From reflecting on our role in media through the Team Labs incident to tackling social issues, we are grateful to read unconventional stories that can teach us a thing or two. Here are the top three articles for May by our network of contributors.

Are we all to blame for the Team Labs saga?

Harsh Dalal was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 list but was later removed. Image courtesy of Forbes.

The recent Team Labs saga has taken over the news feed over the last few weeks. The day after the news about Forbes removing Harsh Dalal from the Forbes 30 Under 30 list broke, news publications that had once lauded Dalal proceeded to take his name down at lightning speed.

Whilst the jury is still out on whether Dalal is guilty of what he is alleged to have done or not, we’re more interested in is what this says about startup culture. This article is written as a reflection of this incident, the role of the media (yes, us), and how we need to be better.

From social work to data science: Why she made a career shift in her mid-forties

Bhavana Rao made a courageous move in her mid-forties to do something totally different. Photo courtesy of Rao.

Rao has always had a lifelong passion for helping others, which led her to join the nonprofit sector in Singapore. She worked in the social services and community care sector for 12 years, supporting vulnerable community members, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

However, in her mid-forties, Rao decided to make a career switch from nonprofits to the technology sector. In this article, she shares the reason behind this courageous move, as well as three pieces of advice for others looking to make a mid-career switch.

Tackling Indonesia’s waste issue: How she is taking things into her own hands to educate the public

Nahdya Maulina is the founder of Komunitas Pilah Sampah, a community that aims to educate the public about household waste management. Photo courtesy of Maulina.

Indonesia has been grappling with a serious waste issue in recent years due to landfills running out of space. This is an issue that Maulina, a staff member at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, feels strongly about.

Believing that household waste is one of the largest contributors to the country’s waste problem, Nahdya has been sorting her own household waste for the past eight years. Initially an individual effort, she eventually founded Komunitas Pilah Sampah, a community that aims to educate the public about household waste management.

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