Q&A with Emil Brunner, CEO of Takeoff1 GmbH

MEDIA 7 | June 13, 2019

Q&A with Emil Brunner, CEO of Takeoff1 GmbH
Emil Brunner, CEO of Takeoff1 GmbH is an experienced businessman who has worked in many countries. He has dedicated more than 10 years to the intuitive method of language acquisition called the “Birkenbihl Approach” formulated by Vera F. Birkenbihl.  Emil and Vera have worked together on the digitalization of this language acquisition method which has been incorporated into Emil's language-learning platform, Brain-Friendly. 

In this interesting Q&A, Emil takes us through the Birkinbihl approach which is helping users worldwide to learn languages with ease.

MEDIA 7: Could you please tell us about your background?
EMIL BRUNNER:
 I started as a technician; then I changed to sales. In my heart, I’ve always been a salesman. I started my business as the first Xerox Partner in Austria, and then I managed a company selling office machines and equipment. It was my first time going into other countries, like Germany and Switzerland. In that business, I worked with many phone agents, so the company grew to an outbound sales call center. In the USA, I had my first technology experience and built an automated call machine. We then got the franchise partner of RTL Teleshop - it was after QVC the second largest in DACH, for Austria.  I gained knowledge in TV-Power plus Sales power and found it fascinating. The next step was to automate the call center.

In 2004, we ran a call center in a pizza box (computer) for teleshop companies. In the States, we closed orders for up to 60% of callers fully automated, the rest were connected to the classical human call center. It had a great future, but I did it with the wrong people. So the company went bankrupt, and we went back to Austria.
After that experience, back "home" - felt so small, and we went on to start a software development business.
I began working and studying TV & Film making at the same time. My master's degree was a documentary film about "Teleshop and new technologies.”

I met Vera F. Birkenbihl, and she was one of the most successful scientists for learning methods and strategies and held a lot of live seminars - long before TEDx came up. I produced about 10 of those seminars, gaining many skills in the process, and that's when I found out about the language learning method. Me and language? I had trouble all the time while I went to school. I was sure languages were not for me. However, my son was a successful young developer and was interested and started to develop an app for language learning - using the brain-friendly Birkenbihl method. Which means, you never waste time cramming vocabulary and you don't need to learn any grammar rules.

I don't know anyone who’s happy learning vocabulary. About 90+% of all people using a language (mother tongue and foreign language) are not able to describe a grammar rule — only the teachers can do it. So there must be another way without the pain. And here it was!
I tried to learn English. The goal was to speak well without thinking about what to say. I just wanted to talk.

That's it. It took me more than a year, but I had an experience I’ll never forget. I was working on my phone with many customers and collecting orders. After a while, I put the orders from my notes into the computer. Wow! I had made a request for English courses - an order from a bookstore in Birmingham. How did I do it? Yes, I did it in English, and I didn't even realize it. It was automatic. The gap, switching from German to English, was gone - forever.

In the meantime, both my sons, Herwig and Gerwin, were now professionals in software development on the international stage. I had a Swiss partner and last year, I sold my shares to set up a new company with a new app - the Birkenbihl language learning movies. The digitalization of language learning - watch a movie and get the language. Based on subscription models, we sell it now in DACH, US, and European Single markets.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning, that I am the only one, who got the okay from Vera F.Birkenbihl (she died 2011), to follow the method of the new science of language learning and take it to the next level. I got the seal of approval for the "Birkenbihl Approach" to honor products they follow with the principle of "brain-friendly" learning method.

I have put all of this experience into a new book, the follow up of Birkenbihl's bestseller "Einfach Sprachen Lernen". I completed it with Katharina Rucker, she has been on board since 2008 and is still the best blogger for language learning knowledge. The book will be published in English in Q1-2020.

"Using the brain-friendly Birkenbihl method, you never waste time cramming vocabulary and you don't need to learn any grammar rules."



M7: How far is the Birkenbihl method’s idea of ‘learning a language need not be difficult’ serving its purpose of making language acquisition effortless?
EB:
 Let me say 100%. Because the "classical" way to learn a language is totally different from the way our brain works. Our brain is trying to find new things to discover, to get new experiences and so on. What is there to discover when you use a vocabulary list? For example, table - Tisch / table - la mesa, etc. it could also be shown as table - Katze (cat). There is no sense, no meaning, no context.

If you learn it the brain-friendly way as a full sentence, and you "de-code" it, your brain has enough context, and there are new words to learn. 

