The International Womens day on March 8 couldnt have been marked at a better time for IMMY JULIE MUSOKE NAKYEYUNE, an enterprising young woman, who celebrated reaching 600 women for her Mkazipreneur, a platform for women to learn and showcase their business and entrepreneurial skills. And, as Ernest Jjingo writes there is more to Nakyeyune than just helping women realize their dreams.

In the midst of hustle and bustle of Ntinda suburb, I find Nakyeyune equally unsettled; she is preparing for a training session for women entrepreneurs but the slow turnout is getting to her head. Todays schedule is quite busy but some participants have delayed on the way, she says before picking her phone to make more inquiries.

On this particular occasion, Nakyeyune is trying to link women innovators with potential funders, also women, to create a cycle of entrepreneurship.

WORTHY CAUSE

The youthful Nakyeyune has already cut out her career path to create a linkage for women. We dont need to fight for emancipation when we have the capacity to determine our destiny, she says. Thats the mindset every woman should have to succeed as an entrepreneur.

With hindsight, many women in Uganda find it hard to start up and run businesses. Given their social responsibilities of motherhood and wifely duties, some women find themselves forced to stay home waiting to survive on their husbands incomes.

It is against this background that Nakyeyune started the online community platform for women entrepreneurs called Mkazipreneur in November 2018 to help fellow women start up small-scale businesses to provide best management skills essential for survival.

In Mkazipreneur, Nakyeyune provides a platform for women entrepreneurs to connect, engage and share ideas.

HOW IT STARTED

Nakyeyune works for a top corporate company (name withheld) where they work on a one-year contract which can be terminated anytime; therefore she thought it wise for her to have a side business where she can get some income in case she wakes one day jobless; so, she started a cleaning service company.

The company, MStran Cleaning Services, does laundry and general cleaning as well as making and supplying liquid soap, dog shampoo and hand washes.

I started a cleaning service company as a side business so that it is a fallback position in case I wake up to no contract renewal. When my female colleagues saw that it was doing so well, they pushed me to start a mastermind group where we could share business ideas and skills, Nakyeyune says.

The mastermind group was initially made of four people but as the numbers went on increasing, Nakyeyune decided to register the group as a social enterprise to become an online community for women entrepreneurs.

As new members kept coming in, I noticed that many women really had business ideas but they didnt have enough confidence to bring them to reality; so, in November 2018, I founded Mkazipreneur, a platform where we could support each other, market our products and grow our businesses, Nakyeyune adds.

She says she started Mkazipreneur after meeting women who were struggling after being laid off work, stay-home mothers and those who were starting businesses but failing to maintain them as well as reducing unemployment among women.

Currently the online platform has more than 500 women entrepreneurs not only in Uganda but also in other countries across the continent with over 300 members in Uganda, 96 in Kenya, 43 in Ghana, 23 in Rwanda and soon starting up in Zimbabwe.

All these cohorts coordinate through the organizations website and other social media platforms such as WhatsApp groups, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and quarterly networking events.

ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANISATION

Under Mkazipreneur, there is a programme called Mkazi Create, which encourages women to start their own businesses. Nakyeyune first meets the women who want to join individually, understands their needs and ideas and places them in the best position possible.

Many women have the ideas and desire to venture into part-time or fulltime entrepreneurship. However, some do not have the confidence to start or do not have the right resources and mentorship to guide them, she says.

She adds that such women are matched with other women entrepreneurs in similar fields who offer them a step-by-step guidance and mentorship until their idea comes to life.

One of the major skills that Mkazipreneur has embarked and emphasized on in the past months is business plan development and writing. So far, they have had three physical trainings with a total of 93 women entrepreneurs in Uganda. Women entrepreneurs in Kenya and Ghana are taken through this step-by-step guidance through the website and email engagements.

Mkaziprenuer also carries out skills trainings in both soft skills and technical skills with the latter majorly aiming at stay-home women who are trained in skills like making wigs, candles, bakery, liquid soap, weaving, tailoring and farming.

There are so many women who are seated at home but would like to start up an income-generating activity; therefore, we reach out to them and train them in different hands-on skills which they can use to earn an income. In 2019, we trained over 600 women and we hope to train over 1,000 women this year, Nakyeyune noted.

The community has an e-commerce platform where members market their products. A member who has a product to sell uploads it on the organizations website with its price and other members or people who visit the website can view it and make an order if interested.

Nakyeyune said; We have women who work from home and these no longer need office space to sell their products, we just put them on our website with their contacts and deliveries are made to anyone who picks interest.

ON-SITE TRAININGS

However, women who cannot access internet services, especially those outside Kampala, have also not been left out as the organization carries out field visits and workshops in villages across the country where such women are taught soft skills on business management and marketing. Some even get a chance of having their products displayed on the website and get connected to potential customers.

Nakyeyune, however, says they are focusing so much on personal growth before the business growth. We believe that before your brand grows, you as a person you have to grow. There are some things you need to pick up like public speaking, having constructive friends such that with our continuous mentorship and engagements, the women grow both personally and business-wise.

Empowerment to women entrepreneurs is done through social media platforms, mentorship programs, master classes, workshops, showcasing events, the media and also through daily articles and blogs on the organizations website.

Mkaziprenuer organization also works with other organizations like UN Women, Akina Mama wa Afrika, Innovation Village, Xeno Investment Management, and NSSF for financial literacy and skills trainings.

FUTURE PLANS

The organization is planning to start up an investment club soon where members will be able to save collectively part of their income and eventually invest the savings in something which will benefit all the members. The women will also be able to borrow loans from the investment club and invest into their businesses.

Interest rates in banks are high and many women do not have collateral which can enable them obtain loans from banks; so, our investment club will enable women to borrow against what they saved to inject in their business, Nakyeyune said.

Mkazipreneur also plans to strengthen its e-commerce platform and make it more aggressive such that all women entrepreneurs are able to use it to sell their products online and also make it continental where buying and selling is done across Africa.

Currently, the women on the platform do not contribute funds towards the organization but in the near future, Nakyeyune hopes to charge one dollar for every woman to be in the community. She said; I want to first make sure that I am adding value to the women on the platform and eventually I will charge them to be in the community or for using the e-commerce platform.

The main challenge Nakyeyune says the organization is facing is lack of finance for executing the projects, especially when it comes to carrying out workshops and trainings. However, she says they have been getting aid from partner organizations and well-wishers who appreciate the works of the organisation.

HOW TO JOIN

Any woman who owns or is willing to start up a small business is free to join Mkazipreneur by contacting Nakyeyune who then sends them a link through which they connect to the website.

Anyone who wants to join contacts me and I engage them on what they want to do and how they want to grow. Then afterwards, I join them on the platform and even get for them mentors, she says.

The organizations website through which interested women can join is http://www.mkazipreneur.com.

What the MKAZIPRENEUR members say

Aidah Kasana

Mkazipreneur is not just about linking up but it has trained us to be more productive. For instance, Im currently attending a digital class for free and it has greatly improved my marketing skills for my products on social media.

Im in the field of printing and graphics and Mkazipreneur has given me opportunities to network with suppliers and clients to expand my business. It has also opened my eyes to different clubs like the 5am club that gives me more hours in the day.

Then there is the book club for reading and reviewing inspirational books. All in all, Mkazipreneur has empowered me to realise my dreams.

Barbara Nantume

I got to know about the organization through Nakyeyune herself since we are both members of Rotary club. When she got to know that I am an entrepreneur as well, she picked interest in me and I also picked interest in her idea.

I make solar driers mainly for agricultural products like fruits and vegetables and add value to them. To me, Mkazipreneur has helped me get a lot of exposure and attract new customers for my products through showcasing them in different expos here and abroad.

It has helped me acquire knowledge and skills from other entrepreneurs and finding market distribution channels as well as improving on the quality of my products.

Who is Immy Nakyeyune?

Nakyeyune graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Actuarial Science from Makerere University in 2011 and then went to attain a Master Degree in Financial Services from the same university in 2015.

She describes herself as an experienced business consultant with more than five years experience in the field of business operations with a proven history of aiding and significantly improving the success of numerous businesses most especially for women entrepreneurs.

Besides Mkazipreneur and her corporate job, Nakyeyune also runs a wine and spirits business where she buys and resells them to people planning to have weddings, house parties and other events.

She also does consultancy for companies where she trains their employees on data analysis, proper reporting and data presentation. Most employees do not know how to compile, present and explain reports; so, companies hire me to train them and in a month I may get about two gigs.

She has done mentorship programs not only in Uganda but also invited in other countries like Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Nakyeyune is also a volunteer and member of Rotary Uganda and the country secretary of Rotaract Uganda and the deputy district executive secretary, Youth of Rotary Uganda.

She is an enthusiastic reader of books in her spare time because her leadership positions require her to be knowledgeable about the current trends in business and she has read 16 books so far this year.

She says that although she does not get direct income from the organization, she feels contended that she is serving her community and changing the lives of many women out there, reducing on unemployment and also the experience of sharing her vision of empowering women, developing and growing the community and having people believing in it.

jjingoernest1@gmail.com

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How Nakyeyune created platform to lift up women entrepreneurs - The Observer

Tell us about the GWPR MENA survey in partnership with Censuswide?

We commissioned the survey amongst communications professionals in the region to understand the state of play when it comes to flexible working practices, as this is a core focus area for Global Women in PR MENA this year. The results revealed striking statistics and glaring insights into the relationship between flexible working, productivity and retention of talent.

One of the most staggering findings was that 84 per cent of male and female respondents said they would consider changing jobs if a potential employer offered better flexible working options. This will only increase, with more younger millennials and Gen Z coming into the workforce employers will need to reframe their thinking when it comes to flexible working or risk losing out on attracting and retaining top talent. Put simply, flexible working is no longer a nice to have; its become business critical our aim at GWPR MENA is to help businesses in the region embrace flexible working and prepare themselves to improve their flexible working practices to benefit all.

The survey found improved productivity for those who adopt flexible working methods. Is this something you have found at Weber Shandwick?

Absolutely. As a consultancy, our people are vital to our success, and as the workplace has evolved, so too has our approach to flexible working. Here in the UAE, I would say we take a flexible approach to flexible working (pun intended). For example, we have working mothers who are doing part-time hours and parents who take time out of the working day to do the school run. All employees are given the opportunity to work remotely in the afternoons and we accommodate peoples requests on an ad hoc basis if they need to take time out of the working day to attend to a personal or family matter.

These are not huge operational changes and I would argue they are also relatively easy to implement, providing you have the right technology in place and buy-in from leadership. Weve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from employees to date who value being able to work remotely or to their own schedule, and I would say we have also seen improved efficiencies from an operational perspective.

Fundamentally though, trust between agency leadership, staff and clients has been the true success factor in introducing flexible working if you create a culture of empowerment and responsibility where people have a shared goal and sense of purpose, there is mutual trust which means everybody is full committed to doing their work, regardless of whether theyre in the office or not.

In return, this then leads to higher staff retention and makes us a more attractive place to work for new talent. Flexible working is unanimously in demand from employees, and companies that dont embrace it risk being rendered obsolete in years to come.

In a region that struggles to retain talent, is flexible working one of the answers in keeping members of staff?

I believe so, yes, and our research supports this. Two-thirds believe that good talent is lost due to lack of flexible working, whilst three quarters (75 per cent) of respondents believe that flexibility increases return on investment and productivity. In looking at the findings, it absolutely makes economic and business sense to ensure flexible working is a table stake when it comes to working in this new decade.

What else needs to be adopted?

First of all, I think we need to acknowledge the elephant in the room: trust. If a lack of trust is something people are facing in their organisations, its time to speak up and ask why the trust has broken down (or why it was never there in the first place) and look at ways to repair this, which is something that absolutely has to come from the top down. For me its simple if you dont trust your employees (or your employees dont feel trusted), you need to look at your recruitment process and also consider the behaviour of leaders who are enabling or promoting this culture and put a plan in place to tackle it, fast.

How important is flexible working? For women in particular?

Whilst women, working mothers in particular, have often been the ones to put their hands up and ask for flexible working arrangements, its unhelpful to think of it as a womens issue who wouldnt want to be given more flexibility in the workplace? Speaking as a working mum of two young children, there are obvious benefits to flexible workingm, which allow me to balance my personal and professional lives, but it goes beyond popping out to do the school run during the day. Its the ability to sit in a quiet caf and work on a proposal if I need to, or to come in later if I have a doctors appointment, or to work from home if one of my children is ill. If employees know they have the full trust and support of employers, that can have a huge impact, and we all know increased productivity and a happy and healthy workforce drive business results.

What would be a game-changer on business practice for females in the business?

