Tag: digital

Categories
Career Now + Beyond Interviews

Meet Eleonora Rocca, the founding director of WomenX Impact

[Image description: Eleonora Rocca, founding director of WomenX Impact, wearing an orange astronaut suit] Via Eleonora Rocca
[Image description: Eleonora Rocca, founding director of WomenX Impact, wearing an orange astronaut suit] Via Eleonora Rocca

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to run your own business? The essential skills and experience you should acquire? How technical and finance-oriented you need to be? Well, we have the answer, or rather the event, for you. WomenX Impact is THE event for budding female entrepreneurs that will inspire you to undertake your entrepreneurial pursuits, whatever business field that may be.

We spoke to Eleonora Rocca, founder of WomenX Impact, the largest international event centered around female empowerment, female entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusion.

With an impressive resume working across a number of disciplines as a business owner, digital strategy consultant, speaker, lecturer and author, Eleonora is without question the right person to lead this exciting event that will bring together women of every age and career stage.

The WomenX Impact summit will be held from 30 September to 1 October 2021 in Bologna, Italy at Fico Eataly World, and also will be available online for international audiences to view. Over 80 international speakers from major global organizations such as Google, Spotify, BBC, The European Commission, and more will share their career and life stories that will inspire and empower women across different backgrounds, experiences, and life choices.

Practical workshops will take place to cover topics on career development, business & entrepreneurship, soft skills & personal development, and improving on digital, content, and social media skills. With over 200 partners, supporters and ambassadors supporting this initiative, WomenX Impact is set to be the highlight of the international event calendar this year.

With a multidisciplinary education and experience, from studying law, then specializing in marketing and communications and working for the likes of Microsoft, Kingston Technology and others for over ten years, Eleonora Rocca realized she wanted more than working for someone else:

“I realized that building my own business was what I truly wanted for my future. I decided to open up my first company, successfully selling it and now even building my second one.”

Alongside holding the role as founder of WomenX Impact Eleonora is co-founder of Horizone Group, a London-based digital company. We asked her what it’s like to start a new adventure as a company founder. “I enjoy creating new things as I never stop learning. Learning means growing, both as a person and as a professional.”

Eleonora’s active business acumen involves her working between Italy and the UK – traveling is another career aspect she fully recommends for aspiring entrepreneurs. “It is a great boost for your resume and you get to learn about new cultures, different ways of living and different working environments, which is proven to strengthen both personal and professional skills.”

With her rich, multifaceted career, we were curious to learn what her most rewarding work experience is to date. Microsoft was right there at the top, without hesitation.

“At age 30 I was Product Marketing Manager for Microsoft Office, managing a budget of over €1 million, creating and developing marketing campaigns across over 700 points of sales throughout Italy. It was extremely rewarding and it granted me a fast and very important learning curve. Most of my strong knowledge about 360-degree marketing campaigns comes from that experience.” That’s certainly impressive!

We asked Eleonor the one message she wants everyone to take away from WomenX Impact:

“Amazing things can happen if you know what you want to achieve but most of all, if you know how to achieve it. It is true that if you want something you can get it, but it is also true that you need to know which steps need to be taken, when and how in order to succeed.

This is what I expect our speakers to share: how-to and practical elements of their journey so they can inspire, train and get the audience up to date with the latest trends to watch in the world right now.”

Lastly, we asked her for some advice for young female founders starting out. “Persevere. Persevere. Persevere and don’t allow anyone to let you down. Keep going even when things get complicated, even when you feel you are not progressing, just keep going because a thousand small steps can make a big difference when it comes to results.”

The Tempest is a proud media partner of WomenX Impact. Stay tuned for more interviews to come about their badass speakers, leading women in every sector!

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Categories
Tech Money Now + Beyond

Read this before switching to an app-only bank account

[Image Description: Lady scrolling on her smartphone outside] Via Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash.

I first heard about app-only banks when my friend showed me her Monzo app. I was pretty dubious about the digital-first challenger banks coming to the market, particularly when it comes to security and lack of face-to-face support. Since then my views have turned 180 degrees. It’s amazed me how app-only banks have quickly dominated the finance world. Consumers can manage their bank accounts digitally without having to visit a branch. All you need to do is submit personal details and ID proof via the app, and you’re all set!

It’s a big disrupter with a lot of potentials to make finances easier and accessible to customers.

