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PODCAST

Imagine A World

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Inspiring stories of the Knight-Hennessy Scholar community, discussing their visions for a better world and their impactful work to bring it to life. From representation in the media to access to medicine, climate change, and more, we delve into meaningful conversations that will leave you feeling inspired. Follow us on social media @knighthennessy and visit our website (kh.stanford.edu) for more information.

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

34:34

The Quest for a Problem Worth Solving

Imagine A World ·

2026/04/08

In this episode, Eli Cahan (2019 cohort) sits down with Ileana Pirozzi (2018 cohort), who imagines a world where the quality of surgery can be democratized everywhere.Ileana traces her journey from growing up in a family of tobacco farmers in southern Italy to attending a United World College in the Netherlands, and then Brown University in the United States. She reflects on how a tumor diagnosis during her freshman year drew her toward cancer research and, eventually, healthcare more broadly.Ileana

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57:39

The Path to Sustainable Innovation Through...

Imagine A World ·

2026/03/25

In this episode, Max Du (2024 cohort) talks with Sreya Vangara (2023 cohort), a third-year PhD student in mechanical engineering. Sreya shares her journey from empowering young women in STEM in Maryland to providing educational opportunities and sustainable solutions around the globe, including work in Madagascar, the Navajo Nation, and Guyana. As she pivots from high-tech environments, like nuclear fusion, to tackling energy access through innovative battery technologies and AI, Sreya emphasizes

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43:26

Remain Open to Learning: The Foundation for...

Imagine A World ·

2026/03/11

In this episode, Eli Cahan (2019 cohort) talks with Abuzar Royesh (2018 cohort), who imagines a world where there is no inequality between developing and developed worlds. Abuzar reflects on how his childhood spent between Afghanistan and Pakistan shaped his worldview, and how his time in the United States as an exchange student sharpened his awareness of global inequality. He recounts how he decided to attend college in the United States and focus on policy, a path that led him years later to

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46:46

Human Connection Over Loneliness and Division

Imagine A World ·

2026/02/25

In this episode, Anson Zhou (2024 cohort) interviews Amanda Morrison (2024 cohort), a JD student at Stanford Law School, about the through line connecting her upbringing in Montana, her longtime relationship to dance, her work in documentary filmmaking, and her decision to pursue law. Amanda imagines a world where human connection prevails over loneliness and division. She reflects on how the outdoors and ballet trained her in discipline, endurance, and growth through discomfort, and how those

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47:37

Building Pathways to Higher Education that Everyone...

Imagine A World ·

2026/02/11

In this episode, Eli Cahan (’19 cohort) speaks with Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca (’24 cohort) who imagines a world where every child has access to quality education that can get them to a college experience as they wish, where they wish, regardless of where they were born.Sarahi reflects on her journey from being told she was not meant for college to becoming a Knight-Hennessy scholar. She shares how finding mentors helped her carve out her own path, and how her experiences empowered her to build

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01:02:05

Where Linguistics Meets the Law

Imagine A World ·

2026/01/28

In this episode, Ashley Yeh (’24 cohort) and Tanajia Moye-Green (’24 cohort) speak with Tilly Brooks (’24 cohort) about her interdisciplinary work at the intersection of linguistics, law, and justice. Tilly shares her path from studying ancient languages to examining how meaning is constructed in legal texts, why ambiguity and “ordinary meaning” shape legal outcomes, and how linguistic expertise can inform legal reform.Highlights from the episode:(03:57) How early exposure to Latin and ancient

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41:49

Venture Capital through an Anthropological Lens

Imagine A World ·

2026/01/14

In this episode, Eli Cahan (’19 cohort) speaks with Rex Woodbury (’19 cohort) who imagines a world where technology and startups are a force for good.Rex reflects on his decision to leave the world of investment to attend business school and on how he began sharing his ideas on social media. He discusses how writing on Substack helped him pivot from private equity to venture capital, where he now supports early-stage founders as they develop their ideas. Rex believes technology can have a positive

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59:28

Unrelenting Curiosity: On Knowing Ourselves and the...

Imagine A World ·

2025/12/10

In this episode, Max Du (’24 cohort) speaks with Barkotel Zememu (’24 cohort) who imagines a world where the mysteries of the physical universe are mysteries not just to those who are detectives but also to those who are not. Barkotel, who is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is pursuing a PhD in physics at Stanford. In this episode, Barkotel shares his journey from Addis Ababa to Stanford, discussing his first experience of the world beyond Ethiopia and his adaptation to new cultural contexts. He

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39:15

Deconstructing Cultural Barriers to Girls’ Education

Imagine A World ·

2025/11/26

In this episode, Eli Cahan (’19 cohort) speaks with Ayo Dada (’19 cohort) who imagines a world where education is accessible to everyone regardless of any aspect of their identity. Ayo shares his journey from Nigeria to Stanford—an unexpected path set in motion by a single email—and reflects on how discovering Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset shaped his academic trajectory. He discusses his early steps after studying psychology at the University of Lagos, his PhD research on psychologically

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01:00:41

Translating Discovery into Care

Imagine A World ·

2025/11/12

In this episode, Sydney Hunt (’23 cohort) interviews fellow host Anson Zhou (’24 cohort) alongside special guest host Katherine Hu (’22 cohort). Anson imagines a world where all medical discoveries successfully translate into patient care. He discusses how his experiences in research, consulting, and clinical rotations deepened his commitment to addressing the “translation gap” in medicine — ensuring that innovations reach the patients who need them most. Highlights from this episode: (06:27)

