The Impact Protocol
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In a world of infinite scroll and shallow connections, it's hard to know what truly builds influence.
Leaders today are faced with challenges that seem unprecedented, from navigating blockchain confusion to building authentic community in an AI-saturated market.
Do you feel like you're consuming content instead of creating meaningful conversations?
Are you struggling to turn virtual networking into real opportunities?
This week, our Top Voices Unite community delivered a masterclass in authentic connection. We explored the human side of blockchain technology, the secret to non-linear career success, strategic newsletter building, corporate podcasting that builds authority, and policy frameworks that shape innovation's future.
This is your roadmap for building genuine influence in 2025.
From NFTs to Future Human Connection
What happens when blockchain meets human psychology?
On Episode 8 of CryptoZombies, the panel dove into where blockchain, design, and human connection intersect. Guest Tenny Pinheiro—a hybrid designer and software engineer who once helped shape Meta's AR glasses—joined hosts Nick Larson, Hooman Khalili, Chris Kelly, and Bryn Nguyen to unpack what's next for NFTs, UX, regulation, and community design.
This wasn't about crypto hype—it was a deep dive into how technology serves humanity.
When discussing why spatial computing won't replace fundamental UX principles, Tenny emphasized timeless design thinking:
"The fork that you ate today... was invented in the Byzantine empire in the 4th century. Fifteen centuries later, nobody had a better idea."
The takeaway was clear: innovation builds on foundations. Even revolutionary technology must serve human needs first.
Nick also reflected on community building in the Web3 space:
"Web3 is people-centric. Study how humans built villages for thousands of years—that's the blueprint for DAOs and tokenized societies."
From blockchain governance to digital communities, successful projects prioritize human connection over technical complexity.
Key Takeaways
- Human-centered design wins: Technology must solve real human problems, not create complexity for its own sake.
- Community beats speculation: Sustainable blockchain projects focus on membership and digital rights, not collectibles.
- Regulatory clarity accelerates adoption: In 2022, 60% of global tech executives cited regulatory uncertainty as a major barrier to innovation—more than technical limitations. (IBM)
- Loneliness is a measurable health crisis: It increases the risk of premature death by 26%, comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
- Institutional crypto treasuries signal mainstream adoption: 56% of Fortune 500 executives say their companies are working on or exploring blockchain and digital asset initiatives. (Coinbase)
- Web3 communities succeed by mirroring natural human collaboration.
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch the Full Episode in the following platforms:
- LinkedIn: CZ 8: CryptoZombies Ft. Tenny Pinheiro
- YouTube: Watch here!
Join the next episode of Crypto Zombies on LinkedIn and YouTube Live! Stay tuned.
🤝 Connect with our Crypto Zombies guest speaker and hosts!
🔹 Tenny Pinheiro
→ Personal Website: Design Portfolio
🔹 Hooman Khalili
→ Personal Website: Hooman.tv
→ YouTube Channel: subscribe here!
🔹 Nick Larson
→ Company Website: Silicon Zombies
→ YouTube Channel: subscribe here!
→ Need Advice? Book a 1:1 with Nick in Hubble!
→ Subscribe to Nick’s LinkedIn Newsletter: Brain Food
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Leadership Beyond Linear Paths
In this week's Top Voices Tuesday, Jenny Fernandez and Michael Lopez dismantled traditional career expectations, addressing how leadership emerges through detours rather than straight lines.
Beyond resume building, they showed how intentional pivots create competitive advantage and authentic leadership development.
Jenny's core message resonated with professionals navigating uncertainty:
"Don't be afraid to take detours."
Did you know? 💡
70% of leadership development and HR professionals say that mastering a wider range of effective leadership behaviors is very important to prepare leaders for future business challenges. (Harvard Business)
The Non-Linear Leadership Framework
Jenny and Michael didn't just share career advice—they revealed how to turn career uncertainty into strategic advantage through intentional skill diversification.
- The Risk Audit Rule
If your experiences and network "all look and feel like you," you're concentrating too much risk in one space. - The Detour Advantage
35% higher likelihood of executive roles for professionals with international assignments and cross-functional experience. - The Setback Strategy
As Michael shared: "There can be no comebacks without setbacks."
