10 Influential Women Leaders In Business 2022 | The Chiefs Digest

Helps People Find the Lost Meaning, Purpose, and Direction in Their Lives & Relationships

Debra Stangl, Founder

EDITOR’S DESK

Inthecurrenteraoftransformation,there'snodoubtthat Womenaremakingtheirpresenceknowninthebusiness world.Beitinfluencingboardroomdecisions,buildinga flourishingbrand,orcreatingthevisionforbusinesssuccess, womeninleadershippositionshavemadegreatstridestoshape theworldwelivein.

However,despiteallthecontributionsandachievements,westillhavealotofgroundtocover.Over thelastdecades,wehaveseenmorewomenclaimingleadershippositionsacrossindustriesaswellas inpaidwork.Butcontinuedheadwinds,suchastheindustryenvironment,employerpolicies,and societalexpectationsarestilllimitingtheopportunitiesthatwomencanaccessorpursue.

Infact,accordingtothestatisticsretrievedfromTheWorldBankGenderDataPortal,only1in3small, medium,andlargebusinessesareownedbywomenglobally.Speakingofthisrateacrossregions,Latin AmericaandtheCaribbeanhavehigherparticipationofwomeninbusiness(50%)withthelowest being18%inSouthAsia.

So,whatcanbedonetoimprovethestats?Weknowwomenhaveahardtimecarvingoutaspacein leadershippositionsandowningbusinesses,butwecanmakethechangehappenwithcollectiveefforts andcomprehensiveinitiatives.We,atTheChief'sDigest,havemadeahumbleattempttobringoutthe storiesofwomeninleadershiprolesaimingtodoourbitincreatingawarenessandfacilitatingbetter representationofwomeninthebusinessworld.

Wehopethisservesasaninspirationandencouragementformoreandmorewomentostandupandbe countedinbusinessandbeyondanddirectmillionswhocanchangetheworld!TheChief'sDigestis proudtohonorthespiritofthewomenfeaturedinthisissueandcelebratetheirsuccessstories.

Best, DanielShelby ManagingEditor TheChief'sDigest editor@thechiefsdigest.com

Editor-in-Chief : Christina Todd

Managing Editor : Daniel Shelby

Art Director-visualizers

Charles Richard

Sales & Marketing

Jonathan Henry

Business Development Executives

Racheal Williams

Jennifer Morris

Roman Parker

Relationship Manager

Joseph Edward

Advertising Business Head

George Hagen

Publisher

Calvin Lloyd

16. 360 Health Tech

20. Digital Air Strike

24. HRBoost

26. Minesoft

30. NextGen Life Sciences Private Limited

32. SkyStem

36. Unest

Arizona-based Sedona Soul Adventures

Helps People Find the Lost Meaning, Purpose, and Direction in Their Lives & Relationships

Inoursearchtofindsomeofthe

mostinfluentialwomenleadersin business,TheChief'sDigesthas comeacrossafewnameswhohavenot justmadeamarkforthemselvesinthe worldbutarealsomakinganimpactin thelivesaroundthem.Atthemoment, wecouldn'tbemorehonoredtohave receivedthechanceofinteractingwith DebraStanglandpresentingherstory.

DebraStanglisanexampleofhowlife isfullofsecondchances.In1999,she wasadivorceattorneyinOmaha, Nebraska,hatingherwork,depressed, 40poundsoverweight,andinan unhappymarriage.Throughastrange setofcircumstances,shecametothe spiritualmeccaofSedona,Arizonafor thefirsttimeandexperienceda spiritualreawakeningthatchangedher life.

Sheclosedherlawpractice,andover thenextthreeyears,traveledbackto Sedonaoverandoveragain,pursuing

herpersonalhealingworkwiththe amazingpractitionerswhohavebeen drawntoSedonafromalloverthe world.

In2001,justtwoweeksbefore9/11, Debrareceivedthemessagethatshe wassupposedtomovetoSedona.She followedtheinstructions,andsix monthslaterstartedSedonaSoul Adventures.Drawingfromher personalexperienceofcomingto Sedonatoheal,Debrarealizedthatthe healingcamefromutilizingtheunique energyofSedonaandworkingone-ononewithdifferentpractitionerson differentaspectsofherhealingprocess.

ThroughthevehicleofSedonaSoul Adventures,shedevelopedtheunique processofdeeplytransformational, customizedretreatsforindividualsand couples.Sincethen,thelives(and relationships)ofthousandsofpeople havebeentransformedthroughthe workofSedonaSoulAdventures.

In Conversation with Debra Stangl, The Essence of Sedona Soul Adventures

Whatinspiredyoutobecomean entrepreneur?Inwhatcircumstances didyoufindyour leadership/entrepreneurialspirit?

Bothofmyparentswereentrepreneurs andoutof6children,4are entrepreneurs.Idiscoveredearlyonthat Iwasn'tatmybestwhenIwasworking forsomeoneelseandnotfulfillingmy dreams.

Whatwasthetoughestpartof starting?Howdidyoumanageto overcomethemandmoveforward?

Inbothofmybusinesses(asanattorney andstartingSedonaSoulAdventures), thetoughestpartofstartingoutwas money.Especially40yearsago,noone wantedtoinvestinawoman.That's gottenalittlebetter,butnotmuch.

DEBRA STANGL

My philosophy is that we come onto this planet to experience joy, peace, and connection on all the levels - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - and I've devoted my life to helping people achieve that.

Founder in Business Women Leaders Influential

Howdoesyourorganizationprovide valuetoyourconsumersorsocietyat large?

Asourmottostates,weare “Transforminglives,onesoulata time.”Iamonapersonalmissionto haveeveryonelivetheirbestlife.Most peoplearelivingtheirlivesin disconnectionandunhappiness.They don'trealizetheycanmovebeyondthe painandtraumathathavecausedmost oftheirdisconnectionand unhappiness.That'swhatwehelpthem do.

Whatdoesyourcompanydointhis fiercelycompetitivebusinessworld tostandoutfromthecrowd?

Eachofourretreatsiscustomdesigned foreachindividualorcouple, consistingofprivate,one-on-one(or two-on-one)sessions.It'sthe customizationthatmeanseverything. Thepainandtrauma,whichbrought youtowhereyouare,aredifferentthan thepainandtraumawhichbrought someoneelse,andwhatyouneedfor healingisnotwhatsomeoneelse needs.Thisiswhygroupretreatsdon't work;thereisn'taone-size-fits-allthat worksforeveryone.Plus,wedoour workinincrediblybeautifulSedona, Arizona,oneofthemostbeautiful placesonEarth,whereourworldfamousvortexenergycontributes greatlytothetransformationswhich happen.

Consideringthesocial,cultural,and personalbarriersthatforeshorten theconfidenceandcapabilitiesof womenfromtakingupleadership roles,whatprogramsorpoliciescan beputinplacetohelpmorewomen comeforwardinbusiness?

Wemuststartbyenforcingequalpay forwomen.It'sincredibletomethat westilldon'thavethis.Wemustalso provideprovisionsforhealthcareand childcareandensuretheyareeasily

accessibletoeveryone.Butona deeperlevel,wemustdemandthat womenhaveanequalfootinginall areasoflife,includingeducation, government,andbusiness.Wehave tofosteramindsetthatgender discriminationwillnotbetolerated.

Womeninentrepreneurshipare crucialnotonlyforimproved economicgrowthbutalsofora bettersociety.Whatareyour thoughtsonthis?

