Lesly Simmons was formerly Head of Community Innovation at Amazon, she left it this year to acquire and run a toy company, Mobius Toys. This move builds upon Lesly’s work with The Dollhouse Project that produces inclusive experiences for children and families.

As she moves closer to work that is truly meaningful to her, she simultaneously finds herself doing work she didn’t sign up to do. She brings her burning question to:  

🔹Noel Pacarro Brown, Author and Thought Leader in Sustainable Finance: 

🔹Marni Heinz, Go-To-Market Expert at Datadog and Leadership Coach: 

And Christine Renaud, Braindate (host)

The three women join Lesly to address her burning question:

🎙️ As I get older my definition of success keeps changing, so how do I manage my expectations while still remaining true to myself?

Covered in this episode

• Staying true to yourself when you yourself are changing
• How definitions of success have changed over the years
• Other people's success
• If not now, when? If not me, who?
• Explaining to others what feels right to me
• Inward connection, grace, compassion
• Who's the beholder?
• The fruit and the pot
• Stepping back to see 80/20

✨Find inspiration and algorithm-free perspectives through shared experience, wisdom and good conversation at The More the Brainier

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

#TheMoretheBrainier #success #truetoself

#seasonsofchange  #fortysomething

How do you navigate these transitional waters and the feelings that come with change? 

Marni Heinz, Go-To-Market Expert at Datadog and Leadership Coach is not afraid of following what feels right to her, no stranger to charting a new career course and knows the direction in which she needs to go, yet even with this knowledge she still finds the period of transition the hardest one. She seeks out the advice of 

🔹Lesly Simmons, Owner and President, Mobius Toys, Former Head of Community Innovation at Amazon: 

🔹Noel Pacarro Brown, Author and Thought Leader in Sustainable Finance: 

and Christine Renaud, Braindate (Host)

to dig deeper into: How to navigate a professional pivot that feels like a step backward when it's actually a step forward?

Covered in this episode

• Going against the grain but staying true to oneself
• Life pivots
• Unpacking the question
• The role of time in pivots/overwhelming periods
• “Repotting the plant”
• Spotting the invitations to go deeper “good content”
• What anchors us in times of flux?
• Business timelines vs personal timelines
• Shifting one’s mindset

#TheMoretheBrainier #careerpivots #braindate  #careertransitions 

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

These a just a few of Noel Pacarro Brown's thoughts that come up in this episode. Author and Thought Leader in Sustainable Finance, Noel guides families to make investments and lasting legacies with their wealth. When you deal with hundreds of thousands of dollars and you care about harmony and equality, how do you ensure you are adhering to the rules of the trade and those of shared humanity? Noel knows intuition can guide us to achieve greater harmony in her line of work, but how? 

Noel calls on:

🔹Marni Heinz, Go-To-Market Expert at Datadog and Leadership Coach,

🔹Lesly Simmons, Owner and President, Mobius Toys, Former Head of Community Innovation at Amazon, and

Christine Renaud, TMTB host and CEO of Braindate, to address her burning question: How can we keep a pulse on the shifting rules of society while also maintaining a direct line to our intuition?

Covered in this episode

• Memorable hosting moments
• Leadership in shared resources and sustainable finance
• Importance of place in connections
• Disparity between the profit driven aspect of world of finance and the needs of society: how intuitively it feels like the drive for profit over well-being will accrue more risk in the long-run
• How this disparity is relevant across sectors at the moment
• How to bring more visibility to this issue
• How to tap deeper into your intuition and make it more readily available
• What to look at more closely to shift one's perspective when tackling a divide
• Finding common ground
• Bringing more love and community into business

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

#businesscoaching #sustainablefinance #peercoaching  #intuitiveinvesting #healingcapital

Conventions tend to be, well, conventional. Mingling people in rooms for a few days has been the default for a long time: the challenge is getting the delegates on board to try something new. 

Mara Sandoval designs the gatherings for high-level decision makers. For her, experience design plays a key role in generating outcomes when people gather and it needs to be centre stage in the planning process rather than an afterthought. She calls on

🔹Alex McLean, CEO & Co-Founder, Alveole and

🔹Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn

to join her exploration of the burning question: How do we break down the barriers to collaboration when we gather?

