AZ Dream Studio Podcast: Global Talent's Stories – Details, episodes & analysis

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AZ Dream Studio Podcast: Global Talent's Stories

Amy Zhu

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/29d. Total Eps: 8

The AZ Dream Studio Podcast shares authentic stories of international students and globally mobile professionals who've built successful careers across continents. Hosted by Amy Zhu - who arrived in Australia from China as a teenager and built a life and career spanning multiple continents - each episode explores the challenges, breakthroughs, and practical strategies for succeeding far from home. For international students, skilled migrants, and anyone supporting global talent. Connect: linkedin.com/in/amy-z-49a1069

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🇬🇧 Great Britain - careers
20/08/2026
#82
🇨🇦 Canada - careers
18/07/2026
#68

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https://www.fortifyhealth.global/
2 shares
https://utdpodden.podbean.com
2 shares
https://samekflynn.com/
2 shares

https://www.linkedin.com/in/indu-govindan/
2 shares
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-senanayake/
2 shares

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Score global : 27%

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Episode 8: From the UK to Singapore and back - Combating Global Societal Challenges and Lessons from Mountaineering

Friday, July 31, 2026 • Duration 51:44

In this episode, Amy hosts Simon McKenzie (Mac), CEO of Bridge Institute, who shares his journey in leading global societal initiatives. Discover Mac's purpose-driven leadership, cross-cultural insights, and resilience in tackling big challenges.

Key topics:

How Mac’s early ideas like city cycling in the sky spurred a purpose-driven career shift
The influence of challenging experiences and being at the “wrong place at the wrong time”
Building bridges between unlikely allies across cultures and sectors
Developing leadership attributes for today’s complex challenges
Lessons from mountaineering
Strategic approaches to solving social issues

Advice on building an impactful career

Website: https://www.bridge-institute.org/

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Episode 7: From Sweden to the UK and Nigeria - An International Portfolio Career in Finance, Sports, and School Building

Saturday, June 20, 2026 • Duration 49:25

In this engaging episode, Gustav Kulle (Gus), investment management strategy expert, co-founder of Infinity Branch, and co-host of UTD Podden, shares his multifaceted journey from Sweden to the UK, his career in Finance, his inspiring work in Nigeria as the start of a life-long commitment, and his passion for football and creative content generating. Discover how he navigates a diverse career, embraces cultural differences, and makes a meaningful impact across continents.

Key topics:

Gus’ journey from Sweden to the UK and then Nigeria
Building Infinity Branch - how a car ride to a football game led to a school in Nigeria
What the Amazon taught him about how similar we all are
Why he started UTD Podden instead of quitting finance for journalism
Balancing a career in investment management, education, and creative projects
Advice on building a life and career far from home

Keywords: Portfolio Career, International Career, Finance Career, Podcast, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Impact, Infinity Branch, Manchester United, Education In Nigeria, Cross-cultural Experiences

Gus’ LinkedIn:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/gustavkulle

Websites:

www.LetsBuildSchools.org

https://utdpodden.podbean.com

Instagram:

@lets_build_schools

@utd_podden

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Episode 6: From Kazakhstan to the U.S.: Compliance, Entrepreneurship, and Elite Sports Performance

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 • Duration 37:50

In this episode, Julia Flynn, a partner at a U.S. law firm and an award-winning endurance athlete, shares her unique journey from Kazakhstan to the U.S. The conversation explores her cultural and academic transition, her entrepreneurial experience with Yooli Foods and how that equipped her to help her law practice clients, and what she learnt from sports about teamwork.

Highlights are:

Adjusting to the U.S. law training as an international student
Using cultural differences as competitive advantage
Co-founding Yooli Foods while practicing law
Why compliance is preventative medicine for business
3 bar exams over 11 years
How endurance cycling translates to legal practice
Advice to her younger self and aspiring international lawyers

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliyaflynn/

Website: https://samekflynn.com/

Topics: International Lawyers, International Law Students, Entrepreneurship, Cultural Transition, International Market Entry, Endurance Sports

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Episode 5: Moving Back Wasn't Moving Home - from Dubai to Canada and back and from Finance to Luxury Space Design

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 • Duration 41:00

In this episode, Indu Govindan, Director at ABRA and co-founder of JEA, shares her unique journey as an international student from Dubai to Canada and back. Indu discusses her career in management consulting, her decision to return to Dubai to join her family business, and the challenges of navigating cultural identity and reverse culture shock. She emphasises the importance of networking, adapting to new work environments, and building credibility as a young leader. Indu also reflects on her entrepreneurial venture with JEA and offers valuable advice for international students and globally mobile talent who are contemplating their future.

Highlights are:

What it really means to “move back home”
Why she felt more Canadian than anything else after 11 years away
The reverse culture shock
Rebuilding professional network from scratch
Navigating family business dynamics: father as founder, brother as boss, and husband in senior role
The difference between Canadian and Dubai work cultures
How “boredom” drives every major career move
Co-founding JEA: from pitch call to actual business
Her advice on “stay or go”: don't be too attached to the plan
What she’d tell her younger self: have more fun

If you’re wrestling with the “stay or go” question, we hope this conversation will inspire your thinking.