Howcrazyistheideathathalfofthe world'spopulationshouldn't contributetheirtalentsandskills? Howcrazyistheideathateveryone shouldn'tbeabletobe,doorhave whatevertheywant?Iamofthe beliefthateveryoneshouldbeableto livetheirlifeinthewaytheywant,as longasthey'renotdamagingthe planetorotherpeople.Women shouldbeabletobewhateverthey want–wives,mothers,corporate leaders,policeofficers,bankers, investors,engineers,scientists, whatever.

Whenyoucomeacrossnewor unpopularideasthatcouldbe beneficialfortheorganization,how doyoupushforsystemicchange?

BecauseIownmyownbusinessand havefabulouspeopleworkingwith me,I'minthewonderfulpositionto beabletoinstitutechangesIwant, withmyteam'sconcurrence.Ifmy teamisn'tinagreementwithwhatI wanttodo,Iwillmostoftendeferto theteam.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereisaformulatoachieve success?

Idefinesuccessverydifferentlynow thanIdidwhenIwasyounger When Iwasanattorney,Ihadthetraditional definitionofsuccess,whichhadtodo withaccomplishment,financial

reward,acknowledgment,etc.OnceI hadthose,Ifoundmyselfwiththe feelingof“Isthatallthereis?”.

Idiscoveredthatthethingssocietytold mewouldmakemehappy,mademe feelaccomplished,butnothappyand complete.ItwasnotuntilIdiscovered myspiritualpurposeandconnection thatmylifebecamereallyblissful.And incredibly,Imanifestedevenmore accomplishment,financialreward,and acknowledgmentwhenIwasutilizing thespiritualprinciplesthatweteachat SedonaSoulAdventures.Manyofour clientsareinthesamepositionIwas in,andweshowthemthatthewayto reallyturbochargeyourlifeistobe operatinginconnectiononalllevels–physical,mental,emotional,and spiritual.

Businessleadershavealways emphasizedthehabitofreadingfor success,ontherecord.Istherea bookthatyoudrawinspiration from?

Iamusuallyreading2-3booksatthe sametimeandIlovereading.

IhopepeoplecanunderstandwhyI saythebookthatIreadthemostoften ismyownbook“TheJourneyTo Happy–HowEmbracingTheConcept ThatNothingIsWrongCanTransform YourLife”.WhenI'mnotfeeling 100%orwhenI'mstartingtothinkthat somethingiswrong,ithelpsmeto remembertopracticewhatIpreach.It actuallyhumblesmetoreaditinthose moments.

Onalargerlevel,oneofthebooksthat hadaprofoundeffectonmeatanearly agewas“Man'sSearchforMeaning” byVictorFrankl.Thethoughtthat someonecouldusethepoweroftheir mindtotranscendthehorrorsofaNazi deathcampmademeunderstandthat wemakethedecisionwhetherornotto allowourcircumstancestodefineus.

Howwouldyoudescribeyourcareer sofar?Whathavebeensomeofthe make-or-breakpointsinyour entrepreneurialjourney?

IhaveloveditthatIhavehadtwovery differentcareers–20yearsasan attorneyand20yearsleadingSedona SoulAdventures.Bothhavebrought suchrichnesstomylife.

Themake-or-breaktimeformecame whenmyintuitiveselfknewthatIhad toleavemylawpractice.Ididn'tenjoy itanymoreanditwaskillingme. EveryonethoughtIwascrazy, especiallybecauseIhadnoideawhatI wasgoingtodonext.ButIlistenedto myintuitionandthathasledmetoa levelofsuccessandhappinessthatI didn'tthinkwaspossible.

Whatonepieceofadvicewouldyou giveanyaspiringwomenbusiness leadersreadingthis?Howwouldyou encouragethemtonevergiveup?

Iwouldtellthemtolistentotheir feminineintuition,itknowsmorethan youmightthink.AndIwouldnever tellanyonetonevergiveup.There'sa differencebetweenworkingreallyhard andgettingtothepointwherethe Universeistellingyou,“Thisisn't working”.Wehavetolistenandfeel thatwhenithappensandsometimes, weneedtoshiftcourse.Thatdoesn't meantostopdoingeverything,it meansyoudon'tfightwhat'snot workingandbewillingtoshift.

Whatareyourplansforthefuture? Whatdoyouwanttoachieveor buildnext?

I'vejustcompletedthesecondedition ofmybook,“TheJourneytoHappy”.I metmyhusband3weeksafterthe bookcameoutandhit#1in5 categoriesand4countries.Sincethen, I'vere-writtenthechapteron relationshipsandI'mveryexcitedfor thattocomeout.Andalso,my

husbandandIareplanningtowritea bookonrelationships–I'msuper excitedaboutthat,Ithinkit'sgoingto helpalotofpeople.

Oneofthestrangebenefitsofthe pandemicisthatitforcedustostart doingourretreatsonlinebecauseno onewastravelingtoSedona.We discoveredthatouronlineretreatspack thesamepunchandcreatethesame transformationsasourin-Sedona retreatsbecauseourPractitionersare suchmastersatutilizingthe transformationalenergyofSedonathat itdoesn'tmatterwhetheryou'reintheir healingspaceoryourownhome.They aremastersatconnectingyouwithit andcreatingtheseamazing transformations.Thisnowmeansas longaspeoplehaveagoodinternet connection,theycanbeanywherein theworld.Westillhavealanguage barrieratthistime,butwe'reworking onthataswell.

Website : www.SedonaSoulAdventures.com

Jennifer Lauretta, Founder & CTIO

360 HealthTech Pte. Ltd.

Takes A Leap Forward to Serve Humankind Through Collaborative Partnership and Advanced Technologies

360HealthTechisaspin-offbusiness from360DegreeDigitalwhosecore businessisindesigningimproved technologicalsolutionstohelpsmall, mediumbusinessespioneeringtheir digitaltransformationroadmapinthe realmofinnovativecapabilities,user experience,servicesandproducts.The companysellsArtificialIntelligence InternetofThings(AIoT)and customizeddesignedsolutionsfor businesses.

360HealthTech:GettingOffthe

Grounds

360HealthTechwasincorporatedin theYear2012toaddressthesilver generation'shealthcareissues.

However,therewasanupturnof events.Followingtheworldwide outbreakofCOVID19,360HealthTech tookupthehumanitarianinitiativeto addressworldhealthrisksand pandemicemergenciesusingAI,IoT, CloudComputingandBigData technologies.Undertheleadershipof Jennifer,thecompanybecamean immediatecontactpoint/platformin globalaidtodeployanti-COVID-19 pandemicsolutions.

The Chief's Tabloid had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer, the CEO and founder of 360 HealthTech, and she was happy to share her journey, success and struggles with us. Below is an excerpt from the interview.

Whywasthecompanysetup?

360HealthTechwasfoundedwitha missiontoconnecttheworldviaa collaborativeplatformbyborrowing thestrengthsfromthemostadvanced technologiesprevalentindeveloped countriesandaddressthesocialhealth issuesthatarebeingfacedbythe majorityatlarge.

AsCOVID-19spreadslikewildfire infectingmillionsofpeoplearoundthe world,whattheworldneedsnoware readysolutionsthatareeffectiveand caneaseproblemsquickly.However, comingupwithnewinventionsand testrunningittomeasureits effectivenessdoestaketime. Astime

Women Leaders Influential

isanissuehere,wefeltthatborrowing theinventionsfromotherdeveloped countriesthathavealreadydelivered resultsisawisemovetocontrolthe ferociousCOVID-19pandemic. Hence,360HealthTechwasbornto easethepainofmanypeople strugglingtobattlethedeadlyCOVID19pandemic.

Howdidyoumanagetotake360 HealthTechtothelevelthatitisin today?

