Breaking Precedent
Society & Culture
About
Welcome to Breaking Precedent, the podcast that dives deep into the stories of trailblazers, innovators, and game-changers who are redefining societal precedents. Join us as we sit down with extraordinary individuals who are pushing the boundaries of social norms, challenging precedents, and setting new ones in their fields. Whether it’s in technology, art, social justice, or beyond, Breaking Precedent is your source of inspiration for understanding how precedents are broken and new paths are forged.
Episodes
- Breaking Orbit: Eiman Jahangir - Fly Me To The Moon
Dr. Eiman Jahangir, a cardiologist and commercial astronaut, joins Leah Solivan on Breaking Precedent to discuss his journey to space with Blue Origin after multiple rejections from NASA. He shares insights from his book "A Heart for Space…
- Breaking Orbit: Newly minted Astronaut, Dr. Eiman Jahangir, on the future of space travel [Replay]
Dr. Eiman Jahangir, a civilian astronaut, discusses his space journey. The episode covers his multiple rejections from NASA and his alternative path to space, as well as the physical and emotional impact of the experience.
- Boardroom Break-in: Stacy Brown-Philpot on Power, Leadership, and Playing the Long Game
Stacy Brown-Philpot shares insights on leadership, resilience, and building trust in organizations, drawing from her experiences at Goldman Sachs, Google, TaskRabbit, and SoftBank. She emphasizes that resilience is built through overcoming…
- Breaking and Enterprising: Austin Allison on Rebuilding Ownership from the Ground Up
This episode features Austin Allison, founder of Pacaso, discussing the challenges and opportunities in rebuilding ownership, particularly within the real estate industry. Allison shares insights on structural barriers, incentive systems,…
- Breaking the Script: Tony Award-winning Rachel Sussman on Turning Art into Action
Broadway producer Rachel Sussman explains producing as a systems discipline, detailing how meaningful art is created at the intersection of storytelling, capital, and cultural timing. She emphasizes that hope is an active choice requiring…
- Breaking Formation: Ryan Nece on Reinventing Success On and Off the Field
Ryan Nece shares his experiences of growing up in the shadow of NFL player Ronnie Lott, his own NFL career, and the challenge of redefining identity post-sports. He details how lessons from his upbringing and a car accident shaped his 'Nex…
- Breaking News: Soledad O’Brien on Rewriting Who Gets to Tell the Story
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien shares her career journey, focusing on her experiences covering major events and her commitment to centering authentic stories. O'Brien discusses her upbringin…
- Broken System: Halle Tecco on What it Takes to Build Massively Better Healthcare
Halle Tecco, founder of Rock Health, joins Leah Solivan on Breaking Precedent to discuss fixing the U.S. healthcare system. Tecco explains how incentives, power dynamics, and regulation impact healthcare outcomes, challenging founders to v…
- Breaking the Bias: Samara Hernandez of Chingona Ventures on Capital, Culture, and the Future of Funding
Samara Hernandez, founder of Chingona Ventures, shares her journey from Mexico to the US, detailing how her background and experiences shaped her leadership style in venture capital. She discusses leveraging differences as strengths and he…
- Breaking the Silence: Derrick “D-Nice” Jones on Music, Movement, and the Legacy of Club Quarantine
Leah Solivan interviews DJ D-Nice about his career, the cultural impact of music and community, and the creation of his global virtual gathering, Club Quarantine.
- Shattering the Grid: Lynn Jurich on Electrifying Homes and Extending Women’s Lives
This episode features Lynn Jurich, co-founder and former CEO of Sunrun, discussing her career in residential solar, the growth of Sunrun, and her transition into women's health with the Female Longevity Institute. The conversation covers i…
- Emergency Break: A Doctor’s Case for Rebuilding the System, Not Just Treating the Symptoms
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan interviews Dr. Thomas Fisher, an emergency physician and political candidate. They discuss his background, his book "The Emergency," and his insights into systemic healthcare inequit…
- Breaking Gravity: Olympic Gymnast, Nastia Liukin, on Defying Limits, Labels & Expectations
Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin reflects on her gymnastics career, the pressures of elite competition, and her journey of rebuilding her identity and inspiring future athletes.
- Breaking Bread: How Christina Tosi Made Dessert a Movement
Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar, discusses her career path with host Leah Solivan, from early baking experiences to building a renowned dessert brand. They cover her entrepreneurial journey, challenges like starting a business during t…
- Breaking Precedent – Season 2 Trailer | The Battles That Shape Us
Season 2 of Breaking Precedent, hosted by Leah Solivan, will premiere on November 13. The season will feature guests discussing resilience, leadership, and courage, and the precedents they broke to achieve their goals.
