One in a Billion

Neil Mody is a media entrepreneur, tech enthusiast and philosopher at heart.   In this open-hearted conversation, Neil shares snippets of his phone conversations with his father that would forever be seared into his mind. What did his father say? Why did Neil tell his mother not to wear a "sari" to his eighth grade graduation?  Why did he feel embarrassed by his "Indianness" growing up in New Jersey,  and how does he feel now?   Find Your Roots is a history and culture project centering on Asian American voices, perspectives, and experiences. It is a one-on-one, in-depth podcast interview show with Asian "Roots-Finders" seeking to remember the diverse and profound influences of their parents and grandparents. This educational podcast project is designed to promote and preserve the legacy of the countless contributions—as well as forgotten struggles and sacrifices—of our ancestors who paved the way for us today.   We want to include you in this conversation. Share your thoughts. Pitch us a story. To send us your comments or stories, email us at info@oneinabillionvoices.org or go to our Facebook page or website under "Pitch a Story."   One in a Billion connects Asians and Americans through storytelling, one person at a time.   Season 7: Find Your Roots series is produced by One in a Billion Productions, a non-profit educational media company (501c3), with generous funding from PLUS Charitable Trust.   Music used: New Boots Rag by Doctor Turtle Trees In The Wind by Daniel Birch Wherever I Lay My Hat Thats My Wife by Doctor Turtle Sailor's Lament by Jason Shaw Tumult by Kai Engel Spiritual by HoliznaPATREON One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy    

Martial Arts, Kung Fu Master (師傅) , Yoga Instructor, Political Activist Mai Du was just eight years old when she aspired to learn Kung Fu. Then she became a refugee after the Vietnam war fleeing with her family through Thailand and the Philippines before arriving in America. Today, Mai du is a martial arts instructor, kung fu master and political activist.  What formed her fighting spirit? How did her parents' survival skills mold her mindset?  Check out our conversation! Music used: Vienna Beat by Blue Dot Sessions Adventure by The Ghost in Your Piano Trophy Endorphins by Andy G Cohen Mountain Monk C by Lobo Loco Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1 - II. Adagio by Daniel Veesey  Stormy Blues by Arne Bang Huseby A Yankees Southern Blues by HoliznaCC0  Only Our Footsteps in the Sand by Mid-Air Machine  One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Photo Credit:  Dat Nguyen   

More than a decade after she was labeled as "Tiger Mom" for her 2011 memoir "The Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother," Amy Chua reflects on her strict parenting style as she traces the roots of her culture to Fuzhou, China. Why did Amy feel right about raising her daughters the same way she was raised by her immigrant parents? What lessons has she learned from her critics in the West? What prompted her to pursue a career in corporate law before teaching law at Yale? And now, what motivated her to write  her first novel "The Golden Gate?" Amy Chua is a Yale law school professor with expertise in international business transactions, ethnicity and conflict, and globalization. She is an author of five non-fiction titles including Political Tribes: Group Instinct and Fate of Nation, and The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America.   Photo Credit: Joel Griffith   Music used: I Will Not Let You Let Me Down by Josh Woodward Your Mothers Daughter by Chris Zabriskie On The Clock by Pictures of the Floating World Tumbling Dishes Like Old-Mans Wishes by Jahzzar One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy

Have you ever felt abandoned by your parents? What would you do to reconcile with them? 24-year-old Angela Li was born in New York City but sent back to Fuzhou, China while an infant to be raised by her grandparents until she turned five. When she entered the U.S, she felt she'd closed the door on her childhood in China. Now, she is just beginning to reconcile with that as an adult.  In this podcast conversation, Angela describes her process of self-healing by starting an oral project of interviewing her parents. "For the first time, I see my mom as a human being."  Angela says.  What did she mean? What did she find? Music used: Space Full by Andy G. Cohen Rain by Unheard Music Concepts Inside the Moon by Stephan Siebert Mountain Monk C by Lobo Loco  Bells In The Wind by Daniel Birch The Shine by Jahzzar   One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy  

