October 3, 2023 • 59 mins
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This week’s guest did not disappoint and you will want to reach out to her right away and learn more about Synapse and how you can get involved. When I first met Lauren Prager at a Synapse Florida event, I was impressed with her positivity, it was infectious in all the right ways. As I got to know her better I learned more about the organization and how well connected she is to so many resources that everyone in innovation or technology will want to tap into. I have several favorite parts that I believe my listeners will find valuable to hear. Lauren’s mentoring advice is the first nugget, the second is her mantra that she lives her life by, and the third is how we should engage with ethical use of AI. I hope you enjoy the show; please leave us a comment, share the episode and tag a friend to help us grow our fanbase.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:11):
Hi, my name is Isabella Johnston andI am called the Intern Whisperer.
You might be asking why, well, we'll savethat for another episode, but hopefully
you've been listening to the show fora while and you know why our show is
brought to you by Employers 4 Change.
And today's tip of the week is acontinuing series on unconscious bias.
So today we're going to be talkingabout confirmation bias, and that is
(00:34):
the inclination to draw conclusionsabout a situation or person based on
your personal desires and beliefs andprejudices, rather than an unbiased merit.
Now in hiring.
Confirmation bias often playsa detrimental role at the very
beginning of the process whenyou first review a candidate.
(00:58):
And many of us have done this.
We already know, oh, what is that name?
What does that mean?
We all have those inclinations tohave some type of a, an idea of
what we think that bias would be.
When we first review a resume and weform an initial opinion of the candidate,
it's based on inconsequential attributeslike their name, where they're from,
(01:20):
where they went to school, and so forth.
This opinion can follow youinto the interview process.
And consequently steerquestions to confirm the initial
opinion of the candidate.
You don't want to do that.
That's not right.
And it's not fair.
You don't want to havethose biases coming in.
So how can you avoid that?
(01:40):
Well, every interview will lenditself to a unique conversation
based on the individual's background.
It is important to ask standardizedskills based questions that provide
each candidate with a fair chance.
So that they can stand out, this willhelp prevent your team from asking
too many off the cuff questionsthat may lead to confirmation bias.
(02:06):
So, welcome to the interim whisper.
Our show is all about the future of work.
So, welcome to the Intern whisperer.
Today's guest.
I'm so excited to have her is LaurenPrager, CEO of Synapse Florida.
Lauren, welcome to the show.
It is a pleasure to be with you.
Thank you for having me.
Oh my gosh.
I remember when I first met youand it was over in Tampa and
(02:29):
you were over there at Synapse.
It was whatever.
I don't know.
It's like three, four years ago sometime.
It seems forever long, but I'veknown you for a while and I've
just been watching you and you'realways so bubbly, so upbeat.
So I've been looking forwardto this show for quite a while.
Well, thank you.
I'm glad that that's what you see as we'rerunning around an arena or connecting
(02:50):
with people and, you know, throughout thecommunity, you see the positive energy
that we try to infuse into the community.
So I'm glad that's whatyou've come away with.
It is.
It is that and so much more.
So on our show, we talk abouteducation, innovation, and the
future of work and industry.
So we're always, I always kick off theshow with, tell us five words about
(03:13):
yourself and why those five words.
This was a very, very interesting exercisebecause I don't know how often we.
Have a moment to pause for alittle bit of self reflection.
And, um, and so thankyou for the exercise.
Thanks for the opportunity.
You know, the first word that reallycame to mind was curious and being
(03:36):
curious is something that has helped me.
Accomplish my goals and, um,and be a part of this community.
It really just is about asking questionsand, and really being an active listener.
I look around our world every day.
I talk to incredibly passionateand smart people, and I just.
(03:58):
Want to learn where their interests camefrom, why they feel so strongly about the
things that they care about, um, how theyenvision being able to change the world
and why they think it's so necessary.
I just, I'm really curiousand really about people.
And, um, so that's a key, um, a word thatI feel really encapsulates kind of where
(04:20):
I am and how I see myself and just reallyalways looking to connect and to learn.
Very good.
So another word yousaid was compassionate.
Why compassionate?
I think a lot about people and, um,you know, in the work that I get to
do as part of Synapse, um, being ina nonprofit role, I think a lot about
(04:41):
opening doors for people, whether, um, youknow, they've had opportunities or not.
And I really try to put myself in theirposition and understand, um, some of
the barriers that they've experiencedin their, in their, in their lives, even
if we have very different experiences.
Growing up, um, and, and how I canshow some empathy for what they're
(05:03):
trying to create and remove barriersto the best of our ability for them.
And showing compassionis very, very human.
And sometimes I think thatwe've lost some of that.
So for me, being compassionate is aboutcreating opportunity and channeling that
in a way that can be very productive.
Mm hmm.
I agree with that.
(05:25):
How about resourceful?
Well, um, are we all Isabella?
I mean, in some degrees tobe successful in anything you
personally, professionally, Ithink you have to be resourceful.
None of us have enough of the time,talent or treasure that we wish we
had to do what it is we hope to do.
(05:47):
And so being resourceful, finding waysto, um, be Uh, creative and do more
with less and really focus on your goalto, um, use those resources to the best
of your ability is, um, is the goal.
I constantly am aspiring to be moreresourceful and it's, and learning
(06:07):
new tools and tricks of the trade.
And, um, you know, one of my mentors.
In my early in my career shared a parablethat speaks to this and it's something
I, I share often at home and think about,um, there's a little boy who wanted
to chop down a tree and he had a bigsharp ax and it was hard for him to,
(06:29):
to wield the ax and he did his best andhe wasn't really making much of a dent.
And he said to his dad,I don't know what to do.
I'm as strong as I can be.
I'm using this sharp axe.
And the father said, well, areyou using all of your resources?
Are you using all of your strength?
And the little boy said, yes, of course.
And he said, well, youhaven't asked me for help.
And we forget sometimesthat being resourceful.
(06:52):
Sometimes it's just a matter oflooking around you and creating
space for others to be a part of yourmission and allowing them to help you.
And, um, I think about that a lot too.
Again, in the work that I'm privilegedto get to do, that asking people
for help, creating space for themto be a part of your goal or mission
is part of being resourceful.
(07:14):
Wow, that's really insightful.
I thought you were going to saysomething completely different
there, but the child just didn't evenrecognize going to his dad for help.
Yeah, I mean, think about it.
This happened in myhouse just the other day.
My daughter was trying to do somethingand she was struggling and I waited for
her to say, will you please help me?
(07:34):
And finally she did.
And I said, great.
Now that you've asked for help,I'm happy to step in and help you.
And she was fine.
It was nothing major, but sometimeswe forget that if we just simply ask
others to step in, we have a chance toreally create a lot of create bonds and
work together towards a shared mission.
And we're stronger when wereally do work together.
And sometimes people just,they need to be asked.
(07:55):
Yeah.
That's a sign of strength,not a sign of weakness.
Oh, just pure wisdom comingout of your mouth right now.
So good.
I'm loving it.
Okay.
Innovator.
Yes.
This is a word that six years ago,five years ago would not have applied
to me or so I would have thought,you know, I always thought about
(08:15):
innovation as being tech and Icannot code anything for anything.
And I kind of joke that I'mthe Luddite of our group.
I really, I'm not.
Into the latest in hard tech.
Um, but I've come to understand thatinnovation and being an innovator
is about having an idea and pursuingit to execution as our friend, Jeff
(08:37):
Hoffman has said, ideas are valued.
Execution is worshiped.
And when you are an innovator,you see an opportunity to make a
change, to improve a situation.
And then you're willing to take the risksand the steps necessary to do your best.
To make it possible tobring it into fruition.
And, um, so I see thatyou can be an innovator.
(09:00):
Yes.
In tech, in, uh, in all those ways thatwe think about, but art and music and food
and drinks, those are areas of innovation.
Think about an artist who innovatesliterally every time that person
picks up a pen or a brush andcreate something that never existed
before and inspires all of us.
Um, there's innovation in the waythat we connect with each other, the
(09:23):
way that we do, um, our daily tasks.
There's something new that we can create,and if we choose, we can expand upon
that and others can learn from that.
And so...
I think of myself now as an innovator, um,in a way that I never would have before.
And it's different from the way others do.
And that's a beautiful thing, butit allows me, I think, to connect
(09:43):
in a space that I never feltwelcomed in before I discovered
Synapse and, and this community.
And now I feel very much at home here.
Yeah, I think that makes so muchsense too, because when you work in
a high tech industry, Like yourself,you're surrounded by all types of
things that, wow, that's amazing.
That's so cool.
But we may not see ourselvesin that same lens, right?
(10:07):
Absolutely.
Absolutely not.
And, um, you don't have tocome from that world of, of.
Tech and engineering onlyto be a part of creating.
And, um, what I love about wherewe kind of are now as a society is
we've recognized that each of ushas something unique to contribute.
Now it's up to us to take up that spaceto show up fully and to participate, but
(10:31):
there are opportunities to make an impact.
And whatever the thing is that you careabout that, that motivates or animates
you and gets you out of bed every day.
All right, connector.
I've already experienced that.
So you did connections with me.
So thank you.
Yeah, that's, I mean, um, for me, that'sreally just who I am to I've always been.
(10:55):
And, um, personally growing up,I just, I, I, like I said, I
really am interested in people.
Um, and understanding what makesthem tick, what they need, how to
support their goals and dreams.
And that's a huge part of whatwe get to do here with Synapse.
And it's been who I have been always, asI kind of thought about my life and being
(11:17):
a connector, really helping people to findwhat they need and share what they have.
And not just create any connection, buta meaningful and valuable connection is
a really special role to get to play.
And when you see it work and itsparks, it's really very rewarding.
(11:37):
So this is the word that I have for you.
This is how I see you.
I see you as somebody that isvery grounded, and I think that a
person can be grounded, but theycan also be reaching for stars.
And being able to connect thosetogether, those aren't contradictory
(11:58):
perspectives in your mind.
They are.
They are.
Yeah, they are.
So when you're grounded, you know,you're, you're going to be able to see
things, you know, clearly, but whenyou're up there with the stars, you
can see from a different vantage point.
So that's where I thinkreal innovation comes.
These are my conversationsthat I've had with you.
previous to all of this, but alsobecause we had another conversation
(12:22):
and it was separate and it was about,you know, just our faith and then
how we viewed life, life itself.
And I feel like you're You'vegot to be one of the best moms
around for a kid to grow up with.
It's so positive.
It's so they're allowedto make mistakes there.
There's just so much that's goingon there and your kids are lucky.
(12:45):
Your husband must be lucky.
So, you know, they should be.
You guys must be, yeah, you're grounded.
And the next time I'm feeling theantithesis of being grounded, then I will
try to channel that and focus becauseit's a struggle like everyone, you know,
a lot of times people say they strive forbalance and I really push back against.
(13:10):
That perspective.
And actually I'll give a credit to myfriend, um, Sheena, who is community.
And she and I had this conversationa couple of years ago, and
we're talking about this desireeverybody has for balance.
And we said, you know, that impliesthat in life you're, you're unbalanced.
Things are off balance and.
(13:32):
You're constantly striving forsomething that is unattainable.
I just don't, I cannot imagine a momentwhere things are truly balanced, but
what we can strive for is harmony.
Sometimes things are a little bit moreintense at work and a little bit more,
uh, you know, chill at home or vice versa.
Sometimes home is crazy and chaoticand, you know, at work, you've
(13:53):
got it all, you know, you've got arhythm and you're in a good place and
hopefully what you can have is harmony.
