To get in touch with Kevin Chan, find him on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/kevinhpchan

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

To get in touch with Cynthia Yeo, find her on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/cynyeo

And the websites available are:

microsoft.com (Company)

microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/crm.aspx (Customer Engagement Solutions)

microsoft.com/en-gb/dynamics/crm-trust-center.aspx (Dynamics CRM Trust Center)

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

To get in touch with Bryan Yang, find him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykbryan/?originalSubdomain=sg

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

In this episode, Seow Khun discussed how to provide employees the flexibility to truly control their work and home life balance, and how this is enabled by Microsoft's core principles of respect and honesty.

To get in touch with Seow Khun, find her on:

https://sg.linkedin.com/in/lumsk

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Daniel and Michelle, co-founders of Nimbus Group, an office and home cleaning service provider. They share their experiences working together, building a business, and parenting their nine-year-old daughter. Daniel and Michelle discuss their previous attempts at working together and how they learned to separate their work and personal lives. They also talk about the importance of having clarity on roles and responsibilities and how they have divided their responsibilities to avoid conflict. As the business has grown, they have been able to improve their work-life balance and set boundaries to avoid work talk before 9 am. The couple also shares their approach to parenting, which centers on fostering their child's individuality and intrinsic motivation. They prioritize cultivating their daughter's love for learning and exploring diverse interests, rather than solely focusing on grades and academic success.

To get in touch with Daniel and Michelle, find them on LinkedIn:
https://sg.linkedin.com/company/nimbus-for-work

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

PARENTS IN TECH - MIXPANEL EPISODE SHOW NOTES

Guest: Daniel and Michelle

Daniel and Michelle are co-founders of Nimbus Group, a provider of corporate and residential cleaning services. They discuss working together, establishing a business, and raising their nine-year-old daughter, Camellia.

Working Together as a Couple

Daniel and Michelle have been together for over five years, and they know that a successful relationship requires effort from both parties. They understand that working together as a couple is the key to making their relationship last. From communication to problem-solving, both Daniel and Michelle are willing to put in the necessary effort to ensure that their relationship is strong and healthy. They recognize that it takes two people to make a relationship work, so they strive to be understanding of each other’s needs and compromises when necessary. By working together as a couple, Daniel and Michelle hope to create an environment of mutual respect, trust, and love in their relationship.

Separating Work and Personal Life

Daniel and Michelle have been struggling to keep their work and personal lives separate. They both find it hard to switch off from work when they get home, which is taking a toll on their relationship. Fortunately, there are methods that can help them achieve a better balance between their professional and personal lives. These include setting boundaries around when they can talk about work, such as avoiding talking about work after dinner or during weekends. They can also try using tools such as time blocking to make sure they stick to their schedule and have dedicated time for both work and leisure activities.

Integrating family and relationships 

Family and relationships are complex, yet incredibly important aspects of life. Daniel and Michelle are no exception to this rule as they have gone through initial challenges while trying to integrate their family together. Learning the importance of consistency in parenting is key to building a strong bond between parent and child. It is essential for parents to understand that their children depend on them for stability and security in their day-to-day lives. Creating an environment where both father and mother can equally contribute helps foster a sense of trust, understanding, and respect between the family members. Daniel and Michelle have taken steps towards working together to provide a loving environment for their child so they can continue growing up healthy and happy.

From commercial to residential cleaning

Daniel and Michelle, a couple who used to run a commercial cleaning business, found themselves in an unexpected situation during the COVID-19 crisis. With the closure of businesses and offices, they had to pivot their business model and focus on home cleaning services instead. But it wasn't just a matter of changing their services. They also had to develop new systems for marketing, customer service and operations. After some trial and error they were able to successfully build systems that allowed them to offer high quality residential cleaning services without sacrificing efficiency or value for their customers.

• "We try to be open-minded and we try to be modern parents."

• "I think any family run business when they want to bring in their family as well, I think usually the approach, the sensible approach at least, is not to parachute to the top straightaway.”

• "Even though sometimes the paths may not necessarily be what us as parents envision or hope for the child, I think it's fine. I think that most people, if brought up well with good values, they eventually find their own way and they learn on their feet most of the time."

• “And I think meritocracy being a very core value to our society, to my company, it's very important that people must see that, you know, this even though this person is the son or daughter or related, they are equally willing to learn and be do a 360 and progress from there because I think it also helps the person better if you're parachuting straight away as a manager.”

Episode Timeline:

[00:01:25] Daniel and Michelle discuss their experiences working together as husband and wife, including the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.

[00:05:43] The couple shares their methods for separating work and personal life, including avoiding work talk at certain times of the day and having serious work conversations in a proper setting.

[00:08:57] The founders talk about the importance of work-life balance, especially as a startup founder, and how they have improved their balance as their business has grown.

[00:09:24] Michelle and Daniel discuss the challenges of balancing work and family life, relying on each other and family support, and how it gets easier as the business matures.

[00:11:16] Daniel explains how the pivot to home cleaning came about due to the COVID-19 crisis, the challenges of providing 24/7 support, and the importance of building systems rather than relying on people.

[00:15:35] Michelle and Daniel share their experiences of introducing their daughter to each other, the initial challenges, and the importance of consistency and building a bond with the child.

[00:18:35] How Michelle and Daniel align their parenting styles and values, including reasoning things out and being firm but fair with children.

[00:21:33] Daniel talks about how he tries to add value as a stepfather by complementing Michelle's parenting and contributing to shaping their daughter's moral values.

[00:25:00] Michelle and Daniel discuss their philosophy of developing their daughter's intrinsic love for learning, rather than forcing her to do activities she's not interested in, and exploring different interests beyond academics.

[00:27:22] Discussion on the relevance of traditional education and parenting styles in the changing world.

[00:30:09] Daniel and Michelle's thoughts on bringing their daughter into the family business and the importance of not imposing it on her.

[00:34:36] Daniel's advice to his past self on being more empathetic towards his child's feelings and building from there.

[00:35:51] Michelle shares advice on letting children find their own path and not controlling them too much.

[00:37:44] Daniel introduces Nimbus Homes, a home cleaning and service provider, and their mission to provide job opportunities to those in need.

