Spark: Recent Episodes
Kellee Marlow
Spark, hosted by Kellee Marlow, on KXSF.FM in San Francisco, focuses on curated conversations with change-leaders and influencers- to inform minds, inspire ideas and ignite innovation. Basically, conversations that enable us to transcend beyond what we believe we are capable of.
With the rise of AI-robots, in taking over repetitive tasks and even more activities in the future, there is a now an empath robot, with evolving emotional intelligence. It is seen as a viable solution, in supporting the world’s aging population. Her name is Sophia. She is the world’s first robot citizen and the first robot, Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program. She is used for research, as part of the Loving AI project, which seeks to understand how robots can adapt to users’ needs, through intra and interpersonal development.
Kellee talks with Ben Goertzel, who was the Chief Scientist of Hanson Robotics, the company that created Sophia. He is now the founder and CEO of SingularityNET, a project combining artificial intelligence and blockchain to democratize access to artificial intelligence.
Dr. Ben Goertzel is a cross-disciplinary scientist, entrepreneur and author. He leads the SingularityNET Foundation, the OpenCog Foundation, and the AGI Society which runs the annual Artificial General Intelligence conference. Dr. Goertzel also chairs the futurist nonprofit Humanity+, and serves as Chief Scientist of AI firms Singularity Studio, Rejuve, SingularityDAO and Xccelerando Media, all parts of the SingularityNET ecosystem.
As Chief Scientist of robotics firm Hanson Robotics, he led the software team behind the Sophia robot; as Chief AI Scientist of Awakening Health he leads the team crafting the mind behind Sophia’s little sister Grace.
Dr. Goertzel’s research work encompasses multiple areas including artificial general intelligence, natural language processing, cognitive science, machine learning, computational finance, bioinformatics, virtual worlds, gaming, parapsychology, theoretical physics and more. He has published 25+ scientific books, ~150 technical papers, and numerous journalistic articles, and given talks at a vast number of events of all sorts around the globe.
Before entering the software industry Dr. Goertzel obtained his PhD in mathematics from Temple University in 1989, and served as a university faculty in several departments of mathematics, computer science and cognitive science, in the US, Australia and New Zealand.
With the world appearing to be topsy-curvy these days, are there still predictable trends and do they really matter? If there are clear trends, what are they and where are we heading? Kellee talks with Daniel Levine, a leading trend expert on the state of the world and the trends that will define the direction of our near future.
Daniel Levine is one of the world's best-known trends experts. He is the director of the Avant-Guide Institute, a New York-based consultancy that helps some of the world's largest companies, brands and investors profit from trends. Daniel is a frequent guest on TV and radio and was named "the ultimate guru of cool" by CNN. He leads a global team of trend-spotters who track the latest ideas and experiences around the globe and his corporate partners include some of the world's most notable names, from General Motors, American Express and Microsoft, to Christian Dior and South African Tourism. At REALTOR IGNITE, Daniel will help us prepare for tomorrow’s world and be more relevant, innovative and profitable. He is the publisher of WikiTrend.org.
Everyone in the digital age is a public figure. Your credibility is also determined by how you are treated by others online. How do you protect yourself or even young bloggers and users of social media online from negative interactions, reputation damage and abuse?
Kellee talks with Dr. Michelle Ferrier, founder of TrollBusters.com, a just-in-time rescue service for female writers and journalists experiencing online harassment as well as cyber awareness for the younger generation who are growing up online. She is a digital content architect with 30 years experience in media entrepreneurship and new media technologies. Dr. Ferrier is an associate professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and was named one of the top 20 journalism innovation educators for 2018.
Dr. Ferrier is an award-winning columnist and author. She is featured in the Committee to Protect Journalists 2016 edition of Attacks on the Press, where she wrote “Progression of Hate,” a chapter that tells her own story of hate mail attacks and the birth of TrollBusters.com as a solution to new forms of harassment. Dr. Ferrier has presented before the United Nations on World Press Freedom Day, as a keynote speaker at the Online News Association and as a panelist at the News Impact Summit hosted by the European Journalism Centre on the growing dangers for women journalists online.
With the scare resource of water now a global issue, energy crisis and microfibers from our clothing making their way into our food chain, what can be done about these challenges? Oxwash has created an innovative washing and drying technology model, based on the design for recycling resources in space, to address challenges associated with garment cleaning that is both water- and energy- intensive. In addition, Oxwash’s model solves both the release of microfibers and toxic detergents down into the drainage system and on to our water sources.
Kellee talks with Kyle Grant, CEO of Oxwash about how its technology and laundering model are changing how clothing can be cleaned with minimal impact to the environment. Kyle Grant is an ex-NASA scientist and synthetic biologist, who is focused on combatting climate change starting with an unusual location: your laundry.
Oxwash offers eco-friendly laundry-cleaning services for individuals and corporations. Its environmentally-focused technology is making laundry-cleaning sustainable for the planet. The global “green cleaning” market projected to reach $11.6 billion by 2029 (source: Yahoo Finance). Oxwash has been featured in leading publications including Forbes and Tech Crunch. The company is ventured-backed by Biz Stone (Twitter co-founder), Indeed founder Paul Forster, Holly Branson, Access VC, Pentland Group, Ascension Ventures, Vala Capital, Truesight Ventures, 8 Dimension Ventures, System Capital Management and Khimji Ramdas LLC.
