Ilya Zaritskiy

Ilya Zaritskiy arrived in Los Angeles as a refugee from Ukraine. He was a child, in middle school, perhaps. There were tanks on the streets in LA – the 1992 Rodney King riots were happening. Neither he nor his family spoke any English. This podcast is the story of how one immigrant kid used the … Continue reading "27 | Ilya Zaritskiy built a PE firm from credit cards"

Ilya Zaritskiy arrived in Los Angeles as a refugee from Ukraine. He was a child, in middle school, perhaps. There were tanks on the streets in LA – the 1992 Rodney King riots were happening. Neither he nor his family spoke any English. This podcast is the story of how one immigrant kid used the … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/27-ilya-zaritskiy-built-a-pe-firm-from-credit-cards/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "27 | Ilya Zaritskiy built a PE firm from credit cards"</a>

27 | Ilya Zaritskiy built a PE firm from credit cards

Rohit Chopra

Rohit Chopra is the co-host of the podcast India Explained and Associate Professor at Santa Clara University. We talk about journalism in India and it’s evolution from the days of Doordarshan to the cornucopia of (mostly bad) options available today. Through our conversation I was introduced or reintroduced to a number of people and bodies … Continue reading "25 | Rohit Chopra and the history of Indian media"

Rohit Chopra is the co-host of the podcast India Explained and Associate Professor at Santa Clara University. We talk about journalism in India and it’s evolution from the days of Doordarshan to the cornucopia of (mostly bad) options available today. Through our conversation I was introduced or reintroduced to a number of people and bodies … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/25-rohit-chopra/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "25 | Rohit Chopra and the history of Indian media"</a>

25 | Rohit Chopra and the history of Indian media

Jim Tanner

Jim Tanner founded Just Good Advice with the goal of providing sound financial advice to ordinary people. In the story that takes him to Just Good Advice, we talk about his first fin-tech company from when the best way to transmit data was the fax machine; Morningstar, where Jim ran the sales team; and the … Continue reading "24 | Jim Tanner"

Jim Tanner founded Just Good Advice with the goal of providing sound financial advice to ordinary people. In the story that takes him to Just Good Advice, we talk about his first fin-tech company from when the best way to transmit data was the fax machine; Morningstar, where Jim ran the sales team; and the … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/24-jim-tanner/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "24 | Jim Tanner"</a>

24 | Jim Tanner

Adam Greenberg

Adam Greenberg shares his journey to become a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia via AmeriCorps and other random travel. For someone so young, he’s certainly lived in a lot of places by his own choosing; this conversation was great. We need to all think more about the impact of student debt on the labor market … Continue reading "23 | Adam Greenberg on the Peace Corps, Zambia, and Living"

Adam Greenberg shares his journey to become a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia via AmeriCorps and other random travel. For someone so young, he’s certainly lived in a lot of places by his own choosing; this conversation was great. We need to all think more about the impact of student debt on the labor market … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode023/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "23 | Adam Greenberg on the Peace Corps, Zambia, and Living"</a>

23 | Adam Greenberg on the Peace Corps, Zambia, and Living

Jon Peeples

Dr Jon Peeples takes us behind the scenes into the world of psychiatry for a fascinating conversation around mental health, being a smarter consumer of psychiatric care, and public health. We talk about encounters in the ER and serving some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations. As he observes, Prozac is not going to … Continue reading "22 | Jon Peeples on Psychiatry, Public Health, and Writing"

Dr Jon Peeples takes us behind the scenes into the world of psychiatry for a fascinating conversation around mental health, being a smarter consumer of psychiatric care, and public health. We talk about encounters in the ER and serving some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations. As he observes, Prozac is not going to … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "22 | Jon Peeples on Psychiatry, Public Health, and Writing"</a>

22 | Jon Peeples on Psychiatry, Public Health, and Writing

Brian Hart

Brian Hart is the co-founder of Lighthouse DC, a non-profit that helps people transitioning from homelessness in turning empty spaces into homes that are welcoming and functional for their families. We talk about homelessness in the capital of the world’s richest country, how to talk about homelessness to people with a spectrum of views on … Continue reading "21 | Brian Hart Explains Homelessness in America"

