International Edition

Learning Platforms, Empowering Aspirants Learn and Grow Digitally...

As the COVID-19 pandemic turned the personal and professional worlds upside down, online learning became a safe and practical choice for continuing education. The worldwide e-learning market was already experiencing enormous annual growth before the pandemic. From 2018 to 2026, it is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1%, reaching $336.98 billion (Syngene Research, 2019). The growth forecasts will probably be modified sooner rather than later due to the outbreak.

While in-person learning is still valuable, more and more education and courses are being delivered online. Businesses may find this to be more affordable and manageable, and it also enables teachers to reach individuals remotely. Because they provide more flexibility and are simpler to implement, online learning solutions continue to be the top choice for organisations to train their personnel. Via eLearning, you can give back to your students in a creative and original way that will boost their engagement and boost corporate productivity.

Online learning platforms, which make the most of advanced technologies for academic purposes, really shine in remote situations. That’s not to say that traditional educational techniques are about to become extinct, but colleges, universities, and corporations have realised that new tech, like smartphones and other internet-connected gadgets that enable studying from anywhere, may help us accomplish much more.

Online learning platforms make education on tap. It doesn’t take long to enrol in a new course and acquire a certain skill. We recognise these innovators of the new world as prominent brands in their own right through our latest “Online Learning Platforms” edition, which featured distinctive education platforms like Zola Global Learning Centre, a unique and amazingly creative community that provides an inspiring environment for young people to learn and grow together.

The Business Connect Magazine team is pleased to celebrate the spirit of innovation these learning platforms embrace by providing a platform for these stories created by our editors. The editorial team of Business Connect really hopes you will appreciate reading it and sharing your insightful thoughts with us. We would love to hear from you, and your opinion helps us develop topics that are most important to you. Write us at editorial@ businessconnectindia.in.

Wishing your company a successful completion of the year filled with great results and achievements!

Puja

puja@businessconnectindia.in

Vol - 5|Special Edition|April 2023

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ZOLA GLOBAL LEARNING CENTRE

An intrinsic online edu platform creating an impact…

Cover Story

ZAINAB RUMANA Founder & CEO

Cover Story

Zainab Rumana

Founder & CEO

ZOLA GLOBAL LEARNING CENTRE

Zola: An intrinsic online edu platform creating an impact…

Online education platforms have swiftly become popular in the current scenario for a variety of reasons. Be it providing greater accessibility, flexibility, affordability, variety, or innovation to students around the world, they have managed to garner worldwide attention and applause. Such an edu platform is ZOLA which is an intensively diverse and creative community offering youths opportunities to learn and grow comprehensively. The outstanding brain behind the incorporation of ZOLA, Zainab Rumana, wanted to introduce new-age learning principles to the global student community. To explore the length and breadth of her immensely successful edu platform, we arranged a tetea-tete with Zainab and the COO of Zola- Moizuddin Mohammed who spearheads the departments of HR, Finance, sales and marketing. They shared some incredible insights into the industry and food for thought that our global aficionado would find worth pondering over. Trimming the fat, let’s dive into the excerpts of the exclusive conversation held with the duo.

The genesis

ZOLA is a portal that engages the world’s finest teachers and tutors in various curricula from around the world, to aid students in tapping into their unexplored potential. Through online learning, ZOLA eliminates the limitations of location and time for students to access quality education. The platform has perfected the art of engaging students virtually, producing remarkable results. ZOLA provides a comprehensive range of subjects and skills that students may not have had access to traditionally, challenging them to go beyond the basics. With over 18 years of experience in education, the team at ZOLA is passionate about making high-quality education available to everyone at an affordable cost. The ZOLA Scholarship Programme is a testament to this belief, providing opportunities for individuals facing financial difficulties to achieve their goals. Whether through academic progress or skill-building, ZOLA strives to prepare children and adults to thrive in their lives.

Kajal | Business Connect

The business philosophy

The edtech platform interacts with students from all over the world, providing them with the opportunity to explore and cultivate their interests, gain access to knowledge, acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to succeed, foster healthy relationships, and become innovative global citizens. ZOLA follows a holistic approach, offering a well-balanced combination of all the fundamental aspects required for a child’s comprehensive growth and development.

Creating an impact in the edtech industry

The founder of ZOLA shared her overall evaluation of the industry trends and the impact her platform has been able to ignite so far. She has witnessed the significant evolution of online tutoring in recent years. Initially, it was used as a Q&A service where students posted their queries online and tutors answered them in due course. However, online platforms now allow for real-time sessions with expert tutors specializing in specific topics to provide the tuition. Technology is rapidly evolving, resulting in constant advancements in virtual teaching. This was particularly evident during the pandemic when remote learning became necessary for both students and teachers alike. Online tutoring now allows for live streaming of audio and video, provides access to more expert tutors, offers more opportunities for collaboration, and is more accessible than ever before.

The private tutoring industry is growing, with the global private tutoring market predicted to explode to 177,621 million by 2026, at a CAGR of around 7.1% between 2018 and 2026, according to a Zion market research group report. The pandemic has exposed the deep digital divide in many pockets of society worldwide, but it has also highlighted that online learning, when the right technology is available, is hands-down the best option for students. Research from the World Economic Forum has shown that online learning is powerful for students, increasing retention by 25-60% compared to 8-10% in the classroom and reducing learning time by 40-60% by allowing students to learn at their own pace. The EdTech sector is booming, with language apps, video conferencing tools, collaboration tools, and virtual tutoring all on the rise. The ease and flexibility that online tutoring brings have led to an increase in its demand.

