is a biotech company grounded in science,
dedicated to supporting the microbiome, and pioneering
products having clinically proven, meaningful skincare
benefits.
The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries has spent over 100
years of continued service providing food, shelter and services
to intervene where homelessness and substance addiction
occur.
DailyPay, powered by its industry-leading technology platform,
is on a mission to build a new financial system.
Enviroo
advanced-sd.com
Codex Beauty
uk.codexbeauty.com
Detroit Rescue Mission
Ministries
drmm.org
DailyPay
dailypay.com
Digital Kungfu
digitalkungfu.com
Netta Jenkins
Co-founder
Shannon Wilkinson
Founder/CEO
Mike Griffin
CEO
Matthew Brown
CEO
Digital Kungfu is a premier demand generation and pipeline
acceleration partner to technology businesses.
First Choice Agents Alliance (FCAA) is an insurance agency
network created to assist Independent Agents in securing top
level company contracts and developing business plans to help
them grow their revenue stream.
Dipper is an online, interactive community and safe-space for
professionals of color to share their workplace experiences both
past and present.
Tego Cyber is the only threat intelligence company made
specifically for the SIEM, regardless of vendor, to quickly
correlate threats across large enterprises and help security
operations teams understand their attack surface faster.
First Choice Agents
Alliance
fcaalliance.com
Dipper
ourdipper.com
Tegocyber
tegocyber.com
Yaniv Shachar
Co-founder and CEO
Cympire was founded by cyber, simulation and gaming experts,
who believe that mission-ready cyber professionals are the key
to a safer world.
Cympire
cympire.com

First Choice has over 350
members and is fast
establishing itself as one of
the greatest premium
volume networks in the United
States.
Mike Griffin
Helping Insurance Agents through Independent Agency Transition
Cover Story

The world we live in is a dwelling full of
uncertainties and risks. Individuals, families,
businesses, properties, and assets are exposed to
different types and levels of risk. These include the risk of
losses to life, health, assets, property, etc. Although it is not
always possible to avert unwanted events from occurring,
the financial world has brought about products and services
that protect individuals and businesses against such losses
by compensating them with financial resources. Insurance is
such a financial product that reduces or eliminates the cost
of loss or effect of loss caused by different types of risks.
But insurance is not the most desirable product. iPhone is a
desirable product. People stand in queues to avail the latest
iPhone; but you would not find the masses showing the
same enthusiasm for buying insurance. The reason is
simple: because insurance makes people ponder on an
uncomfortable question that they would rather not think
about – "what if something went wrong?"
It is the art of a skilled financial advisor or insurance agent
to sit down with their client and make them question their
future and how they would mitigate any risk if it were to
arise. An independent insurance agent, however, is a broker
who is not employed by any specific insurance agency.
Rather, they act as a middleman to connect insurance
buyers and sellers in order to facilitate a transaction.
But traversing the insurance sector is a tricky endeavor
filled with its own variety of uncertainty. In the pursuit to
bolster their clients' financial futures and safeguard business
operations, independent agents have to rely on their wits
and their tenacity to help their clients find the best risk
mitigation product.
Fortunately, there is a man who has made it his life's
mission to foster a community of growth and prosperity for
such independent agents. Since 1978, this man has been
establishing his prominence and gradually building a legacy
for himself in the insurance sector. Meet Mike Griffin – the
CEO of First Choice Agents Alliance, LLC (FCAA), the
President of Griffin Insurance Agency Inc. and a Majority
Member of Tarheel Insurance Services, LLC.
Under the supervision of Mike Griffin, these agencies have
grown to the pinnacle of being continuously ranked among
the top agencies in the country, earning numerous industry
honors and recognition. He was inducted into the
Nationwide Insurance Sales Hall of Fame in 2011.
Recently, Mike has been highly involved in growing his
newest enterprise, First Choice Agents Alliance, into a big
player in the insurance aggregator industry and is
committed to developing a quality organization for
insurance agents across the United States.
FCAA is an insurance agency network created to assist
independent agents in securing top-level company contracts
and developing meaningful business plans to help them
grow their existing revenue stream. FCAA guides agents to
manage carrier relationships, increase their knowledge, and
set the stage for continued growth and profitability.
The Birth of a Career
While still in school, Mike worked for his father in the
HVAC business and, at the same time, began working part-
time in the jewelry business after school and on holidays. It
was here that he developed a keen interest in the jewelry
business and pursued it after college, taking on the
responsibility of managing a store for a small local chain.
He was introduced to the insurance business by a District
Manager for Nationwide Insurance who had moved into his
neighborhood. Little did he know at the time that this
neighborly relationship would lead to a major career
transition.
Watching his father grow his HVAC company from the
ground up, Mike picked up some useful skills and learned
some valuable lessons about establishing a business. To
begin, you'll need a strategy and the willingness to take
some risks along the route to attain your objectives. Mike
has used this crucial lesson many times during his insurance
career.
The Griffin Insurance Agency and Tarheel Insurance
Services
Mike's vision for FCAA's future
is for it to continue to grow
responsibly and to become
the preferred aggregator for
insurance agents across the
country.
Top 10 Influen al Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022 (Volume 2).

For over 40 years, Griffin Insurance Agency has provided
superior insurance solutions to its consumers. It has
established itself as a trusted advisor for its policyholders in
all aspects of personal and commercial risk management
needs, with nine offices and over 50 staff members in the
Piedmont region of North Carolina. The agency takes great
pride in having highly qualified, licensed professionals
handling its clients' needs. As a result, the business is
continuously ranked among the Nationwide Insurance
Companies' top 25 agents.
Because of the agency's performance and the increased
need for competitive pricing in the business market, there
was a growing need for other sources of 'workers
compensation' (WC) coverage. After brainstorming with
Nationwide Insurance leadership, Mike suggested a concept
to develop a WC wholesaler to deal with Nationwide
Captive Agencies exclusively in order to give them a
greater opportunity to serve their clients.
Tarheel Insurances Services, LLC was founded by Mike
and his son, Rob Griffin, in November 2005. Tarheel began
operations by dealing with agents primarily in North
Carolina, but soon, its success allowed it to expand its
operational territory to 27 states, with over 1100 agency
ties. Rob has managed the WC business from the beginning,
and together with his dad's relationships, this company
continues to experience positive growth.
Tarheel is dedicated to offering affordable rates and industry
knowledge to its agents, allowing them to match their
insureds with the carrier that best suits their needs. Tarheel
gives clients access to a professional staff familiar with
every aspect of the WC space, focusing on lowering
'Workers Compensation' expenditures. This has
distinguished them as a go-to provider in the business world
as a specialty broker.
Until recently, Griffin Insurance, the retail firm, was a
captive agency affiliated with the Nationwide Insurance
Companies. When Nationwide decided to restructure its
business strategy in 2015, allowing its agents to represent
other commercial carriers for the first time, a need arose to
discover more markets to service their expanding business
client base. This was easier said than done, and many
agents discovered they either couldn't handle more carriers
or couldn't get the needed appointments.
The Inception of First Choice Agent Alliance
Based on Tarheel's success, Mike was approached by
several of his peers and asked about forming a wholesale
brokerage outlet where Nationwide agents could go for all
lines of commercial coverage. Mike, Ron Parks and four of
his highly recognized industry peers gathered in
Washington, DC, in March 2015 to discuss the proposal.
And thus, First Choice Insurance Brokers was born after a
lot of planning and development from Mike and Ron!
The concept of First Choice Insurance Brokers was sound.
However, throughout the implementation of this business
strategy, Mike and his colleagues ran into some unexpected
difficulties. Agents (all Nationwide exclusives at the time)
were just not ready or equipped to move business away
from Nationwide, nor did they have the necessary
understanding of other carriers to effectively represent them
in the market. Despite the fact that the brokerage unit
swiftly grew to over 270 agents, Mike understood he
needed to make a change.
There was a need for greater agent education in the carrier
space and there was a need for other carriers to trust that
these agents knew what they were doing. There was also a
need for the agents to recognize that they could succeed
outside of Nationwide. The idea of assisting agents in
gaining additional representation would be inadequate
without this.
A New Direction
Mike had a chance meeting with Diane Wagner after
battling with this company idea for almost 18 months.
Diane was a marketing representative for one of First
Choice's carriers. They began talking about the company's
uphill battle and the timescale and additional funding that
The best element of
partnering with First
Choice is the possibility
for additional money
above and beyond what an
agency could earn on its
own.