Have you ever lost your sense of purpose after your loved one suddenly died? Whom do you turn to find strength to renew your mind and spirit? Born in Sorsogon, the Philippines, Loida N. Lewis, traces the roots of her undying faith that revives her in her darkest hour after her husband Reginald F. Lewis died of brain cancer. Loida also talks about her new memoir,"Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?" - an Asian American story of love, marriage, faith and running a billion dollar business empire.  Loida Lewis is a business executive, immigration lawyer, philanthropist and activist. Music used: Dream by Chan Wai Fat Spiritual by HoliznaPATREON  Space Full by Andy G Cohen You're Right But I'm Me by Doctor Turtle Undercover Vampire Policeman by Chris Zabriskie One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy  

Have you ever felt the need to know your family history as a way to become whole? What can you remember about your parents' immigrant journey or struggle that would help you weave a cohesive narrative for their past sacrifices and your current success? Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Fran Chin, tells a compelling story about his father and mother's voyage from Guangdong, China to escape penury so he and his eight siblings could enjoy a better life here in America.  Music used: History by Twelvety9 Burn Me Alive by MMFFF Even When We Fall by FPhilipp Weigl Lullaby by The Ghost in Your Piano Inspirational Outlook by Scott Holmes Horses by Pictures of the Floating World Mountain Monk B by Lobo Loco One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Find Your Roots is a history and culture project centering on Asian American voices, perspectives, and experiences. It is a one-on-one in-depth podcast interview show with Asian "Roots-Finders" seeking to remember the diverse and profound influences of their parents and grandparents. This educational podcast project is designed to promote and preserve the legacy of the countless contributions—as well as forgotten struggles and sacrifices—of our ancestors who paved the way for us today. We want to include you in this conversation. Share your thoughts. Pitch us a story. To send us your comments or stories, email us @ info@oneinabillionvoices.org or go to our Facebook page or website at OneinABillionVoices.org under "Pitch a Story." "One in a Billion" connects Asians and Americans through storytelling, one person at a time. Season 7 Find Your Roots Series is produced by One in a Billion Productions, a non-profit educational media company (501c3), with generous funding from PLUS Charitable Trust. (https://plct.org/welcome/)  

Have you stopped and considered what got you here? Who paved the way for you to learn and grow up in America? For first-generation Chinese American Paul Lee who was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, it is time for him and his siblings to remember their cultural roots, and to honor his parents' incredible immigrant journey to America. It is also time for us to thank his father Sen Lee for his service to America. Sen Lee fought for America in WWII in the United States Armed Forces in Pacific Theatre.  Music Used: The Wrong Way by Jahzzar The Family Instrumental by Chad Crouch Prism by Xylo Ziko Four Way by William Ross Chernoff's Nomads Climb by The Ghost in Your Piano Boss 1: The First Challenge by Komiku Singing In The Rain Instrumental by David Mumford Rosedale Daydream Back in the Room by Greg Atkinson Youk Ra Lom Ai Oh by Les Cartes Postales Sonores One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Find Your Roots is a history and culture project centering on Asian American voices, perspectives, and experiences. It is a one-on-one in-depth podcast interview show with Asian "Roots-Finders" seeking to remember the diverse and profound influences of their parents and grandparents. This educational podcast project is designed to promote and preserve the legacy of the countless contributions—as well as forgotten struggles and sacrifices—of our ancestors who paved the way for us today. We want to include you in this conversation. Share your thoughts. Pitch us a story. To send us your comments or stories, email us @ info@oneinabillionvoices.org or go to our Facebook page or website at OneinABillionVoices.org under "Pitch a Story." "One in a Billion" connects Asians and Americans through storytelling, one person at a time. Season 7 Find Your Roots Series is produced by One in a Billion Productions, a non-profit educational media company (501c3), with generous funding from PLUS Charitable Trust.  