The USPs

ZOLA has made an indelible mark on the learning community with its shared interface between tutors and online students. The platform leverages high-quality video conferencing to provide a superior teaching experience. ZOLA’s tutors are highly qualified subject specialists with experience teaching specific curricula. ZOLA provides more than just academic tutoring; it also offers skill development sessions and counselling for emotional support which is the need of the hour. Additionally, ZOLA facilitates adultsupervised social activities such as Minecraft and Roblox sessions, providing a well-rounded learning experience for students.

ZOLA is dedicated to unlocking every child’s potential and providing a 360-degree development platform. Its passionate educators offer personalized learning plans that promote both academic and life skills, emphasizing values and persistence. ZOLA’s online platform and learning app enable students to connect with educators from around the world and access the best learning resources. With ZOLA, students can access quality education without geographical or time-related restrictions.

ZOLA incorporates a comprehensive approach to facilitate learning and provides a perfect mix of academic, skill development, socializing, and emotional support. The platform is built upon the expertise of technology, design, and academia, making quality education accessible and affordable for all. The ZOLA Scholarship Program aims to support deserving students who may face financial challenges in accessing education. The selected students will receive excellent tutoring services, and their stories will be featured on the ZOLA website.

R&D process implementations

ZOLA is a distinguished institution that provides exceptional education, support and inclusivity. The team members are committed to consistently enhancing and adapting the offerings to meet the evolving needs and demands of the global student community. They recognize that Research and Development (R&D) plays a vital role in the success of any education enterprise. The platform is dedicated to continuously improving the interface, app, and processes to ensure that the students have a positive and enriching learning experience. Furthermore, they heavily invest in teacher training to equip the tutors with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver effective lessons and provide unparalleled service to the students. Through their unwavering commitment to R&D and teacher training, they are able to stay ahead of the competition and deliver superior service to their valued customers. This enables them to establish trust and cultivate enduring relationships with the students, ultimately contributing to the growth and success of ZOLA.

Technology shaping the future

Both the leaders constantly keep an eye on the evolution and growth of the industry. It’s an exciting time for the online tutoring business, as the future looks very promising with the advancement of new technologies. Here are their valuable insights on how technology will shape online education in the coming years:

• The demand for online education will continue to grow as more and more students prefer to learn online. The flexibility and convenience of online learning are too attractive to ignore.

• AI will play a big role in online education, providing personalized learning experiences for each student. With the help of AI, tutors can better understand each student’s unique learning needs and preferences and tailor their teaching methods accordingly.

• Learning management systems will become more sophisticated, making it easier for tutors to manage their classes and track student progress. This will not only save time but also help tutors to provide more effective feedback to their students.

• Augmented reality will provide an immersive and experiential learning experience for students. This technology will allow students to interact with learning materials in a way that was previously not possible, making learning more engaging and effective.

• Gamification will make learning more fun and engaging for students of all ages. The use of game elements and mechanics in education can help to increase student motivation and interest, leading to better learning outcomes.

• Blockchain technology will ensure the security and privacy of student data. With the increasing importance of data privacy, blockchain technology can provide a secure and transparent way to store and share student data, giving both tutors and students peace of mind.

As the online tutoring business continues to evolve and grow, it’s essential to stay on top of the latest technological advancements and trends. By doing so, they can provide the students with the best possible learning experiences and ensure the success of their business.

The future outlook shared by the entrepreneur

Within three months of inception, the venture has made headlines and drawn the attention of the global business community. Recently, it has collaborated with IDP for IELTS Training and participated in UAE’s educational institutions show and bagged a lot of appreciation and praise, especially from Sheikh Saeed al Qassimi. Zainab has been interviewed and got featured on the Sharjah Private education authority. Attaining marvels and scaling the graph of success, the dynamo has envisioned a future roadmap that would spur revolutionary changes in the edtech space.

“To increase our students worldwide, we have introduced strong marketing strategy, referral program where both the existing and new students will benefit using our platform. We are excited about our mission of providing quality tutoring services to students from all over the world. We believe that with our expertise in the field, we can expand our reach of this goal. Our goal is to bring together professionals and students from across the globe for an enriching learning experience. We are confident that our marketing efforts combined with our quality tutoring services, testimonials, and recommendations from our current students will speak for themselves,” claims Zainab.

Zainab and Moizuddin concluded the interaction by sharing,

As

plans for

Tutoring are focused on four key areas: Our technology to automate processes and scale up our online presence, building valuable partnerships, and continuing to deliver quality education. We will also be focused on tech optimization, automating processes to make our tutoring services more efficient and accessible. And

finally, we will be scaling up our online presence by collaborating with other education-related businesses. By focusing on these key areas, we are confident that we can continue to grow ZOLA Tutoring into a leading provider of quality education.

we look to the future, our

ZOLA

Minerva Lithium LLC

Sheeba Dawood: The Woman Behind Minerva Lithium, Revolutionising the Mineral Extraction Realm in the Energy Segment

They are fearless, they are dedicated, and they know how to get into the market by reinventing the wheel of a well-established domain. Women entrepreneurs nowadays have mastered the ability to strike a balance between aspirations and corporate versatility.

Women are not only blooming in the business world; they are also breaking new ground there. Women are stepping out of their comfort zones to take up leadership roles and make changes in a variety of industries, including health, retail, technology, education, and social business. The perfect representation of India’s key leaders is Dr. Sheeba Dawood.

Not everyone manages to secure a stable career; some put their hopes, goals, and sweat into propelling their entrepreneurial sector. Minerva Lithium LLC, a prominent brand for Lithium extraction and refining technology.

