Innovation X Ecosystems @Topian, the NEOM Food Company

TL;DR
I turn bold ideas into sustainable reality. I fuse technology, sustainability, and food systems to shape a resilient, future-ready world. With a PhD in Applied Mathematics and a track record spanning research, entrepreneurship, and global partnerships, I’m passionate about driving transformative projects that advance Vision 2030.

Speaker bio:
Dr. Andrew Yip is dedicated to curating sustainable innovations and strategic partnerships that will help the food sector reach its full potential. With his extensive experience in technology, innovation, and data governance, Dr. Yip is committed to driving positive change and creating innovative solutions for the industry, supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to promote economic diversification, job creation, and social and cultural development.

Dr. Yip holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and has been a NEOM pioneer since 2019. When he's not working, he enjoys tabletop gaming with friends and strangers alike.

Andrew Yip, PhD

Just finished a 2 am feed and wanted to mark the moment by sharing something I’ve quietly been building: my own baby activity tracker (Just do it).

Over the past weeks I’ve tried a bit of everything — apps, notes on my phone, even scribbles on the wall — but nothing really matched how my days with my son actually feel. So I started designing a simple tracker just for us, and it’s slowly becoming part of our nightly rhythm. The screenshots here are from this week, where I’ve been logging feeds and diapers and getting little reflections back on how the week went.

One funny (and honest) observation: I almost never manage to log sleep time. Somehow, by the time he finally dozes off, the last thing I want to do is tap another button. That gap made me notice how much I crave calm more than perfect data. Using this tool has helped me be more mindful of our routines without obsessing, and seeing the week summarized gives me a small sense of order in the blur of new parenthood.

I’m deeply grateful that my baby Justin  is the inspiration / pair-programming buddy / tester for this little project. The idea is that the tool will grow with him, and I’ll grow with it: what we track, how we reflect, and how we build tiny moments of awareness into everyday care. If it can help other new parents feel a bit more grounded and gentle with themselves, then it’s already a success.

Give it a try, or share it with a new parent friend. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. 

Link in first comment.

Saudi Premium Resident | Turning bold ideas into sustainable reality | Tech × Sustainability × Future Food Systems

After feeding baby Justin tonight, I suddenly got hit by a very specific craving: that steamy, savory bowl of halal Lanzhou noodles in China – the kind where the broth warms your soul and the hand-pulled noodles disappear way too fast.

So, while the little one was settling back to sleep, I opened up HalalYalla and did the next best thing to actually flying to China: I added a few halal Lanzhou noodle spots in Shenzhen to the app.

If you’re heading to Shenzhen (or already there!), you’ll soon see new listings for:
- Lanzhou / Chinese Muslim noodle places in key districts
- Clear halal tagging and addresses you can navigate to directly

This is just the start. I’ll keep expanding the China halal noodle map city by city – if you know any must‑visit spots, reply or DM so we can add them to HalalYalla and help more Muslims find that perfect bowl.

Link in first comment.

Celebrating the arrival of Eid in the spirit of service, I had the privilege of moderating discussions among agrifood tech innovators and ecosystem enablers from around the world at the preparatory meeting for the Global Agrifood Innovation Alliance (GAIA), a "child" of World AgriFood Innovation (WAFI) Conference, as Prof. Wenge Fu the Founder of WAFI has so affectionately put it.

I was especially honored to introduce our Middle East speaker representative, Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, PhD, Chief Scientific Advisor of the Saudi AgriFood Tech Alliance (SAFTA) التحالف السعودي لتقنيات الزراعة والغذاء —a true pioneer in the field with over 40 years of contributions shaping agrifood innovation in the region.

What stood out most was the genuine energy for collaboration across regions—from colleagues in Spain exploring deeper engagement with the Middle East, to the inspiring momentum across Africa in advancing both technology and human capacity to support smallholder farmers at scale.

I’m deeply grateful to all participants for their openness, shared purpose, and commitment to building bridges across ecosystems. 

This is just the beginning. 

