Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

While remote working has brought about flexibility in work schedules and helped improve employee productivity, it has no doubt brought on its own set of challenges too - such as a lack of work-life balance.In this final segment of a two-part special feature, Priya Sunil speaks to nine leaders across industries on what remote working means for their workforce, and if they see it as a permanent fixture of the future.Are you for or against remote working, and if so, in what format?

Cloris Gu, HR Director, Eaton East Asia

Eaton has been an advocate for remote working for some time. We understand some employees would require flexible working arrangements due to non-work commitments. We want to ensure were able to support them where possible so theyre able to better balance their work and personal responsibilities efficiently.

Susan Otto, Chief People Officer, BlackLine

We are mainly proponents of remote working. Our employees have shown incredible resilience and productivity ever since weve had to implement office-wide work from home arrangements. Weve adapted to remote working well given the nature of our industry where digitalisation and automation are at the core of our business. However, we understand different industries/businesses might take to it differently.

Jessica Simpson, Human Resources Director, Amgen Singapore Manufacturing

The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed Amgen to transcend boundaries and experiment with new ways of working while ensuring that health, safety and the well-being of our staff remain top priority. Over the past year, we have made huge strides into an area of work flexibility that we never thought was possible in our bio-manufacturing industry and have successfully adapted to the realities of work-from- home, making remote working arrangements more effective and productive than ever.

Technology lies at the heart of the future of work. That said, we are cognizantsome industries such as bio-manufacturing could never fully go remote at least for now - because some processes would still require workers to collaborate in the same place or to conduct critical work in a specific location.

So, while remote working appears to be here to stay since it is workable for many roles and provides staff with a much-needed ability to better harmonise between workand personal demands, embedding this as part of our new normal will require flexibility on the part of all workers and for all to learn how to work in a different way to ensure business outcomes are not compromised.

Going forward, the future of work is creative, flexible and human. Companies are expected to increasingly adopt a hybrid style of working that balances remote and non-remote work to support the individualized needs of our employees. There is not a one-size-fits-all model and this will take time for our leaders to learn how to be agile and flexible in the way they approach leading teams with this hybrid approach. This model worked well for Amgen in the midst of the pandemic and has enabled us to continue delivering critical medicines for our patients without compromising productivity - all while providing the ability for greater work life harmony for our staff.

With the advent of advanced manufacturing and digital transformation, manufacturing jobs of the future will continue to get redefined. In time to come, we can envision manufacturing processes to be further automated such that workers can control the systems from remote locations, providing opportunities for even further flexibility.

Helen Snowball, Chief Human Resources Officer, JLL Asia Pacific

At JLL, weve always believed in flexible working. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, we had schemes in place such as the Gradual Return to Work Programme to allow employees to ease back to work after a period of leave.

There is no doubt were able to work efficiently and effectively remotely. But what weve also recognised is that the extensive work-from-home period leads to a lack of boundaries between work and personal life.

This is the time for corporates to reimagine remote working. Beyond merely instituting a hybrid or flexible work model where some time is spent in the office and other days at home, we should use this opportunity to create a better employee experience so that employees feel connected to their organisations and colleagues whether theyre at work or at home.

One way could be a building a virtual toolkit where employees can log on to a single platform for all their resources and to better understand their organisation instead of searching through multiple websites since there are less face-to-face opportunities to get these answers.

Vincent Goh, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, CyberArk

The need to pivot to remote working quickly has accelerated digital transformation in both CyberArk and our customer base, so in many ways I believe that remote working has forced businesses in the region to tap into the potential technology brings; in order to adapt and survive there has been a real impetus to make changes that would previously have taken years, and this is refreshing. As CyberArk is a cyber security business, so we see the other side as well. Businesses that rushed into onboarding new applications and services face a different set of cybersecurity challenges.

Remote working means that each one of us is now a potential entry point into the organisation for attackers, so risks have now increased, and organisations have become more vulnerable to cyberattacks than ever.

Cybercriminals are playing on peoples fears around Covid-19 to conduct social-engineering based attacks. So my caveat for remote working for organisations is that it can be very positive in many ways, but it must also be done in such a way that doesnt place the organisation at risk.

Jeannie Wong, Director of Human Resources, Thales in Singapore & South East Asia

As a HR leader, I believe that an efficient workplace is all about maintaining a good balance, and remote working fits in this picture as long as efficiency and results are not compromised.

Thales adapted quickly to remote working, and the Group has also introduced a global Smart Working initiative where each business unit has the ability to adopt a hybrid work model, based around decentralising decisions and empowering managers to decide how best to organise their teams. In South East Asia, the focus lies on creating collaborative workspaces thats based on trust and results.

June Chui, HR Director, Asia Pacific & Japan, Pure Storage

Definitely for. Even before the pandemic, our employees were able to work remotely, with the agreement of their managers, even if we have a physical office space in the employee's location. As a global company with work teams dispersed across regions and collaboration meetings spanning different time zones, remote working enables our employees to accommodate these early mornings and late-night calls while balancing commitments in our personal lives.

Juliana Ang, Chief Human Resources Officer, NTUC Income

The onset of the Circuit Breaker provided the impetus for us to review our working arrangement at Income. In Q3 last year, we have reviewed all the work requirements for our staff and confirmed that 85% of the roles are able to work from home. As such, since Q4 last year, we have implemented a flexible work arrangement where staff who are eligible to work from home could opt to do so on a permanent basis.

Currently, employees are on split team basis and have the flexibility to either return to the physical workspace during their assigned week, or continue to work from home. It has served us well so far, and we continue to enjoy high levels of staff collaboration and productivity.

Beyond just remote working, the key intent of implementing the work-from-home policy is part of the work culture that we want to build, so that Income stays agile and flexible to adopt and embrace changes rapidly as well as stay relevant in an ever-evolving operating landscape.

Niharica Sand, HR Director, REDHILL

Leading the HR practice and developing policies at a global organisation, I am completely for remote working. Since remote working arrangements kicked in since March last year, the HR team at REDHILL have been taking regular pulse surveys and one-on-one check-ins with all our employees across Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East. These regular surveys help us to identify and assess the challenges and needs of our employees, so that we can address and adjust working arrangements in an efficient manner.

At REDHILL, the hybrid format has been the most successful for our organisation thus far. In a hybrid work arrangement, our employees can choose to work in the office (if local regulations permits) or work from home. Having this flexibility allows teams to come in the office once or twice a week to meet their teammates and have discussions to facilitate collaboration and creative thinking. It also allows working parents and interns to work around their own school commitments and shape their own schedules. We find that face-to-face meetings are still more effective for brainstorming, idea generation and group discussions.

We strongly encourage R&R; Responsibility & Reward, where each employee is responsible for their work, and thus rewarded with the flexibility to manage their time and place of work. Looking at the workforce of the future, such policies help attract and retain strong talent.

Pros

Remote working arrangement supports the agile way of working, while also keeping our customers and employees safe at all times. This enables us to drive bottom-up innovation, build collaboration across teams and cultivate an open mindset, so as to sharpen our competitive edge. A conducive work environment and culture can empower staff to be more self-directed.

Acquiring such a mindset is especially important in keeping ourselves motivated and fulfilled at work. One of the ways we promote agile ways of working across Income is by exposing employees to regular personal development through immersive trainings such as Design Thinking workshops.

Cons

However, remote working also brings about some challenges, one of which is the lack of daily face-to-face social interactions which we would normally expect in a regular office setting. It cannot be replaced but we can work around it and still have productive meetings and discussions virtually with the use of technology, open communication and coordination. Team and project meetings within safe distancing measures are also actively encouraged, when it makes it more productive for work to be done together.

Vincent Goh, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, CyberArk

Pros

It has forced us all to make the effort to interact with the people we need to connect with in a different way. An example would be trade show attendance.

