Oceanside Chat: L.I.T.E. Beyond Generations: Recent Episodes
Oceanside Chat
We create premium content that ignites L.I.T.E. Beyond Generations through our community’s founding values: Leadership, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. L.I.T.E is also a pun, as we hope you will “see things in a new light” after hearing authentic voices and insightful perspectives across generations.
For more than 45 years, Dr. Douglas Gross has been a Professor of Anatomy and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, teaching both undergraduates and medical students at UC Davis. A practicing pediatrician at the UC Davis Medical Center, Dr. Gross also serves as Medical Director of the RIVER mobile pediatric clinic, bringing care to underserved communities. He is a member of CA-11, California’s federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and has deployed in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the earthquake in Haiti, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. His global health work includes providing medical care to remote regions of Africa, Central and South America, and partnering with the World Health Organization to reduce infant and child mortality.
Dan Bartel is SVP and Chief Procurement Officer at American Airlines. In this role, he leads all corporate procurement teams, processes and strategy for American.Dan’s career spans nearly 30 years leading procurement, sourcing and supply chain management systems across several industries. Most recently, he served as Chief Procurement Officer of Schneider Electric, and, prior to that, he held various leadership roles at ABB Ltd., leading both companies’ multi-billion-dollar procurement programs.Dan was awarded 2023 CPO of the Year from the World Procurement Awards and he helped lead Schneider Electric to various industry awards, including the top spot on the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2023 and the Environmental and Social Impact Award and Supply Chain Initiative Award at the 2022 World Procurement Awards. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member for several organizations, including World 50 Group’s Procurement Leaders, business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis, and the University of California’s Institute for Supply Chain Excellence and Innovation.Dan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in production operations management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and an Executive MBA from the Institute for Management Development.
Sai Zhou, Ph.D. is a researcher and entrepreneur specializing in next-generation wearable ultrasound technologies. His work has been widely published in Nature, and featured by many diverse major media outlets. Sai is the founder and CEO of CircuCare, a MedTech startup focused on commercializing wearable ultrasound innovations. Recognized for his impact at the intersection of biomedical engineering, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, he is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.
Tyler Mincey is a Co-founder and General Partner at Baukunst, a venture capital firm focused on investing at the intersection of technology and design. Previously a key member of the iPhone and iPod teams at Apple, a Partner at the digital product studio Fictive Kin, and part of the founding team at Pearl Automation, Mincey brings a seasoned career in product innovation and entrepreneurship. His experience building and scaling products at the forefront of consumer technology informs his approach to supporting the next generations of visionary companies.
Michael Kubba is an executive leader in engineering, with over 15 years of experience driving innovation and operational projects across diverse industries. As COO at Fellow, he leads global engineering and operations teams overseeing supply chain, quality, and customer experience. Previously, Kubba was COO at Shaper Tools, and his career has spanned influential roles at companies like Google, Tesla, Apple, and Rockwell Collins. Currently, he serves as the Board Chair for CIC ministries, a Santa Clara-based non-profit organization, and Board Member for Oceanside Perspective.
Dr. Rose Yu is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego. Her research focuses on machine learning for large-scale spatiotemporal data, with a strong interest in utilizing artificial intelligence for scientific discovery. She has received numerous honors, including the PECASE, DARPA Young Faculty Award, ECASE Award, NSF CAREER Award, Hellman Fellowship, as well as faculty awards from major tech companies like JP Morgan, Meta, Google, Amazon, and Adobe.
In this week's LITE Talk, Tom Linton, former Chief Supply Chain Officer at Flex and co-author of “How Generative AI Improves Supply Chain Management,” published by Harvard Business Review, discusses how AI is transforming our supply chain industries!
Tom Linton is a globally respected supply chain and procurement expert, former Chief Supply Chain Officer at Flex, and co-author of insightful books: "Flow – How the Best Supply Chains Thrive"and "The Living Supply Chain: The Evolving Imperative of Operating in Real Time". With over 40 years of experience—including leadership roles at IBM, LG Electronics, and Freescale—he has helped pioneer digital and technological transformation in not only domestic, but global supply chains. A recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards and a member of the CPO Hall of Fame, Linton currently advises organizations such as McKinsey & Company and Project44, and continues to shape the future of supply chain through his firm, Linton Advisors LLC.
