Bridging Generations

What does a Gen X childhood in 1980s Miami, a software banking career in Tokyo, and gourmet beef tongue dinners teach you about building community in Boulder? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with real estate professional and global traveler Stewart Ward. Stewart shares his journey through international finance, living in Japan, Finland, and Spain, and how Jap...

What drives an immigrant who fled Venezuela as a teenager with no resources to spend 30 years serving his community and eventually run for Mayor of Boulder? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with civic leader, historic homeowner, and mayoral candidate Aquiles La Grave. Aquiles shares his family's story of fleeing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, building a lif...

What does it take for a self-described "rambunctious Israeli" prankster with ADHD to navigate law school, embrace radical daily structure, and raise the next generation in Boulder? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks welcomes back Omer Menashe for a deep dive into Millennial parenting, multi-cultural family dynamics, and the true meaning of intergenerational conn...

How does an 18-year-old bird bander from Long Island become one of the founding fathers of Boulder's open space movement? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with 97-year-old environmentalist, educator, and civic leader Dr. Oakley "Oak" Thorne II. Oak shares his remarkable life story spanning nearly a century, from conducting the 1954 Yale Whiffenpoofs and raisin...

What causes a top French foreign correspondent covering Fukushima and Mali to leave high-adrenaline journalism to build a life in Israel, New York, and Boulder? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with former TF1 field reporter and media manager Jessica Menache. Jessica shares her journey from chasing breaking news and international disasters across the globe to...

How does a college athlete with a finance degree transition from a traditional LDS upbringing to somatic counseling and quantum meditation? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with Naropa University graduate student Zach Neilsen. Zach shares his journey of departing the Mormon faith with a gentle mindset, overcoming personal burnout, regulating his nervous system...

What connects a 1940s comedian father, an 8-year-old listening to the Beatles on 45s, and a modern music career that includes headlining The Cutting Room in New York City? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with musician, songwriter, and financial coach Jonny Massey. Jonny shares his journey from growing up in New Jersey surrounded by a rich family entertainment...

What leads a former Naval Intelligence officer and early Bitcoin investor to live in a historic hotel and pursue stand-up comedy? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with angel investor, AI consultant, and comedian Jack Phillips (aka Johnny Phillips). Jack shares his journey from overcoming severe childhood dyslexia and serving ten years in the U.S. Navy to inves...

What connects a near-fatal October blizzard on Yosemite's Leaning Tower, the psychology of the nocebo effect, and revolutionary decarbonization in oil and gas? In this returning episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks re-engages with entrepreneur and rock climber Luke Hanley. Luke shares how climbing culture shaped his perspective on risk, the power of belief over biology, and how...

What happens when a 30-foot snowboarding fall forces a biochemistry student to pivot her entire life path? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with Rian O'Donnell, Chief of Staff at 1089. Rian shares her journey growing up on a family compound in Greater Boston raised by a single-father lineman, living on the French Riviera during high school, recovering from a s...

What can a 5,000-year-old healing tradition teach us about modern stress, relationships, and generational gaps? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with Daddu Yogi, an Ayurvedic practitioner and owner of the Therapeutic Ayurveda Center in Boulder, Colorado. Daddu shares his journey from growing up in Varanasi, India, learning holistic medicine from his mud-wrestl...

What drives someone who achieved early financial freedom through real estate to leave Silicon Valley behind and pursue life as a Buddhist monk? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with James Tao for a deep dive into an unconventional life path. James shares his story of growing up in Silicon Valley with an immigrant father who survived China's Cultural Revolution...

What happens when you graduate with a degree in food science but realize you absolutely hate the corporate ladder? In this episode of Bridging Generations , host Howard Snooks sits down with Sam Krasoi, a Boulder native, barista, and musician who decided to prioritize daily happiness over a corporate title. Sam shares his journey from studying nutrition at Colorado State University to landing behi...

What does it take to design the massive, high-security gateways that connect our world? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with aviation architect Jesse Miller to pull back the curtain on the complex world of airport design. Jesse shares his journey from a childhood in Orlando to falling in love with the mountains of North Carolina, and eventually building a thri...

Could the secret to preventing Alzheimer's and strokes be hiding inside your gums? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Miller, a board-certified periodontist and partner at Boulder Periodontics. Liz shares her journey from a small town outside Austin, Texas, through a grueling 12-year path of higher education and professional residencies, to...

What possesses a fourth generation Boulder native, water litigation attorney, and former Alaskan commercial fisherman to write some of the most bone-chilling supernatural thrillers on the market today? In this gripping episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks catches up with local author and lawyer Matt Query to dissect his fast-paced journey from anonymous Reddit horror writer to Holly...

Will artificial intelligence make your degree obsolete? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with Kubs Lalchandani , a seasoned technology attorney, co-founder of Lalchandani Simon PL, and candidate for the University of Colorado Board of Regents. Kubs shares his journey as a first-generation American growing up in Boulder, balancing his father's strict rules of st...

Is your living space actually keeping you healthy? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with residential architect Lisa Kisner to discuss her groundbreaking concept of "Dewellness". This design philosophy explores how architecture, biology, and human longevity intersect right inside our homes. Turning 50 marked a massive shift for Lisa, inspiring her to become radi...

What causes a trained neurosurgeon to step away from the operating room and pivot into the world of agricultural technology? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with Zoya Voronovich to explore her unconventional career trajectory. From her childhood in a Soviet communal flat to broadcasting on independent college radio and operating on traumatic brain injuries, Zo...

What happens when the institution meant to shape your calling becomes the source of your deepest wound? In this compelling episode, host Howard Snooks sits down with Bill St. John — fourth-generation Coloradan, theologian, award-winning journalist, wine expert, and food educator — for a raw and wide-ranging conversation about faith, family, identity, and resilience. Bill traces a remarkable arc: f...

How can the data points of elite college wrestlers help you navigate your "third third" of life with vitality? In this episode of Bridging Generations, Howard Snooks sits down with exercise physiologist and sport scientist Don Moxley to unpack the revolutionary power of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a metric for stress and recovery. Don shares his journey from an Ohio farm to pioneering sports s...

What happens when a "black sheep" finds her spiritual awakening in the front row of her mother’s adult Bat Mitzvah? In this landmark episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks welcomes his first female guest, Ariela HaLevi, to explore the profound intersection of personal awakening and ancestral legacy. Ariela shares her journey from a disconnected young adult to a spiritual leader, detai...

What happens when a restless soul from Maine decides to trade a traditional path for Earthships, 1930s schooners, and a trip to 1990s Russia? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with CEO and founder Luke Hanley to explore a life that reads like a modern-day Forest Gump adventure. Luke shares his unique perspective as someone born on the cusp of the analog and digi...

This episode explores the life of Riley Burns, a financial specialist navigating the intersection of personal drive and family legacy. From the tall ice cream cones of a family-run Missouri restaurant to the competitive gravel racing tracks of Colorado, Riley shares how early customer service roles shaped his client-first mindset. Howard Snooks dives into Riley’s journey through CSU, a pivotal men...

What does it mean to truly heal the body and the spirit beyond just treating symptoms? In this episode of Bridging Generations, host Howard Snooks sits down with Miles, a functional medicine practitioner and founder of Medicine with Heart, to explore the profound connection between family legacy and personal healing. Miles shares moving stories of his parents' lives as social activists—from his fa...