Flexible working to become the norm across all companies in the region, rather than something championed by a handful of trailblazers. In todays uncertain times, in what is already an ever-connected world, we can expect to see more and more organisations in the region trialling flexible working, which is a step in the right direction.

Rachel Dunn is deputy MD of Weber Shandwick Dubai and a Global Women in PR MENA board member

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'PR firms that don't embrace flexible working will become obsolete': Weber Shandwick Dubai deputy MD - PRWeek

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, more and more of us are working from home, with the home office becoming the new norm. But what is it really like to work remotely? Here, Daisy Buchanan, a freelance writer and author who has worked from home for eight years, shares her advice.

The first thing I need to tell you is that I am writing this in bed.

Sensible people will say that the very first rule of working from home is that you Do. Not. Work. In. Bed. Ever. It is a sign that the boundaries between your personal and professional life have dissolved entirely. It means that you will never have a good nights sleep again.

Heaven help you if you try to have sex later. If youve worked in that bed, youll reach a critical moment and yell Ill have it with you at close of PLAY!

Instead, a good homeworker gets up as soon as they wake up, and after showering and eating a nutritionally rich, protein-filled breakfast they put on some sort of power suit and go and sit in their stylish home office. The idea is not only that your boss might come over and check up on you at any point during the day, but the boss is travelling to you via 1958, and will shout at you for slouching.

Since the coronavirus outbreak, a number of global companies, including Twitter and Google, have asked their staff to work from home. In the last 48 hours, Ive been sent more tips about how to work from home than I have in my eight years of actually doing it every day.

Airplane mode can be a way of life, is a slogan that comes up on Twitter, with several users urging newly minted homeworkers to turn off their wifi. (Im not sure how they managed to publish that information online.) A slightly more relatable tweet came from a user who said that the best thing about home working is that During team meetings I no longer need to scream internally. I can scream out loud.

There really is no universal way to work from home, just as there really is no universal way to work in an office. If youre the sort of person who has created an impenetrable desk jungle of ferns and succulents, or if you always use the loo with the dodgy lock before a big meeting, in the hope that you might accidentally-on-purpose get stuck, then youre going to thrive.

If youre on any kind of social committee, or find genuine empowerment through PowerPoint, this period might be quite testing. Although I suspect youll think youre losing your mind on day one, but by the end of day three you will have created your own version of Skype.

I wake up at 7ish, and I write nonsense in my journal, read a book, and embark on a semi-elaborate skincare routine

On a good day, this is what typically happens when I work from home: I wake up at 7ish, and I write nonsense in my journal, read a book, and embark on the sort of semi-elaborate skincare routine that a 35-year-old woman feels obliged to undertake. I attempt to stay off social media until 9AM, when I check my emails and work until around midday.

Then I walk to the gym, picking up a salad for lunch on the way home. I check my emails again, then I have a late afternoon bath and do some more reading. I get dressed and work until 7pm. I start the day with Radio Three, and finish with The Simpsons.

On a bad day and I reckon I have one or two real stinkers a month this is my routine. I wake up, then try and fail to resist the urge to check my phone. I spend a couple of hours reading Twitter and complaining about Twitter on WhatsApp. I feel tense, distracted and unfocused, I cant get into the flow of work, I dont do any exercise, and suddenly its 3pm and Im hangry. I can usually fix things by going for a gentle, food-sourcing walk. If Im beyond fresh air, I go back to bed for a nap, often self-soothing with series three of Parks And Recreation.

My occasional forays into the real office world have shocked me. For every hour of work that gets done, four or five hours are spent discussing when and how the work will happen

I believe that every one of us needs at least one working day a month where we stay horizontal, in pyjamas, maybe keeping half a sleepy eye on emails while napping intermittently. Depending on your job, I suspect most people could nap for a week and still get four or five times as much work done in a month as they would do in an office.

My occasional forays into the real office world have shocked me. For every hour of work that gets done, four or five hours are spent discussing when and how the work will happen. Its like an episode of Made In Chelsea, where the characters spend an entire series discussing one party, but with Excel spreadsheets.

Its understandable that brand new homeworkers are anxious about leaving the office. Will they work if there is no one around to make them do it? Will they eventually forget how to operate a zip or a button, and be found in their bathroom naked, feral and clutching an empty jar of peanut butter? By the end of the second day, its a possibility.

But before the end of the first week, everyone finds their groove. When I worked in an office, I had very little motivation to finish my work, because it only ever led to more work. Now that I work from home, I never miss a deadline because if I work fast I get to go home early. And guess what? Im already there!

Theres only one rule: if part of your routine doesnt feel right, change it up. And if it still doesnt feel right, ask yourself when you last ate, slept or washed

If youre currently self-isolating and new to homeworking, treat this period as an opportunity for an experiment. You have the chance to discover whether you work best in shoulder pads, or a festive onesie, or a towel. Try working in bed. Then try converting an Ikea Billy bookcase into an executive desk. Find your perfect power lunch! Is it an organic kale salad with toasted sesame seeds, or stuffed crust Catalan chicken Dominos for one?

Theres only one rule: if part of your routine doesnt feel right, change it up. And if it still doesnt feel right, ask yourself when you last ate, slept or washed. Nearly every professional drama and disaster that I have encountered over the last few years hasnt seemed nearly so bad after a hair wash, a walk, a nap or a banana.

Remember: working from home is all about making the most of the fact that you are right by your bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and front door.

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I've worked from home for 8 years. Here's my advice on how to stay sane - Stylist Magazine

Woman Are The Key That AI And Data Science Need

In light of International Womens Day celebrations this past weekend, we acknowledged the beauty, essence and power of women to achieve and thrive in the global ecosystem. Yet in our modern digital age, women continue to be neglected on multiple fronts, especially that of the new workforce. It is societys role to ensure that all females are given equal opportunities to grow in this new age workforce, and we must understand that all of us have a stake in this mission. Women are the key piece to the puzzle of realizing the highest maturity levels of digital enterprises, but unless we realize this, our progress in AI and technology will remain stagnant. In order to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and to accelerate advances in artificial intelligence and the sciences, we must encourage and support women on all levels, from government to enterprise, and establish equal employment opportunities for all.

AI is one of the fields in which women can experience tremendous success, especially with the right push towards female participation in the industry. Women are a necessary force that organizations must integrate in order to accelerate the AI maturity of enterprises. In specific, a heavy emphasis on the female workforce within the artificial intelligence setting can help alleviate some of the biggest problems that enterprises face in the eyes of machine learning technologies, such as selection bias. Therefore, in order for organizations to achieve the highest AI maturity levels, it is necessary to mobilize women on a mass scale and include them as part of all enterprise endeavors in artificial intelligence, from research to product launch.

The above remarks indicate that there has been a global push to involve more women in science and technology careers. Towards the end of 2019, the World Economic Forum urged more female role models to join accelerator programs focused on promoting women in STEM careers. International campaigns to involve more females in STEM, AI and data science have launched in multiple nations, championed by such entities like IBM, IPsoft and Microsoft as well as the US Chamber of Commerce. From Australia to Saudi Arabia to Canada, strong female leaders in STEM and AI have begun to inspire girls and young women around the world to dream big and chase career opportunities in engineering, artificial intelligence and the sciences. The White House has also made an effort to make women in STEM a top priority: the Womens Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, spearheaded by Ivanka Trump, is a new level of female empowerment in STEM. The project seeks to, Reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025 through U.S. government activities, private-public partnerships, and a new, innovative fund, and equip them with all possible tools to succeed in the new digital world.

It is evident that steps have been taken to boost female participation in STEM, artificial intelligence and data science. Moreover, this article serves as a first glimpse into the current situation, how to combat it, and ends with several recommendations that seek to accelerate progress for all women in STEM, AI and data science. The mass mobilization of women in STEM careers is the secret that will unleash the fullest potential of our technological abilities, as well as the grand capacities that our digital world has to offer. Without females, this global mission is destined to fail.

STEM, data science and AI are fields in which women are vastly underrepresented, and the numbers make it clear. Females compose just 28% of the science and engineering workforce, and that number drops when observing the number of women pursuing university degrees in said fields. About 55% of university graduates are females, but only a little over one-third of those degrees are in STEM. For example, research from the World Economic Forum shows that a measly 3% of females take coursework for information communication technology (ICT), with just 5% choosing to pursue studies math and statistics, and a slightly better 8% when it comes to engineering.

The current situation with AI careers also fails to play in favor of women. Just 13.8% of women have authored artificial intelligence related research papers, and less than a quarter of females are considered to be AI professionals. This information should be more than disquieting to enterprises wishing to scale-up their AI maturity levels. According to BCG GAMMA, Interpreting causal relationships and correlations in large data sets requires subtlety, and both humans and machine learning algorithms can occasionally see patterns that lead to spurious, biased, or even downright dangerous conclusions. This ultimately means that organizations will always fail to harness the fullest capacity of their digital innovations without including women, as machine learning technologies will be fed a constant stream of biased data, producing junk results that are not reflective of the full picture, causing potentially catastrophic harm to organizations.

And when it comes to data science, the news still remains uneventful for women. Females comprise some 15% of the career population, and just 18% of leadership positions at premier technology companies. Despite this fact, according to a poll conducted by LivePerson, 91.7% of 1000 survey respondents said that they could name just one female leader in STEM.

With over 90% of the population oblivious to the female presence in STEM, data science and AI, clearly, the globe clearly faces an uphill battle on the pursuit to resolve this issue.

What is keeping women out of STEM and STEM related occupations? A number of factors must be considered when attempting to answer this question. Lets break these elements down first, and then briefly go over each one in more depth in order to understand the crux of the matter.

Few organizations understand the importance of women to AI enterprise maturity levels

Women make up a fraction of the artificial intelligence workforce, whether in the form of research and development or as employees at technology inclined firms. According to the World Economic Forum, Non-homogeneous teams are more capable than homogenous teams of recognizing their biases and solving issues when interpreting data, testing solutions or making decisions. In other words, diverse teams, and especially those that emphasize women at their epicenter, are a necessary provision for enterprises to adopt in order to build, realize and accelerate enterprise AI maturity levels. At present moment, unfortunately, few enterprises understand the criticality of women to boost AI maturity levels.

STEM, data science and AI fields experience a lack of female role models

Without female role models for girls to look up to, it becomes difficult for young women to envision future careers in science, technology and engineering fields. In fact, a 2018 Microsoft survey shows that female STEM role models boost the interest of girls in STEM careers from 32 percent to 52 percent. Therefore, it is imperative that we showcase the achievements of women in the sciences and engineering across the world to capture the attention of females everywhere.

Women in STEM, data science and AI face a male-dominated culture and are seen as inferior

One of the biggest pressures that females face in STEM careers is cutthroat competition amongst male counterparts, and the toxic workplace culture that it creates. An HBR article found that three-fourths of female scientists support one another in their workplace to ease tensions. Moreover, women are likely to be demoted as inferior by men holding equivalent positions, whether those jobs are in engineering, data science or AI. All of these factors contribute to females swiftly dismissing STEM jobs in order to avoid such disquieting workplace circumstances.

Women in STEM, data science and AI display different preferences

According to a survey conducted by BCG, when it comes to STEM, Women place a higher premium on applied, impact-driven work than men do: 67% of women expressed a clear preference for such work, compared with 61% of men. This finding highlights a significant fact: women are vastly more likely to pursue STEM roles that provide them with meaning, purpose and produce impactful results, but many women dont perceive this purpose and impact in STEM jobs. Therefore, without a clear high impact-driven pathway in sight, females tend to turn their heads on STEM, data science and AI related careers.

Communication about STEM, data science and AI roles is key with women, but we have been lagging in this pursuit

Studies have shown that communication is of the utmost importance when it comes to getting more women involved in STEM careers. According to BCG GAMMA, just 55% of women feel like they know enough about employment opportunities in data science. Furthermore, vague explanations of job qualifications, such as being strong in data science, and, conversely, incredibly in-depth job descriptions in search of data wizard talent, tend to steer females clear of STEM related jobs. Moreover, an HBR study found that female engagement with STEM employers falls far behind men, and that this should come at no surprise as, Given the selection bias that accompanies personal work networks, especially in a young and still male-dominated field.

Retention of women in the STEM, data science and AI jobs is another challenge

It isnt enough to pique the interest of girls and young women to pursue STEM careers: the goal is to maintain, foster and grow that interest. A study published in the Social Forces journal found that women in STEM are much more likely to abandon their jobs than if they held other careers. More precisely, the study highlights that some 50% of women holding STEM careers left after 12 years on the job, whereas that number dropped to 20% for women in other fields. On average, females tend to distance themselves from STEM after 5 years of industry involvement. But why? According to the same study, Women with engineering degrees said they left engineering because of lack of advancement or low salary, along with other working conditions. These facts show that retention of women in the STEM, data science and AI workforce is chief among challenges to address.

