Shows
The Study of PurposeEpisode 15: Curiosity is My Superpower w/ Dr. John CollinsJohn Collins is a nuclear physicist, an inventor, and an expert on commercializing disruptive innovations. He also just might be be the most curious person on earth. Born and raised in an impoverished area of London, John had 33 hobbies between the ages of 11 and 19 ranging from computer programming and electronics design to stone polishing. Despite his technical talents, John opted to study psychology at university after hearing rave stories about the field from a sex therapist friend of his. After having his fun in undergrad, John got a PhD in nuclear physics and went on to invent the world’s...
2021-02-191h 10The Study of PurposeEpisode 14: My Identity Exists in Theory with Kibwe Chase-MarshallKibwe Chase-Marshall is real — but to the average person, his identity only exists in theory. As a well-educated, gay, black individual working in American fashion, Kibwe's background is incredibly rare. After migrating from Trinidad to the East Coast at 3 years old, Kibwe was raised by his mother, a skilled architect. Having developed a talent for fashion design in high school, Kibwe began working under Michael Kors as a fashion designer at age 17. Since then, he has operated as a designer and writer for brands like Fashionista, L Magazine, and Conde Nast. He is currently a cofounder of the Kelly In...
2021-02-031h 49The Study of PurposeEpisode 13: The Purpose Myth with Charlotte CramerCharlotte Cramer can be best described as a no-BS, purpose-driven realist. During the day, Charlotte works as a marketer for companies like Google and Vice, and at night she works on her own purpose-driven side projects.
In 2015, she launched her first side project, Crack and Cider — a store where people could buy essential items for homeless people. The project was a success, which led her to launching it in London, San Francisco, and other cities across the globe. Charlotte fundamentally believes that to live a purposeful life, you don’t need to have a purpose-driven job — you can cu...
2021-01-051h 05The Study of PurposeEpisode 12: The Art of Building Movements with Jee KimJee Kim is a NYC-based movement-builder who has spent his life perfecting the art of crafting narratives that catalyze social change. For him, well-crafted narratives serve as the lubricant that powers social movements. Jee fundamentally believes that socioeconomic inequality is not a natural state, and he has devoted his career to proving his thesis correct. Currently, he is a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, after having previously founded 18 Million Rising - a platform built to increase the political power of Asian Americans.
Enjoy!
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2020-12-2452 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 11: B Corporations are the Future of Business with Marcel FukuyamaCan capitalism be used as a force for good? Our guest this week, Marcel Fukuyama, has devoted his life to answer this question. His answer: yes, but it must be reformed! Marcel has spent the majority of his life using market-driven solutions as a tool to solve social and environmental problems in his home country, Brazil. Since creating one of Brazil’s first internet cafes during the 1990s at age 17, Marcel has been closely involved with establishing the B Corp movement in South America. This is a global movement redefining capitalism - one that prioritizes social benefit of all st...
2020-12-0844 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 10: On Serendipity with Christian BuschWhy do certain people appear to attract luck in their lives? How do we maximize our chances of being at the right place at the right time? According to Christian Busch, our guest this week, it’s all about your mental framework - your serendipity mindset. Christian is a professor of global affairs at NYU and is an impact entrepreneur. Above all, he’s obsessed with maximizing serendipity. He’s the author of Serendipity Mindset: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck. During our conversation, we dive into his rebellious upbringing, his near death experiences, and his passion for co...
2020-11-1600 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 9: On Art and Farming with Britt BrowneBritt Browne embodies the adage “follow your heart.” Trained as an artist and currently residing in Los Angeles, Britt operates at the nexus of art and farming. In the art and fashion world, she has worked in art direction and trend forecasting for companies like Abercrombie & Fitch and W Magazine. Outside of fashion, her paintings, textiles, and films have been displayed at museums like the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Right now, she is focusing her efforts on her newest venture: Finca Tierra Negra - the confluence of art and composting.
Enjoy!
