The Epicenter with Ronen Mense

What if the biggest obstacle to transformation is the leader driving it? In this clip from The Epicenter with Ronen Mense, Friska Wirya shares a hard truth about leadership, change management, and why many transformation initiatives fail before they even begin. Friska has spent more than a decade leading change and transformation programs across mining, engineering, and technology organizations. T...

Most leadership teams don’t fail from bad strategy they fail from avoided conversations, eroding trust, and “alignment” that really means silence. In this episode, Ronen Mense sits down with Bill Randall (Senior Partner at Korn Ferry) to unpack what high-performing leadership teams actually do when things get messy and how leaders can stop getting in their own way. 🧠 Key takeaways - Why “alignmen...

In this episode, we separate signal from hype with Shoeb Syed, CEO and co-founder of Throughput. From “is blockchain a solution looking for a problem?” to the real-world moments it quietly powers, Shoeb lays out a simple litmus test for enterprise adoption: trust, ownership, and transparency - if your use case doesn’t need all three, you probably don’t need blockchain. Shoeb’s path is anything but...

What if the biggest risk is never taking one? In this episode of The Epicenter with Ronen Mense, entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb , founder of HelpBnk , shares how he went from being homeless at 15 to selling his company to PwC, and why the real path to success isn’t a salary. It’s starting before you’re ready. You’ll hear how to start a business with no money, use AI tools to build faster a...

In Episode 42 of The Epicenter, we’re joined by Galit Galperin, an AI product advisor helping organizations and their leaders adopt AI, to discuss why AI literacy is no longer optional for professionals and leaders. From mastering the art of prompting to reshaping workflows, Galit shares her expertise on how AI is transforming corporate ecosystems. Key Highlights: How to upskill in AI and use it a...

In this episode of The Epicenter , we’re joined by Som Puangladda, a seasoned fractional CMO and advocate for women in tech. Som breaks down the power of fractional leadership—combining high-impact strategy with flexibility—and shares how businesses can leverage it to build stronger alignment between marketing and sales. Ronen and Som cover crucial topics like sales-led marketing, data visualizati...

“AI heavily depends on how organizations have structured their data.”  “AI is about adoption, not just execution.” In this special episode of Ronen’s Epicenter , Dr. Ayesha Khanna, one of Asia’s top tech voices, dives into the “operationalization” of AI. She emphasizes AI’s real value in enhancing everyday processes over flashy innovations. This 45-minute remote episode, filmed in Singapore, also...

AI or Die with Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group "AI is a Skills Amplifier, Not a Skills Democratizer." In this special episode of Ronen’s Epicenter , Shelly Palmer, a renowned AI authority and media visionary, makes his Asia audience debut. From his journey as an award-winning composer to a Fortune 500 consultant, Shelly, in conversation with Ronen Mense, explores how creativity, analytical...

“There’s too much $ in Climate Tech but not enough entrepreneurs with ideas.” We welcome Djoann Fal, co-founder of GetLinks, Asia's premier tech talent network. Through Atlas Capital, he is currently focused on funding vital sustainability tech innovations in the region.  Featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30, Djoann is a pioneer in linking tech professionals with prime opportunities. With a bac...

How to Get “FUNDABLE” with Sephi Shapira, Tech Entrepreneur, Founder and Mentor  Sephi Shapira has spent over twenty years as a tech entrepreneur, founding multiple start-ups. Since 2010, he has mentored over 100 tech CEOs as they secured over $1 billion in financing at various growth stages.  In an intimate conversation with longtime friend Ronen Mense, Sephi shares the core principles of getting...

Sonika Manandhar , a trailblazing co-founder and CTO of Aloi Global, shares unique insights and invaluable lessons from her wide-ranging experience as a woman tech founder from Nepal, a perspective that is sure to inspire and empower.   In an intimate conversation with Ronen Mense, Sonika provides anecdotes on glass-ceiling challenges, such as dealing with prejudices, overcoming work archetypes, a...

