SLĀ Foundation Presents The Power of Storytelling with Shane Adams

Lauren graduated from Harvard with a degree in Psychology. She is now working in business development for a tech startup based in Austin, Tx. Peyton and Lauren sit down to talk about growing up as an athlete, traveling alone, and staying open minded.

Laurel graduated from UNT witha degree in International/Global studies. She has since gone on to be a social media manager, graphic designer, content creator, writer, and marketing expert.

Meagan works as an entertainment consultant and live event production coordinator for Artist Uprising. Peyton and Meagan discussed growing up in a small town, making the transition from the makeup world to the entertainment realm and following your passions.

Arooj Sheikh graduated from University of Texas with a degree in Business. She has since gone on to be a key note speaker, entrepreneur, book author, and Founder of Amplifying Training Institute. Peyton and Arooj talk about moving to Argentina, creating your own destiny, and starting your own business.

Amanda Janay is the financial controller for FlashParking. Amanda and Peyton sit down and discuss life as an accountant, not being great at math, and being a woman in a male dominated field.

Ariel Lee is the Founder and CEO of Remane. Peyton and Ariel sit down to discuss passion, getting out of your comfort zone, and how she started her company as a junior in college.

Josh Goode is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, songwriter and composer. Peyton and Josh discuss band kids, music theory, and life as a musician.

Srajan Bhagat is a Senior Customer Success Manager at InfluxData. Srajan and Aniket discuss nontraditional experiences with school, how his interests in sustainability, policy, classical music, and yoga have uniquely aligned, and his passion for customer success.

McKenzie is a senior analyst at Goldman Sachs. She graduated from Texas Tech University with a BBA in Finance and Accounting. McKenzie and Kat talk about her occupational journey and how a move at a young age shaped her.

Jacqueline Gibson is a Software Engineer at Microsoft. She is an alumna from the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in African and African Diaspora Studies, Computer Science, and minored in Human Computer Interaction. Jacqueline shares with Melissa how she first discovered her love for computer science, her aspirations of using technology to create a positive impact, her experiences a...

Jason Petlueng is the Director of Marketing at Evolve MMA, the #1 mixed martial arts gym in Asia. Jason and Aniket discuss the importance of exposure to diverse perspectives, taking leaps of faith to follow our passions, and the value of persistence in going after something you love. 

Barbara Kufiadan is a 2nd year graduate student at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Barbara and Aniket discuss her Ghanaian-American upbringing, her experience growing up as a black woman in a predominantly white state, and her passion for shaping public policy to be more diverse, inclusive, and equitable for everyone.  You can reach out to Barba...

Christian (they/them) graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in PR, minor in Black Studies, and concentration in Business Foundations. Christian spoke about their career as an Account Coordinator at M Booth . Christian expanded on their experience as a black transgender person in a corporate setting and detailed some ways the workplace can be more inclusive. Christian also disc...

Vyasar Ganesan, a participant in the Netflix docuseries " Indian Matchmaking ", is a writer and college counselor at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. Vyasar and Aniket discuss finding joy amidst a difficult upbringing, bridging the gap between the humanities and the sciences, and deriving purpose through life's experiences. According to payscale.com , a college and career cou...

Patrick Lyons is a Mechanical Sourcing Engineer at Microsoft . He is an alum from the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. Patrick shares with Melissa his journey with fitness, how he founded his own personal training program, Lyon Shred Coaching , and his experiences training for American Ninja Warrior . Patrick lives in Seattle and works at Microsoft while co...

Garrett Mireles graduated from UT Austin with a B.S. in Advertising with a concentration in copy-writing in the Creative Advertising Program. In this interview, he shares with Kat his experiences transitioning into UT and learning what was truly important to him. He also discusses what it is like to be a copywriter for Thimble , a tech startup, working towards his goals, and what he is finding joy...

Cheyenne Gordon works as a music therapist at Hospice of Lubbock, where she works along other medical professionals to provide end-of-life care to patients. In this interview, Cheyenne tells Kat about how she decided to pursue a career in music therapy, how music can help the healing process, and how she copes with such an emotional occupation. Cheyenne explains how life can be beautiful in all it...

Jonathan Wong is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Business Honors, Management Information Systems, and Biology. Jonathan shares with Melissa his experiences with computer science and software engineering, his love for entrepreneurship, and his journey in combining technology, business, and healthcare to make the world a better place. Jonathan lives in Austin and wo...

Giancarlo Bernini is a magician with his own show, Magic of Giancarlo Bernini . He is an alum from the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Religious Studies and took additional coursework in psychology and business. Giancarlo shares with Melissa his experiences growing up in a small town, discovering his love for magic at a young age, the road to becoming a full-time performer, and s...

From the small town of Aurangabad, India to the bright lights of New York City, Anish found mainstream success in corporate America. However, looking for something more, he embarked on a journey to make a difference in the social impact space and find fulfillment by following his passion. Currently, Anish is working to incubate his own social enterprise focused on multidimensional poverty, startin...

Trang Truong is a recent graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in Psychological Sciences. Trang and Aniket discuss her experiences growing up with both of her parents battling cancer, dealing with a stutter, and how she learned to deal with adversity by setting on a mission to help others. Trang's story is one of empowerment and strength. Now as a graduate, Trang hopes to educate others on the impor...

Kush Singh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hitch . He attended the University of Texas at Austin for a year before deciding to leave McCombs and focus on his venture. Kush shares with Melissa his journey with entrepreneurship, the challenges of running an intercity ridesharing business out of his dorm room, and his personal and professional growth over the years. Today, Hitch offers ridesharing servi...

In this interview, Lydia Breedlove tells Katherine about her unique childhood. Lydia grew up with two blind parents, and she explains how that experience shaped her today. Lydia recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in Athletic Training. She will be attending Texas Women’s University this fall to receive dual certification in Physical Therapy, as well...

Micky Wolf is a Venture for America Fellow and the Director of Programs at Dent Education . In this interview, Micky shares his journey with social entrepreneurship and demonstrates that the path to success is not a straight line. He currently works in Baltimore with Dent Education, empowering student entrepreneurs to discover and develop their creative potential. Our interview also features Di'Ja...

Alexa is a bilingual nutrition educator at the Central Texas Food Bank . Growing up commuting from a border town in Mexico to the US everyday for school, Alexa had to deal with feeling caught in the middle of two different cultures. Alexa and Aniket talk about finding comfort in change, her love for food and nutrition, and the impactful work she does today helping out people across Central Texas w...