STEAM Powered

Shirley Yu is the CEO and Founder of Choosii, the community app for everyone that loves to collect (including herself and her friends - crazy plant collectors). Prior to launching Choosii, she discovered her creative side in high school, studied computer science at Rutgers, and then started an award-winning creative production studio where she created environmental portraiture and conceptual still life works for clients that include New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Barclays and Toyota.

In our conversation, we talk about Shirley's journey from computer science to entrepreneurism, her creative process, and building communities with our collections.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/shirley-yu

[00:01:17] Shirley's beginnings in computer science. [00:01:29] Shirley's family is heavily STEMM leaning. [00:02:55] With a creative background, computer science seemed like a good balance between technical and creativity. [00:04:15] Algorithms to 3D print sculptures. The intersection of creativity and technology. There's an intentionality and logic to the universe. [00:05:37] Shirley's pursuit of photography. [00:05:52] The creative problem solving of photography and bringing a vision to life. [00:07:45] Seeking a creative outlet and discovering the scope of photography. [00:10:27] Renting a studio to develop her skills in parallel with school. [00:11:38] Being nominated for awards and having commissions and realising that photography would be a viable career path.[00:13:51] Steve Giralt and being motivated to be in that world where she could innovate creatively. [00:15:20] Graduating from computer science and building her studio. [00:15:53] Developing client work, but also personal projects to explore what you're capable of creatively. [00:17:07] Being passively creative and pulling from both her technical and creative experiences. [00:19:32] Creating Choosii for collectors inspired by her own experience. [00:20:57] Creating experiences from interactions. [00:25:48] The experience doesn't end with the transaction. [00:30:39] The emotional satisfaction of knowing something you care about has gone to someone who will care about it as well. [00:34:42] Shirley made Choosii for people like her. [00:36:36] On Shirley's COVID experience and reflecting on care packages and contact. [00:42:15] The evolution of shopping habits and the trend toward supporting local businesses and responsible capitalism. [00:46:52] Creating networks from which to buy also gives provenance and builds trust. [00:47:28] Shirley's breadth of experience and interactions inform the wholistic view of how she creates. [00:50:05] Shirley's process in portraiture and capturing her subject and their environment. [00:58:42] All of Shirley's experiences and people she has met through her creative work now informs her own journey as an entrepreneur. [00:59:11] Curating her projects to reflect her own values and cultivate her journey. [01:01:08] Finding mentorship when your growth is across multiple spaces. [01:01:49] Show up. Know [01:03:42] FounderCafe. [01:04:38] Launch House. [01:05:08] Finding like-minded people and organically grow the relationships. Create new connections and reengage with old connections. [01:09:53] What it means to Shirley to be good at business. [01:12:01] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:14:13] Loving what you do takes work, risk, and perseverance. [01:19:50] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:21:16] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:21:26] Diversify. Always keep learning and exploring.

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Dr Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz is an Assistant Professor in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department at the University of California, Riverside. She joined the University in 2018 after receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Before joining UC Riverside, she was a Provost postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where she developed procedures for synthesising heterogeneous catalysts using atomic layer deposition. She has also worked previously as a Forensic scientist for the Philadelphia police department and as a Refinery chemist at Sunoco Chemicals in Philadelphia after receiving a B.S. in Chemistry from Temple University.

Her research group develops sustainable catalytic processes using an interdisciplinary toolset from environmental, materials and chemical engineering for sustainable applications.

In our conversation, we talk about science entrepreneurship and circular solutions that put waste to good use.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/kandis-leslie-abdul-aziz

[00:00:51] Leslie's introduction to chemistry.

[00:01:46] Where Leslie saw her future with chemistry.

[00:02:55] Working in forensics.

[00:04:07] The novelty and then the tedium of working with drugs.

[00:05:20] Developing protocols for new drugs.

[00:06:33] Inventing a sensor for drug detection.

[00:10:13] The challenges of bringing new technology to market.

