Straight To It

In this episode, I interview Micah Hauser. Micah is a Story Editor at the New Yorker, where he has worked for the past seven years. We discuss Micah's career at the New Yorker, where he started as a Fact Checker. We cover the fact-checking process and how each New Yorker issue comes together. We also hear Micah's writing advice and what he thinks makes writers great. I hope you enjoyed thi...

In this episode, I interview Charlotte Howard, Executive Editor and New York Bureau Chief of The Economist. Charlotte has been working at The Economist for over 20 years and co-hosts the Checks and Balance podcast. We discuss what makes The Economist special, its transformation into the digital age, and how each issue comes together. Enjoy!

In this episode, I interview Risto Uuk, the EU Research Lead at the Future of Life Institute in Brussels. He researches European Union Artificial Intelligence policy, including the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. Risto is a PhD researcher at KU Leuven studying the assessment and risk-mitigation of general purpose AI models. We have an expansive conversation covering the most groundbreaking parts o...

In this episode, I interview Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, a legendary leader in the Bay Area. In her 32 years in Congress, Congresswoman Eshoo has passed over 70 bills, benefiting not only the Bay Area but the entire country. Congresswoman Eshoo joins us on Straight To It to reflect on some of her biggest accomplishments, like securing over a billion dollars to electrify CalTrain. We also discuss how...

In this episode, I interview Nicole Sorger. Nicole is head of the History Department at Crystal Springs Uplands School. An expert in the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Nicole teaches Middle Eastern History. As we explore the past and present of the Israel-Palestine conflict, we go through Israel's founding, previous wars, and the lead-up to the current conflict. We also discuss the current Israeli...

In this episode I interview Dr. Bruno Verdini, who has taught leadership, diplomacy, and communication techniques for stakeholders from over 80 countries. He created, then earned a unique Ph. D. at MIT, and then designed two MIT courses, The Art and Science of Negotiation and Leadership in Negotiation: Advanced Applications. Both courses have been in the top 1% of MIT’s most popular courses for 8...

In this episode, I interview Nani Jansen-Reventlow, a human rights lawyer who formerly argued free speech cases with Media Defense, a non-profit defending journalism around the globe. Now, Nani works on Systemic Justice, a non-profit she founded with the purpose of making change through litigation. We discuss some of her biggest cases, the importance of journalism, and why she wanted to become a l...

In this episode, I interview Yoav Saarony, a tennis coach who has coached players at all 4 grand slams, over a 30-year career. Yoav grew up in Israel and immigrated into the US at eight years old. When not on the court, Yoav is also an amazing DJ! As we dig into his tennis journey, we focus a good bit on mental toughness and how he helps players develop it. Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, I interview Laker Newhouse, an AI and Mathematics Major at MIT. This past summer, Laker taught at a program in Barcelona to teach Ukrainian high school students about AI. We discuss how AI works, its potential and risks, and his experience at MIT. Enjoy the episode!

I am very excited to announce, the changing of Explain It To Me Like I'm a Ten Year Old to Straight To It with Charlie Zeitlin. Listen to learn more! Also, look forward to new episodes coming out this month with an MIT AI student, a psychiatrist, and more!

In this episode, I interview Guy Friedman, the CEO and founder of SteadyMD. SteadyMD is a telehealth service that connects patients with licensed clinicians. Guy also was the founder of HigherNext, one of the first online proctoring services. We discuss his story, what he loves about entrepreneurship, and the future of healthcare. I really enjoyed speaking with Guy - and I hope you enjoy the episo...

In this episode, I interview Alex Grodd, Founder of BetterLesson, one of the first platforms for teachers to share lesson plans. Now, Alex is building Mainstem Media, a company dedicated to creating podcasts and documentaries to facilitate productive disagreement. Alex is a former teacher and alum of Teach for America. We discuss what he learned from Teach for America, BetterLesson, and his vision...

Introducing: Explained! This is the start of a new series on the podcast where we are spending a half-hour with experts breaking down an important - and complex topic. In the first episode, we're speaking with Dr. Kevin Trenberth, climate scientist and an author of the Nobel Prize Winning 2007 IPCC report on Climate Change as well as Mark Reynolds, Executive Director of the Citizens Climate Lo...

