Coffee or Cerveza Podcast

We discuss with Matt Pollock (President and CEO of Watermark Bank) his vision, mindset and strategy of creating a newly charted bank in Oklahoma and how it could best represent the local community. Discussing his Work/Life Balance, Team Building, and building a philanthropic culture in his work and personal life in leading by example. 

Hablamos con Matt Pollock (presidente y CEO de Watermark Bank) de su visión, mentalidad y estrategia para fundar un banco de nueva creación en Oklahoma y de cómo podría representar mejor a la comunidad local. Habla de su equilibrio entre trabajo y vida privada, de la creación de equipos y de cómo construye una cultura filantrópica en su trabajo y en su vida personal liderando con el ejemplo. 

Joined by Desmond Mason, Oklahoma State All-American, NBA first-round draft pick, 2001 NBA Slam Dunk Champion, 10 year NBA vet! We talked about basketball, Mexican culture (he owns a home in Cabo San Lucas), art and family. Great stories about Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Sutton, Kelvin Sampson, and even Big Country!

Acompañados por Desmond Mason, estadounidense de Oklahoma, elegido en la primera ronda del draft de la NBA, campeón de Slam Dunk de la NBA en 2001, ¡ Y claro, un veterano de la NBA desde hace 10 años! Hablamos de baloncesto, de la cultura mexicana (tiene una casa en Cabo San Lucas), sobre arte y sobre la familia. ¡Grandes historias sobre Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Sutton, Kelvin Sampson e incluso Big Country!

Greg Hallman Founder and CEO at Ocupath. With an Oklahoman father and Mexican mother, Hallman, is very passionate about culture and education. He was the recipient of The Gates Foundation Scholarship which he used to acquire his master's in education at Columbia University. Since then he has founded Ocupath and talks to us about Immersive Technology, such as Virtual Reality, and how this is the new reality for employee training. 

Ocupath seeks to modernize job shadowing by offering pre-recorded job shadowing experiences in virtual reality, for employees to discover their future occupation or path in life by watching 360 videos featuring real professionals in a variety of fields showing their work day. 

In this episode of Coffee or Cerveza, we are accompanied by 21-year-old Baruc Lara, University of Oklahoma Communications major and young leader. He is the CEO of The Lara Lopez Foundation, a nonprofit for high school students that give financial opportunity through scholarships, build success through a mentorship program, and teaches leadership through innovative programming. He also is passionate about sports, travel, and self-improvement. At his young age, Lara has written a book, has worked on various internships, traveled over 19 countries, and has a strong personal and community sense of purpose and responsibility. 

In this episode of Coffee or Cerveza, we are accompanied by Xochtl Saldana, University of Oklahoma Chemical Engineer first-generation student. She was the first recipient of Tio Chuy's Difference Maker Endowed Scholarship Fund for DACA students. We delved into her personal trajectory and career opportunities such as being raised by an immigrant mother as well as traveling abroad to Rome to study and intern. We also conversed about challenges young-women women face entering the workforce, as well as generational and cultural differences. 

Justin Brown, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, joined us to discuss DHS's Be a Neighbor's new program called Ready.Help.Go. This initiative intends to match community resources to those in need. This program aims to unite courageous Oklahomans who are willing to do their part to empower recovery while also helping those in need to understand what resources are available for them.  

Michael Brooks-Jimenez, Oklahoma State Senator joined us to discuss the health crisis and provide insight on state government and advice for the community, from small businesses to the COVID-19 stimulus and what it could mean for families and potentially undocumented immigrants.