- The AI Adaptation Approach
Jenny's USC research revealed entry-level positions have been "cut by half in many organizations" due to AI integration. - Innovation Over Performance
"Organizations are soon going to need to pivot and focus on innovation and growth." - Jenny Fernandez
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch the Full Episode in the following platforms:
- LinkedIn: Leadership Isn’t Always a Straight Line
- In YouTube
Join the next episode of Top Voice Tuesday with Dr. Pierre-Nicholas Schwab on September 23 at 12:00 PM EST on LinkedIn Live. Register here!
📬 Get the most of the insights from our featured Top Voices in this episode!
→ Blog: Substack
→ Newsletter: Friday Focus
→ YouTube Channel: Michael J. Lopez
→ Purchase his book “CHANGE” on Amazon!
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Newsletter Strategy That Builds Loyal Communities
Publishing is easy, but are you building relationships through your content?
In this week's Blue TV livestream, LinkedIn Top Voice and Sellovatorz, Inc. founder Denise Murtha Bachmann broke down the hidden power of strategic newsletter development.
Beyond subscriber counts, she showed how authentic newsletters can build thought leadership, drive engagement, and create opportunities—without overwhelming your content calendar.
Denise's core message was transformational:
"Newsletters aren't just about content—they're about conversations, credibility, and consistency."
Did you know? 💡
LinkedIn newsletters experienced 47% year-over-year engagement increase, with the algorithm rewarding multi-tool usage for compound credibility building.
The Newsletter Success Framework
Denise didn't just share newsletter tips—she revealed how to turn publishing into relationship building and thought leadership development through strategic content planning.
- Define Intent Clearly
Align with audience needs, not just publishing schedules. - Name with Purpose
Create curiosity and signal value immediately in your newsletter title. - Craft Strong Hooks
Drive engagement with bold questions or contrarian insights that make scrolling past impossible. - Leverage Metrics Strategically
Use data to guide content direction and adaptation, not vanity metrics. - Multi-Tool Compound Effect
"The algorithm rewards multi-tool use. Consistently publishing newsletters not only expands visibility but also builds compound credibility over time." - Denise Murtha Bachmann
Replay + Resources
📺 Replay the Full Episode: LinkedIn Newsletter Goldmine: From Casual Readers to Loyal Fans
🔷 Learn more from LinkedIn Top Voice Denise Murtha Bachmann → [Sellovatorz]
🔷 Book a 1:1 Sales Strategy Call with Denise → [Scheduling Link]
Next episode of Blue TV will be on September 24 at 11:00 AM ET | 10:00 AM CT on LinkedIn Live. Register here!
============================================================Corporate Podcasting for Brand Authority
This wasn't your typical marketing conversation.
In this week's Voices of the Week livestream, Nikki Estes and Pranali Ubale tackled why business leaders can't ignore podcasting's $171B growth market and how corporate podcasting builds organic audience development versus vanity metrics.
The discussion highlighted data that reshapes content strategy:
42% of Americans (12+) listen to podcasts monthly, while traditional advertising loses effectiveness as streaming dominates consumption habits. (Pew Research & Edison Research)
Nikki shared the core mission behind their approach:
"We like to go out there and help to create an ecosystem where leaders, change makers can amplify their influence, scale their impact and grow movements that shape the world."
The conversation revealed authentic authority building through consistent content creation.
Pranali emphasized the organic trust development that occurs through podcasting:
"Why especially for the corporates... they should think about this as a tool which is one of the organic tools I have found, you know, to establish credibility, do the visibility part and also create your loyal trust-based fans and onboarding your future customers."
Corporate Podcasting Applications
Podcasting transforms corporate communication from broadcast to conversation, building authentic relationships with target audiences.
- Trust-Building Through Consistency: Many podcasters like Pranali observe that by around 20 episodes, listeners begin to feel a stronger connection — they hear more personality, spontaneity, and the show’s unique voice shines through.
- Organic Customer Development: Customers buy from people, not just products, requiring authentic personality revelation.
- Strategic Authority Building: Corporate podcasting establishes credibility and visibility without traditional advertising costs.
- Audience-Ready Market: Shifting consumption habits favor audio content for professional development and expertise building.
"The times have changed... The audience is already ready to tune into different outlets either to build their expertise. And the easiest way for people is to tune into audio." - Pranali Ubale
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch the Full Episode in the following platforms:
- LinkedIn: Voices of the Week: Launching Podcasts for Brand Visibility & Impact
- In YouTube: Watch here!