Do you have a hard time identifying with this kind of Chinese, or that kind of American, and wanting to create a third category of cultural identity? Do you feel so foreign while visiting China as a Chinese American?  Irene Li is a James Beard Award Winning Chef,  Co-founder/Co-owner at Mei Mei Dumplings in Boston,  Massachusetts. She is also a tech founder,  and  WBUR (Boston NPR) CitySpace Moderator/ Host. A Cornell University graduate, Irene Li was part of the college scholar program and majored in cultural studies.   Music used: Malachite by Andy G Cohen New Day by Alan Spiljak Even When We Fall by FPhilipp Weigl Above the Clouds by Bio Unit Bathed in Fine Dust by Andy G Cohen Highride by Blue Dot Sessions Flux by The Ghost in Your Piano Oxygen Mask by Andy G Cohen I Recall by Blue Dot Sessions One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy   Find Your Roots is a history and culture project centering on Asian American voices, perspectives, and experiences. It is a one-on-one in-depth podcast interview show with Asian "Roots-Finders" seeking to remember the diverse and profound influences of their parents and grandparents. This educational podcast project is designed to promote and preserve the legacy of the countless contributions—as well as forgotten struggles and sacrifices—of our ancestors who paved the way for us today. We want to include you in this conversation. Share your thoughts. Pitch us a story. To send us your comments or stories, email us @ info@oneinabillionvoices.org or go to our Facebook page or website at OneinABillionVoices.org under "Pitch a Story." "One in a Billion" connects Asians and Americans through storytelling, one person at a time. Season 7 Find Your Roots Series is produced by One in a Billion Productions, a non-profit educational media company (501c3), with generous funding from PLUS Charitable Trust.

Are you denying your roots if you ignore them? Why should one's culture be a forethought and not an afterthought? Who defines your cultural identity? Dr. Elaine Shiang is a retired Chinese American medical doctor at MIT with over 35 years of experience. Episode 1 Don't' Deny It  is her account of her family history in China, their journey to America, her parents' influence on her and her advice for the next generation.  Elaine is a mother of three adult children - Andrew, Margaret, Irene. All of them were born in the greater Boston area, including Elaine herself. However, Elaine was introduced to the Chinese language early in her childhood and even lived in Taiwan for three years. That experience, she says, exposed her to the wider world and a greater appreciation of the value of embracing your roots.   Elaine also talks about her late husband Dr. Frederick Pei Li  who came to America as a refugee.  Dr. Li, a Chinese-American physician, was a pioneer of population cancer genetics.  For more about Dr. Elaine Shiang, click here. Music used:Acoustic Fingerpicking 3 by Independent Music Licensing Collective Acoustic Fingerpicking 8 by Independent Music Licensing Collective Brand New World by Kai Engel Undercover Vampire Policeman by Chris Zabriskie Youk Ra Lom Ai Oh by Les Cartes Postales Sonores Asianna by Jean Toba The Lullaby of the Free Hell by Koi-discovery One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy  Find Your Roots is a history and culture project centering on Asian American voices, perspectives and experiences. It is a one-on-one in-depth interview show with Asian "Root-finders" seeking to remember the diverse and profound influences of their parents and grandparents. This educational series is designed to promote and preserve the legacy of the countless contributions - as well as unforgettable struggles and sacrifices - of our ancestors who paved the way for us today. For more info: Email Info@OneinaBillionVoices.org

Why would a Harvard-educated college graduate and medical school student get thrown out of a UCLA medical residency? What did he do wrong? What did he do right to get back in?  And why would he later quit his medical residency to pursue creative projects including documentary-filmmaking in China?  Most intriguingly, how did any of these paths pave the way for his eventual success as a cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills? And now, why does he choose to devote his philanthropic passion to promoting a positive image of Chinese people in America? Tune into my conversation with Dr. Robin Yuan - a plastic surgeon, philanthropist, and author of four books, including the latest "Red Bishop" - a historical fiction novel about his grandfather as the last presiding bishop of the Anglican church in China. Music used:One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthyI Will Not Let You Let Me Down by Josh WoodwardBurn Me Alive by MMFFFA Perceptible Shift by Andy G CohenGolden Sunrise by Josh WoodwardPicture It All by Lorenzos MusicMarty Ladies and Gentlemen by Doctor TurtleHlice by MonplaisirMountain Island Dreams by Lobo Loco Highride by Blue Dot Sessions Canada by Pictures of the Floating World Steppin' In by Podington Bear

