Dina Lovinsky is a Russian-born, SF-based writer. She is also the ghostwriter of the recent NYT and WSJ bestseller Tony Fadell’s, Build - An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.This is a fun episode.  We discuss Dina discusses being born in St Petersburg, Russia before moving to the US and growing up in Boston.Being conditioned by her parents with a sense of invincibility. She discusses her parent's experience of being Refusniks in Soviet-period Russia.Her father's experience working for the Mafia.She describes her Star Trek life lesson and developing her superpower to never blame others for how she feels.We discuss how two scientists produced a child with a talent for the arts and English. Dina explains how she developed her love of reading and developing her curiosity.She discusses her school life and not working hard. Dina explains how her path led her to San Francisco to a job in publishing before moving into product management in tech startups. She explains how her focus shifted to writing all content for the companies she worked. We discussed how she developed her copywriting skills.Dina explains her approach to writing, her disorganization, and procrastination.Dina describes her work with Tony Fadell and how she came to ghost-write his book Build, She explains how she and Tony arrived at the structure and wrote the book during the pandemic.Dina describes how people can use the book as a mentor in a box. We discuss the emergence of AI and the impact and threat to writers Dina describes her hopes for the next ten yearsShe answers the quick-fire questionsSocial Links  Linkedin Links  Build - An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.Star Trek   Refusniks Tenth of December George SaundersSwim In The Pond In The Rain Kurt Vonnegut Gary ShteyngartSuper Sad True love StoryGPT3Jasper AISeverance Radio Lab  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

​​Negar Tayyar is a philanthropic refugee rights advocate, life coach, and co-founder and director of the Global Whole Being Fund (GWBF), an international fund supporting the humanitarian and long-term needs of forcibly displaced people. We cover a lot in this episode from Negar’s early memories of growing up in Iran, her parents being civil rights activists, which resulted in them fleeing Iran, moving from country to country, and relying on the kindness of strangers before arriving and settling in Germany and the challenges she and her parents experienced in an alien culture. Negar discusses in detail the global scale of the refugee response crisis, the vision and mission of GWBF, and how its focus on grassroots ecosystems and holistic approach enables more equitable solutions and empowers displaced people to claim their voice. Negar is not only a powerful advocate of the rights and well-being of displaced people, but she is also reframing the narrative and mechanisms of how philanthropic grants work and changing operational control to encourage refugee-led organizations to flourish.  While our news feed may be filled with stories of despondency and desperation, hearing Negar’s vision and vitality is a timely antidote and much-needed boost of optimism. Please Enjoy. We coverThe challenging experience of seeking safety by crossing many borders. Arriving and settling into Germany and witnessing the toll it took on her parents, who shaped her worldview and sense of self. We cover the transitional fabric of German society and the impact of migrants.Her childhood memories and the precious generosity of people.We discuss the work of the Global Whole Being Fund (GWBF), its focus on local ecosystems, and asset-based grant-making. Negar touches on the Ukraine refugee crisis highlighting Choose Love’s Ukraine Campaign supporting people seeking safety. She explains the imperative to prioritize resourcing dignified approaches to support people seeking safety as we face more displacement in the years ahead.   Links in the ShowGlobal Whole Being Fund Choose Love  Resonance CoachingMo GowdatFast Forward Asylum Seekers Advocacy Project MaKenzie ScottMans Search For MeaningMyriad Intimacies Lata ManiStewarding The Earth   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Born and raised in Venice Italy, Matteo Vianello is a Creative and Design leader who has led an extraordinary and varied life channeling his curiosity and expressing his rich creative talent in building brands, launching products, and designing high-performing teams, from design companies to global ads agencies to silicon valley start-ups. Key discussion points: Matteo discusses the impact of growing up surrounded by art in VeniceThe expectations his parents placed on him to be happy     His Father’s impact on his worldview and his creative identity Matteo discusses curiosity and the generative nature of creativity We discuss his traditional early education and his Math focused secondary educationHow he entered graphic design via a connection with David Carson  Matteo discusses his growing interest in graphic design Hustling his way into Fabrica Benettons in-house design agency  The serendipitous experiences resulting from opening all doors Matteo discusses Benetton's creative output under Olivero ToscaniThe changing nature of creativity The strategic competency of design The curse of competency The synergistic impact on inhouse creative departments The need for more design thinking to solve world-scale challengesThe evolution of agencies and agility  His new agency SqueroHis answers to the quick-fire questions Social Links Linkedin Squero StudioInstagram Art site  Links in show   RaygunWired Tadao AndoBruno Munari    Gilla Dorfles  Minjin Lee PachinkoOliviero ToscaniTony Fadell Dina LovinskyBuild By Tony Fadell - Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Debiec is an award-winning writer/producer/executive with a thirty-plus-year track record of producing film and tv series, working with icons across all aspects of the entertainment industry.Chris recently moved from LA to Austin, and as a result of a serendipitous connection, we sat down to discuss his insights and experiences across his inspiring career. We cover a lot of ground in this interview. But what stood out to me was the combination of his willingness to take risks, to trust in his