Paul Zammit’s Post

Welcome again to YISITSO, where we delve into the past, dissect the present, and contemplate the future. In this special episode, we're marking the fourth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic. Join us as we reflect on the lessons learned and assess how our nation has navigated the aftermath. It's been a journey filled with surprises, from uncovering the extent of power wielded by our State Governments within our constitutional framework to witnessing the varying responses of state Premiers, some leveraging authority while others grappling with critical decisions. But it's not just about politics and policies. We'll also explore the human impact, particularly on small businesses, many of which faced unprecedented challenges and, tragically, some didn't survive. We'll hear stories of resilience and adaptation, shedding light on how business owners coped with the fallout. So, join us as we take stock, ponder the complexities, and ultimately seek to understand how we've weathered the storm and emerged, perhaps scarred but stronger, on the other side. Welcome to the journey. Enjoy Paul & Vince https://lnkd.in/girXbQKy

Looking forward to sharing and learning more about the opportunities and challenges with AI, beyond the hype to how we hold on to the opportunity for human growth and community

I cannot tell you how much the DataConnect Conference means to me every year. I started Women in Analytics (WIA) 8 years ago... I was in college and had grown an incredible passion for data & machine learning. At this point, I was knee-deep in computer science classes, had multiple internships under my belt, and was about to launch into my career full time. I remember trying to find a community of other people that I could share my passion with and learn from. There was 1 meetup in Columbus. I showed up. Someone asked me if I was lost... At the time, there were maybe 2 women in the room of about 45. So I did some digging. I found some statistics on how many women were in this field. Now keep in mind, this was 2016. The job of a data scientist was just getting popular. What I found was that there were tons of women in statistics and math, but not a lot in industry (most in academia). And, of course as I very much experienced, very little women in computer science. So I decided to do something about it. I wanted to be thoughtful. I wanted to focus on a very specific problem. I chose visibility. If you can see it you can be it. As I am sure everyone knows, representation in different fields can be a complicated rabbit hole to go down. Trying to get to the root of the problem is hard. And trying to figure out solutions that don't actually cause more division might be harder. So I thought, what if I create one of the greatest data & AI conferences in the world and put women on the stage? What if we focused on showcasing the work of incredible women in this space? Made it impossible for anyone in the field to NOT want to come. Fast forward 8 years later, we have a world-renowned conference, that this year will host 2000 people. We have put 300 women on the stage. We launched a west coast conference, DDC West. We have over 8000 members. And of course, the numbers are great. But the reality of it is so much more. I have had amazing and emotional moments with so many women about the impact this organization has had on their careers. Meeting just one person, or getting on the stage, can be a breakthrough moment. I am so incredibly proud of what we have built. I hope one day we don't need to focus so much on amplifying women's voices in this space. I would consider that a win. PS. I have seen so many posts about AI conferences not having enough women speakers. I will give you a cheat code - literally look at all of the speakers we have had and REACH OUT TO THEM!!! (or contact us and we can help). https://lnkd.in/g8aK5FJ2 Kelsey Dingelstedt Lauren E. Burke Dave Cherry Reshama Shaikh Cal Al-Dhubaib Ben Blanquera Noelle R. Colleen Saunders-Chukwu Katie Schafer Raquel Kusters Katie Robbert Kristy Wedel Sahanna Ravinuthala, MPH, MS Shannon N. Hollars, Ph.D. Jennifer Heider (Shal) Heath Rittler Dio-Ann Valmores

We’re back with another episode of Mic’d Up, a series where we hear from a few of our #Earthx2024 speakers. 🌎 Tom "The Blowfish" Hird breaks down our Congress of Conferences from different industry leaders to everyone having the same agenda: to make a real difference for the planet. 🌱 #earthx #industryleaders #globalimpact #earthfocus

🌟 Strategic Saturdays at CLC 🌟 While the world takes a breather, the wheels of innovation continue to turn at CLC. Saturdays are our secret weapon - a day less about emails, more about ideas. It’s when we dive deep into the future of tech, strategize over upcoming projects, and sometimes, just sometimes, revolutionize how we approach next week’s challenges. What does your Saturday look like? Are you unwinding or winding up for new ideas? Either way, CLC is here to inspire and assist with fresh strategies to tackle the week ahead. #CLC #StrategicSaturdays #Innovation #BusinessStrategy #CLCInsights

