Entrepreneurship is in Peter Wang’s bones. As a Chinese immigrant, he watched his mother make dumplings to sell on their dining room table. He understood at an early age that he would also have to be a tenacious entrepreneur. Peter went on to start what would become the world’s most popular data science platform, Anaconda.

“We're doing all sorts of entrepreneurial things because every dollar you can make is another dollar you got,” Peter says about growing up in an immigrant family. “There's not really a lot of fear of regressing back. There's something about that that bakes into the psychology. It’s like, ‘Well, look, I can go back to a point where I'm living in a little roach-infested apartment, and we just build up from there again.’ So I think there's something about that, that you just know how to go into that deeper, colder water. And so you're not afraid of it.”

Since Peter co-founded Anaconda (formerly Continuum Analytics) with Travis Oliphant in 2011, the platform has gained 20 million users. They are achieving their goal to give anyone with a laptop access to data literacy, so the user can better understand issues in their area and use data science to solve them.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Peter discusses the importance of democratizing data, opening access to tools, and enabling collaboration.

Visit http://forgeaheadpodcast.com/ for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

Regarding work, one thing matters most to Liam Martin: autonomy. He was passionate about remote work before working from home became common practice. When he co-founded productivity software Time Doctor in 2011, he wanted to allow people the same flexibility C-suite executives usually enjoyed. Since then, he has seen improved productivity, lower overhead, and greater satisfaction among his employees.

“Life's great when you can travel wherever you want,” Liam says. “You can work wherever you want, whenever you want, with whoever you want, for as long as you want. That really is, to me, actually, the promise of entrepreneurship. And for the first time in the history of civilization, we've actually been able to provide this to not only the business owner but also [to] the workers inside of those organizations, which I think is a very special time in history.”

Time Doctor grew 200% in 2020 alone with the mass increase in remote workers. Liam wrote about his experience leading remote teams in his upcoming book, “Running Remote.” The book is based on Liam’s observations about remote team management across nine different countries and his studies of billion-dollar-plus remote teams. “Running Remote” will be released in August 2022.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Liam talks about operating asynchronously, freeing up employees to do the deep work, and speaking your client’s language.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

David Garcia’s success came from challenging experiences that taught him what not to do. He took the lessons he learned throughout his 25-year career and applied them to his company, ScoutLogic. David strives to create a “healthy family” atmosphere for ScoutLogic’s internal team, which leads to greater employee retention and customer satisfaction.

“I love my anti-mentors. I love them now because I learned so much from them. I had a few anti-mentors who loved cutting merit each year, loved cutting back on the 401k contribution, and loved increasing employee contributions on health to get a couple of percentage points in that bottom line. Who would treat a family member that way? Nobody. Nobody would treat a family member that way in a healthy family. So we took that lesson, and we applied it to our own business, and wow. It’s part of the reason why we have such great employee retention in ScoutLogic.”

ScoutLogic now has about 100 employees split between the U.S. and the Philippines. They serve approximately 300 organizations, including brands like Fairlife, FirstKey Homes, and Cheryl’s Cookies. ScoutLogic sets itself apart from its competitors by assigning a dedicated “scout” who will get to know their client. By developing that relationship between scout and client, ScoutLogic operates more responsively, more efficiently, and with greater client satisfaction. 

In this episode of Forge Ahead, David talks about the power of self-reflection, learning from your anti-mentors, and fostering a healthy company culture.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

When Mollie Marcoux-Samaan found her first golf club at a garage sale, there weren’t a lot of young female athletes in the media—except for golfers. Inspired by them, she started spending entire days at the local golf course when she was 11. There, she learned the value of accessibility, inclusivity, and representation in sports.

“The more we can all dig in and invite young girls who otherwise might not have that opportunity into this game, the more we'll grow the game,” Mollie says. “But we'll also change their lives. I believe that with the deepest part of my heart, that sports—and particularly golf—has the power to change lives.”

Mollie went on to become a five-time golf champion at the North Fork Country Club in Cutchogue, NY. Since then, her whole career has revolved around sports, from competing in soccer and ice hockey at Princeton to returning as the university’s Director of Athletics. Throughout her career, Mollie has advocated for the visibility of women’s excellence in athletics.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Mollie talks about inviting people from diverse backgrounds, advocating for gender equality, and improving the accessibility of athletics.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

Imagine swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles. Now imagine doing it 42 times. That’s how many Ironman triathlons Chris Hauth has completed. In 2006, he won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene with a 13-minute lead. Chris knows that going the distance doesn’t just take physical training; it requires mental training, too. 