Covered in this episode

• Being a great guest
• Anthropology and graphic design in content and space
• Design as a theory of change
• Bringing collaborative design to boardrooms
• The need for a common language
• Why are we gathering?
• The pivotal role of human interaction
• An easy way to encourage collaboration
• typical conferences = boring
• Bruce Mau incomplete manifesto for change
• Typical conferences
• Power of intention as participant
• The people you need in the room

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

Cindy Gallop's mission is to help end rape culture globally through education and awareness. Cindy has solid experience getting her message across and getting things done: after identifying a lack and a need in the market back in 2012, Cindy created the online platform, MakeLoveNotPorn, a subscription service aimed at providing an alternative to porn. Cindy seeks investors for MakeLoveNotPorn, she knows the money is out there but the typical investor route is not open to her. She explains the situation to:

🔹 Mara Sandoval, Head of Event Design and Interaction, World Economic Forum; and

🔹 Alex McLean, CEO & Co-Founder, Alveole 

Together, they address her burning question: How do I find investors/donors who 'get it' for MakeLoveNotPorn?

Covered in this episode

• Early experiences of earning and saving money
• Origins of MakeLoveNotPorn
• Cindy's Burning Question: How to find investors?
• Barriers and solutions to business growth in sex tech

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

Alex McLean, started beekeeping at 15 and it’s taken him around the world and into business as Co-Founder and CEO at Alveole, a turnkey urban beekeeping company.

Alex negotiates partnerships with commercial real estate across North America and Europe; one of his main challenges is translating the need for nature alongside us in cities for the people who have the power to improve the urban environment for all city dwellers.

In this tenth episode of The More the Brainier, Alex receives advice from: 

🔹 Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn; and

🔹 Mara Sandoval, Head of Event Design and Interaction, World Economic Forum

Together, they address his burning question: How do I make people care about nature being an integral part of the city? 

Covered in this episode

• Alveole and its mission
• Urban beekeeping 101
• How do we get people to care about nature in cities?
• Moments of awe
• What do bees represent?
• The transformation of Singapore
• Nature as privilege
• Normalising nature
• Outreach to children
• Edible cities
• The link between nature, health and wellbeing
• Storytelling as a tool to bring nature to children
• The power of gardening
• Potential for radical improvement with urban planning
• Bottom-up change limitations
• When top down models for change are necessary
• How can everybody benefit?

Today’s guests:

• Alex McLean, (Main guest); Cindy Gallop; Mara Sandoval

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

In his role as Creative Director of Cities at Moment Factory and also through events he has organised within his community, Fady Atallah works by creating experiences but he's still frustrated that he can't feel a tangible impact. He feels we can do more. Fady enlists the help of: 

🔹 Jennie Glazer, CEO at Coqual, The Centre for Talent Innovation; and

🔹 Paul Propster, Chief Story Architect, NASA/JPL StoryLab (Retired)

in this ninth episode of The More the Brainier.

Together, they tackle his burning question: How can I switch from citizen-spectator to active participation in an increasingly turbulent world?

In this discussion we cover politics, cities, climate, culture: what becomes apparent is that people don’t need more inspiration. They need a place to start. Design is often for attention but not necessarily for agency. What if intentional design created moments and experiences that made people feel like they have a role to play?

Covered in this episode

• Ovations: standing or sitting?
• Moment Factory 
• Citizen spectator –  experience as a citizen
• Inertia at different levels: federal: infrastructure: municipal and arts/cultural 
• The potential for change in public urban space
• What to change and how, micro to macro 
• Thinkers: Henry Jenkins: civic engagement: building a story to include the collective; Marshall Ganz: story of me, story of us, story of now; Amy Edmunsdon: psychological safety: creating safe spaces
• How do we design for trust and not compliance?
• Do we need a civic overhaul or more to create moments that remind people that they belong?
• Plan the expedition
• The need for new language: flip the perspective to create traction, motivation
• What's your prototype?
• Writing a document of reference
• Designing for agency, with conviction.

Today’s guests:

Fady Atallah (Main guest); Paul Propster; Jennie Glazer

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

Our second guest in this series: Jennie Glazer, works with C-suite leaders whose businesses have an impact on the lives of thousands in her role as CEO at Coqual, the Centre for Talent Innovation. She sees her privileged position as an opportunity to ask questions that count. She calls on: 

🔹 Fady Atallah, Creative Director of Cities at Moment Factory; and

🔹 Paul Propster, Chief Story Architect, NASA/JPL StoryLab (Retired)

to explore the kinds of questions she could be asking in this eighth episode of The More the Brainier.