App-only banks are becoming more popular with millennials and Gen-Zers. In a Censuswide study, where they interviewed 2,000 adults with a bank account, 83% said they would open a new account if certain features would entice them. A third of respondents would be attracted to a bank that gives them a prediction of whether they were on course to run out of money before their next payday. Their disruption to the market isn’t a surprise, considering the appetite millennials and Gen-Zers have for digitising their finances.

Here’s a roundup of the best app-only banks:

Starling Bank – best for opening a current account

Starling Bank logo
[Image Description: Image of Starling Bank logo] via Starling Bank.
  • Voted Best British Bank and Best Current Account 2020
  • Offers personal, joint and business accounts
  • Real-time notifications on your phone as you spend
  • Savings goals to set and monitor
  • Round up transactions to the nearest pound and the spare change is automatically put into your savings
  • No fees for spending abroad
  • Customer service available 24/7
  • Compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay
  • Available in the UK only
  • Your money is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), protected up to £85,000

Monzo – best for budgeting

Monzo logo
[Image Description: Image of Monzo logo] via Monzo.
  • Real-time notifications on your phone as you spend
  • Offers personal, joint and business accounts
  • Set spending budgets with the app along with a summary of your spending
  • The card is accepted worldwide
  • Savings ‘Pots’ available that set money aside (by rounding up every purchase you make)
  • ‘Bill Tracker’ feature
  • ‘Get Paid Early’ salary advance feature
  • Compatible with Apple pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay
  • Available in the UK, but as stated on Monzo’s help page, you can open a Monzo account even if you’re not a UK tax resident. All you need is a UK address. If you don’t have a UK address, a Monzo account cannot be offered to you. If you’re in the US, you can join the waitlist here.
  • Your money is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), protected up to £85,000

Revolut – best for spending money abroad

Revolut logo
[Image Description: Image of Revolut logo] via Revolut.
  • Hold and exchange up to 26 currencies in the app
  • Spend on the Revolut card in 120 currencies
  • Real-time notifications
  • Analytics to track spending habits
  • Round up transactions to the nearest pound and the spare change is automatically put into your savings
  • Spend and send money abroad with no fees
  • Withdraw cash abroad fee-free
  • Use the app to buy and exchange cryptocurrency (premium feature)
  • As stated on their website, the app is available in the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan and the United States
  • Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), but not FSCS protected

Atom Bank – best for savings, loans and mortgages 

Atom Bank logo
[Image Description: Image of Atom Bank logo] via Atom Bank.
  • Offers savings accounts, mortgages and business loans (doesn’t offer current accounts)
  • Offers competitive savings rates
  • Mortgages are available through its broker service, accessible via the app
  • Customer service available 24/7
  • Uses face and voice recognition
  • Lets you personalise – you can name your bank, create a logo and choose your colour scheme.
  • Available in the UK only
  • Your money is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), protected up to £85,000

Monese – best for using worldwide and for international students

Monese logo
[Image Description: Image of Monese logo] via Monese
  • You do not need a proof of address to open an account
  • Real-time notifications on your phone as you spend
  • Accepted worldwide
  • Transfer money abroad into 14 currencies
  • Track spending habits
  • Specialises in current accounts
  • Provides real-time insight into your available balance
  • Available in the European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Your money is safeguarded under the EU Electronic Money Directive 2009/110/EC and UK Electronic Money Regulations 2011 but is not FSCS protected

I decided to open an app-only bank account and I found the experience so quick and easy! Creating an account didn’t feel overwhelming compared to opening up with a traditional bank, the whole process was efficient. After supplying the required information and reading the T&Cs, I was all set. All within 5 minutes! Once I was set up, I was able to see the options available at my fingertips: setting up notifications, saving money, accessing support, how I can track my spending and more.

Is opening up an app-only bank right for you? Check out our pros and cons list:

Pros

  • Don’t need to fill in paperwork to open up an account
  • Everything can be managed on your smartphone
  • Can provide a convenient and quick service for customers through the app
  • Easy savings options are available
  • Free transactions abroad
  • Lower fees
  • Real-time notifications
  • Ability to freeze your card if lost or stolen

Cons

  • Relies on an internet connection
  • Can’t visit a branch
  • Do not offer face-to-face support
  • Paying in cash or depositing cheques can be tricky
  • Financial products on offer are limited compared to traditional banks e.g. overdrafts and loans

If app-only banks are not available in your country, there’s no doubt they’ll be popping up soon. It’s a big disrupter with a lot of potentials to make finances easier and accessible to customers.

