Episode 153. Rana Dershowitz, A Career Driven by Passion from Sports Law and Public Policy
The 92 Report
Rana Dershowitz went straight to Harvard Law School after graduating in 1992, partly due to the economy and her love for learning. She describes her experience at Harvard Law School, including her role as a law school "old timer" in Cambridge. After law school, Rana moved back to New York and started working on Wall Street, initially hating the big law environment but appreciating the people she worked with. Entertainment Law at Madison Square Garden and onto Sports Law Rana discusses her career counselor's advice to explore sports law, which she had overlooked despite her involvement in...
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152. Eugene Kim, Pediatric Surgeon and Wine Connoisseur
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Eugene Kim shares his post-graduation journey staying in Boston to finish research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute which was part of his thesis and also laid down the groundwork for his own cancer research which he has conducted over the years. He credits his understanding of science to his time at Harvard. He also worked at the now-closed Love the Border Cafe. Eugene reflects on the valuable lessons learned from working at the cafe and describes the unique subculture of the cafe's staff, including the Brazilian kitchen staff and the diverse backgrounds of the waiters and...
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151. Jonathan Hughes, Consulting at the Intersection of Strategy & Conflict Management
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Jonathan Hughes talks about his career in consulting, starting with an economic consulting firm, Putnam Hayes and Bartlett, in Los Angeles. He mentions his connection back to Harvard through CMI (Conflict Management Inc.) founded by Roger Fisher and Bruce Patton, and his subsequent roles at Vantage Partners and BDO. The Career Path As a Consultant Jonathan describes his role at CMI, focusing on complex negotiations and business partnerships, and his role in helping to start the boutique firm, Vantage Partners where he spent around 25 years as a partner. He later moved over to BDO,...
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150. Steve Petersen, From Improv to Philosophy of AI
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Steve recounts his senior year at Harvard, and how he was torn between pursuing acting and philosophy. He graduated with a dual degree in philosophy and math but also found time to act in theater and participated in 20 shows. A Love of Theater and a Move to London Steve explains why the lack of a theater major at Harvard allowed him to explore acting more than a university with a theater major. He touches on his parents' concerns about his career prospects if he pursued acting, and his decision to apply to both acting and philosophy graduate schools. Steve discusses his...
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149. P.J. Karafiol, Chicago Public High School Principal
The 92 Report
Show Notes: P.J. shares the backstory of his name and how he became a high school principal. He studied simultaneously in law school for a JD and in the Philosophy department for a PhD at the University of Chicago. After realizing he didn't enjoy law or philosophy, he taught math at Phillips Andover and later in Chicago. He helped start a new public school, Walter Payton College Prep, and has been a principal at Lake View High School for the past 10 years. Teaching Chaos Theory and Math P.J. describes his experience teaching at Phillips Andover, including teaching chaos theory. He found the...
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148. Scott Cole, 50+ Jobs Worked Since Harvard
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Scott Cole describes his initial struggles at Harvard, dropping out after freshman year, and returning multiple times before finally graduating in 2012. He shares his first dropout experience, including a brief stint in California and a return to Harvard for sophomore year. He details his various jobs and adventures, including working at a car wash, landscaping, and a research assistant position at Harvard Forest. Working on a Ranch in Wyoming Scott thinks back to his days working at a ranch in Wyoming, where he learned cowboy skills and participated in cattle drives. He...
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147. Anca Miruna Achim, Teaching about the Past to Speculate about the Future in Mexico City
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Miruna studied art history at Harvard, focusing on Renaissance art. After taking a year off to travel and visit Romania, she decided to study Latin American Studies and Spanish and Portuguese at Yale. She found the graduate experience at Yale challenging, especially the sense of isolation that can come with graduate work when it is not socially or politically involved. Miruna began traveling to Mexico for her research on colonial Latin America, focusing on the intersection of history of science, literature, and ritual. Teaching History of Science Miruna moved to Mexico City, where...
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146. Franklin Habit, A Long and Winding Yarn
The 92 Report
Show Notes:Franklin Habit talks about working in higher education administration (and elsehwere) before eventually finding happiness in his current profession within the fiber arts. He discusses some of the blind alleys he explored, including museum work, opera stage directing, web design, and online marketing. Building a Career in KnittingFranklin shares how he learned to knit from a veteran knitter and classmate, Eliza Lake. He describes how his blog about knitting took off, leading to a book deal and a career in teaching and writing. Franklin recounts the early days of his blog,...