- Summer Break: The Break Before the Leap - Finding Strength in Stillness
This podcast episode revisits themes of resilience, pivots, and transformation, featuring multiple guests discussing their experiences in startup survival, venture capital, building businesses like SoulCycle, innovation in sleep technology…
- Summer Break: Beyond Barriers - Voices of Resilience and Transformation
This episode revisits stories of resilience and transformation, featuring trailblazers who have navigated barriers and redefined their identities. Guests include Alejandra Campoverdi, Dr. Eiman Jahangir, and others, sharing insights on str…
- Summer Break: Nuestra Voz - Breaking Barriers, Building Legacy
This episode celebrates Latino and Spanish-speaking leaders redefining identity and success. Host Leah Solivan shares her experiences, while guests Bianca Gates, Alejandra Campoverdi, and Bismarck Lepe discuss confidence, cultural identity…
- Summer Break: Art That Breaks the Frame
This episode revisits conversations about artists who break precedent. It spotlights ballerina Tamara Rojo, knot artist Windy Chien, and surveillance artist Trevor Paglen, discussing how their work challenges norms in art and culture.
- Summer Break: First to Step Forward - Voices of Change
In this compilation episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan reflects on the theme of being the first to break new ground. The episode features insights from Eric Ryan, Windy Chien, Tamara Rojo, Alejandra Campoverdi, and Aaron Holi…
- Summer Break: Sunrises, Tides & Rainbows - How Precedents Really Break
This episode of Breaking Precedent revisits powerful conversations about disruptive change, framed as sunrises, tides, and rainbows. Host Leah Sullivan speaks with innovators like Eric Ryan, Pete Flynn, Justice Steven Breyer, Patrick Brown…
- Summer Break: Backing Disruption, Resisting Reform - Inside Venture Capital’s Paradox
This episode of Breaking Precedent, hosted by Leah Solivan, revisits a discussion on venture capital's inherent paradox. It features insights from Ann Miura-Ko, Pete Flint, and Aaron Holiday on how the system funds innovation yet resists c…
- Summer Break: The Precedent Spectrum, From Law to Art and Everything in Between
This episode revisits conversations from Season One, examining how individuals like Justice Breyer, Bismarck Lepe, and Kara Golden have broken precedent in law, healthcare, and business. It highlights how challenging existing norms can dri…
- Break A Sweat: Building Magic On and Off the Bike with Julie Rice of SoulCycle
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan interviews Julie Rice, co-founder of SoulCycle and Peoplehood. They discuss building community, the emotional design of SoulCycle classes, prioritizing instructors, and Julie's new v…
- When the Bough Breaks: Sarah Hoover with Her Literary Debut, The Motherload, and the Rage, Beauty, and Rebuilding After Birth
Sarah Hoover joins Leah Solivan on Breaking Precedent to discuss her memoir, "The Motherload." Hoover shares her experiences with postpartum depression, trauma, and critiques the medical system
- Prison Break: The Last Mile's Chris and Beverly Share a Blueprint for Change, Born at San Quentin, Scaling Nationwide
Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, co-founders of The Last Mile, share their journey of creating a coding and entrepreneurship program within prisons. They discuss how this initiative aims to reduce recidivism and offer new opportunities t…
- Take a Break: Matteo Franceschetti on Breaking Sleep Cycles and Turning Rest into a Competitive Advantage with Eight Sleep
Host Leah Solivan speaks with Eight Sleep CEO Matteo Franceschetti about the critical role of sleep in human performance. They discuss his journey, innovations in sleep technology, and the future of AI-driven health monitoring through slee…
- House Broken: Pete Flint on Disrupting Real Estate and Building Trulia
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan speaks with Trulia founder Pete Flint. Flint shares his experiences from studying physics, working at lastminute.com through the dot-com crash, founding Trulia, and his current role…
- Breaking the Food Chain: Pat Brown's Mission to Transform the Meat Industry with Impossible Foods
Host Leah Solivan interviews Dr. Patrick Brown, founder of Impossible Foods, about his mission to replace animal agriculture with plant-based alternatives. They discuss the environmental impact of livestock farming, the origin of Impossibl…
- Party Crashers: How Selina Tobaccowala created Evite, scaled SurveyMonkey, and is transforming where you live with HomeBoost
Selina Tobaccowala, co-founder of Evite and former President/CTO of SurveyMonkey, discusses her career in tech, including navigating the dot-com bubble and her current work with HomeBoost to improve residential energy efficiency using AI.…
- Rompiendo Precedente: Bismarck Lepe on Breaking Barriers from the Fields to Google to Founding Mi Salud Health
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan speaks with Bismarck Lepe, who shares his journey from the fields as the child of Mexican migrant workers to becoming a Stanford graduate and early Google employee. Lepe discusses hi…
- Breaking the Spell: Jes Wolfe of Rebel Girls on Climbing Higher, One Step at a Time
Jes Wolfe, CEO of Rebel Girls, shares her experience climbing Mount Aconcagua, including overcoming a personal tragedy, and discusses how Rebel Girls empowers girls with stories of strong women, aiming to increase their confidence and chal…
- A Water Break: The Undaunted Journey of Kara Goldin and Hint
Host Leah Solivan speaks with Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Water. Goldin discusses her transition from AOL executive to beverage industry innovator, highlighting influences, problem-solving, and the creation of a new drink category.