We kick off Season 6 "LifeChangers" today (August 26th)  with a limited special series. LifeChangers is about Asian philanthropists sharing stories about life-changing turning points that have shaped their mindset and inspired their philanthropic passion. Now, they feel compelled to change the lives of others.  You don't need to give away a lot of money like Bill Gates to be a philanthropist. You only need to ask the right question at the right time. Episode #1 "Am I the Only One?" What more do you want when you reach the VP level of a top tech company in America?  For Buck Gee - a Chinese-American retired tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, when he became a senior executive at Cisco in the early 2000s, he asked his supervisor, "Am I the only one?"  He noticed that he was the only Asian American at that level, and he was unhappy. Why? What did he do about it? That question would become the seed of his philanthropic passion.  Tune into my conversation with Buck Gee in Episode 1 "Am I the Only One?" (Note: Buck Gee was Vice President and General Manager of the Data Center Business Unit at Cisco before retiring in 2008. In 2010, he co-founded the Advanced Leadership Program for Asian American Executives, an executive education program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has published several Ascend Foundation research papers on the Asian glass ceiling and has written opinion pieces on that issue for the Harvard Business Review and The New York Times.) Buck Gee holds BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Learn more about Buck here.  (source: Committee-100 ) Music used:Xi by Andy G. Cohen Vienna Beat by Blue Dot Sessions The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan by Chris Zabriskie Which That is This by Doctor Turtle Thingamajig by Json Shaw Day Trips by Ketsa One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy We want to include you in this conversation. Share your thoughts. Pitch us a story. To send us your comments or stories, email us @ info@oneinabillionvoices.org Or go to our Facebook page or our website at OneinABillionVoices.org under "Pitch a Story." "One in a Billion" connects Asians and Americans through storytelling, one person at a time. Subscribe to "One in a Billion" below: PRx | iTunes | SoundCloud Season 6 LifeChangers Series is produced by One in a Billion Productions, a non-profit educational media company (501c3) with generous funding from Claudia Lin, Founder/President of Legacy Maker LLC.

Season 4 kicks off with a Summer Special Series from Shanghai: In Context with Anita Xu- "Why Risk It?" It's an intimate conversation between digital marketing professional Anita Xu and her college buddy Xu He. Xu He chose to become an entrepreneur after feeling unfulfilled in his first few jobs after graduating from a top journalism university in Shanghai. Anita, our contributing podcaster, is puzzled. She saw him as a rising star in the journalism world, and she wonders -why risk it? This interview will be in Mandarin Chinese. You can read an English transcript or check out our website at www.oneinabillionvoices.org.   Music used: One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Quizitive by Lee Rosevere Tech Toys by Lee Rosevere Whats Behind the Door by Lee Rosevere Theme from Penguins on Parade by Lee Rosevere And So Then by Lee Rosevere  Wonder Under by Glad Rags

It sounds like a simple question, "Are you Chinese?" But why would someone ask it?  And what makes it difficult for someone to answer it? Eric Liao, our blogger/podcast intern at One in a Billion, started writing a blog about this question a month ago. When I first read it, it overwhelmed me with provocative ideas and perplexing analogies, and many of the underlying sentiments turn out to resonate with many young Asians in America. So we decided to turn that unfinished blog into a full-fledged podcast. "Are you Chinese?" is not a simple question, as we've discovered after interviewing Eric and listening to dozens of Chinese and non-Chinese in America. It challenges their sense of belonging and individuality.  Now, they're speaking up. Their experiences tell a story of our common struggle when we're in our 20s - our struggle to establish our identity and individuality, and our search for belonging. Listen to Eric's story in "Are You Chinese?"   Music Used: Busy Bees by David O'Brien Xi by Andy G. Cohen The War Drums of Peace by The Marian Circle Drum Brigade Marty Ladies and Gentlemen by Doctor Turtle The Encouragement Stick by Doctor Turtle Grey Snow by John Woodward