Raising a Secure Child, written by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, and Bert Powell John, was published in 2017. This book helps us as parents to understand how our childhood experiences, psychology, and attachment styles affect our parenting, and is packed with practical tips. The book introduces a concept called the "Circle of Security" to frame Attachment Theory ideas. At the top of the circle, children need a secure base from which they can explore the world. At the bottom of the circle, they require a safe haven to return to. Children go around the circle, sometimes very quickly, and it is the job of their parents or caregivers to follow their needs while being "larger, stronger, smarter, and kind" throughout the process. The book is divided into two parts – the first introduces us to the circle and how healthy development happens when parents understand attachment and the importance of security. The second talks about how parents can create and maintain the circle.

The second book we are going to talk about is Raising Good Humans, written by Hunter Clarke-Fields. With mindfulness as its focus, this book examines ways in which increasing our awareness of what is occurring inside our bodies can help us be more purposeful and present parents. This book delves into the reasons why it is so difficult to be a good parent, as well as what we can do to effect long-term change. It also offers a peek into a child’s brain that causes difficult behavior.

The book is also divided into two parts. In the first part, parents learn how mindfulness can help them lessen their stress response and become more compassionate. Parents can then become conscious of their own stories and figure out what is triggering them. Self-compassion comes after as the most important attitude for positive change. The first section concludes with tools on how to deal with unpleasant emotions. The second part teaches parents communication skills that will result in greater cooperation from their children and an improvement in the relationship. It suggests how we, as parents, help our children solve their own difficulties by listening to them, without resorting to threats.

The common principle across these two books is the importance of developing a healthy attachment with our children, in addition to being aware of the triggers and challenges as parents.  

So, what will we be discussing in the next few minutes? We will summarize the key takeaways across three key areas:

1. Attachment
2. Security and Support
3. Exploring our core sensitivities as parents

Welcome to the Parents in Tech Book Club! In each episode, we summarize lessons and takeaways from two best-selling parenting books, so you can save time, get your dose of parenting advice and get back to our families and careers.

How Children Learn by John Holt was first published in 1967, and then revised in 1983. In 2017, a 50th anniversary version was published with a new prologue, although the content remained substantially the same. He wanted to create change by dissociating education from schooling, with the belief that children do not need and, in fact, would be better off without compulsory schooling. He concluded that learning in freedom for children was best. In this book, he describes in detail and with several examples, what natural learning is. Natural learning is when there is no anxiety or fear, pressure or manipulation by the parents. The book helps us understand why it is important to allow children to develop their own mental processes and discusses how children learn to speak, read or pick up other skills like sports, art or math. In addition, the book discusses the importance of games, fantasy and, curiosity on the child’s  mind development.

The second book we are going to check out will be The Montessori Toddler, written by Montessori educator Simone Davies. Montessori is a word we as parents hear a lot – from the advertisements of pre-schools to conversations with other parents. This book introduces what the Montessori method is, and talks about the practical parenting strategies that will support a child's development.

So what is the Montessori method? Most teachers in traditional education stand up in front of the class and decide what kids need to learn. This is called a "top-down" approach. In the Montessori method, there is a dynamic relationship between the child, the adult, and the environment. In this dynamic, the child is in charge of his or her own learning. The child is then supported by the adult and the environment. The materials for learning are laid out on shelves in sequential order from easiest to hardest. The child works at their own pace with the material, following their interest at that moment. Next, the teacher or parent observes the child, and when it seems he or she has mastered it, the teacher or parent will give them a lesson with the next material. In other words, the kid is in charge of what they learn, how they learn, and how fast they progress. Simone' book describes how educational values utilized in a Montessori classroom can also be used at home. She describes a variety of Montessori activities, that we as parents, can conduct with our children.  

I believe that both books complement each other well. The common principle both emphasize is to trust our children in the learning process. Joh Holt’s book provides a foundation and concepts about children's learning, such as the impact of us parents pushing our kids to learn. Simone’ book then comes in with a vast catalog of activities on how we as parents can avoid exerting this pressure.

So, what will we be discussing in the next few minutes? We will summarize the key takeaways from each of the 6 topics.

1. Creating a safe space to learn
2. Curiosity
3. Language & Reading
4. Sports, Art, and Experiential Activities
5. Fantasy
6. Other takeaways on learning

Welcome to the Parents in Tech Book Club! In each episode, we summarize lessons and takeaways from two best-selling parenting books, so you can save time, get your dose of parenting advice and get back to our families and careers.

The first book is titled "The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child", and the second is titled "The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind". The first book takes a more practical approach, distinguishing the yes brain from the no brain, and then categorizing yes brain characteristics into four fundamentals:

1. Balanced yes brain
2. Resilient yes brain
3. Insightful yes brain
4. Empathic yes brain

The book includes strategies and ideas for implementing these fundamentals.

The second book provides a science-based explanation of how a child's brain works, dividing the brain's integration process into five concepts: left and right brain integration, vertical and horizontal integration, memory integration, self-integration, and self-integration with others, as well as providing 12 tactics based on these concepts.

So, what will we be discussing in the next few minutes? We will summarize the key takeaways from each of the six topics.

1. Understanding the child's brain
2. Balance
3. Resilience
4. Insight
5. Empathy
6. Memory

Welcome to the Parents in Tech Book Club! In each episode, we summarize lessons and takeaways from two best-selling parenting books, so you can save time, get your dose of parenting advice and get back to our families and careers.

The two books complement each other very well, and when read in conjunction, they provide fantastic tools to help improve a parent-child relationship. They are very similar in content because they follow the same philosophy, although Joanna and Julie in their book provide more tools targeting kids with special needs. Both have sample dialogues, role-playing exercises, and cartoons that are both funny and insightful – if you are interested to practice the advice you have heard on this podcast, definitely do check the books out.  

So, what will we talk about in this episode? Both Adele and Joanna's books focus on helping us as parents to communicate with our children. We will summarize the key takeaways across 8 topics. Here goes:

1. Helping children deal with their feelings
2. Engaging cooperation
3. Alternatives to Punishment and Tools for Resolving Conflict
4. Problem Solving
5. Encouraging Autonomy
6. Praising
7. Freeing children from playing roles
8. When our child is suffering with autism or sensory issues

Welcome to the Parents in Tech Book Club! In each episode, we summarize lessons and takeaways from two best-selling parenting books, so you can save time, get your dose of parenting advice and get back to our families and careers.

At a very young age, Cliff was diagnosed with cancer and went through a successful liver transplant. Despite growing up immuno-compromised, he went on to become an Ironman triathlete and gave up his career in tech and in Christian ministry to be present with his children. 

Cliff, who was born and raised in Canada, is now based in Singapore. He enjoys each moment with his family. He is a father of two daughters, aged 3 and 5, and married to his beautiful wife, Rachel. He is clear with his priorities - making his kids feel loved and secured. Putting his daughters through homeschool allows him to have a closer bond with them. We also speak about how it is easier to complete the Ironman triathlon than it is to be a parent. 

