Inspiring People: Stories of Innovation and Service

The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley
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  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Positive stories of remarkable individuals and organizations making a difference in the world. From entrepreneurs and activists to educators and healthcare professionals, we showcase people who are bringing about positive change in their communities, locally, globally, and digitally. Produced by the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Host: Rushton Hurley Podcast Producer: Elton Sherwin For more information visit our website: rotary.cool or https://www.siliconvalleyrotary.com/

  1. 138. The Memory Project

    1D AGO

    138. The Memory Project

    This episode refers to a number of visuals that are in the video version which can be seen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fbnO3K6fxKt9pfaTp8mYn or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zxlfSvqAhOY • We believe the message is an important one, even if you do not watch the video, and hope that you will enjoy this and every episode of our series. Ben Schumaker first spoke to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley in 2016 to tell the story of the Memory Project, a youth arts organization he founded in 2004. He spoke to us again in 2022 about his efforts to help resettle Afghan refugees. In this presentation, he will briefly recap the history of the Memory Project and update us on his efforts to support education for Afghan girls. He will then describe several challenges that the Memory Project (and the field of art education, in general) has faced during the past several years. Lastly, Ben will invite club members to help him brainstorm potential new pathways that the Memory Project could take in the future, with hopes of adapting and strengthening the organization in these changing times. Ben founded the Memory Project in 2004 after an experience volunteering at an orphanage in Guatemala. While there, he learned that the children had very few personal keepsakes to take with them after leaving the orphanage. As Ben had always enjoyed drawing portraits for others, he had the idea to organize high school art teachers and art students to create portraits as positive and tangible "memories" for the children to carry into their future. Since then, more than 300,000 young artists have participated in this effort to create portraits for children in 58 different countries. Running the Memory Project has been Ben's full time job ever since 2006, and his typical workday consists of answering emails alone on his couch. However, the days he loves far more are the ones spent delivering the portraits to children around the world. Please check out the Memory Project's website and see videos of our work at: https://memoryproject.org To learn more about Men for Equality, go to: https://menforequality.org/

    38 min
  2. 137. Sporting Events and Anti-Trafficking Efforts in 2026

    FEB 9

    137. Sporting Events and Anti-Trafficking Efforts in 2026

    2026 will see three major sporting events in Santa Clara County, the NFL Super Bowl, NCAA March Madness, and FIFA World Cup. There has been attention to the issue of human trafficking at sporting events, and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar brought the realities of labor exploitation to the international stage. Learn about what data tells us about sporting events, trafficking, and exploitation. Santa Clara County hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016 and a regional workgroup, No Traffick Ahead was created to provide a regional, comprehensive response to trafficking. There were accomplishments and lessons learned as it relates to messaging, law enforcement, outreach, and services. No Traffick Ahead is organizing once again, utilizing a social leverage model, to provide a comprehensive approach to human trafficking and human rights violations for the events. This includes making sure visitors to the Bay Area and community members can recognize trafficking and know how to get help or report harm. Our speaker, Sharan Dhanoa, is Director for the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking. She facilitates collaboration amongst over thirty-five member agencies. In May 2014, she began facilitating the largest multi-county workgroup in the Bay Area, No Traffick Ahead, which is unifying efforts in eight counties in order to effectuate collective impact across sectors. Prior to joining the Coalition, Sharan worked with women trafficked into sexual exploitation in Calcutta, India, by aiding their development through economic empowerment. She started her career in crime research, has worked in crime surveillance, and in an emergency psychiatric facility. Sharan holds a Master’s degree in Criminology from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law. Sharan was named 2015 Abolitionist of the Year for Advocacy by the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, received the Unsung Hero Award by the County of Santa Clara Valley in 2015, and was awarded the South Asian Bar Association's Community Impact Award in 2016. To learn more, go to: https://www.southbayendtrafficking.org