Brian Hart is the co-founder of Lighthouse DC, a non-profit that helps people transitioning from homelessness in turning empty spaces into homes that are welcoming and functional for their families. We talk about homelessness in the capital of the world’s richest country, how to talk about homelessness to people with a spectrum of views on … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode021/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "21 | Brian Hart Explains Homelessness in America"</a>

21 | Brian Hart Explains Homelessness in America

Tova Levin has worked closely with two of the most prominent economists of our generation – Steven Levitt and John List – serving as Levitt’s Chief of Staff for several years before joining Humana as a leader in their behavioral economics division. We nerd out about so much in economics – Gary Becker (read the … Continue reading "Episode 20 | Tova Levin on Experimental and Behavioral Economics"

Tova Levin has worked closely with two of the most prominent economists of our generation – Steven Levitt and John List – serving as Levitt’s Chief of Staff for several years before joining Humana as a leader in their behavioral economics division. We nerd out about so much in economics – Gary Becker (read the … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 20 | Tova Levin on Experimental and Behavioral Economics"</a>

Episode 20 | Tova Levin on Experimental and Behavioral Economics

Katy Dickinson

Katy Dickinson has been around the tech-block. Hired by Eric Schmidt at Sun Microsystems, she literally wrote the book on the software development lifecycle that Sun used for release of almost 10,000 releases. She is a technologist, entrepreneur, mentor, and writer. In our conversation Katy talks about her work as a technologist on creating processes: … Continue reading "Episode 19 | Katy Dickinson on Technology, Mentoring, and Religion"

Katy Dickinson has been around the tech-block. Hired by Eric Schmidt at Sun Microsystems, she literally wrote the book on the software development lifecycle that Sun used for release of almost 10,000 releases. She is a technologist, entrepreneur, mentor, and writer. In our conversation Katy talks about her work as a technologist on creating processes: … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode019/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 19 | Katy Dickinson on Technology, Mentoring, and Religion"</a>

Episode 19 | Katy Dickinson on Technology, Mentoring, and Religion

Phill Keene

Phill Keene builds insides-sales organizations for companies that are selling to other companies (“B2B”). We jam about what it takes to build a successful inside sales organization, staying relevant in a world that’s changing quickly because of technology, podcasting (he co-hosts a very successful podcast, #RealSalesTalk), and what I’d think of as flourishing or living … Continue reading "Episode 18 | Phill Keene on Building Sales Teams"

Phill Keene builds insides-sales organizations for companies that are selling to other companies (“B2B”). We jam about what it takes to build a successful inside sales organization, staying relevant in a world that’s changing quickly because of technology, podcasting (he co-hosts a very successful podcast, #RealSalesTalk), and what I’d think of as flourishing or living … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode018/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 18 | Phill Keene on Building Sales Teams"</a>

Episode 18 | Phill Keene on Building Sales Teams

Avi Patchava

I stumbled upon Avi Patchava because of his recent post, “The 5 unexpected reasons why Indians make it as CEOs of global companies,” and I was surprised that it was so sincerely reasoned. Avi graciously agreed to jam with me  and we talked about his journey from London/McKinsey to InMobi, the tech scene in India … Continue reading "Episode 17 | Avi Patchava on India’s Future with Artificial Intelligence"

I stumbled upon Avi Patchava because of his recent post, “The 5 unexpected reasons why Indians make it as CEOs of global companies,” and I was surprised that it was so sincerely reasoned. Avi graciously agreed to jam with me  and we talked about his journey from London/McKinsey to InMobi, the tech scene in India … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode017/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 17 | Avi Patchava on India’s Future with Artificial Intelligence"</a>

Episode 17 | Avi Patchava on India’s Future with Artificial Intelligence

Life of the Mind with Akshay Birla is for the intellectually curious who are looking beyond their own professional field to engage with and learn from others who are thinking deeply, reflecting sincerely, and engaging deliberately. Guests span careers in the military, public service, business, finance, academia, and politics.

