Abstract Essay

Rashmir Balasubramaniam

I help leaders & change makers move from extractive performance to regenerative impact

I work with leaders and changemakers who are sensing that the way they've been operating and the systems they're part of no longer quite work, but the next way hasn't fully formed yet.

My work focuses on helping leaders move from extractive performance to regenerative impact — translating inner shifts in clarity, integrity and awareness into how they lead, decide and shape systems in the real world.

After three decades inside and advising or coaching in influential institutions (including the Gates Foundation, the NHS, Nesta, the World Bank) as well as smaller nonprofits and startups, I've seen firsthand how today's leadership models were brilliant for getting us here and why they increasingly fall short of what's needed now. Even deeply values-led leaders can find themselves exhausted, fragmented, and working harder for diminishing returns.

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Mike Leblanc

Harvard | Marine | Sequoia Founder

Mike LeBlanc brings a distinct perspective shaped by experience in environments where decisions carry real consequences. He spent 13 years as a Marine Corps officer, including deployments and advisory work at the Pentagon, before transitioning into entrepreneurship and building robotics companies deployed in complex, real-world conditions.

After leaving the military, Mike co-founded multiple robotics companies, including Cobalt Robotics (acquired in 2024) and his current company, Foundation Future Industries, which builds humanoid robotic systems for defense and industrial applications. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, technology, national security, and organizational design.

Podcast conversations with Mike tend to go beyond surface-level business stories. He speaks candidly about leading under pressure, building teams from nontraditional backgrounds, translating military experience into civilian organizations, and what it actually takes to deploy technology in high-stakes environments. He also draws on experience building venture-backed companies at the intersection of AI and robotics—from early hiring and product decisions to scaling and fundraising across all stages. Hosts often find that his background creates natural entry points into discussions on leadership, trust, decision-making, ethics, and execution—whether the audience is interested in startups, defense, robotics, artificial intelligence, or personal leadership growth.

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Cynthia Coy

From Overwhelm to Overflow: C-Suite Coaching for Women Who Lead on Purpose.

About Dr. Cynthia Coy

Dr. Cynthia Coy helps high-achieving women lead without losing themselves. As the Founder and CEO of Uncaged Solutions, she draws from over two decades in the U.S. Air Force, corporate leadership, and behavioral science to guide women from a state of overwhelm to overflow—where success feels as good as it looks.

Through her signature F.R.E.S.H. framework—Financial, Relational, Emotional, Spiritual, and Holistic—Dr. Coy teaches leaders how to realign their priorities, build emotionally intelligent teams, and make decisions from clarity instead of chaos.

She's not another motivational voice; she's a strategist who helps women executives recognize that mindset drives performance and freedom fuels influence. Her audiences gain practical, actionable insights on how to manage leadership fatigue, communicate with authenticity, and lead from a place of harmony rather than hustle.

Dr. Coy's work has helped women across industries reshape how they lead, live, and love—proving that leadership doesn't have to cost your peace or your purpose.

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Joyce Gerber

Influencing the conversation around cannabis and caregivers one story at a time.

Joyce Gerber is an attorney, creator, and caregiver. She was the executive producer and host of the award-winning podcast, The Canna Mom Show, where she used her unique voice to influence the narrative around cannabis and caregiving. Although the final episode of The Canna Mom Show was recorded in 2024, Joyce has continued using her voice advocating for the normalization of cannabis and caregivers. On April 20, 2026, she will be launching her first novel, She's Taking a Break, a contemporary romance, but for cannabis lovers – a cannabis romance. When not advocating for cannabis normalization, Joyce is active with many community and civic organizations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband, daughter, cats and the occasional student from the Berklee School of Music. In her spare time she has managed a rock band, ran for a local political office, and likes to create beautiful quilts for friends and family. Joyce has degrees from Northeastern University, Tufts University, and Connecticut College. When asked to describe his mom, her son Josh said, "she's a force to be reckoned with."

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Daniel Neissany

Helping Healthcare Leaders Build Profitable Practices Without Burnout

I am a healthcare leadership strategist, business consultant, and podcast host with a mission to help clinic owners and healthcare leaders grow profitable, people-centered practices.

I combine clinical healthcare experience with business strategy, leadership development, and operational systems to empower clinics to scale without burnout or dependency on insurance revenue.

Professional Identity

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) with a clinical background in healthcare.