Now that we are coming out of the pandemic, dating in person is back on again. What is trending on the dating scene and what to do about online “swiping” burnout? Kellee talks with Samantha Garcia, Bumble's Marketing Director for the Americas. She will share how to have both a better online (or app-driven) and off-line dating experience.
Bumble is an online platform for those seeking connections for dates, friendships or business mentors. It is designed to empower women to initiate the conversation on its heterosexual dating platform.
As Bumble’s Marketing Director for the Americas, Samantha oversees regional integrated marketing strategy and team for the women-first relationship app, responsible for driving user acquisition growth and brand positioning through a combination of digital, brand and field marketing programs key to the company’s international expansion plans in LatAm. Since joining Bumble in April 2021, Samantha has expanded her responsibilities in the company, adding the U.S. and Canada markets to her current charter, now as [ad interim] North America Integrated Marketing Leader.
Prior to Bumble, Samantha had a successful career at Uber where she held various senior marketing roles, helping launch Uber Eats in more than 40 cities across Mexico and Latin America as well as serving as regional marketing leader for their ride-sharing business, delivering some of Uber’s award-winning consumer marketing campaigns. She holds a bachelor degree in international marketing and management from Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico) and a certificate in international business from UET in France, and in 2022 was named one of 30 Promesas (rising executives) by Expansión.
Samantha was one of the early Bumble users in Mexico, where she met her partner of four years. They married in 2021.
Change is constant and it is speeding up even faster now. One indication is the number of people pivoting in their lives. This requires us to be able to adapt with agility. Most importantly, unleash our creativity to fulfill our potential in our pivot.
Kellee talks with Maria Brito, a leading expert on creativity. She will share how we can better tap into our creativity, to successfully transition in our ongoing pivots, especially in today fast-paced changing environment.
Maria Brito is an award-winning New York-based contemporary art advisor, entrepreneur, author and curator. Her bestselling book How Creativity Rules The World was published by HarperCollins Leadership in March 2022. In 2015, Brito was selected by Complex Magazine as one of the 20 Power Players in the Art World and in 2020 she was named by ARTNEWS as one of the visionaries who gets to shape the art world.
A Harvard graduate, originally from Venezuela, her first monograph “Out There” published by Pointed Leaf Press in 2013, was the recipient of the USA Best Book Awards in both the Art and Design Categories. She has written for publications such as Huffington Post, Elle, Forbes, Artnet, Cultured Magazine, Departures, and the Gulf Coast Journal of Literature and Fine Arts from the University of Houston, Texas. For several years, Maria has taught her creativity course in companies and, in 2019, she launched Jumpstart, an online program on creativity for entrepreneurs based on years of research and observation in both the areas of business and art.
Maria and her projects have been featured extensively in national and international publications including The New York Times Style Section, T: The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, W Magazine, ELLE Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Time Magazine, New York Magazine, The New York Observer, The Daily Beast, The Economist, Interview Magazine, VOGUE Italia, VOGUE Mexico, VOGUE Latin America, VOGUE Brazil, VOGUE China, VOGUE.com, ELLE Décor Spain, Departures, Forbes, Blouin ArtINFO, Hamptons Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Modern Luxury, Refinery29, goop, Billboard, Marie Claire Australia, Marie Claire Spain, Allure, The Coveteur, House Magazine, House Beautiful, Buro 24/7, Latina, Modern Magazine, and more.
We all could use more laughter right now. Kellee talks with Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, an award-winning stand-up comedian, storyteller and writer. She shares her journey as a stand-up comedian and how we can better flex our funny bone. If you want to learn what it takes to be a stand-up comedian, this is the episode for you.
Dhaya's debute album DHAYATRIBE debuted #2 on iTunes. She received the Liz Carpenter Political Humor Award (previously awarded to Samantha Bee, Wanda Sykes and Mark Russell) for her stand-up. Comedy Central Asia crowned her the Grand Prize Winner of “The Ultimate Comedy Challenge” filmed in Singapore. Bay Area PBS affiliate KQED named her one of the twenty “Women to Watch,” a series celebrating women artists, creatives and makers who are pushing boundaries. She has performed across Asia in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. She has also been invited to perform at some of the top festivals in the US including Bridgetown Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, The Boston Comedy Festival, Limestone Comedy Festival, and Laugh Your Asheville Off. She is the sole subject of the documentary “NerdCool” which premiered at the LA Comedy Festival.
As a television host, Dhaya helmed the inaugural season of the Emmy award-winning series High School Quiz Show on PBS’s WGBH. She is a frequent comedic storyteller on NPR’s Snap Judgment. She currently serves as the host of San Francisco’s monthly Moth. Prior to her endeavors in the entertainment business, Dhaya was a venture capitalist, management consultant, and two-time MIT graduate.
Aliza Freud is the Founder and CEO of SheSpeaks, which was launched in 2008 as a platform to amplify women’s voices. It is now the largest community of female influencers, reaching 300 million consumers per month, through brand programs designed and executed to drive real impact. The platform has become the voice of female consumers and influencers. It has created an award-winning Influencer Platform, with over 250 thousand members. Aliza Freud's expertise has been featured on ABC News, MSNBC, Good Morning America and in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Economist.
