Remake

TODAY'S GUEST One of the most tragic aspects of the accelerating pace of change, and rapid evolution of new technologies — is that we as humanity have lost our elders. We begin to see older generations as detached from the current world of innovation, and have to discount advice and experiences gained in an age that feels so different from our own. Whereas prior generations could count on a world pretty similar to that of their ancestors, when we look to the future, pretty much the only thing we're sure of is that it's not going to look like the past, or even the present. But we still yearn for some sage advice, at least I know I do. And wouldn't it be wonderful if we did have someone who could help us navigate a time of tremendous, accelerating change? That's why I was so excited to talk to Kevin Kelly. Kevin is perhaps the closest thing Silicon Valley has to such a sage. Someone who not only witnessed the tremendous rise of digital technology, but thought about it deeply as it was happening and developed models for thinking about it. In 1993, Kevin co-founded the groundbreaking Wired magazine, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. In 1994, he wrote  Out of Control, the classic book on decentralized emergent systems. In 2010 he published What Technology Wants, a robust theory of technology and the complex, almost organic systems that drive it, and in 2017 he published The Inevitable, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller about the inevitable trends driving technology. His latest book Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier, is an offering of 450 useful aphorisms or principles for living he's devised over his life amidst the changes.   EPISODE SUMMARY In this conversation we talk about: How did DIY culture shape Kevin's worldview from a young age? What inspired Kevin to co-found Wired magazine? Why does Kevin claim technology has a will of its own? What is his take on AI advances of today? Why did he decide to write a book of pithy life advice? What is some of Kevin's most counterintuitive advice around decision making and change? How can we live fully before our time is up? My favorite piece of advice in the episode is about choosing a path of change. Without giving away the content, I'll just say I've brought it up multiple times in conversation with friends about their dilemmas, and when considering my own life decisions.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS These timestaps are AI-generated and could prove inaccurate.  (Please let us know if you find any issues here: podcast@remakelabs.com ) Early Making and DIY Culture (00:08:17 - 00:10:16) The Origins of Wired Magazine (00:15:18 - 00:17:30) Technology's Inherent Tendencies (00:19:32 - 00:22:05) AI as Future Partners (00:25:11 - 00:27:02) Truth and AI (00:28:17 - 00:31:20) Advice for Living Wisdom (00:32:14 - 00:36:39) Giving and Getting (00:36:59 - 00:38:16) Learning vs "Can't Do" (00:38:57 - 00:39:42) Choosing Change (00:40:55 - 00:41:57) Embodying Your Full Potential (00:42:24 - 00:44:45)   EPISODE LINKS Kevin Kelly's Links: Website: https://kk.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevin2kelly Organizations: https://kk.org/cooltools/ Books, Articles, and Resources Mentioned: Wired Magazine: https://www.wired.com/ Out of Control by Kevin Kelly: https://kk.org/books/out-of-control/ What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly: https://kk.org/books/what-technology-wants/ The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly: https://kk.org/books/the-inevitable/ Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly: https://kk.org/books/excellent-advice-for-living/   ABOUT US Remake Podcast: Visit us: RemakePod.org

TODAY'S GUEST Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie is an Israeli-born, Jewish educator, writer, and performance artist. He's the creator of Storahtelling, Inc. and the founding spiritual leader of Lab/Shul in NYC, an artist-driven, everybody friendly, God-optional, pop-up experimental community for sacred Jewish gatherings. Amichai is a member of the Global Justice Fellowship of the American Jewish World Service, a founding member of the Jewish Emergent Network, serves on the Leadership Council of the New York Jewish Agenda, the Advisory Council of the International School for Peace - a Refugee Support Project in Greece, a member of the Advisory Council for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, and is a faculty member of the Reboot Network. Through all his endeavors, he brings a creative, inclusive, and vital energy to Jewish practice and Jewish life.     EPISODE SUMMARY In this conversation we talk about: How the Jewish concept of the set table served both as a happy early memory, and as an organizing principle for his later work. How Covid 19 made rituals and online communities more important than ever. His orthodox roots as the scion of an ancient and respected rabbinical dynasty, and his journey of self discovery through theater, drag, and art. His creation of storytelling, a way to bring to life the ancient ritual of the reading of the Torah, and the Maven Method he developed to spread the practice further. The emergence of Lab/Shul and the community around it. The power of spiritual design and a well-designed practice in transforming our lives and our communities for the better. We also discuss: How is religion used as a tool in the service of humanity? What happens if you bring scripture to the 21st century as a performance? Why is the tribal wisdom of small circles within a bigger circle so important? I've long believed that one of the most promising avenues to apply design skills and creativity to is in designing communities, social rituals, and spiritual practice that suits the modern world. And, as such, there's no one I can think of that exemplifies this better than Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie. I think this conversation, which is full of wisdom and fun, is a great introduction to exactly the type of spiritual design we need to see more of. So let's jump right in with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS [3:52] Life During Covid [10:17] The Wisdom of the Set Table [22:31] The Birth of Storahtelling [29:55] A Paradigm Shift from Patriarchy [38:25] Rebirth of the Translator [54:34] The Design of Lab/Shul [1:00:19] Design Thinking and Virtual Practice [1:11:54] Individualism vs Collectivism [1:19:36] The Significance of the Tree   EPISODE LINKS Amichai's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Jerry Colonna is the CEO and co-founder of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm whose coaches and facilitators are committed to the notion that better humans make better leaders.   For nearly 20 years, he has used the knowledge gained as an investor, an executive, and a board member for more than 100 organizations to help entrepreneurs and others to lead with humanity, resilience, and equanimity. He's been called the CEO Whisperer and the Coach with the Spider Tattoo, and has taken refuge in the Buddhist dharma tradition.   Previous to his career as a coach, he was a partner with JPMorgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of JP Morgan Chase. And before that, had launched Flatiron Partners with partner, Fred Wilson. Flatiron became one of the most successful, early-stage investment programs in the New York City area.   Today, he lives in Boulder, Colorado.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: COVID, and how it exposed the interdependence, but also the inequality of American society. Leadership in the context of the Ukraine war, and how when leaders don't address their vulnerable and wounded parts, that expresses itself in violence. We discuss that in the context of malignant narcissism with Putin, and also with Trump. His childhood, and how he became keenly aware of how people around him are feeling. His career in venture, and how he veered from that into coaching. My therapy session, where he points his radical inquiry, his coach mind, at me. My tendency to hide, to not want to be very active on social media, at least not publicly on Twitter. My fear of being judged, and my fears of not being seen or appreciated. What it means to bring your whole self to every challenge in your life, at work, and at any other moment. How everything is an opportunity for self growth, and to practice that. His reboot system and method, and his book. How everybody in life is basically looking for love, safety, and belonging.   We had this conversation in mid-March 2022, and that was two years into the worldwide outbreak of COVID, and a couple of weeks into Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I was excited and nervous to talk to Jerry, who's famous for making podcasters cry. We also had a brief chat months before preparing for this interview and I already had a taste of his radical inquiry approach to coaching.   So as expected, this did not end up being a regular interview. While we got to explore his history and his ideas and his childhood a little bit, Jerry turned his radical inquiry on me as expected. And you'll get to hear a pretty detailed coaching/therapy session on this podcast and dive deeper into my fears and insecurities along the way. I have to say, I found it deeply therapeutic, both at the time, and now weeks later when I relisten. This was a very different, very meaningful process for me, and I hope that you'll find it beneficial as well. It definitely affected the way that I approach putting myself out there and allow myself to be more visible on social media.   Shortly after this interview was recorded, I definitely did start being more vocal and an amazing thing happened. As I started being more vocal on Twitter and other platforms, we got more and more downloads for this podcast and the podcast started growing very, very rapidly. And so I owe a big thank you to Jerry for challenging my assumptions and helping me pinpoint these insecurities. Jerry assured me that this is helpful to other people to hear. So I really hope that will prove true, and that you'll find this episode really helpful to you in your journey as well.   This conversation with Jerry is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and investors who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Jerry Colonna.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [6:58] Life During Covid [13:23] The War in Ukraine [20:51] Early Childhood Empathy [24:25] A Journey to the Venture World [32:54] A Therapy Session [52:17] Business as a Tool for Growth [57:44] Bringing Your Whole Self [1:00:20] The Reboot Approach [1:05:01] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Jerry's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Kathy Davies wears many hats - she's a Design Lecturer at Stanford University. She's the Managing Director of the Stanford Life Design lab, where she and her team have trained 150 universities globally to use the life design processes on their campuses to help students design, prototype, and test the right career paths for them.   She is also a Cofounder and CEO at DYL Consulting where she uses design thinking and life design principles to build a better world.    EPISODE SUMMARY   In this episode we discuss: [02:56] Challenges during the pandemic, transitioning into virtual classes and workshops. [18:34] Kathy's early desires to connect, and to combine science with art in her work. [29:23] Kathy's engineering experience. [33:14] Getting into Design Thinking at Stanford. [48:59] The journey into Life Design. [1:02:22] Why is it so hard for us to figure out what we want to do in life? [1:07:31] The Life Design process. [1:19:39] Life Design for women. [1:30:02] The future of Life Design, and its impact.   EPISODE LINKS Kathy Davies' Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Vicki Tan is a Product Designer, a public speaker, a student of Behavioral Psychology, and a dog mom based in Brooklyn. She currently works at Spotify, and has previously worked at Headspace, Lyft, and Google. She cares deeply about the human aspects of design, and the insights that data cannot provide. In her spare time, she's working on an illustrated book on cognitive bias.   We spoke in mid-July 2022, and I was excited to talk to Vicki because she's been at the center of designing some really delightful digital experiences in Headspace, Lyft, and Spotify, and has given interesting talks on the complex interactions of data, logic, and creativity.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How Vicki got into design by forging notes for school. Studying Behavioral Psychology, and using that lens in design. Her early work in psychological research. How she found her way into Google. The importance of cognitive ability in hiring practices. The unique culture at Headspace. The challenges of designing a meditation app. The role of intuition in design and our overreliance on data. What finding umami means to her. Her book in the works on cognitive bias. Self-coherence as a way to help our own cognitive bias. And dreams as a blueprint for reality.   One of my favorite things about being a product designer is meeting other product designers. There is something about the open-mindedness, mindfulness, optimism, and interdisciplinary interests that seem to be a recurring pattern and which make the best product designers a real delight to talk to. And Vicki is no different.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with top designers, thinkers, makers, authors, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So please follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Vicki Tan.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:18] Life in the Present [8:35] Childhood Rebellion [12:17] A Journey to Behavioral Psychology [15:15] A Career Path [19:02] Hiring Decision Factors [21:38] A Pivot to Designer [25:35] Lyft, Headspace, and Spotify [29:25] The Culture at Headspace [37:04] Designing With Intuition [40:23] Finding Umami [47:52] Gentle Chaos [56:47] Cognitive Bias [1:05:20] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Vicki's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Geci Karuri-Sebina is a futurist, urban planning thinker, and the author of Innovation Africa: Emerging Hubs of Excellence. She's a faculty member at Singularity University South Africa with a focus on urban futures, including smart cities, networks, urban planning, governance and development, and innovation systems. She's an associate of The South African Cities Network and had worked with The National Treasury, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, and the University of California, Los Angeles Advanced Policy Institute.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: The value and importance of speaking your truth, and how she learned that in childhood. Her journey from Kenya to the United States, and then to South Africa. Her experiments with architecture, physics, and computer science. Why urban planning was more appealing to her than architecture. The issues that architecture doesn't address. Her approach to foresight and future thinking. Smart cities, and what constitutes bad urban design. Her work with Dr. Bayo Akomolafe. And decolonizing our knowledge and ways of knowing.   I loved hearing about Geci's use of different foresight practices to imagine different futures and different possibilities for the future. But what really stayed with me is how dire the situation is — with urbanization outpacing our predictions and our ability to plan, and giving rise to shortages and unplanned solutions that may be less than ideal. We need every tool in our creative toolbox to make sure our cities grow to be a place of diversity, creativity, and opportunity, rather than their opposite.   This episode is especially rich with resources and references, so I wanna encourage everyone listening to check the show notes. We are fairly meticulous at listing and providing links to every article, book, person, or resource mentioned in the episode.   We have close to a dozen weekly episodes already lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Dr. Geci Karuri-Sebina.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:24] Life in the Present [7:05] Early Childhood Lessons [10:02] An Intercontinental Journey [13:58] A Sense of Dismissal [16:59] A World of Futures and Foresight [19:21] Creating a Culture of Futures Thinking [23:32] An Unpredictable Future [26:22] An Appreciative Practice [34:33] What Does Good Look Like? [37:18] Smart Cities and Design Thinking [41:44] Capacity to Decolonize [47:09] A Poetic Collaboration [50:50] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Geci's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dan Formosa consults with companies and organizations worldwide on design and innovation. He was an early proponent of “design for all” (a.k.a. Inclusive Design). He lectures internationally on design, research, and the future of design, and is the recipient of numerous design awards.   Dan holds degrees in product design, ergonomics, and biomechanics. He co-founded the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He is the host of the very successful YouTube series Well Equipped, produced by Epicurious for Condé Nast, critiquing in a semi-serious way the design and usability of various kitchen gadgets.   He also co-founded 4B Collective, a group focused on design and gender, and recently established ThinkActHuman to reflect his goal of design for a better world.