Jeffrey Towson , top-notch Asia analyst, podcaster, and business transformation consultant, sits down with Ronen Mense to answer strategy judgment questions about all things digital.  In this nearly one-hour episode, we delve into a range of topics that are highly relevant to businesses, regardless of their maturity level and geographical focus. A particularly intriguing discussion revolves around...

George Hartel , Chief Commercial Officer at GQ Thailand, Southeast Asia's leading Tech Apparel company, shares his expertise in omnichannel innovation, business transformation, and brand development.  In a conversation with Ronen, George sheds light on GQ's evolution from a retail fixture to a comprehensive Tech Apparel business. He emphasizes the importance of prioritizing profitability...

Considered the “Godfather of Malaysia’s startup scene,” Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah has been an Entrepreneur and Angel Investor for nearly 40 years and has a Ph. D. in Venture Capital from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He is the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of “ScaleUp Malaysia” Accelerator, Malaysia’s first Accelerator for highly scalable, high-growth regional companies. Dr. Vivekarajah...

Dr. Gang Lu is the founder and CEO of TechNode, one of the largest media hubs for the Chinese startup ecosystem. In its early years, TechNode was China's answer to TechCrunch. An industry fixture for over ten years, Dr. Lu is considered one of the most vital voices in Chinese tech.   Together, Ronen and Dr. Lu go deep on: Southeast Asia's ecosystem is growing as fast, if not faster, than...

Recorded live onstage at AppsFlyer’s MAMA Asia conference last month, the company’s co-founder and CEO provides deep insights into three major themes: Privacy, Macroeconomics, and AI.  Oren shares 1) why he challenges his team to think how AI could replace their current jobs, 2) what the ecosystem could learn from recent historical, technological milestones, and 3) how AppsFlyer grew its business...

Join us for an illuminating conversation with renowned branding expert and behavioral scientist, Martin Lindstrom . Hosted by Ronen Mense, this Epicenter episode delves deep into the fascinating world of consumer behavior and its impact on marketing strategies - whether B2C, B2B, or C2C! Martin Lindstrom, a New York Times bestselling author and TIME magazine's "World's 100 Most Infl...

Andy Lee can be considered one of the most prominent faces in Asia-Pacific's startup and corporate management practice. Having had a strong hand building the likes of Uber and Kabam in the region, he's ventured into the largely under-tapped world of software for employee stock options - through Sprout. Here he speaks about his early experiences as a venture capitalist and 1.0 tech banker...

Maki Hsieh , a prominent business leader, musician, and philanthropist, shares her remarkable journey of overcoming challenges and embracing adventures during her upbringing. Her inspiring story of perseverance and resilience has propelled her to the global stage, where she has achieved notable success in various fields. Here she speaks deeply about the Asian Hall of Fame, a US-based legacy platfo...

The CEO & Founder of Ampverse, Ferdinand Gutierrez , dissects the viability of profiting from the gaming & e-sports industries, without creating an actual game or any related software. He also hones in on the strength of the Southeast Asia gaming landscape, and how the region is triggering seismic shifts in the global tech ecosystem.

One of the world's most influential mobile ad network pioneers, Mr. Xin Ye , visits the Epicenter studio in Bangkok to give his take on today's hottest topics in Tech.

Ronen Mense sits down with Paul Meyers , Asia Startup Veteran, on the Power of Founder Coaching.

Ronen Mense sits down with Delbert Ty , Chief Marketing Officer of Coffee Meets Bagel , to discuss all things Branding, the Promise of Remote Workplace, and the Marketing Machinery behind what is perhaps the most meaningful dating platform today.

Ronen Mense touches base with Irene Umar about all things Web3, Gaming, and Southeast Asia techpreneurship in this latest episode of The Epicenter.

One of Pakistan’s most prominent tech figures, Saad Hameed, sits down with Ronen Mense about the country’s unprecedented developer muscle and how it is poised to be the next global hotbed for Gaming.