Defying the Odds Podcast Show

Hosts Victor and Leo interview Dave Parker, the CEO of Entrepreneurs' Organization [EO] who leads a global network of nearly 19,000 entrepreneurs across 83 countries. He's a seasoned entrepreneur, author of Trajectory: Startup Ideation to Product/Market Fit, and a former venture capitalist with Fearless Fund.

Dave founded and exited multiple companies, advising startups on scaling, product development and market strategy, and spends this interview discussing life lessons with our Defying the Odds Podcast duo.

Defying the Odds Podcast Show hosts Leo and Victor interview economist and Chief Investment Officer at CBIZ Investment Advisory Services, Anna Rathbun. In addition to Anna's interest in compassionate economics, she is an incredible singer who has earned three degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

In this episode Anna shares about her life as a South Korean transplant - moving to Tampa, Florida as a little girl, and her passion for both music and math. Victor and Leo discuss the ways in which they relate to Anna's story and share some information about Defy Ventures, a DTOPS sponsor.

Hosts Victor and Leo sit down with Dan Pacholke, the Founder of the Sustainability in Prisons Project, former Secretary for the Washington State Department of Corrections, and former Superintendent of the Cedar Creek Corrections Center. Dan served as a co-director of Segregation Solutions and co-author of Keeping Prisons Safe: Transforming the Correctional Workplace.

The author of multiple written works on transforming corrections policies and segregation reform, and host of a 2014 Ted Talk on how prisons can shift to improving the lives of incarcerated individuals, Dan joins the DTOPS team to discuss how he defies the odds of prison reformation in his every day work.

In the ninth episode of Defying the Odds Podcast Show cohosts Leo and Victor interview Joel Pollak - a distinguished journalist, author, and political commentator currently serving as a senior editor at large at Breitbart News. Joel, a graduate of Harvard Law School, has become a prominent voice in conservative media where he offers in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary on American politics and culture. In this interview recorded immediately following the Los Angeles fires, Joel candidly shares his experience as a resident of Palisades, California, and explores how he believes odds, chance, and strategic preparation have impacted his community and his personal life.

In the eighth episode of Defying the Odds Podcast Show Victor and Leo speak with entrepreneur, philanthropist, banker, husband and grandfather - Jesse Tam. Jesse shares the story of his move from Hong Kong to the United States as a young man in search of community. Jesse graduated form Boise State University before settling in Seattle where he invested many years into his incredible banking career.

"Defying the odds is about vision and perseverance. When you walk into a dark tunnel, most people turn back. But those who see the light at the end keep moving forward—step by step—until they emerge stronger on the other side."

Join Victor and Leo for episode 7 - the second of two episodes dedicated to introducing our cohosts to our listeners.

Through Victor’s questions, we get to see what really makes Leo tick—from his harrowing escape from the Soviet Union as a political refugee to his work in prison reform, university teaching, and entrepreneurship. Leo opens up about the key moments that shaped him, the lessons that continue to guide him, and why he is so passionate about helping others defy their own odds.

In this episode Leo interviews his co-host, Victor. Victor reflects on his life - including his childhood in California, his formative teenage years in Washington, and his experience serving a ten year prison sentence.

Victor Sauceda is a software engineer, entrepreneur, and social advocate dedicated to empowering justice-impacted individuals. A formerly incarcerated individual, Victor defied the odds by transforming his life through education, mentorship, and relentless perseverance. Now, as the co-founder of Victory Code, he helps others break into the tech industry, creating opportunities for those who have faced the same struggles.

Episode 5 of Defying the Odds Podcast Show introduces listeners to Nick Accord - author, entrepreneur and CEO. Podcast hosts, Victor and Leo, learn about Nick's life, including his spiritual journey following the loss of his father and wife, his thoughts (and Leo's) on a "no choice" mindset, and how he is continually defying the odds by showing up every single day."Defying the odds has been part of the human story since the beginning of time. One of the earliest stories of heroism is a little boy taking out a giant with a couple of rocks. We all root for the underdog. Defying the odds is living."

Andy Honig is a tech executive turned small business owner who went from working in cybersecurity at the National Security Agency and Google to becoming a leading entrepreneur in Washington’s cannabis industry. He is the founder of Higher Leaf, which has grown to five locations and over 100 employees. His story is one of perseverance, strategic risk-taking, and breaking barriers in an emerging industry.

Key Insight: True success isn’t about avoiding obstacles—it’s about tackling them head-on, even when failure seems inevitable.

Kyle Weller is the Head of Product at OneHouse.ai, leading the charge in data innovation. With nearly a decade at Microsoft, Kyle left a stable corporate job for the high-risk world of startups. His journey is a testament to the power of vision, risk-taking, and resilience—the core principles of defying the odds.

💡 "Defying the odds means seeing the barriers ahead and pushing through anyway. It’s about saying NO to obstacles and taking action—even if success isn’t guaranteed."