One Million Years Of Joy

The link between reading fiction and empathy with Dr. Nora Gold (Canada)

Dr. Nora Gold is a former professor, and the author of several books of fiction. Her literary work has received immense praise, and she has won numerous awards among which Canadian Jewish Book Award and the 2015 Canadian Jewish Literary Award. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Jewish Fiction.net (www.jewishfiction.net), a prestigious online literary journal that publishes first-rate Jewish-themed fiction from around the world and has readers in 140 countries. Discover the sources of inspiration for her work, how she defines success and joy, and her hopes for creating a more joyful and harmonious world.

The power of art to fuel positive impact with Benjamin Von Wong (USA)

Benjamin Von Wong’s mission is to make a lasting positive impact through his environmental art installations. His work, which has garnered over a billion organic views, raises awareness on critical issues like ocean plastics, fast fashion, and electronic waste. A Canadian engineer turned artist and activist, Benjamin’s journey is shaped by his Chinese Malaysian heritage and his formative years studying in China. In our conversation, we explored themes of joy, sustainability, and the concept of “enough.”

The joy of embracing change with April Rinne (USA)

Named one of the 50 Leading Female Futurists in the world, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a member of Thinkers50 Radar, April Rinne helps people improve their tolerance for uncertainty in a world of flux. Discover how the devastating loss of her parents when she was 20 has shaped her life, and her tips on navigating uncertainty and finding moments of joy every day.

Designing with a win-win-win mindset with Hanna Salameh (Jordan)

Hanna Salameh is ranked amongst the top 45 most influential architects of the Middle East. His visionary and sustainability-centric designs span across 12 countries and include projects such as the headquarters for EDRAAK Queen Rania Foundation in Jordan, the award-winning First-of-its-Kind Net-Zero Energy Bill House, to hospitals and museums. Discover what his win-win-win philosophy is all about, what he has learned in the last 11 years after founding his architecture and interior design firm, and what brings him joy.

The joy of choosing to live fully with Mareike Lenhart (Canada)

As a distinguished Creative and Art Director having worked on global multimedia and film projects, discover what success and joy means to Mareike Lenhart, and how her German roots and diverse experiences have shaped who she is. As a horse lover, we spoke about equine-assisted therapy, along with the power we all have to live joyfully despite challenges that may arise.

Becoming the best version of yourself with Raphael Malenfant (Canada)

Raphael Malenfant, an entrepreneur that loves extreme sports has had many ups and downs that have shaped his worldview, including a life-changing accident in 2018. Discover his journey, why he decided to focus on self-development, what he has learned about gratitude, freedom and joy.

Bringing more smiles & joy with Dr. Sonia Chopra (USA)

From the joys of Bollywood dancing to bringing smiles to her patients, Dr. Sonia Chopra sheds light on why she pursued a path in general dentistry and endodontics. She shares some fascinating insights about teeth, our body’s regenerative capacity and the concept of what she calls bio flow, along with great tips on living more joyfully.

The joy of generosity with Claude Rouleau (Canada)

With a 40-year career in the financial industry, discover why Claude Rouleau is called Santa-Claude given his generosity and extensive philanthropic involvement from supporting talented artists to the homeless, and how his four children are now continuing his beautiful legacy.  We spoke about his love for pottery, and how he donates his pieces for fundraising events, what he has learned as a wealth-advisor about life, wealth, purpose, and finding joy.

The joy of Ubuntu with Shola Richards (USA)

Discover Shola Richards’ journey from battling depression to bringing greater civility, positivity and harmony in the workplace as an author and speaker. We spoke about Ubuntu, the Boomerang effect, his new book Civil Unity coming out in September, how he experiences the world as a Highly Sensitive Person, and what brings him joy.

Leadership in an AI era with Jenny Fernandez (USA)

As a brand strategist that is on Thinkers50 Radar list for 2024, a Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Forbes contributor, and a professor at Columbia and NYU, discover Jenny Fernandez's views on leadership, AI, branding and what brings her joy.