The Tomato Timer - a ZNotes Pomcast

Personal finance is a huge thing and we all should at least know the basics about it. But schools or universities don’t teach it. If you don’t control your money, it might control you. And that’s really not a good thing. In this episode, we dive deep into learning about this from the founder of Invest it!, Victor Neumann.

Creating Social Impact Through Entrepreneurship ft. Priya Burci | The Tomato Timer #068

What do you do when you are struck by a massive problem and feel compelled to act? For Priya Burci, the former CEO of one of the most successful refugee coding schools in Europe and the current COO of a mental health startup, the answer is to do just that: act in ways that have the potential to create sustainable social impact. Tune in to this episode as she unpacks her entrepreneurial journey and learnings.

Who is Priya Burci?

Priya is currently the COO of AIME, a mental health startup that offers customized guidance programs with the goal of helping people find what techniques work best for them and build a sustainable routine. She was previously the CEO of Powercoders International, an award winning social startup that runs coding courses and tech job placements for refugees. In her role, she launched Powercoders in Turkey, Italy and Spain and achieved a 90% graduate placement rate, making it one of the most successful refugee coding schools in Europe. 

You can find Priya Burci on
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-burci

Suggest guest and send question by becoming part of the ZNotes Discord community at

How can we tackle the issue of underrepresentation in education? That is what James is trying to do through his activism. Listen to this episode to hear the inspiring journey of James, the co-founder of Ladder Project CIC, to teach students from lower socioeconomic and BAME communities the skills that they need to progress through academia and the world of work.

Who is James?

James Frater FRSA is an award winning Caribbean medical student, studying at Imperial College London. He is someone I keep running into - a fellow Diana Award recipient and we also work alongside each other on the Youth Advisory Board at the EY Foundation.  James is als co-founded The Ladder Project CIC to help holistically develop students and prepare them for life after school.

You can find James on:

In this episode, Zubair has the priviledge to have a conversation with Natālija Knipše, the former Latvia’s Youth Delegate to the United Nation. Together they retrace Natalija’s journey into politics and the difficulties of seeing actual change in this field.

Who is Natālija Knipše? 

Natālija Knipše is a Latvian civil and political engagement activist. She was the Youth Delegate of Latvia to the United Nations (2020 - 2022), focusing on climate change, disinformation, and equality during her term. She is a master's student of law, specialising in constitutional law and human rights law, and has worked on multiple cases of importance to the LGBT community, and women's rights. She was previously head of the Presidium of the Youth Parliament of Latvia, an alumni member of the European Youth Parliament, and currently is a One Young World ambassador and engagement lead in the Baltic States. She is currently a Europe & Eurasia Fellow at Freedom House in Washington DC. You can find [Guest] on 

You can find Natālija on:

Listen to today’s super insipiring conversation between Zubair and his host, Alex. Alex is talking us through his difficulties as a undiagnosed child with Asperger and how he nowadays advocates for more diversity and inclusion for young people on the spectrum to have access to a better education and job market.  

Who is Alex? 

Alex is a neurodiversity ambassador, working as a logistics supplier at the Royal Air Force and Diana Legacy Award winner.    

Connect with Alex on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexanderson644/?utm_medium=copy_link

We hear the word “politics” everywhere and all the time, but what exactly does it mean? Luke and Zubair unpack the concept of “being political” and how to approach politic more easily. Listen today’s episode to get tips and advice on how to take action, without any pressure!

Who is Luke? 

TW: Eating Disorder, Bullying, Body Image

In this episode, Zubair exchanges with Ally Zlatar on her journey through eating disorders and how she created an art movement from those difficult times. Nowadays, many artists and people learn and express themselves through the “Starvig Artist” movement. One of Ally’s mission is to make art an active tool rather than an accessory in the disussion around mental healh and eating disorder.

Who is Ally? 

She is the founder of the The Starving Artist. She holds a BFA in Visual Art & Art History from Queen's University & an MLitt Curatorial Practice and Contemporary Art from the Glasgow School of Art.

She is now a lecturer at the University of Glasgow. In her artistic practice and activism, she is continuously interpreting, communicating and facilitating her work to make a difference in society.