Technology, is effectively being steered by Dr. Sheeba who serves as the company’s chief executive officer and leading lady. Its objective is to create green energy technology that will address the rapidly expanding global energy storage industry.

Dr. Sheeba received her Ph.D. in Nanoscience from the research team of Dr. Hemali Ratnayake at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)’s Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN). She is a specialist in creating ecologically friendly coordination polymer frameworks for environmental cleanup and the extraction of essential elements.

“I will continue to be actively involved in starting up numerous enterprises as an entrepreneur. However, my passion project also involves education and research related to sustainable nanomaterials in addition to business services and products”, asserted Sheeba Dawood.

Minerva Lithium at a Glance Incorporated in the year 2020, Minerva Lithium is a university spinout business established in North Carolina, USA. It actively utilised the technologies licensed from the University of North Carolina and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in Greensboro, NC.

The foundation and research of this project were spun from Sheeba’s Ph.D. project. The first novel product is a sustainable energy technology that extracts essential components from unconventional water sources using a patented Nano Mosaic membrane filter system.

Sheeba Dawood CEO

Puja | Business Connect

Since its inception, the company has had tremendous success and recognition. They have so far won roughly $600k in federal, state, and pitch competition funding. NSF/SBIR phase 1 grants, NC matching grants, NC Collaboratory Grants, and NSF I-Corp grants have all given funding to Minerva Lithium. Minerva Lithium received recognition in 2022 for its three consecutive victories in pitch competitions. In October 2022, Minerva Lithium won the TechCrunch Disrupt Cup. The Greensboro city council also gave the company its blessing.

Minerva has innovative plans for the future that will focus on extracting and refining lithium and supplying products like lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide in North America and India.

Take on Women’s Participation in the Entrepreneurial Space

In general, women leaders bring valuable insights and qualities to the workplace because of their strong abilities in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Unfortunately, because of unintentional biases in the industrial sector, women face difficulties in obtaining funding, networking, and mentorship. Nothing would be done if they spent all their time worrying about how to establish ourselves. Instead, women should focus their energies on improving their own leadership abilities.

To close this gap and encourage female entrepreneurs as they make their way through the business world, mentoring is crucial. Generally, there is a growing realisation that women can contribute significantly to the entrepreneurial community, and for that, they need specialized resources and support to succeed

Sheeba’s Victorious Journey

The National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, which attempts to hasten the transition of discoveries from the lab to the real world, is where Dr. Sheeba’s incredible path from researcher to entrepreneur began. She participated in pitch competitions. She astoundingly conducted 100 customer discovery interviews with various industry professionals to see how her innovation could fit into their world.

“Throughout my journey, I have learned that you can’t decide what people need; you have to ask them and learn what they need. My biggest breakthrough happened during my customer discovery interviews. I took a major risk and started a spin-off firm because I had identified a market gap for the product I had been investigating, stated Dr. Sheeba.

Being an entrepreneur is difficult. Nine out of 10 people have advised her to choose an easy route rather than continuing down this difficult path. But she knows that the world needs what she has to offer in a way only she can do.

Making a more Woman Supportive Environment

“Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other women who have her back”, quoted the leading lady.

Sheeba adores this proverb and firmly holds it to be true. There are several obstacles that make it challenging for women to realise their aspirations. The best thing the business sector can do for a woman is to foster an atmosphere where she can develop, make an impact, and establish professional networking groups where people can exchange ideas and support one another.

Syncing with the Latest Tech

The sustainable battery material supply chain is being innovated by Minerva Lithium with its unique Nanomosaic technology. When compared to other rivals, the company’s filters offer superior value since they can quickly extract lithium from brine deposits and convert it into battery-grade products like lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide for cathode manufacture.

Sheeba Dawood’s Distinctive Leadership Style Directly from her

My style is focused on setting long-term goals and creating a plan to achieve them. They typically have a deep understanding of the industry and the competitive landscape and can make informed decisions about what steps the organisation needs to take to succeed in the long term. I believe effective communication and teamwork are keys to success. Overall, as a CEO, my leadership style is strategic and focused on developing a distinct vision for the company, defining objectives to realise that vision, and making wise choices to make sure the company is headed in the right direction.

An Enthusiastic Workforce: Minerva’s Key Focus

According to the magnificent woman, Sheeba, setting clear and meaningful goals that are both challenging and achievable is essential. Communication and collaboration help to foster a sense of teamwork and mutual support and this also results in a workforce that is more effective and motivated, as well as more motivated and enthusiastic. Also, Minerva offers employees with learning and development opportunities, like training, mentoring, or conferences, that aid in their overall growth and development.

The Future Outlook

The globe is gradually transitioning to sustainable energy. Clean energy depends on vital minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The demand for these essential minerals is already high and rising annually. Crucial minerals will be the most significant natural resource on the planet over the next 10 to 20 years.

As society moves towards a fully sustainable future, Minerva Lithium seeks to meet unmet demand and lead the clean energy revolution by engaging with customers, prioritising social responsibility, emphasising inclusivity and diversity, providing exceptional customer service, and offering distinctive products or services in the lithium supply chain.

Parting Words by the Visionary Leader

• It’s important to have confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed. Don’t let self-doubt hold you back.

• Connect with other entrepreneurs and professionals in your industry. Seek mentors and advisors who can provide guidance.

• Explore all financing options, including loans, grants, and investors. Create a solid business plan to attract financial support.