Sheetal Sheth is an Indian American actress, author and activist based in New York City. You may remember her breakout role as "Maya" co-starring with Albert Brooks in "Looking For Comedy in the Muslim World"  (2005). Since then, Sheetal's star keeps rising, appearing in dozens of TV shows and films. In 2013, she got married and soon became a mother to two girls. Then, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As Sheetal struggled to recover, she was determined to raise her children with a deep sense of pride and love for India. Why? Also, what inspired her to write children's books for Indian Americans while she was pregnant in New York City? Click here for more about Sheetal Sheth. Music used: What Is Love (Piano) by Zight Sad Ambient Piano by Lite Saturation Free Hopping Piano by Lobo Loco Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1 - II. Adagio by Daniel Veesey Brand New World by Kai Engel One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Photo Credit: David Goddard

How can you make a difference when you are still climbing the career ladder and have little money to spare? How much can you give when you already focus so much of your time and effort to gain acceptance, appreciation, and accolades at work and in life? Listen to my podcast conversation with Kyung B. Yoon - president and co-founder of the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF). A television journalist, public speaker, Taekwondo instructor. Music used: One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy You're the Dummy by Derek Clegg Arena 17 Back From the Death Row by Koi-Discovery Adventure by The Ghost in Your Piano Convergence by Pictures of the Floating World Highway Fever by HoliznaCC0 Kyung first came to America after the Korean war and discovered a land of luxuries. But she never forgets how South Korea, her homeland, has grown and developed from a poor country to become an economic miracle when men and women are given equal opportunities for education. Throughout her life and career, Kyung keeps in mind the poor and the needy of the world at the core and center of her mission - as a TV journalist, a World Bank Institute documentary filmmaker, and a Taekwondo self-defense instructor.

Why does an American-born Chinese philanthropist want to help young Chinese in America reconnect with their roots? Why is that important? What seeded that passion?  Tune into my conversation with Carolyn Hsu-Balcer in Episode #3 "Reconnecting with Your Roots." Carolyn Hsu-Balcer is a designer, philanthropist, and art collector based in Los Angeles and New York.   Having lived in Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines, she returned to America (her birthplace) obligingly for college. Her mother told her America is her future because they didn't have a home in China anymore.  How did Carolyn's Chinese parents shape her love for country, history, art and culture? Why was Carolyn so inspired by her great-granduncle Dr. Kuo Ping-Wen - the first Chinese to have earned a PhD in America?? Why does Carolyn believe young Chinese in America should become global-minded?  Music used: One In a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Youk Ra Lom Ai Oh by Les Cartes Postales Sonores Lullaby by the Ghost in Your Piano A Yankees Southern Blues by HoliznaCC0 Mountain Monk C by Lobo Loco Driving Through Tunnels by Daniel Birch The Armys March by MMFFF The Things That Connect Us by Independent Music Licensing Collective Carolyn graduated from Wheaton College (Mass.) with a BA in  Economics and a minor in Chinese Language. After working as a  financial analyst on Wall Street and as a Retail Product Developer, Carolyn launched SnoPea Inc. in 1997, a baby clothes company based in  New York. SnoPea manufactures and markets infantwear for sale online  and in specialty stores across the US, Canada and Japan.  Carolyn has worked to foster Sino-American understanding through  education and culture. She has organized seminars on Education in  China at major universities in the US and China.  She supports  educational scholarships at universities in Shanghai, Nanjing and  Taiwan, and at rural schools in Yunnan Province in China. In 2008, she  received the Blue Cloud Award for outstanding achievement from the  China Institute in New York. Carolyn has co-edited and co-published the historical biographies Kuo  Ping Wen Scholar, Reformer, Statesman (2016) and C.T. Wang: Looking  Back and Looking Forward (2008); the artbook A Token of Elegance (2015), a historical and photo survey of cigarette holders as objets de  vertu; and Chow! Secrets of Chinese Cooking (2020), an updated edition  of a timeless classic about Chinese cuisine and culture and winner of a  2021 Gourmand World Cookbook Award.  Carolyn has organized ground-breaking exhibits of Chinese art including  Xu Bing Tobacco Project Virginia (2011 VMFA), Light Before Dawn (2013  Asia Society Hong Kong), Blooming in the Shadows (2011 China Institute NY), Ming Cho Lee: A Retrospective (2011 Ningbo Museum), and Oil and  Water: Re-Interpreting Ink (2014 MOCA NY).   She has sponsored the publication of a 13-volume catalogue of the  works of the Wuming group of Chinese artists, and the publication of "Ai  Wei Wei: New York Photographs 1983-1993".   Carolyn has produced award-winning documentaries on China and  Chinese art, including "Above the Drowning Sea", "The No Name Painting  Association" and "Xu Bing Tobacco Project Virginia".   Carolyn is currently a member of the Board of Overseers at the MFA  Boston, the Guggenheim Museum Asian Art Circle, the Board of  Directors of the Wolfsonian-FIU, the Arts Council of the Asia Society, the  Board of Friends of Channel 13, and honorary trustee of the Ningbo  Museum (China) where she has forged ties with American art & cultural  institutions to bring curatorial training to the Ningbo Museum.  Carolyn and her husband have assembled important collections of  Chinese Contemporary art, Japanese Shin-Hanga, Inuit art and objets de  vertu, which have been the subjects of numerous publications and  exhibitions worldwide, including at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston,  Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Louvre (Paris), Virginia  Museum of Fine Arts, Aldrich Museum, Wellin Museum, Cooper Hewitt,  Asia Society Hong Kong, Lenbachhaus Museum Munich, and the Taipei  Fine Arts Museum. 