Jimmy Anklesaria is a seasoned business leader and expert in supply chain cost management. He is the founder of Anklesaria Group, Inc., Salutec Holdings, and Anklesaria Solutions, Inc. Over his career, he has consulted for major companies such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, Shell Oil, and LG Electronics. He has taught finance and supply chain management at the University of San Diego and University of California, San Diego - Rady School of Management. He is the author of Supply Chain Cost Management and co-author of Zero Base Pricing. Mr. Anklesaria also co-owns the San Diego Surf Riders, a Minor-League Cricket team, and serves as Chair Emeritus for UCSD’s Institute for Supply Chain Excellence and Innovation.
Dr. Damon N. Herr, a California native, has been a General Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente's Sacramento Medical Center since 2001, with a focus on breast surgery. He earned his Bachelor's in Psychology from San Jose State University and his M.D. from Howard University, followed by a General Surgery residency at Loma Linda University. He serves as Chair of the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Tumor Board and plays a key role in the Breast Cancer Surgical Practice. He also served as the Assistant Chief of the Department of Surgery and currently serves as Volunteer Clinical Faculty for the U.C. Davis Surgical Residence, where he mentors and trains future surgeons. Dr. Herr also leads the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program and serves on the Surgical Subspecialty Quality Committee. He is affiliated with the American Board of Surgery, American College of Surgeons, and other professional organizations.
Sean McCrary shared an insightful and grounded perspective on how generative AI is being applied to real business problems today. Blending humor, personal experience, and technical exploration, he emphasized the importance of context, collaboration, and specialization in deploying AI solutions. His presentation highlighted a pragmatic path forward using multi-agent systems, home-grown AI tools like Gene.AI, and even nature-inspired optimization to reshape how inventory and supply chain decisions are made.
Sean McCrary is Data Product Leader for the Digital Supply Chain at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he oversees the supply chain data model and its operations for over $4 billion of inventory across 30+ source systems. He leverages advanced analytics and pioneering generative AI capabilities on a common data model to optimize inventories and reduce production costs, driving significant value for the organization.
At a recent panel discussion, top experts from UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy tackled one of the most urgent issues facing global business today: How do China, Mexico, and India fit into the evolving reshoring landscape amid geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty?
With Helen Wang as the moderator, the panel included Dr. Barry Naughton, Professor and So Kwan Lok Chair of Chinese International Affairs, renowned for his expertise on China's economy and industrial policy, Dr. Gaurav Khanna, Associate Professor of Economics, specializing in development and labor economics with a focus on migration, education, and supply chains, and Dr. Rafael Fernández de Castro, Professor and Director of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, and former foreign policy adviser to President Felipe Calderón, with deep insights into U.S.-Mexico relations.
In this video, Helen breaks down the key components of Emotional Intelligence with real-world examples and actionable frameworks, demonstrating how the integration of EQ into organizational culture can lead to even greater personal and professional success. As she wisely explains, "You can’t manage others if you can’t manage yourself." This talk is a powerful reminder that soft skills are indeed the necessary human skills to develop now and into the future.
Helen Wang is a seasoned supply chain executive driven by a passion for leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Her career spans transformative roles, from launching Apple’s first iPhone to advancing Google’s self-driving car, where she built and managed end-to-end supply chain ecosystems.
As the Founder of WCG, Helen provides C-level mentorship and coaching, delivers keynote speeches, and facilitates leadership workshops for global companies.
At UC San Diego, she contributes to curriculum development, serves on the board of the Institute for Supply Chain Excellence & Innovation, and teaches courses at the Rady School of Management, including “Leading with Emotional Intelligence” and “Innovation to Market.”
Helen is also the Founder and CEO of Oceanside Perspective, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that produces educational content, sharing authentic stories from business leaders, tech innovators, and entrepreneurs to inspire future generations.
In this timely and thought-provoking conversation, Tom Derry, CEO of the Institute for Supply Management, sits down with Caroline Freund, Dean of the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego, to unpack the complex forces shaping today’s global economy.
From trade wars and tariff uncertainty to the rise of reshoring and the role of the U.S. dollar, this conversation covers it all. Dean Freund brings decades of experience from the Federal Reserve, World Bank, and IMF to explore:
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Why supply chain disruptions lead to lasting inflation
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How policy unpredictability stifles investment
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The realities (and myths) behind tariffs and reshoring
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What’s next for global trade dynamics and U.S. economic strategy
Don’t miss this deep dive into the economic decisions affecting supply chains, geopolitics, and long-term growth.
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Benjamin Lyon brings over 20 years of senior engineering experience spanning technology development, product commercialization, and large-scale program execution at leading global companies. He recently joined Archer to lead Engineering and Operations.
