Episodes

Jessica talks with Nicole Takesono Flowers , Opera Singer & Higher Ed Administrator. Originally from Hawaii, Nicole has garnered acclaim for her rich, warm mezzo-soprano voice and profound dedication to storytelling. She has ...

Jessica talks with Christof Zürn : Strategy Facilitator, Music Thinker, and Improviser. Christof uses the dynamics of music to help leaders orchestrate innovation and turn complexity into clarity. A joiner by trade with an MA...

Jessica talks (and laughs a lot) with Ashley Albert, Founder, Public Speaker & Idea Man. Ashley Albert is grateful that being a Polymath requires no math. As co-founder of The Matzo Project , she’s the creative voice behind t...

Jessica talks with Kristina Libby , her collaborator for The Cohort: an Ampersand community. Kristina is a storyteller, artist and technology executive originally from Damariscotta, Maine, and now based in New York City. She ...

What happens when you refuse to choose just one path? On The Ampersand Manifesto, host Jessica Wan – executive coach & classical singer – sits down with “the most interesting people at the dinner party” – those who have made ...

What if your creativity, your curiosity, and your multidimensional identity aren’t distractions…but your superpower? In this episode, Jessica shares her 2025 year-end reflection and the five Big Ideas at the heart of The Ampe...

When you finally reach the goal you’ve been working so hard for…what’s next? In this episode, we tackle how to think about this tricky question. If you’re a performer, creative leader, event organizer, athlete, writer, speake...

This week, we share reflections on community and the 5 essential types of people you need for a flourishing Ampersand life. These 5 types aren’t mutually exclusive – you probably have a few individuals in your life who fit se...

After 50 conversations with Ampersands, we’re putting together the Manifesto. This week, we dive into practices that help you sustain your work over the long-term, taking into account multiple careers, many interests, and a f...

After 50 conversations with Ampersands, host Jessica Wan sits down to answer one big question: Why do we keep doing what we do? It’s not easy to juggle multiple careers, identities, or passions. And yet, again and again, my g...

This week, Jessica speaks with Marianne Poon , Financial Advisor, Piano Teacher, and Registered Piano Technician. The child of immigrants, Marianne grew up playing the piano and earned her diploma from the Royal Conservatory ...

In a special interview, Jessica speaks with her voice teacher of 20+ years, Susan Gundunas . Susan is a renowned singer and actor, voice teacher, and mom. Consistently praised for her consummate vocal talent and stage presenc...

Jessica speaks with Emily Holland , co-founder of Wild Poppy Creative Consulting, a podcast consulting company that helps small business owners hone and increase their impact on the world. She loves spending time outside rock...

Jessica speaks with Alyssa Jarrett , a romance author and content marketer based in the San Francisco Bay Area — where the only thing funnier than working in tech is writing about it. She's currently writing and self-publishi...

Sid Mofya , capital architect & band leader, has built a career helping founders, investors, and business leaders bridge capital and opportunity. For years, he led the Draper Venture Network, a 2.5-billion-dollar global allia...

Dr. Janine Lee is an award-winning Learning and Development Leader with 20 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies. In her business life, she focuses on organizational effectiveness, strategy and operations, digital tran...

Jessica speaks with Dr. Bree Rosenblum , Professor of Global Change Biology & Ampersand Cultivator. Bree is the Koshland Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research at UC Berkeley, and her work has been featured ...

Jessica speaks with Emily J. Smith , a writer and tech professional based in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut novel, NOTHING SERIOUS, published by William Morrow (HarperCollins), is out now wherever you buy books. Emily studied ...

What happens when you refuse to choose just one path? On The Ampersand Manifesto, host Jessica Wan – executive coach & classical singer – sits down with “the most interesting people at the dinner party” – those who have made ...

Episode description : In our final episode of Season 3, Jessica speaks with Josh Willis, actor, improviser, filmmaker and occasional Elvis impersonator. Known to his friends and fans as Climate Elvis , he also has a secret id...

Jessica speaks with Susan Lieu , Vietnamese-American author, playwright, and performer. She's the creator of her theatrical solo show "140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother," which received critical acclaim from LA Times, NPR,...

This week, Jessica talks with Stephen Kohler , leadership coach & singer-songwriter. Stephen is the Founder & CEO of Audira, where he brings a passion for people along with 25 years of extensive business experience within org...

Jessica interviews Christina Wallace , Storyteller & Entrepreneur. A self-described “human Venn diagram”, Christina has crafted a career at the intersection of business, technology, and the arts. She is currently a Senior Lec...

This week, Jessica talks with Jason Park : trumpeter, arts administrator, & chef. Jason has spent over 20 years working as a chef while also performing and teaching the trumpet. If you are in the classical music scene in the ...