Global citizens

The brothers had made their pitch. From across the table, an executive for the international operations of Domino’s Pizza looked them up and down. While barely twenty-four years old, Cosme and Alberto Torrado already had impressive experience of running businesses. And although they had never worked in the restaurant trade, their hunger and energy were palpable. Their proposal on that day, however, seemed a little too ambitious. 

With a polite smile, the executive gently informed the brothers that Domino’s was not able to grant them the master franchise for the whole of Mexico. The young men exchanged a disappointed glance. 

But their interviewer wasn’t quite finished. He then explained that the company’s Mexican rollout was occurring piecemeal and that they could trial a batch of ten stores if they wanted. 

Nature was her first influence. Indeed, how could it have been anything other than the verdant wonderland that surrounded her? As a young girl, Titi Escalante would immerse herself in the sights and scents of the lush coffee plants on her grandparents’ finca. In the distance, mighty volcanoes exhaled hazy plumes into the tropical skies.

“I was a dreamy and creative child,” she recalls. “From early on, I knew that my future lay in colors, art and happiness.”

Later, Titi experimented with the performing arts. Ballet enchanted her, as did more modern varieties of dance. Dancing, however, was no career for a lady in the eyes of straightlaced Salvadoran society. Even acting was somewhat taboo. Titi would hurry home after surreptitious dramatics sessions, usually making it back just before the army’s nightly curfew descended.

The trade show was in full swing. Throughout the exhibition center’s cavernous halls, attendees flitted between oversized branded booths, taking in the meticulous displays of the next season’s fashion. Ubiquitous flatscreen monitors played glitzy footage of models parading the new ranges, while lightly throbbing music and animated conversations between sales reps and retailers filled the air.

Among the bustling crowds were two fresh-faced Australians. Having arrived in the US a couple of years earlier, Olivia Skuza and Heath Wells had founded a digital agency with a branding arm, their clients including some of the trade show’s exhibitors as well as its organizers. But as they strolled the halls absorbing the energy, they felt a growing sense of bewilderment.

“It was really strange,” recalls Olivia. “The way business was being done was almost totally analogue. The ranges were displayed in very expensive print catalogues, with retailers tearing out pages or circling items they wanted. Placing an order involved carbon copy sheets, often then transmitted via fax. And if the receiving fax machine was out of paper, the order could get lost entirely. So, brands were spending most of their time with buyers on manual form-filling.”

Navin Chandaria had an obvious career path ahead of him. As the son of one of Africa’s foremost industrialists, the young man could easily have joined the thriving empire that his father, Velji, had built up. While inspired by his father’s example – especially given the challenging political climate in East Africa – Navin made a decision to find new frontiers for the family. Not long after completing his university education in the UK and only recently married, he packed his bags and left Kenya for Canada. 

It was a bold move, but all that Navin could see was opportunity. This faraway land, he felt, offered a much larger and more competitive market, along with a much more stable political environment than existed back home. While Canada was welcoming to immigrants, its climate would prove especially harsh for someone accustomed to the pleasant tropical climate of Kenya. However, this less hospitable side of his adoptive nation would also inspire a winning business venture. 

It was Alessia Antinori’s first business trip to the US and she was thoroughly enjoying the experience. That evening’s engagement was a gala dinner in Chicago, where her family’s iconic wines had pride of place on the menu. The 18-year-old listened proudly from her table as her father Piero gave the eight hundred guests a brief account of the family’s illustrious heritage, beginning with Giovanni di Piero Antinori’s admission to Florence’s Guild of Winemakers in 1385. 

As he concluded his remarks, Piero’s smile broadened. 

“And now,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “my daughter Alessia will kindly talk you through the wines that you are about to enjoy.” 

Nik Kotecha was feeling frustrated. With his impeccable set of academic credentials, the young scientist had landed a coveted role in drug research at a leading pharmaceuticals firm. But the longer he spent in this big corporate environment, the more he wondered whether it was for him.

“I had lots of exciting ideas while I was there,” recalls Nik. “I wanted to develop new methods of medicinal chemistry and molecular testing, but I felt it was hard to get heard. Large companies can have a lot of layers. I sensed that I wasn’t heading in the right direction.”

