The PeppTalk Podcast

What does a 750-year-old poem have to say about practicing Lent today? In this episode of PeppTalk, hosts Coby and Alexa sit down with Professor Paul Contino—Pepperdine's Distinguished Professor of Great Books—to explore how Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy illuminates the Lenten season with clarity and depth.

Professor Contino brings Dante's vision to life, tracing the poem's timeless themes of repentance, humility, and spiritual renewal. He shows how the medieval poet's journey down into the underworld, up Mount Purgatory, and into the communal beatitude of Heaven can help guide our own journey through life. He also shares insights from Pepperdine Alumni Affairs' "Great Books Club: Dante Discussions," which he currently leads, reflecting on why The Divine Comedy continues to spark meaningful conversation among students and alumni generations after they first encounter it.

In this conversation, you'll hear why Lent may be the perfect season to pick up Dante, how great literature deepens our understanding of suffering and hope, and what one of Christianity's most celebrated works can teach us about the pilgrim's path — wherever we find ourselves on it.

Whether you're encountering The Divine Comedy for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, this episode is an invitation to journey through Lent in the company of Dante Alighieri, one of history's greatest spiritual guides.

Paul Contino

Paul J. Contino is Distinguished Professor of Great Books at Pepperdine University. He received his Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Notre Dame, after which he taught for twelve years at Christ College, the Honors College of Valparaiso University. Since joining Pepperdine in 2002, he has twice received the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence. He and his wife, Professor Mary Mullins, have co-edited the journal Christianity and Literature. He co-edited Bakhtin and Religion: A Feeling for Faith (Northwestern University Press, 2001). His more recent book, Dostoevsky’s Incarnational Realism (Cascade, 2021), was a finalist for both the Lilly Network and CCL book awards, and has been translated into Russian. His essay on “Theological Approaches to Teaching Dante” appears in the MLA Approaches to Teaching the Divine Comedy. He has also published essays on Zhuangzi, Jane Austen, and a number of contemporary Catholic writers. Most recently, he contributed to the Hallow App's 2026 Lent Pray40 Challenge, consulting with their team on a guided reflection on Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.

Sign up for “Great Books Club: Dante Discussion with Paul Contino”

Watch Great Books Club: The Divine Comedy — Inferno, Part I on PeppLearn

Watch Great Books Club: The Divine Comedy — Inferno Part II, Purgatorio, Part I on PeppLearn

To kick off Season 2 of PeppTalk, host Alexa Borstad sits down with Anthony Kennada ('08) and Ulysse Saltiel ('25) to explore the heart and vision behind the inaugural Waves Innovation Summit. Held on Pepperdine's Malibu campus in partnership with the Graziadio Business School and Seaver College, the Summit brings together students, alumni, faculty, and industry leaders for a day focused on bold ideas, practical learning, and meaningful connection.

The Waves Innovation Summit is an annual, one-day conference led by students and alumni. The 2026 Summit will feature expert speakers, breakout panels, and networking opportunities centered on the future of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship—with a special focus on practical AI literacy and career pathways in emerging technologies.

This year, the Summit runs alongside a landmark campus event: Shark Tank will be on Pepperdine's campus hosting the Shark Tank × Pepperdine pitch event, where students, alumni, faculty, staff, and Most Fundable Company participants will have the opportunity to meet with Shark Tank producers and pitch their next great idea.

Anthony Kennada ('08)

Anthony Kennada is one of the defining voices in modern B2B marketing. He was the founding Chief Marketing Officer of Gainsight, where he helped create the customer success category and scale the company from zero to more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue, culminating in a $1.1 billion acquisition. He later authored Category Creation and served as Chief Marketing Officer at three Cloud 100 SaaS companies before founding AudiencePlus, a technology platform helping brands become media companies through owned content and community. Today he is the Chief Executive Officer of Goldenhour, a brand consultancy bringing together his life's work in response to AI-driven disruption—advancing brand humanity, the belief that in an era of infinite intelligence, humanity becomes the ultimate competitive advantage.

Ulysse Saltiel ('25)

Ulysse is an Associate at Armada, where he helps bridge the digital divide by developing modular data centers and connectivity infrastructure that enable real-time data processing, AI workloads, and resilient connectivity in remote, underserved regions where traditional infrastructure cannot reach. A graduate of Pepperdine University with degrees in business and philosophy, Ulysse distinguished himself through active leadership and innovation on campus — founding the Coastal Capital Summit, expanding the student-investment internship program within Pepperdine’s endowment, and earning recognition as both an Outstanding Philosophy Student of the Year and a dedicated participant in the Great Books program. Today, as an engaged alumnus, Ulysse is committed to giving back to his alma mater as the youngest member of the Seaver College Board of Advisors and founder of the Waves Innovation Summit. He brings a mission-driven approach to every endeavor, guided by a strong passion for empowering faith-based professionals and building communities that blend purpose with progress.

