Finding Founders

From raising $60,000 to support social justice to founding the Venice Run Club, a run club with 1000+ runners, to the Abbot Kinney One Race, Justin Shields has always been successful in creating inclusive environments that connect people to the community. Justin continues to make his mark on Venice, one stride at a time, but let’s go back to where this race starts in Berkeley California. Learn mor...

The realization that religion could prevent its followers from getting life saving medical attention, was something that shocked Evan. And this was yet another reason that he felt drawn to “atheism,” a word that he first discovered in a dictionary years before. Later, Evan would attend California Lutheran College which inspired him to create a Secular Student Alliance. Through this, he was able to...

Jiabao’s bioengineered clitoris is just the tip of what she’s capable of as an artist, designer, inventor, and professor. From a stint at Harvard to China’s 30 under 30 to TED talks on how technology mediates how we perceive reality, Jiabao’s multi-disciplinary approach to life flows into her art. She’s able to pull from her experience at Apple, founding experience of three companies, and numerous...

Redfin had become a multi-billion dollar company, and that’s not all Dave Selinger has been involved in. He has stories of hacking into the early internet, working with Jeff Bezos, being unimpressed with a young Mark Zuckerberg, and eventually creating his own security company, Deep Sentinel. But let’s take it all back to the beginning to growing up in Oregon. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Niyc spent many years perfecting her businesses, driven by a dual pursuit of personal fulfillment and financial success. Enduring personal trauma and health challenges, Niyc never let hardship stop her for too long, as she continuously worked towards her ultimate goal. Today, she is a motivational speaker and coach with a focus on positive psychology. With 7000+ current students and an impact on m...

Dylan has navigated through many unexpected twists and turns, transitioning from professional Super Smash Bros commentator to martial artist, and now, a pioneering figure in the realm of biohacking. Through the follistatin gene therapy, Dylan not only experienced a physical transformation but also a renewed sense of vitality. As he continues to fine-tune his body, Dylan’s journey serves as an exam...

In the exploration of boundary-pushing biohacking, Jacob immerses himself in unconventional self-care. From his ventures with everyday supplements like fish oil to unusual psychedelics like toad venom, Jacob is driven by curiosity and experimentation. Today we go through his treasure trove of substances used for self-optimization, mood balancing, and just personal fun. Learn more about your ad cho...

Ryan’s home is a space dedicated to unlocking the secrets of longevity. From altitude generators to plunging into ice-cold waters to using a Petco heating lamp, every endeavor is a step toward extending human potential. Calculated and precise, Ryan is not afraid to balance risk with reward. With biohacking at the center of his day-to-day, we delve into his routines and his focus on longevity.  Lea...

Alec is a hacker. But he’s not just hacking computers, he also hacks the human body. From his early explorations into biohacking and biology, Alec became one of the founders of the Biohack ATX club and eventually took part in the Minicircle gene therapy. With a journey marked by curiosity and experimentation, we discuss what brought Alec into the biohacking world and tour Kuya, a sanctuary where s...

Dr. Dan’s office is a hub of innovation that is redefining healing. He employs an array of tools that help in navigating the realms of consciousness and longevity. Through it all, he advocates for a balanced approach to health, emphasizing the integration of technology with human biology for a future where lifespan extends far beyond conventional limits. Let’s explore the types of therapies Dr. Da...

Sometimes all it takes is one viral video to change your life. Following the pandemic, Karho Leung was able to help his fellow businesses in Chinatown and make that area lively again by simply throwing a barbecue. Since Karho had moved to New York at a young age, he became acclimated to the city’s fast-paced hustle and learned to always keep trying. Through his passion for connecting with the comm...

San Francisco grapples with a housing crisis that challenges families to navigate perplexing American housing protocols in a market whose prices are only getting higher. We’re back with Leonardo Shapiro as he gives his perspective on what it’s like to find housing in the Bay Area as an immigrant. As we walk through Leonardo’s neighborhood, we discuss immigrating to the U.S. and the potential pathw...

