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Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
Kenny Ewan, founder, and CEO of Wefarm (wefarm.org) trained as an engineer and architect originally but it was an early job at an NGO in Latin America, where he assisted with engineering projects, that gave birth to his current career passion. Ewan leads an informative discussion about the dynamics of small-scale farming and how information can truly make the difference between success and failure for farmers.
Mr. Ewan's Wefarm is a free service that allows farmers, anywhere in the world, to share information via SMS, without internet, and directly from their farm. Wefarm's platform enables farmers to ask important questions on farming issues and get quick answers from other farmers, usually within minutes. With hundreds of millions of small farmers working globally, many in sub-Saharan Africa, access to information is vital, and timing is critical as crops must be attended to properly in order to survive and thrive. And as agricultural and livestock farming requires skill and meticulous care, global farmers often have specific questions regarding crop disease, animal sickness issues, and variations for planting, etc.
Ewan explains that Wefarm's platform utilizes machine learning to gather a complete understanding of each specific farmer's question. With a complete profile, Wefarm can then better address the farmer's issue, and ultimately match them with consulting farmers who are best suited to their needs. As timing is critical, especially in regard to crop or livestock disease, Wefarm is able to match farmers quickly and get vital information that they can act on, which can mean the difference between life and death for crops, or livestock. Ewan states that his company's service is utilized by about 900,000 farmers currently, many in Kenya and Uganda, with 2000 new farmers joining daily.
Disease patterns, ripening, and drought issues are but a few of the many that Wefarm stays current on, to keep their network of farmers up to date and flourishing. Additionally, farmers can access information on soil conditions, etc. that can help them to make good decisions on which crops will be successful based on the soil of their specific region. Wefarm is able to monetize via transactions as they are expanding their marketplace to allow farmers to connect, to trade or buy and sell. Ewan details how collective buying power is also an asset, for as Wefarm brings a network of farmers online, Wefarm can sometimes position itself into a negotiation role with feed and seed type distributors. As their system grows, Wefarm will be moving further into peer-to-peer messaging as well, to allow farmers to communicate back and forth, beyond just question and answer.
As Wefarm expands it stands to serve millions upon millions of new farmers yearly, for with hundreds of millions to potentially billions of small-scale farmers and workers operating globally, small-scale farming is perhaps the largest industry in the world. And though their central office is in London, to enable them to have direct access and better communication with investors who are coming on board, Wefarm maintains offices in many of the very areas that their farmers inhabit. Wefarm team members interact regularly, and often in person, with small farmers across the globe, for sometimes there is no better way to understand the issues of a region than to actually be in it and talk to the people.
Jeff Klunzinger, co-founder of OS Fund (osfund.co), delivers an overview of investing for change, and how his company is putting money to work in all the right places, affecting change and improving lives.
OS Fund's objective is to invest in skilled entrepreneurs who are making commercially viable advances in artificial intelligence, genomics, synthetic biology, automation, new materials development, and more, to solve real-world problems. From using bacteria to capture carbon and clean the air, to applying technology to augment crop growth in hunger-stricken areas, OS Fund seeks to make a positive imprint on the world by funding those who can make a difference. In just four quick years the fund has invested in 28 companies that are doing the work to make that difference in the world.
The investment executive provides some interesting details on some of the enterprises his company funds. NuMat Technologies, for example, is a leader in the design of MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks), which are atomically-engineered materials with immense surface areas, extremely tunable porosities, and practically limitless combinatorial possibilities. NuMat's MOFs can make a major impact on the planet as they can filter water from the air, xenon from the ocean, and even increase storage for gas by scientifically increasing surface area. Another innovative company OS Fund has capitalized is Ginko Bioworks, an organism company. Ginko Bioworks designs tailored microbes for multiple customers in numerous markets. By utilizing software and hardware automation, Ginko Bioworks' synthetic biology engineers are able to produce new organisms that replace tech with biology.
While many technologies require excessive capital expenditure to bring their advances to the marketplace, OS Fund looks for 'ready-to-go' technologies that can be rolled out for a doable expenditure and thus bring them to market sooner. By taking minimal scientific risks and focusing heavily on the technological side of projects, Klunzinger's OS Fund is able to capitalize more companies making a difference.
Klunzinger expounds upon the next stage synthetic biology applications that will be coming soon, such as the use of computational tools that can, remarkably, produce brand new proteins. Additionally, he talks about exciting new companies that focus on the microbiome, which are the microorganisms in a distinct environment (including the body or a specific part of the body). And as individuals utilize microbiome testing they can begin to study and make an impact on their health. And the funding strategist also discusses how AI is now rolling into nearly all the companies they assist monetarily.