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up in the 1950's in the US, and seeing segregation and the opposite of inclusion. The superficial design of the television era — designing to increase perceived value, and to increase purchases based on looks. His experience designing on a computer in the 70's. Designing kitchen gadgets. The need for multidisciplinary thinking, ergonomics, psychology, and other fields of knowledge. What makes a good designer? The importance of asking questions and being uncomfortable. The connection of design and religious studies, with meditation and mindfulness as tools for a designer. Design and inclusion. The 4B Collective — gender and design. The model of collective versus agency, and the difference between a process-based approach versus a knowledge-based approach in design. Qualitative versus quantitative metrics. And the death of the brand.   We talked in the middle of April 2022, and I was looking forward to chatting with Dan when I watched his hilarious and informative product review videos he's done with Epicurious, where he takes a kitchen gadget and critiques every aspect of its design, ergonomics, and function. We also had a short prep call before the interview, where it became clear to me what a serious design thinker he is, and how much we can all learn from him. It was really a joy to talk to Dan and explore his way of seeing the world and his unique approach to design.   This conversation with Dan is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and investors who are working to change our world for the better in some meaningful way. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Dan Formosa.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:15] Life in the Present [6:45] Early Childhood Driving Forces [9:39] A Journey to Design [16:46] The Joy of Design [20:18] A Glimpse Into a Designer's Mind [21:57] What is Design? [24:27] A Superficial View of Design [28:06] Ergonomics and Biomechanics [31:51] Other Types of Knowledge [33:02] What Makes a Good Designer? [43:24] The 4B Collective [53:24] Quantitative Versus Qualitative [57:49] Death of the Brand [1:02:13] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Dan's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Greg Hoffman is Nike's former Chief Marketing Officer, a global brand leader, advisor, and speaker, and the author of Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons From a Life at Nike.   In his book, Greg shares lessons and stories on the power of creativity drawn from almost three decades of experience within the company. It's a celebration of creativity and a call-to-arms for brand-builders to rediscover the human element that makes consumer bonds.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How he developed his love of art and design sensibility. Growing up in branding inside of Nike, until eventually becoming Chief Marketing Officer. The importance of emotion and storytelling. On authenticity, and why chasing cool is a bad idea. On creativity as a team sport. And on the importance of courage.   We talked in mid-June 2022 and I was looking forward to talking to Greg because Nike clearly is doing some amazing work around branding and brand values, and is able again and again to create authentic connections at scale.    I'm a latecomer to the world of branding. For much of my life, I was an avid product person and saw the brand as an afterthought. It's only in recent years that I understood the extent to which our lives, our thinking, and our decisions are driven by the stories we tell, and the emotional associations we make.    The art of doing that well is branding. And it can be used for good or evil, and is just as important in non-profits and political organizations as it is in business.    I really enjoyed the stories of some of Nike's iconic campaigns. Digging in to find compelling ways to tell stories that illustrate and support your values in a real way, feels like a very human way of crafting a brand that people can believe in.    I've counted the episodes that we already have recorded and edited for you, and it's currently eight episodes. There are famous designers like Vicki Tan and John Maeda, authors like Susie Wise and Ashish Goel, and the most connected man in the world, Chris Dancy, among them. We release conversations weekly with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Greg Hoffman.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:39] Life in the Present [5:38] Early Childhood Driving Forces [7:29] An Age of Color Blindness [9:18] The Power of Drawing [12:52] Joining Nike [16:27] What is Branding? [18:12] The Importance of Emotions [23:57] Crafting Authenticity [32:44] Developing a Culture of Risk-Taking [35:19] Find Your Greatness [38:06] Believe in Something [41:04] Designing Dreams [45:52] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Greg's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Today, I'm speaking to Richard D. Bartlett, aka Rich Decibels.   During the Occupy movement in 2011, Rich caught a glimpse of a different way of being together — more compassionate, more intelligent, more creative, inclusive, and animating than he'd experienced as a student worker or citizen up to that point. Since then, he's been on a mission. In 2012 he co-founded Loomio, a digital tool for deliberation and decision-making in groups of 3-300 people.   In 2016 he co-founded The Hum, a management consultancy for organizations without managers. The Hum has recently published an online training course that shares what they know about working in highly decentralized organizations. Rich is also a Director and longstanding member of Enspiral — a network of people supporting each other to grow up and to get paid for doing meaningful work.   Rich has a daily writing practice. He writes about how people work together, at any scale, from relationships, to organizations, to social change, and he's prolific on Twitter and on Medium. His fascinating book (currently in beta) is called Patterns for Decentralized Organizing and can be downloaded from Leanpub.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How growing up in a strict fundamentalist Christian upbringing, and decoupling from that, shaped his outlook. His complex relationship with atheism and religion today. How he discovered love and solidarity in activism. Technologies of organizing. Forming decentralized decision-making processes. Nihilism in the face of dysfunction as a form of cowardice. Loomio, and collective decision-making software. Status and hierarchy. Shifting culture through fermentation. And the concept of stewardship.   We spoke in mid-June 2022, and I was excited to talk to Rich since he's been introduced to me by Daniel Thorson, whom I interviewed here in episode 10. I've been following his writing on Twitter and find the idea of decentralized work and collaboration fascinating, exciting, and challenging.   It's perhaps the greatest question of our time: now that we're all connected and have incredible tools of self-organization, how can we make better decisions together? How can we outcompete centralized organizations? And how can we benefit from the wonderful richness of so many brains without descending into chaos, nihilism and mob rule?   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations that we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Richard D. Bartlett.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:23] Life in the Present [8:07] Early Childhood Community [10:33] A Complex Religious Journey [18:37] The Occupy Movement [23:45] A Transformational Insight [28:21] Cowardice and Courage [30:40] Membership Groups [35:16] Intersecting Communities [41:06] Status and Hierarchy  [44:35] Fermenting the Right Culture [48:21] The Stewardship System [51:58] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Richard's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Irene Au is Design Partner at Khosla Ventures, where she works with early-, mid-, and late-stage startup CEOs. She is dedicated to raising the strategic value of design and user research within software companies through better methods, practices, processes, leadership, talent, and quality. Irene has unprecedented experience elevating the strategic importance of design within technology companies, having built and led the entire User Experience and Design teams at Google, Yahoo!, and Udacity. She began her career as an interaction designer at Netscape Communications, where she worked on the design of the internet's first commercial web browser.   Irene also teaches yoga at Avalon Yoga Center in Palo Alto where she is among the teacher training program faculty and is a frequent author and speaker on mindfulness practices, design, and creativity. An adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, she teaches product design in the mechanical engineering department. Irene also serves as a trustee for the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design.   Irene authored the definitive O'Reilly book, Design in Venture Capital, and her popular essays can be found on Medium. She has been featured in WIRED magazine, Fast Company magazine, CommArts magazine, and on the cover of Mindful magazine.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Developing listening skills as an introspective child, and how feeling like an outsider helped her develop those skills. Her electrical engineering studies, and her transition into looking at how technology influences society and people and how we live.  Her time at Netscape, and tying together the products for a consistent look and feel across a suite of products that came out at the time called Netscape Communicator.  Her move from Netscape to Yahoo!, and what went wrong for Yahoo! as a company trying to find its way. Her time at Google as we look at it from all angles. What was the state of design at Google before she joined and what were the changes she tried to implement as she brought human-centered design and practices to Google? Hiring strategies, staff training, and how design workshops ultimately became the Design Sprint at Google. What is design and what is a designer? And the role of the designer in venture capital.   I think my greatest takeaway from this interview is this sense of hope that someone like Irene is able to walk into these very "techy" cultures and produce real change. And all it takes is really showing the value of the work and being willing to engage and promote better practices. I think Irene will be an inspiration to many non-engineers who find themselves in heavy engineering cultures and want to make a contribution.    This conversation with Irene is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, best-selling authors, designers, makers, scientists, impact entrepreneurs, and others who are working to change our world for the better. So please follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Irene Au.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:54] Life in the Present [7:08] Early Childhood Driving Forces [9:40] A Journey to Design [13:20] Entering Netscape [16:00] The Challenges of the Early Internet [19:23] A Transition From Netscape to Yahoo! [22:58] The Infrastructure of Yahoo! [30:14] Good Design Versus Bad Design [34:04] The Winners and the Failures [39:48] Infusing Design With Google [45:55] Design Thinking Workshops [52:13] A Sideways Career Move [58:35] What is Design Today? [1:05:26] The Human Meaning of Design [1:08:58] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Irene's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Jay McClelland is a Computational Cognitive Neuroscientist and one of the founding fathers of the field of neural networks and deep learning in the 1980s, which led directly to today's explosion in AI and machine learning algorithms that are transforming our lives. He is the Lucie Stern Professor at Stanford University, where he was formerly the chair of the psychology department, and is currently a Consulting Research Scientist at DeepMind, perhaps the leader in machine learning technologies today.   Jay is best known for his work on statistical learning and parallel distributed processing, applying connectionist models (or neural networks) to explain cognitive phenomena such as spoken word recognition and visual word recognition. Today, he works on integrating language, memory, and visuospatial cognition in an integrated understanding system to capture human intelligence and enhance artificial intelligence, exploring how education and human-invented tools of thought can enhance human and machine intelligence.    EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Lessons from his youth, where he moved around the world as a child and interacted with different religions and backgrounds, which helped him understand that we are shaped by our contexts and experiences. His entry into cognitive psychology, and going beyond the laws of behavior into: Why do people behave the way they do? Building neural networks to model cognition. His world-changing PDP paper (Parallel Distributed Processing: Explorations in the Microstructure of Cognition), a paper that was published in 1986 and transformed this whole field, and directly led to more and more people embracing the connectionist model and neural networks. The fact and meaning of bi-directionality in neural networks. What does it mean that information can flow both ways in the same network structure? Generative models, and in this context, OpenAI's DALL-E 2 algorithm, which can create amazing illustrations and artworks — and should we credit generative or creative algorithms with artistry and give them credit for their art? Consciousness — does it extend beyond humans and is it something that we may be able to find someday in algorithms?   Talking to Jay really reminded me of the best in mankind, that through curiosity, asking interesting questions, and constructing thought models and experiments, we can unlock such a subtle and fundamental thing like cognition and the connectionist model, which then unlocks all of this power for society at large. We now have this responsibility to reign in the worst of mankind in how we exploit, curate, and share in the benefits of this incredible power. This will be a running topic for us, AI in the future. We explore the power of design and human-centered thinking to create a better future for everyone.   This conversation with Jay is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with leading authors, thinkers, designers, makers, scientists, and social entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Jay McClelland.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [7:28] Life in the Present [9:08] Early Childhood Perspectives [12:33] A Path to Psychology [22:16] Modeling Cognition [27:37] Neural Networks [35:16] The Significance of Bi-Directionality [40:21] Bistable Perception [43:55] The Truth of Mathematics [49:24] An Emergentist [55:17] Technology and AI [1:01:17] An Accumulation of Experience [1:07:20] On Consciousness [1:15:47] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Jay's Links

TODAY'S GUEST Today we're talking about transgender issues. Specifically, what should the rest of us know about transgender people? This is a topic that I admit I know very little about, but one that feels important at the very least, if one wants to avoid causing unnecessary pain. Language itself seems to be changing when it comes to gender, and while some resistance is natural and no generally agreed upon set of rules has been widely accepted, it's important to understand why these changes are happening and what's behind them. I can't imagine someone more perfect to talk to about this subject than Dr. Eli Green. Eli is the founder and CEO of the Transgender Training Institute. They are an award winning educator and author with over 20 years facilitating transgender related education and supporting other gender educators. Dr. Green has helped thousands of people have a better understanding of what it means to be transgender and nonbinary and how to support and affirm the transgender and nonbinary people in their lives, workplaces, and communities. Eli brings kindness, patience, and authentic connection to the topic, making the gender conversation one that seems inviting, a place you'd like to be rather than a place to avoid. We spoke in mid January 2022, and it was really the first time I felt like I had a grasp of what we're talking about. When we talk about gender and transgender rights and challenges.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Eli's childhood and early realization on how people are treated differently based on gender. How Eli recognized they were nonbinary at a young age, but not having the language for it.  Eli's process of coming out as nonbinary is transgender transition, facing discrimination as a nonbinary person, including transphobia and barriers to accessing resources. The differences between gender and sex and how they are not the same. The importance of kindness and affirmation for the LGBTQ plus community. How Cisgendered people can support and advocate for trans rights. Eli's work with the Transgender Training Institute, which provides education and training on trans issues to businesses, organizations, and government agencies changing hearts and minds, and the need for systemic change to support nonbinary people. How does religion enter into the picture?  What do most people still need to understand about transgender and non-binary individuals? What is the significance of the dynamism of language in this area? Understanding Gender Prejudice What stayed with me most of all is the ever present need for kindness, the need to make an effort to see things from a different person's perspective. This applies equally to cisgendered folks learning about gender dysphoria, as it does to activists understanding that ignorance does not equal malice. In both cases, the smallest gesture of kindness can open the door to a whole new way of relating and moving forward, in which specific details can be discussed from a place of trust. We already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. We have some amazing episodes lined up for you, answering questions like: Why is prototyping essential to making truly new things? What's the value of knowing what you're about and crafting a personal manifesto? How can we find the freedom to think in an increasingly connected world?   So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe. And if you're a subscriber already and enjoy our show, you can go to RemakePod.org/support and join our supporter community.   And now, without further ado, let's jump right in with Dr. Eli Green.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:31] Life in the Present [6:53] Early Childhood Realizations  [15:56] Coming Out as a Trans  [20:42] Significance, Evolution and Expansion of Labels and Languages [28:30] Learning Human Sexuality in Academia  [32:07] From Academia to Establishing the Transgender Training Institute  [35:50] The TTI Teaching Pedagogy  [38:37] Success Stories  [42:29] LGBTQ+ Present Issues and Obstacles  [47:33] Alliance vs Friendship [51:19] Elements of being a Good Ally [53:04] Gender Pronouns [57:15] Importance of Being Kind [01:02:51] Company Design and Structure [01:09:33]  Short Sermon     EPISODE LINKS Eli's Links Dr. Eli Green Transgender Training Institute