Jill Salzman is currently growing her third entrepreneurial venture, The Founding Moms, where she helps female entrepreneurs build better businesses. Previously, she started a music management firm and then launched and sold a baby jewelry company before creating her current venture. Jill is the author of The Best Business Book In The World (according to my mom) and the Amazon best-seller, Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs.*
She has shared the speaker stage with Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, and Desmond Tutu, among others. Jill hosts the podcast, Why Are We Shouting? She is also a co-host of Inc. Magazine's business podcast, Breaking Down Your Business. Dubbed a “mommy mogul” by CNN Money, a “Cool Mom Entrepreneur We Love” by MSN Live, Jill was recently named one of the Top 50 Women to Watch In Tech as well as a Top 100 Champion Small Business Influencer after Forbes’ named The Founding Moms one of the Top 10 Websites For Entrepreneurs.
Astronaut Clayton –“Astro Clay” spent 167 days in space and 38 hours and 28 minutes in executing 6 spacewalks. He applied 15 times before NASA selected him as an Astronaut in 1998, and he spent 30 years working for NASA; 15 as an engineer and then 15 as an Astronaut.
Succeeding in one of the most difficult and coveted jobs in the world through perseverance and a never-give-up mantra, Anderson employs NASA’s “Plan, Train and Fly (Execute)” philosophy to his goals. He is the author of The Ordinary SpacemanTM: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut, A is for Astronaut: Blasting Through the Alphabet, Letters From Space and It’s a Question of Space: An Ordinary Astronaut’s Answers to Sometimes Extraordinary Questions. His story has been featured in leading media outlets including ABC News, Fox News, Business Insider, Space and TEDx.
Dilip Jeste, M.D. is a geriatric neuropsychiatrist, who specializes in successful aging, neurobiology of wisdom and psychotic disorders in older adults. He is the Senior Associate Dean for Healthy Aging and Senior Care, Estelle and Edgar Levi Memorial Chair in Aging, Director of Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, Founding Director of UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging, Co-Director, IBM-UCSD Artificial Intelligence Center for Healthy Living, at the University of California San Diego.
He has published over 600 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 14 books. In his most recent book titled Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion, and What Makes Us Good (2020), he describes evidence-based findings on the definition, measurement, and neurobiology of wisdom as well as its relationship with aging, and interventions to promote wisdom.
His work has been featured in leading media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, National Public Radio, PBS, Public Radio International, London Times, and The Colbert Report, among others.
Darcy Gaechter is an extreme athlete, entrepreneur, environmental activist and author. She is the first woman to kayak across the widest part of South America, stretching 4,000 miles, from source to sea. Ms Gaechter has won whitewater kayaking races throughout the world and led kayaking expeditions in eighteen different countries.
When she is not on a whitewater expedition, Ms Gaechter runs her kayaking business, Small World Adventures. She is also the author of The Kayaker’s Guide to Ecuador and Amazon Woman, an adventure memoir detailing her Amazon River expedition (its rights purchased to turn her story into a movie). In addition, Ms Gaechter donates her time to the Ecuadorian Rivers Institute and other non profit organizations. She is currently spearheading a fundraiser for ERI to help protect Ecuador's rivers and the ERI's volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Gaechter was featured in the award-winning film, Wild Water, by Anson Fogel.
Dr. Jen Gunter is known by her thousands of fans as "Dr. Jen." She is also regularly referred to as "Twitter's resident OB/GYN." As an internationally, successful author and physician, her New York Times and USA Today bestselling book, The Vagina Bible, has been translated into nineteen languages and she recently released The Menopause Manifesto. The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom has called her “the world’s most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist.”
Dr Frank Lipman’s health expertise is endorsed by celebrities including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Michelle Williams. He has authored a number of wellness books, with the latest: The New Rules of Aging Well. His advice has been featured in leading publications including Vogue, Bazaar, Allure, NY Times and Wall Street Journal.
As the cofounder of Nutrafol, Dr Sophia Kogan focuses on developing supplements to deter hair loss and support its regrowth. Its supplements have been recognized by publications including Allure and Esquire as well as highlighted in NY Times, Bazaar and Huffington Post.
Dr. Swann is an expert in the fields of prebiotics, probiotics and the microbiome. He is a Board Certified Family Physician with a focus on patient health, wellness and prevention. Dr. Swann is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He received his Clinical Research Training through the National Institute of Health. He is also a Member of the Board of Trustees at the University of California, Merced. Dr Swann is the co-founder of ISOThrive, a clinical stage biotech company focused on treating chronic disease caused by microbiome dysbiosis.
Gary Shinner shares their journey from starting Mighty Leaf Tea to their new entrepreneurial vision and mission with Good Pharma. They have interwoven ancient medicine and science into their Good Pharma beverages. Their entrepreneurial success with multi-dimensional infusions has been featured in leading media outlets including CNN Money, NY Times, Inc., and SF Chronicle.
Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor of psychology, media expert, and author. Her research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. She has shared her expertise on narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic abuse, in leading media outlets including Red Table Talk, National Geographic, Today and Good Morning America.
