Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, with global consequences affecting the natural environment, basic livelihoods, and nearly every sector of human activity. The interview will briefly review the current scientific understandings that define climate change as a critical threat.
The “true crime” phenomenon has never been more evident. From television series to books to documentaries, there seems to be a never-ending fascination with crime, specifically murder. Serial killers are a constant topic of conversation, whether in the news or in fictional shows and novels. In interview after interview, Wendy Whitman has been asked to explain this obsession.
In a world of growing complex social problems— the ongoing pandemic, war, climate change, economic inequality, and rising populism—driving lasting positive social change in communities is on the minds of social innovators and racial justice leaders everywhere.
Most of us have faced a gap on our resumes, whether due to maternity or paternity leave, creative sabbatical, or just giving the finger to the nonprofit industrial complex when we’ve had enough.
Through her unique visual storytelling approach and compassionate guidance, Dr. Greenbaum invites individuals to engage in deep conversations about their hopes, fears, and wishes surrounding their own mortality.
Even those who believe they are entirely rational make 80% of their decisions emotionally. Understanding our emotions and nuanced emotional patterns offers profound insight into why we experience what we experience in life.
The power of art is immense. It can evoke emotions of all kinds, from the most profound sorrows to the highest joys, simultaneously or separately. For many people, art is a form of therapy that goes beyond time and space.
Each classroom, akin to our planet, is a potentially vibrant ecosystem, and the humans within it long for positive cycles of regeneration. This generative process fosters a more enriched education and more self-motivated students and teachers.
In this conversation we’ll explore topics such as the impact of emerging technologies like the Metaverse, Blockchain, and AI on wealth creation, the role of startups in driving innovation, and how individuals from developing countries can creatively use technology to overcome financial barriers.
In recent years, California has faced severe droughts that have further highlighted the inadequacy of its water infrastructure. As a result, many experts argue that California doesn’t have a water problem per se but rather a storage and distribution deficiency.
Tony Hunter will engage in a conversation about reimagining the global food system. He will challenge conventional methods and explore innovative approaches to sustainably and equitably feed a growing global population.
Adaptive AI in the workplace is heralding a new era of technical transformation, fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate and innovate. Unlike traditional AI models that rely on static algorithms, adaptive AI learns and evolves in real-time, mirroring human-like flexibility and responsiveness.
There is irrefutable data on the underpinnings of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (aka Long COVID). However, despite the burgeoning research on the topic, it has taken some time for the medical community and the general public to recognize the existence and severity of Long Covid.
At first glance, an innocuous cold email may not seem like a powerful seed of change. But for Matthew, it has led to a climate movement and years of public service.
Despite the promise of so-called disruptive education technologies like the MOOC, education technology has failed to deliver on its promise to transform both the reach and quality of education.
Intergenerational trauma can lead to a perpetual cycle of substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, child abuse, interpersonal violence, and other criminal behavior. We can break the cycle of intergenerational trauma through greater access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, education, and community awareness.
At 44, Sarah McDonald was newly married, newly promoted, and planning pregnancy. It felt like a time of new beginnings when suddenly she was diagnosed with a rare, incurable cancer. Two months later, she was diagnosed with another unrelated cancer. In this conversation, we’ll explore how we show up, especially with many challenges in the past few years.
Asude will talk about the “double-winged” approach in education. She learned about this idea at YGA, an NGO in Turkey. They believe children need to be double-winged, competent, and compassionate to make a positive impact by using their minds and hearts together.
Dr. Shenoi will review the covid19 pandemic’s trickle-down effect on other health conditions worldwide, including tuberculosis and HIV and noncommunicable diseases that plague our world.
Companies have long been focused on traditional workforce performance metrics, including attrition, engagement, and tenure. Still, new methods of measuring human potential and productivity are revolutionizing how job candidates are identified, hired, and retained across industries.
Through a deep understanding of artists’ geometry, Kurt has discovered the Five Creative Principles that are fundamental to the existence of form. This insight reveals a new connection between math, art, and nature and how we can transform the world by aligning the ideal with the real.
In this conversation, Ryan will disrupt the inaccurate application of Double Diamond and Design Thinking, the mistaken beliefs and pressures resulting from them, and a more realistic way to represent the workflow behind modern empathetic product design.