So, Nik decided to pursue a venture of his own in his spare time. He and his wife Moni had noticed a lack of quality medicines in developing countries, even for people able to afford them. What if they exported UK-manufactured products to some of these emerging economies? They floated their idea to friends in Africa and Asia, who thought it was promising.

As a Formula One double World Champion, two-time winner of the Le Mans 24-hour race, and victor in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Daytona, Fernando Alonso might appear to have achieved pretty much everything there is to achieve in the realm of elite motorsport.

Despite this, though, the 41-year-old Spanish legend feels he is far from done with motor racing. So, what keeps powering him onward?

As with revolutions throughout history, property rights are central to Yat’s purpose. But rather than who owns land, factories or labor, it is ownership of perhaps the twenty-first century’s most precious commodity with which he is concerned. Data on its own is just blocks of information, but when put together, data becomes knowledge, he reflects. And that knowledge is what drives our world today.

The problem that he and millions like him identify, though, is that we don’t own our data. Nor do we have control over the digital domain where it is created and then circulates. We believe the internet as a space is perhaps the most important place for society today, as that’s where we spend much of our time and attention, and where value is generated, he explains. But big tech companies control the data, even though the value of this resource comes from us.

However, a new era may be upon us – or soon will be.

I always say that a good marina is just like a good parking lot, says Arthur Tay with a modest smile. If you’re in the right part of town, you’re always full. And I’m very pleased to say that ours is consistently full.

Location and occupancy considerations aside, ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove bears little resemblance to a parking lot. Against the backdrop of a lush golf course, the treelined private marina and yacht club are more of a maritime oasis. The sleek, white vessels resting at anchor in its invitingly clear waters offer a further feast for the eyes. Among those to have moored here are craft belonging to royalty and other household-name sea-lovers. 

For the past 30 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has worked tirelessly to put an end to the disease that has now claimed at least 38 million lives over some decades. (The true figure is likely higher owing to persistent under-recording.) Inspired partly by the bravery of Ryan White, a young boy who died of AIDS after a contaminated blood transfusion, Elton decided to commit himself to the struggle against this cruel blight on humanity.

I never do anything just because ‘that’s the way it’s supposed to be,’ says Cynthia Rowley. If I’m inviting people to a runway show, I want to entertain them. For me, that means fearless risk-taking and really wanting to have fun.

Cynthia’s creations are indeed the antithesis of conformist and ordinary. Her iconic ready-to-wear clothing collections have become synonymous with vivacity and freedom of spirit. Most of all, they are a celebration of femininity, effortlessly combining the likes of optimistic colors, artistic prints and ethereal airs.

Ted Kheel and his associates had just acquired themselves a strip of paradise. The land that the Americans had bought consisted of 77.8 square km (30 sq. miles) of unspoiled rainforest and jungle at the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic. It also included some 8 km of idyllic, palm-fringed coastline, whose azure waters were sheltered by vibrant coral reefs. 

For all its breathtaking natural beauty, however, the domain around Punta Borrachón had few obvious uses. Not only was it remote but also inaccessible. The surrounding jungle was dense with no roads running through it, while the nearest town lay several hours away and the country’s international airport even farther.

Phyllis Newhouse had served her country with distinction. Having joined the military as a young private, she’d risen through the ranks to become a command sergeant major, protecting national security against cyber espionage. But after two decades of service, it was time for Phyllis to contemplate the future.

Northern Ethiopia can be an unforgiving place to live. Despite great natural beauty and rich culture, the region has over time endured poverty, periodic famines and outbreaks of warfare. But of all that she witnessed on her early visits to the country, there was one encounter especially that Mabel van Oranje will never forget.

With a prestigious portfolio of cover shoots and projects to her name, she was preparing to take the next step by going freelance. But then one day in late 2007, she gave it all up.