A number of initiatives have been launched in order to combat the gender gap problem in STEM and STEM related fields. At their core, these campaigns emphasize the promotion of women, artificial intelligence, and special educational and reskilling programs to solve the problem.

Campaigns Focused on Promoting Women in STEM, AI and Data Science

IPSoft, IBM and the US Chamber of Commerce are examples of organizations that are leading the way to get more women involved with STEM, AI and data science. IPSofts Women in AI initiative has been recently launched in order to shine a light on prominent female figures in STEM, showcasing the incredible work that these professionals have accomplished in adopting and promoting AI technologies in their companies and organizations. The objective of the Women in AI initiative is to not only inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in artificial intelligence, but to also inform the world of the amazing feats that female pioneers in AI have achieved. In addition to IPsoft, IBMs #SheCanStem campaign and the US Chamber of Commerce #LightaSpark campaign have both worked to highlight the gender gap in STEM, AI and data science fields by utilizing workshops and educational initiatives across the globe in order to effectively translate the critical, rewarding, and beneficial STEM message to girls and young women. Overall, these campaigns are the right step forward on the path to closing the gender gap and promoting females in STEM and STEM related careers. The more vigorous the effort, the more females will begin to see sizeable results in these fields.

Mobilizing AI to Help Close the Gender Gap

Utilizing AI to solve the problem of the gender gap is a feasible and necessary solution. According to a report Whats Keeping Women Out of Data Science? by BCG GAMMA, AI has the potential to mitigate the corporate gender and leadership gaps by removing bias in recruiting, evaluation, and promotion decisions; by helping improve retention of women employees; and, potentially, by intervening in the everyday interactions that affect employees sense of inclusion. To elaborate, machine learning technologies can help employers assess candidates based on skills rather than gender, and talent-based qualification assessments have the potential to ameliorate bias in the selection/recruitment process, thus vastly benefiting women. Moreover, according to the program director of employment and earnings at the Institute for Womens Policy Research, Ariane Hegewisch, involving more females in STEM, AI and data science is vital to eliminating biased algorithms, which can also help address the gender gap. Ultimately, less bias in the workplace will lead to more females entering the STEM workforce, and can help boost retention rates.

Placing a media emphasis on female trailblazers in AI and STEM is one of the most powerful, fast and effective ways that we can reach out to the women of the world about the opportunities that lie in the sciences and engineering. Some prominent names that are role models that come to mind include: Global GAMMA CTO and BCG Gamma Partner Andrea Gallego, Strategy Leader at IBM Saudi Arabia Deema Alathel, Co-founder of the Women in Machine Learning Conference Hanna Wallach, Founding CTO at NukkAI Veronique Ventos, Director of the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) Daniela Rus and ChairWoman and CTO at Diagnostic Robotics Dr. Kira Radinsky.

Andrea Gallego

Andrea Gallego has accomplished tremendous feats: Gallego is the founder of GAMMA X, BCGs innovation and engineering team, as well as the founder of BCG GAMMAs premier artificial intelligence and machine learning software. Her work focuses on scaling-up AI implementations across industries, and most importantly, serving as a role model for all female employees at BCG.

Deema Alathel

Deema Alathel of IBM Saudi Arabia is also a leading female voice that is worth mentioning. She has been instrumental to data science and AI efforts in Saudi Arabia, serving as part of the National Digital Transformation Unit of her country, as well as implementing top artificial intelligence strategies and plans at IBM. Alathel has also engaged with the Saudi delegation from the UN Human Rights Commission.

Hanna Wallach

Hanna Wallach is the Co-founder of the Women in Machine Learning Conference as well as Senior Researcher at Microsoft. Wallach has previously received a best paper award for her work at the Artificial Intelligence and Statistics Conference in 2010, and was named as Glamour magazines 35 Women Under 35 Who Are Changing the Tech Industry in 2014. She serves as a prominent role model in AI for women around the world.

Veronique Ventos

Veronique Ventos is the Founding CTO of NukkaAI (a paris-based AI firm), and is considered to be one of the most prominent voices in AI research in all of France. Ventos is among the top female STEM and AI leaders in France paving the countrys way to international prominence in artificial intelligence research and innovation.

Daniela Rus

Daniela Rus is currently the Director of the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Rus works in all areas of AI and computer science, from robotics to data science to mobile computing. Rus is also a part of the National Academy of Engineering, and is an accomplished member of the science and technology communities.

Dr. Kira Radinsky

Dr. Kira Radinsky is the former head of Data Science at Ebay as well as ChairWomen and CTO at Diagnostic Robotics. Radinsky is an accomplished woman in STEM, one of her biggest achievements being the acquisition of her AI company SalesPredict by Ebay for $40 million. Radinsky is a top female voice in AI across the world.

Hundreds of more role models like the exception ones mentioned above exist around the world, and can serve as beacons of empowerment for women thinking about entering the STEM, data science and AI workforce.To learn more about the women pioneering the 21st century AI movement and creating an impact in artificial intelligence, check out this article The Women Defining The 21st Century AI Movement: Part 1 of 2.

In addition to the many initiatives set forth to combat the gender gap in STEM, the following list provides feasible and implementable efforts and campaigns that can be mobilized to further the female cause in science, technology, engineering, data science and AI. Moreover, a greater emphasis is placed on the importance of women and the maturity of enterprise AI initiatives.

Some of the recommendations below were covered extensively in a previous Entrepreneur Magazine Publication entitled Why We Need More Women in STEM and How AI Could Help Us Get There.

These recommendations combined with already implemented efforts to combat the gender gap in STEM, data science and artificial intelligence are ways in which we can encourage females and ensure that women will receive equal employment opportunities in our new digital age. Moreover, digital organizations must integrate a mass emphasis on women if they will ever achieve their highest artificial intelligence maturity levels. Now more than ever is the time for us to tap into this global mass of female potential, and channel it in the form of incredible technological feats and advancements, one STEM career at a time.

Originally posted here:

Women Are The Key To Scaling Up AI And Data Science - Forbes

- Company Expands Live and Interactive Classes Include Mindfulness, Fitness, Nutrition, Professional Development, Leadership and Entrepreneurship -

- Industry-Leading Coaches Added, Including Bahareh Amidi, Ph.D, Dr. Jonathan Fisher, Dr. Eric Frazer, Suzanne Jewell, Andy Lee and Sara Mclean, as well as Several Fitness Experts -

- Company Prices Enterprise Offering at $3 a month per-active-user, Compared with $12.99 for Competitors -

MIAMI, March 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- meditation.live announced today that it has expanded its offerings to include live and interactive mindfulness, fitness, nutrition, professional development, leadership and entrepreneurship classes, creating the first enterprise-focused, tech-enabled total wellness solution. As a result of these changes, the company has changed its name to Wellness Coach, which reflects the companys expanded focus in providing a full suite of services that improve a persons total well-being.

After a successful completion of its initial $3 million capital investment led by SoftBank Capital NY and the launch of its live mediation, sleep music and fitness classes last year, the company has signed on more than 50 new enterprise clients in the past six months. Wellness Coach sees a very high adoption rate of its app within the enterprise, up to 80% within six months.

Wellness is becoming a growing focus for businesses, as well as individuals. Many companies are looking for ways to combat workforce stress and improve employee health and wellness through innovative programs. Research shows that stressed workers are less engaged, less productive and have higher levels of absenteeism and turnover.

D Sharma, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wellness Coach said, We have incredible momentum with our enterprise clients, and we are gratified by the response we are getting from our end-users and the transformation they are experiencing as a result. There is incredible demand for a full-service, tech-enabled enterprise wellness solution.

With Wellness Coachs expanded offerings, the company has added some of the most preeminent names in wellness (full bios below). In addition, the company has added machine learning functionality to the new Wellness Coach website, which provides users with a Recently Watched section and Recommended for You classes based on user interests.

These new coaches join an already deep and experienced bench of Wellness Coach experts including:

Julie Sharma, Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of Wellness Coach said, More and more, our enterprise clients are looking to provide a one-stop total wellness solution for their employees. With these expanded capabilities we are able to serve every aspect of a persons well-being, from mindfulness, fitness, sleep and nutrition to professional development and leadership.

The company decided to price the expanded enterprise offering at $3 a month, per active user, compared with $12.99 a month for competitors.

Julie continued, Our pricing is reflective of our mission to inspire five billion people to be their best selves through improved mindfulness and wellness. If we are true to that mission, the pricing cannot be prohibitive to someones ability to participate.

About D. Sharma

D Sharma is the Co-Founder & CEO of Wellness Coach. He is passionate about the future of humanity and the importance of protecting our mental health against the inevitable growth of AI and machine learning. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, D began his career at the Nokia Research Center as part of the team that created early access to the internet on mobile phones. After moving to the U.S., D launched a series of his own companies and created a speech recognition technology, receiving the first patent on multimodal technologies, which is now commonplace with Siri and Alexa, etc. D went on to create xAd, an advertising service that uses GPS technology on mobile devices, growing the business to over $200 million in revenue. Today, D is taking his love for meditation and investing to growing Wellness Coach and investing in various startups and growth funds.

About Julie Sharma

Julie Sharma is the Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer of Wellness Coach. Julie has more than a decade of experience spearheading accounting and operations teams, helping businesses to thrive efficiently at scale. She is detail-oriented and highly motivated professional with exceptional skills and knowledge in the full accounting cycle, compliance with GAAP and IFRS regulations. As a former Senior Business Analyst for the American Museum of Natural History and Charity Ambassador for xAd, Inc, she has managed international budgets and implemented company-wide giving programs. Julie now owns a spot as a female founder and entrepreneur in the wellness industry, merging her know-how in business with her passion for helping people. Today, Julie is responsible for acquiring teachers, overseeing app content and overall company culture, finance and HR at Wellness Coach, helping the company pursue its goal of inspiring people to find their purpose.

About Bhartesh Chhibbar

Bhartesh Chhibbar is the Co-Founder & COO of Wellness Coach. He is a tech entrepreneur, ex-Cisco leader with 20 years of experience in building technology products and solutions. Some of the many startups he founded or helped found, included the first ever voice messaging product for APAC market and first ever B2C platform for business services. Today, Bhartesh is building a machine learning enabled wellness platform for Wellness Coach. He is passionate to see everyone in his life happier and more well.

Bahareh Amidi, Ph.D

Dr. Bahareh Amidi is a certified poetry therapist with a Masters in Family, Marriage and Child Counseling Psychology and has received her PhD in Educational Psychology from Catholic University. She has studied poetry therapy at The Institute for Poetic Medicine in California. She has spoken on the topic of Poetry Therapy at TEDx in Abu Dhabi. Dr. Bahareh spent many years volunteering by counseling and training in suicide prevention at the Crisis Center in Menlo Park, working with children at the Stanford Childrens Health Center, California and researching drug and alcohol rehabilitation at Sequoia Hospital to name a few.

Bahareh has written over 40 complete poetry journals in English and Persian, covering potent themes like human rights, womens and childrens issues, life and death, coping with loss, gender empowerment, global peace, interfaith harmony, overcoming trauma and protecting the environment. Her work has often been compared to classical spiritual masters like Rumi and contemporary writers like Khalil Gibran. She seems to be channeling her writing from a divine place, publishing industry insiders have remarked.

Dr. Jonathan Fisher

Dr. Jonathan Fisher is a Harvard-trained Cardiologist with 20 years of clinical experience. After 10 years of meditation practice including extended silent retreats he obtained his Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification in Oxford, England.

He has designed and presented interactive programs for teams and departments across the healthcare system, on topics including leadership development, mind-body-heart connections, stress reduction, caregiver burnout, psychological well-being, peak performance, mindfulness, self-compassion and empathic communication. His personal mission is to help positively transform our culture in the face of a crisis of disconnection, loneliness, and burnout.

Dr. Eric Frazer

Dr. Eric Frazer, a Psychologist with a specialization and academic concentration in Forensic Psychology, helps organizations of all sizes find, develop and train top talent by leveraging a unique blend of clinical psychology, positive psychology research, and proven step-by-step systems and strategies. He has spent the past two decades analyzing key human behaviors and drivers and implementing the latest psychology research. Organizations such as Cisco, Google, Berkshire Hathaway-New England Properties, and Yale University School of Medicine have benefited from his clinical and academic expertise to recruit, develop and retain high performing top talent.

In addition to his practice, Dr. Frazer holds an academic appointment of Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine and teaches seminars on various topics related to psychological assessment. In 2013, he was appointed Senior Advisor on School Threat Assessment and School Safety-Yale Behavioral Health/Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Frazer is also the author of the new book "The Psychology of Top Talent."

