The 92 Report

Show Notes:

After graduation, Angelo Milazzo returned to his home state and attended medical school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He developed an interest in cardiology and decided to pursue post-graduate training in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology at Duke University. Angelo completed his post-graduate training in 2002 and joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. A Growing Practice and Becoming Chief Medical OfficerIn 2002, he was offered the opportunity to start a pediatric cardiology practice in Raleigh, North Carolina. The practice grew from a one-man operation to a practice with about 30 physicians across various specialty areas. In 2017, Milazzo became the vice chair for practice for the Department of Pediatrics at Duke Health, which has grown to 250 clinical faculty and 50 research faculty. Angelo then became the Chief Medical Officer for the Duke Health Integrated Practice, overseeing all physicians who practice at Duke Health. This role allows him to take the best of his administrative leadership within one clinical department for children's care and spread it across the entire enterprise. The Economics of Health Care and the Business of MedicineAngelo's hands-on administrative experience and managerial experience have led him to become interested in the didactic aspect of his career. He believes that his administrative experience and managerial skills have allowed him to excel in various aspects of his career, including pediatric cardiology. Before the pandemic, Angelo enrolled in business school and completed his MBA in just under two years. He was interested in the economics of healthcare and the business of medicine, but also enjoyed the perspective of classmates from various industries and walks of life. Today, he is a practicing pediatric cardiologist, spending about 40% of his time in clinical practice and 60% of his time in administrative work. He is also interested in health equity research and is part of a project funded by the CDC. What it Takes to Be a Physician Leader Angelo explains that, to be a great physician leader, one must first be a great clinician, and this takes so much more than just medical knowledge. He believes that engaging with patients and families is a privilege and that this energy and insight can inform his managerial work. He has had the privilege of mentors in medicine and being taught by amazing clinicians, which has allowed him to feel comfortable with fraught conversations. He explains how his managerial experiences and administrative experiences make him a better clinician. He has had to negotiate with professionals from different backgrounds and training perspectives, enriching his perspective and broadening it. This constant bilateral communication within him allows him to enhance both sides of his career. The Executive MBA Program ExperienceAngelo talks about the value of his Executive MBA program, and how he appreciates the practical aspects of the program, such as lectures, video calls, and team meetings. However, he also highlights the value of teamwork and learning from professionals from different industries. He shares his capstone project, which involved working with a delivery firm in Eastern Europe, a firm far from his daily work. The team consisted of professionals from various industries, including military, micro brewing, airline, and healthcare professionals. The challenges faced in his work were unique but universally applicable, and he learned valuable lessons from the experience. He also talks about systems used during a public health emergency, the A3 structure and how it is used for improvement projects, and the journey of improvement. The Performance Improvement Journey Angelo talks about management principles adopted in health care and the performance improvement journey that began with the introduction of a standardized electronic health record in 2013 and the adoption of Epic, which is now used by two-thirds to three-quarters of major health systems in the country. This allowed for a common set of data mining tools to collect clinical information and understand success or failure around quality initiatives. The organization's new leaders, including those from other health systems and academic centers, were committed to this continuous improvement environment. By the time the CMO became vice chair in 2016, they were ready to bring these principles into their department. Now, almost a decade later, the organization has built a culture where everyone wants to be a quality improvement scientist. They have developed an academy to train healthcare professionals to become quality improvement scientists, which involves a rapid boot camp that teaches principles over a concentrated period of time. Many of these projects have been presented at regional, national, and international levels, covering various medical specialties, from complicated heart surgery to solid organ transplant to medical genetics to obstetrics and gynecology. Influential Harvard Courses and ProfessorsAngelo mentions three courses and professors that have resonated with him at Harvard: Arthur Kleiman's course on Illness Narratives, Professor Dante Della Terza's Divine Comedy class, and Gregory Nagy's Heroes for Zeros class. Angelo's course with Professor Kleiman was about the idea that hearing patients talk about their illness is a form of storytelling, which he uses in his work. He also mentions Professor Nagy's use of a clip from Blade Runner, a sci-fi noir film, in his class. He believes that this class spoke his language and that he was in the right place for him. Angelo also mentions missing the Michael Sandel Justice course, which he later took through the Harvard EdX program.

Timestamps:

01:29: Angelo Milazzo's Journey After Graduation

05:29: Transition to Administrative Roles and Business School

09:48: Balancing Clinical Practice and Administrative Roles

14:30: Learning from Business School and Applying Lessons

26:11: Implementing Continuous Improvement in Healthcare

36:40: Influential Courses and Professors at Harvard

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amilazzomd/

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Julie Cotler Pottinger who reports:

"Hi. I'm Julie Cotler Pottinger, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is every library. Every library helps America build support for libraries and also helps us fight book banning in our communities. I'm proud to be the National Ambassador this year for every library under my pen name, Julia Quinn, and I've been working real hard all year to help them raise money and awareness. You can learn more about their work at www.everylibrary.org and now here's Will Bachmann with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work, visit: https://www.everylibrary.org/

Show Notes:

Jung Park, a Korean immigrant, faced a conflict between her passion for acting and her academic pursuits. She initially wanted to concentrate in visual arts but ultimately chose English and American Literature and Language, which she loved. Despite this, she was conflicted about pursuing his artistic dreams versus what was expected of her.

Joining AFTRA and Going into Law School

In her junior year, she auditioned for an open call search for an ABC after-school special about kids with HIV and AIDS, which led to her joining the Screen Actors Guild, renowned as "SAG-AFTRA." After a year in Boston, she returned to California and had to choose between continuing acting, moving to LA, or going to law school. She auditioned for a talent agency in San Diego and was accepted into law school.

A Stand-up Comedian at Law School

While in law school, Jung began doing stand-up comedy in Sacramento and moved to San Francisco, working in law firms and doing stand-up comedy at night. She eventually opened her own law firm in San Francisco and took on numerous cases, including helping a Vietnamese woman avoid deportation for a felony she committed. Jung had wonderful mentors in law, including 70-year-old white men in plaintiff-side civil litigation. She turned down a position at a major law firm after being nominated for the American Ends of Court, which was a group of old white lawyers. Instead, she auditioned and got into a traveling theater program with Kaiser Permanente, which offered health insurance for actors.

Pursuing Acting and Leaving Law

Jung began her acting career in high schools, continuation schools, and juvenile detention centers, performing educational theater shows and counseling Q&As. She later moved to Southern California and focused on stand-up, sketch, and improv. She joined the La Troupe improv training program and worked at a plaintiff side civil litigation law office, where she worked on behalf of farm workers and other vulnerable individuals. In 2012, she grew tired of being a lawyer and opened a Speech and Debate Academy in Pasadena, California. The academy focuses on helping kids be empowered and find their voice. The academy has been around for 13 years and has participated in the Harvard speech and debate tournament. The pandemic hit, and Jung found fulfillment in coaching speech and running her business. She joined an acting class before the pandemic and enjoyed hobnobbing for coffee afterwards. However, during the pandemic, her teacher encouraged her students to start TikTok accounts and post videos related to their work. She had a sketch idea developed in their sketch writing class, which was set up as a GPS that tells driving directions with the Korean accent.