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Tobias Rees is CEO of Transformations of the Human School, and was formerly the William Dawson Chair at McGill University and the Reid Hoffman Professor of Humanities at the Parsons School of Design. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and holds degrees in philosophy, anthropology, and neurobiology.   In the early 2010s, he recognized that contemporary technology not only disrupts our historical established ways of thinking and doing, but also creates new ones: radically new possibilities that unfold beyond what we take for granted. This, he believes, is not only a sweeping event in the history of thought, but also a major opportunity; technology itself has become philosophical, and it has become possible to “do” philosophy by building and inventing new technologies.   This led him on a path to building a new institution, dedicated to the interplay of philosophy, art, science, and engineering, and to the way they blur the lines between the human and nonhuman.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up with no books and few words in a small peasant village in Southern Germany. The importance and uses of silence which stayed with him ever since. How he became interested in philosophy, and the big questions after his grandfather's death. Moving freely from philosophy to comparative religion to anthropology and art history. The happy accident that led him to studying neurobiology and learning to see himself as a brain. The importance of concepts in framing our day-to-day experience. What do terms like human and humanity mean? When were they introduced? How did they evolve? What is the relationship between nature, humans, and machines? His work with some of the largest technology companies who are building a future to bring philosophy and art into the room. Where does creativity lie with AI algorithms like DALL·E 2? And the need to always reexamine our assumptions about the world and our values.    This conversation with Tobias is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, authors, makers, activists, and leaders who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in, with Dr. Tobias Rees.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:18] Life in the Present [7:00] Early Childhood Silence [13:44] An Educational Journey  [22:49] The Importance of Concepts [32:04] A Period of Growth and Sadness [40:47] An Opening of Doors [44:55] The Term 'Human' [56:12] Anthropology of Machines [1:11:35] Merging Philosophy with Engineering [1:17:55] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Tobias' Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Karoli Hindriks is the CEO and founder of Jobbatical, a startup Forbes named one of Europe's 10 Most Exciting Technology SMEs for 2018. Jobbatical is working on removing the friction of international relocation by making immigration processes seamless through technology.     In 2020 the EU Council named her one of the 8 most inspiring women in Europe. In 2021, she was a speaker at the TED conference in Monterey, CA talking about reinventing the passport.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up in post-USSR Estonia. Founding her first company at 16, officially becoming the youngest inventor in her country. Leading the launch of seven television channels in Northern Europe, including National Geographic Channels and MTV. Her aha! moment regarding immigration and migration while in Silicon Valley. The migration and mobility revolution. What Jobbatical is doing to facilitate movement of talent and knowledge to where it's most needed. Reinventing the passport for the new global economy and the modern age. And much more.   This conversation with Karoli is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, activists, and impact investors who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Karoli Hindriks.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [2:45] Life During Covid [6:27] Early Childhood Encouragement  [9:35] The Singing Revolution [12:42] The Youngest Inventor [14:27] Making a Difference [16:45] The Inspiration for Jobbatical [20:19] A Mobility Revolution [26:33] The State of Immigration and the Passport [33:38] The UX of a Country [38:40] Reinventing the Passport [46:18] Advantages of Hiring Globally [50:29] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Karoli's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Hila Lifshitz-Assaf is an Associate Professor at NYU Stern. She is also a faculty associate at Harvard's Lab for Innovation Science. Her work received the prestigious INSPIRE grant from the National Science Foundation, has been recognized to have a strong impact on industry, and has been taught at a variety of institutions around the world including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, London Business School, Columbia, and Carnegie Mellon.   Hila spent 3 years at NASA, studying their adoption of open innovation processes, which led to many insights and an award-winning dissertation and paper. She continues to investigate new innovation processes such as crowdsourcing, open source, open online innovation communities, Wikipedia, hackathons, makeathons, etc.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we discuss: [2:47] Covid situation, teaching remotely. [4:41] Leading COVID-19 hackathons, open innovation. [10:37] Crisis as impetus for change. [14:21] Developing curiosity in early childhood. Questioning boundaries. [19:01] Pre-academic career: law, consulting, listening to people and seeing their psychology as business drivers. [25:27] Getting interested in innovation, innovation as the "Big Question" of business. [28:25] Working with NASA, NASA's culture. [40:22] Open innovation study at NASA. [48:01] How peoples' identity can hold innovation back. [53:28] Growth mindset & belief. [55:34] The pace of change. [57:30] The causes of dysfunction. [1:01:09] Embracing a little chaos. [1:12:14] Bias towards action. [1:14:10] Remote work & creativity. [1:22:05] Managing for creativity. [1:30:24] A short sermon for creative managers.   EPISODE LINKS Hila's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Shari Davis is a TED speaker, a participatory budgeting facilitator, and as she defines it, a recovering local government employee. She joined the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) after nearly 15 years of service and leadership in local government. As director of youth engagement and employment for the City of Boston, she launched Youth Lead the Change, the first youth participatory budgeting process in the US, which won the US Conference of Mayor's City Livability Award.   We spoke at the end of February, and I was very excited to talk to Shari because of her work on participatory budgeting, which seems to be one of the most promising new ways for everyday citizens, from all walks of life, to supervise and have a say in how public funds are being spent. Participatory budgeting has the potential for having an enormous impact on corruption, on efficient use of funds, on creating better, more efficient and more impactful programs, and also a huge effect on how people feel about their government. And all of this is already happening around the world, so I was very excited to hear about this from someone who's really leading this movement.   It was really fun to chat with Shari. She clearly has a lot of practice at connecting with, and including many different kinds of people. And so she puts you right at ease and she uses humor effectively. But it was the topic of the conversation that was really amazing to hear about.   ( * Please note: this episode was originally recorded under they/she pronouns. )   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How her early involvement in martial arts as a kid really shaped her attitudes towards practice, responsibility, and community. How she initially got involved in the city government in Boston, eventually leading the youth department and bringing together resources and services for the youth of the city into one place. How she was asked to lead Youth Lead the Change. How the city earmarked $1M to be spent however the youth decided it should be spent, using the power of participation to make better decisions, and how that whole process unfolded. The US democracy's fatal flaw and how a lot of decisions happen in non-transparent, closed-door ways, ways that deepen inequality and division. How to run and lead a successful inclusive participatory budgeting project, whether you're a local government, a school, a non-profit or a national government, and why that makes such a huge difference.   What stayed with me is this idea that by bringing people together and putting them in the right kind of process, and then paying attention and designing the process itself, how much better decisions are. Talking to Shari was really energizing and hopeful, and this is one of our goals with every conversation we bring you including several conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So if you're interested in these types of hopeful conversations, follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.    And now let's jump right in with Shari Davis.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:48] Life During Covid [9:26] Early Childhood Guiding Forces [16:22] A Journey From Martial Arts to Government [22:29] Democracy's Fatal Flaw [26:51] Youth Lead the Change [34:56] Participatory Budgeting Project [43:04] Inclusive Design [45:16] Traveling Into the Future [49:54] Where Hope Lives [53:02] A Short Sermon on Change   EPISODE LINKS Shari's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Shahar Avin is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at Cambridge University, focusing primarily on risks associated with artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms.   EPISODE SUMMARY   We discuss: Shahar's unique approach of discovering truths through simulation and gaming. His insights into how to fix the broken system of science-funding. The existential risks associated with the rise of machine intelligence. Shahar's project, Intelligence Rising, in collaboration with Oxford University's Future of Humanities Institute and our own Remake Labs, to create a strategic scenario game that will help educate decision makers on the possible risks and effects of the accelerating development in AI capabilities in the next few years.   EPISODE LINKS Dr. Shahar Avin's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Today, we're talking about coliving.   I've long believed that paying attention to the fact that humans evolved to live in tribes, as opposed to isolated nuclear families, was the key to unlocking a tremendous amount of latent needs, wellbeing, and happiness. Today, a convergence of different trends is making coliving a real movement in the west.   Whereas in much of the world, living in community is a thing as old as time. The rise in real estate costs, financial recession, urban loneliness, the digital nomad lifestyle, and the advent of online communities and coworking spaces led many to a natural conclusion — that living more densely when it involves a real community of like-minded individuals could be not only more affordable, but actually more fulfilling.   Commercial coliving companies such as Selina, Outpost, and Adam Neumann's new Flow, as well as thousands of coliving communities around the world, are offering a less lonely, more connected, and fuller hospitality, travel, or long-term living experience. They help making sense of a new city, finding new friends, and experiencing belonging, a much more straightforward process, and in the process help us challenge the way things have always been done. That's why I was excited to talk to Leah Ziliak.    Leah founded The Coliving Consultant in 2019 and has become one of the most sought-after coliving professionals in the field. She's an international speaker, writer, and entrepreneur, and works with coliving brands around the world to create positive customer experiences within shared living. As a digital nomad, Leah travels the world full-time and works with clients both on-site and remotely.   We spoke in January 2023, and it was really great to learn from Leah, who's clearly thought about these topics deeply and has deep experience, both living in and designing these sorts of communities.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Her digital nomad lifestyle. How having a pen pal from another country instilled a desire in her to explore other cultures. What it was like to live and work on a cruise ship. Why she left her music career to become a digital nomad and coliving consultant. What is coliving, and what are the range of options for the coliving curious? Why is coliving becoming such a trend around the world? The freeing experience of coliving for solo digital nomads. The value of community and the importance of friendships. Different types of coliving spaces. Coliving versus packing more people in a small space. Crafting a community experience, and also a hospitality experience. Getting people involved in the creation versus supplying everything. Coliving and old age. Why is coliving slower to take off in the United States? The urge to explore the world versus the urge to lay roots and nest. And her new group, teaching more women how to travel solo.   Design is all about challenging defaults, and so what stayed with me the most is how important it is to challenge societal defaults in terms of our living situation, geography, and lifestyle. Who said the right way to live is to work hard all day so that you can afford a large house with a fence and smart locks to keep everyone else out? And who said that we have to wait until retirement to spend significant time traveling the world?   We have some amazing episodes lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and activists, answering questions like:   What do most people still need to understand about transgender and non-binary individuals? Why is prototyping essential to making truly new things? What's the value of knowing what you're about and crafting a personal manifesto? And how can we find the freedom to think in an increasingly connected world?   So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe. And if you're a subscriber already and enjoy our show, you can go to RemakePod.org/support and join our supporter community.   And now, without further ado, let's jump right in with Leah Ziliak.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:53] Life in the Present [7:52] A Childhood Connection [9:16] A Transition to Travel [10:06] The Community of Ship Life [11:37] A Journey to Coliving [15:13] What is Coliving? [17:32] Coliving Space Examples [20:07] Values and Cultures [25:36] The Coliving Consultant [28:06] On Community [31:59] Coliving for Seniors [36:41] A Cultural Divide [41:27] Navigating Travel and Roots [45:43] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Leah's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Jordan Ellenberg is a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the bestselling author of How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking. His new book, Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else, came out earlier this year. Jordan lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and his blog is called Quomodocumque, which means "after whatever fashion" in Latin.