Ultimately, OS Fund seeks to capitalize companies that impact the entire world positively with advanced technological innovations, big vision companies with a pragmatic sensibility. While Klunzinger likes careful craftsmanship of ideas, his fund looks for signs that the company understands the value of the equity they are seeking, so once capitalization occurs, the company is ready to roll straight forward toward commercialization.
Cole Rosengren is a senior reporter for Waste Dive. Cole has many years of front-line experience with the waste industry having worked in many environments where he observed a myriad of problems that exist in the handling of waste and recycling. With a passion for forward-thinking solutions to planetary problems that the waste industry poses, Cole seeks to write and report on the pertinent issues that are shaping our conversation about waste and sustainability. Mr. Rosengren holds a BFA in writing and publishing from Emerson College as well as an MA in urban reporting (CUNY Graduate School of Journalism).
The waste and recycling journalist dives into a dense discussion of the many issues facing the global waste industry. As Mr. Rosengren states, China's unfathomable exponential growth into a dominant global industry player has increased their need for raw materials and scrap. Thus for many years, they have been the final stop for recycled materials that they could turn into new products and export out. However, Rosengren states this 'perfect circle' of sorts may have reached its endpoint. With the launch of their National Sword policy, China announced that they would no longer take 24 various types of recycled materials. This policy comes on the heels of China's Green Fence policy just five years previous, which introduced new standards for lower contamination levels for the recycling.
The new policy will certainly be felt around the world, and will especially strike a blow to recycling operators in China, many of which rely heavily on the ongoing import of a wide assortment of raw materials. And while the retooling of China's recycling intake process will be an opportunity for China to begin cleaning up their own environment, the economic impact will be an adjustment for material exporters as they feel the sting of stringent regulations.
Rosengren discusses some of the issues that are becoming pivotal points in the conversation, post-China's new rules. Perhaps a silver lining for environmentalists could be that China's harsher regulations are driving the push toward a decrease in the use of plastics and single-use paper, etc. in general. But flipping the coin, American businesses and governments are taking a hit when it comes to recycling, as China's policies have driven up the cost of recycling domestically. As these costs go up, some communities are taxing the recycling, while others are ramping up their efforts to inform the community about proper recycling. And other communities are taking more draconian measures to enforce recycling, even to the point of refusal of pickup if materials are not sorted properly.
Rosengren explains how businesses and manufacturers alike are engaged in a fair amount of finger-pointing in regard to who is to blame for the current waste dilemma. And in regard to governance, the EPA largely views these issues as state and local concerns, thus leaving the decisions, and quagmire, in the hands of various officials on the state level. Some states are even turning to private funds to invest further, and more heavily, into recycling infrastructure.
The waste expert details how the next wave of the movement toward a reduced waste planet is the rethinking of how we consume, in that we have developed a culture that has signed off on the 'buy anything and everything as long as you recycle it" mindset. Perhaps, ultimately, it is time to rephrase the question to, "do I even need that," to cut down on waste overall. But the wheels of change are slow and it's up to everyone to contribute to the solutions that will help solve our growing problem with waste. On a positive note, as the public becomes more informed, for the most part, they do want to be a part of the solution.
Dominic D'Agostino, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine, as well as the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology. D'Agostino's focus of teaching is quite diverse as he educates in the areas of physiology, neuropharmacology, biochemistry (medical), cell metabolism, and signaling. D'Agostino's laboratory tests metabolic-based strategies for battling multiple human health problems such as seizures, epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases, and more.
The associate professor leads a discussion on various metabolic therapies including ketogenic diets, and the benefits of ketone supplements. Remarkably, one's level of ketosis can be assessed and measured in blood and urine samples. Ketosis is a metabolic state; essentially, when an individual removes carbohydrates from their diet they in turn force their body to deplete its stores of glycogen and seek out a new fuel source. As this takes place, ketosis is initiated when the body begins converting fat into ketones as its new, powerful fuel. While the shift may be a major adjustment for the body, and for individuals attempting to make the push toward a ketogenic diet, the results are obvious for most, with many people reporting a general feeling of well-being with more energy also. As D'Agostino explains, those who suffer from age-related cognitive decline, inflammation, or weight problems, all stand to benefit greatly from the shift to a ketogenic diet and the stimulation of ketosis.