• Identify your strengths and areas of expertise and build your business around those strengths. Delegate tasks that are not your strong suit.

• Instead of dwelling on failure, learn from it and use it to become a better entrepreneur.

• Stay focused, persistent, and passionate about your business vision.

Pottery A Timeless And Diverse Craft Across India

Pottery is an ancient, prominent craft in India; its origins here can be traced back to the earliest times of civilisation. It survived for aeons and is a massive source of employment in both rural and urban areas. As a mass of clay is turned into a pot, those lively eyes look at vigilant hands working relentlessly in unison on the wheel. One who sees it happen sings praise for the mesmerising abilities that these boys, who are considered to be potters, possess.

In India, one such left out community is that of potters. Pottery is the art of carefully moulding clay to make different objects. The sheer hard work they put on and the abilities they develop these very pots through are magnificent. But since most factories are shut down, and most artisans are either idle or paying too little, their destiny appears to be sailing in choppy seas.

India’s Regional Pottery Craft Tradition

• Revisiting Pottery

• Jaipur Blue Pottery, Rajasthan

• Khawda Pottery, Gujrat

• Khurja Pottery, Uttarpradesh

• Longpi Pottery, Manipur

• Black Pottery and Terracotta, Madhya Pradesh

• Andretta Pottery, Himachal Pradesh

Revisiting Pottery

One of India’s most timeless living craft traditions is pottery. Pottery is practised across the length and breadth of the nation, from flower pots, terracotta chimes to the thirst-quenching ‘Surahi’ and ‘Matki’. A visit to the rural and “potter villages” speaks volumes about the economic significance of this craft. People use traditional manual potter’s wheels and kilns to engage in pottery along with subsistence farming, making earthenware an integral part of haat, bazaars and urban market spaces, particularly during the festive season.

Jaipur Blue Pottery, Rajasthan

Jaipur Blue Pottery has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. This is a glazed form of pottery that uses a blue glaze and is typical of intricate designs in blue and white. Pottery’s most distinguishing quality is that it is a commodity that is not clay. Mixing ground glass, quartz powder, Earths Fuller’s, borax, gum, soda bicarbonate, and water makes the dough for the pottery instead of clay.

Khawda Pottery, Gujrat

A traditional art form originated in the village of Khavda, Rann of Kutch, using ‘Rann ki Mitti’. With painted symmetrical black and white patterns, the lovely ochre/group shades give this art form an earthy feel. Allegedly, the special mud with which it is made is acquired from near a lake.

Khurja Pottery, Uttar Pradesh

Khurja is a popular tourist destination in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, thanks to the colourful pottery it makes. The Khurja Pottery, also known as the ‘ceramic city,’ which has a range of tea sets, crockery, and ceramic tile works, is the GI name. The method requires some labour-intensive activities, such as clay churning, moulding, colouring, followed by glazing, among the most common glazed pottery types.

Longpi Pottery, Manipur

Longpi pottery has achieved international popularity due to its rugged design, originating in the Longpi villages of Manipur’s Ukhrul district. The classic black exterior with bamboo/cane woven around handles gives the clay-wares a unique identity, made from black serpentine stone and a form of clay that is found only in this region. Longpi pottery is also microwave-friendly and can be used for baking.

Black Pottery And Terracotta, Madhya Pradesh

The age-old craft of clay and terracotta art is practised even today in its traditional way and with passion. Tribals of Madhya Pradesh region make traditional clay temples called ‘dhabas’ which has a small door where the deity is placed along with the fire lamp (Diya). During Diwali time they make clay idols of the goddess Mahalakshmi, elephants and horses with riders and the local form of Goddess Parvati.

Andretta Pottery, Himachal Pradesh

Andretta pottery from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh has received fame in a small village nestled in the lap of nature. Glazed with fresh shades of blue and green, the Andretta Pottery and Crafts Society has made it famous. The colours used are reflective of nature, evergreen woods, and the mountains. The community conducts regular workshops as well.

More eco-friendly use should be encouraged to improve livelihoods and maintain pottery as an art and craft medium, under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) goals for sustainable production and use. Similarly, trends such as #PottersKiDiwali, large-scale purchases made by the government and corporate departments, and tax exemptions granted to potters such as the one made on the occasion of Diwali, districts are nurturing pottery as an industry.

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Enhancing Business Experience with AR/VR

AR/VR is one of those technological innovations that have the potential to rewrite our perspective of the world.

Ken Ehrhart Founder & CEO

AR/VR is quickly establishing its foothold in the business sector, and for good reason. All of technology is now transitioning from 2D to 3D computing, with 3D models and digital twins allowing computers to better understand and interact with the real world. In this exciting new field, Paracosma has set itself as a pioneer and trailblazer. In an interview with Ken Ehrhart, Founder and CEO, Business Connect Magazine dives into the story of Paracosma Inc.

BCM: What are Paracosma’s newage 3D Modeling techniques?

Mr Ehrhart: Paracosma is known for its expertise in creating photorealistic 3D models. These are realistic enough to be used to replace studio photography with rendered images of 3D models and scenes. The images are used for ecommerce, and also for Virtual Movie Production, where parts of videos are replaced by digital scenes and objects. The gold standard for photorealistic models has been bespoke models created manually by a team of artists, each expert in different types of modeling, and textures, shading and lighting.

We are now using our seven years of experience from 70+ artists creating over 10,000 photorealistic models to train AI (artificial intelligence) systems to assist the artists and increase efficiency. This is not to replace artistic talent, but to reduce repetitive or menial tasks, enhancing productivity.

BCM: Please provide a detailed explanation of your innovative AR/VR development techniques?