Prior to Archer, Benjamin served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Aptiv, where he led the global engineering organization of over 19,000 technologists across 12 technical centers. He was responsible for driving Aptiv’s long-term innovation strategy, keeping the company at the forefront of emerging technologies and business models in mobility and adjacent markets.
Before Aptiv, he was Chief Engineer and EVP of Engineering & Operations at Astra Space, Inc., where he oversaw the successful deployment of 22 satellites to low Earth orbit and launched the Astra Space Engine Hall-Effect thruster product line.
Earlier in his career, Benjamin spent over two decades at Apple Inc., where he led the development and productization of sensors, displays, high-performance compute systems, and safety-critical technologies at scale. He also co-founded Apple’s autonomous systems initiative.
Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
Tom Derry, CEO of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), delivered valuable insights on the economic landscape and key factors currently impacting supply chains. Tom emphasized five crucial elements: GDP, Inventory Levels, Inflation, Lead Time, and Supply Shock-induced Recession to help industry leaders better navigate today’s complex and uncertain environment. He specifically pointed out that we're experiencing a contraction phase, making it essential to understand these key economic signalsTom Derry is CEO of the Institute for Supply Management with more than 30 years of experience in leadership and general management roles for public and private companies, and in the not-for-profit sector. He has executed turnarounds at the corporate and business-unit level through a variety of means, including acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring, and business process re-engineering.
Cytodyme is pioneering the future of clinical product development with their rapid onboarding software. Designed for small to midsized biotech companies and academic labs, their automation-first approach connects clients to the right CDMO and streamlines the path from research to manufacturing. Learn more about Cytodyme: https://www.cytodyme.com/
Dennis "D.J." White serves as CEO of Cytodyme with over 10 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical space and experience across cell and gene therapeutic categories. Mr. White is currently earning an MBA from the University of California, San Diego with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, new product development, and financing. He is currently leading many campus/student-led initiatives to advance UCSDs vision for future leaders and the Southern California region. Prior to these roles, Mr. White held several strategic rolls with in-development cell and gene therapy companies such as Kite Pharma and Immunity Bio.
Tammy Ogden serves as Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Cytodyme. Ms. Ogden is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in customer acquisition within the B2B SaaS ecosystem and revenue operations. She is currently an MBA Candidate at the University of California, San Diego, where she also serves as President of the Women of Rady Club and Vice President of the Venture Capital Club. Ms. Ogden brings unique perspectives and expertise from her vast experiences in Client Engagement, Marketing, Coaching, and Management.
Welcome to our new series “LITE Talks – Ideas that spark LITE,” where we share expert insights in Leadership, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. From startup strategy to emotional intelligence, each talk delivers real-world wisdom from experienced founders, builders, and thought leaders—designed to inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers.
As the founder and pitch coach at Pitch Guide, Haje helps startups refine their pitches and connect with investors. With over 5 years of experience in this role, Haje has seen the startup ecosystem from multiple angles, having been a founder, director of portfolio at a venture capital firm, and reporter at TechCrunch. He is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to communicate their vision effectively and confidently.
Dr. Jason Londeree is a board-certified general surgeon. He earned his biology degree from the University of California, Berkeley, before attending medical school at St. George's University and completing his medical degree at George Washington University. Dr. Londeree returned to California for his surgical residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He has since been practicing at Kaiser Permanente, where he serves as Chief of General Surgery. Committed to patient-centered care, he prioritizes informed decision-making in treatment planning.
Helen is a seasoned supply chain executive passionate about leadership development, technological innovation, and entrepreneurial education. Her influential career spans from Apple's inaugural iPhone to Google's self-driving car, where she spearheaded global organizations and established end-to-end supply chain ecosystems for groundbreaking products. Since founding WCG in 2017, Helen has offered C-level mentorship, executive coaching, and facilitated leadership workshops for global companies. Concurrently, at the University of California, San Diego, she actively contributes to curriculum design and provides practical insights as a board member and ex-chair of ISEI (Institute for Supply Chain Excellence & Innovation). Within the Rady School of Management, Helen teaches "Leading with Emotional Intelligence" for graduate programs and "Innovation to Market" for undergraduates, seamlessly integrating both hard and soft skills. Moreover, as the Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, she leads a non-profit connecting thought leaders, offering multimedia content, internships, and volunteering opportunities to students beyond the classroom.
Strengths Coach Colleen Boselli offers valuable advice to Gen Z students preparing to transition from university to the workplace. She emphasizes the importance of forging strong connections with colleagues and leaders from different generations, such as Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, to achieve success in professional settings.
