
776: Forge Connections That Help You Thrive, with Neri Karra Sillaman
From Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak
March 30, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 776
About this episode
Neri Karra Sillaman discusses the importance of forging meaningful connections and the lessons from immigrant entrepreneurs for thriving in business and life.
Neri Karra Sillaman: Pioneers Neri Karra Sillaman is a refugee-turned-entrepreneur, academic, and author whose work focuses on the importance of resilience, purpose, and vision in business and in life. She is the recipient of the Thinkers50 Radar Award, an entrepreneurship expert at the University of Oxford, and the founder of Neri Karra, a global luxury leather goods brand. She is the author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs ( Amazon , Bookshop )*. We all know that the right connections can help in our careers, but how do we actually get more intentional about forging the connections that will be most meaningful and sustainable? In this conversation, Neri and I explore the key lessons from immigrant entrepreneurs and how their successes can help us all thrive. Key Points Robins and titmice have vastly different outcomes because of their divergent abilities for flocking. Social capital is critical for success. Diversity brings many strengths – and it also introduces new challenges for connection. We can’t as easily rely on connections through traditional cultures or experiences. All of us have the ability to forge connections based on…
People in this episode
Host: Dave Stachowiak
Guest: Neri Karra Sillaman
Topics covered
- connections
- immigrant entrepreneurs
- resilience
- business longevity
- social capital
- diversity
Keywords
- connections
- entrepreneurship
- resilience
- social capital
- diversity
- business
- networking
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Oxford, Thinkers50, Neri Karra
Books & works: Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs
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