Vol.

07 | Issue 09 | July 2024

 World's Most Inuential Leaders
Inspiring The Business World, 2024

Making Leadership
Inspirational
This is no secret that leaders are essential to determining
an organization's success and direction. But an incredible
business leader is someone who has a special
The cover has Jack Rasmussen, an accomplished
combination of qualities that bring out the best in
American author, actor, and entrepreneur with a diverse
everyone, while also recognizing and using the distinct
academic and professional background. A Warren Bennis
viewpoints of their teams and setting a strong example of
Scholar, Discovery Scholar, and Renaissance Scholar,
the work ethic they hope to see. These characteristics are
Jack graduated from the University of Southern
necessary not just for productive leadership but also for
California (USC) in May 2022 with a B.S. in Business
fostering innovation, expansion, and a supportive
Administration, complemented by studies in Cinematic
workplace environment.
Arts and Sports Media Industries. His passions span
business marketing and strategy, interpersonal
For many years, the study of leadership has been a
communication, and the arts, driving him to continually
popular subject and has yielded a lot of information and
seek new experiences and opportunities within the
understanding about what makes a successful leader.
entertainment and sports industries.
There is no one definition of what constitutes a
successful corporate leader, ranging from strategic
Throughout his multifaceted career, Jack Rasmussen has
strategists like Warren Buffett to visionary visionaries
demonstrated a commitment to growth, innovation, and
like Steve Jobs.
cultural understanding, continually expanding his
horizons both personally and professionally.
World's Leaders latest edition “World's Most Influential
In this special edition, let us share similar, inspirational
Leaders Inspiring The Business World, 2024” features
tales and interviews with many such dedicated leaders in
leaders who shared insights and strategies that are
order to raise awareness about their contributions to
enabling them to making an impact despite the
making the world a better place.
challenging business environment.

Have a lovely read!

 CREDIT PAGE

Editor-in-Chief Steve Sanchez

Managing Editor Jagdish Chincholikar
Executive Editor Nicole Williams
Assistant Editor Gayatri Bhujbal

Art & Design Director Jack Anderson

Business Development Manager Mia Oliver
Business Development Executive Natalie, Jerrey
Associate Designer Kevin Rust

Digital Marketing Manager Victor Clarke

Sales Manager Casey Simpson, Irfan Shekh
Marketing Manager Tom Swann
Technical Specialist Barry Jones
Circulation Manager Danny Parker

July 2024

3296 Westerville Rd #250, Columbus, OH 43224, USA

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 08

Jack
Rasmussen
Embarking on a Renaissance Voyage through Business, Arts, and Entrepreneurship
18 Alice Veglio

22 Arman Sarhaddar

28 BD Freeman

32 Candice Desmet

38 Kymberly Harris

42 Lionel Lodge
08 | July 2024
 Cover Stor y

Jack
Rasmussen
Embarking on a Renaissance
Voyage through Business,
Arts, & Entrepreneurship