[00:12:14] Alternate paths to science entrepreneurship.

[00:13:47] The path to The Sustainable Lab.

[00:16:05] The transition to an engineering role in chemistry.

[00:19:47] The types of problems The Sustainable Lab means to solve.

[00:20:04] Replacing fossil fuels with renewables or waste.

[00:21:58] The applications for converting CO2 and methane into biofuels and other materials.

[00:24:28] Applying chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering to the optimisation of chemical processes.

[00:25:39] Repurposing agricultural and plastic waste.

[00:26:18] Investigating alternative approaches to recycling and the return to science entrepreneurship.

[00:28:56] Working on the methane problem from all ends: Dr Parwinder Kaur's past work on clovers.

[00:29:54] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?

[00:30:53] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

[00:31:43] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

[00:33:59] The experience of transitioning back into research after working in industry.

[00:36:20] Learning to become a science entrepreneur.

[00:40:34] Finding out more about Leslie and The Sustainable Lab.

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Science communication comes in all mediums, from film-making to journalism, even Dungeons and Dragons, and Shamini Bundell does it all.

Shamini is an award-winning filmmaker, a writer, and a journalist, working on the Nature YouTube channel, podcast, and magazine online. She is also one of the members of RPGeeks, combining Dungeons and Dragons with science.

Join us as we speak about Shamini's journey through science and science media production, her introduction to Dungeons and Dragons, and applying her broad skillset to both science communication and creative arts.

About Shamini Bundell

Shamini is a science-film maker and video journalist for the journal Nature. She studied Zoology at undergrad followed by a Science Media Production MSc and then worked in TV for several years before ending up at Nature. In her spare time she combines science communication with Dungeons & Dragons as part of the 'RPGeeks' including running live shows at evens like New Scientist Live and Natural History Museum Lates.

Show Notes (link)

[00:01:17] Delving into the natural sciences.

[00:02:24] The transition into science media production and science communication.

[00:04:37] Shamini's long history with filmmaking.

[00:07:00] Science filmmaking for Nature.

[00:07:24] The creative process for science filmmaking.

[00:10:01] The making of Sandcastle film.

[00:12:49] Project managing the filmmaking process.

[00:13:48] How do you decide where to stop when making a video?

[00:18:12] On discovering Dungeons & Dragons.

[00:19:24] So, pantomime.

[00:20:09] Drunken bus stop D&D.

[00:22:37] The origins of RPGeeks.

[00:24:55] Magic is just the science we haven't justified yet.

[00:25:36] Segue: That world building thing.

[00:27:31] On being a Dungeon Master / Game Master.

[00:29:32] Making the science work.

[00:31:42] The morally grey areas of science and magic.

[00:34:08] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?

[00:35:08] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

[00:40:07] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

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Hosted and produced by Michele Ong.

Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.

Natasha Coutts is a doctoral candidate with the School of Human Sciences at The University of Western Australia (UWA), a postgraduate fellow with UWA's Africa Research & Engagement Centre, and a research affiliate of the Center of Excellence in Biology and Natural Resource Management at the University of Rwanda. Her research takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding how habitat fragmentation can affect the gut microbiome of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) throughout Rwanda by drawing on methods and knowledge from fields such as socioecology, conservation biology, microbiology, population genetics, and bioinformatics. Her project includes two habituated and one semi-habituated chimpanzee communities: one in an undisturbed, continuous habitat and two in small, degraded forest fragments. These field sites represent all locations in Rwanda where chimpanzees currently remain, thereby providing a country-wide perspective on the processes under investigation.

From 2018 - 2019 Natasha was in the field collecting dietary and social data in conjunction with faecal samples and habitat surveys to allow her to identify not only the composition of the chimpanzee’s gut microbial communities, but also the potential mechanisms by which habitat fragmentation can act upon it. With more and more evidence linking the gut microbiome to health, this research is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how changes in habitat can influence the long-term health and viability of endangered chimp populations. Ultimately she hopes her work will make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of chimpanzees by informing management decisions that promote preserving intact habitats and reconnecting isolated fragments.