One key recommendation is to use the Strengths Profile Assessment, a tool designed to help individuals gain deeper self-awareness by identifying their strengths. This tool also enables employees to understand the strengths of those around them, fostering mutual appreciation and respect. By recognizing that everyone is unique, the assessment encourages thoughtful collaboration and helps bridge generational gaps in the workplace.
Check out our newest research on Generational Diversity in the Workplace! https://www.oceansideperspective.org/build
In this inspiring interview, Dr. Hyoduk Shin – Professor and Research faculty at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management, shares his journey from living in a small town in Korea to becoming a renowned researcher and educator!
Dr. Shin’s journey from a small town in Korea to becoming a renowned researcher and educator exemplifies his commitment to making a real-world impact. With expertise in demand forecasting, information technologies, and supply chain management, his work addresses critical challenges such as drug shortages and movie release strategies, earning him the prestigious Best Paper Award at the CIST Conference in 2012.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Shin has been honored with numerous teaching accolades, including the Chairs' Core Course Teaching Award at Kellogg, a distinguished teaching award, 11 Excellence in Teaching awards, and 5 Most Valuable Professor awards at UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management.
From earning a Ph.D. at Stanford to inspiring future leaders at one of the top public universities, Dr. Shin’s journey is a testament to dreaming big and making a lasting impact through both research and education.
In this episode, Indu Navar shares her inspiring journey from Silicon Valley CEO to a healthcare innovator driven by personal loss. Following her husband’s ALS diagnosis, she launched Everything ALS and the Peter Cohen Foundation to leverage AI in advancing research and support for ALS patients. Through her work, Indu exemplifies compassionate capitalism, resilience, and visionary leadership, advocating for systemic change in neurological disease treatment and championing purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Indu Navar has over 20 years of experience as a CEO, founder, board member, and investor in Silicon Valley software companies, leading to successful exits. After losing her husband to ALS in 2019, she redirected her expertise to health ventures, founding the Peter Cohen Foundation (EverythingALS.org) to advance technology-driven solutions for neurological diseases. She also serves on the boards of Global Genes and Answer ALS. Previously, Indu was a managing director at Woodside Capital Partners, advising on financing and M&A for software companies, and founder and CEO of Serus Corporation. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Bangalore University, an M.S. in Computer Science from California State University, Chico, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at King’s College London.
In this episode, Colleen Boselli shares insights from over 30 years of corporate leadership and coaching. She emphasizes the power of identifying and maximizing strengths for better leadership, emotional intelligence, and team collaboration. Colleen discusses the impact of differentiating between energizing and draining strengths, drawing from her personal experience with a life-changing cancer diagnosis. She highlights the importance of regularly reassessing strengths to adapt to evolving roles and life situations. Colleen also stresses the value of tools like the strengths profile for dynamic self-awareness and effective team management.
Colleen Boselli empowers professionals to recognize their authenticity and maximize their strengths. With 30+ years as a corporate leader, consultant, and business coach, she co-founded Strength Catalyst Partners in 2007. Colleen has worked with executives globally, including those at Alphabet/Google, Pfizer, Apple, and LinkedIn. Her background in marketing and advertising enhances her skills in situational analysis, logical reasoning, and personal branding. Colleen also serves on Oceanside Perspective's advisory board as Strengths Coach.
Dr. Damon Herr, a distinguished surgeon, shares his journey through medicine, emphasizing the importance of compassionate leadership and emotional intelligence. Dr. Herr reflects on the role empathy plays in patient care, how his background in psychology shaped his approach, and the crucial role that compassion plays, not only in surgery, but also in mentorship and leadership. His personal experiences, including his mission work and family life, highlight the balance between professional success and personal well-being.
Dr. Damon N. Herr, a California native, has been a General Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente's Sacramento Medical Center since 2001, with a focus on breast surgery. He earned his Bachelor's in Psychology from San Jose State University and his M.D. from Howard University, followed by a General Surgery residency at Loma Linda University. He serves as Chair of the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Tumor Board and plays a key role in the Breast Cancer Surgical Practice. He also served as the Assistant Chief of the Department of Surgery and currently serves as Volunteer Clinical Faculty for the U.C. Davis Surgical Residence, where he mentors and trains future surgeons. Dr. Herr also leads the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program and serves on the Surgical Subspecialty Quality Committee. He is affiliated with the American Board of Surgery, American College of Surgeons, and other professional organizations.
