Echoing the impressive surge of questions around Blockchain in Switzerland and more widely internationally, Palexpo SA, in close liaison with the canton of Geneva, is organizing the 1st Geneva Annual Blockchain Congress. This annual independent Congress will be held on January 21st, in the Palexpo Congress Center. Its purpose is to offer the region's decision-makers a day of reflection on this new "great technology". Its title from lab to market will be illustrated by the presentation of Blockchain solutions applicable in four sectors of activity: identity and e-government; Education; FinTech Commodity trading; and supply chain.
The next digital revolution is at our doorstep. After the Internet, which has transformed our societies in depth, Blockchain is in the process of becoming one of the pillars of our economy of tomorrow. Figurehead of the "Crypto Lake", the canton of Geneva has already initiated several pioneer projects – both internal and external – in this field.
Geneva, French-speaking Switzerland, and more broadly Switzerland, offer a unique platform thanks to the richness of its economic ecosystem and the quality of the actions carried out by academic researchers, start-ups, not forgetting the support and involvement of Government. As stated by Claude Membrez, Director General of Palexpo SA, "Palexpo has the mission to offer a neutral discussion and networking space for professionals, to inform current economic, technological and social trends, and to valuing Geneva and its region." The holding of the Geneva Annual Blockchain Congress will only strengthen this position.
High-flying speakers have been lined up for a promising first edition
- Don Tapscott, Co-founder and president of the Blockchain Research Institute (CA)
- Patrick Odier, associate of Banque Lombard Odier (CH)
- Daniel Haudenschild, CEO of Swisscom Blockchain (CH)
- Jarod Koopman, director of cybercrime, Internal revenue Services, Criminal Investigation (USA)
- Carlos Moreira, CEO WISeKey (CH)
The speakers will present their vision of the Blockchain revolution alongside 30 other speakers. Their mission: to present concrete and applicable blockchain solutions in four sectors of activity:
- Identity and e-government
- Education
- FinTech
- Commodity trading and supply chain.
From Lab to Market
Aimed at private, public and international organizations, this Congress will present the concrete applications of Blockchain solutions and study their consequences on the business models of the market economy.
Pledge your money before 22 August to help the project go ahead!
A new crowdfunding project had been launched celebrating diversity in Geneva!
With less than 2 weeks to go until its completion, project “Geneva” has been created to highlight the diverse mix of nationalities and ethnicities that you will find in a cosmopolitan city.
Providing their own perfect example of cultural diversity, the three organizers for the project are:
- Geni Deli, who was born in Zurich and has Hungarian origins.
- Stefano Pollastri, who is Italian, and is now living in Geneva for his studies.
- Jaumesse, who was born in Geneva and has Latino American origins.
What’s it all about?
Jaumesse told knowitall.ch,
“We would like to raise Fr. 3,000, to help us produce a song and music video, which celebrates the wonderful diversity of cultures that prevails in Geneva. At the same time, we would like to provide financial assistance to the local, non-profit association, On va parler ensemble, which supports the integration of migrants arriving in Geneva and provides facilities for them to learn French.”
He continued, “Until now, our work has been self-financing. However, we would love to take the project to another level and help the association to finance new activities that will provide additional support for migrants arriving in Geneva.”
If you’re a woman working in the field of digital technology, it can sometimes feel like you are working alone in a male-dominated industry. As technology advances at an ever-increasing rate, there is a real need to keep up with the latest trends by meeting other digital professionals facing the same challenges - but the opportunities have not always been there, at least not until the association Women in Digital Switzerland was launched!
Recognising the need to help women working in roles that require up-to-date knowledge of the latest digital trends, Digital Transformation Specialist, Taïssa Charlier, created a special group on LinkedIn back in 2013 to help them connect and share ideas. The group became so popular with women living and working in Switzerland that Taïssa decided to create a special association 3 years later – Women in Digital Switzerland (WDS) - with fellow digital specialists, Kelly Hungerford and Natacha Gajdoczki.
The role of Women in Digital Switzerland
Kelly told us, “Our goal was simple: to build a community of women working in digital across Switzerland, and organize events for them so that they can meet and network, share knowledge through discussions and presentations, and inspire or be inspired by others.”
The natural outcome of the association being formed has been the creation of a Swiss competency center for women working in digital roles, who are now being increasingly called upon to speak at special digital events and take up positions of leadership within companies.
Boost your professional performance with a series of one-day high-impact courses by NotchUP Training
SCC Sàrl – a group of centers in Vaud with a range of services designed to boost professional performance - has just announced the launch of NotchUP Training, a new approach to enhancing your skills in the workplace.
Following an initial phase of training courses offered over the last two years, an expanded portfolio of titles has now been created and a top-class training team has been assembled to satisfy the growing demand of its clients.
The NotchUP concept
The NotchUP concept incorporates fast-paced, intense training on essential skills for improved work performance. The series of one-day dynamic courses will be delivered by highly experienced trainers with tangible take-aways for immediate application on the job. The concept has been developed to take into account the needs for quality training with a networking aspect, delivered locally and with innovative pricing.
In 2018 there will be 6 NotchUP courses that can be purchased à la carte or as a package at an attractive price. The training is ideal for professionals at all levels from entry-level to senior executives who aspire to recognition at work and career advancement. If you can’t make a particular date, then simply send someone else in your place.
10% discount for knowitall.ch readers on Bright Green Learning Academy’s new autumn and winter course schedule.
Now in its third year of delivering training courses in the Geneva / Nyon area (see our first article on knowitall.ch here), Bright Green Learning Academy has just announced its 2017-2018 autumn and winter schedule, which includes some great new courses!
Anybody who wants to learn how to design and run more effective meetings and workshops, build their leadership skills, and communicate and collaborate more effectively with groups, should take a look at the new schedule.
Bright Green Learning Academy now offers more than 20 different learning modules to help clients professionally and in their personal life to become more productive by developing skills such as: facilitation competencies and methodologies; designing and facilitating virtual meetings; using learning games with groups; working interactively with large groups; strengthening cross-cultural communication; and using systems thinking to be more strategic in their work.
There is also a set of design modules that helps participants design team-building retreats, great staff meetings, strategic planning processes, multi-stakeholder dialogues and more.
You can view the full schedule here: https://brightgreenlearning.com/academy
