Epic Human Podcast

Matthew Blair is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of REI Capital Management, an innovative real estate company with the mission to democratize the wealth generating power of Commercial Real Estate for small balance global investors.  Their flagship fund, REI Capital Growth, delivers long-term, tax-efficient, compounding growth with a tried-and-true real estate investment strategy typically employed by the wealthiest 1% of investors. Follow them on X (twitter) @REIGrowth or LinkedIn @REI Capital Management.

Sam Austin is Founder & Board Chair of IDAC (the Investment Diversity Advisory Council), an organization dedicated to increasing diversity of all types in the finance industry. Only 1.4% of U.S. Assets Under Management (AUM) is managed by diverse or female managers, and IDAC's audacious goal is to double that within five years while also increasing the talent pool by 10,000 investment professionals from these underrepresented groups. IDAC brings together the five unique stakeholder groups together to co-develop actionable solutions, including allocators, consultants, diverse led managers, non-diverse led managers, and industry partners, believing that each group's perspectives must be integrated in order to address this daunting challenge. IDAC is hosting its Global Summit on September 19th & 20th in Chicago with sponsorship from Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Carlysle, NEPC, Invesco, and others. Visit www.idac.net to register for the event and learn more about this important organization.

The term “Eco Warrior” is thrown around too casually these days, but Tim Fields is the real deal. Tim is the Founder & CEO of Hardshell Labs, an innovative startup leveraging modern technology to directly address previously unsolvable biological and ecological disasters. Imagine using lasers, 3D printing, chemistry, and e-sports to save an endangered species (yes, seriously). Even better, he's figured out a business model to get paid while doing so. Tim is a lifelong Contract Field Biologist with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, a TEDX speaker, and the star of the soon-to-be-released documentary Eco Hack. This podcast episode is unlike any you've heard before, so don't miss it. Follow Tim's work at www.hardshelllabs.com and feel free to email Tim directly at t.shields@hardshelllabs.com.

Evan Hynes is Co-founder & CEO of Climatebase, the world's leading platform for climate careers, having helped connect hundreds-of-thousands of jobseekers to job opportunities at more than 3,000 employers on our platform. Climatebase helps people discover opportunities at climate tech companies and environmental nonprofits — and in doing so, we help those organizations hire the mission-driven talent they need to succeed. Evan and his team are also spearheading SF Climate Week, a week-long series of self-organized events gathering thousands of organizations and individuals working at the intersection of climate action and innovation to connect, collaborate, and accelerate solutions together. Checkout climatebase.org and sfclimateweek.org, and be sure to follow Evan on Twitter @EvanDHynes.

Jacob Ruytenbeek is Founder & CEO of SailPlan, the world's first marine emissions optimization platform. SailPlan helps ships measure, report, and reduce emissions and fuel consumption using high-resolution, real-time data. Jacob grew up in South Florida often working alongside his father, a lifelong boat builder, and developed a strong passion for the ocean and its conservation. SailPlan is a perfect example of an industry-leading startup leveraging modern technology to address a critical commercial pain point while also dramatically reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. Check out SailPlan at www.sailplan.com or follow them on LinkedIn. And feel free to email Jacob directly at jacob@sailplan.com. In this episode, Jacob shares how his unique background helped prepare him to found this company, from growing up on the beaches of South Florida, to working with his father a maritime engineer from an early age, to his professional experiences as defense contractor and startup executive.

Dr. David Sun Kong is the Director of the MIT Media Lab's Community Biotechnology Initiative with the mission of empowering communities through biotechnology. David is a synthetic biologist, community organizer, musician, and photographer based in the Boston area. He pioneered the development of novel microfluidic, or “lab-on-a-chip” technologies for synthesizing DNA and engineering the living world. In 2017, he founded the Global Community Bio Summit (www.biosummit.org), a gathering convening the global network of independent, community biology labs. Follow David on twitter @davidsunkong, on Instagram @davidsunkong, or on LinkedIn.

Dr. Jordan Shlain is the Founder and Managing Partner at Private Medical, a full-service, family office for health and medicine that provides comprehensive, evidence-based care to members in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Silicon Valley. Dr. Shlain believes good medicine and great health come only from a deep understanding of people, data, and science. Follow him on Twitter @DrShlain or LinkedIN.

Christa Williams-Collett is a Principal Investor at Citigroup's Impact Fund. She makes direct investments in double bottom line companies and venture capital firms. Prior to joining Citi, Christa was an investment banker at RBC Capital Markets and J.P. Morgan focused on technology transactions. She is a graduate of Columbia Business School in New York and resides in San Francisco. Follow Christa on Twitter @ChristaWCollett.