A Career Shift to Screenwriting

Jung is now focusing on writing scripts and developing her content to elevate her unique voice. She has also joined Harvardwood, an organization of Harvard alums in the Hollywood industry, where she took a writing class and attended webinars. She is currently getting a director certificate through UCLA Extension and working on a couple of silly short films. One of her projects is a magical realism short story about an old Asian Tiger Mom visited by a mysterious pigeon. She plans to rewrite it as a short film script and act in it herself, as she can do the pigeon well. She is also considering renting out pigeons for TV or film to see how they move and what they could do. Jung grew up in the Mexican border town of Calexico, near Yuma. She talks about the transition to Harvard and experiencing culture shock. Her stand-up comedy often deals with her experiences growing up in a Mexican American border town and feeling more Latina than Korean. She talks about her family and how her father's paranoia fueled a lot of jokes. She enjoyed her stand-up and has been considering writing new material or trying it out on America's Got Talent. Her last performance was a staged play reading for a Jewish Arts Council group in San Santa Barbara, which was a fundraiser.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

Jung, a self-professed word nerd, was accepted into a special graduate seminar led by Phil Fisher, the head of the English department. The seminar focused on close reading of novels, a subject Park was deeply interested in. Fisher warned that few undergrads would be accepted, and Jung was accepted into the seminar, which she found to be a valuable learning experience. The seminar helped her understand the meanings of the first few pages of a novel and the larger work. She has since used this knowledge to teach English classes and writing skills to students, demonstrating the importance of close reading and analysis in academic pursuits.

Timestamps:

03:15: Balancing Law and Art

07:50: Transition to Acting and Comedy

12:06: Establishing the Speech and Debate Academy

14:09: Re-entering Acting and Social Media Success

19:34: Current Projects and Future Aspirations

Links:

Instagram handle: @momentswithjung

TikTok handle: @momentswithjung

Linktree (shows links to all Jung's sites): https://linktr.ee/JungPark

Speech and debate academy website for Nova 42: www.nova42.com

Short story Freebird that reached Top 50, Launch Pad Prose Competition 2024 ,and is on the Coverfly Red list as #13 Drama Short Story (Prose) in the past year:

https://writers.coverfly.com/projects/view/37d599e9-9323-4be6-8b60-d58eeb335c04/FREEBIRD

Jung's IMDB profile:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2575833/

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is Generation recommended by Bonni Theriault who reports:

"Hi. I'm Bonni Theriault, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 Report is Generation. Generation is a global nonprofit that supports people to achieve economic mobility and a better life by training, placing and supporting them into employment. I have been a generation for the past six years, and am privileged to serve as the chief partnerships officer. You can learn more about generations work at www.generation.org and now here is Will Bachmann with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work visit: https://www.generation.org/

Show Notes:

Michael T. Johnson, a lawyer, shares his experiences during his freshman year at Stanford Law School. He initially wanted to pursue transactional work in finance and looked at New York but later realized that he wanted to return to New Orleans and work there. He stayed long-term in New Orleans and work for companies in the area.

From a Law Firm to the Oil Industry

He spent three years working at Jones Walker, a large law firm in New Orleans. However, after joining the firm, all but one associate left, leading to a split off in the firm and a lot of extra responsibility for Michael. This experience was challenging, but it allowed him to learn and specialize in public company work and mergers. Michael was then hired to do an IPO for Omni Energy Services, a company that drills holes in the ground to find oil deposits. The technology is now advanced enough that they can read 3D seismic imaging to find oil deposits. Michael was excited about the business aspect of the industry and wanted to be on the other side of deals. He talks about his time there and how he was offered the opportunity to document investments.

The Move to Advantage Capital

Michael talks about Advantage Capital, which started as a way to drive capital to underserved states, such as Louisiana, which had been redlined due to corruption and oil and gas booms. The program was created by Harvard economist Beldon Daniels, who was hired by the legislature to give tax credits to insurance companies for investing with funds that agreed to invest in small businesses in the state. Steven Stull, an insurance company portfolio manager, founded Advantage after being approached by a dealmaker. He believed he could create a business around structured financial products, such as selling tax credit bonds to insurance companies. Stull was also involved in public policy and advocacy work, advocating for the adoption of these programs. All of the above lined up with Michael's dream job. He gravitated towards the advocacy and structuring side of the business, spending most of his time in New Orleans.

The New Markets Tax Credit Program

Michael looks back to 2002 when the New Markets Tax Credit Program was adopted by the Clinton Administration, aiming to bring success from the dotcom boom to urban and rural areas. The program was initially praised by the Federal Reserve, but the Bush administration pushed it further and made it more business-friendly. They team decided to pursue this program, which was 100% focused on low-income community investing. The New Markets Tax Credit Program was a business-friendly initiative that aimed to capitalize on the success of the dotcom boom in California and New York. Michael and his team were able to successfully implement the program, focusing on low-income community investing. Michael discusses the company's competitive application process for investment grants, which grade applicants based on their track record of investing capital in targeted areas, raising money from investors using tax credits and incentives, and investing in low-income communities. They analyze their portfolio and find that they have been investing about 30% of their money in low-income communities, particularly in states like Louisiana. They were one of the largest allocatees in the first round of awards in 2003 and have been winners 15 times.

The Shift from a Venture Firm to an Impact Investment Firm

Michael explains that they initially focused on raising money as a venture firm, but later transitioned to an impact investment firm. They now focus on creating jobs and creating job opportunities for residents in their communities. They have been doing federal new markets for 20 years and have state versions that can be added on to them. They try to marry programs together to bring the best of certain programs to each other that work for their investors and spin them out. He also mentions his counterpart, Scott Murphy, who manages the investment side and handles the structuring and bringing in the money. They have been together since 2001 and have been working together since 2001. The mission of the company is to invest in businesses that produce more jobs in the region. The decision-making process involves focusing on companies that produce more jobs at the margin. The company does not specialize in any specific area, as they have tight time frames to qualify for incentives. They have to be generalists, investing in various investment types and being generalists on the balance sheet. The company's goal is to invest in businesses that create jobs and contribute to the region's economy. The company also specializes in incentives and tax credits, having been involved in federal, federal, and state Low Income Housing Tax Credit deals and renewable energy deals.

Building a Life in New Orleans

Michael reflects on his family's presence in New Orleans, which has been a significant part of his life. He recalls dragging people to Mardi Gras from Harvard and being invited to do so every year. However, he also had a strong desire to run for office and work in the Public Service sector, but eventually decided against it. At Advantage, he focused on economic development and was involved in policy discussions with economic development groups. He was getting the idea of what he could do for his city through Metro vision trips and talking to investors. However, he was not well off enough to run for state representative, and his boss initially dismissed his idea. Michael also touches on the impact of Katrina on their business, which was not New Orleans-centric. They moved their office to St. Louis, where they worked on a new markets application. After Katrina, the Treasury Department extended an extension for applicants to work in other areas. Five or six of the team members from St. Lewis rewrote the application to use new markets to rebuild New Orleans. He acknowledges that living in New Orleans was a difficult decision due to its unique personality and uniqueness. They had to make a decision about where to go if they couldn't return, as it was a unique place with a unique personality. However, they were able to be dispassionate about the situation and were called in to DC to discuss using incentives programs to speed up rebuilding.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

Michael, a classics major, took many courses and professors that resonated with him, such as EC 10, Micro, Macro Economics, and the American Revolution. These classes helped him understand the real political and economic pressures of the time and made him think critically.