You can find Ally on:

“There’s a vaccine against covid but there’s no vaccine against climate change”; in this week’s episode, Zubair and Ludo unpack their mixed feeling about COP26, half empowered by so many young people showing up for the same cause, half disappointed by leaders’ inaction. Ludo also takes us through the birth of Global Justice Stirling and how the 1st edition of the Stirling Climate Festival came to life. Let us know what you thought about this episode!

Who is Ludo ? 

Ludovico is a hird-year International politics student at the University of Stirling. He is the Founder and President of Global Justice Stirling.  He is interested in politics, journalism, social, and environmental justice. Ludo organised Stirling Climate Festival whose 1st edition took place in October 2021.

You can find Ludo on:

From the creation of new models of teaching in schools to the stress of exams, Zubair and Bilal discuss the potential future of what education could look like.

Who is Bilal? 

Bilal has been teaching O and A Level chemistry since 2002 and is the Founder & Director for 3 prominent private educational institutions in Karachi, Pakistan. With a background in Educational Entrepreneurship & Technology besides Chemistry, Bilal is currently leading multiple EdTech projects under the organisation Qadam. His dream is to nurture lifelong learning and ethical leadership in Pakistan's youth.

In the wake of the 4th industrial revolution, students need to be empowered to be curious and adaptable. As skills they learn today might become obsolete and careers they envision non-existent, the way they think and learn could turn out to be the most relevant while navigating through such an uncertain ecosystem. In this episode, Alex Alexandrescu discusses these questions he has been tackling through his startup, Dicey Tech.

Who is Alex?

Alex is a Romanian-born and Manchester-bred entrepreneur who graduated top of class with an MSc in Business Strategy from the University of Manchester. With a background in strategy consulting, he rediscovered a childhood passion for technology and digital making when he assembled a DIY 3D printer. Now he is co-founder and CEO at Dicey Tech, where he aims to inspire and enable generations of students to explore curiosities, learn, and create a better world in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Outside of work, one of his proudest achievements is having cycled from London to Bucharest in support of a UK-Romanian charity that helps orphaned children throughout primary and secondary education.

The gaps in our education system, managing finances as a student, investment, embarking on a career in finance-watch this episode for a crash course into financial education!

When we think and learn differently, why are educational systems so linear, putting us in a box that may not be meant for us? Tune in episode 51 to catch Sergio Hunt talk about the gaps within our learning process and the need for us to take agency over it.

Who is Sergio?  I'm a researcher, creator and human development anthropologist, focusing  on the intersection of culture, technology and human flourishing. I  work on social and silicon technologies that support life long learning,  and communities of practice.

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An entrepreneurial venture most often involves getting the right idea at the right time. But there is so much more that goes into the eventual success after that eureka moment, much of which fades away in the background. Hear Jacob Weddernburn-Day, the co-founder of Stasher, talk about the journey that led him to establish his startup as a $12 million company.

Who is Jacob? 

Jacob Wedderburn-Day is the founder of Stasher — a travel tech startup that connects travellers looking to store luggage with shops and hotels providing storage space. Jacob and Anthony, friends from their time studying economics at Oxford together, co-founded the business in 2015.  They have grown it from the initial idea back when they were students to being a venture-backed company, valued at over $12 million, present in  250 cities worldwide. They were both recognised this year on Europe’s  Forbes 30 under 30 list. In addition to Stasher, Jacob and Anthony co-founded Tree points, a climate change social enterprise. They can also be heard on the Morality of Everyday Things podcast, an everyday philosophy show which ranks in the top 5% of podcasts worldwide.     

Is there a cause that you deeply care about, an issue that makes you want to lead change, but you don't know where to begin considering the extent and size of it? Hear Madhav Datt talk about his story of how starting an environmental club led him to change 80,000 lives, epitomizing the influence passion and dedication can together have.

Who is Madhav Datt?

Madhav Datt founded Green the Gene as a small environmental club in his school when he was 8 years old. Today, Green the Gene is one of the world’s largest completely youth-led environmental non-profits, with over 7,000 young volunteers and projects in 62 countries. They pioneer low-cost technology and data-driven solutions to help local communities in environmental crises across the world. Their focus on safe water accessibility has created affordable water purification devices that bring safe, usable water access to thousands of people in underserved areas. Madhav also co-founded Nostos Homes - a non-profit building homes for the forcibly displaced.