Clearly, getting thousands of people in a room is not possible currently and may not be for some time. So it has forced an accelerated shift to digital; to educate, inform and project what CyberArk can do for customers in a way that is vastly different.

Cons

We, at CyberArk are a very people-driven team; its part of our DNA to meet in person to plan, celebrate, and of course to socialise.

Face-to-face interactions have been central to what the company is about. The bonds we have with our colleagues, customers and partners are strong and have survived the pandemic, and flexible working will be part of life going forward.So while I wouldnt say it hasnt worked, we certainly welcome the promise of the upcoming year in terms of enabling more safe physical interaction.

Jeannie Wong, Director of Human Resources, Thales in Singapore & South East Asia

Pros

Remote working implies a certain shift of autonomy back into the hands of the employees so there has to be an implicit level of trust between managers and their people. The approach sees a new way of working which is more technology-immersive, flexible and results-oriented. We have seen teams organise themselves in the best way possible to serve our customers and keep to their commitments, with employees being more focused on high-quality outputs and being more outcome-driven.

Managers have also adjusted expectations to exclude perpetual presenteeism and to focus on whats really important improving collective productivity so we can better deliver to our customers and stakeholders.

Cons

While it has its benefits, remote working is not possible for all departments and all types of work. Thales is involved across a very diverse spectrum of businesses, which include essential services for key sectors like aerospace and rail transportation. Our colleagues in these business units work on industrial and operational sites that require them to be on-premise daily.

Due to the high level of confidentiality required by many of our projects, we also have teams who need to access secured and encrypted servers and other equipment which are only available at our secure sites. For a company like ours, there is no one-size-fits-all solution and the key lies again in empowering our managers to make the best arrangements for their teams to function effectively.

Helen Snowball, Chief Human Resources Officer, JLL Asia Pacific

Pros

Its helped to shift mindsets and accelerate the embracing of technology. Real estate is still largely a traditional industry, but at JLL, we have invested in the best technology tools for our employees to stay connected and collaborative.

Remote working has also intensified the sense of caring and collaboration at JLL.

For instance, our employees in various offices spontaneously set up fitness groups to encourage each other to stay healthy and active while under lockdowns. Other teams rallied together to donate to the less fortunate in their local communities.

Id say remote working boosts the significance of culture and teamwork in JLL. It gives us greater motivation to continue to nurture these aspects even though we may not spend so much time physically together.

Cons

Its clear that there is a mental toll that comes with working from home where employees juggle multiple responsibilities and there is no clear 'switch off' mode. From an HR point of view, we can do more in terms of training and empowering leaders to manage people remotely.

There will be questions around how line managers can feel comfortable and supported with flexible arrangements. How do you communicate expectations and show accountability? Can you build corporate culture and ensure successful on-boarding of new hires remotely?

These are tricky issues to navigate. It could be some time before companies and their HR teams create a sustainable and effective framework for this.

Susan Otto, Chief People Officer, BlackLine

Pros

Most of our employees were able to experience increased productivity due to the elimination of commute time. Many have also shared an improvement in their work-life balance as theyre able to better juggle their personal and work commitments. Overall, the transition to remote working has been manageable for us. However, we understand not everyones home environment is conducive to remote work. Thus, we work closely with the management and team managers to ensure everyone has the resources and support they need as we continue with mass remote work for some time.

Cons

We do miss the organic and casual interactions which can happen in the office. Its not possible to just bump into a colleague on WebEx or Zoom and strike a conversation. While there are tools for collaboration such as using an online whiteboard, its still a different experience compared to doing so in-person. Hence, we do our best to organiseonline gatherings which are more casual in nature such as games sessions when possible so colleagues have additional avenues to connect.

Cloris Gu, HR Director, Eaton East Asia

Pros

Even prior to COVID-19, we had remote working practices to provide employees with the flexibility and support they need to manage their professional and personal commitments efficiently. With no signs to the end of the pandemic just yet, remote working remains essential in helping us ensure the physical safety of our employees. Supplemented with suitable virtual tools and technologies, it also enables our teams to maintain productivity and continuity.

Cons

Humans are by nature gregarious animals - we long for social interactions. While virtual engagement will never go away, it will never replace the value of genuine face-to-face communication either.

Looking beyond corporations like Eaton, there are many who work in service industries that rely on the existence of corporations and office buildings. These individuals livelihoods have been severely impacted with the sudden and mass implementation of remote working during COVID.

As a society, we are all interconnected and are morally obligated to support each other where possible as we continue on the road to recovery.

Niharica Sand, HR Director, REDHILL

Pros

The most important benefit of remote work has been the realisation and its acceptance as a legitimate alternative to being in an office. This shift in working habits has enabled us to empower every individual to focus on what truly matters to them, and the ability to effectively balance their professional and personal lives.

As an organisation, we have witnessed two key benefits to our bottom line: an increase in employee engagement leading to higher productivity, and sprinkled attendance has led to cost reductions.

Employee engagement has significantly improved as a result of conscious efforts to stay engaged with teams during lockdown. We were also able to identify and address internal communication blind-spots. Such efforts have resulted in a reduction in attrition rates while enabling us to attract great talent.

As an organisation, we continue to leverage on multiple digital platforms and communication tools to support our staff to stay productive and happy while they work. Overall remote working has been hugely beneficial for us.

Cons

One major pain point is the inability to have synchronous communication. As every discussion is scheduled in advance, in the creative field, this can hamper workflow. It is not easy to brainstorm and be creative on schedule. The ability to tap your colleague on their shoulder, walk over to their desk, or just join in is greatly reduced. Socialising becomes forced and the conversation flow is no longer organic.

Secondly, performance evaluations are more difficult to assess. Considering most employees did not have a flexible work arrangement before the COVID-19 pandemic, people needed a few months adapting to over-communication, scheduled discussions and working in isolation. Generally, working remotely makes it more difficult to fairly assess each team members contribution and capability.

Data security risk is also a factor, especially for companies that do not have secure devices for their employees. With data the mantra of today, the security of ones IP is of utmost importance.

June Chui, HR Director, Asia Pacific & Japan, Pure Storage

Pros

It has helped in enabling our employees to better balance their work and home lives and we've seen an improvement in employee morale with little impact on productivity. We've seen that remote working also promotes trust and empowerment, as the focus is on delivering business outcomes as opposed to being "seen" in the office.

Cons

While we ourselves have not seen this directly, one possible downside is that the employee doesn't feel a strong bond with the company. Pre-pandemic, our employees were used to mix remote working with coming to the office. Even for our employees who work in locations with no physical offices, we encourage them to occasionally travel to a location with an office so they can build that bond. In this period of lockdown, we're overcoming this by encouraging our managers and their team members to over-communicate on goals, delivery commitments and feedback.

Managing a remote team is challenging and we provide many tools and resources to our people managers to be conscious of the different aspects including the unconscious bias against team members they may see more often face to face vis-a-vis remote team members.

Jessica Simpson, Human Resources Director, Amgen Singapore Manufacturing

Original post:

Is remote working really the future? Leaders from Amgen, Eaton, JLL and more weigh in - Human Resources Online

Launched in 2012, YourStory's Book Review section features over 280 titles on creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation. See also our related columns The Turning Point, Techie Tuesdays, and Storybites.

Innovation through a combination of perspectives and cultures can spawn new types of value creation. Methods, theories, and stories of fusion innovation in action are presented in the must-read book Innovation Through Fusion: Combining Innovative Ideas to Create New Solutions by CJ Meadows.

This hefty 500-page book profiles 30 world-class innovators with multiple backgrounds. Each inspiring story is based on in-depth interviews with innovators as well as their colleagues and family members, with links to short videos.

