Rich Conversations

Have you ever wondered how skyscrapers or railways or other structures within our cities are built? What goes into that? Today we learn about the very beginning of those processes—what happens underground. We’re joined by civic engineer Saad Darwish who’s working in Alexandria, Egypt. Originally from Mansoura, Egypt, we discussed soccer, how he became interested in engineering, and the daily work...

Rafael Guzman Alders joins us from Santiago, Chile. We explore a number of topics: the culture and people of Santiago and Chile, his writing and perspective influences, his recent trip to Chicago and other travels, urban planning, and much more! You can follow him on Instagram @rafa_guz_alders

Software developer Wycliff Njenga joins us from Nairobi, Kenya. We talk about the hustling city and the country as a whole. We discussed how people use the internet and social media in Kenya and explore why Instagram isn't popular there. Wycliff shares how he became interested in software development and how technologies will impact the future. You can follow Wycliff on Instagram @wykee2

For the first solo episode of 2022, Rich shares reflections on life and his recent trip to New York City. Why he's examining Quantum Theory and Physics. How 2022 will be the first year culturally of the '20s decade. What he did on his trip exploring art, going out to restaurants and music shows, and visiting with friends.

Photographer Mohamed Hozyen joins us from Cairo, Egypt. In this episode, we chat what life is like in Cairo and Egypt, documentary photography and capturing the human experience within a single moment. A person can change the world through visual storytelling and being aware of the life around them. You can follow Mohamed on Instagram @mo.hozyen

Matt Anhalt joins us from Las Vegas, Nevada. He works in Airport Operations at the Harry Reid International Airport. He's also the brother of one of our favorite guests, Joe Anhalt. Matt is passionate about aviation and flying. He shares with us the behind the scenes of running an airport, the life of mileage runners (flying to accumulate miles and rewards for fun) and we even ponder the future of...

Software Engineer Jenny Cardenas joins the podcast from Lima Peru. I love talking with software engineers—I think we have similar outlooks on the future, but we have different skills to help create the future. I appreciate the role they play in society and the impact they’re having on the world. In this episode, we talk about Lima and its culture, how Jenny switched careers during the pandemic and...

Software Engineer Sarah Omoike joins us from Lagos, Nigeria — known as the city of opportunity. Nigeria is going to make a huge impact on the future of our planet. We discuss the city and the country and how technology will play a massive role in its future, as well as the world. We talk software, machine learning, and her recent talk at Google about user design and experience. It was a pleasure t...

Electrical Engineer Juan Reyes joins us from Bogotá, Colombia. We talk Colombia, electricity and energy, Tesla, and so much more! The 21st century requires a lot of power and energy. Just about everything we use to interact with the world today requires electricity. Juan shares the importance of generating renewable energy and how the possibilities inspire him. This is both a real fun and educatio...

Alexandra Kladi joins us from Athens, Greece. She’s a singer/songwriter and music teacher. She’s an all-round renaissance girl who loves to continually learn. I had been listening to her album Shampoo on Spotify and I loved the vibe of it. Kind of loungy and relaxing. I had no idea what any of the lyrics were but I dig the sound. We talk all about Greece, creativity, and music history.  Follow her...

Robin Newa joins us from Dubai but is originally from Nepal. This episode is his life story. Though Nepal is a poor country and he comes from very humble beginnings, Robin has not let that stop him. His curiosity and passion drive him. At the age of 10 he started going to the dump to look for electronic parts because he wanted to know how they worked. Eventually he built a phone charger, DSLR came...

NASA’s Kat Kennedy returns to the show for her third appearance. We love talking all things space with her! In this episode she shares what it’s been like training to work Mission Control at NASA, the significance of the James Webb Telescope, and the compounding improvements of technology and consumer electronics in our lifetimes. She’s a great follow on Twitter: @tikatasaur2112

Rafael Añorga joins the show to talk biotechnology in the 21st century. Originally from Peru, he’s a CRISPR researcher at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. What is CRISPR? That's what we'll discuss during our conversation. The 20th century focused on physics. This century is focused on biology. People want to live longer, healthier, and happier. CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that allows us...