In this insightful video, Lisa Ordóñez and Nana Tseng explore the impact of authentic leadership on building trust and fostering long-term success. Lisa, Dean of UC San Diego’s School of Management, highlights how authenticity in leadership helps cultivate self-awareness and resilience, sharing her journey from academia to administration. Nana, Chief Procurement Officer at Onsemi, discusses how her multicultural upbringing shaped her leadership style, emphasizing the importance of cultural intelligence when navigating diverse business environments.Both leaders stress the significance of mentorship in their career growth, highlighting how mentors shaped their paths and decisions. They also dive into topics like balancing flexibility with consistency in leadership, maintaining psychological safety within teams, and the evolving role of leadership in modern organizations. Their insights offer practical strategies for leaders at all levels, particularly those aiming to build strong, trust-based relationships in a globalized world.
In this engaging conversation, Tony Blevins, former VP of Procurement at Apple, discusses his career journey, highlighting the lessons learned from his father, his work at IBM and Apple, and his approach to negotiation. Blevins emphasizes the importance of empathy in negotiations, shares personal stories of his passion for cars, and reflects on the infamous 25-second TikTok video that led to his departure from Apple. Throughout the video, Tony shares wisdom on leadership, building relationships, and the intersection of strategy and operational execution.
Tony J. Blevins is a former Vice President of Procurement at Apple, where he spent 22 years leading teams that brought products like the iPhone and Apple Watch to market. Before joining Apple, Blevins held key supply chain and engineering roles at IBM, working across multiple global locations. He currently serves on the boards of NextGen Cyber Talent, Pivotal Commware, and Urbanic. A Summa Cum Laude graduate from North Carolina State University, Blevins has earned numerous industry accolades, including the prestigious 'Captain of Industry' award in 2022. Our host, Helen Wang, met Tony at Apple, where they worked together on building a global supply chain.
In this video, Axel Bichara, a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and company builder, discusses his experiences in the venture capital industry. He shares insights into his journey from founding a startup to becoming a successful venture capitalist, his investment philosophy, and the importance of team dynamics and diverse perspectives in building successful companies.
Axel is Co-founder and General Partner at Baukunst, an early-stage VC fund. At 23, he co-founded a venture-backed MIT spin-out as an engineer. With a track record of leading investments in over 100 companies and serving on more than 40 boards, Axel has created billions in enterprise value. He excels at writing first checks as a lead investor and building strong bonds with entrepreneurs. Axel views investing and company building as a team sport and has notably invested in engineering software companies such as SolidWorks, Onshape, and Revit.
What sets those who are successful apart from the rest? Contrary to popular belief, it's not talent. It's something author and psychologist Angela Duckworth calls grit. But what exactly is grit?In our newest episode of Oceanside Chat podcast, we speak to Susan Spence, retired VP of Sourcing, Procurement & Accounts Payable at Fedex. During her tenure, she oversaw a team of 250+ professionals managing $25 billion dollars in spend and global procurement policies. Watch/listen now to learn about Sue's unexpected career journey and life story, which exemplify the concept of grit, the crucial combination of passion and perseverance.
"Inflammation is the common denominator for the vast majority of diseases," says Dr. Ernie Bodai in our newest episode of Oceanside Chat podcast. Season 4 will focus on Leading with Emotional Intelligence.
But before we can successfully lead other people, we must first lead ourselves and take care of both our physical and emotional well-being. This episode features Dr. Ernie Bodai, founder of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp that has raised over $130 million for cancer research, and Therese Nakata, who is certified in oncological nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and has numerous research articles on these topics published in medical journals. Keep listening to learn about how an anti-inflammatory lifestyle can build resilience and prevent disease for everyone!
This special episode was recorded in Spring 2022, live in the classroom at the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego.
Our guests are Piyush Bhargava, Valerie Bonebrake, and Tom Linton. Piyush is currently the Vice President of Operations & Global Head of SIOP at Carrier, and previously the Vice President of Customer & Financial Services at Dell Technologies. Valerie serves as Independent Director of Forward Air Corporation, and has more than 25 years of industry experience in logistics services. Tom is currently Senior Advisor at McKinsey and Company, and previously the Chief Procurement & Supply Chain Officer at Flex.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, previous Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry.