We warmly welcome continued dialogue and invite partners from across sectors and geographies to join us in shaping this collective effort.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue these conversations during our upcoming innovation roadshow in mid-April—more details to follow soon.

In these complex times, I also extend sincere wishes for peace, stability, and shared prosperity across our region and beyond. We look forward to welcoming delegations and visitors to the Middle East in the months to come, to deepen collaboration on the ground and translate dialogue into action.

Eid Mubarak 🌙

Nations endure not just on vision or resources, but on trust: the quiet promises that bind us all.

Saudi Founding Day celebrates exactly that: leaders and people whose word built a lasting foundation, from Diriyah in 1727 to today. That's why I write about trust and foundation today.

Confucius says, "lacking trustworthiness, it's hard to know what can be made of them". In homes as in nations, kids learn trust not from words alone, but from whether "I'll be there" holds true.

In celebration of Foundation Day today, pick one recent promise to your child. Keep it by day's end, or sit down, explain honestly why not, and rebuild together. 

Small acts build strong foundations.

Happy Foundation Day!

自謂西川業漸成，
荊郊野夢尚纏情。
六年閒坐雲山外，
一劍未嘗試世塵。
水繞孤城春自碧，
心隨駿馬意難停。
他年若問興衰事，
但指江流笑未名。

新野覺前歌

Pi Day 2026: The Pie Chart Exception I Teach (And Built)

Data science teacher confession: I always warn against pie charts—bars are better for comparisons. 

Exception? Pi Day, when "parts of a whole" demands intuitive slices.

Enter Slice Truth on π Day – 20 interactive pies in one view.

Some of those pies:
AI's venture capital grip
Shifting global defense budgets
Timeless truths:
10,000 hour myth debunked
Where your focus really goes
How long habits take to form
How identical are we as humans genetically

Pick your provocation—what slice surprises you?
Enjoy the πs. 

Link on first comment.

Six weeks in, my wife and I have been so focused on baby Justin that we sometimes forget… us.  

I originally built a tiny baby activity tracker just to keep up with his feeds, naps, and milestones. But over the past few weeks, I realized the app was quietly reinforcing a mindset: everything for the baby, and whatever energy is left for the parents.

So I added a new screen: a gentle “Just Do It” checklist for us.  

Simple things like “Go outside”, “Drink water”, “Move your body”, “Eat a real meal”, “Take a shower”, “Read to baby” – tiny prompts that nudge us to care for him and ourselves in the same frame.

It’s not fancy product-wise, but it’s been surprisingly grounding to tick off “I ate a real meal” with the same satisfaction as “I read to Justin today”.  

If you’re in the newborn tunnel too, how are you reminding yourself that the parents are part of the care plan?

“Cash Flow Is King” | I help busy professionals upgrade their lifestyle & achieve financial independence through commercial real estate investing

In 2018, I got into real estate and thought I could create passive income all on my own. 

Boy was I wrong...

I learned that to generate passive income, you have to work with a team. So I joined one. 

I'm Brian, Director of Investor Relations at a Houston-based real estate private equity firm with over $500mm of AUM. 

We’re a rockstar team that's been trusted with over $100mm of capital from investors just like you.

I help busy, high-income professionals put their money to work in smart, risk-adjusted real estate investments.

My mission is to help others build passive income with real estate to help them leave a legacy they can be proud of.

I'm driven by one of my favorite quotes, "cash flow is king, but relationships are gold."

We first seek to understand each investor's unique story & goals… then we find cash-flowing investment opportunities that align with their goals. 

Each month, we invite new members to join our private Investor's Club exclusively for high-income, accredited professionals.

If you're interested in joining, follow the link in my "Featured" section. Once you apply, we'll schedule a quick consultation call to see if you're a good fit for our firm. 

If you're a busy, high-income W2 professional, successful business owner, or someone looking to 1031 exchange your portfolio into a passive position, let's talk! 

Happy Investing,
Brian

Brian Alfaro 🏢☕

I almost didn’t hit “post” on this.


Mostly because I haven’t posted on LinkedIn in months.

Not because nothing was happening…
but because a lot was happening.

The last few years have been a pressure season.