instinct, his fastidious attention to detail, a hard work ethic, and his brutal candor. Securing a place in Disney’s Management Training program.How his free thinking led to his removal from the program.Chris explains how his brutal candor, combined with his hard work ethic, secured a position in Disney Film and Tape and craft service. The serendipitous encounter with Martin Baker that set his future path through film and TV.Discussing why production is a combination of economics and creativity.The trauma of working on the set of the Crow when Brandon Lee was killed. Chris describes why he left Disney to build a career in Hollywood. Chris explains the work he did working with James and John Cameron on Cameron’s underwater adventure films. We discussed the pivot during Covid when he and John Cameron supplied the film industry with PPE and protocols to enable production to occur.We discuss the importance of curiosity and creativity for producers.Where we will be in 10 years.His principles. His advice to ambitious wannabe producers.Social Links Linkedin Instagram  Show Links Lou Wasserman Disney MGM studiosMichael Eisner  Jim HensonScreen Actors GuildJames CameronHuman Health Organization Civilized Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Michael Plitkins, co-founder and Co-Der of Spatial Inc - the  Immersive Audio start-up that redefines the human experience by creating virtual soundscapes where you work, where you play, and where you stay. In this interview, Michael takes us on a serendipitous journey through his life; a life defined by his willingness to embrace challenges, the courage to confront uncertainty, and trust in his ferocious independence. We discuss the trajectory of his fascinating career in Software Engineering, his appreciation for, and experience in design, how that opened the doors to his first role as an engineer,  working across some groundbreaking technologies in VR and voice space, at iconic companies from Netscape to Nest. At 27 min Michael discusses the genesis of his idea for creating Spatial when he discovered no immersive audio solution existed to deliver the experience he sought.  Micheal describes how he and his team are breaking down traditional audio barriers, taking audio to a new level, and allowing a community of creators to use Spatial tools to unleash their creative soundscapes as part of their designs, Michael and his team are poised to reimagine immersive audio that will change how we experience community spaces like retail, hospitals, entertainment spaces and even the office. Thanks to past guest Walter Werzowa for the recommendationNow on with the showHis early years and expanding world view from living in the UK and traveling Europe in his youth. The influence of his father and mother The serendipitous impact of discovering the Apple2 computerHaving the confidence to carve his own path without the traditional education trajectoryEarly career path Discovering the need to build immersive audio to scratch his own itch. The commercial applications of SpatialHis quick-fire answers Social LinksSpatial IncInstagramTwitter Linkedin Links in the showIBM Paper SoftwareApple IINetscape Tony FadellSilicon GraphicsTell-Me Networks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a follow-up to our recent interview with Sana Mustafa. When I interviewed Sana back in November 2021, we could not have imagined the Ukrainian refugee crisis.  So I wanted to hear Sana’s perspective as Director of Partnership and Engagement at Asylum Access, on the mass migration from Ukraine that has resulted from the Russian invasion and to understand the broader impactions on how the world will deal with future mass migrations as climate change forces people North. This is a shorter than normal episode but Sana’s insight and experience make this well worth a listen. Sana's perspective on the crisisThe impact on the host nations The new standard set for welcoming the displacedThe institutional racism and bigotry that exists in the system   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From his inspiring film scores, and globally recognized audio branding to creating music as medicine, creativity through sound has powered Walter’s life journey.I met Walter at SXSW 2022,  through an old colleague from McCann NYC, on heading his inspiring story I had to interview him.Walter’s story is powered by his curiosity, creativity, and unwavering persistence. Also, we cover striving for balance, focusing on the present, and the power of embracing your difference.(Ref ep 53 Emily Oberman.)Show Summary Walter describes the impact of hearing rock-n-roll for the first time. The serendipitous cycle of events from purchasing a keyboard and discovering his mentor.The serendipity of landing a role composing music for Disney movie trailers and the schooling it gave him. Walter recounts early experiences of composing for films like the Terminator, working with R/GA, and the joy and gratification of the creative process. The genesis of the Intel Inside audio pneumonic and how his idea emerged and the months of sound design work to create the final approved version.Walter explains to me the technical reasons for why the quality of the music sound file is important to our health and well-being. Walter Werzowa describes the Audio start-up he launched called Health Tunes and explains the therapeutic impact it is having on different medical conditions. Walter describes the in-the-field work being done in over 300 hospitals with supplementary music therapy. We discuss the corporate application of music therapy. Walter recounts the events that led to him working on the completion of Beethoven’s 10th Unfinished Symphony which combines AI and creativity to complete the workWe also get some great answers from the quick-fire questions. Social Links LinkedinHealth Tunes MusikvergnueganTwitter Show Links Otto M ZykanKyle Cooper Garson YuGiorgio Moroder The Creativity Code  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Sana Mustafa.  Although Sana’s moving story is bound up in the Syrian conflict, her journey, courage, fortitude, and the work she is doing in her role as Director of Partnership and Engagement at Asylum Access, force us to confront what is an anachronistic approach to dealing with displaced peoples, Sana is focused empower them with agency and help them retain their dignity.  