Agents Of Innovation

What does it take to visit 192 countries, work alongside democracy activists on the front lines of history, and build a career around adventure and purpose? In this episode of the Agents of Innovation Podcast, host Francisco Gonzalez sits down with longtime friend Jess Yescalis, President of Yescalis Campaign Strategies, political strategist, fundraiser, and one of the most well-traveled people in the world. Jess has spent decades helping raise hundreds of millions of dollars for free-market causes while advising political leaders and pro-democracy movements across the globe. Along the way, he's worked with dissidents in Myanmar, trained parliamentary candidates in Egypt after the Arab Spring, navigated some of the world's most dangerous places, and pursued a personal goal of doing something fun or meaningful in every country on Earth. This conversation goes far beyond travel. It's about freedom, gratitude, leadership, courage, and the remarkable people Jess has met from every corner of the world. In this

What if the future of urban transportation isn't more roads, more trains, or even flying cars—but an on-demand network of autonomous vehicles gliding above traffic? In Episode 168 of the Agents of Innovation Podcast, host Francisco Gonzalez sits down with Jeral Poskey, Founder & CEO of Swyft Cities, to discuss a revolutionary approach to urban mobility that could transform how people move through cities such as Miami, Los Angeles, and beyond. A former transportation executive at Google with degrees from the Stanford University and the University of Texas at Austin, Poskey explains why traditional solutions—including additional road lanes, autonomous cars, subways, and flying vehicles—may not solve growing congestion challenges. Instead, Swyft Cities has developed "Whoosh," a network of autonomous cable-guided vehicles that travel above traffic, allowing passengers to take nonstop, on-demand trips between destinations. The conversation explores how this technology works, its potential applications in South F

In Episode 167 of the Agents of Innovation podcast, host Francisco Gonzalez sits down with Roy Altman, a United States District Judge and author of Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law. Judge Altman brings a unique perspective to one of the most complex and emotionally charged geopolitical issues of our time. Drawing from his experience in the courtroom, he explains how the same truth-seeking methodology used by juries—scrutinizing incentives, examining objective evidence, and weighing expert testimony—can help everyday people better evaluate claims about Israel and other global events. The conversation dives into how misinformation spreads in today’s fast-paced media environment, including a detailed case study of the widely reported Gaza hospital explosion. Judge Altman walks through how a legal framework can cut through confusion and uncover the truth—something he argues is more important than ever in the age of social media and AI. Beyond the legal lens, the episode explore

In Episode 166 of the Agents of Innovation podcast, host Francisco Gonzalez sits down with Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace — a nonprofit dedicated to building and delivering beds to children in need. What started with one act of service in a small Idaho town has grown into a nationwide movement, with hundreds of chapters and hundreds of thousands of beds delivered to kids who would otherwise sleep on the floor. Luke shares the powerful story behind the organization, the lessons he’s learned about leadership and purpose, and how anyone — regardless of background — can make a meaningful difference. This conversation dives into: * The hidden reality of child bedlessness in America * How small actions can lead to massive impact * Building a volunteer-driven movement * The importance of purpose beyond financial success * Lessons for nonprofit founders and leaders

In this episode of the Agents of Innovation podcast, Francisco Gonzalez joins Ryan Doyle aboard Amigo, a 1937 classic wooden Wheeler and sister ship to Ernest Hemingway’s famed Pilar, at the Riviera Beach Marina near West Palm Beach. Ryan shares his journey from a horse farm in Connecticut to the U.S. Coast Guard, maritime academy, and eventually a career in yachting that led him to founding Doyle Marine Management, the Vintage Boat Club, and the new Admiralty Marine Center. He explains what makes classic wooden boats so special, why he sees himself as a steward of maritime history, and how yacht management quietly turns owners’ dreams into reality. Ryan also lays out his vision for a marine trade school to train the next generation of shipwrights and wooden boat carpenters, an in-demand trade that AI won’t replace anytime soon. Throughout the conversation, themes of integrity, persistence, and the American Dream run strong, as Ryan and Francisco talk about finding a niche where passion meets market need and