Suzanne Jewell

Suzanne started her professional life as an expert in Strategic Marketing & Communications and as she evolved professionally and personally, it was natural to expand her skills to encompass the growing movement of social impact entrepreneurship with projects from the streets of Miami to Venezuela and as far as Ethiopia. A 14-year veteran of her own start-up, Jewells been a practitioner of mindfulness long before Silicon Valley dubbed it the new secret sauce within the halls of Google and other forward-thinking, cutting edge multi-media entities. Bringing the tools of this mindfulness movement to Miami is part of her commitment through Venture League of the Americas, a consciousness-changing group of investors, start-ups and vendors who want to shift Miamis ego-system into a viable eco-system which emphasizes increasing the trust, reciprocity and integrity within the innovation community of South Florida.

Suzanne spread her wings early from her native Michigan for undergrad to an M.A. from the Universidad de Sevilla, Espana, continuing her education with the University of California Berkeley Greater Good Science Center Awareness Training Institute, Stanford Universitys Creative Insight Journey, is a trained hospice volunteer in the Dying Conscious movement and participates in the Unity Prayer Chaplains program.

Andy Lee

Andy Lee helps leaders, teams and organizations leverage the power of mindfulness to create a culture of engagement, innovation and sustainable success. He has been teaching mindfulness in organizations since 2011.

Before founding Mindful Ethos, Andy was Chief Mindfulness Officer at Aetna where he and his team developed a range of programs to create a deeply rooted culture of mindfulness. He also developed mindfulness programs for Aetnas customers. Previously, Andy had a career in Human Resources. He held senior talent management roles at Merrill Lynch, Viacom, and Capital One. There, he developed traditional programs to enhance employee development and leadership effectiveness.

Andy was trained as a mindfulness teacher at the Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School. He has an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Executive Coaching from CUNY Baruch.

Sarah McLean

Sarah McLean is a contemporary meditation and mindfulness teacher who has been inspiring people to meditate for over 25 years. Her students come from all walks of life, including Olympic and professional athletes, rock stars, and presidents of Fortune 500 companies, along with moms and dads and even young children. Sarah is the founder of the Meditation Teacher Academy at the McLean Meditation Institute.

Sarah is a popular facilitator at retreats for the Chopra Center, Esalen Institute, 1440 Multiversity, The Art of Living Retreat Center, and many world-class destinations. She has been interviewed on national television, featured in a variety of award-winning movies, and her work has been touted in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times.

Her best-seller, Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation (Hay House), has inspired study groups worldwide. Her latest release, The Power of Attention: Awaken to Love and its Unlimited Potential with Meditation (Hay House February 2017) has received rave reviews.

About Wellness Coach

Wellness Coachs mission is to inspire five billion people to be their best selves through improved mindfulness and wellness.

The companys unique platform allows anyone to ask questions to our teachers live, which improves learning while on demand classes help you with your daily practice.

For more information go to http://www.wellnesscoach.live.

Erin PassanManaging Partner, Gagnier Communicationsepassan@gagnierfc.com

Continued here:

meditation.live Expands Offerings to Create the First Enterprise Focused, Tech-Enabled, Total Wellness Solution; Company Changes its Name to Wellness...

Over-thinking, re-thinking and/or the failure to think through current policies, strategies and interventions in the economy, in education and in our health and penal systems has perpetuated a power structure that is elitist and a populace on the verge of exploding into chaos, anarchy and subversive energies.

Most of the major social challenges that we face today in Trinidad and Tobago can be traced back to the socio-cultural consequences of living in a Third World society where successive governments, eager to compete and qualify for monies and grants from international lending agencies, have sought to commodify all aspects of how the people live and survive: from the ways we raise our children, to schooling practices; how we teach civics and values; which sexual identities we should consider to be respectable and what we should enjoy and see as pleasurable. Within a capitalist economic system, commodification is the transformation of goods, services, ideas and people into commodities or objects of trade.

Max Weber in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism warned societies against blindly accepting a capitalist framework without closely examining the consequences of capitalism. He spoke about the severity of the capitalist economic framework which embodied practices that generated disenchantment as a function of economic growth and which would lock us into an iron cage of rationality without feeling; that is, does the end (excessive expenditure on facades of buildings, extensive highways, etc) justify the means, without due care to the affective needs and feelings of citizens?

How many of our people continue to move about, roboticised by duty to family and self, without pleasure, locking themselves behind closed doors (cages) at the end of the day? The pursuit of pleasure and contentment in simple things has become a luxury, rather than a necessity, increasing the fallout in physical ailments and illnesses and pushing psychological well-being over the edge into an abyss of despair and disillusion.

To add to this dilemma, there seems to be a common thread in the many written discussions in the newspapers on the state of our society thus faran impoverished understanding of the social ills and the interplay of human natures desire for peace and contentment.

This misunderstanding has robbed us of our ability to learn from the mistakes of the past, with a lack of common resolve and social and political will to put the pieces together for the good of our people, starting from the cradle.

There seems to be a lack of agency and intent to re-frame our cultural norms, rituals and traditions to current ways of being and knowing, and seek to root them in a transformational view of education as a form of personal and collective empowerment, for the individual and for the society in which we live.

Mis-education has created poverty, both tangible and intangible, that is real and alive in this country. I have often intimated that our politicians and economists should walk the ground and see for themselves, the struggle of many who do without basic necessities on a daily basis. But these blind persons choose to stay on privileged ground, high enough above the struggle where they continue to benefit from the uneven distribution of resources.

They constantly fail to link the violence and uneasiness that pervade our land to a lack of contentment and pleasure in home and family life and availability of jobs and amenities. The failure to link the absence of pleasure with the absence of social change has dire implications for any policy that is legislated and continues to commodify our people as objects, not as subjects.

There has to be an understanding of the motives and desires of a people, psychologically affected by the state of the society and driven to commit atrocities in the misguided hope of equalising the imbalance of economic resources that exist.

So that there is an urgent need for programmes of socialisation and enjoyment in our communities. We have lost the art of caring, which is an art that is cultivated and nurtured by othersno one is born with this. Who will sow the seeds of compassion and care, instead of sowing the seeds of doubt and despair by the various political parties, with their myopic and high-handed agendas?

The refusal to recognise that a happy and contented people are the stimulus for social development, and the continued dismissal of persons who advocate for morality and truth, paves the way for a self-destructive society that sacrices the peace and goodwill of its people in the interest of a political agenda dictated by economics.

Will we be forever doomed to be the mimic men of a First World that is slowly disintegrating, replicating its global social ills?

When will the people of Trinidad and Tobago accept that we can stand on our own with the multiplicity of talent that we are blessed with? We can. We must. Or else we will perish.

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The link between pleasure and social change - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers

Despite obstacles: Morgan McCoy, author and actor recently seen in the Oscar-nominated film Harriet, comes to town with a one-woman show, Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House. Depicting the struggles and triumphs of fictional and real African American women across numerous generations, the play combines comedy and drama in a rousing tale of empowerment and education.

Saturday 2/15 $10-12, 7:30pm. V. Earl Dickinson Building at PVCC, 501 College Dr. 961-5376.

Posted In: Arts

Tags: Picks

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Arts Pick: Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House - C-VILLE Weekly

Center for Teen Empowerment Executive Director Abrigal Forrester. PHOTO: MERRILL SHEA

At just 21 years old, Abrigal Forrester was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Even though he was a first-time offender, his decade-long incarceration was due to a mandatory minimum sentence.

Forrester now leads a completely different life. Following his release, he spent 18 years in nonprofit youth development work. Today, he is the executive director of the Center for Teen Empowerment, an organization that helps low-income teenagers inspire their urban communities and advocate for change. Forrester helps these teenagers recognize their self-worth and envision crime-free communities.

The concept of teen empowerment that we use which is really having young people thinking about their values and beliefs is actually the process I personally went through, said Forrester. He was forced to confront his set of values after time in prison values that he had acquired in order to survive.

I adopted what I consider to be a street-corner value system, said Forrester. These values eventually led Forrester down a bad path, he said.

Teens in low-income, crime-ridden environments often face severe trauma. Forrester said that many kids are responding to things that arent their fault.

Youre just really rolling with your emotions, he said. The Center for Teen Empowerment helps these teenagers assess possible strategies to avoid rash decisions.

One of the keys is giving them this space, and asking them to take the time to think, said Forrester. The young people are told to take a step back and lets look at whats happening in your life, in your community, from a 40,000-foot view.

Once teenagers gain a clearer perspective, they can recognize the systemic issues that disproportionately affect their community. They can also look at policies to advocate against, said Forrester.

The main thing we do is hire youth to unpack their own personal challenges, and then identify what are the issues that are impacting the community that they live in, he said.

For instance, the teenagers take a deeper look at mental health and trauma. Its a big issue for them, said Forrester, and there are many issues that subsequently compound this trauma.

Young people at Teen Empowerment also look at criminal justice reform, said Forrester, and how the juvenile justice system is impacting youth.

Stanley Pollack started the Center for Teen Empowerment in 1992. The centers mission was to facilitate disagreements between different populations, said Forrester, as gangs ran rampant throughout the city. The center focused on youth intervention and violence reduction.

Today, the center has branches in Boston, Somerville and Rochester, New York. More than 120 young people are involved in hundreds of social initiatives, amounting to 5,000 community leaders participating in peace-building efforts.

Our concept is paying young people to work on themselves and to look at the issues that are impacting their communities, said Forrester. He later added, Theyre paid to be peer influencers which allows them to go back to the communities that they come from and organize events and activities to educate, make aware and make action positive action.

The Center for Teen Empowerment hosts various events to promote outreach. Forrester said that hes currently working on a peace conference to kick off the summer. The peace conference is a compilation of events by the Centers performing arts initiative. The performances encourage self-expression and inform the community about issues that impact youth.

Forrester, who took on the executive director role in 2019, has big plans for the centers future. What we hope to do, really, is to expand and partner with agencies that do great work (with) positive youth development, he said. That includes partnering with local communities as well as regional expansion.

One of the goals, he says, is to think about, How do we move ourselves to be a nationally-based organization?

For now, the Center for Teen Empowerment will focus on giving young people a voice. With this voice, they can implement strategies and transform their communities.

Those who are closest to the problems are the ones who understand the solutions, Forrester said.

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Local News Teen Empowerment head helps youth find their way February 6th, 2020 - BayStateBanner

Save Me From's six formulations each combat a different source of hair damage for a Tip To Root Hair Reboot.

How do you convey clean-conscious formulations, wellness, and sophistication along with a social mission of suicide prevention in a single packaging system for a prestige haircare brand that isnt overwhelming? That was the challenge for Liv Luv Lab, a company founded by beauty entrepreneur and wellness advocate April Peck, when creating the packaging for Save Me From, a line of damage-specific hair-repair products with a sober social message.

With Save Me From, Peck says Liv Luv Lab harnessed the rich biodiversity of fenugreek seeda medicinal spice used for centuries by Indian women for amazing hairto formulate the brands patent-pending Fenugen technology, a concentrated blend of bioactive compounds proven to improve hair strength, shine, hydration, and scalp nourishment. The lines six formulations each combat a different source of hair damagethese include pollution, chemical processing, age, thermal devices, sun and sweat, and product buildupfor a Tip To Root Hair Reboot.

Read more stories on new product package design from Packaging World at:Haircare for Foodies Gets Equally Appetizing Packaging

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Pecks mission in creating the product went much deeper than addressing damaged hair though. After losing my sister to suicide, I was determined to find a way to save others from suffering the same fate, she shares. I created Save Me From to advocate for suicide prevention and personal empowerment. I believe a good hair day helps us feel comfortable with ourselves. This self-love enables us to do so much more. In a more measurable way, Liv Luv Lab works to prevent suicide by donating 10% of its net income to suicide prevention programs.

A tear strip on the front of the carton requires consumers to tear away the source of hair damagein this case pollutionrevealing the source of repair inside.In March 2017, Liv Luv Lab began working with beauty branding agency MSLK to create the brand elements and design the packaging structure and graphics for the line. Says Peck, the naming, logo, and architecture for the brand were inspired by the companys commitment to suicide prevention. The brand voice, she adds, is helpful with a touch of science, illuminating the cause of hair damage with verbiage that is relatable.

For the packaging, Liv Luv Lab wanted a primary package that could provide precise dosing and hygienic access without contamination, and secondary packaging offering a disruptive unboxing experience. Visually, the package needed to communicate a consumer benefit-driven product experience and the brands clean-formulation, Ayurvedic ingredients, and larger social mission.

The outcome is a jar with airless pump and an outer carton with a metaphorical zip strip that together move from damage to repair and from dark to light.