[Link] | 09
Jack Rasmussen is an accomplished which he applied to various business Meeting someone new almost every
American author, actor, and ventures. Notably, he co-founded day is a real blessing for Jack, and he is
entrepreneur with a diverse academic [Link] with Catherine thankful for this opportunity,
and professional background. A Warren Kavanaugh, incorporating it as an S- recognizing that not everyone has it.
Bennis Scholar, Discovery Scholar, Corp. The company pilots a Jack writes daily, whether it's a note,
and Renaissance Scholar, Jack curriculum-focused program in high an article, an outline, or a thought,
graduated from the University of schools, aiming to enhance cultural ensuring that he always captures
Southern California (USC) in May literacy through global storytelling. something in writing each day. He
2022 with a B.S. in Business The program is being tested in schools enjoys the unpredictability of his days,
Administration, complemented by in Louisiana, Oregon, Dubai, and which vary widely. Some days he acts
studies in Cinematic Arts and Sports Poland, demonstrating the powerful as a salesman, while on others he acts
Media Industries. His passions span impact of co-viewing on student as a researcher. There are times when
business marketing and strategy, learning. he is training or learning; for instance,
interpersonal communication, and the he is currently learning Mandarin on
arts, driving him to continually seek Jack's professional experience also Duolingo.
new experiences and opportunities includes sales roles at Aflac,
within the entertainment and sports Northwestern Mutual, and Wells Fargo. Jack's multifaceted role keeps his days
industries. These positions honed his dynamic and diverse, providing
understanding of the critical role of constant opportunities for growth and
During his time at USC, Jack was an sales in business and the importance of learning.
active member of the student aligning company values with effective
government as a senator and pursued communication to potential customers. Staying Informed
studies in cinematic arts and Jack believes that successful
journalism. His lifelong love for salespeople must connect with Jack loves to read and stay up to date
storytelling found an outlet in creative customers on a human level, on current events. He enjoys watching
writing, where he excelled in crafting emphasizing empathy and shared the stock market to see how it is
short stories and poetry rich with vivid experiences over traditional sales performing, which companies are
imagery and imagination. After tactics. excelling, and the markets they are in.
graduating, Jack traveled to Taiwan to Drawing inspiration from other
teach English, merging his love for Throughout his multifaceted career, companies in the education industry,
teaching with his passion for the Jack Rasmussen has demonstrated a such as TIFF and SIMA Academy, has
English language. This period also commitment to growth, innovation, helped Jack understand where to focus
provided him the time and inspiration and cultural understanding, continually his energy and time. A key concept is
to write his first two nonfiction books. expanding his horizons both personally bringing directors and actors to
"Fine Dining: The Secrets Behind the and professionally. students to teach them about the film's
Restaurant Industry" reflects his subject and the filmmaking process.
enthusiasm for food and Inspiring Team Discussions Jack also enjoys watching interviews
entrepreneurship, while "Yin Yang: and working out to refresh his brain
The Elusive Symbol That Explains the Jack develops intriguing Socratic and gain inspiration.
World" explores his interest in religion, Seeds for the [Link] team,
scripture, and the yin-yang symbol. which inspire team discussions and Jack believes that gratitude and
In 2020, Jack was admitted to the foster cohesion. These seeds are challenging oneself are often lost in
Silicon Valley Innovation Academy for sometimes shared via social media or today's society, as people tend to prefer
his research on puzzles' potential to other channels to spark intrigue and complacency or comfort over
combat dementia and other mental challenge the team's thinking. Jack also discomfort. He emphasizes that
health issues. Although the COVID-19 acts as a researcher and moderator, emerging leaders need to operate from
pandemic disrupted this project, he performing customer discovery, a purpose-filled place. Rather than
pivoted to take classes from renowned assisting with accounting, curating the focusing solely on the end goal, leaders
entrepreneur professors like Steve curriculum, and reaching out to should emphasize the process. Jack
Blank. This experience taught him the potential collaborators. feels he is growing by being able to
principles of the lean startup method, move faster on his feet with more

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confidence. He recognizes that in business, acting quickly
yet carefully is essential, as the quickest actor often gets
rewarded faster.

Exploring New Ways to Capture Narratives

Jack wants to continue growing in his faith and writing

exciting stories. He aspires to discover and invent new ways
to capture stories through words and images. This ambition
includes releasing more books and audio recordings and
venturing into film production for [Link]. Jack
envisions establishing hubs on each continent where
students can join and participate with peers from other
countries while learning about the cultures represented in
the films.

The core research at [Link] focuses on how

cornerstone memories can profoundly change a person's life
or at least significantly inform it. Jack's dedication to this
research and his creative pursuits aims to inspire and
educate, leveraging the power of storytelling to create
lasting, meaningful impacts across the globe.
Encouraging Innovation in Pursuit of Goals
For Jack, the most important traits when hiring a new team
member are individuality, honesty, spontaneity, proactivity,
and openness. He values diversity of thought and
appreciates team members who bring their unique
perspectives to the table. Jack believes that honesty and knows firsthand. Life is rarely simple, and pursuing one's
openness create a foundation of trust within the team, passions often means sacrificing free time and comfort to
fostering effective communication and collaboration. bring a vision to life and convince others to believe in it.
Jack also values spontaneity and proactivity, recognizing Looking ahead, Jack has ambitious goals for the next five
the importance of adaptability and initiative in a dynamic years. He hopes to expand [Link] into more schools
work environment. He appreciates team members who are across the United States and hire moderators to facilitate
proactive in identifying and addressing challenges, as well multiple courses simultaneously. The plan includes
as those who are willing to take creative risks in pursuit of developing unique feedback systems for each film, allowing
the team's goals. classrooms worldwide to engage with and learn from each
other's experiences. Early adopter schools will be
Jack prefers to be part of teams that are united by a singular recognized with badges and stickers, setting an example for
mission and vision, where each member is committed to others to follow in their pursuit of personal and educational
working towards a common purpose. He believes that a growth.
cohesive team with a shared sense of purpose is essential
for achieving success and making a meaningful impact. Jack dreams of opening his own school one day. Here, he
envisions teaching students how to become writers while
Vision for [Link] and Education watching foreign films. Through this innovative approach to
education, Jack aims to cultivate global leaders who are
Jack has taken many risks, both personally and empathetic, culturally aware, and creative. By connecting
professionally. One of the most significant professional curriculum lenses and themes to cinematic storytelling, Jack
risks he has taken is betting on himself, investing countless believes that this type of learning can empower students to
hours into writing books and reaching out to potential become changemakers and positively impact the world
contributors for [Link]. Being an entrepreneur or an around them.
artist requires a great deal of courage and sacrifice, as Jack

