Line of Sight Podcast

Line of Sight Podcast

In the heart of Silicon Valley, idea to market happens at light speed. But at what cost? The answer isn’t always obvious and often leads to unintended consequences, both locally and globally. On the flip side, innovative ideas, policies, and technologies are being advanced to bring about a more just, ethical, and sustainable world. Line of Sight presents a unique view of innovation by bringing technologists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries into provocative conversations with two of the world’s top thought leaders in the fields of social justice and ethics, Santa Clara University’s Brigit Helms and Don Heider. Whether you are interested in Silicon Valley ideation, global changemakers, movers and shakers, or thought leadership from the region’s first incubator of ideas, this is the podcast for you.

Episodes

June 3, 2025 51 mins

Welcome to "Founders of Impact," our Line of Sight spin-off series that delves into the remarkable journeys of founders who are redefining success by combining business innovation with a commitment to positive societal change. In each episode, host Karen Runde, Miller Center's Senior Director of Academics & Entrepreneur Network, engages in candid and insightful conversations with visionaries who have dared to challenge the status q...

Mark as Played
How can maps help solve the world’s toughest challenges? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Yarnold shares stories from his new book, The Geography of Hope, revealing how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) fuel collaboration and optimism worldwide. From women de-miners in Sri Lanka building livelihoods and status, to African conservationists balancing development and biodiversity, to city planners in Prague tackling urban su...
Mark as Played
In this episode, we feature Mina Shahid, CEO and co-founder of Numida, a leading digital microfinance institution (MFI) in East Africa. Mina shares his personal journey, from his early experiences that shaped his passion for financial inclusion to the founding of Numida. Born out of a mission to empower micro- and small businesses (MSBs), Numida leverages proprietary technology and innovative credit processes to deliver convenient,...
Mark as Played

In this episode, Susan Namirimu shares how her passion for sewing became a catalyst for economic empowerment in Northern Uganda. Originally from Kampala, Susan moved to Gulu for university, where she saw firsthand the lack of job opportunities for young people. Determined to make a difference, she founded Mtindo, a training academy that equips vulnerable women—many of them young mothers—with fashion entrepreneurship skills. Beyond ...

