The Atila Podcast

The Atila Podcast

By Tomiwa AdemidunEducation
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The Atila Podcast episodes

  • Betty Esperanza, Skateboards for Hope and Atila

    A few days ago, we approached Betty Esperanza and Skateboards for Hope about sponsoring a scholarship on Atila.  We record all our sales presentations for use internally to see where we can improve. We originally had no intention of sharing this publicly.  

    However, we were so inspired by Betty’s story and skateboard for Hope we asked if we could share her story publicly.  Enjoy :)  

    To learn more about Skateboards for Hope visit: https://www.skateboardsforhope.com/ 

    To start or contribute to a scholarship visit: https://atila.ca/ 

    To read the interview: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/betty-esperanza-skateboards-for-hope-and-atila/

    Timestamps:  

    Skateboard for Hope’s origin story - (1:00) 

    Betty’s immigrant upbringing - (14:25) 

    Atila’s Presentation - (16:50) 

    “I like supporting the underdog” and importance of skateboarding - (25:40)

    Betty’s questions for Atila - (29:30)

     How she got the idea for the Skateboards for Hope logo - (38:55)

    Betty’s inspirational closing words - (41:27)

    47 min
  • Open The Gates of Education Freedom: How to Make University Higher Quality and More Affordable

    Come along on a journey with me through the past, present and future of education. As I talk about how we got here, where we are now, and my ideas for how we can create a better future for students, parents and educators.

    1. Read the full article here: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/open-the-gates
    2. Watch the video on Youtube
    3. View the slides
    4. Visit the website: educationfreedomprogram.org
    5. Listen to the essay/video as a podcast while multitasking on Spotify or Itunes

      6. Timestamps

      The key parts are:  The Idea (9:50) and What you can do (23:50)

       

      A brief history of universities – 1:40

      What do universities do now? – 5:00

      A solution to improve the education system – 7:40

      The idea, Education Freedom Program – 9:50 (watch this part!)

      Made up reasons why it won’t work – 20:00

      What you can do -  23:50 (watch this part!)


      Introduction

      On January 29, 2020, I was in my final year of university. I had just received my first ever employment offer as a software engineer at a biotech company. In just three months, I would have graduated from university and be entering the next chapter of my life. So I did what any responsible “aspiring adult" would do: I put together a budget.

      I created a Google Sheet called “Personal Finance Adulting Budget 2020” to help me figure out how I was going to pay for the next chapter of my life. I had everything in there, my starting salary, how much my taxes would be, my rent for my apartment, monthly gym membership, transit pass etc.

      Me: “Okay, So I know how much money is coming and going out each month. how much money do I actually have right now”.

      So I logged into my online banking account, clicked my banking details, opened my bank statement and saw a number that shocked me: $65,000.

      Don’t worry, you don’t have to be jealous, that’s not how much money I had. That’s how much debt I had in my student loans. Okay, maybe you’re thinking: “Tomiwa it’s not all about you”. Okay, you’re right: it’s not about me. Take me out of it. The average student with loans has $28,000 in student loans. How did we create a society where a young person is about to enter adulthood and instead of at the very least, starting the game of life at $0, we’re starting $28,000 behind the starting line. A society where despite being the most educated generation, for the first time in modern history, there’s only a 50% chance that we’ll earn more than our parents (Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality,Politifact) .

      Come along on a journey with me through the past, present and future of education. As I talk about how we got here, where we are now, and my ideas for how we can create a better future for students, parents and educators.

      38 min
    6. Harvard Valedictorian + Basketball Captain, Goldman Sachs, Co-Founder of No More Names: Criminal Justice Reform – Chris Egi Atila TV 014

      Chris Egi (@chrisegi15) is the valedictorian of the Harvard University 2018 class and captain of the Men’s varsity basketball team. He is currently an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in the Special Situations Group - Private Capital Investing. He was also the captain of the Canadian Men's U-19 national basketball team. He is the founder of No More Names an organization committed to criminal justice reform and ending police Brutality.

      In this episode we talk about how he got into Harvard University, why he is so passionate about criminal justice reform and ending police brutality. We also talked about how his father’s death impacted him, the importance of poetry and self-reflection and much more.