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we discuss: [2:56] Takeaways from teaching online [8:27] Early revelations about math [15:56] From academia to writing [18:54] A new way of teaching math [31:08] Lincoln and geometry [36:35] The geometry of gerrymandering [44:59] Comparing between the Israeli and the US political systems [52:21] How geometry helps in deep learning and AI [57:20] The geometry of reality [1:04:26] The philosophy of entropy [1:08:09] A non-sermon about sermons   EPISODE LINKS Jordan's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Leidy Klotz is the Copenhaver Associate Professor at the University of Virginia, where he is appointed in the Schools of Engineering, Architecture, and Business. He co-founded and co-directs the university's Convergent Behavioral Science Initiative, which engages and supports applied, interdisciplinary research.     Leidy studies how we transform things from the way they are to the way we want them to be. His research on the science of design has appeared in both Nature and Science, and he has written for The Washington Post, Fast Company, Lit Hub, and the Behavioral Scientist. Leidy has authored more than 80 original research articles and secured more than $10 million in competitive funding to support his and others' work in this area.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: His early career as a soccer player. Studying engineering. His aha! moment when playing Legos with his son, which led to his breakthrough research and proof that people systematically overlook subtractive changes when considering a solution.   We also discuss: Adding versus subtracting. His book, Subtract. On adding as a strategy against entropy. On great examples of functional subtraction. Subtracting in design and in civilization in general. On loss aversion as a possible driver. On minimalism. And many other topics.   Leidy's insights are especially crucial for designers, and has encouraged me to incorporate a moment of subtraction in our design processes. I think we'd all be better off if our products, our laws, our routines, and our homes, occasionally got simpler, instead of more complex.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with top thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and impact investors who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Dr. Leidy Klotz.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:06] Life During Covid [10:06] Early Childhood Lessons [12:31] Transitioning [15:16] An Aha! Moment [21:31] Adding Versus Subtracting [23:27] The Biology of Subtracting [27:52] Entropy [32:12] Functional Subtraction [38:46] Loss Aversion [42:17] The Civilizational Level of Adding and Subtracting [48:45] Subtracting in Design [51:53] A Subtraction Clause [55:22] Spirituality in Subtracting [1:06:05] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Leidy's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   David Peter Stroh is the bestselling author of Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide for Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results.   For the past 40 years, David has helped leaders to apply systems thinking to organizational strategy, and achieve breakthrough, sustainable change. He is a founding partner of the influential consulting firm Bridgeway Partners, a faculty member of the Academy for Systems Change, and a charter member of the Society for Organizational Learning.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How he was exposed as a child to both natural and urban complexity growing up in Inwood, at the very northern tip of Manhattan, NY. How he fell in love with transportation systems, but ended up studying Organization Development at MIT. How his search for greater impact and a seat at the table led him down the Systems Thinking path, and eventually to founding a consulting firm alongside Charlie Kiefer, Robert Fritz, and Peter Senge, later of The Fifth Discipline fame. We also discuss: What's a system, and what's systems thinking? Why do complex systems often yield unintended consequences? What are the benefits of systems thinking, especially in the world of impact? What does it tell us about wealth inequality and poverty? And why David has come to see systems thinking as an almost spiritual practice?   David's book and his blog are must reads for anyone interested in making deep and lasting positive impact, and avoid undesirable consequences. And this conversation can serve as a good, and I think, exciting intro to the topic.   So let's jump right in with David Peter Stroh.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [3:34] Life During Covid [6:00] The Advantages of Various Points of View [12:17] The Birth of Innovation Associates [18:05] Defining Systems Thinking [22:57] The Role of Intent In Systems [33:32] The Benefits of The Systems Thinking Approach In Creating Change [42:56] The Spiritual Aspects of Systems Thinking [59:03] A Sermon for Those Who Wish to Create Change   EPISODE LINKS David's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Today, we talk about anger.   Everywhere you look, it feels like outrage and anger are on the rise. Populist politicians win elections based on popular anger, and when they lose, they claim their elections had been stolen to further sow outrage. Social media seems to feed on and amplify anger. So much so that we now have new names for the various things that people do when they are angry online — words like cyberbullying, trolling, and doxxing.   At the same time, our political systems are becoming so extreme that it's now possible for some, even in longstanding democracies, to undermine the basic common agreements of a free society: the rule of law, respect for institutions, and the belief in truth.   And in less established countries, civil war has become a growing specter, if not an everyday reality.   And yet, the dangers of anger have been identified aeons ago. The Stoic philosophers warned that anger has the power to take away our reason. That it always costs far more than the offense which triggers it.   Seneca wrote about anger that: “No plague has cost the human race more dear."   The Stoics have also given us tools to deal with anger and other destructive emotions.   Which is why I was thrilled to sit down with Donald Robertson. Donald is an author, TED speaker, cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, and trainer. He is one of the founding members of the Modern Stoicism nonprofit, and the founder and president of Plato's Academy Centre in Athens, Greece. He specializes in teaching evidence-based psychological skills, and is known as an expert on the relationship between modern evidence-based psychotherapy and classical Greek and Roman philosophy.   His books include Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, and the graphic novel Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.   We spoke in mid-December 2022, and I found Donald to be an engaging and fascinating speaker and a great explainer of Stoicism — what it is, who were the Stoic thinkers, and why should we care in this day and age about what they had to say?   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How he discovered Greek philosophy at an early age. Why Stoicism was considered obscure and not taught for the longest time, and why it's having its resurgence these days. Stoicism as an ancient therapeutic tradition. The relationship between modern CBT and Stoicism. What is Stoicism? Who were the Stoics? The most common misconceptions about Stoicism. Then we dive into anger:  Is anger good or bad?  What did anger mean to the Stoics? What can we learn from the Stoics that can be applied to modern-day? Fear and anxiety in the Stoic tradition, and the view from above as a possible solution. We also talk about his books and his journey as a therapist and student of Stoicism.   I love finding nuggets of very practical wisdom in ancient texts, especially when they line up so beautifully with what science has to teach us. And the Stoics are definitely a rich source for those insights. More than anything, I think their approach to anger could and should guide us in finding systemic ways to making our technologies, communities, and institutions act as dampeners rather than amplifiers of outrage.   We have some amazing episodes lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and activists, answering questions like:   Why are more and more people around the world turning to coliving communities as an attractive idea? What do most people still need to understand about transgender and non-binary individuals? What's the importance of prototyping and prototypes? Does everyone need a manifesto? And what does it mean to have creative hustle?   But before these episodes can get to you, they need to be edited, audio mixed, and published, and Remake is now in a time of transition as I'm preparing to move my life and business to the United States with a lot of uncertainty around the future of the Israeli business. In order to keep our team running and protect the podcast from the vicissitudes of life, politics, and business, we're asking for your support.   If you value the podcast and the hard work that five different people are putting in on every episode, please consider supporting us at RemakePod.org/support, or go to our website and click "Become a Supporter". You can make a one-time donation, or join as a monthly or yearly supporter, which will entitle you in the future to access any premium episodes, longer versions of episodes, video interviews, and a paid Remake newsletter.   We have a lot of plans on how to make Remake into a real community and invest in more content, including short-form content. And of course, the podcast itself will always feature in-depth conversations with people who are trying to change our lives for the better. But right now, we really need your support.   So once again, you can go to RemakePod.org/support, or go to our website and click "Become a Supporter".   And now, let's jump right in with Donald Robertson.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [7:24] Life in the Present [9:23] Childhood Driving Forces [11:05] A Journey to Stoicism [14:52] The Origin of CBT [20:29] On Stoicism [33:36] On Anger [42:26] The Alternative to Anger [48:17] On Fear and Anxiety [55:57] A Graphic Novel Journey [1:04:56] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Donald's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Donatella Caggiano is a Global Creativity Hacker. With her methodology crossing design, storytelling, and strategy, she works at applying creativity to processes of change and transformation for brands, communities and people.   She made a crucial decision to leave the high powered Business World of Corporate America in mid-life, return to her home country of Italy, and to do so intentionally, and mindfully.   Her new podcast in the making, “The Design of Return”, will deal with personal stories of transit as told by the “in-betweeners”.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we discuss: [2:59] Donatella's childhood, leaving her home town. Home is where you are. [8:48] What it means to be a Creativity Hacker, and what Donatella does professionally these days. [16:30] Making a home by separation. [20:55] Leaving Milan to the US, her time in NY. [26:45] The loneliness of living in a new country. [30:05] The differences between US culture and Italian and Israeli culture. [34:32] The weirdness of Orange County, California. [45:00] Leaving the US, heading back to Italy. [56:53] The challenges of returning. [1:03:09] A culture-shock with one's own culture. [1:15:25] Returning skillfully. [1:29:40] 500 Days without Social Media. [1:32:43] The Juliet Club. [1:38:00] Finding a community of fellow returners. [1:44:40] The Design of Return podcast-in-the-making. [1:49:05] Becoming Home vs. Finding Home.   EPISODE LINKS Donatella's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Today, we talk about the practice of design, and how designers who learn to work with and understand technology can bring a humanistic, creative perspective to technology that can truly transform our understanding of what it can do. I've long believed that advanced technology can be beautiful, poetic, and philosophical in nature. In fact, that's what's called for in an age where tech shapes our lives, takes an increasingly greater part in creative work, and even makes decisions for us.   That's why it was so rewarding to sit down with Che-Wei Wang and Taylor Levy, the married couple behind CW&T. They've managed to carve out the space for their own creative, almost contemplative practice.   Their studio, CW&T, is an award-winning design practice creating mind-bending products. Over the last 13 years, their work has spanned from interactive software to human scale tools that enhance our relationships to work, life, and time. They center around an iterative process of sketching, prototyping, testing, writing code, machining parts, and building each addition themselves to assess their intuitions around improving everyday experiences. Their projects range from devices that alter the perception of time, an electronics curriculum for artists, an astrological compass for space travelers, to objects engineered to last multiple generations.   Wang and Levy lecture extensively, and they teach courses on time, electronics, hardware, programming, inflatables, and morphology at Pratt Institute, New York University, and the School for Poetic Computation. In 2022, they won the National Design Award for Product Design from Cooper Hewitt.   We spoke in mid-November 2022, and I was excited to talk to them after I saw some of their more thought-provoking pieces engaging with time.  I was a little concerned with my ability to interview two people at the same time. Usually, I tend to go deep with one person and I wasn't sure how the format would work, but as usually happens with creative people, the conversation took a life of its own and was a delight.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Being a couple who works together. Balancing parenthood with business and creative design work. The gratitude they feel for being able to have an ongoing creative practice. Their creative principles. Why they insist on building what they want to see. What does the phrase "buy lots of lottery tickets" mean to them? Their origin story. What did Che-Wei learn while fixing his dad's typewriter as a kid? What did Taylor realize about The Beatles? How did they meet and become a couple? Their creative projects, including Time Since Launch and Solid State Watch. The School for Poetic Computation. Generative design, and how it can change designers' work. The importance of learning to understand time. And how to make room for your creative practice.   We have some amazing episodes lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and activists answering questions like:   How can we program and control human cells? Why did the stoic philosophers think anger was the most destructive of emotions, and how did they suggest fighting it? Why are more and more people around the world turning to coliving communities as an attractive idea? And what do most people still need to understand about transgender and non-binary individuals?   But before they can get to you, these episodes need to be edited, audio mixed, and published, and Remake is now in a time of transition as I'm preparing to move my life and business back to the US with a lot of uncertainty around the future of the Israeli business.   In order to keep our team running, and protect the podcast from the vicissitudes of life, politics, and business, we're asking for your support.   If you value the podcast and the hard work that five different people are putting in on every single episode, please consider becoming a supporter or making a one-time donation at RemakePod.org/support. Or go to our website and click "Become a Supporter". You can make a one-time donation or join as a monthly or yearly supporter, which will entitle you in the future to access any premium episodes, longer versions of episodes, video interviews, and a paid Remake newsletter.   We have a lot of plans on how to make Remake into a real community and invest in more content, including short-form content. And of course, the podcast itself will always feature in-depth conversations with people who are trying to change our lives for the better. But right now, we really need your help.   So if you value what we do, please once again, go to RemakePod.org/support.   And now, without further ado, let's jump right in with Che-Wei Wang and Taylor Levy.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [8:09] Life in the Present [12:17] Early Childhood Lessons [16:00] A Journey to Design [23:09] Love at First Sight [27:42] CW&T [31:22] Time Since Launch [38:13] Solid State Watch [42:21] Project Principles [47:46] The School for Poetic Computation [51:49] Generative Design [56:18] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Che-Wei and Taylor's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Kathy Davies wears many hats - she's a Design Lecturer at Stanford University. She's the Managing Director of the Stanford Life Design lab, where she and her team have trained 150 universities globally to use the life design processes on their campuses to help students design, prototype, and test the right career paths for them.   She is also a Cofounder and CEO at DYL Consulting where she uses design thinking and life design principles to build a better world.    