would be required for prospective profitability.
During this initial meeting, Diane inquired if First Choice
had ever considered becoming an aggregator instead of a
wholesale brokerage market. Aggregators assist agents in
setting up direct appointments and then pool the producer
volume to create larger revenue opportunities.
As the conversation progressed, Mike learned that Diane (in
a previous life) had been instrumental in establishing an
aggregator from the ground up and had served as its
President for several years. At that point, Mike asked Diane
about joining the team and assisting in the transition from
the present business model to that of an aggregator. A few
months later, Diane was appointed as the COO of First
Choice Insurance Brokers.
The changeover was planned in the fourth quarter of 2016,
and all 270+ contracts with the brokerage unit were
canceled on January 1, 2017. As a result, the 'new' model
only began with the original 20 investors. Because
exclusive agents were unfamiliar with the role of an
aggregator and how they would manage direct writings
from other carriers, the company's initial growth was slow.
Despite this, FCAA was able to enroll an additional 70
agents in its first year.
FCAA Today
Today, First Choice has over 380 members and is fast
establishing itself as one of the fastest-growing premium
volume networks in the United States. FCAA continually
supports its members by providing contract assistance,
technology guidance, training materials, and an experienced
management team dedicated to assisting agents in
maximizing their revenue. Each agency receives additional
sales help as needed and annual strategic planning to
establish and implement plans to achieve targeted goals.
Top carrier alignment and exceptional compensation plans
are available to its members. FCAA is certain that the tools
they offer to member agencies is a roadmap for achieving
profitable expansion by applying industry best practices.
What First Choice brings to the table
The following are some of the advantages of becoming a
member of First Choice:
Ÿ Access to top insurance company contracts
Ÿ Significantly higher excess compensation
earning potential
Ÿ Higher base commissions
Ÿ A multitude of vendor resources
Ÿ Strategic planning at the 'agency owner' level
Ÿ Producer sourcing
Ÿ Producer development programs
Ÿ Best practices, procedures, and analysis
Ÿ Succession planning
Ÿ Internal security reviews
Ÿ Google presence optimization
Ÿ Target marketing plans
Ÿ Bi-weekly educational webinars
Ÿ Member portal with carrier and vendor
resources
Ÿ Monthly newsletter
Ÿ Annual Meetings and Trade Shows
Networks can usually provide direct carrier codes with
lower volume requirements than an agency might receive
on its own. These less stringent rules enable an agency to
represent several companies that it might not otherwise be
able to. The best element of partnering with First Choice is
the opportunity for additional revenue above and beyond
what an agency could earn on its own. There are no
minimum premium requirements, so agencies may start
earning growth incentives and contingencies with their first
dollar of premium production.
The Winning Spirit
Mike Griffin developed a desire for winning as a result of
his upbringing in a sports-rich environment. It's a passion
that he's carried with him throughout his life, in both
personal and professional undertakings. His leadership
approach is filled with this passion, and it has shaped his
career.
FCAA guides agents
to manage carrier
relationships, increase
knowledge, and set
the stage for
continued growth and
profitability.

Mike started working with Nationwide Insurance in 1978 as
an agent, but his major duties now, as CEO, are to listen to
his management team, offer counsel and assistance, and
support them in their tasks. Mike is extremely proud of the
management personnel at each of his companies. He knows
that each of these teams is composed of a great group of
highly dedicated professionals who do an awesome job
directing the success of their respective areas of
responsibility.
His professional accomplishments have not come at the
expense of his personal life. Mike and his wife Cindy live
in Cornelius, North Carolina, where they live a happy and
fruitful life. Meredyth, Robert, and Courtney are their three
grown children. Mike enjoys being with his family, as well
as being on the lake, on the golf course, and traveling with
his wife.
To a Prosperous Future
As an experienced entrepreneur, Mike Griffin advises his
employees to always keep a 1/3/5-year plan in front of
them. Their goal is to maintain a steady rate of growth!
"Our approach is for agents who believe what we believe
and want to see their agencies flourish," Mike confidently
declares. "We believe we can assist them in achieving these
objectives," he added.
Mike is equally concerned about his team's personal
development. 'Reinvent yourself regularly, not just when
you realize you're losing ground,' says one of their
objectives. In fact, this is how he views leadership: assisting
people in excelling in their chosen fields with passion. He
accomplishes this by instilling in them the belief that they
can overcome hardship. This he considers a success.
Mike's vision for FCAA's future is to continue to grow
responsibly and become the preferred aggregator for
insurance agents across the country, all of this while
maintaining the organization's quality and integrity.

I founded Enviroo
because of realizing the
huge problem within the
UK recycling industry after
having done comparative
studies in the Middle East and
the EU as well as having
completed the feasibility
of a facility in the
Middle East.
Ahmed Detta
| March 2022 www.insightssuccess.com
16

Ahmed
De a An Extraordinary Leader
Working for Humanity
In this present competitive world, strong leadership is
the key element for the success of an organization. An
effective leader provides clarity of vision, motivates
employees, and guides the organization to achieve its
objective.
An organization may have people with unique talents and
capabilities; however, it is the leadership that utilizes
individual efforts towards the collective goal since he is the
torchbearer for the entire team and contributes to society
too.
One such influential and successful business leader is
Ahmed Detta, who realized the problems of UK and came
up with a solution with its innovative brand Enviroo.
Ahmed Detta is the CEO and the Founder of Enviroo with
the purpose to raise recycling rates by shifting the
behavioral habits of society when it comes to recycling on
the go.
Enviroo is one of the most innovative recycling businesses
in the UK for thinking around recycling and offering a
solution to post-consumer plastic waste.
In an interview, Ahmed Detta sheds light on the company's
journey, the current industry scenario, and his vision for the
company's future.
Ahmed, please give us a brief overview of your journey
as the CEO of Enviroo.
I founded Enviroo because of realizing the huge problem
within the UK recycling industry after having done
comparative studies in the Middle East and the EU as well
as having completed the feasibility of a facility in the
Middle East.
The big difference between Europe and the Middle East
compared to the UK comes down to habitual recycling. We
have the legislation to recycle but we're missing the habit to
recycle, especially on-the-go recycling which is where the
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) comes into play.
Other countries such as Germany have DRS machines
across the country so recycling when traveling is easy. In
the UK we don't have that option, so once Enviroo
distributes DRS machines across the UK after a while
recycling will become an on-the-go daily habit.
The plastic we collect from these machines, along with
other plastics from other sources, will then go to our
recycling facility. We are building the first net-zero
recycling facility next year to recycle PET plastic. We know
that this is a material that can be used long term and we
plan on focusing on other plastics further down the line.
So, Enviroo is really the solution to the problem that the
UK is facing when it comes to recycling plastic now. We're
here to provide the practical recycling element, as well as
change consumer behavior and mindset about recycling.
Tell us more about Enviroo, its vision, and the key
aspects of its stronghold in the sustainability and
technology arenas.
Enviroo's vision is to create a circular economy for plastic.
The legislation is in place by the Government, we have the
Top 10 Influential Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022
17