So it works, and it takes a minimum amount of time because our brain is memorizing everything in connections, like synapses, and that works very well, making it fun and available to use for the rest of your life.
The newest thing we have developed is the Movie(c) courses. Birkenbihl told us all the time, "a movie is the closest experience to real life". Watching a movie is like experiencing an actual event. 

When the "de-code line" is integrated into the movie,  entertainment and learning become cohesive. The "de-code line" in the movie, works as a karaoke player. The spoken word-pair is synchronized and highlighted. So you can close your eyes or your brain will automatically follow the decode line, and you will absorb the language. Repeat it, and you become perfect. It’s the digital way to learn a foreign language.

M7: How do you develop the movies and what is the approach for making users learn new languages easily with these movies?
EB: 
The classical way to learn a language is to cram grammar rules. Understanding and speaking are two processes in our brain that we have to learn separately. The idea developed by Birkenbihl was to find out how to use the mother tongue to understand a foreign language. She had done a lot of research and observed neuroscientists and decided to call the it the decode line which means you have two decoding lines – the upper line is the foreign language that you want to learn, the lower line is the word-by-word translation where you get the information about the meaning of the words.
It’s easy to follow them if you like to follow, but it’s enough if you just watch the movie. Your brain is automatically looking at the decode line and getting the information so if you repeat that you become more familiar with the sentence and you’ll understand it.

M7: How has your working with Vera F. Birkenbihl for more than 10 years helped you to come out with an intuitive method of language acquisition called the “Birkenbihl Approach”? What was the idea behind this?
EB: 
Birkenbihl told me that she’d had an experience with teachers and children. The problem was that the children didn’t enjoy learning vocabulary. It was, and still is, a pain. After a couple of days, all of the learned words go. So she thought, if most people have this problem then the problem couldn't be the people, it must be the method. There must be a better way.

After that, she started researching, and she found old documents, detailing how the aristocrats (the European marriage expansion) learned languages. There were many connections between the European Aristocrats, and this old document described how they learned. There was a transcript, a direct translation underneath and a live speaker. So the learners followed the speaker and read the word pairs.

All of the experiments she did, worked very well. I remember, it was approximately 2008, there was a teacher in Odelzhause who gave the children private English lessons Coached by Birkenbihl, in 3 months, the whole class were able to speak English very well and had no problem with vocabulary tests. That was the point we realized we were onto something. Based on our findings, my son built the first application for Windows. However, if you think that’s it, no. It took a lot of time to optimize it and to do all the beta tests. But after a while, we saw that it worked, and my experience was. WOW! - I got it.


"Watching a movie is like experiencing an actual event.   When the "de-code line" is integrated into the movie,  entertainment and learning become cohesive."


M7: How is the “Birkenbihl Approach” assisting people around the world to learn more languages efficiently?
EB:
Thanks, that’s an excellent question. You can do it, totally without any app, with paper or music. Take the lyrics of the song you love and start to “de-code” (translate it word-by-word). Yes, with the app, it’s much easier, and if you have a device ready, you can fit, learning a language, into every spare moment you have. So you waste no time, get entertained and learn simultaneously. After a while, you begin to speak automatically like a baby, who is listening for a long time.
When it becomes a year old, it starts with some words, after the second year it begins, from one day to the next to speak full sentences, only by listening. So while you improve upon your spelling skills, in your mother tongue or foreign language, always listen (day and night) in the background. Your sub-conscience will do the rest.
It is a kind of democratization of language learning; everybody can do it, independent of age or origin.

M7: You have played a vital role in digitalization of this language acquisition method. What inspired you to take up this challenge and what was your vision behind this?
EB:
Yes, first, it was a curiosity about the possibility and a challenge for myself to learn a language up to a level to be able to sell anything. Remember, I was a weak student.
Additionally, it was the feedback from the first beta tester, later from customers that they had the same experience I had, and they are now happy and successful.  So it was sensible. Yes, a little bit also to make it easier for people. So now, I see that the end of the traditional way to learn a language is coming.

Think about it... you can watch a movie, it doesn't matter which one, and you get automatically delivered the “de-code” line. I think we'll be able to get it in the near future, we are still working on it. So you don't need any teacher, because every child is learning it like their mother tongue, additionally. For example, a Hollywood movie uses about 1000 to 1500 unique words, a daily newspaper uses about 500 to 700 unique words. So let's watch Spanish movies this weekend, and that's it. My idea is that no child should have to suffer the cramming of vocabulary.