It was a red-letter day for the residents of Miami’s Liberty Square. After months of redevelopment, they were finally receiving the keys to their new homes. For many of them, it was all too much to take in. The fresh and open layouts, household appliances they’d never had before, and the gleaming children’s play areas made the place unrecognizable. It also now felt secure, thanks to the newly installed entry systems. Time and again, the returning residents were heard murmuring the same question: is this really for us?

Their disbelief was understandable. Liberty Square had suffered more than fifty years of seemingly relentless decline. The development had entered the world as a symbol of hope, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to revive the economy from the Great Depression of the 1930s. For a time, what was then the biggest public housing project in the southeastern United States was a vibrant and sought-after place to live. From the 1960s, however, it began to slide.

Women entrepreneurs are behind a growing number of today’s most innovative start-ups across multiple industries. When it comes to raising capital to grow new ventures, though, the picture is not nearly as bright. Female founders encounter many more hurdles at the fundraising stages of their journey owing to entrenched gender biases.

Among those to have broken these biases is Michelle Kennedy. Having held top executive positions at dating platforms Badoo and Bumble, she decided to launch her own social networking app. Peanut focuses on fertility, pregnancy, motherhood and menopause. Michelle’s mission is to make her app the leading network for connecting women when they need each other most.

A magazine for girls? Sorry, but that’s ridiculous, it would never work! she was told flatly. Girls of that age here in Mexico don’t read much, and besides, they certainly don’t have the money to spend on magazines.

Although only a recent recruit to the media industry, Gina was undeterred. Instead, she went away and came up with a name, a logo and a prototype edition of the new magazine she’d conceived.

It took her several more attempts, but her persistence finally paid off. To me, the opportunity was very clear, even if almost no one else could see it, says Gina.

Reetu Gupta hadn’t slept at all. Covid-19 – recently declared a pandemic – was creating intense uncertainty the world over. Occupancy at her family’s chain of hotels across Canada, of which she was the CEO, was in freefall. However, it wasn’t the unprecedented business turmoil that was keeping her awake, as she explained in an early-morning phone call with her younger brother. All that Reetu could think about was how the pandemic was going to affect others, recalls Suraj Gupta.

She kept saying how there were already so many people suffering in the world, even before the health crisis hit. With things deteriorating so fast, she said we had to think of ways to help. I wasn’t at all surprised by her reaction; trying to assist others and make the world better is just her mentality.

It was the couple’s first glimpse of the White Continent. But as their ship drew closer to the Antarctic shoreline, Martin and Carmel Naughton’s wonderment became mixed with sadness. The telltale signs of melting coastal glaciers were plain to see. And the graphic scene they were witnessing was no mere seasonal effect. The ship’s captain brought out a map to show them just how far the ice sheet had retreated in the previous decade alone.

I think that experience had a profound effect on my parents, says Neil Naughton.

I recall that when they returned from that trip, my father sat us down at work and told us the frightening developments that he’d seen first-hand. He said that things were changing much faster than most people understood, and that our company had a responsibility to do whatever we could.

When COVID-19 struck in their native Philippines, Andrew Tan and his son Kevin mobilized the resources of their conglomerate, Alliance Global, to provide life-saving assistance to their fellow citizens amid one of the world’s longest and strictest lockdowns. These included switching their iconic spirits production facilities to make alcohol for disinfectants, feeding and transporting healthcare workers in Manila, and assisting in the creation of viral testing centers across the archipelago nation.

Since the inception of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in 1996 over $2.4 Billion has been granted to good causes in over 100 countries.

Co-president Andreas Dracopoulos, the grand nephew of Niarchos, shares the Foundation’s philanthropic vision whilst giving us a personal tour of the stunning cultural centre which opened in Athens in 2016.

Despite a long tradition of technological innovation, Japan hasn’t been known for unicorn tech start-ups. But one Japanese-born entrepreneur with a Silicon Valley background has helped to change that.

Just three years after Ryo Ishizuka co-founded Mercari, the virtual marketplace was valued at more than $1bn. In this short film, Ryo reflects on his remarkable journey and how he was able to draw upon Japanese and US business traditions in his pursuit of success.

He also discusses the importance of education and his goal of helping others to have the same sort of opportunities that he had.

