Edutainment Learning

Michael Franzese Sr. is a former New York City caporegime in the Colombo crime family and the son of Sonny Franzese, a former underboss. In 1986, Vanity Fair called him one of the Mob's biggest earners since Al Capone, and Fortune Magazine ranked him 18th on their list of "Fifty Biggest Mafia Bosses" at age 35. He uses his past experiences to inspire and educate audiences.

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Corrin Sullivan leads faculty committees to develop program goals for Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV’s curriculum with a focus on maintaining national standards and regulations. Sullivan also promotes the integration of basic science instruction with clinical skills, which allows medical students to begin applying their lessons in form of clinical skills from the first day of instruction.

Sullivan has published written research and a policy memorandum regarding the Constitutional Basis for Education Reform in Nevada for the Nevada Senate Education Committee as well as State Funding of Academic Medical Centers for the University of Washington. Her publication on transformational leadership was featured in Argosy for Educause and her undergraduate thesis, The Essence of Leadership: An Analysis of the Men Who Have Taken ‘Center Stage’, was published by the UNLV Honors College.

Sullivan has received several accolades for leadership initiatives, team building, organization and curricular management in higher education. In 2013, she was one of 10 national recipients of the National Florence Hood Miner scholarship.

She graduated summa cum laude from UNLV with a BA in Political Science: Government & Public Policy in 2005, and completed her MAEd post-baccalaureate study at Argosy University in Higher & Postsecondary Education: Leadership & Administration. She also has a MA in Education Policy and a Ph.D in Education Policy, Organizations, and Leadership from the University of Washington. Dr. Sullivan also founded Lowtail Libations with the same entrepreneurial spirit as the School of Medicine. She wanted people to have options when it comes to health care and in the care of themselves.

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Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist from Northern Ireland who, as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967. The discovery eventually earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974.

Bell Burnell was president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004, president of the Institute of Physics from October 2008 until October 2010, and interim president of the Institute following the death of her successor, Marshall Stoneham, in early 2011. She was Chancellor of the University of Dundee from 2018 to 2023.

In 2018, she was awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Following the announcement of the award, she decided to use the $3 million (£2.3 million) prize money to establish a fund to help female, minority and refugee students to become research physicists. The fund is administered by the Institute of Physics.

In 2021, Bell Burnell became the second female recipient (after Dorothy Hodgkin in 1976) of the Copley Medal.

Maria Alejandra Albarracin is a passionate and creative professional fluent in English and Spanish. Her experience includes roles at Nevarez Communications and NBCUniversal Telemundo, where she developed skills in public relations, social media, and journalism. As the Assistant Vice Chair of Membership for the Miami Chapter of WomenInMusic, she's showcased leadership and a dedication to empowering women in the industry.

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Gary G., owner of Houdini Car Wraps, is a creative entrepreneur with a passion for custom vehicle design. Starting with a love for cars, Gary turned his talent for customization into a thriving business known for bold, high-quality auto wraps, from sleek color changes to commercial fleet graphics.

In this Edutainment Learning interview, Gary will give students a behind-the-scenes look at the exciting world of auto wrapping, sharing how designs are created, wraps are applied, and technology shapes the industry. His journey from hobbyist to successful business owner offers inspiration for students to turn their passions into future careers.

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Alicia Dean is a Marketing Promotions and Events Specialist professional with 14 years of demonstrated experience in developing and executing marketing and event plans, working with many celebrities and VIPs, and also extremely organized, detail-oriented, and reliable. Previous to Marketing, Dean has worked with various TV production companies and networks, facilitating hundreds of on location shoots at Graceland including The Travel Channel, Dancing With The Stars, The Food Network, MTV, CMT, Annie Leibovitz in addition to multiple broadcasts of CNN's Larry King Live, ABC’s GMA and NBC’s The Today Show. One of her biggest projects was working with Artist Den on producing and facilitating a concert and video production of Kid Rock’s performance at Graceland. Alicia currently co-hosts a weekly radio show on Sirius/XM’s Elvis Radio called “The Graceland Beat.” The Graceland Beat is your Elvis Radio weekly “magazine-style” radio show featuring news, info, and features fans from all around the world.

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Ron began his career in 1982 with the Price Company in the Phoenix, Arizona market. Ron held several management positions in operations before being promoted to Warehouse Manager in Colorado in 1992. After 7 years as a Warehouse Manager in both Colorado and Arizona, Ron was promoted to Vice President of Operations in the San Diego Region in 1999. In 2010, Ron moved to Washington where he was promoted to Senior Vice President of the Northwest Region. August 2015, Ron started in the Real Estate department, working on International and Domestic New Markets and Expansion. Shortly after, Ron became the Executive Vice President of merchandising in July 2016. In February 2022, Costco’s Board of Directors appointed Ron to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer. He was also elected to the Board of Directors. In January 2024, Ron became the third Chief Executive Officer of Costco Wholesale.

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Meet Josie Balka: a Canadian author, media personality, and voice-over artist who describes herself as the happiest sad girl you’ll ever meet. With a talent for bringing people together, Josie’s poetry resonates deeply by exploring shared human experiences. Though she has been creating content for years, it was her embrace of vulnerability that allowed her to connect more meaningfully with her audience. Through her work, Josie offers a heartfelt exploration of life’s complexities and the beauty of connection.

Are you an educator? Go to edutainmentlearning.com/podcasts to download student worksheets for every episode!

Are you an educator? Go to edutainmentlearning.com/podcasts to download student worksheets for every episode!

Mr. Robert N. Wilson, a longtime leader in the pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech industries, is the former Chairman of Johnson & Johnson, PhRMA, Synta Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Caxton Health Holdings and Mevion Systems. Mr. Wilson was also a member of the board of directors of both Charles Schwab Corporation and Hess Corporation. Mr. Wilson’s career at Johnson & Johnson notably included 15 years as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and 20 years on the executive committee, working to expand the pharmaceutical, device and diagnostics programs. Mr. Wilson is an alumnus of Georgetown College.

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