• Becoming a new dad
• Navigating work and responsibility
• Figuring out how to show up better where it actually matters

From the outside, things looked fine.

On the inside, I was doing a lot of thinking.

When I started opening up to other guys, I realized something:

→ Every man goes through a version of this.

Different details.
Same pressure.

In January, Cody Laughlin and I started talking about building a podcast.

Not to complain about life.
Not to pretend we have it all figured out.

Just real conversations about the seasons that test us as men.

The doubts.
The responsibility.
The pressure to get it right.

I realized the best way to grow through pressure is to bring it into the light.

A few weeks later, we stopped talking and started recording.

That’s Under Pressure.

Conversations between men who want to grow as husbands, fathers, and leaders, when it counts most.

First episode drops Wednesday 3/11.

I’m genuinely excited about what this can become!

Stay tuned...

Brian Alfaro

Capital Raising Architect | I Build the Systems Behind Successful Capital Raises | Real Estate Operators, Builders & Fund Managers | Podcast Host

When I first got into real estate…

I was chasing the wrong things.

→ AUM
→ Door count
→ Deals done

That’s what I saw online.

That’s what I thought success looked like.

And to be honest…

it’s what I wanted.

What I didn’t think about was the cost of getting there.

The pressure that comes with scaling fast.

The constant decisions.
The weight of it all.
The uncertainty.

And how that doesn’t just stay in your business.

It follows you home.

Into your marriage.
Into how you show up as a dad.
Into the energy you bring into your house.

Something I’ve realized over time…

A lot of the people we admire online look successful on the outside.

But you don’t always see what’s happening behind the scenes.

Building something meaningful comes with a cost.

And if you’re not careful, it’s easy to pay for it in the wrong places.

Cody Laughlin and I talk about this in Ep 2 of Under Pressure.

It’s a conversation more people need to hear.

Link in the comments.

Real Estate Advisor & Capital Strategist | Helping Men Build Wealth, Lead at Home & Grow Under Pressure | Host of Under Pressure 🎙️

Entrepreneurship is harder when you have a family.

When you’re younger, the risk feels different.

You can live in a cheap apartment.
Have a roommate.
Drive an old car.

Your cost of living is low.

Which means the pressure is low.

→ But things change when you have a family.

Suddenly there’s a mortgage.
Daycare (which is not cheap).
Bills that don’t go away.

And it’s not about trying to keep up with anyone else.

It’s just responsibility.

What surprised me most wasn’t just the amount of pressure.

It’s where you feel it.

When you’re single, the pressure mostly lands on you.

When you have a family, it feels different.

Because now other people depend on the decisions you make.

That’s a conversation we get into on the first episode of Under Pressure.

The episode is officially live.

I’ll drop the link in the comments.

If you’ve ever started a business…

you’ve probably questioned the decision more than once.

Usually it starts with the people around you.

“Why would you invest in that?”
“That sounds risky.”
“You could lose money.”

And to be fair…
those are all possible outcomes.

But something interesting happens after you actually start.

The doubt doesn’t disappear.

It just shows up differently.

Now it shows up in small moments throughout the day.

→ Did I hire the right person?
→ Did I choose the right vendor?
→ Should I pay this bill now or wait?

Every decision carries a little more weight.

Eventually you realize something most people never see from the outside.

Building something isn’t just about opportunity.

→ It’s learning to carry the weight of the decisions that come with it.

Entrepreneurs feel it.
Investors feel it.

Anyone responsible for the outcome eventually does.

The weight never really changes.

You just become someone capable of carrying more of it.

Most people think raising capital is about finding a good deal.

It’s not.

When I first started trying to raise money for real estate, I thought investors cared most about:

→ IRR
→ equity splits
→ deal structure

I was wrong.

Those things matter.

But they’re not the reason people wire money.

People invest when they trust the person behind the deal.

And trust usually has very little to do with the spreadsheet.

It gets built through:
• clarity
• consistency
• communication
• how you handle things when they don’t go perfectly

That took me years to really understand.

The people who raise capital consistently usually aren’t the ones with the flashiest deals.