EPISODE SUMMARY   In this episode we discuss: [02:56] Challenges during the pandemic, transitioning into virtual classes and workshops. [18:34] Kathy's early desires to connect, and to combine science with art in her work. [29:23] Kathy's engineering experience. [33:14] Getting into Design Thinking at Stanford. [48:59] The journey into Life Design. [1:02:22] Why is it so hard for us to figure out what we want to do in life? [1:07:31] The Life Design process. [1:19:39] Life Design for women. [1:30:02] The future of Life Design, and its impact.   EPISODE LINKS Kathy Davies' Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Bayo Akomolafe is an academic lecturer, a spiritual leader, a disillusioned activist, and the author of These Wilds Beyond Our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity's Search for Home.   He was born in 1983 into a Christian home, and to Yoruba parents in western Nigeria. Soon after he was born, his family emigrated to Bonn, Germany with his father on his first diplomatic assignment. This, Bayo's first trip, would foreshadow a life of travel, both literally and figuratively. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California and University of Vermont.   He's also Professor of Practice at Middlebury College. He sits on the board of many organizations including Science and Nonduality, Unashay Sanctuary, and more.    Now living between India and the United States, Bayo is a proud father and a devoted husband.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up in transition, Nigeria to Germany, and then many other places. Family being a constant value in his life. His love-hate relationship with India. His activism and his postactivism, and what does it mean to be a postactivist or to be postactivistic? And specifically, what it means to discover as an activist that your very activism has become part of the problem you're trying to solve. What does it mean to engage with the world without trying to apply your prejudices on it? Hope, and why it too can be problematic. How he sees the world, and how he tries to not get trapped by images and words, to experience a world that's alive and not static and dead. And to avoid overly defining things and overly restricting our view of the world through that definition.   I talked to Bayo at the end of January, and it was right after a Design Sprint with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (a former guest of the podcast), where Bayo's work and his online course was one of the demos that we looked at as an example.   I'm very excited to bring you this conversation with Bayo, and I was very excited to talk to him. His writing is intensely beautiful. He speaks and seems to think in poetry. His words paint pictures that move us, but avoid being captured. I think Bayo is an awakened person. He clearly sees things in a way that's deeper and that's hard to comprehend sometimes. But his efforts at clarity and communication are very obvious and evident here, and I think it will be appreciated. I'm a little bit worried that people who don't really have any strong spiritual background might find some of these topics hard to understand or relate to. So I want to leave you with this recommendation.   I would like you to imagine the world as a dynamic, elaborate, interdependent, ever-changing and shifting, an intensely alive cloud of interactions, where nothing is quite as solid or as clear-cut as it seems to be. Now, imagine seeing this mess so clearly you can feel it in your being, and then having to find the words to describe it, knowing full well that every word and sentence leaves out as much as it brings in. And so, as you listen to Bayo with words, I would like you to try to understand that he's trying to communicate something that's intensely nonverbal. That's at least how I connect with it and how I find my way into it.   This is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists, who are working to change our world for the better. So please follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Dr. Bayo Akomolafe.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [6:35] Life During Covid [14:51] Early Childhood's Silent Lessons [17:28] A Mode of Transit [19:15] A Love-Hate Relationship with India [24:11] Activism vs Postactivism [29:20] Enacting Reality [33:46] Invisible Forces at Work [39:10] Thinking Happens in the Farm [42:33] Corelessness [43:53] The End of Hope [53:06] Name the Color, Blind the Eye [58:50] The Gift of Children [1:03:49] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Bayo's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Max Rashbrooke's TED Talk on upgrading democracy has touched a nerve, and has been viewed over 1 million times in a matter of months. He's a Wellington-based writer and public intellectual, with twin interests in economic inequality and democratic renewal. His latest book is Too Much Money, about wealth disparities in New Zealand, and his previous books include Government for the Public Good: The Surprising Science of Large-Scale Collective Action.   Max is a Senior Associate of the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies. His work appears in outlets such as the Guardian and Prospect magazine.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How moving from a wealthy school to a failing school in a low income neighborhood opened his eyes to his own privilege and the extent of poverty in the world. How he became fascinated with the problem of entrenched and compounded inequality and lack of mobility as a financial journalist in London during the financial crisis. The dangers of increasing inequality and immobility, and how it leads to a mistrust in institutions, an attraction to populist authoritarianism, and a crisis for democracy. How he proposes to upgrade democracy for the digital age, by increasing participation and incorporating tools like citizen assemblies, online consensus building, and participatory budgeting. And why having faith in our fellow citizens and in the power of the government to do good is essential to healing democracy in our lifetime.   I really enjoyed talking to Max, and hope that you'll enjoy his excellent introduction to the growing movement of more participatory democracy. Max is one of dozens of great conversations with thinkers, activists, and makers who are trying to remake our lives in some meaningful way. If you don't want to miss them, please make sure you subscribe in your favorite podcast player.   And now let's jump right in with Max Rashbrooke.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [3:31] Life During Covid [7:06] Early Life Lessons [13:03] A Journey to Economic Inequality [17:00] Compounded Inequality [18:34] A Lack of Progress [20:13] A Lack of Trust [22:31] The Rise of Authoritarianism  [24:53] A Mistrust of Institution [28:08] Defense of Democracy [32:05] Upgrading and Renewing Democracy [35:59] Citizens Assemblies [40:06] Political Brands [41:45] Online Consensus Building [46:02] Participatory Budgeting  [48:43] The Delegation of the Vote [54:11] A Mindset of Faith [57:52] Working Together [1:00:25] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Max's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Alan Lightman is an American writer, physicist and social entrepreneur. He served on the faculties of Harvard and MIT, and was the first person at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and in the humanities. Currently, he serves as professor for the practice of the humanities at MIT. In his scientific research, he has made fundamental contributions to the astrophysics of black holes and cosmic radiative processes.   He is the author of numerous books, both fiction and nonfiction, including Einstein's Dreams, an international bestseller, The Diagnosis, a finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction, and his latest book, Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings, where he discusses questions of nothingness and infinity, the mind, and the specialness of life.   Alan's essays and articles have appeared in the Atlantic, Granta, Harper's, Nautilus, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Salon, and many other publications.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, and living between physics and the humanities. What it was like to study physics at Princeton and Caltech. Working with Richard Feynman. Writing Einstein's Dreams. The connection between physics and spirituality. The topics of entropy and life. The rarity of life. On nothingness and infinity. On the value of wasting time, and many other topics.   This conversation with Alan Lightman is one of a dozen or more upcoming conversations with bestselling authors, thinkers, designers, scientists, and makers who are reimagining our world and experience. So please follow us on your favorite podcasting app, if you haven't already, so that you can make sure you don't miss them.   And now, let's jump right in with Alan Lightman.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [3:12] Life During COVID [6:40] Early Influences [12:42] On Writing and the Origin of Einstein's Dreams [17:53] A Convergence Between Physics and Spirituality [19:42] The Origin of the Universe [24:40] The Rarity of Life [29:06] A Distinction Between Life and Death [33:26] Nothingness and Infinity [36:39] Finding Meaning in a Multiverse [39:34] The Benefit of Wasting Time [42:33] A Sermon on Disconnection   EPISODE LINKS Alan's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Today, we talk about worthiness.   Worthiness, and the lack of it, is something that's been a primary part of my struggles to start sharing more of my thoughts and beliefs, to allow myself to assume a leadership role in business and in other areas, and to search for an enduring romantic relationship.   Lack of worthiness seems to be at the root of perfectionism, workaholism, fear of failure, and fear of success. It's often the stumbling block in feeling a sense of well-being and belonging with others.   The topic of worthiness is really hard to unpack, or it was for me, because it is distinct from self-confidence. Throughout most of my life, I've been fairly confident in my abilities to do things or figure them out. In fact, I think too often I used confidence as a way to escape the fact that I didn't like myself that much.   It is only in my late 30s and early 40s that I feel my sense of self-worth is starting to catch up to my sense of confidence.   Worthiness is also one of these foundational topics that seems connected to almost everything in the world that I care about. It's at the core of belonging and othering, political inclusion or exclusion, status and privilege in society, religious and political extremism, online trolling, sexism, good and bad leadership, and the global decline of democracy.   That's why I'm so happy to be talking to Dr. Adia Gooden today. Adia is a clinical psychologist and a TED speaker who works in the area of unconditional self-worth and helps people to embrace it. Adia is also an author and the host of her very own podcast called Unconditionally Worthy. Adia gained her bachelor's at Stanford and her PhD at DePaul University, and worked at the Counseling Center of University of Chicago.   Today, she works as a speaker and coach, and is working on a new book in the making about the mental health of black women.   I spoke to Adia in early November, and I was excited to talk to her since I saw her powerful TED Talk on the subject of worthiness. Adia is an energizing and empowering speaker, so it was a joy to chat with her and hear her insights as well as practical advice that can help us feel better about ourselves.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: What growing up feeling lonely as a child instilled in her. What's wrong with trying to be perfect? What is worthiness, and how self-worth is different from self-confidence? Why is worthiness important? The rise of depression and anxiety. The effects of COVID, as well as social media and phone addiction. How to systematically improve our self-worth. What does the journey of self-worth look like? What's an imposter syndrome, and is it good or bad for us? How are worthiness and spirituality connected? What's the connection between worthiness and human dignity? And how she'd like to change the narrative of black women's mental health in the US.   What stayed with me from this conversation is how relatively straightforward and systematic our approach to self-worthiness can be. Following a relatively simple formula of self-forgiveness and acceptance, we can confront our feelings of unworthiness and start building a stronger foundation. And the effects of that can cascade throughout our lives, whether it's our professional lives, our family life, our relationships, and how we feel moment to moment.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with hackers, designers, thinkers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Dr. Adia Gooden.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:48] Life in the Present [7:28] Early Childhood Challenges [11:20] Problematic Perfectionism [13:53] An Academic Journey [17:18] What is Worthiness? [21:22] Self-Worth vs. Self-Esteem [24:26] Why is Worthiness Important? [27:32] The Rise of Depression and Anxiety [33:49] Embracing Your Self-Worth [37:11] Worthiness and Courage [41:14] Worthiness vs. Achievement [43:39] Imposter Syndrome [45:15] Faith and Spirituality [49:34] Black Women's Mental Health [52:43] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Adia's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Lee Mun Wah is an internationally renowned documentary filmmaker, TED speaker, author, poet, folkteller, educator, community therapist, and master diversity trainer at Stir Fry Seminars and Consulting, a diversity training company he founded. He's most famous for his truly incredible documentaries, like The Color of Fear, Last Chance for Eden, and If These Halls Could Talk. His films feature hard-hitting, honest and raw conversations about race relations, racism, sexism, systemic inequality and more, with participants from different backgrounds and ethnicities.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up as a Chinese American kid, just trying to fit in. His love for teaching and how he became a teacher. The day that changed his life, his mother's murder by an African-American man, which started his journey into ultimately becoming a therapist and diving into the topics of race, inequality, and hatred.   We also discuss: His documentary, The Color of Fear. The implicit racism of who we see and how we see the people in front of us. The names we're willing and the names that we're unwilling to learn. The minority group society doesn't bother to get to know and to make feel welcome. The critical importance of empathy and listening. What he's learned about facilitating workshops, discussing tough topics in a mindful way. On standing up for others who are different from oneself. His autobiography in the making, River of Jade. And many other topics.   I was really touched by this conversation with Mun Wah. He brings such ease and openness to the conversation, even when the topics are quite challenging. He helps us see our society from points of view other than our own and teaches us the skills to reach out and connect across differences, which is the first step towards correcting some of the structural injustice embedded in our systems.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So please follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Lee Mun Wah.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [3:36] Life During Covid [9:15] Early Life Lessons [19:21] Relational Relationships [25:48] A Tragedy and a Transition [35:52] A Journey Through Grief  [40:00] Every Day a Lifetime [44:51] A Mindfulness Approach [55:55] Diversity 101 [1:08:51] A Ripple Effect [1:12:06] River of Jade [1:23:47] Writing Our Own History   EPISODE LINKS Mun Wah's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Pia Mancini is a co-founder and CEO at Open Collective, a chair of the Democracy Earth Foundation, and a democracy activist who helped create the DemocracyOS platform and launched a Net Party in Argentina.   Her TED Talk, about upgrading democracy for the internet era, has exceeded a million views and helped reshape the conversation around the meeting place of democracy and the internet. She is a Y Combinator alum, a young global leader at the World Economic Forum, and she's also Roma's mum.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Her journey from empowering citizens in the political process to empowering collectives to self-fund and self-govern Her vision for a more inclusive and expansive digital democracy The tension between idealism and the realities of life, politics, and system   We also discuss: How do we, as individuals, create a system and an environment that affects change? How can we use technology to upgrade democracy? How do we trust ourselves and each other?   There is no more important discussion, I believe, than how our new technologies should be used and woven into the fabric of our public life. And how to move from chaotic, even destructive populism, to a constructive model of participation and empowerment. My conversation with Pia is one of the most fascinating conversations, in an ongoing series of design conversations we've lined up for you on design for democracy, social change, and positive impact.