Alma Matters: With Riane Puno.

Oliver and Sasha Zabar have lived and breathed food basically since they were born. Their father, Eli Zabar, has created his own empire in New York with Eli's, which has become an Upper East Side institution, and the twins are trying to branch off and do the same. Devon is the brothers' most recent project together. The craft cocktail bar and restaurant offers creative, whimsy cocktails and a selection of shareable plates inspired by the team’s extensive travels in France, North Africa and the United Kingdom, which are made with local, seasonal ingredients sourced from the family-run rooftop greenhouse on the Upper East Side, as well as house-made breads from Eli’s Market on the Upper East Side and the family-run Broome Street Bakery. Enjoy this episode and come out to Alma Matters' next live event - when all the craziness winds down! 

If you're on Instagram or really any social media platform, you'll know Comments By Celebs, the popular account that showcases celebrity interactions and sheds light on the fact that famous people - they're just like us. Emma Diamond and Julie Kramer unintentionally landed on a goldmine when they realized the Instagram algorithm changed to bring celebrity comments to the forefront and identified the opportunity to capitalize on it. Since its conception, Comments by Celebs has racked up 1.4M followers and has spun out into different accounts: Comments by Bravo, Comments by Bachelor, Comments by TikTok etc. In this episode, Emma and Julie talk about starting the account back in their Syracuse days, foregoing their original plans of going to grad school to pursue this full time and what's in store for the future of Comments by Celebs.

On the podcast today, I’m joined by Steve Uria, the founder of one of New York’s hottest workouts Switch Playground, among many other fitness concepts that he developed in his home country of South Africa and during his time in Atlanta and LA. When talking to him and learning about his life as fitness visionary, I thought about Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. At Penn, my alma mater, I actually had the chance to listen to Malcolm Gladwell speak and from the book, he expounded on the 10,000 hour role, which he considers to be the key to becoming world-class in any field. You practice something by dedicating 20 hours of work a week to it for 10 years and that’s your key to success. Steve is perfect proof of that, having immersed himself in physical activity and movement and the study of the human body for more than three decades. In this episode, he talks about the origins of his love for fitness, the lessons he learned at school that fostered his scientific knowledge, which inform his practice, his roots in South

Cyndi Ramirez is the amazing self-made entrepreneur and chiller-in-chief behind Chillhouse, the go-to destination for all things self care. What started as a Lower East Side brick and mortar with a nail salon, massage boutique and full service café has evolved into a national wellness brand with a loyal following and its own editorial platform dubbed The Chill Times. This whole endeavor didn’t stem from the traditional path of college then maybe an MBA. Cyndi dropped out of college twice and spent that time on the ground, learning on the job until she and her now husband found a void in the wellness market and filled it with Chillhouse. Enjoy her incredible story in today's episode! New Yorkers, RSVP to The Alma Matters Experience live podcast recording with Jen Gotch, Vicki Fulop and Lisa Barnett here! https://almamattersxbrooklinen.splashthat.com/

When the year started, I made it one of my 2020 resolutions to start reading again because up until then, the extent of it had become work emails and instagram captions. I was a huge English nerd so I always used to leave reading books and plays like The History Boys, anything by Arthur Miller, A Little Life, The Great Gatsby etc etc. One of the books I had the chance to read snippets of and have been extremely excited about it is Buy Yourself the F*cking Lillies. Take it from Chelsea Handler and Adam Grant, two of my favorite human beings on the planet, who called it “compelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life,” and “a bracingly honest, funny read . . . like Wild meets You Are a Badass.” The book’s author Tara Schuster graces the podcast this week and I could not be more excited. After graduating from Brown University, she landed at Comedy Central where she’s had a storied career and now sits as the VP of Original Programming and Development. Some of the shows she’s been in charg

The beauty industry is an increasingly saturated space. I literally get the most overwhelming wave of anxiety when I walk into a Sephora or even the beauty floor at a Bloomingdale's or Nordstroms. Even though I have some mainstay staples, I'm always intrigued by the products on the next shelf or the lipsticks and glosses that influencers on the store signs are telling me to buy. So I always appreciate a brand that tries to break through the clutter and provide just the key essentials to a good beauty routine. Wander Beauty has been doing that since its inception in 2015, when co-founders Divya Gugnani and Lindsay Ellingson met at a party and bonded over their love of travel and conversely, their frustration over the lack of efficiency in their beauty bags. In this episode, Divya talks about how her early beginnings at Cornell, foundational background at Harvard Business School and experiences working on Wall Street helped her to take on the new challenges that come with being an entrepreneur and CEO