    27 min
  3. 136. Global Care for People with Bleeding Disorders

    FEB 2

    136. Global Care for People with Bleeding Disorders

    The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) works to ensure that every person with a bleeding disorder has access to safe, effective, and sustainable care, no matter where they live. Around the world, thousands of people with bleeding disorders still face life-long pain, disability, and even early death due to a lack of diagnosis and treatment. In this talk, WFH Medical and Humanitarian Aid Director, Dr. Assad Haffar, and WFH Head of Corporate & Community Partnerships and National Director of WFH USA, Marlene Spencer, will share how WFH is advancing global standards of care through humanitarian aid, training and education, and policy advocacy. They will also highlight opportunities for partnerships that align with Rotary’s values of service, global health, and community impact. Dr. Assad Haffar is the Medical and Humanitarian Aid Director at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in Montreal, Canada. Since joining WFH in 2000, he has led the organization’s Humanitarian Aid Program, the largest global initiative delivering clotting factor concentrates to countries with limited access, while supporting the development of national care programs and treatment centers worldwide. Dr. Haffar holds an MD from the University of Damascus, as well as advanced degrees from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Environmental and Occupational Health in Japan. Marlene Spencer is Head of Corporate & Community Partnerships at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) and National Director of WFH USA, the organization’s U.S. affiliate connecting American supporters to WFH’s global mission. With more than 15 years at WFH, she leads fundraising strategies across corporate and community sectors, securing commitments and working to identify and diversify revenue streams to sustain WFH’s global programs. To learn more, read the WFH Impact and stories of 2024: https://wfh.org/ https://wfh.org/about-wfh/#wfh-annual-report-2024/1/

    33 min
  4. 135. Why Your Resume Never Reached a Human

    JAN 26

    135. Why Your Resume Never Reached a Human

    Most job seekers don't know their resumes are screened by algorithms before humans ever see them. With 75% of employers using Applicant Tracking Systems, qualified candidates often get filtered out instantly while hiring managers can't find good talent. Soubhik Dawn, founder of AI career platform Upplai, will reveal how hiring really works today, and demonstrate how AI is now empowering candidates to optimize their applications effectively. You'll see live examples of resume transformation and learn why this shift is creating a more equitable job market for everyone involved. Soubhik Dawn is a Stanford and IIT Kharagpur alumnus with nearly two decades of product management and leadership experience spanning Silicon Valley startups to publicly traded companies. As both a hiring manager and product leader, he has built digital products used by millions while leading and hiring across diverse functions including engineering, UX design, product marketing, technical writing, customer support, customer success, solutions consulting, and sales. Having experienced the hiring process from both sides as someone who has hired dozens of professionals and as a job seeker navigating career transitions, Soubhik understands the frustrations of today's job market. This dual perspective inspired him to found Upplai, an AI-powered platform that is helping job seekers get more interviews and land their dream jobs faster. Through Upplai, Soubhik has helped thousands of job seekers, across multiple industries, job functions, and experience levels, present their best selves to employers, transforming how professionals approach job applications in an increasingly competitive and AI moderated market. To learn more, go to: 1. The real reason you might not be getting any job interviews: https://youtu.be/8yA9DKxJfks 2. How a laid-off customer support professional went from 0 interviews to 10+ interviews a week using AI: https://youtu.be/3W5nhlGgBl8 3. How an algorithm scores and ranks your resume: https://youtu.be/3W5nhlGgBl8 4. Resume best practices to impress humans and machines: https://uppl.ai/resume-writing-guide 5. Why ChatGPT might be hurting your job search: https://uppl.ai/chat-gpt-resume-prompts/

    31 min
  5. 134. How Rotary is Changing - District Governor Visit

    JAN 19

    134. How Rotary is Changing - District Governor Visit

    Following visiting clubs all over our district, our district governor talks at both practical and philosophical levels about shifts happening (or should be happening) within Rotary. Herb Ritter has been a dedicated Rotarian for four decades. He is the 5170 District Governor in 2025-06, and has held a wide variety of leadership positions, including club president. Professionally, he enjoyed a successful 32-year career at Schneider Electric before venturing into entrepreneurship. Herb's commitment to community service extends beyond Rotary, evidenced by his involvement in various organizations. As a 3rd generation Eagle Scout, he has a strong connection to Scouting. With a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA, Herb embodies a blend of education, professional achievement, and service. To learn more about our district, visit: https://www.rotarydistrict5170.org/