      Timestamp
      • What were you like at 16? - 1:45
      • What was it like Playing with future NBA first overall draft pick Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell -  7:00
      • The similarities between Chris and Barack Obama - 19:03
      • “I actually didn’t want to go to Harvard at first” - 26:35
      • Chris’ advice on how to get into Harvard and other Ivy League Schools - 30:40
      • If you are so passionate about criminal justice and social equality why are you working for corporate America instead of social justice - 1:08:40
      • “Why do we need events specifically for promoting marginalized groups? Shouldn’t we be more meritocratic?” - 55:50
      • How did you get the jobs at Bain and Goldman Sachs - 1:12:15
      • “If you had focused more on basketball, do you think you could have made the NBA?” - 1:15:50
      • The story behind how Chris became the Harvard valedictorian and the inspiration for his speech - 1:17:50
      • Why did Chris Start No More Names and why he’s so passionate about ending police brutality - 1:22:50
      • Do you ever get any criticism from people since police brutality is such a controversial topic -  1:29:40
      • Losing His Father and how it Changed his Life - 1:32:22
      • Why Chris Started writing poetry and the favorite poems he’s written - 1:37:05

        • 📺Full interview and video: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/harvard-valedictorian-basketball-captain-goldman-sachs-co-founder-of-no-more-names-criminal-justice-reform-chris-egi-atila-tv-014/

        📺 Watch on Youtube: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-chris-egi-youtube-2

        🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-chris-egi-spotify

        🎧 Listen on iTunes https://bit.ly/atila-tv-chris-egi-itunes

        No More Names - 10,000 voices: https://10000voices.nomorenames.co

        Finding Michael Brown at Harvard, Article by Chris Egi: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/basketball-christopher-egi-michael-brown-harvard

        2 hr
      • Harvard Valedictorian + Basketball Captain, Goldman Sachs, Co-Founder of No More Names: Criminal Justice Reform – Chris Egi Atila TV 014

        Chris Egi (@chrisegi15) is the valedictorian of the Harvard University 2018 class and captain of the Men’s varsity basketball team. He is currently an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in the Special Situations Group - Private Capital Investing. He was also the captain of the Canadian Mens’ U-19 national basketball team. He is the founder of No More Names an organization committed to criminal justice reform and ending police Brutality.

        Timestamp
        • What were you like at 16? - 1:45
        • What was it like Playing with future NBA first overall draft pick Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell -  7:00
        • The similarities between Chris and Barack Obama - 19:03
        • “I actually didn’t want to go to Harvard at first” - 26:35
        • Chris’ advice on how to get into Harvard and other Ivey League Schools - 30:40
        • If you are so passionate about criminal justice and social equality why are you working for corporate America instead of social justice - 1:08:40
        • “Why do we need events specifically for promoting marginalized groups? Shouldn’t we be more meritocratic?” - 55:50
        • How did you get the jobs at Bain and Goldman Sachs - 1:12:15
        • “If you had focused more on basketball, do you think you could have made the NBA?” - 1:15:50
        • The story behind how Chris became the Harvard valedictorian and the inspiration for his speech - 1:17:50
        • Why did Chris Start No More Names and why he’s so passionate about ending police brutality - 1:22:50
        • Do you ever get any criticism from people since police brutality is such a controversial topic -  1:29:40
        • How the death of his father changed his life - 1:32:22
        • Why Chris Started writing poetry and the favorite poems he’s written - 1:37:05
        • What is Chris’ 1,5,25 year plan - 1:40:55
          • Links

          Full interview and video: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/harvard-valedictorian-basketball-captain-goldman-sachs-co-founder-of-no-more-names-criminal-justice-reform-chris-egi-atila-tv-014/

          Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRiwt-KFeVM

          Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m74ZmCPgjvp5WGOMg3P9C

          Listen on Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atila-podcast/id1440531021

          No More Names - 10,000 voices: https://10000voices.nomorenames.co

          Finding Michael Brown at Harvard, Article by Chris Egi: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/basketball-christopher-egi-michael-brown-harvard

          Chris’ Poetry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/egiwrites/

          Chris’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisegi24/

          Chris’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisegi15/

          Atila Tech’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atilatech/


          2 hr
        • Singer, Rapper, Writer – @delgotgame (Chinua Ofulue) Atila TV 013

          Del (Chinua Ofulue) is an RnB and alternative soul singer, rapper and writer. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Western University.