Purpose is the motivational power that enables individuals and organizations to thrive. Why is purpose important in life and business? Large-scale, longitudinal studies of over 73,000 people have shown that having a purpose in life makes you live longer.
In virtual reality, it’s so easy to get trapped by the fallacy that if only the technology mimicked reality better, the metaverse would unfold in all its splendor. That race to perfection blinds us to what works so well today.
The Grand Farm Education and Research Initiative, powered by Emerging Prairie, are accelerating the research and innovation by creating the prototype for the first fully autonomous farm, impacting North Dakota, the United States, and the World by solving challenges in the agriculture industry and developing new opportunities.
Dr. Joseph is passionate about building leaders and helping them develop frameworks that will carry them into their careers. With her focus on understanding the evolving role of women in leadership, she’ll discuss what is critical for us to understand about the challenges facing young career professionals.
Military spouses face one of the highest unemployment rates of any demographic in America at nearly 30%. While also facing an incredible under-employment problem. The military, government, nonprofits, corporations, and Department of Defense are spending millions to solve this issue, yet it continues to climb.
The idea that we can be creative has always fascinated Rich. It seems the way is to let go of our thinking mind…of all our assumptions about ourselves and life, and relax into a flow state. Effortlessly allowing creativity to come through us. The more we can trust and relax, the more pure the expression.
On the surface, a business meeting in the metaverse seems a lot more sustainable than everyone driving to the office. But what about all the computing power needed to build the AI factories and digital twins that will power tomorrow’s metaverse? Sustainable computing needs to be addressed as a data center scale problem.
In this session, we will explore why thought leadership benefits individuals, teams, and organizations incredibly.
Renewable EV charging can reduce fossil fuels, but will they relieve traffic congestion? While convenient, cars isolate people from their community, increasing separation, polarization, and despair. How can we improve our interactions with people?
We now face political polarization, climate catastrophe, and economic destabilization. How do we move through these difficult times with grace and well-being?
How do you use emotional awareness to change how healthcare works. Evan brings a career in design thinking to help solve the problem of how all of us interact with the healthcare system.
Most of us have dreams of one day winning the lottery. We imagine how our lives would change if we won and the things we would do with that money. But have we considered other lotteries that we’ve already won or lost in life that have had a more profound impact on us?
In this conversation, we will touch on why so much of what we talk about in regard to innovation in the corporate education/training space has been and will be surface-level until we change the fundamental ways we think of people.
We will discuss how we hack feelings of safety and happiness in themed attractions as Experience Designers and how these core principles could be considered in virtual world-building and/or the Metaverse.
Chef Chris Hill believes the dinner table is the center of the community, both in and out of the home, and has ideas for how we can regain this sense of Community.
EdTech expert Richard Culatta argues that technology can be a powerful tool for learning, solving humanity’s most challenging problems, and bringing us closer together. He offers a refreshingly positive framework for preparing kids and educators to succeed in a digital world.
Youth voices and youth stories are at the center of Get Lit’s curriculum in which students claim classic/contemporary poems that resonate with their hopes, dreams, and life experiences.
In this episode, we discuss the mobilization effort for protecting the arts and culture sector of the U.S. through the grassroots campaign Brooke Ishibashi and Matthew-Lee Erlbach co-founded.
In this talk, Fabiola breaks down the need for empowering other women, especially women artisans and female entrepreneurs to sustain their craft knowledge and skills. She shares her experience partnering with women artisans and female entrepreneurs in Oaxaca, Mexico through her social enterprise tlali•pani, co-founded with her husband.
Where, when, and, even, why we work has been turned on its head by the pandemic. In a far-reaching yet jargon-free conversation, Alex and Mark discuss where we are heading and what leading organizations are doing to harness the opportunities, mitigate the risks, and see beyond the horizon to the new normal.
Dan will explain how marketing will drastically change in web3 and the metaverse as we go to community-centric brands. With the adoption of DAOs and other community-driven projects, brands and people need to look at how they bring others in on the company journey and into decision making.