Mr Ehrhart: Similar to applying AI as a tool to assist artists, we are applying technology tools to assist our developers. Code libraries, software development kits, modular development and automated testing can reduce repetitive tasks and improve consistency and quality. This allows our developers to apply their talents to innovation and solving the most unique and challenging issues, rather than focusing on the mundane.

Kriti | Business Connect

BCM: How does your organization make a difference to the HR/HCM corporations?

Mr Ehrhart: I have been working in the HR/HCM and Talent Management area for over 15 years and Jim Lorentz, our CRO (Chief Revenue Office), has run Learning Management companies. So, we bring a lot of experience to bear in applying AR and VR in this area. The opportunities really span across the entire employee journey throughout their career.

We are working with career counselors at community colleges to provide students a chance to explore career areas and jobs in virtual environments. In recruiting, immersive company tours can give prospective employees a clearer view of what type of company they may be joining. Virtual onboarding can then give the new hire an opportunity to meet virtually with the founders and executives of the company to immerse themselves in company culture and history. We have been developing both AR and VR systems to enable training of new employees, provide mid-career skills enhancements and even deliver instant support for field service personnel to guide them through help with an immediate task. This training can not only be in precise physical tasks, where known optimal procedures can be embedded into muscle memory; but also for AI-based softskills training that is more about judgment and responding to fluid situations. For knowledge workers, our tools provide the opportunity for real-time global collaboration as if they were meeting together in person.

BCM: Do you see yourself as a technology leader? Or do you wait for the competitors to make the first move and later outperform them?

Mr Ehrhart: Because AR and VR are so relatively new, we are simultaneously inventing new methods and quickly embracing best practices being discovered across the industry. We don’t have the luxury to wait for others to develop solutions when our clients have an immediate need. This continual innovation and adoption is what keeps our work interesting and advancing quickly to better and better solutions for our clients.

BCM: What are your views on the roadblocks to the adoption of AR/VR across different industries? How is Paracosma making a difference in this direction?

Mr Ehrhart: Since the launch of consumer VR in 2016 and AR in 2017, the two main obstacles have been complex, difficult to use technologies and cost. In addition to the complexity and cost of the hardware systems themselves, there has been complexity and cost to develop the software and experiences that enterprises need to take advantage of AR/VR. Paracosma was, in fact, founded to address that problem by easily solving our clients’ development challenges through affordable investment that delivers a fast ROI (return on investment). Consequently, we are helping our clients move quickly from early prototypes and MVP (Minimum Viable Products) through to full deployments and adoption.

BCM: What AR initiatives help your organization stay ahead of the curve?

Mr Ehrhart: Our teams of artists have been building the

3D models and digital twins that serve as the foundation for AR/VR experiences and training. But, producing a 3D model that is a photorealistic digital twin of a real object is not enough. We have also been developing model libraries and training systems to share those models as well as exploded views, cut-away views, annotations and animations to supplement the models and provide an entire training platform. This is the type of development that transitions our clients from just seeing the potential of AR/VR to capturing the value of AR/VR with a quick ROI.

BCM: How do you evaluate the impact scale of your brand?

Mr Ehrhart: Paracosma is focused on supporting our clients and delivering solutions, rather than touting our role. And, most of our enterprise clients are under “no name” NDAs (nondisclosure agreements). Thus, Paracosma often flies under the radar. But, the satisfaction of our clients leads to strong word-of-mouth endorsements and recommendations that continue to drive our growth. Our brand grows stronger with each successful client project.

BCM: Please provide us with the leadership insights of the key officials.

Mr Ehrhart: As the world has whipsawed through the pandemic, supply chain issues, war, inflation, and economic uncertainty, it is necessary to keep focused on the long-term vision of where our company and industry need to be. Maintaining that future vision is the only way to navigate a path forward that consistently moves us in the right direction.

BCM: Kindly give a brief of your cultural principles.

Mr Ehrhart: In a fast-changing field like AR/VR, it is critical to maintain a culture of curiosity and continual learning. We cannot get set in our ways or we won’t be ready to embrace or discover the innovations propelling us forward.

BCM: How do you maintain a focused and enthusiastic workforce?

Mr Ehrhart: After freezing terminations, hiring and salary raises during the pandemic, we have now aggressively returned to performance-based evaluations and advancement. This has rejuvenated a focus on individual employee productivity, skill development and opportunities for advancement, that let the best of the best shine through. Motivating the best employees is more important than maintaining the status quo.

BCM: What are the future endeavors of Paracosma?

Mr Ehrhart: Over our first seven years, we have built partnerships around the world with companies that share our vision of future AR/VR opportunities. We are now exploring how we can deepen those ties through tighter collaboration, integration and potential mergers.

BCM: What advice would you like to give to the readers of Business Connect Magazine?

Mr Ehrhart: Embrace the future, it is coming. The timing may be uncertain, but it is inevitable.

What to learn from these successful entrepreneurs 2020

The journey of entrepreneurship isn’t for the powerless. It is a long and difficult procedure that is loaded up with snapshots of accomplishment and disappointment, and sentiments of self-uncertainty and individual fulfillment. The individuals who discover accomplishment in business grasp these hardships and use them as fuel to move further along the way and to discover significantly more prominent achievement. It is from these individuals that we can gain proficiency with probably the most impressive exercises to discovering accomplishment as a business person.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

As the Chinese savant, Confucius broadly stated: “Pick a vocation you love and you will never need to work a day of your life.” One thing you will hear again and again is that your prosperity relies upon your enthusiasm. On the off chance that you appreciate what you are doing, it won’t resemble working and you will need to contribute the entirety of your time and assets into it. On the off chance that you abhor what you are doing, all aspects

of the business will be a battle and you won’t have the option to be completely contributed to discovering achievement.