Claudia Viek founded the Invest in Women Entrepreneurs Initiative in 2018 after serving for ten years as CEO of CAMEO, the leading network of 120 organizations serving 50,000 micro and small businesses in California. She is the former Executive Director of the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, an award-winning training, financing and business incubation program in San Francisco. Claudia was a longtime board member of the national Association for Economic Opportunity and a previous President of NAWBO Bay Area chapter. Her expertise has been featured in leading media outlets including Forbes, Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle.
In addition, Propel is a co-creator of Project 100 that has quickly raised and distributed over $140 million in cash to the most vulnerable population during this pandemic.
Propel is building software for low-income Americans who are often overlooked by traditional tech innovation. Their current focus is on helping people manage their food stamps, a $70 billion program that reaches 40 million Americans, with the goal of providing an economic empowerment platform for them. The company is one of three finalists in The Wall Street Journal's Financial Inclusion Challenge. It is a winner of the NY Times’ Good Tech Award and Fortune's Impact 20. Propel has been featured in leading media outlet, including the Forbes, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and WIRED Magazine.
Most goods are created by millions living in poverty around the world. BankQu uses its blockchain technology to empower those who are unable to prove their identity and economic participation. Through implementation with corporations to record all impoverished farmers or workers that are contributing crops, raw materials and services to their supply chain, it enables these farmers and workers to have financial identity and viability.
BankQu is an award-winning, social impact enterprise that is providing the invisible poor with digital identities and transaction history. It is the winner of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019 and Fast Company's 2019 World Changing Ideas Awards in the Developing World Technology. Ashish Gadnis has been recognized as MIT Innovate for Refugees Award, Young Global Leader (World Economic Forum), Change-Makers Innovator Award and Battery Ventures Innovation Award. BankQu has been featured in leading media outlets including Forbes, Wall Street Journal and Wired.
Polaris is an award-winning, non-profit organization that is leading a data-driven social justice movement to fight sex and labor trafficking. For more than a decade, Polaris has assisted thousands of victims and survivors through the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, helped ensure countless traffickers were held accountable and built the largest known U.S. data set on actual trafficking experiences. It has been a recipient of social impact awards and featured in media outlets including CNN, Reuters, NBC, NY Times, and LA Times.
Unseen is an award-winning, non-profit organization working to end human slavery. Its focus spans from providing safehouses, support helpline, victim outreach, re-integration, multi-sector partnerships and working with businesses on transparent supply chain. It has been a recipient of social impact awards and featured in media outlets including BBC, Business Times, Reuters, CNN, and The Economist.
Beam's social impact innovation has won numerous awards including MIT - Inclusive Innovation Challenge, Tech4Good Awards and Financial Times' Europe’s 100 Digital Champions. Its mission and success have been featured in leading media outlets including BBC, Forbes, Financial Times and Reuters.
Through the Defy Ventures, 82% employment rate was realized for its post-release program in 2018. The recidivism rate (return to prison) rate for Defy graduates is 7.20% within the first year compared with the national average of 44%. Andrew shares the factors that lead to a successful transition for ex-inmates and how we can support their transformation into becoming contributing members of society. Defy Ventures is a non-profit organization focused on addressing challenges tied to incarceration, recidivism and successful transition back into society, by providing training, funding and support to ex-inmates. Its mission and success has been featured in media outlets, including CBS, Forbes, ABC and Bloomberg.
Mi Terro’ Pro-Act technology has been recognized as a leading innovation in sectors including agriculture, food technology and sustainable solutions. It upcycles or repurposes surplus food and agricultural by-products, into plastic-alternative and cotton-alternative fibers for the fashion, medical, and packaging industries. In addition, it is helping farmers and agriculture processors create a new stream of revenue from its surplus supply. At the same time, it is providing compostable, cost-efficient, high-quality, and non-toxic alternative materials.
Its innovation has been featured in leading media outlets including Wired, Forbes, Bloomberg and International Business Times. Robert Luo has been recognized as Forbes Under 30 Scholar, Global Shaker's Sustainable Fashion Innovator 2019, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and GreenBiz “30 under 30” honoree.
Every dollar you spend determines who and what thrives. According to Nielsen, e-commerce is booming, with the online grocery industry expected to exceed $100 billion by 2022. In this larger retail shift, consumers are also looking to support brands that embody their values. 75% of millennials are actively changing their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment, with 80% willing to pay more for products with social responsibility claims. By 2021, consumers are projected to spend nearly $150 billion on sustainable goods.
Katie Tyson is the co-founder of Hive, a new online marketplace for sustainable grocery and household products, where consumers can shop their values and make an impact with every purchase. Founded in 2020, the company is on a mission to create an ecosystem where every purchase contributes to a more sustainable and equitable world. The platform features a collection of environmentally-friendly and socially-conscious brands. All Hive marketplace products are vetted by the Hive Five, a set of curation criteria that revolve around: rave-worthiness (high quality), low impact ingredients, environmentally-friendly packaging, low carbon footprint and a commitment to social good.
