UnNatural Selection

What makes an experience unforgettable? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic sits down with hospitality entrepreneur and industry provocateur Bashar Wali to explore why the future of hospitality — and perhaps business itself — depends less on luxury and more on human connection. From “longing for belonging” to frictionless technology, Bashar explains why most companies misunderstand loyalt...

What happens to human creativity when AI begins doing more of the thinking for us? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with renowned creativity researcher James Kaufman to explore the psychology of innovation, the Four-C Model of Creativity, and the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Together, they unpack why creativity is one of h...

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape healthcare, drug discovery, diagnostics, and even the structure of business itself. In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with Harry Glorikian — General Partner at Scientia Ventures and Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab — to explore the collision between AI, biology, venture capital, and the future of innovation. Togethe...

What allows some companies to survive technological revolutions while others disappear? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , host Nic Encina sits down with Sam Schillace — CVP and Deputy CTO at Microsoft , serial entrepreneur, founder of Writely (which became Google Docs ), and one of the leading thinkers shaping the future of AI and software platforms. Together, they explore how major platfor...

What really happened when Uber disrupted the taxi industry ? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , host Nic Encina sits down with Matthew W. Daus , the longest-serving Chair of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission and one of the world’s leading experts on transportation regulation and mobility technology. – This conversation goes far beyond taxis – Together, they unpack how Uber an...

What makes great comedy survive? In Episode 54, Nic speaks with Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and producer David Mandel – the creative force behind Veep , Seinfeld , Curb Your Enthusiasm , Saturday Night Live , and more – about the hidden systems behind some of the most influential comedy ever created. From the legendary Seinfeld writers’ room to running Veep during one of the most politica...

Formula One is one of the most technologically advanced and hyper-competitive industries on Earth. In Episode 53 , Nic speaks with Shergul Arshad , Head of North America for Aston Martin Formula One, about what it takes to compete in a world where races – and championships – can be decided by hundredths of a second. Shergul takes us behind the scenes of modern Formula One: AI-driven engineering, r...

Candles are one of the oldest technologies in human history. They lit our homes, guided our nights, and shaped civilization – until the light bulb nearly made them obsolete. So how does a 3,000-year-old industry reinvent itself and grow in a world flooded with artificial light? In Episode 52 of UnNatural Selection , Nic speaks with Rodney Harl , Chairman of Alene Candles , about innovation, safety...

Breakthroughs don’t fail because of bad science – they fail because the systems needed to deliver them don’t exist yet. In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic speaks with Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos , Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer at Danaher , about the hidden bottlenecks slowing progress in life sciences – and what they reveal about innovation in every industry. JC shares...

Tacos might be one of the most commoditized products on the planet. You can find them everywhere, at every price point, in nearly every city. So how do you build a truly distinctive brand around something so common ? In this Season 2 premiere of UnNatural Selection , we explore how bartaco has done exactly that. CEO Anthony Valletta shares how the company escaped the commodity trap by focusing on...

Adaptability Starts at Home In this special pre–Season 2 episode of UnNatural Selection , the microphones move from global innovators to a much tougher audience: family. Before the official Season 2 kickoff, the Encina family gathers in the “Family Board Room” for a strategic review of Season 1. The goal? Apply lessons from world-class pioneers to the far more complex challenge of everyday family...

What does it take to reinvent a podcast for its next phase of growth? In this April Fool’s special of UnNatural Selection , we convene a high-stakes programming strategy session to chart the future of Season Two. To lead the effort, we’ve brought in Valentina Encina–Chief Content Officer, head of household programming, and a six-year-old executive with a flawless track record and absolute authorit...

The World’s Leading Expert on Rude Dinosaurs What can rude dinosaurs teach us about competition, behavior, and survival? In this special April Fool’s episode of UnNatural Selection , we sit down with Roman Encina–widely regarded (at least in our household) as the world’s foremost expert on rude dinosaurs. Drawing on years of fieldwork across living rooms, playgrounds, and bedtime theory sessions,...