LEARNING MUST BE CONTINUOUS

Regardless of your industry, savvy business people know the estimation of teaching themselves consistently. Regardless of whether it’s ready to go rehearses or simply broad information, it is imperative to leave time in your timetable for perusing and learning.

Anticipate Failure

ONE THING TO RECALL ABOUT entrepreneurship is that disappointment isn’t the finish of everything, except the opportunity at a fresh start. You can’t set down this way and expect not to flop on more than one occasion. On the off chance that you begin realizing that en route you will experience disappointment, you will be in an ideal situation. Disappointment is simply one more exercise returning you on the way to progress.

CONFIDE IN YOURSELF

This exercise is straightforward. Nobody will believe you on the off chance that you don’t. Confide in yourself and your guts emotions, on the grounds that, generally, they are correct. Be consistent with yourself, in any event, when it appears to be unthinkable.

ASSEMBLE A GREAT TEAM

At the point when it comes time to begin assembling a group, recruit simply the best individuals. It will require some investment, however, it’s time all around spent. Recruit individuals who are more intelligent than you and have qualities that supplement yours. Individuals are perhaps the best interest in business and picking the correct ones will help move your business to progress. Recruiting inappropriate people, nonetheless, can rapidly bring you down.

DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

Like Nike says, “do what needs to be done.” There is never an ideal opportunity to follow your fantasy and go into business. Life will toss impediments at you and dread will keep on making you think “now” simply isn’t the opportune time. Set that with or without and dive in!!

CONTINUOUSLY LOOK FORWARD

It is extremely simple to become involved with your new business and spotlight so intently on what you’re doing that you don’t understand what’s going on around you in your industry. The previous will give key exercises; however, consistently maintain your emphasis on what’s to come.

We know going into business and setting down the way of entrepreneurship can be unnerving, that is the reason we need you to discover accomplishment as a business person. On the off chance that you follow the guidance in this article, you will have a simpler time on that venture.

NEXTGEN LIFE SCIENCES PRIVATE LIMITED

Serving Science to bring improvement in Human Health and Environment

Indranil Roy | Business Connect

It is in tough times that the mettle of humans is tested, and that holds true for entrepreneurs and their businesses as well. NextGen Life Sciences is a company that has not just survived the rough weather, but has actively assisted in the fight against the pandemic, despite having to face the heat itself.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

In order to cater the untapped opportunities in the industry, Dr. Nagma Abbasi established NextGen Life Sciences in 2014 with an objective to become a frontrunner in the distribution of innovative biological products and services for the Life Science Research and Diagnostic market. And also provide complete solutions in Instrumentation, Reagents, Next Generation Sequencing Services, Bioinformatics, and customised solutions to Scientists and Researchers. The company wants to deliver the right products of scientific needs in minimum possible time at the doorstep to facilitate research findings in order to bring improvement in the human health and environment. The company is poised to become onestop-solution to cater to the research needs of scientists in the Field of Molecular biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Healthcare, Drug Development and more.

Dr. NAGMA ABBASI Founder & CEO

“ Storms draw something out of us that calm seas don’t. Bill Hybels ”

The NextGen group bridges the gap in understanding the needs and pains of Researchers of the Life Sciences/ Biotech industry and help scientists gain insight on the recent innovations and technologies, assuring a sound knowledge of the subject matter. At first, NextGen try getting insight on the customer requirements by exchanging ideas, then understand the complete workflow and expect results which in turn helps them to suggest customers’ best possible customised solutions. Their methods of measuring success are not conventional.

Dr. Nagma says, “I measure success in different scales like Conversations with clients, ROI, Conversion rate, Customer satisfaction, and others with parameters like referrals from existing clients, growth, profit from the revenue, conversion rate, sales target and a lot more of organisational benefit factors.

The firm has maintained a longterm relationship with clients by rendering quality services-TAT (Turnaround Time) for the product deliveries by managing inventories with microanalysis of basic needs of prime customers, addressing customer problems customers in time with best possible solutions, maintaining highly skilled and trained sales and technical team. In addition to that, it also has a dedicated team to look into after sales and services.

Navigating Through The Pandemic COVID19 and the resulting lockdown came as a shock to most people and businesses. Dr. Nagma Abbasi (Founder and CEO) received the news of the nationwide lockdown, and her first reaction was that of relief. A sensible decision by the government, it was the need of the hour, and an initiative to halt the spread of the infection and ensure the health and safety of the people. For her, the security of her loved ones and employees took priority over running her business smoothly. The lockdown came as a new learning experience for her and her team. With a little guidance from her in the beginning, the employees at NextGen Life Sciences managed to operate remotely quite well. The team connected through Zoom calls, and most the work, which took place mostly through mails and calls prior

to the lockdown, continued in much the same way after a while. They managed to take on the challenge despite the distractions of working from home, and being well-versed with the relevant technology helped.

NextGen, being from the healthcare and biotechnology industry, responded to the demands of the time as well. As COVID19 cases kept on increasing across the country, the clients started demanding products for COVID Testing kits and instruments. As per ICMR guidelines the gold standard test Real Time PCR testing has been recommended for all clients. NextGen Team educated people about the Real Time PCR testing kits options available in Indian Market and provided the Best solutions to customers. NextGen worked with its associates and partners to make Best quality products available in world market on a highly competitive pricing to customers as a total End to End solution and contributed in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The prime hospitals in Delhi, NCR, ICMR approved Diagnostic Centres, VTM Manufacturers and Research Institutes who has contributed in COVID Vaccine development were Prime clients for NextGen during this Pandemic. NextGen feel proud to serve nation in such difficult time and serve for this noble cause of saving lives.