To get in touch with Cliff Tam, find him at clifftam.com. 

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Nathaddeus is Regional Sales Manager at Zscaler. When I recorded this episode with Nat, he was a Territory Sales Manager at SalesForce for almost 5 years, and has consistently been one of the top performers in his team. At Salesforce, he was selected for the prestigious Salesforce Leadership Accelerate Programme designed to groom future leaders. Nat is father to two young children, aged 3 and 1

Nat talks to us about how he married his childhood sweetheart, and how being a father was always one of his aspirations. He shares the expected and unexpected which he encountered throughout the journey of fatherhood, and how he views “work-life balance”. For him, parenting has been a demanding but thoroughly enjoyable adventure, and taking breaks from work is how he creates time for himself and his family. 

To get in touch with Nathaddeus, find him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaddeus/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Joshua Foo is the Regional Director at Chainalysis. Prior to joining Chainalysis, he spent 18 years in the IT and cyber security space, managing infrastructure at security teams and the Singapore government before moving to the private sector as the Sales Director for FireEye, RSE, and Cardboard Black VMware.

In this episode, Joshua wisely reveals his personal experiences and rational observations to other Parents in Tech. He narrates their financial management in this expensive parenting culture, the importance of date nights every once in a while, and how to have a meaningful and intentional relationship with kids.

He also shares perceptive and enlightening parenting advice, especially for those who are struggling with, or are planning to have, 2 or more children in this technological-driven world.

To get in touch with Joshua Foo, find him on LinkedIn:
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/joshua-foo-a49bb776

Eric Chan is the Lead Product Manager at Grab. Eric started his career as the Design Engineer at Dyson before working in product roles at Razer, Igloo Home, and Property Guru. He’s a passion explorer at night and recently started a video podcast, Your Grit Story, featuring the stories of founders, leaders, and change-makers who live by passion and perseverance.

In this episode, Eric narrates his parenting experiences, including his practical strategies and soft approaches as a father in tech, while emphasizing the importance of sharing the responsibility of household chores equally with his wife. He also shares insightful tips on how to be intentionally involved, not only with kids but also with one’s spouse.

To get in touch with Eric Chan, find him on LinkedIn:

https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ericchanjq

https://sg.linkedin.com/company/yourgritstory

Yao Hong Ch’ng is the Head of Engineering at January Capital. Previously, Yao Hong was one of the early employees at StashAway where he built the company’s flagship product from day zero. He managed product engineering launching in five different regions over four years and headed the business intelligence and data engineering efforts. 

When asked about the one key lesson he learned as a parent in tech, Yao Hong Ch’ng emphasises the art of letting go, especially on the things we can’t control. There are no perfect parents in the world and not everything goes according to plan. 

To get in touch with Yao Hong Ch’ng, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaohongchng/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Shadab is the Head of FinTech and Innovation, APAC at Schroders. He is the President of the Singapore FinTech Association, a member of the Digital Innovation Committee at the Investment Management Association of Singapore, and the Head of Community at the FinTech Nation. Shadab is a father to two children: a daughter, age eight, and a son, age four. 

In this episode, Shadab shares how he and his wife minimizes sibling rivalry even before their second child was born, ensures boundaries are set between work and home during the COVID situation, and finds the right balance in kids’ relationship with technology.

To get in touch with Shadab, find him on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadab-taiyabi/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Sriram is the Director for Sales Strategy and Operations at Salesforce. He leads a multi-faceted team spanning sales strategy, sales operations, and go-to-market strategy. Before Salesforce, he began his career at McKinsey before joining Dell as the Director of Global Operations Strategy and Digital Transformation, and finally Salesforce.

In this episode, Sriram shares his parenthood journey, and how he is supported by the people around him. He also talks about parenting mindsets as having more empathy and patience, and also describes parenting as a team activity rather than a ‘helping’ one. 

He also shares personal anecdotes on his transition to fatherhood, particularly on learning how to compartmentalise, how to integrate both family life and work together, and how to set boundaries. 

To get in touch with Sriram Ved, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sriram-ved/

Steven Tong has more than two decades of experience in technology - starting from a solutions architect and IT consultant, to investor at SG Innovate and StartupBootcamp and now, leading innovation as Head of SAP.io Foundry in Singapore.  He is a genuine, warm, and welcoming person who is a father to a nine-year-old daughter and a husband to his entrepreneur-couples therapist wife.

Steven talks about the importance of finding a company that values work-life balance. His previous work experiences allowed him to work on a flexible schedule. This gave him the freedom to work around his own schedule and have time for family despite the hustle. As much as work is important, family must always come first. He also wants to teach his daughter the value of family and to empathize with others.

Steven also shares the early stages of her fatherhood journey. His daughter was born prematurely, and it was very challenging for him and his wife. Fast forward to now, he is starting to introduce his daughter to the world of tech. He teaches her coding for the benefit of computational thinking, which he believes is helpful in daily life. He shares, “When we teach our kids, we learn from them too.”

To get in touch with Steven Tong, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/steventong. 

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Aditya is the Head of Growth and Partnerships for Southeast Asia and India at HubSpot. Before this, he led the international expansion of Practo, a B2B startup in India, and was the country manager for Singapore. He is passionate on topics including sales and marketing tech stacks, low no-code platforms, and farm-to-table initiatives. Recently, in August 2021, Aditya welcomed his daughter into the world, along with his wife, Priya. 

In this episode, Aditya shares how moving to Singapore was a timely and good decision for his family in the wake of COVID-19. His parenting dynamic, his teamwork with his wife Priya are some of the valuable lessons he has learned as a parent in tech.

Listen in to know about his views on family bonding time, advice on how to help the wife during pregnancy, balancing time between work and his two girls, and raising a newborn.

To get in touch with Aditya, find him on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toadityakumar/ 

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Letting children learn through hands-on experiences, collaborating with their peers, and allowing them to always ask “why.” In this episode, I speak with John Tan about the importance of helping children keep their spark and drive to learn.

John Tan is a father to five children, an education entrepreneur, and the CEO and Founder of Saturday Kids (for ages 5 to 16) and Doyobi (for ages 8 to 12). Both are coding schools in Singapore, and a product of John’s advocacy of inspiring kids to become curious self-directed learners. In the year 2019, he was recognized as an Obama leader in Asia Pacific.

