The Perkins Platform

Join us on Wednesday, August 28 @ 6pm EST for an exciting conversation with public philosopher, Jonny Thomson to discuss his latest book, Mini Philosophy: A Small Book of Big Ideas. Jonny runs the social media accounts Mini Philosophy (@philosophyminis), a community of 500,000 across three platforms. He’s a staff writer at Big Think, where he writes about philosophy, theology, psychology, and occasionally other subjects when he dares step out of his lane. He is the bestselling author of three books: Mini Philosophy, Mini Big Ideas, and Mini Psychology. Before turning to writing full-time, Jonny taught philosophy at Oxford University for ten years. Jonny lives in North Oxfordshire with his wife, two young sons, and an aggressively fecund apple tree.

Social psychologist who studies our moral minds and how best to bridge political divides, Kurt Gray joins us to discuss his upcoming book, Outraged: Why we Fight about Morality and Politics (Pantheon) and the research related to it. Gray received his PhD from Harvard University, and now directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also leads the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding, which explores new ways to reduce polarization, and is a Field Builder in the New Pluralists, which seeks to build a more pluralistic America. Gray’s work on morality, politics, religion, creativity, and AI has been widely discussed in the media, including the New York Times, the Economist, Scientific American, Wired, and Hidden Brain. He is also the co-author of the book The Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels and Why it Matters (Viking). And he frequently speaks at public events—including 3 TEDx talks—and for many different organizations. Tune in for this broadcast on Wednesday, August 21 @ 6pm EST!

Join us on Wednesday, August 14 @ 6pm EST for an informative conversation with neuroscientist and physicist, Kelly Clancy to discuss her book, Playing with Reality: How Games Have Shaped Our World. Kelly has held research positions at MIT, Berkeley, University College London and the AI company DeepMind. Her research focuses on uncovering the principles of intelligence, and she has invented novel brain-computer interfaces to investigate the biological underpinnings of agency. Her essays on neuroscience and AI have appeared in Wired, Harper’s and The New Yorker!

Tune in for our Special Segment with Harvard trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist and author of the international bestseller, This is Your Brain on Food, Dr. Uma Naidoo. She joins us to discuss the impact of sugars on decision-making, leadership and focus. Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first and only hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Naidoo has been invited by the World Economic Forum to consult on their New Frontiers of Nutrition initiative. After being one of only four US physicians to be invited to meet personally with HRH The Prince of Wales, she was asked to collaborate with HRH and the UK College of Medicine on a public health Brain Food project. She is currently developing the first and only CME based educational program at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard to educate other clinicians globally about nutrition for brain health. Dr. Uma has appeared as a Nutritional Psychiatry expert on Live with Kelly & Ryan, Today Show, 700 Club, ABC, and been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Thrive Global, Harpers, Shape, Parade, Boston Globe, AARP, and more. Tune in for this special broadcast!

Join us on Wednesday, July 31 @ 6pm EST for an exciting conversation with Margot Machol Bisnow to discuss her book, Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did. Margot is a writer, wife, and mom from Washington, DC. For the last 10 years, she has spoken to parent groups about raising fearless, creative, confident, resilient entrepreneurial children who are filled with joy and purpose. She has a BA in English and an MBA, both from Northwestern, and spent 20 years in government, including as an FTC Commissioner and staff director of the President's Council of Economic Advisers. In the 1990s she established a non-profit that set up economic think tanks in Eastern Europe’s emerging democracies. Margot served as an Advisor to EQ Generation, an after- school program in New York City that gives children the skills to succeed; on the Advisory Board of the MUSE School in Malibu, that prepares young people to live consciously through passion-based learning; and on the Board of Spark the Journey in Washington DC, that mentors low-income high school students to achieve college and career success.

A bill signed into law recently makes Louisiana the first and only state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom in public schools and colleges. Listen in to my thought-proking conversation with one of the nation's foremost authorities on religion and schools to discuss this decision and share his expertise, Dr. Charles J. Russo, M.Div., J.D., Ed. D.  Dr. Russo is the Joseph Panzer Chair in Education in the School of Education and Health Sciences, director of its Ph.D. program, and research professor of law in the School of Law at the University of Dayton.  He was the 1998-99 president of the Education Law Association, and 2002 recipient of its McGhehey (Achievement) Award. He. has authored or co-authored more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals; authored, co-authored, edited or co-edited 81 books, and has more than 1,300 publications. Dr. Russo also speaks extensively on issues in education law around the globe. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law on the Faculty of Law at the Sydney Campus of Notre Dame University. Tune in for this broadcast on Wednesday, July 24 @ 6pm EST!