“We don’t deliver products, we deliver experience.”

Working throughout the lockdown, the team stayed abreast of all the precautions and measures required to keep themselves safe during the pandemic. They sanitized the workplace twice a day, used masks and gloves, followed social distancing norms, and took special care with handling shipped material and making untouched deliveries to the client sites. The employees often needed to visit Covid testing sites, and that warranted utmost and special care for the entire team.

Like any other business during the lockdown, NextGen felt the heat too. With most of the research institutes being closed, the Life Science research aspect of their business took a hit. Dr. Nagma and her team, however, soon started working on

new opportunities. They started working with clients recommended by the ICMR for COVID Testing and VTM manufacturers. As deliveries of products was major issue due to lockdown and major players in logistics was closed initially NextGen Team has face lot of issues of deliveries and Team need to personally pick products and deliveries from Airport and delivered shipments from airports to client sites. The team applied for an e Pass under essential services to work and move around in the lockdown. With most of the Research Institutes, Academia and Pharma clients temporarily shut down, their payments got stuck and they had a tough time recovering money from the market. But belonging to the healthcare industry and being able to provide services in times of dire need helped them gain the confidence of their customers. They went above and beyond to help their customers as well, giving credit as required and delivering much-needed products within given timelines.

They offered best available products in world market to Indian VTM manufacturing companies which have been used to collect COVID testing samples, to researchers and scientists involved in the vaccine development of COVID19 and Gold standard Real-time Covid Testing Kits, related consumables and instruments for testing.

Dr. Nagma finds herself lucky to have been able to manage the crisis, and for the excellent team that stood beside her and made that possible. They connected through Zoom calls, WhatsApp group calls, mails, etc. The team was busier during the lockdown, in order to offer services and products to their customers, and was highly motivated to work for a noble cause and help to save human lives.

Parting Words

Dr. Nagma Abbasi says, “Great things never come from the comfort zone. Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.”

Her determination to face the various challenges the lockdown threw at them and come on top of it all helped NextGen weather the storm, and has paved a way for a brighter future for the company.

INSIGHTS OPINION Striding On Through The Lockdown

Sugandh Bahl | Business Connect

COMPANY AT A GLANCE

Insights Opinion is a reputed research consultant with expertise in research outsourcing and offering expert data collection services to large research and consulting firms. In times as unprecedented as this, Insights Opinion has proved its mettle by handling the crisis with forethought and efficiency.

With a dedicated and proficient team of experts with multilingual communication capabilities, the firm has risen to fame in the field of Market Research. The dedication and enthusiasm of the team to accomplish the assigned tasks perfectly has contributed to their astonishing success and a dynamic growth in around a hundred countries across the globe. The team at Insights Opinion is distinguished for its unmatchable passion, ability to serve in more than 60 languages, and customized services. The team has earned the valued trust and appreciation of their clients.

The company serves in a wide range of topics like infographics, scripting, telemarketing, content syndication, diagramming, multigeological and multilingual studies, computerized advertising, lead generation, and white-paper announcing. Insights Opinion is headquartered primarily in the US, the UK and India.

Insights Opinion is valued by its clients worldwide for its high standards and excellence. The team makes it a point to never compromise with quality. The contemporary and exclusive research and data outsourcing potential of the company helps the customers to settle on more intelligent choices for their business needs. Security, Simplicity and Speed are the three maxims followed at Insights Opinion to provide exemplary research material for their clients. Their market research is based on domain expertise, exposure and scientific methodologies, ensuring that they provide reliable results every time.

THE SERVICES INSIGHTS OPINION OFFERS

INCLUDES:

• Quantitative Research

• Qualitative Research

• Global Panel

• Mystery Shopping

• Survey Audit

• Programming & Hosting

• Translation

• Data Processing & Analytics

• Online Community Building

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19

Insights Opinion is one of the few companies that is focused on looking for viable possibilities at the time of a global crisis. An emerging global leader in Market Research Consultancy, Insights Opinion is determined to transform its processes to meet the demands of the changing times.

SHAROZ GHAURI Director, Client Services

As the pandemic escalated worldwide, Insights Opinion predicted the national lockdown and before it happened, were ready with remote working options for their employees. They took immediate action by adapting a cloud-based system so that the staff could work from home without hurdles. They also took extra measures to ensure data protection and security. Work from home was a viable option and Insights Opinion made the best use of it.

The company, under the leadership of Sharoz Ghauri (Director), is trying to gauge the impact of the resulting dip in the economy and the effect it would have on the attitudes of the people.

The impact on the economy that the lockdown will have will dictate the market behaviour of people all over the world. As a market research venture, it is a challenge and opportunity for Insights Opinion to understand these mindsets.

Not only does the lockdown come with future challenges for the company, it also resulted in sudden changes within. As a market research firm, they had it relatively easier than other businesses as most of the work happens online or via telephonic approach. Therefore, they could expect their employees to cooperate and work remotely while sticking to the self-quarantine guidelines. Fear and panic were the common reactions that most of the employees experienced. However, Insights Opinions did their best to keep them motivated during the tough times and while assuring them that the changes are going to be temporary. The company paid full salary to the field/ support staff who couldn’t work from home as their nature of work doesn’t allow them to work remotely.

