Rising to the Top speaks with Chris Wong, an ICF-certified executive coach, licensed therapist, speaker, and podcaster who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the world of leadership and learning and development in the nonprofit space. He has worked with leaders at all levels to strategically prioritize their work and navigate difficult conversations/relationships with confidence and he currently, works with new mission driven leaders navigate organizations in chaos. This includes helping leaders navigate difficult conversations, resolve conflicts, create high-performing cultures, enhance productivity, and cultivate an inclusive and equitable work environment. He also co-hosts the podcast, “The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations”, where he helps people master difficult conversations in all domains of their lives.

Rising to the Top speaks with Graham Dugoni, the founder and CEO of Yondr. Since starting Yondr in 2014, Graham has been a leading voice in the emerging conversation about the effects of technology on society. Graham invented the concept of “phone-free spaces” and “phone-free schools.” He is the product designer of the Yondr Pouch and the Yondr Home Tray. His mission is to help educators, artists, and organizations worldwide create distraction-free environments where focus and creativity can flourish in the absence of technology. Graham is a former professional soccer player and a graduate of Duke University.

Rising to the Top speaks with Joseph Quaderer, the CEO and Editor-In-Chief of Quaderer Media Group. Joseph is a graduate of The University of Notre Dame (BA in finance), New York University Stern School of Business (MBA in finance and strategy), and Columbia University (MS in journalism). After spending 17 years as a banker on Wall Street, he left finance to pursue his passion for storytelling.

Rising to the Top speaks with Kiran Bjujle, the Global Managing Director at SVAM International. Kiran oversees SVAM’s Security Advisory Group, which encompasses various areas such as cybersecurity consulting, proactive risk management, digital identity, cyber defense, response and remediation services, and managed security services, catering to all industries. With over 25 years of experience, Kiran is a senior technology risk executive who has helped numerous organizations manage their technology risks and transformation programs.

Rising to the Top speaks with Ethan Brown, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Beyond Meat, a company dedicated to building meat directly from plants. Ethan gained an appreciation for agriculture and the natural world from his father, a professor, conservationist, and hobby farmer.

Ethan holds an MBA from Columbia University and an MPP from the University of Maryland. He is on the board of the American Cancer Society’s CEO’s Against Cancer (LA Chapter) to support their mission to end cancer and address cancer disparities across Los Angeles as well as a member of the 2017 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.

Gwen Lighter is the CEO and founder of GoAERO. Supported by NASA, Boeing, and a variety of aerospace and public safety partners, GoAERO is catalyzing the creation of Emergency Response Flyers – safe, autonomy enabled devices that can rescue people and perform critical response missions in the face of natural disasters, medical emergencies, humanitarian crises, and more. GoAERO is offering $2+ Million in prizes to the best creators, thinkers, and inventors to build these devices and unlock a new era of rescue response and disaster relief.

Since 2017, Gwen has also served as CEO of GoFly where she has led a network of over 3,600 innovators from 103 countries creating a multitude of personal flying devices, including jet packs, flying motorcycles, and human-carrying drones. Gwen has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Rising to the Top speaks with Jay Francis from The Walt Disney Company. Jay is Vice President, Current and Development, Disney Television Animation (TVA). He recently joined BaR Productions as the creative executive partnering with Executive Producers Bruce Smith and Ralph Farquhar, the creative team behind The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Jay identifies, develops, and produces authentic and culturally relevant stories for both animated and live action series and movies.

Soo-Jin Kim worked at a Wall Street firm during 9/11. She worked at a credit card company during the credit crisis. She was making a living from large indoor gatherings when the Covid19 hit. Her career zig-zags have taught her that theres only one skill critical to Rising to the Top: knowing how to continuously reinvent yourself to evolve. We sat down with Soo-Jin, an alum of the Columbia Business School, to discuss how her career has evolved by following her passions and led her to her current work as a content creator.

In this conversation with Columbia University alum Hsing-Hsing Li, we discuss the importance of empathy in leadership and learning from colleagues. Hsing Hising also discusses her role working with AI.

Rising to the Top wants to hear from YOU! Fill out our podcast survey below and let us know what you like about the show and whom you want to hear on the next episode: tinyurl.com/RisingToTheTopSurvey.

Rising to the Top wants to hear from YOU! Fill out our podcast survey below and let us know what you like about the show and whom you want to hear on the next episode: http://tinyurl.com/RisingToTheTopSurvey