The physiology and cell metabolism professor explains how exogenous ketone supplementation can enhance the metabolic efficiency of the body, which can increase cognition and workflow activity. While many seek to get fully into a state of ketosis, this may not be the ultimate goal, for the goal is simply to feel better, and approximating the state may offer some benefits. Many are aware that ketosis can help with weight loss and appetite control, but as health seekers come for the weight loss they will more than likely also benefit from an advanced mental focus, more energy, and increased levels of HDL cholesterol. Additionally, ketosis can help to lower blood pressure and aid in the fight against type II diabetes. D'Agostino digs deep into the scientific workings behind variations on ketone supplementation. He discusses MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides, and ketone salt combinations that can be delivered before low carbohydrate meals that can buffer the rise in glucose. The professor explains how the ketone benefit works within the body for suppression of appetite and increased cognitive function, and further, he relates how individuals can see improvements across the line with exogenous ketones even without adhering to an absolute ketogenic diet. D'Agostino provides some insight into ketone salts and ketone esters and their affect on the osmotic load in the gut. Ultimately, as D'Agostino explains, the scientific study of ketones is proving that many health issues can be improved by controlling the diet.
Reekita Gala founder of VRARE and Virtual Marketing Revolution joins Future Tech Podcast for the second time. Upcoming event in February 2019. http://www.virtualrevolutionmarketing.com. VR/AR Marketing Event hosted with Oculus Go in Virtual Reality.
MovoCash, Innovating mobile payment solutions for the Underserved market. Movo's product innovation leverages existing and emerging payment standards and banking infrastructure, resulting in a significant decrease in costs and latency found in traditional solutions while increasing consumers' ability to control, manage and interact with their money in real-time. MovoChain - Conver Bitcoin or Bitcoin cash to spendable cash in minutes.
CertifID instills trust in the funding process through real-time identity and account credential verification. CertifID was founded by Lawrence Duthler and Thomas Cronkright, experienced attorneys and award-winning business leaders of Sun Title, one of Michigan's largest title agencies which have been ranked as an Inc. 5000 company for the past four consecutive years.
In 2015, Sun Title fell victim to a social engineering fraud that cost the company nearly $200,000. The fraud, which stemmed from an elaborate transaction scheme that took place over two months exposed Tom and Lawrence to the level of industry knowledge fraudsters acquired. Immediately following the fraud, Tom and Lawrence spent two years collecting a portion of the money that was stolen and discovered even more elaborate and complex schemes being perpetrated on the industry.
Through that experience, they identified a need in the marketplace to create a real-time solution to verify identities and documents in financial transactions – CertifID was born. Having lived through a significant fraud event and having to continually combat the threat on a monthly basis the founders of CertifID know how critical the need is for this solution in the title, real estate, and lending industries.
Their experience, partnerships, and leadership team positions CertifID to become a leader in the fight to eliminate fraud in real estate and financial transactions.
Ecanvasser is digital infrastructure for political parties, candidates and issue groups. It connects grassroots membership both to head office and to voters. In this way it allows parties to understand what voters are thinking and act upon that. It works like Salesforce for politics, allowing users to target voters for outreach and have access to great analytics tools. Our motto is "Making democracy work" and through every conversation, our clients have with voters (12 million and counting) we are rebuilding trust between voters and politicians.
Oddup is the leading company in startup ratings and analysis, with ICO and cryptocurrency rankings, helping investors and startups navigate the ICO, crypto and venture capital landscape. We analyse 20,000+ startups, 10,000+ investors, 2,000+ ICOs, 2,000+ Cryptocurrencies, 200+ sectors and 34 locations across North America, Europe, the UK and Asia Pacific.
Sparkki is a Salt Lake City-based lightweight and fast Online Learning Management System created specifically to teach to a variety of learning styles, combining traditional education research with emerging technology to empower schools and businesses to effectively deliver results without a physical campus and to make sure that students and employees have the necessary skills to be globally competitive in the workforce.
Sparkki is built by educators, for educators. Whether the goal is to teach college students or factory employees, Sparkki utilizes proven educational theories, techniques, and practices, differentiating material for a variety of learning styles. Safe, secure, and supported by Amazon web services and blockchain technology, Sparkki is raising the standard of online education platforms.
Sparkki is also the only LMS system that is designed not just for use in the United States and Canada, but also for companies in emerging markets as well- specifically those in central and South America.
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