Co-Founder & Lead Strategist at Best Practice Strategies, a consulting firm focused on healthcare leadership, operations, and practice growth.

Host of the All Things LOCS podcast — a weekly show offering practical frameworks for leadership, team performance, and sustainable practice growth.

Author of I'm The Problem: Take Your Leadership Skills From Toxic to Transformative — a leadership development book rooted in personal growth and real-world experience.

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Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, features Kaylee Pelczarski, founder of Raw Kayy, as my special guest. As an entrepreneur and creative visionary, Kaylee Pelczarski has built Raw Kayy as a platform rooted in authenticity, self-expression, and purposeful growth. Her journey reflects the courage to embrace individuality while navigating the challenges of building a brand in today's fast-changing digital and entrepreneurial landscape. In this compelling conversation, Kaylee shares her insights on creativity, personal development, and the importance of staying true to one's voice while pursuing meaningful success. She also explores how passion, resilience, and intentional living can transform ideas into impactful ventures, inspiring listeners to embrace their own unique path and unlock their full potential in both business and life.

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Greg Pai

Through decades across finance, entertainment, technology, and global consulting — one truth revealed: an invisible war is waged against humanity and our individual purpose, peace, and passion

Greg Pai has spent decades navigating the worlds of entertainment, finance, technology, and global business. Along the way, he discovered something that changed everything — an invisible war being waged against humanity through the very systems we trust most, from education and media to finance and government. That revelation became the Voice of the Heart, a multi-generational franchise of books and tools built around a powerful metaphor for human growth — designed to expose the invisible war against human fulfillment and equip people to reclaim their purpose, peace, and passion

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Lin Green

Author, Consultant & Speaker Helping Individuals and Communities Rise with Intention

I'm Lin Green — an award-winning community advocate, columnist, author, speaker, and business and nonprofit consultant. My work sits where real life meets real growth: helping people and organizations turn hard stories into healing, purpose, and impact.

I didn't start out with a polished plan — I started out with a strong willed Matriarch of a Mother. And oh boy, did she give me material. My memoir, Enough with the Secrets, Mama!, is about the messy, hilarious, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive journey of trying to survive a complicated mother-daughter relationship while breaking generational patterns most of us would rather ignore. Part immigrant family story, part self-help disguised as memoir, and part "please tell me I'm not the only one," the book takes readers from cultural shifts and childhood chaos to the moment when you decide you're done waiting for permission — and give yourself grace instead.

This lived experience fuels everything I do. From serving on community task forces to empowering nonprofit leaders, I blend real-world strategy with heart — helping audiences laugh, reflect, and do something with what they feel. Podcast hosts book me because I bring depth without dryness, vulnerability without self-pity, and practical insight that meets listeners where they are — whether they're navigating forgiveness, leadership, or legacy.

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Lucie Ptasznik

National Speaker, Coach & Entrepreneur

Lucie is a national speaker, coach and serial entrepreneur who helps people transform their identity and rewire their subconscious mind to take massive action towards their goals. She challenges entrepreneurs and business professionals to step outside of their comfort zone, to dream BIG and to become the best versions of themselves mentally, physically, financially & spiritually.

With a background in quantum physics, she boldly teaches that you are the powerful creator of your own reality. Through special mind hacking tools & techniques, she teaches people the power of awareness, how to take back control of their life and how to achieve the success they have always dreamed of having!

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Christopher Rivers

The Real Story Behind You Shouldn't Have to Kill to Get Ahead — and How We Rebuild the American Dream

I grew up in a working‑class family that did everything right but still struggled to get ahead. At seventeen, I enlisted in the Army and went on to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. After my first deployment, I earned my degree from West Point, returned to serve again, and later completed graduate studies at Georgetown.

Across those years — from combat zones to diplomatic work to corporate strategy — I kept seeing the same pattern: people working hard, playing by the rules, and still feeling like the system wasn't built for them. That realization pushed me to run for state office, where I knocked on nine thousand doors and heard those stories firsthand.

My book, You Shouldn't Have to Kill to Get Ahead, is the result of that journey. It blends lived experience with clear, accessible insights about leadership, belonging, and what it will take to rebuild trust and opportunity in America.

Hosts bring me on because I make complex issues human and hopeful. I don't do partisan fights — I bring clarity, honesty, and a grounded perspective that helps audiences feel seen and empowered. If your listeners are hungry for a conversation that cuts through the noise and actually means something, I'm here for it.

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