John also explains how children must be given the opportunity to express themselves and be provided avenues for them to discover and develop who they are as early as they can. 

To get in touch with John Tan, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohntan/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

BanWei Chua started as a developer and senior manager before becoming the Deputy Chief Technology Officer in Sleek. He is a parent to a boy and a girl, ages nine and seven.

In this episode, he discusses the importance of setting priorities at work and at home as a parent, and how Sleek allowed him to be a hands-on father, learning and applying his role at work and being a leader. He also talks about sharing and adapting his parenting style in his working environment. 

To get in touch with BanWei Chua, find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ban-wei-chua

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Pauline Sim worked in the banking industry for 18 years before becoming the head of the FinTech and Partnerships team in Sleek. She is a mother to two boys and a girl, ages thirteen, ten, and nine.

In this episode, she discusses the importance of providing employees with a healthy working environment and allowing them to divide their time between work and life outside work. She also talks about the quality of work they produce, giving the right working hours, and how women in the tech industry make an empathetic leader that encourages the whole team.

To get in touch with Pauline Sim, find on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulinesim/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Aisyiah Mohd is the Head of People and Culture at Sleek. Aisyiah is a proud mom of two teenage kids who keep her young at heart, age 19 and 15.

In this episode, she discussed the story of how she left her stable job, stayed at home to care for her children, and then went back to work as an “accidental leader.” She also shared how her maternal instincts led her to care for their people during the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone felt anxious about the sudden WFH setup.

To get in touch with Aisyiah Mohd, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/aishamohd

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Julien Labruyere is a father to 2 children. He is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Sleek (https://www.sleek.com), a one-stop solution for entrepreneurs, SMEs and investors to register new businesses from anywhere and effortlessly manage their accounting, payroll, tax compliance, business accounts and governance through a simple online platform with first-class support. Julien dives into the values and disciplines that he practises inside his business and also he is imparting to his two kids. Julien also shares his parenting style, blending in his French culture with living in Singapore.

To balance work and life responsibilities, Julien makes sure that he is setting boundaries from being a CEO to his company and being the father to his kids. He also shares how he is trying to be present and make time with his family as well as being empathetic to his employees who also are parents and soon to become parents.

To get in touch with Julien Labruyere, find him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julienlabruyere/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Born and bred in Singapore, Zi Xin enjoys using technology to solve problems. He loves and lives to eat, but hates to queue - leading him to co-found Appic Technologies while in university. Appic Technologies was acquired by Chope in 2014, and since then Zi Xin has worked in product management leadership roles.

Zi Xin is a father of a three-year-old boy, Arthur. In his free time, he loves to scout for food with his wife, which they both truly enjoy. Parenting for Zi Xin is a learning experience, and he shares how he is not afraid of taking risks because he can always improve and learn from it.  From sleep training to letting his kid decide what to wear, Zi Xin prefers to teach their son independence from a young age.

As a parent in tech, Zi Xin also tries to experiment around his approach towards parenting. He loves to try out ways to improve the status quo, and learn from what did not work out. His principles help him in his parenting which is evident in the way he teaches empathy and courage to his son. 

To get in touch with Zi Xin, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/chongzixin

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Gaurav Jain is the Director of Engineering at Autodesk. Throughout his career, he has also started several side projects such as an online social platform for creative professionals and edutech mobile apps and games. He met his wife while browsing a magazine of potential partners, which turned out to be one of the best decisions in his life. She later became the mother of his two kids, aged 11 and 6. The first was born in India while the second was born in Singapore - two blessings they never expected, but now relish. 

Gaurav shares one of the challenges of raising kids - fussy eating. To address this, he researched a variety of parenting techniques and experimented through trial-and-error. He recounted how starving his elder child for a day in an attempt to make her hungry and eat did not pan out as planned.

As a parent in tech, he also talks about the benefits and challenges of working from home as the lines often get blurred. To create a sense of balance between the two under one roof, he creates a strict schedule of work time and family time. 

To get in touch with Gaurav Jain, find him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravunc/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

In this episode, we speak to Sammy, Senior Sales Manager and Head of Online Sales Organisation - Southeast Asia at LinkedIn. Sammy and his wife moved to Singapore a decade ago with the intent of staying for 2 years, but fell in love with the sunny island and stayed on. He is on a mission to make the days of others better by helping them understand their inner strength. Earlier this year, he became an Associate Certified Coach by the ICF. Sammy is the father of 3 children all aged 5 and under.

Sammy shares that despite having three young kids at the peak of his career, it has never occurred to him that family and parenthood might set him back on his career ambitions. He is grateful to have his children grow up together with a small age gap, so they can connect and bond with each other better. 

Sammy’s road to fitness also started during quarantine season, and since then, has built a regular fitness regime with the help of a personal trainer to keep him consistent and accountable. Despite the hustle at work, he makes sure that he spends time with family, and to make every moment with them count.

To get in touch with Sammy Elazab, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sammyelazab

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Lennard is a Product Manager of Trust and Safety at TikTok. He has more than a decade of product management experience at Yahoo, Singtel, BBC and most recently, GovTech, and a strong believer in making use of analytics for strategy and design. Lennard is a father of two, a son aged 11 and a daughter of their own aged 2.5 years old. 

Lennard is an engaged father who takes the effort to prepare breakfast for his children daily, despite having domestic help. He met his wife 14 years ago when they were both Product Managers at Yahoo! so we also talk about how the tech landscape has radically changed since then. As a parent in tech, Lennard shares with us a picture of his kids’ relationship with social media and also discusses how parenthood helps him be more patient and consider challenges from different perspectives. . 

To connect with Lennard, you may find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lennard-lim-2b339920/

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In this episode, I speak with Amanda Lau, Campus Recruiting Program Manager at Workato. She has more than a deacade of HR experience, helping people and organisations succeed through coaching, relationship building and HR program design. On top of that, she is also a mother to two children, aged four and seven.

As a recruiting program manager, she shares how Workato helps employees achieve work-life balance through open communication and utilizing productivity tools among other initiatives. Aside from taking care of their own employees, she also shares how she raises her kids as a parent in tech, and how she overcame the struggles of being a mom to two young kids during the height of the pandemic.

To get in touch with Amanda Lau, find her on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalauyl/

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In this episode, I speak with Steven, Senior Manager of Business Technology Operations at Workato. Steven is father to three children, ages four, nine, and 13. 

Steven shares the importance of coordinating with his wife to come up with routines to manage their work and home duties. He also discussed how Workato offered learning opportunities and technological support to adapt to post-pandemic ways of working.