And I strive for that and, and, andtry to give myself and my family and
our team a lot of grace to aspirefor to, to harmony in their lives and
professionally and personally and supportthem when things really are, are not
(14:14):
in, in that harmonious way, maybe it'sbecause music's a big part of my life.
And so I think a lot about harmonyand sometimes when you hear one
line of song independent fromanother, it doesn't sound right.
It sounds off key.
Or offbeat.
But when you bring it all together,you have a beautiful layered piece.
And that's the, that'swhat harmony creates.
(14:36):
And I strive for that as best as I can.
It's not perfect by anystretch, but it's aspirational.
Yes.
I think that's really the best thingthat we can do is, I don't think that.
I like the word strive rather than try.
Try to me means uh, there's stilla way out, but strive sounds like
(14:59):
you're really pushing the boundaries,so I'm glad you used that word.
Yeah, you gotta make an effort.
Yeah.
Good choice.
All right.
Uh, how did you getstarted in your career?
Did you know that you always wantedto be in, let's say events or
in professional associations orwhere, where did you go to school?
And then how did you end up here?
(15:20):
Because I know Brian and youwere like his right hand person.
Yeah.
Um, so, you know, how did I end up here?
Like, I think most, uh, mostof us, no one's path is linear
and mine certainly wasn't.
I never expected to be living in Floridaand, um, part of a business focused
(15:41):
organization helping entrepreneursand innovators and business leaders
find their Purpose and, and, andexpress their goals and connect
in, in this sort of meaningful way.
And it's just really been becauseI've had, like I said, this
curiosity and love for people andwillingness to ask questions about
(16:02):
things that I'm curious about.
Really actively listen to what peoplehad to say and then be willing to
say, Oh, but did you know about thisopportunity or this individual or
this experience that aligns with whatyour needs or goals are that you just
shared and then bring them together?
And that's really been the commonthread through my entire career.
And, um, and being openand willing to say yes.
(16:25):
to things that were unanticipated.
That's how my husband and I met singingin an acapella group in college.
Oh my gosh, talking on,um, on the quad one night.
And I thought, well, let me give it a try.
And I showed up the next nightand I'm doing my audition.
I thought, Oh, thatguy, he's kind of cute.
And I got into the group and,um, That was 20, 23 years ago.
(16:51):
So here we go.
Yeah.
So, you know, just kind of creatingthe space for these, and that's also
how I got involved with Synapse.
I moved to Florida July 4th, 2013.
Our family of three soon to before movedfrom the Northeast down to Florida.
We took the auto train, whichwas a fun adventure and, um, and,
(17:13):
uh, lived in Jacksonville fora year before moving to Tampa.
And I was able to spend time reallyfocusing on, on family and decided
I was ready to get into work again.
And I really missed.
That focus and that part of myself.
And so a friend said, you know, buddy ofmine is putting together a conference.
And in my previous role, whileI wasn't an events planner,
(17:34):
I was a content curator and arelationship curator and an educator.
And so he said, maybe youwant to be a part of this.
And so I said, yes.
Um, I offered to volunteer.
And offered, um, you know, 5 to 10 hoursa week to help to curate the content
for the very first Synapse Summit.
(17:56):
This was January, 2018.
The event was March, 2018, and Iknew nothing about business, tech.
Innovation.
Um, I'm Googling what is AI?
What is ML?
I'm asking people, what's a VC again?
And how does that differentfrom an angel investor?
And how does this all fit together again?
I was just willing to ask questions,but what was amazing is how
(18:18):
generous people were with theirknowledge, how excited they were
to share, how passionate they are.
For the things that they're working on.
And as I started to meet people and theywould share what they're working on,
I'd see the connections and I'd be ableto kind of create these conversations
that didn't exist before, becausewe were able to break down silos and
(18:39):
make those meaningful, intentionalpartnerships through conversation.
And it was, it was really awesome.
So that's for me been really thecommon thread is those personal
connections driven through curiosity.
That is a really, that, thatwas a lot of energy in there.
I loved it.
I loved it.
I loved it so much.
(19:00):
Okay, so here we are at Synapse, butwait, let's go back a little bit.
Let's talk about Synapse.
It's a nonprofit organization, right?
Yes.
And so a lot of people may not know that.
And it was also founded by somebody else.
That's been a guest on the show, Brian.
Yeah.
You know, several, several of ourleaders and advocates and volunteers and
(19:21):
friends on your show, which is awesome.
When I went through the previoussegments, I was felt like I was
amongst family, which is kind of,um, a great representation of.
What Synapse has created this likereally warm community of people who
are all dedicated to helping each otherachieve our goals and and make our
community stronger, help people, um,become the innovators that they hope
(19:46):
to be and open pathways for each other.
Yep.
Uh, very much so.
So when you met Brian and you said thatyou had very little background, you
mentioned that you had been a teacher.
I'm curious, what did you teach?
Oh, I was not a teacher inthe formal sense of the word.
I know that, yes, I know that you arean educator by training and I have
(20:07):
unbelievable respect for our educators.
It is a very hard job, butI'm really focused more on
informal educators, education.
Um, I, and in my Different leadershiproles in different professional roles.
It really all came down to teachingpeople about complex issues or about
values and helping them to see abigger picture and how they can fit in.
(20:31):
So, um, and also I think anybodywho's a parent is a teacher.
Anybody who's a sibling is ateacher as friends and colleagues.
We're teachers every day.
And I try really hard to remember that.
Also.
Yeah, that's very true.
And honestly, I don't know about you,but I think that we learn from nature.
(20:52):
Um, I can learn just as easilyfrom something that my dog would
do versus something that would be.
I don't know.
It's something that might be a tree.
There's so many things that we can observein nature and in just life in general
if we just slow down and look at it.
Like, like you've said, youknow, we have to be present.
(21:14):
We have to be there.
Absolutely.
Okay.
So let's talk about theupcoming event that's going to
be happening here in Synapse.
It's the Metta Center.
It's all of these great things.
Three events all joining forcestogether here in Orlando.
It's in October.
Let's talk about that.
(21:35):
So what's really amazing about howthe Florida Innovation Community has
grown very quickly in the last fewyears is that there's now coalescing
and each are very different.
communities, really strong centersof innovation, and they have their,
their own unique dynamics and partners.
(21:58):
And the other quality that I findmakes Florida really unique, and
I hear this from people who movehere from other markets, is that
we really do aim to collaborate.
That mantra, the risingtide lifts all ships.
It's true.
And we have a tendency here tonot just say that, but live that
and create pathways to partner.
(22:18):
And that's certainly thefoundation for Synapse.
One of the posters behind me, I'mtrying to figure out where to go.
You can't read it in the glare,but trust me when it says the
values begin with community.
First, and that's very intentional.
And we are a nonprofit for thatreason to serve the community.
So back in 2019, when we hosted again,statewide innovation celebration,
(22:42):
it's really all about showcasingall of the talent in our state,
bringing everybody together in oneplace to demonstrate the density and
the creativity and the connectivity.
We invited the leadership from the Orlandocommunity to come in and participate
and speak about what's going on inOrlando that most people don't know.
(23:04):
And we were all really blown awayand learned a ton, and they were
equally blown away by the way thatthe Synapse community came together.
It's rare to see people from diverseindustries or technologies or communities.
All under one roof.
It's very rare to see CEOs and chieftechnology and information officers
(23:25):
alongside of startup founders andstudents and early stage investors and
policy makers and educators in one space.
Learning together, connectingtogether, um, no barriers,
and that's what we create.
That is the space, the sacredspace that we make at Synapse.
And so we were invited to create asimilar experience in the Orlando
(23:49):
community alongside the Orlandobusiness community's leadership.
And that's how Synapse Orlando was born.
And we're really proud of thatstory because it reflects our ethos
of connecting and collaborating.
And so in 2019, we hosted thefirst Synapse Orlando gathering.
It was at Ace Cafe for those ofyou who are listening in our local,
which is for those of you whodon't know, it's a motorcycle bar.
(24:11):
Um, it used to be a music venue.
So there's a big built in stageand lots of different rooms.
And it was awesome.
And the energy was unbelievable.
And it was a packed house, totallysold out 1200 people who came and
they wanted to be a part of this.
And we had an amazing experience togetherand we covered, as we always do within
Synapse, a lot of different industries,and that's another unique experience
(24:35):
of being part of this community.
We can learn so much if we're willing tostep outside of our silo for a moment.
So we did that.
And then, of course, COVID, wetook a little break, and when we
returned in 2021, we came to the Dr.
Phillips Performing Arts Center,which is a truly magnificent and
very innovative space in downtownOrlando, um, and, uh, used that
(25:00):
venue to host, again, this event.
Thank you.
Beautiful community of innovators andconnectors with networking and workshops
and thought leadership and exhibition.
And it was just it's andit's fun and inspiring.
And everybody felt like was there.
Um, and it's continued to grow and grow.
And this year as the Orlando communitycontinues to grow and evolve and connect.
(25:23):
Um, we were invited to partner with,um, the immerse global summit, which
is coordinated through the VR, ARAssociation and Innovate Orlando, which
is coalescing the Orlando tech communityto host this Metta Center Global Week.
Three immersive days of activitiesand networking and workshops and
(25:45):
thought leadership, both at the Dr.
Phillips Center and throughexperiences in the streets of downtown
Orlando after hours with concertsand, um, uh, global musical act.
I don't know if that will be announced.
It's, it's locked in, but I don'tknow if the timing for this podcast,
but really, really creating anamazing festival of innovation.
(26:09):
And what's so special about this isthat we're bringing together the best
of the global community alongsidethe best of the central Florida local
community with really integratedcontent, really integrated sessions
where people are actually going to.
be able to connect andlearn from each other.
That doesn't exist.
Usually conferences, they'll fly into theairport, they'll take their Uber over to a
(26:32):
convention center, and then they'll leave.
They don't actually get toconnect with the local community.
And this is different.
I think so.
Do you, uh, this is a total side,sidebar conversation, but, you
know, Chris Kramitzos, right?
Yeah.
Because you're at Embark, right?
Yes, and our kids go to the sameschool and we see each other
(26:54):
and drop off in the morning.
Well, Chris has been a guest on my show acouple times, but he's the podcast guru.
So that is, he is the podcast guru andhe's having something October 10th.
Uh, he's wanting to have PodFest, aPodFest tour here in Orlando, and I
went, I don't know, is he trying totie it into the same thing that, you
(27:16):
know, is going on the week later?
I'm not sure.
I don't know.
I don't know.
It's a global week.
So what's also very cool is that there's,there are, There are activities going
on literally throughout the week.
So some of it is associated withthe event and some of it is being
hosted by organizations like startupweekend, Orlando, right afterwards.
(27:36):
Um, there's a new organization, theblack innovation leaders of Florida,
and they're doing a tour of innovationcommunities around the state and there.
Um, stop in Orlando is also going tobe aligned that week intentionally.
So when we talk about bringing thebig community together, we are really
(27:57):
serious and very intentional about it.
And we welcome that because we wantto create a space for everybody to
be part and try our best to make thatas accessible and possible as we can.
Well, if you could go and talkto Chris and see if he would like
to move it to another week at thesame time, that would be awesome.
I'm going to ask...
(28:18):
Okay, you, you will check it out,but if not, we'll find another
opportunity to collaborate for sure.
Okay.
He's awesome.
I love him so much.
Okay.
So one of the things that we hadmentioned is that we were going to
talk about space and about how weneed to create space when you want to
be able to talk about your business.
(28:38):
This can all be so overwhelming as we allknow in innovation and in startup lives.
Right?
But.
What did you mean by saying that weshould be focused on getting space?