Nuclear fusion produces massive energy from combining two nuclei similarly, cross-disciplinary fusion can lead to new types of offerings, organisations and business models. The book combines academic research with inspirational storytelling to illustrate these processes.

CJ Meadows is Director of i2i, the Innovation and Insights Center of SP Jain School of Global Management in Singapore. She has a doctorate in business administration and IT from Harvard Business School, and has over 20 years of international experience as an entrepreneur and coach. She also founded The Tiger Center, a social enterprise in India.

Here are my key takeaways from the 39 chapters in this compelling book, summarised as well in the table below. See also my reviews of the related books The Seven Principles of Complete Co-creation, Cross-Industry Innovation, The Art of Noticing, Non-Obvious Trends, The Serendipity Mindset, and The Creative Thinking Handbook.

The author defines a fusioneer as one who innovates across boundaries between industry, field, country, or social class. They are interdisciplinary creators, lateral innovators, borderless free-thinkers, and boundary-crossing integrators.

Fusioneers have T-shaped personalities, and are sometimes regarded as oddballs. They cross-fertilise ideas, synthesise models, and create mash-ups at intersections of different fields. Through the centuries, opportunities for creativity have mushroomed by mixing and marrying ideas from different industries and countries, and we are now in a new renaissance, the author explains.

A fusioneer is outwardly open. They are highly aware, great listeners, and observant noticers. They are also inwardly open, and are deeply aware of their own interests and talents while excelling in self-management, work-life integration and spiritual reflection as well.

A fusioneer develops an ongoing collection of ideas, people, experiences, skills, certifications and degrees for the workshop of the mind, the author evocatively explains. To sense changes in the world, the fusioneer cultivates a unique lens without prejudice, and is able to see, map and analyse things others miss.

A fusioneer does not just make choices between alternatives but combines or fuses approaches. They deconstruct and re-assemble, and the combination leads to new value creation.

A fusioneer embodies the different types of empathy: emotional, cognitive, and compassionate. They sense and resonate with others emotions, can understand their point of view, and move to action.

Of the 30 fusion innovators profiled, most of them spent six months or more in multiple nations, the author observes. Crossing international boundaries helps them cross other boundaries between cultures and disciplines as well, the author explains.

They have mental diversity irrespective of advanced degrees, and dont just do jobs but create jobs. They are self-directed and driven by inner motivation rather than external incentives.

Many of these facets were discovered by the author using a tool called Multicultural Personality Assessment. An outstanding table in the book (Table 3.1) summarises the innovators international experience, organisations, achievements, and impact.

The bulk of the book features illustrated stories of 30 fusioneers, with personal and professional journeys. Unfortunately, some of the figures are generic photo-stock images and there is a disconnect between the captions, image, and chapter text. Perhaps leaving some images without captions may have helped instead.

References for each chapter are drawn from books, TED talks, HBR, and academic journals like Journal of Experimental Psychology and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. It would have been great to have an integrated reference section at the end of the book, pulling all these resources together.

Some of the referenced books have been reviewed by YourStory as well, such as Dual Transformation, Gamechangers, and Innovators DNA. See also our reviews of Creative Edge and Introvert Entrepreneur.

Samuel Gan is a scientist, product developer and educator, who converts some of his knowledge into mobile apps for mass audiences (e.g. DNAapp, VibraTilt). The creative problem solver also co-founded an academic journal on mobile apps, and likes to link fieldwork with labs.

Jawahar Kanjilal pioneered a number of mobile features during his Nokia days in India, such as the ringtone deal for Saare Jahan Se Accha, mobile insurance, Visual Radio, and Life Tools for rural users.

Matthew Rooda, Founder of the aptly-named SwineTech (Fitbit on a pig), developed and combined expertise in agriculture, medicine and engineering to solve the problems of pig breeders.

Robest Young has won the title Malaysias National Inventor of the Year, with a string of products to solve daily problems. The tinkerer has come up with mosquito glue (to attract and kill them, rather than repel them), micro-fertilisers, combined sink-cistern, smartphone accessories for the blind, and rubber stamp technology inspired by the printing industry.

Sister Cyril Mooney was Principal of the Loreto Sealdah School in Kolkata. She extended the private schools facilities for underprivileged and disabled children, combining educational and social causes with a humanitarian mission.

Jack Sim is a serial and social entrepreneur in areas like sanitation, founding the Restroom Association in Singapore, the World Toilet Summit, and BoP Hub accelerator. He was so talkative as a child that he would often be made to stand outside the class (outstanding student, he jokes).

Margaret Connors extended the practice of urban farming as a livelihood generator (green collar labour) for poor communities and food security for neighbourhoods in the US. She founded City Growers and the Urban Farming Institute.

Raffi Rembrand is CTO of BioHug Technologies and an expert in autism diagnosis, blending audiology and touch technology. His inner journey is shaped by his own experience as a parent of an autistic child.

Indian expat Krish Krishnan founded strategy consultancy Jeiva International, and is an advisor to healthcare firm ImmunoHeal. He developed technology for over-clothing breast cancer detection.

Ravi Kumar Banda founded XCyton diagnostics to combine bacterial and viral testing in an affordable manner for broader social benefit. Scientist Adeline Sim specialises in computational structural biology at the Bioinformatics Institute in Singapore.

Drawing on his international and multi-disciplinary background, Livio Valenti founded Vaxess Technologies, which created vaccines that were embedded in silk protein fibres. Med-tech developer Chin Sau Yin is President of Biotech Connection Singapore, and fuses polymer science with healthcare technologies.

Melissa Kwee is a social entrepreneur, blending business with social causes and philanthropy. She has worked on improving the lives of imprisoned mothers and their children. This polymath also served as President of UN Women Singapore, and co-founded One Degree Asia and the Halogen Foundation.

Grace Sai combined co-working spaces, mentorship networks, and events for business and social causes. She founded Books for Hope as a library network in rural Indonesia, and launched Impact Hub in Singapore.

Rick Smolan nurtured his childhood passion for photography and worked at Time, National Geographic and Life magazines. He combined this skill with an entrepreneurial flair and launched bestseller books like A Day in the Life series (Australia, Medicine, One Digital Day, Big Data). He excelled in sensing and visualisation emotion and finding corporate sponsors for his projects by sensing their needs and aspirations.

Ted Saad, of Palestinian heritage, made a mark in the US by combining multiple media businesses; the Emmy Award winner also branched out into wellness products. Chen Yi spent years doing hard labour during the Culture Revolution in China, but emigrated to the US and became a successful composer blending Chinese and Western classical music.

George Kolovos was an early e-commerce pioneer (MenuLog), and expanded into sports and the Quad Caf business as well. Chef Ryan Clift combines multiple cuisines and sciences into his series of restaurants; he began as a dishwasher, and insists that all staff be respected.

Jack Cowin spotted a long line outside a restaurant, which sparked him to launch a series of fast-food restaurants in Australia. He also launched a tourism business for tourists to climb atop Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Arun Abey is of Indian and Sri Lankan origin, and his experience with hardship as an immigrant in Australia sensitised him to the empowerment of financial services. He fused macro- and micro-economic theory with innovative business models in his company, Ipac Securities.

Karen Stephenson, a pioneer in organisational social network analysis and corporate anthropology, combined perspectives from quantum physics, ethnology, mathematical modelling, and management consulting. The founder of Netform Resources, she got an epiphany while watching people movement patterns from an upstairs office on the mezzanine floor.

Mihnea Moldoveanu founded Redline in the early Internet days, and made a mark in the ADSL modem space. He later founded the Centre for Integrative Thinking at the University of Toronto.

Parag Khanna is a founder (Factotum), strategy advisor (Hybrid Reality), author (Connectography) and policy specialist (National University of Singapore). He blends perspectives from technology, geography, and government.

