Fieldnotes From Abroad

About Fieldnotes From Abroad

Welcome to Fieldnotes from Abroad. Intersectional conversations centering around intellectual property, communicating across differences, and wellbeing as professionals living and working around the globe. Hosted by, Laura Gisler, a US Patent Attorney, who's lived and worked as an attorney in Sweden, Copenhagen and now the US.

Publisher

Laura Gisler

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Apr 2024

Latest episode

16 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

8 of 8 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   16 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   IP Leadership in Business from Qualcomm to AI: A Conversation with George Pappas on Growing a Career Across the Globe

   Host Laura Laraliz interviews IP leader George Pappas about building a global career and navigating the evolving landscape of intellectual property and AI.

2. 

   23 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Go Toward Your Risk: On Culture, Community, and Building aera with Hanane Fathi Roswall

   Host Laura Lara Liz interviews Hanane Fathi Roswall, a French-Moroccan entrepreneur, about embracing risk and building a life with excellence and compassion.

3. 

   12 May 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Inventing the Future: How a Romanian Dreamer Helped Shape Modern VR

   In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend and frequent collaborator, Timmy Ghiurau—a creative technologist, futurist, systems thinker, and musician—calling in from rainy Gothenburg, Sweden. Timmy’s story is anything but conventional. From building eye-tracking tech that helped launch the modern VR revolution, to leading cross-industry innovation initiatives at Volvo Cars, to founding Point Labs—a creative hub for intersecting disciplines—Timmy brings a rare mix of deep technical knowledge, radical creativity, and soulful storytelling. We talk about everything from the inspiration of Bauhaus to building open-source car simulators, and from emotional AI to how biblical stories and his grandmother shaped his approach to human-centered design. In this episode, we cover: How Timmy blends engineering, music, systems thinking, and storytelling The role of trust in innovation—and how it’s a “currency” in design Lessons from working in open source and intellectual property Scaling ideas through partnerships and public space collaboration The difference between working in the system vs. on the system Why innovation requires understanding the box before you think outside of itTimmy’s creative process, rooted in seasonal cycles and Bauhaus philosophy A few of my favorite quotes from this episode: “Trust is a currency between humans and machines.” “If you want to go wide, you need to anchor deep.” “You can't innovate a system you don’t understand.” Mentioned in this episode: Unity Technologies (https://unity.com) Oculus, Meta & eye-tracking patents Volvo Cars Innovation Arena The Bauhaus Movement The MIT Media Lab (and Neri Oxman’s four-quadrant model) Storytelling, abstraction, and future-forward design Connect with Timmy: 🌐 LinkedIn – Timmy Ghiurau (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmy-ghiurau-71858961/) 📸 Instagram: @timmyghiurau (https://www.instagram.com/timmyghiurau) 🧠 Point Labs: Point Labs (https://thepointlabs.io/) 🎵 Theme music by Damon Smile – check them out wherever you get your music. If this conversation resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or reflections. And if you enjoyed the episode, leaving a quick review helps more folks find the show and join in on these interdisciplinary conversations. Thanks for tuning in to Field Notes from Abroad. More soon! — How to Connect with Laura: Website: www.lauralaraliz.com (http://www.lauralaraliz.com) Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad (https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad) Say hi on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/) Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/) Email me: fieldnotesfromabroad@gmail.com Leave a review on the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4. 

   14 Apr 2025TRANSCRIPT

   How I Became an International Attorney: What I Wish I Knew as a Law Student

   Laura Gisler shares her journey from law school in Minnesota to an international legal career in IP and patent law, offering insights on navigating the challenges and benefits of working abroad.

5. 

   17 Mar 2025TRANSCRIPT

   From IP Solicitor to AI Innovator: Nigel Swycher’s Journey of Reinvention, Silo Busting, and Success in the Age of AI