With gradual relaxation in the lockdown guidelines, they were able to bring back some flexibility while keeping the social distancing protocols in practice. Of their workforce, 30% could report to the office, while the rest worked remotely. The welfare of the employees as the topmost priority, Insights Opinion took every necessary measure to ensure the same. While in the office, strict measures for wearing masks, using sanitizers, and ensuring 6-feet distance were implemented for the safety of their employees.

There have been some ups and downs, but market research is an ongoing process, even amidst a pandemic. Through constant communication through conference calls, emails, and text messages, they were in touch with their employees to derive similar output as they used to, prior to the lockdown.

With the lockdown, funding becomes an issue for most newly-launched enterprises. Investors are expected to be more vigilant and cautious while making funding decisions due to it. However, it is important to note that the market manages to revive itself after every economic downfall. Meanwhile, Insights Opinion is ready to approach the existing investors for additional funding, as needed.

In addition to being prepared for obstacles themselves, the company continued their CSR activities during the crisis. Insights Opinion has always been proactive in supporting the local community. Their focus was to ensure they support the migrants. The company was feeding 100+ migrants everyday during the lockdown.

The pandemic and the resulting lockdown has impacted every enterprise in one way or the other. A number of companies are now struggling to make it through this lockdown, and looking for ways to survive the resulting dip the economy has taken. But Sharoz looks at it as a chance to innovate and grow:

The coronavirus pandemic has brought new sets of challenges to the business; however, these challenges could also be seen as opportunities. Hence, rather than giving into the panic and fear, it is best to appreciate this silver lining and come up with revised goals and strategies to achieve them.

Imagine getting paid to go or to share your excitement for movement by helping other people with their excursions? The Internet and computerized gadgets make working anyplace you can get online an approach to construct a business around your way of life, including travel.

So gather up your packs, and head off into the nightfall with these six self-start venture thoughts that either includes you voyaging or helping explorers.

TRAVEL BLOGGER

Blogging on any point is an incredible method to have a self-start venture, however for voyagers, it tends to be especially fun. There are boomers blogging about their undertakings out and about in their RV. Like all web journals, bringing in cash as a movement blogger requires building an after who need to think about your experiences. Adaptation of the blog can be through offshoot programs, supports, promotion takes care of (for example Adsense), or selling promotion space.

Contingent upon the sort of blogging you do and the number of devotees, you can procure free stuff also.

TRAVEL WRITER

Here and there, travel composing and blogging are comparable. The thing that matters is that in movement composing, you’re offering your articles to another magazine or blog. There are numerous magazines, on the web and off, that won’t just compensation for your piece however may even take care of everything for the outing. Further, a few distributers enlist journalists to write travel guides.

The test of turning into an independent travel author is in finding the work. Like most independent composing occupations, there is a back and forth movement, so you’ll have to conform to one extreme or another way of life. In addition, you need to hold fast to what editors need, which may vary from your inclinations.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Photography is one of the best Hobbies that can be a Business There are two different ways to bring in cash from movement photography:

Get recruited by an organization, generally a distribution, to take photographs, or Sell your photographs sometime later to distributions, through online advanced photography destinations, or by making a product, for example, a banner or tee shirt. Being a photographer can build your attractiveness as a movement author, too.

TRAVEL CONSULTANT

Dissimilar to travel planners that book trips, a movement advisor work with individuals on an assortment of movement issues. It could be planning individuals for movement (for example new parents who are voyaging abroad) or organizations requiring data on social issues in selling their items abroad, or universal travel for their workers.

TRAVEL PLANNER

With assets, for example, Expedia, there’s some idea that the requirement for travel planners is lessening. Be that as it may, numerous explorers despite everything like master help and individual assistance. While you can open for business all alone, there are locally situated travel planner openings that could make it faster for you to begin in the event that you have no involvement with booking travel for other people.

One approach to tempt customers is by offering a specialty administration, for example, Disney excursions, or African Safaris. You can likewise concentrate on a market, for example, family travel, travel with pets, or corporate travel.

TOUR GUIDE

So as to be a local area expert from home, you should live in or approach a spot people need to visit. For instance, I live in focal Virginia, under 10 miles from two Founding Father’s homes and various Revolutionary and Civil War memorable locales.

In any case, your visit administration doesn’t simply need to be about history. Numerous more seasoned towns have phantom visits. Or then again in the event that you have extraordinary outside regions you can have grand climbs or fledgling visits. In the event that you know the best foodie foundations, you can set up food visits.

TRANSLATOR

On the off chance that you can communicate in an unknown dialect smoothly, you can offer your capacity as an interpreter.

Interpretation can be in the composed structure, yet in addition through verbal correspondence.

In movement, numerous business heads need interpreters to assist them with arranging bargains. Interpreter abilities can be useful as a local area expert, too.

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER

Turning into an influencer can be more troublesome than different choices; there are individuals via web-based networking media who are getting paid to travel. A portion of these individuals are bloggers, yet many are on Instagram, sharing photographs of their movement undertakings.

By and large, influencers get paid or get complimentary gifts (for example free retreat stays), through sponsorships. Member advertising is another way an online networking influencer can procure a salary.

At the point when you consider quaint little inns you most likely consider enormous old homes with a few rooms. Be that as it may, you just need a solitary room with a restroom to offer a spot to remain for explorers. Alongside a perfect spot to rest, voyagers will expect breakfast and perhaps an evening tidbit or tea. It’s a pleasant method to meet individuals, share your nearby, and find out about others around the globe.