The Ampersand Manifesto: Multi-Passionate People Dive Deep

Jessica speaks with Dr. Bree Rosenblum , Professor of Global Change Biology & Ampersand Cultivator. Bree is the Koshland Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research at UC Berkeley, and her work has been featured broadly in the press, including the New York Times , National Geographic , The Discovery Channel , NPR , the BBC movie Endangered , and on the TEDx stage. Bree weaves her...

Jessica speaks with Emily J. Smith , a writer and tech professional based in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut novel, NOTHING SERIOUS, published by William Morrow (HarperCollins), is out now wherever you buy books. Emily studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell and earned an MBA from UC Berkeley. She has led teams at top tech companies and nonprofits, and she is the founder of the dating...

What happens when you refuse to choose just one path?  On The Ampersand Manifesto, host Jessica Wan – executive coach & classical singer – sits down with “the most interesting people at the dinner party” – those who have made their mark in two or more seemingly different worlds. Through candid conversations, we explore what it takes to navigate multiple callings, find the connection points bet...

Episode description : In our final episode of Season 3, Jessica speaks with Josh Willis, actor, improviser, filmmaker and occasional Elvis impersonator.  Known to his friends and fans as Climate Elvis , he also has a secret identity: Josh is a climate scientist who studies global warming for NASA. He's the lead NASA scientist for the satellites that measure sea level rise from space. He worked on...

Jessica speaks with Susan Lieu , Vietnamese-American author, playwright, and performer.  She's the creator of her theatrical solo show "140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother," which received critical acclaim from LA Times, NPR, and American Theatre.  Her debut memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter , is an Apple Book Pick of the Month and Must Listen of the Month, and has received accolades from The New...

This week, Jessica talks with Stephen Kohler , leadership coach & singer-songwriter.  Stephen is the Founder & CEO of Audira, where he brings a passion for people along with 25 years of extensive business experience within organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies.  At age 15, Stephen discovered the electric guitar, piano, and vocals, which ignited a lifelong passion for...

Jessica interviews Christina Wallace , Storyteller & Entrepreneur. A self-described “human Venn diagram”, Christina has crafted a career at the intersection of business, technology, and the arts.  She is currently a Senior Lecturer of entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, an active angel investor, and a Tony-nominated co-producer of Broadway musicals.  Her latest book is The Portfolio L...

This week, Jessica talks with Jason Park : trumpeter, arts administrator, & chef. Jason has spent over 20 years working as a chef while also performing and teaching the trumpet. If you are in the classical music scene in the Bay Area, you've probably worked with Jason or heard him play.  He's currently the program administrator for the San Francisco Boys Chorus, Trumpeter for the San Francisco...

This week, Jessica talks with Nieka Mamczak , Fitness Instructor, Nutrition Coach, & Sales Enablement Leader for tech companies. A lifelong athlete, she started playing soccer as an elementary school kid and played both soccer and volleyball in high school. Nieka has spent the last 10 years teaching group fitness classes both online and in person, as well as offering nutrition coaching.  Nieka...

This week, Jessica talks with Vidya Srinivasan – Product Leader, Speaker, D&I advocate, and Singer. Vidya works as a Principal Product Manager on the Trust & Safety team for Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Prior to that, she worked at Microsoft. Vidya has filed 21 patents for her work so far. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, she has served as the General Chair...

This week, Jessica talks with Don Seaver , psychiatrist & composer/songwriter. Don worked as a Medical Director for the San Francisco County Jail for 30 years, and he currently practices psychiatry with Kaiser Oakland. As a composer, he has collaborated with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, New Conservatory Theatre, and various companies and artists in the San...

With the Summer Olympics top of mind, Jessica talked with Christina Klinepeter – business executive, mom, and former athlete on Team USA for Karate. She trained for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a childhood spent in competitive Karate and her first retirement from the sport. Christina shares her journey back to being an elite athlete, competing through a major injury and taking Bronze at the 2022...

