Basic Brainheart

Esther Pearl, Founder and Executive Director of Camp Reel Stories

CampReelStories.com

Esther Pearl is the founder and Executive Director of Camp Reel Stories. She received her Bachelor’s in Visual Arts from U.C.S.D and her M.B.A. in Sustainable Management from The Presidio Graduate School. She has spent 15 years working in Production Management in the Entertainment Industry. The majority of her career was spent at Pixar Animation Studios where her feature film credits include Academy Award winning films The Incredibles and Wall-e, as well as Monsters, Inc. Her other credits include; Titanic, Starship Troopers, Armageddon and What Dreams May Come.

She was also a founding board member and the former President of the Board of Bay Area Girls Rock Camp (BAGRC).

Esther believes in the power of great storytelling to create social change.

Esther lives in Oakland with her husband and two children.

During our chat, we discussed a number of fantastic topics...included among those are:

- Esther-osophy

- What a story manager does

- What separates a good story from a great story

- The state of the entertainment industry today

- How women can break into entertainment and what Esther is doing

- Camp Reel Stories and how it's impacting girls of all background to be tomorrow's storytellers

We give shout outs to:

RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)

Camp Reel Stories

Women in Animation

Gloria Kimbwala runs Square's 1-week immersive bootcamp for Talented Women, called Code Camp.

She currently working on her Master’s in Computer Sciences with an concentration in Software Engineering. She actively mentors other minorities, women, and under-represented communities in tech.

In today's episode, we learn about what pivotal moments led Gloria to the career she has today. There are so few black women in tech, and she has managed to succeed even when those around her may have disagreed with her career track.

We discuss so much, including:

- Creating a workplace that nurtures diversity and inclusion

- Urgency and priority for diversity and inclusion STARTS AT THE TOP

- Making a difference when it comes to improving diversity in tech (particularly in underserved communities)

- The crucial role of being a door opener for other women and minorities.

- How has being a mom changes your worldview and priorities as a woman in tech

- Imposter Syndrome

- What do you do when you see a woman struggling with imposter syndrome?

- How to help other women struggling with imposter syndrome

- Going vegan!

- Politics in our current society

People can find Gloria online at:

Instagram: gkimbwala

Twitter: gkimbwala

Chris King: Beating Creator’s Block One Microcommitment at a Time

Many people in the tech industry feel that making it to silicon valley (and succeeding there) is the ultimate career achievement. That’s not the case. As humans it’s in our nature to always strive for more - for new experiences, growth and something more meaningful.

Chris King is one of Silicon Valley’s most gifted and brilliant designers. The sheer thought and research he puts into his designs and the beauty that stems from his research and dedication to creativity.

Just a few topics we discussed:

The importance of getting varied life experiences before choosing a career path

How to successfully mess up and learn from it

Using microcommitments to make it through the funk

Iconic logos from the valley

Shapes

Colors

Branding

Product design

Daily routines

Setting up a winning workspace

Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, & Cosmology by Miranda Lundy

Finding time to keep creativity in your life

Morning routines for improved focus and productivity

Self care

The importance of intentional disconnection

We give shoutouts to Intrinium, Spokane Falls Design Program, Thumbtack, Gravity Jack, Cursus and many others.