Stellar grades, admirable skills, remarkable CVs: these are great! But in a world as competitive as ours, are these enough? Catch this episode to understand what more you could do to make your way into your dream university or job!    

Who is Justin?

Justin is the Founder of GetChoGrindUp, a media company helping students navigate their way through college. He is also the host of the iTunes  Top 100 podcast Declassified College, where he unlocks cheat codes to thriving in college in bite-sized episodes. Justin has grown his podcast  through his LinkedIn and TikTok content (@declassifiedcollege) where he gets a combined 7+M views each month.  

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Guest Bio: Mohamed is an Industrial Engineering Student, in his last year, studying at the University of Toronto and pursuing a minor in  Business. He has recently completed a 13-month internship in management consulting at a boutique firm called  The Porier Group. He has now  founded a digital marketing agency, called Noor Marketing, that specializes in using paid advertising and sales funnels.    

Breaking stereotypes, defying socio-cultural barriers, following one's  passion and making the world a better place: hear about these from Salam  Al Nukta, a woman who has done it all!

Guest Bio: Originally from Syria, Salam is a startup enthusiast based in the Netherlands with a passion for bringing immediate and strategic value-added projects focusing on women’s empowerment and communities’  prosperity. She founded and launched “ChangeMakers” in 2016, a startup in Syria that aims to close the gender gap in STEM. She has completed 3  years of BSc in Biology from Damascus University before she started a  BSc in International Business Administration in the Netherlands. She is a  public speaker on issues related to female engagement in economic development, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

As kids, curiosities about space are not rare. But the initial flickers of interest seem to fade in the absence of illuminating space education.  Yumna Majeed is tackling the issue, spreading space education in her community!  

Guest Bio: Yumna Majeed is a space educator and aspiring astronaut. She has been working to promote astronomy and space technology in Pakistan since 2016. Yumna founded Exploration which is a space education-based social enterprise. She believes every kid should get answers to their space imaginations which they usually don't get in their classrooms. For that purpose, she is working in affiliation with various international space organizations. Yumna Majeed is a Medical Lab Technologist,  graduated from Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore.  

A considerable part of the admission decisions made by universities  depends on the personal statement. But amidst misinformation and  systemic inequalities, access to guidance for the same lacks for many  students. Watch Oliver Rutherford discuss this, and ways for you to  perfect your personal statement!  

Guest Bio: Ollie is the Co-Founder of UniRise, a social enterprise that  has helped over 6,000 students around the world get into top UK  universities. After a brief stint in finance, Ollie completed the Teach  First programme where he became a maths teacher in a challenging  inner-city London secondary school. In his second year teaching, he  became the Deputy Head of Maths, and after this year, he joined an  early-stage high-growth ed-tech start-up called Aula, where he expanded  the company into the USA. Ollie is now obsessed with how to give every  student, no matter what their background, the opportunity to realise  their potential.    

Join our next live session by becoming part of the ZNotes Discord  community at https://discord.gg/pntDdE5.    

Unirise social media handles:- 

The future could seem uncertain right now in terms of the deteriorating world we live in, as well as from an individual career perspective. But there is hope, and Caritta Seppa discusses how you can help harmonize it into action.

Guest Bio: Caritta Seppa is the co-founder and COO at Tespack, a company specialized in developing mobile energy solutions for off-grid workers. Caritta has been awarded by Forbes 30 Under 30, selected as one of the Top 100 Women in Wearables and she is one of the finalists for the Nordic Women in Tech Award 2020. She is a One Young World ambassador and passionate about technology and sustainable development. Caritta is an invited speaker to leading tech events such as MQ! Innovation Summit and Women in Tech Summit while also being a TEDx speaker. She was the co-organizer of the first Women in Tech Forum in Lima and has been featured by Forbes, Huffington Post, Women Leaders, and Tech.eu.

Connect with Caritta on

opportunity to represent my country at the International Olympic Academy for the event “58th International Session for Young Participants” which held in Greece. Also, the last year 2019, I got the opportunity to represent my organization at the One Young World International Summit held in London, UK. I was a recipient of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and I was also fortunate to meet The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In 2018, I co-founded Deshi Ballers along with a friend of mine. This is a female-led voluntary organization that aims to empower women of all ages through sports. Our mission statement stands -- “To teach, develop, organize, manage and offer female youth players in Bangladesh opportunities to learn and play basketball while instilling life-lessons and values such as character, teamwork, discipline, respect, and sportsmanship.”