Team Timbuktu uses organic and recycled plastic fabrics in their activewear line to create high-performance fabrics, without the usage of petroleum and high-energy output. 73 percent of their activewear are made from recycled plastic. Thus far, 75,000 bottles has been recycled into its activewear fabric, reducing dependence on fabrics made from oil and recycling single use plastics. The company focuses on sustainable and ethical sourcing of its products without compromising high-quality style. They only partner with factories that are ethical and environmentally responsible, with annual surprise audits of partner facilities. Team Timbuktu's activewear line has been featured in Elle, Marie Clarie, Sportsluxe and other media outlets.
Ioannis Ieropoulos is the Professor of Bioenergy and Self-Sustainable Systems and Director of the Bristol BioEnergy Centre, at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of West England. He focuses on waste utilization and energy autonomy. Professor Ieropoulos produced the EcoBot family of robots, which are powered by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) fed on organic waste, with the latest self-sustainable robot, Row-bot.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the grantor of the "Urine-tricity/Pee Power" project, which is advancing the MFC technology for Developing World Countries. Pee Power has been used to provide lighting for toilet blocs at schools in Uganda and Kenya. In addition to these installations, the technology can be installed in refugee camps, slums and places where there is no or limited access to an energy source. Pee Power applications are evolving with continuing research. It plans to be proofed on a commercial scale. This clean energy innovation has been featured in leading media outlets including the Economist, BBC Future, Science Daily, Reuters and Washington Post.
Philip Napoliis a Professor of Public Policy and Faculty Affiliate with the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy at Duke University. He is the author of Social Media and Public Interest: Media Regulation in the Disinformation Age. His previous books include: Audience Evolution: New Technologies and the Transformation of Media Audiences, Communications Research in Action: Scholar-Activist Collaborations for a Democratic Public Sphere (with Minna Aslama), Audience Economics: Media Institutions and the Audience Marketplace, Media Diversity and Localism: Meaning and Metrics, and Foundations of Communications Policy: Principles and Process in the Regulation of Electronic Media. His research has been supported by organizations such as the Ford Foundation, the Democracy Fund, the Benton Foundation, the National Association of Broadcasters, the American Television Alliance, and the Social Science Research Council.
Professor Napoli’s expertise has been featured in news outlets including, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, NBC Nightly News and NPR. He is an Op-ed contributor for Wired magazine. He has been invited to speak at the U.S. Senate, the Federal Communications Commission, and Harvard's Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy.
Eric S. Kim is Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of British Columbia. He is a Visiting Scientist and Research Affiliate with the Lee Kumon Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science.
With a key focus being on purpose, his research aims to identify, understand, and intervene upon the dimensions of psychological well-being that reduce the risk of age-related conditions. Professor Kim has published papers in a variety of academic journals including, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Preventive Medicine, American Journal of Epidemiology, Health Psychology, and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Many of these studies have been featured in various news outlets including: the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, CBS News, BBC News, NPR, Time Magazine, and The Washington Post.
He was also recognized as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Healthcare (Top 30 Innovators Under the Age of 30), one of the Top 30 Thinkers Under the Age of 30 by Pacific Standard, a American Journal of Epidemiology’s Article the Year recipient, American Psychological Association Division 20 Springer Early Career Achievement Award, and an Association for Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star.
Ashton Applewhite has been recognized by The New York Times, National Public Radio, the New Yorker, and the American Society on Aging, as an expert on ageism. She blogs at ThisChairRocks.com, and has written for Harper's and The Guardian, and The New York Times. She has been named as a Fellow by the Knight Foundation, The New York Times, Yale Law School, and the Royal Society for the Arts. In 2015, she was included in a list of 100 inspiring women who are committed to social change.
Dr Guy Leschziner is a leading neurologist and authority on the science of sleep. He is a consulting neurologist at the London Bridge Hospital, the Cromwell Hospital and within the Department of Neurology and Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals. He is clinical lead for the Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy's Hospital, one of Europe's largest sleep units, and Professor of Neurology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London. He has published over sixty peer-reviewed scientific publications and the neurology section editor for Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine (Elsevier). In addition, he is the editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Sleep Medicine (Oxford University Press). Dr Leschziner is the author of The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience and the Secret World of Sleep. He is a presenterof Mysteries of Sleep and The Compass: The Senses on BBC Radio 4 and World Service and Secrets of Sleep for Channel 4.
Christina Maslach is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is recognized as the research pioneer on burnout and created the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) that is the most widely used measure of job burnout. She has written award-winning articles and books, including “The Truth About Burnout” and a forthcoming book on how to make the world of work a better place, to be published by Harvard University Press. She is the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to numerous awards, the impact of her research has earned the official recognition of burnout, as an occupational phenomenon with health consequences, by the World Health Organization.
In her work, Gretchen Rubin draws from cutting-edge science, the wisdom of the ages, lessons from popular culture, and her own experiences to explore how we can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. She is the author of many books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Outer Order, Inner Calm, The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before and The Happiness Project.Her books have sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. The Happiness Project spent two years on the bestseller list. On her top-ranking, award-winning podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, she discusses happiness and good habits with her sister Elizabeth Craft. She is a regular columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine and makes regular appearances on CBS This Morning.