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [2:48] Life During Covid [10:26] Early Influences [20:54] Upgrading Democracy [30:23] DemocracyOS and Liquid Democracy [38:07] The Dream of a Borderless and Equal World [46:24] Net Party and the Clash with Reality [53:33] Maintaining Hope and Motivation [58:40] Building a New Narrative [1:03:55] A Transition to an Open Collective [1:21:14] A Sermon of Inspiration   EPISODE LINKS Pia's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Christian Madsbjerg is a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School and a co-founder of the pioneering Red Associates, a consultancy with offices in Copenhagen and New York City, which brings the human sciences to bear on strategic business problems, mostly dealing with companies in trouble.   Christian writes, speaks, and teaches on the practical application of the human sciences, latest as a Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School for social research. His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Bloomberg Businessweek.   His latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, was released in the spring of 2017 by Hachette Book Group, and is out in 16 languages.     EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up on a small island near Sweden. His work with Lego, helping them identify harmful, false assumptions around play and childhood. The critical value of the humanities in business, and why it's been overlooked for so long. The value of slowing down. His book, Sensemaking. His skepticism around AI, big data, and design thinking. And many other topics.   I'm a big believer in the power of the humanities, from anthropology to history, poetry to philosophy, to teach us critical tools and skills for the world of business. And I think this conversation will be eye-opening to many people.   It's one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, best-selling authors, entrepreneurs, and impact investors who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Christian Madsbjerg.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS [3:28] Life During Covid [14:42] Early Childhood Observations [16:27] A Path of Early Projects [20:03] Rebuilding Lego [27:28] Assumptions and Questions [29:13] Introducing Humanities to the Business World [34:38] Sensemaking and the Role of Humans vs Technology [41:59] The Concept of the Human [44:36] An Observation of Design Thinking [49:10] How to Pay Attention [51:08] H1B [54:29] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Christian's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Lynn Novick has been directing and producing landmark documentary films about American life and culture, history, politics, sports, art, architecture, literature, and music for more than 30 years. The 80 hours of acclaimed PBS programming she has created in collaboration with Ken Burns include The Vietnam War, Baseball, Jazz, Frank Lloyd Wright, The War, and Prohibition. These landmark series have garnered 19 Emmy nominations. Lynn herself has received Emmy, Peabody, and Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards.   College behind Bars, Lynn's first film as a solo director, premiered at the New York Film Festival and aired on PBS in 2019. The four-part series immerses viewers in the inspiring and transformational journey of a small group of incarcerated men and women serving time for serious crimes, as they try to earn college degrees in one of the most rigorous prison education programs in America — the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI).   Lynn's latest series alongside Ken Burns, The U.S. and the Holocaust, explores the US knowledge of and responds to the Jewish Holocaust, the greatest humanitarian crisis of the twentieth century. It's now streaming on PBS and premiering later this month in Jerusalem.   We spoke at the end of August 2022, and I was excited to talk to Lynn after watching her remarkable College Behind Bars series. I watched the series after listening to an interview she did with Sam Harris on his podcast, and it really floored me. It proved so eloquently and so simply the basic truth — that crime and poverty are more often than not the result of lack — lack of opportunity, lack of access, lack of information, and lack of belonging.   It shows the transformative power of education, opportunity, respect, and high expectations, even on people convicted of violent crimes. And in that way it very subtly but powerfully condemns the system that doesn't provide such opportunities.   It was wonderful to chat with Lynn, learn about her life in documentary making, and hear about her experience behind the scenes making College Behind Bars and her continued engagement with the students in the film long after the filming.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: The US and the Holocaust documentary, and the antisemitism, xenophobia and nativism, and the rejection of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. How the Watergate crisis led her down the path to documentary filmmaking. The power of documentaries to change views and bring truth to life. The films she made alongside Ken Burns covering the Vietnam War, jazz, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and many others. Her film, College Behind Bars, and the process of making it. The Bard Prison Initiative and why it is so special. The history of prison and education. The power of education. History of crime and punishment in the US. And many other topics.    Lynn goes deep into topic after topic in American life, and as a result she's a broad and fascinating thinker and speaker. Beyond the incredible power of College Behind Bars, what stayed with me is the power of documentary film to start us thinking and talking about complex topics, and in some cases, like with College Behind Bars, to affect a change in policy.   This conversation is one a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Lynn Novick.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:52] Life in the Present [7:17] The U.S. and the Holocaust [14:55] History to the Masses [18:28] Early Childhood Lessons [21:47] A Journey to Film [25:16] Frank Lloyd Wright [28:27] Encapsulating America [34:54] College Behind Bars [40:00] The Bard Prison Initiative [52:37] After Production [54:19] Crime and Punishment in America [1:01:35] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Lynn's Links 

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Marilyn Paul is the author of It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys and An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life. She is the co-founder of Bridgeway Partners, a consulting firm dedicated to using systems thinking approaches to multi-sectoral and complex organizational challenges.   We spoke at the end of August 2022, and I was excited to talk to Marilyn since we've been introduced by her husband, former guest of the podcast, David Peter Stroh, and my discovery of her delightful book, An Oasis in Time. Avid listeners of the podcast would know that I am a designer by profession, but I've studied religious studies in my master's degree. I did this out of curiosity for the ways religions use design to create supportive frameworks for our lives, whether they are philosophical, social, institutional, or personal.   I've been especially fascinated by the way that religions design and structure time itself through ritual and community to produce valuable experiences. Meditation, pilgrimage, and the Jewish Sabbath are all examples of wonderful ways of structuring time. In fact, it was the Sabbath that opened the door to Buddhist meditation and spirituality in my own life, and Marilyn is the only person I know who wrote about it enthusiastically, pragmatically, and from an accessible secular perspective.   Her book is not just meant for Jewish people. It's a passionate defense and advocacy for the value of a weekly day of rest. A day intentionally and deeply separated from the mundane concerns of work, money, and achievement. And it's also a practical guide for how to set such a day up and embark on a journey of making it richer, more beautiful, more meaningful, and more social over time. The conversation was delightful and thought-provoking.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: What it was like to grow up with two therapist parents. Her early interest in climate change and how it shaped her choices. Suffering from what she calls chronic disorganization, and how she learned to tame chaos and to be more organized. The spirituality of organizing. The role of meditation in her journey. How she discovered the Sabbath and recognized its importance in her life. What the Sabbath has to do with gratefulness. How to remember who we are as human beings. And many other topics.    We live in a hectic, modern society, but I found that having a day of rest helps me stay sane and stable throughout it all, and helps me stay connected to my own values and to the present, even in the most stressful times. This conversation was a chance to enrich this day of rest. What stayed with me is Marilyn's call to make it richer, mark it more decisively, and enjoy great food and great company. It's a lifelong process, but I'm learning.   This conversation is one a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcasting app, or head over to RemakePod.org to find links to those apps and subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Dr. Marilyn Paul.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:18] Life in the Present [6:45] Early Childhood Lessons [10:34] An Interest in Climate [11:45] Chronic Disorganization [14:45] Taming Chaos [17:42] The Rhythm of Organizing [19:23] The Spirituality of Organizing [22:39] Meditation [25:13] Discovering Shabbat [36:21] The Soul of Shabbat [39:48] An Oasis in Time [44:07] Designing Shabbat [47:32] The Green Sabbath Project [50:33] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Marilyn's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Carissa Carter is the author of The Secret Language of Maps. She's a designer, geoscientist, and Academic Director at the Stanford d.school. Carissa drives the d.school's pedagogy and teaches courses on the intersection of data and design, design for climate change, maps, and the visual sorting of information, and she helped lead the d.school's seminal Stanford 2025 project on the future of higher education. She pursues projects at the crossover between design, science, and emerging technology.   We spoke in mid-August 2022, and I was looking forward to talking to Carissa since I got a hold of her book, The Secret Language of Maps, from the new Stanford d.school series of guides. Not only is the book beautifully designed and cleverly crafted, tracking a murder mystery through various maps and infographics, but it uses it to make great points about information, complexity, bias, and the role of the visual.   I have long thought that many of humanity's hardest problems seem so pernicious precisely because they're too complex to model and understand through words alone. And I think that modeling and conveying complex information visually allows us to use our complex visual cortex to decipher complex, nuanced, and dynamic systems in an infinitely better and more accurate way.   It was great to dive into some of these topics with Carissa, who had an interesting and unique journey to get to where she is today.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Her 6:06pm tradition where she takes a picture at the same time every day, and the value of documenting our lives in this way. How she learned the value of prototyping at a very young age. What drew her to geology, and the relationship between geology and visualization. Her lateral move from geology to design and how that got her into designing maps. What is a map? Hint: It's broader than you think. The agenda of maps: The bias of data selection. The bias of interpreting data. The inclusivity of maps. Why she says maps are made of a mix of data, craft, and bias. A map of a world in proportion to the number of sheep in each country. The book, The Secret Language of Maps, and what made her write it. And many other topics.    I think what stayed with me most is the incredible richness and craft that goes into making the best maps. The myriad creative and tactical choices that have to be made, and what these choices say about us, our values, and our intentions.   This conversation is one a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Carissa Carter.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:23] Life in the Present [5:50] 6:06 [10:19] Early Childhood Prototyping [14:07] Studying Geology [16:37] A Journey from Geology to Design [21:04] The Secret Language of Maps [22:43] What is a Map? [31:55] Data, Craft, and Bias [38:42] An Idealized Future [39:51] I Love Algorithms  [43:21] Rep is a Magazine [45:22] An Awkwardness Enthusiast [49:13] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Carissa's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Ashish Goel is the author of Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making. It's a part of a series of guides being published by the Stanford d.school. Ashish is a designer, an entrepreneur, and a former teaching fellow at the Stanford d.school where he has taught classes on design thinking, digital product design, and mapmaking.   Previously, he worked as head of design at Zomato (India's DoorDash and Yelp rolled into one), and today advises companies in the art and science of product design, and is currently building Boca, a direct-to-consumer sparkling water business based in India. We spoke in early August 2022, and I was excited to talk to Ashish because his book, Drawing on Courage, reminded me how important having courage and taking a stand are in the creative process.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Covid, and losing his mother to Covid. Being inspired by the resilience of the world during Covid. Growing up wanting to be a comic book designer. His experience at the d.school, learning to be brave and creative. The writing of his book, Drawing on Courage. Using design thinking to deal with rejection. Fear versus love as motivation. Change as part of the journey of courage. Using our gut to make decisions. The future of higher education. And the importance of beauty in decision-making.   Ashish reminds us that the creative act can be scary. That facing the blank page or the blank whiteboard does not come easily to most, and that that leap of faith is worth making, and is in fact essential in every creative endeavor.   This conversation is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. I just received a couple of new books from the Stanford d.school, and we're working on setting up those interviews as well — they include the books, Creative Hustle, This is a Prototype, and You Need a Manifesto. So if you want to hear these, and the other episodes we've got for you, please follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Ashish Goel.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:03] Life in the Present [4:48] Life During COVID [11:07] Early Childhood Driving Forces [13:29] A Pivot to Design [16:01] The Stanford d.school [19:06] Drawing on Courage [22:33] Couraging With Design [25:20] Taking a Tiny Risk [29:31] Courage and Values [32:41] The Role of Change [34:26] The Role of Beauty [37:20] The Future of Learning [42:13] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Ashish's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   John Maeda is an American technologist and product experience leader with a passion for RESILIENCE and renewal. He began his early career at MIT at the intersection of computer science and visual design, and served there as Professor of Design and Computation and as Head of Research at the MIT MediaLab. He was a design partner at Kleiner Perkins, held leadership positions with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, and served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design. He is currently serving as Chief Technology Officer of Everbridge.   John has been described by The New York Times as "an anomaly in the art world — a prize-winning graphic designer and kinetic artist with a fistful of engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology". He has also been recognized by Esquire as one of the "75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century", and his gorgeous design in tech and resilience in tech reports are a beloved annual ritual for many.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How he started his journey working at his parents' tofu shop in Seattle. Getting his first Apple computer. Why his mother was his first VC. The difference between good and bad teachers. His journey from engineering school at MIT to art school. The need for creatives to understand money, and how money works. Teaching at the famous MIT MediaLab. And growing the people that will end up destroying you professionally.   We also discuss: Being a "humanist technologist" and what it means. Issues of complexity and simplicity. Why he's quoted as saying, "Design is not that important". Is design useful and in what way? How to speak machine. And many other topics.   We spoke in late July 2022, and I was excited to talk to John because he's a prolific and fascinating author, teacher, and communicator in the realm of design. I loved his design and tech reports while in Kleiner Perkins and enjoyed his voice on Twitter.   