360HealthTechwasformedin turbulenttimeswhentheCOVID-19 wastakingovertheworld.Although wewerefocusedontakingcalculated risks,itwasn'taneasydecisionto makeasmanycompanieshadplunged intorecessionduetotheeconomic lockdown.Whatactuallydrovemeto takethiscourageousmoveis,perhaps, myinborntraittostriveinthestorm. Moreover,Ibelievethatpromoting humanwelfareandbringingreliefto mankindisthenoblestofactsthatone coulddoduringsuchtoughtimes.And Iamindeedveryhonouredtobeunited withagroupoflike-minded collaboratorsandbeapartofthis humanitarianeffort.

Whatwerethechallengesthatyou hadtogothroughduringyourinitial months?

TheAIoTproductsdistribution channelsfrom360HealthTech collaborativeplatformwassetupto meettheneedsofcountriesaroundthe world,fromAPACtoEurope.Tilldate, thechallengescomefromthe countries'governancecompliances, adaptationtothechanging technologiesintothecountries' ecosystem,customers'preferences, culturaldifferencesandpracticesofthe locals.Thissignificantlyaffectsthe paceofadoptionoftheAIoTproducts betweencountries.Ourcompany partners,technologyvendors,

researchers,scientists, manufacturersanddeveloperswill continuetoadapttocomplywith stringentregulationsandtofitinto theworldwidemarket.

What'syourtakeoninnovationin themarketplace?

Inmyhumbleopinion,companies thatinvesttime,effortandmoneyin findingnewandbetterwaysof doingthingshaveanadvantage overothersinthemarket.It'sthat simple.Innovationnotonlyhelpsa companyofferexcitingnew productsandservicestocustomers butalsoallowscompaniestostay profitableandsurviveinthemarket.

Encouraginginnovationisn'teasy Fromjugglingcompetingcompany prioritiestoovercominginternal resistanceandinertia,therearealot ofthingsthatcangetintheway.No matterwhatindustryoneisin, unlockingtheinnovativepotential ofthecompany'speople–the company'sbusinessmoregenerally –comesdowntoamixof managementapproaches,shared values,strategy,andresources.

Whatarethefactorsthatmake yourbrandstandoutfromthe crowd?

It'sOriginality,Understanding, Boldness,Consistency,Value.

Ithinkcorporateclientscometous fortheoriginalityofoursolutions; theperceptionthatwetaketimeto understandtheirproblemsand paintheyaretryingtosolve;the boldapproachofourapplicationin usingadvancedtechnologiesthatis beyondtheirexpectation; consistencyinourcustomers'and users'experiencethatweadoptedin ourservicetransformationaswell asproductdesignanddevelopment roadmap;thevaluewecanofferfor

theirbusinesscontinuityandnotbe eliminatedfromthecompetitive landscape.

Asaquestiononsustainability,where doyouseeyourcompanyacoupleof yearsfromnow?

AfterCOVID19diesoffnextyear,360 HealthTechwilldivertbacktosolving theagedpopulation'seldercare-related issueswithitshealthcaretechnology.We haveplanstoexpandoverseaswith businesscollaborationandpartnership withChina'srenowneduniversitiesto researchanddevelopnewAI technologiesthatwillbenefitboth countries.DeployingArtificial IntelligenceinRoboticsandAutomation andintegratingMachineLearning,Deep LearningintotheInternetofThings,are definitelypartofthecompany'simportant roadmaptosolvingtheseexciting eldercarechallengesahead.

TheLeaderWhoMade360 HealthTechPossible

JenniferLauretta,FounderandCTIO

Jenniferisaserialtechentrepreneurwho founded360HealthTechand360Smart Homeasapartof360DegreeDigital GroupBusiness.Thethreeincorporated companiesareallinter-relatedinthe natureofbusinessoperations,each complementingoneanother.

“360 HealthTech promotes fostering and building the well-being and good health of humankind through the use of technology and innovation to enhance health infrastructure and industry and serve the aged population to live more harmoniously in our future communities and sustainable cities.”

Alexi Venneri, Co-founder & CEO

Inthemoderneraofrapid businessandindustry transformations,thewayto brandsuccessliesintheabilityofthe businesstoofferablendedcustomer experience.Customerengagement cannomorebeachievedbyselling onlythebestproducts;businesses havetofocusoncreatingunique sellingexperiencesaswell. Consideringthemultitudeof connecteddevicesthatcustomers todayusetoshop,businessesalso needtolookatleveraging omnichannelmarketingtotieupall thechannelstogetheranddelivera unifiedandpersonalizedcustomer experience.

Anotherimportantareatofocusonis theA.I.revolutionthathascompletely changedthewaytheconsumer interactionwiththebrandoccursand howshoppingisdone.A.I.algorithms andcustomerdatacanbeusedto generateactionableinsightsonthe exactcustomerpreferenceswhichcan thenhelptodeliveranunmatched conveniencetotheconsumers.

Digital Air Strike

Laying Down the Winning Formula for Customer Acquisition and Engagement Through Digital Marketing Technology and Solutions

Moreover,businessescanalso forecastinadvancetheinventoryand outwardproductflowandwhena consumerwillbemostinterestedin buyingaparticularproduct.Thiscan enhancetheefficiencyofthebusiness aswellasexpediteitssupplychain operations.

Therefore,nowitisobviousthat withoutpersonalization,creating valuefortheaudiencecanbenextto impossible.Attimes,handlingsuch processesandstrategiescanbe extremelychallengingforbusinesses. That'swhereDigitalAirStrikecomes inasaleaderincustomerengagement anddigitalretailing.Itcanhelp businessesunderstandtheircustomer needs,wants,andbuyingbehavior evenbeforetheyareawareofit. Consequently,theinsightscanbe convertedintomeaningfulstrategies tobetterengagewiththetarget audience.

Sofar,DigitalAirStrikehashelped 5000+businessestoattractnew customers,engageconsumers,

respondtoleads,andbuildcustomer loyaltythroughitsaward-winning solutionsthatincludeA.I.powered intelligentmessaging,patentedlead response,innovativeadvertising technology,andmanagedservice platformstoengage,improve, monitor,andmanageconsumer interactionsforbusinessesinthe UnitedStates,Canada,and11 additionalcountries.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Alexi Venneri, Co-founder and CEO of Digital Air Strike, who was kind enough to share her journey, struggles, and successes with us. Presenting Digital Air Strike from Alex's perspective.

Whatkindoforganizationssurvive andflourishintothedistantfuture?

Companiesthatareflexible, innovative,andalwaysputtheir clientsfirstwillweatheranystorm… orpandemic.Whilemanycompanies wereclosing,DigitalAirStrikewas developingnewtechnologytohelp

clientsremainopenandsafeduring COVID-19.Thecompanylaunched itsVirtualRetailingProgramin Marchtohelpbusinessesleverage video,textmessaging,socialmedia, AI,andautomationtotransactsafely withcustomersandallowconsumers todomoreresearching,shopping,and buyingonline.

Embracingtechnologyisespecially importantasmorebusinesseshave hadtoclosetheirdoorsandlayoffor furloughemployees.Technologycan fillthegapswhenstaffislimited. Evenasbusinessesstarttoopentheir physicallocationsagain,many customerswillstillfeelthesafestand mostcomfortabledoingtheir shoppingonlineathome.How companieslearntoembracethisnew normaliskeytotheirsuccess.

Whywasthecompanysetup?And howdidyouexpandyourcompany anditsofferingsovertheyears?

