Tag Archives: college memories
Geoff Klein Reflects On The Big Choices And Chances That Shaped His Path
Fans of the pod will know how often my college classmates’ lives have unfolded in ways none of us could have predicted back in the mid‑1990s. Geoff Klein is a perfect example of that non‑linearity.
After Amherst, he nearly landed at Leo Burnett before being told (accurately) that he seemed more interested in film than advertising. That observation set off a chain of reinventions: working for Seth Godin in New York, heading to Temple Law without any intention of practicing, and ultimately moving to Los Angeles to work in the story department at major studios like Paramount and MGM.
Just when it looked like he’d found his lane, life shifted again. Geoff married a woman from Manchester, England, moved overseas, worked in real estate, and eventually returned to Philadelphia. Today he teaches at Temple and Wharton, runs a story‑driven branding practice, speaks professionally, and helps organizations adopt AI in ways that keep people at the center. Through every pivot runs a consistent worldview: humans are wired for connection and stories are how we make sense of our lives.
You can email Geoff at geoffrey@ninedotsmedia.com.
Russ Hanser Seized Opportunity Where – And When – Law And Tech Collided
Russ Hanser arrived at Amherst as a self-described nerd with big ambitions: maybe law, maybe journalism, maybe even director of the CIA. His liberal arts education sharpened his thinking and ultimately launched him into a career shaping telecommunications and technology policy at the highest levels.
Today, Russ serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Legal Officer of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association. In this episode, he reflects on how early interests in politics and computers converged into a career navigating spectrum policy, AI governance, broadband access, and the future of connectivity. He also speaks candidly about carving out space to support not-for-profit organizations and navigating fatherhood through a divorce.
Highlights:
How a high school computer nerd became a leader in tech policy, and the role of both skill and fortuity played in that outcome
The policy debates shaping AI and why he’s an AI optimist
The life challenges that redefined him as a father
Why liberal arts thinking still matters in a tech-driven world
Russ also nominates the next classmates he’d like me to interview. If you’d like to connect with Russ, you can reach him at: rphanser@gmail.com.
Mike Gold Makes The Case For Big Swings That Lead To Practical Good
Mike Gold has built a life defined by range. He ran an art gallery in New York. He scaled an animation studio to nearly 200 artists. He has built backend systems for massively multiplayer online games, collaborated with DARPA on next-generation engineering tools, and even mined gold on a beach in Nome, Alaska.
Mike traces the throughline that unites these pursuits: he loves learning, assembling strong teams, and building systems that improve the human experience. Today that compass points to two long-term missions: helping more children learn to read earlier, and reducing serious sports injuries through a short weekly training regimen that is proven to deliver outsized results.
Highlights include:
Mining gold in Nome and what it taught him about persistence and problem-solving
Why early reading is one of the most studied areas of learning yet still lagging in successful outcomes
An introduction to RIIP REPS, a 35 to 40 minute weekly program designed to reduce injuries and improve performance especially for teenage athletes
The Amherst classmate he nominates for a future episode
You can email Mike at HancockGold@gmail.com. Thanks to Jordan Hayslip for nominating him.
Erin Cowhey Designs Spaces That Tell Her Clients’ Stories
Erin Cowhey is an Amherst College classmate and architect whose profession is awfully interesting its own right, but it interests me more than ever now that my daughter works as an interior designer. Erin runs her own firm in Brooklyn but wasn’t always destined for the field. She enrolled at Amherst with every intention to go pre-med before pivoting to architecture. In this episode, she talks about how personal tragedy reshaped her career path and how she’s balanced running her own firm with raising a family in New York City. What emerges is a portrait of someone who designs homes with the same care she’s taken to designing a meaningful life.
Highlights include:
Pivot with purpose: Erin’s fascination with art and architecture led her to trade medicine for design.
Resilience in loss: After losing her first child, she rebuilt her life and career by starting her own firm, prioritizing flexibility and family.
Brooklyn life, fully lived: She reflects on the joys and contradictions of raising kids in the city she and her husband, a landscape architect, love so deeply.
Design as storytelling: Erin views every project as a chapter in her clients’ lives: spaces that evolve as families grow and change.
Looking ahead: With her children nearing college, Erin is eager to take on larger, collaborative projects and to keep exploring creativity on her own terms.
Plus, Erin nominates two new guests to go next.
To learn more about her practice and get in touch, email her at erincowhey@gmail.com or visit her website, erincowhey.com.
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