The jar, in a 0.5- and 3.4-oz size, comprises a white inner bottle within a clear, silk-screened outer jar custom-embossed with the Liv Luv Lab logo. The jars are topped with chrome collars and caps in vibrant colors inspired by the Hindu festival of Holi, a festival of colors that represents the opportunity to come together, forgive, and enjoy the connection with others, says Liv Luv Lab. The optimistic theme of the holiday coupled with its Indian heritage connect back to both the products restorative nature and its Ayurvedic ingredients.

The secondary packaging, a paperboard carton, is designed to provide a cathartic and symbolic unboxing experience. Early on in the process, MSLK and I conceptualized a box that would need to be physically broken apart to open as a metaphor for hair breakage and our mission, says Peck. Midway on the front of the carton is a perforated tear strip decorated with lifestyle-inspired photography that depicts the source of damage addressed with each specific formulation. Opening the carton requires the consumer to tear away the source of damage, revealing the healing product within, says Peck.

The tear-strip graphics also serve a functional purpose: The dominant colors in the image coordinate with the color of the cap inside to help consumers navigate the various formulations.

With the exception of the tear strip, the carton is black with white lettering, striking a serious chord that underscores the brands commitment to suicide prevention. Explains Peck, The darkness on the outside transitioning to the lighter-colored jar on the inside represents that there is hope for a better future.

Keeping in mind the carton holds a luxury brandproducts are priced at $30 for the 0.5-oz jar and $78 for the 3.4-oz sizea number of printing techniques are used to premiumize the experience. These include soft-touch lamination, spot foil stamping, and a spot UV-gloss coating on the tear strip.

Says Peck, since Save Me From was unveiled at beauty industry event Cosmoprof NA in mid-2019, consumers are loving the damage-specific formulas, the disruptive way in which the products have been categorized, and the benefits of the airless jar for hygienic access and precise dosing.

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From Dark to Light: Hope in a Jar - Packaging World

We still need to ask ourselves are companies indeed investing in employee-focused technologies?

February11, 20205 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Our personal and professional lives have become increasingly characterized by an appreciation of and dependence on technology. This has made it a central part of daily interactions, decision making, and even a competitive advantage.

Our aging population, the rise of the millennial workforce, and automation of repetitive and physically intensive labor will in the future greatly transform most industries. To remain competitive, companies must develop fresh ways of recruiting, upskilling, and training the existing and future workforce.

Technology plays a vital role in maximizing efficiencies across industries. However, companies sometimes overlook the role that technology can play in the lives of employees. This could be in terms of engagement, retention, upskilling, empowerment and most importantly, execution. It all boils down to the most primary element that every organization aspires for, driving better efficiencies.

Technology - a Tool of Empowerment, Not a Threat; While conceptualizing digitalization strategies, organizations often focus on customer-centric improvements to products and services. However, an equal emphasis on introducing tech-based solutions that facilitate higher productivity amongst employees is crucial. In fact, while most employees see technology as a threat to their role, it can empower them to perform better. For instance, technology can enable employees to rid themselves of mundane tasks through automation, enhance speed, provide access to resources, and aid accuracy to create a more productive work environment.

Unfortunately, several employers are not able to fully leverage this opportunity. Recently in a Unisys survey that covered 12,000 employees across 12 nations. It analyzed technology used in workplaces and divided companies into two sections, technology leaders and technology laggards. Interestingly, the survey showed that 58 per cent of the employees at companies categorized as technology laggards did not have positive feelings towards their employers. These employees were apparently more likely to use downloads not supported by IT, or use various workarounds. In a lot of cases, this meant that they were, in all probability, working inefficiently and were causing security risks to their respective organizations.

Employee Efficiencies = Great Customer Experience; We have seen that empowering employees with tech-enabled tools to service the customers better automatically ensures precision in execution and better quality of service. Helping employees navigate through daily tasks more easily through faster processing of data and easier retrieval of information greatly contributes to shorter turnaround time and better efficiencies. In practical terms, that could mean a number of things. For example, there are softwares and applications that help sales executives, who are always on the go, plan their sales meetings and update it online without opening their laptops.

Chasing Perfection; Technology integration need not be complicated. These integrations can be in the form of simple tech-enabled solutions. For example, warehousing is increasingly looking at integration of wearables that will ease shipment sorting for employees, thereby enabling them to process shipments faster. Today, powerful capabilities like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist employees in more accurate decision making without the burden of manual assessments.

Better Connectedness Enabled; Digitalization also allows for openness and collaboration that can help employees engage better in teams and across offices in multiple geographies. This allows for a better exchange of insights resulting in more informed decisions. Investing in well-designed tools can help build a culture of knowledge sharing across all levels. Well-designed tools could include a systematic intranet, dynamic department-specific search options, seamless mobile access to tools, and constant multi-platform assistance of professional software.

Reports and analytics on trending content for various industry dynamics and stakeholder feedback help employees prioritize what they should focus on. A tool like an intranet mentioned above helps to remotely connect employees and simultaneously contribute to worldwide projects. At our company, we have an internal employee social networking mobile application that helps employees connect with each other across the company. Access to colleagues and information within the system is the key purpose of this application. So far, we have received very positive responses for this. In several cases, it has helped our people engage better across offices.

The Right Balance in the Application of Technology; While it is understandable why companies end up focusing on outward-facing systems and solutions, today more and more companies are catching up with the undeniable need to focus on easing execution for employees besides their engagement and involvement in the business. Striking the right balance between investing in technology for employees and customers requires better clarity in a companys vision through a reassessment of priorities at large. This is not a one-time exercise but a part of the very nature of business.

Today, technology allows companies to equip employees with tools that can optimize their performance. Employees constitute the lifeblood of an organization. However, we still need to ask ourselves are companies indeed investing in employee-focused technologies? As business leaders, we are often inclined to focus on leveraging technology for our customers. In our organization, we follow a very simple principle of digitalization technology has to ensure that it enables a great employee experience, an improved customer experience, and delivers operational efficiency with the right balance.

There is hidden value yet to be realized. Looking ahead into the future, and digitalization holds immense potential to revolutionize business processes across the entire value chain, creating unprecedented opportunities for operational efficiencies, new business models, and richer customer experiences. To stay ahead and actively shape this transformation, organizations need to continuously identify and leverage new trends.

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Unlocking the Potential of Digitalisation to Drive Efficiency in the Modern Workforce - Entrepreneur

Dalhousies Black Student Advising Centre (BSAC) celebrated its 30th anniversary Monday by kicking off African Heritage Month with music, food, and inspiring messages from members of the African Nova Scotian community.

Bookended by music from the Halifax-based group, The Colors of Africa, the evening also featured performances by Dalhousie students Lyris Daye and Erianna Willis-Smith, a History of BSAC video presentation by assitant professor Barb Hamilton-Hinch, and a keynote speech by NASA engineer K. Renee Horton.

Oluronke Taiwo, BSACs black student advisor, attributed the success of this years event to months of hard work and planning, as well as the collaborative efforts of many members of the BSAC community and donors.

Seeing the reaction of the students and hearing wonderful feedback by the attendees made me want to cry. The speaker was very empowering, and the performances were powerful and entertaining, says Taiwo. I am very grateful that all the work that was put into the event by so many people was worth it.

For the past 30 years, BSAC has provided educational and personal support for African Nova Scotian students from the diaspora at Dalhousie and the University of Kings College. The Centre was born out of a 1989 report entitled Breaking Barriers: Report of the Task Force on Access for Black and Native People, which served to address and redress the systemic barriers faced by Indigenous Black and Native learners in accessing academia as a result of years of intergenerational social, economic, racial, and political marginalization.

For this occasion, Taiwo wanted to highlight a person who serves as an example of success and empowerment for African Nova Scotian students, so she asked Dr. Horton, who is space launch system quality engineer at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility, to present.

For me, it was important for Dr. Horton to talk at the 30th anniversary because the purpose of celebrating the event is to demonstrate how far we have gone in trying to break the barriers that set us apart from the white privilege, which in most cases have made many black students want to give up, says Taiwo.

Oluronke Taiwo

In addition to her work in mechanical engineering, Dr. Horton is a mother of three, the founder of the non-profit mentorship organization Unapologetically Being Inc., the president of the National Society of Black Physicists, and author of the Dr. H Explores the Universe childrens books.

However, the road to success was difficult for Dr. Horton, who faced numerous obstacles in her career that included racism, homelessness, and a hearing impairment. It was hard work, perseverance, and a steadfast belief in her abilities that helped Dr. Horton overcome these barriers to become the person she is today.

I woke up one morning and I said that I was no longer apologizing for being who I am. That I was black, I was gifted, and I was amazing, said Horton. And it was no longer my business that you had a problem with it.

The evening culminated in an impassioned presentation from Dr. Horton, who called for self-belief and empowerment that expands beyond the scope of African Heritage Month.

Your black excellence does not leave just because there are 28 or 29 days in the month, said Horton. The power that black history will bring you today will forever be with you. You too can be black history.

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A celebration of success and empowerment - Dal News - Dal News

When I first chose to get help from a counsellor, I was 37. After seeing myself repeat learnt negative patterns and behaviours as a mother and wife, I chose to go beyond the shame and taboo of sharing my inner world and my history with a stranger. My intuition told me that this decision would set me on a new path of awareness and help me find freedom. Soon after, I did.

Many years before that, at 20, I had decided to go to see a psychiatrist to ask why I experienced sudden bursts of rage. I thought I was going crazy. I left being told that I was totally ok; according to my doctor, all I needed to do was leave home and get some distance from my family to be able to nurture my mental and emotional health alone.

When the time came, I helped my daughter consider counselling or coaching to process the pain and stuck emotional energy and baggage that we store within ourselves after traumatic or painful episodes which we all might be subjected to over our lifetimes.

For my mum it had been different. She was 40 when she was recommended to see a psychologist for a long depression, but she always refused to receive help. In her 70s, a cardiologist had offered the same advice but to no avail. The intent had been to find a way to lower her blood pressure that was spiking due to recurring anxiety and panic attacks, but her response would always be, I will never speak to a stranger about my private affairs.

I have several friends who chose to do the same as my mum and Ive found theres a general resistance and reticence to opening up to a counsellor or coach, although this is slowly diminishing thanks to modern wellness and self-care trends.

Do you approach therapy easily? Do you ask an expert for help when you feel mentally or emotionally strained, the way that you would with a doctor for a physical ailment? Do you go to consult a coach when in need of motivation or find yourself losing balance, confidence or a sense of purpose? Do you consider the possibility of reaching out to a counsellor or coach for help and as a way to achieve greater self-awareness and confidence or is it shrugged off as a luxury service, something that you dont need or a taboo? I challenge you to dig deep with your answers to those questions, asking why and becoming inquisitive regarding your answers.

It has been proven that self-enquiry and personal development is liberating and empowering. Social media is overpopulated with quotes, podcasts, courses and webinars on becoming a better version of ourselves, so why do the majority of us still refuse to consider therapy, counselling or coaching as an effective solution?

There may be several reasons, none of which is more valid than the other. All of our choices, or not-choices, are in fact driven by a motive.

I thought it would be interesting and revealing to share some of the most common reasons why people choose not to approach counsellors or coaches that Ive come across:

These all seem like straightforward reasons, so why bother writing an article? Because in truth I believe these reasons only scratch the surface and dont address or reveal the full underlying truth.

Sooner or later, I believe we all need to talk to someone and truly be heard. Many resistances, including those listed above can come up for us, like money, time, energy, arrogance, ignorance, apathy. Whats difficult is admitting that these are in fact defence mechanisms cropping up that help us avoidgoing there.Seeing and speaking to someone means recognising, acknowledging and god forbid,feelingthe many hurts and scars we carry within ourselves. Facing these inner demons requires enough courage to overcome not just social judgements, but even more powerful, our personal resistances and defence mechanisms which were put in place to protect us when we most needed it but have not since been put aside.

This being said, we cannot enforce others to embark on a journey if it doesnt feel right for them. Each choice we make for ourselves is ok and when the time is right, all will become clear.

The long-term experience Ive had in this field, as a coach, counsellor, assistant and facilitator in many different settings and groups, have helped me see that all the above excuses or resistances are really just protecting us from one thing, pain.

Wounds of the past that feel distant over time. Hurts that never really healed because they were disregarded and denied. Sorrow and grief that was never processed through crying. Traumas that were never fleshed out and all the emotions that come with all of it, anger, hate, resentment, bitterness, coldness and of course fear.

I believe that the real reason why we refuse to engage with therapy or coaching, asking for external help, is because deep down we feel there is unresolved pain. Its all relative, if youve seen someone else endure more suffering than you, this does not diminish yours. Pain is the reason why our hearts close a little bit more each day without us even realising it. Nobody makes the effort to educate us because its a no-go, our society only wants pleasure.