I truly garnered a lot of inspiration from this conversation with Minali, the Co-Founder and Head of Brand at Wild One, because her story is one I can identify with. Like me, she's from a different country, took the International Baccalaureate (IB kids, if you know you know), started her career at Bloomingdale's and is just a creative soul at heart. There's something special about finding a person who reflects your path and background and has achieved success. Look around for those people in your life – they're there. Back to Minali! After a stint at Bloomingdale's and then becoming one of the initial team members at Sweetgreen, the healthy and modern fast casual chain that has taken the US by storm, she landed at Wild One. As a pet lover, I'm obsessed with the thoughtful design and community they've fostered through the brand and she's had a lot to do with that. 

There are so many Instagram accounts that have popped up just highlighting one of the best things in this world – good food. I could honestly spend an entire day just scrolling through those feeds, watching them break open cookies to uncover slightly melted chocolate chips inside, pull apart pizza so the cheese stretches out, spoon the most perfect bite of pasta (lol I'm torturing myself right now). One of the OG food influencers in the game is Alexa Matthews, the name and face behind Eating NYC. She now has over 300K followers and has ventured outside of her page alone to create an IGTV series on PureWow called #StreatTalk and consult for other restaurants. Enjoy this episode! You know the drill – if you liked it, rate, review, subscribe and follow on Instagram @almamatterspod.

It's such a beautiful thing for a first generation student to evolve into a successful entrepreneur at the helm of her own company - and that's exactly the case for Christina Carbonell. The intelligence and work ethic that brought her from Kraft Foods to Harvard Business School to Diapers.com as the third employee, a company that was famously acquired by Amazon, to finally creating her own company was palpable in our conversation.Today, Christina leads the charge at Primary, a direct to consumer children's brand that focuses on quality, simplicity and price. It's not prescriptive – a little girl can be seen in a red hoodie, a little boy in a bright purple shirt – and it's this approach that really sets them apart. Listen to Christina's incredible story now and drop a review if you liked her episode. 

I've found that one of the common threads that weaves through entrepreneurs is curiosity – the inability to accept the status quo, the drive to find solutions to the world's unanswered questions, the hustle to see your vision through and fight off the obstacles along the way. It's no surprise that Brandon's mind works in this exact way. After graduating from Penn, where he could already feel the entrepreneurial bug kicking in, Brandon went to law school – it seemed right at the time and it paid the bills. But in this podcast, he talks about how he knew he was meant for something different. Hear Brandon touch on his love for his alma mater, the most pivotal moments throughout his career, the family he's built alongside wife Arielle Charnas, founder of Something Navy (who he so palpably admires), and what he believes the future holds. 

Pitch Perfect. Ever heard of it? If you're asking me, it's truly one of the greatest movies - and greatest franchises of the 21st century (true cinephiles may disagree with me and that's okay). Behind the surface of the movie are the incredible producers that make it happen: Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks, founder of Brownstone Productions. Max Handelman has an unconventional story for making it into Hollywood and deciding to be in the entertainment industry, and that's make it all the more interesting to hear. Going from Portland to Penn, from investment banking to business school, from writing to producing – his life has been a series of interesting twists, turns and jumps. In Alma Matters, he speaks candidly about all those experiences and how he finally found his passion – and success – as a producer. Don't forget to catch Shrill Season 2 out tomorrow, Friday January 24th! I'm obsessed with Aidy Bryant and the rest of the cast and you should be too.

Despite having only graduated in 2016 (currently having a quarter-life crisis about what I'm doing with my life... only half joking), Olivia and Justine Moore have accomplished so much and rightfully have seats at the Forbes 30 under 30 table. Currently, they work at CRV, one of the nation's oldest and most successful early-stage venture capital firms focused on technology and new-media companies. Outside of that, they co-author the Accelerated newsletter, which has become an emerging resource of all things tech and venture capital, full of the "news you need to know, jobs and internship opportunities, interviews with founders and investors, and new apps and platforms to try out."I could really go on about the number of things they've somehow fit into their 25 year life span. But you'll hear about the summer camp they founded in their backyard, the class they created as undergraduates back at Stanford and so much more if you just hit the play button. Enjoy the episode and don&apo