Alyssa Dver is CEO of the American Confidence Institute & Chair of the ERG Leadership Alliance. She is the author of “Confidence is a Choice: Real Science. Superhero Impact." Her book has been endorsed by leading experts at Harvard, MIT, Wharton and other prominent universities. She is also the “In Confidence” podcast co-host. A Boston Best Speaker, Alyssa teaches at Wharton’s Innovation Center, advises at the MIT’s Trust Center, and judges the Stevie’s Women in Business & Best Employer awards.
Kevin White is an Emmy Award-Winning producer, director, and writer. He founded Full Frame Productions and co-created the non-profit, Filmmakers Collaborative SF. Kevin has produced and directed dozens of films that have been screened in the many of the leading film festivals including Berlin Film Festival and San Francisco Film Festival. His work has received multiple awards including Emmys, CINE Golden Eagles, ACE Awards, while also being broadcasted on PBS, National Geographic, Discovery, Bravo, BBC, ZDF, and Arte. Kevin received the Harold Gilliam Award for Environmental Reporting from the Bay Institute for How On Earth video series.
Jonathan Pritchard is a mentalist to Fortune 500 companies including Disney, Universal, Hyatt and United and works with these companies to engage their audience. He has performed as a mentalist around the world for over 15+ years and appeared on shows including America's Got Talent, Penn and Teller and Vegas. He consults and coaches on the psychology of communication, negotiation, influence, and sales based on his expertise as a mentalist. Jonathan is the author of four books on motivational psychology: Think Like a Mind Reader, Learn LIke a Mind Reader, Perfect Recall and Wing Chun: Life Physics.
Jodi Halpern is a Chancellor’s Chair and Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, in the Joint Medical Program and the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. Her foundational research on clinical empathy was pivotal in making medical care more patient-centered and inspired a wave of research on patient-doctor relationships. In her first book, From Detached Concern to Empathy: Humanizing Medical Practice was called a “seminal work” by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
She also studies the role of empathic communication in the wake of conflict and trauma, ranging from social reconciliation in Rwanda and the countries of the former Yugoslavia to helping wounded soldiers returning from war reintegrate into civilian societies. Furthermore, Jodi became fascinated with how difficult it can be for stoic individuals who provide empathy for others to internalize empathy, which led her to ten years of interviews and the book Remaking the Self in the Wake of Illness, which will be available Winter 2021. Halpern has presented her work on leadership and empathy internationally, including at the World Economic Forum. Her research has been published in numerous journals and media outlets (NBC, NY Times, NPR, etc.).
Kristin Neff is widely recognized as one of the leading experts on self-compassion, being the first one to operationally define and measure the construct over a decade ago. She has been credited with conducting the first academic studies into self-compassion and creating the Self-Compassion Scales. Kristin is the Associate Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, and the author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and co-author of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. She is also co-founder and board president of the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.Her research on self-compassion has been featured in NY Times, Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic and other media outlets.
A three-time national tennis champion and former FBI agent, Banni Bunting is a UCLA trained Mindfulness Facilitator as well as a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA). Banni’s current focus is bringing mindfulness into the classroom to both teachers and students. She is the author of How Do You See the World? a mindfulness book for children accompanied with a complete mindfulness curriculum. Her training includes with the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley, The Holistic Life Foundation, Yoga Calm, Mindful Schools, along with Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and Rolf Gates.
Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of Georgia. She directs the Georgia Attitude, Bias, and Behavior Acquisition Lab (GABBA Lab) and examines how attitudes, biases, and nonverbal behaviors are established, maintained, and facilitated through subtle messages present in everyday life. More specifically, she studies how situational cues in our social environments shape our attitudes and behavior toward other individuals and groups. Her research on social attitudes and biases have been featured in Forbes, Washington Post, KQED and other media outlets.
Christina Pirello is the Emmy Award-Winning television personality of Christina Cooks. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Cooking the Whole Foods Way, which was named the "Healthiest Cookbook of the Decade" by the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. Christina also lectures as a professor of culinary arts and nutrition, at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. She holds a Masters Degree in Nutrition and received the 2020 Philadelphia Award for Health Food.
Lindsay Miles is a passionate zero-waste and plastic-free living spokesperson, author and educator who helps people to find more meaningful lives with less waste and less stuff. She has been sharing ideas and strategies on her popular website, Treading My Own Path, since 2013, and has been featured across international media including BBC, The Guardian,TEDx, ABC and more. She gives talks and workshops to encourage others to embrace change, reconnect with their values and make a positive impact on the world around them.
Sharon Palmer is a registered dietitian and nutritionist (RDN) with more than 18 years of experience in plant-based nutrition and sustainability. She has written over 1,000 articles in a variety of publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Oprah, and LA Times and author of plant diet books: The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health, Beginning Today, Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes. If transitioning to a plant-based diet is an important goal, this is the episode for you.
Michelle "Lani" Shiota is a social psychologist and associate professor at Arizona State University, where she directs the Shiota Psycho-Physiology Lab for Affective Testing. Her research and publications focus on positive emotion, positive reappraisal, aging and emotion, and emotion in close relationships. She is lead author of the textbook "Emotion" and co-editor of the "Handbook of Positive Emotions.” Her research on awe has been featured in leading media outlets including, Oprah, New York Times and Psychology Today.
