We’re not the only ones who binge-watched Netflix’s The Circle over the pandemic, and one reason we were OBSESSED was the breakout star of the show: Terilisha, a math teacher AND musician, who stole our hearts with her IDGAF attitude! Today Vanessa chats with Terilisha about her experience on the show, how the media (and society) struggle to accept that people can be multifaceted, how the educational system fails us early by not prioritizing practical math skills like personal finances, and how she’s determined to defy the stereotype of who/what a “math person” can be.About TerilishaTerilisha is a songstress, songwriter, actress and native of Dallas, Texas. She was featured on Season 2 of Netflix’s The Circle, and her latest EP, “The Blue Heart” is available on Spotify, Pandora, Google Play, iTunes/Apple Music and all digital & streaming locations.Show notes:Watch The Circle Season 2 on Netflix to see Terilisha!Listen to Terilisha’s “The Blue Heart” EP on all digital & streaming platformsConnect with us:Terilisha: (Insta, Twitter, Spotify)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)

Will you be watching the Oscars this Sunday, comparing the winners with your predictions? Well one person who definitely will be is our first guest of season 4 - Ben Zauzmer, author of Oscarmetrics!  Ben, who is also the director of baseball analytics for the New York Mets, uses stats from past and present awards to try to predict this year's winners, and we also discuss representation and diversity among award winners and across all media, as well as the classic Math Therapy debate: can math and pop culture truly be BFF?Show notes:Buy Ben’s Book: “Oscarmetrics: The Math Behind the Biggest Night in Hollywood”The article Ben co-wrote for The Hollywood Reporter about diversity in the Oscars: Is the Oscars’ Inclusion Push Working? Breaking Down the Surprising Academy NumbersCheck out Ben’s predictions for the 2022 OscarsConnect with us:Ben Zauzmer: (Twitter)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

We are BACK!  We've got 10 incredible and inspiring guests lined up for the new season of Math Therapy, each with a totally different history and relationship with math.Season 4 launches March 24th and because that’s a few days before the Oscars, we’re starting with a fascinating chat with Ben Zauzmer, author of Oscarmetrics - he uses statistics to try to predict this year’s winners!  We discuss some juicy topics like representation and diversity in the media & among award-winners, and how math and pop culture can totally be BFF, so I can’t wait for you to hear it. Until then, you can:Make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast wherever you listenCatch up on past episodesShare the show with a friendRate/review the podcastFollow me, Vanessa, @themathguru on Instagram or Twitter

When this podcast started, interviewing a convicted murderer - while he was still in prison, no less - was admittedly not on Vanessa’s “Math Therapy guest” bingo card. But then we heard how Christopher Havens discovered math in solitary confinement halfway through a 25-year sentence, and committed the rest of his life to rehabilitating himself and repaying his debt to society.  On today’s season 3 finale of Math Therapy, Vanessa chats with Christopher about how a lack of purpose in his youth and the misguided desire to be “cool” led him down a very dark road, how math gave him a sense of spirituality and purpose in prison, and how his own rehabilitation led him to withdraw from the stereotypical “prison game” and devote the rest of his life to developing programs and resources for other prisoners to do the same.About Christopher Christopher Havens is a mathematician & president/cofounder of the Prison Mathematics Project, a nonprofit program that uses the transformative powers of mathematics to lead prisoners to a life of desistance from crime. While his current focus is in cryptography and the theory of groups, he works to popularize mathematics and redefine what productivity looks like in prison. He is a researcher in number theory and has recently published his first academic paper in the journal or Research in Number Theory, while serving out his sentence. Show notesPopular Mechanics profile on Christopher’s life storyPrisonMathProject.orgHumanMe.org blog feat. inmates committed to rehabilitationConnect with us:Prison Mathematics Project: (Twitter, Insta, Facebook)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

The year was 2020. A tweet went viral on the interwebs and Vanessa damn near lost her mind. Somewhere in the UK, Bex had tweeted that the best part of being an adult was “opting out” of math; online mag Bustle picked it up and next thing we know Bex was on our podcast - turns out she’s even more hilarious over Zoom than she is on Twitter! On today’s episode she describes how dyscalculia (number dyslexia) influenced her rocky relationship with math, how she learned to cope and ended up working in the financial industry, and how things could have been different if she had better educational support at school.  And as a bonus, she shares how her give-no-f*cks attitude helps her ignore the haters on social media - get ready to laugh, cry, and contemplate all your life choices!About BexBex is a 26 year old, living in London. Despite working in financial services, she struggles with numbers. Outside of avoiding basic mathematical problems between 9-5, she is a prolific tweeter, at-home karaoke extraordinaire and dog admirer.Show notes1:06 - Bustle’s Instagram post with Bex’s tweet2:02 - Bex’s tweet about opting out of math2:08 - Vanessa and Bex’s Twitter back-and-forth7:04 - Drama re: Gracie Cunningham’s viral TikTok asking about the origins of mathConnect with us:Bex: (Twitter, Insta)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