Molly Wood is a climate-tech focused Managing Director at Launch and Co-host of “This Week in Startups” podcast with Jason Calacanis. Prior to becoming a venture capital investor, Molly had an extraordinary media career as a tech & business journalist at Wired, New York Times, CBS, and CNET. Follow Molly on Twitter @mollywood. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epichumanpodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@epichumanpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpicHumanPod

Mandy Bynum Mc Laughlin is CEO of BLCK VC, whose mission is to connect, engage, empower, and advance Black venture investors. Mandy's personal goal is to create generational wealth for the historically excluded. Follow Mandy on twitter @mandy_bynum.

Qiana Patterson is Managing Partner at NAYAH and a founding Investment Committee Member at The Cap Table Coalition. As an experienced investor and tech business executive, Qiana is passionate about building true community power, shared wealth and founder well-being. Follow Qiana on twitter @Q_i_a_n_a. Be sure to check out our YouTube page! Follow us on social media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epichumanpodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@epichumanpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpicHumanPod

Christelle Rohaut is the founding CEO of Codi, the flexible workspace solutions company providing beautifully-designed, turnkey offices. Christelle is passionate about driving the “walk-to-work revolution” by making cities more affordable for local residents and more flexible for local workers. Visit codi.com or follow on twitter @codiwork. Be sure to check out our YouTube page! Follow us on social media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epichumanpodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@epichumanpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpicHumanPod

Cam Woodsum is Founder & CEO of Nomad Impact Ventures, a remote startup lab that starts, grows, and invests in impact-focused internet businesses. Cam is a digital nomad - a tech entrepreneur who lives and works wherever he wants. He’s lived all over the world and generally lives life on his own terms. This is Cam’s second time as a guest on the Epic Human Podcast - the podcast’s first returning guest! The original podcast we recorded two years ago (S1 E12). In this episode, we discuss Cam’s entrepreneurial successes, failures, and lessons learned. Cam shares some of his founding insights, such as launch early, often, and anonymously. Cam recounts his struggles with adult acne and how he finally overcame it this past year. We also get on update on Cam’s ever-evolving personal philosophy and why it’s so different than that his that of his contemporaries. You can find Cam on- *Instagram @camwoodsum (https://www.instagram.com/camwoodsum/) *Twitter @camwoodsum (https://twitter.com/CamWoodsum) *Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbfzR7OP-NHJ674udbVEatg) *Online https://www.freedomiseverything.com

James Wells is VP of Corporate Development at Sanctuary AI, a company building & scaling embodied artificial general intelligence (AGI). In this episode, James and I discuss the differences between various types of artificial intelligence and opine on the future of the relationship between humans & intelligent machines. James is also an accomplished survivalist, yogi, ironman, & meditator In this episode, we cover James’s highly unique experiences Completing a wilderness survival course in the middle of nowhere Running an ironman race with almost no traditional training (as in running, biking, or swimming) Learning and struggling through meditation practice and the impact it’s had on his personal & professional life This episode was kind of stitched together over a few recorded conversations we had, and the final product is exceptional. I think anyone could get something out of our chat. You can find James Wells on LinkedIn (feel free to say hi) You can visit Sanctuary AI at www.sanctuary.ai

Ruben Harris is CEO at Career Karma, a marketplace connecting job training programs and qualified applicants. Ruben is also a Co-Host of the Breaking into Startups podcast, the podcast featuring inspiring stories of people who broke into tech from non-traditional backgrounds In this episode, Ruben and I discuss the future of education and how to address that massive skills gap that exists both in the US and around the world. We also go deep into Ruben's incredible past, starting with his passion for music as an accomplished cellist, how he transitioned to finance, and then the miraculous way he hustled his way into technology and Silicon Valley. Ruben is incredibly humble and honest as he shares his mistakes, successes, and tangible advice for others finding their own way. One poignant quote from our chat: “Inbound is what happens when outbound is your DNA” -You can find Ruben on twitter @rubenharris (https://twitter.com/rubenharris) and @Career_Karma (https://twitter.com/Career_Karma) -You download Career Karma at ck.chat/cktw