We are not told that when we ignore and deny our pain, its layers grow and roots deepen over time until we become cold, distant, indifferent, arrogant and/or disconnected. But these are all ways we have become professionals at pretending that our pain is not there. We become stone trying to fight for the pain to stay inside, controlled, behaved. We have developed an effective armour on which we have become dependent. We dont feel its heaviness, because anything is better than feeling what its protecting us from; a necessary pain to protect us from the real deal. It is saving us from having to feel our own vulnerability and recognise the fragility and many hurts of our heart.

Going to see a therapist or coach, or going to a self-development retreat, means actually confronting what we as a society think weve been running away from, but have actually become most attached to: pain.

We go on avoiding it and in so doing, keep recreating it in our lives. Carl Jung hit the nail on the head when he said,the more we resist something, the more it persists.

Its a strange paradox because the more pain we hold onto, the safer and stronger we feel, the less need for a therapist or coach. Our ability to protect and resist gives us the false impression of confidence and empowerment, which in turn makes us believe we dont need help or guidance from anyone else, because were fine!

So here we are, building a weird and inauthentic society for our children, on the foundations of unresolved pain. A society running from pain that seems confused when more pain is generated. With every layer of pain that goes unprocessed inside, we feel less, sense less, recognised less, open up less, close our hearts more. Until as a society, we become indifferent, self-serving and narcissistic, totally blinded to whats unfolding by the belief that we are strong, and we are fine!

In truth, if we cant reach out for ourselves, we should do it for our communities, and those we love. Because when we refuse to acknowledge our pain and we escape from it, we do the same with others pain. When we remain insensitive or indifferent to our pain, we begin to act the same with others pain, including our children. It becomes a spreading contagion.

When we refuse to understand our pain and choose not to process it, how can we hope to understand and feel others pain? How can we develop empathy for others pain when we cannot even feel compassion for our own because we pretend its not there? Being empathic requires us to become emotionally intelligent and emotional intelligence requires us to find the courage to turn our gazetowardsour pain, without letting it take control of us.

Excerpts from Stellas Mum Gets Her Groove Back: a True Story (p. 156 164)

In order to identify and confront the beast, it is important to comprehend and acknowledge that there are different kinds of pain. Through my personal experience, I have learned to identify and refer to them as: existential, neurotic and transformational pain.

Existential: I believe existential pain affects us all and is unavoidable; it is part of the process of life Existential pain is the pain of giving birth, the pain of grieving for the death of a relative or a close friend.. the pain of growing older. Existential pain is a fact of life.

Neurotic Pain: We cant avoid existential pain; it is a part of life. Neurotic pain is a different story. It is something that we create and re-enact ourselves, driven by our conscious and unconscious addictive behaviours, beliefs, compulsive assumptions and emotional reactions. Lets think about the nature of our pain for a moment. Is it a pattern in our lives? Is it causing the same old feeling of discomfort over and over again? If it is a pain we feel constantly and we have learned how to live with it, then it is certainly what we can define as neurotic pain. It is not the pain thats part of life: it is an optional suffering that we compulsively perpetuate.

Transformational Pain: The pain that comes with making changes, developing and transforming emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Unlike existential pain, which is inevitable, transformational pain is a choice. I identify it with the physical pain we may feel when we exercise. We choose to endure the painful demands of working out in order to reach new levels of fitness and well-being.

Pain is part of the condition of being human and is a tool through which we can grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When we avoid our suffering instead of dealing with it, we risk it being truly damaging or worthless. However, when we face it with courage and look behind the mask of the beast, our pain, recognising the truth that lies there, we can find the inner drive to create something positive out of something negative. With passion, focus, discipline and commitment, we can eventually transform and empower ourselves from the inside, out.

I asked a few clients and friends why they think people avoid seeing a counsellor and would love to share their answers with you:

A.2. Denial. I convinced myself that whilst I wasnt perfect it was OK to carry on behaving a certain way as others I knew were worse than me. Only when I hit rock bottom did I realise I needed to take action, even though I had no idea what that looked like at the time!Tommy B. Enterpreneur UK

So, what can we do to change this destructive trend within ourselves and our society?

Its no more complicated than simply educating ourselves. Learning and understanding. Becoming responsible and searching for our awakening. Walking our talk and putting our new understanding into practice. Spreading the message of the deep necessity for self-awareness by showing others the results we have had in our lives by looking within.

header image by Nikko Macaspac

My book Stellas Mum Gets Her Groove Back is now available on Amazon Kindle.

Click here to get a copy.

The following blog posts go into more detail on some of the topics and themes touched on above:How to Overcome Your Fear of RejectionWhat Is A Confidence Coach & Do I Need One?The Connection Between Unconditional Love & Self-ConfidenceHow a Vision Board Can Boost Your Confidence in 2019

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Why We Avoid Going to Counselors and Coaches - Thrive Global

A college degree doesnt guarantee a secure future. Susmita Bardhan, who hails from South 24 Parganas, a small district in West Bengal, faced this brutal realisation after completing her masters course. A student of political science, Susmita was the sole care giver for her mother, who had been suffering from arthritis, and was unable to take up a job after college.

They say, when reality hits, it hits hard.

Susmita Bardhan at Mission Rise Women Entrepreneurship Summit.

The truth is that an astonishing number of women in India, who are unemployed or not financially independent due to one or the other circumstances, have to face the same reality as Susmitas.

Despite meeting the required qualification standards, a combination of social and cultural factors has crippled the ability of women in Tier II and beyond to contribute to the growing workforce in India. But what if the tables could be turned, and instead of women having to reach out, the opportunities could literally walk home, by way of the internet and smartphone penetration.

Over the last few years, the Jio effect has brought hundreds of thousands of Indians especially women online. With WhatsApp becoming their initiation into the digital world and other social media platforms acting as their means to both personal and business exchanges, there has been an unmistakable rise of social commerce.

Meesho, the Facebook-backed social commerce enabler, says it has empowered more than 2,000,000 Indians to become entrepreneurs with zero capital over the years. Of these, 70 percent are women entrepreneurs. These are homemakers and mothers who dropped out of the workforce after childbirth and students who wanted to start a business but were held back by lack of capital.

Vidit Aatrey, Founder and CEO of Meesho

Bengaluru-based Meesho which literally means Meri Shop (my shop) provides potential entrepreneurs with a virtual shop. The social commerce platform has created an alternate distribution channel by helping housewives, young mothers, aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and teachers to launch, build, and promote their online business.

In the process, it creates a platform where this breed of first-generation entrepreneurs can share and connect while contributing towards the end goal: empowerment of the community at large.

And the other reason, which a lot of people dont talk about, is that these women get a professional identity, he adds.

In Susmita Bardhans case, Meesho came to rescue by providing her with a backup plan suitable for her financial situation.

With her earnings from the social commerce platform, the West Bengal native has managed to pay 80 percent of the down payment for her dream home. She is paying the remaining instalments with her monthly profits.

This is just one such instance. Meesho has been integral to the success of many more entrepreneurial journeys, some of which were recognised and honoured at the recently held Meesho Mission Rise Women Entrepreneurship Summit.

Organised in Bengaluru, Meeshos home city and also the 24th stop of the event, the multi-city roadshow saw the participation of more than 250 first-time women entrepreneurs, who came together to share their inspiring journey on the social-selling platform.

In attendance were Meeshos Founder and CEO Vidit Aatrey and CTO Sanjeev Barnwal, along with 100 other team members.

Going forward, the plan is to take this roadshow to many more cities, and connect with as many inspiring entrepreneurial minds as possible. Meesho wants to grow its community of women entrepreneurs and social commerce leaders beyond metros and Tier I cities.

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)

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Financial independence and an identity of their own: How Meesho is empowering women in Tier II and beyond - YourStory

In a brightly lit office at a coworking space in downtown Denver, female empowerment is on display. Barbara Brooks reads a poster above one of the desks.

"We have 'hashtag ageless' on the wall."

Guadalupe Hirt calls out the next one.

"Hashtag second act."

Brooks and Hirt are friends and business partners but the two couldn't be more different. Brooks, 53, is black and tall with a big personality. Hirt, 46, is Latina, short and more reserved.

"We laugh because she's like the big thinker," Hirt said. "She's like the constant change agent and I'm like the more grounded girl."

They do have one big thing in common. After owning a business, they decided to go back to corporate jobs in their 40s, but nobody hired them.

KUNC's Stephanie Daniel interviews the founder and co-founder of SecondAct|Women.

"I started discovering that I wasn't getting second, third and/or even making it to an interview after several resumes," said Brooks.

In 2018 Brooks, founder, and Hirt, co-founder, started SecondAct|Women. The company's mission is to change the narrative for women over 40 and 50.

"Our organization is really founded to say, 'No, we're barely getting started and we're here and we're a force and we're fierce,'" Hirt said. "We're showing up in both from a business and a personal life to really help our women boldly step into their second act."

Nearly two out of three workers over 45 have seen or experienced age discrimination at work, according to a 2017 national survey conducted by AARP. Older women, African Americans, Hispanics and those who are unemployed were more likely to feel discriminated against.

"I believe that it may be because in many instances you can get a younger worker with perhaps less experience for a lower salary. So, sometimes it comes down to economic or budget reasons," said Bea Bourne, a marketing professor at Purdue University Global and an intergenerational expert. "I also believe that there are perceptions that older workers are resistant to change."

From the traditionalists to Generation Z, an unprecedented five generations are all competing for jobs in today's workforce. All these generations have different worldviews, approaches to work and values, according to Bourne, as well as distinct communication styles and varying levels of organizational engagement.

But regardless of age, employees need to keep up with the times.

"We need to continue to stay abreast of current events, what's going in the industry," Bourne said. "Keeping up with the latest technology."

Second Act|Women provides professional and life tools through a variety of programs including an online marketplace, workshop series and Facebook group.

One of the company's first initiatives was launching Biz Life Con, a business and lifestyle conference, which Hirt said was the nation's first. The conference offered pop-up salons, interactive experiences and a variety of workshops from creating a business plan to a making a career change.

"Really kind of (a) great lineup for women to come in and connect with other women and learn elevated information," Hirt said.

Angela Wilson, 47, was laid off in 2012. Rather than job hunting, she chose to stay home to care for her young son who uses a wheelchair. Five years later, Wilson was ready to re-enter the workforce, but couldn't find a job.

"Everything I was going after at the level of my education, my experience and my background would put me here," she said. "But that gap, I got dinged for it."

Wilson ended up going to Colorado State University instead to pursue an MBA degree. She graduated and is now creating a travel company for people with mobility challenges. This new chapter led her to Second Act|Women. Wilson attending the company's panel discussion on women starting up after 40 at Denver Startup Week last fall.

The company's core demographic is entrepreneurs.

"It showed that there was a path there that I didn't have to have everything figured out before I moved forward and it actually helped me with my risk averseness," Wilson said. "I just knew if I didn't do it now, it was something I would regret."

The company works with women over 40, but Brooks and Hirt are also empowering themselves. They are entrepreneurs and in one of their previous ventures founded a marketing and public relations consulting firm.

With Second Act|Women, Brooks and Hirt are business partners again. This is their second act.

"It's just beautiful to know that we can help women hopefully find their next thing, hopefully get hired, Brooks said. "Hopefully dispel this ageism thing that we're going through."

Link:

Denver-Based Company Helps Women Over 40 'Boldly Step Into Their Second Act' - KUNC

When youre healthy, it means that you not only look good, you actually feel good(Shutterstock)

A healthy lifestyle can be described in so many ways depending on how you choose to look at it. In a few words, it is a balance between your mental, physical and spiritual being functioning in harmony inside your body. When youre healthy, it means that you not only look good, you actually feel good.

ALSO READ: Why you should stop being too hard on yourself

Driven by health reasons or a desire to look a certain way, many have jumped onto the fitness ship. The result? A rise in fitness and workout solutions that promise heaven and earth and this year is no different.

Many fitness trends continue to evolve. People are more willing to try new things and explore new ways to get fit. As the fitness clout continues to expand, here are some of the most popular trends to watch out for in 2020.

Almost everything is accessible online these days and fitness is no exception. The world is at a point where customers want to get the most out of fitness companies and brands without all the hustle.

This has sparked a trend where you dont really need to meet up with a trainer to get the body you want. All you need to do is get in touch with an online trainer who will send you a personalized workout plan and thats it! Follow it and youre on your way to meeting your goals.

This year, people are also taking fitness into their own hands. A lot of people are looking for what works for them and, in a real sense, this is a form of empowerment. Home workouts and personal plans are helping people listen to their body and do what works for them while saving money too.