Optimism and determination to solve problems enabled Jack and Gitta Nagel to thrive after coming to the US as holocaust survivors. Today, the family is committed to helping others do the same, both within their business and across society.

I think it’s something like less than one third of family businesses that make it from the first to the second generation and half of those don’t make it to the third generation, says Adriana Cisneros. I’m the third generation in our business, so I really hope I’m going to be one of those that survives. Who knows, I might completely mess up, but hopefully not.

Messing up seems a rather unlikely prospect going by Adriana’s record to date. The company is in robust health under her leadership. She has recently returned from a whistle-stop tour of Central and South America, where Cisneros Interactive has become the sole reseller of Facebook in nine countries, the only nations on earth where the social media giant will not manage its own sales.

Facebook chose to work through Cisneros Interactive because it already has the region’s most advanced advertising network. I started Cisneros Interactive, our digital division four years ago, says Adriana.

Our aim from the outset has been to create the largest advertising network in Latin America and also the smartest. When we began, others were trying to do similar things, but in a very country-specific way. No one really dared to do it pan-regionally. I used the same architecture to build the business that my father did when he brought satellite television to Latin America three decades ago.

When the Faizal family sold their cutting-edge oil and gas valve manufacturing business, they wanted their next project to be one that improved the lives of others. In 2014 they undertook the challenge of rebuilding a crumbling 120-year old school in Kerela, India for 2,400 schoolgirls. With the government stipulating the works must be done during the 95 day summer holiday, the Faizals turned to precasts to innovatively upgrade the infrastructure.

This success inspired the family to set up their own precast plant to build more schools, hospitals, and even homes around the world. In 2017 Kef Infra was rated the top foundry in the world. Their story of innovative entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and progress making is an outstanding example of global citizenship.

Sir Gordon Wu has been instrumental in transforming the Pearl River Delta in Southern China. Sir Gordon’s far reaching vision informed and his company helped create the transport and power infrastructure that enabled this now densely populated region to become the economic hub of China. Here he shares lessons learned from a fascinating life.

Sir Terry Farrell is a pioneering British architect and urban planner. In this film Sir Terry shares his perspectives on a career that has spanned four decades in which he has designed many of the buildings that define modern London plus ambitious, hypermodern structures in the Far East.

In the aftermath of the devastating Rwandan genocide of 1994, Soozi Sinegal McGill visited the Central African nation on a coffee-sourcing trip with her father. Besides its natural beauty and the people’s sense of hope, the nation’s enormous potential made a great impression upon her. Together with her high-school friend Shal Foster, Soozi was determined to contribute to Rwanda’s development. In this short film, she tells the story of the Rwanda Girls Initiative and the Gashora Girls Academy, which she and Shal Co-Founded, and the pupils’ extraordinary subsequent achievements.

For 130 years, the Dompé family has devoted itself to improving the state of human health. What began as a single laboratory in Milan has evolved into a cutting-edge biopharmaceutical company with operations spanning Europe, Asia and North America. Innovation is the lifeblood of Dompé’s business today, enabling it both to enhance the lives of patients and to transform itself as an organization. In this short film, Sergio Dompé, President of Dompé, explains how blending different cultures and technologies drives that innovation. Above all, he stresses the power of collaboration:

In biotechnology, there is no way you can’t be a citizen of the world – you need to work together.

"Giving new life to a city is one of the most beautiful things that anyone can do," says Alan Faena, as he looks out on the Miami neighbourhood that now bears his name. "It’s one of the things I’m most proud of, both here and back home in Buenos Aires. These are my gifts to the people, not only for today’s generation" but also for future generations. And what a gift the Faena District is indeed.

Spanning five blocks adjacent to the white sands of Miami Beach, the neighborhood is nothing less than an urban oasis of sensory delights. Its buildings – old and new – somehow fuse perfectly with their natural surroundings. Absolutely nothing is mundane here, not even the multistory parking garage, whose exterior could easily pass for that of an ultra-modern cultural center or designer shopping mall. Incidentally, the Faena District also possesses both of those things.