{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 114: Empowering Seafarers with Josephine Le, Founder of The Hood","description":"Episode Title: Empowering Seafarers: Building Trust and Connection in Maritime with Josephine Le of The Hood Guest: Josephine Le, Founder of The Hood Episode Overview: In this powerful and human-centered conversation, Josephine Le, founder of The Hood, shares her journey from crewing superintendent to tech founder. The Hood is a digital platform reshaping how seafarers connect, build careers, and find trusted resources in a fragmented maritime industry. We unpack the origins of her idea, the mental health crisis at sea, and why digital connection and transparency must be a top priority across the global shipping workforce. Key Points:  The Birth of The Hood: Josephine shares how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep flaws in crew change logistics and inspired her to build a platform rooted in empathy and real-world challenges. Not Just LinkedIn for Seafarers: The Hood isn't a corporate social network\u2014it\u2019s designed for the most inexperienced maritime workers, offering safer access to jobs, community, and resources. Smart Tools for a Safer Industry: Features like auto-CV generation, live document sharing, recruiter transparency, and candidate-controlled access are changing the game for job seekers and crewing teams alike. Fighting Fraud and Exploitation: The Hood only works with certified manning agencies and empowers users to report scams and misconduct\u2014bringing accountability where it\u2019s desperately needed. Mental Health and Support: Josephine discusses The Hood\u2019s &quot;We Care&quot; section and partnerships with organizations like ISWAN and Sailors\u2019 Society to support vulnerable workers. AI with Caution: Josephine explains why The Hood hasn\u2019t rushed into AI, preferring to build something meaningful and data-backed over gimmicks. Books at 35,000 Feet: A lover of founder biographies, Josephine shares her current favorite\u2014Man of This Land, about the rise of Hyundai\u2019s shipbuilding empire.  Learn More: Check out Episode 109 with Pam Kern on maritime mental health, and Episode 80 with Carl King on seafarer welfare and advocacy. Tune in Now: Available on Spotify |  Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube Music by: Peg and The Rejected &quot;King of SKA&quot; Art Work By: GA Design Produced by: Chris Aversano Support Our Podcast: If this episode moved you, follow, rate us 5 stars, share with your network, or support us via Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps keep these important stories coming. The Last Dinosaur is proud to be a media partner of:  \ud83d\udea2 The Captain\u2019s Table  \ud83d\udcc6 London International Shipping Week 2025  \ud83c\udf10 SHIPPINGInsight ","author_name":"The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age","author_url":"http:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/404561\/site","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/37626495\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/191377465"}