To get in touch with Steven Hoon, find him on LinkedIn: 

https://sg.linkedin.com/in/stevenhoon

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Choon Yen is the Head of People Operations and Systems in the Asia Pacific and Japan at Workato. She is a mother to a two-year-old and her husband works as a mindfulness coach and a data manager at a non-profit.

In this episode, she talks about her role in Workato, and how they have cultivated an environment with empathy and understanding. She also mentioned Workato’s generous maternity and paternity leave; how higher-ups encourage their employees to take a break and prioritize spending time with their families; and how through openly communicating, they are able to respect each other’s time and boundaries.

To get in touch with Choon Yen, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/choonyen

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From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Rahal Kansara on how she creates work-life integration and balances her career ambitions with family aspirations.

Rahal is from Stripe's APAC recruiting team who focuses on core business recruiting, particularly in risk and financial recruitment.  She aims to provide a safe working environment for parent candidates coming to Stripe, as she, herself, is also a mother to her child, aged 9. 

In this episode, she shares that there is no stigma on being a parent candidate at Stripe, as long honesty and openness exist between the employer and employee. With the goal to make candidates believe in their ability, Rahal encourages open dialogues and discussions within the company. These initiatives help their employees become great parents and tech leaders all at once. 

To get in touch with Rahal Kansara, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahalkansara/

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From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Meenakshi Dhingra on how Stripe creates work-life integration and balances their career ambitions with family aspirations. Meenakshi is Stripe’s Global Community Support and Operations Lead for APAC. She is also a mother to 2 children, aged 13 and 9.

Meenakshi expounds on her experiences, particularly in dealing with sacrifices for the sake of family, implementing work-life integration with her husband, and moving past the challenges life gives — as a family.

To get in touch with Meenakshi, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakshi-dhingra-31926a23/

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From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I talk to Vivian about her career with Stripe, her experience of moving to Singapore from the States, and how she has learned to be able to balance her work with her duties as a mother. Vivian is an Engineering Manager at Stripe’s APAC Banking team. She is a mother of 2 lovely daughters, aged 3 and 6.

Vivian talks to us about how she met her husband in the US, in the States’ Bay Area. They got married, and started their careers in tech space there. When her husband decided to go back to China to start a business, she knew that staying in the States would prove to be difficult and so she moved to Singapore with her two very young children.

To get in touch with Vivian, find her on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianxx/ 

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From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Lisa Harris about how Stripe’s policies and activities actively support working parents like her. Lisa is from Stripe’s People Partner team at APAC. She is a mother of 2 beautiful children, Mikayla, age 10, and Parker, age 8.

Lisa shares how Stripe cultivates the value of support and patience, proving how conducive their workplace is to building a successful career while maintaining quality time with their children and spouses. 

To get in touch with Lisa Harris, find her on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-harris-b714931/

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Jonathan is the Chief Financial Officer at Moleac and a board member at Down Syndrome Association of Singapore. Jonathan has an illustrious career starting as CIMB before rising the ranks in the biopharmaceutical space. He's also an active advocate and supporter for families with children diagnosed with Down Syndrome.  

Jonathan’s eldest son Nathan was diagnosed when he was still in his mother’s womb. Despite the medical advice and snide remarks by the gynecologist, who said that their kid would turn out to be “gross”, Jonathan and his wife decided to keep Nathan. Now, he's in a loving home environment with the help of a better gynecologist and a community that helps them learn how to become better at parenting children with down syndrome.

My conversation with Jonathan was inspiring and I hope it is for you too. 

The Down Syndrome Association of Singapore (DSA) is also hosting the Mystique Charity Gala Dinner on Saturday, 24 September 2022. This event will mark DSA’s first in-person event since 2019, which aims to raise $300,000 to continue the association’s mission to serve persons with Down syndrome and their families with quality programs and services.

Support this cause with a donation of any amount, or purchasing a seat / table for Mystique here: https://give.asia/campaign/dsa-mystique-xvi-charity-dinner Donations will be eligible for a tax deduction of 250%

To get in touch with Jonathan Seow, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-seow/

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From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Chek Lim on how Stripe creates work-life integration and balances their career ambitions with family aspirations. Chek is from Stripe’s Customer Success & Payments Optimisation APAC team. He is father to 3 beautiful children, aged 7, 6 and 4.

Chek also shares how Stripe is a family-friendly company, and how it continuously helps him and his wife to raise their kids through strong parenthood communities.

To get in touch with Chek Lim, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chekrepublic/

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From Work to Home is a collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Sandeep Nair about how important flexibility and crisis management skills are to parenting. Sandeep is from Stripe’s Customer Success and Payment optimization team at APAC. He is a father to three beautiful children, aged 5 and twins aged 2. 

Sandeep shares how beneficial working at Stripe is especially during his adjustment period as a working parent in the pandemic, and making sure that he and his wife still have space for quality time and restful breaks. 

To get in touch with Sandeep Nair, find him on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanairvt/

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Praveen Velu is Strategic Partnerships Lead at Meta. Praveen started his career in financial broadcast journalism during the Global Financial Crisis with companies including CNBC and Yahoo. He then led network development at The Walt Disney Company in APAC, before co-founding Evie.AI, an AI personal assistant that schedules meetings. This is one of the must-have tools I myself use in my day job as a venture capitalist. Praveen’s management philosophy begins and ends with people, and he is a father of two boys aged 2 and 5.

Praveen shares several anecdotes and helpful insights to fellow parents in tech. He talks about implementing discipline in his children’s lives, while adopting a more inclusive, more open approach compared to the parenting he experienced in their childhood. He also shares how weekends are dedicated to quality family time, and how he is grateful to have a strong support system from his family and his neighbors in the estate he and his family stay in.

To get in touch with Praveen, find him on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveenvelu/

Jachin Cheng is a Senior Product Manager at Google Pay and Google AI. He was born and raised in the US before joining Google in 2007. His 15-year career with them has brought him across Israel, the UK, Switzerland, and finally Singapore. His globe-trotting career, along with his wife and three children, aged 10, 7, and 3 has shaped his views on parenting. Jachin is also an angel investor.

Working in different countries means getting to experience diverse cultures. Jachin points out how the differences in parenting styles were an eye-opener and inspiration on how to parent as a first time father. A nomadic lifestyle started to get challenging with 3 children, so the decision to plant roots in Singapore helped. 

One of the lessons Jachin applies both at work and at home is optimism. He relishes seeing the good in people and in ideas, then working hard to make it happen.