Alexiwasamongthefirstto recognizethepowerofsocialmedia inbusiness-to-consumermarketing duringtheGreatRecession.Thiswas atimewhenbusinesseswerecutting theirmarketingbudgetsbut desperatelyneededrevenue.Sound familiar?Now,duringtheCOVID-19 pandemic,Alexiiscontinuingher passionforhelpingbusinesses continuetoengageandtransactonline duringthiseconomicandhealth crisis.Today,DigitalAirStrikeisthe leadingsocialmedia,intelligentlead responsetechnology,andconsumer engagementcompany Alexi'snatural leadershipabilitiesandindustry experiencedrovethecompanyto innovatenewproductsandsolutions thathelpbusinesses.Whetherthrough acquisitionsorin-housedevelopment, thecompanyhaslaunchedseveral

newsolutionsrecentlyincluding CreditLogixcredit prequalificationtechnology,which streamlinesthevehiclefinancing process,andResponsePathPower Text,abulktextmessaging solutionthatdeliverstimely, relevantinformationtoconsumers' mobiledevices.

In2018,DASacquiredanartificial intelligencechattechstartupto helpexpanditstechofferingsand growthinthehealthcareindustry. TheAImessagingsolution ResponsePathallowscompanies tomoreseamlesslyinteractwith leadsthroughabusiness'website, FacebookMessengerand/or texting.In2019,DASacquiredthe assetsofanadtechleadgeneration companyandasoftwarecompany thatsimplifiesleasingand financingoperationsfor automotiveretailers.These acquisitionsrepresentedthe company'slargestexpansionand helpedroundoutitsconsumer engagementanddigitalretailing platform.

Whatchallengesdidyoufacein yourinitialyears?Whatcan yourpeerslearnfromit?

Oneofthechallengesofstarting yourownbusinessisfindingthe righttalentandgettingenough newclientstokeepthecompany afloatandpayemployees.Alexi didn'ttakeapaycheckforatleast thefirstsixmonthsasshe establishedherclientsintheauto industry.Landingabigdealwith anautomanufacturerhelpedthe companyearlyon.Alexicontinued toinnovateandoffermore solutionstotheproblemsthat dealerswerefacingrelatedto

digitalmarketing.Thecompanygrew, expanded,andhiredmoreemployeesto fulfillthoseneedsfirstfordealers,and thenforotherbusinesses,including healthcare,tireandserviceshops,and multi-familyhousingandsenior communities.

Howsuccessfulwasyourfirstproject rollon?

Landingabigdealwithamajorauto manufacturerincreasedDigitalAir Strike'sclientbaseexponentially Alexi ralliedthecompanytoensurethatthe technologyandteamcouldsupportthe client'sneeds.BecauseofDigitalAir Strike'ssuccess,thepartnershipwiththe OEMcontinuestodayandhassince expandedevenmore.

Whatkindofmixedresponseshave youreceivedfromyourconsumers overtheyears?Howhavethey motivatedyoutoshapeyourofferings andgrowthecompany?

DigitalAirStrikeunderstandsthat businessescanbereluctanttoadoptnew technology,sowitheveryoffering, there'sabitofeducation.Teaching companieshowtobestusesocialmedia, respondtherightwaytoreviews,and optimizetechnologyisnotalwaysthe easiestsell.Butshowingresultsother businessesaregettinghelps.For example,RiceToyotainGreensboro, NorthCarolinaembracedDAS'Virtual RetailingProgramduringthepandemic andusedDAS'VideoLogixvideotool torecord,send,andtrackvideos.They sold10carsinrecordtimeandhadover 50peopleclickontheirVideoLogix videolandingpage.Theylearnedthe poweroftextmessagingbysendingout timelyandeffectivenewsandspecials. Theyreceivedover200responsesfrom oneResponsePathPowerText. Understandingtheneedsofyourclients andaddingnewproductsandfeaturesto

fillthegapsarekeytomovingyour companyforward.

'Leaderscannotoptimizeresultsby themselves;theyneedemployees' supportandassistance.'Howdoes yourcompanyinterpretthis saying?

Surroundingyourselfwiththeright talentandemployeeswhoare workingtowardthesamegoalis importantforanybusiness,andthat ringstrueforDigitalAirStrike.Alexi hasassembledateamofleaderswith deepindustryexperienceaswellas thosewithdiversebackgrounds.She looksforteammemberswhoembody thecompany'scorevalues:Passionin Action,WhateverItTakes,Think LikeanOwner,andClientsWin. Alexialsoseekstofindemployees whoareopentolearningandgrowing tobuildthecompany.

Trustisadifficultattributeto measureandadelicatedynamicto maintain.Howdoyoumaintainthis withyouremployees?

Transparencyisimportanttomaintain withyouremployees,especially duringunprecedentedtimeslikethe pandemic.DigitalAirStrikehosted weekly,andnowbi-weeklyonline companymeetings,tokeep employeesapprisedofhowthe companyisdoing,whateach departmentisupto,andtocontinue recognizingemployeeswhowere goingaboveandbeyondwithWIT (WhateverItTakes)awards.Alexi alsohascontinuedherregular meetingswithnewemployeesand thosecelebratingworkanniversaries. Whatusedtobemonthlyin-person luncheshasnowturnedintovirtual happyhours.Thegoalistoget feedbackfromemployeestolearn moreaboutwhattheylikeaboutthe

companyandsuggestionsthey havetoimproveit.Alexitakes notesandsharesthesuggestions withmanagerstoaddressand implementifappropriate.Manyof thesuggestionshaveimproved processesanddailytaskswithin thecompanyandsupported employeesto“ThinkLikean Owner.”Employeesalsogetan UberEatsgiftcardtoorderfoodat homeandenjoytheirmealanda drinkduringthehappyhour

Whatdoyoufeelarethereasons behindyourcompany's reputation?

DigitalAirStrikecreatesafivestarsocialmediaexperiencefor consumerswhichconvertsthem intoengagedcustomers.Through excellentcustomerservice,oncein-a-lifetimeclientappreciation partiesateventsliketheannual NADA(NationalAutomobile DealersAssociation)conference, andbyspeakingatandsponsoring dozensofpanelsandevents throughouttheyear,DigitalAir Strikecontinuesitsreputationas theleadingconsumerengagement technologysolutionsprovider worldwide.

Whatdoyoufeelisthe significanceofinvolvinginthe socialcommunityandCSR activitiesfororganizations? WhatareyourCSRinitiatives?

DigitalAirStrikehasan establishedcultureofcharity throughitsDASCaresinitiative thatinvolvesgivingbackmonthly tononprofitorganizationsthrough donations,fundraising,and volunteerism.Helpingothersin needisnearanddeartowhatDAS isallabout.DAShasgiven

hundredsofthousandsofdollars backfinanciallyandcountlesshours throughemployeevolunteerismto dozensofcharities.Thecharitiesare chosenbyemployeesandsupport causesmeaningfultotheir backgroundsandfamilies.For example,duringAugust,DigitalAir Strikeputtogetherseveralthemed basketstobeauctionedoffonlineto helpthePhoenix,Arizonanonprofit, HelpingHandsforSingleMoms. DASCOOEricaSietsmaisasingle momherself,wasraisedbyasingle motherandasaboardmemberof thisgroup,it'sanonprofitthatshe lovestosupport.

KnowingtheTrailblazer

AlexiVenneri,Co-founder&CEO AlexistartedtheScottsdale-based company10yearsagoatherkitchen tableafterthemarketingagency, wheresheworked,closedduringthe GreatRecession.Sheknew businessesneededaninexpensive waytoreachconsumersandthat socialmediaprovidedthat opportunity.DigitalAirStrikewas oneofthefirsttodeveloptoolsand technologytohelpbusinesses leveragethereachofsocialmedia.

Alexiisalifelongmarketerandher variedexperienceincludesworking forMajorLeagueBaseball,a technologystartup,andalarge corporation.She'salwaysbeen fascinatedbyentrepreneursand wroteabookaboutthemcalled, Balls!6RulesforWinningToday's BusinessGame.

