Episodes

  • Well, This is Uncommon | Benjamina Bollag Talks of Cultivated Meat

    Well, This is Uncommon | Benjamina Bollag Talks of Cultivated Meat
    Jul 22 2024
    Neil Koenig Senior TV Series Producer and ideaXme interviewer, in conversation with Benjamina Bollag, founder and CEO of Uncommon. Neil comments: As concerns about the sustainability of food production grow, could so-called “cellular agriculture” be part of the answer? A new Cambridge-based startup called Uncommon is one of a host of new players that are trying to find out. Instead of raising pigs on a farm, Uncommon is aiming to produce pork by “growing” it in a lab or factory. So how does the process work? On its website, the company explains that it obtains ”sample cells — specifically stem cells — from a traditionally farmed animal, and then we nurture them to reach a state where they can infinitely grow using a process called reprogramming”. Uncommon believes that the process can result in a product that has “the potential to be the same as traditional meat right down to the molecular level”. It adds that it does “not use genetically modified pork cells or antibiotics in our manufacturing process.” Still, it’s a field that is not without controversy. Some observers worry about issues such as safety and the potential impact on the traditional farming industry; indeed, Florida has recently banned “lab-grown” meat. But enthusiasts believe that products like cultivated meat have a bright future, offering a revolutionary way to produce food in a much more sustainable manner, amongst many other benefits. I met Uncommon’s founder Benjamina Bollag at this year’s Symposium, organised by the students of St Gallen university in Switzerland. In this interview with me for ideaXme, Benjamina Bollag talks about how the idea for her startup came about, the many challenges involved in creating a radically new type of food, and her hopes and dreams for the future. LINKS BENJAMINA BOLLAG BIOGRAPHY / benjaminabollag UNCOMMON https://uncommonbio.co/about-us/ ST GALLEN SYMPOSIUM https://symposium.org/ MUSIC Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses Neil Koenig: / neilkoenig https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en ideaXme links: ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com Contact: Andrea Macdonald, founder of ideaXme andrea@ideaxme.com Instagram @ideaXme Twitter @ideaxm TikTok / ideaxme Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ideaXme/?loc... Facebook 6 groups and founder's page / ideaxmeplatform LinkedinIn: 4 pages. ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. Mission: To Move the human story forward™ by sharing knowledge of the future. Our passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    26 mins
  • Where to Buy your Next Mobile or Laptop?

    Where to Buy your Next Mobile or Laptop?
    Jul 12 2024
    Neil Koenig, ideaXme Senior TV Series Producer and interviewer talks with Kilian Kaminski, Co-founder of refurbed. 🪛⚙️🔨 👩‍💻📲 Neil comments: Does your home have a drawer with an old smartphone in it? If so, you’re not the only one. According to one study there are some 200 million unused phones in homes in Germany alone: that’s more than two per person. 📱💻 “This is a tragedy” says Kilian Kaminski, because there are “resources in these devices, which are really valuable - gold, silver, copper, and they are just lying around without any usage”. Kilian, along with Peter Windischhofer and Jürgen Riedl, is now trying to do something about the situation. Several years ago the trio founded “refurbed”, a company based in Vienna that renews old electronic devices and makes them usable again. I caught up with Kilian Kaminski at the 2024 St Gallen Symposium. In this interview with me for ideaXme, he talks about how his enterprise came to be founded, how it is branching out to refurbish a wider range of items such as sports goods and vacuum cleaners, and how he hopes to turn “refurbished” into a new product category that is “the cool, smart choice”, as well being as a vital step in the development of the so-called “circular” economy. LINKS Refurbed http://www.refurbed.com Kilian Kaminski / kiliankaminski St Gallen Symposium https://symposium.org/ Neil Koenig: / neilkoenig https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en ideaXme links: ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com Contact: Andrea Macdonald, founder of ideaXme andrea@ideaxme.com Instagram @ideaXme Twitter @ideaxm TikTok / ideaxme Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ideaXme/?loc... Facebook 6 groups and founder's page / ideaxmeplatform LinkedinIn: 4 pages. ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. Mission: To Move the human story forward™ by sharing knowledge of the future. Our passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    33 mins
  • Esther Wojcicki | World Renowned Educationist |Talks of Unleashing Creativity To Raise Successful People