If you haven't jumped on the Peloton train yet, you're missing out. Ever since I hopped on the bike for my first class in 2016, it's changed my life in an exponentially positive way. One of the trainers that I've stuck with from the start is Cody Rigsby, Peloton's resident source of positive vibes and Britney Spears energy. There's so much to be said for possessing the power and somewhat of the responsibility to inject a daily dose of happiness in the lives of the Peloton community and Cody Rigsby is a prime example of that. His journey hasn't been the most straightforward one. After graduating from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he dabbled in marketing, fashion and dancing, which ultimately because his passion pursuit before clipping onto the bike and changing his life, and the lives of many, in an unparalleled way. How did he get to Peloton exactly? You're going to have to listen to the episode to find out. ;) Also, if you're in New York, come over t

Seems fitting that my guest today is from Bachelor Nation, given that the new season with Pilot Pete comes out tonight (which I'm extremely excited about by the way!). The thing is, when these people land on a show like that, it's so easy to view them two-dimensionally and not realize that they have so many elements that aren't revealed through a dating show. Luckily, you get to learn all about Connor Saeli in today's podcast episode - his younger days, college life, finance career, entrepreneurial ambitions and all. After uprooting his life in Michigan to go to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Connor joined the finance world. But the Goldman Sachs life isn't for everyone and The Bachelorette, which was a surprise nomination by a friend, seemed to come at the right time. Now, post-reality TV, Connor's diving deep into his actual passion – a new venture called Sael Wellness that he hopes will be a big player in the health space after it launches in March. Mark your calenda

Jenni Kayne's eponymous label has become a staple in the fashion and lifestyle world. What started as a small, California company has grown exponentially and, based on what Julia Hunter and I talked about, is going to continue to make a name for itself in a big way. One of the women at the forefront of this company's growth and success is Julia Hunter, the President of Jenni Kayne. She gets raw and real about her college experience and the not-so-great experience she had – which not many people talk about but is a reality for many. And clearly, she didn't let the challenge stop her. After a stint in investment banking, she found herself in fashion and continues to grow alongside the brand, Jenni Kayne. Rate, review, subscribe, follow! Instagram: @almamatterspodWebsite: www.almamatterspod.com

Success is something that, now more than ever, isn't tied to a certain stage in life or an age. Forbes 30 under 30 is a pretty good indication that young minds are contributing big things to the world – and if there's someone that I imagine will be on that list in the next few years, it's Serena Kerrigan. You might know her as SFK but there is so much more to Serena Kerrigan. From 9-5, she's a host and producer at Refinery29 and even has her own inspirational show called Ask Serena. But 24/7, she is the Queen of Confidence who hustles through life and lives it with insane hunger and ambition.Rate, review, subscribe, follow! Instagram: @almamatterspodWebsite: www.almamatterspod.com

We're in such a unique time where fame and notoriety have become so democratized – where one photo can seemingly reset someone's life and launch their entire career. It's the age of the booming influencer economy, and yet there's not a lot that the regular person knows when it comes to the influencer. But I got a little peek into that world with my guest this week, Katie Sands of Honestly Kate!She's built her career on being the happy influencer – instead of smizing in photos, she's always got a smile on her face and she has such a positive energy that is so incredibly contagious. Learn how her double major in Communications and Theatre at the University of Richmond has helped her in her career (where she's essentially performing everyday) and what's in store for the exciting future of HonestlyKate. Rate, review, subscribe, follow! Instagram: @almamatterspodWebsite: www.almamatterspod.com

It's the first time I've ever spoken to someone I'm actually employed by on the podcast so clearly the pressure is on for this episode. No, but really... I see our Chief Marketing Officer Mike Raffensperger walk around the FanDuel office everyday but to get this up close and personal with him, to hear his life story and the way he built his career at some of the biggest companies in the US to land at our Park Avenue South office was definitely something special. Marketing has become one of the key components of the business matrix. It's not an afterthought or a matter of slapping a picture on a billboard – it's something more that ties in with crafting the holistic brand image and voice. And Mike speaks to that deeper understanding of the purpose of marketing in such a resonant way. From DirecTV to Amazon to FanDuel, he's flexed different marketing muscles to now be at the helm of a rapidly growing company in the booming sports betting and fantasy sports industry. I'm so exc

It's a scary thing to give up a secure, full time job and leap into the unknown, with just a passion that you see the potential of in hand. That's exactly what Elizabeth Endres and Dale Borchiver did – and ultimately it paid off. But that's not without the challenges they had along the way. In today's podcast, Elizabeth and Dale talk about memorable college classes, some of the worst moments (or most embarrassing really) of their times at school, their stints in corporate America and the decision to ultimately leave the stability of their jobs behind to put their all into Sweats & The City. Rate, review, subscribe, follow! Instagram: @almamatterspodWebsite: www.almamatterspod.com