The motivation comes from being active and enjoying it without other pressures. People are embracing home Zumba sessions after work, stocking up on simple workout equipment or even creating personal routines with the help of videos on YouTube.Theres something about a gym environment thats empowering and motivating?(Shutterstock)

Mental health is also a vital part of fitness. For a long time, the focus was on body goals and mental health took a back seat. A number of people struggle with depression and anxiety so yoga has become a source of comfort.

ALSO READ: How to be happy: Habits to add to your routine

It combines stretching and meditation to boost your mood which then helps you to feel great while you work out. For many, working out when in a vulnerable state of mind is quite difficult.

Having a good diet is at the forefront of fitness. You cant eat unhealthy food and still expect to get your desired results. There is still a lot of focus on meal plans and diet teas which are still slightly controversial. Nonetheless, more people are realizing that options like surgery shortcuts arent for everyone. The traditional route of working hard for what you want and appreciating the journey is all worth it in the end.Having a good diet is at the forefront of fitness(Shutterstock)

This is one of the biggest trends that is still popular in 2020. Industry players and mainstream media are upping their game in encouraging people to be comfortable in their own skin and not let society dictate how they should look. We all have different body types so we dont have to be skinny to be fit. Some things are beyond our control so the definition of fitness is really changing.A number of people struggle with depression and anxiety so yoga has become a source of comfort(Shutterstock)

Lets be honest, the gym will always be trendy. Theres something about a gym environment thats empowering and motivating. Home workouts are great but, sometimes, it could backfire when theres no one else there to push you.

The gym is great for strength training and muscle building, which many of us still desire. Being in the gym is also therapeutic because its a place where you can be away from work pressures and other draining distractions.

With work, school and home schedules, were busier than ever. Too many things are going on all the time so it can be hard to keep up with a workout schedule. Thanks to technology, we have on-the-go fitness trackers that help us reach our goals and stay fit. Something as simple as a phone or a smartwatch is able to help you reach your goals by tracking your daily movements.

ALSO READ: Seven foods that will help improve your mood

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Fitness and workout trends to watch out for in 2020 - The Standard

Sugar is the new Lakme, Nykaa has become a better alternative to your brick-and-mortar neighbourhood store with limited stocks, and mens grooming is no longer frowned upon. If theres one industry that has truly been transformed by the waves of tech-induced changes brought about by newer generations and time, it is the cosmetics and cosmeceutical market in India.

Self-beautification dates back to the Indus Valley civilisation. There is evidence of both men and women, during this time, indulging in a slew of cosmetic concoctions for embellishing surface personality and also to accomplish merit (punya in Sanskrit) and happiness (anandam).

Essentially, long before the millennials and Gen Z figured out that cosmetics could cure those mean Monday blues, the practice was already in motion.

As ancient practices made way for modern usage, though, homegrown trends took over. Kajal or kohl pencils as we know it today, could be formulated at home with a simple aperture comprising a lamp and a metallic spoon (to collect the carbon particles). In fact, for most cosmetic and beauty-related ailmentfrom hairfall to pimples and acnea simple combination of readily available kitchen ingredients could do the trick.

No surprise then that cosmetics, in a country where its practice is rooted in science, have found a favourable market presence today.

Ariana Grande, in her popular song 7 Rings, croons Think retail therapy my new addiction Whoever said money can't solve your problems. The singer can clearly read the digital-first woman consumers mind. This demographic, aided with rising disposable income and economic empowerment, have opened up their wallets to create an all new lucrative vertical for business beauty and cosmetics.

When the digital boom was peaking in India around the early 2010s, the countrys ecommerce players set out to woo the women, not for their decision-making role for the homes needs or childrens welfare, but to provide options for their self-care. From Amazon and the now Walmart-acquired Flipkart to the up-and-coming Limeroad (founded in 2012), the focus shifted to this digital-savvy demographic.

The rise of cosmetics as a category was hence a natural progression, one that saw the birth of online beauty retailer Nykaa in 2012.

Falguni Nayar, Founder & CEO, Nykaa with Nihir Parikh, Chief Business Officer (2nd row, 3rd from L-R)

Falguni, a former investment banker, launched Nykaa with a focus on creating an inventory- and content-led platform. Almost eight years on, her company has not only established an unmistakable market presence with 61 physical stores, following an omni-channel model, but also recovered from the losses to report a profit of Rs 2.31 crore in FY19.

Following in the footsteps of Nykaa, many ecommerce players have branched out over the years to include cosmetics and beauty products as an essential part of their offering.

Fashion e-tailer Myntra jumped on this bandwagon in 2018, after it announced plans to foray into the brick-and-mortar retailing under the Myntra Beauty brand. Amazon India, on the other hand, expressed interest in this sector, with plans of its own beauty and personal carelabel in the pipeline.

And the latest to the game, Alibaba-backed online groceries startup Bigbasket took the plunge in 2018, entering the segment with a private label for beauty products.

Recently, the Indian government, in what marks a monumental move, finalised the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) (Amendment) Bill, 2020. If passed, the legislation could implement a ban on advertisements promoting fairness creams, anti-ageing remedies, and so on.

While this marks a huge progress on the legislative front, it is also indicative of an ongoing change in the beauty and cosmetics sector. In keeping with the political correctness of the times, this industry has also evolved to become more inclusive, representative of all body types, diverse races, and ethnicities.

Today, beauty is directly linked to self-care.

Shraddha Gurung, beauty vlogger and influencer

On the picture-sharing platform, where she enjoys a 105,000-strong following, Shraddha frequently uploads posts and videos addressing a range of cosmetic concerns, starting from winter skincare to the latest in nail art. These posts, in turn, engage the audience, impacting their purchasing decision and the reach of the mentioned brands.

This is essentially an example of influencer marketing, a tool that has found a special place in the world of beauty and fashion. With the rise of social media as a more trustworthy and direct source of communication and consumers leaning towards an at-your-fingertips type experience, influencers are the new holy grail in marketing.

And brands are well aware of this tectonic shift. Increasingly, they are more eager to get a social media influencer on board than a movie star, whose personal brand, though influential, is not compelling enough to sell an anti-frizz solution or a sheet mask.

What used to be a brands-driven market is slowly but surely turning into a consumer-driven community today. With influencers taking over, and beauty care tracing its way back to old remedies, there has been a surge in the demand for natural, chemical-free products.

At Tynimo, amidst its assortment of knick-knacks and pretty little somethings, you would find a range of cosmetics and beauty products markedly different from the ones available in the market. With an unmistakable Asian influence, these products claim to fame is that they are 93-94 percent organic, paraben- and sulfate-free, and some of them are even made in India.

In fact, there are many others like Tynimo. Home-grown brands like Vilvah, Teal & Terra, Sacred Salts, Skinella, and the Secret Ingredient cater to a niche but growing audience, comprising mostly the skin-conscious, organic-loving, environmentally aware consumers.

Looking at the trends that have captured the consumers imagination over the years, the only thing certain about the beauty and cosmetics industry is its uncertainly. Its dynamics are fluid and bound to change with time and generations, impacting directly the businesses that place themselves around it.

Even as new players crop up, older, more established brands will have to adjust their perspective and policy to better serve this ever-growing market case in point being Nykaas fluid portfolio, which recently expanded to include mens grooming, an oft ignored vertical, as part of its offering.

After all, obsolete practices, be it in beauty or business, have limited shelf life and dont always age well.

(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)

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Business of beauty: how the Indian cosmetic industry spurred the rise of startups like Nykaa - YourStory

Climate-related anxiety and depression is an increasingly common malady. Reestablishing a conscious awareness and a bodily connection with the ebb and flow of the seasons, by observing and documenting whats happening outside our windows, is a grounding activity that can restore comfort.

Disconnection from natures seasonal cycles, and from nature in general, has become more common in recent decades, and with it has come a certain restlessness. A simple way we can reestablish this crucial connection with the seasons is by regularly taking noteon paperof what is occurring in the plants and animals in our lives over the course of the year. Because events like leaf out, migration and egg hatch are cued by seasonal warmth, rainfall and sun angle, they elegantly reflect the rhythm of the seasons.

Taking the time to observe the changes in an organism over the course of a year can reconnect us to these cycles. And taking the effort to write down what is observed focuses our thoughts, grounds us, and more firmly cements the information in our minds.

The practice of carefully documenting the timing of events like the first arrival of migratory birds in the spring and first hint of leaf color in autumn has existed for millennia. A record of the first cherry blossoms to appear each spring in Kyoto, Japan extends to the ninth century. Members of the Marsham family have tracked flowering time in dozens of plants in Great Britain since the 1700s. These historical records are some of our best resources to determine how much the timing of events like leaf out and egg hatch in certain species have changed in recent years, serving as an invaluable contribution to science.

Taking this form of action is an antidote to the hopelessness that can arise in the face of climate change. Anxiety and depression naturally arise when we perceive we have no power over a situation. Doing something, such as documenting seasonal changes, is a way to restore a modicum of control and a sense of well-being.

To be sure, looking at plants in your backyard wont end the climate crisis. For that, we need major policy and lifestyle changes on a nearly global scale. The value of this form of personal action is in restoring our centers and engendering personal empowerment. This can serve as preparation for tackling the larger issues.

The practice of purposefully reconnecting with whats happening over the course of the year can take the form of journaling, posting observations of seasonal plant or animal status to social media, or making structured contributions to an established program such as Natures Notebook, a national program for documenting seasonal activity in plants and animals.

As a coordinator for the program, Ive been overjoyed to hear from participants that pausing briefly from their daily routines to report on their selected species has led to new discoveries and a deepened appreciation for these plants and animals. And as a Natures Notebook participant, Ive been delighted to witness green lynx spiders, crab spiders and sphinx moth larvae making their homes in the desert willow tree I observe in my backyard. I am certain I would not have noticed these lovely creatures had I not taken the time to briefly but regularly look at my trees leaf and flower status.

The brief moments of focus and connection I experience when Im taking my Natures Notebook observations contrast sharply with the anxiety I experience from exposure to climate crisis headlines. I invite you to join me in the simple routine of documenting the seasonal transitions in plants or animals in your yard. Trade some of your climate anxiety for the sense of calm and empowerment that can result from taking a small, positive action.

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To Ease Climate Anxiety, Reconnect with the Rhythms of the Seasons - Scientific American

A universal truth: whether you give voice to them or not, a new year demands resolutions. When selecting said goals, a declaration that applies to personal empowerment is one worthy of a new decadea lesson we learned from Yara Shahidi. The actress and activist took to Instagram ahead of New Year's Eve to share a self-facing snap featuring oversize hoops, glossed lips, a mane of brushed-up curls, and a poignant caption. "We (My hair and I) are taking up more space as we enter 2020," wrote Shahidi, adding a duo of siren emojis to drive the statement home.

For her first act of big and bold beauty, Shadidi parted her natural hair to achieve a face-framing triangle of texture, the maneuver punctuated by roseate lips with a matching shade pressed into lids, black eyeliner rimmed along waterlines. Glow-y, unadorned skin and a frank expression teamed with her manewhich, true to her resolution, dominated the framefor a visual deserving of Shahidi's 2020 aspiration. Here's to expansion in all forms this year.

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Yara Shahidi Has the Best Beauty Resolution for 2020 - Vogue

Who has a healthy relationship all the time?

All relationships are the reflection of the two people in the relationship. They will as such reflect the health of the individuals moment to moment. This means that the health of a relationship can dramatically change based on how the two people are showing up in it.

What I have noticed is that people can become very judgmental of themselves and blame themselves as not being capable of being in a healthy relationship. They feel that their human frailties cause problems and prevent the experience of a healthy relationship.

Blame becomes the source of discouragement, and when any hopefulness arises about the possibility of a better relationship, this self-blame is then used to fuel self-improvement with the goal of having healthier relationships. This is a painful cycle that only reinforces feelings of inadequacy. It is possible to get off the hamster wheel of self-improvement and your relationships will be healthier when you do.

But how do you measure what a healthy relationship is?

For example, I have the experience of a heated conversation with one of my daughters. She is critical of me. I feel hurt. There is disagreement between us. We argue. I no longer want to participate in the conversation. She now feels hurt. The conversation ends. Later that day we have a lovely dinner out and really enjoy each others company. How does one evaluate the health of this relationship? Is it good or bad? Do we split the difference and say average?

Experience comes and goes. There is nothing fixed about my relationship with her or anyone else.

All relationship improvement is based on a faulty premise. The premise that there is something to out there to fix. We cant experience anything outside of ourselves.

Was I experiencing her?

No It was all me. My experience was coming from within me. I was not impacted by her. I was having a transient experience that reflected my level of understanding in that moment. It was coming from inside of me. From another state of consciousness, I would have felt and responded differently.