Covered in this episode

• The power of gathering: live performances
• Coqual: enabling people to fully contribute at work
• Creating space for innovation
• Burning question: what are the questions we should be asking as leaders?
• Digging down to the real questions
• Wading through uncertainty
• Short-termism - no termism
• What can growth look like?
• Hitting the mute button
• What are the mechanisms for change
• The what is, the what if and the what could be
• Double bottom line: doing good and making money
• Learning form organisations and "the smaller guys"

Today’s guests:

Jennie Glazer (Main guest); Fady Atallah; Paul Propster

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Referenced:

Cosm (02:11)

Pussy Riot, Riot Days (03:58)

EPIC PLayer's Spring Awakening (8:53)

LaGuardia High School: Considering Matthew Shepard, The Opera (Clip)(9:44)

Hal Gregerson Questions are the Answer (27:33)

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

Our first guest in this new series: Paul Propster recently retired from his position of strategist at NASA and having worked for many years for someone else’s purpose and mission, now seeks a purpose and mission that resonates more closely with his own values. 

Paul examines the options before him in this seventh episode of The More the Brainier, he is joined by: 

🔹 Jennie Glazer, CEO at Coqual, Centre for Talent Innovation

🔹 Fady Atallah, Creative Director of Cities at Moment Factory

Covered in this episode

• Childhood stories that have impacted our adult lives
• What makes a good story?
• The power of shared stories
• The burning question: How do I launch a new career with more meaning in middlescence?
• Purpose after prestige
• Prototyping vs job seeking
• What's needed when one mission ends—but you're ready to invent your own
• The people we work with
• Taking time
• Uncomfortable travel
• Middlescence and mile-stones
• Communities

Today’s guests:

Paul Propster (Main guest); Jennie Glazer; Fady Atallah

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Referenced: Orbiting the Giant Hairball (11:35)

Subscribe to find inspiration, algorithm-free perspectives and good conversation at The More the Brainier. To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

Covered in this episode

• Favourite reads 
• Origins and inspiration for One Young World and its work in action today
• How do we reclaim the centre-ground and create more peaceful co-existence?
• What can we do to promote dialogue?
• OYW’s current work in peacekeeping and bridge-building
• Decline in curiosity and willingness to listen to divergent perspectives
• Holding space
• Leveraging Braindate and TED to facilitate, educate and build empathy
• Leaders as role models
• Cultural competency
• Development of skills

Referenced in conversation:

Books: James, Orbital, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, A Covenant of Water  (01:44)

Recognition (referenced by Ella at 06:40)

Human Libraries (18:36)

–

This marks the end of the second series for April! We’ll be back on May 6th with more burning questions on finding one’s purpose in middlescence, the questions we ask ourselves as leaders and moving from passive bystander to active participant. 

Thank you for listening to The More the Brainier, if you liked the show, please share with someone whom you think you would also enjoy the discussion, or let us know and we’ll contact them 🙂 We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line at TMTB@braindate.com

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov.

Braindate

Eleven years after founding The Knowledge Society, one of Navid Nathoo’s biggest hurdles is reaching parents: so in this fifth episode of The More the Brainier, he asks Logan McClure Davda, Head of Impact at TED and Ella Robertson McKay, Managing Director at One Young World : How can we bring more awareness of innovative education to parents?

This isn’t your typical “expert talks” format: it’s collaborative learning in action.

Real stories. Shared wisdom. Off script.

Covered in this episode

• Philosophies/mottos to live by
• Origins of The Knowledge Society (TKS)
• How can we bring more awareness of innovative education to parents?
• Identifying points of parent intervention
• Parenting champions
• College/university recruiters
• Word of mouth
• Summer programmes
• School communities
• Alumni
• Philanthropic collaborations
• Homeschoolers
• Identifying each immediate market inorder to build partnerships

–

More information on today’s guests:

• Navid Nathoo, The Knowledge Society (TKS), (Main guest); 
• Logan McClure Davda, TED; 
• Ella Robertson McKay, One Young World

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Subscribe to hear different perspectives on more burning questions from creative minds around the world. To contribute to the discussion, comment on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show or send us an email TMTB@braindate.com 

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov.