    38 min
  6. 133. Work & Learn from Anywhere

    JAN 12

    133. Work & Learn from Anywhere

    The way we live, work, and learn is being transformed at an unprecedented pace. Families around the world are seeking more freedom, flexibility, and purpose - not just in their careers, but in the way they raise and educate their children. Elodie Ferchaud, co-founder of Boundless Life, shares how the future of work and learning is evolving and why so many families are reimagining what’s possible. Drawing from her own journey as a mother of four and global entrepreneur, Elodie explores how Boundless Life is pioneering a new way of living: one that blends place-based learning, meaningful community, and the freedom to work from anywhere. Discover how this movement is empowering families to design lives of growth, connection, and global citizenship. Elodie Ferchaud is an entrepreneur, global brand leader, and mother of four who has dedicated her career to building meaningful communities and businesses across the world. After 15 years in international marketing and sales with leading companies such as L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble, she co-founded Boundless Life, a pioneering organization helping families live abroad with forward-thinking education, housing, and community. Her work blends professional expertise with personal passion, inspiring families everywhere to embrace change, growth, and the adventure of global living. To learn more, go to: https://www.boundless.life/ https://www.instagram.com/boundlesslife/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundlesslife/

    34 min
  7. 132. Guy Kawasaki: Conventional Business Wisdom That's Actually Wrong

    JAN 5

    132. Guy Kawasaki: Conventional Business Wisdom That's Actually Wrong

    This week's speaker is someone many of us have followed for decades. Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, host of the Remarkable People podcast, author of Wiser Guy, Think Remarkable, and sixteen other books, and adjunct professor at UC Santa Cruz. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation, and brand ambassador of Mercedes-Benz. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. In this talk, Kawasaki takes aim at the so-called "rules" of business that sound wise but often mislead. From "fail fast" to "growth at all costs," he shows how these maxims can backfire when applied blindly. Instead of chasing clichés, Kawasaki urges leaders to think critically, weigh context, and focus on sustainable success. This talk reframes innovation and growth with nuance, clarity, and a dose of reality. To learn more about our speaker, go to: https://guykawasaki.com/ https://guykawasaki.com/remarkable-people/

    37 min
  8. 131. High Schools Uplifting the Scientific Capacity of Uganda

    12/29/2025

    131. High Schools Uplifting the Scientific Capacity of Uganda

    Our speaker, Robert Freeman, spent nineteen years in the computer industry, rising to Vice President at the seventh largest software company in the world. After that, he taught at Los Altos High School for 16 years. In 2011, he was named "Bay Area Teacher of the Year" by the San Francisco 49ers Organization. In 2007, Freeman founded The Global Uplift Project. TGUP offered high school students the chance to build classrooms in developing-world countries from donations of one dollar. In 2020, when COVID closed all the schools, TGUP opened to adults. The ethic remains the same: small donations, aggregated, to build educational projects in the poorest countries in the world. TGUP has completed 592 such projects in 26 countries. In 2022, he presented to our Rotary club about TGUP, and this week, he shares a bold initiative that his organization has launched. The project is to upgrade the scientific capacity of the entire nation of Uganda. Already underway, TGUP is doing this by installing TGUP's Science Lab in a Box™ (SLaB) at 50 of the top high schools in the country. Early results show 80+% improvement in nationally normed test scores within the first year of installation of SLaB. If this project improves Ugandan GDP by only 1/1000th of 1% in 10 years, it pays for itself 200 times over. TGUP has the support of the Rotary International infrastructure at the highest level of the country. The Ugandan District Governor, Christine Kawooya, has submitted a letter of support stating, "Please know that our entire Rotary team is fully committed to the success of this groundbreaking program." To learn more, go to: The Global Uplift Project: https://tgup.org/ TGUP's Science Lab in a Box™: https://tgup.org/slab Website for this project: https://tgup.org/SEUU The 573 projects TGUP has already completed: https://tgup.org/Project-Thumbnails

    36 min
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About

Positive stories of remarkable individuals and organizations making a difference in the world. From entrepreneurs and activists to educators and healthcare professionals, we showcase people who are bringing about positive change in their communities, locally, globally, and digitally. Produced by the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Host: Rushton Hurley Podcast Producer: Elton Sherwin For more information visit our website: rotary.cool or https://www.siliconvalleyrotary.com/

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