   Today we delve into the incredible story of Nigel Swycher, a prominent figure in the legal and entrepreneurial worlds, as he shares his transition from an IP solicitor to the innovative founder of Cipher, a pioneering startup in the IP analytics scene and a first to bring AI-driven analytics to the patent world. Discover how a chance conversation in a Canadian jacuzzi sparked Nigel's entrepreneurial leap, leading to the creation of groundbreaking solutions in the intellectual property domain. 🔍 Key Highlights: Nigel’s entrepreneurial journey of launching Cipher in 2013 and its growth to a leader in AI-driven patent analytics. The significance of collaboration and networking in building a successful company. Nigel's next reinvention at 62, focusing on IP education, consultancy, and supporting startups. Conversation over Nigel’s personal path to thriving as a professional while achieving excellence. Insights into the profound changes AI is bringing to the legal landscape (and the world at large). Whether you're an IP practitioner, legal professional, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration. Tune in to discover how legal expertise, business acumen, and a big dose of empathy can converge to create groundbreaking solutions in the intellectual property domain. Connect with Nigel: Cipher/LexisNexis Evolving IP Podcast: https://www.lexisnexisip.com/resources/podcasts/lexisnexis-evolving-ip/ (https://www.lexisnexisip.com/resources/podcasts/lexisnexis-evolving-ip/) LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelswycher/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelswycher/) — Other resources mentioned: Center for Intellectual Property: https://cip-net.com/ — How to Connect with Laura: Website: www.lauralaraliz.com (http://www.lauralaraliz.com) Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad (https://www.youtube.com/@fieldnotesfromabroad) Say hi on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/ (https://www.instagram.com/fieldnotesfromabroad/) Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldnotes-from-abroad/) Email me: fieldnotesfromabroad@gmail.com Leave a review on the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

6. 

   28 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 3 - Natalia Ghiurau and Timmy Ghiurau: Embracing the uncertainty at the heart of innovation and creativity; a lesson buried in Romanian roots that has led to flourishing on the global scene

   Ep 3 In this second episode of Fieldnote From Abroad, Laura sits down with Natalia Ghiurau and her big brother Timmy Ghiurau to talk all things entrepreneurship, world building, the interplay of the technology and creative process and of course living and working abroad. More specifically, we talk about both Timmy and Natalia’s respective journeys from their hometown in Romania to study engineering in Denmark, to diverging paths throughout Scandinavia. Timmy has gone on to help found and lead the Open Innovation Arena at Volvo Cars where he has spent his time developing and driving agendas for VCC’s work in VR/AR well before it was cool and helping drive worldbuilding with corporations, governmental entities, and cultural institutions to help imagine and create a better future. A creative technologist, he is an advisor for SXSW, the EU Commission, and an active investor in the worlds of music, fashion, media production, and photography. Somehow he still finds time to speak, lecture and podcast all over the world. Natalia is earlier in her journey; she is currently honing her hacker skills working for one of the top cybersecurity firms in Scandinavia, Netcompany, while exploring various mediums for her artistic expression. Timmy and Natalia are both longtime friends of the pod (for longer than it’s been around ;)), and they are each incredibly generous and transparent in this conversation. The talk evolved into a longer form conversation, and the winding conversation leads us down many paths, though somehow all moving in a similar vein. Some of these include: The intersection of innovation and creativity is a powerful space for exploration and growth. Rest and nourishment are essential for maintaining creativity and innovation. Personal journeys and experiences shape individual paths in the creative and innovation fields. Collaboration with artists, researchers, and others can lead to groundbreaking projects and new business models. Adapting communication styles to different audiences and its impact on the ecosystems we create around ourselves.. Embracing uncertainty and investing in the creative process can lead to innovative outcomes. Non-verbal forms of communication, such as art and music, and how they hold the capacity to convey emotions and ideas that words may struggle to express. Find Timmy’s project, The Point Labs here: https://thepointlabs.io/ Find Timmy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmy-ghiurau-71858961/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmy-ghiurau-71858961/) Find Natalia here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natg00/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natg00/) -- Keywords innovation, creativity, journey, art, tech, science, design, cybersecurity, rest, nourishment, communication, IP, communication, innovation, creativity, adaptation, language, culture, non-verbal communication, art, music — At last! For those of you reading this, you may know I've been thinking and talking about putting out a podcast for what feels like a decade. For so many reasons, I always felt like I was still "in process" with so much of what I was observing, experiencing, learning, and practicing. Now, after nearly 6 years living and practicing outside of the US, working in IP for well over a decade, in roles from IP counsel to the global head of IP departments, in now 3 different countries, I'm excited to finally set aside the time to share some conversations with folks I have met, been inspired by, and with whom my relationships with have grown me exponentially, as an IP attorney as well as a human. I'm hoping to somehow find a sweet spot between speaking directly to friends and colleagues in the industry, and creating a platform which can serve those outside of or tangential to IP practice. Most of all, though, I'm just looking to share some of the beautiful, skillful, challenging insights from the waters of the global innovation leadership spaces I have had the honor to swim in these past years, in a large part due to my roles in IP leadership, living and working abroad. So while I can't promise anything too formal, I hope these fieldnotes give you a view into some of my world, as I think sharing authentically and openly is how we build stronger companies and a better world. Much love, Laura

7. 