With Web3.0 in the news and being talked about in the general media, most of us are still in the dark about what this means. In addition, there seems to be a new language that has evolved, dominated by acronyms and code words, like DAO, NFT, Crypto and DEFI. It’s a lot.
How we partner is continuously evolving, and Penelope’s examination of differing perspectives on work forums provides an avenue to advancing recognition of the value of the virtual environment.
The word has been used and overused for the past few months as if it’s just been discovered, but in fact, it’s not new, and the concept has been around for over 25 years. Connected virtual worlds have long been a dream, but is the hype for real this time?
Bruce is an expert in the underlying technology that powers what is called the Internet of Things (IoT). He suggests the underlying technology that powers IoT allows us to create Intelligent Environments that will have a transformational impact on businesses and the industries that affect our daily lives.
In this talk, Jennifer explains why it’s never too early (or too late) to create a healthy relationship with tech. Through the use of simple screen swaps and intentional choices, it’s possible to boost your child’s development and connect more closely, both on and off tech.
Agriculture suffers from sea-level rise, increased soil salinity, and unsustainable and environmentally damaging farming. With the next world crisis likely to be a battle over fresh water, a lot needs to change in how we grow our food.
Working 80 to 100 hours a week for 7 years in healthcare investment banking finally caught up to Kavi Misri, founder and CEO of Rose. Like many, he found himself burned out, depressed, and in need of help.
The critically important role of public policy in maintaining a functioning, working Democracy, needs participation by citizens to be effective. As the current political landscape seems impossibly polarized, Hannah-Beth will make the case to exercise our citizenship by involvement at all levels of politics.
Scott sees the Metaverse as a terribly disruptive and possibly dangerous platform. However, as corporations continue to be driven by profits, increasing stock prices, overestimating technology’s potential (VR/AR), and convincing investors that the Metaverse is the holy grail… we will see significant technical advances in CGI.
We need kids to know that college is not the only option, that the trades need them. I believe getting into a trade saved my life; it gave me purpose and a sense of pride that I could do anything if I set my mind to it.
Whether it’s a morning commute or a weekend ride with friends, bike share can help cities meet their sustainability goals, and with e-bikes, can revolutionize transportation in their communities. People will not leave a major city without experiencing or seeing an active rider or bike-share system live.
With the rise of businesses exploding on social media, Muslim women who once had barriers in place, such as not being able to commit to working hours due to children, are now creating successful businesses online. It is now time to speak up and share their stories.
Wondering how accessibility, collaboration, and learning will shape the metaverse? Anthony Duca shares vision, values, and solutions for connecting from anywhere in the world with ways to unify ideas, products, and people through shared experiences.
Jeremy has Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer with no cure. Speaking of death in western cultures is taboo and challenging. In this conversation, we’ll talk about facing that reality and his choice to live his life to its fullest.
Seeing Earth against cosmic scale exposes the absurdity of human difference, the invisibility of borders, the commonality of needs, all within a terrifying thinness of atmosphere. We hold the power of the stars; yet lack the power over tribal divisions.
In today’s world, it’s become increasingly important for individuals and organizations to prioritize inclusion. In this conversation, Dr. Suzanne Wertheim shares one element where everyone can strive toward inclusivity: language.
With the recent renaming of Facebook to Meta, the launch of the Omniverse by NVIDIA, and the proliferation of AR (Augmented Reality and VR (Virtual Reality), it is finally time for the Metaverse to become a part of conversations at the dinner table.
This conversation is for people and business owners to better understand global financial access and securities, allowing for better use of innovative technologies that are truly aimed at mobilizing and integrating inclusivity, diversity, & openness.
Renewables are changing how we make electricity. Electric cars are changing how we move. Batteries invented to power small devices are enabling these changes. We will explore how batteries, electric vehicles, and the electric grid are connected and how they will evolve in the decades to come.
The way we design and build our homes, energy and water and waste systems, streets, sidewalks, neighborhoods, landscapes, open spaces, and sources of food impacts just about every level of our lives and the broader environment of which we are a part. Bringing a regenerative lens to each design choice can add up to massive shifts.
Sandra Kwak, the CEO of 10Power, will explain their work with local partners to develop and finance commercial-scale solar projects in Haiti, making renewable energy affordable and accessible for tangible improvements in livelihood and prosperity.
