Alvy Ray Smith is an American computer scientist, a Co-founder of the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Division, Pixar, and Altamira Software. Alvy was part of the 1980s and 1990s expansion of computer animation into feature films. He created his first computer graphic in 1965 at New Mexico State and by 1970, earned a PhD in computer science from Stanford University. 

Altamira Software was eventually purchased by Microsoft, where Alvy was the first Graphics Fellow. He was also the first Director of Computer Graphics at Lucasfilm. More recently, he is the Author of the book, A Biography of the Pixel.

Pixar is one of the largest animated film companies in the world, valued at over $7 billion. They’ve released 24 full-length animated feature films since Toy Story was released in 1995. Pixar is now a household name, with children and adults alike falling in love with their movies for the last half-century. But how did it get started?

Alvy Ray Smith was there from the very beginning. Through a serendipitous turn of events, he met Ed Catmull and George Lucas and made the move for California to work at the Lucasfilms Computer Division as the Director of Computer Graphics. From there, he went on to work with the best talent in the world and turn the dream of fully animated feature films into reality. The result? Pixar Animation Studios.

In this episode of Top Minds, Dr. Scot Gray and co-host Dr. Jeremy Weisz are joined by Pixar Co-founder, Alvy Ray Smith, to discuss the roots of one of the largest animated film companies in the world. Alvy talks about the milestones of Pixar’s journey, how they became an independent company, his tumultuous relationship with the man who invested in the company’s rise, and his business ventures after Pixar.

Dr. Pierluigi Mancini is one of the most sought-after national and international consultants and speakers on the subject of mental health and addiction. He has over 30 years of experience in culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health treatment and prevention. He recently led a project to train clinicians in Latin America who are taking care of the over 4 million displaced Venezuelans suffering from trauma, PTSD, and other conditions.

He is the Chair of the Georgia Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council, and has been recently appointed to the Mental Health America National Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Wellstar Hospital, the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, and the National Association of Mental Health Planning and Advisory Councils.

Dr. Mancini’s public service announcement and documentaries addressing underage drinking, suicide, and prescription drugs have won a combined six Emmy awards. He has been honored with the National Latina/o Psychological Association Star Vega Distinguished Service Award, the National Council of La Raza - Helen Rodríguez-Trías Award for Health, and the Mental Health America “Heroes in the Fight” Award, among others.

This isn’t the first opioid crisis that the US has experienced. When the crisis hit the country in the 70s and 80s, people who stopped using heroin ended up hooked on methadone. But, according to Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, the approach to rehabilitation and treatment has come a long way — so much so that they have started using an opiate antagonist drug in the short term for successfully treating patients.

Dr. Mancini is an expert at cultural and linguistic competence, immigrant behavioral health, and health disparities — and he says that the key to making headway in the fight against the abuse of any substance is prevention and promotion. He explains that by turning conversations into informative discussions on addiction, we can start answering the questions around why people become addicted and why they are unable to get the help they need.

Tune in to this episode of Top Minds, as Dr. Scot Gray talks with the renowned consultant on mental health and addiction, Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, about the opioid epidemic. They discuss the negative effect of prescribing opioids for pain medication, the economic burden of the opioid epidemic, the importance of open and honest conversations in preventing alcohol and substance abuse. Plus, Dr. Mancini explains the effect of the COVID-19 isolation on people who are struggling and more.

Don Miguel Ruiz is a spiritual teacher and the internationally best-selling author of the Toltec Wisdom Series. The Toltec Wisdom Series has sold more than 12 million copies and has been published in 46 different languages. His most famous book from the Toltec Wisdom Series, The Four Agreements, has sold more than seven million copies worldwide, was on The New York Times’ best-seller list for almost a decade, and was titled the 36th best-selling book of the decade. 

Over the years, don Miguel has received many unique honors, including a U.S. Air Force Challenge coin engraved with “The Four Agreements,” an Honorary Degree in Cultural and Social Education from the American Cultural Institute of Mexico, and the moniker a “national treasure” in his native country, Mexico. Don Miguel Ruiz is a spiritual teacher and the internationally best-selling author of the Toltec Wisdom Series. The Toltec Wisdom Series has sold more than 12 million copies and has been published in 46 different languages. His most famous book from the Toltec Wisdom Series, The Four Agreements, has sold more than seven million copies worldwide, was on the The New York Times’ best-seller list for almost a decade, and was titled the 36th best-selling book of the decade.

Do you find yourself caring a bit too much about what others think of you? Are you trying to take concrete steps towards understanding yourself and living an unapologetic, freedom-filled life?

We all live our own stories. More than that, we are all the main characters in our narratives — protagonists who navigate the ups, downs, and everything in-between that life has to offer. According to don Miguel Ruiz, this is an innate tendency: all humans are born with an impulse to perform. Unfortunately, constant acting with ourselves and others leads to a life that lacks authenticity, belonging, and freedom — or, in other words, a less-than-ideal existence. Thankfully, there is an antidote to this performance-oriented lifestyle: awareness. Only by prioritizing and practicing awareness can you start to live a liberated, original life. Want to learn more?

In this episode of Top Minds, Dr. Scot Gray sits down with don Miguel Ruiz, a spiritual teacher and the internationally best-selling author of the Toltec Wisdom Series, to discuss the secrets to living a full and cognizant life. Listen in as don Miguel talks about the terrifying incident that changed his life and career, his motivations behind writing The Four Agreements, and how to reject “acting” and lean into authenticity and independence today. Stay tuned!