Something Ventured -- Silicon Valley Podcast
#47 Shaun Tai of Oakland Digital -- Full Episode

Note:  This is the full episode of Kent's conversation with Shaun:    "Shaun Tai is the Founder and Executive director of Oakland Digital, a non-profit that connects design students to local businesses. Shaun comes to Oakland Digital by way of hip hop, and the film industry.  Not everyone in Silicon Valley works in a tech company.  

Kent and Shaun discuss a wide range of topics, including how to connect lower income people to the tech industry, why Oakland hasn't overtaken San Francisco as the most desirable place to live...yet.  And a lot more.  This is the first of a 2 part conversation

Find Shaun and Oakland Digital on Twitter at:

@odalc   @shaun_tai @OaklandDigital

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online and beyond.

Direct download: 47_Shaun_Tai_Oakland_Digital_Full_episode_.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#46 Shaun Tai of Oakland Digital part 2 of 2

"Black people and Asian people SHOULD work together in Oakland".  So this one begins..  Shaun Tai is the Founder and Executive director of Oakland Digital, a non-profit that connects design students to local businesses. Shaun comes to Oakland Digital by way of hip hop, and the film industry.  Not everyone in Silicon Valley works in a tech company.  

Kent and Shaun discuss a wide range of topics, including how to connect lower income people to the tech industry, why Oakland hasn't overtaken San Francisco as the most desirable place to live...yet.  And a lot more.  This is the first of a 2 part conversation

Find Shaun and Oakland Digital on Twitter at:

@odalc   @shaun_tai @OaklandDigital

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online and beyond.

Direct download: 46_odalc_shaun_tai.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#45 Oakland Digital -- Shaun Tai

We turn to Oakland.  Shaun Tai is the Founder and Executive director of Oakland Digital, a non-profit that connects design students to local businesses. Shaun comes to Oakland Digital by way of hip hop, and the film industry.  Not everyone in Silicon Valley works in a tech company.  

Kent and Shaun discuss a wide range of topics, including how to connect lower income people to the tech industry, why Oakland hasn't overtaken San Francisco as the most desirable place to live...yet.  And a lot more.  This is the first of a 2 part conversation

Find Shaun and Oakland Digital on Twitter at:

@odalc   @shaun_tai @OaklandDigital

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online and beyond.

Direct download: 46_Shaun_Tai_of_Oakland_Digital_1_of_2.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#44 -- Transgender Kids in Silicon Valley -- Full Episode

Allison White, Silicon Valley school principal, discusses transgender kids.  This is the full conversation.  Some of the media referenced in this podcast:  1) John Oliver show on transgender; 2) TED Talk "Norman Spack"; 3) NBC Nightly News on Transgender Kids; 4) Rolling Stone Article "About a Girl -- Coy Mathis".

 

 

Direct download: 44_Full_Episode_-_Transgender_Kids_in_SIlicon_Valley.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#43 2/2 Transgender Kids in Silicon Valley

In part 2 of this conversation with Allison White, Silicon Valley school principal -- we continue the discussion about transgender kids in Silicon Valley.  Some of the referenced elements can be found by:  Search for NBC Nightly news, the Atlantic and John Oliver stories on transgender issues.  Rolling Stone -- search for "Coy Mathis".  

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the headlines as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online and beyond.

Direct download: 43_22_Transgender_Kids_in_SIlicon_Valley.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#42 Allison White - Transgender Kids in Silicon Valley 1 of 2

Kent sits down with Silicon Valley school principal Allison White to discuss transgender kids.  Many in Silicon Valley are only slowly beginning to understand transgender issues in the Valley and how to be supportive.  In this discussion the issues faced by transgender kids and families in Silicon Valley are discussed.

Show Notes -- referenced in this podcast:

TED Talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/norman_spack_how_i_help_transgender_teens_become_who_they_want_to_be

John Oliver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmoAX9f6MOc 

NBC Nightly News-Transgender Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGPRNbxON8g

Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/about-a-girl-coy-mathis-fight-to-change-change-gender-20131028

Direct download: 42_Allison_White_Transgender_Kids_in_Silicon_Valley_1_of_2.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Part 2 with Ian McFarland -- technologist, author.  Currently of Pear Therapeutics, also founder of Neo Innovation.  We continue our wide-ranging discussion of everything from bitcoin to the "Series A crunch".

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online -- and beyond.

Direct download: 41_Ian_McFarland_Part_2.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#40 Ian McFarland 1 of 2

Ian McFarland literally wrote the book -- on the Tomcat server.  He is one of Silicon Valley's great technologists -- from Hotwired, through being an executive and Principal at Pivotal Labs, to his current role as Chairman of Neo Innovation.  We roam widely through topics including (what else?) housing in Silicon Valley, whether Bitcoin matters, and his first computer.

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we viiew the world online -- and beyond.

Direct download: 40_Ian_McFarland.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

#39  Ben Cheung -- The Entrepreneur's Journey

Entrepreneur Ben Cheung, founder of Genee, details his journey from Southern China to the US, and eventually to Intel and VMware.

Ben discusses the challenges and rewards of being an entrepreneur, as he describes his path to making Genee a success.  

Genee is a virtual assistant that coordinates meetings for individuls or groups.  But his story will be a familiar one to most entrepreneurs.

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines, as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online...and beyond.

Direct download: 39_Benjamin_Cheung_of_Genee.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 9:03pm EDT

#38 "2015 Pridecast"

In the 2015 "Pridecast", Kent discusses 2 transgender people from the world of technology who you sould know:  Lana Wachowski and Martine Rothblatt.

 

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In the Something Ventured podcast, Silicon Valley insider Kent Lindstrom explores the reality behind the Silicon Valley headlines, as he sits down with the people who are shaping the way we view the world online.... and beyond.

Direct download: 38_2015_Pridecast.m4a
Category:Technology -- posted at: 2:58pm EDT