“Women’s economic empowerment is not just a moral imperative, it is an economic no-brainer.” Women make significant contributions to economic growth, wealth creation, innovation, employment, and human capital. Yet, their participation is constrained by structural impediments and biases.
A harsh reality must be faced: Female founders still face huge challenges rendering access to opportunities and funding. In a world where diversity is key, how do we change?
Filmmaker Sam Kadi has been creating films under extreme conditions well before the Pandemic. His TEDxSantaBarbara talk spoke about how he created a film to capture the Syrian crisis without ever being able to travel to the country.
Dr. Rosenberg will help us reframe Imposter Syndrome which includes addressing skills, knowledge, experience, and mastery along with discussing intersecting practices such as diminishing accomplishments, perfectionism, harsh self-criticism, refusing compliments, not speaking up and a culture of racism, sexism, etc. that can influence one’s openness and comfort with presenting one’s true self.
We live in a nation with more than enough food, but the numbers of hungry people continue to rise, with some of the greatest jumps in the college student population.
With so much turmoil in the world today and everyone working in time-compressed situations, when would now be a good time to understand how you could raise your hand to help or be helped.
From the air to underground, countries are in the process of taking advantage of technologies to improve transportation in novel and impressive ways. But how do we ensure that this next transportation revolution maximizes the benefits for all?
We are motivated by the fact that 90 percent of all emissions in the U.S. are energy-related, and 42 percent of those energy emissions come from the decisions we make in our homes: how we heat our air and water, cook our food, and dry our clothes, and what kind of cars we drive.
Wesley spends his time on the fringes of technology and innovation, and as a result, he sees ideas before they hit the mainstream. He’s particularly interested in the Human of the Future (Now) and how technology can help us live richer, fuller, longer, and more active lives.
Covid has infected every cell of our families, communities, and society just as it infects our bodies, taking our life’s breath, affecting every person on a cellular and systemic level. We will explore how we have been affected and how we recover from the loss and trauma of feeling unsafe in our world.
Until recently, modifying microbial, plant, and animal cells has been a slow and artisanal process. However, with advances in technology allowing researchers to read, write, cut, copy and paste DNA much more easily, systems can now be put in places that vastly accelerate product development of everything from bio-based replacements for petroleum-derived chemicals to modified human cells that fight cancer.
At this moment, rogue waves are forming under your business. If you thought COVID was a surprise, prepare for bigger waves. Ten barely manageable undercurrents are colliding to create a sea of radical systemic change. When they well up, they’ll sink companies and wash away entire industries overnight.
Kimberly’s passion is facilitating the relationship between people and nature, people and animals, and people and people. As a naturalist, humane educator, eco-therapist, nature mentor, and dog trainer, she believes the health of people is absolutely intertwined with the health of our ecosystems.
The equality effect is an international network of human rights advocates (including grassroots community members, artists, musicians, filmmakers, health care workers, journalists, lawyers, teachers, students, judges, and Parliamentarians) working collaboratively to improve the lives of women and girls by using existing human rights law to achieve concrete change. We will talk about one of their current projects, 160girls.org, and the impact it is having.
Sean will talk with us about how electronic circuit designers are constrained by the design tools they use and today’s manufacturing techniques.
Every year, container ships and auto carriers make thousands of transits in the shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel region and along the California coast. These vessels are a significant source of air pollution and ship strikes on endangered blue, humpback, and fin whales.
To produce more quality nutrition for our future, we have to think differently. For example, we can create more resilient food systems by planting trees to turn landowners into farmers, reduce food waste, localize food systems, and benefit the environment.
Covid-19 disrupted the global labor market in unfathomable ways. Millions lost jobs or were furloughed, and those fortunate enough to stay in employment faced the daunting task of adapting to life working from home. The short-term consequences of this demanding experience are well documented, but the longer-term effects are only just becoming clear.
Charter schools provide more than a “cafeteria” style of education. Indeed, they provide a “farm-to-table” model, where students’ passions and dedication are essential to preparing them for this century and for their future, rather than continuing to teach them the way we have traditionally taught them.