Timestamps:

02:14: Returning to New Orleans

09:36: Transition to Advantage Capital

09:49: Advantage Capital's Focus on Impact Investing

27:06: Impact of Katrina and Advantage Capital's Role

28:01: Personal Life and Family in New Orleans

35:35: Michael's Podcast and Community Involvement

38:11: Reflections on Harvard Education

48:56: Advantage Capital's Investment Strategy

49:17: Successful Investments and Impact Stories

Links:

Website: https://www.advantagecap.com/

Michael's podcast: https://jesuitjourneys.com/

Featured Non-profit:

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is Senior Tech recommended by Ruthie Tanenbaum who reports:

"Hi. I'm Ruthie Tanenbaum Friedman, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Senior Tech. Senior Tech provides free technology support to senior citizens, which is offered by volunteer high school students. The organization is based in Florida with plans to grow and offers in person and remote support. My children founded and run the organization with my son Max, now serving as president and expanding the services that the organization provides. You can learn more about their [email protected] and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work visit: SeniorTech.org.

Show Notes:

Jacinda Townsend shares her journey of living in 10 different states and two foreign countries, having four careers, including being an elected official, having a couple of kids, and doing various weird things.

Working in Law, Journalism, and Fiction

When Jacinda graduated at 20, she went to law school, which was part of a straight trajectory she had imagined since childhood, and while she initially believed she would go into politics and return to Kentucky, she realized she did not want to pursue a career in law. After finishing her degree, she worked as a news commentator for the Christian Science Monitor network, which led to her being hired as a professional journalist to cover international and national politics. Jacinda was passionate about the news and TV news. Writing for the sound byte was a challenge for her, but she loved it because it allowed her to express herself politically and learn a lot about the English language. She decided she wanted to pursue writing seriously and is now a novelist. She also teaches at Brown University in the MFA program. Throughout her career, Jacinda explains, it has been random events and circumstances that led her to each position.

Motivated by Anger and Moving into Politics

Jacinda talks about her career in politics and how it transpired fueled by her anger at issues she could not ignore. She shares her experiences as a sitting school board member in Bloomington, Indiana. She served in a progressive town with a lot of socio-economic segregation and disciplinary disparities by race and ethnicity which she could not ignore. Jacinda ran for re-election and was elected again, and this time, it was a landslide. She moved to Michigan and was asked to run for the school board there. Jacinda talks about the issues tackled, changes made, and how integration has changed. Jacinda believes that the ideal of integration is not happening. She explains that segregation has increased with 80 percent of white kids going to a school where the percentage of white children is above 75 percent, and minority children and still 90 percent more likely to be in a minority school. She mentions that peak integration happened in 1987 and goes on to explain the driving factors behind the segregation.

Working as a Writer

The conversation turns to her writing career, which includes the award-winning novel Mother Country and the forthcoming novel Trigger Warning. Jacinda talks about her routine, which includes a 500-word word count daily. She also shares a story of working with a student who felt unsure about her writing, and how she copes with the uncertainty of working in the arts. She also shares her approach to keeping up with her characters, and uses random texts to remember what was going through the character's head and keeps up with them. This helps her keep up with the story and remember the characters' reactions to things. When writing a novel, Jacinda immerses herself in the character's world, trying to experience it through their eyes. She doesn't take breaks during the writing process, as she believes that the imagination begets the imagination, and when living with her characters every day, it becomes like a muscle memory. When she returns to the story, she can remember every bit of why she did something, making her work more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Living in Foreign Countries

Jacinda was a Fulbright student in Cote d'Ivoire, and she has lived in two foreign countries, including Mali and Morocco. While in Mali, she encountered modern-day slavery. She also went to Morocco and visited Mauritania, where 20% of the population is enslaved. She explains that Mauritania is a remote country where it is like stepping back 500 years. It is difficult to escape slavery, as employment is caste-based, so if they escape slavery, there is no work. She met an escaped slave and her family, who gave birth to her last of eight children while escaping slavery. Jacinda shares that holding this baby was a profound moment in her life, and it was this experience that led to her novel, Mother Country. Jacinda explains that the reason no-one knows about the slavery issues in Mauritania is because it is not often mentioned in the news. The media is state-run, and the slavery system is brutally enforced. It is also difficult to get to due to its remoteness so there are very few Western visitors. People there often believe they should be slaves, that it is divinely ordained.

Influential Classes and Professors at Harvard

Jacinda mentions Martin Kilson, a brilliant political scholar. She was initially shy in his class, but after her campus activism went viral, he hugged her and said, "You're brilliant." This was a moment that made her feel like she belonged there for the first time. Jacinda appreciates the gift of Martin Kilson's support and tries to make her students feel seen when they are quiet and nervous. She believes that making people feel heard is important and that she will never forget the gift of his presence. Jacinda Townsend shares her campus activism story. At the time she had no idea of the impact this would have. One night, the Boston Police came to her room. She was alone, but before she knew it, seven girls showed up who had come to support her. This experience taught her to speak on television and that even in difficult times, it's important to be there for others, and that others will be there for you, if you share a common belief.

Timestamps:

01:59: Early Career and Education

07:51: Public Office and School Board Experience

22:11: Writing Career and Novels

30:22: Experiences in Foreign Countries

36:39: Personal Reflections and Life Philosophy

40:15: Campus Activism and Media Experience

48:10: Impact of Media and Public Perception

48:27: Final Thoughts and Future Plans

Links:

Website: https://jacindatownsend.com/about-me/

Featured Non-profit

"Hi, I'm Khedrub, Class of 1992.

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is Kadampa Meditation Center Boston.

I've been privileged to work for this budding organization since I moved back to Cambridge in 2020. In addition to our regular programming, I speak at Lehman Hall in the Yard for GSAS now every month and at HLS once a semester, paying back a bit to Havard."

You can learn more about our work at www.meditationinboston.org

Show Notes:

Daniel Brotman shares his journey from undergrad to medical school. After finishing a year of research in Boston, he decided to work for a year before applying for medical school. He had already taken the MCATs and taught Stanley Kaplan during his year off. He also worked in the lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Music and Circadian Rhythm

Daniel talks about his love of music. He considered himself a better musician than singer, and he loved playing piano. He has a 1930 Steinway piano and plays piano karaoke for fun. He has been participating in a music group at Harvard and has heard about other Harvard alums joining similar groups. From music the conversation turns to circadian rhythms, which are rhythms that cycle through the body based on the action of the circadian pacemaker. Circadian rhythms are synchronized to the 24-hour day based on visual stimuli, such as light coming into the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus.

Internal Medicine and Finding Work/Life Balance

Daniel was accepted to medical school after his year of research. He started at the University of Virginia and found it to be a beautiful, traditional place. He initially didn't want to do internal medicine but discovered his passion for it at the end of his third year. He married his first wife, Edith, while in medical school. Daniel graduated from medical school and went on to become a hospitalist at the Cleveland Clinic. He chose to practice inpatient medicine due to his love for it and the intense work required for his family. Hospital medicine was a new field at the time, and Daniel's career began there.