   1 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 2 - Raymond Millien: Life and Leadership from Brooklyn to Sweden and Beyond

   Ep 2 In this second episode of Fieldnote From Abroad, Laura sits down with Raymond Millien to talk all things IP leadership, change management, and living and working abroad. Some hot takes: "If you don't genuinely love people, you're not gonna be a great chief anything." "Being a good communicator is understanding your audience to figure out what motivates them to get them in the direction you wanna go in." "Sometimes you're just the wrong messenger and there's nothing about you personally, it's just that you're the wrong messenger for whatever reason." "You find the right messenger for the right audience." "The more you read, the better writer you become." "Short emails, not explaining yourself ad nauseum." Find Ray here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millien/ -- At last! For those of you reading this, you may know I've been thinking and talking about putting out a podcast for what feels like a decade. For so many reasons, I always felt like I was still "in process" with so much of what I was observing, experiencing, learning, and practicing. Now, after nearly 6 years living and practicing outside of the US, working in IP for well over a decade, in roles from IP counsel to the global head of IP departments, in now 3 different countries, I'm excited to finally set aside the time to share some conversations with folks I have met, been inspired by, and with whom my relationships with have grown me exponentially, as an IP attorney as well as a human. I'm hoping to somehow find a sweet spot between speaking directly to friends and colleagues in the industry, and creating a platform which can serve those outside of or tangential to IP practice. Most of all, though, I'm just looking to share some of the beautiful, skillful, challenging insights from the waters of the global innovation leadership spaces I have had the honor to swim in these past years, in a large part due to my roles in IP leadership, living and working abroad. So while I can't promise anything too formal, I hope these fieldnotes give you a view into some of my world, as I think sharing authentically and openly is how we build stronger companies and a better world. Much love, Laura

8. 

   7 Apr 2024TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 1 - Introduction to Fieldnotes From Abroad, An IP Guide

   In the debut episode of Fieldnote From Abroad, Laura introduces the pod as a conversation space for intellectual property (IP) topics, communicating across differences, empathy building and wellness for business practitioners living and working around the globe. -- At last! For those of you reading this, you may know I've been thinking and talking about putting out a podcast for what feels like a decade. For so many reasons, I always felt like I was still "in process" with so much of what I was observing, experiencing, learning, and practicing. Now, after nearly 6 years living and practicing outside of the US, working in IP for well over a decade, in roles from IP counsel to the global head of IP departments, in now 3 different countries, I'm excited to finally set aside the time to share some conversations with folks I have met, been inspired by, and with whom my relationships with have grown me exponentially, as an IP attorney as well as a human. I'm hoping to somehow find a sweet spot between speaking directly to friends and colleagues in the industry, and creating a platform which can serve those outside of or tangential to IP practice. Most of all, though, I'm just looking to share some of the beautiful, skilful, challenging insights from the waters of the global innovation leadership spaces I have had the honor to swim in these past years, in a large part due to my roles in IP leadership, living and working abroad. So while I can't promise anything too formal, I hope these fieldnotes give you a view into some of my world, as I think sharing authentically and openly is how we build stronger companies and a better world. Much love, Laura

Inside a recent episode

IP Leadership in Business from Qualcomm to AI: A Conversation with George Pappas on Growing a Career Across the Globe

Published 16 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So you do not make it. And at the other end, you're not publishing it, right? And lose that value. So you've got to find that mainstream. You're either publishing it or keeping it as a trade secret, but you're adding value to it, but you're doing it strategically. And so that's where the entrepreneur comes in. […]

Who has been a guest on Fieldnotes From Abroad

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• George Pappas
• Hanane Fathi Roswall
• Laura Gisler

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

4,478

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

12

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

32

Contact Fieldnotes From Abroad

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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