Mark as Played
Andrei Iancu — Founder & CEO of Halo Industries Growing up in Communist Romania and earning a bachelor’s in aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering at Iowa State University, Andrei Iancu had no concept of entrepreneurship. That all changed at Stanford, where he earned a PhD in mechanical engineering and became inspired to start a company and make a meaningful impact on the world. Drawing on his work in a Stanford re...
Mark as Played
With a degree in mechanical engineering, Wes joined the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, seeking to learn Spanish and make a difference. He shares his journey from a Midwestern farming family to cofounding Cova, a social enterprise providing safe water solutions in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. Named for the covalent bond between hydrogen and oxygen that creates water and the bond they foster with rural communities, Cova evolved f...
Mark as Played
At just 19, Falon Fatemi became one of Google’s youngest employees, joining shortly after the company went public. She recalls a time when wearing a Google tee in London prompted the question, “What’s Google?” A decade later, she founded Node, the first horizontal AI-as-a-service platform driving predictable business outcomes, which was later acquired by SugarCRM. Today, she’s cofounder of Fireside, alongside Mark Cuban, a venture ...
Mark as Played
With a career in corporate finance, Florence originally founded Nyota as a way to continue employing her nannies once her children started school. The company partners with smallholder farmers in rural Kenya to flash-freeze local produce and create specialty sauces, tackling food waste and boosting farmers’ livelihoods. Nyota soon began employing more women in the community and moved production from Flo’s kitchen into a commercial ...
Mark as Played
Founded in 2003, Next 10 works at the intersection of California’s economy, environment, and quality of life, providing expert research and data to inform the public and policymakers. Noel explores the hidden energy costs of driverless cars, the development of offshore wind farms, and how to navigate California’s complex ballot propositions. Discover insights from Next 10’s annual California Green Innovation Index, which tracks env...
Mark as Played
For many vulnerable communities, particularly women and children, in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, access to school and the news can be difficult. Hear how Lifeline Energy is bringing news and educational curriculum to rural communities with solar and wind-up radios and MP3 players, often providing the only reliable source of outside information to their clients. Kristine shares her story of winning the 2005 Tech Award (co-sponsor...
Mark as Played
After college, Matt Wallace sought life beyond the Illinois cornfields where he grew up. He moved with his wife to Myanmar to teach English, where he was struck by the influx of young women migrating into cities to send money back to their families. This inspired him to co-found ONOW, which provides business training, financial skills, coaching, and digital tools to Myanmar’s young entrepreneurs, especially migrant women. Discover ...
Mark as Played
Mayor Matt Mahan shares his vision for San Jose, tackling some of the most pressing issues the city faces today — from the housing crisis and public safety to innovation and community-building. Raised in a small farming town by a school teacher and a postal carrier, Matt commuted up to four hours a day to attend a college prep high school in San Jose. A Teach for America educator and founder and CEO of a tech startup to engage vote...
Mark as Played
Sahar Jamal, the founder of Maziwa, discusses the inspirations behind creating the Maziwa "Wema Breast Pump," her experience with Miller Center's accelerator program, and her upbringing.
Mark as Played
From Summer Camp to Tech-Giant CEO to Nonprofit Advisor When Jim Morgan took the reins at Applied Materials, the semiconductor equipment company was on the verge of bankruptcy. During his three-decade tenure, he led its transformation into a multi-billion dollar corporation. Jim has also served as a technology advisor to three US presidents, been recognized for his global humanitarian work, and authored several books on leadership...
Mark as Played
Martyna Malinowska, co-founder of GajiGesa, shares her journey from Poland to Indonesia, driven by a passion for financial inclusion. She was first inspired by Muhammad Yunus' concept of doing well by doing good. Working for a fintech startup in Indonesia, Martyna came to understand that most Indonesian employees run out of money between paychecks. This experience led to the creation of GajiGesa, a platform that provides on-demand ...
Mark as Played
Page Crahan is general manager of Tapestry, a moonshot effort under Alphabet focused on the electric grid. Today, information about the grid is fragmented across numerous organizations, making planning and management difficult. Tapestry’s mission is to illuminate the electric grid. By providing visibility to all those who work with it, Tapestry aims to make the grid greener, fairer, and more reliable. Page shares some exciting deve...
Mark as Played
David Wanjau, founder and CEO of Deevabits Green Energy, planned to be a research scientist before being encouraged by a fellow scientist to help “change the world.” Working for an NGO on food security issues and rabbit farming, he quickly realized that the farmers he worked with did not have electricity. Our host, Karen Runde, met up with David in Nairobi to learn more about his journey with Deevabits to provide clean, reliable so...
Mark as Played
Founded in 2012, Access Afya provides high-quality, localized healthcare specifically designed to meet the needs of underserved neighborhoods in Kenya. Join our interview with CEO Daphne Ngunjiri as she traces Access Afya’s journey to serve over 10,000 people per month through community micro-clinics and a suite of digital health apps and her personal journey and growth as a leader. The Economist recently highlighted its implementa...
Mark as Played
Father Greg Boyle and Homeboy Industries Provide Hope and Healing. When Father Gregory Boyle became the pastor of Dolores Mission Church, the community had the highest concentration of gang activity in Los Angeles. In 1988, Father Greg founded Homeboy Industries to improve the lives of former gang members in East Los Angeles. Since then, it has evolved into the largest gang intervention, rehab, and re-entry program in the world. In...
Mark as Played
Growing up in the midst of the Salvadoran Civil War, Ariela Suster lived through car bombs in her neighborhood, shootings in her home, and the harrowing kidnapping of her brother. Early in her career, Ariela worked in high fashion in New York City, before founding Sequence Collection, an urban lifestyle brand that employs young men and women at risk of gang recruitment, to change the sequence of events that have led to violence and...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    Ridiculous History

    History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.