Working as a Hospitalist

Daniel explains that being a hospitalist means practicing in the hospital rather than having an outpatient practice. Patients often come in through the emergency room and need an inpatient doctor to help them through their acute illness. Daniel's role is also as a consultant to help surgeons care for their patients who have medical issues or help other disciplines help care for their patients who have medical issues. Hospital Medicine is defined by the site of practice being in the hospital, similar to an emergency room medicine doctor practicing in the emergency department. After leaving the Cleveland Clinic, Daniel returned to Hopkins, where he started the Hospitalist program. He learned that humility is essential in healthcare, as taking care of patients alone doesn't make for a good team. He also learned that medicine quickly gets out of date, with many concepts still valid but some completely turned on their heads. Overall, his experiences and lessons learned over the years have helped him become a more effective and compassionate healthcare professional.

The Goldilocks Phenomenon

Daniel Brotman discusses the importance of humility in healthcare, particularly in the context of medical knowledge and practices changing. He gives the example of beta blockers and heart failure treatment. He explains that beta blockers can drive patients into congestive heart failure by reducing their heart pumping activity, which is crucial for patients with weak heart muscles. However, studies have shown that beta blockers can be beneficial for those with weaker heart muscles. Daniel discusses the Goldilocks phenomenon, where doctors should not just jump on the latest research from journals but also not gravitate towards every new strategy published in medical literature. This can lead to side effects or challenges with the effectiveness of new drugs. He suggests that doctors should not rely solely on society's guidelines, as they may not always be updated over time. Instead, they should look for guidelines synthesized by knowledgeable professionals who have considered all issues and come up with a synthesis that makes sense. He also discusses the importance of humility in healthcare, stating that it is essential to rely on the expertise of colleagues and the entire team rather than oneself.

AI in Healthcare

The conversation turns to AI in healthcare such as Bridge, which listens to doctor conversations and creates notes based on them. While Bridge is effective in some cases, it struggles to put things fully in context. For example, it might report that the patient denies edema, which is not what it intended to convey. Despite this, it can create a note without looking at anything. However, there are potential areas where AI can make errors, which doctors should be aware of. And it cannot provide a diagnosis. Doctors should be cautious when using AI tools, as the consequences of not double-checking their work can be significant. AI is expected to be beneficial in making recommendations for treatment strategies, but it should not replace doctors' work.

Directing the Hospitalists Program at John Hopkins

Daniel has been directing the Hospitalist program for almost 20 years. He has since become a full professor and has an endowed chair named after John Flynn, a mentor and resident. He enjoys helping junior hospitalists navigate their career paths, which can be diverse and include research, quality improvement, or patient care. He has a great team of doctors to work with and mentor. One of the biggest challenges of leading a group of 50 hospitalists is delegation. Brotman has worked on developing ways to trust junior leaders and structure supervision in a way that maintains quality control. He has also learned to provide feedback to junior leaders, as they are high-performing and smart. Another challenge in leadership is trying to harmonize the economics of their work with clinical outcomes or academic outcomes. Many doctors feel pressure to be productive, which can negatively impact patient care.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

Daniel discusses his experiences at Harvard, including his involvement in research and coursework in circadian rhythms with professors, which he found to be a significant part of his junior and senior year. He also mentions his passion for science and his focus on mastering content to pass tests. His interests have expanded since then, and he still enjoys reading non-fiction books and entertaining activities. He also enjoys skiing, although he was not very good on the ski team in his freshman year.

Timestamps:

00:02: Dan's Journey from Harvard to Medical School

03:36: Understanding Circadian Rhythms

06:00: Medical School and Early Career

08:40: Hospitalist Career and Lessons Learned

22:26: AI in Medicine and Leadership Challenges

32:43: Personal Reflections and Broader Interests

37:19: Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Links:

John Hopkins website: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/

Email: [email protected]

Featured Non-profit

This episode's featured non-profit is Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) recommended by Colin Teichholtz who reports:

"Hi. I'm Colin Teichholtz, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Innovations for Poverty Action, or IPA. IPA discovers and advances what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty around the world. IPA has country offices throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. IPA is all about more evidence and less poverty. I've personally been a supporter of IPA for over a decade, and as of earlier this year, I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve as a member of the board. You can learn more about IPAs work at poverty, dash, action.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work visit: https://poverty-action.org/

Show Notes:

Jason Furman discusses his journey in economics. He shares his experience teaching Act 10, a course that has evolved over the years, using ideas from psychology and economics that are still relevant today. Jason also discusses his time at the Kennedy School, where his current role is Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. It was while at the Kennedy School that he was recruited to work in government. He initially didn't want to go into public policy or Washington, but eventually discovered his passion for it. In 2008, he was asked by David Axelrod to move to Chicago for the Obama campaign. He met with Obama and discussed his view of the economy and the issues being addressed in the campaign.

Working for the Obama Campaign

Jason talks about participating in the campaign, which was an amazing experience, as economists typically do economic policy on a campaign, discussing what will happen next year when they become president. The economy was falling apart, and Jason was able to use his knowledge and experience to help address the issue. In the midst of a financial crisis, Obama decided to support George Bushes' idea of a "bank bail out" to save the banks. This campaign became almost as much like governing as campaigning, with Obama meeting with Bush's treasury secretary, Treasury staff, and the Fed. A small team worked together to devise solutions to save the banks, revive the economy, and rescue the auto industry. Jason talks about the market collapsing and how Obama worked on various aspects of the crisis, including the fiscal response, the Recovery Act, the Affordable Care Act, the fiscal cliff, tax reform, technology policy, infrastructure, China, and climate change. The experience was both exciting and challenging, as markets were collapsing and the future of the economy was uncertain.

Exporting Crude and Environmental Concerns

Jason shares an example of where analysis matters. The United States faced a ban on exporting crude oil due to environmental concerns. The analysis, led by a climate change expert, found that the carbon content of US oil was lower than that of Canadian oil, which led to a ban that hurt American jobs and pushed the world towards higher carbon oil. Jason and his team put forward their analysis and the President, who was interested in the idea, met with his environmental and political advisors to discuss it. Despite some disagreements, the President agreed to sign an executive order to implement the idea. However, political concerns arose, and the White House decided to negotiate with Republicans in Congress to make the oil export concession. Six months later, Republicans extended tax credits for wind and solar, which the White House considered a good policy. This case highlights the importance of analysis and the combination of analysis and politics in a decision-making process.

Climate Policies and The Financial Crisis

Jason discusses two decisions that he believes were crucial. The first was for climate change cap and trade, which would have limited carbon emissions and set up tradable permits. The House passed the bill with the support of 55 senators, but it was not passed due to the filibuster. The second was immigration reform, which would have had a stronger border, expanded legal immigration, and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The financial crisis hit, and Jason explains that Congress had a fixed amount of money for tax credits, states, and unemployment insurance. He talks about Congress spend and automatic aid systems.

Advice for Trump Administration

Jason shares his advice for the incoming president. He states that the economy is in good shape and should not be messed up by big tariffs, immigration, mass expulsions, budget deficit increases, or interference with the Federal Reserve. Jason also discusses mainstream democratic economic policies or beliefs that he would disagree with or push back against. He tries to be unvarnished in his views in real time, and has tried to be honest about his opinions during the presidential campaign. He agrees with a decent fraction of the Democratic agenda, but there is a tendency to ignore trade-offs and the need to decide how best to use finite budget resources. The conversation turns to the debate on tariffs on electric vehicles.

