First Name Basis - a TribalScale Podcast

Welcome to First Name Basis, where we chat with special guests, industry leaders, and TribalScale employees to have an authentic but informal conversation on a variety of relevant tech and innovation topics. On this episode, we are joined by Saroop Bharwani, Founder and CEO of Senso.ai to discuss how AI is becoming more significant in today's business landscape, and why enterprises need a well-defined AI strategy.

TribalScale VP of Product/Design Krys Krycinski, is joined by Caroline Morisette, VP of Digital & Data at McCain Foods. Dive into this episode where we discuss the recent partnership between TribalScale and McCain Foods, where AI plays its part, and adopting Agile Processes.

TribalScale Marketing Coordinator, Alyssa Berbecaru, is joined by our CEO and founder Sheetal Jaitly - Tune into this week's episode to learn about the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School, Sheetal's approach to learning effectively, and playing to your strengths when working in teams. All this and more on this episode of #FirstNameBasis! 

1:05 - Seeking a mentor

3:58 - Finding the Harvard program

5:45 - Stepping back from TribalScale and trusting your employees

6:10 - Rebuilding TribalScale

7:25 - Day to day at Harvard

12:53 - Online learning component at H...

TribalScale's HR Manager, Nicola Watson, is joined by Hilton Thompson, the Head of Events at Zinnia — Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about the growing presence of women in tech, what Atlanta Tech Village is doing to remedy this and all the details about TribalScale's upcoming Women in Tech event in Atlanta Georgia. All this and more on this episode of #FirstNameBasis!

1:00 - TribalScale's hiring and recruiting process

2:00 - How we found Atlanta Tech Village and the company's background

4:15 - What Atlanta Tech Village is doing for women in tech

TribalScale Chief of Staff, Heather Page, is joined by Michelle Abbs, Founder and CEO of Web3 Equity—aimed at providing education & empowerment to achieve gender equity in Web3. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about skill building for allies in the community, accessibility challenges that women face, and the Web3 community in Miami. All this and more on this episode of #FirstNameBasis!

0:30—Michelle’s journey & Web3 Equity’s mission.

3:45—What inspired the goal of gender equity in Web3 specifically.

5:45—Feedback from allies in Web3 and what skills they need to work on.

TribalScale CEO, Sheetal Jaitly, is joined by Jenna Pilgrim, CEO of Rite Network— NFT licensing platform. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about Jenna’s journey from blockchain to starting Rite Network, how the Bear Market is inspiring the rise of Web3 and NFTs, and other market insights. All this and more on this episode of #FirstNameBasis!

Jenna’s Journey - 0:45

Blockchain - 3:14

The Start of Jenna’s Career - 5:38

What Rite Network does - 8:48

Web3 Market Downfall Insights - 11:15

Jenna’s insights on...

TribalScale VP of Product/Design, Krys Krycinski, is joined by Steven R. Smith, President at AccuWeather—weather forecasting pioneer. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about how AccuWeather is infusing technology with weather, their path to building digital experiences, and the impact of climate change. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis!

Steve’s Role at AccuWeather - 0:44 

Insights on AccuWeather’s roots - 2:18 

How technology has impacted the company - 5:50 

Factors that weigh in on decision making from a product and technology stand point...

This week TribalScale CEO, Sheetal Jaitly, is joined by our Chief of Staff, Heather Page. Tune in to learn more about the Chief of Staff role, Heather’s experience working alongside Sheetal and the leadership team, and the challenges she’s overcome. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis!

Heather’s journey to becoming Chief of Staff at TribalScale—1:10

The need for a Chief of Staff at TribalScale—5:00

Chief of Staff building trust with leadership team—6:35

How the CEO and Chief of Staff work together—8:35

Trusting y...

This week TribalScale CEO, Sheetal Jaitly, is continuing the conversation with Jodi Kovitz, Chief Growth Officer at Vetster—the leading veterinary telehealth platform. Tune in to part two of this series to learn more about Vetster as an employee benefit, Jodi’s approach to the CGO position, patience and compartmentalizing with growth efforts. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis!

Vetster’s vision and what inspired the platform—0:35

Vetster as an inclusive employee benefit—2:44

Vetster’s product roadmap and what they have planned for the future—7:25

Government re...

This week TribalScale CEO, Sheetal Jaitly, is joined by Jodi Kovitz, Chief Growth Officer at Vetster—the leading veterinary telehealth platform. Tune in to part one of this series to learn more about building meaningful business relationships, Jodi’s entrepreneurial journey, and the intersectional equity landscape in tech. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis!