I am completely with you if you have concerns about using an app-only bank. For me, I’m on-board with having an app-only bank, but only with the option of having this alongside my traditional bank account as well. I’m drawn to the innovative features and effortless user experience of app-only banks, however, the products and incentives offered by traditional banks are more wide-ranging compared to app-only banks.

Perhaps soon, app-only banks can provide incentives for customers to switch over to them and leave the traditional bank behind. But for the moment, I’m happy balancing between the two.

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Categories
Culture Family Life

A love letter to libraries

[a girl wearing glasses in standing between shelves at a library] Via Unsplash
[Image Description: A girl wearing glasses is standing between shelves at a library] Via Unsplash.

I know that I am not alone when I say that we, as humans, find a lot of solace in libraries. They are temples of knowledge, housing collections of stories and dreams alike on their shelves. Libraries are as much a part of our culture as anything else. People have relied on these spaces for warmth, insight, and marvel for centuries. In a way, they hold the key to all of our stories,

I love libraries, and I am terrified to see their eventual demise, especially as our world becomes almost entirely digital. They are gems from the past that have maintained vitality no matter the circumstances or happening outside of their walls. Not to mention they are the cornerstones of entire communities, maybe even countries, granting light and stability to people when nothing, or no one, else seemed able to. They offer more than just books; they offer entry into a space that seems more like a sanctuary run by people grounded in compassion, commitment, creativity, and resilience.

People have relied on these spaces for warmth, insight, and marvel for centuries.

I used to go to the library near my grandparents’ house every other Friday. For the most part, my mom took my brothers and me there to get a new book for school or to see what DVDs we could bring home to watch that evening. But I remember roaming around, starstruck, in between the tall shelves, wondering about the people who wrote each and every single one of those books and how long it might have taken to get them all here.

Most weeks, my mother let me get two books instead of one. I could spend hours there if it was permitted. I always liked watching my mom pick her books for the week, too. She seemed so sophisticated and gentle while scanning the shelves, yet she never knew exactly what she was looking for. If it was winter, afterward we would all pile back into the car with our hardcover books and grab a slice of pizza. If it was summer, we would walk to the Italian Ice shop down the street for some cream ice – those were the best days. 

I fear that libraries have been taken for granted, even in my own life, and am always spellbound to find them chock full of unexpected people, doing unexpected things, with unexpected passions. There is absolutely nothing that compares to the feeling, the pure excitement in my stomach, that erupts every time I am searching in a library for the perfect tale to dig into. A trip to the library seems, to me, to be enchanted. I become whimsical, enveloped by the completeness and simplicity of the entire journey.

Even the smell of a library is impossible to replicate because of its specificity and poignance. I am reminded of sandalwood, dusk, and a particular, antiquated, dampness. Its familiarity is beyond comforting. The air itself seems to be saturated in possibility and imagination. 

I feel at home while pattering around and tracing my fingers between the shelves of books. I fall in love while blowing the dust off of the covers, revealing bright colors and exquisite lines. I spend hours crinkling through the aged, already yellowing, pages of novels wondering which I will pick this time. It is never an easy decision, and I always leave with dozens underneath my arms wondering if the others will still be there when I return the next week. But, that’s the beauty of libraries, isn’t it? Every visit is entirely different from the last and there is no telling what you might stumble upon. Yet each visit is also starkly familiar. 

The air itself seems to be saturated in possibility and imagination.

Books have changed so much of my life, with plotlines, characters, and lessons that have been woven into nearly everything I do – that is every decision, every consideration, and everything that I have grown to appreciate or even pay a little bit more attention to. Books are there to remind me of what’s important, and when I’m not so sure, they’re there for me to lean on. Without libraries, though, I might have never been allowed membership into such a world of splendor. 

Categories
BRB Gone Viral Pop Culture

Here’s the shocking reason why #Sarahah is going viral

University Express

It was a regular Friday morning. I am not much of a Facebook user unless it’s the weekend. I usually open it to see what’s trending on The Tempest page. But instead of the usual inspirational articles, my feed was flooded with my friends thanking “anonymous” admirers for their personal messages.

I was confused.

Oh no, is this a new internet trend that I’m late to again? I was a week late to the #IceBucketChallenge because of my superior ability to hibernate under a social media-less rock.

I started to scroll down the messages.

“You don’t know me, but I was secretly in love with you during freshman year.” Wait, is this another version of ask.fm?

“I think you’re beautiful inside out, and it’s really important that you know that. But you’ll never know who I am.”