“Digital Air Strike is always developing or acquiring new technology that helps clients and improves the overall customer experience through technology.”

You'llnoticeitinstantly.Nicole Martin,CEOandFounderof HRBoost,loveswhatshe does,andshedoesitremarkablywell. “I'mtheaccidentalentrepreneur,”said Nicole,“Ilookedbackafterstarting myownbusinessandsaid,'Istarteda business.Whoa!'” Nicoledidn'tsetout tocreateHRBoost.Shesimply followedherpassiontohelpclients understandtheimportancehuman resourcescanplayindevelopinga strongbusiness.TodayNicoleisa successfulentrepreneurandanHR industryinnovatorwhoisdedicatedto helpingsmalltomid-sizebusinesses realizetheirpotentialthroughtheir employees.

Aself-professed“countrygirlin disguise,”NicoleMartingrewupin Montana,where,shesays,“Everyone knowsyouandgreetsyouonthe street.”Nicolewasalsoluckytohavea greatmentorearlyinlife:hermom. “Mymotherishighlyspiritual,andshe raisedmewiththephilosophyofbeing

Nicole Martin

How She's Helping Organizations Align Their HR Departments with Business Strategy with HRBoost

happy,”saidNicole.“Shealways believedinthatyouareaspecial person—sheingrainedthatinme—and youarecapableofanything.”

Attheageof18,Nicolewasreadyto startprovinghermomright.Sheleft Montanaandmovedinwithher godmotherinLibertyville,Illinois. Rightoutofhighschool,Nicolegota jobasareceptionistatapre-Y2Kfirm whereshefoundherpassionquiteby accident.“Theywerehiringallthese computerexpertsfromoverseas,but whentheyarrived,thecompanyjust puttheminthereceptionareabecause theydidn'tknowwhattodowith them,”recalledNicole.“Itwasjust inhumane.”

Duringthesametime,Nicolewas workingonatrainingprogramfora collegehumanresourcesclass.“I wantedtohelptheseguysoutinthe hallway,soIjustmarchedintothe director'sofficeandaskedhimifhe wantedtoseethetrainingprogramI

createdforschool.”WhenNicolewas finishedwithherpresentation,the directorcreatedahumanresources departmentforthesite,hireda managerandmoved18-year-old Nicolefromreceptiontohuman resources.

NicolehasbeenbuildingHR departmentsfromthegroundupever since.Whatmakesherapproachso unique,shesays,isthatshebegins withthebusiness'visionandcreates HRprogramsthatarecompletely integratedwiththatvision.Fromthe hiringprocesstoannualreviews,the programsNicolecreatesaredesigned tofurtherthebusiness,boost productivityandhelpemployees understandwhyandhowtheir contributionsaremeaningful.

“There'salotofmisinformationout thereinthebusinesscommunity These bigbusinessesarecomingintosmallto mid-sizecompanies,andtheyare offeringsomethingthattheycallfull-

CEO & Founder , HRBoost

serviceHR,butit'snot.It'stactical HR.It'sjusttakingcareofpayroll, benefits,databasestuff.It'snotthe strategicintegrationthathelpsa businessthriveandperform.”Nicole explained.

Today,NicoleMartindoesherbestto representherindustry,notjustasa seniorexecutive,butasapublic speaker,thoughtleader,blogger,board memberandvolunteer Asan ambassadorfor 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™, sheis helpingChicagobusinesstoseeallthe

Women Leaders

benefitsafullyintegratedhuman resourcesdepartmentcanbring.“If yougointoabusinessandtheyare a 101 Best and Brightest Company to Work For™,youcanfeelit.You wouldseeonthepeople'sfaces,the authenticity,thehonesty, constructivecriticism(whichis levelofrespect)notcomplacency wheremanagersactuallythink somethinginsilenceanddon't communicateit,”explainsNicole.

ButNicole'sbrandoffull-service integratedHRprovidesmorethan

justacorporatecultureboostora goodofficevibe.Shelinks HRBoost'sservicesdirectlyto profitabilitytimeandtimeagain— andshe'sgottheanalyticspathcharts andthelogicmodelstoproveit.

InceptionofMinesoft

Minesoftisafamily-runbusinessthat startedasanidealwaytocombine AnnChapman'sandherhusband OphirDaniel'suniqueskillsetswithin sci-techpublishingandweb development.

Initially,theyworkedcloselywith Questel-OrbitandResearchBusiness Information(RBIInc)before branchingoutwiththeirproductsin thefirstdecadeof2000.

We had the pleasure of talking to Ann Chapman and Ophir Daniel about Minesoft. Below is an excerpt from the interview

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhaveconsumerresponses shapedthemovertheyears?

Minesoftisaninnovativeonline patentsolutionsproviderofferingits

Minesoft

Leading The Market In The Intelligent Patent Information Solutions Space

productsandservicestonationalpatent offices,professionalsearchfirms,patent attorneyfirms,academicinstitutions, andmanyFortune500/FTSE100 companiesaroundtheworld.Solutions andservicesincludepatentsearchand analysis,patentmonitoring,competitive intelligencesystems,knowledge managementsystems,andmore. Whetheritisasmallorbigupdate, Minesoftoftencollaborateswithclients tobuildnewsolutionsoradapttosuit userpreferences.Forexample,the knowledgemanagementplatform,PatKMwasbuiltbecausetherewasa demandfromlegalprofessionalsfora solutiontofostercollaborationand centralizepatentinformationinternally. Also,morerecently,abigupdatewas addedtothedocumentdelivery platform,PatDocs,toexpandthe translationtool.

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsitsfair shareofchallenges,especiallyduring

theinitialdays.Telluswhatwere yourchallengesandhowyou managedtoovercomethem.

Westartedfromscratch,aroundthe kitchentable,withanoverriding desiretoremainprofitable.Despite nottakingonoutsideinvestment,we havegrownthecompanyevery singleyearfor25yearsandnow haveclientsallovertheglobe–in everycorner,butespeciallyin advancedmanufacturingcountries wherepatentingiscrucialtosecure intellectualpropertyandsellgoods abroad.

Rightfromdayone,wecompeted withlargeinternationalcorporations aswellaswithsmallfirmslikeours -firmsthathadspecializedintheir sectorandmanagedtocarveout nicheexpertiseandwinclientsover. Thesefirmsstartedinaverysmall wayasasupplierinsomebig

Ann Chapman, Co-Founder & MD

companies,buttodaytheytaketheir productsgloballyandareamongour largestclients.

Whatwouldyousayarethefactors thathavecontributedtoyour successasanorganization?

Searchplatformsshouldbebuiltfor users,withinputfromusers, irrespectiveofwhatbackgroundthese usercommunitieshave.Minesoft strivestostrikethebalancebetween developmentcycleswhilelisteningto clients'feedback.Iftheirclientshave ideasabouthowMinesoftcanfurther helpthem,theywilldoso.Evenifthe benefitisfocusedonaparticular verticalmarketsegment.

Minesoftenjoysoneofthelowest turnoverratesintheindustryandthis helpsthemmaintaincontinuitywith clientrelationshipsandproductand marketinsight.Aswellasthis,the ExecutiveBoardhasdifferentskillsets andstrengths,therefore complementingoneanotherand bringingdifferentperspectivestothe table.Thereissomecrossover,butno onecouldreplacesomeoneelseor operateinanotherperson'ssphere fully.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

Minesoftisingoodshapeandhasa greatteamtotakethecompany furtherandfasterintheupcoming years.Theyrecentlylaunchedanew patentSearchEngineandwill continueworkingonitinthe followingfewyearstodevelopsome neatnewfunctionalityinareaslike naturallanguagesearching,instant facetingofmillionsofdocuments, andsemantics.