Katherine Maher is CEO and Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that manages Wikipedia - the multilingual online encyclopedia, based on open collaboration through a wiki-based content editing system. Wikipedia is the fifth most popular website in the world and gets more than 18 billion page views per month. In this episode, Katherine and I discuss Wikipedia’s role in the era of "fake news," the recent NorthFace/Wikipedia controversy, how her organization is looking to grow and diversify the editor community, and what the future holds for Wikipedia, including risks and opportunities. We also go deep into Katherine’s background, covering her atypical academic experience, her early career path, and how she became CEO of one of the most important technology platforms of our time. As with every podcast, I also asked Katherine about her personal philosophy, where she shared a personal story of a time she experienced failure, some advice for young adults seeking to make a difference, and a few quotes that inspire her. -You can find Katherine on twitter @krmaher https://twitter.com/krmaher -You can watch her “Sum of All Knowledge” talk she delivered on Google’s corporate campus at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESVQknHESuA&t=24s

Tom Masterson is Founder and CEO of Unburden Care, a company that alleviates the burden associated with providing unpaid care through efficient, economic, and sensitive use of technology and social networks. Tom has an electric background, spanning tech, strategy, design, operations, marketing, and sales. In this episode, Tom and I discuss the chronic challenges that caregivers face and how he’s trying to help them. You can find Unburden Care: -On their website www.unburdencare.com -Or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/caroline.assistant/

Welcome back to Season Two of the Epic Human Podcast! In this episode, we recap Season One and share some of the exciting changes we’re making for the second season. We also reveal the epic human who originally inspired the podcast! For the longer story, here’s my Medium article on the topic: https://bit.ly/2XcilMF It’s good to be back!

Eric Anderson is a Principal at Scale Venture Partners, a Bay Area venture firm that specializes in enterprise SaaS, developer tools, and infrastructure. Eric is a former product manager at both Google and Amazon, a former engineer with GE’s rotational leadership program, and a lifelong entrepreneur. Eric founded DocPro (www.docpro.app), the "Uber for office work." He’s also a dedicated family man, as a father of four fantastic children. In this episode, Eric shares his unique experiences growing up as a one of six siblings, discovering his passion for science and “making things” as a kid, facilitating union conflicts as a young engineer, breaking into the world of cloud computing with some of the largest tech titans of Silicon Valley, and eventually transitioning to a career in venture capital. Follow Eric on Twitter @ericmander and his firm @scalevp Or visit Scale Venture Partners at www.scalevp.com And check out DocPro (www.docpro.app), the "Uber for office work"

Greg McNeal JD/PhD, is a tenured Professor of Law and Public Policy at Pepperdine University and co-founder of AirMap, the world's leading airspace management platform for drones. Greg holds a Masters in Public Administration from American University, a JD from Case Western, and a PHD in Public Administration from Penn State University. He is a published author, having written 28 scholarly papers, 10 law review articles, a book on the Trial of Saddam Hussein, and is an active contributor at Forbes on the topics of public policy, transportation, and the future mobility. In this episode, Greg discusses his humble beginnings and his encounters with countless people throughout his life that told him his goals were unachievable. And every time, Greg proved them wrong. Greg’s life story is a tale of ambition, passion, and grit. Follow Greg on Twitter @GregoryMcNeal or at his personal website https://gsmcneal.com/ Or check out Airmap at airmap.com

Mike Sirkin is a father of three amazing children, which makes him a hero in my book. He also happens to be a super successful and accomplished lawyer, but this episode isn’t about all that. In this episode, Mike and I discuss what it means and what it takes to be a dad in the modern era. We talk a bit about our own upbringing and about our joys and challenges of becoming dads ourselves. Mike is an incredible thoughtful and articulate human, and I really enjoyed going deep on this topic! Follow Mike on Twitter at @SMichaelSirkin

Cam Woodsum is the Founder of Nomad Impact Ventures, an e-commerce startup lab that builds for-profit impact businesses while traveling the world. He believes in living life to the fullest while also making a global impact. The majority of his organization's profits are funneled into an impact fund that invests in mission-oriented companies focused on climate change, healthcare, and education. Cam is also the Founder of both Bill Slasher and FanBump. Cam’s unique lifestyle lets him travel the world continuously AND make a difference. *** Follow Cam on Twitter or Instagram at @CamWoodsum, or check out his blogs at https://camwoodsum.com/ and https://www.freedomiseverything.com

Sydney Thomas is a venture capital investor and head of operations with Precursor Ventures, a San Francisco-based pre-seed venture firm. Sydney is also the creator and host of the Be About It Podcast, a podcast featuring entrepreneurs who are building companies that serve “real people". In this episode, Syndey tells about growing up in San Diego, her early career in government & public service, and her path to venture capital.   - Follow Sydney at @sydneypaige10 and www.sydneypaigethomas.com and her Be About It Podcast @thebeaboutitpod   - And checkout Precursor Ventures at @precursorvc or at https://precursorvc.com/

