HeadRoom with Dr. Rod Berger

Welcome to another episode of HeadRoom. This is your host, Dr. Rod Berger, and today, we have a truly out-of-this-world guest on the show. Buckle up as we join Astronaut John Shoffner on a voyage that transcends the atmosphere and delves into the emotional odyssey of realizing a lifelong dream.

From the moment of liftoff to the realization that being an astronaut comes with the weighty responsibility of representing humanity, John will share his transformative journey to the International Space Station. A path paved not just for personal fulfillment but to inspire and educate others, especially the younger generation, on the wonders of space.

We'll navigate the shifts in John's perspective that led to the birth of the Perseid Foundation, his poignant reflections on the sense of time and the regret of not absorbing every second in space, and the bittersweet longing to return amidst the exhilaration of new private spaceflight opportunities.

Plus, we'll explore the profound impact that private individuals can have on space research and humanitarian efforts. John's commitment to STEM and the power of art to convey the grandeur of the cosmos is sure to kindle a fire of curiosity and passion in all of us.

Join us as we delve into the heart of a man changed by space, driven by a desire to lift others up to the stars. This is HeadRoom, where the sky is not the limit but just the beginning.

Timestamps

00:00 John Shoffner: astronaut, advocate, and space enthusiast

07:00 20 years together, then a decision for space.

09:23 Rare, privileged experiences provoke existential reflection.

13:20 Utilizing orbit experiences for meaningful and educational interactions.

17:14 Discuss the impact of internal voice in space.

18:48 Cherishing brief moments and experiences in space.

22:53 Private astronaut program adds value through research.

25:19 Children's fascination with space and self-expression.

31:13 Interview with astronaut sparks desire for space.

32:23 Reflection on unity and impact of space travel.

Connect with Astronaut John Shoffner

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpshoffner/

Website: https://www.axiomspace.com/

Jennifer Dulski has a wide range of executive experience, including leadership roles at Facebook, Google, and Yahoo! and founder, CEO, and president roles at early-stage and scaling startups. She is currently CEO and founder of Rising Team, a company that provides tools, data, and community to turn managers into amazing coaches who build happier and more successful teams.

Prior to her current venture, Jennifer Dulski made a significant impact at Facebook. She led Facebook Groups, a platform used by over 1.5 billion people monthly to create and engage in meaningful communities. Her team was instrumental in envisioning, building, and growing the Groups product. She also spearheaded the 2019 redesign of Facebook, “FB5,” which placed communities at the heart of the app.

Before Facebook, Dulski was president and COO of Change.org, a social enterprise company that empowers people to create campaigns for change. Under her leadership, Change.org grew 10x, from 18 million users to 180 million, developed a profitable business model, rebuilt its tech stack, and supported thousands of successful campaigns globally.

Jennifer Dulski's entrepreneurial journey began at Yahoo!, where she held various roles over nine years. Her tenure culminated in her leadership of one of six business units as group vice president and general manager of Local and Marketplaces. She then ventured out to co-found The Dealmap, a location-based deals app that was acquired by Google in 2011, making her the first woman entrepreneur to sell a company to Google. She later served as a product leader at Google before joining Change.org.

She has deep board experience in public and private companies and nonprofit boards and currently serves on the boards of WW, formerly Weight Watchers (NASDAQ: WW), the Change.org Foundation, and the Arctic Ice Project. Her previous board experience includes roles on two other public company boards, Move, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE) until its acquisition by NewsCorp and TEGNA (NYSE: TGNA).

Dulski writes about leadership for LinkedIn Influencers, Fortune, Forbes, and Huffington Post. Her first book, Purposeful, about how each of us can be movement starters, was published by Penguin Portfolio in 2018 and is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller.

Richard Gerver came to prominence when, as a headteacher, he turned around a failing school in the UK in under two years. Winning plaudits globally, Richard was labeled The Walt Disney of The Classroom by the UK media and went on to win a multitude of international awards, including a UNESCO award for leadership and innovation, Global Gurus Top 30 Thinker, and The National Teaching Awards, Headteacher of the Year.

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Using his unique experience and insight, Richard has become one of the world’s most influential experts on change and human leadership, helping clients worldwide struggling with uncertainty and change caused by rapid and dramatic shifts in technological, economic, political, health, and environmental developments.

His impactful and sustainable leadership philosophies and strategies for change have seen him work with iconic brands, organizations, and individuals, including Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, Visa, and GSK, President Obama, The Dalai Lama, Steve Wozniak, and Eric Schmidt. He has spoken to audiences worldwide, including in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China, Russia, The UAE, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil and Spain.

Richard was also described by Sir Ken Robinson as,

"One of the clearest and most passionate voices for radical change both in education and in business... In his compelling presentations and books, he takes his powerful message of hope and possibility to educators, business leaders and policymakers around the world. It's a message that has to be heard."

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The author of four renowned books drawing on Richard’s experience as an educator and consultant to businesses and organizations, he also has two hugely successful courses on LinkedIn Learning.

In this special episode I speak with Moussa Sene, who has seen the impact that Thread has had on the surrounding area, acting as both an artist residency and socio-cultural center.

Moussa talks on the good that Thread has brought with it since its inception in 2013. It's creator had the idea that Art is everywhere, not just in Western, urban capitals.

Thread has created an independent culture where local and international artists can live and work in Sinthian, a rural village in Tambacounda, the southeastern region of Senegal.

Welcome to the episode of HeadRoom. Today, we're diving deep into the transformative world of artificial intelligence with a trailblazing guest, Sarah Nagy, Co-Founder and CEO of SEEK AI. With an impressive background in finance and startups, Sarah has consistently stayed ahead of the curve, anticipating the seismic shifts in technology that would reshape our professional and personal landscapes long before generative AI became a buzzword.

In our conversation, Sarah shares her journey to founding SEEK AI, her eye-opening encounter with large language models like GPT-3, and her vision for how generative AI can unlock the potential of structured datasets. We'll challenge the notion that AI is a mere fad and explore its profound and permanent impact on human life and work, digging into the intricate dynamics between AI and the evolution of various industries.

So plug in, as we unravel how generative AI is not just rewriting code but also rewriting career paths, entrepreneurship, and the very fabric of society, right here on HeadRoom, where the future is an open conversation.

Stay tuned, this is a discussion you surely don't want to miss.

Timestamps

00:00 SEEK was founded before ChatGPT focused on AI.

05:41 Disliked writing SQL until I found GPT-3.

10:00 Surprising intellect, courage, and challenges for women.

12:36 Encourage making STEM cool for women, and inclusivity.

15:53 Addressing the impact of AI on professions.

19:41 AI impact on job market and education.

23:27 Learning code is crucial for future communication.

27:54 Tech innovation needs to embrace storytelling narrative.

30:51 Childhood passion for art transformed into ambition.

35:05 Prepare for changing careers due to AI.

Connect with Sarah Nagy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-nagy/

Website: https://www.seek.ai/mission