EduK8

Without a doubt, Lazaro Carrion is a making a HUGE impact on the lives of many students of color and students who normally wouldn't have a chance to join the ranks of a top tech company like Microsoft.  Cyborg Mobile's Project Director & Director of The New Technologists program, a joint program with Microsoft & Cyborg, is a competitive innovation program that provides real life, hands-on training for underserved and underrepresented college students. The program participants learn app building, web development and project management skills from some of the most experienced top engineers in the world. Very importantly, they get to experience how their voices matter and are needed in the world of technology.  Carrion is also a National Board Member of the College Success Foundation, where scholarships & support are given to inspire underserved, low-income students to finish high school, graduate from college and succeed in life.

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

One incredible gift of the show I’ve received from all the guests is their answer to what I initially called the "lightning round. " Part of the reason I created the show is for everyone to learn from all the incredible guests. I knew their perspectives and opinions would be invaluable about any topic we asked.  One question I felt compelled to ask was "What was their best advice in getting through a tough situation" as either a student or at the workplace?  

These 3 guests graciously provided their best answers: 

• Honor Gunday, CEO and Founder of 3 Startups
• Melanie Kong and Christine Witcher, Co-founders of the exciting Education startup Floop
• Derek Chang, Co-founder of Data Science Startup Stratus Data

Personally, I've seen many younger people struggle to "find their way".  I've done things from "just being there to listen" to frankly this now where I hope I can gather the best tips on how to beat the the times we struggle.   

As we end suicide prevention month, I feel like this is very timely and hope all of you out there will enjoy what our great guests have shared.  I know I did.   Oh, by the way, we're probably going to change the name of the segment "5Qs" after one listener (and friend) suggested the great new moniker.  Thank you Glass!  

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Today's episode is quite special to me.  The interview is basically education coming full circle.  

Our guest today is a former student, but now, possibly a future mentor or at least a peer that will be paving a new path in the startup world in the health sector.  I taught our guest as a young student in Busan, South Korea (the second largest city in the country) many years ago.  I had no idea  he was really listening, but funny enough, he was one of the best listeners that I had.  He listened so well, he took his respect for his instructors to a high level and leveraged it into the most competitive University in the United States.  

Mr. Jin Woo Yu is now a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in Computer Science -- which btw, is one of the hardest programs to get into any University these days, on top of being in the most selective University in the U.S., if not the world (if you use the statistics that are publicly available).  He's also obtaining his MS in Science & Engineering, which he didn't even tell me, but I had to find out via a quick scan of his LinkedIn profile.

And today, he's Co-founder with 3 other Stanford grads of Prairie Health, a leading Mental Health Startup based in the Bay Area.  

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

More than 4 decades in Education after acquiring a Masters from UVA and a bachelors from a top liberal arts program, Davidson, Mr. Bob Currie who also teaches French shares how he’s helped many students through the years, but very importantly his daughters become great the most amazing contributors to society. This is not an episode to miss and we are planning to more than just this one episode with Mr. Currie.

• M.A., University of Virginia
• Graduate Study in French, Middlebury College Language Schools
• B.A., Davidson College
• Secondary Education & Teaching, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

The younger generations of today are our hope and Eddie Maalouf shares how disrupters like him in his generation think about how we're educated.  University of Georgia graduate and an International success in digital marketing, Maalouf is looking to understand how to truly build something that will make a lasting difference.   We are lucky to have a very thoughtful guest on the show today and you should enjoy how even in digital marketing, we can be considerate, intelligent and also very impactful in every way when helping people build their businesses.  Maalouf describes a little how.  

Maalouf is Founding Partner at 4Media Marketing

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Engineering & Entrepreneurship Instructor and CEO Melanie Kong and MS Science Department Chair & Technology & Innovation Specialist & Co-Founder Christine Witcher of Floop Edu share insight into how education can be immensely instead with an effective "feedback" process enhanced by today's technology.  Their startup not only focuses on this critical element, but their mission to fix this may revolutionize what we see in today's public and private systems.  Listen in and hear how Floop may help many teachers achieve their benevolent goals and what may some day make lives of students many times better.  Learn why these 2 ladies have won the Global Startup Battle Education Track , the MSNBC Open Possibilities Award& were the Startup Weekend EDU Seattle Winner -- along with the winner of Founders Live, the night I met Melanie. 

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Economist, Historian, Strategist, Thought Leader, Managing Director and now Author (basically a Polymath) Viktor Shvets shares views developed after being educated by the East and the West. Mr. Shvets incredible resume includes all the top global financial management behemoths in top capacities along with more accolades than LinkedIn allows.

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Stratus Data Co-founder & Ivy League (University of Pennsylvania) Grad Charles Pensig Provides Fascinating Perspectives on Education - in Particular his Private School Path which Benefited him Immensely. 

What's Charles "go to" dish?  Who does he think is a great role model for society?  Who is Charles' hero?  

Answers to these questions are all in the episode.  

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Top Seattle Startup Executive Emily Carrion details her bilingual educational journey from a Spanish Immersion program to one of the Pacific Northwest’s Top Liberal Arts Programs. Learn how one top “disruptor” thinks about how we could alter the didactic methods of the future. You won’t guess who her recommendation for a role model is!

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

SparkToro CEO/Co-founder Rand Fishkin & one of the true pioneers in the Search Engine Optimization field shares his educational story and offers contrarian ideas about what we could do regarding the didactic methods of today. 

Who’s his recommendation for a role model?  Listen in and find out.  

Enjoy the latest episode of EduK8 hosted by Brandon Na on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Overcast and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.