LifeChangers is about Asian philanthropists sharing stories about life-changing turning points that have shaped their mindset and inspired their philanthropic passion. Now, they feel compelled to change the lives of others. How old were you when you first started making money? 16? 17? 18? Meet Mei-Lee Ney - an investment advisor, philanthropist, and art collector.  At age 75, Mei-Lee has been working non-stop since she was 10. Why? Who gave her critical advice about how she could get anything she wanted? And what is that advice?  How did Mei-Lee build and create wealth for herself and others without a college degree? And what motivated Mei-Lee to begin giving away her fortune, and for what causes?  Tune into my conversation with Mei-Lee Ney in Episode #2 "Money Matters" Music used: Working For the County by Derek CleggPlaytime by Jahzzar Banish by Slinte Dear Old Dad by HoliznaCCO Acoustic Fingerpicking 5 by Independent Music Licensing Collective Gray Drops by Sergey CheremisinovAcoustic Fingerpicking 1 by Independent Music Licensing Collective Love Wins by Lee Rosevere Sour Grapes by Pictures of the Floating World Go Tell It On The Molehill by Doctor Turtle Climb by The Ghost in Your Piano Florid by Mid-Air MachineThe Dance of the Sky by MMFFF One in A Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy Mei-Lee Ney is the president of Richard Ney & Associates, Asset Management, Inc., a registered investment advisory firm that she joined in 1973. She was the business partner and wife of Richard Ney, author of three books on the stock market: The Wall Street Jungle, The Wall Street Gang, and Making It in the Market, the last two of which she edited. She was co-writer and editor of "The Ney Report," an investment newsletter, from 1976 to 1999. She also serves on the USC Pacific Asia Museum Board of Councilors, and the Otis College of Art and Design Board of Trustees and is active in several other communities, arts, and education organizations. Learn more about Mei-Lee here.