best tech in the world, we're going live with our first facility
next year and we already have the brand partners who are
ready to buy the recycled material. What's missing is the
consumer buy-in to recycle and use DRS machines.
Local authorities across the UK are good at home recycling,
it is the on-the-go recycling those needs fixing to enable the
UK to become a fully sustainable circular economy
regarding plastic. The micro-economy in the Northwest,
where our first facility will be built, will be the blueprint for
the rest of the UK and internationally over the coming
years.
Considering the example of the COVID-19 pandemic,
how do you plan to navigate through similar situations
in the future?
Ask any business owner what the COVID-19 pandemic has
taught them and there is no doubt that the majority will say
that it's helped them become more agile and better at
planning for change. It's also given us all more resilience
and taught us that there is always light at the end of the
tunnel. So, our vision will always remain the same, but we
might have to be agile and make tweaks where needed to
overcome certain challenges.
COVID-19 gave many organizations time to take a break,
pause and revaluate their business. However, for us who
deal with a material that is serving a primary basic need, to
serve food and water, there was minimal disruption. There
was less on-the-go litter but once society got back to a
semi-kind of normal, that problem came back.
So, a lesson to be learned is that these pandemics or
challenges are cyclical, and despite the hysteria, successful
companies can step back and analyse the good aspects of a
pandemic and bring in their backup plans.
Please elaborate more on Enviroo's carbon offset
program.
Enviroo is currently reviewing the credentials out in the
industry now. Ultimately, we want to make sure that we will
fully offset and be the first net-zero recycling facility. This
will be managed through a combination of independent
Exhibiting Excellence
Ÿ Enviroo has won ‘Plastic Recycling Experts of the Year in England –
2022’ from the Global Advisory Experts (GAE) Awards.
Ÿ Enviroo Ltd. has been awarded Best Consumer Plastic Waste
Recycling Specialists – UK in the 2021 Recycling & Waste
Management Awards hosted by BUILD.
Ÿ Ahmed Detta has been featured as one of ‘The 10 Most Innovative
Business Leaders to follow in 2021’ by Insights Success Magazine.
Ÿ Enviroo has been recognized as the ‘Most Progressive Circular
Economy Recycling Firm 2019’ awarded by Build Magazine.
Ÿ Enviroo was cited as one of the top disruptive tech companies to
watch in 2020 by Industry Wired.
18

assessments and ensuring the delivery of the sustainability
goals.
What efforts did you take during the pandemic to
sustain operations and ensure the safety of your team at
the same time?
Whilst our facility is not operational, this was a time when
the company focused on looking after the mental wellbeing
of staff, ensuring that the team have a good work-life
balance. Hybrid working between the office and home has
now become the norm and we've found that this work
culture helps to increase employee wellbeing and efficiency.
Keeping the team happy is our top priority.
What is your opinion on the necessity of industries to
leverage technologies like AI and ML in developing
sustainable products for the economy and managing
single-use plastic waste, especially keeping in mind the
ever-evolving environment emergency?
We need all the help we can get to tackle the plastic
problem. This is a collaborative journey and every person
and industry needs to get involved. PET plastic is a material
present in everybody's life. If you use it, you should be
responsible for it.
Our tech makes it easier to recycle and no doubt AI has
helped with this. We welcome continued innovation within
AI to make this process more effective as well as utilizing
apps to help monitor and encourage people's behavior when
it comes to recycling. The tech is important but if there is
poor implementation, it is useless. So, if AI can help create
these habitual behaviors this will be a game-changer.
As an established industry leader, what would be your
advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts
aspiring to venture into the industry?
The recycling industry needs more entrepreneurs, no doubt.
It needs people who are passionate about making change
and people who are willing to think outside the box.
Currently, the UK waste industry is littered with large
companies who are fulfilling obligatory service contracts
which means that innovation doesn't exist.
However, newbies to the sector need to be aware of the
financial viability of their project and how this can change
as they create the team, secure the funding, and take the
project. Also, people need to be open-minded to the
different help that is out there.
Ultimately, you're entering an industry with no innovation,
and this can be demoralizing, so there's a need to be strong-
willed.
How do you envision further strengthening Enviroo's
stronghold in 2022 and beyond?
We envisage strengthening our stronghold in 2022 by
sticking to our commitment to creating a circular economy
and not being deterred by pandemics or the hysteria
surrounding it. We remain focused on the long goal-
Enviroo is a business that will be supporting the life cycle
of plastic and remember that plastic will be with us for a
very long time.
For 2022 we need to commence construction on our first
facility and produce industry first and leading food grade
polypropylene. We're also planning to lobby and up the
game for research for DRS. We will be pleased to share our
research results with Lancaster University at the end of the
year which will give insights into the direction as to where
DRS will be successful and how we can implement that
ahead of the Government announcements.
19

The Changing
Dynamics
Leadership
of
in the
Post- covid World
Leadership is all about people management. A good
leader leads people to achieve the targets set by the
organization while making sure that each one is at
their best and giving their best. When an employee has
complete control over his physical and mental states, he can
give his hundred percent effort.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us how important a health
issue could be! We realized what it meant to be a socially
connected person when the smallest of viruses spread
rapidly throughout the world, surprising everyone in terms
of personal and professional consequences.
Leadership Challenges – Then and Now
Right from the start of COVID-19, it was challenging for
every organization to efficiently manage its workforce.
Management had to fully trust its assigned leaders to get the
day-to-day work done in a remote work environment. The
leaders had to rely on their rapport with each of their
colleagues to make the work-from-home model effective.
Now that the pandemic situation seems to be getting under
control, organizations around the world have started to call
back their workforce to the offices or devise workdays in a
hybrid structure. While some, after realizing the potential
benefits of the work-from-home model, have decided to
keep their work completely remote. In any case, the post-
covid offices and work structures necessitate greater
flexibility from the corporate leadership.
Managing the workplace and people in the face of
increasing demand for agility will be a challenging as well
as an interesting task for leaders. But if handled well, this
new post-covid leadership period could prove to be an
exemplary shift in the corporate world. While every leader
has their idea on how to effectively manage the post-covid
work environment, certain viewpoints can be focused on to
improve the outcomes for every stakeholder in the
organization.
Embracing Change
The global pandemic gave a boost to the digitization of
businesses. It also changed the way daily operations are
managed. Companies have adopted various technology
solutions to establish workplaces digitally to better serve
their consumers. Employees have gotten used to this work
culture, and the trend of digitization does not seem to be
slowing down anytime soon.
This is the beginning of a new era in business that needs to
be embraced to achieve greater reach and the modernization
of the workplace. Leaders must not be left behind in
identifying the revolution we are currently
undergoing—those who can adapt promptly will flourish.
An Empathetic Approach
Families across the world went through a lot during the last
two years of the pandemic. Professionals had to stay back at
home. Many had to face pay cuts, job losses, the deaths of
20