Natasha holds a Bachelor of Biological Science (Advanced) from La Trobe University and a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Anatomy & Human Biology from UWA.

In addition to her PhD research, Natasha is also the Africa Programs & Conservation Campaigns Manager with the Jane Goodall Institute Australia. In this role she oversees the administration and implementation of the projects JGIA supports including The Girls Empowerment Project in Uganda, Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, and Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in Republic of Congo.

In our conversation, we talk about habitat fragmentation, developing a chimpanzee superhighway, and how empowering girls can lead to better economic, social, and ecological outcomes.

Show Notes (link)

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Ko-Fi

You have to pivot or reinvent yourself to stay relevant. This idea gets bandied about a lot these days but there are going to be times in your life and in business where it has to happen.

Lan Tran is a powerhouse in sales and marketing is no stranger to this concept. She has seen the decline of the paper business directory with the advent of Google ads, the challenges of returning to work after raising a family, and the devastating impact of crypto on a local metaverse game studio.

We speak about approaching reinvention with humility, and Lan's observations about innovation and entrepreneurship in tech and Western Australia.

About Lan Tran

Lan Tran's career commenced in sales with Yellow Pages. She found her calling and thrived in facilitating businesses, corporates and government agencies around Australia to brand, market, and advertise themselves. Her time at Yellow Pages set her up with a strong foundation in Account Management, PR and Stakeholder Management. As the top 2% Sales Executive of the 900+ sales team across Australia, Lan was integral to her company's annual strategic sales and marketing planning with senior leadership. Lan has worked across Australia and Asia leading sales teams and brings with her a wealth of contacts and proven strategies that lift an organisation to the next level.

Sales and marketing is a craft and an art form that continue to lead her into different businesses over the years that suited her lifestyle, which has included living and working overseas, a stint in recruitment, and a couple of years home-schooling her child prodigy.

As a skilled communicator that builds genuine and lasting relationships with ease, Lan joined Ninja Software and was responsible for quadrupling the revenue through strategic lead generation and securing industry partnerships. In the last 12 months, with Ninja's pivot into a Web3 game studio, Lan quickly became the evangelist for metaverse possibilities and connections.

She is known in the tech industry as an absolute powerhouse in all aspects of sales, relationship building and marketing.

Unfortunately, due to a series of unfortunate circumstances (crypto winter and FTX crash) the company she was with went into administration a week before last Christmas. This is a raw conversation with Lan about what it means to be a woman in tech, and how she navigates through changes.

Lan has since been appointed as Chief Sales Officer at EXTAG.

Show Notes (link)

[00:01:40] Lan's beginnings with communication studies.

[00:02:12] Finding her way to sales.

[00:03:24] Yellow Pages vs Google Ads: Embracing new technology.

[00:08:46] Before: the dangers of moving too slowly; Now: the risk of moving too quickly.

[00:10:44] Reinvention leads to progress.

[00:12:01] Reinvention requires humility.

[00:13:01] Reinvention after returning to the workforce after raising a child.

[00:15:34] Meeting Ninja Software.

[00:17:50] The attraction of a metaverse project.

[00:19:27] The frustration with the hype around NFT and wanting a product with real utility.

[00:20:36] The challenges of getting funding in tech in Western Australia.

[00:21:32] Pivoting the entire business model of a company.

[00:24:07] The opportunity to cultivate a pipeline for new industries locally.

[00:27:13] We need to bang the drum for innovators out there to encourage growth in these sectors.

[00:31:38] Don't let 'tall poppy syndrome' stop you.

[00:35:29] The greatest loss is that of the potential to build a local communiy of talent and a pipeline for this industry.

[00:37:16] Bonus Question: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

[00:39:01] Bonus Question: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

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Hosted and produced by Michele Ong.

Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by

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