They’re the ones who’ve built the strongest relationships.

Tomorrow is a big day.

After months of conversations, planning, and recordings...
we’re finally releasing the first episode of a new podcast.

It’s called Under Pressure.

The idea for this show came up when I found myself having conversations with other fathers like Cody Laughlin about things like:

• responsibility
• work pressure
• becoming a father
• trying to show up well for your family
• figuring out how to be the best version of yourself

What surprised me most was how many men were going through the same kinds of moments.

→ Different stories.
→ Same pressure.

That’s really what this podcast is about.

Not pretending we have everything figured out.

Real conversations about the seasons that shape us as men.

The first episode drops tomorrow.

I’m genuinely excited to get it out into the world.

“Give me your money for my real estate deals.”
↓

“I’m currently opening up exclusive opportunities for strategic partners to scale their capital…”

We’ve all seen it.

Different words.
Same ask.

And to be fair… I get it.

When you’re raising capital, you feel like you need to sound polished.
Professional.
Put together.

Like the right wording is what gets someone to invest.

It’s not.

No one wires money because you used the word “strategic.”

Or “exclusive.”
Or “high-yield.”

People invest because they trust you.

Not your pitch.

You.

Your track record.
Your communication.
How you show up when things don’t go perfectly.

That’s what actually moves capital.

I’ve had conversations where everything “sounded right”…

and nothing happened.

And I’ve had simple, straightforward conversations…

that turned into real relationships and real investments.

No fancy language.

No overthinking.

Just clarity and trust.

The longer I’ve been around this space, the more obvious it becomes:

Capital follows relationships.

Not LinkedIn vocabulary.

P.S. - That LinkedIn Translator is dangerously accurate 😂 . Comment “translate” and I’ll send it to you.

One thing no one tells you about becoming a dad:

You start asking yourself hard questions, like:

Am I actually showing up the way I should be?

Not at work.

Most of us perform there.

But at home.

As a father.
As a husband.
As the man your family depends on.

Last year, I had moments where I realized:

You’re busy…
But not always present.

Working hard…
But not focused on what matters most.

Providing…
But sometimes running on autopilot.

No big failure.

No dramatic moment.

Just a quiet realization:

I could be better.

Those moments forced me to take a look at:
• my habits
• my priorities
• where my attention actually goes

It wasn’t comfortable.

But it was necessary.

Those conversations, with myself and my network, eventually turned into something bigger.

That’s what led to the Under Pressure podcast.

Because most men are asking themselves the same questions…

We just don’t talk about them very often.

If something important doesn’t exist…

build it.

Recently, Cody and I started recording the Under Pressure podcast.

The studio we’ve been using has been great.

But we realized something pretty quickly.

The biggest constraint wasn’t the studio.

It was time.

Scheduling.
Driving across town.
Trying to line up calendars.

If we wanted to have more of these conversations, we needed to remove friction.

So I started building a small studio at home.

Nothing elaborate.

Just a space where we can sit down, turn on the cameras, and record. 

And it made me realize something.

Sometimes the real constraint isn’t the opportunity.

It’s the friction around it.

The same thing shows up in investing.

The investors who win long term don’t just chase opportunities.

They build the relationships, trust, and conversations that make opportunities show up.

No alternative text description for this image

The hardest part isn’t the workout.

It’s the conversation you have with yourself before it.

The part where you try to talk yourself out of it.

“I’ll go later.”
“I’ll skip today.”
“I’ve got more important things to do.”

Nothing dramatic.

Just enough to make it easy not to show up.

I’ve noticed that same pattern in business, investing, and at home.

It’s the small decisions you delay.

The things you know you should handle, but push off.

Individually, they don’t feel like much.

But stacked over time, they change how you operate.

Most people think discipline shows up when things get serious.

In reality, it’s built way before that.

In moments like this… 
where it would be completely acceptable not to follow through.

Not when it’s hard, but when it would be easy to let it slide.

How often are you choosing the easy out without realizing it?

taplio

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Andrew Yip, PhD

Brian Alfaro 🏢☕

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