The Oval Office Environment

Jason shares his experience in the Oval Office. He talks about President Obama's approach to policy discussions, debates, and political advisors. He mentions that the President was also good at compartmentalizing, which is important when dealing with highly emotional issues, such as a school shooting, and being able to move on to international tax policy. Overall, the Oval Office environment is a mix of political and policy discussions. The conversation turns to the Affordable Care Act, the opposition to it, and a government mandate for health insurance, which was originally from a conservative think tank called Heritage. Jason talks about some of the controversial points from both Republicans and Democrats, including costs, what and who should be covered, and defining sharing. Politics played a significant role in the creation and implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Practical Experience in Policy Making

Jason discusses his economic research and his practical experience in policy making. He focuses on tax reform, sustainability of deficits, and inflation sources, which he worked on in government. Jason shares his views on tariffs. He also discusses the need for cities like San Francisco and New York to address housing issues, arguing that there isn't enough supply of housing due to restrictions on building. He talks about expanding housing vouchers for low-income households and expanding housing voucher programs to serve everyone. Jason believes that for some people, subsidies are needed, but for most people, cheaper housing is needed, requiring more housing. He also discusses the impact of immigration on inflation and prices is a significant economic issue, as immigrants are the labor force that contributes ideas, innovations, productivity, and start businesses. He moves on to the Chips Act, which aims to increase manufacturing of advanced microchips in the US, and has been a legitimate goal, with manufacturing subsidies of $39 billion.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

Jason shares his favorite classes and professors at Harvard, including Ec 10, which was taught by Marty Feldstein, who became a mentor and friend. He also mentions Professor Jeffrey Williamson's class on economic history, which he still thinks about to this day.

Timestamps:

02:44: Experience Working for President Obama

09:24: Policy Influence and Decision-Making

15:24: Advice to Presidential Candidates and Policy Disagreements

22:11: Oval Office Meetings and Policy Discussions

27:07: Return to Harvard and Teaching

32:18: Policy-Oriented Research and Personal Life

33:49: Quick Takes on Policy Areas

36:50: Reactions to the CHIPS Act and Personal Interests

39:10: Reflections on Harvard and Final Thoughts

Featured Non-profit

This episode's featured non-profit is the Committee to Protect Journalists recommended by Peter Lattman who reports:

"Hi. I'm Peter Lattman, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is the Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that advocates for press freedom around the world. I have been proud to serve as a board member of CPJ for the past five years. And you could learn more about their work at their website, www.cpj.org."

To learn more about their work visit: www.cpj.org.

Thomas Doxiadis worked in the construction field before becoming an architect, eventually pursuing a Masters of Architecture and a Masters of Landscape Architecture at Harvard. He served in the Greek Navy and later worked as an architect for the Greek Olympics and at the same time taught at university. He then started his business which has been running for 25 years.

Managing Work Life Balance and Personal Growth

Expanding from his professional life, Thomas spent the next 10 years exploring his mind, heart, and relationships with people. Through therapy, he found that people are much more interesting than he thought. He joined a coaching group called "Get Your Six," which focuses on treating oneself better through health, sleep, nutrition, exercise, relationships, emotions, and beliefs. The group is structured around six people sharing experiences and helping each other through different situations.

Life Lessons and Changes

Thomas talks about life changes related to health, sleep, nutrition, and exercise. He explains that building a business from scratch and trying to be at the top of his field took a lot of focus and energy away from self-care. He emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself, eating right, sleeping right, learning basic breathing and meditation techniques, and changing priorities. He also emphasizes exploring and understanding the stories of our lives that we construct and how we spend our energy.

Working in the Greek Navy

Thomas shares his experiences in the Greek Navy, where he spent time guarding armaments and working with 18-year-olds, which was a strange situation for him after his time in the professional world, but he found solace in having fun and laughing more than he had in the last decade. He shares a story when he was on guard duty and thought he was under siege.

Working in the Athens Olympics

Thomas recounts his experience working on the Athens Olympics. He had a positive experience despite the short turn around time of three years to complete construction. He worked on the design and construction of mega projects such as parts of the Athenian sea front and coastal areas, Olympic villages, and sports infrastructure. Additionally, he worked on setting up the city's flags, banners, and animation programs. He also spent two years dealing with the environmental and green aspects of the Olympics. His highlight was organizing the first mass olive transplanting, which involved moving the old Athens horse race track to a new area and becoming the Olympic Equestrian Center. The area was full of ancient olive groves and vineyards, some of them as old as 3000 years. The trees were transplanted to create a park and part of the Olympic venues. The trees were reused for the redevelopment of the Athens airport, ensuring they would be a valuable asset for future generations.

Growing up in Greece

Thomas grew up in Greece in the seventies when Greece was still relatively untouched by economic growth and tourism. The rapid economic changes after Greece entered the European Union led to the destruction of places he loved. He studied architecture and landscape architecture to find a win-win solution to building on sensitive, culturally and ecologically important places. His work and portfolio have been built over the past 25 years, focusing on resolving this problem.

Sustainable Development and Landscapes of Cohabitation

Thomas has worked on several projects since his time at the Olympics. One of his most proud projects was working on a pristine Aegean Island, where he and a high school friend developed techniques called the landscapes of cohabitation, which focuses on symbiosis between the environment and human activity. This approach has transformed the local ecosystem and changed people's minds about landscape work. His most recent project is with an MIT graduate from Northern Italy who built an energy corporation in the US and now invests in a small village in Tuscany. They are working on a 200-year sustainability plan, involving climate modeling and climate modeling to understand the future of the village and bringing vitality back to rural areas.

Progressive Adaption to Climate Change

Thomas' goal is to revive the countryside and lead it towards a better and more sustainable future, especially as climate change makes a better future more difficult. The European Union has been funding climate change adaptation programs for countries and universities for the last decade. These programs aim to understand the main impacts of climate change on public health, infrastructure, economy, and tourism. Landscapes are not just visual representations of environmental changes, but also provide a spatial understanding of what will happen due to climate change. Thomas talks about nine case studies that have been conducted across Greece, covering a region the size of Cape Cod. The eastern Mediterranean will be one of the most impacted areas globally, with heat waves, fire, and changing conditions. The European Union stopped spending on mitigation a decade ago and started spending on adaptation. Thomas explains what this entails.

Design for Living Systems

Landscape architects are professionals who design for living systems, not just concrete or steel. They have the skill set to deal with earth, water, plants, animals, and living systems in physical space. The profession has transitioned from being mainly about aesthetics to problem-solving around nature in the past. The advice given by landscape architects is not necessarily heated or useful, but rather based on their experiences and lessons learned. He believes that architects should focus on the bright goal of a better future through design but also be more pragmatic about their surroundings. Thomas also discusses his artistic projects, such as the Castriani mine restoration. He believes that architecture is useful for solving problems through giving form to things, and that the way things look is important because it serves as communication and storytelling. People understand the world through narratives, so architects have the opportunity and responsibility to configure a part of the world that tells people something to add to their own narrative.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

During his time at Harvard, he took courses in Ed Wilson's Evolutionary Biology and Moral Reasoning 22. He also studied landscape ecology at the Harvard Design School, where landscape ecology was a driving force and he learned how you could design with nature and for nature rather than against it, which set him on his life path both professionally and intellectually. He enjoyed playing music and attending international talks at the Kennedy School. This experience helped him become more international and consider himself a citizen of the world.

