Author: changethinker

Born and raised in Mumbai, India with an undergrad degree from Oman and a masters degree from the National University of Singapore. I am an Environmental Professional with a passion for Sustainability, Social Innovation and Governance related issues. A Change Agent in the making who believes that small is beautiful and that impact can be achieved -one soul at a time.

Udupis as shared spaces.

Udupis are a visible Mumbai institution, dotting most parts of the vast city, once a basic no frills fast food place now it comes in various value added iterations where the ground floor is raw, and the aircon version upstairs serves the same fare in the fancier cutlery at double the price.

Prof Chinmay Tumbe from IIM A in his kaleidoscopic book, India Moving speaks about this circular migration.

Many of the Udupi Hotels have set up shop in the Gulf in particular Dubai, the Meena Bazaar area where the home never leaves. I once wrote a chapter on dubai food spaces for my now at pause book project, which I have a better understanding after I studied transnational spaces at NUS during the PhD coursework.

A famous Udupi in Fort, Mumbai
Standard breakfast fare
Before the rush hour

Networking 101.

Many professionals, young or jaded, usually ask me about the mechanics and the magic of networking. The why behind the networking is sets the pace of the how. Networking is not a silver bullet for a job when one is about to be fired. It is an ongoing conversation about mutual interests and a learning journey. Meet people with an open mind and gauge shared commonalities. There are two kinds of networks:

– Networks of Interest

– Networks of Aspiration

Networks of Interest are communities of practice, for example history writing or sustainability where notes can be shared. Aspiration networks only work where there is an inherent brand in place and people connect as a potential lead.

Building a value proposition is fundamental to effective networking and giving more and freely is key real connections. Effective online networks are effective openings into offline connect, trust is only built offline.

Interesting people build networks more easily than people who are just focused on cracking the next job. Building credibility through a blog or YouTube channel which are touch points for a dialogue. One does not need a blue-chip qualification any more as distribution is freer through the digital realm.

#networkingtips

#startupadvice

Entrepreneurial Use Cases

A few entrepreneurial venture building interventions since 2010:

1. Run a one person global from below ‘think tank’ on sustainability, impact, and development since December 2010

2. Co-Founder in an E&S Consulting firm in a Gulf Capital

3. Scale Up Catalyst for a transnational migration/BHR CSO in Malaysia from three people to twenty-five people since 2019

4. Scale Up Catalyst for a Migrant Cultural Hub in Singapore since 2015

The fifth journey again in the ESG space has built upon these powerful learning and listening journeys in my birth city of Mumbai at the current juncture over the past year.

The Business of Advisory

At the heart of the advisory business is pragmatic problem solving with the best of actionable ideas undergirded by the best of class research (which usually consultants snigger with this is as ‘too academic’). The key is imagination to help the client through the poly crisis, which is dynamic and complex. Thinking about solving it rather than the scope of work will make consultants indispensable in the multiple transitions that confront us.