The Impossible Network

Sarah A. Abdallah, polymath, innovator, and founder of New York-based bespoke Architecture & Design Studio - Functional Creative Design, is this week's guest.

In this two-parter we spend the first hour exploring Sarah’s experience of being born a bi-racial child to Egyptian immigrant parents, growing up in New York, with two younger siblings.  

Immersing her in a culture that nurtured her natural curiosity, her parents instilled in her the foundational values of human kindness, the importance of education, and respect and understanding of other faiths. 

Sarah discusses how she developed an appreciation and love of the environment, her deep spirituality, questioning conventional wisdom, and rejecting parental pressures to conform.    

Sarah recounts overcoming the limitations of dyslexia, how her childhood curiosity of after-school clubs helped shape her into the thought leader and Entrepreneur she is today, and her prolific educational journey through psychology, art therapy, higher education, and interior design. Sarah also discusses how serendipity led her, at 21, a First Generation Muslim Egyptian American to live with the then 70-year-old, iconic lawyer, Jewish civil rights activist, and philanthropic fundraiser for NYU, Naomi Levine. 

In part two we deep dive into Sarah’s journey prior to starting her design studio Functional Creative Design, working with Rockwell Group, Tony Chi & Associates, Perkins and Eastman, and Grand Hotels, and her vision and focus which lead her to start her studio.

For anyone with children, hearing Sarah’s journey and experience will provide valuable insights into encouraging young children’s curiosity and appreciation of other cultures and backgrounds and the value of education. 

In part two Sarah describes the experience of working with Tony Chi Associates, Rockwell Group, Perkins and Eastman, and Grand Hotels and her desire to add an additional layer to design and space planning. She discusses the importance of listening, fusing all input, using functional skills and knowledge base to meet a client's vision.

We discuss sustainability in the industry, the need to take a 360 view of sustainability, the impact of Covid, and the battle that many firms have to stay in business.   

Sarah explains her principles underpinning Functional Creative Design, how design will change in a post-Covid world, and how intimacy can be created through technology, physical spaces that incorporate the outdoors indoors, and the need to deliver improved accessibility across socio-economic groups. 

Social Links 

Functional Creative Design 

LinkedIn 

Twitter 

Instagram

Links in the show 

Naomi Levine

Parsons School of Design 

NYU

Clubhouse

Rockwell Group

Perkins and Eastman

Tony Chi Associates

Too Good To Go

Chef Chloe 

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Guest Overview 

This week we welcome Mother and daughter team Barbara Anderson and Jackie Graham's, Founders of Art on the Ave, a New York based social impact initiative that spotlights the work of under-represented artists and turns storefronts into exhibition spaces and streets into open air galleries. 

In the first part of this interview we ask Barbara about Jackie as a child and explore with Jackie the impact of her mother and father on her life and career direction in art and work ethic. 

Jackie discusses her international upbringing and its influence on her sense of self and feeling of being a global citizen. 

We discuss how Jackie’s character and organizational skills were evident at an early age and how curiosity was cultivated. 

Jackie discusses education and her focus on art business and how a serendipitous summer internship opened her eyes to the value of accessibility to the arts and how that ultimately prepared her for the work she and Barbara are now doing with Art on the Avenue. 

We talk about the role of art in teaching children about socio cultural moments in history. 

Then we dive into their work with Art on the Ave, launching it as a response to the pandemic, the shuttered stores, barren windows and deserted neighborhoods in New York’s upper west side, with the aim of supporting local artists and bringing life back to the streets. 

Turning New York's Columbus Avenue's empty storefronts into a gallery space, Art on the Ave has reimagined street art and democratizes art spaces and community art access. 

Their second exhibition launches in the West Village and runs from April 15th through May.  

After over 150 submissions to their latest exhibition, their curated works will be displayed along Bleecker Street, Christopher Street and Hudson Street, creating what Barbara calls the West Village wander.

Through organizations like Art on the Ave are reimagining the role of art in communities, its impact on what a neighborhood is, while creating new commercial opportunities for artists. If you want to learn more we have added links to Art on the Ave in the show notes. 

But for now be engaged, entertain and educated by the marvelous mother and daughter team of Barbara Anderson and Jackie Graham 

Social Links 

Art on the Ave 

Instagram

Twitter 

Links in the show 

A Prayer for Owen Meany

A Little Life 

The Outsiders SE Hilton

It’s A Sin

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Guest Overview

This week's guest is Kellie Lauth - a woman on a mission to re-engineer education and prepare children for the world of 2030, and mobilize a workforce capable of tackling the complex problems we are sure to face when the calendar turns to 2030.

