Above the See

Oliver studied Engineering Physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, went on to study abroad in Singapore and has recently completed his Masters in Computer Science from New York University. At the age of 19, he started his own company that educates youth in programming and has also spent time working with the likes of Caltech, Spotify, Uber and will soon start working with Google. Oliver is also a big fan of meditation and is passionate about AI safety. In this episode we spoke about the learning and growth Oliver experienced from running his own company, the pros and cons of working at a start-up compared to a large firm, spending time productively, Effective Altruism, explore whether the future of AI will be good or bad for human development and the importance of being comfortable within yourself.

Yash and I studied abroad in Singapore for a year and in this episode we spoke about the value of spending structured time abroad, the importance of tracking your memories, our travel tips, reverse culture shock, consumption vs creation and of course, BIG TALK. Yash is a graduate from the University of Bristol and now works as a consultant.

Viren is one of the founders of Manav Sadhna, an NGO based in Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad, India, which has been serving underprivileged communities for the past 30 years. Manav Sadhna serves over 10,000 people daily, from children and women to the elderly. Before Manav Sadhna, Viren worked in the US. In this episode we spoke about Viren's early influences, and the challenges he faced moving away from India to work in the US, where he started on a minimum wage job and worked his way all the way to the top. We spoke about working for something bigger than yourself, the value of not quitting, serving from an early age, what it means to serve and connecting in a deeper way.

Dr Neil Patel is the founder of Awaaz.De, a tech social enterprise that provides last mile connectivity to underserved people in India and Africa. Awaaz.De has over 3 million active monthly users and regularly works with the likes of the Gates Foundation and academic institutions like Harvard. Neil studied Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, worked in Silicon Valley for a couple of years, then went on to complete his Phd at Stanford. This episode follows on from the last episode and in this part we spoke about how Neil's Phd formed the foundation of his business, where we not only spoke about the challenges of starting an enterprise in India but also the personal challenges Neil faces in moving away from the US. We also spoke about the key characteristics of a leader and the value of discipline.

Dr Neil Patel is the founder of Awaaz.De, a tech social enterprise that provides last mile connectivity to underserved people in India and Africa. Awaaz.De has over 3 million active monthly users and regularly works with the likes of the Gates Foundation and academic institutions like Harvard. Neil studied Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, worked in Silicon Valley for a couple of years, then went on to complete his Phd at Stanford. In part 1 of this episode, we spoke about the value Neil takes from his daily practice of meditation and in particular how this allows us to explore our inner world. We also spoke about the value he gained from playing sports at a young age as well as the significant influences on his service journey.

Dave is a Senior Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at the University of Bristol's award winning Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In this episode, we delved deeper into Dave's TED Talk on Side Projects, where we spoke about the value of working for a start-up, changing the narratives around entrepreneurship and the overall benefits of having a side project. We also spoke about the uniqueness of the courses and ways of learning offered at the Centre and how it caters to changing students wants and needs as well as the needs of the dynamic job market.

After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Audrey went from working for a Silicon Valley start-up for 6 months to spending 6 months at a Buddhist Monastery. She then worked as an educator and is now a volunteer with ServiceSpace, which is an incubator that leverages technology to inspire generosity and volunteerism, particularly nurturing labour of love projects. We spoke about the transition from studying to working (and all the confusion that occurs in between), meditation, enjoying the not so linear journey of life, smile protests and the power of the 'not knowing' approach.

Shirish was abandoned as a baby on the streets of Mumbai and then adopted by a couple from Belgium. His journey to becoming a professional dancer is an unconventional one seen as he only went for his first dance class in his 20's, which then took him to Amsterdam, back to Mumbai and now currently Ahmedabad, where he teaches dance to underprivileged children. As well as talking about his incredible journey and his work, we also spoke about how dance allowed him to express himself, living in the present, letting go, being fearless and even Einstein!

James moved to London at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting, graduated from ArtsEd, which is one of the UK's top drama schools with 1st Class Honours and has recently performed at an award winning play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We spoke about taking the plunge to pursue a 'risky' career path, what it takes to go to drama school and the skills and personal development that he has experienced as a result. James' refreshingly mature approach and mindset is a recipe for a healthy and happy life.

Dharmesh graduated from the University of Warwick and spent 6 months working for a big 4 firm, but quit to spend 2 years in India with Indicorps, then spent 2 years in Holland working with Shell, then went back to India and ran a sport for development programme. We spoke about quitting the corporate world to work in India, notions of success, career paths and the value gained from taking an alternative path.