San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities to live in the United States. Because of this, some families have turned to more affordable housing options like RVs. Juanita and the Coalition on Homelessness are dedicated to helping fight for the RV community’s place in the city, as it keeps people housed and allows families to save money for the future. In our journey to the RV community, we di...

APEC’s influence on homelessness can most notably be seen from the increased sweeps the police are doing within the APEC zones. People are losing their valuables and have to be on the move. Javi works for the Coalition on Homelessness, which connects unhoused people with resources for permanent living solutions. As we go through alleyways that are usually heavily populated, we’ll discuss the city’...

This is Alexis and her three kids. I’m meeting them at this building in San Francisco that’s a school during the day and a shelter at night. One year ago today, Alexis and her family called the shelter home. It became a safe haven for them as the past held shadows of a 17-year marriage marred by domestic abuse. During her time at the shelter, Alexis was able to get a job and eventually got a place...

The Tenderloin is known as the grittiest neighborhood in San Francisco. From the high crime rate to the common drug use, most people wouldn’t be caught walking through after dark. But today Del is walking me through the streets of the Tenderloin and showing me his unique perspective. Before Del was a San Francisco community activist and the secular mayor of the Tenderloin, he was a drug user on th...

This is Terry. He volunteers with the Downtown Streets Team, who once helped him get on his feet when he first moved to San Francisco. Now he helps clean the streets of needles and helps San Francisco’s most vulnerable. We’re going to follow him through the areas he serves while learning a bit about his own life story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leonardo and his family had built their whole lives around the success of this company, and yet with just one visit from Homeland Security, it was on the brink of vanishing into thin air. He’d moved to an entirely new country looking for opportunity, and faced obstacle after obstacle, all because he was an ‘alien.’ With only a couple of weeks before their green card expired, Leonardo and his famil...

Zach put 40 hours into his YouTube debut only to get 10 views and a spam comment. That left him to question his online identity; was this the end of his short-lived YouTube career? I mean there wasn’t much in his favor. He was starting at the height of covid and the worst of med school just around the corner. I’m sure Zach was questioning whether juggling his work and his passion would amount to a...

A beautiful California day turned into a nightmare, as Will failed to save his friend’s life while running one of the state's toughest rivers. This nightmare frightened him enough to quit kayaking, possibly forever. This is the reality of extreme sports. Often not even the greatest athletes can conquer these elements unscathed, but it’s a risk they’re willing to take. Will Gadd stands as a four-ti...

As if being trapped, seeking cover from bombs wasn’t scarring enough, just 24 hours later Hao was laid off from his dream job. He found himself across the globe, without a job or a clue what his next step would be. But somehow he’d find opportunity in Vietnam. Today, Hao Tran is the CEO and co-founder of Vietcetera, one of the biggest multimedia digital networks in Vietnam that connects Vietnam wi...

Taku Tanaka’s burgeoning success in the food industry was slowly being torn apart by COVID and the isolation that came with it. So much hinged on the success of this business and it was up to him to save it. Taku proves that he can handle whatever comes across his plate, as today he stands as the CEO of Kamereo, Vietnam’s first tech-powered B2B food sourcing platform. The inspiration behind his co...

Marina hat hit bottom. At the start of a global pandemic, she found herself with a broken heart, in another country, isolated from the people she loved most. She had no stability. But it was at this moment she could define her character. The choices we make when we feel the world is against us, those choices define us. In this episode we’ll explore how Marina turned her life around and stands toda...

Will hit another roadblock, but this wasn’t the first one he faced. He was told by the best chefs in Paris to get out of the way, that he’ll “never make it as a chef,” and yet today, he stands as the #1 pastry chef in the world, a Rising Star and a nominee for the James Beard Award for Best Pastry Chef in America. So I was in Bali for a month and was lucky enough to be invited to Will’s restaurant...

Maybe it was Black magic, maybe it was the locals pushing back on the first signs of foreign development. Regardless, it’s a difficult and complicated thing to start a business when you are a foreigner. In spite of countless roadblocks Waterbom stands and Sayan Gulino, current CEO of Waterbom Bali, has pushed his father’s legacy forward. Today, Waterbom has won several awards and is recognized for...