Integrative thinker Edy Greenblatt fuses body and mind by combining dance, ethnology and executive coaching. She helps others focus on the integrated self and integrated team. Sean Leas combined his knowledge of intercultural contexts and corporate environments to become an expert in running international joint ventures.

Sports scientist Kenneth Graham leveraged statistical insights to perfect his dives, winning the best Olympic scores. He coaches across sports disciplines, viewing athletic performances from different perspectives. He also invented a tumbling machine for coaches to better analyse divers and gymnasts.

Growing up as a Turkish immigrant in Austria, Asil Toksal founded Energy Biodiesel, but also expanded into digital media and spirituality. He nurtured a love for experimenting,

Tal ben Shahar is Founder of Potentialife, a leadership development programme. His work combines education, wellbeing, and personal happiness, for children as well as professionals.

The stories above are inspiring as well as informative. The author shows how they offer lessons such as the importance of asking what as well as what if questions, why and why not. Seemingly random connections can actually be useful in the long run.

The fusioneer is hyper-aware with a strong sense of intuition, genuine interest, and constant curiosity. They are voracious and insatiable readers and absorb ideas like a sponge, thus learning broadly and deeply. Greater exposure leads to more dots to connect and patterns to emerge.

Some of them can spot deeper patterns underlying arts and science, and can filter diverse information and take decisions to act upon them. Some innovators also toss out ideas on social media for feedback (idea grenades).

They are non-judgmental and dont close off ideas too early, before their potential has been fully explored. As idea collectors, they do not discard potentially useful ideas. Once they catch a dream, they pass it on, the author evocatively describes.

They can envision and extrapolate from the present. Fusioneers have psychological flexibility, and are not constrained by boxes of the existing convention they either dont see them, or are aware of them but know how to breach them.

They collect and connect dots, and appreciate the fuzziness and grey areas in cross-disciplinary thinking and collaboration. The fusioneer can communicate using analogies and metaphors to figuratively introduce emerging concepts.

They have an innate ability to learn, and some of them were gifted as children while others were even seen as problem children for some time, the author observes. Rather than having failed in school, it was school that failed some of them, she adds.

They withstood criticism from naysayers and detractors in their innovation journeys. They are self-driven and strong-willed. Some are good intellectual sparring partners and even provocateurs; they enjoy idea jam sessions.

The innovators passion for solving problems and understanding customers helps see what others dont. They also probe for a new or better way to solve problems. Many of them have additional roles as teachers or mentors, which are good ways to learn as well. Working with youth can keep the mind creative and spirit young.

The fusioneer combines desire with drive in the bias to action, and helps others by solving their problems. They dont just find problems but care enough to solve them.

They connect ideas as well as people in their journey, and are articulate and authentic in communication. They clarify ideas by drawing, visualisation and extensive note-taking. They have perseverance and take risks, but are open to learning from failure, which they regard as lessons to be repurposed.

They have a creative sense of play and can be almost child-like in this manner. Some of them move quickly from one idea to another, handing them over to others. Others work on multiple projects at the same time. Some get bored with details and move on.

They surround themselves with diverse creative communities for ideation and co-creation. They are dreamers but also help others dream. They can sense other peoples skills and energy flows in groups, and are open to partnering.

Fusioneers are catalysts and mobilisers, and want to live a useful life. They enlist, inspire and empower teams for their causes. They bring their whole self to work, and come across more as conductors than generals. They are a ball of contagious energy and nurture creativity among the people they work with.

The fusioneer blends different influences while also respecting the original sources. They are skilled in pattern recognition and trend spotting, and are good organisers and fixers. Some of them have had experiences as a minority, which makes them sensitive to the issues of other minorities.

At the same time, they also reserve space and time for personal reflection through meditation or swimming and taking long walks (thinkwalking). Such techniques even during boring activities help incubate, germinate, ferment and simmer ideas.

Openness can also create discomfort, dissonance, tension, confusion, and information overload. Too much empathy can lead to burnout and loss of productivity, the author cautions. It is therefore important to know what are the drivers and boundaries of ones inner happiness.

It is not just organisational diversity, but social and mental diversity that are important for tomorrows leaders, the author emphasises. Creative capital is as useful as social capital. This also calls for being comfortable in difficult conversations during the synthesis of intelligence across diverse communities and cultures.

Fusion is different from living two lives or having diverse interests, the author clarifies. For example, TS Eliot was a poet and banker, and Franz Kafka was an insurance clerk and writer but they kept these interests separate.

Fusion calls for generation, not just connecting. Creativity draws from four roles: explorer, artist, judge and warrior, according to Roger von Oech.

In sum, the insights and inspiration in this book will be valuable for aspiring entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, as well as researchers and teachers of innovation. It clearly shows the value and impact of the access, assemble and apply approach to innovation.

The book is packed with inspiring quotes, and it would be fitting to end this review with the sample below.

YourStory has also published the pocketbook Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).

Read the original post:

Fusion innovation: How 30 innovators crossed boundaries to create business value and social impact - YourStory

SIDNEY TOWNSHIP With a history spanning more than five decades to its founding in 1965, Montcalm Community College (MCC) has long served the community as an institution of higher learning.

Throughout that history the college has also grown and expanded, from offering new educational courses, placing a focus on community programs and even expanding outside its boundaries of Sidney with a campus in the city of Greenville.

With a firm grasp of that history in one hand, the college continues to look ahead, reaching out to the future with the other.

As the first step to solidify that focus on the future, MCC has unveiled its official 2021-2024 Strategic Plan to the public today, solidifying a number of goals to accomplish in both the short and long term.

For MCC President Stacy Young, developing the new plan involved a balancing act of both respecting the colleges past and embracing a progressive future.

I think about the people who started the college, the foresight they had to know the college would impact the community in such a positive way and it takes my breath away, she said. Whether it be making sure more of our students go to the college full time or that our facilities are more up to date, thats what this plan is about to make sure everyone is taken care of and that we continue to grow and serve the community.

Vision, mission and values

The plan places renewed definitions on the colleges core focal points vision, mission and values.

According to the plan, the colleges vision is to focus on community inspiration, exceptional education and personal empowerment.

Its mission is outlined as transforming lives through quality education, and in establishing values, the college will place an emphasis on student success, empowerment, relationships, visionary, inclusion, community and excellence.

Its that last list regarding values that has Young most excited, as it was designed by college Board and Foundation members, as well as students, to create an acronym spelling out SERVICE.

Servant leadership and serving others is very important to me, Young said. We are rolling out a year of service in the community and challenging our employees and students to 10,000 hours of community service in the year.

Young said in her year of experience as the colleges president since being hired in January of 2020, shes witnessed enough to believe the goal of reaching 10,000 hours of community service by Dec. 31 of this year is well within reach.

We hope these 10,000 hours allow us to be out in the community more than we are now, she said. We are there to serve our community, whatever that looks like, be it providing a place to learn or go on our nature trails. Our hope is, and we believe we already have a great relationship, but were looking to go from good to great.

Young said she believes the college already impacts the greater Montcalm County community well beyond the walls of the college and she hopes those efforts only continue to increase as outlined as a priority within the plan.

Increased enrollment

Within the strategic plan are four specific goals that have been established: Increase enrollment, improve student success and access, enhance facilities and (increase) community engagement.

The subject of increased enrollment is one that will likely be most challenging, as community colleges across the state and country deal with a current decline in students amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

With enrollment hovering around 1,400 students for the current spring semester, that number of students is among its lowest recorded at the college in the past 20 years down about 15% over the past two years.

However, Young is confident those numbers can begin trending upward once again, with her personal goal to see enrollment climb back above 2,000.

The last time MCC had a fall semester with enrollment surpassing 2,000 students was in 2012 the last of nine consecutive years, beginning in 2004, in which enrollment was at least that high.

