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Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
In today's world, it seems that large marketplaces and corporations dominate. Many people go straight to Amazon when they're looking for a product, where five million-sellers compete for business. This experience, however, lacks personalization, the benefit of buying local, and the opportunity to support small communities of makers who are creating organic, small-batch products. As a maker herself, Karen Rzepecki wanted to carve out a marketplace for makers of original brands to collaborate, learn, and grow from each other, all while providing consumers with unique, local products. With this goal in mind, Rzepecki founded Mason Jars Makerplace, where there are already over 100 sellers on the platform or signed up to be.
Rzepecki talks about some of the most popular products on the Mason Jars site, many of which are recipes for and ready-made fermented goods, including kombucha, vegetables, sauerkraut, hot sauce, and honey. She also discusses the benefit of having access to regional goods and loads of DIY resources. Tune in and check out what they have to offer at masonjars.com
As the founder of CPAPBabes, Stacy Erickson Edwards is making it her mission to raise awareness of sleep apnea and the importance of receiving the right diagnosis early on, encourage people to appreciate the CPAP machine, which is the gold standard of treatment for sleep apnea, and empower people to use the machine with confidence and a sense of pride.
She discusses the tendency of people to associate sleep apnea and CPAP machines with overweight, unhealthy, older people, so it came as quite a shock to her when at 32 she received the diagnosis herself. But it is precisely these stereotypes—which are not at all reflective of reality—that are so detrimental and cause people to feel self-conscious about the diagnosis of sleep apnea, reluctant or embarrassed about using the machine, and ashamed for needing it. Edwards explains that this can easily lead to untreated cases of sleep apnea, which pose a threat not only to people's health but to public safety. Among other topics, she discusses sleep apnea in kids and how untreated sleep apnea can be misdiagnosed as ADHD, the growing number of sleep apnea diagnoses among millennials, how the personalization of CPAP masks and machines could help change the stigma attached to them and make people more excited about using them, and a common problem with auto-adjust pressure machines.
Get in contact with Stacy Erickson Edwards on Instagram and check out her website at cpapbabes.com.
At Terrestrial Energy, the team's goal is to commercialize an advanced nuclear technology with four leading characteristics: cheap, clean, versatile, and high temperature. According to the company's CFO, Canon Bryan, these are the ingredients necessary for a nuclear power system to reach beyond electricity and provide power for industry, heating, and transport. He explains that while nuclear energy has been a stable source of power for decades now, high upfront construction costs were too great for even national economies to accept. Terrestrial Energy is addressing this drawback by delivering smaller and cheaper plants that maintain scalability and afford greater versatility. Bryan discusses a range of topics, including public perception of nuclear energy, the safety and risks of nuclear energy versus other types of energy, how economic innovation occurs, and the promise of nuclear innovation for the future of the world. Tune in and visit https://www.terrestrialenergy.com/ to learn more.
Data is everywhere these days, and there are more ways than ever to collect it, from having our genomes sequenced for cheaper than ever before, to tracking our level and type of activity at all times of the day. But are we ultimately making the most of all this data, and are we even aware of the amount of data being collected on a daily basis? According to Bastian Tzovaras, head of research at Open Humans Foundation, there's actually a lot more data being collected than we're aware of, and we aren't making the most of it. He joins the podcast to discuss how Open Humans Foundation is empowering people to get copies of their data from numerous sources for the purposes of their own growth and to power new kinds of research.
Tzovaras discusses the types of data they're helping people collect, the importance of removing data from silos and aggregating it for the benefit of communities and society, how he's made use of his own data through the Open Humans Foundation, new types of experiments that increased access to data is making possible, and the correlations that can be drawn by combining silos of data, such as the relationship between glucose levels and activity. Interested in learning more or joining Open Humans Foundation? Check out http://openhumansfoundation.org/.