And that's what Synapse does.
Yeah.
Well, so some people are notfamiliar with what a synapse is.
I think it's a word we created.
It is not a synapse actually exists.
It's the junction between two nerve cells.
(29:00):
It's a, it's a minute microscopicgap that enables impulses
to pass from one to another.
And if you take a moment to think aboutthe power of just the most minute space
to create something new, somethingtransformative, That's what synapse
(29:21):
was created to do just a little bit ofspace, a little bit of intentionality
that allows two ideas, two impulses toconnect can literally change the world.
And so when we think about our role, it'sto create space where those connections.
can take place.
Now, not all connectionsare created equal.
(29:41):
You need to know the right people.
You need to know the right meansand you know, and it's always
about creating opportunities.
But without that sacred space,we can't make those connections.
And that's what synapses andthat's our role in this ecosystem.
Our mission is to connect andcatalyze florida's innovators.
And to do that, you need to createa space for them to find each other.
(30:05):
That is very true.
I, I was so impressed when I went tomy first synapse and I was able to, I
didn't even realize that there was onein Tampa and we had one in Orlando and
I was just trying to figure it all out.
So you guys, your home base is in Tampa.
But you've joined forceswith this side of Orlando.
Do you anticipate growing more?
(30:26):
Well, we're already grown.
I mean, we've grown.
We're a statewide organization and we,um, we exist, um, to connect the state.
So we work really, really hard tocultivate partnerships with, um,
incubators, accelerators, and tech hubs.
All throughout the state with educationalinstitutions and investor groups so that
(30:46):
we can understand what they need, whatresources they have to offer, and how
we can help people to discover thoseopportunities to, again, strengthen.
the Florida innovators andthe innovation community.
So we have partnerships with organizationsfrom Pensacola to Jacksonville, from
Naples to Palm Beach, um, Miami toMelbourne and Gainesville to St.
(31:11):
Pete.
We just, everybody has a homebase and ours is in Tampa, but we
really are very mindful about that.
And what we have become reallyis kind of a way for people to
navigate the Florida market.
And they come together throughsynapse and are able to kind of put
their arms around what's going on inFlorida, the density of opportunity.
And we get calls all the time saying,I'm looking for this type of a resource
(31:34):
or I'm trying to build X, Y or Z.
Do you know anybody?
And that's where we connect our networkand we make personal introductions.
And it's been really rewarding to seehow that's resulted in some very, very
strategic and very impactful growth for.
Businesses and for thecommunities as a whole.
This is all great stuff.
(31:55):
I cannot wait until October, youknow, like when we actually are
all together in one place, there'ssomething magical about being together.
And after, you know, we, we werebringing folks together and then
obviously with, with COVID and everyonebeing separated, there was this sense
of longing and I see it even now.
(32:16):
Um, as we've gotten back into a worldwhere being in person is more normative,
we're talking virtually and that'swonderful, but man, it is so much nicer
when we get to be together in person.
You just can, can connect so differently.
And those barriers are gone and wehave an opportunity to really, um, it's
just more casual, more, more human.
(32:38):
And, um, That's very, very special.
Yeah, it's sensory, that's why.
Because the more of our senseswe use, right, the ability to hug
somebody, to be able to see, youknow, have lunch with them, you're
using more of your senses, it becomesvery, yeah, it's just really great.
Yeah, it's very cool when we all gettogether and there are lots of hugs.
(33:00):
I don't know how many people hug atconferences, but I see people all around.
Synapse events, small and large.
And they hug.
It's old friends.
It's kind of neat.
So we're going to switch gears here.
We're going to talk about some ofthe things that make you so unique.
Um, the favorite quote that you liveby, I think it's in the background.
(33:22):
Oh yes.
You asked me to put this out there.
So for anybody watching on the video feed.
It's not so much a quote,it's more of a mantra.
And I don't know if there's anyone towhom I should attribute it, but this is
what I share with my daughters when Isend them off to school every morning.
And it's almost like a, youknow, a mantra for myself.
(33:42):
And that is to make it a great day.
Um, oftentimes we say, have agreat day, but there is a sense
of passiveness within that.
That, um, refrain.
And when you remind us, when I remindmyself or, or my family to make it a
great day, you have to be active increating the outcomes that you want.
(34:05):
No one is going to hand you agreat day on a silver platter.
You have to make it.
And it's not always going tobe the day you want and how you
respond to that, how you shape theexperiences and the opportunities.
Well, that is to most degree.
And, you know, to some degree.
In your control.
And so I try to really remindmyself every day is my opportunity
(34:27):
to make it a great day.
I love that.
And for our audio listeners, sheactually has this sign in the background,
so I encourage you to go over toour YouTube channel just so you can
see Lauren with Make Today a Greatday on it and it's a good reminder.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(34:48):
So what is the hardest lesson thatyou learned that changed your life?
We'll say for the better.
Um,
I'd say the limits of time and space.
How mortal we are.
You mean?
Oh my God.
That's a different podcast and oneworth It's worth getting into, but, um,
(35:11):
mortality for sure, but yes, I mean,sometimes there's a sense of urgency
about everything and, and you can't havea sense of urgency about everything.
So, so that's been really challenging.
I want to do it all now.
I want it to happen quickly.
And we live in a society where ifwe don't, I was chatting with a
colleague earlier and she said, Oh,I don't get my delivery next day.
(35:33):
I just, I can't handle it.
But that sense of thelimits of time and space.
And it really does make you reflect onwhat is the most important thing that
you're working on and why, what is itthat you truly need and how can you
prioritize that with your, your limitedenergy or your limited resources and, and
focus on what's most important to you.
(35:57):
You are, yes, I want you to write a book.
I would buy your book.
Would you?
Yes, I would.
Great.
I need a title for the book.
You need what?
The title.
We need a title for the book.
I think the title shouldbe make it a great day.
Okay.
I love it.
Make today a great day, but that's thesign, but it can be make it a great day.
(36:19):
If you have to eliminate a word,make every day a great day.
All right.
What are you most grateful for?
Oh, man.
Um, there's a very long list, but, um,I have an, I've been really, really
fortunate to have some incredible peoplein my life who allow me the space to try
(36:43):
and create and do and are there for mewhen things don't go quite as I planned.
And, um, I really do believe you.
Get back the energy thatyou put into the world.
And so hopefully that is because,you know, I'm hopefully putting good
energy out and providing people withthe same sort of support that I do.
But I, I really do feel asense of gratitude every.
(37:08):
I try to be that person who notices theflowers and the leaves changing and how
the sun comes through the trees just asI walk my daughter to school and feel
gratitude for the ability to do that.
I feel gratitude for my family.
I feel gratitude for this opportunityto be part of such a special
community and not just a part ofit now to really help shape it.
(37:30):
And, um, the, the, that'snot ever lost on me.
So I just feel an immense.
amount of gratitude forthe people in my life.
Who in your life hashad the biggest impact?
Oh, my kids, for sure.
There's nothing more humblingthan becoming a parent.
(37:52):
And I'm so, so fortunate to havethe two best girls in my life.
They reflect.
The best of me and the stuffabout me that I wish didn't.
They keep me honest.
They keep me silly.
Um, they are, um, they're justwonderful, wonderful people.
(38:14):
And, you know, I tell themoften, um, I'm not raising kids.
I'm raising adults.
If you turn 18 and you're a kid,I've done something terribly wrong.
And my husband and I jokeabout that all the time.
And they are just wonderful youngwomen and little girls, and I've got
(38:34):
one of each and I just adore them.
So for sure, those are my people.
I love that you recognizethat you are raising adults
because I have said that too.
I said, you know, a parent's jobis to raise their child to be
able to function for themselves,to be able to not be needy.
(38:58):
To not necessarily want, but to beresourceful, all of the things that you
use to describe yourself, your childrenare going to be in such a good, healthy
place because they can see their parentsas a place of, of safety if needed,
but also as a resource of wisdom andknowledge that they can just draw from.
(39:20):
Well, thank you.
I, we, you know, Ariel and I strivefor that and, um, appreciate that.
Yeah.
And I remind the girls all the time.
So when they, you know, have todo certain things that they don't
necessarily want to do, I said, I'mjust preparing you for life, kiddo.
Very much so.
Very much so.
So then my next, let me get overhere so I can see my last question.
(39:43):
Oh, what do you want to be remembered for?
That's, I was hoping you'dmaybe skip that question.
Um, that's a hard question.
It is hard.
Yeah, it is hard.
It says a lot, I think.
How a person sees that.
Because, you know what I hope thatpeople see when they hear that question?
(40:06):
I hope that they see themselves asvery significant because I think
that in our world that sometimes wedon't see How much impact we make and
that little ripple can go around theworld because we're all significant.
It's funny that you use that word.
I kind of see myselfas quite insignificant.
I, I see myself as one and thiswas actually a dinner table
(40:29):
conversation at our house last week.
Um, very small.
Moment very small part of an infinitehistory and an infinite future and
and who knows what will be and I'mdoing my best to create positivity and
opportunity in the world and to truly,you know, make it make it a great day.
(40:52):
Make it a great.
Place, make it the place I wantto live in and show up every
day with those values in mind.
So that is, that is what Ihope to be remembered for that.
I lived my values and inspiredothers to follow theirs as well.
I agree with you.
I always feel that a person can.
(41:14):
We are insignificant, but what I dois I go out at night and I look at all
of the stars that are out there and Igo, wow, look at all of those stars.
It's amazing.
And it does make me feel that.
Yes, I can be insignificant, but it is,you know, that faith that is, uh, in me,
um, God that I sit here and I realize, no,I'm not, I'm, I'm because of who's in me.
(41:37):
I am very significant and wenever know the impact that we
have on the people around us andit can ripple around the world.
So that for sure is true.
And that little pebble that ripplesout that I see and I feel so much.
Going back to your gratitude that I havean opportunity to hopefully, um, bring
(41:58):
some positivity through that and makethat impact that makes a difference.
So, um, it's amazing, you know, beinginsignificant or it doesn't mean
that you still don't have an impact.
Um, so just in the grand schemeof things, I try to understand
my place and do what I can.
Um, and again, using the resources,the support, the community around us.
(42:21):
to create space for them to thrive,allows all of us to do our work better
and make that impact even bigger together.
We are quite significant.
Yep.
I totally, totally agree.
Okay.
So we're going to take a fewminutes to acknowledge our
sponsor and we will be right back.
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(42:44):
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Thank you, Cat5Studios.
Now we're back to the second half ofour show and we're going to be talking
about the future of jobs and industries.
What is 2030 going to look like?
As all of my listeners know,this is an open ended question.
It is just purely speculationbecause none of us know.
(43:07):
So what do you think 2030 will look like?
Because you're surrounded bypeople that are in innovation.
I wish I knew.
I wish I had a crystal ball.
None of us do, but, um, I can tellyou what I hope it looks like.
And, um, and we'll see.
(43:27):
I mean, I understand I'm in a worldof tech and innovation, but, um,
What we thought to be true threeyears ago, isn't the case now.
And what we thought would betrue today, um, will not be.
So I, I think it's importantto really keep an open mind.
And you know, a year ago, nobody knewwhat chat GPT was, except for the
people who were working on chat GPT.
(43:47):
And now, um, we see how it'sliterally reshaping almost.
Everything we do inevery aspect of society.
So I think anybody who tells youthey know what 2030 is going to
look like, where it's only 2023.
It's not that long from now.
Um, they're there.
I understand there isfuturists, but I don't know.
(44:09):
I don't know.
I hope that it's a world inwhich we're using technology to
better enhance and connect ourhumanity instead of replace it.