This was the first time I stumbled across a positive message on the internet. It was intriguing.  #Sarahah (meaning “honesty” in Arabic) is an app that was developed in Saudi Arabia, in the spirit of sending constructive messages anonymously. The catch is that you’re allowed to send messages anonymously to people with the intention of making their days better. But then, if you really wanted to say something nice, wouldn’t you just say that to them? What is the point of complimenting someone if they don’t know who you are?

So my next question is, how long before this turns into the blood bath that ask.fm succumbed to?

When I had an ask.fm account, I had fun at first. Most messages I got were funny and I knew that my friends were trying to poke fun at me. But soon, it started to get really ugly. A total stranger texted me and threatened me to send him sensitive information. I had to shut it down. Since then, I’m still in two minds whether to open a Sarahah account.

What if we used Sarahah in the real world? Where we work, study and live?

We can start by complimenting our parents, teachers, and coworkers on a daily basis. By compliments, I don’t mean their clothes or appearances, but genuine compliments about their personalities. Wouldn’t that make everyone feel much happier than receiving a bunch of anonymous destructive messages? I would be much happier if a friend walked over to me and said, “You know, I’ve always loved the way you work with people, with such finesse.”

Okay, wishful thinking, but a girl can dream.

We need to be appreciated more. You can brush me off by saying that I need to love myself more and shouldn’t rely on others for appreciation. But there’s a small part of everyone that yearns to be told something nice by the people we look up to. There’s no denying that our days become insanely better when we’re genuinely complimented by others. We’re just hard-wired that way.

So this is what I propose: Take two minutes to compliment somebody who makes a huge impact in your life. It could be your professor who gave you a second chance on your assignment. It could be your boss who let you off scot-free when you didn’t make that deadline. It could even be your mom for when she helped you pack for college. Little gestures speak volumes.

Let’s scrap the anonymity and tell people how we feel because it makes them feel a hundred times better than a Sarahah message.

Categories
Tech Now + Beyond

Virtual reality is going to change everything from domestic violence to prison

Waves of Grace Image
Sundance.org

This past month I had the chance to attend the Online News Association’s 2016 conference in Denver, Colorado to learn a bit more about being a journalist (and check out the coolest new technology trends in journalism). The mile-long line out the exhibit hall confused me on the first day and I had to investigate why. It turned out that The Guardian was exhibiting its virtual reality documentary “6×9: An Immersive Experience of Solitary Confinement” and people were hooked.

The goal of VR technology has been to give viewers the chance to experience another person’s reality for themselves and (hopefully) grow more empathetic to their struggles. In exhibiting “6×9,” The Guardian hoped to raise awareness about the realities of living in solitary confinement. But The Guardian is far from the only news organization taking advantage of this new technology: journalists and artists worldwide have started using virtual reality to tell difficult but meaningful stories in a very personal way.

VR Device Image
PCWorld.com

1. 6×9: An Immersive Experience of Solitary Confinement

Solitary Confinement Image
Sundance.org

Let’s start with the VR documentary that started it all (for me at least).

“6×9: An Immersive Experience of Solitary Confinement” is a 7-minute long VR created by Francesca Panetta and Lindsay Poulton of The Guardian. “6×9” takes descriptions from people who have experienced solitary confinement and fuses them together into an immersive taste of the modern prison system. Think Orange is the New Black on steroids.

The goal of “6×9” is to raise awareness of the 80,000 people currently incarcerated in 6 foot by 9 foot concrete rooms, deprived of human contact or sensory input, and question whether that treatment is humane, rehabilitative, or damaging.

2. Cardboard Crash

Cardboard Crash Screenshot
Sundance.org

Ever played that “game” in school where a teacher asks you this philosophical question: Imagine you’re on a run-away train headed straight towards a crowd of people. You can’t stop the train, but you can change directions onto a different track. The only catch is that there is one person on that track. What do you choose: Stand passively by as your train kills a group of innocent people or actively choose to kill one person?

No fun, right? Whatever your answer, this is an awful lot like the experience of “Cardboard Crash.”

In the National Film Board of Canada’s VR, designed by Loc Dao and Vincent McCurley, you play the passenger in a self-driving car. The car faces an unavoidable and fatal crash, but you get to participate as the car’s computer algorithm tries to decide how to minimize the damage (will you kill the group of people by accident or the one person on purpose?). “Cardboard Crash” asks you to work through these tricky ethical dilemmas and determine what outcome is the most just.