Patrick Sagisi is a venture capital investor with DBL Partners, a San Francisco-based venture firm focused on delivering double bottom line returns, both in terms of financial and societal benefits. Patrick is a 3-time Olympic swimmer representing his native birthplace of Guam. In this podcast, Patrick explains how his extraordinary self-discipline has allowed him to excel in athletics, academics, tech, and now venture capital. Follow Patrick at @PSagisiDBL and visit DBL Partners at www.dblpartners.vc

Ken Harbaugh is running for Congress in Ohio’s 7th district. Ken is a former Navy pilot, Yale Law School graduate, and President of Team Rubicon, an international non-profit that deploys American veterans to provide disaster relief services all over the globe. Ken has dedicated himself to a life of service in a wide range of capacities, and is now seeking to apply his skills and talents to the United States Congress. In this podcast, Ken walks me through his early years as an kid in a military family, discusses his own winding career path, and why he wants to serve Ohio like no one ever has before. His campaign slogan is “Country over Party,” and Ken truly believes - even in these polarized times - that we all have more in common than we may realize.   Follow Ken’s campaign on Twitter @TeamHarbaugh and online http://www.kenharbaughforcongress.com/

Ray Li is a musician and entertainer with Veserium, an electronic music duo that performs a live show unlike any you’ve experienced before. Veserium creates sound from thin air using only motions and gestures, allowing fans to experience the music on an entirely different level, being able to see and hear the sounds as they are being created. Ray is a former engineer and left a white collar career to move to Las Vegas and start Veserium with his best friend Michael. In this podcast, Ray discusses his how he personally developed the core Veserium technology, the difficult decision to leave his white collar engineering career to move to Las Vegas a pursue a life as a musician and entertainer, and what it’s like day-to-day following his dream of reimagining audio and visual entertainment. Ray also graciously provided the intro music for the Epic Human Podcast, so we are super grateful and excited to bring you this episode! Follow Veserium on Twitter @Veserium and online at http://veserium.com/

Chris Anderson is Founder and CEO of 3D Robotics, a drone software company digitizing the construction industry. Chris is a New York Times best selling author, former Editor in Chief of WIRED magazine, writer at the Economist, physicist, and research scientist at Los Alamos Labs. Chris walks us through his incredible life, which includes a battle-of-the-bands with REM, managing the most important and influential magazine in the tech world, and accidentally starting the largest US drone company in history, which eventually evolved into a software solution that’s transforming the construction tech industry. Follow Chris Twitter @chr1sa And follow @3DRobotics and visit them at 3DR.com And follow his DIY autonomous car community @DIYRobocars and visit them at DIYrobocars.com

Andrew Byrnes is a venture capital investor at Comet Labs, an AI and intelligent machines focused seed investor based in San Francisco. He is a former cleantech startup founder, high school teacher, marketing exec, wildcatter, fiction author, sushi roller, and local TV show host. Andrew’s circuitous life path is as fascinating as it is hilarious! *Follow Andrew’s firm on Twitter @CometLabs and visit cometlabs.io to sign up for their newsletter

John Gray is an expert in social media manipulation and “fake news” bots. John is also Co-founder and CEO of Mentionmapp Analytics, a company focused on protecting social profile reputations. In this podcast, John explains how technology is used to deceive and manipulate us, who is behind this activity, and what (if anything) can be done to stop it. *Follow John on Twitter @grayspective *And find Mentionmapp Analytics at http://mentionmapp.com/ or on Twitter @mentionmapp

Gaurav Jain is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Afore capital, a pre-seed stage venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. Gaurav has proven his unusual ability to succeed as both an entrepreneur and a venture capital investor. In this podcast, Gaurav shares some of the non-intuitive "benefits of short-term thinking" when building your career. *You can follow Gaurav on Twitter @gjain *And you can find Afore Capital at https://afore.vc/ or on Twitter @AforeVC

Claire Coder is CEO & Founder of AuntFlow, an innovative menstrual products company. Claire recounts dropping out of college to follow her dreams while overcoming countless obstacles. Claire is what I call a “Born Hustler," a person who was destined to build companies.

Mike Vernon is Director of Key Accounts for Global One Pet, a leader in the pet nutrition & specialty product industry. He is a sales savant with uncanny emotional intelligence. In this episode, you'll learn about how Mike kickstarted his sales career, the techniques he uses to make a lasting impression, and his advice for the salesperson inside each of us.

This episode will introduce the Epic Human Podcast. It will provide some background on the host Joe Blair, explain the theme and format of the podcast, and tell you where you can find us online.