What shaped Jodi’s character - 0:30

Building meaningful business relationships through passion and trust - 5:10

Jodi’s inspiration behind Move the Dial and entrepreneurial journey - 8:43

Intersectional equity landscape in tech - 13...

We’re continuing the conversation for Mental Health Awareness Month with Host Heather Page and Monique Peats, Co-founder and Chief Clinical Director at Inward Strong. Tune in to the second part of this podcast series to learn about the importance of empathy, how to incorporate workplace wellness into company culture, and advice for entrepreneurs. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis! 
 

Why empathy is one of the most important skills to have as a leader - 0:38

Steps companies can take to build workplace wellness into culture - 3:05 

Remot...

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Host Heather Page is joined by Monique Peats, Co-founder and Chief Clinical Director at Inward Strong. Tune into this two part series and find out about Monique’s Inward Strong entrepreneurial journey as well as how mental health relates to the COVID pandemic, leadership, and workplace wellness. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis! 

Find out about Monique’s entrepreneurial journey and Inward Strong—0:30 

How the COVID pandemic relates to mental health services and awareness—9:10 

Leadership’s role in workplace wellness and investing in mental health...

For International Women's Day Leire Martin, Alice Mao & Bernadine Crisostomo from TribalScale's engineering team discuss their experiences navigating the world of tech as women. Find out how they help team members succeed, manage work-life balance and overcome imposter syndrome. All this and more on this episode of First Name Basis!

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by CEO of Drop, Derrick Fung, to talk about the Drop app, customer loyalty and navigating remote work. While this new remote world has seen the rise of new tech like crypto and NFTs, it has also created implications for gaining consumer trust and maintaining company culture. All this and more packed into this episode of First Name Basis!

This week TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Intuitive Branding Specialist Sunil Godse to talk about the power of intuition. Sunil takes us through his journey with intuition and how trusting his intuition changed his life. Want to crush your competition? Sunil dives into the three pillars that will help you overcome your competition and how they intertwine to make the right decisions. Plus, hear Sunil’s insights into intuitive branding, the four types of intuition, living in the present moment, trusting your intuition. All this and more packed into an hour of this First Name Basis episode! 

This week we chat with two extraordinary kids from The Knowledge Society. They're not even finished high school and they're already planning on changing our world's future. From research on longevity to how VR will improve healthcare, to quantum computing and key takeaways for machine learning's next five years - this is a conversation you can't miss. Also, a 14-year old's tips for living longer! 

Everyone and their uncle are talking about NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens, unique digital files such as audio clips or art pieces, have stirred up quite the frenzy in the cryptocurrency world, and tech innovators, creatives, and namely musicians are finding ways to take advantage of this spotlight. Lead vocalist & songwriter of Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace, Raine Maida, speaks with TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly about the platform S!NG, the company he's CPO of, and how NFTs  are re-creating that unique fan experience we held close in the days of live concerts. How are platforms like S!NG  protecting th...

[Episode recorded in December 2020] TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Serial Technology Entrepreneur, Cofounder of Tinder, and Tech Investor & Adjunct Professor Dinesh Moorjani for an in-depth analysis of the non-linear path that led him to a path of chemical engineering to esteemed co-founder, investor, and CEO. The magic that created Tinder, sustainable technology within this changing landscape, what he’s keeping his eye on as an investor, and what specific characteristics make for the world’s top performing leaders. All this and more packed into this episode of First Name Basis!

This week on First Name Basis  our CEO host Sheetal Jaitly  talks with serial entrepreneur Dinesh Moorjani about taking the road less traveled after his degree in Chemical Engineering. Co-founding Tinder, building disruptive labs, solving problems for the mobile generation before the app store and investing in sustainable tech, it's all here on this episode of First Name Basis! 

This week TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by the CEO at Digital Theatre, Neelay Patel! The essential strategy of thought leadership and pro bono work in the early days of COVID-19, how Neelay's company survived when schools (his clients) were all closed, accessibility of learning materials for teachers and students, and running the world’s leading digital on-demand platform for the performing arts. Plus, from London and back, Neelay's story of entrepreneurship and engineering pre-internet, his work at The Economist, BBC, AOL, and more! 

Jeremiah Zinn has had an extensive and incredible run through some of the most ambitious e-commerce companies. Now Chief Product Officer at Freshly, he fills us in about his learnings at Viacom, conducting dog shopping research at Bark & Co., and how to understand your users - canines and humans alike. The secrets to success of lifestyle brands, the costs of ownership, and  what mindset to have to tackle the startup world. All this and more this week on First Name Basis with Sheetal Jaitly! 