Louise Short, MD, MSc, National Clinical Leader for Strategic Benefit Advisors (SBA) and Brown & Brown discusses the current state of healthcare and health management and how employers can embrace new innovative ideas to improve health strategies.
After earning an undergraduate degree at Harvard and an MD from Tufts University School of Medicine, and completing her residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Dr. Short received further training at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City before embarking on her illustrious career in healthcare strategies.
As an innovative leader in her field, Dr. Short works with businesses and employers to develop progressive strategies and solutions that will aid families, and support them, with the goal of making good choices to help them avoid the detrimental effects of poor health.
Dr. Short talks about Strategic Benefit Advisors and its mission. She discusses their work in population health, assisting employers with improving health, medical care, costs, and productivity. She outlines the issues that employers face, such as escalating healthcare costs… from high-cost claimants to specialty drugs, chronic disease and more. Dr. Short relates her thoughts about ongoing care and the possibility of it being delivered virtually, to save time and money. And she discusses virtual coaching that is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) compliant, which increases health awareness and health improvement.
The health enhancement strategist provides detailed information on the many ways that employers can take advantage of new opportunities in healthcare management. And she explains various health plans and provides her opinions on why some are better than others. She highlights some of the best features, from virtual care to robust chronic disease care management, and other important options such as diabetes monitoring, glucose monitoring, and behavioral health.
The best care, she states, provides personalized attention that helps people get the right care at the right time. And Dr. Short expresses her zeal for health literacy and education, helping people understand their health choices.
Some of Dr. Short's areas of specialty include the following: population health and health management, innovation and health strategies, as well as managed care and preventive medicine/wellness.
Dr. Sandrine Miller-Montgomery is the executive director of the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation and professor in the department of bioengineering whose aim is to understand and foster microbiome diversity and develop technologies that leverage the findings in the exploding field of microbiome research. For years, microbes have been generally viewed as bad for health and as things to get rid of, but a growing body of research is showing that the microbiome is actually essential for the development of our immune systems and our overall health.
Dr. Miller-Montgomery delivers an intriguing overview of the role of the microbiome in everyday life, reminding us that for millions of years prior to humans showing up, the microbiome world was adapting, evolving, and developing an incredible diversity of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. She explains how the human immune system develops within the first three months of life and relies heavily upon the presence of microbes in the environment, and how shielding a child from the environment too much can actually result in illnesses and allergic reactions in adulthood. She also explains the type of work being done at the Center for Microbiome Innovation, where, rather than pinpoint a single focus on the microbiome and work in silos, over 130 scientists remain nimble in their research, sharing data, collaborating, and adapting their research to the evolution of our knowledge in the field.
The team has ongoing studies looking at the relationship between the microbiome and aging, schizophrenia, depression, diet, and more. Dr. Miller-Montgomery is a wealth of information, explaining the ins and outs of all of the above, and discussing the potential for the microbiome to serve as a biomarker for diagnosing, preventing, and treating disease. Visit https://cmi.ucsd.edu/ to learn more.
Level Sleep is a company that was founded just over three years ago with the goal of doing something no other company in the world of sleep was doing: designing and distributing mattresses that accommodate the natural curves of the human body. Founder of Level Sleep, James J Abodeely, explains the two primary goals of product development at Level Sleep: spinal alignment and uniform low pressure. He explains that until now, these two features have essentially been at odds with one another, forcing consumers to sacrifice support in favor of pressure, or vice versa. The mattress they've designed provides people with just the right amount of each, providing both spinal alignment and low pressure where it's needed.
Their product has undergone a 30-person sleep trial and has been market-tested with positive reviews and a majority of consumers being patients of chiropractors—people who understand the value of spinal alignment and the right amount of pressure in the right locations, and what it's like to deal with the chronic pain that can result from having neither. Abodeely discusses a number of topics, including the look, feel, and function of the mattress, how the recent revolution in online purchases of mattresses have led to a "been-in-a-box" model that's actually improved the long-term integrity of mattresses, the specific details of the results of the sleep trial testing their mattress, and their patent pending adjustable Snore Relief pillow that provides superior support for the neck, reducing snoring.