My goal is 2,000, but its going to take us a while to get there, Young said. Enrollment is key, but its not just about getting new students, but making sure our current students progress and graduate. We want to make sure they take as many classes as they can and try to move to full-time status.

According to Young, of the colleges entire student population, 76% of those students only attend the college on a part-time basis (less than 12 credits per semester).

Were actually trying to flip that, she said. Most of our students are 18 to 22 years old, and while we know they have certain life circumstances, we really want to help them get in and get done. The faster they get done (with MCC), the faster they can transfer on to another college or begin supporting themselves and their family.

Young said shes hopeful that with the development of a Strategic Enrollment and Marketing Plan, as well as promoting a better awareness of student scholarships, those numbers will begin to trend upward in the near future.

Improve student success and access

In looking to improve student success and access, Young said a number of steps will be taken, including the implementation of a concierge service for students, along with new efforts toward improving diversity, equity and inclusion through the curriculum.

Additionally, the plan calls for more hands-on learning opportunities, as well as a goal to have the college adapt more to the needs of students.

We know we have some work to do there, but we want to lead in this area, Young said. So were starting with our faculty and staff. That concierge service is really something that weve already started the first steps of and its just about helping people who dont know what to do, who dont know what that first step might look like.

Young said those first steps could be as simple as questions about how to buy textbooks or working to overcome early struggles in class.

In looking to add more hands-on learning opportunities, Young said studies have shown that is exactly what the current and upcoming generation of students are looking for in a college environment.

This generation (Generation Z) likes to be involved. They want to help and we want their input, she said. I think thats going to make us stand out among other schools were going to be very hands-on. In a dream world, wed have a student-run coffee house where they are not only managing it, but the marketing class is preparing the marketing materials and the accounting class is handling the books.

Enhance facilities

One of the more costly goals, looking potentially within the next year and also further years down the road, is renovations of current buildings and the potential to construct on-campus housing facilities.

First on the agenda, according to the plan, is to renovate the Kenneth J. Smith Instructional Building.

The Smith building includes classrooms, laboratories and instructors offices and serves as a primary instruction area for the colleges health-care programs.

As one of the founding buildings of the Sidney campus, the Smith building consists of two levels, is approximately 24,752 square feet in size and was originally built in 1966 and was last updated in 1999.

According to Young, renovating the facility is crucial if the college wants to continue offering competitive, modern instruction for its students.

All of the buildings on our campus get rated every year and this one definitely needs some work, she said. Even with COVID, 766 students took classes in that building last year, so we know its a super important building on our campus. It hosts classes for some of the hottest careers and industries right now, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and nursing, so we need to provide our students some up-to-date upgrades.

Young said those upgrades would include new learning spaces, laboratories, and most importantly, important upgrades to allow for nursing simulation programs.

We need to show the community that we have these resources, to show the hospitals that we have them, she said. If you have the equipment, you can simulate actual medical issues and replicate it in the classroom, whereas if you go to the hospital to do your clinical rotation, you may or may not have the opportunity to experience some things.

Young said initial estimates at this time call for approximately $5 million in total renovations to the building.

Thinking a little more outside the box regarding new facilities, Young said the college will also open up conversations regarding potential on-campus student housing.

Community engagement

In regards to the last of the four goals, Young said a focus on community engagement means improving upon current relationships with the community.

Additionally, she said that means exploring more fundraising and grant opportunities for future college projects, as well as educating the community at large on the value of the college.

Young said the new 10,000 hours of service project will be a big part of stressing the colleges focus on community engagement.

I dont want to say that community is important to us, I want to show that it is, she said. We are there for the community as much as it is there for us community is in our name.

In having reviewed the plan, members of the Board of Trustees said they are not only on board with the initiatives and goals going forward, but impressed with the efforts it took to draft the plan in a year engulfed in the coronavirus pandemic.

The enormous upheaval caused by the COVID-19 crisis affected nearly every facet of everyones life, Board Treasurer Kurt Peterson said. The strategic plan that was in place at MCC was not spared. The members of the new strategic planning committee led by President Young did a fantastic job of reprioritizing the schools most important needs and objectives on our campus in light of the Pandemic and developing a new short-term strategic plan. The board was kept well informed and supports the revised plan.

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From 'good to great' - Greenville Daily News

The following is a list of books focused on women and girls' empowerment and titles related to the achievements of, and equal rights for, women, young women and girls.

Main feature

ADULT:

ABRAMS IMAGE

Bookish Broads: Women Who Wrote Themselves into History

Lauren Marino, Feb.

Illuminates the lives of the greats as well as the literary talents history has wrongfully overlooked.

ALLEN & UNWIN

Jacinda Ardern

Michelle Duff, Apr.

Delves into the New Zealand Prime Minister's beginnings as a nose-ringed teen fighting for equality and her own identity in a devout Mormon family.

ANDREWS MCMEEL

Women Dont Owe You Pretty

Florence Given, Apr.

A vibrantly illustrated primer on modern feminism for the Instagram generation.

ANGRY ROBOT

The Second Bell

Gabriela Houston, Mar.

A reimagined popular folktale where a headstrong young striga finds herself in a life- threatening situation that tests the bonds between mother and child.

ATLANTIC

The Home Stretch: Why Its Time to Come Clean About Who Does the Dishes

Sally Howard, June

The author combines history and fieldwork with her own personal story.

ATRIA

As A Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned

Paula Stone Williams, June

The author pulls back the curtain on her transition journey and sheds light on the gendered landscape that impacts many in the LGBTQ+ community.

AVE MARIA

Expect More: Dare to Stand Up and Stand Out: A Guide for Women on Reaching Their Potential

Muffet McGraw, Feb.

The retired head coach of the Univ. of Notre Dame womens basketball team guides women to expect more in their careers and family lives.

BALLANTINE

Unfinished

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Feb.

Urges a generation to gather their courage, embrace their ambition, and commit to the hard work of following their dreams.

The Soul of a Woman

Isabel Allende, Mar.

The bestselling author offers a passionate and inspiring meditation on what it means to be a woman.

The Bohemians

Jasmin Darznik, Apr.

A novel imagining the wild 1920s in San Francisco that awakened photographer Dorothea Langes career-defining grit, compassion, and daring.

BERKLEY

Black Girl, Call Home

Jasmine Mans, Mar.

A poetry collection inspired by the authors own life explores the intersection of race, feminism, and queer identity.

A Special Place for Women

Laura Hankin, May

A funny novel about a clandestine womens-only social club and the reporter who sets out to expose its secrets.

BERRETT-KOEHLER

The Body is Not an Apology

Sonya Renee Taylor, Feb.

From PWs review: Poet and activist Taylor (A Little Truth on Your Shirt) packs important ideas into this concise volume on body empowerment.

EMILY BESTLER

To the Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility, and Climbing a Mountain of Truth

Vanessa O'Brien, Mar.

A memoir by the record-breaking American-British explorer who became the first American woman and the first British woman to successfully summit K2, and was named Explorer of the Year in 2018 by the Scientific Exploration Society.

BLOOMSBURY

Girlhood

Melissa Febos, Mar.

A set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become.

The Mysteries

Marisa Silver, May

An intimate story of two young girls, joined in an unlikely friendship, whose lives are shattered in a single, unthinkable moment.

BLUE STAR

The Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself

Mary Jelkovsky, Mar.

Build confidence, boost self-esteem, and overcome body image issues using this interactive self-help book for women.

CHARLESBRIDGE

The Next Smart Step: How to Overcome Gender Stereotypes and Build a Stronger Organization

Kelly Watson and Jodi Ecker Detjen, Feb.

A guide to understanding the challenge of gender imbalance, implementing solutions, and offering tools to ensure positive and enduring change.

