The Besomebody Podcast

From a young age, Tiana didn't fit into any single box. The daughter of a South Asian mother and an African American father, Tiana's parents taught her the importance of self-acceptance. This mindset helped propel her into a successful career at some of the world's largest consumer goods companies, including Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. Today, Tiana is helping to reverse the systemic racism that plagues everything from our C-suites to our food system in her role as Vice President of Global Cereal at Kellogg's.

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When Kunal Merchant decided to rush for the University of Texas’ first South Asian fraternity, he had no idea that he was actually joining his first startup. From learning how to lead large-scale events to collaborating with external organizations to fundraising to stay afloat, these experiences put Kunal on his entrepreneurial path. Ultimately, Kunal’s journey led him to join one of the most storied and successful "startups" in the world - Facebook. In this episode, Kunal shares how key moments and mentors - including Besomebody Founder, Kash Shaikh - impacted his journey, and what he’s learned about diversity, growth, and the power of connecting people. 

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Five years into her career as the Director of Nutrition for The Kroger Co. - America’s largest grocer - Allison Baker adopted Dottie, a two-year-old toddler from Southern India who was born without her left arm. Through her journey as a mother of a brown-skinned, immigrant, female born with a disability, Allison has come face to face with privilege, challenge, and adversity. She’s learned the true meaning of “D&I”, and what it takes to scale that strategy across corporate America. Now, she’s committed to helping change the definition of “normal and good” to include every person, of every color, with every ability level.

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In 2007, Justin Wilkenfeld left a stable corporate job in the Finance industry to help his college buddy sell wrist-strap cameras to surfers. Seven years later, he was a core part of the most successful US-based IPO of the year as GoPro reached legendary "unicorn" status.  What started as answering phone calls in the one-man customer service department and building furniture for trade shows around the country, turned into negotiating brand partnerships, scaling marketing teams, and signing iconic athletes - always with a focus on building real relationships. And throughout it all, Hoost was the glue that helped build and protect GoPro’s unbeatable culture. Today, Justin - in partnership with his wife, Suzi - has combined his passion for growing businesses with his calling to build community to create Kindhumans, a new platform to connect commerce with compassionate causes across the globe.

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In 2007, Justin Wilkenfeld left a stable corporate job in the Finance industry to help his college buddy sell wrist-strap cameras to surfers. Seven years later, he was a core part of the most successful US-based IPO of the year as GoPro reached legendary "unicorn" status.  What started as answering phone calls in the one-man customer service department and building furniture for trade shows around the country, turned into negotiating brand partnerships, scaling marketing teams, and signing iconic athletes - always with a focus on building real relationships. And throughout it all, Hoost was the glue that helped build and protect GoPro’s unbeatable culture. Today, Justin - in partnership with his wife, Suzi - has combined his passion for growing businesses with his calling to build community to create Kindhumans, a new platform to connect commerce with compassionate causes across the globe.

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Facebook: @besomebodyinc
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For our full audio and video experience visit Besomebody.com

After graduating from Harvard, David Willbrand was tired of working in jobs he hated. He convinced the University of Cincinnati Law School to admit him past the deadline, and spent the next sixteen years making his mark in the startup community. As a Partner at Thompson Hine, LLP, David chairs their Early Stage & Emerging Companies Practice where he has helped thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs figure out what really matters to them, how to get the deal done, and the true meaning of risk.

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When the startup he was working for went public, Tai found himself on the floor of the Stock Exchange and the center of the action. He thought he made it. Turns out, his career was just getting started. After taking a risk that led him to a job with Adobe in Southeast Asia, he found an opportunity at the intersection of his passion and purpose with ONE Championship. Now he’s empowering tens of millions of fans across Asia – and soon the world – to connect with athletes through storytelling and shared experiences.

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Started from Pepto Bismol now he's here. Learning the ropes on the healthcare brands at Procter & Gamble, and growing to lead work at AbbVie Pharmaceuticals and now, J&J Vision, Carlos Taveras knows how to inspire the masses with purpose-driven work. He's tackled everything from gut health to cancer to myopia. Today, Carlos is teaching America the importance of sight, especially during these unclear times.

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Rex Jackson has known action and adventure for two decades, beginning with his early days as a store manager at pre-Netflix Blockbuster Video. Since then, his wild ride has taken him from the most iconic brand at the largest CPG company in the world, to the (dining) table of some of American’s most recognized restaurants, and now, to one of the world’s most visited theme parks. Through it all, his recipe of resilience, belief, and kindness has carried him through the ups and downs.

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After a successful career in sports journalism at Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and Bleacher Report, as well as a key storytelling role at the National Basketball Players Association, Jared Zwerling launched the first dedicated media platform focused on sharing basketball players' lives off the court.

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