"While you grow up your spelling skills, in your mother tongue or foreign language, always listen in the background. Your sub-conscience will do the rest. It is a kind of democratization of language learning."



M7: As a language instructor, how important is resolving the problem of language acquisition as a barrier to businesses and marketing when globalization is the trend?
EB: It is vital. In two cases, one of them is, that companies spend a lot of money, year by year and nothing is changing. The costs go up, and success is equal to or less. Especially the production industries who have many difficulties, i.e. when the company is based in Germany, and the production is in Mexico. In this case, we can help. We can produce a learning movie for the technical process and add the “de-code line”, so the employees get both, the knowledge and the language. I think this is an excellent opportunity for all instructors and trainers of language. They can supply companies to work with the Birkenbihl method, and it gives more success with less time to spend. 

M7: Do you think that the Birkenbihl method will encourage more people around the world to learn languages swiftly?
EB:
Yes, that's what I hope, and it is essential to tell everybody that with this method it is possible, yes it works. Also, my hope is that it could connect people and bring more happiness. It's okay, if you start now and only spend 10 minutes every day. After approximately 6 weeks, you will get about 400 to 600 unique words. However, you can also do it in 2 weeks if you spend 10 minutes, 10 times a day (less than 2 hours). Alternatively, if you spend only 10 minutes every 3rd day, it takes a little longer. Do it when you want with the time that suits you. Overall, you get it.

M7: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
EB:
Not much, except one thing: Whatever you do, if it doesn't work, find out how it could work, there is surely another way. But, just do it.

ABOUT BRAIN FRIENDLY

The Birkenbihl Approach (BBA) means, learning as the brain loves to learn. Our brain - look to the minds of children - how they like to discover and to understand how things work. It uses neuro mechanisms like abstracting rules (grammar) and background listening (to build synapses for spelling). To know more, visit Brain-Friendly.

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Empathy and Majesco Partner to Provide Innovative Tech to Benefit Life Insurance Carriers and Beneficiaries

Businesswire | June 01, 2023

Majesco, a global leader of cloud insurance software solutions for insurance business transformation, today announced a new partnership with Empathy, the innovator behind the leading platform that helps families navigate the emotional and logistical challenges of loss. This partnership will provide life insurers with tech-powered services to aid them in delivering comprehensive bereavement support to beneficiaries. Empathy’s recently published installment of its annual Cost of Dying Report sheds light on the financial and emotional demands of loss, finding that the average bereaved family spends close to $5,000 on all legal matters, yet under 15% of these families have access to life insurance or dedicated funds to settle the estate. The strain faced by bereaved families presents both a challenge and an opportunity for life insurance carriers, as they work with families struggling through these burdens every day. Insurance providers are in a unique position to go beyond a financial payout and act as a source of support, guidance, and information for grieving beneficiaries. “If you want to build a relationship of trust and generational loyalty with beneficiaries, the first step is providing valuable support that acknowledges the nature and significance of the burden they face,” said Ron Gura, Co-Founder & CEO of Empathy. “Our experience has taught us that the burden of loss is both broad and deep, and life insurers can play a leading role in supporting bereaved families as they navigate emotional and logistical challenges. Partnering with industry leaders like Majesco further simplifies the implementation of our services with insurers of all sizes, meeting beneficiaries where they are. Together, we are transforming transactions into relationships and sticking around with families in the days, weeks, and months following their loss.” Both Empathy and Majesco provide unique solutions for insurance companies seeking to better support their beneficiaries. Over 350 insurers, from startups to some of the world’s largest insurance companies, use Majesco’s SaaS solutions to anticipate what’s next and deliver customized experiences that customers rely on. Empathy’s bereavement care platform accentuates that support, ensuring that beneficiaries have access to comprehensive grief care and helping them wind down their loved one’s affairs with full administrative assistance. “The life, annuity and health market is evolving in its understanding of ways in which insurance providers can improve operationally and create long-term value for beneficiaries especially during their most difficult and critical moments,” said Ray Law, SVP & GM of Products at Majesco. “As a company focused on delivering outstanding experiences for customers, we pride ourselves on selecting innovative partners like Empathy to maximize the support we are able to offer to the people we serve.” About Empathy Empathy is the comprehensive support system for loss, offering bereaved families holistic guidance and care for all of the administrative, emotional, legal, and financial challenges they face after their loved one passes away. Empathy's award-winning app and care team are trusted by leading employers and insurance carriers to support their employees and beneficiaries through life's greatest challenges, saving them time, money, and stress. Headquartered in New York and recognized as a Top Digital Health Company by CB Insights, as well as a Most Innovative Company by FastCompany, Empathy has raised $43 million in funding from leading investors including General Catalyst, Aleph VC, and Entrée Capital. To learn more about Empathy, visit us at empathy.com. About Majesco Majesco is the partner P&C and L&AH insurers choose to create and deliver outstanding experiences for customers. We combine our technology and insurance experience to anticipate what’s next, without losing sight of what’s important now. Over 330 insurers, from greenfields and startups to some of the world’s largest insurers, rely on Majesco’s SaaS platforms solutions of core, data, analytics, digital, and rich ecosystem of partners to create their next now. As an industry leader, we don’t believe in managing risk by avoiding change. We embrace change, even cause it, to get and stay ahead of risk. With 825+ successful implementations we are uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between a traditional insurance industry approach and a pure digital mindset. We give customers the confidence to decide, the products to perform, and the follow-through to execute.