In this extended episode, we cover Kellie’s upbringing, developing a hard work ethic at an early age, the guiding influence of her mother and father in developing her foundational life values during what she describes as a magical childhood.

Kellie describes how her mother and father nurtured and cultivated her curiosity and exposed her to the realities of social inequity at a young age.

We explore her education experience, her focus on science and math, and the lack of gender diversity that drove her desire and intentionality to help young girls and underrepresented students through education and access.

Kellie discusses her willingness to lean into discomfort and confront failure, following the path of education and the serendipity of a tragic event made her more resolute to make the most of her opportunity in life.

Her response was to build a STEM, problem-based learning system that integrated local business partnerships that created a pathway to employment for children.

Kellie describes the more significant impact of the system on the children’s perspective on possibility and life transformation.

Now scaling the system nationally, Kellie describes transforming from the inside out and investing in teachers to drive the transformation needed.

Kellie discusses the imperative of now and how she’s forming partnerships with local and nationals organizations to help them leverage the Mindspark strategy. 

Finally, we discuss the importance of diversity, playfulness, and innovation.

We finish with Kellie’s principles, her hard choices, her advice on confronting the impossible, and the other quick-fire questions.

I think you’ll be uplifted, inspired, and energized by the gentle determination and disruptive spirit of Kellie Lauth.

Social Links 

MindSpark 

LinkedIn 

Facebook 

Twitter 

Instagram

Links in the show 

CU Boulder

 Title one schools 

IBM 

Rutger Bergman 

Lupin 

Adam Grant 

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Guest Overview 

This week we interviewed the co-hosts of the podcast The Furious Curious - Charlie Quirk and Britton Rice. In the first 20 minutes of the interview, Chas and Brit explore the impact of their parents and upbringing on their values, cultivating curiosity and the life attributes that have prepared them for their life in advertising and for hosting a show that describes itself as a 'podcast that unpacks the weird and wonderful of modern cultural phenomena’

Charlie discusses his fiendish focus on things that interest him, and how it prepared him for a career in strategy in advertising and branding,

Brit discusses his dyslexia and how his commitment to working harder enabled him to navigate school, the importance of sport and music in building relationships and empathy.

We cover a lot of ground here. 

We explore the serendipity of their first meeting and the resonating connection that's endured.. 

We explore what drew them to advertising and their favorite ads. They deconstruct the organizational structure of agencies and changing complexion of the business as well as discussing the evolving role of brand purpose. 

For any listeners to The Furious Curious, you will want to hear the genesis of the show and how the pair apply their intellectual rigor to delivering a weekly dose of cultural insight and entertainment in a highly engaging manner. 

We discuss the future of the show and whether a video version is something they have considered. 

The quick-fire questions also provide a deeper insight into what makes this podcast duo tick. 

I hope you are engaged, entertained, and enlightened by the wit and wisdom of Charlie Quirk and Britton Rice. 

Social Links 

Charlie’s Website 

Britton’s Website 

Instagram

Twitter 

Links in the show 

Cheap Trick Surrender 

Ghost World 

Brian Eno Oblique Strategies Cards

Atomic Habits James Clear 

Re-work book 

Ted Lasso

Pepsi Crystal Pepsi

Reebok Emmet Smith 

Mad Men 

Nike Instant Karma 

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Guest Overview This week we interview our first musician, Glasgow-based, Irish born, Fiddle player, teacher, and composer, Rowan C Leslie. ( shout out to Scott Duncan for recommending) 

Rowan began playing the fiddle when his mother joined him in learning to play at age seven. 

Rowan recounts the experience of growing up in a small village of Broughshane, Northern Ireland, his supportive parents encouraging his sporting, musical, and his academic pursuits. 

We discuss growing up with English parents, attending an integrated school in a country historically defined by its religious divide.  

Rowan explains the draw to fiddle and traditional music, how it defined his sense of identity, the influential role of his charismatic musical mentor on his journey, and the abundant experience of building his musical network.  

Rowan describes his educational experiences, the differences across the traditional music spectrum, the global cultural influence of Irish traditional music, and his traditional music influences.

We discuss the resurgence of interest in traditional music, the impact of the pandemic on himself and other musicians, and expanding his teaching to a global network of students. 

Rowan describes creating his first album in lockdown, Escaping the Dawn, releasing a book called Contemporary Fiddle Tunes from The North East of Ireland, and his hopes of returning to touring in 2021. 