Timestamps:

01:40: Personal and Professional Reflections

04:38: Coaching Group Experience

07:17: Changes in Life and Health Practices

12:26: Experiences in the Greek Navy

15:47: Role in the Athens Olympics

25:11: Projects and Philosophy

28:40: National Climate Change Adaptation Program

35:43: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

39:10: Role of a Landscape Architect

41:29: Advice to Younger Self

44:09: Artistic Projects and Influences from Harvard

Links:

Website: https://doxiadisplus.com/

Website: Got Your 6 Team

Society for the Environment and Cultural Change Website: Ελληνική Εταιρεία Περιβάλλοντος & Πολιτισμού

Featured Non-profit

This week's featured non-profit is Legal Services NYC recommended by Lisa Velasquez who reports:

"Hi. I'm Liza Velasquez, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Legal Services NYC. The mission of legal services NYC is to fight poverty and seek racial, social and economic justice for New Yorkers who need pro bono civil legal assistance. I've worked with legal services NYC as a board member for the past 10 years, and I'm honored to serve as the current board chair. Every year, our lawyers and staff assist 100,000 New Yorkers in obtaining access to the basic necessities of life, safe housing, economic security, family and immigration, stability, education and healthcare. You can learn more about their work at Legal Services nyc.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode.

To learn more about their work visit: LegalServicesNYC.org.

David Miller kicks off the conversation with a summary of his life since Harvard. He went to Brown University, Providence, and then moved back to Boston, where he spent five years in Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, and then moved to Santa Monica, California, where his wife was pursuing her fellowship. He then returned to Boston, where he has been for 20 years, minus a three-month stint in Paris, France.

Technology Inventor, Independent Contributor, and Instructor

David met his wife, Ruth Herzman Miller, in October of his freshman year at Harvard. They have three daughters, and David has spent some time as a full-time dad with each of them. He majored in mathematics at Harvard and pure mathematics at graduate school at Brown. After a pause, he worked in speech and language processing at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) Technologies in Cambridge where he worked on developing speech to text transcription and information retrieval. He went to UCLA to learn bioinformatics and worked at a bioinformatics laboratory at the Molecular Biology Institute. In 2001, he returned to Boston and worked at Aventis Pharmaceuticals, now Sanofi Aventis, applying his knowledge in lead generation informatics. He stayed at Aventis for a few years before taking some time off the workforce. In 2008, David joined Google for 16 years, primarily on the search engine. He has worked on various projects, including the Google Books project and AI Overviews. He has also spent time at Google Paris, Zurich, and Tokyo. He has also taught computer science in the context of the Girls Who Code Project, where he distributed curriculum material to numerous chapters and hosted meetups. He also worked with Microsoft TEALS (technology and learning in schools), teaching ninth and 10th grade computer science.

Inspired by French Theater

During the pandemic, revisited an interest he had discovered in Paris, French theater. He started studying French and learned about the annual Theater Festival in Avignon, France, which is the second largest Fringe Festival in the world. After visiting the festival in 2022, he decided to create a similar event in Boston. He started a limited liability corporation with knowledge of French, Boston theater scene, organizational capacity, and spare finance. The first production was performed in April 2024, and the second is set to open in November 2024. They are currently booking venues and signing contracts for their 2025-2026 season.

Google, AI, and The BERT Revolution

The conversation turns to AI, BERT, and Google. He explains that the feature of BERT was built to transform language problems into arithmetic problems, using embeddings in high-dimensional vector spaces to catch semantics. This allowed for more complex arithmetic than just adding and subtracting. The BERT Revolution, invented by Jacob Devlin and his colleagues, was used to map words to embeddings, allowing for real-world correspondence in arithmetic. This concept was later used in Google's Featured Snippets, which was revamped to use embeddings and the Bert revolution. David's lecture at Boston University, which is titled "Natural Language Understanding, Deep Learning and the BERT Revolution" discusses the underlying mechanics of natural language processing and how it transformed problems in language into arithmetic. The BERT Revolution allowed for more complex arithmetic than just adding and subtracting, making it easier for neural networks to perform complex tasks.

The Rise of Hidden Markov Models

David talks about the state-of-the-art technology at the time, Hidden Markov models, which had a temporal aspect of a changing probability distribution. These models were based on the sequence of text, and the Bayesian reasoning was used to determine the most likely audio to come from the words. This led to the development of generative models, where words generate the audio through probabilistic models. However, Bayesian modeling has been replaced by deep neural nets in the last five years of generative AI. He mentions that, in the early days, neural networks were untrainable and unwieldy, making Hidden Markov models the Bayesian generative approach. However, deep neural networks are now used.

The Development of Neural Networks

David discusses the development of neural networks, a technology that has been around since the 1950s. The availability of more recordings for speech, text, and language models has made it more accessible on the hardware side. The core of a neural network computation is matrix multiplication, which has been addressed by Nvidia and Google with their TensorFlow units. These units have invested large amounts of money in making specialized, custom hardware for this problem, accelerating things. David talks about how algorithms have also advanced significantly since the 1950s, and mentions key factors that have aided the advancement.

Becoming an Individual Contributor at Google

David talks about how he learned the technology. He decided to become an individual contributor and studied the technology, the code, the papers, books, videos, and experiments. He spent most of the pandemic working on neural nets that eventually became the Gemini technology. David's journey to becoming a knowledgeable and skilled individual in neural networks was a journey that took him from a theoretical interest to a practical application. He learned to make the most of the technology and its capabilities, ultimately contributing to the advancement of the field. David has faced mixed reactions to his decision to become an independent contributor at Google. While some were supportive and skeptical, others were skeptical. He talks about the advice he received, how he moved forward, the success rate of his projects, and how his career has decelerated since 2019.

Behind the Curtain of French Theater

The discussion moves to French theater and how David has become a French theater producer. He shares his journey of starting a production in Boston from scratch. To start a French theater production in Boston, David had to be integrated into the French community in Boston and the theater community in Boston. They do not create the theater but bring the original production to Boston and add subtitles. He talks about the challenges faced in securing locations, staff and equipment, and managing the production process such as hiring a director, actors, space, marketing, and logistics. He uses services like Playbill to manage administration, program design, publicity, and logistics. He is passionate about creating a new cultural institution in Boston that focuses on French theater. Boston is known for its strong ties to France and hospitals, and David aims to create a French theater festival or translate French theater into English. He works with the French American Chamber of Commerce of New England, which helps create businesses and connections in Boston.

Behind the Screen of Girls Who Code

David has worked with Girls Who Code, an after-school program that runs programs for young women interested in programming and technology. He organized a meet-up at Google's Cambridge office, where he gave a keynote speech at parent meetings, emphasizing the importance of belonging and ownership in the industry. He was able to connect with 150 teenage girls and their parents, who expressed gratitude for his message. David's involvement with Girls Who Code has led to a sense of belonging and empowerment for these young women, who are now more likely to pursue careers in the tech industry. He believes that the French language theater in Boston could potentially sustain them through a 25-year career in the industry.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses

David shares his experiences as a TA in the math department and working with Deborah Hughes Hallet, who was running a calculus project. David's theater experience has played an ongoing role in his teaching approach, as he learned from her dedication and approach to teaching. He believes that the notion of understanding the world through teaching is a deep-rooted belief in his approach.