    Esther Wojcicki | World Renowned Educationist |Talks of Unleashing Creativity To Raise Successful People
    May 24 2024
    Neil Koenig, Senior TV Series Producer and ideaXme interviewer in conversation with Esther Wojcicki, Chief Education Advisor at Knack and Chief Academic Advisor at Pressto.ai. Neil Koenig comments: What’s the most difficult job in the world? President, astronaut, neurosurgeon? No - according to the educator, journalist and author Esther Wojcicki, “it’s being a parent”. As she explains, “most young people don't realise it, but when you become a parent you're signing up for a lifetime of worry…you’re going to want to help your child forever”. But, she adds, the rewards of parenthood far outweigh any downsides: “there’s nothing more exciting than having a great family”. In this interview with me for ideaXme, Esther Wojcicki talks about her career in education; why she believes a more “hands-off” approach is better for kids than being a so-called “helicopter” parent; and some of her many other ventures, such as her work with the Creative Commons project. She also discusses her best-selling book “How to Raise Successful People”, in which she sets out how parents can not only help their children to achieve their full potential, but can also have a great time in the process. ESTHER WOJCICKI - BIOGRAPHY https://creativecommons.org/person/es... / estherwojcicki BOOK - “HOW TO RAISE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE” https://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Succ... APP ParentingTrick. Parenting TRICK is an app on the Apple App Store that helps parents learn the TRICK method and prepare their children for success. It is also on the Google Play Store. Pressto.ai: https://www.joinpressto.com Photograph of Esther by Jo Sittenfeld. Courtesy of Esther Wojcicki. Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Neil Koenig: / neilkoenig https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en ideaXme links: ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com Contact: Andrea Macdonald, founder of ideaXme andrea@ideaxme.com Instagram @ideaXme Twitter @ideaxm TikTok / ideaxme Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ideaXme/?loc... Facebook 6 groups and founder's page / ideaxmeplatform LinkedinIn: 4 pages. ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. Mission: To Move the human story forward™ by sharing knowledge of the future. Our passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    38 mins
  • Art Moves Forward | ART on THE MART | MEGA Chicago Initiative Attracts Global Audiences and Artists

    Art Moves Forward | ART on THE MART | MEGA Chicago Initiative Attracts Global Audiences and Artists
    May 3 2024

    Neil Koenig, Senior TV Series Producer and ideaXme board advisor interviews Cynthia Noble, Executive Director, Vornado Arts and ART on THE MART. 🎨 🌍 📣

    "Please note that the Poetry Foundation is no longer going ahead this Fall. “The Poetry Foundation collaboration is now going ahead in 2025, however the collaborating artists will be announced next year.” ART on THE MART.

    Neil comments:

    Think of public art, and sculptures or statues might first come to mind. But how about something bigger than two American football fields? That’s the size of ART on THE MART, one of the largest digital art projects in the world.The endeavour began in 2018, with digital art works being displayed on the facade of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, at one time the biggest building in the world. For Cynthia Noble, the initiative’s founding executive director, it offers artists the chance to explore what might be described as “a new medium...it offers a great chance to experiment”. Amongst those who have contributed works so far are artists including Charles Atlas, Derrick Adams, Nick Cave, and many more. In this interview with me for ideaXme, Cynthia Noble talks about how she came to be involved with launching ART on THE MART, the role that public art can play in the life of cities everywhere, forthcoming works by artists such as Nora Turato and Yinka Illori, and how she sees the emerging field of “media architecture” developing in the future.

    ART on THE MART and Cynthia Noble links:

    CYNTHIA NOBLE BIOGRAPHY

    https://artonthemart.com/about/people/cynthia-noble PHOTO

    CREDITS Cynthia Noble photo by Caroline Manrique

    More details: Founded in 2018, the program is a result of a 30-year commitment by THE MART owner Vornado Realty Trust, in close collaboration with the City of Chicago, with a shared goal to provide public access to innovative contemporary art to the thousands of visitors traversing the Chicago Riverwalk each day. Projections are visible from Wacker Drive and along the Riverwalk. The platform is free and open to the public nightly, nine months per year, from April through December.

    ideaXme credits and links: Neil Koenig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkoenig/ https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en

    ideaXme introduction voice-over: Nicole Stott, retired NASA Astronaut, founder of Space For Art Foundation and ideaXme board advisor.

    Nicole's 🚀 🌍Links: https://www.spaceforartfoundation.org , https://www.npsdiscovery.com , Twitter @Astro_Nicole https://twitter.com/astro_nicole?lang=en

    Voice-over for the "please subscribe ending": Neil Koenig, Senior Tv Series Producer and ideaXme interviewer. 🎤 🎬

    Music for ideaXme introduction: Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

    ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com ideaXme's founder: Andrea Macdonald info@ideaxme.com ideaXme is a global network that harnesses the power of people who shape the world to reach out across the planet to communicate and encourage participation in ideas that Move the human story forward™. Today, a global podcast on 12 platforms, available in 40 countries, a mentor and creator programme. Soon much more! 20 ambassadors, subject matter experts. 6 board advisors. Mission: Let's Move the human story forward™! Passion: Rich Connectedness.
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    33 mins
  • Anthony McCall Artist | Exploring SOLID-LIGHT