In this powerful episode of the Agents of Innovation podcast, Joe Gallagher—founder and CEO of Apastioli and a former Grammy-nominated musician—shares his remarkable journey from rising rock artist to surviving a devastating car accident, spiraling into addiction, facing legal battles, and ultimately finding faith, sobriety, and a new entrepreneurial purpose. Joe recounts how a simple batch of his grandmother’s pasta sauce sparked the launch of Apastioli, a rapidly growing food and fragrance brand intertwined with his mission to help others in recovery. He also reveals his vision for a regenerative farm, upcoming film and TV projects based on his story, and why manifestation, service, and trusting God now guide his life and business. Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/BrUi_wDB3ug Learn more about him at: https://www.apastioli.com Find him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/joegallagherjr/ Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/innovat

Mod Cárdenas (b. Guatemala 1982) is a contemporary visual artist and pioneer of Guatemalan street art. Alongside his art, Cardenas pursued a career in Clinical Psychology, that has informed his approach to art from a research and observational base. Cardenas has exhibited extensively around the world with 14 solo exhibitions and several group shows, in addition to his murals and public art installations locally and abroad. His work has received numerous honors including the Highly Commended Award from SAP in Australia, Honorific Mention by Fundación Rozas Botrán in Guatemala, and a finalist position at GAA in Dubai. He was also recognized by the Finance Minister of Guatemala for his contribution to Guatemalan culture and by the Congress of the Guatemalan Republic for his impactful contributions and elevation of the art and culture produced in their country. His work is included in collections such as the Guatemalan National Congress Collection, the Luciano Benetton Collection in Italy, and the Fundación Roz

Matt Stone was a previous guest on Episode 117 of the Agents of Innovation (October 2022). You can revisit that episode for Matt's story before 2022 here: https://youtu.be/eF_lJ03STrc?si=L4Ry0Yl9CHF0RPbP In this episode, we catch up with him since so much has happened in his life and career. A husband and now father of a 2-year old, Matt has taken his Elvis tribute show all over the United States and even internationally. He has met Priscilla Presley and even played Elvis' piano in RCA Studio B. This episode will teach you how one young man is charting his own course and how you can learn and apply lessons from his own story. Learn more about Matt Stone at: https://www.mattstoneaselvis.com Find him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/realmattstone You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/vEmfhO54l24 Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: / innovationradio Twitter: / agentinnovation Facebook: / agentsofinnovationpodcast You can support this pod

Francois de Neuville is the founder of Man Uncharted and author of "The Illusion of Time: 11 Lessons How Not to Suck at Life." Francois is a survivor of the 2018 tsunami and 7.5 earthquake in Indonesia. He was an officer and platoon leader in the Belgian military and trained as a commando-paratrooper. Through his adventures around the world, François brings a unique perspective and depth of knowledge to his work as a high-performance coach, speaker, and author. François is dedicated to sharing his insights with others and empowering people to show up in a way they’ve never done before to achieve greatness. With his guidance and support, you too can learn to master yourself, master your time, and create an epic life that is truly fulfilling. Learn more about Francois at: https://www.francoisdeneuville.com You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/UjHrx9Z9QqU Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: / innovationradio Twitter: / agentinnovation Facebook: / agen

Douglas Pestana has over 13 years of experience in data science, machine learning, natural language processing, and AI. Throughout his career, Douglas has managed data science and analytics in healthcare, startups, and Fortune 500 companies. He has built and deployed various AI models, making him the perfect fit to lead the development of our innovative contract review software. He’s also the founder of Remix Institute, a startup that trains members for careers in AI. You can learn more about Douglas Pestana and his team at LegalMente AI here: https://legalmente.ai/team/ You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/J9UdhqRpM_E Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: / innovationradio Twitter: / agentinnovation Facebook: / agentsofinnovationpodcast You can support this podcast and our Fearless Journeys community on our Patreon account: www.patreon.com/fearlessjourneys You can also join our network -- and our group trips -- through the Fearless Journeys commu