The Toilet Paper Thesis: How Innovation Creates a New Evolution What if you could take a crash course on innovation—one taught not in a classroom, but by the foremost pioneers across dozens of radically different domains? What might you learn? What patterns would emerge when the FBI, NASA, genomics leaders, policy architects, opera sopranos, and world-champion coaches all answered the same underly...

The Coral Reef of Innovation: Building Symbiosis in the Biotech Ecosystem In this season finale, Nic sits down with Errik Anderson , founder and CEO of Alloy Therapeutics , for a deep dive into how collaboration—not competition—is redefining the future of drug discovery. Alloy isn’t a traditional biotech company chasing its own therapies. It’s building the plumbing —the shared infrastructure and e...

Airborne Ideas: The Life of Scientific Storytelling What makes a science story worth telling — and how do you make it stick? In this episode, Nic speaks with Carl Zimmer , the award-winning science journalist behind the New York Times “Origins” column and author of fifteen books, including She Has Her Mother’s Laugh and Air-Borne . Carl’s work has earned the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, a National Aca...

Evolving Immunity Against Cyber Predators Rajeev Raghavan has been at the center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 's ( FBI ) efforts to combat cybercrime and national security threats, advising the FBI Director and senior leaders on cyber strategy, policy, and the rise of AI-enabled risks. In this episode, he joins Nic to discuss the ever-evolving cat-and-mouse game with cybercriminals, the...

Signal vs. Noise: Revvity's Data Strategy for the Future of Life Sciences The life sciences and diagnostics industry is evolving faster than ever. We sit down with Prahlad Singh , CEO of Revvity , to discuss this dramatic shift. Prahlad explains the vision behind Revvity's major rebranding (formerly PerkinElmer), moving from a tools provider to a high-value, end-to-end solutions partner. The focus...

Tribal Leadership: How Culture Creates Champions What does it take to build a winning team—and a lasting community—around a sport still growing its roots in the U.S.? In this episode, Alex Magleby , Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the New England Free Jacks , shares insights that go far beyond the field. Alex walks us through Rugby’s rich history, from its earliest origins to its ongoing evol...

Reweaving the Safety Net: Innovating Against Youth Homelessness Youth homelessness is a crisis hiding in plain sight. Unlike chronic homelessness, it doesn’t always look obvious—these are young people who may seem like classmates, coworkers, or friends, while quietly struggling with housing insecurity. In this episode of unNatural Selection , we sit down with Connor Schoen , co-founder and CEO of...

From Caves to Skyscrapers: Powering Progress and Paying the Price The modern world runs on an invisible foundation—precious metals, rare earths, and fossil fuels that power everything from smartphones to clean energy. But behind the shine lies a darker reality. In this episode, Dr. Matthew Humbert , a globally seasoned materials scientist, joins us to unpack the high-stakes world of resource extra...

From Revolution to Innovation: Shaping America’s Next Leaders The Eliot School in Boston , founded in 1713 , is one of the oldest public schools in the United States and counts Paul Revere and Samuel Adams among its early students. Today, it has transformed from an underperforming school into one of the most desirable in Massachusetts — a journey that reflects both resilience and vision. In this c...

Beyond Natural Selection: When Genes Are the Start, Not the Destiny We sit down with Dr. Robert Green of Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital , a pioneer in genomic newborn screening . From his early curiosity in science fiction to launching a field that’s now coming full circle, Robert shares the innovations, challenges, and ethical questions of applying genomics to healthy n...

Catalysts of Discovery: Powering Innovation in Biology and Medicine In this episode, Nic speaks with Gianluca Pettiti , Executive Vice President at Thermo Fisher Scientific , about the company’s vision for the future of life sciences, diagnostics, and healthcare. The conversation explores how Thermo Fisher positions itself as a value-added partner to the ecosystem, building seamless solutions that...

The Vanishing Herd: Survival and Innovation Global fertility rates are falling, populations are aging, and the consequences are already reshaping economies and societies. In this episode, Nic speaks with Anu Madgavkar , partner at the McKinsey Global Institute , about what these demographic shifts mean for the innovation capacity and long-term vitality of nations and companies . They explore how s...