John made many good points about complexity and simplicity, the role of a good teacher, and much more. But what stayed with me is his vision of the computer as a new alien species. And the importance of seeing technology with fresh and wondering eyes. It's only in this way that we can understand the radical newness of what we're living through.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with John Maeda.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:38] Life in the Present [5:45] Early Childhood Design [8:53] An Interest in Engineering [11:03] An Academic Journey [17:46] Building Startups [20:30] A Humanist Technologist [28:23] Simplicity and Complexity [33:04] Understanding Design [41:56] How to Speak Machine [50:34] How to Speak Risk [54:48] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS John's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Chris Dancy is known as "the Most Connected Man on Earth". Chris is a TED speaker and the author of Don't Unplug: How Technology Saved My Life and Can Save Yours Too. He was featured on Showtime's Dark Net, the cover of Businessweek, and interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, NPR, the BBC, Fox News, and Wired.   Chris entered the public dialogue concerning digital health as the media started to focus on wearable technology. He earned his "Most Connected" moniker by utilizing up to 700 sensors, devices, applications, and services to track, analyze, and optimize his life, from his caloric intake to his spiritual well-being. This quantification enabled him to see the connections of otherwise invisible data, resulting in dramatic upgrades to his health, productivity, and quality of life.   Today, he's a noted keynote speaker and executive workshop retreat facilitator, and guides organizations and audiences on a journey — a disruptive, breathtaking journey — into the future of computing, when behavior becomes the ultimate interface.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How he used technology to gain a measure of control and process childhood trauma. How he found his way into self-tracking, and became the world's Most Connected Man. What it means to be connected at all times, with over 700 devices and services tracking every behavior and activity into a personal database. Why he believes recording our personal histories is worth doing. How he categorizes activities and makes sense of them. What he discovered from looking at this trove of data. The outsized importance of sufficient light, pleasant soundscapes, and rest. Receipts as a spiritual instrument. And his version of technopaganism, bringing ancient rituals and modern technology together.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with hackers, designers, thinkers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Chris Dancy.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:40] Life in the Present [7:51] Early Childhood Trauma [10:37] A Means of Escape [13:11] A Journey to "Most Connected" [18:12] Collections of Data [22:43] An Inventory of the System [25:41] The Value of Tracking [28:16] The Value of Perspective [30:33] The Importance of Small Things [38:33] Don't Unplug [42:25] The Optimization Game [47:06] What is Technopaganism? [51:00] Adopted Rituals [56:44] A Short Sermon on Death   EPISODE LINKS Chris' Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Vicki Tan is a Product Designer, a public speaker, a student of Behavioral Psychology, and a dog mom based in Brooklyn. She currently works at Spotify, and has previously worked at Headspace, Lyft, and Google. She cares deeply about the human aspects of design, and the insights that data cannot provide. In her spare time, she's working on an illustrated book on cognitive bias.   We spoke in mid-July 2022, and I was excited to talk to Vicki because she's been at the center of designing some really delightful digital experiences in Headspace, Lyft, and Spotify, and has given interesting talks on the complex interactions of data, logic, and creativity.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How Vicki got into design by forging notes for school. Studying Behavioral Psychology, and using that lens in design. Her early work in psychological research. How she found her way into Google. The importance of cognitive ability in hiring practices. The unique culture at Headspace. The challenges of designing a meditation app. The role of intuition in design and our overreliance on data. What finding umami means to her. Her book in the works on cognitive bias. Self-coherence as a way to help our own cognitive bias. And dreams as a blueprint for reality.   One of my favorite things about being a product designer is meeting other product designers. There is something about the open-mindedness, mindfulness, optimism, and interdisciplinary interests that seem to be a recurring pattern and which make the best product designers a real delight to talk to. And Vicki is no different.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with top designers, thinkers, makers, authors, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So please follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Vicki Tan.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:18] Life in the Present [8:35] Childhood Rebellion [12:17] A Journey to Behavioral Psychology [15:15] A Career Path [19:02] Hiring Decision Factors [21:38] A Pivot to Designer [25:35] Lyft, Headspace, and Spotify [29:25] The Culture at Headspace [37:04] Designing With Intuition [40:23] Finding Umami [47:52] Gentle Chaos [56:47] Cognitive Bias [1:05:20] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Vicki's Links

REVISITING EPISODE 012   For the last decade, Dr. Angel Acosta has worked to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness. He completed his doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University.    After participating in the Mind and Life Institute's Academy for Contemplative Leadership, Angel began consulting and developing learning experiences that weave leadership development with conversations about inequality and healing; including as part of the 400 Years of Inequality Project, based at the New School.   Angel continues to consult for organizations like the NYC Department of Education, UNICEF, Columbia University and others.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we discuss:   [2:57] Being with the world of Covid, elections, and chaos. [7:27] Angel growing up with the value of hard work and strong work ethics, instilled by his family. [10:57] Moving around a lot in early life, changing schools, and learning how to connect with new people. [14:15] Getting into anthropology. [18:20] From anthropology to leadership studies. [19:45] Working on expanding opportunities in education. [27:40] Growing interest in mindfulness and healing practices. [36:12] Angel's research, looking at the connection of healing practices with racial literacy and racial justice education. [52:03] About white participants in the group staying committed despite their discomfort, and showing up. [56:10] The 400 Years of Inequality Project. [1:07:05] The future of trauma healing. [1:11:02] Designing for equity, and overcoming old systems designed out of racism and prejudice.   EPISODE LINKS Dr. Angel Acosta's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Geci Karuri-Sebina is a futurist, urban planning thinker, and the author of Innovation Africa: Emerging Hubs of Excellence. She's a faculty member at Singularity University South Africa with a focus on urban futures, including smart cities, networks, urban planning, governance and development, and innovation systems. She's an associate of The South African Cities Network and had worked with The National Treasury, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa, and the University of California, Los Angeles Advanced Policy Institute.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: The value and importance of speaking your truth, and how she learned that in childhood. Her journey from Kenya to the United States, and then to South Africa. Her experiments with architecture, physics, and computer science. Why urban planning was more appealing to her than architecture. The issues that architecture doesn't address. Her approach to foresight and future thinking. Smart cities, and what constitutes bad urban design. Her work with Dr. Bayo Akomolafe. And decolonizing our knowledge and ways of knowing.   I loved hearing about Geci's use of different foresight practices to imagine different futures and different possibilities for the future. But what really stayed with me is how dire the situation is — with urbanization outpacing our predictions and our ability to plan, and giving rise to shortages and unplanned solutions that may be less than ideal. We need every tool in our creative toolbox to make sure our cities grow to be a place of diversity, creativity, and opportunity, rather than their opposite.   This episode is especially rich with resources and references, so I wanna encourage everyone listening to check the show notes. We are fairly meticulous at listing and providing links to every article, book, person, or resource mentioned in the episode.   We have close to a dozen weekly episodes already lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Dr. Geci Karuri-Sebina.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:24] Life in the Present [7:05] Early Childhood Lessons [10:02] An Intercontinental Journey [13:58] A Sense of Dismissal [16:59] A World of Futures and Foresight [19:21] Creating a Culture of Futures Thinking [23:32] An Unpredictable Future [26:22] An Appreciative Practice [34:33] What Does Good Look Like? [37:18] Smart Cities and Design Thinking [41:44] Capacity to Decolonize [47:09] A Poetic Collaboration [50:50] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Geci's Links

REVISITING EPISODE 027:   BJ Miller is an American physician, author, and speaker. He is a practicing hospice and palliative medicine physician, and is best known for his 2015 TED Talk, "What Really Matters at the End of Life". BJ, who served as an executive director of San Francisco's Zen Hospice Project, has been on the teaching faculty at UCSF School of Medicine since 2017, and is the subject of the Netflix Academy Award nominated short documentary, End Game. His book, A Beginner's Guide to the End, which he co-authored with Shoshana Berger, is an unflinching, compassionate, and intensely pragmatic guide to the end of life.   Today, BJ sees patients and caregivers through his online palliative care service, Mettle Health.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up with a mother who lived with polio, and how that influenced his thinking. A severe accident early it life, which forced him to re-form his identity and informed the rest of his journey. His path in Palliative care - and the insight that the health establishment is designed to treat diseases, not humans. His insights into the meaning and wisdom one can find at the end of life.   It's been a rare pleasure to talk to someone like BJ, who is someone who steps into realms of experience most of us avoid at all costs, and to hear the precious types of wisdom he brings with him from there.   This episode, I think, is also a great introduction to the world of palliative medicine, which may be the first time the medical establishment put the patient's experience, quality of life, and constructed meeting at the heart of care, treating people as opposed to diseases. BJ and I discuss the ways the healthcare system and hospital system are badly designed, and what can be done about it.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:32] Life During Covid [7:23] Early Childhood Spirituality [12:30] An Accident and an Identity Crisis [18:25] The Significance of a Snowball [22:01] Palliative Care and the Dynamic Between Human Beings [29:51] A Badly Designed Healthcare System [32:20] Necessary vs Unnecessary Suffering [35:13] Lessons in Death [39:51] Wildness and Wonderment [47:54] A Beginner's Guide to the End [53:36] A Sermon on Life and Death   EPISODE LINKS BJ's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Susie Wise is a designer, educator, and author, whose wonderful book Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities came out in April 2022 as part of the new Stanford d.school book series on core design skills. She teaches at the Stanford d.school and coaches leaders in innovation practices and liberatory design.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: The topic of belonging and how to foster it. The need for belonging in troubling times. What being bored at school taught Susie about herself and the world. How she moved from politics to design and got involved with the Stanford d.school. Her work in the K12 lab at d.school, which combined design thinking with the Montessori education system. Moving from design thinking and education, to liberatory design and design for belonging.   What is belonging? What does it look and feel like? Why does it matter? What is othering, and how does it work? The importance of ritual, storytelling, and spaces, and crafting belonging. As someone who's researched religion through a designer's eye, I love the emphasis on ritual, spaces, and storytelling, and crafting belonging. All of these areas, which religions are famously good at utilizing, whereas secular environments often fail entirely to appreciate. But what if a school made you feel as welcome and as part of the community as the best churches? What if the rituals we crafted and the stories we told included every one of us?   Since this interview with Susie, I've already interviewed a few of her co-authors in the d.school new book series, which will be coming out in the next few weeks.   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Susie Wise.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:08] Life in the Present [11:57] Childhood Projects [13:56] A Path to Design [18:05] The Birth of the K12 Lab [20:26] The Montessori System [23:16] Belonging and Equity [27:53] Design for Belonging [29:51] What is Belonging? [31:29] Seeing Belonging [36:33] Othering and Systemic Othering [43:25] The Assumption Storm [46:49] Shaping Belonging with Rituals [50:53] Shaping Belonging with Spaces [54:25] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Susie's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Eyal Press is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Times. His most recent book is Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America, which won the 2022 Hillman Prize and was named a New York Times Notable book. He's also the host of the podcast Primary Sources.   We spoke in mid-June 2022, and I was excited to talk to Eyal after getting a hold of his book, Dirty Work, which covers the ethically questionable, psychologically damaging work society delegates to marginalized, far away, or hidden workers. An example of this would be killer drone operators who sit in a safe command center in the US while killing people remotely underground in the Middle East, and the complexities of the systems we create to keep those jobs hidden and far away and removed from the so-called "good people". I found the conversation fascinating and challenging.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Him growing up as the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors and the perspective it gave him. The rarity of people who take a moral stand in the face of bad consequences. What Everett Hughes had to say about the people who keep themselves clean and good while knowingly ignoring horrors done in their name. The character of dirty work and the systemic structures that make it persist. We then dive into particular examples, such as prison systems in the US, drone warfare as an imagined way to clean up war, and things that Americans consume that have dirty work behind them. Moral injury and how unethical jobs can over time create real injury, psychological harm to the people performing them. The invisibility of dirty work. What can we do to clean up dirty work? And we dive into the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the extent to which Israeli society is delegating the dirty work of occupation to soldiers and military police, and the ways in which civil organizations like Breaking the Silence are trying to counteract that tendency.   It's impossible to talk to Eyal and not think about the places where I might be exporting unpleasant or unethical work to invisible hands while still benefiting from their work. And it's been useful to think about what I can do in these situations. Eyal provided a valuable and challenging framework to think about the world we live in and what's truly necessary to make it better — not only keep our own hands clean, but raising awareness and reforming systems that fund and perpetuate morally injurious work out of the site of so-called "good people".   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, authors, scientists, designers, makers, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Eyal Press.