Welcome back Dominic Lim, author, singer, and storyteller, to the show! We first talked to Dom back in Fall 2022, when he'd signed his two-book deal. We caught up with him again last summer when his debut novel All the Right Notes launched to great acclaim: it was named a 2023 best book by over 20 publications, including USA Today, Harper’s Bazaar, Goodreads, the SF Chronicle, and Entertainmen...

This week, Jessica welcomes guest Craig Perry, Recovery Advocate, Guitarist, & Firefighter . Craig earned his Masters of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He's described as a uniquely elegant classical guitarist with a highly expressive and dynamic blend of Classical, Jazz, and Original Material. A performer, composer and guitar instructor,...

Jessica speaks with Jenny Qi, poet, writer, & scientist . She is the author of Focal Point , winner of the 2020 Steel Toe Books Poetry Award. A freelance writer, her essays and poems have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum, and numerous other publications. She is working on a hybrid collection titled Liminal Bodies and a memoir in essays in conversat...

Jessica speaks with Scott Snibbe, new media artist, entrepreneur & meditation teacher . He is the author of the book How to Train a Happy Mind , and host of the Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment podcast . Scott's interactive art and augmented reality installations have been incorporated into concert tours, museums, and airports; and he has collaborated with musicians and filmmakers including...

Jessica speaks with Pamela Mendoza Brasunas, People Ops Leader for early stage startups & Birth Doula . As a startup leader, Pamela creates and nurtures company culture for startups with an ambitious mission. She currently serves as the Head of People Ops at PayZen, and she previously helped grow startups like Udemy and Carbon Health, as well as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. A trained...

Jessica speaks with Charles Chen, jazz pianist & software engineer & magician . Charles has performed in top venues such as Yoshi's and the San Jose Jazz Festival, and he won first place at the 2019 Jazz Search West competition. His debut album, "Charles, Play!" was released in January 2024. Outside of music, Charles performs magic and works as a software engineer. In his eng...

Jessica speaks with Dr. Maya Ackerman, a world-renowned researcher in generative AI and CEO & co-founder of WaveAI . A pioneer in the artificial intelligence field, Maya has been researching generative AI models for text, music and art since 2014. She was an early advocate for human-centered gen AI, and brought awareness to the power of AI to profoundly elevate human creativity. She has over 5...

Jessica speaks with UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons, education leader & musician . At Cal, he has served as the Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, and he was previously the dean of the Haas School of Business, where he worked with his team to establish the school's four defining principles and oversee the development of Connie & Kevin Chou Hall. He returned to Haas as fac...

What fuels a multi-passionate life? In Season 3 of The Ampersand Manifesto, Jessica Wan, executive coach & classical singer , interviews people who, similarly, have led "dual lives" for decades and succeed in two or more completely different worlds. This show explores how their multiple worlds – different as they may seem – collide, integrate, and fuel each other. Jessica's goal is to celebrat...

Dominic Lim is back on the show this week! Dom is an author, singer, & storyteller . His debut novel All the Right Notes was named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best new books of the summer. Dom is a member of the Writers Grotto and a co-host of the Babylon Salon reading and performance series in San Francisco. He studied psychology at Oberlin and got his masters from Indiana Universit...

Jessica interviews Dominic Lim,  an author & singer & storyteller .  Dominic's debut novel ALL THE RIGHT NOTES , a queer Asian rom-com, will be released in June 2023. Dom is a member of ⁠The Writers Grotto⁠ and is a co-host of the ⁠Babylon Salon⁠ reading and performance series in San Francisco. He studied psychology at Oberlin and got his masters from Indiana University's Jacobs Sc...

Jessica speaks with Dr. Simran Thadani: Rare Book expert; People & Culture leader, & textile artist . Sim earned her PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and has researched and lectured in libraries across the US and Europe. In her work as a People Ops leader, she's advised leaders and designed initiatives across the employee lifecycle including recruiting, onboarding, a...

This week Jessica speaks with Vivien Straus: Writer, Performer, & Small Farm Advocate . Vivien is known for her one-woman shows exposing her “interesting” life choices. She’s worked in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. She was part of the New York sketch comedy group “BOB” and has had roles on film and TV with directors such as Francis Coppola and Oliver Stone. You might have seen...