Interested in learning more or getting one for yourself? Tune in and visit levelsleep.com
David Sax, author of The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter, provides a fascinating overview of the technology and how we yearn for the physical products of days recently gone by.
David's book considers the new analog revival. In a world of digital technology, people are now craving much of what we've been told was obsolete. In a sort of reverse revolution, more and more independent bookstores are popping up in spite of e-books' supposed decimation of all things 'print,' record stores with real vinyl are rebounding in spite of our downloadable empire of digital music, and people are even beginning to write actual letters again—on paper, believe it or not. The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter reveals the hidden truth of our society—that people like things.
David talks about his background and how an old turntable with real records intensified his interest in music, which got him thinking about technology, analog products, and our desire for the tangible things of the past. His curiosity about this stirred him to write his book, The Revenge of Analog. As David states, the world is physical, so it is only natural that we relate best to physical things that give us a deeper connection and appeal to all our senses. We love three dimensional, tangible items, and it should come as no surprise that we are yearning for the past in some ways.
The historical tech guru explains why our current technology is leaving us feeling less enthused. He talks about his own personal connection to modern technology and how he tries to limit his exposure somewhat, in an attempt to really connect to family and friends without the technological interruptions.
David discusses technology's rise to power in regard to its promise for making lives better, but as he states, technology is messy and is never really that Star Trek version we might have expected it could be. He says that our future is never really as we predict, and that skepticism of coming technologies is actually a smart behavior, that we should evaluate technology and understand how it works for us, and whether it is truly enhancing our lives in ways that are healthy and productive.
Lastly, David talks about his upcoming book that takes a hard look at entrepreneurship. He discusses the reasons why people become entrepreneurs and how their goals motivate them to build and create.
Need answers that are buried in pages of data reports or countless spreadsheets and dashboards, but don't have the time to sift through it all? Do you need to know how a particular sales employee is doing, how a particular consumer uses a product, or how many versions of a particular product were sold last month? These are just a couple of examples of the pieces of information that can now be delivered to you within seconds; all you have to do is ask. The name of the product that's making this a reality and boasting the potential to revolutionize the B2B space is Aristotle, and it's been developed by the team at Bouquet.
Adrien Schmidt, CEO of Bouquet, joins the podcast to discuss how they're developing AI algorithms that will quickly interpret voice commands, analyze the relevant data, and deliver a clear, accurate response in real time. This system acts as a virtual assistant for data analysis around the clock through whatever channel is most convenient for you, whether that's Siri, Alexa, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or any other instant messaging service you use. Schmidt explains that talking to Aristotle is just like talking to a colleague—there's no complicated log in process, little room for error, and no hold times associated with the recruitment of data analysts; simply ask your question and receive your answer within seconds. Schmidt discusses how this casual data usage will benefit the B2B space, improve business operations and customer service, and lower overhead expenses. Tune in to learn more about Aristotle's use cases, challenges to overcome, what stage they're at in development, and what to look for in the near future. Visit bouquet.ai for more information.
Although we know a lot more about the human genome now than we did prior to the start of the Human Genome Project almost two decades ago, countless questions remain, as do research opportunities. At the Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences at Newcastle University in the UK, Dr. Andreas Werner is carrying out research on noncoding RNA molecules, which comprise a significant percentage of the genome and have long been regarded as "junk" or "dark matter" elements of the genome. According to Dr. Werner and a growing body of research, noncoding RNA actually plays a significant role in the human body by helping to drive transcription, regulate the expression of proteins, and contribute to the evolution of organisms. He explains the extremely context-dependent nature of noncoding RNA especially as it relates to the expression of certain diseases, and offers an overall intriguing and informative conversation that takes an in-depth look at the science behind his research.
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