Show Notes
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2020-10-3000 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 8: Social Justice, Trauma, and Healing through Somatic Therapy with Sumitra RajkumarSumitra Rajkumar is a social justice leader and somatic therapy practitioner. Born in Chennai, South India and raised in Dubai, Sumitra spent her years after college in the 90's working on social justice initiatives in NYC. She started on the streets, worked on youth organizing for political education, and eventually held leadership roles in social justice groups like Social Justice Leadership.
Along the way, she noticed something very concerning - many of her fellow social justice activists were experiencing psychological trauma. So, she decided to devote her life to solving this problem. Her solution: somatic therapy.
2020-10-0800 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 7: Wildfires, Urgency, and History with Char MillerChar Miller is a professor and director of environmental analysis at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Beyond being a devoted educator to the next generation of environmentalists, Char is an expert on U.S forest management, California wildfires, water scarcity, and environmental history. When Char isn't teaching, he's writing. In the past 2 years, he's released books covering water management, marijuana policy and politics, and a collection of essays about Theodore Roosevelt.
In this episode, we dig into:
- what it means to be an effective teacher
- the status of wildfires in...
2020-09-2152 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 6: On Planning Your Life and the Future of Technology with Terry KramerThis week, Riley and Aaron interview Terry Kramer, the director of the Easton Technology Management Center at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Terry epitomizes the phrase "a man with a plan."
As a young teenager, his plan was to work odd jobs until he could afford a $25,000+ Pontiac Firebird upon graduating high school. He stuck to it and rode that thing all the way to Harvard Business School! During his undergrad at UCLA, Terry planned out his life: first, reach success in business, and then give back to society through civic service and teaching. Unlike...
2020-09-0855 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 5: Going Against the Grain with João Paulo PacificoBorn and raised in Brazil, Joao Paulo Pacifico spearheaded a unique corporate culture in Brazil through the development of his company Gaia Group. Unhappy with the profit-focused culture of finance, Joao pioneered his financial securitization company in 2009 with the mission to put people and the planet ahead of profits. When he's not running Gaia Group, he's producing motivational content on LinkedIn, where he focuses on maximizing purpose and happiness within company cultures.
We'd also like to thank our guest Vitor Takasu for assisting us with the interview.
Show Notes:
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2020-08-231h 04The Study of PurposeEpisode 4: Self Discovery and Social Entrepreneurship with Gustavo FugaBorn and raised in a low-income area of Sao Paulo, Gustavo Fuga started 4YOU2 at age 18 after learning that 97% of Brazilians didn't know english - including himself. With no money to his name, he aimed to create the world's first low-cost english school. Today, he is 8 years into his mission and has since created over 8 english schools in Brazil and is in the process of opening over 30 more.
We sit down with Gustavo to discuss his thoughts on:
- social entrepreneurship
- risk taking and motivation
- the...
2020-08-161h 03The Study of PurposeEpisode 3: On Life, Energy, and Aspirations with Aaron FeigelmanThis week, we sit down with our cohost Aaron Feigelman to discuss his background and philosophies around which he centers his life. Enjoy!
Show Notes:
- Sustainable Summer: https://sustainablesummer.org/
- Benicia Solar Initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGbum3RONUA
- Helios Project: https://www.heliosproject.net/
- Benjamin Franklin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
- William Faulkner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Faulkner
- John von Neumann: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann
2020-08-0957 minThe Study of PurposeEpisode 2: On Life and Purpose with Riley KuffnerIn this week's episode, we dig into Riley's background and what purpose means to him. Enjoy!
Show Notes:
⁃ Steve Jobs interview (https://youtu.be/kYfNvmF0Bqw)
⁃ Servant Leadership (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_leadership)
⁃ Bruin Home Solutions (http://bruinhomesolutions.com/)
⁃ Avery Brundage (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Brundage)
⁃ Solar...
2020-08-0248 min
The Study of PurposeEpisode 1: Intro to The Study of PurposeRiley and Aaron introduce the vision behind The Study of Purpose - a lifelong project focused on understanding how society defines and is motivated by purpose. Thanks for listening!
Sign up to our newsletter here: https://www.thestudyofpurpose.com/
2020-07-2520 min