[Link] | 13
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 Candice Desmet
Managing Director
Act’in Theatre

32 | July 2024
 Candice Desmet
Equipping Students with the Skills to Evolve in the Entertainment Industry

O
ne of the numerous goals that theatre and live performance can serve is to
entertain the audience on a worldwide scale while also influencing society through
the lessons that can be drawn from a play or performance. We are mimetic and
social beings who want order, and we also like and require pleasure, which is why theatre
exists. Theatre is a very well-liked form of entertainment that has long been the main source of
public entertainment since it is made to keep an audience's attention for an extended
period of time. The performing, producing, directing, or authoring of plays is referred to as
theatre. Playwrights create plays, directors oversee the rehearsal process, and performers
perform on stage. Theatre is the culmination of all those elements. Introducing Candice
Desmet, Managing Director and founder of Act'in Theatre, which creates a space for
relaxation, 'me-time' and a hobby for anyone who chooses to learn about or participate over
a longer period of time.

This makes it possible to

balance the characters'
interventions (no main
roles in the plays) and to
structure the objective of
the sketches and plays
and to insist on certain
types of emotions, acting,
etc. So, diversification in
writing is my daily life!"

[Link] | 33
The route to the destination in artistic endeavours can participate in improv, with French subtitles.
Candice Desmet is a 33-year-old Act'in Theatre. With the use of In'terval's debut will occur in October
French actress. She began acting exercises and workshops that are 2022.
training in France while pursuing her specifically designed for students, the
studies in biology. In Nantes, West company makes a point of respecting About 50 sketches and 9 plays have
France, where she joined Guenal the students' rhythm as they help them been written by Candice so far for the
Morin's troupe in 2011, she began her discover themselves and push theatre workshops and end-of-year
theatrical career. She joined an themselves to their limits. shows. She is also working on other
improvisational troupe and performed projects with BtoB, assisting
with them in London, France, and In order to ensure the business's long- organisations that are looking for those
Morocco, as well as with theatre term viability and the students' kinds of services for their employees,
companies after moving to London in continued commitment, in Candice's as well as other initiatives to improve
2012. She then landed her first role in opinion, this is extremely important. the service to students and clients.
the feature film NABORU. She opened People who have been a part of Act'in
Act'in Theatre in 2015 after seeing Theatre since its founding in 2015 and Candice says, "This makes it possible
there was a need in the London who have taken classes there since then to balance the characters'
bilingual theatre scene. She put a lot of make the company extremely proud. interventions (no main roles in the
time and effort into overcoming the Beyond their development, it has been plays) and to structure the objective of
challenges of starting and operating a wonderful to watch them grow the sketches and plays and to insist on
business in a foreign country. throughout the months and years. certain types of emotions, acting, etc.
Act'in Theatre is a family that is So, diversification in writing is my
Candice has a vast and incredibly continually enriched by the unique daily life!”
diverse range of tasks. Her personalities of its various members.
responsibilities include accounting, Overcoming Obstacles
general management, communication, A Unique Contrast in the It's crucial to overcome challenges in
acting and improvisation lessons with Entertainment Industry order to secure corporate growth and
various student groups, directing the Act'in Theatre is a company formed by diversification. Businesses in general
shows, and general organization of the an actress with and for the students. haven't had it easy in recent years. A
students. She also coaches, which is The Gueules de Bois (a drama troupe) lot of organisations and planned
crucial for an actress and instructor to and The Improzac (improvisation economic expansion for Act'in Theatre
stay on top of their game. According to troupe) are the two troupes it has were in jeopardy due to Brexit and the
her, being an entrepreneur necessitates established. To come together, Candice COVID-19 scenario. The creative
extraordinary flexibility because there and her teams established the Entre Act industries, and especially the cultural
isn't a regular day that can be format performance, which takes place sector, have been significantly
replicated from week to week. every 5/6 weeks in London in an impacted by COVID-19. Film and
intimate setting. The first act of Entre television productions have had to
Act'in Theatre Part's unique two-act concept is a short stop; live performance venues have
Starting out modest, Candice Desmet's theatrical performance. Les Gueules de had to close their doors for extended or
company has grown naturally in Bois is a troupe that chooses playlets permanent periods of time; and job
accordance with customer demand and from theatre or film, assembles them, stability for creatives has been
her financial capabilities. Act'in and performs them in a small, extremely uncertain. In order to make
Theatre, a bilingual theatre company minimalist space with humour. The things possible while maintaining its
established in London, currently offers troupe Les Improzacs performs an essential identity of friendliness and
drama, improvisation, and film improvisation cabaret in the second proximity, Act'in Theatre has to adapt
workshops to all Londoners, regardless act. It's all in French, with subtitles in and change. One of the keys at the time
of background, in French or in English. English. Candice then understood that was the development of digital theatre.
It has a reputation for offering high- the English-speaking audience was
quality service in a welcoming missing something. As a result, they The performances are also challenging.
environment free of judgement in the have developed a brand-new show It is a unique performance that includes
bustling centre of the English format called In'terval, which is played the teacher, writer, director, technician,
metropolis. People who want to engage totally in English for both drama and and director, in addition to the actors