    Anthony McCall Artist | Exploring SOLID-LIGHT
    Sep 18 2023
    Neil Koenig, ideaXme Board Advisor and former Senior BBC Series Producer interviews Artist, Anthony McCall. Neil comments: In the face of today’s flood of information from the internet and social media, it can sometimes take courage to retain belief in the strength of self-generated ideas. But for some, it can pay off. As the British artist Anthony McCall explains, “there's a certain moment in any artist’s life where your own ideas become more vivid than anyone else’s, for yourself”. Anthony McCall is certainly no stranger to vivid ideas. His ground-breaking piece from 1973, “Line Describing a Cone”, has had a big impact not only on his own output, but also on the work of many other artists. After studying graphic design at Ravensbourne college in the 1960s, Anthony McCall moved to New York in the early 1970s, and he has lived and worked there ever since. He is perhaps best known for his “solid light” installations. His work has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions at institutions all over the world and can be found in the collections of many major museums. In this interview with me for ideaXme, Anthony McCall talks about how he first became interested in becoming an artist, how he approaches the process of creating his works, and about his future plans, including an upcoming show at Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague, and a major exhibition which will be celebrating his work and his influence on other artists, at Tate Modern in London in summer 2024. ANTHONY McCALL BIOGRAPHY: McCall, was born St Paul’s Cray, England, in 1946. He lives and works in Manhattan. McCall is known for his ‘solid-light’ installations, a series that he began in 1973 with “Line Describing a Cone,” in which a volumetric form composed of projected light slowly evolves in three-dimensional space. More: http://www.anthonymccall.com/about LINKS http://www.anthonymccall.com/ https://www.skny.com/artists/anthony-... https://www.galerierudolfinum.cz/en/e... https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate... Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses Further credits/links: Voice over for ideaXme introduction: Neil Koenig Music for ideaXme introduction. ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com Contact: Andrea Macdonald ideaXme's founder: andrea@ideaxme.com ideaXme is a global network - podcast, mentor programme and creator series. 40 countries. 12 platforms. Mission: To Move the human story forward™. Passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    56 mins
  • Recycling Plastics | People Planet Profit

    Recycling Plastics | People Planet Profit
    Aug 1 2023
    Neil Koenig ideaXme board advisor and former BBC Producer interviews Christina Keller, CEO Cascade Engineering. Neil comments: As worries about the health of our environment continue to grow, a big concern is the harm caused by plastic waste. Whilst intense efforts to find suitable alternatives continue, the need to recycle existing plastics is becoming ever more urgent. One business that makes extensive use of recycled materials is Cascade Engineering, a family-owned plastics manufacturer based in Michigan, which makes products for a wide range of sectors, including the automotive and furniture-making industries. Cascade’s CEO, Christina Keller, says that the company is keen to play a role in the so-called “circular economy”, in which materials can be recycled almost indefinitely. Cascade Engineering was founded in 1973 by Christina Keller’s father Fred. The enterprise is one of a growing number of businesses that are pursuing a “triple bottom line” approach: putting people and planet first, as well as profits. Ms Keller explains that, aiming for a “triple bottom line” can mean a number of different things in practice: for example, in addition to its push to increase its recycling efforts, the business also takes steps to foster an inclusive and supportive workplace, and to offer employment opportunities to as wide a range of people as possible. I met Christina Keller at this year’s Symposium, a vast annual event organised by the students of the university of St Gallen in Switzerland. In this interview with me for ideaXme, Christina Keller talks about how employing a more diverse workforce can not only benefit employers but society too, how businesses can play a vital part in the circular economy, and the challenges and rewards of running a “triple bottom line” company. LINKS: Cascade Engineering: https://www.cascadeng.com/ IMAGE CREDITS: Courtesy of Cascade Engineering MUSIC: Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses Further Video credits: Video footage from Canva. Voice over for ideaXme introduction: Neil Koenig former Senior BBC @BBC producer and journalist and current ideaXme board advisor and guest interviewer. Music for ideaXme introduction: Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Neil Koenig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkoenig/ https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en ideaXme links: ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com Contact Andrea Macdonald ideaXme's founder: andrea@ideaxme.com ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. Mission: To Move the human story forward™. Our passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    29 mins
  • Tanso | Power of Data to Reduce World's Carbon Footprint