Life of the Mind with Akshay Birla

Kathryn Hume

Kathryn Hume is a technologist and philosopher. She’s the VP of Product at integrate.ai, Venture Partner at ffVC, and writer at Quam Proxime. If you’re nerdy enough, she’ll talk about her PhD research on the 17th and 18th century version of “fake it till you make it” which she does here (score!). In this episode … Continue reading "Episode 15 | Kathryn Hume on AI, 17th Century French Philosophy, and Intellectual Curiosity"

Kathryn Hume is a technologist and philosopher. She’s the VP of Product at <a href="http://integrate.ai" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">integrate.ai</a>, Venture Partner at ffVC, and writer at Quam Proxime. If you’re nerdy enough, she’ll talk about her PhD research on the 17th and 18th century version of “fake it till you make it” which she does here (score!). In this episode … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode015/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 15 | Kathryn Hume on AI, 17th Century French Philosophy, and Intellectual Curiosity"</a>

Episode 15 | Kathryn Hume on AI, 17th Century French Philosophy, and Intellectual Curiosity

David Akinin

This week’s guest, David Akinin, spoke to me from Namibia, where he has boldly embarked on the mission to help urbanization. Unlike the mindset of foreign intervention, aid, or charity, David’s motive is to satisfy customers (small as the promises might be) and deliver good returns for his investors. (The token reference to Namibia if … Continue reading "Episode 10 | David Akinin is helping urbanize Namibia"

This week’s guest, David Akinin, spoke to me from Namibia, where he has boldly embarked on the mission to help urbanization. Unlike the mindset of foreign intervention, aid, or charity, David’s motive is to satisfy customers (small as the promises might be) and deliver good returns for his investors. (The token reference to Namibia if … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode010/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 10 | David Akinin is helping urbanize Namibia"</a>

Episode 10 | David Akinin is helping urbanize Namibia

Pete Kalenik

An alumnus of the Chicago Public Schools, Concordia University Chicago, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago and Loyala University Chicago, Pete makes for a very unusual police officer. But his range and depth of perspectives from academia, the US Army, and the Chicago Police Department make him uniquely qualified to help … Continue reading "Episode 7 | Pete Kalenik will fundamentally alter your perspectives on policing"

An alumnus of the Chicago Public Schools, Concordia University Chicago, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago and Loyala University Chicago, Pete makes for a very unusual police officer. But his range and depth of perspectives from academia, the US Army, and the Chicago Police Department make him uniquely qualified to help … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode007/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 7 | Pete Kalenik will fundamentally alter your perspectives on policing"</a>

Episode 7 | Pete Kalenik will fundamentally alter your perspectives on policing

Sarah Costa

If you aren’t at a college or university, and don’t have children, the chances are that you haven’t been to a public library recently. Most of my neighbors don’t even know that we have a public library right down the street! So I thought I’d talk to a librarian about whether public libraries are still … Continue reading "Episode 6 | Sarah Costa will make you believe in libraries again"

If you aren’t at a college or university, and don’t have children, the chances are that you haven’t been to a public library recently. Most of my neighbors don’t even know that we have a public library right down the street! So I thought I’d talk to a librarian about whether public libraries are still … <a href="https://lifeofthemind.xyz/episode006/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continue reading "Episode 6 | Sarah Costa will make you believe in libraries again"</a>

Episode 6 | Sarah Costa will make you believe in libraries again

The best podcast episodes on Startups. For anyone working in a startup, or anyone interested in the incredible stories behind how people built companies like Instagram, and Facebook. Offering both practical advice and insights, as well as the stories for how many of the biggest startups got to where they are today. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

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Best Startups Podcasts

The best podcast episodes on global issues affecting everyone. Covering topics such as the #metoo movement, climate change, the impact of technology and some of the biggest global issues facing us right now. For anyone interested in learning more about the world, and some of the issues we're facing, pick an episode below and start listening! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!