It's been five years of TribalScale. Flipping through the pages of our history, it's hard to believe all the experiences we've amassed in what is a short amount of time. Epic highlights, immense expansion, humbling lows, and decisions that kept the boat afloat. In this short podcast, we hear from six leaders at TribalScale, across all departments, about their perspectives on TribalScale's successes and challenges, and at the end of the day, what is most important for leading a team in the competitive world of app development. Take an inside peek into our internal processes, discovery processes, business development...

These days, it's all about retail and customer experience. TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly talks with Co-CEO of American Dream, Mark Ghermezian about the mega amusement park he helped launch this fall, after 23 years in the making. Part retail, part food, the indoor experience lies just outside Manhattan complete with indoor ski hill, water park, rollercoasters, and brand partnerships with Nickelodeon and DreamWorks to name a few.  Establishing a platform for retail is an amazing prospect, until the world shuts down just days before your grand opening. Now operating at 25% capacity, American Dream is still somehow moving forward. Mark talks a...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Mike Stern, CEO at Connected for a transparent conversation and swapping of industry expertise between two XtremeLabs alumni. "Go Fail Fast," is the classic line - and it's shaped through stories of doing just that. Where future does Mike urge enterprises to look for post-COVID-19? "Prioritize product and features beneficial not just for your end user but for your business, too. Among the toxic aspects of Facebook, there's still a commitment to evolving their mission statement to create more meaningful connections."

Hear the key takeaways of tools, techniques, and methodologies...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Mike Stern, CEO at Connected for a transparent conversation and swapping of industry expertise between two XtremeLabs alumni. "Go Fail Fast," is the classic line - and it's shaped through stories of doing just that, and where Mike is urging enterprises to look towards in a future post-COVID-19. "Prioritize product and features beneficial not just for your end user but for your business, too. Among the toxic aspects of Facebook, there's still a commitment to evolving their mission statement to create more meaningful connections." 

Hear the key takeaways of tools, t...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by the CMO of Cadillac, Melissa Grady! This day and age, there's so much to ask of someone in an industry like automotive: their COVID-19 era advertising strategy, how'd she get to wear she is now? Autonomous vehicles? What can we expect from America's luxury car brand we all know so well? It's all covered in this episode of First Name Basis! Melissa shares her epiphany when deciding to rent a aar and driving west without destination in mind, the importance of unplugging, her experience at Jaguar, Motorola and more.

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by CEO & Co-Founder of Feminuity, Dr. Sarah Saska for an incredibly in-depth, transparent, and eye-opening conversation about the glaring Diversity and Inclusion effort mis-steps and equity and equality injustices currently plaguing the tech scene globally.  "We need to call BS on Canadian tech sector for their diversity tout" Saska says. "There's still so much work to be done." From her explanation of taking an intersectional approach to problem solving, to how to view AI algorithms properly, to how tech companies are working rightly, and wrongly, to establish more diverse seats at their tables, t...

Host Sheetal Jaitly, CEO, TribalScale is joined by Rory Capern. An industry titan in the Canadian Tech Space throughout the past two decades, Rory has advised and overseen the rapid growth of the early days of Google and Twitter in Canada, as well as been a part of teams at Microsoft, The Weather Network, Torstar, and Bell. So what makes the most dangerous sales person? Also, Rory tell us about his "random walk down Bay Street," innovation in early days, competing with Google and ending up working on the same side, and the four things to know to capture...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Director of Communications at OMERS Ventures, Jennifer Janson! How is a company built, and what are the key takeaways on how not  to build it? What's the strategy to communicating with journalists, to spreading your company's message across a specific medium? This episode grants us an insightful convo on how to inject purpose into your business, how to be "relentless" in your expectations, and how to utilize your core values. 

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Human Rights Activist, enterprise advisor, Exec Team Building Strategist, and change-maker Jay Rosenzweig. Humanitarian efforts, anti-racism initiatives that use tweeting, and how to get back on the horse when a COVID-19 economy knocks you off. Jay's journey to advocate, act, and encourage societal change comes from a place of passion to help others, and we get to hear all about how his law degree led to a career of advising people to live a better life, and improve the lives of others! 

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by fellow martini lover Helen Kontozopoulos, Co-Founder& CGO of ODAIA.ai. Artificial Intelligence is on everyone's minds lately - how can it help society as a whole? How can it help my company sell better, understand our clientele better? Helen breaks it down for us. ODAIA.ai helps companies understand their customers through the power and seemingly "magic" intelligence of the newly emerging AI world. From being a Computer Science prof at the University of Toronto to co-founding the idea of truly grasping and knowing the customer journey, Helen chats her story and...

