Renegades & Mavericks

The Evolution of College Admission

The argument that has always been an issue is, should students go to college or not? This episode we speak with Dr. Belinda Leon, a college advisor at Downtown Doral Upper Charter school in Doral, FL.  Dr. Leon shares how the college admission process has evolved over the past 30 years, what schools are looking for now, and how parents can best equip their children for life after graduating high school.

The Evolution of Math

As new and exciting (or for some people incredibly scary) artificial intelligence is for the future of technology, it’s rooted in one thing you learned since Kindergarten. Math. Every bit of code and algorithms used to make all the applications & software on the planet all started from you learning basic numbers, addition & subtraction back when you started elementary school, and probably before. And for some of you that experience was a breeze and you just rocked math all the way through ...

The Evolution of Physical Education

This episode launches a series where we explore the history of each subject area we were taught in our K-12 education, and seeing it's progression from the mid-1900's to present. Exploring the evolution of physical education, I speak to Jerry Flora, a pre-K-12 physical education teacher and high school football coach from outside White Plains, NY about currently teaching students and keeping them engaged. To reflect on the 1960's to today, I interviewed my own father Robert Oates, a retire...

Online vs. Offline Play

The ongoing question that is asked especially with parents and teachers, is at what age is it appropriate to incorporate technology into children’s lives and especially the classroom? Should it start at Kindergarten or before because they are already experiencing it at home, or should the K-5 experience especially be focused on tactile play, imagination, and environmental creativity?  Maria Bradley, an education technology steward and Josh Olins, a 1st grade teacher share their view points ...

The 21st Century Classroom

AR, VR & a virtual autopsy table sound like things you would never expect in a high school classroom. However, welcome to 2021, where these tools are becoming the foundation for student growth.  Kerin Coffey, a biomedical science teacher at Eastside High School in Lancaster, California has discovered what makes a 21st century classroom. From technology in the classroom, to understanding technology & social media outside the classroom, Kerin knows what is necessary for a student to succeed i...

Lee Dury & Libre Institute

The LIBRE Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit nonpartisan organization that operates to both engage and inform America’s Hispanic community on the many benefits of a free and open society. This episode shares the story of Lee Dury, who has been an integral part of the LIBRE Institute. Lee involved himself with LIBRE as a way to help the Hispanic community, paying homage to his own family's immigration history, eventually rallying behind big causes like the impact a zip code does have on a child'...

A Voice for the Hispanic Community

The LIBRE Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit nonpartisan organization that operates to both engage and inform America’s Hispanic community on the many benefits of a free and open society. This episode shares the story of Lee Dury, who has been an integral part of the LIBRE Institute. Lee involved himself with LIBRE as a way to help the Hispanic community, paying homage to his own family's immigration history, eventually rallying behind big causes like the impact a zip code does have on a child'...

Dr. Carrie Hastings & Brianne Gallagher

Mental Health from Kindergarten to the NFL

From Kindergarten to the NFL, mental health, wellness & emotions are not just topics that should be discussed and discovered, but actively worked on by anyone and everyone. For Mental Health Awareness Month we speak with Dr. Carrie Hastings & Brianne Gallagher about the importance of mental health & wellness and the impact it has on us that we don't actively recognize.  Dr. Carrie Hastings is a sports psychologist and is the mental health clinician for the Los Angeles Rams. Brianne Gallagh...

Brandon Kennington of Tutor Cam Pro | BlueKube Brands

Brandon is the founder of BlueKube Brands, a parent company that is home to many products from many different parts of the market, a lot of which are his own creation and ideation. From the Porch Potty, to Flexline Fitness equipment, to the Tutor Cam Pro which you’ll hear a lot about in this episode, Brandon’s background as a mechanical engineer and inventor gives him the tools to bring his ideas to life. His ability to see a problem and look for solutions really shines in Tutor Cam pro. Wh...

