You could think of Field Notes as my “blog” of observations. Periodically peek into my sketchbook, eavesdrop on my conversations, get a glimpse of my projects — and lens on life in Silicon Valley. 

David Kelley:      Design Disrupter
Interviews Lisa Van Dusen Interviews Lisa Van Dusen

David Kelley: Design Disrupter

Founder of IDEO & Stanford d.School

David Kelley talks with First Person host Lisa Van Dusen about his mission to help people regain their creative confidence, the universal applicability of human-centered design and the importance of play. He reflects on his summers growing up in the Midwest; his friendship with Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass; and his very early desire to become a school bus driver.

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Camilla Olson: Odds Defier
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Camilla Olson: Odds Defier

Founder & CEO of Savitude

Camilla Olson defies the norms. She relishes taking on big challenges and has a proven record of overcoming them as a successful serial entrepreneur. Olson talks with Lisa Van Dusen about what motivates her: solving big, consequential problems, creating companies, building teams and championing women —- ideally all in combination.

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Jeff Dean: Deep Dabbler
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Jeff Dean: Deep Dabbler

Senior Fellow at Google Research

Try Googling "Jeff Dean jokes" and you will find many results — they seem to have a life of their own. While both flattered and a little embarrassed by this April Fools joke that keeps on giving, Dean is actually quite serious about his work.

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Sarah Mummah: Vegetable Nudger
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Sarah Mummah: Vegetable Nudger

Founder of DreamCatchers and Ph.D. candidate in behavioral science at University of Cambridge and Stanford University

Caution: being near Sarah Mummah can cause healthy habits to form because she believes that if you can change people's behaviors, you can change the world. A self-described minimalist, she runs, writes and eats vegetables.

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Bob Wenzlau: Waste Alchemist
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Bob Wenzlau: Waste Alchemist

Terradex CEO and Environmental Engineer

Bob Wenzlau, pioneer recycler and compost champion is now focused on what's under our workplaces, schools and homes that is known to be harmful to our health. Through his Palo Alto-based environmental information company, Terradex, Wenzlau developed a web application called What's Down as a kind of "Yelp for the environment."

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Shilpa Yarlagadda: Peer Presenter
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Shilpa Yarlagadda: Peer Presenter

Founder of Club Academia

In this "First Person" interview, Lisa Van Dusen talks with Shilpa Yarlagadda, a 2014 graduate of Gunn High School in Palo Alto and founder of Club Academia, a video tutorial website that promotes "education of the students, by the students and for the students.

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John Markoff: Technology Translator
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John Markoff: Technology Translator

New York Times Writer

In this "First Person" interview, John Markoff, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times senior writer and author, talks with Lisa Van Dusen about growing up in Palo Alto, covering Silicon Valley for more than 30 years and his current interest in artificial intelligence and robotics -- the "next big thing.

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Elton Sherwin: Climate Crusader
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Elton Sherwin: Climate Crusader

CoFounder of the Carbon Zero Institute

Elton Sherwin, former cleantech venture capitalist turned accidental climate change entrepreneur talks with Lisa Van Dusen about his efforts to hunt down the most practical ways to make the planet "net zero" in carbon emissions by mid-century

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Dr. SV Mahadevan: Global Scaler
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Dr. SV Mahadevan: Global Scaler

Director of Stanford Emergency Medicine International

Dr. S.V. Mahadevan was born in Oakland and raised in southern California. He attended UCLA Medical School before heading north to Stanford in 1999. When he isn't managing Stanford's Level 1 Trauma Center/Emergency Department, Dr. Maha, as he is known, is often traveling the world advising developing countries about how they can launch emergency medical services—or improve upon their existing programs.

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Michael Kieschnick: Progressive Powerhouse
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Michael Kieschnick: Progressive Powerhouse

Co-founder and President of Credo Mobile

Michael Kieschnick, Palo Alto resident and co-founder and president of CREDO Mobile, a San Francisco-based wireless company that donates a portion of its revenues to progressive groups world-wide, talks to Palo Alto Online about his work and life.

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