          In this episode we talk about is Drake the smartest and greatest rapper alive, advice for breaking into the music industry.  How to market and grow your personal brand as a creative and much more. Why Del chose to go to university and wants to go to law school while wanting to be a music artist?

          Timestamp
          • Del does a freestyle rap live on the show! 44:00
          • Why Del wants to go to law school while pursuing a music career? 7:37
          • Does Drake write his own music? - 17:00
          • What music are you listening to and what are your influences 19:00
          • The genius of Drake’s music and marketing  - 23:00
          • What can aspiring artists learn from Drake? - 29:10
          • Advice for breaking into the music industry - 33:20
          • Marketing ideas and strategies for growing your personal brand - 37:05
          • What is the biggest challenge you have right now? - 39:20
          • Finding inspiration from Anime 46:10
          • Why go to school? Why not just pursue your passion right away - 52:40
          • Where does Del see himself in 25 years - 1:03:25
          • If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be 1:12:46


            • Links

            Full interview and video: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/singer-rapper-writer-delgotgame-chinua-ofulue-atila-tv-013

            Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2F-dp9Brgw

            Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m74ZmCPgjvp5WGOMg3P9C


            Listen on Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atila-podcast/id1440531021

            Del’s Music: https://delmusic.net

            Del’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delgotgame/

            Del’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/manlikedel

            Rowan Makes Art: https://www.instagram.com/rowanmakesart/


            Atila Tech’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atilatech/

            Tomiwa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tademidun/

            Jacob’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-munene-4561a4153/

            Atila LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atila-tech/

            Tomiwa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomiwa1a 

            Tomiwa’s twitter: https://twitter.com/tomiwa1a

            Jacob’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/munenejr

            1 hr 31 min
          • GrowthGenius and Bitmaker Labs Co-Founder, Why He Left Finance, Entrepreneurship and Mental Health – Will Richman Atila TV 012

            Will Richman is the founder of GrowthGenius and Bitmaker Labs. Before that he worked in Wealth management at BNY Mellon and spent 12 months backpacking through Asia and Europe. Will is also a graduate of the Honor’s Business Administration program at Ivey Business School.

            GrowthGenius is a software service to help you get sales meetings with your ideal clients.

            In this episode we talk about the pros and cons of working for a big company versus a startup, what the process of starting a company feels like and the effects on mental health. We talk about digital nomads and the importance of building a company to share success with others. We also bounce around ideas on how people can experiment and test with different jobs to see what career is best for them.


            Timestamp
            • How to get investors for your business - 43:00
            • Framework for deciding to work for a startup versus a big company - 45:20
            • “The biggest problems are not technology problems but human problems” - 1:12:10
            • What is Will’s meditation process and what apps does he use? 52:55
            • The darkest moments that Will went through as an entrepreneur - 54:08
            • The original idea and  early days of Growth Genius (the definition of success) - 37:27
            • Was it scary leaving BNY Mellon to go into entrepreneurship? - 22:30
            • Buying a one-way ticket to Vietnam, backpacking Southeast Asia and how it changed him - 32:05
            • Why Will Decided to come back to Canada to start a company, Digital Nomads and the importance of community? - 35:25

              • Full interview and video: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-will

              Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhFP5j6wtE8

              Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m74ZmCPgjvp5WGOMg3P9C

              Listen on Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atila-podcast/id1440531021

              Growth Genius : https://www.growthgenius.com

              Atila Tech’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atilatech/

              Will’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willrichman/

              Will’s twitter: https://twitter.com/will_richman

              Tomiwa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tademidun/

              Jacob’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-munene-4561a4153/

              1 hr 22 min
            • U of T Medical School, “MCAT for Black Students”, Poetry and Women’s Rights – Chika Stacy Oriuwa Atila TV 011

              Chika is a medical school student at the University of Toronto Medical School. She graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science from McMaster University.

              Chika is also a poet, writer and an advocate for gender and racial diversity in medicine. She helped grow a program called the BSAP, Black Students application process. Students still have to meet the same MCAT requirement for grades and they can also write an essay explaining why they chose the BSAP program.  Chika was the only student to identify as black in her first year of medical school among a class of 259 at the University of Toronto in 2016. After the BSAP was introduced, there are now 15 black students in the current first-year class.

              In this episode we talk about balancing her creative passion for poetry and writing with medicine, systemic bias and discrimination in the medical industry, working hard without burning out and much more.