And that's my fear.
You hit the key right there becauseto be able to remember that we're
human is so key and it is humanity.
(44:29):
Humans choose.
What our future is going tolook like, not the machines.
That's right.
But we have to create the urgency and theframework to ensure that we are building
technology in a way that allows us to holdonto our humanity and not supplant it.
(44:50):
And not allow the ease of some solutionsto prevent us from doing the things
that make us uniquely human problemsolving and love and connection in ways
that nothing else in our world, in ouruniverse that we know of today does and.
Technology can allow us freedom todo more of the things that we love
(45:14):
and to be more human, but it canalso prevent us from connecting.
And all you need to do is look at thereally, really frightening statistics
about how utilization of technologyand social media and other tools has
impacted statistics around loneliness.
And longevity, mental health, youknow, technology can do so much, but
(45:37):
are we really creating a frameworkto use it in the best way possible?
That's our responsibility.
And we're in this unique newwave of tech and innovation.
And we understand some of the pitfallsthat we've had in the, in the last
iteration, and now we're in this.
Kind of next revolution.
Are we learning from the lessonsand, and errors of the pastor?
(45:58):
We just repeating them, um, withnew and even more powerful tools.
And unfortunately, I'm not convincedthat we've learned our lessons because
it's hard to undo what we've done.
And, um, maybe we shouldn't, butit's, it's hard to take those steps.
So I really applaud the peoplewho are, who are looking at.
Evolving technologies and askingthose questions about the ethical
(46:20):
impacts of them, the societal impactson them and creating space so that
we can again reconnect people topeople, person to person and using
technology in a positive way.
I mean, look, it's allowing us to havethis conversation and, you know, we're
on the ends of the state and that'sa beautiful thing, but technology
(46:41):
has opportunities and it also hasopportunity costs and we shouldn't.
Forget who we are, I agree.
And because you opened it up withethics, I think that we should go and
talk about that also, because one ofmy biggest concerns is, well, first
off, I'm going to take a step back, I,I heard some type of a movie trailer
(47:03):
and it was on, I don't know, Netflixor something or wherever they are.
Um, and it said, we never shouldhave let AI out of the box.
And I went, okay, that's very foreboding.
You know, it's like, there'sa lot of discussion about that
right now and it's out of the box.
So what do we do with it?
(47:24):
I saw that movie trailer too.
And it's, you know, one of those scarymoments that they tried, you know, it's
Hollywood, but AI isn't some new thingthat just was invented two years ago.
This concept of artificialintelligence has, has been, you
know, 50 years in the beginning.
So people forget, they think that thisis just something that was created
(47:46):
overnight and it's absolutely not,but it still means that how we use
it and what it, what the implicationsare of it, those have evolved and
it can be used for incredible good.
There's a lot that we're going tobe able to do as a result of these.
Tools and technologies.
Um, I don't think we should be afraidof it, but I do think we need to address
it and have honest conversations withthe people who are building this tools.
(48:11):
We as society and consumers need tobe mindful of how we're using it.
What are the consequences toour own, our own brain, our own
capabilities as a result of using it?
What are we giving up?
What information aboutourselves are we giving up?
What, uh, what are we not learning aboutourselves or our world by allowing,
um, certain tools to, um, really,like I said, take the place of, um,
(48:37):
learning in a more traditional way.
But maybe it opens us up to otherexperiences, um, being in nature.
Less time in front of a screen.
If it allows us to write things moreclearly and more quickly, and then we
use that time to connect with each otherperson to person, to spend time with loved
ones and family and friends, um, to dothings that are fun and social and unique
(49:00):
and to make those human connections.
Then I think technologycan be used for good.
I think allowing people to beable to work in a hybrid way.
Some people from home.
It gives them now career opportunitiesthey never could have had before
it could create greater equality,greater opportunity for people to
live a different type of a life.
But it is also an enormous barrier.
(49:22):
Nothing is.
We talked about this before we got on.
I think very little is black and white.
There is a lot of gray and think whenyou look at this evolving world of
technology, that's a big part of it.
I think, you know.
There's there's lots of good that can be.
We just have to really be mindful ofthat and be willing to pause when we
think that there could be challenges.
And if you look at where things are withgenerative AI right now, we are very,
(49:47):
very much in the early stages and we needto be having more open and honest and
candid conversations and not just talking,but doing taking baby steps if we can
and being really aware of the impacts ofthese technologies on our communities.
Choices in our society.
Is this something that will be addressedat the synapse event that's coming up?
(50:10):
The meta center at global week.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And it, and it, and not just once,it's just something as synapse and
other, other, other, and I hope thatyou have guests who are experts in
this, who will talk about this, but,um, because we certainly are synapse
connects people all throughout the year.
This is the topic businessleaders want to understand.
Dan, what are the implications iftheir, if their, um, staff uses these
(50:34):
tools to create something, who owns it?
How do they utilize it?
Um, there are just, there are layersand layers of questions about how AI is
impacting everything from business toeducation, and we have to talk about it.
I agree.
Do you know if any, um, because I'mexploring this, I'm wanting to find like,
(50:56):
what are the either global, or if we havea national, or maybe it's just the state
presence in this place of, uh, ethical AI.
Is that like a group that'sbeen started to your knowledge?
Because you, you know, of a lot ofthings that other people may not.
I know of a lot of individualresources, but none so connected,
(51:20):
but I think you just figured out thework stream that Synapse needs to
operate in right now to help to bringthose Florida resources together.
So thank you.
Oh, my pleasure.
I would love to be a part of that.
If, if there is any way, because Iwas going back and looking at World
Economic Forum, and then some of theother things that are out there on a
national level, I'm going, well, whatis it that's available that I could.
(51:42):
Be a part of that addresses the ethicsof AI, because that's, it's extremely
important to me and very interestingto me because it impacts humanity.
That's right.
And we have to ask questions.
We as consumers or we as innovatorsand we, and you know, whatever
capacity you have to ask questions,you have to be mindful of what it
(52:05):
is that you're working towards.
So, coming over here, okay,what do you think about robots?
Do we have robots coming overto the event that's going to
be coming up here very soon?
We have a mantra that we've often saidhere in Synapse that robots are cool!
Because they are.
(52:26):
It's fascinating.
They're amazing.
It's amazing to see what humanshave created and how, again, they
can be used for so much good.
Um, we just have to be really mindful ofhow we are utilizing tools like robotics.
Um, it's fascinating to see roboticsin action for those of you who are
In Florida, there is an amazingorganization, um, in Tampa Bay,
(52:50):
the, um, uh, Amrock Fab Lab.
They're up by USF, University of SouthFlorida, and they host Roboticon, which
is, um, a competition with robots.
That are built by students thatare, um, that have to go through all
sorts of obstacles in order to win.
And this small nonprofit group has createdliterally a nationally award winning
(53:15):
robotics team and training kids on thesereally important skills of coding and
engineering and, um, and doing really,really cool work for our next generation.
I think there's no doubt thatthis is going to have an impact
on our society, but again, It'snothing we should be afraid of.
We just have to understand and learnhow to utilize them to our advantage,
(53:37):
to free up time and energy, to doother things that humans are uniquely
able to do and allow robotics andnot personify them, but allow these.
These machines to do things that humanshave done, but don't necessarily need to
do as long as we're mindful about this.
I think it has amazingopportunity for society.
(53:57):
We have to be mindful about it.
Yeah, that's the key mantrathere for that one, too.
I think so.
Yeah, very much.
So.
All right.
Do you guys work remotely?
I'm curious.
We do somewhat work remotely.
Remember, we're a statewide organization.
So we have partners.
Um, who we work with, whoare all over the state.
(54:20):
Um, the team sometimes we'll workremotely and sometimes we come together
in office actually more often thannot, because I'm coming to you now from
the Synapse office in downtown Tampa.
And for us, again, itcomes down to people.
We're people, people.
So you can't share ideas as easilywhen you're waiting for that.
but when you overhear your colleagueon a call with somebody else and
(54:42):
she has, you know, all of a suddenyou have this chance to connect
and share ideas and that's gold.
You can't manufacture that.
So yes, I personally much prefer beingin office, but again, I respect that that
is not an option for a lot of people.
And being in a remote world hascreated career opportunities that
would not have existed if we hadn'tgone through a moment that forced us
(55:05):
all to figure out how to be remote.
Hmm.
Very true.
Well, we're coming to the end of the show.
And my last question, well, second tolast question is the best mentoring advice
that you want to share with our listeners.
I have two pieces of mentoring advice.
(55:25):
That, um, have kept mefocused along the way.
Um, I already kind ofshared, make it a great day.
And that's really true.
Um, it's really up toeach of us to be active.
Actually, I have a few things.
Um, asking good questions orasking questions is a good
way of finding things out.
It sounds so obvious, but sometimes we'reso worried to not be the smartest person
(55:49):
in the room or to not know the thingthat everybody says that you should know
that we don't ask the question that...
That's on your mind and it'sprobably on other people's minds.
And when we take our ego outof it, and we approach somebody
with curiosity, we learn a lot.
It's very rewarding.
So, ask good questions.
Or just ask any question.
Hopefully a good question, andthen really listen to the answer.
(56:11):
You'll learn so much about the person withwhom you're speaking, about yourself, and
about whatever it is you're discussing.
Those are my kind of two,two big, big focuses.
Um, the other one I say alot is, is I can do it all
sequentially, not simultaneously.
(56:32):
This is a good mantra I findin parenting as well, but yeah,
sequentially, not simultaneously.
And then finally, form follows function.
I don't believe that just becausewe've done something before, we
should do it the same way again.
We have to understand what ourgoals are, what our needs are,
and create a pathway towards that.
And so those are some of the kind ofcommon mantras I come back to and share.
(56:59):
And I've found them to be really,really helpful along the way.
Now I think I have anew name for your book.
Oh, what's that?
It's going to be Lauren's mantras.
Make the bestseller list.
But well, I don't know.
Well, we'll, we'll work on it.
I'll when I have one, I'll text you.
(57:22):
Here's an idea.
I have some that I'mplaying with for my book.
I've, I've got a third of it done.
Pardon me.
What's your book going to be?
So, I'm playing with different names,but it is about being, um, how we're all
community and how we need to stay human.
I play with a lot of differentnames, but honestly, that's it.
(57:44):
We need to remember to stay human.
That's right.
That's it.
Seems so easy and obvious, but man.
It is not.
Not when you have so much technologyat your fingertips, right?
It's just how we use it.
Like this, like we get to connectand see each other, Isabella.
That is right.
We made time for it, too.
Great.
Thank you, Bob.
So, how can our listeners contactyou, uh, the website, all of that?
(58:07):
We usually give the website.
We give your LinkedIn.
We can find some social channelsthere, but how do you want
people to connect with you?
Well, you can always find us at SynapseFL.
And that's our website.
Of course, we're on allthose social channels.
I'm most active on LinkedIn.
(58:28):
Um, so if you want to connect with meby social media, then that's the way.
Or you can email me atLauren at SynapseFL.com.
And I would love to hear from you.
Tell me what you liked.
Tell me what you disagreed with.
I love a good disagreement.
That's great.
I love a little bit of back and forth.
It helps me learn.
It helps me grow.
So don't be shy.
Um, and tell me what you needso that Synapse can be helpful.
(58:51):
Oh, that's perfect.
That is the perfect way to end the show.
And I just want to thank you somuch for being a guest today.
Your presence has just made my day.
It's been, um, a very longday and I cannot think of a
better person to end it with.
Same here.
Thank you so much forinviting me to join you.
And I look forward to seeing you very,very soon at the next Synapse Gathering.