Post-pandemic Leadership
family members, domestic violence, and a lot of other
similar issues.
Today, when they are getting back to the work environment
or still working from home, it is important for leaders to
have an empathetic approach to reaching these employees.
A Health Comes First Approach
It is said that 'health is the real wealth.' During the COVID-
19 era, we truly understood the meaning of this phrase.
People with unhealthy habits or less focus on fitness were at
a higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus than
healthy people.
Organizations are starting to restore their day-to-day work
now, and by using their leadership team, they can
encourage people to focus on better health. Several
initiatives, be they online or in-person, could be organized
to motivate employees to be healthy. In doing so, it can set
a great example for society in making health-conscious
choices.
Establishing Organizational Stability
The Great Resignations saw millions of employees quit or
switch their jobs in 2021. The 'I Quit' trend is still going
strong. It has left organizations scrambling to fill the vacant
positions frequently. According to a recent PEW survey, the
main causes behind these resignations are low pay scale, no
flexibility, lack of respect, lack of opportunity for growth,
family issues, etc.
To regain people's confidence in the eight-hour-a-day job,
leaders must make their colleagues feel secure in their jobs.
Though it is a cutthroat market and leaders cannot lean
themselves to make every employee feel happy about their
job, basic respect and agility must be offered to make
employees feel comfortable at work.
Conclusion
In the post-COVID world, organizations and their
leadership must handle their workforce empathetically and
sensibly. Also, the changes that were brought about by
digitization are here to stay, and they should be embraced.
We have all realized a great many benefits from it. This is a
terrific opportunity for corporate leaders worldwide to
modernize the workspace to save resources and invest
smartly.
- Vishal Golekar
21

For clinical research organizations working in site
networks, the biggest challenge is employee
engagement. Though salaries matter to most
employees, factors such as empowerment, involvement,
mentoring, appreciation, promotions, value, and trust are
also essential for them.
An unengaged workforce leads to poor staff retention. Thus,
motivating, and engaging employees can help reduce that
attrition. It further leads to a better patient experience in
clinical trials.
Empowering leaders retain a talented workforce by tapping
into their staff's repertoire of skills, talents, as well as their
expectations and demands from the organization. They do it
by creating a culture, where the entire focus remains on the
people, their engagement, and their overall development by
building an exceptional workplace.
Alexandra Gerritsen, the President and COO of Artemis
Institute for Clinical Research, has always been
extremely focused on employee experience throughout her
career and has implemented multiple leadership training
programs, and mentorship programs, leading to her earlier
company receiving the 'Best Workplace' award.
In the following interview, she spoke about the importance
of creating a people-oriented organizational culture and
how she along with her company is doing it.
Alexandra, please give us a brief overview of your
journey as the President and COO of Artemis Institute
for Clinical Research.
Before I started at Artemis in 2019, I had never worked in
clinical research or medicine/healthcare before. My
background is in Operations and Technology, working for
Alexandra
Gerr sen
An Empowering Leader Crea ng a Healthy Work Culture
e-commerce companies, entertainment, and gaming
companies, and starting my career as a technology
consultant. In 2019, I won an award for Top Technology
Executive in San Diego and was introduced to Vishaal, the
CEO and founder of Artemis Institute for Clinical Research,
who wanted to grow Artemis in a different way.
We thought my background would be a good fit and I
started as the VP of Operations in August 2019. Only six
months later the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we had to
alter a lot of our plans. My focus was on building a culture
and a team that could stay connected and continues to make
sure our patients were safe and healthy when they came to
our sites.
In October of 2020, I was promoted to President and COO
and proudly had a team of people that were highly engaged
during the height of the pandemic. The people have
continued to remain a core focus for me at Artemis with a
goal of creating the most engaged workforce in clinical
research resulting in patients that are raving fans of
Artemis.
My focus was on building a culture and
a team that could stay connected and
continues to make sure our patients
were safe and healthy when they came
to our sites.
Top 10 Influen al Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022
22

Alexandra Gerritsen
President and COO
Tell us more about Artemis Institute, its vision, and the
key aspects of its stronghold in the Clinical Research
Site space.
Artemis has a core purpose of Prioritizing Patients,
Advancing Medicine, and Improving the World. Our vision
is to have patients that are raving fans of our people and
what we do. We have a robust referral program and make
sure our patients are always first. We operate according to
five core values which are critical to the success of our
trials:
• We put our patients first
• We provide excellent Customer Service
• We work as a Team
• We Do the Right Thing
• We value Continuous Improvement
Our culture, our people, and our commitment to operational
excellence as well as a living culture of radical transparency
have allowed us to be successful in this space.
how do you plan to navigate through similar situations
in the future?
When the pandemic hit, we had to make a tough decision to
lay off 25% of our workforce in March 2020, it was the
hardest decision in my career. We were open and
transparent with each team member about the decision we
23

made, and I cried with them when Vishaal and I traveled to
each site to tell each team member in person.
We were able to hire some of those people back in the
months after which was one of the best days in my career.
We also chose to be open and transparent with the entire
company and held weekly Town Halls for an entire year to
keep the team informed and updated not only on the status
of COVID-19 but the status of our team and our studies.
While we didn't handle things perfectly, we were
transparent and created a culture of over-communication
that helped us get through the pandemic and come out
stronger. Now we have the largest team in Artemis history,
and we still do Town Halls every two weeks to continue
that transparency. If we were to ever encounter an issue like
a global pandemic again, we would be transparent with our
team, get their input, and explain the hard decisions.
the same time?
We appointed Brittany Heath, my Director of Operations, as
our COVID-19 officer. She comes with 15 plus years of
clinical research experience and was the perfect candidate
for the role. She kept up to date with CDC guidelines and
local and state guidelines, made sure we had enough PPE,
and was proactive in ensuring we were taking all the
precautions needed to keep our staff and our patients safe.
Due to her leadership, we were able to conduct some
patient visits remotely (we had just implemented a new
technology called CRIO that allowed for electronic source
documentation that makes us capable of performing de-
centralized trials). We could not have gone through the
pandemic without Brittany's leadership.
Additionally, Artemis opted in for the Families First
Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) even though it was
optional for us since we were an essential organization. We
did this so our employees had extra time off (10 days paid)
if they or a family member fell ill. We did not want our
employees to suffer financially on top of all the stress of the
pandemic. This was a decision our employees really valued
and were able to utilize until September 2021.
What is your opinion on the necessity for Clinical
Research Sites to leverage technologies like AI and ML
in clinical research, especially when catering to the ever-
evolving healthcare needs?
Artificial intelligence and machine learning is something
we have implemented on the patient recruitment side to
improve our success rate with no shows, randomizations in
studies, and completions. In general, technology has come a
long way in clinical trials due to the pandemic, but there is
still a way to go to allow for de-centralized trials and the
ability to see patients remotely wherever possible.
aspiring to venture into the clinical research site
industry?
The clinical research site industry is changing rapidly over
the past 5 years, with more consolidation than ever before.
Artemis joined the Headlands Research site network in
February 2021, through an acquisition, which has allowed
for better relationships with sponsors and greater access to
clinical research best practices across the country. For those
aspiring to get into this industry, this is a great time to
partner with groups like Headlands Research, that are
focusing on diversity in trials and acquiring the best sites in
the country and beyond.
How do you envision further strengthening Artemis
Institute's stronghold in 2022 and beyond?
For Artemis 2021 was really a rebuilding year, we hired all
our Site Directors and filled all management positions
within the company, which had been open since 2019.
Getting these key leaders in place was a critical step to
allowing us to continue to grow in 2022.
Our focus in 2022 is operational excellence at all levels,
ironing out our training program and expanding into
starting memory clinics at both sites -a new service we will
offer at no cost to patients, who are concerned about
memory loss. Artemis is expanding into Alzheimer's trials
as well, which we believe is an indication that greatly needs
the advancement of medicine.
Beyond 2022, we are planning to open at least two more
sites by 2025 in California and expand our reach to other
communities that will benefit from participating and having
access to clinical trials.
24