“Good athletes, they want the outcome, but they need to understand the path,” says Chris. “And that starts with something that's teachable: communication, vulnerability, willingness to learn. So you give them the tools and the coaching on how to communicate better so that they understand the training, the path, the clarity for themselves to then execute on their own.”

Chris started his career as an Olympic swimmer and then became a world-class triathlete. His passion for long-distance sports introduced him to people who wanted to learn from his experience, and that’s when he founded AIMP (Advancing the Integration of Mindset and Performance) Coaching. At AIMP, Chris shares his endurance mindset with athletes, military personnel, and corporate executives all over the world.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Chris talks about finding your deeper ‘why,’ getting a role model, and leaning into difficult moments.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

Ryan and Jon have two things in common: They both lost a loved one to a serious illness, and they both turned that loss into a cause for good. Ryan lost his brother, Colin, to cancer in 2005. Eight years later, Ryan joined First Descendants to create free adventures for young adults living with illnesses like cancer. Jon’s wife, Jeanne, was diagnosed with progressive MS in 1997. He took care of her until she died in 2020. His experience inspired him to start RealTalk MS, an informative podcast for people living with or impacted by multiple sclerosis.

“MS took everything from us,” Jon says. “[It] ended up taking my wife. It took all of our resources. It took the home we lived in. It took everything as chronic illness can do. And it was important to me that that not be the only story of my journey with MS. There had to be some good [to] come out of it.”

Now Jon has published more than 200 episodes of RealTalk MS. His show has been downloaded more than 1 million times by listeners in over 100 countries. Meanwhile, Ryan sends off groups of First Descents participants to go white water kayaking in the Smoky Mountains or surfing in Santa Cruz. Since he started at First Descents, the nonprofit has been recognized as a ColoradoBiz 30th Anniversary Top Company in the non-profit category and was also featured in Outside Magazine’s “Best Places to Work” list.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Ryan and Ben discuss turning a challenge into purpose, meeting people where they are, and reaching out for support.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

Engineering is in Geoffrey’s blood. He’s a fourth-generation engineer who fell in love with the possibilities of the biotechnology revolution. Geoffrey combined his passion for biological engineering with savvy entrepreneurship to create startups that are pioneering groundbreaking therapies and medical advancements for plants and humans.

“The basic premise of realizing just how little of biology we know today and we knew then, it opened up this blank canvas as to what is this gonna look like when we really understand it,” Geoffrey says. “What is technology going to look like? And I think… it's so easy to look at the amazing achievements in the past and in the present of our colleagues, it can be hard to realize that it is just the beginning.”

Geoffrey is now a seasoned entrepreneur. Since 2007, he’s founded 10 companies, representing over $10 billion in public and private market capitalization. Additionally, Geoffrey’s inventions have received international recognition from publications and organizations such as the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and Bloomberg.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Geoffrey talks about making your own rules, taking time to find the right talent, and aspiring for greatness.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.

Tarek Kholoussy left his corporate job in 2013, searching for deeper meaning and human connection. He says that several life-altering events, including the death of his young cousin, led to this crucial wake-up call. Tarek decided to follow his passion for world travel and become a digital nomad.

“[Traveling] really opened my eyes [to] how different lives and cultures can be, and how much privilege I had had in my life in feeling like I won the birth lottery,” Tarek says. “I was born into a loving family and a country that afforded me so much opportunity. It helped me get this sense of gratitude, but also a sense of obligation to give back to the less privileged because, at the end of the day, we're all connected. We're all one, we're all people sharing this land, and that was a pivotal life-changing moment for me.”

After traveling to over 100 countries, Tarek was inspired to start Nomads Giving Back! and Nomads Skillshare! to foster a community of like-minded digital nomads.

In this episode of Forge Ahead, Tarek discusses the importance of following your unique career path, getting out of your comfort zone, and making human connections.

Visit www.forgeaheadpodcast.com for the full Show Notes or to learn more about the show.