CHICAGO REVIEW PRESS

Besharam: On Love and Other Bad Behaviors

Priya-Alika Elias, Apr.

Essays by a lawyer and a feminist writer that touch on themes of family, culture, body image, sex, and feminism.

The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams

Jonathan Ned Katz, May

Uncovers the forgotten story of radical lesbian feminist Eve Adams, and her long-lost book Lesbian Love.

Open Skies: My Life As Afghanistan's First Female Pilot

Niloofar Rahmani, July

The true story of the authors determination to become Afghanistan's first female air force fighter pilot.

We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers

Edited by Marisa Crawford and Megan Milks, July

A nostalgia-packed, star-studded anthology exploring the lasting impact of the Baby-Sitters Club series.

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL

Chicken Soup For the Soul: Be You

Amy Newmark, Apr.

Contributors from all ethnicities and the LGBTQ community celebrate their strength and individuality.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Im Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth In 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope

Amy Newmark and Breena Clarke, June

Black women share their dreams, triumphs and failures, and their lives, which have unique challenges and hardships that are not well understood by others.

CHRONICLE

She Holds A Cosmos: Poems On Motherhood

Edited by Mallory Farrugia, illus. by Karolin Schnoor, Mar.

Thirty poems exploring motherhood in all its dimensionsfrom pregnancy and birth to the joys, struggles, and hilarious moments that come with raising children.

Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspirations, and Influences Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers

Hannah K. Chapman and Luaren Burke, illus. by Kaley Bales, April

Unexpected and inspiring stories behind eighteen women writers from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

CHRONICLE PRISM

Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions For Success at Work

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New and Forthcoming Titles on Women, Girls and Empowerment - Publishers Weekly

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hector Guadalupe, the Executive Director and Founder of A Second U Foundation, founder of Unibody Fitness NYC and thought leader on the subject of successfully reintegrating formerly incarcerated people into society as personal trainers, is a featured guest this week on the Impact Podcast with John Shegerian. The show is hosted by Shegerian, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of ERI, the nations leading fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company.

After spending ten years in federal prison, Hector Guadalupe came home with an obsession for fitness, in great health, and hungry for work. He also came home to a lot of closed doors. Once given a chance, he started a successful career personal training first at corporate health clubs, and eventually founded Unibody Fitness NYC, where the companys model is solely based on servicing communities and building strong ties through wellness. He also founded A Second U Foundation, which educates, certifies and secures employment for formerly incarcerated people as certified personal trainers. Through opportunity, empowerment and community-building, ASUF seeks to eliminate recidivism. Founded in 2016, Second U has graduated 196 trainers with 0% reoffending (national average of recidivism is 40%-60%). Second U truly is the place where justice and wellness meet.

Speaking with John on the Impact Podcast, was a great experience, said Guadalupe. This was truly the first interview Ive done where I felt genuinely pumped and excited that the message was getting out. It was clear to me that the Impact Podcast is spreading hope and voicing the success stories of those whove survived the struggle, and I deeply appreciate that.

It was an honor to have Hector on our show to tell his incredible story and share the impactful work he is doing with A Second U Foundation, which is sure to move and inspire our audience, said Shegerian. Hectors efforts make him a truly powerful example of how one person can make a significant and positive difference in the lives of so many.

Every week, guests are invited as thought leaders to share with listeners first-hand accounts of how they are able to make the world a better place on a daily basis.

Recent Impact Podcast guests have included leaders from Verizon, Best Buy, General Motors, JetBlue, Comerica Bank, Beyond Meat, Nikola Motor, Waste Management and a number of fascinating thought leaders and game-changers, including Martin Luther King III; writer/comedian/author Jeannie Gaffigan; softball legend and ESPN baseball anchor Jessica Mendoza; Good Day LAs Maria Quiban; PTSD treatment pioneer and founder of MAPS, Dr. Rick Doblin; ESPN radio host and personality Sarah Spain; ultra-endurance athlete and author Rich Roll; British Special Forces veteran and two-time World Record breaking athlete Dean Stott; author and music industry legend Mathew Knowles; legendary actor Ed Asner; trailblazing civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom; Super Bowl champion Ryan Harris; MLB outfielder and Players for the Planet founder Chris Dickerson; humanitarian filmmaker Mallory Brown, leading cybersecurity expert Kate Fazzini and hundreds more.

The Impact Podcast with John Shegerian is available for listening on ImpactPodcast.com, Apples iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, libsyn, and as part of iHeartRadios digital broadcast, reaching over 120 million users.

To book a guest on the show, contact producer Linda Ramos at Linda.Ramos@impactpodcast.com.

For more information, visit ImpactPodcast.com.

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Hector Guadalupe, Founder of 'A Second U Foundation,' Featured on Impact Podcast - Business Wire

We are wasting time trying to impeach our former president. So, why are we going through the motions? What a waste of time and effort!

We are wasting all that time and effort, IMO, for one reason. That reason is to get each and every person who has a vote in the matter recorded for posterity in black and white, on an immutable and permanent paper. So that there is no equivocation as to their intent and action.

We've suffered 4 years of dedicated mismanagement from a man who has no religion but himself. Who has no goal other than personal empowerment and monetary gain. Who destroys the lives of those who fall from his favor. Don't think so? Read Michael Cohen's book.

We do not need to re-elect people who will openly condone treason against our country, who are willing to promote domestic terror against our electors and citizens. And that, dear people, is why we are wasting time.

Dave Knecht, Zumbro Falls

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Letter: Why are we wasting our time with impeachment? - PostBulletin.com

Whether you feel a powerful connection to your zodiac sign or feel estranged from it entirely, there might be a particular reason why. Your birth chart reveals different elements of your personality, with each planet ruling specific pieces of you, like Mercury ruling communication and Venus ruling romance. But there's a phenomenon that astrologers call stelliums, which occur when you have a cluster of three or more planets under one zodiac sign or house in your birth chart. I spoke with expert astrologers to dive deep into what it means to have a stellium and why it matters.

To find out if you have a stellium, you'll have to create your birth chart. Many websites like astro.com and cafeastrology.com offer free birth chart reports. Adama Sesay, Professional Astrologer at LilithAstrology.com, told POPSUGAR that you just have to look for "a cluster of three or more planets in one sign" to determine if you indeed have a stellium.

"A stellium in your birth chart placement, depending on which sign it falls under, may indicate that there is a focused energy or theme within the sign," Michelle Saya, Empath Business Coach and Astrologer, told POPSUGAR. In astrology, people with stelliums in their chart might possess powerful qualities of traits of that sign, even if their sun sign is different. If you've been told you have a strong personality or ultra-noticeable characteristics, you might be surprised to find you have a stellium!

If you feel disconnected from your sun sign, you might resonate more with the traits and emotions of your super concentrated stellium. "For example, [if you're an Aquarius with a stellium], your theme of approaching life with a galvanizing, visionary, and humanitarian perspective will be dominant compared to a more light-hearted, humorous approach from that of a Gemini stellium," Michelle explained. In other words, your powerful traits and emotions could manifest in different aspects of your life depending on the house or sign your stellium falls under.

Having an Aquarius cluster could also mean you possess a strong rebellious outlook and want to challenge the status quo or that you're passionate about social justice, which could lead you to a career in something like activism or politics. "All the positive qualities of having an Aquarian placement are amplified - there is an attraction to the things that bring personal freedom and cultivate a sense of self-empowerment," added Michelle.

Because of their supercharged nature, stelliums can be very symbolic of your identity. "Having a stellium is more relevant to understanding who the individual is on a multi-dimensional level since we play different roles and [have different] approaches to our style according to the energy of placement in all the planets," explained Michelle. The planets in your chart and the signs which they fall under all contribute to your essence. Your sun sign alone only describes a summary of your outward personality, and your moon captures your inner character and moods. Having heavy characteristics of a specific sign can be the cause for a strong personality and, while not extremely rare, stelliums are powerful and only begin to reveal our multi-dimensional layers.