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26:39

Dancing Between Worlds: IAW Alumni Edition

Imagine A World ·

2025/10/29

This is the inaugural episode of the Imagine A World podcast, Alumni Edition, where host Eli Cahan (’19 cohort) sits down with alumni to explore their journeys since graduating from Stanford and how they are making an impact in their personal and professional lives. In this episode, Eli speaks with Bingyi Wang (’18 cohort), who imagines a world where technology and science transcend borders to bring benefits to everyday people. Bingyi shares her path from China to New Mexico, where she attended a

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01:05:53

Caring for Earth While Reaching for the Stars

Imagine A World ·

2025/10/15

In this episode, Sydney Hunt ('23 cohort) and Ashley Yeh ('24 cohort) speak with Alina Santander Vinokurova ('24 cohort) who imagines a world where the aerospace industry serves both humanity and Earth equally. Alina shares about her journey from growing up in Bolivia to pursuing a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford. She also reflects on how climate crises like the Amazon wildfires shaped her vision for an aerospace industry that not only advances exploration but also

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01:06:44

Humbitious: The Many Lives of Willie Thompson

Imagine A World ·

2025/06/18

In this episode, Sydney Hunt ('23 cohort) interviews Willie Thompson ('22 cohort), one of the original creators of Imagine a World, and a person whose presence will be deeply missed within the Knight-Hennessy Scholars community. Throughout the episode, he reflects on what it means to be in community with others and how that has looked for him from where he grew up to his time as a husband and father at Stanford as part of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars community.Don't miss: A surprise visit by another

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55:02

Trust, Transparency, and Transformation

Imagine A World ·

2025/06/04

In this episode, Willie Thompson ('22 cohort) interviews Rachel Desch ('23 cohort) who imagines a world where trusted institutions and leaders are able to mitigate violent conflict and inspire innovative policymaking. Rachel is a second-year master’s student in international policy. Before coming to Stanford, she spent nearly a decade working in the federal government. In this episode, Rachel describes how her upbringing on a military base and wide-ranging academic background have fueled her

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34:59

Highlights from Imagine A World, Season Two

Imagine A World ·

2025/05/21

In this special episode, Sydney Hunt (‘23 cohort), Anson Zhou ('24 cohort), and Max Du ('24 cohort) curate some of the most memorable moments of Season 2 through the lens of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars leadership model. Across four segments—curiosity, inspiration, open-mindedness, and visionary thinking—they revisit several standout clips from scholars who pushed boundaries in science fairs, forged lifelong friendships, embraced mentorship, and built new paths for their communities.Highlights from

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59:51

Building Resilient Climate Companies

Imagine A World ·

2025/05/07

In this episode, Max Du ('24 cohort) and Nikhil Gupta ('22 cohort) interview Madison Freeman ('22 cohort) who imagines a world where technological solutions drive a sustainable economy. Madison unpacks her passion for the venture capital climate technology space and what that work looks like day-to-day. She talks about how she became interested in climate issues and where her desire to do internationally impactful work comes from. Madison also shares how students, startups, and international climate

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01:06:51

Designing a Healthier Future

Imagine A World ·

2025/04/18

In this episode, Anson Zhou ('24 cohort) and Ashley Yeh ('24 cohort) speak with David Jiang ('22 cohort) and Longsha Liu ('22 cohort) about their journeys to Stanford and the close friendship they've formed. David and Longsha share the accomplishments and vision behind their KHeystone Project: the Stanford Healthcare Design Challenge, which seeks to bridge the gap between healthcare innovation and implementation. Longsha discusses the motivation behind his interests in the intersections of

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55:14

Empowered to Empower

Imagine A World ·

2025/04/10

In this episode, Sydney Hunt ('23 cohort) and Ashley Yeh ('24 cohort) speak with Khushi Malde ('24 cohort) about her hopes for education to spark curiosity, build resilience, and empower students to innovate, create, and lead for global responsibility. Khushi shares how growing up and attending high school in Kenya and then pursuing an undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley made her realize the gap in opportunities that she had compared to her peers--and how doing work to bridge those gaps brings her

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55:36

Health Policy, Global Impact, and Community Roots

Imagine A World ·

2025/03/19

In this episode, Max Du ('24 cohort) and Anson Zhou ('24 cohort) speak with Eliza Ennis ('22 cohort) about her journey from a close-knit community in New Mexico to Stanford’s Health Policy PhD program and how her upbringing, family, and community have shaped her interests. Eliza discusses her academic journey from Harvard to Stanford, plans for her upcoming dissertation, and some of the research and social impact projects that she has worked on around the world. She discusses her passion for health

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01:05:09

Making Justice a Right, Not a Privilege

Imagine A World ·

2025/03/05

In this episode, Sydney Hunt ('23 cohort) and Will Dwyer ('23 cohort) speak with Gianmarco Coronado Graci ('23 cohort) about how his lived experiences have fueled his desire to work towards a world where access to justice is a right and not a privilege. Gianmarco also shares his experiences studying law in Mexico and then transitioning to Stanford after working as an adjunct professor of law at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and as a senior associate at a litigation law firm in Mexico

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52 results

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