In this moving interview, Sana recounts her upbringing under the Assad dictatorship, the jubilation of the Arab spring, the trauma of being thrust into civil war, and being forcibly displaced at age 22. However, Sana’s story is one of resilience, inner belief, the power of community, and the kindness of strangers. Sana is a founding member of The Global Refugee-Led Network, a coalition working to increase refugees’ engagement with the international community to pursue inclusive, sustainable, and effective refugee and immigration policy. something many nations must confront as they integrate millions of displaced Ukrainian citizens. The historical context of Syria’s ethnic-cultural makeup.Sana describes the foundational impact of her father and mother.Her Father’s willingness to be an active decenter to the regime.Her memories of the indoctrination of the Soviet-influenced Syrian education system.  The influence of the intifada and the broader political make-up of the middle east.Living under the oppressive surveillance of the regime.Sana recounts the experience of living through the Arab Spring, explaining the historical events that precipitated the uprising, and her gratitude for being able to witness that moment in history.  She describes the danger of protesting and the violence, detention, and murder inflicted by the regime’s ‘thugs’. We discuss Sana’s experience of being thrust into the center of the resulting multilayered conflict that emerged from the people's revolution, that ultimately led to the complex civil war with the influence of external actors to create a proxy ‘global’ war. Sana explains the detention of her father and the human rights violations occurring. Giving voice to the voiceless refugees and conviction to be part of a collective effort and action. She describes escaping Syrian, her journey, arriving in the US with nothing other than her values, the kindness of strangers, and studying political science to establish herself as Director of Partnership at Asylum Access. Finally, Sana discusses the broader issues facing dealing with funding a refugee-run organization, her vision, and her work to create refugee rights and build agency for refugees around the world. Her hopes for Syria. Social Links Linkedin LinksIsmailiAsylum Access The Network For Refugee VoicesLarsen Lam Impact Award Pose White Tears Brown Scars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest overviewKathryn Finney defies norms, conventions, and stereotypes. For this powerhouse of a human, there is no glass ceiling. From epidemiologist to entrepreneur, to investor, author, and mentor,  Kathryn is changing what is considered possible for a generation of marginalized and underrepresented Black and LatinX entrepreneurs. In this episode, recorded in two parts, we coverThe impact of her parents and extended familyHer father’s life pivot from brewing to coding in his 30’s which led her at aged eight to move from Milwaukee to Minneapolis.The early experiences of racism.     Her grandmother's role in nurturing her entrepreneurial spirit and exposure to fashion. Her educational journey and impactThe serendipity of illness in Ghana that led her to epidemiology at Yale The life transition in her mid-twenties and setting up her fashion blog Budget Fashionista in 2004Being the first blogger invited to New York fashion weekHow her blogging opened the path to her first book dealBecoming a correspondent for the Today Show. The shift that occurred in fashion blogging as the category grew in 2008/9.Joining an incubator program and confronting racial prejudice.Creating a Women’s Entrepreneurs Event Focus 100  Exiting her business in 2013.Creating the Project Diane a database of Black and LatinX women startupsThe genesis of her Digital Undivided How Covid accelerated a life transition and the creation of her micro grant Doonie FundReceiving funding from Pivotal Ventures for the creation of Genius GuildBuilding a coalition of like-minded change agents Creating her Podcast and Book Build The Damn Thing, her ‘a battle-tested guide for every entrepreneur who the establishment has excluded’ Her 2030 vision Who we interview next?Social LinksInstagram Linkedin Twitter Podcast Show Links Donor-Advised Funds Genius GuildDoonie Fund Digital Undivided Project DianeBuild the Damn Thing - How to start a successful business if you are not a rich white guy  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Overview If you ever need to appreciate the positive influence and impact parents have on a child’s worldview and sense of self, look no further than this week's guest, social entrepreneur, Sebastián Martín. In the first part of this interview, Sebastian discusses being born in Washington DC as the child of Chilean - Bolivian immigrant parents, growing up in the Bush era, in the wake of 9/11 and forming his socio-political conscience through his expansive education and international travel experiences. At 30 min in Sebastian explains the genesis of his social-entrepreneurial journey, how serendipity combined with his educational curiosity led him to shanghai China to form his social impact business Cambio Coffee, sourcing his coffee directly from farmers in Bolivia, managing the whole supply chain, and sharing in the profits with the farmers. Sebastian then discusses how, since returning to New York,  innovating education has become his central life focus and how his new venture Cambio Labs is confronting inequality in education By creating pathways through STEM programs targeting children and youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods, Sebastian describes his, gamified Ed-tech platform, Journey and his ambitions to scale it beyond the US.Sebastian combines an expansive vision, with a deep social conscience and applies creativity with design thinking to reimagine educational opportunities. I challenge you not to be inspired by the passion and purpose of Sebastian Martin.  Thanks to Abby Lehman for the connection. Social Links Instagram Linkedin Link in the show Cambio Labs Eric Holthaus Future Earth NYcha New York Naomi Klien On Fire History of the US Oliver Stone  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.