Our guest is Marc Raibert, the executive director of The Boston Dynamics AI Institute. In this role, he drives the Institute's strategic roadmap and spearheads recruitment efforts to achieve the organization’s mission of developing technology that enables future generations of intelligent machines. Dr. Raibert also serves as the chairman of the board at Boston Dynamics, which he founded in 1992. Boston Dynamics is arguably the most influential pure-play robotics organization in the world, having produced robots such as BigDog, Atlas, Stretch, and Spot, which have been used by organizations around the globe.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season III, Helen designs each episode to explore futuristic topics and growth opportunities that formulate the emerging innovation ecosystem.
Our guest is Rajesh Gupta, a founding director of the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute and a distinguished professor of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego. His research is in embedded and cyber-physical systems with a focus on sensor data organization and its use in optimization and analytics. He currently leads NSF project MetroInsight and a co-PI on DARPA/SRC Center on Computing on Network Infrastructure (CONIX) with the goal to build new generation of distributed cyber physical systems that use city-scale sensing data for improved services and autonomy.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season III, Helen designs each episode to explore futuristic topics and growth opportunities that formulate the emerging innovation ecosystem.
Our guest is Tyler Mincey, a Co-founder and General Partner at Baukunst, an early-stage venture capital fund investing at the frontiers of technology and design. Previously, Tyler was a leader in the iPhone and iPod team at Apple, a Partner at the digital product studio Fictive Kin, and on the founding team at Pearl Automation. He brings deep experience with the art and craft of product development to early-stage company building.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season III, Helen designs each episode to explore futuristic topics and growth opportunities that formulate the emerging innovation ecosystem.
Our guest is Scott Hazard, the Chief Workplace Officer at the global hedge-fund Citadel, as well as the Co-founder of Klear Technologies and the Co-founder of Gridmatrix. Scott has a background in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from Dartmouth College and has worked at Apple, Google, and Atlassian throughout his career. Scott is passionate about ESG & Sustainability, developing and introducing disruptive technologies, and organizational design and management.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season III, Helen designs each episode to explore futuristic topics and growth opportunities that formulate the emerging innovation ecosystem.
Our guest is Benjamin Lyon, the Chief Engineer and EVP Engineering & Operations at Astra. He leads Astra’s engineering, manufacturing, and launch and test operations. He previously spent two decades designing and manufacturing hardware at Apple, where he most recently held the role of senior director of the Special Projects Group.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season III, Helen designs each episode to explore futuristic topics and growth opportunities that formulate the emerging innovation ecosystem.
Our guest is Dr. Paul Roben, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Commercialization at UC San Diego. Working with the Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. Roben is transforming the functions provided by the Technology Transfer Office, Industry Research Alliances, and Industry Contracting into an integrated organization to include patenting, strategic corporate research partnering, and industry contracts. He oversees the Division of Innovation and Commercialization, which will establish a campus-wide innovation platform to build a systemic and sustainable innovation culture, create a vibrant regional ecosystem, and accelerate the commercialization of UC San Diego inventions.
Our host and creator, Helen Wang, is the NGO Founder and President of Oceanside Perspective, current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and veteran of Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season III, Helen designs each episode to explore futuristic topics and growth opportunities that formulate the emerging innovation ecosystem.
Our guest is Tony Fadell, the inventor of iPod, co-inventor of iPhone, Nest founder, Principal of Future Shape, and the New York Times and WSJ bestselling author of BUILD: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Valerie Bonebrake, Independent Director of Forward Air Corporation. Valerie has more than 30 years of industry experience and has held senior management positions for leading supply chain management and end-to-end solution providers such as Tompkins International, Meridian IQ (now MIQ Logistics), and Ryder System, Inc.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Emily Ma, the Head of Food for Good at Google, and Lecturer & Coach at Stanford School of Engineering. She leads a cross-functional team at Google with the mission of organizing the world’s food information in service of building a future food system that is sustainable, nourishing, and equitable for all.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is John Polowczyk, Managing Director at Ernst & Young, who recently served as the White House Supply Chain lead on the Coronavirus Task Force to ensure health care workers get what they need, when they need it.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Dan Bartel, Chief Procurement Officer at Schneider Electric, a multinational company providing digital automation solutions to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, and bridge progress and sustainability.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Lynn Torrel, Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer at Flex, a global diversified manufacturer that helps a diverse customer base design and build products that improve the world.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Tom Derry, CEO of the Institute for Supply Management® and Co-Chair of UC San Diego’s Institute for Supply Chain Excellence & Innovation.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest Susan Spence, the Vice President of Sourcing, Procurement, and Accounts Payable at FedEx Services, has been combating supply risks for over 35 years in the logistics and aerospace industries.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest Francisco Buitron is a senior operation and supply chain executive in the semiconductor industry and has advanced supply/demand planning experience for over 30 years.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest Tom Linton is an engaging board member at ISEI, a visionary leader, and an award-winning Chief Supply Chain Officer, who co-authored the book “Living Supply Chain” about building digitalized and real-time supply chains.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Jimmy Anklesaria, a San Diego local entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. In addition to launching several companies, Jimmy has always found time to share his experiences with academia since 1985. He has been associated with the Rady School of Management from the very first cohort, provided scholarships, and endowed a Chair for Supply Chain Management at the school.
