Straight To It

Charlie Zeitlin
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Short, 20 minute interviews covering an endless range of fascinating topics.

  1. MAR 28

    Ep. 81: Sherri Franklin — Founder of Muttville and Hero to Senior Dogs

    In this episode, I interview Sherri Franklin. Sherri is the founder of Muttville, a senior dog rescue in San Francisco. After understanding how wonderful senior dogs can be and seeing how inhumanely they are treated in the shelter system, Sherri started a grassroots dog rescue that eventually grew into Muttville. Every year, Muttville rescues over 1,000 senior dogs. Sherri and I discuss Muttville’s unique philosophy of emphasizing the happiness of dog rescue, how Sherri got Muttville off the ground, and what excites her about the future of senior dog rescue.

    28 min

  2. MAR 14

    Ep. 80: Addressing Rural Youth Suicide with Janet Lindow

    In this episode, I interview Janet Lindow. Janet founded the Rural Behavioral Health Institute to address the startling issue of rural youth suicide. For the past 12 years, Janet's career goal has been to improve the health of populations with limited access to effective treatment, with a primary focus on those experiencing mental disorders. After finishing her doctoral work, she taught a science course in Botswana, which widened her understanding of health disparities and left her with a fervent desire to help improve the health of people globally. Janet is currently a Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical School. We had an insightful, wide-ranging conversation covering Janet's personal journey with mental health, her experience of coming to understand the issue of rural youth suicide, and how she and RBHI are working to combat it.

    27 min

  3. FEB 28

    Ep. 79: Rookly, The Power of Chess, and Building a Fun Future of Education with Matt Zeitlin, Co-Founder of Rookly

    In this episode, I interview Matt Zeitlin, the Co-Founder of Rookly. Matt and his co-founder, Amir Moazami, have known each other since they were six. They played chess together growing up, and both eventually won National Championships. Rookly works to make school chess more fun and accessible by offering easy online competition. Students can see their opponents, play with friends, and connect with other schools while staying on campus. We discuss Matt’s experience with chess, what chess can do for education, and the journey of building Rookly. Enjoy the interview!

    26 min

  4. FEB 14

    Ep. 78: Sunni Khalid — A Life in Journalism

    Our guest today, Sunni Khalid, is the News Editor at KALW, a public radio station that has been broadcasting for over 80 years in the San Fransico Bay Area. He has reported from over thirty-five different countries at outlets including: TIME, USA TODAY, The Wilmington News-Journal, The Baltimore Sun, and National Public Radio.  We dig into the shift from the heyday of print media to today's fragmented digital ecosystem--from a journalist who has been practicing his craft at each stage.  You will hear about the power of local journalism, Sunni's personal journey, and reflections from his storied career. Enjoy the interview!

    39 min

  5. FEB 1

    Ep. 77: "The Hidden Addiction" — A Conversation with Sam DeMello, Founder of Evive

    In this episode, I interview Sam DeMello. Sam founded Evive, the leading digital health platform for gambling behavior change, serving partners across the nation. They bridge the critical gap in care by reaching the 99.5% of people experiencing gambling harm who never access traditional state-funded support services. Through an evidence-based platform and state partnerships, they have built a national digital infrastructure that makes personalized support accessible to everyone, anywhere, anytime. During our conversation, Sam shares his personal experience with gambling addiction, how it led him to found Evive, and his optimism for stemming the rising tide of addiction in the U.S.gambling addiction, how it led him to found Evive, and his optimism for stemming the rising tide of addiction in the U.S.

    31 min

  6. 2025-12-30

    Ep. 76: The "Open Road" Ahead for the Publishing Industry--A Wide-Ranging Conversation with David Steinberger

    Earlier this month, I was lucky to have an awesome conversation with David Steinberger. David has over 25 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has served as CEO of Arcadia Publishing and the Perseus Books Group, and as both President of Corporate Strategy and President of Adult Trade at HarperCollins. Over the course of his career, David has led the acquisition and transformation of numerous publishers and publishing services companies, with a focus on bringing the power of digital innovation to the world of books. David also serves as Chairman of the National Book Foundation, which presents the National Book Award. During our conversation, we cover what makes a great book, how the publishing industry works, and how Open Road uses data-driven technologies to connect books with readers who will enjoy them. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! P.S.: I highly recommend listeners check out David's podcast, The Open Book Podcast with David Steinberger.

    33 min

  7. 2025-11-19

    Ep. 75: "Your Voice, Your Vote" with San Mateo Assistant Chief Elections Officer Jim Irizarry

    In this episode, I interview Jim Irizarry. Jim has been working in elections for over fourty years, and currently, he is the Asst. Assessor-Clerk-Recorder & Asst. Chief Elections Officer for San Mateo County. We had an a wide-ranging conversation covering the importance of youth civic engagement, the power of one vote, and the threats he sees to elections in the near future regarding AI. I really enjoyed the conversation with Jim, and I hope you will listening! Show notes: Key words voting, registration, civic responsibility, informed voter, Voters' Choice Act, election challenges, misinformation, youth engagement, democracy, electoral proces Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Voting 03:30 Steps to Register to Vote 06:39 Becoming an Informed Voter 09:32 Innovations in Voting: The Voters' Choice Act 13:33 Challenges in Implementing New Voting Systems 17:56 The Threat of Misinformation in Elections 20:42 Final Thoughts on Civic Engagement

    21 min

  8. 2025-09-19

    Ep. 74: "A big history for a small town" with Palo Alto Historian Steve Staiger

    For the past forty years, Steve Staiger has worked as a historian at the Palo Alto Historical Society. He works in PAHS' archives, helping others research information about Palo Alto, and he promotes information about the city's history. During our conversation, we discussed Palo Alto's founding, Stanford's impact on Palo Alto history, and some of Palo Alto's more curious characters.

    23 min
See All (80)

About

Short, 20 minute interviews covering an endless range of fascinating topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Charlie Zeitlin
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charlie Zeitlin
  • Show Website
    Straight To It

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