In this episode, our founder Helen Wang sits down with her former student Katie Cho to reflect on the origins of Oceanside Perspective. After leaving a career in high tech, Helen became a professor at University of California, San Diego - Rady School of Management. But just a few months after she began her entrepreneurial journey, she had to step back from leading OP to battle an aggressive cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Byron Scott is President & Chief Operating Officer at Direct Relief, one of the biggest global disaster relief organizations in the U.S. He brings more than 25 years of leadership as a physician executive in the healthcare industry, as well as clinical experience as a board-certified emergency medicine physician. He currently serves on the Board of Rady Children's Health and Board Chair for Rady Children's Hospital San Diego.

Pursuing a B.S. in Business Psychology at UC San Diego, Andre Lokuszta is a Gen Z founder, strategist, and creative thinker who brings deep expertise in performance marketing, AI-enabled acquisition, and short-form content growth. He founded Netcast Marketing at 17 and continues to lead the company as CEO, building modern marketing infrastructure that delivers predictable, qualified appointments and strong ROI, generating over $7 million in opportunity value for clients.

Tom Linton is a globally recognized supply chain leader with decades of experience, with 20 years at IBM and as co-founder of E2Open. Linton has served as chief procurement officer at major companies including Agere Systems, Freescale Semiconductor, and LG Electronics Shipman Gold Medal. A frequent contributor to leading publications and co-author of multiple books—including Flow and The Living Supply Chain Linton holds several supply chain patents and is currently a senior advisor to McKinsey as well as multiple global companies.

Dr. Patricia Arcari, PhD, RN is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Mind-Body Health dedicated to helping individuals and healthcare professionals manage stress and build lasting resilience. With a doctorate in nursing and deep expertise in both the physical and emotional impacts of stress, she specializes in women’s health, workplace well-being, and holistic approaches to emotional balance.

Rich Hua is a technology strategist and innovation evangelist, and he currently serves as the Worldwide Head of EPIC Leadership at AWS. His mission is to upskill leaders in emotional intelligence and interpersonal dynamics, enabling them to lead with greater Empathy, Purpose, Inspiration, and Connection (EPIC). Rich has spent decades training and mentoring people in leadership and interpersonal skills—from CEOs to aspiring managers to early career professionals. He is the founder of EQ@Amazon which, at 70,000 members, composes the largest corporate-based EQ community of practice in the world. Building on his internal success, Rich launched the EPIC program to empower AWS customers with emotional-social skills to augment their adaptability, resilience, and innovation. Rich is a global thought leader who has been featured in The Guardian, Washington Post, and AWS Executive Insights, and his keynotes and workshops consistently receive the highest ratings at large-scale events such as re:Invent, ExecLeaders, and Imagine for Nonprofits. He and his team have reached over 1.3 million Amazonians and customers with EPIC skills, and his training content has been integrated into onboarding, sales, and leadership development programs across multiple divisions of Amazon globally. Learn more about Rich at his EPIC EQ website: www.richardhua.co.

Abhay Gangadharan is a People Operations Executive and Future of Work Leader with over 25 years of experience across Fortune 100 companies and high-growth startups, including 14 years at Google. His career spans the U.S., India, and Japan, where he has led initiatives across strategic workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, and HR service delivery. His background additionally includes experience in online advertising, product management, and business operations. With a deep passion for shaping the future of work, he is committed to leveraging technology, including AI, to unlock human potential and build thriving, high-performing organizations.

For more than 45 years, Dr. Douglas Gross has been a Professor of Anatomy and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, teaching both undergraduates and medical students at UC Davis. A practicing pediatrician at the UC Davis Medical Center, Dr. Gross also serves as Medical Director of the RIVER mobile pediatric clinic, bringing care to underserved communities. He is a member of CA-11, California’s federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and has deployed in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the earthquake in Haiti, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. His global health work includes providing medical care to remote regions of Africa, Central and South America, and partnering with the World Health Organization to reduce infant and child mortality.