              Full interview and video: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/u-of-t-medical-school-mcat-for-black-students-poetry-and-womens-rights-chika-stacy-oriuwa-atila-tv-011

              Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m74ZmCPgjvp5WGOMg3P9C

              Listen on iTunes:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atila-podcast/id1440531021

              Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn_Hldc4qDg

              Timestamp
              • “Is Affirmative action and programs like BSAP unfair?” [23:45]
              • What is something you can do to increase your chance of getting into medical school? [28:05]
              • Advice for getting into McMaster Health Science [10:20]
              • Being a strong advocate for Women’s reproductive rights and pro choice while growing up in a pro-life Catholic uprbinging? [37:25]
              • How do you find time to write poetry and pursue your creative endeavors while balancing your medical school? [43:28]
              • How did you change between highschool and university? [12:27]
              • How did you feel about being the only black student in medical school? [17:26]
              • Experiencing failure for the first time. [14:46]
              • What’s it like being both a female and black in medicine? [32:55]
                • Links

                U of T Medical School Black Student Application Program (BSAP): http://applymd.utoronto.ca/black-student-application-program

                Articles by Chika:

                https://www.flare.com/how-i-made-it/chika-stacy-oriuwa/

                https://www.flare.com/identity/black-physicians-in-canada/

                Atila Tech’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atilatech/


                1 hr 1 min
              • Elementary school, Reiki Yoga Teacher: Self-Love, Mindfulness, Education | Laura Desimone Atila TV 10

                Laura Desimone is an elementary school teacher for the Peel District School Board and a Reiki master and founder of @illuminabodyandsoul. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Education at the University of Toronto.

                In this episode we talk about the importance of self-love, ways to improve the education system and how Reiki and meditation can teach mindfulness. We also talk about her struggles with severe anxiety in her 20s and early 30s, which politician she thinks needs emotional healing and much more.

                Timestamps
                • Do parents do what is best for their kids or best for themselves? - 14:10
                • Did you ever feel like you could be making more money if you weren’t a teacher and what kind of legacy do you want to leave? - 19:45
                • Why did you decide to pursue a PhD? - 23:30
                • Why do we need credentials in order to do things? - 25:25
                • The only reason people don’t reach their full potential is because there is a part of themselves they don’t like - 28:30
                • Why Laura doesn’t like giving students marks and the importance of focusing on process over outcomes - 32:30
                • What is Reiki and how did you find out about it? And Laura’s struggles with Anxiety in her 20s and 30s - 42:00
                • How to get better at loving other people and managing your emotions - 53:25
                • Sound healing meditation and importance of vision boards? - 1:14:50
                • What political figure she would want to talk to and why she thinks they need emotional healing - 1:19:10
                  • Links 

                  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m74ZmCPgjvp5WGOMg3P9C?fbclid=IwAR26eU5n3mrm_Budl3sRYnVouOfOrxsZhwLfZUUNmh2Ph97x-80E2uaJIf4

                  Listen on Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atila-podcast

                  Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2iWiYgJYkjBl4EdYGI5mw?view_as=subscriber

                  Full interview and transcript: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-laura

                  Atila Tech’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atilatech/ 

                  Laura De Simone instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risemindbody/

                  Tomiwa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomiwa1a 

                  Tomiwa’s twitter: https://twitter.com/tomiwa1a 

                  Jacob’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/munenejr

                  1 hr 31 min
                • DJing w/ Torey Lanez while on NCAA D1 University Soccer Scholarship - DJ Tuffy Atila TV 009

                  Josh Tufinho (DJ Tuffy) is currently on a  scholarship at Niagara University to play NCAA DI Soccer, in the sports and entertainment marketing program. Josh is also a DJ and has opened for Tory Lanez and is getting his real estate license. Josh previously played for the Toronto FC academy.

                  We talk about how he got a scholarship to play soccer and was the opening act for Torey Lanez. What it’s like balancing DJing, playing soccer and school work, while balancing the pressures from friends, family and managing stress. We also talk about his thoughts on how to break into the sports and entertainment industry.