Minesoftwillalsodeveloptheareaof automatedtranslationsand landscapinganalysis.Artificial Intelligenceisabigbuzzwordinthe OnlinePublishingIndustryatpresent andtheteamisdesigningnewideas inthisareatofurtherautomateand streamlineourproducts.Theyhost about160millionpatent(sci-tech) documentsrightnowandthisis increasingeveryweek.Suchalarge bodyofresearchmaterialneedstobe madeaccessibletocompanieswho areworkingtopioneernewsolutions.

Howhasyourjourneybeensofar?

Establishedin1996,Minesoftquickly gainedmarkettractionduetoits innovativepatentinformation products.TogetherMinesoft&RWS launchedPatBase,asearchable databaseofpatentdocuments designedbyexpertsinthecomplex artofpatentinformationresearch. Sinceitsinceptionin2003,PatBase hasattractedover70,000users worldwide.

Since2000,Minesofthasexpanded itsportfolioofinnovativepatent informationproductstoinclude PatBaseExpress,PatentOrder, PatDocs,IPShare,PatentTracker, LegalStatusTracker,CiteTracker, ChemicalExplorer,Pat-KM,APIs, andPatBaseAnalytics.Andthe companyhasestablisheditsown officesintheUK,Germany,andthe USA–withadditionaldedicated representativesrepresentingevery corneroftheglobe.

In2009andagainin2015,Minesoft wontheprestigiousQueen'sAward forEnterpriseforoutstanding achievementinrapidlygrowing exportmarketsinthefieldof IntellectualProperty(patent) Information.In2019,Minesoft

receivednationalandinternational awardsforBestOverallCompanyof theyear(RegionalChamberof Commerce)aswellasLegalTech CompanyoftheYearfromACQ5.

KnowingTheEssenceAndCore OfMinesoft

AnnChapman&OphirDaniel

AnnChapmanstartedhercareerata biginternationalpublishing company(InternationalThomson, laterThomsonReuters)andwassent allovertheworldtovisitclientsand securebusiness.Aftersixyears, ChapmanmovedtoaUSpublishing company(ZiffDaviesGroup)inthe fieldofbusinessinformation (companiesandmarkets).Shethen returnedtopatentsandsci-tech publishingwithFranceTelecom Groupspendingthreeyearsthereas aDirectorandManagingDirector

Soonafterbecomingamother,Ann ChapmanandherhusbandOphir Danieltooktheplungetoestablish theirowncompany,Minesoft. Danielwasatthetimeprogramming intheearlyInterneteraafterstarting lifeinIsrael,workinginAviation. Theydecidedtocombinetheirskills andwereluckytobegivena distributionanddevelopmentdeal byFranceTelecom,andasmall initialloanthatstartedthemoff.

“We offer an array of products for the patent information industry, specializing in patent searching, IP document retrieval, patent analytics, and competitive intelligence systems.”

Dr. Nagma Abbasi, Founder & CEO

Nextgen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.

Delhi-based Nextgen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.

Shines Through in Its Approach to Cater to Science & Research Needs Based on Value, Service, and Support

We,atTheChief'sDigest, believethatnothingcan beatthevaluethatcomes fromconnectingwithleadersand mastersintheirrespectivefields,who havebeenthroughtoughchallenges, andsharetheirstoriesofsuccess againstallodds.Speakingofthe courageandpersistenceittakesto thinkclearlyinthehurdlesand obstaclesonthepathofone'spurpose andpushingthroughittoreachthe goal,itgivesusimmensepleasureto introduceNextGenLifeSciencesPvt. Ltd.

Establishedin2014,NextGenLife Sciencesisasingle-sourcefacility cateringtotheresearchneedsof scientistsinthefieldofMolecular biology,Cellbiology,Immunology, Healthcare,andDrugDevelopment. TheNextGengroupbridgesthegapin understandingtheneedsandpainsof ResearchersoftheLifeSciences/ Biotechindustryandhelpsscientists gaininsightontherecentinnovations

andtechnologies,assuringasound knowledgeofthesubjectmatter. Initially,NextGentriesgettinginsight onthecustomerrequirementsby exchangingideas,understandingthe completeworkflow,andthenexpecting resultswhichinturnhelpsthemto suggestthebestpossiblecustomized solutionstotheircustomers.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Nagma Abbasi, Founder & CEO, NextGen Life Sciences. Below is an excerpt from the interview.

Whatwerethechallengesthatyou hadtofaceinyourinitialyears?

Likeallstartupcompanies,NextGen haditsfairshareofchallengesduring itsinitialstages,likecapital investment,findinggoodtalent, buildingcustomertrust,andgood relationship.Withoutjustsittingback andrelaxing,NextGenovercamethese problemsandtodayitstandsstrongin themarketbycreatingauniqueplace.

ThefactorsthathelpedNextGento groware

• CompanyCulture

• KnowledgeManagement

• ClearlyDefinedRoles

• ContinuedScalability

• CashFlow

• DevelopmentofInternalTools

• ConsistentTeamQuality

• CustomerHappiness

• CoreValues

• LittleWins

• TeamPerformanceEvaluations

Howhaveconsumerresponses motivatedyoutoshapeandgrow yourorganization?

Withitsaugmentingspectrumof productsandsolutions,NextGen

empowersthemountingrealmof researchtosolvecomplexanalytical challengesinthepharmaceutical, biotechnology,academic,government, environmentalandindustrialresearch, andtheclinicallaboratory The company'sproductsaddressawide rangeofrequirementsrightfromthe sample,materialcharacterization,and chemicalanalysistoclinicaldiagnoses andbiological-basedtherapeutics handling.

ThecompanyoffersservicesforCell Analysis,CellCulture&Transfection, Cloning,DNA&RNAPurification, GeneExpressionAnalysis& Genotyping,PCR,ProteinExpression &Analysis,Real-TimePCR, Sequencing,SyntheticBiology,Cancer Research,Stemcellresearch,Drug Discoveryanddevelopment,Plant Sciences,EpigeneticsandServicesfor Sequencing,NextGeneration Sequencing,andBioinformatics.

Ifyouhavetolistfivefactorsthat havebeenthebiggestassettoyour organization,whatwouldtheybe andwhy?

TheStrategicMindset:Rationaland well-informeddecisionmakingatthe righttime,withcalculatedrisksis essentialforthecoreteammembers. Themanagementandtheleadership teamsshouldleadthecompany's peopleandprocesseswithalong-term proactiveapproachratherthanadayto-dayreactiveapproach.

TheHumanResourcePool: Organizationsfailtodeliverinthe absenceoftherightdeliveryteams. Wellqualifiedandexperienced professionalsenablequickadaptability thatenablesthebusinesstorespondto circumstancesandstayaheadofthe competition.

OperationalEfficiencies:Allthe operationalprocessesmustbefine-

tunedforachievinghigh productivityintermsofemployee performanceandoveralloutput.

TheFinancialHealth:Itiswell worthconsideringthevarious aspectsofmaintainingthefinancial healthofthefirmwhichincludes closeobservationofliquidity, profitability,solvencyamongother keyfiscalratios.

CompleteCustomerOrientation: Customerorientationcannotbe limitedtomarketingandsales.To succeed,anenterprisemustmakeit partofitscorevaluethatinfuses acrosseveryfunctionofthe organization.

Whatdoyoufeelarethereasons behindyourcompany's reputation?

Greatteam,Products,andservices, loyaltytowardscustomersand partners,communication,hard work,consistenteffortsarethekey factorsbehindourreputation.

