The Spark

Jonathan Palero likes it when things get hairy. Because if everything's running smoothly, where’s the fun in that? It’s only when a problem occurs that you know you can really accomplish something, he says. And when you’ve solved it, you’ve accomplished something else. What others call troubles he calls riddles. Even the most challenging dilemmas seem to do little but draw his interest and attention. This is because Jonathan knows that you can’t start a fire without a spark. Find out more about Jonathan's story on philips.to/problem-child.

Peru is now a booming holiday destination. But away from the tourist trail and in stark contrast, Pavan Dadlani offers us perspective on how low resource countries like his struggle to invent health solutions. Not to mention the unrealized innovations that lie in waiting. Pavan has worked with hundreds of healthcare volunteers across the globe in countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda to bring change and innovation to peoples' lives. "Innovations like this can actually save lives," says Pavan of his work. "It's amazing!" You can find more on Pavan's story here: philips.to/an-army-of-healers

Ana Molina takes us into the world of male appearance in Chinese culture. A world where your face - and 'keeping face' is your access to opportunities. Not too hard to imagine, is it? Ana gives us some psychological perspective on how we let our appearance, and the expectations placed on us, shape our identity. And how she keeps her creativity alive by "exploring everything." You can find more on Ana's story here: philips.to/the-face-of-innovation

Dionisio Nunes left a war torn Angola for the Netherlands and didn’t look back. He worked his way into a nice job but never stops looking forward, even to the point of sneaking off to departments he doesn’t belong to, to connect dots. Dionisio studies deep learning. Deeply. What does intelligence look like when it goes sneaking about where it doesn’t belong? Find out as Dionisio reveals his mind at work. You can find more on Dionisio's story here: philips.to/the-runaway-intellect

Kurt’s career starts with a dream deferred. His opportunity, won and lost, was working at a pawn shop and playing with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton. But when this young conga drummer was forced to 'get a real job,' he didn't do it with his head down. Kurt kept all the wild enthusiasm of his youth, bringing the party with him wherever he goes. He might even bring it to Red Square. From new ideas to new places and new things, from bebop to business, Kurt tells us how he gets his kicks. You can find more on Kurt's story here: philips.to/dopamine-fiend

Why is it that the people who experience genuine hardship seem to have the most joy? If you're dealing with questions of life and death, does the 'small stuff' even blip on your radar? What inspires someone to fight when they're being told to rest? Christine knows that life in a hospital can be bleak, seeing as how she spent her college years learning how to escape from them. Now she creates visual designs and user interfaces for doctors and medical professionals. In this episode, Christine teaches us to turn struggles into strengths. You can find more on Christine's story here: philips.to/breaking-out-of-the-cancer-cell