                  TimeStamps
                  • Were you thinking of plan B, like if you didn’t make it?
                  • 3:27 - Why did you go to university if you knew you wanted to play professional soccer? 
                  • 13:01 - How did you go from DJ-ing on a small HP laptop to opening for Tory Lanez?
                  • 14:53 - How do you find that balance between DJing and playing soccer?
                  • 17:15 - How do you deal with pressure from friends and family?
                  • 19:18 - What advice would you give someone trying to go D1 in their sport
                  • 21:51 - How competitive is it to get into TFC Academy?
                  • 23:01 - How did your parents react to you wanting to play soccer and be a DJ?
                  • 24:37 - What’s it like to have a twin?
                  • 26:10 -  Being a DJ, how do you avoid temptations?
                  • 27:45 - Why do you want to get your real estate license? 
                  • 28:43 - Looking back on your life,  is there anything you would’ve done differently?
                  • 31:05 - Is there a time in your life where you can just chill out and relax?
                  • 32:27 - What do you see yourself doing a year from now, in 5 years, and in 25 years?
                  • 38:15 - How did you get over your insecurities of getting out there?
                  • 43:04 - What music are you listening to right now? Afrobeats 🔥
                  • 55:56 - What’s something you want to leave the audience with or a letter to your younger self?
                    • Links

                    Full interview and video: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-dj-tuffy 

                    Josh’s Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-298409454 

                    Watch on Youtube: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-dj-tuffy-youtube

                    Listen On Spotify: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-dj-tuffy-spotify 

                    Listen on Itunes: https://bit.ly/atila-tv-dj-tuffy-itunes

                    Josh Tufino Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tufino_33/ 

                    Dj Tuffy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djtuffy_/ 

                    Atila Tech’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atilatech/ 

                    Tomiwa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomiwa1a 

                    Tomiwa’s twitter: https://twitter.com/tomiwa1a 

                    Jacob’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/munenejr

                    58 min
                  • Apple, Microsoft and Ecobee Product Manager, Waterloo Engineering: Sefunmi Osinaike – Atila TV 8

                    Sefunmi Osinaike is currently a product manager at EcoBee. He  was previously a product manager intern at Microsoft and Apple, both within the same year and graduated from the prestigious Waterloo Electrical and Computer Engineering program. He also has a podcast called Doing a Thing to help other people get product manager roles.

                    In this episode we talk about how he got a product manager job at Apple and other companies, what it’s like working in the silicon valley in California. How he prepared for tough interviews, and his big plans to improve conditions in Nigeria. We also touch on his thoughts on social media and why he left Instagram (and came back!), his doing a thing podcast, and more. 


                    Full interview and video: https://atila.ca/blog/tomiwa/product-manager-at-apple-microsoft-and-ecobee-waterloo-engineering-sefunmi-osinaike-atila-tv-7 

                    LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/sefunmiosinaike 

                    Personal website: http://sefunmi.com/ 

                    “Doing A Thing” Blog: https://medium.com/doing-a-thing 

                    “Doing A Thing” Podcast links:

                    iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-a-thing-with-sefunmi-and-helen/id1458999804 

                    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Cuu24p95WT24HYj8bL3FY 

                    How he landed his internships: https://hackernoon.com/how-i-managed-to-intern-at-microsoft-and-apple-in-the-same-year-a13ebb58d1ea 

                    How he prepped for the PM interviews: http://www.crackingthepminterview.com/ 

                    Article on KoHo: https://medium.com/@sefunmioshy/youve-got-a-great-idea-now-what-6568be6ecef6 

                    Music by @delgotgame: https://delmusic.net/

                    Timestamps:

                    1:29: What were you like at 16? 

                    6:27: Why didn’t your dad want you to go to MIT?

                    12:05: How did you get the job at Apple?

                    17:21: How did you prepare for the interview and perform well? 

                    20:32: What’s it actually like inside apple? What’s the culture like, the work ethic, the people? 

                    22:51: If Apple was so great, why didn’t you go back? 

                    27:05: When you were at Waterloo did you feel external pressure to go to California and get a job?

                    29:14: What kind of things were you doing for interview prep? 

                    29:51: How do you network? 

                    30:53: Wasn’t it risky neglecting school to focus on a job? 

                    34:11: Why were you set on Ecobee and how did you get that job? 

                    39:03: Why did you decide to take a break from social media and wy did you come back? 

                    44:44: Where do you see yourself a year from now, 5 years from now, and 25 years from now? 

                    49:28: What are some of the big problems you want to solve? 

                    55:00: What are you currently obsessed with? 

                    57:05: What’s some general advice you would give? 

                    1 hr 6 min

                  About The Atila Podcast

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