Riley Kaminer is the Founder of ClearCritical, a team of storytellers and strategists helping VCs amplify their vision. They turn investment theses and portfolio successes into compelling narratives that engage LPs and elevate their firms' brands. An experienced tech journalist, Riley’s research and writing has appeared in Forbes, The Times (UK), Rest of World, Cities Today, Refresh Miami, and many more. Through his coverage of 400+ startups – and ghostwriting for dozens more – he is keenly aware of what gives stories long-term impact. Riley leverages his experience as a journalist to empower startups to build their own media ecosystem. His bespoke content strategy will enable you to become a thought leader and spread your ideas at scale. Ultimately, this content creation helps your company gain credibility, lock down leads, and drive sales. As a founder, your insights can change the world. But these ideas won’t go anywhere unless you create content. Work with Riley and unlock your inner thought leader. You

Vuk Velebit is the co-founder and executive director of the Pupin Initiative, which has become the hub for bolstering US-Serbia ties, doing so through collaborative and non-partisan efforts and policies. The Pupin Initiative was established with the same values that renowned Serbian-American scientist and inventor Mihajlo (Michael) Pupin espoused over 100 years ago. They bring together young entrepreneurs, cross-field experts, and value creators from both the United States and Serbia, focus on creating impactful networks through a bottom-up approach, and provide an authentic understanding of local contexts. The Pupin Initiative is privately funded to ensure commitment and efficiency, and to surpass any bureaucratic shortcomings. Vuk Velebit is a leading new-generation political analyst, renowned for his expertise in foreign and security policy, media analysis, and political strategy. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/5qvATL-79q8 You can learn more about the Pupin Initiative

Kevin Comer and Brian Graham are both frequent travelers on group trips organized by Agents of Innovation podcast host Francisco Gonzalez, who is also the founder & CEO of Fearless Journeys. In this unique podcast episode, the three recount personal and group trips and offer lots of great travel advice while recounting amusing stories -- some of which are almost hard to believe! You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zGZWcKE1WAg Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: www.instagram.com/innovationradio/ Twitter: twitter.com/agentinnovation Facebook: www.facebook.com/AgentsOfInnovationPodcast You can support this podcast and our Fearless Journeys community on our Patreon account: www.patreon.com/fearlessjourneys You can also join our network through the Fearless Journeys community at: www.fearlessjourneys.org Find Brian Graham on Instagram at @brianhgraham Find Kevin Comer on Instagram at @kevininFlorida

Guardian Capital S.A. is a Buenos Aires-based financial advisory firm dedicated to helping individuals and businesses achieve their financial goals through personalized investment strategies. With a team of seasoned professionals, the firm offers tailored solutions in asset allocation, risk management, and portfolio optimization to ensure clients' capital is both protected and positioned for growth. Episode 156 of the Agents of Innovation podcast features two of their co-founders, Tomás Ambrosetti and Martin D'odorico. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRFF3p8qmrEG4l4uR1BDZQg On the 2024 Fearless Journeys group trip to Argentina, our group visited with Tomas and Martin. Now, we bring the world a full conversation with them about how they have grown to about 1,000 clients in just two years as a firm. They use many social media platforms (see below) to communicate financial education messages; these communication and media efforts also help to expand their bra

Julian Castillo is an urban architect with Siudad, a company in Guatemala City that proclaims that CITY (spelled "Siudad" instead of the grammatically correct "Ciudad") "is a positive mindset to improve city life." They believe that Guatemalan cities have the opportunity to become successful urban hubs, bringing economic prosperity, well-being and health to their citizens and visitors. Siudad is committed to facilitating, educating and empowering Guatemalans to plan, design and build the cities of the future. Julian Castillo was our guest on episode 155 of the Agents of Innovation podcast. You can learn more about Siudad at: https://siudad.org You can find Julian Castillo online at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julián-castillo-holzheu-9a002599/ You can also WATCH this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/c82rDVMvOUQ Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innovationradio/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/agentinnovation Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgentsOf

Dennis Hulbert has had a very successful career for 39 years with the U.S.D.A Forest Service as the Region 5 Aviation Officer representing California and Pacific Islands. After retiring he began to focus on his lifelong passion as a musician and his work with the music group that he founded 33 years ago, Machaira. Working with such notable musicians as John McFee from Doobie Brothers, Billy Kirchen from Commander Cody, Dennis is looking to take his band to a new level. This current journey is allowing Dennis the opportunity to work/record with many great players: Marc Russo- from Doobie Brothers, Mic Gillette from Tower Of Power, Michael Hossack- from Doobie Brothers, Brent Bourgeois from Bourgeois Tagg, Scott Joss from Merle Haggard, and Keith Edwards from Ricky Skaggs, to name a few. Dennis is devoting his time to developing and managing the Machaira band and the Go Girls of Machaira. Along with co-managing Machaira Entertainment, a multi facet entertainment endeavor. Dennis was our guest on Episode 154

Nick was our guest on Episode 153 of the Agents of Innovation podcast. You can find him on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasbourdon You can learn more about Reef Arches at: https://reefarches.com Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innovationradio/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/agentinnovation Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgentsOfInnovationPodcast Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/lteqI8n6yu8 You can support this podcast and our Fearless Journeys community on our Patreon account: www.patreon.com/fearlessjourneys You can also join our network through the Fearless Journeys community at: https://www.fearlessjourneys.org/ 0:00 Episode Intro 2:25 Intro to Nick Bourdon and Reef Arches 3:40 How Reef Arches solves the problem of beach erosion 5:55 How humans reacted to beach erosion before Reef Arches 7:18 How Reef Arches was conceived and patent achieved 9:19 Being an entrepreneur within a larger company, Hedrick Brothers C

Edwin H. (Ed) Moore, Ph.D., is the President-Emeritus of the Independent Colleges and Universities ofFlorida, a Tallahassee based association of 30 private, not for profit colleges and universities. He led the Association from 2003 until 2019. He also served as the Executive Director of the Higher EducationFacilities Finance Authority in Florida and as Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Independent College Fund, a non-profit organization. Over his career he has served in leadership roles in both legislative and executive branches, in the private sector and in several not for profit organizations. He is a recognized policy expert. He has served in many significant positions in a wide array of policy arenas, including education, insurance, healthcare, mental health, criminal justice, and many other areas. As Florida recovered from Covid related issues he was asked to serve as Executive Director of the RESET Florida Task Force, helping to develop action plans to bolster the Florida economy. He authored "The

Fergus Hodgson is publisher of the Impunity Observer, a geopolitical intelligence service focused on the rule of law and economic development at the nexus of Anglo and Latin America. He is also the founder of Econ Americas LLC, a financial consultancy devoted to alternative investments, stakeholder management, and jurisdictional arbitrage. He is the author of the new book, "The Latin America Red Pill: My Search for Freedom South of the Border." He was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, to a Kiwi father and an Irish-Canadian mother from Calgary, Alberta. Fergus grew up on a sheep and cattle farm and moved to the United States on a rowing scholarship to study economics at Boston University. He is a triple citizen who resides in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has been an expat in seven countries. Given pride in his Anglo-Celtic heritage, he travels frequently to the British Isles. Fergus was our guest on Episode 151 of the Agents of Innovation podcast. You can also watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r3

Anisa Mirza is the founder and CEO of Litnerd, a K-8 reading and writing program. Litnerd creates original IP with their partner brands and turns them into books, media and learning curriculum, layered with an AI personalized tutor to help kids become authors and creators of IP and brand content. Their product format is a Social and Gamified - with a live weekly community meetup and monthly e-tournaments. Anisa is also a 2x Y Combinator and venture-backed founder. She is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and boootstrapped her first startup from 0 to 2.5Mill ARR (exited). As an immigrant to America, running a women and minority owned business, Anisa takes special pride in seeing the impact Litnerd has in producing superior learning outcomes for students. Anisa was our guest on Episode 150 of the Agents of Innovation podcast. You can also watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r7sOLuk0-eA You can follow Anisa on X at: https://x.com/TheAnisaMirza You can also find out more about Litnerd at: https