(59:16):
I am excited to be there.
You take care.
Take care.
We wanna thank our sponsor, Cat 5Studios and thank our video team
Gabe LaPorte, Tommy Myers, AndrewPiggott and Julissa Hurtado.
Music is by Charles Lawrence Lide.
Visit Employers 4 Change at www.e4c.tech.
(59:39):
To learn how you can create real diversityand inclusive culture while skilling
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Thank you for supporting the InternWhisperer by subscribing to us on
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(01:00:02):
Be sure to go and like and subscribe.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Isabella Johnston andI am called the Intern Whisperer.
You might be asking why, well, we'll savethat for another episode, but hopefully
you've been listening to the show fora while and you know why our show is
brought to you by Employers 4 Change.
And today's tip of the week is acontinuing series on unconscious bias.
So today we're going to be talkingabout confirmation bias, and that is
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the inclination to draw conclusionsabout a situation or person based on
your personal desires and beliefs andprejudices, rather than an unbiased merit.
Now in hiring.
Confirmation bias often playsa detrimental role at the very
beginning of the process whenyou first review a candidate.
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And many of us have done this.
We already know, oh, what is that name?
What does that mean?
We all have those inclinations tohave some type of a, an idea of
what we think that bias would be.
When we first review a resume and weform an initial opinion of the candidate,
it's based on inconsequential attributeslike their name, where they're from,
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where they went to school, and so forth.
This opinion can follow youinto the interview process.
And consequently steerquestions to confirm the initial
opinion of the candidate.
You don't want to do that.
That's not right.
And it's not fair.
You don't want to havethose biases coming in.
So how can you avoid that?
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Well, every interview will lenditself to a unique conversation
based on the individual's background.
It is important to ask standardizedskills based questions that provide
each candidate with a fair chance.
So that they can stand out, this willhelp prevent your team from asking
too many off the cuff questionsthat may lead to confirmation bias.
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So, welcome to the interim whisper.
Our show is all about the future of work.
So, welcome to the Intern whisperer.
Today's guest.
I'm so excited to have her is LaurenPrager, CEO of Synapse Florida.
Lauren, welcome to the show.
It is a pleasure to be with you.
Thank you for having me.
Oh my gosh.
I remember when I first met youand it was over in Tampa and
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you were over there at Synapse.
It was whatever.
I don't know.
It's like three, four years ago sometime.
It seems forever long, but I'veknown you for a while and I've
just been watching you and you'realways so bubbly, so upbeat.
So I've been looking forwardto this show for quite a while.
Well, thank you.
I'm glad that that's what you see as we'rerunning around an arena or connecting
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with people and, you know, throughout thecommunity, you see the positive energy
that we try to infuse into the community.
So I'm glad that's whatyou've come away with.
It is.
It is that and so much more.
So on our show, we talk abouteducation, innovation, and the
future of work and industry.
So we're always, I always kick off theshow with, tell us five words about
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yourself and why those five words.
This was a very, very interesting exercisebecause I don't know how often we.
Have a moment to pause for alittle bit of self reflection.
And, um, and so thankyou for the exercise.
Thanks for the opportunity.
You know, the first word that reallycame to mind was curious and being
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curious is something that has helped me.
Accomplish my goals and, um,and be a part of this community.
It really just is about asking questionsand, and really being an active listener.
I look around our world every day.
I talk to incredibly passionateand smart people, and I just.
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Want to learn where their interests camefrom, why they feel so strongly about the
things that they care about, um, how theyenvision being able to change the world
and why they think it's so necessary.
I just, I'm really curiousand really about people.
And, um, so that's a key, um, a word thatI feel really encapsulates kind of where
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I am and how I see myself and just reallyalways looking to connect and to learn.
Very good.
So another word yousaid was compassionate.
Why compassionate?
I think a lot about people and, um,you know, in the work that I get to
do as part of Synapse, um, being ina nonprofit role, I think a lot about
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opening doors for people, whether, um, youknow, they've had opportunities or not.
And I really try to put myself in theirposition and understand, um, some of
the barriers that they've experiencedin their, in their, in their lives, even
if we have very different experiences.
Growing up, um, and, and how I canshow some empathy for what they're
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trying to create and remove barriersto the best of our ability for them.
And showing compassionis very, very human.
And sometimes I think thatwe've lost some of that.
So for me, being compassionate is aboutcreating opportunity and channeling that
in a way that can be very productive.
Mm hmm.
I agree with that.
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How about resourceful?
Well, um, are we all Isabella?
I mean, in some degrees tobe successful in anything you
personally, professionally, Ithink you have to be resourceful.
None of us have enough of the time,talent or treasure that we wish we
had to do what it is we hope to do.
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And so being resourceful, finding waysto, um, be Uh, creative and do more
with less and really focus on your goalto, um, use those resources to the best
of your ability is, um, is the goal.
I constantly am aspiring to be moreresourceful and it's, and learning
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new tools and tricks of the trade.
And, um, you know, one of my mentors.
In my early in my career shared a parablethat speaks to this and it's something
I, I share often at home and think about,um, there's a little boy who wanted
to chop down a tree and he had a bigsharp ax and it was hard for him to,
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to wield the ax and he did his best andhe wasn't really making much of a dent.
And he said to his dad,I don't know what to do.
I'm as strong as I can be.
I'm using this sharp axe.
And the father said, well, areyou using all of your resources?
Are you using all of your strength?
And the little boy said, yes, of course.
And he said, well, youhaven't asked me for help.
And we forget sometimesthat being resourceful.
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Sometimes it's just a matter oflooking around you and creating
space for others to be a part of yourmission and allowing them to help you.
And, um, I think about that a lot too.
Again, in the work that I'm privilegedto get to do, that asking people
for help, creating space for themto be a part of your goal or mission
is part of being resourceful.
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Wow, that's really insightful.
I thought you were going to saysomething completely different
there, but the child just didn't evenrecognize going to his dad for help.
Yeah, I mean, think about it.
This happened in myhouse just the other day.
My daughter was trying to do somethingand she was struggling and I waited for
her to say, will you please help me?
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And finally she did.
And I said, great.
Now that you've asked for help,I'm happy to step in and help you.
And she was fine.
It was nothing major, but sometimeswe forget that if we just simply ask
others to step in, we have a chance toreally create a lot of create bonds and
work together towards a shared mission.
And we're stronger when wereally do work together.
And sometimes people just,they need to be asked.
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Yeah.
That's a sign of strength,not a sign of weakness.
Oh, just pure wisdom comingout of your mouth right now.
So good.
I'm loving it.
Okay.
Innovator.
Yes.
This is a word that six years ago,five years ago would not have applied
to me or so I would have thought,you know, I always thought about
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innovation as being tech and Icannot code anything for anything.
And I kind of joke that I'mthe Luddite of our group.
I really, I'm not.
Into the latest in hard tech.
Um, but I've come to understand thatinnovation and being an innovator
is about having an idea and pursuingit to execution as our friend, Jeff
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Hoffman has said, ideas are valued.
Execution is worshiped.
And when you are an innovator,you see an opportunity to make a
change, to improve a situation.
And then you're willing to take the risksand the steps necessary to do your best.
To make it possible tobring it into fruition.
And, um, so I see thatyou can be an innovator.
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Yes.
In tech, in, uh, in all those ways thatwe think about, but art and music and food
and drinks, those are areas of innovation.
Think about an artist who innovatesliterally every time that person
picks up a pen or a brush andcreate something that never existed
before and inspires all of us.
Um, there's innovation in the waythat we connect with each other, the
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way that we do, um, our daily tasks.
There's something new that we can create,and if we choose, we can expand upon
that and others can learn from that.
And so...
I think of myself now as an innovator, um,in a way that I never would have before.
And it's different from the way others do.
And that's a beautiful thing, butit allows me, I think, to connect
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in a space that I never feltwelcomed in before I discovered
Synapse and, and this community.
And now I feel very much at home here.
Yeah, I think that makes so muchsense too, because when you work in
a high tech industry, Like yourself,you're surrounded by all types of
things that, wow, that's amazing.
That's so cool.
But we may not see ourselvesin that same lens, right?
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Absolutely.
Absolutely not.
And, um, you don't have tocome from that world of, of.
Tech and engineering onlyto be a part of creating.
And, um, what I love about wherewe kind of are now as a society is
we've recognized that each of ushas something unique to contribute.
Now it's up to us to take up that spaceto show up fully and to participate, but
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there are opportunities to make an impact.
And whatever the thing is that you careabout that, that motivates or animates
you and gets you out of bed every day.
All right, connector.
I've already experienced that.
So you did connections with me.
So thank you.
Yeah, that's, I mean, um, for me, that'sreally just who I am to I've always been.
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And, um, personally growing up,I just, I, I, like I said, I
really am interested in people.
Um, and understanding what makesthem tick, what they need, how to
support their goals and dreams.
And that's a huge part of whatwe get to do here with Synapse.
And it's been who I have been always, asI kind of thought about my life and being
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a connector, really helping people to findwhat they need and share what they have.
And not just create any connection, buta meaningful and valuable connection is
a really special role to get to play.
And when you see it work and itsparks, it's really very rewarding.
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So this is the word that I have for you.
This is how I see you.
I see you as somebody that isvery grounded, and I think that a
person can be grounded, but theycan also be reaching for stars.
And being able to connect thosetogether, those aren't contradictory
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perspectives in your mind.
They are.
They are.
Yeah, they are.
So when you're grounded, you know,you're, you're going to be able to see
things, you know, clearly, but whenyou're up there with the stars, you
can see from a different vantage point.
So that's where I thinkreal innovation comes.
These are my conversationsthat I've had with you.
previous to all of this, but alsobecause we had another conversation
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and it was separate and it was about,you know, just our faith and then
how we viewed life, life itself.
And I feel like you're You'vegot to be one of the best moms
around for a kid to grow up with.
It's so positive.
It's so they're allowedto make mistakes there.
There's just so much that's goingon there and your kids are lucky.
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Your husband must be lucky.
So, you know, they should be.
You guys must be, yeah, you're grounded.
And the next time I'm feeling theantithesis of being grounded, then I will
try to channel that and focus becauseit's a struggle like everyone, you know,
a lot of times people say they strive forbalance and I really push back against.
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That perspective.
And actually I'll give a credit to myfriend, um, Sheena, who is community.
And she and I had this conversationa couple of years ago, and
we're talking about this desireeverybody has for balance.
And we said, you know, that impliesthat in life you're, you're unbalanced.
Things are off balance and.
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You're constantly striving forsomething that is unattainable.
I just don't, I cannot imagine a momentwhere things are truly balanced, but
what we can strive for is harmony.
Sometimes things are a little bit moreintense at work and a little bit more,
uh, you know, chill at home or vice versa.
Sometimes home is crazy and chaoticand, you know, at work, you've
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got it all, you know, you've got arhythm and you're in a good place and
hopefully what you can have is harmony.
And I strive for that and, and, andtry to give myself and my family and
our team a lot of grace to aspirefor to, to harmony in their lives and
professionally and personally and supportthem when things really are, are not
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in, in that harmonious way, maybe it'sbecause music's a big part of my life.
And so I think a lot about harmonyand sometimes when you hear one
line of song independent fromanother, it doesn't sound right.
It sounds off key.
Or offbeat.
But when you bring it all together,you have a beautiful layered piece.
And that's the, that'swhat harmony creates.
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And I strive for that as best as I can.
It's not perfect by anystretch, but it's aspirational.
Yes.
I think that's really the best thingthat we can do is, I don't think that.
I like the word strive rather than try.
