Episode 14

Harnessing Networks: Solving Big Problems Fast | 014

When crisis hits, the strength of your network can be the key to survival. Dr. Sumit D. Chowdhury, founder and president of Green Earth X and creator of the Gaia platform, joins the show to talk about the power of networks during emergencies and how they can make or break crisis management. Drawing from his vast experience in telecom, consulting, and digital transformation, Dr. Chowdhury explains how meaningful connections, both personal and professional, can come together to solve big problems. He also emphasizes that even solopreneurs and small business owners can harness the power of their networks during tough times—it's not about size, but about leveraging relationships effectively. From understanding implicit networks to using technology to enhance connections, Dr. Chowdhury provides practical and inspiring insights on navigating challenges and turning crisis into opportunity. Whether you’re running a small business or leading a larger team, this conversation will leave you ready to build stronger networks and face adversity with confidence.

About our Guest:

Dr. Sumit D. Chowdhury is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned business executive, having held senior roles in global consulting and telecom companies. He has developed several digital network platforms across diverse sectors such as telecom, trade, and regulatory environments. His expertise also extends to the production and distribution of green hydrogen, where he actively engages in key projects. He regularly consults with government bodies on significant policy issues.

Formerly the President of Reliance Jio, Sumit is the co-founder and Chairman of Gaia and Sesovera Inc., and is currently incubating Hydreen, a green hydrogen production company and GreenEarthX a Green Fuel Trading platform. He serves as Visiting Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, specializing in sustainability and smart cities. Sumit has previously held CTO positions at Brookfield and Partner of KPMG and IBM Consulting.

Gaia, (www.gaia.in) is an Award winning Enterprise SaaS platform, bringing man, machine and process together, coherently, for improving productivity, compliance and governance in organizations. 

https://www.greenearthx.com/  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumitchowdhury 

sumit@gaia.in

About the Host:

Your host, Maartje van Krieken, brings a wealth of experience from the front lines of business turmoil. With a background in crisis management, managing transformation and complex collaboration, she has successfully guided numerous organizations through their most challenging times. Her unique perspective and practical approach make her the go to First Responder in the arena of business turmoil and crisis.

Podcast Homepage: https://www.thebusinessemergencyroom.com/

https://www.thechaosgamesconsulting.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maartje/


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The Business Emergency Room Podcast
Triage, Tools & Tactics to recover from or prevent business chaos in this VUCA business environment

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About your host

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Maartje van Krieken

Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist, executive consultant, and your at host of The Business Emergency Room podcast, where growing businesses go when things get messy. With a career that began in frontier oil and gas and spanned war zones, boardrooms, and billion-dollar pivots, Maartje has spent over two decades helping organizations steer through chaos and come out stronger.
Now through her consulting firm, The Chaos Games, Maartje works with medium-sized businesses, especially those scaling rapidly or navigating uncertainty, to diagnose breakdowns in leadership, collaboration, and decision-making before they become business emergencies. Her signature approach blends practical triage, people-first strategy, and blunt Dutch honesty to help teams realign fast.

​The Business Emergency Room delivers high-impact insights for business leaders, board members, and investors who are tired of the symptoms, disconnection, friction, paralysis, and want the tools to fix what’s really going wrong. Maartje’s episodes cut through fluff with stories, frameworks, and metaphors that turn even the most complex chaos into something leaders can act on.
Maartje is based in New Orleans and speaks regularly on navigating organizational storms, building business resilience, and turning reactive firefighting into proactive leadership. Whether you’re scaling a business, running a team, or dealing with dysfunction, The Business Emergency Room is the place to find straight talk and smarter tools.