To get in touch with Jachin Cheng find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/jachin

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Eric is the Director of Product Management at Ninja Van, with over a decade of experience in Product Management. Born and raised in Malaysia, he is an active parent of a 5-year old girl and he believes in using technology to enable people to do great things.  Although having a kid was unexpected, Eric is grateful for his daughter who has been a blessing and brought a new perspective. 

Sharing the strategies he used to adapt to family life, Eric notes the challenges as well as tools from work to interact better at home and vice versa. The value of patience was one of these as Eric discusses the “terrible 2s” and his views on punishment. In all of this, rest is critical; "The first advice I would give to new parents is first to give yourself a break, you don't have to get everything 100% right the first time”. Setting boundaries is another tool he uses to foster balance at work and at home. Lastly, Eric advises parents to keep up with technology trends to protect their families. 

To get in touch with Eric, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericwhy/ 

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Mark Leadercramer is the Head of Enterprise Sales and Cryptocurrency for Stripe in Southeast Asia. Mark started his career in media and advertising before spending a decade building and leading Mintel, a market intelligence firm in Asia Pacific. Mark is passionate about coaching and building high-performing teams and is a father of three: the twins Harrison and Emily, age six, and a newborn named Sophia.

In this episode, Mark talks to us about his move from London to Australia. He then met his wife Justine on his first night out in Sydney. At the time of our recording, their 10-year anniversary was coming up. The couple welcomed kids the same time Mark got a new job, and he talks about the challenges he and Justine went through, and how they conquered them together.

From the importance of family values, tackling pregnancy, splitting the work between him and his wife, and the importance of communicating with his family, Mark shares the wisdom he has gained as a parent in tech.

To get in touch with Mark, find him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-leadercramer-25899b15/?originalSubdomain=sg 

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Samuel Hall is the CEO of Rainmaking Asia Pacific Venture Studio. Samuel was born and raised in the UK and started his career as a lawyer before moving to Singapore and building his career across multiple startups and new ventures. In 2016, he found that the Rainmaking APAC venture studio had also launched startup bootcamp, a startup accelerator across Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Samuel has two daughters, aged three and one. 

As a present dad to his two daughters, prioritizing his time for family time and work time is vital. Samuel has allocated time for his deep work where he concentrates on his tasks at work and finds time to really think and get inspired. When it’s his wife’s time to do her deep work, it‘s his time to take care of his daughters. This has been a system for their family at home and being cognizant to each other’s time and space for deep work is essential. 

Samuel is admittedly an introvert disguised as an extrovert, so after numerous hours of dealing with teams and other individuals for work, it can get draining for him. Energy management has played a role in helping him allocate energy for both work and his family to ensure that he has enough for both. 

As a parent in tech, you will go through many changes and challenges in your life. You will face a number of adversities but you can acknowledge that there is a sense of winning in losing. You learn from your losses and this will help you in your path towards success. Embracing adversity must be a constant thing in life as it shows that we are progressing and moving forward. 

To get in touch with Samuel Hall, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sam-a-hall

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Royce Wee is Head of Global Public Policy at the Alibaba Group. Royce is a lawyer by training, and his foray into technology began as Deputy General Counsel at the Infocomm Media Development Authority. Since then, he has held leadership roles in the intersections between tech, law and policy at organisations including the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information. 

The switch from the public sector to the private sector was an exciting journey for Royce. Shifting from public service to a Chinese tech MNC was definitely challenging but he has no regrets - the opportunity has broadened his exposure, especially to the Chinese market. 

When asked what’s the most important thing he learned while being a parent, Royce says it’s the need to be more patient and nurturing to his daughter. He is also able to apply this at work as he tries to be more understanding to his teams while making sure quality standards are met. Growing his network has also been a key responsibility in his work. He has a healthy and genuine way of approaching this as he invests in getting to know people, rather than treat the process as a transaction. Royce has truly developed to become more courageous and compassionate as a result of being a parent in tech. 

To get in touch with Royce Wee, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/roycewee

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David and Linh are the Co-Founders of HackerNoon, the leading hacker and developer publication on the internet that features more than 25,000 curious and insightful contributing writers. They are also the parents of a five-year-old daughter, Norah, and a soon-to-be-born son. At the time of our recording, Linh is 33 weeks pregnant and is due in 40 days.

In this episode, we take a look into how David and Linh grew HackerNoon into the media powerhouse it is today, while raising their firstborn daughter Norah. The couple moved from San Francisco to Colorado, as Linh took time off to focus on her first pregnancy before joining David to build HackerNoon. With the impending arrival of their son, both of them also share anecdotes of parenting ups and downs. As parents in tech, they also discuss their expectations and worries, as well as tips and tricks they have learned along the way.

To get in touch with David and Linh, find them on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkkent/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhdaosmooke/ 

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Gladys Kee works in Client Services at The Trade Desk, an advertising technology company. She is also my wife and the mother of our 15-month old daughter, Gabby.

In this season finale, we discuss the lessons we learnt in our first year as new parents, as well as the sacrifices and the joys of seeing our child grow. Gladys reflects on the influences her upbringing has on her choices as a mother and talks about how to balance her career ambitions with mine. She shares that flexibility is key to parenting  as well as working in tech: both children and tech are constantly evolving, so you need to stay open to be able to recognize different stages and adapt to them.

To get in touch with Gladys, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gladys-kee/  

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Sandra Ernst has been working in C-level roles in fintech since 2016. Prior, she worked in finance roles across Central Europe and Malaysia. Now, she is a COO at Igloo, an insurtech company in Southeast Asia. Sandra opens up about the miscarriage she suffered from a few years back and how she bounced back. Today, she's a proud mom of a daughter, aged 21 months old.

Opening up to share with others about her miscarriage was tough on Sandra, as she originally believed in carrying a work-only personality. However, that changed when she decided to talk about her miscarriage at the workplace - what she calls “one of the best decisions”. The conversation was an encouragement to her colleagues, as much as they were an encouragement to her, enabling a more empathetic and vulnerable leadership style to take form.  

Sandra believes that paternity leaves should become a norm. Working dads should be free to take paternity leave without fear of penalization or being questioned - it is after all, a step towards an equal footing between men and women in the workplace. 

To get in touch with Sandra Ernst, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sandraernst. 

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Lynette Tan is Chief Executive and Board Member of Singapore Space & Technology Limited as well as co-founder and Executive Director of the Singapore Space & Technology Association. She has been featured by Fortune and CNBC for driving some of the world’s most innovative space startups. In 2020, she was appointed Karman Fellow, an award provided to individuals who have made outstanding achievements in space.