Dr Chad Audi
An Eminent Leader
Serving Humanity
Dr. Chad Audi
President, and CEO
26

In today's competitive world, leadership is the key
element that makes everything work seamlessly. In
either formulating new strategic directions or
communicating and motivating employees, leadership is
invaluable.
Thus, every successful organization requires effective
leaders. The lucidity in vision, honesty towards ambitions,
and compassion in behaviour are the necessary qualities to
become a transformational leader.
One such visionary and dynamic leader is Dr Chad Audi
whose leadership style and guidance are the essences to
achieve for emerging leaders.
Dr Chad Audi, with over 23 years of executive management
experience is the President and CEO of a non-profit firm
Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM).
DRMM was founded in 1909. It is a leading non-profit
organization that confronts homelessness, runs social
enterprises, offers skills development and job readiness
exercises.
In an exclusive interview, Dr Chad Audi sheds light on the
company's journey, its services, and his vision for the
future.
As the President and CEO at DRMM, how has the
journey been for you from 1997 until today, and what
are the factors that drive you to stay motivated.
The journey has been both challenging and rewarding for
me. When I started here as a volunteer in 1997, it was
simply because someone had suggested that I lend a helping
hand to a nonprofit that was facing some financial
challenges.
It was through that person that I first heard of Detroit
Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM). And true to type, I
gave it my best, bringing my financial expertise to bear on
their challenges. That helped to bring much-needed
financial stability to the Christian nonprofit.
Before that time, I knew little about the plight of the
homeless, the hungry, and the drug-addicted. All that came
to mind were the men and women I had seen at street
corners holding signs asking for help. On many occasions,
I had given them some money, believing that was all
they needed. I never knew truly
homeless persons needed more than that.
But while volunteering, I developed a deep
interest in the task of helping to bring help to
those in dire need – the homeless, hungry,
hurting, and hopeless. Seeing my hard work and
dedication, the president and CEO, Don DeVos,
offered me a job in the Finance department.
Having been on a countdown to the start date of a
well-paying private sector job I had secured, I wrestled
with the idea of accepting a low-paying job in a non-
profit. But looking back now, I am glad I took the non-
profit job at DRMM, with the encouragement of my dad
who doubled as my mentor. Since then, I have enjoyed
helping to put smiles on the faces of less fortunate persons
– both young and old – in the Detroit area. You can't put a
price tag on it.
Enlighten us on how DRMM has made an impact on p
eople through its service to the community?
th
DRMM is in its 113 year of life-changing faith-based
operations in the Detroit area. Since its founding in
1909, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and
children have benefitted from various services aimed
at turning their lives around. Many, who for years
were homeless on the streets, were rehabilitated and
I have enjoyed
helping to put smiles
on the faces of less
fortunate
persons – both young
and old – in the
Detroit area. You
can't put a price tag
on it.
Top 10 Influen al Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022 ( Volume 2)
27

equipped with marketable skills that enabled them to get
stable sources of income and live in their own apartment or
single-family home.
Many children whose education would have been cut short
because of domestic violence, parental loss of income, or
substance use disorder were given the opportunity to grow
and continue their learning in a safe and stable
environment. Homeless Veterans have found hope and help
through our dedicated programs.
Countless Detroit kids have made new friends, taken a
break from technology, boosting their self-confidence, and
developed teamwork skills and resilience at our state-of-
the-art camp – Wildwood Ranch in Howell Michigan. Each
month, our food bank in Roseville, the Lighthouse Outreach
Center, continues to be of great service to over 1000
families facing food insecurity in Macomb County.
And unlike many other nonprofits, the books, clothes,
shoes, toys, winter gear, furniture, and other items that
generous individuals and organizations donate to us are in
turn donated to those in need. We do not sell donated items.
In fact, we have difference-making community food and toy
distribution outreaches in over a dozen Michigan
cities – and we do so in partnership with police
departments, mayors, etc.
Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion
on the importance of non-profit organizations working
towards public well-being?
The fact is there are many people in our communities who
are facing a myriad of tough challenges that governments
and businesses are not best equipped to deal with. That's
where nonprofits come in.
They partner with government agencies, businesses, and
generous individuals and families to address those tough
challenges. For instance, here at DRMM, we have the right
know-how and experience to deal with homelessness and
substance use disorder and have won so many awards for
providing needed solutions.
We are efficient and effective in solving problems that affect
people in underserved communities – and we do so at a
reduced cost. Besides, we are answerable not only to donor
agencies in the public sector and the foundations but also to
members of the community who bought into our charitable
mission and regularly support us as volunteers and donors.
Together, we change many lives for good.
Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on
global economies, how did you drive your organization
to sustain operations while ensuring the safety of your
employees?
We heard about the virus before it became public
knowledge, and quickly, we began taking the right steps to
sustain our operations while protecting our guests and
dedicated staff. We bought face masks and hospital-grade
disinfectants before many individuals and organizations
rushed to get them. And as soon as local, state, and federal
authorities announced relevant health protocols, we readily
implemented them at our various locations.
Also, in partnership with the Detroit Health Department,
regular testing is done at our sites. We also opened overflow
and quarantine shelters that have proven very effective in
limiting the spread of the virus. While doing all that, we
continued updating our partners and donors about our
progress, and they have been very supportive.
What is your opinion on inculcating gender
egalitarianism within the organizational culture from a
leadership perspective?
Women are half the population of the State of
Michigan – 50.7 percent to be precise. So, organizations
that discriminate against them are denying themselves the
skills and good work of 50.7 percent of the population.
That means they are shooting themselves in the foot and
hurting society.
Here at DRMM, we provide employment opportunities to
all qualified and interested persons who believe in our
Mission Statement, irrespective of their gender or race. In
fact, many staff in supervisory, managerial, and leadership
positions are female. Our chief operating officer, vice
president for programs, HR director, director of housing,
director of community engagement, and director of
volunteer services are all female.
I can go on and on. Also, many of our programs in cities
like Detroit and Port Huron serve women in need, and we
have a strong and well-known policy of not turning away
anybody that comes to us for help.
What advice do you have for individuals who aspire to
venture into the non-profit public service space?
I will tell them to get a broader understanding of the needs
28

and challenges of their target beneficiaries, create good and
mutually benefitting partnerships and alliances, hire people
who are dedicated to their mission, and do everything
possible to keep their costs low without compromising on
the quality of service.
And if they need coaching and mentoring, I will be glad to
help as time permits. Over the years, I have had the honor
of coaching and mentoring dozens of emerging non-profit
leaders who are doing very well in different American
cities, including here in Detroit.
How do you plan on scaling DRMM and its services in
2022 and beyond?
We are about to launch our Certified Community
Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) in Livonia at a big
building given to us by one of our biggest donors. And
that's exciting because the services we will render there
meet important needs in the city, and we already have fine
support from the city government and remarkable
collaboration with important agencies and organizations.
Also, we are exploring partnership opportunities with
agencies and organizations in a few Michigan cities that
have the need for our various services.