Highly successful speaker and trainer, captivating audiences nationwide with his expertise and charisma, Andy Craig joins us to discuss a leader's role in inspiring a team and reducing workplace burnout. With a BA in Speech Communications from the University of Washington, Andy has navigated various industries, ultimately finding his passion in speaking and sales. He began coaching in 2006 and became a certified Thinking Into Results Facilitator in 2012. Andy ran for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma in 2014, co-authored "The Change 3" in 2015, and has since delivered impactful seminars across 30 states, engaging numerous Fortune 500 companies. A licensed Ziglar Master Coach and Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainer, Andy gained international acclaim with his bestselling book, "Passion Power: Discover the 3 Indispensable Keys to Your Success." His message on achieving breakthroughs and overcoming limiting beliefs resonates globally, further highlighted by his recent features in In The Know Magazine and Influence Magazine as an Influence 100 Authority. Tune in for this broadcast on Wednesday, June 26 @ 6pm EST!

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and co-director of the Stanford Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, Dr. Jamie Zeitzer joins us to share the results of his recently released study about individuals that work late into the night. Dr. Zeitzer is a Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and co-directs the Stanford Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences. He is also a Health Science Specialist at the Palo Alto VA. He has more than 25 years of research experience in sleep and circadian rhythms across a wide variety of organisms, including humans. His more than 150 papers on the impact of light, use of wearables, and physiology, have been cited more than 12,000 times. Tune in for this broadcast on Wednesday, July 10 @ 6pm EST!

Professor of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach, Dr. May Ling Halim joins us to discuss her research on preschool girls. Dr. Halim completed her MA and PhD in Social Psychology with a Developmental Focus and Quantitative Minor at New York University and her BA in Psychology at Stanford University. Dr. Halim has won numerous awards and grants, such as from the National Science Foundation and the American Psychological Foundation. She has been invited to speak at several events and universities such as the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology and the Society for Research on Child Development Biennial Meeting. Her research spans two broad areas. The first examines the development of gender and racial intergroup attitudes. The second focuses on gender identity development among diverse young children. Her research has been published in leading national academic journals such as Child Development and Developmental Psychology and has been used to inform legal proceedings (e.g., ACLU) and educational programs (e.g., Head Start). Her work has also been written about in the popular media, such as on NPR, CNN and in Psychology Today, and she has written op-eds for Huffington Post and NBC Think. She also serves as a Consulting Editor or Editorial Board Member for several academic journals including Child Development, Journal of Cognition and Development, and Sex Roles. Dr. Halim has also consulted as a Program Director at the CSULB Center for Evaluation and Educational Effectiveness supporting programs in California aimed to improve K-12 education. Tune in for this broadcast on Wednesday, July 3 @ 6pm EST!

Named America’s go-to Leading LGBT+ Expert by The New York Times, ABC News, Yahoo!, and CNN, Dr. Kryss Shane LSW, LMSW (she/her) joins us for an important conversation on how leaders engage in their organizations to build an inclusive LGBT+ workplace. Dr. Kryss serves as the Director of the Social Work Program and Assistant Professor at Thomas University, as well as being a Lecturer at Columbia University and an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University, National Louis University, and National University. With over 25 years experience, Dr. Kryss is known for helping businesses address their unique Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion needs in an approachable, manageable and actionable way. In addition to her doctorate, she holds two master’s degrees, and two licenses to practice mental healthcare. Also a successful author, she has written, Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive University: A Practical Resource Guide for Faculty and Administrators, which provides guidance for faculty and administrators of universities and colleges to become knowledgeable, capable, and able to make their campuses (including online campuses) more LGBT+ inclusive. She is also the author of Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive Workplace: The Practical Resource Guide for Business Leaders, which provides best practices and professional guidance for creating LGBT+ inclusive workplaces. Her writings have also appeared in the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, Huffington Post, International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership, The New Social Worker Magazine, and many more. Tune in on Wednesday, June 26 @ 6pm EST!