Try to me means uh, there's stilla way out, but strive sounds like
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you're really pushing the boundaries,so I'm glad you used that word.
Yeah, you gotta make an effort.
Yeah.
Good choice.
All right.
Uh, how did you getstarted in your career?
Did you know that you always wantedto be in, let's say events or
in professional associations orwhere, where did you go to school?
And then how did you end up here?
(15:20):
Because I know Brian and youwere like his right hand person.
Yeah.
Um, so, you know, how did I end up here?
Like, I think most, uh, mostof us, no one's path is linear
and mine certainly wasn't.
I never expected to be living in Floridaand, um, part of a business focused
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organization helping entrepreneursand innovators and business leaders
find their Purpose and, and, andexpress their goals and connect
in, in this sort of meaningful way.
And it's just really been becauseI've had, like I said, this
curiosity and love for people andwillingness to ask questions about
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things that I'm curious about.
Really actively listen to what peoplehad to say and then be willing to
say, Oh, but did you know about thisopportunity or this individual or
this experience that aligns with whatyour needs or goals are that you just
shared and then bring them together?
And that's really been the commonthread through my entire career.
And, um, and being openand willing to say yes.
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to things that were unanticipated.
That's how my husband and I met singingin an acapella group in college.
Oh my gosh, talking on,um, on the quad one night.
And I thought, well, let me give it a try.
And I showed up the next nightand I'm doing my audition.
I thought, Oh, thatguy, he's kind of cute.
And I got into the group and,um, That was 20, 23 years ago.
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So here we go.
Yeah.
So, you know, just kind of creatingthe space for these, and that's also
how I got involved with Synapse.
I moved to Florida July 4th, 2013.
Our family of three soon to before movedfrom the Northeast down to Florida.
We took the auto train, whichwas a fun adventure and, um, and,
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uh, lived in Jacksonville fora year before moving to Tampa.
And I was able to spend time reallyfocusing on, on family and decided
I was ready to get into work again.
And I really missed.
That focus and that part of myself.
And so a friend said, you know, buddy ofmine is putting together a conference.
And in my previous role, whileI wasn't an events planner,
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I was a content curator and arelationship curator and an educator.
And so he said, maybe youwant to be a part of this.
And so I said, yes.
Um, I offered to volunteer.
And offered, um, you know, 5 to 10 hoursa week to help to curate the content
for the very first Synapse Summit.
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This was January, 2018.
The event was March, 2018, and Iknew nothing about business, tech.
Innovation.
Um, I'm Googling what is AI?
What is ML?
I'm asking people, what's a VC again?
And how does that differentfrom an angel investor?
And how does this all fit together again?
I was just willing to ask questions,but what was amazing is how
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generous people were with theirknowledge, how excited they were
to share, how passionate they are.
For the things that they're working on.
And as I started to meet people and theywould share what they're working on,
I'd see the connections and I'd be ableto kind of create these conversations
that didn't exist before, becausewe were able to break down silos and
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make those meaningful, intentionalpartnerships through conversation.
And it was, it was really awesome.
So that's for me been really thecommon thread is those personal
connections driven through curiosity.
That is a really, that, thatwas a lot of energy in there.
I loved it.
I loved it.
I loved it so much.
(19:00):
Okay, so here we are at Synapse, butwait, let's go back a little bit.
Let's talk about Synapse.
It's a nonprofit organization, right?
Yes.
And so a lot of people may not know that.
And it was also founded by somebody else.
That's been a guest on the show, Brian.
Yeah.
You know, several, several of ourleaders and advocates and volunteers and
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friends on your show, which is awesome.
When I went through the previoussegments, I was felt like I was
amongst family, which is kind of,um, a great representation of.
What Synapse has created this likereally warm community of people who
are all dedicated to helping each otherachieve our goals and and make our
community stronger, help people, um,become the innovators that they hope
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to be and open pathways for each other.
Yep.
Uh, very much so.
So when you met Brian and you said thatyou had very little background, you
mentioned that you had been a teacher.
I'm curious, what did you teach?
Oh, I was not a teacher inthe formal sense of the word.
I know that, yes, I know that you arean educator by training and I have
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unbelievable respect for our educators.
It is a very hard job, butI'm really focused more on
informal educators, education.
Um, I, and in my Different leadershiproles in different professional roles.
It really all came down to teachingpeople about complex issues or about
values and helping them to see abigger picture and how they can fit in.
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So, um, and also I think anybodywho's a parent is a teacher.
Anybody who's a sibling is ateacher as friends and colleagues.
We're teachers every day.
And I try really hard to remember that.
Also.
Yeah, that's very true.
And honestly, I don't know about you,but I think that we learn from nature.
(20:52):
Um, I can learn just as easilyfrom something that my dog would
do versus something that would be.
I don't know.
It's something that might be a tree.
There's so many things that we can observein nature and in just life in general
if we just slow down and look at it.
Like, like you've said, youknow, we have to be present.
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We have to be there.
Absolutely.
Okay.
So let's talk about theupcoming event that's going to
be happening here in Synapse.
It's the Metta Center.
It's all of these great things.
Three events all joining forcestogether here in Orlando.
It's in October.
Let's talk about that.
(21:35):
So what's really amazing about howthe Florida Innovation Community has
grown very quickly in the last fewyears is that there's now coalescing
and each are very different.
communities, really strong centersof innovation, and they have their,
their own unique dynamics and partners.
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And the other quality that I findmakes Florida really unique, and
I hear this from people who movehere from other markets, is that
we really do aim to collaborate.
That mantra, the risingtide lifts all ships.
It's true.
And we have a tendency here tonot just say that, but live that
and create pathways to partner.
(22:18):
And that's certainly thefoundation for Synapse.
One of the posters behind me, I'mtrying to figure out where to go.
You can't read it in the glare,but trust me when it says the
values begin with community.
First, and that's very intentional.
And we are a nonprofit for thatreason to serve the community.
So back in 2019, when we hosted again,statewide innovation celebration,
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it's really all about showcasingall of the talent in our state,
bringing everybody together in oneplace to demonstrate the density and
the creativity and the connectivity.
We invited the leadership from the Orlandocommunity to come in and participate
and speak about what's going on inOrlando that most people don't know.
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And we were all really blown awayand learned a ton, and they were
equally blown away by the way thatthe Synapse community came together.
It's rare to see people from diverseindustries or technologies or communities.
All under one roof.
It's very rare to see CEOs and chieftechnology and information officers
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alongside of startup founders andstudents and early stage investors and
policy makers and educators in one space.
Learning together, connectingtogether, um, no barriers,
and that's what we create.
That is the space, the sacredspace that we make at Synapse.
And so we were invited to create asimilar experience in the Orlando
(23:49):
community alongside the Orlandobusiness community's leadership.
And that's how Synapse Orlando was born.
And we're really proud of thatstory because it reflects our ethos
of connecting and collaborating.
And so in 2019, we hosted thefirst Synapse Orlando gathering.
It was at Ace Cafe for those ofyou who are listening in our local,
which is for those of you whodon't know, it's a motorcycle bar.
(24:11):
Um, it used to be a music venue.
So there's a big built in stageand lots of different rooms.
And it was awesome.
And the energy was unbelievable.
And it was a packed house, totallysold out 1200 people who came and
they wanted to be a part of this.
And we had an amazing experience togetherand we covered, as we always do within
Synapse, a lot of different industries,and that's another unique experience
(24:35):
of being part of this community.
We can learn so much if we're willing tostep outside of our silo for a moment.
So we did that.
And then, of course, COVID, wetook a little break, and when we
returned in 2021, we came to the Dr.
Phillips Performing Arts Center,which is a truly magnificent and
very innovative space in downtownOrlando, um, and, uh, used that
(25:00):
venue to host, again, this event.
Thank you.
Beautiful community of innovators andconnectors with networking and workshops
and thought leadership and exhibition.
And it was just it's andit's fun and inspiring.
And everybody felt like was there.
Um, and it's continued to grow and grow.
And this year as the Orlando communitycontinues to grow and evolve and connect.
(25:23):
Um, we were invited to partner with,um, the immerse global summit, which
is coordinated through the VR, ARAssociation and Innovate Orlando, which
is coalescing the Orlando tech communityto host this Metta Center Global Week.
Three immersive days of activitiesand networking and workshops and
(25:45):
thought leadership, both at the Dr.
Phillips Center and throughexperiences in the streets of downtown
Orlando after hours with concertsand, um, uh, global musical act.
I don't know if that will be announced.
It's, it's locked in, but I don'tknow if the timing for this podcast,
but really, really creating anamazing festival of innovation.
(26:09):
And what's so special about this isthat we're bringing together the best
of the global community alongsidethe best of the central Florida local
community with really integratedcontent, really integrated sessions
where people are actually going to.
be able to connect andlearn from each other.
That doesn't exist.
Usually conferences, they'll fly into theairport, they'll take their Uber over to a
(26:32):
convention center, and then they'll leave.
They don't actually get toconnect with the local community.
And this is different.
I think so.
Do you, uh, this is a total side,sidebar conversation, but, you
know, Chris Kramitzos, right?
Yeah.
Because you're at Embark, right?
Yes, and our kids go to the sameschool and we see each other
(26:54):
and drop off in the morning.
Well, Chris has been a guest on my show acouple times, but he's the podcast guru.
So that is, he is the podcast guru andhe's having something October 10th.
Uh, he's wanting to have PodFest, aPodFest tour here in Orlando, and I
went, I don't know, is he trying totie it into the same thing that, you
(27:16):
know, is going on the week later?
I'm not sure.
I don't know.
I don't know.
It's a global week.
So what's also very cool is that there's,there are, There are activities going
on literally throughout the week.
So some of it is associated withthe event and some of it is being
hosted by organizations like startupweekend, Orlando, right afterwards.
(27:36):
Um, there's a new organization, theblack innovation leaders of Florida,
and they're doing a tour of innovationcommunities around the state and there.
Um, stop in Orlando is also going tobe aligned that week intentionally.
So when we talk about bringing thebig community together, we are really
(27:57):
serious and very intentional about it.
And we welcome that because we wantto create a space for everybody to
be part and try our best to make thatas accessible and possible as we can.
Well, if you could go and talkto Chris and see if he would like
to move it to another week at thesame time, that would be awesome.
I'm going to ask...
(28:18):
Okay, you, you will check it out,but if not, we'll find another
opportunity to collaborate for sure.
Okay.
He's awesome.
I love him so much.
Okay.
So one of the things that we hadmentioned is that we were going to
talk about space and about how weneed to create space when you want to
be able to talk about your business.
(28:38):
This can all be so overwhelming as we allknow in innovation and in startup lives.
Right?
But.
What did you mean by saying that weshould be focused on getting space?
And that's what Synapse does.
Yeah.
Well, so some people are notfamiliar with what a synapse is.
I think it's a word we created.
It is not a synapse actually exists.
It's the junction between two nerve cells.
(29:00):
It's a, it's a minute microscopicgap that enables impulses
to pass from one to another.
And if you take a moment to think aboutthe power of just the most minute space
to create something new, somethingtransformative, That's what synapse
(29:21):
was created to do just a little bit ofspace, a little bit of intentionality
that allows two ideas, two impulses toconnect can literally change the world.
And so when we think about our role, it'sto create space where those connections.
can take place.
Now, not all connectionsare created equal.
(29:41):
You need to know the right people.
You need to know the right meansand you know, and it's always
about creating opportunities.
But without that sacred space,we can't make those connections.
And that's what synapses andthat's our role in this ecosystem.
Our mission is to connect andcatalyze florida's innovators.