34 | July 2024
 Life Balance
Personal and professional lives must
delicately coexist. Candice makes sure
to set aside time for her private life, but
it's seldom a full day; rather, it's only a
few hours here and there. However, she
has flexibility because she is an
entrepreneur, which is a benefit.

She thinks that the work's constant

nature and volume may be a drawback.
The upside is that she can arrange her
life however she sees fit, allowing her
to merge her personal and professional
lives.

Candice believes energy is present if

the individuals she works with do what
they enjoy doing, and she respects their
rhythm and their preferences. That
serves as her and their primary source
of inspiration. Motivation that is
correlated with happiness and a sense
of fulfilment.

Recommendations for Aspiring

Leaders
Candice advises getting to know
yourself, paying attention to yourself,
on stage. Everything must be in and thereby conserves time, a valuable and then conquering the fear. Fear is a
harmony, both with the students and resource. good thing and an emotion to embrace
the audience who watch the show. because it compels us to reflect and
Having the requisite hindsight to know Creating a brand for Act'in Theatre is consider our options carefully, but it
if all of the decisions made were wise another important area of development. never prevents us from moving on. She
is challenging. The students should be the focus of all also believes that it's crucial to avoid
development phases because they are acting out of fear. That would be a
“And you only know on the big day the company's most significant asset. In really poor decision.
and then the adventure is already over. order to improve the group dynamic,
A lot of pressure, for an artistic the goal is to be able to plan theatrical Candice feels that failure should be
moment, but in itself it is magical.”- and creative expeditions with the acknowledged and even “celebrated.”
provokes Candice. students as an “extra-curricular” She explains that failure is a blessing
activity outside of the classes. because it allows us to learn and grow,
Steps Towards Improvisation which is very natural and healthy.
There is always room for Candice encourages, “That is to say, Consider entrepreneurship as a school
improvement. Various projects are we use the theatrical tool to get out of of life and always turn problems into
being worked on by Candice and her our 'societal box' so that we can be opportunities for professional and
team. One of the improvements is the ourselves 100%, without constraint, personal growth are the most
company's structural organization and without judgement, and to be able to significant pieces of advice she
process development. In fact, the use express ourselves in complete considers.
of the tools permits some automation freedom.”

[Link] | 35
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[Link] | 41
42 | July 2024
 Lionel Lodge
A Renowned Professional in the Entertainment Industry