Timestamps:

03:59: Professional Career and Industry Experience

06:52: Non-Professional Activities and Community Involvement

11:22: Technological Advancements and AI Overview

25:07: Transition to Individual Contributor Role at Google

30:17: French Theater Project and Community Building

40:39: Impact of Girls Who Code and Teaching

45:25: Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Links:

Theater: www.frenchtheaterproject.com

Theater Club: https://frenchlibrary.org/french-library-theater-club/

Website: www.monsieurmiller.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrhmiller/

David's 2019 lecture "Natural Language Understanding, Deep Learning and the BERT Revolution" at Boston University : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DktFhgxynFE

Featured Non-profit

This week's featured non-profit is the Cure San Filippo Foundation recommended by Adam Shaywitz who reports:

"Hi. I'm Adam Shaywitz, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is the Cure San Filippo Foundation. This organization is dedicated to advancing treatment options for children affected by the devastating childhood dementia known as San Filippo syndrome. I am privileged to serve as a board member for the past five years. You can learn more about their work at Cure Sanfilippo foundation.org, that's one word. Cure Sanfilippo foundation. San Felippo is spelled s, a, n, f, i, L, i, p, p, O, that's 1f, 1l, and 2p Cure San Filippo foundation.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work visit: www.CureSanFilippoFoundation.org.

Show Notes:

Raymond Lei Yin moved to New York after graduating and has worked at Goldman Sachs for over 20 years, primarily in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. He worked in China with a private fund for three and a half years and for UBS Asset Management as the Head of Asia Pacific and Head of China for the past 6 years. Now retired from UBS Asset Management, Raymond is currently traveling around the world, visiting his parents and enjoying the outdoors. He is also looking for opportunities to get involved with communities, businesses or organizations where he can contribute his expertise. Capital Markets War Stories Raymond shares many war stories from his time in Hong Kong, China, and the capital markets during the financial crisis. He started at Goldman Sachs in New York and eventually moved to Asia. He was a program analyst in 1992 and supported the international trading desk at Goldman. This experience was interesting, as the traders he worked with at the time were hires from Salomon Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). He likens this time to working in a jungle where his goal was to survive each day. Raymond's journey has been filled with challenges and opportunities, but he is now focused on pursuing his passion for learning (especially in AI) and helping other businesses to grow. Working in Equity Capital MarketsRaymond began his career in Hong Kong after realizing that the core part of Goldman's business was financial advisory and trading. He decided to look for a job outside Goldman and was about to resign when he was offered a position by a senior MD looking for a Chinese speaking analyst based in Hong Kong. He flew to London for interviews and was hired to work in equity capital markets, which he knew little about. Equity capital markets is an interesting area that straddles between investment banking and equity sales and trading. Raymond was trained by Eric Dobkin, the man who introduced the concept of the Equity Capital Markets (ECM), which orchestrated IPOs and worked with both issuers and investors to set the price. During the Red Chip Boom in 1993, there was a huge demand for Chinese speaking bankers in Hong Kong, as there were not many Chinese bankers at that time. As the first full-time equity capital markets person based in Hong Kong, Raymond worked tirelessly to keep up with the pace of IPOs. Lesson Learned from the MarketOne lesson that Raymond learned during this time was that the market can be irrational. During the Red Chip Boom, Chinese IPOs were richly valued, due to scarcity of Chinese papers and the high demand for Chinese investments. However, since then, the market has seen several cycles of price fluctuations. To make money in the equity market, he believes that one must be a contrarian, have a long sustained power, and be liquid. In the early 90s, Hong Kong had an open market with many foreign capitals and traditional institutions representing their firms in London or New York. Goldman helped Chinese companies raise money in international capital markets through IPOs, global deposit receipts (GDRs), and convertible bonds (CBs). The Chinese government was involved in these deals, as they were selling their best assets to global investors in exchange for professional management and market discipline. The first deal was with Tsingtao Breweries, a famous beer company, and later with Shanghai Petrochemical and China Mobile and PetroChina. These companies were majority-held by the Chinese government, and Goldman had an edge in winning these deals. Goldman also worked on Korean companies like POSCO Steel and Samsung Electronics, as well as Thai and Indonesian companies. The Asian Financial Crisis The Asian financial crisis occurred in 1997, when the devaluation of the Thai Bhat and Indonesian Rupiah led to a massive attack in Hong Kong markets. For a few days, the entire HK equity market was dominated by one buyer, the Hong Kong government. Raymond saw the government's bid for 100 million shares of Hong Kong telecom got hit within 2 seconds. This could mark the end of capital markets in Hong Kong, as the government was buying the significant part of HK equity market. However, in hindsight this was the single best time to buy Hong Kong equities, as the Hong Kong government made a lot of money that day. In subsequent years, Goldman helped the Hong Kong government sell these stocks at a profit, returning the market to private investors. One company Raymond worked with was PetroChina where Goldman took the company public and Raymond helped to introduce the team management to global investors. It was during the dotcom bubble era, there was ver little investor appetite for oil stocks. Eventually, the IPO was done as a discount valuation. Investors who bought at PetroChina IPO all made money if they hold on to their shares. From Goldman to Private Funds to UBS Asset ManagementRaymond's next move was to the buy side - a China based private fund. He spent three and a half years traveling between Shanghai and Hong Kong to help them set up their international operation, hire people, lease office space, get the Type 9 license, and set up their Hong Kong office. He later joined UBS Asset Management first as Head of China then later as Head of Asia Pacific. He worked at UBS Asset Management for the past 6 years. Influential Harvard Professors and CoursesRaymond shares that his Art History course at Harvard was one of the most useful, as it allowed him to appreciate artwork and visit museums worldwide. He also enjoyed the core course Cultural Revolution taught by Professor Roderick MacFarquar, which was not offered in China.

Timestamps:

04:15: Early Career at Goldman Sachs

09:51: Experience in Hong Kong and Equity Capital Markets

14:46: The Asian Financial Crisis and Market Lessons

26:31: Building Sales and Trading Operations in China

28:44: Transition to the Buy Side and Final Steps at Goldman

31:11: Personal Life and Interests

38:19: Reflections on Harvard and Career Advice

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-yin-cfa-613a017a/

Email: [email protected]

Featured Non-profit:

This week's featured non-profit is Alex's Lemonade Stand, recommended by Catherine Marcus Rose who reports:

Hi. I'm Catherine Marcus Rose, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Alex's Lemonade Stand, foundation for Children's Cancer. Alex's Lemonade Stand focuses on impacting lives of children with cancer through fundraising for critical research and awareness raising support for families and children with cancer. I love the work of this organization and have been a regular donor for a few years. When our youngest son, age 21 was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma last December, this organization became even more important to us. Only four cents of every dollar spent on cancer research at the NCI goes to research in pediatric cancers. So the work of this organization has taken on extra meaning for us. You can learn more about their work at Alex's lemonade.org, a l e x, s, L E, M o, n, a, de.org and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode.

