Dale Powell, MBA, CFA, FCSI’s Post

My heart is very full today. Moments truly matter, and this one is extraordinary. #Congratulations to the “Brain Health Innovation Olympics” Teams 🏆 🧠 I am so grateful to our partners, judges, friends, and colleagues worldwide who care passionately about #BrainHealth and combating #dementia. Over the past 8 weeks, students spent hours collaborating, coaching, and innovating together to create business concepts with real impact, which have been stunning. I believe in movements. We have a unique moment in time post-pandemic where the world is focused on brain health. The impact of this collective work is already significant. Global corporate strategy is changing, leaders and organizations are collaborating, legislation is impacted, new models are being launched, and companies are launching. Most especially today, I am grateful and overwhelmed by the inspiration and powerful ideas of our 26 youth leaders from 6 schools and 10 countries participating in this year's Innovation Olympics. They join 100+ young leaders who have brought forth leadership and innovation through our Olympics and Youth Board initiatives over the last two years. It's personal for all of us – every family or person involved in this competition has some attachment to this important topic, whether it is a family member combating dementia, a caregiver, or the many who are facing mental health issues. We all have a story – just like my children (Wesley Bevins and Samantha Hoit Bevins) and I, who lost our beloved Scott exactly 1 year and 7 months ago today to #Frontotemporal and #LewyBody dementia. We feel both the pain and the powerful hope of this community coming together to create solutions for millions of families all over the world fighting with us. There is extraordinary hope in this community coming together to create solutions for millions of families worldwide fighting with us. The students' ideas should be and will be brought forward by this powerful combination of corporate, science, nonprofit, and youth leaders. I am so grateful to all our judges and partners - this year, 40 in total!  Brittany Cassin, MBA, Dan O'Connor, Karen Shadders, Sandy Markwood,  Lori Alford, Jamie Ranzan, MBA, James Balda, Katie Smith Sloan, Loren Shook, Ki Siadatan, Eleonora Tornatore-Mikesh, George Vradenburg, Bonnie Wattles, Sanjeev Shetty, Harris Eyre MD PhD, Eric W. Bennett, Andrew S Nevin, PhD, Tina Woods, Ian Robertson, Sandra Bond Chapman PhD, Thomas Grape, Sandra Van Allen-West. CDAL, CDP, John Hartmayer, Jamie Coughlin, Lawrence Vernaglia, Mindi Manuel, MS, RD, CSG, LDN, CDP, Pietro Ferraro, Nancy Ness Judy, Marc Plumart, Gene Bowman, Kota Ageiwa, Mercedes Kerr, Mel Barsky, Lisa Gables, Jim Hamel, CPA, Mark Roth, Hitendra Patel Our journey together has led to significant impact and partnerships - together with our Olympics, DC meetings, Future Commerce Initiative corporate leadership meetings, and collaborative work, change is happening.

It is the last day of the Dementia Action Week, and we have just published the latest #Mindsets piece (the King's Entrepreneurship Lab blog series) on "Solving the dementia dilemma" by our E-Lab Research Associate Coco Newton: https://lnkd.in/edHVCm7H Remarkably, only 1 in 10 people know that #dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK and we are only beginning to comprehend the complex causes of this silent global trend. In fact, such is the magnitude of recent scientific discoveries in dementia that researchers, doctors, and public health bodies alike are struggling to agree on what dementia even means and how we should diagnose it. Our choice of a definition for dementia can have a potentially devastating impact on how we live with it. Coco argues that a radical rethink on traditional approaches is required. Mindsets is edited by Sophie Harbour (Murray Edwards College, Cambridge & University of Cambridge Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)) and published online by Rhys Williams (King's College, Cambridge & Cambridge Judge Business School). Schmidt Science Fellows | Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge | Delft University of Technology | University of Cambridge

Thissss! 👌 "Your brain child should not remain a child... But don't try to fall in love with it" This casts my mind to a few days ago, when my organization's The BloodDrive Network innovation team was at a dreadful crossroad during the Validation phase of a product we are currently developing and will be pitching for at the Africa Digital Epidemiology Innovation Network (ADEIN) challenge. We realized we had made some costly assumptions and overlooked some specifics of the human centeredness of the design with regards it's features. The realignment and step-backs needed to fix-up was too glaring to ignore 😭. I won't lie, I almost hung my boots on the entire process... Just maybe because I had fallen deeply in-love with the birthed idea from the beginning... I know, I know, wrong of me 😩 We had to return to the drawing board, to revisit our product discovery process and user journey mapping, because in the end the market success of a product boils down to the problem and the people at the center of it - how well you can marry solving the issues while considering the behaviors and responses of the people affected, to the solution offered. #DigitalHealth #Innovation

I've written a two-piece blog for the King's Entrepreneurship Lab on my views and insights about dementia - please read, comment, think, spread awareness! It's taken a while to distill all my learnings and ideas into a coherent story but it will be worth the effort if it get's more people talking and learning. 'In my view, the dementia problem boils down to an issue of mindset. If we can’t afford to wait until it’s too late under a reactive diagnostic approach, but we also can’t be too proactive because we risk overmedicalising, then we might be asking the wrong questions.' Part 2 coming soon.