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CORE INSURANCE, INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

Insurance Leader Lemonade Selects the Talon Enterprise Browser

Businesswire | June 09, 2023

Talon Cyber Security, the leader in enterprise browser technology, today announced that Lemonade, Inc. (NYSE: LMND) has chosen the Talon Enterprise Browser to more easily navigate post-acquisition business integrations and to secure unmanaged devices in use across its environment. Lemonade, the digital insurance company powered by AI and social impact, offers renters, homeowners, car, pet and life insurance. The company uses machine learning to make insurance instant and simple for individuals and is expanding globally. Dealing with a complex, distributed workforce and business integration efforts following an acquisition in July 2022, Lemonade made the decision to simplify its security stack by deploying the Talon Enterprise Browser. Lemonade evaluated other browser security solutions, and ultimately selected Talon due to its advanced protection capabilities, granular control features, superior user experiences, and the wide range of use cases the solution addresses. “As a company that prides itself on its ability to make life easier for our customers, we could not consider any solution that was going to hinder the productivity of our workforce,” said Jonathan Jaffe, Chief Information Security Officer, Lemonade. “We needed a technology that was easy to use, did not change how our users work, and would give us the enhanced protection we were looking for. The transition from Chrome to Talon’s browser was frictionless for our users, and has helped us better secure our environment.” As a growing company, Lemonade may use third-party partners to support its business and scale operations. These third parties may work from unmanaged devices that Lemonade’s security team would have little visibility into if not for Talon. By requiring access from Talon’s non-invasive browser on these devices, Lemonade’s security team gains pivotal visibility and control, extending the security of the organization to these users. “We can secure any user across the organization, irrespective of the type of device used,” added Jaffe. “This allows us to onboard more people, more quickly, and simplify the process. With Talon, we can improve onboarding in a way that prioritizes security.” Talon’s Enterprise Browser simplifies and improves security by allowing organizations to secure any user, in any location, on any device. With Talon, security teams benefit from deep visibility into and control over browser and web activity, including protections around screenshots, copy and paste, downloads and uploads, and enterprise-grade security features like authentication, data loss prevention and Zero Trust controls. Based on Chromium, Talon’s Enterprise Browser drastically reduces the cost and complexity of security programs, while protecting end-user privacy and delivering superior user experiences. “To be entrusted with securing Lemonade’s workforce is an honor,” said Ofer Ben-Noon, co-founder and CEO, Talon Cyber Security. “We are confident that Talon’s approach of securing users at the very point they interact with corporate applications and data – the browser – will be a competitive advantage for Lemonade going forward. We look forward to working closely together to ensure that their team realizes unmatched value from our solution.” About Talon Cyber Security Talon Cyber Security enables customers to secure any user, in any location, on any device with its market leading enterprise browser. Built on Chromium, the Talon Enterprise Browser provides customers with the consistent user experiences, deep security visibility, and control over SaaS and web applications needed to simplify security for the modern enterprise. Talon was named the Most Innovative Startup of 2022 at the prestigious RSA Conference Innovation Sandbox Contest. For more information, visit Talon at talon-sec.com, or connect on LinkedIn and Twitter. AboutLemonade Lemonade is digital insurance built on social impact. That means you can sign up instantly to cover your stuff, home, pets, family and car all within one app. It also means your unused premiums are donated to a charity of your choice through Lemonade’s Giveback, which has given over $4 million to non-profit organizations around the world.

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