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our guest is Dean Albert P. Pisano, a Mechanical Engineer by training, Professor, and the Dean of Jacobs School of Engineering, which ranked 9th among the nation's top engineering schools. Dean Pisano suggested teaming up supply chain experts with engineers to fix the broken supply chain. He said, “There are many reasons for threats to the supply chain. But one of the common solutions is improved data, data tracking, technology, automation, machine learning, AI, and basically a broad suite of computerized skills that you can bring to help manage, not just the efficiency, but the value created by the supply chain.” Furthermore, he introduced a new concept of “platform technology” and his philosophy of “practice what you teach.”
Our host Helen Wang is the current Chair of ISEI, a professor teaching Emotional Intelligence and Innovation to Market at UC San Diego, a supply chain researcher, architect, and a veteran from Silicon Valley’s high tech industry. In Season II, Helen designed “each episode as a master class with the best leaders within the field of the value supply chain.”
Our panelists discuss the importance of male allyship in the tech industry.
Kimbra Brookstein runs women in tech programs at Intuit and has been leading programs about male allyship, implicit bias, women leadership, and other related workplace training sessions. Helen Wang, our podcast host, reflects upon her years of experience working in the tech industry. Tyler Mincey, a previous guest of the podcast, brings in a male perspective. Finally, Anushka Joshi, a Rady student, moderates this discussion to tie in the three viewpoints.
In the workplace, specifically in the tech industry, there is a significant gender gap and an underrepresentation of women. Still, to close this gap and achieve gender equality, everyone needs to participate, not just women. For organizations, speakers agree that culture starts from the top–the best way to encourage allyship and positive encouragement in the workplace is to trickle down. For individuals, our speakers also gave practical advice from personal experience.
Tyler Mincey is our guest speaker on this episode of Oceanside Chat: A New L.I.T.E. podcast! Tyler is a partner at Bolt, an early-stage VC fund investing at the intersection of the physical and digital world. Previously, he was a leader of the iPhone/iPod team at Apple, a partner at the digital product studio Fictive Kin, and on the founding team of Pearl Automation. He brings deep experience in the art and craft of product development to early-stage company building.
[Part 2: Intersections] Meet Tyler Mincey, a mechanical engineer who believes that the intersections of technology, problems, and solutions produce innovation. Investing at the intersection of the digital and physical world, he observed an emerging trend to combine consumer and enterprise products. When asked about what makes the best founder, he suggested a balance between passion and learning. Part II of this episode explores how “life happens at intersections.”
Tyler Mincey is our guest speaker on this episode of Oceanside Chat: A New L.I.T.E. podcast! Tyler is a partner at Bolt, an early-stage VC fund investing at the intersection of the physical and digital world. Previously, he was a leader of the iPhone/iPod team at Apple, a partner at the digital product studio Fictive Kin, and on the founding team of Pearl Automation. He brings deep experience in the art and craft of product development to early-stage company building.
[Part I: Investment in Human and Venture Capital] Meet Tyler Mincey, a mechanical engineer who shipped the first generation iPhone in his first full-time job. When asked about his experience as a PM, also referred to as “CEO of the product,” he explained the broad spectrum from project management to product management and advised qualities for ideal candidates. Similar to how venture capitalists fund start-ups, companies hire talents based on their growth potential and learning capability. Part I of this episode tells a story about investing in the future version of you.
Kobus Jooste, Co-founder and CEO of Syllable, is our guest speaker on this episode of Oceanside Chat: A New L.I.T.E. podcast! Kobus is a technology leader and former director of software engineering at Google, where he worked on Google Assistant, Google Search, Verily, and Google Payments. Prior to Google, Kobus was a technical leader at VMware, IBM Research, and various start-ups in information technology and big data. Kobus has two decades of experience in machine learning, voice recognition, and natural language processing.
