Crypto Cycles, Al Disruption and Strategic Wealth: With Armando Pantoja
Release Date: 12/30/2025
Crypto Cycles, Al Disruption and Strategic Wealth: With Armando Pantoja
Power & Impact
In this week’s episode of Power & Impact, I sit down with Armando Pantoja, an investor, technologist, and thought leader who has spent his career spotting inflection points before they become obvious. Armando’s story is a study in reinvention. He went from playing professional basketball in Puerto Rico to returning to software engineering, and eventually to building businesses at the center of the crypto economy. Along the way, he learned the value of starting early, learning quickly from failure, and staying flexible when the path forward isn’t always clear. We talk about the...
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Beyond the AI Hype: What Creativity and Leadership Really Require | With Sergio lopez Ferrero
Power & Impact
Recorded live at Techonomy 25, this week’s episode of Power & Impact brings together two voices thinking deeply about where creativity and leadership are headed: Sergio Lopez Ferrero, CEO of Omnicom Production and a global leader in AI-driven brand storytelling, and Dr. Bobbi Wegner, a Harvard lecturer focused on team health, connection, and performance. Their conversation cuts through the noise around artificial intelligence to focus on what actually matters. Sergio and Bobbi talk about how AI is changing the way we create and lead, the role of craft in an era of rapid automation, and...
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Harvard Professor’s Discovery Will Change How You Lead | With Gary King Ph.D.
Power & Impact
In this week’s Power & Impact, I sit down with Dr. Gary King, one of Harvard University’s most distinguished professors and a leading voice in social science research, for a wide-ranging conversation about learning, leadership, and the power of community. Joined by my co-host and friend Dr. Bobbi Wegner, we explore why relationships sit at the heart of meaningful education and how community fuels innovation (Dr. Wegner is a psychologist, entrepreneur, and herself a Harvard educator.) During the conversation, Gary reflects on his work at Harvard, tracing the path from academic insight...
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Your Brain Ability to Change Is its Greatest Superpower | With Barbara Oakley
Power & Impact
In this week’s Power & Impact, I sit down with the remarkable thinker, Dr. Barbara Oakley, for a deep look at the science of how we learn, adapt, and tap into abilities we never knew we had. Barbara shares her extraordinary path from “hating math” to becoming one of the world’s leading engineering educators, Together, we reveal what modern neuroscience now proves: the brain can change, heal, and grow at any age. From Army barracks to the South Pole, from breakthroughs in brain science to lessons from global education reform, this conversation offers a hopeful message for parents,...
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Crisis Communication, Public Trust & The Future of Leadership | With Sally Susman
Power & Impact
What does it take to lead under the brightest spotlight in the world? In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with my friend Sally Susman, who recently wrapped up an extraordinary run as chief corporate affairs officer at Pfizer. Few people have been tested the way Sally was during the COVID years, and even fewer managed to lead with the clarity, steadiness, and optimism she brought to every moment. Sally talks with me about what it was like to help guide Pfizer through a global crisis, how she built trust in a divided media landscape, and what she learned from working alongside...
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Walking Away at 30: The Power of Reinventing Yourself | With Ryan Renteria
Power & Impact
What would you do if you hit financial independence at 30… and realized the life you built was slowly destroying you? In this week’s episode of Power & Impact , Paul Stamoulis and I sat down with Ryan Renteria, a Stanford grad who rocketed through Goldman Sachs, became a rising star in the hedge fund world, and walked away right as he reached the top. His body was failing, his spirit was exhausted, and he knew he had to choose a different future. Ryan opened up about work-life integration, emotional health, culture building, the power of service, and what matters beyond the paycheck....
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An Athlete’s Playbook for Building High-Performing Companies | With Austin Ramos
Power & Impact
What can business leaders learn from the mindset of a world-class athlete? In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with Austin Ramos, an entrepreneur whose path from All-American long-distance runner at UCLA to private equity leader is filled with lessons on building winning teams. Austin shares how his years as a competitive athlete shaped his approach to leadership and navigating high-pressure environments. We explore his decision to forge his own path outside his third-generation family business, the creation of Brand Velocity Group, and why he believes people, culture, and...
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Turning AI Hype Into Real Business Outcomes | With Andreas Welsch
Power & Impact
AI tools are powerful, but misusing them can lead to poor results. How can business leaders avoid “AI slop” and maintain quality as they scale this technology across their organizations? In this episode, I sit down with Andreas Welsch, an AI strategist, educator, and author of The AI Leadership Handbook We talk about why 85% of AI projects fail and what practical steps businesses and individuals can take to embrace this transformative technology responsibly. We also dive into the future of work, the impact of generative AI on creativity, and what skills students and professionals need to...
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Laundry Backpacks to TEDMED: The Journey of a Serial Innovator | With Marc Hodosh
Power & Impact
Some people chart a course and stick to it. Others let curiosity lead the way. In this week’s Power & Impact, I talk with Marc Hodosh, the entrepreneur who revived TEDMED and later co-founded Life Itself with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Marc’s path has been anything but predictable — from medical school to inventing a laundry backpack, building breakthrough tech companies, and creating platforms that bring the world’s most inspiring minds together. Along the way, he’s worked with visionaries like Dean Kamen, Steve Wozniak, and Norman Lear — all united by a desire to use creativity...
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Healing Through Innovation:The Rise of AI-Assisted Surgery | Bill Peine Ph.D.
Power & Impact
Are we on the brink of the end of traditional surgery? In this episode, I sit down with Bill Peine, Ph.D., VP of Surgical Research & Technology at Medtronic — one of the world’s leading innovators in medical technology. Bill and his team are reimagining the future of healthcare at the intersection of robotics, AI, and human ingenuity — where the idea of cutting into patients may soon feel as outdated as the rotary phone. We dive into: • How Medtronic began with the invention of the first battery-powered pacemaker • How engineers and doctors are working together to make...
info_outlineIn this week’s episode of Power & Impact, I sit down with Armando Pantoja, an investor, technologist, and thought leader who has spent his career spotting inflection points before they become obvious.
Armando’s story is a study in reinvention. He went from playing professional basketball in Puerto Rico to returning to software engineering, and eventually to building businesses at the center of the crypto economy. Along the way, he learned the value of starting early, learning quickly from failure, and staying flexible when the path forward isn’t always clear.
We talk about the realities behind cryptocurrency hype: Why market cycles repeat, what most people misunderstand about Bitcoin and blockchain technology, and where real opportunity tends to hide. Armando shares lessons from selling Bitcoin too soon, from building and selling a multi-million-dollar crypto company, and from recognizing that the “build phase” of innovation is often where lasting value is created.
Our conversation also takes a look at the future of work. As AI reshapes careers and erases familiar entry points, Armando offers clear advice: don’t panic, don’t retreat, and don’t wait. Learn the tools, think strategically, and position yourself ahead of change. In a world moving this fast, adaptability isn’t just an advantage but the difference between keeping up and being left behind.