    Tanso | Power of Data to Reduce World's Carbon Footprint
    Jul 11 2023
    Neil Koenig, ideaXme board advisor and former BBC Series Producer interviews Gyri Reiersen, Co-founder and CPO, Tanso. Neil comments: Despite countless warnings from scientists about the dangers that greenhouse gas emissions pose to our environment, it seems that many businesses have still to wake up to the gravity of the situation. “It always surprises me how little companies know about their emissions” says Gyri Reiersen. An activist, entrepreneur, and self-confessed “nerd”, she is also co-founder of Tanso, a start-up based in Munich that offers software to help industrial companies understand and manage their carbon footprint. Although Tanso was only recently founded, it has attracted support from a range of venture capital and angel investors, whilst its products are already being used by some large German industrial enterprises. I had the chance to interview Gyri at this year’s Symposium, an annual event organised by the students at the university of St Gallen in Switzerland. In this interview for ideaXme, Gyri Reiersen talks about how the idea for her start-up came about, the challenges of helping enterprises to understand the role they need to play in tackling climate change, and her optimistic belief that, if we all work together, we can solve the difficult challenges that lie ahead. Gyri Reiersen Biography: Gyri is a climate activist, co-founder, and CPO of the ClimateTech startup Tanso. Driven by the urgency and importance of mitigating climate change, Tanso aims to remove the structural barriers that hinder corporations to decarbonize. They leverage the power of data and machine learning to help industrial manufacturing companies transition towards a lower carbon economy. Tanso are a product-driven company using state-of-the-art technology and scientific research to tackle climate change and making sustainability accounting as integrated, transparent, and verifiable as financial accounting. Passionate about leveraging tech and innovation to solve society's largest issues, she recently worked on research together with TUM, ETH Zurich, and MIT using machine learning to estimate carbon storage in reforestation projects through satellite and drone imagery. As an active member of the Global Shapers, an initiative for young leaders, and other organizations, she has launched multiple initiatives to empower founders to tackle climate change, increase diversity in tech, and break the stigma around mental health. IMAGE CREDITS Portrait of Gyri Reiersen courtesy of Tanso Technologies. Video credits: Video footage from Canva. Voice over for ideaXme introduction: Neil Koenig former Senior BBC @BBC producer and journalist and current ideaXme board advisor and guest interviewer. Music for ideaXme introduction: Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Neil Koenig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkoenig/ https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en ideaXme links: ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com Founder ideaXme: Andrea Macdonald. ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. Mission: To share knowledge of the future. Our passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    33 mins
  • Bineta Diop | How to Protect the Connected World

    Bineta Diop | How to Protect the Connected World
    Jun 20 2023
    Loredana Sinardo, BBA student at University of St. Gallen interviews Mme Bineta Diop, Founder and President of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), an international NGO that seeks to foster, strengthen and promote the leadership role of women in conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa. This interview took place when ideaXme recently visited the St. Gallen Symposium. Biography of Mme Bineta Diop: Studied International Relations and Diplomacy. More than 35 years of experience in women human rights issues, led peace building initiatives, conducted teams to observe elections and facilitated women peace dialogue in Africa. Has played key role in the adoption of many instruments and programmes for women in Africa. Founder and Chair of the Board, Femmes Africa Solidarité, an NGO created in 1996. Currently, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). Formerly: co-chaired the civil society advisory group to the UN on Security Council Resolution 1325 (WPS); Member, African Union Commission of Enquiry on South Sudan; served on many international executive and advisory boards, such as ICRC and Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue; co-chaired the 2014 World Economic Forum on Africa. Recipient of numerous awards, including: Knighted of the French Legion d'Honneur (2013); Jacques Chirac Foundation award (2013). Recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, Time Magazine (2011). Doctor Honoris Causa, UN University for Peace, Costa Rica and Middlesex University in UK. Mme Bineta Diop also sits on the global board of The Hunger Project. Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS): FAS develop and implement programmes that fall in 4 main objectives: - Fostering, supporting and promoting women's initiatives in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa, and for the respect of their rights; - Strengthening women's leadership capacity, including at the grassroots, to restore and maintain peace in their countries; - Engendering policies, structures, programmes and the peace process for the attainment of durable peace and human security in Africa; - Advocating at the national, regional and international levels for African women's rights and concerns, and their critical role on issues of peace and security. The Hunger Project: The Hunger Project is a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. Their mission is to end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world. Interview credit: Loredana Sinardo. Mme Bineta Diop: https://lk.linkedin.com/posts/auwpsbi... https://thp.org/board/bineta-diop/ https://twitter.com/aubinetadiop?lang=en Loredana Sinardo: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/loredanasi... Credit: Introduction Neil Koenig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkoenig/ https://twitter.com/neilkoenig?lang=en ideaXme links: ideaXme's founder Andrea Macdonald: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andrea-mac... ideaXme https://radioideaxme.com ideaXme is a global network - podcast on 12 platforms, 40 countries, mentor programme and creator series. Mission: To Move the human story forward™ by sharing knowledge of the future. Our passion: Rich Connectedness™!
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    13 mins