Senior Product Designer Eman Faiz is joined by Bevinash Mohabeer,  Product Design Manager at TribalScale Dubai for this episode of First Name Basis! These two worked with one of the biggest shipping/cargo enterprises in the UAE for four months, and they share their learnings, challenges, and overall takeaways from a Design Transformation journey in Dubai. From marrying scrum with design work, internal processes, design thinking workshops, strategy, and the magic of post it notes and sharpies, in four months these two learned more about Design Strategy and processes than they could have imagined. With changing client requirements week b...

TribalScale Design Manager Ailsa Blair is joined by Executive Creative Director of Grassriots Inc., and author of brand new book The Conscious Creative, Kelly Small! Beginning from their job in advertising and marketing for big box stores, Small noticed that ethically, there was a massive divide between what they knew was morally correct and what said companies they worked alongside were participating in. In this episode, they tell that story full of personal challenges, successes, and breakthroughs which led them to where they are now. This story also raises the discussion on ethical design, the responsibility of creatives putting...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Senior Advisor to FinTech firms and Financial Institutions and personal friend, Peggy Van de Plassche! She climbed that difficult ladder to the top and has pages of indispensable advice  for anyone hoping to push change in their business, hire the right candidates, and be more diverse and inclusive in their hiring process. Her expansive portfolio advising multiple big companies has accumulated into great stories, and great takeaways for CEOs & CIOs of Financial Institutions. Transformation? Change? How do you make it happen? It's all right here on this episode of First Name Basis. 

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Scotiabank's VP of Digital Product Management, Katie Sokalsky and CEO of Dream Payments, Brent HoYoung.  With two FI industry experts, Sheetal gets to the bottom of a big Canadian bank's response to COVID-19, and how they dealt with distributing government relief funds in one week. Additionally, we learn the challenges of digital banking and connecting people to relief finances in the United States compared to Canada, and what Dream Payments is doing to solve those problems. Identity & data stewardship, relationships between banks and customers, a human-centric approach, digital transformation, and digital banking...

On this episode of First Name Basis we get absolutely schooled by teenagers. In his first podcast with the "kids" of The Knowledge Society (TKS) and Founder Navid Nathoo,  TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly learns what students Faith Inello & Jack Bodell are working on, and how they are undoubtably two minds to change the world. At 16 and 17 years old, Faith and Jack have mastered the "Boss Mentality" when starting their own businesses.  From seeking to alleviate mental suffering via nanotechnology to leveraging brain-computer interface tech into daily life, this is a conversation that left us speechless. What's the mindset to ac...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by fellow TribalScale Co-Founder Mitch Seguin. Now the Co-Founder and CPO/CTO of his startup company ChefsList in Berlin, Mitch has an incredible wealth of knowledge when it comes to launching and running a successful startup. He shares key pointers to the mindset one needs to have, how to communicate with clients, and why design sprints are a must-know in today's tech world. Plus, a complete breakdown of the COVID-19 response in Germany, and why they were able to not overrun their hospitals even with one of the highest case counts in the...

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Radar's CEO & Co-Founder, Nick Patrick for an in-depth conversation about location services and technology, ethical implications, how Radar's location gathering products have aided companies so far, and how they will improve business and safety in the future. Post COVID-19 contact tracing, data selling and protection, and how Radar is helping pave the way for a location-based tech future in our society are just a few topics on this week's episode of First Name Basis!

TribalScale CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Matt McGowan, Director and General Manager at Snap Inc. They chat all things SnapChat, busting myths about Gen Z, how we use Snapchat to communicate and why it's one of the most successful communicator apps right now. From earlier days at Google and Adestra to meeting Sheetal in Barcelona (are you noticing a trend of where Sheetal meets a lot of our podcast guests?) Matt has a rich history of experience in the software & mobile world. 

TribalScale's CEO Sheetal Jaitly is joined by Dr. Daniel Pepe, Family Physician, London Lambeth Medical Clinic & Dr. Puneet Seth, President of InputHealth, for this influential and momentous episode. We're given the full lowdown on InputHealth's technology and mission to connect patient's to their healthcare system. From the idea's conception from a single tweet to this system being implemented across entire regional healthcare establishments in Ontario, Daniel & Seth are working not just on the frontlines during this COVID-19 Pandemic but behind the scenes, implementing a ground-breaking way to have physicians virtually assess patients, for patients to virtually monitor their symptoms...