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What It Means to Have a Stellium in Astrology, and Why It Might Be More Relevant Than Your Sun Sign - POPSUGAR

02-01-2021

When DeAndre Jones entered the Evening MBA program at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business in 2015, he already had a lot on his plate. Jones was transferring from one consulting firm to another, taking 12 hours of classes a week, and planning his wedding with his now-wife. On top of all of that, Jones was trying to process the then-recent killings of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Trayvon Martin. His desire for a safe space to communicate his feelings led to him taking action and creating that space himself.

"Blacks in Business started off with myself, Will Carrouthers, and Mark Sandidge, right when I started the Evening MBA program," said Jones. "Going back to that time, there really wasn't a safe space to talk about how you were feeling, especially with the killings of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Trayvon Martin. I didn't feel like there was a place where we could come together and be able to express our emotions with other like-minded individuals. We took it up to the administration and told them that we wanted to start this organization, and they said 'Yes, let's do it' and offered their full support. From there, we made it happen."

After Jones, Carrouthers, and Sandidge began their initial conversations about starting Blacks in Business, they approached fellow Scheller Evening MBA students about potentially serving on the inaugural board. Arianna Robinson was one of those students. In addition to being an Evening MBA student, Robinson was also a staff member at Scheller where she was already advising another student organization at the time, so she felt it would be best to contribute in an advisor role to this newly forming organization as well. As a student, she felt connected to the need for the organization.

Blacks in Business (BiB) & GT Black Alumni Organization (GTBAO) hold a joint First Fridays event in Spring 2017

"Blacks in Business is very important to me," said Robinson. "There are not many students of color in the program and it can sometimes feel alienating to be the only person in your class, especially when issues arise in the classroom. It can be tiring to be expected to represent an entire group of people in that way. This club gives us a safe space to share experiences and in some cases lend support to act on egregious behavior."

Robinson is currently the assistant director of business operations for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business and is still involved in the club today as an advisor. Jones also plays a role, connecting with each new president, answering any questions they may have, and providing support. He also connects with incoming students, since alumni support and participation in the club is extremely important. Current president and second-year Full-time MBA student Kristen Brinson thoroughly appreciates Jones and the support of other alumni.

"The club is still pretty new in the grand scheme of Scheller," said Brinson. "I think it's really cool to know the founders of this organization and to be able to interact with them. Alumni are really important to this club because we have a really small population of Black students and students of color at Scheller. We are a small MBA program anyway, and the percentage of us is small as well."

Brinson got involved with Blacks in Business right away when she arrived at Scheller. For Brinson, Blacks in Business provides a place for her to feel comfortable and make connections with her peers that may have similar experiences.

"For me, joining the club meant finding a community," said Brinson. "The goal of Blacks in Business is to make sure you're comfortable in your business school setting and that you will be comfortable in the workplace once you graduate. We want you to feel like you can go into any type of setting - personal, professional, or volunteer - and lead, be strong, and feel good about your place. It's a great opportunity to gain value and comfort around people who are pushing themselves and who have a lot of goals, but also see the other side - enjoying each other and having a lot of fun together."

The inaugural Blacks in Business Board receives their "bibs" marking the success of the organization's first year.

One event that has carried on since the club's inception is a panel discussion prior to the National Black MBA Conference. The club invites alumni and one current student to participate in a panel, discussing experiences with the conference and what it's like from a recruiter's perspective. Other recurring events include an annual cookoff held during the Scheller diversity open house weekend each Fall and Trivia Night for the Culture, held each Spring during Black History Month. Another event series is First Fridays, a once a month opportunity where club members can relax, express their feelings, and give allies an opportunity to ask questions to further understand their peers. These opportunities, along with other club events and panels, provide Blacks in Business members with the opportunity to come out feeling more prepared and empowered for the future.

The racial injustice that helped fuel the desire to launch the organization is still very much filling headlines five years later. As Blacks in Business continues to unite students of color and allies, educate and advocate for the issues that Blacks face in business, and celebrate the rich history and culture of people of the African Diaspora, it will accomplish its founding purpose and impact many more generations of Scheller students.

Jones feels extremely happy and proud to see Blacks in Business still thriving five years after its inception and he encourages the club to keep important conversations going.

"I think there are a lot of very genuine students within Scheller and Georgia Tech. Don't be afraid to ask uncomfortable questions and don't take offense when somebody wants to ask questions not from the standpoint of criticizing, but for clarity and for understanding. Be open to those conversations and realize that there are some conscious and unconscious biases with a lot of things that are going on in the world today. Be open so you can take these learnings and apply them to your professional career. Be a leader in the organization you work for or that you start up," said Jones.

This press release was produced by the Scheller College of Business. The views expressed here are the author's own.

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Community, Empowerment, And A Safe Space: The Story Of Georgia Tech Scheller's Blacks In Business Club - Patch.com

Its 2021. After almost an entire year of isolation and zero festivities, music brings solace to the mind and soul. An elegant melody accompanied by elaborate lyrics, occasionally adding energetic choreography and a colorful music video, music dominates the world.

Its time to forget about the physical isolation and discomfort. In the first month of a new year, why not allow yourself to fully immerse in music, be taken captive in the unlimited possibilities of lyrical wonders and heavenly harmonies?

January resonated as a fresh start for all. Lets pick up the highlights of this month.

Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo (Jan. 8, 2021)

Ready for some heartbreaking love feuds? In a time of cold isolation, we definitely need a fiery spirit of passionate love stories or breakup stories. Ranking No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200, Drivers License marked Olivia Rodrigos extraordinary debut unlike any other. Listen to this Gen Z gently recite her broken heart as she drives past the suburbs, without the guy she thought was the one.

Skin by Sabrina Carpenter (Jan. 22, 2021)

Could this be her response to the blonde girl remark in Drivers License? Beginning softly, Sabrina Carpenter doubts the gravity in the words [they] write. But she soon launches into her blinding spotlight of a life, flaunting her long career in the music industry, slashing back at haters and softly responding to the newly-licensed-teenage-driver. While graceful lyrics discreetly tackle the injustices Carpenter faced, her strong yet majestically faltering vocal cords convey a sense of pride and utmost confidence that no one can get under [her] skin.

Lie Lie Lie by Joshua Bassett (Jan. 14, 2021)

Listen to this sharp farewell to an ex-best friend from the Disney+ star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Despite much speculation from fans and the coincidentally corresponding release dates, Joshua Bassett sings about a betrayal from a long time friend, utterly irrelevant to the love triangle. Frequently revealing snippets of this song while working on it this past year, his dedication to the lyrics and music notes appear evident in the upbeat melody of the newly released Lie Lie Lie.

De Una Vez by Selena Gomez (Jan. 14, 2021)

Selena Gomez sings from her jeweled heart about her emotional growth through intricately weaved Spanish lyrics, poetically reciting self-empowerment. Proudly establishing her Latin American heritage, she immerses heartbroken listeners with precise words of healing encouragement, enticing a sense of empathic unity and compelling independence. After all: Soy mas fuerte sola, she asserts, I am stronger on my own.

Nobody Is Listening by Zayn (Jan. 15, 2021)

It looks like the coronavirus blues penetrated the musical blues by Zayn. His sad voice weakens into mumbles in his latest album, Nobody Is Listening. Unfortunately, Zayns intuition from naming his album stands uncorrected. The dismally isolated nature of his tracklist slowly rolled off the iTunes Top 100 into Calamity before barely balancing on the Tightrope at No. 22. Perhaps it was the overlapping dismay of the times that shrouded listeners from the potentially profound intent of creating personal music. Indeed, Zayn appears proud and accomplished to release music based on his creative journey as a solo artist for the first time. Despite the harsh chart records, it is never too late to appreciate the artistic value of Zayns intimate storytelling that resonates with purpose.