And to do that, you need to createa space for them to find each other.
(30:05):
That is very true.
I, I was so impressed when I went tomy first synapse and I was able to, I
didn't even realize that there was onein Tampa and we had one in Orlando and
I was just trying to figure it all out.
So you guys, your home base is in Tampa.
But you've joined forceswith this side of Orlando.
Do you anticipate growing more?
(30:26):
Well, we're already grown.
I mean, we've grown.
We're a statewide organization and we,um, we exist, um, to connect the state.
So we work really, really hard tocultivate partnerships with, um,
incubators, accelerators, and tech hubs.
All throughout the state with educationalinstitutions and investor groups so that
(30:46):
we can understand what they need, whatresources they have to offer, and how
we can help people to discover thoseopportunities to, again, strengthen.
the Florida innovators andthe innovation community.
So we have partnerships with organizationsfrom Pensacola to Jacksonville, from
Naples to Palm Beach, um, Miami toMelbourne and Gainesville to St.
(31:11):
Pete.
We just, everybody has a homebase and ours is in Tampa, but we
really are very mindful about that.
And what we have become reallyis kind of a way for people to
navigate the Florida market.
And they come together throughsynapse and are able to kind of put
their arms around what's going on inFlorida, the density of opportunity.
And we get calls all the time saying,I'm looking for this type of a resource
(31:34):
or I'm trying to build X, Y or Z.
Do you know anybody?
And that's where we connect our networkand we make personal introductions.
And it's been really rewarding to seehow that's resulted in some very, very
strategic and very impactful growth for.
Businesses and for thecommunities as a whole.
This is all great stuff.
(31:55):
I cannot wait until October, youknow, like when we actually are
all together in one place, there'ssomething magical about being together.
And after, you know, we, we werebringing folks together and then
obviously with, with COVID and everyonebeing separated, there was this sense
of longing and I see it even now.
(32:16):
Um, as we've gotten back into a worldwhere being in person is more normative,
we're talking virtually and that'swonderful, but man, it is so much nicer
when we get to be together in person.
You just can, can connect so differently.
And those barriers are gone and wehave an opportunity to really, um, it's
just more casual, more, more human.
(32:38):
And, um, That's very, very special.
Yeah, it's sensory, that's why.
Because the more of our senseswe use, right, the ability to hug
somebody, to be able to see, youknow, have lunch with them, you're
using more of your senses, it becomesvery, yeah, it's just really great.
Yeah, it's very cool when we all gettogether and there are lots of hugs.
(33:00):
I don't know how many people hug atconferences, but I see people all around.
Synapse events, small and large.
And they hug.
It's old friends.
It's kind of neat.
So we're going to switch gears here.
We're going to talk about some ofthe things that make you so unique.
Um, the favorite quote that you liveby, I think it's in the background.
(33:22):
Oh yes.
You asked me to put this out there.
So for anybody watching on the video feed.
It's not so much a quote,it's more of a mantra.
And I don't know if there's anyone towhom I should attribute it, but this is
what I share with my daughters when Isend them off to school every morning.
And it's almost like a, youknow, a mantra for myself.
(33:42):
And that is to make it a great day.
Um, oftentimes we say, have agreat day, but there is a sense
of passiveness within that.
That, um, refrain.
And when you remind us, when I remindmyself or, or my family to make it a
great day, you have to be active increating the outcomes that you want.
(34:05):
No one is going to hand you agreat day on a silver platter.
You have to make it.
And it's not always going tobe the day you want and how you
respond to that, how you shape theexperiences and the opportunities.
Well, that is to most degree.
And, you know, to some degree.
In your control.
And so I try to really remindmyself every day is my opportunity
(34:27):
to make it a great day.
I love that.
And for our audio listeners, sheactually has this sign in the background,
so I encourage you to go over toour YouTube channel just so you can
see Lauren with Make Today a Greatday on it and it's a good reminder.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(34:48):
So what is the hardest lesson thatyou learned that changed your life?
We'll say for the better.
Um,
I'd say the limits of time and space.
How mortal we are.
You mean?
Oh my God.
That's a different podcast and oneworth It's worth getting into, but, um,
(35:11):
mortality for sure, but yes, I mean,sometimes there's a sense of urgency
about everything and, and you can't havea sense of urgency about everything.
So, so that's been really challenging.
I want to do it all now.
I want it to happen quickly.
And we live in a society where ifwe don't, I was chatting with a
colleague earlier and she said, Oh,I don't get my delivery next day.
(35:33):
I just, I can't handle it.
But that sense of thelimits of time and space.
And it really does make you reflect onwhat is the most important thing that
you're working on and why, what is itthat you truly need and how can you
prioritize that with your, your limitedenergy or your limited resources and, and
focus on what's most important to you.
(35:57):
You are, yes, I want you to write a book.
I would buy your book.
Would you?
Yes, I would.
Great.
I need a title for the book.
You need what?
The title.
We need a title for the book.
I think the title shouldbe make it a great day.
Okay.
I love it.
Make today a great day, but that's thesign, but it can be make it a great day.
(36:19):
If you have to eliminate a word,make every day a great day.
All right.
What are you most grateful for?
Oh, man.
Um, there's a very long list, but, um,I have an, I've been really, really
fortunate to have some incredible peoplein my life who allow me the space to try
(36:43):
and create and do and are there for mewhen things don't go quite as I planned.
And, um, I really do believe you.
Get back the energy thatyou put into the world.
And so hopefully that is because,you know, I'm hopefully putting good
energy out and providing people withthe same sort of support that I do.
But I, I really do feel asense of gratitude every.
(37:08):
I try to be that person who notices theflowers and the leaves changing and how
the sun comes through the trees just asI walk my daughter to school and feel
gratitude for the ability to do that.
I feel gratitude for my family.
I feel gratitude for this opportunityto be part of such a special
community and not just a part ofit now to really help shape it.
(37:30):
And, um, the, the, that'snot ever lost on me.
So I just feel an immense.
amount of gratitude forthe people in my life.
Who in your life hashad the biggest impact?
Oh, my kids, for sure.
There's nothing more humblingthan becoming a parent.
(37:52):
And I'm so, so fortunate to havethe two best girls in my life.
They reflect.
The best of me and the stuffabout me that I wish didn't.
They keep me honest.
They keep me silly.
Um, they are, um, they're justwonderful, wonderful people.
(38:14):
And, you know, I tell themoften, um, I'm not raising kids.
I'm raising adults.
If you turn 18 and you're a kid,I've done something terribly wrong.
And my husband and I jokeabout that all the time.
And they are just wonderful youngwomen and little girls, and I've got
(38:34):
one of each and I just adore them.
So for sure, those are my people.
I love that you recognizethat you are raising adults
because I have said that too.
I said, you know, a parent's jobis to raise their child to be
able to function for themselves,to be able to not be needy.
(38:58):
To not necessarily want, but to beresourceful, all of the things that you
use to describe yourself, your childrenare going to be in such a good, healthy
place because they can see their parentsas a place of, of safety if needed,
but also as a resource of wisdom andknowledge that they can just draw from.
(39:20):
Well, thank you.
I, we, you know, Ariel and I strivefor that and, um, appreciate that.
Yeah.
And I remind the girls all the time.
So when they, you know, have todo certain things that they don't
necessarily want to do, I said, I'mjust preparing you for life, kiddo.
Very much so.
Very much so.
So then my next, let me get overhere so I can see my last question.
(39:43):
Oh, what do you want to be remembered for?
That's, I was hoping you'dmaybe skip that question.
Um, that's a hard question.
It is hard.
Yeah, it is hard.
It says a lot, I think.
How a person sees that.
Because, you know what I hope thatpeople see when they hear that question?
(40:06):
I hope that they see themselves asvery significant because I think
that in our world that sometimes wedon't see How much impact we make and
that little ripple can go around theworld because we're all significant.
It's funny that you use that word.
I kind of see myselfas quite insignificant.
I, I see myself as one and thiswas actually a dinner table
(40:29):
conversation at our house last week.
Um, very small.
Moment very small part of an infinitehistory and an infinite future and
and who knows what will be and I'mdoing my best to create positivity and
opportunity in the world and to truly,you know, make it make it a great day.
(40:52):
Make it a great.
Place, make it the place I wantto live in and show up every
day with those values in mind.
So that is, that is what Ihope to be remembered for that.
I lived my values and inspiredothers to follow theirs as well.
I agree with you.
I always feel that a person can.
(41:14):
We are insignificant, but what I dois I go out at night and I look at all
of the stars that are out there and Igo, wow, look at all of those stars.
It's amazing.
And it does make me feel that.
Yes, I can be insignificant, but it is,you know, that faith that is, uh, in me,
um, God that I sit here and I realize, no,I'm not, I'm, I'm because of who's in me.
(41:37):
I am very significant and wenever know the impact that we
have on the people around us andit can ripple around the world.
So that for sure is true.
And that little pebble that ripplesout that I see and I feel so much.
Going back to your gratitude that I havean opportunity to hopefully, um, bring
(41:58):
some positivity through that and makethat impact that makes a difference.
So, um, it's amazing, you know, beinginsignificant or it doesn't mean
that you still don't have an impact.
Um, so just in the grand schemeof things, I try to understand
my place and do what I can.
Um, and again, using the resources,the support, the community around us.
(42:21):
to create space for them to thrive,allows all of us to do our work better
and make that impact even bigger together.
We are quite significant.
Yep.
I totally, totally agree.
Okay.
So we're going to take a fewminutes to acknowledge our
sponsor and we will be right back.
The Intern Whisperer is brought to you byCat 5 Studios, who helped you create games
and videos for your training and marketingneeds that are out of this world.
(42:44):
Visit Cat 5 Studios for moreinformation to learn how Cat 5
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Thank you, Cat5Studios.
Now we're back to the second half ofour show and we're going to be talking
about the future of jobs and industries.
What is 2030 going to look like?
As all of my listeners know,this is an open ended question.
It is just purely speculationbecause none of us know.
(43:07):
So what do you think 2030 will look like?
Because you're surrounded bypeople that are in innovation.
I wish I knew.
I wish I had a crystal ball.
None of us do, but, um, I can tellyou what I hope it looks like.
And, um, and we'll see.
(43:27):
I mean, I understand I'm in a worldof tech and innovation, but, um,
What we thought to be true threeyears ago, isn't the case now.
And what we thought would betrue today, um, will not be.
So I, I think it's importantto really keep an open mind.
And you know, a year ago, nobody knewwhat chat GPT was, except for the
people who were working on chat GPT.
(43:47):
And now, um, we see how it'sliterally reshaping almost.
Everything we do inevery aspect of society.
So I think anybody who tells youthey know what 2030 is going to
look like, where it's only 2023.
It's not that long from now.
Um, they're there.
I understand there isfuturists, but I don't know.
(44:09):
I don't know.
I hope that it's a world inwhich we're using technology to
better enhance and connect ourhumanity instead of replace it.
And that's my fear.
You hit the key right there becauseto be able to remember that we're
human is so key and it is humanity.
(44:29):
Humans choose.
What our future is going tolook like, not the machines.
That's right.
But we have to create the urgency and theframework to ensure that we are building
technology in a way that allows us to holdonto our humanity and not supplant it.
(44:50):
And not allow the ease of some solutionsto prevent us from doing the things
that make us uniquely human problemsolving and love and connection in ways
that nothing else in our world, in ouruniverse that we know of today does and.
Technology can allow us freedom todo more of the things that we love
(45:14):
and to be more human, but it canalso prevent us from connecting.