We are excited to celebrate our six week anniversary this week! The Olympics are warming up, families are enjoying the summer and the media continues to flood all channels with excessive coverage of the US elections. So, we thought we’d share some positive business updates and some thoughts of sanity and optimism. On the business front, Investature is making great strides across the three Ps of people, pipeline and product. The roles of our founding team members are solidifying and we’re looking to expand in the areas of sales, marketing and product engineering. Our advisory board is rounding out and we aim to formally announce in the fall. Additionally, our pipeline for sales and investor capital grows by the week and is ahead of expectations. On the product side, our prototype iterations are maturing to a point that we can feel comfortable moving forward with strategic technology & data provider contracts. Lastly, our investment advisory thesis and leading recommendations are near completion for two of the three areas of our specialization. So, a parting thought inspired by the “This Week in Cleantech” podcast. A famous Confucius quote was referenced that we found simple, yet powerful. “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” Investature will press on to 1) help employers get the financed emissions analytics they need and 2) give employees the sustainable investment options they are demanding in the face of headwinds like complacency and media distractions.

Celebrating 20 Years of the Medici Effect! 2024 marks a special milestone – the 20th anniversary of The Medici Effect. I recently re-read it since it’s been awhile - along with a couple of other books over the holidays. I thought I’d share this list as a good way to start off 2024 in terms of embracing diverse perspectives and inspiring bold actions! Here are the books: "Three-Body Problem" Trilogy by Cixin Liu – A breathtaking sci-fi series that stretches the boundaries of imagination. What really had me captivated was the sheer boldness and audacity of the ideas the author is putting forth - and reminded me to keep doing the same in my own work. And with its upcoming adaptation on Netflix, it's a perfect time to dive into this universe. "The End of the World is Just the Beginning" by Peter Zeihan This is his fourth book - and perhaps his most compelling. Get ready for inverted population pyramids, the enduring importance of geography (something we might have imagined did not matter any more), rising US power and decreasing global trade.   "The Culture Map" by Erin Meyer – A book I find myself returning to frequently. It's an invaluable guide for enhancing communication and collaboration across diverse cultural landscapes. Essential reading for anyone working in a global context. "The Cold Start Problem" by Andrew Chen – This insightful read delves into the nuances of initiating and growing networks to leverage network effects. It is far less automatic than one might imagine - and can sometimes require remarkable fine-tuning to get the balance of growth right. "The Medici Effect" – Last but not least, the book that started it all. I am still amazed at how much this book has meant and continues to mean for people around the world and feel blessed to be part of such an experience. Here's to another 20 years of embracing the ideas of innovation at the intersection! #MediciEffect #DiversityDrivesInnovation  #a20yearRenaissance #BookRecommendations #AnniversaryCelebration

Back in 2019, I dabbled with becoming a financial advisor. I wanted to make values-aligned investing more accessible to folks who were just investing for retirement and didn't want to closely follow the market. It's just as well that I didn't stay in the field, because Adasina Social Capital came along and created exactly the financial product that was needed to fill the gap I had identified: the JSTC ETF. Whereas before I would have had to decide whether I cared more about forests or gun violence, or taken religious restrictions I disagreed with as the price of getting a fund I mostly agreed with, Adasina is designed for multi-issue progressives like me. I just read their impact report and am blown away by all that they are doing, and the material benefits to marginalized folks that are the result. Their current campaigns include decarceration, ending forced arbitration in cases of workplace sexual assault (they won!), ending sub-minimum wage work, and fighting extractive agriculture. They work with movements you've heard of, like the Poor People's Campaign. For the investor like me who cares about the impact that my dollars are having on the world I'd someday like to retire into, it's worth every penny.

Looking forward to this panel discussion about combatting disinformation next week!

Making plans for staying in touch 24 June | 9.45am – 4pm | Zoom This course is an opportunity to consider what we know about staying in touch from research, including what works well, the voices of those with lived experience, and aspects that may present challenges or need more support. https://ow.ly/o5Ui50RIahs