Covered in this episode

Travel /family rituals 

How do I make the world a better place while taking August off to paint shells with my kiddos?

• work/life harmony and alignment
• ‘seasons’ spent between children/parents
• intentional commitments 
• the greatest gift parents can give their children
• having clear priorities 
• what’s to be gained from saying “no” 
• skill-building
• internal drivers vs. external expectations
• impact and dopamine
• holistic impact

–

If you enjoyed this discussion and would like to know when we post new episodes, please subscribe to The More the Brainier. To contribute to Logan's burning question, please comment on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show. We'll be back next week!

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov.

Today’s guests

Logan McClure Davda (Main guest) TED; Navid Nathoo, TKS; Ella Robertson McKay, One Young World; 

Host: Christine Renaud, Braindate

Covered in this episode

How can we unlock the potential of changemakers? Future of Good’s answer is to enable them to make a greater social impact in their work through journalism, professional learning events and research. 

 How can we have curious conversations in divided times? 

• Realising when you’re in a bubble
• What real diversity needs to include
• One of the blocks to transformational possibilities 
• What’s needed to start from a standpoint of curiosity
• Why is it so important to be around people with different opinions
• Ways to safely hear an “opposing” viewpoint
• Being aware of one’s internal dialogue when one hears an alternate point of view: What can I learn?

–

This marks the end of the first mini-series for March. We’ll be back on April 8th with more burning questions on innovative education, finding the middle ground and painting shells on the beach :) 

Subscribe to hear different perspectives on more burning questions from creative minds around the world, after all, The More the Brainier!”  To contribute to the discussion, join us on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show.

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

More information on today’s guests:

Guests: Vinod Rajasekaran BIO Future of Good (Main guest); 

Rekha Magon BIO Boundless Life; Felix Rundel BIO Future Hain;

Host: Christine Renaud BIO Braindate

Links: Amin Malouf, In the Name of Identity

Covered in this episode

Felix talks about Future Hain and how it supports science and technology-driven organisations by popularising technical concepts into mainstream and underground culture. In doing so, Future Hain builds bridges between two sectors that aren’t always in dialogue.

The world is switching to dark mode and our business as usual won't be enough: How can I leverage my work and communities for much (much) more societal impact?

• How can I shield myself and develop tactics or rituals to help me disconnect?
• How the news affects us and coping strategies
• Where to focus one’s attention
• Questions to ask oneself
• Purpose of social media
• Impact of kindness
• Where to start

–

Subscribe to hear different perspectives on more burning questions from creative minds around the world. After all, The More the Brainier!”  To contribute to the discussion, feel free to comment on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show!

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

More information on today’s guests:

Guests: Felix Rundel Future Hain, Centre for Convening Minds (Main guest); 

Vinod Rajasekaran Future of Good; Rekha Magon Boundless Life

Host: Christine Renaud Braindate

Rekha shares her experience as a founder of Boundless Life, a program designed for families to live, work and learn while traveling. The discussion delves into the emotional complexities of feeling responsible for others and the importance of self-care and autonomy. The guests share personal stories and insights on how to navigate these challenges, emphasizing the need for clarity and intentionality in setting boundaries.

Covered in this episode

• The impact of Boundless Life on the families who embark on a cohort
• How do I set boundaries for myself without feeling like I'm letting people down?
• Ways to break down the burning question to better understand the problem
• Identifying the sources and patterns of pressure
• How to reframe emergencies
• What needs to be clear before action is taken
• Assessing the autonomy of people relying on me
• Considering the impact of not setting boundaries
• What’s required for successful boundary setting in the long-run

–

Subscribe to hear different perspectives on more burning questions from creative minds around the world. After all, The More the Brainier!” To contribute to the discussion, feel free to comment on Braindate’s LinkedIn post about this episode of our show!

This episode of The More the Brainier was produced by Christine Renaud and Jane Gibb. Editing and sound engineering by Jenya Sverlov and Chris Leon.

More information on today’s guests

Host: Christine Renaud BIO Braindate

Guests: Rekha Magon (Main guest) BIO website; Felix Rundel BIO website; Vinod Rajasekaran BIO website;