The Good Times and the Bad Ones by Why Dont We (Jan. 15, 2021)

True musicians, singers, instrumentalists tune into this new album consisting of heartfelt songs personally written and composed by the band members of Why Dont We during their tour and through coronavirus outbreaks. For an honest account of the good times and the bad ones, listen to the optimistic vibes of their new playlist.

What I Said by VICTON (Jan. 11, 2021)

Voice To New World (VICTON), these former romanticists are back with piercing vocals to celebrate their fourth anniversary. Adopting a unique Latin pop sound, these K-pop idols mix in brass instruments to create a dynamic dance hit. In the music video, VICTON fills the stage with powerful choreography, proudly claiming that the future is now. All seven members worked on this perfectly potent album, reflecting their accomplishments as artists and potential as future leaders of K-pop.

Anyone by Justin Bieber (Jan. 1, 2021)

What about another sweet song for a golden 2021? The striking melody contrasts with soft lyrics dedicating his love for his wife, insisting that if its not you, its not anyone. Needless to say, the admirably pleasant nature of the lyrics address a heartfelt companion. Justin Bieber goes even further to don silk boxing shorts to fight for his love in this new music video.

Life Rolls On (Audio) by Florida Georgia Line (Jan. 15, 2021)

Is there a more wonderful way to address the times? To those anticipating the obvious, life proved unsettling after the sudden coronavirus pandemic. But as these country singers declare, the best alternative is acceptance of the highs and the lows and the yes and the nos. After all, life rolls on.

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Bring back the beat: Music you missed this January - Daily Trojan Online

In mid-January, JoJo Siwa one of the world's biggest pop stars, with a sparkling, rainbow empire to prove it came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, posting several videos previewing the moment before making a definitive announcement.

The outpouring of support online was immediate and intense, with people online excitedly posting supportive comments, tweets, and moving personal statements.

Siwa, who is 17, felt the same: "Personally I have never, ever, ever been this happy before and it feels really awesome. I've been happy for a little bit now," she said during a Saturday Instagram livestream in which she discussed her sexuality and coming out process.

While acceptance of LGBTQ+ Americans has generally increased over the years (with some setbacksduring the later years of the Trump Administration), it still feels remarkable, and incredibly moving for many LGBTQ+ people, to see Siwa come out publicly online. Perhaps most remarkable is the swift positive response, both from her young fanbase and Nickelodeon, to which Siwa is signed.

A post shared by Nickelodeon (@nickelodeon)

The composition of Siwa's fanbase, mostly kids and their parents, means the moment is a giant leap for LGBTQ+ representation in family-oriented media, and according to queer therapists, may even help families be more accepting towards their queer children.

"For anyone walking a similar path and who shares similar struggles, she will shine a bright media spotlight and be a beacon of empowerment for the LGBT community," Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, author of "Let's Get it! Hustle and Grind Your Way to Personal Empowerment," told Insider.

Siwa isn't the first young celebrity to come out while in the spotlight: fellow celebrities and online personalities like Lil Nas X, Josie Totah, and Amandla Stenberg have all come out as part of the LGBTQ+ community as teens or young adults. Siwa is one of the latest to publicly join the community.

Her coming out is part of a larger trend in young, LGBTQ+ people and celebrities choosing to do so earlier in life, GLAAD's head of talent, Anthony Ramos, told Insider. He said that it marks a transition in the entertainment world itself in regards to celebrities coming out.

"Years ago, people were so afraid to come out, and if they did it was so much later when they got to be adults," he said. "With celebrities specifically, we've all heard the stories of that apprehension to come out in fear of not getting work. I really think that when someone like JoJo does come out publicly, it sends a message that that whole era is ending and people really want to live their most authentic life."

Nickelodeon's explicit support for Siwa on social media is a powerful signifier in its own right. The network, and all-ages programming writ large, has made leaps and bounds in LGBTQ+ representation, and support of Siwa's coming out can help erase "apprehension that it's potentially divisive or a risk" to have LGBTQ+ talent leading a program, Ramos said.

What makes Siwa's coming out feel so impactful is that, as Insider reporter Kat Tenbarge wrote on Twitter, she's "the Hannah Montana of her generation" a celebrity regarded as a positive influence with a huge, young fanbase. In addition to being Nickelodeon's biggest star ever, she's also one of the biggest teen idols, period: with over 12 million YouTube subscribers and 31.8 million followers on TikTok, she's a top influencer in her own right.

As Insider's Amanda Krause reported, discourse around her has major potential to impact her fans. The praise for her choice to publicly come out online a daunting feat, even when there aren't millions hanging on your every word stands to have a positive impact that's already visible on social media.

According to The Trevor Project's 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, over 80% of LGBTQ+ youth say out celebrities make them feel better about being queer.

"When young LGBTQ people can see themselves and their stories represented positively and genuinely, it can offer them perspective on how to cope with similar struggles they're facing in their lives, while also helping to improve their perceptions of the LGBTQ community and themselves," Tia Dole, Chief Clinical Operations Officer for The Trevor Project, told Insider.

Furthermore, JoJo's brand is and always has been based on living authentically, a theme that emerges frequently in her music and that Kim Kardashian West remarked upon in Siwa's 2020 Time 100 blurb. Her coming out, without a specific label but with an overwhelming feeling of happiness, could also serve as an inspiration to youth.

"I think what we saw with JoJo is that there's really no rules for coming out," Ramos told Insider. "I think youth just need to always do so when they feel supported and safe, which could be at very different points for different people. But for JoJo specifically, I really think the potential for young kids to see her living authentically will ultimately inspire so many of her young fans to do that and accept that part of themselves."

It's a well-known fact that LGBTQ+ youth suffer from disproportionate rates of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. This is in great part to do unsupportive families who react poorly when their children come out or are outed.

Sometimes families react by throwing their queer and trans children out of the house, as LGBTQ+ youth make up 40% percent of the US youth homeless population.

Other times, families send their children to conversion therapy, a violent tactic that consists of mental, emotional, and physical abuse with the goal of forcibly turning a child straight or cisgender through pseudoscience.

According to Dr. Lea Lis, psychiatrist and author of "No Shame: Real Talk With Your Kids About Sex, Self-Confidence and Healthy Relationships," Siwa's coming out could help parents be more willing to accept their queer children when they come out because of her wide reach and kid-friendly message.

"She is a figure for young people and they are going to share her news with their parents," Lis told Insider, highlighting that Siwa's coming out could change multiple viewpoints per family.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Siwa first grew her fame on "Dance Moms," a Lifetime reality show that showcased the tension-laden world of competitive dance. According to Ramos, those origins may also widen her impact.

"There's a lot of people I would say in middle America that probably know who she is and have since followed her, and so I really think that with JoJo coming out, there's a really strong possibility and opportunity for people have their hearts and minds change on what being LGBTQ really means," he told Insider, calling Siwa's coming out a "tremendous opportunity" for parents as well as kids.

Siwa coming out and receiving an outpouring of support from fans could offer hope to queer youth who may feel especially alone during the pandemic, Jor-El Caraballo, a therapist and founder of Viva Wellness NYC, told Insider.

Read more: LGBTQ teens are cut off from support networks in quarantine, so they're building community online instead

Siwa has said that she's still keeping parts of her personal life private, but that what matters is that others know that "no matter who you love, that it's OK."

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Nickelodeon superstar JoJo Siwa's coming out is a huge deal for LGBTQ+ kids and their parents - Insider - INSIDER