Jonathan Barber

Jazz drummer and clinician Jonathan Barber has been helping students approach jazz and playing styles around the world, teaching them applicable skills that they can put into practice in their careers, regardless of age or level.  It’s his resume that backs up his ability to preach what he practices. Barber was voted #1 Up-and-Coming Drummer of 2018 in Modern Drummer magazine, played back-to-back sold out concerts with the Brooklyn Philharmonic featuring Erykah Badu, and is the drummer for ...

Kevin Oates | Host & Orchestra Educator

Season 02 of Renegades & Mavericks is back in session. This season is all about education and what better way to kick off the premiere episode with my story as the host and as an educator. From growing up in a family of educators to teaching public school, I have experienced the spectrum of education and eager to share stories of those who broke the status quo in the field of education.

Kendra Bostick of Kikori

Kendra Bostick & co-founder Bryn Lottig started Kikori with the mission to create a tool which aligns experiential education activities with teaching and social emotional standards, which educators can use to meet their students' unique needs and transform their classroom.  Additionally this is not just for teachers to share and develop lesson plans and communities, but for parents as well to assist at home with their children's learning. Learn all about their journey as educators of laun...

Katie Sagan & Shirlee Spitzer of VaynerMedia

Katie Sagan and Shirlee Spitzer are all about people at VaynerMedia. Katie Sagan is the Vice President of People & Experience Team at VaynerMedia and Shirlee Spitzer is the Director of People & Experience Team. Hear their story within VaynerMedia and what the value of appreciating and being empathetic to your employees truly entails.

Faizan Bhatty of Halo Cars

Founded in 2018 by Faizan Bhatty and his co-founders, Halo Cars developed hyper-targeted advertising on smart screens that sit on top of ride share cars and taxis. This advertising not only allowed for personalized, local advertising to where your car is driving, but additionally became a safe resource for finding your rides hare car by displaying the license-plate number on top of the car so it can be found more easily and reliably. Additionally, through this smart-screen advertising, Halo ...

Paige Roth of REVERB

REVERB is a nonprofit organization that partners with major artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Dispatch, Billie Eillish, Guster, Barenaked Ladies and more to promote environmental activism at concerts & events, but more so how they can take that knowledge and bring that home, helping spread awareness of how we can collectively save our planet. Founded in 2004 by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her husband, Adam Gardner of the band Guster, the two combined their passions to form an org...

Arlene Stein | Author of Unbound feat. Ben Shepard

Arlene Stein, a professor of Sociology at Rutgers University and director of the Institute for Research on Women is the author of six books and the recipient of the Ruth Benedict Prize, and has gone outside the box with her most recent book Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity, which is a narrative- based book rather than a scientific, data based book. We follow the story of four individuals transitioning, one of which, Ben Shepard, we have the opportunity to speak to along...

Phuc Tran | Author of Sigh, Gone

A tattoo artist, latin professor, author, parent of two kids, and self described misfit shares with us some of his biggest life lessons. Phuc shares everything from what he gleaned as a young teenager from classic literature to tattoo culture and confronting racism. 

Phuc Tran Author of Sigh, Gone

A tattoo artist, latin professor, author, parent of two kids, and self described misfit shares with us some of his biggest life lessons. Phuc shares everything from what he gleaned as a young teenager from classic literature to tattoo culture and confronting racism. 

Spose

With 12 albums released and featured on 30+ albums in the past decade alone, Spose ( "The King of Maine" ) has been reshaping the genre and approach to what we think of in rap culture.  As a family man with 4 kids and a wife who is an elementary school teacher, not to mention his love for all things literature, his use of the English language and wordplay has helped him find his own lane in rap culture. In 2017, Spose was the first artist to release an album inside a video game called 'Spo...

Shaun Murray, Professional Wakeboarder of 25 Years

He is a 4-time world champion, has won multiple pro tours, is a National, Masters, and Gravity Games champion, and the only rider to ever hold World, Pro Tour, and National Championship titles at the same time. He even has a video game based on him. Shaun shares with us what it means to do something well, the importance of goal setting, and prioritizing play and having fun in our everyday lives. 

Shaun Murray | Professional Wakeboarder of 25 Years

He is a 4-time world champion, has won multiple pro tours, is a National, Masters, and Gravity Games champion, and the only rider to ever hold World, Pro Tour, and National Championship titles at the same time. He even has a video game based on him. Shaun shares with us what it means to do something well, the importance of goal setting, and prioritizing play and having fun in our everyday lives. 

Corinne Watson of Tiny Homes of Maine

In 2016, Tiny Homes of Maine was founded by Corinne Watson. A successful Process Engineer, she left her day job to launch Tiny Homes of Maine and has since moved the operation to a WWII airplane hanger in a small town in Northern Maine, Houlton. Since selling their first tiny home in 2017, Tiny Homes of Maine has been designing and building custom tiny homes and tiny spaces for customers across New England. Corinne shares with us her story and invited us to Houlton to tour where she makes T...

Ryan Adams of Better Letter Hand Painted Signs

When we think of American graffiti (the artwork, not the 1973  movie), we tend to associate its origin with the 1970’s and 1980’s. But did you know that the first known modern graffiti writer was in 1967? Living in Philadelphia, a man who went by Cornbread started tagging city walls to get the attention from a girl.  Fast forward to the 1980’s and we started to see graffiti, both lettering and artwork to be considered worthy of being featured in galleries. We’ve seen artists like Banksy, Sh...

Kate McAleer of Bixby & Co.

Kate McAleer takes us into the journey of building Bixby & Co., an organic, non-GMO chocolate company based in Rockland, ME. We learn what it takes to become a national distributor and go against the heavy hitters, all without sacrificing your values and mission.

JeanMarie Gossard

JeanMarie Gossard has been an EMT in Bolivia, a youth empowerment volunteer in Zimbabwe, lead large field teams in the fight for marriage equality in multiple states, peddled her bicycle from Salem, Massachusetts down to New Orleans across the southern United states and ending in San Francisco. In the last three years she has through hiked over 11,000 miles including the AT, CDT, PCT, Hayduke trail, Florida Trail, Ice Age Trail, and soo many others. She shares memories and lessons on how to ...

JeanMarie Gossard | Backpacker, Activist, Poet

JeanMarie Gossard has been an EMT in Bolivia, a youth empowerment volunteer in Zimbabwe, lead large field teams in the fight for marriage equality in multiple states, peddled her bicycle from Salem, Massachusetts down to New Orleans across the southern United states and ending in San Francisco. In the last three years she has through hiked over 11,000 miles including the AT, CDT, PCT, Hayduke trail, Florida Trail, Ice Age Trail, and soo many others. She shares memories and lessons on how to ...

JeanMarie Gossard: Backpacker, Activist, Poet

JeanMarie Gossard has been an EMT in Bolivia, a youth empowerment volunteer in Zimbabwe, lead large field teams in the fight for marriage equality in multiple states, peddled her bicycle from Salem, Massachusetts down to New Orleans across the southern United states and ending in San Francisco. In the last three years she has through hiked over 11,000 miles including the AT, CDT, PCT, Hayduke trail, Florida Trail, Ice Age Trail, and soo many others. She shares memories and lessons on how to ...

Episode 001 | Hugh Thomas of Ugly Drinks

Hugh Thomas shares his story of breaking new ground in the seltzer water industry with Ugly Drinks. A UK-based company that is now worldwide in their distribution, Hugh shares the importance of staying resilient and persistent in our first episode of Renegades & Mavericks. 

Hugh Thomas of Ugly Drinks

Hugh Thomas shares his story of breaking new ground in the seltzer water industry with Ugly Drinks. A UK-based company that is now worldwide in their distribution, Hugh shares the importance of staying resilient and persistent in our first episode of Renegades & Mavericks.