It was an absolute pleasure to join colleagues from so many countries at the Alzheimer Europe conference in Geneva last week, not least because I was alongside people who all shared the same passion to make things better for those affected by dementia. It was a fantastic place to meet colleagues from sister organisations across Europe to see how we can collaborate and share knowledge. It was uplifting to walk into the conference and see so many people who work with and support Alzheimer’s Society, including some of our amazing early career researchers. We have enormous hopes for these young PhD students, wanting them to feel supported in their careers and stay in dementia research for the long-term. I was really pleased to be able to connect with some of them at this conference.  But most visible of all was the voice of lived experience, which was incredibly powerful throughout, exemplified by the moving speech given by someone who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at 45 years old. A huge Liverpool fan, he sang ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ to the whole audience and I don’t think there was anybody there who wasn’t touched.  What really struck me was that, although he lives in Norway a country with one of the best-funded health systems in the world, he still struggled to get support following his diagnosis. If countries like Norway are struggling, how will we make dementia the priority it needs to be across the world? I have no doubt we need to continue to build the irrefutable case for change and be creative and innovative in bringing solutions to the table for decision makers.  As part of Alzheimer's Society's growing role in developing solutions, I was really pleased to be able to announce the five finalists of the Longitude Prize. Part of what makes the Longitude Prize so special is because the innovations have been co-created with people affected by dementia. By putting people with lived experience at the heart of the prize, it will result in innovations which are genuinely what people with dementia need. #dementia #dementiaresearch #alzheimereurope Longitude Prize on Dementia

Post worth reading! The Tree of Life methodology has always resonated deeply within me, touching a part of my soul that I could not previously articulate. This profound connection led me to become a Tree of Life practitioner in 2023 after completing Ncazelo Ncube's intensive four-day course. It was an investment that has given my life a new purpose, empowering me to help myself and others who have struggled with adversity ('storms') to tell preferred stories that are not problem-saturated and to have those stories be culturally responsive. Anyone who knows me knows that I talk about this modality, which is a form of narrative therapy, all the time. For example, a student I worked with using the Tree of Life in elementary school approached me the following school year in the hallway and asked, "Are you the Tree of Life lady?" To deepen my practice, I engage in continued group and individual supervision with Ncazelo Ncube, co-developer of the Tree of Life, focusing on my project to improve the quality of care for people with dementia. This project, with its potential to be implemented in long-term care homes in the near future, holds the promise of significantly enhancing the lives of those with dementia. I will also conduct this as a research project, collecting mixed-method data and writing a formal report. I am excited about the possibilities this project holds and the hope it brings for the future of dementia care. To my knowledge, only Dr. Elizabeth Field, a psychologist in England, has written on this subject. I aim to take this research further in the context of long-term care. This project is dedicated to my grandmother, who experienced memory loss. When I visited her, she was always happy when we talked about her preferred stories—stories of her children and grandchildren. These narratives brought her joy and put a smile on her face. Dementia should not define a person's life; rather, it should be about their preferred stories. This is the essence of my Tree of Life project, "Unpacking the Neglected Stories." I want to express my deep gratitude to Ncazelo Ncube for her invaluable guidance, which has not only clarified my path in this work but also enriched my understanding of the Tree of Life methodology. I can't wait to share more! While I have many ongoing projects related to my trauma work as a therapist, I see my purpose more clearly now. This project will be a central part of my doctoral studies, like a light bulb finally illuminating my path. I want to also give Shayla Sima Dube her flowers for introducing me to this work and to Ncazelo. Diagram: Juliet Young Disclaimer: The diagram reflects the therapist’s interpretation of the Tree of Life. For a deeper understanding of this methodology, I recommend undergoing training with Nzazelo Ncube. The "storms of life" are introduced later in the process to create an island of safety, fostering preferred stories rooted in strength and resilience for individuals facing trauma.

One of the most effective narrative therapy tools to use in order to get more depth and understanding from the person’s experiences.

