Demi and Dad

This week is all about recycled plastic, sustainability, and the future of road construction with Gary Oshima. Gary is the head of the Construction Commodity Department at UCSD. Gary talks with my dad and I about Miramar street in La Jolla, California’s first road made of recycled plastic. He discusses the importance of Senate Bill 580 that would be crucial in getting research done to approve more roads made of recycled plastic. To submit your letter in support of SB 580, visit https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/faces/index.xhtml

This week my dad and I are joined by Scott Duffy. Scott Duffy is an entrepreneur and former protege of Tony Robbins. Scott talks about the early days of becoming an entrepreneur and hardships he had to overcome, such as living in his car. He also talks about the infamous phone call from a friend that changed his life forever. Currently, Scott creates curriculum for virtual schools for major companies.

For the last episode of the Entrepreneurship Series, Demi interviews none other than...her dad! Demi’s dad (also known as Richard) talks about his early experiences as being a business owner right out of college, becoming a CPA, and eventually going on to own several businesses from gyms, to bakeries, to tennis tournaments. Listen if you’re interested in learning how to embrace change, take risks, and create your own path. To connect with Richard, well you can listen to Demi and Dad of course! You can also purchase his best-selling book here: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Billie-Bobby-Blindness-Tolerance/dp/1939078172

This week Demi and her dad welcome San Jose State alumna Andy Ho for part two of the Entrepreneurship series. Not only is Andy one of Demi’s closest friends, he is one of the founding members of Evolve, a matchmaking app that matches job seekers to companies and other businesses. Andy talks about how Evolve started, how it provides value to both job seekers and startups and other companies, and what it means to be an entrepreneur. To learn more, check out https://www.evolvethefuture.org

To kick off this three-part series on Entrepreneurship, Demi and her dad are joined by Barbra Bry and Neil Senturia. Both Barbra and Neil are hugely successful entrepreneurs in San Diego. They talk about politics and Barbra’s experience as a former politician, what it means to think like an entrepreneur, leadership, having courage, and much more. They started a podcast early this year called “I’m There for you Baby- The Entrepreneur’s Guide to the Galaxy.” You can listen here:  https://open.spotify.com/show/7J1dNMaazjBUiiBTxSBwVi?si=qmrFpAA0QFisMYa-K5ftNw

This week Demi and her dad welcome professional men’s tennis player, Brandon Nakashima. At just nineteen years old, Brandon has already played in the U.S. Open and is ranked number 133 in the world. Brandon talks to Demi and her dad about how his tennis career has evolved and what the future holds for this young American athlete. To learn more about Brandon, you can connect with him here https://instagram.com/brandon_nakashima?igshid=zbnn22jsuopd

This week Demi and her dad are joined by Melissa Melika. Melissa is a dental hygienist as well as a HIIT instructor. She talks about her life experiences that brought her to Los Angeles, her spirituality, as well as how she stays motivated and grounded while having a busy schedule. You can connect with Melissa here: https://www.instagram.com/love.melissamelika/?hl=en

Demi and her dad are joined by Roanne Cuevas for this week’s episode. Not only is Roanne a regional manager for Solar Energy Partners, but she is also the company’s highest ranking female employee. Roanna talks with Demi and her dad about how solar energy is saving the planet, how the industry has evolved, and where it’s going. To learn more about SEP, visit https://solarenergy.partners/. 

This week Demi and her dad are joined by Jess Chipkin. Jess is the creator of Crate Free Illinois. She goes into depth about this nonprofit and how it’s helping pigs and other farm animals. She discusses the progress that Aldi and Cocsto needs to make as far as their gestation crate policies. She also talks about her certain mobile app and how it’s supporting local farmers. To learn more about Crate Free Illinois, you can visit them at https://cratefreeil.org/. 

This week Demi and her dad are joined by Josh Balk, VP of farm animal protection for the Humane Society of the United States. Josh talks about California’s Proposition 12 and what this means for pigs, hens, and cows. He talks about the future of farm animal rights and protection. He also discusses his contribution to “JUST EGG,” a plant-based, vegan egg product. To learn how you can support farm animals, visit https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/protect-farm-animals.