In this episode of PeppTalk, the podcast welcomes one of the most legendary entertainers of all time: Pat Boone. Hosted by Alexa and Kelly Haer, executive director of Pepperdine’s Boone Center for the Family, the episode highlights Boone’s life, career, and faith. Tune in to hear how Boone rose to fame as one of America’s top teen idols, selling more than 45 million records, starring in 26 films, and hosting numerous television and radio programs. His influence on American popular culture spans generations.

In the conversation, Boone reflects on his extraordinary journey and the legacy he values most: faith and family. He shares personal stories from his career alongside cultural icons such as Brian Wilson, Elvis Presley, and others, offering a rare glimpse into music history. As the namesake of Pepperdine University’s Boone Center for the Family, Boone also discusses his commitment to strengthening God-honoring relationships and offers encouragement to young people and families today.

This episode celebrates Pat Boone’s legacy and marks the Season One finale of the PeppTalk podcast.

In this special episode of PeppTalk, presented by Pepperdine University and the Boone Center for the Family, we’re joined by Kelly Haer, Executive Director of the Boone Center for the Family, and Dr. Henry Cloud — acclaimed clinical psychologist, leadership expert, and New York Times bestselling author of Boundaries, the book that has helped millions cultivate healthier relationships and stronger lives. Drawing on decades of experience guiding leaders, families, and individuals, Dr. Cloud offers practical wisdom on managing expectations, honoring family well, setting healthy boundaries, and finding peace amid the pressures of the holiday season.

In this episode, we’re unpacking the Pain and Peace Cycle, which is a core piece of the Boone Center’s RelateStrong and RelateStrong Leadership Series Curriculum. When we’re triggered, we often fall into patterns that create hurt, but there is also a restorative path that leads to peace. Dee Dee walks us through this transformative model and shares how understanding these cycles can reshape the way we navigate stress, conflict, and relationships.

In this episode of PeppTalk, Kelly Haer and Dee Dee Mayer from the Boone Center for the Family explore how followers of Christ can navigate political differences without letting them divide relationships. Just in time for the holiday season, they unpack why political conversations feel more personal and polarizing today—and share practical, faith-centered ways to stay connected even when opinions differ and conflict arises.

On this episode of PeppTalk, we welcome an unusual guest: the Ghost of George Pepperdine. What started as a witty X account poking fun at Pepperdine history has grown into a Substack filled with sharp, provocative reflections on the University’s past, present, and soul. In this episode, learn why Pepperdine remains “haunted” by its founding ideals, the history behind Founder’s Day, and how mythmaking shapes institutions. Hear personal stories of Ronald Reagan, Blanche Seaver, and more in this spooky conversation and uncover the ways Pepperdine’s history still shapes its future—and why some ghosts never leave the places they love.

In this special episode of PeppTalk, we sit down with the WAVES WORSHIP team, a worship and songwriting movement at Pepperdine, to talk about the impact of worship at Pepperdine and their exciting upcoming projects. From leading chapels and creating spaces of authentic encounter with God to producing their first full-length album, WAVES WORSHIP is shaping the spiritual life of the Pepperdine community with students and Gen-Z front and center.

Their first single off their debut album, “Everywhere,” is out now. Their self-titled debut album, WAVES WORSHIP, will be released on September 12—just in time for the Pepperdine community to gather for the Worship Summit on September 13.

Join us as we go behind the music with WAVES Worship and hear their vision for how worship can inspire, unite, and transform lives both on campus and beyond.

As we close our PeppTalk series on relationships, we turn to the one relationship that shapes all the others—our relationship with God.

In this powerful conversation, Dee Dee helps us unpack what it really means to walk with God. We explore timeless wisdom from figures like Augustine, Paul, and Job, the role of spiritual disciplines, how to stay grounded in dry seasons, and why relationship—not performance—is at the heart of the Christian life.

Dee Dee also offers practical advice on how to seek and sustain a relationship with God through the development of healthy spiritual habits.

Whether you’re seeking deeper faith, struggling in silence, or curious about spiritual growth, this episode offers wisdom and encouragement to pursue a transformative relationship with the One who created you for connection.

Discover why intimacy with God is the starting point for lasting change in every area of your life and how the RelateStrong | Leadership Series can bring lasting hope and healing to your ministry.

In this episode of PeppTalk, Coby and Alexa are joined by professor Jennifer Smith to discuss how Pepperdine University is cultivating academic freedom within a distinctly faith-based environment.

We take you inside the 2025 Academic Freedom Colloquium: Faith and the Academy and the University’s signature Dialogue Dinner series—two initiatives at the heart of Pepperdine’s commitment to open, courageous dialogue. From topics like race, gender, and identity to enduring questions of truth and tradition, our podcasters explore how Pepperdine is leading a national conversation that merges conviction and curiosity. Together, they consider what it looks like to pursue truth boldly while remaining rooted in Christian faith.

Through candid discussion, seminar-style engagement, and Christ-centered hospitality, Pepperdine is building a culture where academic freedom isn’t unmoored from conviction—it’s tethered to it. This episode challenges common assumptions about intellectual freedom and shows how faith-based universities might actually be among its fiercest defenders.

Want more on faith and academic freedom? Read Pepperdine President Jim Gash’s recent feature op-ed in U.S. News & World Report.