Danielle Dixson is a marine biologist and associate professor of the School of Marine Science and Policy, at University of Delaware. Her research and conservation work have been featured in leading media outlets including BBC, NPR, National Geographic, Nova documentary film. She has been a contributing writer for the National Geographic, creator of the Sea Story books and speaker at the US Senate and House of Representatives.
Joanna Penn is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and she also writes non-fiction for authors, with 30+ books published in 149 countries and 6 languages. Joanna has been named as one of The Guardian Top 100 most influential people in publishing and writing. She was awarded the Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer's Digest.
Dr Brent Bauer is the Director of Integrative Medicine and Clinical Research at Mayo Clinic. His work is at the forefront of the emerging field of integrative medicine, which combines the best of conventional medicine with the best of evidence-based complementary therapies. Dr Brent Bauer is the author of The Science of Integrative Medicine.
Michael and Paul Harney are founders of the Hemp Division of Harney & Sons Tea Company. They cultivate their own hemp, distill the CBD and offer a line of CBD-infused products. Harney & Sons Tea Company is well-known around the world for its collection of traditional, high-quality teas. The company and its teas have been featured in Wall Street Journal, NY Times and NY Magazine.
Diane Tober is Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Francisco Institute for Health and Aging and faculty at the Bixby Center for Reproductive Health. She is a cultural and medical anthropologist with a focus on gender and sexuality, the commodification of the body, science and technology studies, bioethics, and social and reproductive justice. She has been conducting research exploring egg donors’ decisions and experiences within the global market for human eggs since 2013, with now over 500 egg donors participating in her study. Diane Tober is also the author of Romancing the Sperm: Shifting Biopolitics and the Making of Modern Families (2018), investigating the role technology plays in the changing meanings of family.
Matthew Swift is the co-founder and CEO of Concordia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to actively fostering, elevating, and sustaining cross-sector partnerships for social impact. It focuses on global issues including sustainability, economic development and educational outreach.
David Meltzer is the Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing and formerly served as CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire. He has been recognized by Variety Magazine as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year, awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and most recently at the Super Bowl, David was honored as the Most Valuable Philanthropist. He is also a best-selling author and business coach.
Charles Hoskinson is the founder of Cardano and co-founder of Ethereum, two of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency platforms. He is also the CEO of Input, Output, Hong Kong (IOHK). Charles participated as a thought leader and speaker at the World Economic Forum Davos 2020.
Gillian Hooker leads the National Society of Genetic Counselors, with a doctorate degree in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from Yale University and masters degree in genetic counseling at John Hopkins school of public health. She is also currently the Vice President of Clinical Development for Concert Genetics, focused on discerning the genetic testing market and clinical testing management.
Dr Taz MD practices integrative medicine (eastern medical wisdom with western science). She is a wellness expert and best-selling author of What Doctors Eat, The 21 Day Belly Fix, and Super Woman RX. Dr Taz has served as a contributing medical expert to CNN Headline News, TODAY, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan and other media outlets.
Nicolle Merrill is an upskill adviser and author of the career book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Up-skill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots. She was the former Associate Director of the Career Development office at Yale School of Management, where she coached hundreds of MBA students and professionals through all phases of their career transitions.
Lee Pierce is an Assistant Professor at the State University of New York, Geneseo. She facilitated the launch of SUNY's nanodegree (micro-credentialing) program. Lee shares how to evaluate which upskill program is the best fit for you and the top skills of now and future. As a Rhetorical Communication instructor, Lee has helped (okay, sometimes forced) thousands of students to ditch cliches and say something that matters. Lee's research has appeared in top academic journals, winning several awards from the National Communication Association. She integrates her best teaching practices into suggesting what an excellent upskill program should offer you.
Sharon Zimmerman talks with Kellee about how she is evolving her jewelry business, now that there can no longer be in-person interaction. She shares how she is embracing this new reality, rather than fight it.
Emily Jenks started as an attorney, who pivoted to creating and growing a photography business into a 6-figure income, only for it to fall off a cliff, during this pandemic. She shares with Kellee how she is pivoting again in her business.
Heather Farris went from making $12 per hour at an office job to now making closer to a 6-figure income. She discusses with Kellee, how she is able to create this revenue stream through self-teaching and creating a virtual assistant business that focuses on digital marketing support.
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (REC) has helped over 30,000 people become entrepreneurs. The center guides many people without higher education, skills and capital to realize their economic independence through business ownership. REC understands how to break through the barriers that prevent people from becoming entrepreneurs.
Briana Brownell is a data scientist and entrepreneur, whose expertise has been highlighted in media outlets including Forbes and TEDx. She was named Authority Magazine's Top Women Leaders in AI.
Kellee Marlow talks with David Siegel, CEO of Meet Up on how its software is addressing the epidemic of loneliness and creating in-person events and groups for people to meet up. There are over 35 million people who are using Meet Up today.
The rise of find a friend software application is here to stay. Kellee Marlow interviews Olivia June CEO of Hey! Vina, on how its software application can help you to connect with others with similar interests, create gatherings and build new friendships anywhere you go.
Your dog may be more social in helping you get out and meet people. Kellee Marlow discusses with Ninis Samuel, CEO of Bark Happy, on how its mobile software is bringing people together, in person, through shared love of dogs and creating community around it.