Alright teachers, this one’s for you! Today Vanessa chats with Dr. Roger Fischer, an educator from Montana who is not just a hardcore fan of the podcast but also a natural math therapist himself! Roger explains how small instances of math trauma can lead to long-term effects on students, how he incorporates mindfulness and compassion into his lesson plans, and how there is absolutely no such thing as a stupid question.About RogerDr. Roger Fischer loves math. He hasn’t always loved it, though - it took a really good math tutor to show him how passionate he is about making sense of problems and helping others do the same. He has been teaching math for 16 years and developed a unique way to engage learners by first making them feel safe, heard, and validated. You can follow him on YouTube at Dr. Roger Fischer, connect with him on LinkedIn or visit his website compassionatemathtutoring.com.Show notes11:53 - “The Teaching Gap”, the book that talks about teaching as a cultural activity12:45 - Vanessa’s interview this season with teacher/mathfluencer Esther Brunat14:26 - “Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You Had” by Tracy Zager, the book Roger gave to his student to help her become a math teacher27:25 - The John Mighton episode from Math Therapy season 2 that Roger and Vanessa can't stop talking aboutConnect with us:Roger Fischer: @rfischeresq (Twitter)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

We all hate harmful stereotypes, but have you ever thought of breaking stereotypes … by simply fulfilling them?! Being an Indian woman who doesn’t like STEM carries many consequences, and on today’s episode, Vanessa talks to South Asian comedian Abby Govindan about how women are pressured to either resist or conform to social and cultural expectations, and how she’s navigated that struggle through humour - especially through provocative tweets which is how Vanessa found her in the first place!About AbbyAbby Govindan is a comedian.  (ed. note - this is literally the bio she gave us :)Show notes1:49 - Abby’s viral tweet about women in STEMConnect with us:Abby Govindan: (Twitter, Insta)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

Forget Uber Eats - get some math delivered to your doorstep! Yep, that’s a thing, and it’s all thanks to Brittany Rhodes, the founder of math-activity subscription-box company Black Girl MATHgic! Vanessa chats with Brittany about why she saw a need for representation in math education, how consistency is the key to kids building confidence in their skills, and how her quest to show Black girls that they belong in the world of math has been so successful that she’s even received a shoutout from Beyonce!About BrittanyBrittany Rhodes is a math tutor, former GED Math Instructor, and Founder and General MATHager of Black Girl MATHgic (BGM). BGM is a movement dedicated to increasing math confidence, awareness, enthusiasm, identity, fluency and persistence in children, with a focus on girls and black children. BGM's flagship product is the Black Girl MATHgic Box, which is the first and only monthly subscription box designed to increase math confidence and decrease math anxiety in girls on a 3rd-8th grade math level. Black Girl MATHgic has been featured on BEYONCE.com, Forbes, National Math & Science Initiative, and more, and named STEM Toy Expert's 2020 Best STEM Subscription Box for Kids: Best for GRL PWR and one of Hello Subscription's 2020 Best Subscription Boxes for Kids.Show notes15:10 - Black Girl MATHgic on Beyonce's website!15:21 - Black Owned Everything, where you can shop from Black-owned businesses, curated by Beyoncé’s stylist, Zerina AkersConnect with us:Black Girl Mathgic: (Insta, Twitter, Facebook)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

Late last year AT&T ran a full-page ad in the New York Times depicting a mother and daughter in despair over math homework, and Vanessa was NOT impressed.  Whether we realize it or not (and we usually don’t), the media plays a massive role in shaping everything from our collective social values to our individual self-worth.  So what if brands acknowledged that responsibility and used marketing not just to sell products but to also promote positive change in the world?  Today Vanessa speaks with Candace Borland about how she is doing exactly that as president of Anomaly Canada, one of North America’s leading creative agencies.  Together they explore the power of marketing to dismantle stereotypes instead of perpetuating them, and they discuss how consumers can constructively hold brands accountable.About CandaceCandace Borland is the President and a Partner at Anomaly Toronto. At Anomaly, she has worked across pillar clients such as AB InBev, MINI, Nike, BRP, Hershey, CTC & Diageo.  You can follow Candace and Anomaly’s work at Anomaly.com.Show notes:1:45 - AT&T ad depicting women in STEM 5:52 - “Underplayed” documentary about female DJs sponsored by Bud Light12:58 - Gillette ad about sensitive men13:07 - Barbie ad about girls being intelligent 15:02 - Nike ad about Colin Kaepernick15:18 - Hijabi Ballers campaign with Nike that Candace and Anomaly worked onConnect with us:Anomaly: @anomaly (Instagram, Twitter)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com

Yep, you read that right: mathfluencers are the future of education and today’s guest is leading the way! Esther Brunat and The Squadratics (think Mean Girls but like, if Mean Girls somehow had even MORE math) are on a mission to market math to Gen Z, and they’re gaining mad momentum. Today Vanessa talks to Esther about how teachers can embrace new technology, genuinely connect with their students, and even learn valuable marketing lessons from hideous footwear trends. See you on the 'gram!About EstherEsther Brunat is a high school math teacher in sunny South Florida. She prides herself on building relationships with her students through laughter and "staying hip." Her resources offer a fresh take on presentation and engaging visuals in the math classroom. You can find teaching resources on her Teachers Pay Teachers account: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Esther-BrunatShow notes:26:50 - kentai.haven, the kid on TikTok who hilariously and brilliantly guesses people's height with something in their hand using math32:40 - The article that Vanessa and Season 2 guest Michole Washington (who studies the common Black experience in math class) wrote about how math class mimics police brutality for Black kidsConnect with us:Esther Brunat: @estherbrunat (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok)Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)Transcript for today’s episode: www.maththerapypodcast.com