Reasons
is the
of
Year
Why
2022
Workplace
Culture
What is culture, and where do we find it?
The answer to the classic question is 213.65 million. The
digits served as an answer are the registered companies
worldwide. Every organization, be it small, medium, or
large scale, is influenced, flourished, and expanded with a
magic recipe known as culture. But the question still
remains, what is culture?
On a generalized understanding, culture is the practices
implemented to organize a community to function in an
orderly fashion. Moving into the specificity of the
etymological concept of culture, the best site to explore is
OUR WORKPLACE.
As we walk every step of our workplace, employees are
guided to function as per the organizational code of
conduct. Be it the uniformity of employees, the daily office
workflow, or rejuvenating tea breaks, we are conditioned
into the cultural behavior pattern. It is the culture that gets
us going and flourishes us into an organized community.
Workplaces have always been flexible to adapt to changes,
and with the recent paradigm shift of being work from the
30

Corporate Ethos
31

office to work from anywhere, 2022 is predicted to be the
Year of Workplace Culture.
Comforting Employees with Flexible Work
The pandemic storm took employees and employers on a
roller coaster ride. Office cubicles were minimized to laptop
screens, and conference meetings found their resolve in
cloud systems. Knowing these shifts, companies are
looking forward to making flexible work modes permanent.
These flexibilities offer multiple benefits. It is not necessary
to migrate to a particular region for work. No relocation or
hassles of commutation is needed.
With flexible work modules, one might work from the
beachside or while enjoying a cup of coffee. These
restrictions of the organizational structure have blurred, and
new definitions of workplace culture are getting defined.
Recognizing Employees, Boosting Productivity
Out of many workforces engagement hacks, recognizing
employees' hardships is the major one. The best solution to
increase work productivity, companies are inculcating a
practice of appreciating employees for their hardship and
helping them cross individual and industry barriers.
It is important that employees' contribution to the
organization is visible. In the new world of hybrid work
culture, employers are using data insights to understand
performance reports and engage with employees to amplify
their existing productivity ratio.
Social engagement is one of the challenges in the out-of-
office work mode, but corporates are scouting for new ways
to compensate for the old norm. Connecting with
employees and enabling the workforce to engage in
different activities will be a positive way ahead.
Connection Drives Workplace Culture
It is widely accepted that connections between employees
of an organizational setting play a significant role in
boosting work productivity. The more employees feel
strongly connected with their subordinates, the more likely
they are to be engaged in work. Understanding these
dynamics of employee engagement, companies will shift
their focus to people-centered programs.
Amongst many, the top human resource hack initiatives are
diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. These assist
organizations in employee development, fostering
personnel management in its people while establishing a
bond of trust and belongingness between employees,
subordinates, employers, and the organizational setting.
Technocratizing the WorkForce
Fostering value-based training to employees has many
benefits to the organization, and coupling them with
technological advancement can be the cherry on the cake!
Today, technology has imbibed into every business, and
encapsulating the advancement is the need of time. It has
become highly important that the office applications be
integrated and personalized as per the organization's
employee pool needs.
As technology bridges between employees and the
employer, technology awareness have become necessary
more than an option.
The Last Words
With remote work culture, tech-mediated communication
has derided the importance of human connectivity, losing
empathy, creating a world of AI automated robots, and un-
knitting the social fabric of companies.
Moving ahead in 2022, company policies will focus on an
employee-centric approach while utilizing technology
marvels for the mutual benefit of employees and employers.
Driving these practices with a cohesive approach can sprout
an era of socio-economic balance leading to a workplace
culture that exemplifies social harmony and inclusive
development.
- Bhushan Bhad
32

Matthew
Brown
Enhancing modern Digital Marke ng through
Strategic Planning
created in the industry. Following are the excerpts of the
interview:
Matthew, please give us a brief overview of your journey
as the CEO of Digital Kungfu.
Digital Kungfu began life as a content production company
with a variety of clients in different industries. Soon, our
technical team realized that about 90% of the business's
clientele were technology companies. At first, it was just an
observation, but then we started conducting customer
feedback interviews and realized that we worked best with
technology businesses because we really understood them.
We understood their products, the challenges their
customers faced, their lead generation challenges, and their
markets.
Based on these insights, we took a big risk. Instead of
widening our net, we niched down and focused exclusively
on technology businesses.
In this era of digitization and immense online public
presence, businesses cannot ignore digital marketing to
flourish andsustain.
Marketers are realizing the significance of digital marketing
and are plunging into it like never before. This year's digital
marketing trends are expected to bring about a bigger
revolution to facilitate better customer reach. Digital
Marketing helps companies reach their targeted audience
across the globe, with little investments and higher revenue
conversion.
However, most digital marketing companies market without a
strategy. A marketing strategy gives businesses direction and
helps them understand the customer and their position in the
market.
Digital Kungfu is one such company that helps businesses
carveout marketingstrategiesandmuchmore.
Digital Kungfu had begun its journey as a content production
company while offering services to a variety of clients in
different industries. Digital Kungfu began its eventful run
with a determined innovative outlook and has never looked
backsincethen.
Today Digital Kungfu has prominent clients of the industry,
including Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and other major
technology brands. They have generated over $24 million for
theircustomersinover50countriesand200industries.
CEO of Digital Kungfu, Matthew Brown, articulates his
vision, the journey of the company, and the impact it has
Without deal flow, technology
companies can't support the businesses
they serve. Each new brand we launch
solves a different problem, with our
proprietary technology forming the
founda on of our solu ons.
34

Ma hew Brown
CEO
Digital Kungfu
35

Today, remaining niche, specializing in the technology sector,
and working with many of the world's top technology
vendors, distributors and partners has given us unparalleled
insight into the value chain challenges that hardware and
software businessesface.
Digital Kungfu was the first solution we took to market
because it solved the immediate need for sales-qualified
pipelines. Without deal flow, technology companies cannot
support the businesses they serve. Each new brand we
launch solves a different problem, with our proprietary
technology forming the foundation of our solutions.
Tell us more about Digital Kungfu, its vision, and how
its distinct offerings are impacting the industry and its
clients.
I have always been captivated by technology. As a kid
growing up in the 80s and 90s, I watched first-hand as arcade
games shifted into Nintendos, faxes made way for email, and
home computers became a reality – not to mention the first
Nokias and Motorolas to reach SouthAfrican shores. In short,
I was at the forefront of the first generation who integrated
technologyintoeverydaylife.
This fascination would only grow as I started my first job at a
management consultancy that focused on technology
outsourcing. It was the late '90s, and I could already see the
impact that technology can have on a business. The right tech
deployed in the right way has the potential to increase
revenue, reduce risk, and reduce expenses. It's a game-
changer.
Today, Digital Kungfu is the premier demand generation and
pipeline acceleration partner to technology businesses, a
niche I believe is essential if our businesses are going to make
apositiveimpactontheworld.
I have always recognized that technology has the power to
solve the key challenges that businesses face. Our role is to
support their growth into key markets so that they can have the
biggestimpactpossible.
how do you plan to navigate similar situations in the
future?
During COVID, Digital Kungfu's team had grown from ten
employees to fifty employees, a steep curve to support the
company's continued growth as new brands are added to the
fold.
36