Having spent over four Below are highlights of the interview industry, first learning to play, then
conducted between World's leaders playing in bands, having fun, writing
decades in the and Lionel Lodge: songs, and building up my music-
entertainment industry, based revenue to a level of
Lionel Lodge has acquired Describe who you are as a person, sustainable quality of living. But I
inside and outside of the have always been interested in the
extensive experience across workplace. business side. Along the way, I have
various areas of the field. Running a startup, there is not a lot released 12 CDs under my name,
From a young age, Lionel of "off time". It pretty much always played on many CDs by other artists,
"on" to some degree. So, there is not and engineered and mixed many
demonstrated an really an inside or outside of the recordings. I have written hundreds
entrepreneurial spirit, workplace for me with SyncLodge. of songs and co-written many more. I
seeking out opportuni es But, to describe me as a person, I like have played in thousands of shows in
balance, I like systems that work, I many countries, quite a few of which
to generate income
like logic, I like learning, and I like I lived in for extended periods of
through ventures such as sharing what I have picked up along time. I have also started and exited a
shoveling snow and the way. I like working with teams few companies over the years, all
delivering newspapers. At and networks of teams to solve based in the entertainment industry.
problems and achieve objectives.
just 11 years old, he Tell us about the inception of the
established his first Describe your background and company. How did it all start?
business, which involved what did you do before you started In the mid-2000s, I was living off my
the company? music, enjoying my life and the
producing and distribu ng I have worked in the entertainment world I lived in, but CD sales were
decora ve flower pot industry all my adult life, as a creator dying, so I needed to find a new
hangers to flower shops in as well as a business founder and revenue stream to replace or at least
manager. My father worked in the supplement the decline in my
London, Ontario. entertainment industry, so I grew up income. Someone suggested
with it as my environment. I started licensing my music for TV shows
out, like a lot of people in the and films. I checked into it, went to a

[Link] | 43
lot of conferences, met people, and started placing songs. a problem. Sometimes the outside perspective holds
Some independent artists and a couple small record greater clarity. For this, we work with radical
labels asked if I would represent them for sync transparency and radical honesty of opinion. We are
placements. The next thing I knew, I had a sync licensing doing this together.
agency. Through building the agency, meeting with and
talking with at length with many industry stakeholders, I What is the significance of innovative ideas in the
saw a need for a digital transformation of how the company?
industry integrates and works. I learned about many SyncLodge is based on innovation and positive impact
points in work processes that would benefit from ideas. There are many work-flow obstacles in every
innovative technology to make the work flow a lot easier industry. We are focused on the entertainment industry,
and far less time-consuming. At first, I looked for specifically music usage management for visual
systems and tools that would solve the problems I saw. I productions. There are a lot of obstacles to work flow in
didn't find one system that answered the integration and this sector of the industry. The industry needs innovative,
work flow needs. So, I found my co-founders, and we yet logical and easily adaptable ideas. Many are working
built it. on it, and we are working with a lot of them. We
outsource ideas. Over the last 4 plus years, we have sat
What has made you successful? What do you value? down with hundreds of industry professionals and asked
I believe it is very important to have the "why" very them what they needed, showing them what we had
clear for all involved with a project or company. Each built, getting them to shoot down aspects they didn't like,
person will have a slightly different answer to why they and listening to their suggestions. We are also working
are doing this; hopefully there are no inappropriate with other tech companies that are building tools that can
reasons or ones that put others off balance. The why work with SyncLodge. There are a lot of great thinkers
always comes out in the end; if you stick around long out there coming up with great ideas for solving
enough, it is always exposed. I like to start with putting problems.
the project or company on the table, for everyone. This is
what we are doing, and this is why we are doing it. If Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely
you can get behind the why and pull together through the heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
hard times, then great. If we are not a great fit, it is best I don't believe in individual heroics, nobody crosses a
to know now. I also find it very interesting to ask people goal line on their own. It always takes a team. Any
why they are here, today, talking to me about joining our organization that has been successful has done so
team. What is in their recent past that brought them here? through the accomplishments of all members of the
Their answers give insights into their general team. One person might deliver the message, but that
motivations. A company is only as good as its people, so message was made possible by the work of a team.
choosing well is key to any project or company's
success. What are your responsibilities as the Founder/CEO
of the company?
What are the most important aspects of a company's As SyncLodge is a startup, and the way we work as a
culture? What principles do you believe in and how team, all members of the team have a spectrum of
do you build this culture? responsibilities, but each has their core focus. Mine is
The most important aspects of a company's culture are growth. This includes industry networking, cross-
shown in the team's attitude towards the work they are company collaborations, establishing our presence in
doing. The key word is team. For a team to really work emerging territories, and guiding our development team.
well together, all team members need to feel that they are
an integral part of the team. And, they all need to be What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
involved and have a clear overview of what the team is Showing the system to industry stakeholders and hearing
working on and why. It is not always field specialists that their comments of amazement as to what SyncLodge can
come up with great new ideas or better ways of handling do.

44 | July 2024
What advice would you give
someone going into a leadership
position for the first time?
Listen, ask questions, and never
assume you know what your team or
clients need to perform at their best.

[Link] | 45