Power & Impact

What would you do if you hit financial independence at 30… and realized the life you built was slowly destroying you?

In this week's episode of Power & Impact , Paul Stamoulis and I sat down with Ryan Renteria, a Stanford grad who rocketed through Goldman Sachs, became a rising star in the hedge fund world, and walked away right as he reached the top. His body was failing, his spirit was exhausted, and he knew he had to choose a different future.

Ryan opened up about work-life integration, emotional health, culture building, the power of service, and what matters beyond the paycheck. We also dove into generational expectations, leadership, purpose, burnout, and the courage it takes to rewrite your story. Ryan opened up about the journey that shaped his new book, Lead Without Burnout, a guide for high performers and leaders who want sustainable success that doesn't cost them their health or humanity.

If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of your next step, this episode will change how you think about success, ambition, burnout, and what it really means to live a meaningful life. Share your thoughts at [email protected].

What can business leaders learn from the mindset of a world-class athlete?

In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with Austin Ramos, an entrepreneur whose path from All-American long-distance runner at UCLA to private equity leader is filled with lessons on building winning teams.

Austin shares how his years as a competitive athlete shaped his approach to leadership and navigating high-pressure environments. We explore his decision to forge his own path outside his third-generation family business, the creation of Brand Velocity Group, and why he believes people, culture, and storytelling are just as important as capital when building great companies.

We also dig into his experience collaborating with iconic figures like Eli and Peyton Manning and crafting authentic narratives that create real momentum in the market. Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or just curious about how high performers think, this conversation is full of insights on building resilient companies and playing the long game in business.

AI tools are powerful, but misusing them can lead to poor results. How can business leaders avoid "AI slop" and maintain quality as they scale this technology across their organizations?

In this episode, I sit down with Andreas Welsch, an AI strategist, educator, and author of The AI Leadership Handbook

We talk about why 85% of AI projects fail and what practical steps businesses and individuals can take to embrace this transformative technology responsibly.

We also dive into the future of work, the impact of generative AI on creativity, and what skills students and professionals need to thrive in an AI-driven world.

Andreas shares insights from is teaching experience at West Chester University, and his work advising companies globally. If you're wondering how to prepare your business or your career for the AI era, this conversation is for you.

Some people chart a course and stick to it. Others let curiosity lead the way. In this week's Power & Impact, I talk with Marc Hodosh, the entrepreneur who revived TEDMED and later co-founded Life Itself with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Marc's path has been anything but predictable — from medical school to inventing a laundry backpack, building breakthrough tech companies, and creating platforms that bring the world's most inspiring minds together.

Along the way, he's worked with visionaries like Dean Kamen, Steve Wozniak, and Norman Lear — all united by a desire to use creativity and technology to improve human life.

We spoke about how curiosity fuels innovation, ranging from AI-driven healthcare to noninvasive medical breakthroughs. We also discussed why Marc believes we should

Are we on the brink of the end of traditional surgery?

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Peine, Ph.D., VP of Surgical Research & Technology at Medtronic — one of the world's leading innovators in medical technology.

Bill and his team are reimagining the future of healthcare at the intersection of robotics, AI, and human ingenuity — where the idea of cutting into patients may soon feel as outdated as the rotary phone.

We dive into: • How Medtronic began with the invention of the first battery-powered pacemaker • How engineers and doctors are working together to make surgery safer, faster, and more precise through robotics and artificial intelligence • How medical procedures are moving out of big hospitals and into more accessible, lower-cost environments • And the exciting possibilities of longevity, preventative medicine, and what it really means to live well for a hundred years or more

Bill believes the future of healthcare is built on three key ideas: precision, predictability, and personalization — and after hearing him explain it, I think he's right.

What if chasing money isn't the path to happiness — but understanding why we chase it is?

In this episode of Power & Impact, I sit down with Jeff Kreisler, a Princeton-educated lawyer-turned-comedian who is now head of behavioral science at JPMorgan Chase. From the courtroom to the comedy stage, Jeff has built a career that bridges insight and laughter, showing us that understanding people is far more valuable than understanding numbers.

During our conversation, we discussed why behavioral science reveals how emotions drive financial choices, the role of relationships and connection in lasting fulfillment, and why "forgetting money" might just be the smartest financial move you should remember.

Jeff's story is a reminder that the real currency of life isn't cash but connection, curiosity, and courage.

It's not every day you get to revisit a conversation that could change lives — but this one just might.

In this week's Power & Impact, I had the privilege of catching up with Dr. Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein , a scientist who's on the frontlines of Parkinson's disease research. In our first talk, we explored his early challenges and the uphill fight to push new ideas forward. This time, he shares the incredible progress being made — from groundbreaking discoveries about dopamine's role to the development of a new drug formulation that's moving toward global trials.

We delve into the changes in science, the resistances that still exist, and the human drive behind innovation. Dr. Sackner-Bernstein's journey is a powerful reminder that progress happens when passionate people refuse to stop asking "what if?"

If you're inspired by stories of resilience, science, and hope, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Like, Subscribe, Share.

In this inspiring conversation, entrepreneur and author Chip Conley shares his journey from founding a boutique hotel chain at age 26 to becoming a transformative mentor at Airbnb. He reflects on the importance of "right-sizing" ego, embracing intergenerational learning, and finding purpose in midlife. Chip introduces the concept of being "useful" rather than "used up," a theme central to his book Midlife Manifesto, and discusses the creation of the Modern Elder Academy a wisdom school for midlife transformation. The dialogue explores how aging can be a time of growth. This is how AI interacts with human wisdom, and how community and connection are essential to longevity. Chip also reveals his latest passion, disrupting senior living through regenerative communities. Packed with insights, humor, and heartfelt stories, this conversation is a must-watch for anyone curious about living a deeper, more meaningful life at any age.

In this thought-provoking episode, Reid Blackman, Ph.D. joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about technology, ethics, education, and the ways rapid change is reshaping everything from Fortune 500 companies to family dinner tables.

Reid reminds us that while AI and social technologies offer incredible opportunities, they also raise difficult questions: Who benefits? Who is left behind? What values do we encode into the systems we build? His answers push us to think not only about efficiency and innovation but also about responsibility, fairness, and the human side of progress.

In this episode, I sit down with Howard Stevenson, often called the Father of Entrepreneurship. Over 40+ years at Harvard Business School, Howard reshaped how the world understands entrepreneurship — defining it as "the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control."

We dive deep into why entrepreneurship is not about taking risk. Howard's journey shaping the field of entrepreneurship at Harvard. The Lessons from decades of mentoring leaders and innovators. What are the 4 dimensions of success: Achievement, Significance, Happiness & Legacy. How growth and impact don't stop at retirement and the importance of variety, curiosity, and learning by doing.