Nomatterwhoyouareorwhatyour goalis,withoutagoodreputation you'llfinditdifficultoralmost impossibletoachievesuccess.Your company'sreputationcanbea catalystforanewbusinessora roadblockfornewcustomers. Protectingandimprovingyour businessreputationisthebestway toincreaseyourbrandvisibility, promotegrowth,andachieve success.

Wheredoyouseeyouandyour companyacoupleofyearsfrom now?

NextGenLifeSciencesPvt.Ltd. aimshighwiththelaunchofits own-brandproductsofinternational standards.Atasteadypace,itis workingconstantlytoempowerthe mountingrealmofresearchtosolve

complexanalyticalchallengesinthe pharmaceuticals,food,environment, biotechnology,andindustrialand clinicalresearch.

MeettheLeaderWhoMakes ThingsHappeninNextGenLife Sciences

Dr.NagmaAbbasi,Founder& CEO

Dr.Nagmaisleadingthe developmentandexecutionoflongtermstrategieswiththevividvision ofexpandingtheorganization's footprintsacrosstheglobalmarket. SheattendedIMTGhaziabad,AMU, Aligarh,andIndianAgricultural ResearchInstitute,Delhiforher studiesinBusinessadministration, DoctoralstudiesinMolecular Genetics,andPost-DocinMolecular Biology

Shelearnsfromherexperiences, failures,andupdatesherselfaboutthe worldlychangesthroughreading.She wantstobethebestentrepreneurand anexampleforthefuturegeneration. Hercareerspansoveradecade workingwithEsteemedResearch InstitutesandleadingMultinational companiesintheLifeSciences/ Biotechindustryacrossvarious verticalslikeProductmanagement, customersegmentation,brand management,andstrategicmarketing.

“The company's mission is to discover, delineate, and deliver highquality products and excellent services that enable millions of lives to live a healthy and better life.”

Shagun Malhotra, Founder & CEO

Thejourneyofacompany doesn'tbeginatthedateof incorporation.Therealjourney beginswhenanideaisbrewinginside theheadofanentrepreneurwhose focusistobringthatideatolife.To understandthejourneyofSkyStem,we mustfirstbeginwiththestoryofits founder.ShagunMalhotra,Founder andCEOofSkyStem,isaCPAand CIAbytrade,shestartedhercareerin thetravelandhospitalityindustry,and throughherexperienceinauditand investigativeaccounting,she ultimatelyfellinlovewiththeworldof audit,controls,andtheaccounting process.

Atroubledfinancialservicesgiant askedShaguntospearheadtheyearlongremediationeffortduetobroken internalcontrolsaroundthemonth-end process,uponwhichshesuccessfully deliveredacleanaudit.Fromthis experience,shesawfirsthandthe multitudeofproblemsandrisks

SkyStem

Transforming the Close and Reconciliation Process

accountantsfacewhenemploying manualmethodstoclosethebooksand completereconciliations.Shealso realizedthatexistingplatformswith automationinthisareawerenot suitableforallcompaniesandwere oftenpricedquitehigh.Thismeantthat automationwasbeyondreachformany mid-sizedcompaniesthatcouldbenefit fromautomationduringtheclose,but lackedtheresourcestomakealarge softwareinvestmentandundergoa multi-monthimplementation.

ThisexperiencemotivatedShagunto foundSkyStem,aSaaSproviderthat aimedtocreateanaffordablypriced solutiontohelpmid-sizedcompanies automatethemonth-endcloseprocess. SkyStem'sflagshipsolution,ART,was broughttothemarketshortlyafter

CustomerFirstApproach

Foundedin2009,SkyStemdeliversa powerfulmonth-endcloseautomation

platform–ART–thatiseasytouse andfasttoimplement.ARThelps accountantsreduceupto40%of reconciliationseverymonthand eliminateupto90%ofadministrative activitiesaroundthemonth-endclose process.Thisisaccomplishedby automatingvariousmonth-end activitiessuchsystemreconciliations, digitalworkflowandsignatures, intelligentcalculationschedules, recurringchecklists,real-time dashboards,andready-madereports.In somecases,ithashelpedcustomers successfullyshortenthetimetoclose thebooksbyupto50%.

SkyStemstrivestobringsoulto softwarebyprovidingintelligentand intuitivesolutionsthateliminate redundantwork.Itprovidescustomers theopportunitytofocusonmore dynamicandfulfillingwork.The companyemphasizesthehumantouch sothatcustomersgetthebestofboth worlds–cutting-edgetechnology

pairedwithfanaticalcustomerservice. SkyStemworkstomakeitscustomers' liveseasier.“Thesatisfactionthatwe gainfromatrulycontentcustomeris priceless.Thismeansbeingresponsive, alert,andproactivewithour customers,”mentionsShagun.

Thecustomer-centricapproachhas helpedthecompanydeliverabest-inclassproducttothemarket.ARTis affordable,easytouseandfastto implement.Itprovidesanefficientway toperformthemonth-endcloseand focusesonthequalityaspectofthe workwithuniquefeaturesthatsetit apart.Thecompanyoffersthree packagesthatallowARTtobe customizabletothecustomer'sneeds andbudgetbasedonthefeaturesthat willbenefitthemthemost.Puttingthe customeratthecoreoftheproducthas alwaysprovenbeneficialtothe company'ssuccess.

ADifferentKindofEntrepreneur

Generally,itismorechallengingfora femaleentrepreneurtobuilda companyinamaledominatedindustry Itisimportanttostaythecourseeven withthesechallengingsituations. Shagun,whohasanunconventional background,spentthefirstfewyearsof herchildhoodonaship,asherfather wasacaptaininthemerchantnavy Shagunshares,“Mymother homeschooledmeatseauntilwe settledinEgyptwhenIwasabout sevenyearsold.Thatwasactuallythe firsttimeIsteppedintoatraditional classroom.Ifinishedmyprimary, secondary,anduniversitystudiesin severaldifferentcountries,andupon graduation,Ifellintotheworldof accounting.”

PriortofoundingSkyStem,She workedatFortune100companiessuch asMarriottandFreddieMac.Herwork focusedprimarilyoninternalcontrols

andriskmitigationinboth internationalanddomesticarenas. Thechallengingsituation throughoutherlifehasledherto becomeadifferenttypeof entrepreneur.Shemakesa consciousefforttoensurefemale presenceisrepresentedthroughout alldepartmentsatSkyStemandhas alwaysencouragedwomentotake ongrowth-orientedrolesregardless oftheindustry.“Iaimtoputadent inthegenderimbalanceinthetech andfinanceindustryandhave continuallyadvocatedforminority womenintheworkplace.Asa minoritywomanmyself,I personallyunderstandthisissueby seeingitthroughmyown experienceasanauditor,”says Shagun

DistinctiveintheIndustry

Thesuccessofacompanyishighly dependentupontheteamandits leadership.Nosuccessfulbusiness canbebuiltalone,andhavinga goodteamisasessentialasother things.TheSkyStemteamis supportive,creative,andcustomer centricandhavehelpedmodelthe companyintothesuccessful businessitistoday.

Shagundoesn'tbelievethatthere areonlyafewmagicattributesor formulasthatleadstosuccess.She definessuccessashowhappythe customersandstaffare.Shefeels fortunateenoughtodaytohave employeeswithhersincethe foundingofSkyStem.It'simportant tohavepassion,patience,anda strongcommitmenttocustomers. Thecompanyisdistinctiveinthe industryinthatitofferswhite-glove customersupportservicefreeof charge.Inaddition,theyalsoaimto haveasignificantnumberof enhancementsderivedfromthe

existingcustomerpool.Thishas helpedthecompanytocreateastrong andloyalcustomerbase.

