With a degree in mechanical engineering, Wes joined the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, seeking to learn Spanish and make a difference. He shares his journey from a Midwestern farming family to cofounding Cova, a social enterprise providing safe water solutions in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. Named for the covalent bond between hydrogen and oxygen that creates water and the bond they foster with rural communities, Cova evolved from a product company to one offering water treatment as a service. Wes also discusses leadership, balancing work and family, exploring carbon offsets, and expanding into new countries to grow impact and manage risks in the face of political instability.

At just 19, Falon Fatemi became one of Google’s youngest employees, joining shortly after the company went public. She recalls a time when wearing a Google tee in London prompted the question, “What’s Google?” A decade later, she founded Node, the first horizontal AI-as-a-service platform driving predictable business outcomes, which was later acquired by SugarCRM. Today, she’s cofounder of Fireside, alongside Mark Cuban, a venture named by Fast Company as one of the “next big things in media, entertainment, and social technology” for its innovative interactive tech on smart TVs. In this episode, Falon shares her entrepreneurial journey and offers valuable advice for aspiring founders.

With a career in corporate finance, Florence originally founded Nyota as a way to continue employing her nannies once her children started school. The company partners with smallholder farmers in rural Kenya to flash-freeze local produce and create specialty sauces, tackling food waste and boosting farmers’ livelihoods. Nyota soon began employing more women in the community and moved production from Flo’s kitchen into a commercial facility. In this episode, discover Florence’s inspiring journey, including how she has evolved her previous no-nonsense, corporate leadership style to embrace patience, empathy, and camaraderie. Nyota’s nutritious foods are sold in supermarkets across Kenya, with expansion plans for New York City.

Founded in 2003, Next 10 works at the intersection of California’s economy, environment, and quality of life, providing expert research and data to inform the public and policymakers. Noel explores the hidden energy costs of driverless cars, the development of offshore wind farms, and how to navigate California’s complex ballot propositions. Discover insights from Next 10’s annual California Green Innovation Index, which tracks environmental and economic trends, benchmarking California against other U.S. states and major global economies. This conversation offers valuable lessons not just for Californians, but for anyone interested in learning from the state’s successes and challenges.

For many vulnerable communities, particularly women and children, in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, access to school and the news can be difficult. Hear how Lifeline Energy is bringing news and educational curriculum to rural communities with solar and wind-up radios and MP3 players, often providing the only reliable source of outside information to their clients. Kristine shares her story of winning the 2005 Tech Award (co-sponsored by the Tech Museum of Innovation and Miller Center). The $50,000 prize was pivotal in helping her raise additional capital because donors like to be first to go second.

After college, Matt Wallace sought life beyond the Illinois cornfields where he grew up. He moved with his wife to Myanmar to teach English, where he was struck by the influx of young women migrating into cities to send money back to their families. This inspired him to co-found ONOW, which provides business training, financial skills, coaching, and digital tools to Myanmar’s young entrepreneurs, especially migrant women. Discover Matt’s journey with ONOW — how the pandemic actually helped the company scale, the impact of Myanmar’s military coup, and how ONOW is integrating AI into its support tools to simplify financial reporting for its customers.

Mayor Matt Mahan shares his vision for San Jose, tackling some of the most pressing issues the city faces today — from the housing crisis and public safety to innovation and community-building. Raised in a small farming town by a school teacher and a postal carrier, Matt commuted up to four hours a day to attend a college prep high school in San Jose. A Teach for America educator and founder and CEO of a tech startup to engage voters, he was elected mayor of the United States’ 13th largest city in 2022. Whether you're a resident or interested in urban leadership, this episode offers insights into San Jose’s future.

Sahar Jamal, the founder of Maziwa, discusses the inspirations behind creating the Maziwa "Wema Breast Pump," her experience with Miller Center's accelerator program, and her upbringing.

From Summer Camp to Tech-Giant CEO to Nonprofit Advisor

When Jim Morgan took the reins at Applied Materials, the semiconductor equipment company was on the verge of bankruptcy. During his three-decade tenure, he led its transformation into a multi-billion dollar corporation. Jim has also served as a technology advisor to three US presidents, been recognized for his global humanitarian work, and authored several books on leadership. And it all began at summer camp. Join us as Jim shares his journey and his latest book, Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector.

Martyna Malinowska, co-founder of GajiGesa, shares her journey from Poland to Indonesia, driven by a passion for financial inclusion. She was first inspired by Muhammad Yunus' concept of doing well by doing good. Working for a fintech startup in Indonesia, Martyna came to understand that most Indonesian employees run out of money between paychecks. This experience led to the creation of GajiGesa, a platform that provides on-demand access to earned wages as a safe alternative to high-interest, predatory loans and improves the financial resilience of workers.