Larger Than Yourself

Luke Cooper is on a quest to level the playing field for entrepreneurs of color. Raised surrounded by drugs and violence, as a young boy he watched his father get sentenced to 20 years in prison. If it wasn't for a strong mom, a short ride in a Cessna airplane, and a science fair he won at 12 years old, Luke's life would have looked a lot different. As he says, he probably would be dead. Luke's story on how he realized that he controlled his own destiny, which led him to start and sell some very successful tech companies, is full of priceless lessons on how to inclusively grow ideas.

Alicia Wilson is the mightiest person I know. Her ability to navigate community, and life, in a way that is transparent, humble, and compassionate have landed her in some of the most important conversations in Baltimore, throughout the country, and now around the globe. Alicia's courage to take on world-changing challenges without ever forgetting how she got there, or who she really represents, are all a part of her inspiring magic.

At 16 years old, Artie Gonzales was already deep in the gang world when he took the life of another man, was tried as an adult, and caught a life sentence in the California prison system. 21 years later, through hard personal work, Artie was released as a model prisoner and has since become a leader in his community, an advocate for legislative reforms, and a member of several social justice organizations.

Ashley Williams is on a quest to make sure that the youth of this world, our future generation, have the emotional intelligence needed to thrive in these incredibly challenging times. It's as important to her as math, English and science, and it can no longer be overlooked. Her edu-tech company, Clymb, is reimagining what's possible by not accepting the status quo.

Dr. John Brothers is the glue that is quietly and humbly holding Baltimore city together. Our conversation covered everything from his growing up in deep poverty, to his ability to see the beauty in even the most challenging places, to his unique approach to leading the T. Rowe Price Foundation's quest to reimagine the role of philanthropy within communities.

Monique Smith was abducted as a baby and raised by an abusive woman who claimed to be her mother. It wasn't until she was in her 30s that Monique began to put the pieces together. Today, Monique is on a quest to discover her true identity and to create a movement to support families of missing children.

Kondwani Fidel is a Baltimore legend. Known for his ability to use words to stir an awakening and deep emotion, Kondwani's poetry, lyrics and books are both asking and answering our toughest questions. Kondwani's ability to be real and vulnerable have propelled him forward onto a national stage where he's using his platform to inspire critical change.

Lola Manekin is my wife, my oracle and one of the most powerful healers that I've ever met. In this conversation, which was rooted in creation, we dove deep into marriage, children, birthing ideas, the universes' wisdom, and trusting ourselves to find our paths.

In 2017, Ethan Lipsitz was diagnosed with brain cancer. Rather than giving up, this challenged him to face his mortality and reorient his priorities around health and love. From that period onwards Ethan founded the Love Extremist project, a platform that empowers people to become activists for love. Today he works with companies, schools, communities and organizations to facilitate important conversations and practices that bond groups, empower health and cultivate creativity, action-oriented love.