Edvolution Podcast

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Austin shares his struggle with school, how he learned to ignore bad advice, and how he discovered his passion. We discuss his five failed businesses and his fear of failure. We then learn about how Austin built his current successful business, grew his platform to 300K+ followers, and managed his time while working full-time at Microsoft.

About Austin Belcak
Austin is the founder of CultivatedCulture.com where he helps people land jobs they love without traditional experience and without applying online.

Austin’s job search system stems from his personal experience transitioning from a new grad with a biology degree, a 2.58 GPA, and a job in healthcare to landing interviews and offers at Microsoft, Google, and Twitter.

His strategies have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Co, and Inc. and he has helped thousands of job seekers land jobs at places like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Tesla, SpaceX, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, ESPN, the NFL, and more -- without applying online.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Melissa shares her story of living in poverty, getting pregnant at 16, and ultimately deciding to take control to create a more aligned life for herself. We discuss her evolution into a successful startup CEO and she tells us about how she overcomes systemic biases. We further discuss the way our society treats people who have unconventional pasts, and how we can do better collectively. 

About Melissa:
Melissa Strawn is a Seattle-area entrepreneur and mom to five sons. Melissa blogs at FromWelfareToMillionaire.org, where she shares her story about going from a teenage single mother living in poverty to a successful startup CEO of MyPeopleNow.com. She believes that entrepreneurship should be accessible to all those who desire it as a career path and is committed to social institutional reform, eliminating poverty, and transforming the broken social services system. 

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Veline tells us her story about growing up with a father who served as an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department and a passionate mother who took her to her first protest when Veline was still in a stroller. She shares her experiences of growing up in a white suburban neighborhood as a brown woman and the ideological differences within her community. We further talk about her feelings of being a daughter of a police officer with the current debates in our society, as well as the work she’s currently doing for racial justice, equity, and inclusion.

About Veline Mojarro
Veline Mojarro is Latinx Chicana committed to our collective liberation as an educator, reproductive justice advocate, an consultant from Los Angeles, California. Her work operates at the intersection of art, social justice, and equity. She is a co-founder of SHIFT: Sexual Harassment Prevention, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Consulting and led every one, a Goldenvoice initiative to prevent and stop any form of harassment at Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals as a Director of Equity, Safety, and Inclusion. She previously was a Lecturer in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA, where she also served as Director of Community Programs for the UCLA Art and Global Health Center.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Sasha tells us her story about working in San Francisco at a “sexy” tech company and living the life she dreamt of as a child. As she recalls her experiences, Sasha shares both the good and the bad. She also talks about navigating the high-performing tech culture, understanding the concept of “golden handcuffs,” and dealing with immense burnout. We discuss the moments that lead her to make a pivot and the aftermath of her decisions.

About Sash Shilko
Sasha has worked at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, and Lime, a micromobility startup. She's currently launching her own startup, which believes in surfacing information you need from a community you can trust. The goal is to make the process of purchasing online better. You can access the beta at www.nexttbrand.com. She published a popular article on Medium entitled “I Thought Silicon Valley Burnout Couldn’t Happen to Me, But Then It Did" and "Police Can No Longer Be Above The Law."

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Trish joins Shireen to discuss her move from Hollywood, FL to Hollywood, CA to pursue a career in entertainment, despite many people advising her not to.  She further shares her experiences working with countless celebrities and building a successful career in LA, and then ultimately asking the big question: “What else is out there?” Tune in to learn how Trish went from working with Oprah to working with women fighting homelessness and listening to stories on Skid Row.

About Trish Lindo:
Trish Lindo has over 20 years of experience in the Los Angeles media and entertainment industry. She currently works at BuzzFeed/Tasty and previously had success working for companies such as Maker Studios, OWN, CNN, and Yahoo. Trish is also passionate about social impact and volunteering. She's a mentor for EmpowHer, which supports high school girls from marginalized communities. She's also a volunteer and Brand ambassador for the Downtown Women's Center social enterprise store Made by DWC.

Jill Knobeloch: Dealing with Emptiness, Rationality vs Intuition, Relationships

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Jill tells us why she chose to walk away from her “perfect life:” a supportive husband, a beautiful house in California, and a good job. All before the age of 30, Jill files for divorce, moves to Chicago by herself with no job or friends, and deals with two life-threatening health concerns. We discuss the aftermath of her decisions, question why we believe certain things and quickly dismiss others, and consider her epiphanies along the way.

About Jill:
Jill is a brand expert, web designer, ice hockey referee, and a coworking startup founder. As a highly energy-sensitive introvert, she considers herself a recovering perfectionist and a left-brained creative, always working to balance her intuition with a more developed rational side.

Daria Tsvenger: Childhood, Emotional Trauma, How Our Brains React

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Daria and I discuss her childhood in Russia as a “childhood prodigy,” and then her move to America, where feelings of inadequacy, helplessness, and loss of identity take over.  She shares how she finds answers in neuroscience; learning about how the brain works helps Daria overcome her fears.  Daria shares the research along with the work she’s now doing to help people navigate change and develop optimistic mindsets.

About Daria Tsvenger:

Daria Tsvenger is a Forbes-featured mindset expert and founder of a self-discovery program “The Dream Sprint.” Her work has helped hundreds of people tap into the power of the brain to gain clarity and turn their dreams into reality. Daria has shared her expertise on TV shows such as “Good Morning LA-LA-LAND”, “Simulation” and major publications like “Vogue”, “ThriveGlobal” and “Forbes”. More than 30,000 passionate dreamers are following Daria’s work.

Deborah Benton: Chasing Stability, Learning to Think, Success in School & Work

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Deborah shares how success was defined for her during her childhood, and how following the path to “stability” led her to a “prestigious” job that got her physically sick. This wake-up call serves as a catalyst for Deborah to re-define success for herself, build confidence within herself, and overcome the need for validation from others. We also discuss her opinions on our education system as she questions what we were taught in school that limits our ability to think for ourselves.

About Deborah Benton:
Deborah Benton is the founding Partner of Willow Growth Partners, an early-stage Consumer fund. Prior to investing, Deborah served as President and Chief Operating Officer for Nasty Gal, the preeminent online women’s fashion retailer for the millennial set. In 2012, Nasty Gal was named one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country.  Prior to Nasty Gal, Deborah was the Chief Operating Officer of ShoeDazzle, an innovative online women’s fashion footwear company whose revenue grew from launch to almost $100M in just a few years.

Elizabeth Marks: Navigating a Financial Crisis, Freelancing, Career Advice

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Liz tells us about how she navigated her career after graduating into the financial crisis of 2008.  Despite doing everything she was told to do--excelling in school, going to NYU, and even getting a job at the Times in NYC--Liz learns early-on that she must create her own path in order to live the lifestyle she wants.  And she does just that.

About Elizabeth Marks (Liz):
Liz leads content and messaging strategy at inside.company, alongside their team of researchers, writers, and content partners.  Prior to inside, Liz worked in Silicon Valley on Apple and Facebook’s in-house marketing teams.  Her journalistic and literary background lend a pragmatic and disciplined approach to communications and classic storytelling.