Through our venture, we are trying to provide opportunities to the girls who want to pursue sports as their career and mainly trying to reduce the discrimination which a woman had to face in sports. As a female athlete myself, I know how hard it is for women to hold on to any sport in my country.

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In this episode, Spandana Palaypu talks about the shift in mindsets in the corporate world, with the one-way revenue-driven approach now being integrated with social responsibility, and the application of this idea into her own start-up helping blue-collar workers pursue their dream jobs. She takes us through her journey, right from a high-schooler making decisions about her subjects to the entrepreneur making her mark in the world.  

Guest Bio: Spandana founded ZoEasy, a platform which educates and matches migrant workers to the right employment opportunities using ethical and transparent hiring processes. ZoEasy focuses on sustainable job creation at fair wages and reduces inequalities by combining technology and modern hiring practices with Government Collaborations, Skill Development and Training She graduated with a First Class Honours in Business and Management from Aberystwyth University (UK) and is an Alumna of Stanford University’s EPGY Program. She has been featured on World Economic Forum and Financial Times for the work she is doing and has received several awards, including 2019’s Most Influential by Ahlan, Forbes 50 Startups, Duke of Edinburgh and World Challenge. As a World Challenger, she visited Tanzania and assisted in building schools and teaching. She has been awarded the Enterprise for Peace Scholarship by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend the One Young World Summit; where she was a Delegate Speaker for the Education Plenary Session and became a part of Akon’s inaugural team of entrepreneurial brand influencers. She has also spoken about Industry 4.0 and Workforce Development at the World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment in Australia and was chosen to contribute to the International Labour Organisation’s Global Youth Employment Agenda. She is now a Global Shaper and Incoming Vice Curator (Dubai Hub) at the World Economic Forum and is contributing towards education projects. Spandana also recently won Lead 2030’s United Nations SDG Challenge for Goal 4 (Quality Education), funded by Credit Suisse and is a winner of Expo 2020’s Innovation Impact Program. Spandana is also a vivid traveler, trekker, swimmer, marathon runner and a voracious reader. Absolutely loves music, and has an ear for languages, giving her the ability to actually sing in 9 languages. She is a strong believer of EQ over IQ and loves the company ofpeople from different walks of life.

 

In this episode, Joel Alexander talks about finding his own company as a university student and the barriers that arise when embarking on such a path. He offers insights into overcoming these challenges, dealing with rejection, and building confidence when everything seems to be pitted against you. He talks about adding meaning to your life by adding meaning to someone else's, as he works actively towards creating an impact.

Maths is so much more than the formulas and procedures we have known to associate it with. In this episode, we break these stereotypes and discuss the various dimensions maths entails: the creativity, the critical thinking, and the background that goes into developing the procedures.


Guest Bio: Ivan Zelich graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2020 studying pure mathematics. He has given two TED talks in Paris and Sydney speaking about education and his paper on geometry that he published while in high school.  He has competed in olympiads and is excited to share his insights into test-taking strategies and of course, mathematics!

What to expect at law school, or at any course you choose, and how to get there: there are these tips and tricks that come in handy. But the ways to access that invaluable information are generally not so accessible. In our recent Tomato Timer's episode, we explore some of these with two Cambridge graduates while also talking about their journeys.

In this episode with Fatima Moin, discover ways to create an impact irrespective of limitations you can be surrounded by and learn how to access international opportunities from wherever you are.

In the twenty-third episode of the Tomato Timer, Zubair and Bianca Cefalo, A Space Systems Thermal Product Manager at Airbus Group Inc., aerospace engineering, making the transition from formula 1 racing to space science and inclusivity.

In the twenty-second episode of the Tomato Timer, Zubair and Charlotte Fitzpatrick, a Digital & Technological Solutions Degree Apprentice at BT, talk about acing interview, apprenticeships and inclusivity in the tech world.

In the twentieth episode of the Tomato Timer, Zubair and Joanna Wyroba, a Business Director for Design and Engineering at Arcadis, talk about becoming an architect, sustainability and working remotely.