- Breaking Pointe: San Francisco Ballet’s Tamara Rojo with Her Bold Vision for a Vibrant Future
Tamara Rojo discusses her career as a ballerina and artistic director, her innovative approach to leadership at the San Francisco Ballet, and the importance of diversity and accessibility in the arts.
- The Breakdown: Andy Dunn on Building Bonobos, Battling Bipolar, and Baking Pie
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan interviews Andy Dunn, the founder of Bonobos. Dunn discusses building his retail company, navigating his bipolar disorder diagnosis, and his new venture, Pi Social, which focuses on…
- Broken Records: Windy Chien on changing paths, tying stories into knots, and designing a new language of possibilities
This episode features host Leah Solivan interviewing artist Windy Chien, known for her intricate knot art. Chien discusses her transition from a tech career to art, her project "The Year of Knots," and the intentionality behind knot-tying…
- Breaking Bad: Kevin Caldwell and Ossium Health is banking on bone marrow for curing cancers and transforming regenerative care
On Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan talks with Kevin Caldwell, founder and CEO of Ossium Health. They discuss his journey into biotech, making stem cell therapies more accessible, and Ossium Health's potential to treat blood cancers a…
- Split Sole: How Bianca Gates built Birdies and broke the mold in footwear
Host Leah Solivan talks with Bianca Gates, founder and CEO of Birdies, about her career path from sales in various industries to founding the footwear brand Birdies. Gates discusses her upbringing, entrepreneurial journey, and the creation…
- Breaking Cover: Trevor Paglen with a bold artistic approach to challenging societal thinking and setting new precedents
In Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan speaks with artist Trevor Paglen about his work exploring surveillance, secrecy, and technology. Paglen discusses how his art, from photographing undersea cables to launching art into space, challen…
- Breaking the Bank: Aaron Holiday on 645 ventures' data-driven approach to sourcing deals and bringing the invisible to life
Aaron Holiday, Founder and MD of 645 Ventures, shares his journey and the fund's data-driven approach to sourcing startups on Breaking Precedent. 645 Ventures, with over half a billion dollars under management, focuses on bringing
- Breaking Dawn: How Eric Ryan of Method, Olly, Welly, transforms boring products into billion dollar brands
In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan interviews Eric Ryan, founder of Method, Olly, and Welly. Ryan discusses his entrepreneurial journey, childhood influences, and his strategy of using design to capitalize on consumer…
- Piercing the Veil: Shiza Shahid on co-founding the $1B Malala Fund to transforming kitchenware with Our Place
Shiza Shahid, co-founder of the Malala Fund and OurPlace, shares her experiences as a social activist and entrepreneur. She details her journey from Pakistan, her work with Malala Yousafzai, and her ventures in investing and creating inclu…
- Breaking the Narrative: Award winning author of First Gen, Alejandra Campoverdi, on breaking generational cycles
Host Leah Solivan interviews author Alejandra Campoverdi about her memoir "First Gen." They discuss Campoverdi's journey as a first-generation achiever, the complexities of social mobility, and breaking generational cycles. The conversatio…
- Breaking Orbit: Newly minted Astronaut, Dr. Eiman Jahangir, on the future of space travel
Dr. Eiman Jahangir, a cardiologist and newly minted astronaut, shares his experience of flying into space with Blue Origin. He discusses his lifelong dream of space travel, the application process, and the profound emotional and physical e…
- Breaking Tradition: Co-Founding Partner of Floodgate, Ann Miura-Ko, on innovations in Venture Capital
In this episode, Leah Solivan interviews venture capitalist Ann Miura-Ko about technology, investment strategies, and the potential of AI. Ann shares insights from her career and personal journey, discussing the venture capital industry an…
- Breaking Precedent: Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on what is precedent?
Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer joins host Leah Solivan to discuss the concept of legal precedent, its role in societal stability, and how it differs in business and technology. They also touch upon landmark cases, his judicia…
- Breaking Precedent Trailer
This is a trailer for the podcast Breaking Precedent, which focuses on interviews with trailblazers and innovators who are challenging societal norms and setting new precedents across different fields.