YOUR BRAINCHILD SHOULD NOT REMAIN A CHILD   To be honest, I am quite impressed by the amount of recognition digital health and innovation are getting these days, especially among students. As an individual, I have been exposed to training, and workshops and hold positions in organisations that continually expose me to creating solutions. I do not yet consider myself an expert but I would like to use this platform to share my experiences, lessons and insights.   Recently, I had a call with one of the people I look up to and consider an expert in design thinking. After sharing my ideas with him, he responded, “You are making so many assumptions”.   At first, I thought this meant that I had not done my research properly and adequately (which was true). However, as I thought about it in the days that followed, I realised that it indicated that the idea was still in raw form and had not yet been tested. The next thing to do was not gathering statistics from the World Health Organisation publications. Validation was missing.   The design thinking pathway goes thus: I. Empathize II. Define III. Ideate IV. Prototype V. Test   It is expected that you have already defined what the problem is and how it affects the target population before you start thinking of ideas. Although it looks easy, ideation itself is not the easiest part of the pathway. However, people don’t struggle with ideation as much as validation.   In the raw form, all ideas are backed by assumptions. What do we think people need? What will solve the problem? The most basic assumption in problem-solving is usually this: “If I am experiencing this challenge, then there must be people like me who have this challenge too”. And that is not off the mark, at the very least. That is why most people recommend that making a change or building a product should begin by solving your own problems.   Every idea looks good, interesting and meaningful to the originator. For every innovator, that idea is a brainchild. And as a child, we fall in love with it. We never ask questions. We never address the loopholes. Eventually, when people point out these loopholes, we think the whole idea is trash. This is not always true.   The rule is simple: “Your brainchild should not remain a child. And don’t try to fall in love with it”.   So, how do you wean your brainchild to help it grow? It is through validation, which is essentially, the reality check.   To be continued in the comments. Photo Credit: Decision Analyst #digitalhealth #innovation #designthinking #dailyinsights #day1

Today, we hosted our first “Walk and Talk” event, a meaningful initiative to engage the community in brain health education. 🌿🚶♀️ We took a short walk through the beautiful McGovern Centennial Garden in Houston’s Museum District, discussing ways to maintain brain health throughout life. We ended with some gentle stretching exercises to recharge both body and mind. Here are some of the insightful questions raised by participants: 🧠 How can I reduce my risk of dementia now that I’m entering middle age? 👶 How does childhood affect the risk of developing Alzheimer’s? 📚 Why is both formal and informal learning important for lowering dementia risk? 🥗 What role does nutrition play in reducing the long-term risk of dementia? 🍽️ Is there a specific diet that’s most beneficial for brain health? If you’re interested in how to engage Latino communities with relevant, impactful health promotion activities, we invite you to connect with us at Receptum Health Strategies. Let’s work together to create healthier futures for communities of color. Stay tuned for our next event in November! 💡

🎗️ April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month 🎗️ Parkinson’s is an unforgiving, progressive disease that can steal away your body, mind, and soul. It doesn’t discriminate and it affects everyone close to the person with the disease. As a mom living with Parkinson’s, my biggest fear is what my kids will endure as this disease progresses. They are the silent sufferers. Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at an early age shatters our preconceived vision of the future. We're in the prime of our lives, often with families and careers, and we quickly need to pivot. Many of us with young onset Parkinson’s face the reality of earlier retirement and long-term care needs well before anticipated. For me, the emotional toll is much greater than the physical losses, so far. Everything I thought I knew about my future…vanished. Daily functioning becomes more challenging, yet we still carry the weight of our mid-life responsibilities. It's a constant adjustment. As with any situation, silver linings can be found and not all is lost to the name of Parkinson’s as you will see in “ The Only Day We Have”. I invite you to watch "The Only Day We Have," a documentary about people living with Young Onset Parkinson’s premiering on April 23 on @austinPBS. It can also be live-streamed from the Austin PBS website. 💣Did you know Parkinson’s is the second fastest-growing neurological disease behind Alzheimer’s? By 2040, new diagnoses are estimated to reach pandemic levels. 🏆We need a cure desperately. A heartfelt thank you to Vanessa Reiser and Allan Cole, @pdwise, producers of the documentary, for their unrelenting dedication to educating and supporting the Parkinson’s community. Together, let's make a difference. 🩷Shout out to my little luvs for loving me enough to tap dance on film💃🏻🏆🩷 #caregivers #youngonsetparkinsons #parkinsonsawarenessmonth #FindACure #chronicillness #neurodegenerative #parkinsonslookslikeme #yopdwomen #yopdadvocate #parkinsonsadvocacy #brainhealth #neuroscience #neurohealth #brainmatters #parkinsonsawareness