I have a clear vision of where I want to take the company and
grow. The 2024 Vivid Vision that our leadership team is
working towards includes Digital Kungfu valued as a
USD100-million company by the end of 2024. You cannot
accomplish incredible feats as a team if your vision isn't bold
and audacious. It must excite the people who work with you
and those that are responsible for bringing that vision to
reality.
the same time?
We had made the decision in early 2020 to have fully
remote and productive staff. While implementing weekly
tasks to ensure the staff and leadership team was mentally
fit, I also took time out of my day to call each staff member
and check on their well-being.
What is your opinion on the adoption of modern
technologies like AI and ML in the sales and marketing
space?
Through the years, I have realized that the business
environment is more unpredictable than it was five years ago
andthatchangeisaccelerating.
Accelerated change can be disconcerting for some, but we
have always embraced the fact that with change comes great
opportunities. We love change. The greatest businesses and
teams in the world know how to adapt and take advantage of
change.
It is a topic I have discussed often on my podcast, The Matt
Brown Show, and it centers on whether people have a fixed
mindset or a growth mindset. Fixed mindsets cannot look
beyond their challenges. They tend towards a victim
mentalityandarenotabletopivotoradapt.
On the other hand, growth mindsets are very different. They
look at the world and ask, what I need to learn, and how do I
need to adapt and change to make the most of my ever-shifting
environment?
While many businesses are going out of business or suffering
due to COVID-19, Black SwanTechnology Holdings and its
subsidiaries are making the most of the gaps in the market. By
recognizing that the technology landscape will always evolve
and that more opportunity comes with change, there is no
choicebut totakeadvantageofit.
I've always recognized that technology
has the power to solve the key
challenges that businesses face. Our role
is to support their growth into key
markets so that they can have the
biggest impact possible.
aspiring to venture into the sales and marketing
industry?
The key to building a multi-million-dollar business is failing
faster, which might sound counterintuitive, but it is the only
waytochangeanindustryfrom theinsideout.
Everyone fails. Failure is growth. You need to figure out what
does not work before you can perfect what does. One of the
advantages that we have always had over our competitors is
that Digital Kungfu fails faster. We fail, learn the lesson,
adjust our offering and ultimately, find success at a faster rate
tostayahead.
Additionally, we know that anybody can copy the products
thatBlackSwanTechnologyHoldings takestothemarket,but
it is far harder – if not impossible – to copy the culture of the
company.
You don't know what you don't know, which means you are
often reaching out into new territory to figure things out, and
when that happens, you are very likely to stumble and fall.
That'sokay–justmakesure yougetbackupagain.
37

Ne a Jenkins
Co-Founder
40

t can be safe to state that truly great leaders recognize
Ithe existing problems in society and come up with
innovative solutions to resolve those, making a real
difference. In our quest to find such leaders for our
upcoming edition, Top 10 Influential Business Leaders
Making a Difference 2022, at Insights Success, we crossed
paths with one such prominent leader, Netta Jenkins, the
Co-founder of Dipper.
In the following interview, Netta sheds light on her
inspiring journey in the corporate world and the challenges
that she faced on the way to becoming the leader that she is
today.
Please brief our audience about your journey as the Co-
founder of Dipper.
My journey as Co-founder of Dipper has been a gift. I met
my business partner Jacinta Mathis at our former company.
We were among the few Black female leaders at the
organization and quickly became sisters. She shared her
idea about Dipper in a coffee shop, and it gave me chills.
The idea of creating a platform that guides professionals to
better workplaces and helps companies improve was
intriguing. She shared her vision, and I told her I was all in.
My partner, Jacinta, knew pretty well what it was like to be
Black in corporate settings. Her late father, Sam Mathis,
was promoted to a leadership role in diversity and inclusion
at Darden Restaurants, a Fortune 500 company, in the
1990s.
I, however, grew up in a racist affluent neighborhood
located in Rhode Island, where our neighbors could not
stand the sight of a Black family on that block and looked at
us with disgust due to the melanin of our skin. I recall
neighbors telling their children not to play with us and
pulling them into the house when we got close.
I remember my mom being pulled over in our driveway,
and the officer said, "ma'am, are you lost"? My mom said,
"no, I just parked, and I'm on my land." One day, while
helping my mother clean the leaves in our front yard,
unprovoked, a Caucasian woman walked up to my mother
with rage, cursing, spit in my face, and said, "Blacks don't
belong in this neighborhood!" Stunned as a seven-year-old,
I vowed to use my voice to protect and empower
marginalized people and especially my family from that day
forward.
Enlighten us on how Dipper functions and what its goals
are.
Dipper, a technology platform aimed at reviewing and
rating diversity and inclusivity for employers by people of
color, is flipping the script and shifting our workplace
cultures for the better. A solutions platform connects all
people of color and helps employers and employees
navigate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the
workplace.
Dipper guides professionals of color to a better workplace
one review at a time, whether good, bad or indifferent.
Dipper is a safe community for people to gain real insight
into the most inclusive-equitable places that actively break
down systemic gaps, offer growth opportunities, and have
zero tolerance for micro-aggressions, discrimination, and
oppression.
Netta Jenkins
Adding Depth to Diversity and Inclusion with Dipper
Dipper is safe to
have honest
conversations,
whether positive or
negative.
“
“
Top 10 Influen al Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022
41

N
Companies are investing in Diversity and Inclusion, but we
don't see the needle moving.
Dipper is revolutionizing the $8 billion companies spend on
Diversity and Inclusion by offering data-driven solutions.
We believe that our solutions will scale and disrupt the
work culture globally.
Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how
social interaction for working professionals has changed
over time and what more could be expected shortly?
We have a golden rule of "do not speak negatively about an
employer." This leads to many systemically overlooked
employees not feeling comfortable speaking up about the
harm taking place in the workplace. They fear that it will
impact their future opportunities. Dipper is safe to have
honest conversations, whether positive or negative.
Dipper also qualifies experiences to get an overall sense of
how the company feels about diversity. Without Dipper, job
seekers would ask different systemically overlooked
professionals in their social network or use a social
platform like LinkedIn in hopes that someone would tell
you something fruitful and be honest about their
experiences.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, what initial challenges
did you face?
During the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I had a baby
girl. Let me tell you, I was so nervous. My husband could
not stay with me overnight. I was alone with my baby and
paranoid.
I had a cesarean section, and you typically need to keep at
least four days+ in the hospital, but I was out of the hospital
the day after. I had a one-year-old at home who became ill
with the virus. He was admitted to the hospital for a week.
Oh, he became sick two days after returning home with my
newborn. Let's just say it was a tough time during the
pandemic.
What is your opinion on teaching gender egalitarianism
within the company culture from a leadership
perspective?
We should be changing the attitudes of humans to increase
equality amongst both in the workplace. At this point, that
means that we increase opportunities for women in
executive roles. This means that all of us in executive
positions should be offering sponsorship to women leaders.
We need to be taking a critical look at our executive teams
and ask ourselves, "does our executive team represent our
clientele, our workforce, and our society?" If so, then we
should be asking, "do we have processes in place to ensure
that we continue to value diversity?" If not, then we need to
ask, "why would systematically overlooked candidates want
to work and stay here?"
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
and professionals?
Find your tribe, and don't be afraid to ask for help. You can't
do this work alone. Think about folks you cross paths with
and reach out to.
How do you plan on scaling Dipper and its offerings in
2022 and beyond?
Dipper is blossoming, and it's a beautiful thing to see. We
started solely focused on B2C, and our audience requested
we have our platform exclusively in their organizations. As
a result, we hired a business development leader, Rahdiah
Barnes, President of NAMIC organization that now focuses
on Dippers B2B advancement.
“
“
Dipper is
blossoming, and
it's a beautiful
thing to see.
42

