The Power House NYC Podcast

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Consul Chico Borromeo of the Philippine Consulate General in New York. Chico shares the decision to leave a stable private-sector banking career and accept his appointment into government service through the Philippine Foreign Service. At the time, he had spent almost five years building his first career. Banking gave him stability, a clear pat...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Dr. Fredrick Echols, MD, a physician and public health leader. In 2014, he was Director of Communicable Disease Control for the State of Illinois during the Ebola outbreak. The question was not just how to share information, but how to make sure vulnerable communities, health care workers, rural areas, and people with different language and lit...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Greg Okshteyn, founder of Studios GO and creator of Play Day, to unpack one real decision under pressure. Greg had already spent decades building a successful architecture and design practice. His firm, Studios GO, designed restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and buildings around the world. Then a different kind of opportunity showed up close to...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Matt Hooper, angel investor and creator of the show Right to Invest. Matt shares the decision to leave a comfortable, well-paying role at Barclays Investment Bank and build a creative media business around startups, innovation, and live performance. At Barclays, Matt was inside the New York innovation ecosystem. He helped manage Rise New York,...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Josue De Paz, CEO and Co-Founder of Honor Your Dreams. Josue shares the decision to start what was then called First Tech Fund during the pandemic, after being laid off from what felt like a dream nonprofit job. While watching the news with his wife, Josue saw New York City students going to parking lots and public spaces just to access Wi-Fi f...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Jason Malefakis, Founder and CEO of Wayo, a curated workspace marketplace built for modern work. Jason shares the decision to leave a stable hedge fund technology career and start a company he had wanted to build since middle school. The safe path gave him financial stability, predictable income, and a more manageable family life. The risky pat...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Ivy Woolf Turk — certified professional coach, freedom fighter, and storyteller. Ivy shares the story of losing the life she built, coming home from federal prison, and making one decision that changed everything: instead of disappearing into survival, she chose to build work that could help other women come home with dignity, identity, and hop...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Ivy Woolf Turk — certified professional coach, freedom fighter, and storyteller. Ivy shares the story of losing everything, coming home from federal prison, and making one decision that changed the direction of her life: instead of disappearing into shame or survival, she chose to rebuild herself and help other women do the same. Her turning po...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Greg Okshteyn, founder of PlayDay and Studios GO. Greg shares the decision to start PlayDay after already building a successful architecture and design practice. The idea began when his daughter loved art but had nowhere in the neighborhood to go for creative classes. Then a retail space opened across the street from his home, and the opportuni...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Preeti Adhikari, co-founder and general partner of Momo VC, to unpack one real decision under pressure. Preeti was in the middle of building an early-stage venture fund in the U.S. The legal fees had been paid. The incorporation documents were moving. The plan was no longer just an idea. Then one of the original partners backed out. That moment...

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with GM Eric B. Bustamante, First Vice President and General Manager of Philippine National Bank New York. Eric shares the decision that changed his life: leaving behind a successful banking career in the Philippines to start over in the United States for his family. Back home, he had status, awards, career momentum, and a comfortable life. But his...

In this episode of The Power House , JG sits down with Dr. Glenn Toby — serial entrepreneur, managing partner of RCP Venture Capital, author, speaker, philanthropist, and hip-hop pioneer known as Mr. Sweety G . Dr. Toby shares how he grew up through housing instability in Brooklyn and Queens after his mother experienced a nervous breakdown. Even through disruption, he says something powerful: “We...

The conversation delves into the challenges of cultural differences and the experience of navigating New York City, highlighting the complexities of Desi parents and the unique dynamics of living in the city. Takeaways Cultural differences Navigating New York City Chapters 00:00 Navigating New York City

The conversation covers the impact of mentorship and the challenge of balancing academic and nonprofit pursuits. Mentorship is highlighted as a key factor in personal and professional development, while the difficulty of managing academic and nonprofit commitments is discussed. Takeaways Mentorship Balancing Academic and Nonprofit Pursuits Chapters 00:00 The Impact of Mentorship

The conversation covers the journey of pivoting and change, highlighting the importance of listening to advice and learning from life precepts. It explores the impact of pivoting in careers and the value of slowing down to make informed decisions. Takeaways Pivoting Listening to advice Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Pivoting and Change

In this episode of The Power House , JG sits down with Oliver Libby —Managing Partner of H/L Ventures and CityRock Venture Partners , Chair and Founder of The Resolution Project , and author of Strong Floor, No Ceiling —to unpack a defining fork-in-the-road decision: What do you do when you have a big calling, but you’re not ready yet? Oliver shares a moment that reshaped his entire path. After le...

In this episode of The Power House , JG sits down with Oliver Mitchell —Managing Partner of Arkenstone Capital , Partner at ff Venture Capital , and author of A Startup Field Guide in the Age of Robotics and AI —to unpack a defining fork-in-the-road decision in robotics: when to pivot after you’ve already sunk months of engineering time and capital. Oliver tells the story of Civ Robotics (formerly...

The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating stress and change, as well as the dilemma between choosing bootstrap or VC money for entrepreneurial funding. Takeaways Amplified stress Bootstrap vs VC money Chapters 00:00 Navigating Stress and Change

The conversation delves into the themes of bravery and pursuing dreams, highlighting the challenges and the need to be brave and trust oneself. It also addresses the changing landscape of achieving dreams and acknowledges the reality of the world, including the state of the country and the impact of external factors on pursuing dreams. Takeaways Bravery is essential in pursuing dreams Acknowledgin...

In this episode of The Power House , JG sits down with Myra Kressner , President of Kressner Strategy Group and Co-founder of Vision Group Network , for a sharp conversation about leadership under pressure, career pivots, and the discipline it takes to keep your self-respect when someone tries to shrink you. Myra shares the line that anchors the episode: “Myra, I don’t pay you to think.” It was sa...

In Episode 3 of The Power House, JG sits down with Sameera Chukkapalli Holmes and delves into the themes of values-driven leadership and adaptability. It explores her early life, the influence of her upbringing on her values, and her journey as a leader. The discussion also touches on overcoming fear, embracing change, and the importance of vulnerability in leadership. Takeaways Values-driven lead...

In Episode 1 of The Power House , JG sits down with Dom Gervasi for a direct conversation about leadership under pressure , decision-making , and the mental discipline required to stay true to your values when life gets loud. Dom shares the line that anchors the episode: “Unless you program your own mind, the world will program it for you.” From there, we unpack what it looks like to lead yourself...