In this episode, I interview Ward Horton, an actor who has had roles in movies and shows such as Annabelle and Pure Genius, as well as in the Broadway show, Torch Song. He has appeared in movies like Ford vs. Ferrari and The Wolf of Wall Street. We discuss the ongoing actors strike, fair compensation, and his fascinating career. I really enjoyed speaking with Ward. Enjoy the episode!!!

In this episode, I interview Jeff Wise, a science and aviation journalist and MH370 expert. Jeff was featured in the Netflix documentary, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared. Jeff's writing has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times, Business Week and Popular Mechanics, and he has spoken about MH370 on CNN, MSNBC and Fox. We discuss that Jeff thinks happened to flight MH370, the document...

In this episode, I interview Julie Lythcott-Haims. Julie is an NYT best selling author, former Stanford dean and current Palo Alto City Council Member. Julie first was a corporate lawyer, but finding herself unfilled, she left her job to join Stanford. As a Freshman Dean, Julie noticed the effect of helicopter parenting on students, and decided to write How to Raise an Adult. We discuss the negati...

In this episode, I interview Barrington Irving, pilot and Founder of Experience Aviation and The Flying Classroom. Barrington became the youngest person and first African-American to fly around the world solo. Barrington flew 30,000 miles around the globe, with 27 stops, moving through monsoons, blizzards and sandstorms in a single-engine plane. He went on to start Experience Aviation and The Flyi...

In this episode, I interview Nancy Coupal, founder of Coupa Café. Nancy moved with her family from Venezuela to Palo Alto, and saw the need for an authentic, delicious café. Coupa has become a Palo Alto institution, with nine locations (and appearances in The Social Network, The Dropout and 60 Minutes). We discuss Nancy's story, what it takes to run a successful café and why Coupa is so iconic...

In this episode, I interview Sunny Vanderbeck, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Satori Capital. Sunny Vanderbeck and his partner Randy Eisenman founded Satori in 2008. Satori invests into companies with outstanding leadership and sustainability practices. After serving as an Army Ranger, Sunny founded his own company, Data Return, one of the first web hosting businesses, and led the company to a...

In this episode, I interview Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a company dedicated to keeping man's best friend around for longer. Loyal is developing drugs to slow aging in large and small dogs, and has done a number of pilot studies. They aim to release their first drug in 2025. Celine studied Neuroscience at UT Austin and the health economics of gene therapy at Oxford. We discussed...

In this episode, I interview Dr. Robert Cialdini, Emeritus Professor of Marketing and Psychology at Arizona State University. In his bestselling book, Influence, Dr. Cialdini draws on his experience studying the principles of influence and simplifies them in seven universal principles. Robert shares his stories from over 40 years of research and what he is must proud of from his career. 

In this special (50th!) episode, I am very lucky to be interviewed by my dad, Zac Zeitlin. Zac has been my mentor and guide on my podcastsing journey and has helped me from day one! I really enjoyed being the guest this time, and Zac did a great job preparing questions. We have the opportunity to discuss the vision for the podcast and process of doing the interviews, and we talk about guests we wo...

In this episode, I interview Erin Thorkilsen, former teacher at Greens Farms Academy in Connecticut, and founder of Heart in Education. Erin has be teaching in the classroom for over 20 years and started Heart in Education to train and inspire teachers to fill their classrooms  with joy, enthusiasm and mindfulness. I was lucky enough to have been taught by Erin, and I really enjoyed catching...

In this episode, I interview Josh Balk. Josh started working at the Humane Society in 2005, and has successfully led many companies like McDonalds and Walmart to treat animals better. He also was instrumental in helping pass Prop 12 in California, which prohibits cruel confinement for mother pigs. Josh is the Co-Founder of Eat Just, the makers of Just Egg, an incredibly popular egg substitute, as...

In this episode, I interview Pete Shadbolt, the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of PsiQuantum, a company working to build the world's first one million qubit quantum computer. We discuss how quantum computing works, its real world applications, and Pete's story of moving to America to start PsiQuantum. I enjoyed talking to Pete, who really knows how to explain a complex topic! Enjoy the in...