S
ince 1990, the internet has taken over the globe, use
of the internet is one of the needs in this digitalized
world. More than 60 percent of the world's
population uses internet services on their digital devices.
Written content, pictures, videos, documents, and a few
confidential data are available on the internet. Only a small
portion of that data can be considered secured, but the rest
is just there on world-wide-web.
A data breach or cyber-attack is happening every 40
seconds, most of the attacks are happening through emails.
So, Cybersecurity is a must nowadays. Cybersecurity
contains defending computers, servers, mobile devices,
electronic systems, networks, and data from the cyber-
attack.
Serving and protecting the nation by doing national duty to
Co-Founder and CEO of Cympire, Yaniv Shachar, from
2019 he provides security to his clients preventing the
cyberattacks. A man with discipline and ethics, took
education while serving the nation. As he worked in
different organizations at the manager level, he is filled with
leadership skills, and the focus is to create a safer world
with the help of technology.
Recently, we had conversation with Yaniv Shachar to learn
more about the personal journey and how his organization
is dealing in the market.
Following is an excerpt of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as the CEO of
Cympire.
I started my career in the Israeli navy. I volunteered for the
naval combat officers' course at the age of eighteen (18) and
spent the next 18 years as a naval combat officer and
commander.
During my service I was able to complete my bachelors'
degree in Economics.
In 2009, I decided to make a change and pursue a business
career. I joined a private company – Logic, which was
executing mega projects in the homeland security field. I
started as Program manager where I led a global group of
project teams in large-scale, multi-million-dollar, security
projects within the Oil & Gas industry.
In 2013, I was promoted to lead the Project Execution
Division where I took responsibility for an extensive
portfolio of security programs and projects, globally. My
responsibilities included full profit-loss accountability,
Projects execution, and both customer and stakeholders'
relationships.
I gained invaluable experience in all the aspects of a senior
executive role, and despite this highly challenging and
fulfilling time, I completed the Executive MBA program at
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 2015, I joined Magal Security Systems as part of a
management transformation, shortly after the company was
acquired by the largest private equity fund in Israel. In
addition to leading the Israeli company, my main task was
to build and shape seven subsidiaries into the "Integrated
Solutions Division" with direct responsibility for the other
subsidiaries globally.
Once again, I found myself in a highly rewarding and
incredibly challenging environment, culminating
successfully when the division was acquired by Aeronautics
Group.
After 10 years of senior executive roles in private and
public (Nasdaq) companies I decided that I wanted to build
something new.
Yaniv Shachar
Yaniv Shachar
Creating Cyberworld Safer through Discipline, Innovation, and Education
“
“
“
“
“
“
‘We believe that mission-
ready cyber professionals are
a critical component towards
a safer world.'
Top 10 Influen al Business Leaders Making a Difference 2022 (Volume1)
45

Cyber security relevance increases year over year, and we
wanted to build a solution that focuses on developing the
human aspect of cyber resilience. We know that the weakest
entry point to your organization is through phishing attacks
and social engineering. Therefore, your organization invests
in state-of-the-art defensive technologies. Unless your
response teams know what, they are observing and how
they should react, then your investment is not delivering on
its potential.
We believe that mission-ready cyber professionals are a
critical component towards a safer world. Our mission is to
improve cyber professionals' skills and readiness by
providing effective hands-on immersive training in real
world conditions – realistic scenarios, using real cyber
defensive tools in a safe and challenging environment.
Enlighten us on how Cympire has made an impact in
the Cybersecurity training space through its stronghold
in the industry?
We believe in creating a safer world through innovation and
education. With that mission in mind, we built the world's
most advanced cyber security training and assessment
platform.
Our cloud native platform enables cyber security teams to
gain practical and relevant experience that increases their
cyber resilience through continuous training and assessment
of their cyber skills. The training experience is fully
gamified to truly engage the trainees.
Valuable insights are provided
for management to easily
understand and assess
their teams' skills and readiness level, highlighting, for
example, where improvements are needed. Our "Scenario
Builder" allows our customers and partners to create new
training scenarios or customize existing scenarios in
minutes. It enables you to tailor and/or customize the
training to fit your specific organization characteristics. This
is a unique capability that helps us grow the business and
expand our content offering.
Our platform also comes with a vast library of pre-built
simulations. You can easily filter the content by variables
such as length of exercise, difficulty, attack vector, and
topics (among others). The platform is streamlined to
minimize the time and effort needed to prepare or set up the
exercises. That is the direction in which we are pushing the
industry.
It is very important to mention that the platform is cloud
native and completely non-intrusive to your organization.
There are no setup costs or infrastructure required and we
don't install anything. All that is needed is a laptop and an
internet connection.
Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion
on how the adoption of modern technologies in the
cybersecurity sector has transformed the industry and
what more could be expected in the near future?
The cyber landscape is constantly transforming. The
defensive tools and technologies are constantly
developed and yet cybercrime costs
outweigh the cyber technology
market by a factor of ten!

and that everyone is given the same respect and
opportunities regardless of their gender identity.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the cybersecurity industry
and the related market?
I often hear people giving the advice to just keep trying, and
while that is true, it doesn't paint the whole picture. If you
try the same thing over and over again, you are not setting
yourself up for success. You have to try and fail and try
again, but what matters is what you do in between those
steps. You have to keep learning and truly become an expert
in your field. Even if you are confident in your knowledge
and skills, there is usually still a lot to learn. If you ever
reach a point where you feel like you've learned all that is
out there on a particular topic, then that is an opportunity
for you to push the boundaries and innovate.
Create your own path and give others more to learn. This
approach is a significant time commitment, so you should
choose your path carefully and go with something you are
genuinely passionate about. That level of dedication and
passion isn't a guarantee for success, but it improves your
odds.
How do you plan on scaling Cympire and its offerings in
2022 and beyond?
Cybercrime is on the rise and Cyber professional teams are
understaffed, undertrained, and unprepared. Cympire is
committed to continuously improving and delivering the
best solution possible to help tackle one of the most
important global challenges of our time
There are new cyber threats every day, and our team is
continually working on new material for our training
platform. We will continue to expand our content library to
ensure that our clients are well prepared for current threats
– and we keep our R&D engaged in developing easier and
faster customization and creation of content. We are also
working on solutions based on feedback from our partners
and customers. I cannot share the details but there is
definitely much to look forward to, so keep an eye on our
LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date.
Cympire is creating a safer world through innovation and
education. We invite you to join the ride.
That is because threat actors are also ever evolving and
improving, but that is honestly one of the things I like about
this industry - every day is a new challenge. The
development of new and improved defensive technologies
takes time, and it can be difficult to keep up with the
attackers.
That is why I am a firm believer that the only way to forge
an effective defence is through a combination of innovation,
education, and a global network of industry professionals to
share knowledge. Cloud-based cyber security training is the
future. It allows us to deliver training for emerging threats
in a fraction of the time it would take to organize an in-
person workshop or set up dedicated infrastructure for
training scenarios.
Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on
global economies, how did you drive Cympire to sustain
operations while ensuring safety of your employees?
The accelerated digitization changes the way people work
and how they interact with content. When we conceived
Cympire, we knew that a cloud native solution would be the
future of cyber security training.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital
transformation, emphasizing just how relevant a cloud-
based service is. Our clients were able to seamlessly
continue their training without compromising their personal
safety.
At Cympire we adapted quickly to operate the company in a
hybrid model. Working in cyber security means that we are
faced with new challenges every day, so we approached it
as another challenge for us to overcome. Of course, there
are team tasks that are easier to perform face to face and
human interaction within a team is paramount, but safety is
our priority.
What is your opinion on inculcating gender
egalitarianism within the company culture from a
leadership perspective?
Unfortunately, cyber security is still a male-dominated field.
We hope that the push to get more women into STEM will
also mean an increase of women in cyber security. Progress
is slow, but I think the rise of start-ups has helped set a new
standard for how workplaces can be.
In recent years, people have become much more conscious
of the importance of a good work environment. To that end,
it is essential to ensure that nobody is discriminated against
47

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