We discuss how she inspires her children to pursue their ambitions. As a parent in tech, Lynette advocates for teaching children human values to ensure that technology is used to serve human needs. She also shares with us her insights on how subconscious biases drive women away from the workforce and the changes she perceives in those trends.

To get in touch with Lynette, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tan-lynette/ 

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Cynthia Siantar is Go-To-Market Leader at Bank Jago, Indonesia’s first fully digital bank. With more than 10 years of background in banking, start-ups, and fintech, Cynthia held key positions in ING Bank and Oriente, and in 2014 she co-founded Call Levels, a finance market monitoring solution.

Cynthia walks us through her thought process of switching jobs shortly after giving birth, and shares the importance of finding passion and inspiration outside motherhood. She shares with us her insights into Heguru, a Japanese teaching method that stimulates the brain with activities that foster creativity, memory, and social skills. We also discuss the importance of nurturing positive values, such as the virtues of diligence and solidarity.

To get in touch with Cynthia, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiasiantar/ 

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Samantha Pearlson is General Manager of South-East Asia Client Services at The Trade Desk, an advertising technology platform. She has long-standing experience in advertising and media, and a solid reputation as a leader in ad-tech. Recently, she was appointed Identity Council Member at the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Southeast Asia and India.

Samantha walks us through the process of discovering her son had ADHD and tells us how keeping a long-term perspective helps her handle the cultural pressure of being a present mother, while maintaining her individuality. We discuss the importance of building a feedback culture in the workplace to develop resilience as well as dealing with the reflection of yourself that children provide. When managing differences in parenting with her husband, she signals understanding each other’s perspective as the means to find a common ground.

To get in touch with Samantha, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampearlson/ 

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Ngiam Xin Wei is Managing Director of Deliveries at Grab, the iconic Southeast Asia technology company that recently went public. Xin Wei is a veteran Grabber who joined in 2015. Prior to her current role in deliveries, she held key leadership positions including head of GrabHitch, the social ridesharing service, and the Head of Economics and Marketplace. Recently, Xin Wei was recognized as Prestige 40 under 40 and Singapore 100 Women in Tech.

We discuss the stresses new mothers suffer from, such as expectations on breastfeeding and making excessive sacrifices for the sake of caregiving. Xin Wei believes that breastfeeding, as with parenting decisions, is about choosing what fits you and your child. She also shares how, in the long run, keeping your passion aflame has a valuable influence on children. That’s why she sets aside time for other activities, like exercise, learning something new through podcasts, or building her wine collection.

To get in touch with Xin Wei, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/xwngiam

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Against all odds, Queenie had a miracle daughter after many years of waiting, defying a medical diagnosis that meant she wouldn't have been able to have a child. Queenie narrates how she was blessed with Angela but then she faced a number of post-natal challenges along with the start of the pandemic.  

This challenging ordeal inspired her to share her story to help and uplift others who may be facing a similar situation, motivating her to create the platform "Untold Stories", a series of inclusion stories from employees of different facets of life.

She also describes the mental well-being aspect of her ordeal. She explains the relevance and importance of mental health in the work place and her efforts as a Mental Health First Aider to improve how people perceive mental health and to remove stigma.

Born in Hong Kong, raised in Australia, and now based in Singapore, Queenie is the Executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank, heading strategy and transformation. She has almost 2 decades of experience working with different banks as head of technology and digital transformation leader. She created a platform at Standard Chartered for inclusion stories to be told. She is a Diversity & Inclusion and mental health champion and has a 2-year-old daughter, Angela.  

Queenie explains in detail how she associates emotions with objects as a tool to help her child regulate her emotions in the "Terrible Twos" period. She also notes that while the pandemic has been quite a tough time, it afforded the opportunity to spend more time with her family and experience those pivotal moments in her baby's development. Her earlier challenge was adapting to the mindset of motherhood and "mom guilt" of combining work with raising her kid. To accomplish this, she set boundaries using the "Golden Time" concept to allow herself times of flexibility and family during the day. In raising her child Queenie has learned empathy, how to focus on what is important, and ability to let things go; all tools required that made her a better leader today. She encourages leaders to be intentional about the wellbeing of the employees planning to return to work by keeping them updated on new changes in the workplace and roles available. She discusses the role of a Mental First Aider and the effort and resources the organization has invested to support employees towards early identification and tackling of mental health challenges.

She is grateful for her husband for role modeling shared responsibilities within the household and supported her career aspirations. As the best role modeling for children starts from home, for the next generation to understand what equality truly means.

Queenie encourages mothers; “Be kind to yourself, it takes a village to raise a kid. You are amazing because it is one of the hardest jobs. Pat yourself and appreciate those who have helped you”  

To get in touch with Queenie, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/queeniechan1?originalSubdomain=sg

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Michele Manigart is Chief Strategy Officer of SEEK Asia. SEEK is a $12bn tech company Headquartered in Australia, with presence in 18 countries. It is most well-known in Southeast Asia for two leading brands - JobStreet and JobsDB, the #1 Job-search engines in Malaysia, Singapore, HK, Indonesia and Thailand. Prior to SEEK, Michele spent 14 years at McKinsey & Company most of which with the Tech, Media & Telecoms Practice. 

Michele explains that putting family first means making career decisions that fit family aspirations, such as choosing a work environment that respects her priorities and setting clear boundaries at the workplace. Partial to gentle parenting, she retells her experiences with hypnobirth, water birth, and establishing a family council. We also discuss how finding your own parenting style can lead you to question longstanding mindsets. To maintain balance, Michele maximizes her time by combining activities–like jogging while chatting with her mother, or taking work calls while on a walk or drive.

To get in touch with Michele, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-manigart-5870001 

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Research by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) also showed that while most fathers want to use their paternity leave to be more involved when their child arrives, the key reason they do not is the lack of workplace support. 

Qin En shares how workplaces can better support parents by relooking at how opportunities are allocated and performance is rewarded, in addition to coaching leaders and managers, especially those who are not parents, to be sensitive and aware of the challenges that parents face. 

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore's first and only business & personal finance radio station. The English talk-format station will focus on business and money-related topics, as well as general news and discussion of wider social topics such as health, education, food, music, fitness and more.

Original recording found on: https://www.moneyfm893.sg/guest/looi-qin-en-parents-in-tech/

Rama Sridhar is Executive Vice-President, Asia Pacific of Mastercard, where she establishes digital partnerships and develops new payment flows and products. Rama leads a team of ~50 technologists, business and finance professionals to create the future, including crypto-funded cards. Recently, she was recognized as Innovator of the Year in the Women in IT Summit & Award Series. 