“Iamalsoverypersonallyvestedin encouragingfemaleleadershipinmy community.Mypersonalinvolvement inmanyaspectsofentrepreneurship suchasbeingamemberofa DepartmentofStatepanelforwomen entrepreneurshipandbeingajudge fortheNewYorkCityBusinessplan competitionhasreallyhelped demonstratedmycommitmentinthis area.”

ContinuingtoInjectIntelligence

Predictinganythingnowisvery difficultespeciallywiththerecent challengesofthepandemic. Automationaroundvarious accountingprocessesisinevitable andtheneedtoupgradeandinfuse automationhasneverbeenhigher. Thenewremoteandhybridwork environmentwilldemandthis. Consideringthis,Shagunwantsto continuetobuildandrefinethe currentproducttomirrorwhatthe customersneed.“Aswecontinueto acquirecustomers,wearealways amazedatandgratefulforhowmany greatideasaredeliveredtousbyour customers.Continuingtoinject intelligenceintooursolutionwill enableourcustomerstodomorewith less,andwewantthatvisiontobea constantfocalpoint,”concludes Shagun.

Quote: “ARThelpsCFOand Controllersstreamlinethemonth-end closeandeliminateupto90%of manualactivitieswhilestrengthening internalcontrolsandcorporate governance.”

Unest Investment

Made Easy To Secure Your Child's Future Goals

Ksenia Yudina, CFA,Founder & CEO

Women'sEntrepreneurship iskeytoimprovingthe socialandeconomic growthofsocietiesacrosstheworld, butitseemsliketheareais insufficientlyacknowledged. Althoughtherearewomenleaders andentrepreneurswhoaretakingover thebusinessworld,westillhaveto workalotoncreatingaconducive andfreeenvironmentforeveryone hopingtoachievesuccessinthe entrepreneurialandcorporateworld.

Aswespeakofwomen's entrepreneurship,TheChief'sDigest isproudandgratefultohavethe opportunityoffeaturingthestoryof KseniaYudina,CFA,Founder&CEO ofUnest,whoisstrivingtohelp parentsgivetheirchildrenafinancial headstart.

LeaderslikeKseniasetglorious examplesofhowwomen,justlike her,canfindafootingandplacefor

themselvesinsocietyandthebusiness world.

Belowisaneditedexcerptfrom Ksenia'sinterviewwithTheChief's Digest.

Howdidyoucomeupwiththeidea orconceptforyourbusiness?

Thecostofeducationkeepsgoingup andifwetalkaboutstudentdebt,it hasreached$1.7Trillion,whichis huge.EvenIgraduatedfromUCLA Andersonwithamassivestudent loan.

Isawmanyfamiliesstrugglingto meetthecostofeducation.It's devastating.Asanexample,afamily friendofoursjustgraduatedfrom USC'sDentistrySchoolwith$500kin loans.Itwilltakeherabigchunkof hercareertopaythatback.Thatis becomingthenorm,studentby student,familybyfamily

WhenIwenttoworkatCapital Group/AmericanFunds,thelargest providerof529collegesavings plansinthecountry,Irealizedthat countlessfamiliesdidnothave accesstoaconvenientwaytoavoid thekindofloansanddebtthatIhad experienced.Plus,whenmyfriends askedmetohelpthemplan financiallyfortheirkid'sfuture education,Iwouldsendthemalong 15-pageapplicationform.Theywere seriouslyputoffbyhavingtodothe paperwork,FedExtheformaround, etc.Theywereusingappslike VenmoandRobinhood,sofillingout longformswasalientothem!

Irealizedthatthiswasacategory thatwasripefordisruptionwith technology.Itwastoughtoseehow alargefinancialinstitutioncould movequicklyenoughtosolvethe problem,soIdecidedtodoit myself.

Whatareyourcompanyofferings?

UNestisthemoneyappforyourkids' future.Thecompany'siOSand AndroidappsandInvestmentAccount forKidshaveachievedanoutstanding levelofsuccesssincebecoming widelyavailableacrosstheUnited StatesinFebruary2020.UNest demystifiesthepreviouslycomplex processofsettingupsavingplansfor educationandotherimportantlife stageswithapaperlessapproachthat takesonlyfiveminutestosetup.The appalsoincludesasimplegifting featurethatmakesiteasyforfamily andfriendstocontributetoachild's account.

UNestRewardisaprogramthatputs moneydirectlyintoyouraccount whenyoushopwithbrandsyoulove suchasDisney+,Nike,orDoorDash. Thesepartnerspayusanaffiliatefee whenaUNestcustomersignsupfor theirserviceorbuystheirproduct.

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout yourchallengesandhowyou managedtoovercomethem.

Oneofthebiggestchallengesearlier inmycareerwashavingavisionof innovationatalegacyinstitution,but withthatcomescomplexitiesasthey arenotoriousforthelackof innovationduetotheirconservative ways.Iovercamethischallengeby beingpersistentandrecruitinga fantasticteamtosupportme.My workethichasalwaysbeenastrength ofmineandwhenI'vebeenpresented withachallenge,Irelyonittobeat thecompetition.

Earlyonfundraisingwasachallenge because98%ofventurecapitalgoes tomalefounders.Ididnotletthis

determe.Ioutworkedmymale counterpartsandwasultimately successfulinraisingmyroundSeed, SeriesA.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereissomesortofa formulatobecomesuccessful?

AtUNestwedefinesuccessbyour abilitytohelpparents.Wequantify thissuccesswiththenumberof parentsandchildrenonourplatform, whichcurrentlystandsatover 300,000,andtheirreviewsofourapp, whichcurrentlysitsat4.8starsonthe appstore.

Whatdoyouthinkisthemost uniqueaspectofyourbusiness?

ThelaunchofUNestlearnhasbeena terrificsuccessandanopportunityfor ustohelpeducateourcommunityon avarietyoffinancialliteracytopics. Whilewedonotchargeforthis contentithasbecomeaunique differentiatorofourbusinessbecause itallowsustosupportourfamilies withthetrainingandsupportthey needtothrive.

Businessleadershavealways emphasizedthehabitofreadingfor success,ontherecord.Istherea bookthatyoudrawinspiration from?

TheIntelligentInvestorbyBenjamin Grahamisamust-readforanyone lookingtoinvest.Crucial Conversationisanimportantbookfor anyonelookingtoleadafintech companybecauseitofferssuggestions onhowtonavigatechallenging moments.Often,I'vefoundmyselfin situationswhere,stakesarehigh,and emotionsrunstrong.Itisimportantto haveaframeworkforresolvingissues andthatbookhelpedmedevelopone.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

Wearequicklybecomingtheleader insavingandinvestingsolutionsfor parentsandfamilies.Inthenextfew years,we'dliketoexpand internationallyandweseeourselves becomingtheholisticfinancial solutionforparentsandkids.Our goalistoleveltheplayingfieldfor thenextgeneration,andbuilda moreequitableandinclusivesystem whereeveryonecanthrive.

MeetTheLeader

Kseniaisanentrepreneurand financialexpertwithovertenyears ofexperienceinthefinancial industry.AsCFA,FounderandCEO ofUNest,shehasspearheadedthe developmentofthebreakthrough fintechsolutionandraisedfunding fromleadingventurecapitalfunds includingNorthwesternMutual, AnthosCapital,TheArtemisFund, Group11,DraperDragon,Unlock Ventures,andVestedVentures.

“EveryoneontheUNestteamis committedtoourmissionof helpingparentsbuildabetter futurefortheirkids,regardlessof incomeorbackground,by providingguidanceandaccessto cost-effectivefinancialsolutions.”