📘Download Pranali’s free podcast equipment handbook and message Pranali Ubale, Nikki Estes, or Chenny Marie Cantano for the EXCLUSIVE coupon code!
🔎 Explore more from our Voices of the Week host and guest speaker in this episode!
🔹Pranali Ubale
→ Company Website: Passionate Pulse
→ LinkedIn Newsletter: Breaking the glass ceiling
→ Blogs: Substack
→ YouTube Channel: Passionate Pulse
→ Stay updated and tune in to old episodes from Pranali’s podcast vaults! You can listen to any audio platforms below:
🔹 Nikki Estes
→ Company Websites:
Governing the Future of Crypto, AI, and Innovation
Technology is racing ahead, but policy is lagging decades behind.
In this week's episode of Silicon Zombies livestream, Congressman Sam Liccardo and entrepreneur Chris Kelly joined hosts Hooman Khalili and Nick Larson to address AI governance, crypto regulation, energy resilience, and Silicon Valley's future.
The conversation cut through political noise to focus on practical challenges facing innovators building in regulatory uncertainty.
When Hooman asked about balancing AI regulation with innovation, Sam was candid about Congressional limitations:
"We've been waiting for 30 years for a privacy rights bill... so the regulation is probably going to be coming from the executive branch and not from the legislative based on what I'm seeing right now."
Chris highlighted crypto policy progress despite political headwinds:
"Stablecoin legislation has passed already, the Genius Act... the Market Structure Act legislation is being considered and is being taken seriously."
The discussion revealed that nearly 55% of U.S. adults say they want stronger regulation of AI, particularly over how it’s used in everyday life (Pew Research), while there are $124B+ stablecoins in circulation, with about $1.4T in transaction volumes (Global X).
Key Policy Insights
The panel didn't just analyze problems—they identified opportunities for leaders navigating regulatory uncertainty.
- AI Regulation Reality Check: Executive branch action will likely precede Congressional legislation.
- Crypto Infrastructure Evolution: Stablecoins are leading mainstream adoption with clear regulatory progress.
- Immigration as Innovation Fuel: With over 40% of its residents foreign-born, San Jose's immigrant population plays a key role in the region’s economic output—especially in high‑growth sectors like STEM and tech. (American Immigration Council)
- Energy Grid Transformation: AI‑powered data centers in the U.S. are projected to consume up to 9% of total electricity by 2030. (Electric Power Research Institute)
- Blockchain as National Asset: Infrastructure spending forecasted to reach $19 billion by 2027. (Naveen Kumar)
- Free Speech vs. Fraud: Balancing innovation protection with consumer safeguards remains complex.
"San Jose, 40% of our adults were born in a foreign country. And that's why we had the highest GDP of any city in the country." - Sam Liccardo
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch the Full Episode in the following platforms:
- LinkedIn: SZ 196: DCNY Summit 2025 Governing the Future
- YouTube: Watch here!
🤝 Connect with our Silicon Zombies guest speaker!
🔹 Sam Liccardo
→ Linktree: Mayor Sam Liccardo
→ Blog: Medium
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Upcoming Events from Our Voices: Get Ready to Connect!
Our Top and Emerging Voices are bringing their expertise to you at their 3 big upcoming events.
It’s your chance to grow your connections with the opportunity to gain firsthand insights and network with other leaders!
- When: Starting October 2, 2025
- Host: Pranali Ubale
- Where: Zoom
- Focus: Hands-on podcasting strategy and execution for business leaders
- Additional Info: Group registration discounts available or use our code “MMM20” for a 20% Discount!
- When: October 10, 2025
- Where: Silicon Valley
- Focus: Join Nick Larson and his Silicon Zombies team, Dr. Aubrey de Grey, and other future-minded leaders to discuss longevity, performance living, and the future of human optimization.
- When: November 5, 2025
- Where: San Francisco
- Focus: An event for enterprise leaders to turn AI from concept into reality where one of our Top Voices Nitin Gupta will be speaking. Learn from over 35 practitioners and see over 600 AI deployments in action.
Explore more and reserve your spot for these exclusive events!
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Reflection
After a week of learning deep from our Top Voices and Emerging Leaders about blockchain humanity, non-linear leadership, newsletter strategy, corporate podcasting, and policy frameworks shaping innovation's future, here’s a quick question to reflect on…
What is the single most important action you will take to build authentic influence in your industry?
Let us know in the comments!
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