Ed Castillo’s post-Amherst path might be one of the most uniquely purposeful stories you’ll hear from our classmates. In this episode, we follow his journey from majoring in philosophy at Amherst College to an advertising Chief Strategy Officer – and registering and acting as a foreign agent. He may not drive an Aston Martin and pack a Walther PPK, but the man loves words and has a very spicey take on reading that will get you thinking.

Highlights from our conversation:

Why Ed pursued philosophy not despite, but because of his desire to work in advertising

His early career “failure” that helped him find the field where overthinking is a superpower

The limitation inherent in marketing degrees—and what he’s actually looking for when hiring

His provocative argument against reading as the best vehicle for knowledge

How multicultural marketing needs to evolve beyond identity clichés

The Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next

To get in touch with Ed, email him at [email protected] and find him on his website at http://www.menudoblanco.com.

Big thanks to Lee Maicon for nominating Ed.

Nate Smith’s post-Amherst journey literally reads like an epic. At the age of 26, he got in his car after work one day at the school where he had been teaching and kept on driving, never to return to the job. Instead, he embarked on a life-changing, sometimes harrowing road trip all the way from Maryland to Central America, living out of his car and taking odd jobs to survive.

His journey reached a turning point when he had to sell his car and found himself homeless in Panama. With the help of the US Embassy, Nate made his way back home, bringing with him invaluable lessons about privilege and the importance of giving back.

Today, Nate is married with two kids, and he has returned to teaching with a passion. He also hasn’t lost his wanderlust; Nate works as an eighth-grade mathematics teacher in Vietnam.

Join Nate and me as we delve into the memorable moments of Nate’s life, what he has gleaned about humankind, and the lessons he has learned along the way. His experience is a testament to the strength of family, the importance of self-reflection, and the enduring impact of a supportive community.

Plus, learn whom Nate wants me to interview next.

You can email Nate at [email protected].

Brian Shactman in many ways has become the voice of Connecticut. As a co-host of a morning radio talk show, he travels the state to meet residents of interest and explore the topics that animate the 169 towns and cities that call Connecticut home. Having listened to his stuff, I can tell you that he’s awfully good at what he does. Thankfully, streaming makes it possible for anyone to listen to him, so I’ll include a link to do just that in the notes below.

Our candid conversation covers his journey from ESPN, through CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC Boston, to his current role at WTIC 1080 AM in Hartford. In the process, Brian helped me imagine a life I might have had if I had stuck with broadcast journalism as a career for myself.

Plus, tune in to hear whom from the Amherst Class of 1994 Brian wants me to interview next.

You can contact Brian via email ([email protected]) and find him X, Instagram, and Facebook. Download the Audacy app by following this link so you can listen to his morning show, “Brian & Company.”

Luke Ryan is a fifth-generation Northampton resident and defense attorney. In his line of work, he often finds himself shepherding clients through their lowest moments. But it also has required that he pursue people in positions of authority who have committed wrongs and attempted to cover them up.

Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in his work to expose crime lab misconduct in Western Massachusetts in a quest to seek justice for his clients, a quest that Netflix brought to life in the outstanding docuseries, “How To Fix A Drug Scandal.”

In this episode, he discusses his journey from Amherst College to practicing law in his hometown. Along the way, he opens up about his personal struggles, his passion for civil rights and criminal defense law, and takes us deeper into the Massachusetts crime lab malfeasance that resulted in the overturning of about 38,000 drug convictions state-wide.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

You can email Luke at [email protected].

Josh Hamermesh asked, and boy, did Andy Ward deliver. In this episode, Andy, the Executive Vice President and Publisher of Random House, takes us deep into how he edits books written by some of our finest authors.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

To get in touch with Andy, email him at [email protected].

Update (10/1/25): Andy has appeared on more podcasts, not surprisingly:

Deep Dive with Andy Ward on Gr… – Kelly Corrigan Wonders – Apple Podcasts

Thanks For Being Here – Andy … – Kelly Corrigan Wonders – Apple Podcasts

Ben Batory, an Amherst College classmate of mine who played professional basketball in Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, and Mauritius, has taken an unconventional path to Wall Street. Today, Ben is SVP and Head of Trading at Franklin Equity Group, but in this conversation, he talks mostly about his role as Boys Basketball Program Director and Varsity Head Coach at Menlo School in Atherton, California. As you’ll hear, Ben has made himself a student and practitioner of what I’ll call the pursuit of the better.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Resources Ben mentions:

You can email Ben at [email protected].

Lee Maicon has worked in advertising through arguably its greatest transformations. He began at the dawn of the consumer internet, navigated the shift to social media, and now is helping clients figure out AI. As the Chief Strategy Officer at the Community, a global creative agency, Lee oversees strategic efforts for major clients like Verizon, Netflix, and Porsche. When he’s not helping his clients grow, Lee is a dedicated father, navigating the challenges of parenting across different generations.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

You can email Lee at [email protected].

Jim Confalone’s journey from fine arts to founding a successful B2B marketing firm is marked by tragedy and a timely eye for opportunity.

Jim, the founder of B2B marketing agency Modicum, shares the evolution of his career, from his initial passion for painting to servicing blue chip clients like Google and Qualcomm. Modicum specializes in creating powerful visual designs that help businesses make distinctive and lasting impressions on their customers, especially at big product launch events. His big breakthrough came when he solved a key problem most business people encounter at some point: Microsoft’s PowerPoint is an awful canvas for visual design.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Note: This episode touches on suicide.

To get in touch with Jim, email him at [email protected], and visit his agency’s website: http://www.modicum.agency.

Vicky Levy’s story is so compelling that one episode of this podcast can’t contain it all.

In Part 1, she touches on her journey into life sciences and her current role as Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry Leader at Deloitte. But a big reason for her staying in life sciences and healthcare is even more profound than her reasons for pursuing the industry in the first place. You see, Vicky is a cancer survivor. As luck would have it, her diagnosis occurred at just about the same time that a miraculous category of drugs emerged to treat her rare condition.

In this episode, you will learn:

In Part 2, we will talk more about her work and perspective on the global healthcare industry. We also will talk about her Amherst College experience, the role that liberal arts plays in her work today, and the Amherst classmates she’d like me to interview next.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning about pharmacological clinical trials, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/to get started.

The Amherst Class of 1994 diaspora has expanded all over the world, including to Norway. That’s where we find Inger-Lise Schwab representing the Purple and White.

In this episode, she shares thoughts on how to combat sunlight deprivation, the distinctions between the elite colleges and universities in the United States and the more egalitarian Norwegian system of higher education, and lots and lots of Amherst College memories, many of them dripping with mischief. Oh, and she’s the only classmate I’ve interviewed (so far) to have an IMDB credit (look it up).

In this episode, you’ll learn:

You can find her on Facebook. Big thanks to Susan Antebi for recommending Inger-Lise for the pod!