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:34] Life in the Present [5:44] Family History Osmosis [7:16] Beautiful Souls [12:05] The Story of Everett Hughes [17:48] The Structure of Dirty Work [29:45] Moral Injury [38:49] The Hidden Nature of Dirty Jobs [42:28] Jobs of Last Resort [44:38] The Good People [50:13] Breaking the Silence [56:49] The Dirty Work in Tech [1:00:20] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Eyal's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Today, I'm speaking to Richard D. Bartlett, aka Rich Decibels.   During the Occupy movement in 2011, Rich caught a glimpse of a different way of being together — more compassionate, more intelligent, more creative, inclusive, and animating than he'd experienced as a student worker or citizen up to that point. Since then, he's been on a mission. In 2012 he co-founded Loomio, a digital tool for deliberation and decision-making in groups of 3-300 people.   In 2016 he co-founded The Hum, a management consultancy for organizations without managers. The Hum has recently published an online training course that shares what they know about working in highly decentralized organizations. Rich is also a Director and longstanding member of Enspiral — a network of people supporting each other to grow up and to get paid for doing meaningful work.   Rich has a daily writing practice. He writes about how people work together, at any scale, from relationships, to organizations, to social change, and he's prolific on Twitter and on Medium. His fascinating book (currently in beta) is called Patterns for Decentralized Organizing and can be downloaded from Leanpub.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How growing up in a strict fundamentalist Christian upbringing, and decoupling from that, shaped his outlook. His complex relationship with atheism and religion today. How he discovered love and solidarity in activism. Technologies of organizing. Forming decentralized decision-making processes. Nihilism in the face of dysfunction as a form of cowardice. Loomio, and collective decision-making software. Status and hierarchy. Shifting culture through fermentation. And the concept of stewardship.   We spoke in mid-June 2022, and I was excited to talk to Rich since he's been introduced to me by Daniel Thorson, whom I interviewed here in episode 10. I've been following his writing on Twitter and find the idea of decentralized work and collaboration fascinating, exciting, and challenging.   It's perhaps the greatest question of our time: now that we're all connected and have incredible tools of self-organization, how can we make better decisions together? How can we outcompete centralized organizations? And how can we benefit from the wonderful richness of so many brains without descending into chaos, nihilism and mob rule?   This conversation is one of a dozen or so weekly conversations that we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with Richard D. Bartlett.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:23] Life in the Present [8:07] Early Childhood Community [10:33] A Complex Religious Journey [18:37] The Occupy Movement [23:45] A Transformational Insight [28:21] Cowardice and Courage [30:40] Membership Groups [35:16] Intersecting Communities [41:06] Status and Hierarchy  [44:35] Fermenting the Right Culture [48:21] The Stewardship System [51:58] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Richard's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Greg Hoffman is Nike's former Chief Marketing Officer, a global brand leader, advisor, and speaker, and the author of Emotion by Design: Creative Leadership Lessons From a Life at Nike.   In his book, Greg shares lessons and stories on the power of creativity drawn from almost three decades of experience within the company. It's a celebration of creativity and a call-to-arms for brand-builders to rediscover the human element that makes consumer bonds.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: How he developed his love of art and design sensibility. Growing up in branding inside of Nike, until eventually becoming Chief Marketing Officer. The importance of emotion and storytelling. On authenticity, and why chasing cool is a bad idea. On creativity as a team sport. And on the importance of courage.   We talked in mid-June 2022 and I was looking forward to talking to Greg because Nike clearly is doing some amazing work around branding and brand values, and is able again and again to create authentic connections at scale.    I'm a latecomer to the world of branding. For much of my life, I was an avid product person and saw the brand as an afterthought. It's only in recent years that I understood the extent to which our lives, our thinking, and our decisions are driven by the stories we tell, and the emotional associations we make.    The art of doing that well is branding. And it can be used for good or evil, and is just as important in non-profits and political organizations as it is in business.    I really enjoyed the stories of some of Nike's iconic campaigns. Digging in to find compelling ways to tell stories that illustrate and support your values in a real way, feels like a very human way of crafting a brand that people can believe in.    I've counted the episodes that we already have recorded and edited for you, and it's currently eight episodes. There are famous designers like Vicki Tan and John Maeda, authors like Susie Wise and Ashish Goel, and the most connected man in the world, Chris Dancy, among them. We release conversations weekly with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, entrepreneurs, and activists who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Greg Hoffman.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [4:39] Life in the Present [5:38] Early Childhood Driving Forces [7:29] An Age of Color Blindness [9:18] The Power of Drawing [12:52] Joining Nike [16:27] What is Branding? [18:12] The Importance of Emotions [23:57] Crafting Authenticity [32:44] Developing a Culture of Risk-Taking [35:19] Find Your Greatness [38:06] Believe in Something [41:04] Designing Dreams [45:52] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Greg's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   John-Paul Flintoff is a writer, performer, and illustrator, and the author of books like How to Change the World and A Modest Book About How to Make an Adequate Speech. He worked for 15 years as a writer and associate editor on the Financial Times, The Sunday Times, and other papers in magazines, and has been involved with The School of Life in London as a lecturer and writer.   Today, he runs a subscription service called Adequate Projects, which provides moral support and a bit of financial freedom in return for discounts and exclusive access.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: The importance of creativity and how he learned it as a child. His attraction to poetry and why he became a journalist. His book, How to Change the World, and the burden it placed on him later in life. His involvement with The School of Life. What learning improv taught him about creativity and about life. His work on public speaking and his book on the subject. And how tragedy reshaped his life and led him on a search for more resilient happiness.   We spoke in early June 2022, and I was excited to talk to John-Paul because of his involvement with so many things I care about, from The School of Life, to mindful use of technology, to improv and creativity, to the art of writing.   I left this conversation feeling inspired by John-Paul's honesty, his never-ending search for expression, creativity, and happiness, and the wisdom with which he connects with the people around him. I think most of our listeners will feel the same.   This conversation is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, makers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in with John-Paul Flintoff.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [3:44] Life in the Present [11:04] Childhood Creativity [16:18] A Journey to Journalism [19:45] A Memorable Event [23:39] From Journalist to Author [28:30] The School of Life [31:44] Change the World [35:42] Beauty and Fun [39:13] Effective Tools for Change [47:15] The Power of Improv [49:44] The Rejection Game [52:36] The Biggest Takeaways [55:38] A Religious Journey [1:05:25] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS John-Paul's Links

REVISITING EPISODE 016:   Joe Macleod was Global Head of Design for the legendary Design agency and game studio UsTwo, and is a veteran with decades of experience across service, digital, and product sectors.   In recent years, he became fascinated with the problem of designing good ending experiences and is the founder of what he calls “the world's first customer ending business”. It's not what you think - no customers get killed in the process. Instead, Joe is focused on giving customers a positive, meaningful, and socially responsible end of relationship experience.   His first book, titled Ends, is a look into the importance of thinking about offboarding - from sustainability and recycling, through data and privacy, to retiring old products and tools, and finds the roots of our collective repression of the end of cycle problem in our fear of death, and the rise of mass market capitalism.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we discuss: [2:18] Covid situation in Stockholm. [5:41] Growing up in the UK as a child with dyslexia, developing a sense of independence. [9:55] Early involvement in graphics, very early HTML and digital design work, and interaction design. [13:13] Getting involved with Mobile early at Orange and Nokia. [15:02] Observing the rise and fall of Nokia. [16:57] Joining legendary digital agency UsTwo. [26:06] The Off-Boarding Problem. [32:11] Getting Interested in Endings. [38:18] The Western Avoidance of Death. [41:07] A Chance to Reflect. [46:18] The Move Away from Endings. [51:11] Why is it important? [58:19] The Narrative Importance of Ending. [59:18] The Ends Book, and the 2nd Book. [1:14:29] Why the Focus on Endings?   EPISODE LINKS Joe's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Dr. Tobias Rees is CEO of Transformations of the Human School, and was formerly the William Dawson Chair at McGill University and the Reid Hoffman Professor of Humanities at the Parsons School of Design. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and holds degrees in philosophy, anthropology, and neurobiology.   In the early 2010s, he recognized that contemporary technology not only disrupts our historical established ways of thinking and doing, but also creates new ones: radically new possibilities that unfold beyond what we take for granted. This, he believes, is not only a sweeping event in the history of thought, but also a major opportunity; technology itself has become philosophical, and it has become possible to “do” philosophy by building and inventing new technologies.   This led him on a path to building a new institution, dedicated to the interplay of philosophy, art, science, and engineering, and to the way they blur the lines between the human and nonhuman.   EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Growing up with no books and few words in a small peasant village in Southern Germany. The importance and uses of silence which stayed with him ever since. How he became interested in philosophy, and the big questions after his grandfather's death. Moving freely from philosophy to comparative religion to anthropology and art history. The happy accident that led him to studying neurobiology and learning to see himself as a brain. The importance of concepts in framing our day-to-day experience. What do terms like human and humanity mean? When were they introduced? How did they evolve? What is the relationship between nature, humans, and machines? His work with some of the largest technology companies who are building a future to bring philosophy and art into the room. Where does creativity lie with AI algorithms like DALL·E 2? And the need to always reexamine our assumptions about the world and our values.    This conversation with Tobias is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with thinkers, designers, authors, makers, activists, and leaders who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to RemakePod.org to subscribe.   And now let's jump right in, with Dr. Tobias Rees.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [5:18] Life in the Present [7:00] Early Childhood Silence [13:44] An Educational Journey  [22:49] The Importance of Concepts [32:04] A Period of Growth and Sadness [40:47] An Opening of Doors [44:55] The Term 'Human' [56:12] Anthropology of Machines [1:11:35] Merging Philosophy with Engineering [1:17:55] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Tobias' Links

REVISITING EPISODE 018:   Steve Krug is one of the founding fathers of User Experience and Usability Design, and a bestselling author of two foundational classics in the field: Don't Make Me Think, his guide to Usability Design with over 600,000 copies in print today, and Rocket Surgery Made Easy, a friendly guide to Usability Testing. He based his writing on decades spent as a usability consultant for a wide variety of clients like Apple, Bloomberg.com, Lexus.com, NPR, and the International Monetary Fund, and continues to consult through his firm, Advanced Common Sense.    EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we discuss: [2:45] Life during the Covid pandemic. [5:49] Being nice is better than being smart. [9:04] Being nice in politics. [12:58] Not replacing Mr. Wizard. [17:22] From writing to usability. [22:29] The story behind "Don't Make Me Think". [27:47] Steve's literary style. [31:55] The evolution of UX design. [37:33] Empathy as a pre-requisite for being a great UX expert. [46:28] Writing and hating it since 1980 - about the new book about writing. [52:44] Advice for writers. [55:42] A short sermon on UX.    EPISODE LINKS Steve's Links

TODAY'S GUEST   Jay McClelland is a Computational Cognitive Neuroscientist and one of the founding fathers of the field of neural networks and deep learning in the 1980s, which led directly to today's explosion in AI and machine learning algorithms that are transforming our lives. He is the Lucie Stern Professor at Stanford University, where he was formerly the chair of the psychology department, and is currently a Consulting Research Scientist at DeepMind, perhaps the leader in machine learning technologies today.   Jay is best known for his work on statistical learning and parallel distributed processing, applying connectionist models (or neural networks) to explain cognitive phenomena such as spoken word recognition and visual word recognition. Today, he works on integrating language, memory, and visuospatial cognition in an integrated understanding system to capture human intelligence and enhance artificial intelligence, exploring how education and human-invented tools of thought can enhance human and machine intelligence.    EPISODE SUMMARY   In this conversation we talk about: Lessons from his youth, where he moved around the world as a child and interacted with different religions and backgrounds, which helped him understand that we are shaped by our contexts and experiences. His entry into cognitive psychology, and going beyond the laws of behavior into: Why do people behave the way they do? Building neural networks to model cognition. His world-changing PDP paper (Parallel Distributed Processing: Explorations in the Microstructure of Cognition), a paper that was published in 1986 and transformed this whole field, and directly led to more and more people embracing the connectionist model and neural networks. The fact and meaning of bi-directionality in neural networks. What does it mean that information can flow both ways in the same network structure? Generative models, and in this context, OpenAI's DALL-E 2 algorithm, which can create amazing illustrations and artworks — and should we credit generative or creative algorithms with artistry and give them credit for their art? Consciousness — does it extend beyond humans and is it something that we may be able to find someday in algorithms?   Talking to Jay really reminded me of the best in mankind, that through curiosity, asking interesting questions, and constructing thought models and experiments, we can unlock such a subtle and fundamental thing like cognition and the connectionist model, which then unlocks all of this power for society at large. We now have this responsibility to reign in the worst of mankind in how we exploit, curate, and share in the benefits of this incredible power. This will be a running topic for us, AI in the future. We explore the power of design and human-centered thinking to create a better future for everyone.   This conversation with Jay is one of many weekly conversations we already have lined up for you with leading authors, thinkers, designers, makers, scientists, and social entrepreneurs who are working to change our world for the better. So follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app, or head over to remakepod.org to subscribe.   And now, let's jump right in with Jay McClelland.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS   [7:28] Life in the Present [9:08] Early Childhood Perspectives [12:33] A Path to Psychology [22:16] Modeling Cognition [27:37] Neural Networks [35:16] The Significance of Bi-Directionality [40:21] Bistable Perception [43:55] The Truth of Mathematics [49:24] An Emergentist [55:17] Technology and AI [1:01:17] An Accumulation of Experience [1:07:20] On Consciousness [1:15:47] A Short Sermon   EPISODE LINKS Jay's Links