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145. Diego Fonstad, Educational Toys and Ed Tech Tinkerer
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Diego kicks off the conversation with a quick review of his career path, which included working at a business school in Barcelona, consulting in biotech and healthcare, and working as product manager and product running product groups. He then went back to business school. He talks about his job at the business school in Barcelona and what prompted him to take it. He explains that the opportunity arose through a professor he knew, and the timing of the 1992 Olympics made it hard to resist. He shares his insights on Catalonia's cultural differences and the importance of knowing...
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144. Kellie Doucette, Unexpected Journey: Pink Sand Beaches to New Jersey Politics
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Kellie Doucette describes her journey as zigs and zags, with three distinct chunks defined by her location: Northern Virginia, Bermuda, and New Jersey. She worked for a small health policy consulting firm called the Lewin Group in Northern Virginia, DC, where she met her future husband, John Doucette. A 13-Year Stint in Bermuda Kellie, an actuary, began her career in the Bermuda market after taking the actuarial exams. She and her husband moved to Bermuda in 1996, and they enjoyed the adventure of visiting family on the East Coast and raising their children there. The reinsurance...
info_outlineShow Notes:
Franklin Habit talks about working in higher education administration (and elsehwere) before eventually finding happiness in his current profession within the fiber arts. He discusses some of the blind alleys he explored, including museum work, opera stage directing, web design, and online marketing.
Building a Career in Knitting
Franklin shares how he learned to knit from a veteran knitter and classmate, Eliza Lake. He describes how his blog about knitting took off, leading to a book deal and a career in teaching and writing. Franklin recounts the early days of his blog, starting with a department lecture where he first heard the word "blog." He describes how he initially thought his blog was private and was surprised by the comments and traffic it received. Franklin mentions attending the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival, and meeting major figures in the fiber arts community.
COVID and Transition to Teaching and Speaking
Franklin discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his in-person teaching and speaking engagements. He explains his transition to online teaching and to Patreon, which helped him maintain income during the pandemic. Franklin shares how he enjoys making videos and audio pieces and adapting his in-person classes for online audiences.
Living in Paris
The conversation turns to Paris, why he moved there, and his life in Paris, including his love for walking and discovering hidden places. He mentions attending performances and visiting museums and galleries. Franklin talks about his Instagram account, where he posts about his daily life, needlework, and animals in his neighborhood. He explains how he balances posting about knitting with other interests to keep his followers engaged.
Harvard Reflections
Franklin reflects on how his art history degree from Harvard influences his knitting and teaching. He mentions professors James Ackerman, John Shearman, and Seymour Slive, who taught him valuable research and teaching skills. He explains how his background in art history helps him connect historical and cultural elements to his knitting, and he uses his knowledge of art and architecture to design and teach knitting patterns. Franklin explains the complexity of knitting, including the mathematical and three-dimensional aspects. He mentions teaching students how to knit using pre-literate methods and the connections to ancient systems like the Kanon of Polykleitos. He also discusses the gender perceptions and prejudices associated with knitting, and his upcoming project with Knit Stars, a series of classes and documentaries about notable needleworkers.
Timestamps:
03:12: Discovering Knitting and Blogging
05:43: Franklin's Unique Style and Books
11:11: The Early Days of Blogging
17:05: Transition to Online Teaching and Patreon
20:45: Life in Paris and Instagram
29:42: Influence of Art History on Knitting
51:09: Complexity and Satisfaction in Knitting
51:29: Gender Perceptions in Knitting
51:46: Franklin's Online Presence and Future Plans
Links:
Instagram and Threads: @franklin.habit
Bluesky: @franklinhabit.bsky.social
Patreon:patreon.com/franklinhabit
Knit Stars:
https://knitstars.com/masterclass-franklin-habit/?ref=567&utm_campaign=franklins-season-10
YouTube channel: youtube.com/franklinhabit
Society6 (art prints and merchandise): society6.com/franklinhabit
Spoonflower (fabrics and wallpapers): spoonflower.com/profiles/franklinhabit
Foxe and Boxe Project: foxeandboxe.com
Featured Non-profit:
The featured non-profit of this week’s episode is recommended by Pete Schmidt who reports: “
Hi, I’m Pete Schmidt, class of 92. The featured non-profit of this week’s episode of The 92 Report is the Davis Phinney Foundation. Davis started this Parkinson’s disease patient advocacy organization to focus on how people with Parkinson’s disease can be empowered to take charge of their condition and live their best lives now. I've worked with the foundation for over a decade and served on their board for six years and am currently serving as chairman. You can learn more about their work at dpf.org. And now, here's Will Bachman with this week's episode.”
To learn more about their work, visit: dpf.org.