Alicia Dattner has been winning awards and rocking comedy clubs like The Improv. She has performed with Maria Bamford, Ali Wong, Moshe Kasher, Arj Barker, Kate Willett, Ann Randolph, and many more luminaries. She is a spiritual practitioner of letting go through comedy, humor and laughter.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology, specializing in connections between social relationships, stress, and health at Brigham Young University. She has worked with government organizations to address this issue. Her research has been highlighted in the BBC 100 Breakthrough Health Discoveries in 2015, New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, The Today Show, and other major media outlets.
Tim Bono is a is the author of Happiness 101: Simple Secrets to Smart Living & Well Being. He is a lecturer of psychological & brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. His research and ideas have been featured in a number of national media outlets including NBC News, CNN, Fast Company,and the Associated Press.
Grace Kraaijvanger, founder of The Hivery (featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Elle and other media outlets), focuses on fashioning space, where the creative and collaborative process can be cultivated. She layers in empowerment, community and inspiration to this evolving experience.
Melanie Greenberg has more than twenty years of experience as a professor, writer, researcher, clinician, and coach. Her advice has appeared in media outlets including CNN, BBC Radioand ABC News. She is the author of The Stress-Proof Brain and named one of the 30 Most Prominent Psychologists to follow on Twitter by the British Psychological Association.
Craig Jarrow is the author of Time Management Ninja and 31 Days, 31 Ways: Daily Tips for Time Management Mastery. His advice has appeared in various media outlets including Fast Company and CBS News. He will also discuss how you can sustain the momentum of productivity and become your lifestyle.
Ann Ravel is the former Chair of the Federal Election Commission, under Obama Administration. Previously, Ms. Ravel served as Chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, under Governor Jerry Brown. She is a lecturer at UC Berkeley, School of Law.
Elliot Berkman, a contributing writer to Psychology Today, Director of the Center for Translational Neuroscience and Director of the Social & Affective Neuroscience Lab, at University of Oregon, talks about the motivational and cognitive factors that contribute to your success and failure in developing new habits and achieving goals. He also discusses how to attain the top 4 goals that most people have: 1) Loose weight, 2) Exercise more, 3) Save more money, and 4) Learn a new skill.
Nancy Collamer is the author of of Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit from Your Passions During Semi-Retirement. Her advice has been featured in NBC Nightly News, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets.
Nicole Anzia's advice on organizing your space and life has appeared in various media outlets including NPR and InStyle. She will also share the best approach to simplifying and sustaining it year-around.
Dr Sheldon Jordan is a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at UCLA. He is chief investigator and author for numerous institutional studies, evaluating and treating neurological diseases and other age-relating illnesses. Dr Sheldon Jordan is also focused new anti-aging approaches, including stem cell and exosome research to turn back the clock.
Susan Cervantes is also the founder of Precita Eyes Muralists Center, creating opportunities for those who have no access to art. In addition to her famous works, she discusses the legacy of creating new artists, who had never drawn before and everyone has the artist in them.
Tchiki Davis is a contributing writer for Psychology Today, well-being technology expert and author of Outsmart Your Smartphone: Conscious Tech Habits for Finding Happiness, Balance, and Connection IRL. Shewill also share how you can cultivate more happiness in the new year.
Dr Robert Emmons is a leading scientific expert on gratitude. His research has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, PBS, Todayand other news outlets. He is also an author, professor of psychology at UC Davis, and the founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology.
Kristin Morrison is an author, coach and entrepreneur. Her pet business success story has lit up the media sites as featured on MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Thrive Global and other sites. She coaches people transitioning to become entrepreneurs.
Cora Boyd is a dating and relationship coach. Her line-up challenge in identifying which stranger is together with whom went viral, garnering over 11 million views on the Cut. She has written for the Tinder platform which boasts 30 billion matches to date.
Lynn Kirkham is the founder of Yes, You Can Speak. She has coached thousands of people, including corporate leaders and presenters on identifying and releasing their inner barriers. As a result, they are realizing their vision with genuine confidence.
Megan Shackleton is the Chief Program Officer at One Love Foundation. She discusses 10 signs of both a healthy and unhealthy relationship. Also, Megan addresses how to identify and support those who you see in an unhealthy situation.
Alicia Dattner has been winning awards and rocking comedy clubs like The Improv. She has performed with Maria Bamford, Ali Wong, Moshe Kasher, Arj Barker, Kate Willett, Ann Randolph, and many more luminaries. She is a spiritual practitioner of letting go through comedy, humor and laughter.
Rachel Kjack is a social fluency expert who coaches people to become more verse in various social skills, enabling them to be successful in any interaction, situation and environment.
Dr Bystritsky is Professor & Director of UCLA’s Anxiety Disorder Program and Founder of Brainsonix. He treats a wide range of mental disorders. Brainsonix innovates device treatments to modulate the brain function non-invasively.
Sue Yerou is the founder of Style Rehab, an image and transformation consultancy. She coaches people to live and project their best-true self.
Rachel Kjack is a social fluency expert who coaches people to become more verse in various social skills, enabling them to be successful in any interaction, situation and environment.