wellbeing Archives

Introducing the Thrive. Connect. Contribute. Podcast

March 18, 2020

Introducing the Thrive. Connect. Contribute. Podcast Positive stories of people who thrive in life, connect with others, and contribute to the world in the face of adversity. Who do you know who is modeling resilience during difficult times? Have you heard any good stories lately? In this critical time, we’re surrounded by acts of heroism, both large and small. For example, I heard a story today about an employee at Buzzfeed who gathered the houseplants from the cubicles of her coworkers and placed them in one area. That way she can come in during the shutdown and water the plants, so that the plants will be waiting for her coworkers…

Aneela Idnani Kumar, HabitAware, caused host Tony Loyd to laugh out loud.

The Power of Telling Your Secret, with Aneela Idnani Kumar, HabitAware

November 13, 2018

HabitAware makes Keen, a smart bracelet to help manage Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs). For 20 years, Aneela Idnani Kumar had a secret. She spent her life in shame and embarrassment. One day, unexpectedly, her secret came to light. This moment transformed her life, and in the process, helped thousands of others. Aneela grew up in a somewhat atypical Indian American household. “My parents came to this country in the 1970s with $500 and one suitcase. They made their way to upper middle class. My mom broke away from tradition as a dentist with her professional practice. In contrast, my father worked primarily from a home office and was in charge…

Beyond Autism Awareness, Thorkil Sonne, Specialisterne

April 2, 2018

Specialisterne is creating one million jobs for people with autism April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism affects 1 in 68 children, and the prevalence is growing. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S. Though no two cases of autism are alike, autism impacts social interaction, cognitive function, and communication. 40% of children with autism do not speak. These differences in people who experience autism can lead to social isolation. Most are locked out of the workplace. But does that have to be the case? According to Thorkil Sonne of Specialisterne, autistic people have capabilities that make them ideally suited for certain specialist…

From Iron Deficiency to Iron Man, with Gavin Armstrong, Lucky Iron Fish

December 4, 2017

Iron deficiency is a massive, but preventable condition. Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise is dedicated to reducing iron deficiency rates around the world. In high school, Gavin Armstrong was bullied severely. “I took it that I needed to make lots of money to prove bullies wrong,” Gavin explains. “The image I had of bankers was, they were all successful, driving expensive cars. And, I thought if I could live that life, I would prove to bullies, and maybe even to myself that I had worth.” Gavin attended the University of Guelph to study finance. However, he described his coursework as “miserable.” While at the university, he took a field trip to…

Improving Healthcare, One Story at a Time, with Jay Newton-Small, MemoryWell

November 27, 2017

MemoryWell is making lasting memories for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Jay Newton-Small knows a thing or two about storytelling. She’s worked as a journalist for more than 15 years, with her work appearing in Time and Bloomberg. Jay’s father Graham was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when Jay was in college. He became one of her first in-depth interview subjects. She spent many hours interviewing him and grew to become his voice. When her mother passed away in 2006, Jay became her father’s primary caregiver. When Jay moved her father, Graham, into an Alzheimer’s assisted living facility, she knew that it was time to tell his story. Upon arriving at the facility,…

Everyone Deserves Healthcare, with Grace Garey, Watsi [Encore Presentation]

November 13, 2017

NOTE: This is an encore presentation of an episode that first aired on March 6, 2017. Grace Garey and Watsi are featured in the book, Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. To hear the original, extended interview, go here: https://tonyloyd.com/157. Watsi is on a mission to provide healthcare for every person in the world. A billion people around the world do not have access to basic healthcare. And, for those who are fortunate enough to have access, the cost of healthcare can create a life-crippling financial burden. Watsi enables anyone to directly fund life-changing healthcare for people around the world. You can go to their…

Advocacy Through Industry, with Raan and Shea Parton, Apolis Global

October 23, 2017

Apolis is a socially motivated lifestyle brand that empowers communities worldwide. Brothers Shea and Raan Parton grew up in the privileged surroundings of Southern California. To ground the brothers in reality, their parents traveled with Raan and Shea. Seeing how the rest of the world lived afforded the boys a perspective shift. This early experience of diverse cultures made them comfortable enough to eventually move from the passive role of tourist to participant: “The most rich way to experience places or cultures is to be working there and to be part of it.” By the time Shea was in high school and Raan in college, they shipped their first orders…

Removing Barriers to Healthcare in Ethiopia Through MedTech, with Yohans Wodaje Emiru, helloDoctor

March 27, 2017

Dr. Yohans Wodaje Emiru is the founder of Telemed Medical Services. Their flagship service is helloDoctor. For every doctor in Ethiopia, there are more than 30,000 patients. Compare that to less than 400 patients per doctor in the United States. Millions of Ethiopian patients are cut off from medical services due to geography and infrastructure. There are also cultural barriers to medical treatment. Some conditions can seem embarrassing to discuss face-to-face with a local doctor. Transportation costs or consultation fees may be a barrier to treatment. Yohans Wodaje Emiru has found a way to use technology to provide access to medical professionals using a simple hand-handheld phone. Yohans understands the…

Fighting Air Inequality, Christa Hasenkopf, OpenAQ

Fighting Air Inequality through Open Data, Open Source Tools and Collaboration, with Christa Hasenkopf, OpenAQ

March 19, 2017

OpenAQ aggregates and shares air quality data from around the world in order to fight air inequality. How big of an issue is air pollution? The World Health Organization estimates that one out of every eight deaths on the planet is related to air pollution. That’s more than HIV/AIDS and Malaria combined. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries, creating what Christa Hasenkopf calls “Air Inequality.” Christa is an atmospheric scientist. In grad school, she focused on the atmosphere of a moon of Saturn called Titan. One day she was talking to a professor from a neighboring university. The professor was telling Christa about Mongolia while showing her pictures…

Creating and Sustaining Livelihoods through Vision, with Jordan Kassalow, VisionSpring

March 13, 2017

VisionSpring is a social enterprise that provides affordable access to eye care everywhere. As a 23-year-old student of optometry, Jordan Kassalow had an opportunity to travel to Latin America to bring eye care to underserved populations. While on the trip, he came across a 7-year-old boy who was a student from the School for the Blind in Mexico. Jordan realized that the boy was not blind, but instead needed a strong pair of glasses. Jordan told me “When the lenses were aligned with his eyes and saw for the first time, it was a very powerful moment that changed both of our lives.” From that moment, it would take another…

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