What would you do if you've written about becoming a Supreme Court justice, dreamed of a life and career in law, put in a lot of time and work to prepare for that track - then one day you change my mind?    Is it a waste of time, money and education at that point?   These are some of the questions that Daniel Christopher "D.C." Rogers (Harvard Class of '12) had to wrestle with during his college years. And what made him change his mind?   In "Where Are They Now?" Episode #6, Gemma Schneider (Harvard student journalist/Class of 2023) interviews D.C. Rogers - award-winning writer, producer, and actor.  D.C. is a story editor for the upcoming Netflix legal show Partner Track. Previously, he was a staff writer on the CW drama In the Dark.     I am happy to be co-hosting this podcast as a contributing commentator. You'll hear my views about how to figure out what you want to do with your life – before and after college.    "Where Are They Now?" is a special co-production between One in a Billion and WHRB (Harvard Radio Broadcasting). It is a 6-part series featuring one-on-one interviews with Harvard graduates who draw lessons from their campus experience and personal insight from their current career to give you a taste of their trailblazing journey. "Where Are They Now" is sponsored exclusively by One in a Billion Productions Inc. (501c3) – an educational media company designed to foster Asian voices and to build bridges between different communities of color.  We believe in the power of personal storytelling to reach a wider and diverse community of audiences for better intercultural understanding.

How far will you travel outside of your hometown, your neighborhood, your comfort zone, in order to see the world differently? Why is it important to keep your sense of insecurity as your companion as you embark on your scientific, academic or philosophical enquiry? How does failure keep you hungry for success? Those are some of the questions that have led to surprising discoveries and satisfying rewards for Dr. Neil Shubin (Harvard GSAS Class of 1987). In "Where Are They Now?" Episode #4, Gemma Schneider (Harvard student journalist/Class of 2023) interviews Dr. Neil Shubin - A paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and popular science writer.  Dr. Shubin made headlines in 2004 when he co-discovered Tiktaalik roseae, a fossil of a creature with traits found in both fish and tetrapods, and has since published three popular science books: Your Inner Fish, The Universe Within, and Some Assembly Required. I am happy to be co-hosting this podcast as a contributing commentator. You'll hear my reflection on how I, like Dr. Neil Shubin, first became drawn to a new world of possibilities that would light up my imagination to pursue a path that's formed who I am today. ———————— "Where Are They Now?" is a special co-production between One in a Billion and WHRB (Harvard Radio Broadcasting). It is a 6-part series featuring one-on-one interviews with Harvard graduates who draw lessons from their campus experience and personal insight from their current career to give you a taste of their trailblazing journey. "Where Are They Now" is sponsored exclusively by One in a Billion Productions Inc. (501c3) – an educational media company designed to foster Asian voices and to build bridges between different communities of color.  We believe in the power of personal storytelling to reach a wider and diverse community of audiences for better intercultural understanding.

Should a Harvard education prepare you for failure?Should failure be normalized in the course of higher education?Or at the very least, would you want to learn how to take or talk about failure? Those are the sort of questions rarely asked if you're a Harvard student who is used to acing your exams, winning accolades or top awards until one day – you suddenly lose what you've been taking for granted. In "Where Are They Now?" Episode #4, Gemma Schneider (Harvard student journalist/Class of 2023) interviews Sangu Delle (Harvard Class of 2010, Harvard JD & MBA 2016).  An entrepreneur, investor, author and philanthropist, Sangu speaks powerfully about his personal struggle with depression after a major business investor died suddenly before wiring the money. A lot were at stakes. Sangu was at a loss for words and found himself in a dark world for a long time before getting back on his feet. Today, he is a champion for mental health and a vocal teacher about the norm of failure. I am happy to be co-hosting this podcast as a contributing commentator. You'll hear my reflection on how I too had rebounded from despair after first losing my mother, before losing my job and my health. ------------------------ "Where Are They Now?" is a special co-production between One in a Billion and WHRB (Harvard Radio Broadcasting). It is a 6-part series featuring one-on-one interviews with Harvard graduates who draw lessons from their campus experience and personal insight from their current career to give you a taste of their trailblazing journey. "Where Are They Now" is sponsored exclusively by One in a Billion Productions Inc. (501c3) – an educational media company designed to foster Asian voices and to build bridges between different communities of color.  We believe in the power of personal storytelling to reach a wider and diverse community of audiences for better intercultural understanding.