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indu-govindan/

Websites: https://jeadesign.com/, https://www.abravmsd.com/

Topics: Reverse Cultural Shock, Career Transitions, Family Business, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Dubai vs Canada Culture, Luxury Retail, International Students, Global Talent

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Episode 4: Lost Business to War and Rebuilt - Dancing in the Storm

Saturday, March 21, 2026 • Duration 39:23

In this episode, Takayuki Omori shares his journey as a global entrepreneur, discussing his experiences in building RootX, navigating the challenges of the Russia crisis, and establishing a startup in Paris. He emphasises the importance of cultural curiosity, networking, and resilience in the face of adversity. Taka also compares startup ecosystems across Japan, Russia, and France, offering insights into the unique challenges and opportunities in each region. His story serves as an inspiration for young entrepreneurs looking to build globally.

Taka shares:

How travelling to Russia led to his global journey
The moment security kicked him out of Facebook HQ and how he turned that into meeting Zuckerberg
What it was like losing everything when war started
How he found motivation again through travel
Rebuilding in Paris and proving to French banks he wasn't laundering money
Patterns across successful startup ecosystems (Japan vs Russia vs France vs US)
Why Japanese startups don’t tend to expand globally
His event strategy that turns attendance into contracts
His philosophy: “Enjoy the storm - nobody else can experience your specific storm”

If you're building internationally, this conversation shows what resilience and optimism really look like.

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Episode 3: From Tax Consulting in Australia and the U.S. to Fighting Anaemia in India - the Corporate-to-Impact Pivot

Sunday, February 22, 2026 • Duration 37:24

Six years at Deloitte. Sydney to Boston to New York. Then Tony Senanayake walked away from it all, after a dark moment forced him to question what he was doing with his life.

Today, Tony is CEO of Fortify Health, reaching 15.5 million beneficiaries monthly across India. He's a Mulago Fellow and Jacobs Foundation Fellow, and he's also pursuing Master of Public Health at UCL while scaling the organisation.

In this conversation, Tony shares:

A dark moment that forced him to reflect on his own life
How he tested his interest in social impact before leaving consulting
Why he only applied to 3 business schools with laser focus on development economics
Building credibility in public health without a traditional NGO background
Why nonprofits should run like for-profit companies
Scaling from 20 to 100 people and 15.5 million beneficiaries
The importance of self-reflection and honesty in becoming who you want to be
Perspectives for those looking to transition into social impact careers

If you're in a corporate role wondering whether you could use those skills for social good, or if you're trying to become the person you actually want to be, this conversation will resonate deeply.

Tony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-senanayake/

Website of Fortify Health: https://www.fortifyhealth.global/

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Episode 2: Leading with Humanity - From Russian Journalist to Building Communities for 18 Global Airlines

Sunday, January 25, 2026 • Duration 39:28

From journalist in Russia to teaching in China to VP of Marketing & Sustainability at SkyTeam, Evgenia Starkova's career is a masterclass of building a career across cultures with intention and authenticity.

This episode covers a variety of topics, from her career path being an exploration instead of climbing a ladder, to recognising and managing emotions in leadership; from adopting a growth mindset in cultural identity to rising above all identities.

What we explore:

Her journey from Russia to China to the Netherlands
The leadership philosophy: genuine intent and solid execution
Building trust in international teams
Navigating cultural identity across three very different countries
Finding a path when she doesn’t have a roadmap
Why she tries to rise above all identities and see people as humans first

Evgenia's approach to leadership is refreshingly human. She leads with listening and empathy, but always delivers results through strategic execution.

If you're navigating international leadership or building a career across cultures, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical frameworks.

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Episode 1: From China to Three Continents - The Journey Begins

Sunday, January 11, 2026 • Duration 10:00

In this first episode, I share my personal journey as an international student and immigrant - from being rejected for a cleaning job in Sydney (because I didn't know words like "cobweb" and "skirting board") to leading finance teams across continents and earning my Executive MBA from Oxford.

I talk about the real struggles: barely passing courses, cultural adaptation, language barriers, learning to be funny in a different language, and the turning points that changed everything.

If you're an international student, an early-career immigrant, or globally mobile talent building a life far from home, this episode is for you.

Topics covered:

- The reality of being an international student

- Overcoming academic and language challenges

- Building a career across cultures

- Why I started AZ Dream Studio

- What's coming in future episodes

Connect with me on LinkedIn: Amy Zhu

Future episodes will feature international students and immigrants who've built remarkable careers. If you have a story to share or know someone who should be featured; if you'd like to mentor or coach international students and early-career global talent; or if you are looking to collaborate as a business partner, please reach out!

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AZ Dream Studio Podcast: Global Talent's Stories – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

AZ Dream Studio Podcast: Global Talent's Stories – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other7

LinkedIn4

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other7

LinkedIn4