With over 30 years of financial and technology experience, Rama shares with us the ups and downs of her experience taking a career break. We examine how the relationships with children transform as they grow, and discuss guiding a teenager through the intense emotions of self-exploration. Rama emphasizes honest conversations, alignment in schedules and shared values as key pillars to harmony and equality in the family. 

To get in touch with Rama, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramasridhar2018/ 

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Parents in Tech started from an unconscious bias Qin En realized he had between himself and his wife Gladys. Listen to this episode to hear what this bias was, and what a podcast has to do with this realization.

The one takeaway Qin En has for parents in tech is that there's really no one way. It's all about figuring out what works for you and what works for your family. 

CNA938 is Singapore’s dedicated news and information radio station for PMEBs who want to be kept abreast with the latest at all times. CNA938 will feature breaking news, current affairs, business and financial news, and trends on health, lifestyle, travel, entertainment, and technology.

Fannie Soubiele runs Venture Capital Business Development at Amazon Web Services in ASEAN where she helps businesses scale and realize their potential. With a wealth of experience in startups, Fannie was COO of JFDI.Asia, one of the first startup accelerators in Southeast Asia. In 2020, she was recognized in Prestige’s 40 Under 40 List.

Fannie and her husband learn to manage cross-cultural differences in parenting through experts’ advice, research, and open conversation. We discuss ways to encourage children’s curiosity by exposing them to diverse experiences: learning different languages, visiting the zoo (and the benefits of an annual membership), reading bedtime stories, and traveling abroad. Fannie explains how planning ahead and setting priorities help her balance motherhood with career ambitions.

To get in touch with Fannie, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannie/

Mandai Wildlife Reserve

https://www.mandai.com/en/memberships.html

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Marta Higuera is Managing Director and Partner at BCG Digital Ventures, the corporate innovation and venture building arm of BCG, dedicated to launching and investing in game-changing businesses. Prior to Digital Ventures, she co-founded real estate tech startup OpenAgent, one of Australia’s successful tech companies and recognized as Deloitte’s Tech Fast 50 ANZ and APAC.

An innate pathfinder, Marta reveals how staying flexible and having the right support system helps navigate life’s challenges - such as starting a company while on a sailing expedition in the Mediterranean sea, fundraising while pregnant and during delivery, and relocating to Singapore on 24-hour notice. 

To connect with Marta, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martahiguera/ 

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!  

Karen Ho is Director of Finance at Salesforce and a certified facilitator of Google’s #iamRemarkable program, an initiative to empower women and underrepresented groups to celebrate professional achievements and develop an awareness of self-promotion.

While building her career of 20+ years in tech companies like Accenture, IDA and Dell, she raised three children. We discuss nurturing children with unique abilities and interests as they navigate academic and social pressures within the local education system. Karen also shares with us tips on using allyship as a tool to promote oneself by giving credit to the team.

To get in touch with Karen, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-ho-ca-a514357

#IamRemarkable Program

https://iamremarkable.withgoogle.com/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you! 

Engineering experiences to instill self-sufficiency, self-awareness and survivability in our children who grow up in a tech-enabled world. Sharmili Roy shares how adaptability and debugging from her data science career is applied to parenting.

Sharmili Roy, mother of two sons aged seven and three, is a leader in AI and data science with a background in electrical engineering and biomedical imaging.  She’s currently Data Science Senior Lead at Tokopedia and a Bangkit Mentor, building the next generation of data scientists and data enthusiasts for Indonesia.

Sharmili takes us through the process of becoming conscious about skills gaps, and the active steps she took to address them by embarking on an EMBA. She talks about balancing between breadth and depth in learning, and shares her favourite toys and tools for fostering passion and curiosity in her sons, as well as her hopes for their futures.

To get in touch with Sharmili, find her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sharmili-roy-b488265

Or shoot her an email at roy.sharmili [at] gmail [dot] com

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

We discuss how parenthood has shaped Karen as a mentor, coach and leader. We also talk about the differences between Singapore and the USA regarding attitudes toward motherhood and career expectations. Karen shares her thoughts on the power of owning who you are, giving yourself the permission to change and embracing freedom.

Karen Tay, mother of two young daughters, is an advisor and coach to tech CEOs on operations, people and strategy.  She’s had an illustrious career in Singapore’s public sector at the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office and Singapore Economic Development Board. She led tech talent attraction for Singapore out of the Bay Area, and grew the pipeline of global tech talent by 20x.

To get in touch with Karen, find her on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenzytay/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Suganthi Shivkumar has two daughters, 20 and 24. When one encountered an unfortunate accident, she restructured her life and career to dedicate her time to what’s most important. Currently Vice President of Asia at Alteryx, she’s held senior leadership positions at companies like Qlik, JDA Software and Informatica. In addition to all of this, she is a coach, mentor and speaker.

Suganthi sheds light on commonly-held misconceptions about working mums, the feeling of extreme responsibility and accountability and wiring yourself for success to overcome limiting self-beliefs. We also talk about big picture planning and staying connected to the people who matter most.

To get in touch with Suganthi, find her on LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/suganthi-shivkumar

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Currently Director of Medical Products at ASUS, Dr Petty Chen began her career as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. She gained a Master of Public Health from Harvard University before transitioning into hospital administration and finally finding a place as a leader in health tech, all with a young child in tow.

Dr Petty shares her thoughts on how parenting styles have changed from her parents’ generation to now, and expands on her ground breaking research that shaped national policy for gestational diabetes screening. We also dig into understanding our strengths and weaknesses to become better parents.

To get in touch with Dr Petty, find her on LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/pettypinyuchen

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/pettypychen/

Check out her blog for more baby tech or just for a laugh

https://www.eatfeedrepeat.com/

Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

My name is Qin En, your host. I am a venture capitalist who was previously a founder, consultant and venture builder. Why should it be different back home? When did we start making decisions between “work” vs “life”? Who said that having kids sets you back?

We believe being a parent shapes you to be a better entrepreneur, investor and technology professional (a better person really!). But it is hard. And it is not easy to talk about.

At Parents in Tech, we say it is time.

It is time to talk about the realities of parenting while building a career (or company) in tech. It is time to set aside traditional gender roles, hustling as a way of life and overwork.

It is time to do it both. Well.

Introducing Parents in Tech - a space to ask questions and share stories about parenting, entrepreneurship and technology.