Why is this important?

It is everything. To know that experience appears and disappears within me and has no bearings on what is outside of me is the ultimate in freedom and authentic empowerment. By authentic empowerment I dont mean the personal empowerment of my ego, I mean the knowing of the infinite potential that resides within that is not part of the personal self that is beyond form. The more clearly I see that my experience is a passing and transitory and internally generated the more connected I feel to what is beyond that.

The health of my relationships is a reflection of how consciously I am connected to what is beyond my personal experience of thoughts and feelings. And that changes. Sometimes I am deeply caught up in the experience of being a separate identity flooded with feelings of personal hurt and fear. Other times I can experience deep levels of peace and not be consumed by my human thoughts and feelings. I am alway somewhere on that spectrum and my experience reflects that including my experience of my relationships.

So relationship health is never fixed, just like our physical health is never fixed. And the quality of our relationships does not require that we improve ourselves or fix our perceived frailties. Change does not come from that level. It comes from seeing beyond our personal self to who we are.

This is very practical.

If I have someone who shares with me that they struggle in relationships because they are co-dependent. They feel needy. They are uncomfortable being alone. They dont feel happy if their partner isnt happy. I can relate to this very human experience. However, this is nothing to pathologize. It is not a fixed problem. It is a transitory experience. It does not define you or the relationship.

If I had taken what happened with my daughter seriously, I would have been troubled by the experience. Instead, I knew it does not define me or her. I was okay with her having her emotional experience. I was also okay with the experience inside of myself. It comes. It goes. It is not who she is. It is not who I am.

I cut my knee. The cut comes and goes. It does not define me. I get a cold. It comes and goes. It is not who I am. I have an emotional experience of hurt and anger. It comes and goes. It is an experience. It is not who I am.

The same is true for all of the below traits of codependence. They are experiences that come and go. They do not mean anything about you. They are not who you are.

These are all experiences that come from inside of you. Seeing that is the place to start. This is the opposite of victim-blaming. It is victim-awakening. Waking up to the fact that you have experience, and that the experience is not you is freedom. I am asking you to look beyond your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to the deeper part of you that is beautiful beyond measure and powerful beyond belief. Psychology has failed us by only looking at what can be measured instead of remembering its root is in the Greek word psyche meaning soul. The impersonal energy behind life.

All of the above descriptions of experience are remedied by remembering who you are. I am not saying dont seek help or take medication if needed, but everything described above is the result of feeling separate from your true nature. Rather than trying to fix yourself or your relationship, what about looking within and listening to what you know to be true beyond your thoughts and beliefs about yourself. The natural wisdom that is pre-conditioning. As Kant would say, a priori knowledge. Listen deeply to your true self.

Nothing is required other than the willingness to sincerely look in that direction with an open mind. It requires the staying power to ride out the noise of the conditioned habitual thoughts that are like waves crashing on the shore, but listening more deeply does not disappoint. Your wisdom is your guide. It is your compass. No one has that Only you. No one can take it away from you, and no one knows better than you.

The health of your relationships will reflect how well you listen to your own deeper knowing. And it is okay for the health of your relationships to fluctuate just like the health of the human body fluctuates. We dont kill off our body because it gets a bad flu. A healthy relationship has room for all of you. It does not require perfection.

I am not saying that anything goes and you have to stay in any relationship. But if you are in a relationship or want to be in one, understand that the health of it comes from within. It is theoretically possible for one person to be in an amazing relationship full of love and understanding and the other person to be in a relationship of dysfunction. This doesnt usually happen because we tend to pick partners with the same level of understanding as us. But I do see this frequently when one person in a relationship shifts in consciousness and the other person doesnt. The person who has a deeper experience of who they are can feel love and compassion for their partner even if their partner is behaving badly. This is what happened with Angus and me. I had a shift in consciousness that allowed me to not take his angry behavior personally. That was enough to change the whole dynamic of our relationship and I went from feeling like a victim in it to realizing the love that was there between us.

Bottom line, if you are struggling in your relationship or if you feel that you dont have what it takes to be in a healthy relationship, forget about your relationship, your partner, and improving yourself. Instead, look within to who you are. Spend time getting to know your true nature. The peace and inner freedom that arises provides you with a new reference point for approaching love and relationships. It is a reference point grounded in reality rather than the subjectivity of experience. It allows you to be with your shifting experience and your partners experience with a foundation in wellbeing no matter what the human experience is serving up that day.

This is not about a perfect relationship. It is about you looking to who you are so you can enjoy yourself and your relationship more fully no matter what your experience is in the moment.

Your wisdom will never lead you astray. Your loving nature always has your best interest at heart. Trust your Self first and follow the lead of true nature.

Rohini Rossis passionate about helping people wake up to their full potential. She is a transformative coach, leadership consultant, a regular blogger for Thrive Global, and author of the short-readMarriage (The Soul-Centered Series Book 1)available on Amazon. You can get her free eBookRelationshipshere.Rohini has an international coaching and consulting practice based in Los Angeles helping individuals, couples, and professionals embrace all of who they are so they can experience greater levels of well-being, resiliency, and success. She is also the founder ofThe Soul-Centered Series: Psychology, Spirituality, and the Teachings of Sydney Banks.You can follow Rohini onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram, and watch herVlogswith her husband. To learn more about her work go to her website,rohiniross.com.

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A Healthy Relationship Starts With You! - Thrive Global

A lot has been written recently about how mindfulness can serve the social reproduction of capitalism. CEOs list meditation as a daily practice that helps them stay mentally agile in their pursuit of profit maximisation. Commentators like Slavok Zizek, tell us that, by allowing us to uncouple and retain some inner peace, such practices actually function as the perfect ideological supplement [to capitalism].

In his recent article for Transformation, The Future of Mindfulness, Ron Purser reiterates the fact that mindfulness can be used for nefarious purposes when divorced from a larger ethical framework. If used purely as a method to relieve individualized stress or enhance personal performance, it can compound individualistic self-preoccupation, distract us from the structural causes of injustice, and deflect our efforts away from projects aimed at building collective agency for systemic change. Like most things, mindfulness is susceptible to co-option in a world where capitalism seamlessly occupies the horizon of the thinkable, as Mark Fisher once put it.

And yet, thats not the whole story. Purser finishes his article by saying that we need a new language and praxis of spiritual and political liberation that isnt muted by the weak balm of self-improvement. Many of us who are integrating mindfulness into activist training couldnt agree more, but for us this isnt the future of mindfulness, because the language and praxis we need are already here. In our work at the Ulex Project with people committed to struggles of solidarity, mindfulness has proven itself a powerful resource for radical transformation and a vital tool for dismantling oppressive structures, both within and around us.

Weve been developing programmes that embed mindfulness in activist education for the last decade, helping activists to become more sustainable and effective. Our journey started amidst the failure and repression that surrounded the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009. The burnout, frustration, and disintegration of grassroots groups afterwards seriously undermined our movements through the hemorrhaging of talent and experience. This highlighted the importance of integrating practices that strengthen self-awareness, emotional literacy and resilience within activist cultures. Seeing burnout as a political issue, we began to develop sustainable activism trainings with mindfulness and related approaches as their cornerstone from 2010.

Hundreds of activists have attended these trainings and the majority report that mindfulness and meditation have been key in helping them to address burnout, feel more equipped to face challenging circumstances, collaborate better, and balance action with reflection in ways that enhance organizational learning. We added a specific course dedicated to training secular and social mindfulness in 2015. By helping activists to stay in the struggle for the long haul, mindfulness becomes anything but an ideological supplement to capitalism.

For example, Melanie Strickland, one of the Stansted 15 campaigners who grounded a charter flight in 2017 to confront the UK deportation system, drew on these skills to navigate difficult times and a long legal battle. Becoming aware of how my own mental processes weren't always helpful, especially when I'm already stressed and burnt out, was vital, she told us. Mindfulness also helped me start to learn how to work better with really big, overwhelming feelings like grief - which are healthy and necessary responses to the crisis of these times.

However, weve also found that the benefits of mindfulness practices are determined by the key motivations and framing that are brought to them. Working with people who are already committed to action for social change or ecological defence and who are engaged in collaborative projects or organisations helps to mitigate the risks of mindfulness becoming co-opted.

At the same time, to avoid individualisation, we place it in a framework that shows how effective strategies for transformation need to pay attention to three mutually interdependent spheres: the personal and psychological, the interpersonal and organisational, and the wider social movement and socio-political. Neglecting any one of these spheres, or failing to recognise their interplay, can undermine our struggles.

Unfortunately, for many activists, recognising the structural nature of oppression and the pitfalls of individualism all too often leads to the feeling that any attention to the personal or psychological sphere is inherently narcissistic. This often guilt-driven simplification props up behaviours and group cultures that are ultimately self-sabotaging.

In reality, acknowledging the strategic and political importance of practices for increased self-awareness and care is a crucial source of collective empowerment. As the civil rights activist and writer Audre Lorde once pointed out, from the position of someone subject to oppression, caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare. To support this change, shifting the balance of activist cultures to include personal contemplation and psychological inquiry is essential.

In developing these skills with activists we explore mindfulness-like practices across three dimensions: Mindful Awareness, Skilful Emotion, and Ways of Seeing. Skills in mindful awareness help activists to make choices about where they direct their attention. This builds up defences against the onslaught of the attention hijacking economy which seeks to steal and dissipate our focus across surveillance capitalisms digital drag nets. It helps us nurture continuity of experience, cultivate greater mental clarity, and break free of debilitating habits. When its all going arse up around me, as a common refrain puts it among the activists we work with, these skills really help me to stay grounded and open.

Mindful awareness can help us to push back against the tendency to react to constant demands for urgent action, and to see the strategic value of opening up spaces for deeper reflection and learning. Fire-fighting is sometimes inevitable, but, as Adrienne Maree Brown puts it, the author of Pleasure Activism, there is such urgency in the multitude of crises we face, it can make it hard to remember that in fact it is urgency thinking (urgent constant unsustainable growth) that got us to this point, and that our potential success lies in doing deep, slow, intentional work.

Skilful emotion rests on building greater emotional literacy, which helps us to channel difficult feelings like rage and grief in ways that bring vitality and passion to our struggles. Without these skills, powerful emotions can play havoc on our bodies, wearing us down and slowly leading us into despondency or cynicism. Skilful emotion enables us to nourish our capacity for empathy and solidarity, as well as being a necessary foundation for more effective communication and the ability to work creatively with inevitable conflicts. These emotional skills are crucial to the relationship- and trust-building that healthy activist organisations need to cultivate.

Exploring ways of seeing helps us to acknowledge the provisional and partial nature of our views and to recognise how they can empower or undermine our struggles. Complemented by anti-oppression perspectives that direct mindful attention towards deeply-rooted mental paradigms of competition and productivity, as well as patriarchy, racism, sexism and classism, this enables activists to gain the depth, humility and compassion they need to create transformative change, and it can help us to collectively embody the liberatory social relations we are fighting for.

Developing the ability to recognize the constructed nature of our views enables us to recognize when our political identities are truly empowering - and where they can imprison us. This can help us to work with diversity within our groups and movements more effectively, replacing unproductive and entrenched antagonisms with open-minded inquiry and recognition of the creative potential in our differences.

All three facets of mindfulness work require both personal practice and a supportive interpersonal context. Deep self-awareness doesnt just come from introverted contemplation; it also needs the feedback, challenge and support that working with others provides. Emotional literacy can be enhanced by training in techniques like somatic awareness, but it also needs spaces where we can express and honour the whole range of our emotional experiences with each other.

Uncovering our assumptions and mindsets, and learning to hold our views less rigidly, does require inner reflection, but equally it depends on dialogue and collective inquiry. With this in mind, our trainings integrate tools and skills that are both individual and collective. Change in people goes hand in hand with transformation in the activist and organisational cultures we create together.

The methods we share arent intended to provide a universal set of practices. Diverse socio-economic conditions require diverse methods. Neuro-diversity makes some practices more or less useful to different people. Historical and cultural differences will make some approaches a better fit than others. Consequently we take a very open source approach, honouring some basic principles but assuming specific practices will always be adapted.

Echoing Pursers call for the future of mindfulness, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, in his book The Religion of the Future, conjures a vision for a new religio-political praxis which should convince us to exchange serenity for searching. In much the same way, our integration of mindfulness within activist training is not so much about developing calm and serene minds as it is about effectively empowering our struggles.

And yet, unless activists are prepared to turn their attention inwards as well as outwards our struggles will continue to be undermined by our own mental habits. If so, the potential we have for truly liberatory collective action is unlikely to be realized.

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Don't wait for the future of mindfulness it's already here - Open Democracy