John Davies will explore the powerful journey humanity has followed on the path of ever-improving energy and how the lessons of the past should lead us to a desire for a fact-based, non-politicized, national conversation and education on energy.
India Rose Matharu-Daley believes that we can create a fairer, greener, and more prosperous future through business for good. She aspires to help solve the world’s greatest challenges, including climate change, at the nexus of business, the environment, and innovation.
This conversation considers the origins and evolution of the movement for environmental justice as a grassroots demand for a bold vision of democracy that emphasizes the links among human health, racial justice, and ecological sustainability.
At this time in history, it is clear that diversity, equity, and inclusion is not a trend. The business case is proven that these strategies should be incorporated into the fabric of every facet of a company, and are a critical element of any successful and people-oriented organization.
How do you deal with uncertainty and anxiety when your world is upended by the coronavirus pandemic? Dr. Sarb Johal, an expert in emergency management and disaster psychology, had to answer that question for an entire country.
“Children can only aspire to what they know exists” is Ger Graus’s mantra and he sees his and KidZania’s approach to education and entertainment as a significant piece in the large jigsaw which portrays a better world with endless horizons for people who deserve it most: our children.
Movement and dance are enormously valuable for physical and mental health, yet are rarely tapped into. Dr. Pinter creates interactive artworks designed to unlock and inspire movement and has opened the new Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences in Santa Barbara.
In a society of seemingly unending conflict, impasse, and polarization, many of us feel our communities tearing apart at the seams. Using an anti-oppression lens, author Melody Stanford Martin offers an approach rooted in restorative justice: conflict transformation.
Having vision and purpose isn’t enough, you must take action. The four roadblocks people often unknowingly or knowingly run into cause entropy. Your mind is the biggest cause of your inaction. What if one of the clues to discovering the keys to untapping your mind’s strengths lay in a greater sense of self? Turning your thoughts into reality requires self-awareness.
Businesses are often founded to make a difference in a particular industry. However, owners do not always consider the impact they will make in the lives of the people working for them. Business owners and leaders often struggle to focus on their people—especially when clients are calling, and the needs of the business feel urgent. The trickle-down effect eventually results in unhappy people at work, lack of meaning or purpose, and feeling unfulfilled when they return home or enter society every day. But what if we could change this result? What if businesses believed that it is their societal duty to help people be happier? Can you imagine the trickle-down effect then? Less depression, kinder people, better marriages . . . the list goes on. In this discussion, we will talk about how business owners and leaders can positively impact their people, including the importance of a culture of trust, motivating career paths, and valuing life balance.
When women become active participants in defining their development strategies, change takes place. African Women Rising has been on the frontlines working in Northern Uganda for the last 15 years, an area long-damaged by conflict and extreme humanitarian aid dependency. The recognition of women living in extreme poverty as powerful agents for change is forging a shift in how we implement development and the meaning of community empowerment.
Chris will unpack environmental justice and the need for culture change to occur simultaneously with policy changes. Re-building relationships between the natural world and communities of color, centering awareness and resiliency into the minds and hearts of Black and Brown youth.
This conversation in our continuing series on Sustainability will delve into nature-based climate solutions as well as carbon farming. Allegra will help us understand the complexities and nuances of both, as they’re very big ideas with distinct goals and benefits for our future.
Billions of dollars go into education, training, health, and other support for low-status communities in America, yet economic stagnation persists – at times interrupted only by displacement as a result of population increases from re-urbanization and infrastructure improvements such as transit, parks, and traffic calming measures.
In our continuing conversation during Earth Month, we will talk with Jen Hernandez about her work with the Central Coast Climate Justice Network, and her focus on an Electric Vehicle Blueprint for Ventura County.
Michael will explain to us why climate change is the existential challenge of our time and the solution is straightforward. Generate 100% clean and renewable electricity, electrify transportation, buildings, and other sectors, and drawdown excess carbon in our working and natural lands.
Dyhia works at the intersection of sustainability and ocean criminality. She created the most comprehensive and largest database of ocean criminality in the world, Spyglass.fish. She’s a TEDx speaker on Diversity and Inclusion in science and climate justice. We will also get her views on the new Netflix film. Seaspiracy – its release this month is perfect timing for our conversation.