We get into the evolution of traditional music, the differences in classical and traditional, the impact of AI and technology on music, and the role of serendipity on his journey.    

Rowan ends the interview playing a short excerpt of one of his tracks from his new album. 

I hope you enjoy this insight into the world of traditional music with Rowan C Leslie.

Social Links 

Website 

Spotify 

Bandcamp 

Instagram 

Facebook

Links in Show

Riverdance

Clannad

Martin Hayes

Braid Driver Violins

Frankie Gavin

Liz Docherty

Sum41

Elephant Sessions 

Contemporary Fiddle Tunes from The North East of Ireland

Wonderwall 

Soul Disney+

Vikram Seth - An Equal Music 

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Guest Overview 

This week I welcome two guests - NYC-based Clinical Psychologist Dr. Tara Emrani and Corporate Lawyer Mehdi Ansari. Tara and Mehdi were born and raised in Tehran, Iran, before moving to the US. 

Given the time challenges of having two guests, we didn’t spend much time on their backstories or upbringing.  

Meeting while both studying at UC Berkeley, Tara and Mehdi describe their journeys to Psychology and Law. 

I ask Tara to explain her humanistic, multidimensional approach to treatment and the differences to the new talk therapy platforms like Talk Space or Better Help. 

Tara discusses the mental health challenges that have emerged since the onset of the pandemic and how she helps her patients deal with them, and the underlying stresses, sadness, anxiety, and depression. She describes pivoting to online therapy and the differences to in-person treatment.

Mehdi describes the pandemic impact on his firm’s staff, work practices, and relationships. Mehdi discusses why he is trying to drive the firm's mental health narrative and across the legal industry. 

He discusses how different structural approaches firms are taking as we snap back and the many unexpected impacts on training, teamwork, and career progression. He also explains the value of serendipitous water cooler moments and why those are lost on Zoom or Teams,, and the increased associated transaction costs. 

Both Tara and Mehdi discuss the future role of therapy inside organizations, the resultant positive impact on the bottom line, staff retention, and a happier, more productive environment. Mehdi reflects on the paradigm shift needed for mental health and mindfulness training to be taught in Universities. 

Medhi and Tara discuss parents' role to prepare children for an AI future and the displacement AI will have on today's simple transactional processes.

Finally, they both reflect on the impact of serendipity on their journey. 

If you’re a parent or have been affected by mental health personality or while in a work environment, I think you’ll be uplifted by the clarity and commitment of Tara and Mehdi to changing the narrative around mental health. 

Social Links 

Dr Tara Emrani Website 

Instagra

Links in the show 

Tehran 

Talk space 

Better Help

Carl Rogers 

Sullivan and Cromwell

Billions

TI86 

1984 Book 

I Will Survive 

John Adams

Audry Hepburn 

Keynes 

Gandhi 

Lord of the Rings 

Sopranos 

The Vow

Ego is the Enemy

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Guest Overview This week's guest is Sydney-born, New York-based Ben Hartley – Executive Director of The National Arts Club – what he describes as a 122-year-old startup.

Ben recently invited us into the spectacular Gramercy Square location to record this fascinating interview.

Ben recounts his early years and his parents' positive influence, his adventurous and analytical father, and his strong and emotionally engaged mother.

Ben describes how his world view was expanded, and curiosity sparked as a result of being taken on a grand European canal boating tour when aged seven. 

Ben describes his embrace of discomfort as a means of pushing one's capabilities and his approach to seeking out serendipity. 

At 12 minutes – Ben describes his educational experience, how it opened a window to the world, the value of studying for a semester in Trenton, New Jersey, a decision that ultimately led him to return to NYC to study his Masters in Arts management. 

At 23 minutes – we discuss the common threads running through the career path he has taken. We discuss his journey to the National Arts Club and his experience of leading the international rollout of the Guggenheim to Bilbao and beyond. 

At 29 minutes – Ben explains the mission and structure of The National Arts Club. He provides a concise overview of The National Arts Club's history, being the first club to welcome women as members, events from its colorful history, the characters that defied this unique institution, and the recipients of its famed Medal of Honor. 

Ben describes how COVID has enabled him to apply his creativity to innovate and pivot the club's service, develop and vibrant digital program, and build community and connectivity. 