[Part II: Soul of a Start-up] Kobus mentioned the importance of mentors who fill in the gaps between classical training and having one’s “boots-on-the-ground” when starting a company. What is the soul of a start-up? From his experience with five start-ups and multiple large companies, Kobus thinks leadership holds together innovative start-ups or small teams, but what enables the team is equally important: “In my mind, it’s really three things: do you have the right team that can build a right and great product with enough funding to be able to succeed.” As for leadership, the most important responsibility of a start-up is to survive their first birthday. “If you can make it from launch to your first birthday after launch, that’s a really good indication that you are going to succeed!”
Kobus Jooste, Co-founder and CEO of Syllable, is our guest speaker on this episode of Oceanside Chat: A New L.I.T.E. podcast! Kobus is a technology leader and former director of software engineering at Google, where he worked on Google Assistant, Google Search, Verily, and Google Payments. Prior to Google, Kobus was a technical leader at VMware, IBM Research, and various start-ups in information technology and big data. Kobus has two decades of experience in machine learning, voice recognition, and natural language processing.
[Part I: Passion, Happiness, and Career Decision]Kobus found his passion for software at an early age and made practical decisions to build a successful career. When discussing the relationship between passion and career, he advised, “The important part is how do you measure if you are happy or not. And I don’t think getting into your passion will necessarily be a direct correlation with happiness.” He also described the contrast between large corporations and start-up companies. “I see large companies as an opportunity for you to learn when you don’t have the experience, and I see start-ups as an opportunity to have an impact if you have enough experience to know what to do.”
Michael Kubba, Chief Operating Officer and VP Engineering at Shaper Tools, is our next guest on Oceanside Chat! Michael is a product development leader who has led hardware, systems engineering, and operations teams across multiple industries, including wearables, robotics, and consumer electronics. At Shaper, he leads overall product development, hardware, software, and operations, joining as an early employee and helping build out the product and company to launch into the market. Prior to Shaper, Michael led the product design team for Google Glass and various other wearables. As an early member of the Tesla powertrain team, he helped design and launch the Model S and was also the Product Design Lead for Apple TV, Apple Remote, and Mac Pro products.
Part II: Designing Your Career. Michael advised applying the design principles to your career. “The most successful people and the most successful companies are the ones that can become experts in the new things as fast as possible... The best advice I can give in your career to stand out is whatever you are doing, become an expert in it.”
Michael Kubba, Chief Operating Officer and VP Engineering at Shaper Tools, is our next guest on Oceanside Chat! Michael studied Mechanical Engineer before working at Apple, Tesla, and Google. Now he leads overall product development, hardware, software, and operations at Shaper. He shares with us the lifecycle of product design, from the initial planning to finished products.
Part I: Who, What, How (of Product Development). Michael explains a simplified version of product design from marketing requirements (MRD) to product requirements (PRD) to engineering requirements (ERD) that delineate WHO the customers, WHAT the product features are, and HOW to build the product. He points out the importance of thinking creatively without being bogged down by technical constraints at the early phase, then switching and diving deep into the details at later stages of product development. Listen to Part I now.
Alan Chiu is our guest speaker on this episode of Oceanside Chat: A New L.I.T.E. podcast! Alan is the CEO of Enya.ai and Co-President of Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs. With more than 20 years of experience building and investing in enterprise start-ups, Alan gives practical advice to young entrepreneurs.
[Part II: Think Outside The Box] Meet Alan Chiu, an electrical engineer who also writes poems and likes photography. Alan is now the CEO of Enya.ai, an Ethereum solution company. When asked about the intersection between personal identity and entrepreneurship, he said, “Don’t constrain yourself to a narrow notion of who you are… there is always a new you that is emerging… don’t put yourself in a box. You can do a lot of things you can’t even imagine today.” This is a story about how everyone writes their own “book of life.”
Alan Chiu is our guest speaker on this episode of Oceanside Chat: A New L.I.T.E. podcast! Alan is the CEO of Enya.ai and Co-President of Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs. With more than 20 years of experience building and investing in enterprise start-ups, Alan gives practical advice to young entrepreneurs.
[Part I: Pivot]When discussing start-ups, Alan said, “You’ve got to survive long enough to get lucky, and you’ve got to be super adaptable!” Listen to learn how Alan led Enya.ai through drastic changes in direction from Blockchain to DNA testing to a COVID symptom tracker, and how he pivoted again from a defense project to the Ethereum solution called Boba Network. This is the story of an entrepreneur’s incredible journey from survival to success.
Guest speaker, Eugenie Rives, Director and Head of Early Pipeline Portfolio Moonshot Catalyst X, the moonshot factory, shares her journey to success. Audio recorded from 10/6/2021 Zoom Event.