And all you need to do is look at thereally, really frightening statistics
about how utilization of technologyand social media and other tools has
impacted statistics around loneliness.
And longevity, mental health, youknow, technology can do so much, but
(45:37):
are we really creating a frameworkto use it in the best way possible?
That's our responsibility.
And we're in this unique newwave of tech and innovation.
And we understand some of the pitfallsthat we've had in the, in the last
iteration, and now we're in this.
Kind of next revolution.
Are we learning from the lessonsand, and errors of the pastor?
(45:58):
We just repeating them, um, withnew and even more powerful tools.
And unfortunately, I'm not convincedthat we've learned our lessons because
it's hard to undo what we've done.
And, um, maybe we shouldn't, butit's, it's hard to take those steps.
So I really applaud the peoplewho are, who are looking at.
Evolving technologies and askingthose questions about the ethical
(46:20):
impacts of them, the societal impactson them and creating space so that
we can again reconnect people topeople, person to person and using
technology in a positive way.
I mean, look, it's allowing us to havethis conversation and, you know, we're
on the ends of the state and that'sa beautiful thing, but technology
(46:41):
has opportunities and it also hasopportunity costs and we shouldn't.
Forget who we are, I agree.
And because you opened it up withethics, I think that we should go and
talk about that also, because one ofmy biggest concerns is, well, first
off, I'm going to take a step back, I,I heard some type of a movie trailer
(47:03):
and it was on, I don't know, Netflixor something or wherever they are.
Um, and it said, we never shouldhave let AI out of the box.
And I went, okay, that's very foreboding.
You know, it's like, there'sa lot of discussion about that
right now and it's out of the box.
So what do we do with it?
(47:24):
I saw that movie trailer too.
And it's, you know, one of those scarymoments that they tried, you know, it's
Hollywood, but AI isn't some new thingthat just was invented two years ago.
This concept of artificialintelligence has, has been, you
know, 50 years in the beginning.
So people forget, they think that thisis just something that was created
(47:46):
overnight and it's absolutely not,but it still means that how we use
it and what it, what the implicationsare of it, those have evolved and
it can be used for incredible good.
There's a lot that we're going tobe able to do as a result of these.
Tools and technologies.
Um, I don't think we should be afraidof it, but I do think we need to address
it and have honest conversations withthe people who are building this tools.
(48:11):
We as society and consumers need tobe mindful of how we're using it.
What are the consequences toour own, our own brain, our own
capabilities as a result of using it?
What are we giving up?
What information aboutourselves are we giving up?
What, uh, what are we not learning aboutourselves or our world by allowing,
um, certain tools to, um, really,like I said, take the place of, um,
(48:37):
learning in a more traditional way.
But maybe it opens us up to otherexperiences, um, being in nature.
Less time in front of a screen.
If it allows us to write things moreclearly and more quickly, and then we
use that time to connect with each otherperson to person, to spend time with loved
ones and family and friends, um, to dothings that are fun and social and unique
(49:00):
and to make those human connections.
Then I think technologycan be used for good.
I think allowing people to beable to work in a hybrid way.
Some people from home.
It gives them now career opportunitiesthey never could have had before
it could create greater equality,greater opportunity for people to
live a different type of a life.
But it is also an enormous barrier.
(49:22):
Nothing is.
We talked about this before we got on.
I think very little is black and white.
There is a lot of gray and think whenyou look at this evolving world of
technology, that's a big part of it.
I think, you know.
There's there's lots of good that can be.
We just have to really be mindful ofthat and be willing to pause when we
think that there could be challenges.
And if you look at where things are withgenerative AI right now, we are very,
(49:47):
very much in the early stages and we needto be having more open and honest and
candid conversations and not just talking,but doing taking baby steps if we can
and being really aware of the impacts ofthese technologies on our communities.
Choices in our society.
Is this something that will be addressedat the synapse event that's coming up?
(50:10):
The meta center at global week.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And it, and it, and not just once,it's just something as synapse and
other, other, other, and I hope thatyou have guests who are experts in
this, who will talk about this, but,um, because we certainly are synapse
connects people all throughout the year.
This is the topic businessleaders want to understand.
Dan, what are the implications iftheir, if their, um, staff uses these
(50:34):
tools to create something, who owns it?
How do they utilize it?
Um, there are just, there are layersand layers of questions about how AI is
impacting everything from business toeducation, and we have to talk about it.
I agree.
Do you know if any, um, because I'mexploring this, I'm wanting to find like,
(50:56):
what are the either global, or if we havea national, or maybe it's just the state
presence in this place of, uh, ethical AI.
Is that like a group that'sbeen started to your knowledge?
Because you, you know, of a lot ofthings that other people may not.
I know of a lot of individualresources, but none so connected,
(51:20):
but I think you just figured out thework stream that Synapse needs to
operate in right now to help to bringthose Florida resources together.
So thank you.
Oh, my pleasure.
I would love to be a part of that.
If, if there is any way, because Iwas going back and looking at World
Economic Forum, and then some of theother things that are out there on a
national level, I'm going, well, whatis it that's available that I could.
(51:42):
Be a part of that addresses the ethicsof AI, because that's, it's extremely
important to me and very interestingto me because it impacts humanity.
That's right.
And we have to ask questions.
We as consumers or we as innovatorsand we, and you know, whatever
capacity you have to ask questions,you have to be mindful of what it
(52:05):
is that you're working towards.
So, coming over here, okay,what do you think about robots?
Do we have robots coming overto the event that's going to
be coming up here very soon?
We have a mantra that we've often saidhere in Synapse that robots are cool!
Because they are.
(52:26):
It's fascinating.
They're amazing.
It's amazing to see what humanshave created and how, again, they
can be used for so much good.
Um, we just have to be really mindful ofhow we are utilizing tools like robotics.
Um, it's fascinating to see roboticsin action for those of you who are
In Florida, there is an amazingorganization, um, in Tampa Bay,
(52:50):
the, um, uh, Amrock Fab Lab.
They're up by USF, University of SouthFlorida, and they host Roboticon, which
is, um, a competition with robots.
That are built by students thatare, um, that have to go through all
sorts of obstacles in order to win.
And this small nonprofit group has createdliterally a nationally award winning
(53:15):
robotics team and training kids on thesereally important skills of coding and
engineering and, um, and doing really,really cool work for our next generation.
I think there's no doubt thatthis is going to have an impact
on our society, but again, It'snothing we should be afraid of.
We just have to understand and learnhow to utilize them to our advantage,
(53:37):
to free up time and energy, to doother things that humans are uniquely
able to do and allow robotics andnot personify them, but allow these.
These machines to do things that humanshave done, but don't necessarily need to
do as long as we're mindful about this.
I think it has amazingopportunity for society.
(53:57):
We have to be mindful about it.
Yeah, that's the key mantrathere for that one, too.
I think so.
Yeah, very much.
So.
All right.
Do you guys work remotely?
I'm curious.
We do somewhat work remotely.
Remember, we're a statewide organization.
So we have partners.
Um, who we work with, whoare all over the state.
(54:20):
Um, the team sometimes we'll workremotely and sometimes we come together
in office actually more often thannot, because I'm coming to you now from
the Synapse office in downtown Tampa.
And for us, again, itcomes down to people.
We're people, people.
So you can't share ideas as easilywhen you're waiting for that.
but when you overhear your colleagueon a call with somebody else and
(54:42):
she has, you know, all of a suddenyou have this chance to connect
and share ideas and that's gold.
You can't manufacture that.
So yes, I personally much prefer beingin office, but again, I respect that that
is not an option for a lot of people.
And being in a remote world hascreated career opportunities that
would not have existed if we hadn'tgone through a moment that forced us
(55:05):
all to figure out how to be remote.
Hmm.
Very true.
Well, we're coming to the end of the show.
And my last question, well, second tolast question is the best mentoring advice
that you want to share with our listeners.
I have two pieces of mentoring advice.
(55:25):
That, um, have kept mefocused along the way.
Um, I already kind ofshared, make it a great day.
And that's really true.
Um, it's really up toeach of us to be active.
Actually, I have a few things.
Um, asking good questions orasking questions is a good
way of finding things out.
It sounds so obvious, but sometimes we'reso worried to not be the smartest person
(55:49):
in the room or to not know the thingthat everybody says that you should know
that we don't ask the question that...
That's on your mind and it'sprobably on other people's minds.
And when we take our ego outof it, and we approach somebody
with curiosity, we learn a lot.
It's very rewarding.
So, ask good questions.
Or just ask any question.
Hopefully a good question, andthen really listen to the answer.
(56:11):
You'll learn so much about the person withwhom you're speaking, about yourself, and
about whatever it is you're discussing.
Those are my kind of two,two big, big focuses.
Um, the other one I say alot is, is I can do it all
sequentially, not simultaneously.
(56:32):
This is a good mantra I findin parenting as well, but yeah,
sequentially, not simultaneously.
And then finally, form follows function.
I don't believe that just becausewe've done something before, we
should do it the same way again.
We have to understand what ourgoals are, what our needs are,
and create a pathway towards that.
And so those are some of the kind ofcommon mantras I come back to and share.
(56:59):
And I've found them to be really,really helpful along the way.
Now I think I have anew name for your book.
Oh, what's that?
It's going to be Lauren's mantras.
Make the bestseller list.
But well, I don't know.
Well, we'll, we'll work on it.
I'll when I have one, I'll text you.
(57:22):
Here's an idea.
I have some that I'mplaying with for my book.
I've, I've got a third of it done.
Pardon me.
What's your book going to be?
So, I'm playing with different names,but it is about being, um, how we're all
community and how we need to stay human.
I play with a lot of differentnames, but honestly, that's it.
(57:44):
We need to remember to stay human.
That's right.
That's it.
Seems so easy and obvious, but man.
It is not.
Not when you have so much technologyat your fingertips, right?
It's just how we use it.
Like this, like we get to connectand see each other, Isabella.
That is right.
We made time for it, too.
Great.
Thank you, Bob.
So, how can our listeners contactyou, uh, the website, all of that?
(58:07):
We usually give the website.
We give your LinkedIn.
We can find some social channelsthere, but how do you want
people to connect with you?
Well, you can always find us at SynapseFL.
And that's our website.
Of course, we're on allthose social channels.
I'm most active on LinkedIn.
(58:28):
Um, so if you want to connect with meby social media, then that's the way.
Or you can email me atLauren at SynapseFL.com.
And I would love to hear from you.
Tell me what you liked.
Tell me what you disagreed with.
I love a good disagreement.
That's great.
I love a little bit of back and forth.
It helps me learn.
It helps me grow.
So don't be shy.
Um, and tell me what you needso that Synapse can be helpful.
(58:51):
Oh, that's perfect.
That is the perfect way to end the show.
And I just want to thank you somuch for being a guest today.
Your presence has just made my day.
It's been, um, a very longday and I cannot think of a
better person to end it with.
Same here.
Thank you so much forinviting me to join you.
And I look forward to seeing you very,very soon at the next Synapse Gathering.
(59:16):
I am excited to be there.
You take care.
Take care.
We wanna thank our sponsor, Cat 5Studios and thank our video team
Gabe LaPorte, Tommy Myers, AndrewPiggott and Julissa Hurtado.
Music is by Charles Lawrence Lide.
Visit Employers 4 Change at www.e4c.tech.
(59:39):
To learn how you can create real diversityand inclusive culture while skilling
your people for the future of work.
Thank you for supporting the InternWhisperer by subscribing to us on
Podbean, our employers for change, YouTubechannel, our Facebook channel, or stream
from your favorite podcast channel.
(01:00:02):
Be sure to go and like and subscribe.
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