Economist and writer Cecelia de Orbegoso joins the show. She shares what enticed her to move to London from Peru. We discuss several economic concepts, relationships, fashion, wine, and all sorts of things in between. Confidence seemed to be a theme in this episode. How does one develop self-confidence? Loving yourself and who you are to both express yourself through your own fashion but also appl...

Marine Biologist Bryce Gunning joins the show. He studies marine life in the Pacific Ocean. He was in British Colombia when we recorded this but he does lots of work in the Sea of Cortez off the coast of Mexico. Bryce is focused and determined to champion the importance of our oceans. He’s hilarious. We get into all sorts of topics from dolphins being huge jerks to witnessing a Blue Whale in the w...

Texas resident and new Green Bay Packers Owner Janet Wilson returns to the show (Previous Appearance Episode 123). We recap the 2021 regular season and look ahead to the playoffs—to discuss our team of destiny led by likely back to back MVP Aaron Rodgers. Janet shares her gameday process and her annual family roadtrip from Texas to Wisconsin for the Packers Christmas game. Follow Janet on Twitter:...

Data scientist Vlad Yashin returns to the show. This time we talk about his recent Medium article on "The Essentials of Statistical Bias." In particular, we discuss being aware of selection bias and confirmation bias as we make decisions individually and collectively as a society. Vlad briefly notes his new hobby of sabre fencing to clear his mind and reading Nietzsche at age fifteen. Vlad shares...

Marine Biologist, Shelby Thomas, joins us from Tampa Bay, Florida. We talk all about our oceans and the importance of coral reefs. She shares what her company, Ocean Rescue Alliance does to help rebuild reefs. Imagine art installations on the ocean floor to save the world!? Shelby answers my many questions about our oceans and marine life. She also shows me her fish tank.   Follow Shelby on Instag...

José Contreras joins us from Bogotá, Colombia. He’s a software engineer and project manager. He shares with me the culture of Bogotá and Colombia and we explore the future of the internet, including elaborating on what Blockchain is.  You can follow him on Instagram @ohporjosh

Rich provides an update on the podcast, exciting episodes on the horizon, and big news. Keep learning and growing.  The podcast now has its own social media: Instagram : @richconvcos TikTok: @richconvos Twitter: @richconvospod Facebook: Rich Conversations      

Christy Lau joins us from Bangkok, Thailand. She's a teacher, writer, and poet. We chat about Bangkok, Thailand — it’s culture, people, and a bit of its history. Christy Lau loves the beaches of Thailand and hopes to visit all within time! I spent a few days in Thailand and so we talked a little about my impression and experience. We explore writing, poetry, and expressing our human emotions throu...

Embarking on a journey of self-improvement, which path does one take? We discuss personal greatness vs. mass adoption.

Sofía Villalpando returns to the show! She was on episode 114 of the show. We talked Biology, Ecosystems, and Science Communication. Late this summer she was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the Jackson Wild Summit. It looked like she had a ton of fun working with other people in wildlife, conservation, and science communication. I wanted to hear all about it! So she’s back and shares her experience w...

Gigi Flores is from Juárez, Mexico and has lived in El Paso, Texas for over 11 years. She shares what it's like to live on the US-Mexico border and how it shapes and affects regional culture. Gigi dives into her favorite films and what makes them interesting storytelling. She also shares her exploration into creative writing and documentary poetry. Follow her on Instagram @gigiflores02

What's life been like as a Bucks fan? How does one feel about the early 2021 NBA season? What is the precedent of champions over the last 17 years? Does any other team have Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster? Can anyone on their rosters stop Giannis Antetokounmpo? Life as a Bucks fan is relaxing. The NBA regular season is highly enjoyable after winning an NBA Title.