To learn more about their work visit: https://www.alexslemonade.org/

Show Notes:

Jack Levy spent a year before college studying Judaic Studies and Talmudic studies in the Old City of Jerusalem. During his time in Harvard, he became particularly interested in Israel, as he had grown up with a strong Jewish background. He received a Raoul Wallenberg fellowship, funded by Fred Schwartz, to go to Hebrew University for a year after college during which he interned for Knesset member Naomi Hazan and worked for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. From Columbia Law School to Venture Capital

After Israel, Jack went to Columbia Law School. He worked one summer as a human rights lawyer and later worked for Wall Street firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher to pay off his debt. He chose that law firm based on their Israeli clients and had a great experience with a mentor named Peter Jakes. During his time at law school, Jack met his wife, Dahlia. They settled in New York for a while before moving to Israel. Jack worked at Willkie before transitioning to Register.com, an internet company. In 1999, the internet was booming. Jack spent four years as General Counsel of Register during the the .com boom. In 2003, they moved to Ra'anana, Israel, a suburb of Tel Aviv, and have raised their three children there. Jack practiced law briefly in Israel before becoming a venture capitalist in 2006. He was the first to raise the banner of cleantech or climate tech in Israel in 2006 and 2007, thanks to Harvard classmate Sanjay Wagle. The Israeli Experience after October 7

Life changed for all Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. All of the Jack's children serve in the military, and the community has experienced losses. The country came under attack by Hamas, led by Yahia Sinuar, and immediately followed by Hezbolla in the north. The October 7 attack resulted in horrific violence, crimes, destruction, rape, murder, and burning of people in the Southern Communities. Like many religiously observant Israelis, Jack and his family were in synagogue during the attack, when the rumors started to spread. Jack mentions that in the week prior to the attack he'd been on holiday in Jordan.

Early in the morning of October 8, their best friends called to tell them that their 27-year-old son, Major Aryeh Ziering, had been killed by Hamas command naval commandos who had infiltrated Israel. Arey was an excellent fighter from the canine unit who had captured terrorists alongside some of the most elite forces during his service. He had gone to the United States to help train Navy SEALs with canine warfare. He was killed by 1pm that day.The next day, other friends found out that their son Hirsch had been kidnapped into Gaza, which ended with tragedy about a month ago when he was killed by Hamas. By the end of the first day, they had one friend whose son had been killed as a fighter, one friend who had been captured from the Nova festival and held prisoner by Hamas, and another business partner who lost his cousin's child fighting that day as well. As the war continued in the coming months, their network of friends who experienced loss widened to include – one who lost their nephew in December fighting in Gaza, one whose daughter's boyfriend was killed pursuing a terrorist in the West Bank, and others who lost their lives in the conflict. The story of the heroism of those who fought for their lives and the lives of others is one that will be told for generations. As a 54-year-old Israeli father, Jack has three children who have been fighting in the war, Jack explains the extremely high cost to Israeli families who have children in the army. Jack states that the present generation is remarkable, and he wrote a piece in the Times of Israel about the little league team he had coached going to war. He still plays softball with his boys and realized that by December, every child he coached was fighting in the war. How Heroism Drives Soldiers Jack shares the lessons he learned about conflict and military training. He talks about the importance of respecting American military families. He reflects on the recent tragic death of a soldier who recorded a video of himself before going into Lebanon, expressing love for the person behind him. He believes that Americans of his generation don't understand the importance of military families and the sacrifices made by soldiers. He grew up during the reckoning with the Vietnam War through Oliver Stone movies, and grew up thinking war was primarily unjust or wrong. Jack explains that the men and women fighting are often the best, motivated, kind, and loving people. He identifies with pacifism but lives only because there are people willing to defend him. Civilian War Rooms in Action The state apparatus of defense along the Israeli border failed on October 7, allowing hordes to burst through the borders and kidnap hundreds. However, people jumped into action. People established civilian war rooms, where they could be proactive in helping house, shelter, build and support in multiple ways. After October 7, many communities accepted refugees from the north and south - similar to the Second Lebanon War – and many in Jack's community helped families who had moved into hotels in the Dead Sea area. A friend of Jack, who lost her nephew, set up a school in the Dead Sea area within four days. The community extended to raising money to buy better helmets and equipment for reservists. This community-building effort was remarkable and comforting. Gazan Civilians under Hamas Jack, a former human rights attorney, discusses the situation with civilians in Gaza and the ethical considerations surrounding the response. He believes that the destruction to Gaza is horrific and tragic, with 40,000 people killed, but the problem is that it is not 40,000 civilians. Recent reports state that 30,000 of those were Hamas fighters or their family members. Jack blames Hamas for the destruction, but also emphasizes the morality and the need not to damage one's own cause. He shares first-hand testimony from his son, who describes his experience as a surveillance unit officer in Khan Yunis. He encourages people from outside Israel to focus on being "pro peace" rather than being "pro Israel" or "pro Palestine". The Tech Industry in Israel Jack, an investor and startup expert, discusses the impact of travel restrictions on the tech industry in Israel as the travel restrictions due to missile attacks from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have been problematic for Israeli companies. Despite the obstacles, he notes that Israeli companies have been able to function during this period. In addition, it is common with Israeli technology companies for the CEOs to relocate to New York, Silicon Valley, Boston, or Austin, while the tech teams remain in Israel. Jack believes that the war is not good for the Israeli economy and that it is clearly awful for the lives of Palestinians, South Lebanon residents, and even people in Tehran. He believes that the US needs to take a more muscular reaction to the situation and help the parties find a way to end the war. Influential Harvard Professors and Courses Jack discusses his experiences at Harvard, including courses taught by Stanley Hoffman, Michael Sandel, Louise Richardson, and others. He mentions his appreciation for Professor Stanley Hoffman's course Ethics and International Relations. Jack was in touch recently with Professor Emeritus Michael Walzer of Princeton whose book he studied in that course and who had defended Israel's war against Hamas and Hezbollah but was critical of the alleged Israeli involvement in the Pager attack. Jack also mentions his love for Professor Michael Sandel, and Dame Louise Richardson, who was his junior faculty seminar professor when he was 21 and became his thesis advisor. She was a young professor who wrote a great book called What Terrorists Want, which became one of the most popular courses at Harvard after September 11.

Timestamps:

02:52: Transition to Venture Capitalism and Personal Life

08:17: Impact of the 2023 Conflict on Jack's Family

17:27: Community Response and Personal Reflections

25:48: Professional Challenges and the Future of Israeli Tech

26:00: Reflections on Harvard and Influential Professors

Links:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jack-levy-2a8137

Featured Non-profit:

This week's featured non-profit of this episode is KIPP public schools, recommended by Grace Voorhis who reports:

"I'm Grace Voorhis, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is KIPP public schools. Maybe not everyone knows that charter schools are public schools just exempt from many of the rules set by local school districts. KIPP schools are established in underserved districts. A third party study reported in The Wall Street Journal noted that KIPP students were 19 percentage points more likely to graduate from a four year college than non KIPP students. They noted an effect of this size, extrapolated nationwide, would be large enough to nearly close the degree completion gap for Hispanic students, or entirely close the gap for black students. I'm proud to have served on the KIPP Northern California Board for over two decades, most recently as board chair. I keep coming back to KIPP because of the results they achieve. You can learn more about their work @kipp.org k, i, p, p, and KIPP Northern California, at KIPP norcal.org and now here is Will Bachmann with this week's episode."

To learn more about their work visit: https://www.kipp.org/