3. Kiya

Kiya Screenshot
Sundance.org

“Kiya” is the intensely dramatic, 5-minute, real-life story of two sisters who desperately try (but fail) to save their third sister from her ex-boyfriend during a domestic violence dispute. Created by Nonny de la Peña, the “godmother of virtual reality,” “Kiya” engages viewers in this true story by transforming them from audience-members to active witnesses.

“Kiya” not only includes well-designed virtual figures and scenarios, but actual camera footage from the murder and recordings from the sisters’ 911 calls. This VR puts the technology of virtual reality to use by quite literally transporting viewers to the scene of the crime.

4. The Displaced

The Displaced Image
NYTimes.com

The New York Times‘ award-winning photography, text, and virtual reality experience, “The Displaced,” tells the story of the world’s 60 million currently displaced people (half of which are children) through the lives of three kids.

Through the stories of 11-year-old Ukranian Oleg, 9-year-old South Sudanese Chuol, and 12-year-old Syrian Hana, The New York Times sheds light on the uncomfortable realities 30 million of the world’s children live through. “The Displaced” is The New York Times‘ first virtual reality film (emphasizing the growing importance of VR to the news industry and the devastating conditions faced by the world’s refugees).

5. Waves of Grace

Waves of Grace Image
Sundance.org

Following the world’s largest Ebola outbreak, Liberia worked to rebuild with the aid of humanitarian and medical groups. Vrse.works’s 10-minute virtual reality film, “Waves of Grace” reflects on the outbreak through the touching story of one woman: Decontee Davis. Davis, an Ebola survivor, used her immunity to care for others suffering from the virus, especially orphaned children. In “Waves of Grace,” Vrse.works tells Davis’s story as a launching-pad for talking about diverse experiences of the Ebola outbreak.

Virtual reality offers an incredible opportunity for news organizations to report on real-world experiences through technology that immerses viewers in true events. As our world continues to change, it can be easy to feel isolated from others and their experiences. Virtual reality ensures that won’t be the case: with technology we’ll be able to see others and their realities, and hopefully grow more understanding along the way.

Categories
Tech Now + Beyond

Russian hackers might be the biggest threat to America now

Putin and Obama Image
Image description: Putin stood with Obama

If you’ve been following the election, you know that there have been a few hacks (including the big one against the Democratic National Committee) and some hints at Russian involvement. You may even remember last July when Donald Trump dared Russian hackers to try and break into Hillary Clinton’s private server. But you probably didn’t expect the U.S. government to publicly call out Russia (we know we didn’t).

After months of suspicious information leaks, this past Friday, the U.S. government accused Russia of cyber attacks intended to influence the election.

Russians Hacked Image
NBCNews.com

A statement released by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence very directly accuses Russia: “We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process.”

In response, Russian officials have rejected claims that their government is at fault for these hacks. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov commented on his department’s website that: “This whipping up of emotions regarding ‘Russian hackers’ is used in the U.S. election campaign, and the current U.S. administration, taking part in this fight, is not averse to using dirty tricks.”

Data Breach/ Cyber Attack Image
IBTimes.co.uk

If you’re asking yourself why the U.S. government is concerned enough about these hacks to publicly condone the Russian state, hang on, we’ll explain:

It’s a pretty big deal that a foreign nation might be trying to influence U.S. politics (I mean, that’s not good in anyone’s world). But it’s an even bigger deal, because U.S.-Russian relations haven’t been the greatest of late.

Another heated topic of conversation during presidential debates is, of course, Syria. Clinton and Trump disagreed over Syrian policy for many reasons (of course), but one of those central concerns was (unsurprisingly) Russia.

The U.S. and Russia have gone head-to-head over support of the Syrian state and its people over the last several months. Tensions rose this past month in particular as the U.S. and Russia agreed to a cease fire which ended abruptly with worsened attacks. To many, Syria has felt uncomfortably like a proxy war with Russia backing the Syrian state and the U.S. supporting Syrian rebels as the two sides fight out their political views over innocent civilians.

Syrian Attack Image
TheGuardian.com

This past Friday, (as the U.S. released statements accusing Russia of cyber attacks) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that Russian actions in the Syrian civil war “beg for” a war crimes investigation. That’s what we like to call a double whammy.

That’s not to mention the reports that Russia has moved short-range nuclear-capable missiles into Kaliningrad or the likelihood that Russia has supported WikiLeaks members in releasing more leaked emails from Clinton.

The announcement just formalized what many already knew: Cold War-era tensions are on the rise once again.