He describes the recent exhibitions curated in partnership with new art collectives that have emerged in New York during the Black Lives Matter protests displayed alongside the work of photographer Graham Macindoe 

We discuss the provocative role of art in today's society, the changing nature of distribution, the future role of The National Arts Club in the city and country's culture, and the innovative programs he has initiated connecting communities beyond the arts. 

Ben's refreshing perspectives will undoubtedly provide inspiration and provoke new ideas for anyone struggling to reimagine and reinvent their business or brand or deal with personal challenges in these changing times. 

Social Links 

The National Arts Club website

Instagram 

Twitter

Facebook

Links

Roger Pilkington 

Tom Crenz

Guggenheim Bilbao 

Richard Serra 

Frank Gehry 

Charles DeKay 

Soho Renaissance Factory 

Art to Heart 

Graham Macindoe 

CJ Henry 

Jose Saramago Blindness 

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Our host Mark Fallows was recently invited to be a guest on another podcast, the entertaining and educational - The Furious Curious.

Hosts, Charlie Quirk and Britton Rice asked Mark to join them and discuss the urban regeneration project, Back The Neighborhood that he, Elaine Castillo Keller, and Vanessa Barboni Hallik are working on, as well as the genesis of The Impossible Network and Fabrica Collective

If you enjoy this we encourage you to subscribe to The Furious Curious and follow @backtheneighborhood on Instagram.

LINKS:

LINKS:

Fabrica

The Impossible Network

https://backthenighborhood.com

© Charlie Quirk, Britton Rice

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Guest OverView 

This week's guest is meteorologist, Scottish Highlander, Gaelic speaker, and bag-piper Scott Duncan. Now London-based Scott grew up in the wilds of northern Scotland. Inspired by Scotland's dramatic natural habitat he developed a love for nature and especially climate. That led him to study meteorology at Reading Uni and Oklahoma University and propelled him to be one of the most talked-about climate communicators, resulting from his imaginative and creative application of climate pattern data visualization on Instagram and his own website. 

In this episode, 

Scott recounts his early years, the role of family, and the impact of growing up in such an inspiring environment. 

Developing an expansive world view of climate at a young age, Scott discusses his path to becoming a climate communicator, his intuitive interest and appreciation for the power of storytelling, and how this has transformed how he tells the story of climate. 

Scott provides a refreshingly simple explanation of the issues our planet faces, at the poles and beyond, he explains how he deals with activists, deniers, and trolls, and why he focuses on reputable data sources to navigate the politically charged field of climate communications. 

We discuss the decade of action, the expectations of the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow in November and Scott provides insight into what the target numbers mean. He also provides examples of the extreme weather patterns we are experiencing. 

I think you will leave this episode more grounded, informed, and inspired. 

Social Links 

Website

Instagram 

Twitter

LinkedIn 

Links in the Show

Gaelic 

Berkeley Earth 

Drawdown 

Kiss the Ground

Mike Hudema

Zachery Labe 

Kate Rawworth 

Ed Hawkins 

Guy Callendar

500 Miles 

Tubthumping 

Casa De Papel

My Family and Other Animals

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Overview

Human rights are inextricably linked to identity. We all strive for our basic inalienable rights as human beings, regardless of race, religion, language, ethnicity or gender. This week we welcome one of the most vital thinkers in academia and advocates for LGBT human rights, Graeme Reid. 

Graeme is the Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, a respected expert and lecturer at Yale.  

Born in Johannesburg in Apartheid South Africa, raised in a politically liberal home, Graham’s demonstrated his individual will at an early age courageously confronting the conventional thinking of white South African establishment. 

Having studied Anthropology at University, Graeme’s ground-breaking Masters; ‘an ethnographic study of a black Pentecostal church on how a church community created the possibility for an integrated cultural identity for gay and lesbian Christians’ followed by his PhD thesis “How to be a’real-gay’ emerging gay spaces in small town South Africa” …established him as both a creative and leading thinker on gender identity. 

In this shorter than usual episode Graeme shares his personal story, his wisdom and perspective on where we find ourselves in today’s politically charged environment and what might be an inflection point in history. 

Enjoy the courage, heart and humanity of Graeme Reid. 

Social Links 

Graeme HRW 

Twitter 

Links in The Show 

Gayle Rubin 

Gay activist Simon Nkoli 

Graeme’s books:

How To Be A Real Gay: 

Above the Skyline: 

LGBT Rights Yale 

Human Rights Watch

Fleabag 

Havelock Ellis

Olive Schreiner: 

Eleanor Marx: 

Anna Freud:  

Shaggy Bain - Beyond All Imagining

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