Kari Loya began his career teaching in a first and second grade, Spanish bilingual classroom in Pasadena as part of Teach For America. That fueled a life-long passion for education and empowering others. He has since worked with a range of innovative educational organizations, from a prominent language school in Rio de Janeiro to a charter school in Silicon Valley. From a leading educational foundation in Los Angeles to a pioneering international school in New York City. Most recently, he served as head of an independent school in the Caribbean before beginning to coach others. Along the way, he graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and earned an MBA from Columbia University.

Kari’s excellent book, Conversations Across America, is about a father-son journey of a lifetime: a 73-day, 4,600-mile cross-country bike trip Kari took in 2015 with his 75-year-old dad, Merv, who had early-stage Alzheimer’s. Their adventure reminds us of the power of perseverance and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. It’s also a heartwarming example of listening and discovery, including 300 short conversations with people who approached them along the way, providing a rich snapshot of America, especially rural America.

Conversations is a mix of Blue Highways, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Humans of New York… on a bike. As you read, you can’t help but reflect on your relationship with your own father and children, while gaining perspective on Alzheimer’s—which now afflicts more than six million Americans—and getting a sense of the TransAmerica Bike Trail and America itself. Above all, you will be inspired to seize-the-day with someone you love—whatever that means to you.

Learn more about Kari Loya
Buy Conversations Across America

Related Episodes: 

Ep. 53 Rickey Gates
Ep. 110 Ed Park
Ep. 113 Steph Jagger
Ep. 134 Mark Roithmayr

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The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree