Episodes

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 Ampersand Manifesto. After more than 50 interviews with multipassionate leaders, creators, and innovators, she explores what it really means to live and lead as an Ampersand. Ampersand is more than just a podcast – it’s a movement. Whether you’re a creative professional, a hybri...

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, speaker, or goal-getter of any kind, this episode will resonate with you. Jessica reflects on the days and weeks after hosting The Ampersand Summit, and how to use the time after a peak experience to your advantage. We talk about how… Achievement is not the endpoint To embrace the...

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 several categories: The people who love you for you The people who love your work The teachers The mentors The ones on a mutual journey Plus, listen for 6 and 7 - a couple of bonus categories to think about. We want to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail at theampersandmanifes...

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 focus on your life, not just your work. Listen on for more about the practices and anecdotes from guests on the show, including Emily J Smith (Novelist & Product Leader), David Riemer (Startup Storyteller & Theatre Producer), Liron Lavi Turkenich (Typeface Designer & Founder ...

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 guests shared the deeper forces that keep them moving forward. In this solo episode, I synthesize what I’ve learned from leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and creators who make their mark in multiple fields. Along the way, you’ll hear anecdotes from past guests like Rich Lyons...

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 of Music. She won third place in the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition. Marianne studied finance and economics at the University of Toronto and built her expertise in corporate finance, where she helped manage 4 billion dollars in institutional pension funds....

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 presence across the US and internationally, her notable roles include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly, Violetta in La Traviata, and Carlotta in the Phantom of the Opera. A voice teacher for over 25 years, Susan has taught hundreds of students 1:1 i...

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 climbing, trail running, running ultramarathons, hiking, skiing, or just watching her rescue pup Kayda frolic in the woods. Through her work on The Stokecast she told stories of how top outdoor athletes, adventurers, and entrepreneurs build their lifestyles and careers whil...

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-publishing a 5-book series of Silicon Valley rom-coms. Her latest novel, Book 3 in the series, is an Armenian bakery romance titled LOVE AND PAKLAVA. As a content marketer, she worked for a decade in B2B marketing roles for tech companies, including Rockerbox, Iterable, and Ripple. ...

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 alliance of VC firms with over 650 tech companies. Now, he runs MOTIF Africa, a boutique consultancy expanding the capital stack for African enterprises in sustainable resources, agriculture, and renewable energy. A self-taught musician and producer, he created The Flight Risks, ...

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 transformation, change management and Belonging. She's also known to the world as JetsetJanine, a food and travel content creator who has explored over 100 countries and eaten at over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants. As a food and travel influencer, she's partnered with top bra...

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 broadly in the press, including the New York Times , National Geographic , The Discovery Channel , NPR , the BBC movie Endangered , and on the TEDx stage. Bree weaves her work on the biodiversity of our planet with her passion for supporting others on the journey of life as ...

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 Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell and earned an MBA from UC Berkeley. She has led teams at top tech companies and nonprofits, and she is the founder of the dating app, Chorus. Her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Catapult, Slate, Hobart, The Washington Post, ...

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 their mark in two or more seemingly different worlds. Through candid conversations, we explore what it takes to navigate multiple callings, find the connection points between them, and redefine success on our own terms. Together, we’re co-creating The Ampersand Manifesto – p...